Back to the Future: The Message of Revelation 2-3 - You ve Lost that Loving Feeling Revelation 2:1-7 10-14-2018 AM TRC 1of 6 Series Intro: [open Bibles to ** Revelation 2:1-7 **] I can remember back in my seminary days, at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, when I was taking a very popular class called Introduction in the New Testament. For three months we were going to dive into each of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. For each book we would learn about the author; the date of the writing; the main themes; and of course, the purpose or background into why the book was written. Our professor was D.A. Carson, a world-renown New Testament theologian who could speak or write thirteen different languages; a brilliant man; and a tough, demanding grader. He was for all intents as purposes, a no-nonsense, straightforward teacher. And while he wasn t boring, he certainly didn t crack many jokes. This is why I remember his opening words to us when we finally got around to studying the last book of the New Testament, the Revelation of John. This is what he said: Gentlemen, the book we are about to study, when compared to the other twenty-six books of the New Testament, is, well, to put it frankly, weird... and I ve got to admit, he s right. The book of Revelation is filled with hard to understand imagery; it uses Old Testament references that are difficult to pin down; it uses cryptic language; it s complex, it s mysterious; it s violent; it s just so...weird. Which is why I think it s a fair question to ask why are we taking the time to study Revelation, even if it s just a small portion of Revelation? First, because it s Scripture; it s God s Word. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. So whether we re studying Acts, or Micah, or Revelation, it s all written by God to train and equip us to become more like Jesus. But there s also a second and more specific reason we re going to study Revelation 2-3. You see those two chapters of Revelation contain Jesus personalized messages to the seven Christian churches of Asia Minor in the later years of the first century AD. Jesus himself appeared to the Apostle John, who was exiled on the small island of Patmos in the Aegean Sea, so that John could deliver his message to those churches. You see, even though those seven Christian churches were scattered all over Asia Minor in diverse cities filled with a wide range of cultures and languages and peoples; each church was under attack. This was the time when the Roman Emperor Domitian was violently persecuting the Christian faith. So whether you were a Christian in Ephesus or Sardis, or Laodicea, you had one thing in common with every other Christian in Asia Minor: The Romans wanted you dead. Revelation was not written by John to satisfy idle end-times speculation or feed a hunger for revenge. It was written to strengthen Jesus followers in steadfast hope and holy living in the face of these attacks. And in each letter to each one of the seven churches, the source of their steadfast hope is always the same: The crucified, risen, and reigning Jesus Christ. *(Revelation 1:4-8)* John s answer to the persecuted churches in Asia Minor was not to hire good lawyers to defend their rights and it certainly wasn t telling them to take up arms and protect themselves. John s answer was to hope in Christ and remember that when Jesus returns to earth he will utterly destroy every power, every nation, and every army that has set itself against his Church. The Church of Jesus Christ has been under attack from Satan, ever since it began over two thousand years ago. And make no mistake about it; the Christian Church in America is also under attack. Not through government oppression or violent persecution or loss of liberty. We are under attack by something more sinister and devious: seduction. Dennis Johnson, Triumph of the Lamb: The [devil]s]
Back to the Future: The Message of Revelation 2-3 - You ve Lost that Loving Feeling Revelation 2:1-7 10-14-2018 AM TRC 2of 6 assault on the church comes in different forms and from different quarters in different times and places. In some parts of the world the attack comes head-on, through the persecuting violence of hostile governments or neighbors; in others the danger is insidious, a slow infection to numb the Body's discernment of error and weaken its immune system; in others the weapon is an appealing encouragement to enjoy the advantages of compromised conformity. But always, in every age and place, the church is under attack. Our only safety lies in seeing the ugly hostility of the enemy and clinging fast to our Champion and King, Jesus. We may live in a country that, at least for right now, guarantees our right to practice our faith. But we would be fools to think that such a thing makes us safe. Every day, and in a thousand different ways we are pressured to conform to our culture or pressured to ignore our faith and chase after comfort and prosperity. Either way, we ll be pressured to give in and that s why we need to study Revelation 2-3. **[Stand and read ** Revelation 2:1-7 ** Seat congregation...open with prayer]** Intro: This morning I want to start out with a very simple question: Do you love Jesus? Now, I know that the kneejerk response for us is to quickly say, You bet; absolutely. I mean love for Jesus is why where here today, isn t it? I know that when I typed these words out for this message, my first response was to say that I loved Jesus too. But as I continued to stare at my computer screen I had to stop typing because I began to realize that my initial answer probably wasn t the complete truth. The question isn t just whether or not I feel like I love Jesus right now, but whether or not I am faithfully loving Jesus day in and day out. In other words, am I practicing spiritual faithfulness in my relationship with Jesus? These questions then led me to these Scripture passages: Mark 12:29-30 (ESV) Jesus answered, The most important is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Exodus 34:14 (ESV) For you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. I read these and I realize that throughout the last week I know that my heart has strayed from Christ; I realize that I cherished the love and attention of others more than the love He has lavished on me. Spiritually speaking, I know that I have wandered from Christ; I have spurned His love... In all honesty I have not been totally faithful to my Savior and Lord; I am guilty of being spiritual unfaithful... And you know something, so are you... Did you know that Jesus is passionately protective of His relationship with us? Did you know that God has a holy jealousy for your love for Him? Did you know that every time that we turn away from Him and His protective commands for us, that His heart is wounded? As hard as it might be to imagine, our God cherishes our love and fidelity even more than husband cherishes the fidelity of his wife... Long ago, in the land of first century Turkey was the prosperous ancient city of Ephesus. She was a wealthy and cosmopolitan trade city, enhanced by sea ports and the convergence of three main ancient highways. And even though it was famous for its arts and culture, it was also an unbelievably immoral city; especially in regards to its worship of Artemis, the goddess of fertility. But even so, thirty years before John wrote the book of Revelation, the Apostle Paul had spent three years planting a church in Ephesus. They were known for their hard work and devotion to God s truth and by all outside appearances seemed to be doing well. But there was problem, a big problem with the
Back to the Future: The Message of Revelation 2-3 - You ve Lost that Loving Feeling Revelation 2:1-7 10-14-2018 AM TRC 3of 6 church in Ephesus. So big that Jesus Christ himself appeared to John in a revelation and gave a personal message for him to deliver. This message speaks directly to our situation today; it speaks to the issue of our own unfaithfulness to Christ and what we can do about it....*(2:1-3) Jesus commends his people The first couple verses of this text are so comforting, in the fact that it tells us that Jesus himself is among his people. When John talks about the seven stars or the seven lamp stands, he s referring to the seven churches in Asia Minor. Jesus is among his people; Jesus walks with us; he watches us...jesus is in our midst. Matthew 18:20 (ESV) For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. This is why Jesus is perfectly positioned to know exactly how each of his churches is doing. And in the case of the church in Ephesus, there was a lot that they did that Jesus praised. In v.2, Jesus says, I know your works, your toil, and your patient endurance... Jesus was pleased to see that the Christians in Ephesus were working hard for him. The community was busy for the Lord. They weren t sitting back, waiting for Jesus to come again. They were hard at work; they were volunteering their time and energy and treasure to the work of the church. And right along with hard work, the Ephesian Christians were dedicated to moral living. V.2 says,...and how you cannot bear with those who are evil. Striving for holiness and purity mattered to these Christians; as it should for all believers in every age, after all 1 Peter 1:14-16 (ESV) As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy. For the Ephesians, Scripture, not the culture, guided their moral behavior. Purity of life was a hallmark of this community of faith and Jesus saw this and was pleased by it... What s more, Jesus was also pleased by their dedication to him: *(v.3) The truth is, life was not easy for these Christians in the wicked and thoroughly pagan city of Ephesus. Their worship of a crucified and risen Jewish teacher, did not fit well in a city that worshipped Roman gods and goddesses. Chuck Swindoll: The Ephesian Christians faced special challenges. Because they refused to bow the knee to the goddess Diana [Artemis] or the images of the emperor, they found themselves maligned, slandered, boycotted, and abused. Not unlike the Jewish merchants in Berlin in the 1930 s Christians in Ephesus would have been the objects of physical violence, social ostracism, and economic repression. Yet they endured. They bore up under the load. Clearly, Ephesus had been taught well by its predecessors, Paul, Timothy, and John. These were not fairweather fans of Jesus and his cross; they suffered and endured for him - and Jesus noted their dedication and praised them for it... But Jesus wasn t done with his commendations for Ephesus: not only did he praise them for their hard work and patient suffering, he also praised them for their dedication to sound, biblical doctrine. The Ephesian Christians knew that theology mattered; what you believe matters...and it showed. *(v.2b) To put this in today s language: this church was theologically orthodox and evangelical to the core. They took their confession to Christ crucified seriously and they were faithful to the doctrine that the Apostles had taught them. And part of the evidence for this, was the fact that they tested or questioned those who claimed to be apostles, but in truth weren t. I suspect that the Ephesian Christians gave these so-called apostles theological questions to answer, like: what do you believe about Jesus who he is and what he did? What can you tell us about the gospel and how people are born again? Do
Back to the Future: The Message of Revelation 2-3 - You ve Lost that Loving Feeling Revelation 2:1-7 10-14-2018 AM TRC 4of 6 you believe that a holy life should complement our confession of faith? Do you teach anything contrary or in addition to the Word of God and the witness of the twelve apostles?... The fact is, theology definitely matters; what we believe matters it s got to match what God s Word says; it s got to match the gospel of Jesus. And for the church in Ephesus, it was doing great in this regard. I mean there was an awful lot in the church in Ephesus that Jesus praised: hard work; patient suffering, and doctrinal purity. Which is why it s a shock to read v.4...it s a shock to realize that in spite of all these great and commendable things that Ephesus was doing, there was one critical thing that they lacked...and it s one that hits us right in the gut; because it s something that we re all in danger of doing. *(v.4) Jesus criticizes his people But I have this against you... Can you imagine more painful and sobering words to hear from our Lord and Savior? There is an area of your life where I am in opposition. There is an area that grieves me, disappoints me, and offends me. The Ephesian church had abandoned their love for Jesus. They had walked away from Jesus. The fervent and passionate love they had for Jesus and his gospel when they first received him had waned. They were now simply going through the motions... Jesus makes it clear that he has not lost his passionate love; his holy jealousy for his people. Yes, he wants their hard work; he cherishes their patient suffering; and he relishes their doctrinal purity...but he also wants their affection. It matters to Jesus not only what we do; but why we do what we do... So what can we learn from this? Love can never be substituted for hard work and good theology. It is so easy to fall into this one, isn t it? We buy into the lie that love for Jesus, a relationship with Him, is all about hard work and sacrifice for Him and making absolutely sure that our beliefs or theology is as perfect as we can. But right here, in the very pages of Scripture itself, Jesus says, No, as critically important as that stuff is, it means nothing if you don t love me. Think about this for a minute: do you remember what it s like to be in love? You would do almost anything just to be with that person. Just to be together; to be in the presence of that person you loved. Love really amounts to time and intimate communication, in other words a cherished relationship. *(ill) marriage counseling in first church/ husband: She knows I love her work and a pay-check, he barely spent an hour with her a week talking to her. Over time that s the same thing that can happen to our relationship with God; we replace a true relationship with hard work and faithful theology. I think that we might be in particular danger of this. I was born into that eccentric Dutch subculture that taught that you were supposed to work your tail off for God hard work meant that you were spiritually mature. But it s not necessarily true. It could mean that I m so scared of a genuine relationship with Christ; of being vulnerable; of not being able to give and receive love from God, that I ve substituted it for hard work. It is frightening to think that there are folks who were raised in a Christian church who have never truly loved Jesus; they ve just fallen in love with a belief system and a religion of hard work. Matthew 7:21-23 (NLT) "Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as `Lord,' but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven. On judgment day many will tell me, `Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.' But I will reply, `I never knew you. Go away. That word knew refers to a deep, intimate, abiding relationship. In other words, love... Is it important that we hold and defend biblical doctrine and even suffer for the
Back to the Future: The Message of Revelation 2-3 - You ve Lost that Loving Feeling Revelation 2:1-7 10-14-2018 AM TRC 5of 6 faith? Absolutely. Is it important that we work hard for God and His Kingdom? You bet. But those things can never ever substitute for that original first love for Jesus. Oswald Chambers: Beware of anything that competes with loyalty to Jesus Christ. The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for him. I beg of you, please take some time today to really reflect on this: Are you in love with Jesus? Or are you in love with theology and church work? Do you really know Him? Or are you depending on your hard work to get you into his Kingdom? And are you here this morning not because you were taught that you re supposed to be in church or that s its part of your obligation and duty; but simply and purely because you love Jesus and He loves you? Jesus corrects his people Thankfully, Jesus doesn t just point out our lack of love for him. As he does for the Christians in Ephesus, he gives us a plan to correct this lack of love: *(v.5) Jesus lays out for us a three-part plan to follow: 1 st Remember! Jesus calls the Ephesians to remember; that is, to remember what it was once like to love Jesus; and why they loved Jesus in the first place. And what s also important to note here, is that the verb remember is in the present imperative form which means that the Ephesian Christians need to keep on remembering; to never forget what you have lost. Jesus is telling these Christians - and he s telling us to remember why we professed our love and faith in him in the first place. What it basically comes down to, is the gospel; remembering what the gospel message is. 1 John 4:19 (ESV) We love because he first loved us. Romans 5:8 (ESV) But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 1 John 4:9-10 (ESV) In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. God created a perfect world; how our sin and rebellion brought brokenness to it, and how God in infinite love stepped into His own creation in the person of Jesus Christ, on a rescue mission to save us from our wicked choices, all through the perfect life, sacrificial death, and victorious Resurrection of King Jesus. We ve got to remember this; remember the basic gospel message that clearly and demonstrably communicate Jesus love for us sinners. This is what Jesus is telling us to do. Take an inventory and evaluate where you are now compared to where you were when you first loved Jesus. Go back to the time when your love for Jesus was a burning passion and he and his gospel message was literally all that mattered. What was it like? What is missing now? Remember Jesus says; remember from where you have fallen... 2 nd Repent! To repent is to undergo a change of mind resulting in a change of attitude and behavior. It s to think differently about our sin sins of indifference, religious formalism, and legalistic routine. It requires that we change our minds from thinking that our good deeds deserve God s favor. In calling for the Ephesians to repent, Jesus reminds them that hard work is no substitute for love; that moral purity is no substitute for passion; and that deeds are no substitute for devotion. Let s not pat ourselves on the back for doing all the right things, for the wrong reason. Love for Christ is what matters. And we have to repent of anything that we have substituted for that love. 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV) The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. Jesus sees your heart; and he sees mine. Is there anything in your heart and mind that we need to repent of? If we re anything like the Christians in Ephesus, there s plenty that we need to repent of... 3 rd Repeat! *(v.5) a couple of things come to mind: One, is our worship; our adoration of Jesus together as his people.
Back to the Future: The Message of Revelation 2-3 - You ve Lost that Loving Feeling Revelation 2:1-7 10-14-2018 AM TRC 6of 6 To show our love to we have to express it: express it through our actions; express it in our thoughts; and express it through our words. Colossians 3:16-17 (ESV) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Imagine this scenario: to express his love to his wife, each day a husband does these same three things: a passionless peck on the cheek; a brief and underwhelming hug; and then an emotionless, I love you dear. He does this for thirty years do you really think that his wife feels the love? No passion; no creativity, just the same predictable expressions of love over and over again. Now how do you think Jesus would feel if each week we expressed our love for God through the same predictable service and the same predictable songs? A.W. Tozer: The treacherous enemy facing the church... today is the dictatorship of the routine, when the routine becomes lord in the life of the church... Anyone can predict next Sunday s service and what will happen. This seems to be the most deadly threat in the church today... The routine dictates, and we can tell not only what will happen next Sunday, but what will occur next month and, if things do not improve, what will take place next year. Then we have reached the place where what has been determines what is, and what is determines what will be... That would be perfectly all right and proper for a cemetery. Nobody expects a cemetery to do anything but conform. Everyone and everything in a cemetery has accepted the routine. But the church is not a cemetery and we should expect much from it, because what has been should not be lord to tell us what is, and what is should not be ruler to tell us what will be. God s people are supposed to grow. Funny thing is the Scriptures say the same thing: Psalm 144:9 (ESV) I will sing a new song to you, O God; upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you, Did you know that that line, sing a new song to the Lord, is repeated over twenty times in the Psalms? What a challenge to us to make sure that our worship of God is not this predictable expression. Why do we sing new sings? Because it s Scriptural and God wants a new song ;He wants our creativity. Why do we try to mix things up and not do the same things every week, because it s Scriptural and God wants our creativity. It s how we tell him that we love Him... Another thing that we need to repeat to return to our love for Jesus, is to love one another. We re going to commit ourselves to the hard work of demonstrating grace to one another. We do that by making forgiveness and love predominate themes here in our church. 1 John 3:11 (NLT) This is the message we have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 1 Corinthians 13:3 (MESSAGE) If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. John 13:34-35 (NLT) So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." Romans 13:10 (NASB95) Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. How are you doing with loving others? How are you doing with making love and forgiveness a dominate theme in your life? After all we do these things we love others and demonstrate grace because we have been lavished and continue to be lavished with the love and grace of Jesus. Do you really love Jesus? Take some time and think about it, because there s an awful lot depending on our answer.