Serving from the Wrong Motive: The Church at Ephesus
The Revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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· 29 viewsThis is the letter to the church at Ephesus.
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1 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:
2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars.
3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.
4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!
5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.
6 But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.
7 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.
INTRODUCTION:
A- Background (Chapter 1)
B-
I- JESUS IS PRESENT WITH HIS PEOPLE EVEN THOUGH WE CAN’T SEE HIM . (Revelation 2:1)
I- JESUS IS PRESENT WITH HIS PEOPLE EVEN THOUGH WE CAN’T SEE HIM . (Revelation 2:1)
1 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition Chapter 2
Τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Ἐφέσῳ ἐκκλησίας γράψον· Τάδε λέγει ὁ κρατῶν τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀστέρας ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ αὐτοῦ, ὁ περιπατῶν ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἑπτὰ λυχνιῶν τῶν χρυσῶν·
A- Jesus is present in His churches. (Rev. 2:1c)
A- Jesus is present in His churches. (Rev. 2:1c)
1- Jesus is pictured as being present consistently among His churches. (Revelation 1:12-13, 20)
12 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands.
13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest.
20 This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
2- Jesus is concerned about each of the churches and instructs John to communicate with each church individually. (Revelation 1:11)
11 It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
B- Jesus undergirds those who proclaim His Word to His churches. (Revelation 2:1b)
B- Jesus undergirds those who proclaim His Word to His churches. (Revelation 2:1b)
1 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:
1- The Lord holds the pastor of each church in His right hand.
a. God’s messenger need never fear what people can do to him, because Christ is holding him.
2- The pastor, as God’s messenger, is charged with faithfully delivering the word of God to those under his ministry.
C- Jesus speaks to the specific needs of His people. (Revelation 2:1a)
C- Jesus speaks to the specific needs of His people. (Revelation 2:1a)
1 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:
1- In each of the letters in chapters 2-3, the Lord will deal with particular commendations and condemnations for each congregation.
2- Jesus knows the specifics (the good and the bad) about every church (and each member).
II- JESUS KNOWS ALL OF THE THINGS WE DO IN SERVICE FOR HIM. (Revelation 2:2-3)
II- JESUS KNOWS ALL OF THE THINGS WE DO IN SERVICE FOR HIM. (Revelation 2:2-3)
2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars.
3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition Chapter 2
2 Οἶδα τὰ ἔργα σου, καὶ τὸν κόπον καὶ τὴν ὑπομονήν σου, καὶ ὅτι οὐ δύνῃ βαστάσαι κακούς, καὶ ἐπείρασας τοὺς λέγοντας ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστόλους, καὶ οὐκ εἰσίν, καὶ εὗρες αὐτοὺς ψευδεῖς·
3 καὶ ὑπομονὴν ἔχεις, καὶ ἐβάστασας διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου, καὶ οὐ κεκοπίακες.
A- Jesus has a complete knowledge of the things we do. (Revelation 2:2a)
A- Jesus has a complete knowledge of the things we do. (Revelation 2:2a)
2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars.
1- The Lord knows all that we do!
2- Nothing we do escapes His notice!
B- The Hard work and patient endurance of His children do not go unnoticed by Jesus! (Revelation 2:2b)
B- The Hard work and patient endurance of His children do not go unnoticed by Jesus! (Revelation 2:2b)
2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars.
1- Jesus sees and knows about our labor for the kingdom.
“Hard work” = κόπον: “toil resulting in weariness, laborious toil, trouble”.
Patient endurance = ὑπομονήν: capacity to continue to bear up under difficult circumstances—‘endurance, being able to endure.’
C- The faithfulness of believers in belief and practice are noticed by the Lord. (Revelation 2:2c-3a)
C- The faithfulness of believers in belief and practice are noticed by the Lord. (Revelation 2:2c-3a)
2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars.
3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.
1- Intolerant of sin
2- Intolerant of heretical teaching
D- Jesus notices when we seek to remain faithful in adverse circumstances. (Revelation 2:3b)
D- Jesus notices when we seek to remain faithful in adverse circumstances. (Revelation 2:3b)
3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.
1- Circumstances are not to determine our faithfulness.
III- JESUS KNOWS THE BELIEVER’S HEART. (Revelation 2:4-6)
III- JESUS KNOWS THE BELIEVER’S HEART. (Revelation 2:4-6)
4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!
5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.
6 But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition Chapter 2
4 ἀλλὰ ἔχω κατὰ σοῦ ὅτι τὴν ἀγάπην σου τὴν πρώτην ἀφῆκες.
5 μνημόνευε οὖν πόθεν πέπτωκας, καὶ μετανόησον καὶ τὰ πρῶτα ἔργα ποίησον· εἰ δὲ μή, ἔρχομαί σοι, καὶ κινήσω τὴν λυχνίαν σου ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτῆς, ἐὰν μὴ μετανοήσῃς.
6 ἀλλὰ τοῦτο ἔχεις ὅτι μισεῖς τὰ ἔργα τῶν Νικολαϊτῶν, ἃ κἀγὼ μισῶ.
A- Jesus knows when our love for Him has grown cold and our service has become mechanical. (Revelation 2:4)
A- Jesus knows when our love for Him has grown cold and our service has become mechanical. (Revelation 2:4)
4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!
1- The great danger: Forsaking our first-love relationship with Jesus. (τὴν ἀγάπην σου τὴν πρώτην ἀφῆκες.)
B- Jesus calls us to return to our love relationship with Him. (Revelation 2:5)
B- Jesus calls us to return to our love relationship with Him. (Revelation 2:5)
5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.
1- Jesus calls us to “look back and remember” how we loved at first.
2- Jesus calls us to turn back and return to serving Him out of love.
C- The believer must love Jesus and hate what he hates. (Revelation 2:6)
C- The believer must love Jesus and hate what he hates. (Revelation 2:6)
6 But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.
1- We need to cultivate like passions with Christ.
IV- JESUS CALLS FOR BELIEVERS TO RESPOND TO HIS CALL. (Revelation 2:7)
IV- JESUS CALLS FOR BELIEVERS TO RESPOND TO HIS CALL. (Revelation 2:7)
7 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition Chapter 2
7 ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις. τῷ νικῶντι δώσω αὐτῷ φαγεῖν ἐκ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς, ὅ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τοῦ θεοῦ.
A- Jesus calls us to hear and respond with understanding to His instructions. (Revelation 2:7a)
A- Jesus calls us to hear and respond with understanding to His instructions. (Revelation 2:7a)
7 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.
1- We need to listen and understand what Jesus is saying to us.
B- Jesus promises blessings to those who obey him. (Revelation 2:7b)
B- Jesus promises blessings to those who obey him. (Revelation 2:7b)
7 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.
1- We are promised the fruit from the tree of life (eternal life).
CONCLUSION: