Sermon Tone Analysis

Textual Idea – Jesus has a message for the 7 local churches which typify churches today.

Transition w/ key word – Our text presents several common themes of Jesus message to the churches.

(Format modified from Lehman Strauss) Read 2:1-11

We note the:

1.

The Assembly -

2. The Author -

3. The Approval -

4. The Admonition -

5. The Appeal -

6.

The Application -

Introduction – When I worked as a police officer years ago in McAllen Texas, I remember early in my career walking into the PD to report for duty on the graveyard shift.

They had a process called briefing where we’d gather in the squad room to hear about the activity of stuff going on out on the streets from the prior shifts.

Sometimes the Sergeant or Lieutenant in charge would read what we called an “atta boy” letter.

Many times you would just go by the main PD bulletin board, this huge glass encased thing that took up a whole section of wall.

It was where my Police Chief Alex Longoria would place letters of commendation or in some extreme cases, letters of condemnation or notices that officers had been suspended.

I’ll never forget the first time I walked in there as rookie patrol officer and found an “atta boy” with my name on it.

I had made a traffic stop on a car with a burned out head light and simply gave the guy a warning.

I didn’t think much about it.

Turns out he was undercover officer from another department in a “low-rider” type of vehicle and he was impressed by the way I handled the traffic stop so he wrote my Chief a letter to put in my file.

It meant a ton to a young police officer like me.

I’ve written letters commending officers since that time and it is something I’ll never forget.

I’ve also been on the receiving end of letters where I did something wrong.

When we messed up, you were better off to go ahead and write it up and send it through the chain of command to the Chief’s office.

We used to call those “Dear Chief letters” – basically it was “Dear Chief, I don’t know what you heard but this is really what happened.

If you came clean on it, typically you’d get a letter of reprimand unless you were a repeat offender!

Sometimes a letter would be given also for you to take corrective action in something you needed improvement on.

Transition – Well in our study today, the Apostle John is commanded by the Lord Jesus Himself to write some letters to the 7 churches of Revelation that included common themes for the church as He warns them to get their house in order.

(See study guide).

As we enter chapters 2 & 3, we need to be reminded the Lord told John in 1:19 to “Write the things which you have seen, the things that are, and the things which will take place after this.”

These two chapters where the things “which are” or were during John’s life.

It was the risen Lord’s assessment of the 7 churches of Asia.

Each letter to each church has 1) A primary association - in other words it was to a specific body of believers and was a direct message to that church.

2) A personal application - each church was made up of individual believers and through out these letters Jesus said to the members: “He that hath an ear to hear let him hear.”

So they were to take to heart what their Savior said and apply it to their life and their church!

3) A prophetic anticipation - The principles laid out to these actual churches have direct bearing and are typical of problems of churches today and throughout the church age.

So they are important for us to read and understand and apply to our lives as well.

We note the:

1.

The Assembly - Ephesus - 2:1

The City of Ephesus was one of the strategic cities in Asia, a large city on the seacoast with a bustling shipping port; one of religious, political, & commercial centers of that day.

Ephesus was known for it’s temple for the worship of the fertility goddess Diana/Artemis.

The temple to Diana is considered one of the 7 wonders of the world.

The whole region paid for the temple to be built and it took 220 years to complete!

They also had a large amphitheater that could seat over 24,000 people!

To engage in worship of Diana/Artemis was to engage in gross sexual immorality.

When Paul started the church at Ephesus, there was dramatic economic impact that was affecting the silversmiths who made idols because people burned all of their magic arts books to the tune of 50,000 pieces of silver according to Acts 19:19.

In Acts 20:17-38, the Apostle Paul gave the Ephesian elders his farewell.

You can tell Paul loved this church he ministered in for 3 years.

More than 40 years had passed since this church began and now Jesus has a personal letter to this church living in the middle of pagan idolatry.

2. The Author - 2:1b

It’s interesting to each church, Jesus described Himself differently.

The reason for this is each body of believers is unique & though there are many similarities, there are many differences.

But not to worry, because Jesus is “The Alpha & Omega, the beginning and the end.”

In other words our blessed Savior is exactly what each assembly needs and knows how to to minister to their needs as the Chief Shepherd!

“He who holds the 7 stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the 7 golden lamp stands.”

The stars as we have mentioned last week are the pastors/messengers of the church.

They are held in the right hand of the Lord Jesus representing power & authority.

It is the only place where the pastor can be sustained and strengthened by the hand of Jesus Himself.

In the beginning, Jesus walked among the Ephesian church as the recognized Head of the church and the church took their orders from Him. Ephesians 1:22-23 says “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be had over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

Christ’s true sheep are safe in His hand and are led by Him.

Every assembly where Christ is honored as it’s Head, He walks among them and takes a special interest in them.

3. The Approval - vs. 2-3

“I know your works…” “Know” (odia) is different from the more common GK word “ginosko” which is knowledge accumulated over time.

This word for know is complete and full knowledge describing the Lord’s knowledge of his church is affirmed to each of these 7 churches.

Jesus commended their labor – the word means toil to the point of exhaustion; & perseverance – enduring under trial and difficulty for the cause of Christ.

This church had great missionary & soul winning zeal for the Lord.

Jesus also approved of their patience or perseverance.

The word patience is “Hupomeno” it means to remain under, in other words to remain under trial and difficulty, to persevere.

Acts 19 paints a great picture of the fierce opposition the church faced in the early days with the riot at Ephesus.

The whole town rushed into the amphitheater and shouted for hours “Great is Diana of the Ephesians.”

The Lord approved of their intolerance for false teachers - they tested them thoroughly and found them to be liars!

He further affirms this in vs. 6 they hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans - Note He hated their practice, their deeds.

Apparently their teaching was one of tolerance and indulgence in sexual immorality.

They kept working and laboring for the Lord and didn’t grow weary and didn’t pollute themselves with the activity of the pagans all around them.

All these qualities Jesus approved of as He walked among them!

However…

4. The Admonition - vs. 4

“Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

Clearly the Lord values hard work and labor for Him, but Jesus was grieved that their love for Him personally had grown cold.

They lost their “first love” - you remember the kind of love you had for your spouse on your honeymoon?

How you were inseparable, wore matching outfits, held hands everywhere you went?

But time, toil, kids and life get in the way and couples love grows cold over time - it doesn’t have to be that way; but it often does.

I see it with old couples eating out in restaurants, picking at their food, not talking.

The kids, grandkids & the weather conversation is over so there’s nothing to discuss.

So sad! Jesus says that’s not the kind of relationship I want with you church!

The lesson is clear: busy-ness for the Lord is not the same as intimate love for the Lord! 1st Cor.

13:3 says “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”

5.

The Appeal - vs. 5a

The Lord gives a two-fold appeal:

A. Remember!

Recall to your minds those early days when your love for me caused your soul to be enraptured by me - when our relationship as Savior & Lord and forgiving child gave you intense pleasure, purpose and meaning for getting up everyday!

Remember how your soul warmed to my embrace and as I took you by the hand daily.

How you couldn’t wait to spend time with me.

Memory is a precious gift!

B. Repent!

Get back to the basics of focusing on your love relationship with me.

Make sure you aren’t working just for the works sake, work because you love me supremely!

Don’t serve Me begrudgingly because you have to, serve Me because you want to!

Someone has estimated 95% of the work done is the average church could go on without the Spirit’s presence and power!

What an indictment!

6.

The Application - Vs. 5b -