Sermon Tone Analysis

Historical background

Read Revelation 2:1-7

Reminders:

Written by the exiled John in 96 ad

Domious was Caeser

40,000 Christian killed

Paul, Peter and Timothy Killed

Worship of Caeser is mandated by law.

They built temples to his worship.

Monotheistic culture

Ephesus

Of the 7 churches, Ephesus was the largest and most prominent city.

Of the times, it was like a Beijing, or Los Angeles .

It was a largest harbor in Asia Minor and because of that, it was the central location for trade and commerce.

3 major highways leave the city spreading all of the goods and services throughout eastern Europe and Asia.

It was a busy, thriving city.

It was also home of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.

the temple of Artemis.

The fertility god.

The rituals and practices of this temple, I will not speak of from this stage.

It was has the largest temple to worship Dominus.

In order to enter into the main trading hub, the main market place, you had to pass by the alter to Dominus, sprinkle incense and say “Dominus is lord.”

Ephesus was a very pagan and metropolitan city.

And this is where we find this little church of believers in Ephesus.

Founded by Aquila and Priscilla.

Pastored by Paul for 2 years, Timothy and Apollos before John.

It was a well established, well pastored church.

But it was also located in one of the hardest cities to be a Christian during that time.

You can read about its founding in Acts chapters 18-20.

You can read 2 New Testament books written to the Church in Ephesus, the book of Ephesians and the book of 1 John.

If you get a chance to read through these, you would see three main ideas that are consistently taught and reinforced through out these passages.

Unity of the body, hold to truth and everything is about love.

In the Acts passage, Paul warns about false teachers like wolves in sheep's clothing and holding to the truth that was taught to them.

In Ephesians, Paul teaches them about staying unified in the middle of spiritual warfare.

He reminds them that they are not warring against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers and dominions.

In 1 John, John teaches them that it is all about love.

That God is love.

That they will know us by our love.

How if you don’t love your brother, the love of God is not in you.

How we wouldn’t even know love if God hadn’t sent His Son into the world to die on our behalf.

How there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.

These are all written to this church in the center of the paganistic, metropolitan, who have been shut out of the market place because they cant say that caesar is lore, and all of their leaders have either been crucified, beaten or exiled.

This is the church that Jesus is telling here in Revelation that “I know your works, your toil and your patience endurance...”

This is the church that needed to be reminded that Jesus, the head of the church, is walking among them and holding them in His hands.

The words “I know” means more than a head knowledge in the original Greek.

It means “I am intimately aware and share with you.

Personal knowledge.”

Jesus is saying, I am personally engaged and sharing your works, your toil and your difficulties.

As a church as we strive to make a difference in this community and in this county, first of all, we should thank God that we are not fighting and oppressed like the church in Ephesus.

Second of all, we can take heart that that does not mean that Jesus isn’t here with us with a personal knowledge of hardship and sacrifices that are being made for this church.

Point #1

If you are striving and fighting for the Kingdom of God, He KNOWS what you going through.

If you are fighting for your kids to stay on the path of God in an increasingly pagan society, Jesus KNOWS.

If you are fighting for your marriage to survive through difficult times, Jesus KNOWS.

If you are being treated differently in your workplace or friends or families because you are pursuing Christ, Jesus KNOWS.

If you are a teenager and you are trying to resist the temptations of this world and live for Him, Jesus KNOWS.

Don’t get mad, don’t get frustrated, “patiently endure” knowing that you are not alone.

And if you conquer, according to verse 7, He will grant to you to eat of the tree of life, in God’s paradise.

Point #2

Hold to the truth.

Paul warned them in Acts and Jesus commends them in Revelation for holding to the truth.

For holding teachers to the standard of truth.

We are truly blessed to live in our times for this point because we have the Word of God, readily at our finger tips.

We have the teachings, actions and life of Jesus within our reach.

We have the teaching of the Apostles and the leaders of the early church in our hands.

It is clear that Jesus is telling His church to hold the teachers and apostles to the standard of truth in God’s Word.

It is clear that Jesus find that very important and we have it way easier than they did!

We have the Bible, they didn’t.

So, we must diligently hold our leaders, teachers and preachers to the truth in God’s Word.

Yes, I know that I am talking about me.

I am warning you, telling you, giving your permission to obey Jesus’ command here to hold me accountable to God’s Word.

Do not just take my word for it.

Filter everything I saw through His Word and hold it to the standard of truth.

I want you to hear my heart in this, one day, I will have to stand and give an account for the things that I teach and the things that I preach.

I will be held to a higher standard.

I passionately care about not saying anything or teaching anything that is false or does not align with God’s Word.

I do NOT want to do that.

So, I am giving you permission to ask questions.

Ask me, where did I get that from.

Ask me.

But remember this, please do it in love and out of love.

I welcome conversations about God’s Word.

I want to sit down with you over coffee or around a bonfire and discuss Biblical truths and doctrine with you.

But we have to agree to do it out of love for God and love for each other.

By the way, don’t just do this with me.

Do it with every book you read, every 30 second sermon on Facebook and Instagram, every conversation of advice, every meme that get shared.

Filter it through God’s Word and hold to the truth.

Point #3

Love is essential.

Jesus is telling them that they have gotten so busy in the doing, and the striving, and the toiling, and the enduring that they have forgotten that they have love-centered relationship with Jesus!

They have so focused on the actions that they have abandoned the person!

That they have fallen out of love with Jesus, the lover of their souls.

Love of Jesus and the love of Jesus is absolutely essential to our Christian walk and to the ministry of this church.

Read the book of 1 John if you doubt this!

Love is absolutely essential and Jesus says that if you do not correct this, if we do not have this as a church, He will remove our light and our lampstand.

But praise the Lord, He gives us clear instructions on how to correct this.

Remember from where you have fallen.

Jesus is saying remember back at the first?

Remember back to a time to where you were so in love with Him? Remember back to a time that you felt closer to Him than any other time?

Maybe for you, that was your salvation experience.