Sermon Tone Analysis
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As we enter farther into the book of Revelation, we hear the messages that Jesus has for the churches.
While this message is addressed to one specific church, the issues and problems that are identified are for the entire church.
I think we can see ourselves in all the churches of these letters, including the church in Ephesus.
As we begin, this message goes to the angel or the messenger of the church in Ephesus—it is from Jesus—the one who holds the seven starts in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands.
As before, the seven stars are the seven angels of the seven churches.
The seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Jesus shows his control by holding the seven stars in his hands and that he is present with the churches because he is walking among them.
As he begins his letter, there is a pattern that is established.
Identified by a former professor of mine at Calvin Seminary.
Christ Title
Commendation
Complaint
Correction
Consequence
Call to Hear
Conquering Formula
Each one of the letters follow this pattern for the most part and by seeing what part is emphasized or omitted, you can learn what are some the central issues.
So Jesus identifies himself as the one with the seven stars and walking among the golden lampstands.
What does Jesus commend them from.
The church has been...
Faithful in the fight.
The people have been faithful.
They have worked hard and persevered, even though there have been witness to wickedness and false teachers.
They have endured hardships for following Jesus and have not grow weary.
What do we know about Ephesus?
Ephesus was a large city with a population of around 250,000 people.
It was a center for trade.
and commerce due to its port and roads.
It was also known for three other things--
Artemis Temple and Cult
Imperial Cult
Center for Magical Practices
Ephesian version of Artemis was a goddess of fertility.
Read —Riot “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians”
Fear of loss of trade
Fear name of Artemis discredited.
Fear that Artemis “will be robbed of her divined majesty.
Imperial Cult—Temple to Hadrian, worship of emperors, prevalent during time of Domitian—emperor during John’s letter.
Magical writings:
Magic words to fend off evil spirits, magic scrolls.
Several examples.
Internal threat: Nicolaitans, anti-law, (anti-nomians), Jesus saves by grace, don’t have to keep the law.
Many challenges.
But have been faithful.
So what is the problem?
The Ephesians have....
Forgetting our first love.
What is that first love?
Love for Jesus?
Then why were they commended?
They were doing so many things right?
Suggest that they had not forgotten to love God by keeping his commands, but had forgotten to love one another has well.
Themes of John from other books:
John 13:
John 14:34-35
1 John 4:20
Love for God is shown in the way that we love one another.
In the desire for the Ephesian church to be theologically pure, the people seem to have lost their ability to care and look out for each other.
To be theologically pure and to love each other didn’t have to be competing values.
Should be able to be both.
Through John, Jesus doesn’t tell them what beliefs they needed to change.
He said, “Do the things you did at first.
( vs. 5)
It was so important that the consequence of failing to do this was that Jesus threatened to remove the lampstand—the church.
Can that be an issue for ourselves as well?
Do we risk, in our desire to be right, to forget to love our neighbors as ourselves.
There is a saying that unfortunately plays out in our experience.
“The church is the only army that shoots its own wounded.”
There is nothing wrong with fighting for what is right, but the truth is for God’s glory, not for our desire to be seen as being right.
God is glorified when people are won over by truth and grace.
Embodied in
Finally,
Finally,
Living grateful, grace-full lives.
The call to hear was to whoever has ears, let them hear.
And there are words of victory.
A couple interesting notes:
Nike—victory—all cities except for Thyatira held games.
So, John knew that this word would be meaningful to them.
Tree of life—Remember that the Ephesians were familiar with Artemis?
The temple was built on a spot where there had been a sacred tree, and the Artemis cult was often represented by a tree.
Also, there are two words for tree in Greek—dendron and xylon—Xylon was interchanged with the cross.
Connection with the tree of life and the cross—we are granted life through the tree of Calvary.
Be right in beliefs, but also in practice.
(orthodoxy and orthopraxis).
Con
Strive for purity, but do so in a way that we don’t make a church that no one can attend.
Each one of us are saved by grace.
Patience, love, endurance.
love God above all and our neighbors as ourselves.
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