98 SeSSion LifeWay

Transcription

1 98 SeSSion 2

2 The Point Return to a love for Christ that permeates everything you do. The Passage Revelation 2:1-7 The Bible Meets Life A steady routine to life is not a bad thing, but sometimes that routine can become a rut. We can do things merely out of habit and lose the motivation that brought us to that good habit to begin with. That s especially troubling when applied to our walk with Christ. The Book of Revelation shows us one church that did good things but had lost their first love. This session calls us back to a passion for Christ. The Setting The apostle John found himself on the island of Patmos, probably as a political prisoner of Rome for preaching the gospel. While there, he received an extensive revelation from God regarding the outcome of the conflict between the forces of God and the forces of evil. The revelation begins with a state of the churches address. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 99

3 What does the Bible say? Revelation 2:1-7 (HCSB) Angel of the church (v. 1) The Greek word for angel means messenger and can be used either of angelic messengers or human messengers, such as pastors. Stars (v. 1) The seven stars represent the angels (pastors) of the seven churches (see Revelation 1:20). Gold lampstands (v. 1) The seven lampstands represent the seven churches in Revelation 2 3. Nicolaitans (v. 6) The Nicolaitans were a heretical group in the early church that taught idolatry and immorality. Tree of life (v. 7) Originally found in the garden of Eden, the tree of life represents access to eternal life. 1 Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstands says: 2 I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. 3 You also possess endurance and have tolerated many things because of My name and have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent. 6 Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in God s paradise. 100 SeSSion 2

4 THE POINT Return to a love for Christ that permeates everything you do. GET INTO THE STUDY DISCUSS: Invite your group members to turn their attention to the image on page 83 of the Personal Study Guide (PSG). Ask: What hobbies or interests have you lost touch with over the years? RECAP THE PSG: We all have had at least one item we once cherished or that filled much of our time but now lies forgotten in a closet: A pair of running shoes from when you loved to run. A box full of half-finished craft projects. A guitar that hasn t been tuned in years. Our interests change as we go through different seasons in life. Something new replaces a hobby or sport. Losing our love for a hobby happens, but it s a whole different matter when we re talking about relationships. Marriages and friendships may start out strong and be rooted in love, but if we re not careful, other things can get in the way. We may wake up one day and discover our hearts have strayed we ve lost the love we once had (PSG, p. 84). 10 minutes Notes TIP: Keep a record of your group s prayer requests, and check in regularly to see how God has answered. SAY: But what if we re not talking about a spouse or a friend? What if we stray in our relationship with Christ? In the Book of Revelation, we get a glimpse into a church that had been busy doing many things for God but ultimately lost their first love for Jesus. GUIDE: Invite your group members to share their initial reaction when they read The Point on page 84 of the PSG: Return to a love for Christ that permeates everything you do. Explain that this key idea will drive your discussion today. ENHANCEMENT: Bring your group s attention to Pack Item #10, Matthew 22:37 poster, to highlight the focus of today s session. PRAY: Transition into the Bible study by praying. Ask God to show you and your group members if and when you ve lost your first love for Him. Pray also for an understanding of which things most easily pull our focus off Christ. Display Pack Item #10 to communicate the session topic. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 101

5 15 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Revelation 2:1-4 Notes 1 Write to the angel of the church in Ephesus: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and who walks among the seven gold lampstands says: 2 I know your works, your labor, and your endurance, and that you cannot tolerate evil. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and you have found them to be liars. 3 You also possess endurance and have tolerated many things because of My name and have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. RECAP: In the Book of Revelation, God granted John a vision about things that were to come in the future (Revelation 1:10-20). In the vision, Jesus instructed the apostle to write letters to seven churches in Asia Minor (v. 11) beginning with the church at Ephesus (PSG, p. 86). READ: Ask a group member to read Revelation 2:1-4 aloud. SUMMARIZE: Jesus was very pleased with all the church was doing. ALTERNATE QUESTION: If Jesus looked at our church and said, I know your works, what do you think He would say next? They worked hard for the Lord, had patient endurance, and did not tolerate evil. They rooted out false prophets. They endured many things for His name while not growing weary. SAY: Christ also had one very simple yet stinging statement for this church. They had abandoned the love they had at first: their full-hearted love for God. DISCUSS: Question 2 on page 86 of the PSG: What s the difference between doing things for Jesus and spending time with Jesus? SAY: Jesus was clear; He desired personal devotion more than routine actions. DISCUSS: Question 3 on page 87 of the PSG: How can we evaluate whether we ve lost our first love for Christ? TRANSITION: Jesus didn t stop there, though. He told them what to do. 102 SeSSion 2

6 THE POINT Return to a love for Christ that permeates everything you do. Revelation 2:1-4 Commentary Everything we do is to be motivated by a love for Christ. The apostle John was in exile on the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9). Located 37 miles southwest of modern-day Turkey in the Aegean Sea, the island was used by the Romans as a place of exile for political prisoners. As John worshiped on the Lord s day (v. 10), Jesus appeared to him in a vision with a message for the churches in Asia Minor who were facing intense times of persecution. The Lord instructed John to write seven letters to seven churches, beginning with the church in Ephesus (2:1-7). Verse 1 Jesus instructed John to write to the angel of the church in Ephesus. The Greek word for angel means messenger and can be used either of angelic messengers or human messengers, such as pastors who were responsible for delivering God s message to their churches. Here, it would apply if John were writing the letter to the pastor of the church who would then read it to the entire church. Jesus identified Himself as the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand. In Revelation 1:20 we learn that the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. Jesus clearly held the angels or the pastors of the churches in His own hand. He exercised authority over them. He also identified Himself as the One who walks among the seven gold lampstands. Again, Revelation 1:20 gives us the identity of the lampstands. It says the seven lampstands represent the seven churches of Asia Minor. Verses 2-3 Jesus letter to the church in Ephesus began with a commendation. First, He commended them for their works and praised their labor. This word described the difficult things that the church had to do, probably in the face of extreme opposition. He also praised the church s endurance. They did not shirk their responsibility in the face of persecution. One of the specific ways the church showed endurance was they did not tolerate evil. Whether the church was infiltrated by those who were worshipers of Artemis or by the Nicolaitans (2:6), the church stood for purity. They had correct doctrine and could discern when others deviated from that doctrine. The church did not tolerate immoral behavior or false doctrine (v. 2), but they did tolerate hardships and persecution. They stood against incorrect doctrine and improper behavior in the church. Verse 4 In spite of right actions and right doctrine, Jesus condemned the church at Ephesus for a matter of the heart. In the midst of their work, their toil, and their endurance in opposing false teaching, they had abandoned the one thing that mattered most the love they had at first. The church had lost love, but love for whom? Some commentators think it was the love the believers had for one another. While the passage makes sense if it refers to their loss of love for each other, it seems stronger if it s a reference to their love for the Lord. It is possible their love for the Lord had dimmed as they tried to maintain doctrinal purity and to labor in an environment where persecution was growing stronger every day. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 103

7 10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Revelation 2:5-7 Notes 5 Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent. 6 Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the victor the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in God s paradise. READ: Ask a group member to read Revelation 2:5-7 aloud. SUMMARIZE: The church at Ephesus may have lost its first love, but Jesus gave them the solution. Twice in verse 5 He used the word repent. ALTERNATE QUESTION: How has your relationship with Jesus changed over time? DISCUSS: Question 4 on page 88 of the PSG: What does it look like for a Christ-follower to repent? RECAP: Within the context of life and salvation, we repent we change the way we are living when we surrender our lives to Jesus. But the word repent goes far beyond just a one-time experience of repentance before God. A posture of repentance involves continually turning our backs to our sin and choosing to follow Jesus instead (PSG, p. 89). DO: Divide your members into groups of three or four people each. Within each small group, direct members to take turns sharing aloud their responses to the activity on page 88 of the PSG. FIRST THINGS FIRST: What are some things you may be tempted to pursue more than a relationship with Christ? Dating relationship Completed degree or certification for a career Financial stability Recognition at work or landing the ideal job Other What does a life spent following Christ have to offer that these pursuits are unable to supply? 104 SeSSion 2 TRANSITION: Next, God called the Ephesians to return their attention to HIm.

8 THE POINT Return to a love for Christ that permeates everything you do. Revelation 2:5-7 Commentary Return to a passionate love for Christ. Verse 5 The cure for the loveless church included two steps. First, Jesus told the church to remember then how far they had fallen. They were to recall the love they had for the Lord and for one another when they first believed. The words have fallen do not indicate that they had lost their salvation, but they had gone backward in their devotion to Him. The first step in changing attitude or behavior must be admission of guilt. By remembering where they once were in their love for the Lord, they would immediately see the need for the next step. As the Ephesian Christians compared their love for the Lord with what it was when they first believed, they would naturally see the need to repent. Repentance involves a change of mind or a turning from one thing to another. Jesus encouraged the Ephesian Christians to turn from good works that were not motivated by love and do the works they did at first. You can do the same activity with two different attitudes and get two different results. You can do the right thing out of duty and obligation alone and miss the joy of doing it out of love. One child can get bitter while caring for an aging parent because love is absent, while another can get joy out of this task motivated by love. Jesus promised that if they did not repent, He would come and remove their lampstand from its place. Some inaccurately believe that this teaches He will take away a Christian s salvation if he does not repent. However, remember that the lampstand represented the church. The congregation would cease to exist because it had lost its love for the Lord, which in turn caused it to lose its love for people. God s judgment on a loveless church is necessary and actually enhances His kingdom s work. As tragic as it is when a church s lampstand is removed, it is even more tragic for a church to remain open without loving the Lord and loving people. This removal is not automatic, though. The hope is that by remembering their first love, the church will turn. Jesus used the word repent for the second time in verse five. He didn t reprimand the church to make them feel bad but to heal them. Verse 6 After chiding the church for losing its first love, Jesus again stated a positive aspect of the church. He commended them because they hated the practices of the Nicolaitans. The Nicolaitans were a heretical group that had infiltrated the church. They had infiltrated the churches in Pergamum and Thyatira as well as the church in Ephesus. This group taught immoral practices and idolatry, probably in a similar style to the heresy taught by Balaam (Numbers 31:16; 2 Peter 2:15). In a cosmopolitan center like Ephesus, believers had to battle pagan influences that crept into the church, and this could explain how some in the church at Ephesus embraced the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Jesus was not saying to the Ephesians that love was the only thing in the church. Doctrinal purity and moral behavior mattered, but without love the church could not continue to thrive and exist. In fact, the Lord revealed that He also hated the practices of the Nicolaitans. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 105

9 5 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Revelation 2:5-7 Continued Notes ALTERNATE QUESTION: What is the connection between listening to God and loving Him? RECAP: Verse 7 is essential to the entire process of returning to your love for Jesus. Jesus has given you the key to the entire process in this last verse and it may not be what you re thinking. The key? Listen. The whole process of repentance and renewal cannot begin to happen if you don t listen. Jesus said, Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. In other words: listen up, everybody! (PSG, p. 89) DISCUSS: Question 5 on page 89 of the PSG: What is involved in listening to God? SUMMARIZE: What did the Spirit say to the church at Ephesus (and to us)? Remember. If you find yourself at a place where your love for Jesus has waned, return to the things that were present when you were walking closely with God. Repent. Anything that keeps you from your love for Jesus is a sin. If a sin is ruining your love for Jesus, repent. Turn from it. Surrender these things before Jesus and watch Him begin to move in your life. Return. At the heart of Jesus message is a loving call: Return to Me. As we turn from sin, we turn toward Jesus. TRANSITION: How do we get love and passion for Jesus back to where it needs to be? We return to Jesus. 106 SeSSion 2

10 THE POINT Return to a love for Christ that permeates everything you do. Revelation 2:5-7 Commentary Continued Verse 7 Jesus echoed the warning to His hearers at the end of the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:9) when He said, Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. All seven letters in Revelation 2 3 include this expression. The church needs to listen to the reward for those who heed Jesus words. Jesus promised a reward to the victor. The victor obviously was the one who has remembered from where he had fallen and repented of his sin. Ultimately, a believer s victory is based on the blood of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:11), not human effort. Since the Holy Spirit is active in remembering and repentance, this victory is not some human achievement but a work of God in the life of a believer. The victorious one was promised a special privilege. God would grant the victor the right to eat from the tree of life. The tree of life first appeared in Genesis 2:9, where it was one of the many trees that God made available to Adam and Eve for food. However, when Adam and Eve instead ate from the one forbidden tree the tree of the knowledge of good and evil God made this tree off limits (Genesis 3:22,24) and He banned Adam and Eve from the garden. The tree of life is mentioned again in Revelation 22:2. Jesus mentioned the location of the tree with the phrase, in God s paradise. Paradise was a word that literally meant a garden. The Book of Revelation, beginning here in chapter two, portrays Jesus as the Restorer of the lost paradise (Revelation 22:1-4). Jesus is able to restore everything that was lost in the fall of humanity. By eating of the tree of life, death and suffering are banished and cannot touch the one who has trusted in Jesus (v. 2). Sometimes Christians and churches get caught in a routine or rut. They go through the motions rather than doing what they do out of love for Christ and love for people. True awakening involves remembering one s first love and repenting of the deeds that are done without it. Previous Biblical Illustrator articles Ephesus, A Historical Survey (Spring 2008), Lampstands in Revelation (Fall 2004), The Cities of Revelation 1 3 (Winter ), and The Churches Around Ephesus (Fall 1979) relate to this lesson and can be purchased, along with other articles for this quarter, at biblicalillustrator. Look for Bundles: Bible Studies for Life. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 107

11 5 minutes LIVE IT OUT SAY: How do we return to our first love? Notes GUIDE: Lead your group members to consider the responses to the Bible study listed on page 90 of the PSG. Remember. When did you last feel like you genuinely enjoyed being with Jesus? Does this experience seem far away from your present spiritual condition? Ask God for a renewed desire to seek Him on a daily basis. Make a plan to visit a place or location where you ve felt close to God. Whether it s a mountaintop, chapel, lake, or retreat center, spend some time in prayer. Thank God for all He has taught you there. Commit to meet with one or two other Christ-followers who also want to renew their love for Jesus. Gather regularly to pray and to dive into Scripture together. Keep one another accountable as you seek to prioritize your walk with Christ. Wrap It Up SAY: Life is busy. Over time, our desire to know and follow Christ can get lost in the midst of daily responsibilities. God calls us to listen, remember, and repent. When we do, He steps in to renew our faith and restores our focus on our first love. 108 SeSSion 2

12 My group's prayer requests Additional suggestions for specific groups (women, men, collegiates, and singles) are available at BibleStudiesForLife.com/blog. And for free online training on how to lead a group visit MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesForLife. Seven Ways to Stick with Your Daily Bible Reading So you d like to begin spending time with God daily? It s a noble goal and one that every Christian should strive for. Maybe daily devotional reading was your New Year s resolution and you ve yet to start. Perhaps you ve just had a spiritual mountaintop experience and you want to fan into flame the passion you feel for God and His Word. To continue reading Seven Ways to Stick With Your Daily Bible Reading from LifeWay.com, visit BibleStudiesforLife.com/articles. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 109