The Priority of Love over Service

The Template for the letters to the Churches

Example: Each of the 7 churches has its own section in chapters 2 and 3. The same basic pattern (template) is used for the discussion of the individual church.

Description of Jesus

Jesus begins each section with a description about Himself, mainly taken directly from the 1st vision that John witnessed (Rev. 1:12-20). The description of Christ to the churches at Philadelphia & Laodicea does not originate from the vision.

The particular description of the Risen Christ was meant to be an encouragement to that specific Church

Commendation

Jesus gives positive encouragement and feedback to the specific Church. Only Sardis does not receive any message of Commendation.

Rebuke

After giving the positive, Jesus points out where the Church is in error. He does not pretend everything is OK when it isn’t. 5 of the 7 Churches receive a rebuke; only Smyrna and Philadelphia are exempted

Action Steps

Jesus does not set forth criticism without the means to remedy the situation. Along with the rebuke, He gives action steps. These are not suggestions - there are negative consequences when His commands are ignored.

Reward

Jesus ends each section with the reward for faithful service. We serve a Holy God who calls us to Holy and Righteous living, but He is also a God of grace who rewards us beyond what we deserve.

Regardless of the situation, the Risen Christ is in the midst of the Church (Rev. 2:1)

Example: To the first of the Churches, Jesus begins with the reminder that He is in the midst of His Church. He is the Head of each local Church and He is intimately connected with the life and health of His Churches.

When Jesus was preparing the disciples for His leaving them (Crucifixion and Ascension), He told them that He would not leave them as orphans (John 14:15-18). The Spirit of Christ was present in the Church at Ephesus and He is with us at Smyrna Baptist Church. That truth should bring us much comfort!

Jesus knows the particulars of the faithful service of His followers (Rev. 2:2-3,6)

Jesus informs the members at Ephesus that He is keenly aware of the goings on in their local gathering. He says “I know thy works...” The word for know is used for complete and full knowledge (The MacArthur NT Commentary, Revelation 1-11, by John MacArthur, p. 59). The Risen Christ knew their loyalty to the right practice. The Church at Ephesus had Paul as their pastor for three years, Timothy had served as pastor and the Apostle John had been with them. They were well trained in NT doctrine and they were active in defending that faith against the false teachers of the day. They didn’t give free passes to the heretics so they would be called winsome by their community.

Argument: Jesus commends His followers for being faithful. He knows the sacrifices that are made by His disciples. Those that belong to Jesus will have lives that are lived in service for others. Our faith will make a difference, and it is noticed by our Savior.

Application: Believers are not to serve for recognition (cf. Matt 6:2-3) from others. Very often we can become discouraged thinking that know one knows and that no one cares and that we aren’t even making a difference. Let yourself be reminded that the Lord of Glory knows your name and is fully aware of your Kingdom service.

Jesus loves His followers so much that He disciplines them (Rev. 2:4-5)

Explanation: Following the commendations, Jesus delivers the Rebuke. Without vagueness, He clearly and concisely identifies the problem. He tells the members at Ephesus that they have left their first love. The Church was guilty of doing the correct practice without the correct motivation, and The Risen Christ calls them out for it.

Illustrate: There have been pastors and deacons (or other Church leaders) that are guilty of some type of sin that disqualifies them from serving. When brought to the attention of the other leaders, the result is a cover up instead of dealing with the issue biblically. [NOTE: this is NOT the norm for most godly Church leaders]

Argument: The point is that Jesus does not sweep anything under the rug or overlook sin in His Church. For us it would be so easy to focus on the results: “Hey, we are running over 200 in SS, and the worship service is averaging 325. The offerings are up and so are baptisms. We are leading in mission trips and the food pantry is feeding over a 100 clients a month. The machine is running great! Why take the chance of messing things up by dealing with discipline issues?”

Genuine love cares enough to discipline. Following Christ is about obedience, not results. According to Jesus the number one commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matt 22:37)

Application: We can only look at the actions of others; we are not qualified to judge motive. Not so with Jesus. As the Living Word of God He is “a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb 4:12). How would Jesus judge Smyrna Baptist church in the area of motivation? How would he judge you as an individual member of this fellowship?

Jesus promises rewards to the Faithful (Rev. 2:7)

Explanation: In each of the letters Jesus issues a phrase of exhortation: “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches” (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, and 22) This is written to the individual members of the church, AND it is written to the churches (in the plural -not singular). This exhortation applies to each member of any Church that is founded upon Jesus. This exhortation applies to us today.

The promise is that the one who overcomes will be with Jesus in Paradise and have access to the the tree of life (v. 7). This promise applies to all Christians in the sense that we are overcomers in Christ (Romans 8:37) and all believers will experience Eternal life (John 5:24)

George Eldon Ladd observes, “The idea of of conquering suggests warfare. The Christian life is an unrelenting warfare against the powers of evil. The victory is not a physical or worldly one; it is a victory analogous to the victory won by Christ himself, even though it involved his death on the cross . . . every disciple of Jesus must be in principle a martyr and be ready to lay down his life for his faith.” (A Commentary on the Revelation of John, By George Eldon Ladd, p. 41)