Ephesus, Persecution, and the Challenge of Unity

Introduction:

The world has changed, we can now feel that to be true, and tribulation and persecution are no longer “what used to happen.”

Revelation challenges us to consider the future, but, perhaps, not in the way we are accustomed.

The letter isn’t a puzzle or “mystery.” It is a “revelation” or a disclosure of information. Something is made known, it isn’t made obscure.

Church Age view versus Literal View.

The Apostle John wrote the letter sometime between 95-100 AD from the Island of Patmos, located some 65 miles from Ephesus in the Aegean Sea and used by the Romans for political prisoners.

Revelation 1:9: Not only establishes John’s physical location, but its language also ties him to his audience.

We know something about the condition of the churches based on John’s use of fellowship terminology.

He is a “sharer in the tribulation, kingdom, and endurance in Jesus.”

This implies that they share in suffering, the kingdom of Christ, and in remaining obedient in the midst of persecution and suffering.

The purpose of the letter is to assure them of the certainty of the holy and righteous God’s vindication of himself, his Son, and his people.

Such assurance will help them face their sufferings now and place the need for correction into perspective.

The letter also prepares them for the future, in other words, it informs them that at no point should they expect their difficulties to end.

The only end to the tribulations of God’s people will be the return of Christ.

(What does this do for trusting government?).

This also requires refining our understanding of the nature of God.

In chapters 2-3, Christ instructs John to write an address to each church individually.

Seven individual letters within one letter.

But, as each one makes known, what is said to each church individually, whether it is praise, correction and warning, or both, is to be heeded by all the other churches.

Imagine receiving a letter that disclosed your errors to other nearby churches.

These churches faced doctrinal errors designed to help them reconcile themselves to the social and economic lives of their city-states.

We can relate to this now with “cancel culture.”

Their challenge has become ours.

We have lived the exception, now we face the rule (John 15:18-20).

They faced a union of political religion (imperial cult), persecution and suffering (random and unpredictable), and social and economic exclusion for their faith in Christ.

What kinds of problems will this create? (These are predictable and noteworthy for us).

If time allows, show patterns in the letters, otherwise, skip forward to Ephesus.

Christ Is Judge of His Churches (Rev. 2:1)

Each letter, and especially Revelation 2:1, assumes that Jesus has the right to inspect and judge his churches.

We do not exist to serve our own will. We were not saved to do anything else we want.

Christ has all authority.

Our authority is to obey His commands.

Trust in Jesus Christ for salvation also means we live, voluntarily, in recognition of His authority and Lordship.

Jesus must be Lord of our lives AND our churches.

We exist to do his will. He does not exist to do ours.

Persecution Brings Unexpected Internal Struggles (Rev. 2:4)

At first, our Lord praises the Ephesian congregation for not succumbing to false doctrine and for its endurance of suffering.

We will refer to this further the next two nights.

But, there appears to have been something about the external threats that caused them internal problems.

They have “left their previous love.”

This seems to be a consistent problem for this church.

It receives more letters than any other church.

All of them address in some way or another the issue of love.

External problems should not weaken the internal bonds of a church.

Spiritual maturity, humility, and anticipation can prevent the problems we face from the broader culture splitting us apart.

Christ Takes Our Love (our identifying mark) Seriously (Rev. 2:5).

Note the end of 1:20.

The “candlestick” is the church itself.