REVELATION 2 // CONFRONTATIONAL GRACE
Visions of an Exile • Sermon • Submitted
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· 7 viewsHave you ever felt like you are doing everything right, yet there is still something missing? The practicum is there, the process is there, everything feels right, and then there is a rude awakening. Check out this weeks podcast as we look at the one thing that can not be suplemented within the Christian walk.
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INTRODUCTION
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
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
TURN TO
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
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,
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?
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:
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:
9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
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
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 FOR JESUS CAN NEVER SUPPLEMENT YOUR LOVE FOR JESUS
YOUR WORKS ARE NECESSARY, BUT THAT IS NOT GOD’S LOVE LANGUAGE
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?
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.
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