Revelation 2
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Ok well first chapter done and it took 2 weeks. Anybody wanna take wager on how long this chapter will take? Let’s pray
Ok Let me make sure that I say this again because as we are going to go through this you are going to see the term a lot and I don’t want you to forget. The angel of the church is not an angelic supernatural being. It is messenger in the Greek and with very little disagreement at all most scholars as do I believe this to be the pastors or preachers of the church. Now, we do have some instances where the bible talks about angels over the church and over us individually. Here are two examples
21 I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.
10 For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
But it isn’t just one angel it is many and then these angels get rebuked. So God is not rebuking the angels here. What would be one other logical explanation that John is not writing to angelic beings. Just a thought. God doesn’t need John to write a letter to beings that He converses with daily. If God wanted to tell the angels something, they are right there with him. he can lean over and tell them.
Ok so of these letters there are three main views. Then we can jump into the letters themselves. I want to get this today so I won’t repeat them every week. You can talk to the Lord about how you want to view these letters. For me, I don’t discount either of them. Ok So when I read it, I go through all 3. What is He saying here? What is he saying in this one? What is He saying in this one?
1 Practical view. 7 churches and 7 letters. Just plain and basic. So whatever is said in these letters was practically for them. It is what was happening in there churches that needed to be address.
Before we leave this one how many of you have a bible with titles of the churches in top. Like it might say right now the loveless church? I want you to scribble all of those out. This is the church of Ephesus. What I don’t want is for you to have an opinion of the church based on the title before you even read about the church. And on top of that, I definitely don’t like these labels. These were man made. Because this church is not loveless, just need some love redirection. We will get there.
View 2 These churches represent all of us. They are types of the whole. Not just to specific churches but representations of the church. Ephesus would be fundamentalist Smyrna ritually Pergamus clerical caste system Thyatira would be rituals peganism and idols Sardis liberalism Philadelphia revivalism Laodecia materialism
View 3 most controversial. They are looked at as a prophet and these are ages of the church. So the church would move through these phases. Apostles end then the age of the church begins. Ephesus the first where people would begin to leave true doctrine. Smyrna persecuted church. Nero 54 ad. Domitian 81 Trajon 98 Hadrian 117 Suptemius 193 Maximum 235 Deacius 249 Volarius 254 Orailia 270 Diocletian 284 was the worst. In this of church history which did happen one of the writers of the time said they couldn’t even get the wild animals to attack the christians anymore. Listen to this
Maximus, governor of Cilicia, being at Tarsus, three Christians were brought before him; their names were Tarachus, an aged man, Probus, and Andronicus. After repeated tortures and exhortations to recant, they, at length, were ordered for execution. Being brought to the amphitheater, several beasts were let loose upon them; but none of the animals, though hungry, would touch them. The keeper then brought out a large bear, that had that very day destroyed three men; but this voracious creature and a fierce lioness both refused to touch the prisoners. Finding the design of destroying them by the means of wild beasts ineffectual, Maximus ordered them to be slain by the sword, on October 11, A.D. 303.
So the torture stopped. Pergamum they are the patronized church. They softened. Outside influence began to influence the church. Thyatira is the rise of catholic church. Sardis is protestant church. Philadelphia would be practical church which is revival. Wesley Moody all the church greats. God brings the church back. Then we would be currently be in laodecia church. Wealthy luke-warm carnality cults. If you see it from the point of view we are now having church without Jesus. So let’s just go.
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.
2 “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.
3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.
4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
Ok so first of all let’s talk about the church of Ephesus. 1st thing they are the only of these churches to have 2 letters. That small book by Paul called Ephesians, this is the same church. So this church had some great leadership. Paul was the originator. Timothy took over and then John. So, for me if I am going to go to a church this is one I am picking. lol You can’t get no better pastoral leadership than the writers of the bible and one from which the bible was written to. I mean come on. Here is what this church started in. Paul writes timothy as he is taking over the church and in summation says this. I am going to preach the gospel until they kill me. You preach it until they kill you. That is leadership baby. They tried to kill John and couldn’t.
So Paul writes to the church and two of the things he says is don’t lose your light and he prayed their love would grow. Here we have John saying you have lost your love and about to lose your light.
Ok so here we go with some application from the church to us. Yall ready. it is about to get gooder.
So the thing about the church of Ephesus is that looking at this church the furnace is still there but the fire has been reduced to embers. It is warm but not hot. Because they had a cooling passion for Christ. You know why? Programs. They were doing things they had always done because they had always done them. It was ritual not revelation. It was religion not relationship. They had all the right programs in place. They were doing the plays and the dances and the ministries. It had become their culture more than devotion to Him. I am going to start meddling really early.
Jesus says I know your works and your toil and your patience endurance. Jesus is such a good sandwicher. He gives you the good then you know the but is coming lol. I can see your works. You remember last week the eyes of fire that burn through our lives. I see that and because I am a holy all consuming fire, whatever is not of me won’t stand and Church, your works without him and not for him will not stand. You are full of works and have great programs. I bet no body could touch them with their programs. They couldn’t get enough stuff going on at the church and they were attending and their church center app was full well they are old enough they had bulletins back then. Lol That’s not a bad thing unless they lose the motivation behind it which is Jesus and thus become a spiritual social club.
Another good thing. You cannot stand evil. You have called out false teachers. At the church of ephesus they will not tolerate false doctrine. But are you doing it to bring glory to me or to win an argument and make yourself look good. We should be able to identify it and stand against it but we should not do it to bring glory to ourselves.
You ever see how God works with people. I love it he is so good. He takes the drug dealer and says today, let’s just keep you away from drugs. You don’t have to recite the 10 commandments or explain the trinity. But if we can just keep you from smoking weed today. Now God is so powerful that is nothing for him right and in one sweep he can take that desire away some have to keep submitting it to him daily. Then you get over that and he says ok i need you teaching someone else how not to worship that thing. Then as we are here now why are you teaching them. You see that growth there. That should be us. When we start in this walk, just get to church. Then you better know what is being preached in that church then why are you going to church. Cuz he knows you can’t handle the why at day 1. what you do and why you do it matters. I would have been pushing people to this church in all honesty. They are a good church on the outside but according to Jesus, they need to repent.
Then he complements them on staying the course and persevering for his name sake. They didn’t grow weary. They kept doing what they needed to do even when there was no fruit of it. My goodness poor old Jeremiah. Could you imagine being on the board and jeremiah ministries and you have been giving your tithe, propping him up making sure his needs are met and he comes in for the annual business meeting. How many people have been saved. Well I gotta tell ya we have nada. How many people you baptized. That will be a big fat zero. How many at least are listening to you and seeming to draw closer to christ? No one. So God is still going to destroy this people. Yes. They are still going into slavery they have chosen that over God. Oh and by the way I need more money. But what does he say, I don’t want to talk about Jesus any more but there is a fire shut up in my bones that won’t let me quit. That is why ephesus is missing. So the first part is the approval of them. Now let’s read the rebuttal.
4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
Any body wanna here from Jesus that he has something against me? What are the things you are doing and saying and listening that Jesus would have against you. Why are you watching that. I have that against you. Why am I not priority? I have that against you. Why aren’t you making disciples. I have that against you. And if you were to put all the other scriptures together, he isn’t going to ask you about your programs. He is not going to ask you about your outreaches. Though those things are good. He is going to ask did you take men and women of your community and make disciples. So are you. And that is not a mandate just on the church but on the individuals of the church. If we would do that, the programs would just work. But we spend money and time on programs and nothing on discipleship. We spend money on playgrounds and worldly enticements. So what do we need to do? Now that you have thought about it and realized that God has something against you. What do you do? John tells us. Repent.
He says you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember from where you have fallen. You were up here. You were so much higher. So much closer to me. On a level 10 now you kind of are hanging on a level 3. Here is what he is saying.
1 Corinthians 13 the love chapter. In every single marriage ceremony of Christians since it was written I believe. I don’t have a problem with that. I like it. It is actually a good thing to do and to remind us but that is not what Paul intended it for. He was talking to a church. He was talking about a church about how you love other people. What he was saying is that you are gifted but you have no love. If you have all the gifts and no love it is banging symbols and clanging gong. It does not delight God. You have use the gifts in love which doesn’t keep a record of wrongs. Hello. That means if you are going to honor God, you cannot keep a record of wrongs done to you. Does God have that against you. If you are going honor God you have to bear all things. Are you bearing? If you are going to honor God you must think the best of people. Does Jesus have that against you? John is saying all this you are doing, you have left love. You don’t love me or people. Happening church. Great programs. But you have lost why you do it? Love of me and love of people.
Vs 5. Fallen. Nothing has ever been removed from my life that I didn’t call sin. You will never stop over eating until you realize that gluttony is a sin. You will never stop lying until you realize it is a sin. You will never quit anything ungodly until you realize that it is a sin. And not loving Him and loving people correctly is a sin. You can spend all your waking hours in church service and still be far from him. Jesus said that these two things love of God and love of people are paramount. They work in tandem. I know one by the other. One provokes the other. So if you don’t love people I question your love for him. I know your love for him by how you love people. So repent. You fell.
He should have this against me. I acknowledge it is sin. If Jesus has something against me, it is a big deal. This is why we tend to not hang around people that are further along in their walk and we try to demean them. We call them holy rollers, or legalist, or holier than thous. We go to that so quickly. We label them so fast and its all because they are typically more devoted than us. You realize that is such a compliment. Most people we call that don’t actually think that about themselves they are just trying to make disciples and want you to join them. But you don’t have to. You can stay a baby if you want.
You can stay right where you are but I question if you’ll make it where you want to go.
There is no such as a call of nothing. What did God call you today. There is no group in the bible the nothing group. You are called to something. Where are you serving. Where are you loving people. You don't’ have to go to Bolivia panama or Colombia like I do but you gotta go somewhere. You are called to something. This is such a lie of the enemy. And I am going to quit saying it because it just hit me while preparing. We have made it so easy for people to ignore the call on their live. We have said. I have said it but no more. There are goers and there are senders. As though two groups separate from each other. So what that did was, I’ll send someone else in my stead. I gave so I don’t have to go. That is unbiblical and I will not say it any more. There are sendergoers. Meaning you have to do both. You have to send people to places you aren’t called and go to places you are. Because you are both together. So if you felt that you were in the do nothing group. Repent
This is the greatest pep talk from God almighty that I believe is in the bible. Hey you messed up. Hey you failed. But you are not a failure. Hey get up dust yourself off let’s go. Remember why you do this. Remember what it was like. Come on you can get back there. But what the enemy says, you have fallen so far there is not return. There is not come back. There is nothing you can do now. Don’t even worry about it. don’t blaspheme im by talking about he can use me. Just repent and get back to work. None of us deserve to be involved in his kingdom. It is a celebration that we are allowed to do it. We don’t have to do his will but we get to. I promise you that I am about 6th string to be teaching this. To be leading a lift group. Some of yall in here would do it better than me just haven’t said yes yet.
None of the things they were doing were bad. They were great and potentially very affective in getting people to the church. But we aren’t concerned with getting people to the church we are supposed to get people to Him and he said I have that against you. It’s about reputation and obligation not dedication to me.
If you do not repent, I will come and remove your lampstand. I will shut this church down. Oh hear this. If a church that is proclaiming Christ is not doing Christ work or preaching Christ word, He is God enough to shut it down. If you think you have to be the kingdom police to shut preachers down or churches down, you don’t. Hey if you don’t believe what they are preaching, then don’t go. Don’t attend and worry about the false things in your own church. But don’t tear down other ministries or other churches. God said I will remove their lampstand. And God is taking this so serious. This is not an after thought message he is giving. This is a message of life and death. It is the same message Jeremiah was told. THIS IS LIFE AND DEATH! You ever seen a church that seems to be going like gang busters and then all of a sudden, pew pew pew. Whatever this sound is. Then you look and wonder who is going to clean up this mess. Jesus says if you will just repent. I will take care of it.
6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Now I don’t know who this Nicholas guy is. Scholars differ. It could have been one of the first deacons in
5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.
Or it could be someone else. We don’t really know but what we do know is it was a false gospel of greasy grace do what you want to do. He said very similar to the gnostics it is grace abuse. God loves us it doesnt’ matter what we do. You will get a glorified body. Don’t worry it is all good. He was not good. They stood against that and they are getting a commendation for it.
People don’t need to just hear though what you are against they need to hear what you are for. Call people from sin to Jesus. Not political movements. Not to a building.
7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
Look at Jesus. He is so good to us. It is the same thing he did to John who fell down dead, Jesus reached out his hand and said get up. Then he comes to the church and says if you have an ear hear. You ever come out of a church service and say the pastor was talking directly to me. That is because the spirit was. Jesus is talking directly to individuals. Yall have done this and done that. It is pretty good. But you have stopped this. Now Sandy listen. Chris listen. Randall listen. Are you gonna listen. Have we heard this phrase before.
15 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
So this is saying that not everyone will have an ear. Though everyone has ears. So where does the ear come from one? If not everyone has it, why not?
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
This hearing by the word does not mean the written word of God. It is the breath or spirit of God. It is the rhema word not the logos word. So this may totally change what you think about that verse now. But if you overcome you will get to eat. Not everyone in the church not everyone who attends. But to him who overcomes means that there are some that won’t. So there is not universal salvation except to the one God gives an ear.