Turn It Around

As you are getting there I want to take a moment and welcome everyone who is joining us online. Thank you for worshipping with us today. All of the scripture and notes for today’s sermon can be found on Youversion if you’d like to follow along with me.

Now, let me read our verses for today to get us started.

Revelation 2:1–7

“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

Ephesus

According to several sources, Ephesus was a very popular city. Arguably the greatest city at the time. It was located right near the Cayster river. It was well known for being a trade city. It was a bustling metropolis. Along with being a commercial centre it was also a highly religious centre. We know from scripture that the temple of the goddess Artemis (Diana) was located there, one of the seven wonders of the world. In Acts 19 we find the Apostle Paul in Ephesus where he has labored to establish a church. When Paul arrives at Ephesus he runs into some “disciples” of John who have not yet been baptized with the Holy Spirit. As a matter-of-fact, these folks don’t even know who or what the Holy Spirit is. They have been baptized with John’s baptism in preparation for Jesus. Well, Paul does a quick Bible study with them, baptizes them in the name of Jesus, lays his hands on them and then they are filled with the Holy Spirit and they begin to speak in tongues.

Ok. Can we just forget about what we “think” this verse means for a second and praise God for the work that He did in the lives of those Believers and the work that He is still doing across the globe redeeming and indwelling and empowering those who trust Him and obey?

The Holy Spirit is our seal of adoption (Ephesians 1:13). He is the witness of our inheritance in Christ (Romans 8:15-17). He is our Intercessor when we don’t know how or what to pray (Romans 8:26). He is our Comforting Spirit of Truth in a world that lacks compassion and satisfies itself with lies.

In Acts 19:21ff a riot breaks out because Paul’s preaching is interfering with the money going toward the temple. Joseph Stowell, president of Cornerstone University, said that the temple of Artemis served as a banking center where people would bring their money and the temple would receive the interest. Idolatry was big business.

I’m sharing all of this to add context to what we are about to discover.

Revelation 2:1

Let's look at verse one again.

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:

There are seven churches being addressed in chapters 2 & 3. At the beginning of each letter there is a description of the One sending the letter. Jesus describes Himself uniquely in each letter. Here, He is the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and the One who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:

Two things to point out before we move on.

First, the word - holds - addresses the Lord’s affection for His people and the assurance they have in Him.

Listen to how much the Lord cares for His people in Isaiah 41:10?

Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

In John 10:27-30 Jesus comforts His people with these words;

27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.”

Second, the word - walks - tells us that Jesus is fully aware of what is happening to His people.

He is not some distance deity who doesn't know what's happening in our lives. This is contrary to what deists would have us to believe. They teach that the God who fashioned the stars, the Supreme Ruler who holds all things together by the word of His power has abandoned us or He is asleep at the wheel leaving us to fend for ourselves. But we know the truth. 2 Chr. 16:9 tells us that “the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”

As we unpack the letters in chapters 2 & 3, although they may come across as being harsh, direct, blunt, remember that what we have here is a picture of Someone who loves the church. Just as He held His people in Ephesus so does He hold us here in OKC. Just as He walked amongst them then, so He walks among us today. “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Mt 18:20). This is a letter of love.

Commendation

In this letter there are three movements/shifts to be aware of, the first is commendation.

Revelation 2:2-3, 6

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.

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

As Jesus walks amongst this congregation He notices several things for which He offers praise. In each of the seven letters Jesus says, “I know your works”. Works is a generic term referring to tasks. Jesus says, I know what you’ve been up to. Next, He details what works He notices.

First, Jesus commends them for their effort.

He praises them, not just for working, but for working hard. They have been serving the poor. They’ve been feeding the hungry. They’ve visited the prisoners. They have tended to the needs of widows and orphans. They’ve helped tutor kids. They’ve coached kids in tennis. They paid their tithes. They’ve discipled younger and less mature Believers. They’ve given money to advance the gospel in far and unreached places. Chuck Swindoll characterizes them in this way, “The resulting picture is a diligent, conscientious, industrious, and involved congregation. No sloth or indifference. No procrastination. No empty promises.”

Not only does Jesus commend them for their tireless effort, but He also commends them for their patient endurance.

Patient endurance means to press on during an arduous trial. To persevere in the midst of extreme suffering.

But let’s be honest for a second. When it comes to suffering, many of the church’s wounds today are self-inflicted. Think about it. We see this in the latest celebrity preachers fall from grace. Sex scandals rock the church year after year. The gospel is being pimped on a daily basis by those eager to make a buck. And then there’s us, those of us not under the ubiquitous surveillance of public opinion. We demean those who are not in our camps. We allow our politics to determine how we will treat our neighbors. We draw racial lines, cultural lines, and denominational lines in our congregation. Our actions are often void of the defining characteristic of a follower of Christ - LOVE for one another - and then we question why so many are walking away from the church or why they are not surrendering to the grace of God we claim for ourselves.

Let me get back on point.

This isn’t what Jesus was talking about when He wrote this letter though.

Again, Chuck Swindoll says that the church in Ephesus had to deal with many challenges because they would not worship Artemis (Diana). “…they found themselves maligned, slandered, boycotted, and abused. …[they] would have been the objects of physical violence, social ostracism, and economic repression. Yet they endured. They bore up under the load.” And they did it for the sake of the Name of Jesus. They would not conform to the standards of worldliness. This was probably inspired by their third commendation.

The third thing that Jesus commends them for is theological integrity.

The church in Ephesus did not put up with a watered down Gospel. They had been led well by Paul, Timothy and John. As a matter-of-fact Paul warned them about false apostles in Acts 20:28-31.

28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

They took this charge seriously and proved their intolerance for evil and tested every spirit. Unlike the church at Pergamos, they hated the deeds of the Nicoliatans. Notice that they hated the deeds, not the people. They hated the sin, but not the sinner.

Not much is really known about the Nicolaitans, but it’s believed that they may have been followers of Nicolas, one of the seven appointed to the diaconate in Acts 6:5. Early church fathers Ireaneus, Tertullian, and Clement of Alexandria have similar things to say about this sect. The Nicoliatans were believed to be a lust-filled, self-indulgent, and unrestrained group. In his writings, Stromata (2.20), Clement of Alexandria said that the Nicolaitans “abandoned themselves to pleasure like goats, as if insulting the body, led a life of self-indulgence”.

And Jesus praises the Ephesian Christians for not putting up with this kind of false teaching.

He commends them for their ability to prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God (Rom. 12:2b).

He commended them for rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15).

They were like many of you. They knew their Bibles inside and outside. They could correct any errant teaching of God’s word. They were advanced in bringing up scripture to make a point. They had the most scripture-filled Bible studies you could find. On the outside they were the perfect example of a Bible believing church, but on the inside - something was missing.

How many of you know that it is possible to be doing all of the right things with the wrong motivation? We are sometimes quick to quote James 2:26, “Faith without works is dead '', but please believe that works without faith are equally dead.

This brings us to our next shift in this letter.

Correction

Even though the church at Ephesus had a strong reputation for serving, for teaching Biblical truth and defending the doctrines of the Christian faith, they had abandoned what mattered most and for that they needed to be corrected.

This is our second movement - correction.

The author of Hebrews tells us that correction from God is a sign of His love for His people.

7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons;... 8 But if you are without chastening...then you are illegitimate and not sons (Heb. 12:3-11). Jesus had not stopped loving them; 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39). Jesus loved them with an everlasting love, but they had clearly stopped loving Him. Jesus spends a great deal of time praising them for the good works that they had done and then He offers them a little redirection.

Revelation 2:4-5

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.

There are three things that Jesus tells them to do in order to get back on track. Write these down if you can, because the truth of the matter is that at some point we will probably all find ourselves in a similar situation to these Ephesians, substituting duty for devotion or perfection for passion.

First, He tells them to look back .

He says remember from where you have fallen. In Hebrews 10:32, 35 we are told to “recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated…do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward.” Think back to when you replaced love for Jesus with labor. When did your heart for Him start to slip into the background? What drew you to Him in the first place? There are plenty of people in the church who have become comfortable with only checking the box of church attendance and the pandemic has exposed you.

Second, He tells them to turn back.

Twice in these verses Jesus tells the Ephesian Christians to repent - to turn it around!

Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of behavior.

He says repent - come back to Me - or else I’ll remove your lampstand from its place! Listen, church is not a game! It’s not a pass-time! It’s not a placeholder until something better comes along for you! It.IS.Our.Livlihood!! And it is all about Jesus! We are here for Him!

This ties into the third and final instruction.

Finally, He tells them to go back and try it again.

Do the first works. It’s like a husband and wife who are starting to experience the fire of their relationship grow colder and colder as the years go by. Sometimes couples are just existing in their relationships. They’re still nice to each other. They are still cooking for each other, still doing laundry, taking kids to performances and sporting events, but they have drifted away over time. They are like two ships passing in the night. Sometimes divorce is inevitable, but not all the time. In order to avoid the pitfall of divorce due to a lack of intimacy couples will need to remember what drew them together to begin with and they will need to prioritize one another again. They will have to go on dates again, write cute little text messages, give each other embarrassing pet names and pat each other on the butt every now and again so that they can fan the flames of their dying love. Do the first works!

Jesus tells us in John 6:29 that the works of God are to believe in the One He has sent! There is no substitute for trusting in Jesus. No amount of service can take the place of relying completely upon Him for our lives.

Phillip Keller writes these profound words in his book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23,

“The Christian life is not just one of subscribing to certain doctrines or believing certain facts. Essential as all of this confidence in the Scriptures may be, there is, as well, the actual reality of experiencing and knowing firsthand the feel of His touch - the sense of His Spirit upon my spirit. There is for the true child of God that intimate, subtle, yet magnificent experience of sensing the Comforter at his side”.

It is a terrifying thought for me to think of having my light snuffed out because I have idolized my service over my Savior. And that’s why I thank God for calling me, for calling us, to turn it around and love Him again!

Consolation

Our last movement in this letter is consolation.

After being praised for their tireless effort, their patient endurance and their theological integrity, Jesus hits them between the eyes with the revelation of their waning affection for their Redeemer, and then He comforts them with a promise.

Revelation 2:7

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.” ’

Even though this letter is addressed to the church at Ephesus it is also written to you and me today. We have to pay very close attention to what the Spirit is saying to the churches otherwise we run the risk of repeating the same mistakes they did. There is a great and precious promise of life for those of us who overcome.

This promise of victory points us back to the previous verses about prioritizing Jesus. If we will look back to when our love for Jesus was inspiring and filled with passion, if we will turn back to trusting in Him alone, if we will go back and repeat the first works of loving Him and living by faith instead of by works then we shall overcome.

4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 Jn. 5:4-5)

Your FAITH has made you whole!

It is by FAITH that you have been justified, not by your works!

Revelation 12:11 says that we have overcome by the redeeming blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony. And what is our testimony? Our testimony is this.

That Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.

We testify that Jesus alone is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

We testify that no man comes to the Father except through the Son.

We testify that He became sin, not knowing sin, that we through Him might be made righteous.

We testify that Jesus has been given a Name that is above all other names.

That through His death, burial, resurrection and ascension He has made fools of the wise in this world and He has towered over the strong through the power of His gospel. We preach to the world that He has lifted us out of the pit of our sinful despair through the demonstration of His love on the cross.

To him who overcomes there is a promise of life!

That what was lost in the beginning, will be restored in the end!

Call to Respond

So what do we do with this? What’s our response?

Keep up the good works that you have been doing in Jesus’ Name. Do not grow weary in well doing for in due time you will reap if you do not give up (Gal.6:9)

Don’t forget Who you are doing it for. Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Cor. 10:31)

Look back and remember, You were dead in your trespasses and sins, and God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love for us, has made us alive together with Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:1-9).

Turn back to Him in faith. "For whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life" (Jn. 3:16).

Don’t abandon what matters the most - a real and life alternating relationship with Jesus that you don't have to earn.

If you are not a Christian, I want to invite you to give yourself to Jesus today. If you are a Christian, it's time to turn it around - REPENT and do the first works.

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