Revelation 2, October 27, 2024

Community Scripture Reading

Revelation 2:1–7 ESV

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.’

Introduction

Object Lesson: The Forgotten Love Letter

Materials Needed:

• An old, handwritten letter or a replica designed to look aged

• A modern, typed letter or an email printout

Introduction:

Begin by holding up the old, handwritten letter for everyone to see.

“Imagine receiving a letter like this—handwritten, sealed, and sent with care. In our age of instant messaging and emails, such a letter is a rarity. Yet, when we do receive one, it holds a special place in our hearts. It tells us that someone took the time to think about us, to pour their thoughts onto paper, and to reach out across the miles.”

Now, hold up the modern, typed letter or email printout.

“Contrast that with this—a typed letter or an email. Efficient? Yes. Personal? Not quite the same. It’s quick, it’s convenient, but it often lacks the personal touch, the warmth, the love that comes with a handwritten message.”

Lesson Connection:

“The church in Ephesus was much like someone who receives a heartfelt letter but forgets to appreciate its significance. They were diligent, hardworking, and doctrinally sound—a lot like this efficient, typed letter. But in their quest for correctness and efficiency, they lost the personal touch; they abandoned the love they had at first.”

Place the modern letter down and hold the handwritten letter again.

“Jesus, in Revelation, sends a series of letters to His churches—personal messages filled with love, encouragement, and, yes, correction. These are His love letters to us, meant to draw us back into a passionate relationship with Him and with one another.”

Application:

“So, as we delve into the message to the church of Ephesus today, let’s hold onto this image of the love letter. Let’s remember the warmth, the personal connection, the love that is meant to be at the heart of our relationship with Jesus and with each other. Let us not become so focused on being ‘right’ that we forget to be loving.”

“Just as a handwritten letter stands out amidst a pile of bills and advertisements, a church that loves greatly shines brightly in a world filled with impersonal interactions and forgotten relationships.”

The Structure of these Letters

Normal structure of letters in the 1st Century.

Author and Recipient

Formal Greeting

Prayer

Main Message

Formal Conclusion

The Structure Used by Jesus Here

A Characteristic of the sender

A Compliment to the recipients

A Criticism againtst the recipients

A Command to the recipients

A Commitment to all who overcome

The Message to the Church of Ephesus: Love Greatly

What Was Ephesus?

By the time John wrote revelation ephesus was an important city for over 1000 years it was ruled by persians and Greeks before coming under Roman rule in 133 BC in the 1st century it was the most important commercial center of the Roman province of Asia the capital with perhaps 300,000 residents by the 83 hundreds it's harbor was filled in with silt from the case driver so that today it's on an uninhabited ruined several miles inland

But during John's time ephesus was splendid!

It had a long bro St. lined with columns that led from the harbor all the way to the city Amphitheatre which seated 25,000 people like most of the ancient cities it had temples to rival deities but what's most notable notable is the temple to Artemis the local fertility goddess. Archaeologists have uncovered its ruins and it stands 400 feet long by about 200 feet wide taking up more space than a football field it was supported by 127 columns 60 feet tall and is one of the largest buildings in the world preserving its reputation as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world

After this also had a large Jewish population and Christianity became fully established within the two year ministry of Paul during his third missionary journey and that the gospel was so successful that devotion to the cult of Artemis was threatened causing a riot from ephesus the message of Christ spread throughout the province Paul addressed 2 epistles to Asian churches colossians and ephesus and later sent Timothy there according to church Christian tradition from irenaeus and Lucius the aged apostle John used ephesus as his headquarters his three epistles and his gospel were probably composed there.

Revelation 2:1 ESV

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.

If you notice each one of the seven letters they are written to one of the angels of the church or the stars of the church which are first mentioned in verse 16 of last chapter the word for Angel can also be translated in messenger and a messenger can be a spiritual messenger like an Angel sent from God it can also be a messenger like a pastor of the church. And it almost seems more likely that the messengers here are the pastors of these local churches. Each one of them are pastors that are receiving a message from Christ the good shepherd.

And talking about Jesus and talks about him not only standing among the lamp stands he's walking among the lamp stands.

Revelation 1:13 ESV

13 and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.

Back in the last chapter he's simply standing now he is watching what they're doing and seeing their motivations so he can be prepared to both complement and criticize.

Revelation 2:2–3 ESV

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.

These first 2 words should serve as a comfort and a challenge to us. Jesus knows our works he knows what we do. For the church in ephesus he sees how busy they are with good deeds hard work perseverance. These are the same words of encouragement he spoke to the church in thessalonica

1 Thessalonians 1:3 ESV

3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

So first of all Jesus compliments the church for their works their endurance their faithfulness and now he's going to appoint to one more aspect of their faithful hard work and that is challenging and not putting up with people who are evil.

This was a common problem at the time there would be people running around claiming to have a message from Jesus or a message because they were one of the apostles when they were really just trying to capitalize on the popularity of Christianity. The same thing happens today doesn't it? People claim to be speaking for Jesus and yet are simply trying to use his name for their purposes.

1 John 4:1–3 ESV

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

John even talked about a test for discerning whether someone was speaking on behalf of God or not.

It's amazing the church in ephesus is even complimented years later for their faithfulness and their doctrinal purity.

Revelation 2:3 ESV

3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.

From the earliest days of the Christian Church Christians have endured hardships for the name of Jesus. They've endured hostility from those who worship other gods and we have been called to be faithful throughout everything that comes our way.

Revelation 2:4 ESV

4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

Now we get to the point where Jesus levels his criticism against the church. And this is a tempting fallacy that churches throughout history have fallen prey to. Far too often churches have made this terrible mistake. The church in ephesus is known for puritan commitment to God's teachings. And they will maintain that purity and commitment to the teachings of the gospel for a long time. But right now they need to pay attention to the mistake they're making. They've abandoned the love they had at first .

Remember what Jesus said the greatest commandment is?

Matthew 22:37–39 ESV

37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

So Jesus called his disciples to love God and to love each other period which love is he talking about here? In the context it seems most likely he's talking about the love they had for each other. Remember:

John 13:35 ESV

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus calls us to be defined by our love for one another more than our doctrinal purity. I think it would be a lie to say we can do one to the exclusion of the other but far too often it is easier to pursue one or the other

A preacher once referred to people who pursue purity of doctrine above all as people whose theology is

Revelation A. Message to Ephesus: Love Greatly (2:1–7)

“clear as ice and just as cold.”

Revelation 2:5–6 ESV

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.

So you've got this coldly theological church that struggles with love. And the first thing he calls them to do is to remember. He calls them to remember the love they had at first period to repent of their loveless acts and attitudes. And go back to doing things and motivated by love more than pure theology.

He calls them to remember repent and return.

I fear this is something the church has to guard herself against today. There are so many doctrinal problems in the world for us to address that it can be easy for a church to become loveless period to be so concerned about being right that we fail to live out love.

The scary thing about this passage is Jesus’ challenge to the church at the end of verse 5.

We need to remember that Jesus has promised to build His church but that doesn’t mean every individual congregation will remain.

Matthew 16:18 ESV

18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Ok, who were the Nicolaitans??

Revelation 2:6 ESV

6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Other than these two references in revelation chapter 2 we don't know anything more about these people. We simply know that they are a group of people that infiltrated and were part of the church. And we know that in the middle of this passage where the church of Ephesus was commanded to show love Jesus stated that it was OK to hate some works. There are things that Jesus hates. We would do well to remember this reality.

Revelation 2:7 ESV

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.’

Jesus wraps up this first of the letters the way He will wrap up each of the letters. He who has an ear. That’s everyone listening to the reaching of the Word of God. He who has an ear, listen.

What does it mean to have an ear that hears. Am I out of luck because I wear hearing aids? :) remember what Jesus taught in his parables? Throughout his parables he taught lessons through stories and through explicit teaching and always reminded his listeners that it was up to them to listen and to hear what is being taught. Remember the story of the different soils where some seed falls on rocky ground some seed falls on good ground and some seed is choked out by weeds period. And each time the ground has a choice whether it's going to receive the seed is going to receive the message.

At the beginning of revelation we were told that we would be blessed if we keep what is written in this book. It should be a goal of ours to have a willingness to hear what God wants to say to us through his word. A willingness to be course corrected by scripture and spirit.

To the one who conquers. Who is this?

1 John 5:4–5 ESV

4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Regardless of what the book of Revelation means prophetically, it certainly and clearly means that the people who received the book were in spiritual conflict.

So the one who conquers is the one who trusts in Jesus Christ. Who placed their faith in Jesus. To the one who conquers the spirit says I will grant to eat the tree of life. That is you will grant eternal life in the paradise of God. Paradise is only used a few times in the New Testament as a synonym for heaven. Think Luke chapter 23 with Jesus dying on the cross:

Luke 23:43 ESV

43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

So the final words of encouragement in this letter to the Church of ephesus are here and pay attention to what the spirit says to the churches stay faithful to Jesus and you'll eat of the tree of life spend the eternity in heaven with God.

Conclusion

Due to time constraints we're going to stop here but I want to reflect for a moment on this letter to the church in ephesus. This was one of the most important cities in the ancient world. It possessed power significance and importance on a international stage and yet it was very quickly overrun by the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the seven wonders of the ancient world was threatened was diminished by the rise of Christianity. And that was a good thing.

But we should take heart Jesus encouragement his warning to the church and that Jesus. They focused so much on being right that they failed to love. They focused so much on being pure they failed to be compassionate. Jesus called them to remember their first love to love God and love others. Jesus warned them that no individual church is established forever. And Jesus called them to persevere.

Let’s never be so focused on being pure, that we fail to look with compassion on others. Let’s never be so serious about being right that we fail to show love.

Let’s live out God’s letters of love to the world around us.

Closing Community Prayer

Matthew 6:9–13 ESV

9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.