REVELATION 2 // CONFRONTATIONAL GRACE

INTRODUCTION

We have been looking at the details of the Book of Revelation.

In the first chapter we saw the workflow of the Book.

God the Father > Jesus > The Angels > John

We also saw how John described Jesus and His Throne.

We are starting to get familiar with the following description of Jesus:

First and the Last

Beginning and the End

Alpha and the Omega

As we continue through the book, we will see more and more of Jesus

Greater and greater Detail

A Clear perspective of who Jesus is

More ways for us to share with people who Jesus is

THIS WEEK

I want us to really consider how we look at the Word of God

Is it just words to consider?

It is advice to listen to?

Is it Chicken Noodle Soup for the Teenage Soul

Is it authoritative?

Is it Living?

IF GOD IS GOOD. HIS WORD IS GOOD. THEN WHAT IS THAT WORD PRODUCING IN OUR LIVES?

I want us to do something real quick:

Close your eyes

Think about all of the things you are currently doing right.

Start listing them off in your head

TURN TO

Revelation 2:1–7 NKJV

1 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. 6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’

PRAY THAT GOD WOULD REMIND US HOW GREAT OF A PRIVILEGE IT IS TO WALK WITH HIM

PRAY THAT WE WOULD ADMIT WHERE WE HAVE GONE WRONG

Revelation 1:1 NKJV

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,

Revelation 2:1 NKJV

1 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:

REV 2:

REV 1:

TO THE ANGEL AT EPHESUS

John is writing to the Messenger of the Church of Ephesus

To the Pastor or Overseer

THESE THINGS SAY HE WHO HOLDS THE SEVEN STARS IN HIS HANDS

Who is this?

This is Jesus

Who are the 7 Stars?

The 7 Messengers who oversee the Churches

What does this mean?

This speaks to the authority of Jesus over His Church and His Messengers

A Pastors job isn’t to please his sheep

But to please the Lord

It isn’t to be popular

It is to be found in the palms of His hands.

This also speaks to His presence within the Church

JESUS SHOULD BE AT THE CENTER OF ALL WE DO.

THIS IS WHY WE WELCOME HIM BEFORE EVERY SERVICE

WE ASK THE LORD TO SATURATE THIS PLACE WITH HIS PRESENCE

THAT NOT ONLY WOULD JESUS SAVE

BUT THAT HE WOULD BE FREE TO WORK THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

YOU WILL NOTICE THAT IN EVERY LETTER, JESUS IS DESCRIBED IN A PARTICULAR WAY

A WAY THAT WOULD MINISTER TO THE ANGEL OF THE CHURCH

JUST READING VERSE 1 BRINGS SO MUCH COMFORT

#1 That Jesus is the Head of the Church

#2 That Jesus is working within the Church

#3 That He has me in the palm of His hand

REV 2:2

NOW THAT WE KNOW THE AUTHOR AND HIS HEART

WHO IS THE AUDIENCE?

Revelation 2:2 NKJV

2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars;

EPHESUS

Ephesus was the largest city in Asia Minor

It was a port city which was known for its commerce

Kind of like Long Beach

Ephesus was home to one of the largest Temples dedicated to Diana/Artemis

You can read more about that in 9

WHAT WAS THE SPIRITUAL CLIMATE LIKE IN EPHESUS?

Ephesus was home to one of the largest Temples dedicated to Diana/Artemis

However when the Gospel came to that city

Darkness was shaken

An idolatrous community was confronted with the Glorious Grace of Jesus

Many lives where changed

But the process needed to continue.

JESUS KNOWS THIS CHURCH VERY PERSONALLY:

Their works

ERGON // Works, deeds, pain, affliction

Their Labor

KOPOS // Toil, trouble, and sometimes the beatdown

Their Patience

HYPOMONE // Steadfastness, perseverance, endurance

They cannot bear those who are evil

BASTAZO // Pick up and Carry, endure, bear

Literally, they had recognized that they could not carry the weight of evildoers

They were not only standing up for righteousness

They were realizing that evildoers were weighing down the work of the ministry

So they stopped carrying it

They stopped enduring with those who knew the truth yet were evil in their practice.

This is the Work and Labor that they were called to

This Church also began to weed out bad leadership

Thi

They tested those were self proclaimed Apostles

Upon further examination they found out that these dudes were a bunch of liars.

CHURCH, IT’S ONE THING TO TEACH THE WORD OF GOD, AND SEE PEOPLE REPENT OF THEIR SINS. IT IS ANOTHER TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE WHO HEAR THE WORD OF GOD, YET ABSTAIN FROM REPENTANCE.

It is even worse when the rhythm of unrepentance creeps into the leadership of a church.

As a church, Ephesus was dealing radically with unrepentance and deception

THE LIST GOES ON:

Revelation 2:3 NKJV

3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.

Rev 2:3

EPHESUS HAD A LOT OF GOOD THINGS GOING ON FOR THEM:

They were a Persevering Church:

They were enduring

They were continuing to carry the cross

They were a Patient Church:

They were Steadfast

They cared extremely about Church

They Labored for My Name’s sake:

They were hustling

They were toiling

Putting in work for the name of Jesus

One thing that is easy to do, is to become weary while doing all the right things

Paul the Apostle warns the Thessalonian and Galatian Church about this

He said:

Galatians 6:9 NKJV

9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

1 Thessalonians 3:13 NKJV

13 so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

One thing that I want us to take away from this text, is that we should never tire of doing good

Doing what is good should never get old

We should never tire of doing what is right

We must remember, the reason why Paul was on this island wasn’t just for doing good

But for being faithful at doing good.

His testimony spoke not just in his preaching but in his practice.

THIS CHURCH WAS KILLING IT WHEN IT CAME TO DOING THE RIGHT THING

IF WORKS ATTAINED SALVATIONAL SECURITY, THEY WOULD BE SET FOR LIFE

BUT CHECK OUT THE PLOT TWIST

REV 2:4

Revelation 2:4–5 NKJV

4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.

YOU WOULD THINK THAT JESUS WOULD BE PLEASED WITH THIS CHURCH

YOU WOULD THINK THAT ALL OF THESE WORKS WOULD BE SUFFICIENT

THAT HE WOULD OVERLOOK THE FLAWS OF THE CHURCH BECAUSE OF THE WORKS

“NEVERTHELESS”:

I have this against you

That you have left your first love

Church:

This is a great question to ask ourselves in your own personal spiritual audit

“Have you left your first love?”

As you perform a spiritual audit

But I am serving at church

Is this a question that you

But I labor, toil, persevere

But I am not growing wear in doing good

Ask yourself again “Have you left your first love?”

YOUR WORKS FOR JESUS CAN NEVER SUPPLEMENT YOUR LOVE FOR JESUS

YOUR WORKS ARE NECESSARY, BUT THAT IS NOT GOD’S LOVE LANGUAGE

Devotion to Him is His Love Language

It is from that posture that our love for Jesus is defined.

THIS MAY SEEM LIKE A REBUKE

BUT I SEE IT IS A CONFRONTATIONAL GRACE

God is so gracious in how He deals with these Churches

Think about it

In the case of Ephesus

This Church had replaced their Love for God with Working for God

They had all the programs

They had all the bells and whistles that made them seem valuable

Yet they had departed from their first Love

For God to present a process of reconciliation was so gracious.

He says:

Remember from where you have fallen:

Remember when you first fell in love with Jesus

Remember the days where you weren’t jaded

Remember when the Love you had for Jesus was primary

But not just remember those days

Repent from straying away

Repent from departing from that practice

But not just Repent

Do the first works

Notice how He doesn’t say, “Stop working”

He is encouraging the Church to work on their Love for Jesus

So that their works for Jesus would come from the right place and be done with the right heart.

3 THINGS: REMEMBER. REPENT. REWORK.

SO WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DON’T REPENT?

“I WILL COME TO YOU QUICKLY AND REMOVE YOUR LAMPSTAND FROM ITS PLACE”

We can go from

A Persevering Church

A Patient Church

A Laboring Church

A Church that is in the midst of the Throne of God

TO A NON-EXISTENT CHURCH

IF WE WERE THIS CHURCH, WOULD WE HAVE EARS TO HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT HAS TO SAY TO US?

WOULD WE HEED THIS ENCOURAGEMENT?

WOULD WE REPENT?

Revelation 2:6 NKJV

6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

WE CAN STAND AGAINST THE EVILS OF THE WORLD

WE CAN HATE THE EVIL WORKS OF CERTAIN PEOPLE GROUPS

WE AN HAVE THE SAME MINDSET AS THE LORD

But still need to repent in other areas of our lives

Doing works should never stop us from repenting

Standing up for righteousness shouldn’t exempt us from repenting

This life of faith should be a constant forward movement

Repenting and Growing

Repenting and Growing

Repenting and Growing.

Revelation 2:7 NKJV

7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’

THERE IS ALWAYS A REWARD IN REPENTANCE

IN THIS CASE, JESUS SAYS

“TO HIM WHO OVERCOMES”

NIKAO // Conquers, Prevails, Overcomes

This involves work

In involves participation

It requires humility

It demands you to recognize where you have gone wrong and get right.

FOR THE OVERCOMER

He will give to eat from the Tree of LIfe

Jesus goes back to in this reward

For those of us who overcome

You will get to enjoy the fruit of righteousness

And not the fruit of sin.

This Paradise speaks to the Eternal Resting Place known as Heaven.

Like Eden but better