Revelation 2&3 Part I

Revelation 2 & 3

Listen Up Church

Intro: No one likes to see a business like a hotel or restaurant close. And unfortunately with the current Covid situation, we have seen business close perhaps prematurely because they just don’t have money coming in.

But in the best of times, stores and restaurants and churches close all the time and There have been different shows with famous chefs or hotel owners come in and they evaluate the business and then develop a plan to get the restaurant on track. Gordon Ramsey has had a few different series. But imagine the caliber of Gordon Ramsey coming in and yelling at you and then helping you. Some of it is probably for the show's sake and some of the antics has to be for the drama of TV.

And for the exit two chapters this is. Sort of what is going on. Jesus is always watching His churches and he has some things to say to the seven churches that are addressed in chapters 2 and 3

Read Verses: Revelation 2:1-7

Main Idea: Jesus leaves clear instructions on how The Church can be successful by His standards

I. Jesus Instructs us to Love Him (Ephesus)

Jesus gives these seven messages to the seven churches. In each letter Jesus gives an introduction that the letters or messages to each church are indeed from Jesus.

Jesus gives Ephesus a good report at first, in verses 2-3. The church was faithful to teaching and doctrine and identifying False teachers. This is exactly in line with what Paul writes to correct in His letter to The Ephesians. So it seems like, from this report card or evaluation that Jesus offers, it seems like the church and the leaders over a few decades made sure they focused on sound teaching and maybe growing good teachers.

My guess is if you waved to be a first century preacher, this was the seminary to go to to learn from the best. Timothy was purported to be the Bishop and the apostle John lived here for a time before he was sent to Patmos, Mary, the mother of Jesus was also said to live here at some point as well.

But In verse 4, Jesus says, “You have abandoned the love you had at first.” It is not exactly clear what the first love is, but it is a good chance that the love they left is their love for Jesus.

Jonathan Edwards said “He that has doctrinal knowledge and speculation only, without affection, never is engaged in the business of religion.”

― Jonathan Edwards

This is the most likely answer because Jesus is the subject or focus of the entire book and really the Bible. So if we are not gathering because of our love of Jesus, then we are just getting up early and listening to me talk about anything else and morals with no real grounding in any substance.

All of our actions as individuals and in this case the church, need to be motivated by our love for Jesus. He is the one that gets us out of bed in the morning, our love for Him should be the reason we help the school out and we hold Kid’s club and we are kind to our neighbor.

Jesus says, As the Father loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my Love.

Never leave my love. Never turn away from my love. Stay in His Love. The Israelites were punished because they lost their first love, God. God Calls them or uses the imagery of a harlot because they went chasing after other gods, like Baal. They were not following Deuteronomy 6, the Shema, in the Old Testament. Love god with all your heart all your strength and all your mind. Remember the word Shema is the Hebrew word for Listen Up or hear this.

Why because if you don’t have true love, you are just pretending or it is lip service and you like all the other things that come along with being a Christian. Perhaps when the tribulations or The Tribulation starts The Church will get smaller,

God showed his love by giving up his only begotten son to atone for your sins.

John 3:16

And it is completely appropriate to hate the things God hates. The sins that we have been saved from. Idolatry, adultery, selfishness, sexual immorality and a host of others are all paid for. But you must event of doing those since and pray to keep yourself from committing them again.

Verse 5 says If you do not repent, then I will remove your lampstand. I will close this church. I want to make sure we understand the context because Jesus is talking to the church, not individuals. Some of these applications or lessons can be applied to the personal level, but the overall context is for the church.

The threat for removal of the lampstand illustrates the justice, providence, and intention of God. Neither God nor his kingdom is endangered by the removal of a church, even one as successful and strategic as Ephesus. Improper motivation for noble work can only precipitate judgment.

Here is why this is important. God controls his churches and he evaluates them on the why they do and then the what.

In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana Jones is looking for the holy Grail. At one point he is fighting a brotherhood that is sworn to protect the Grail’s location. After the fight and they understand who each of them are, the man from the Brotherhood asks Dr. Jones, Are you searching for the Grail For His Glory, meaning for God’s glory or Your glory.

The same question can be asked or should be asked of things this church and each church does. Are we doing whatever it is, give thanksgiving meals, give Christmas presents, a food bank, whatever, for His glory, so that people would know Jesus and see the love that we have for Him and subsequently them. Or do we do it because we love ourselves and we want people to be in love with us too?

II. Jesus Instructs us to Trust Him (Smyrna and Philadelphia)

Smyrna in chapter 2, verses 8-10 and Philadelphia in chapter 3 7-12 are the two churches that have no admonishment. They are thought to be the smallest churches in the set. Jesus tells Smyrna that he knows they have little resources and Philadelphia has but little power.

If you have only a little bit of stuff it is easy to want to throw in the towel or just do things halfway. But Jesus encourages the churches.

Jesus wants both of these churches to trust Him. And they have done so thus far. Smyrna went through some kind of trouble and it will cause some. People to be thrown into prison. Philadelphia has also been faithful, patiently enduring anything that was thrown at them for Jesus.

Both churches faced some issues with people who considered themselves Jews but are obviously not because their actions show differently.

There were certain centers—apparently Smyrna, Philadelphia, and perhaps to some extent Thyatira—where the persecutions faced by Christians at the hands of both Romans and Jews were particularly ominous.

And hence the protection in a sense that Jesus offers to the churches. But also the hang in there and keep remaining faithful to me.

Although sometimes difficult for humans to appreciate adequately, the Scriptures seem to make clear that for every injustice and evil suffered by believers on the earth, there is significant reward in heaven. Here is a promise that because of the conditions of poverty and tribulation through which Smyrnan believers were walking, their value in God’s eyes was exponentially increasing.

And so when Jesus introduces himself as the one who died and came back to life, that even though the church and the people in the church seem like they are dying, from being Poor, yet they are rich because they have Jesus. They have eternal life. These churches are being talked about today and they have been talked about at different points All over the world in the past roughly 1900 years.

The church is a body. The church is also considered the Bride of Christ and those of you who are married, know that the Groom or husband should do anything to protect his wife. As a husband, I'm fallible and I make mistakes even though I try to keep my wife’s interests in mind and protect her. I don't always do that though.

But Jesus is the perfect one. He is God He is worthy of our complete trust because he will lead us through any of the situations we find ourselves in.

No matter if we live through the great tribulation, or we just experience turmoil here in our own country, we need to keep our focus on Jesus. He is the only person worthy of our complete attention. If we Love him, and abide in Him we can trust him.

Application:

How do we love Jesus more and Trust Him? Well, it is an active process.

1) It takes Effort to Love Him and Trust Him

You have to be active in getting to know God. You have to listen to him by reading and studying the Bible, hearing his Word explained. Praying to him and then listening for answers

2) It takes Patience to love Him and trust Him.

This is not an overnight emotion and it is deeper than just an emotion.

3) It takes Perseverance to love Him and Trust him

We have to do this as one unified Body. And as Paul describes, the Body has different parts that all work to do the things we humans have to do. Eat, breathe, work,

Conclusion

Christ has charged these churches with certain actions and responsibilities. What happens when you do not meet those expectations, They are removed from the Kingdom.

But Jesus gives each church more good news: To the one who conquers...each church that obeys and heeds the corrections where they apply will be considered conquerors. At the end of each section or letter to each church Jesus also says he who has ears, let him hear. And then he says To the one who conquers. The term for conquering is Nikao. The Greek goddess of Victory is Nike, and we have an athletic apparel company and a missle system named after her. The overcomer, victor, or conqueror but “if one wishes to conquer, he does so on the basis of the blood of the Lamb and the word of his testimony.”

Who does want to win? But this is not some earth prize or award. These rewards are heavenly everlasting rewards. And this is not a work for salvation deal. The church and the people are already saved and sealed.

For your Bible Homework this week,I want you guys to read these two chapters but pay attention to How Jesus describes Himself to each church, which is the first verse in each section.

This is why we endure anything the world throws at us, because Satan wants to throw us off our game and have as many churches close as possible because he thinks that is how he can win.

But we must continually Love and Trust Jesus because he is the Victor.