Christ begins with a self-identification relevant to the circumstances in the particular church. He then describes what he sees happening in this congregation, interacts with those circumstances, and finally gives a call to listen and a promise. This outline holds true for all of the seven letters, albeit with slight variation as dictated by local needs.
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.