When Technique Eclipses Relationship-4 Series

WHEN TECHNIQUE ECLIPSES RELATIONSHIP-IV—Revelation 2:1-7

Firstless Love

Muddying the water above where clarity is needed.

A man who spends all his time at work—Neglecting his family in order to do it—Forgetting that his initial drive for the work is to meet his family’s need.

The way in which we approach anything can make those choices & actions Liableous.

Jesus reprimanded the Ephesian church because their first love for Jesus had taken second place & lapsed into technique/maintenance.

The local church must prevent her relationship with Jesus from lapsing into a technique.

What occurs when technique overshadows relationship?

When technique eclipses relationship our...

1. LEADERSHIP is Liable(:1)

2. WORK is Liable(:2a & 3)

3. STANDARD is Liable(:2b)

4. DRIVE is Liable(:4)

5. DISTANCE is Liable(:5a)

6. INFLUENCE is Liable(:5b)

7—When technique eclipses relationship...

Our HATRED is Liable(:6)

Explanation:(:6)

:6—“ ‘Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”

Rev. 2:14-16—Nicolaitan consistencies are—Aberrant Teaching/Stumbling block/Disregard for what is holy/Immorality—Perverted satisfaction of flesh thru base desire.

Rev. 2:14-16—[To the church in Pergamos]““But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, & to commit sexual immorality. “Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. ‘Repent, or else I will come to you quickly & will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.”

“Nicolaitans”—Followers of a deviant/sectarian form of Christianity. Insight can be gained from 2:14-16. Idolatry & sexual immorality spawned from Nicolaitan practices/beliefs. Obviously advocates of an antinomian lifestyle(grace does not extend to the social manifestation of morality), where freedom is flaunted to the point of immorality. Akin to Gnosticism which effectively perverted Christianity, thru learning with speculation, into a philosophy. Regarded knowledge as superior to faith. Syncretistic of misunderstood Christian doctrines, Jewish, Greek & Oriental philosophies.

“Irenaeus & Hippolytus take this sect to be followers of Nicolaus of Antioch, one of the seven deacons (Acts 6:5), a Jewish proselyte, who is said to have apostatized. There was such a sect in the second century (Tertullian), but whether descended from Nicolaus of Antioch is not certain, though possible (Lightfoot).”—RWP

“Have”—ecw—1) To have, i.e. to hold—1a) To have (hold) in the hand, in the sense of wearing, to have (hold) possession of the mind (refers to alarm, agitating emotions, etc.), to hold fast keep, to have or comprise or involve, to regard or consider or hold as; 2) to have i.e. own, possess; 3) To hold one’s self or find one’s self so & so, to be in such or such a condition;4) To hold one’s self to a thing, to lay hold of a thing, to adhere or cling to. Strong— a primary verb; To hold(used in very various applications, literally or figuratively, direct or remote; such as possessions; ability, continuity, relation, or condition).

“Hate”2X—misew—1) To hate, pursue with hatred, detest; 2) To be hated, detested. Strong—from a primary misov(hatred); To detest(especially to persecute); by extension--To love less.

“Deeds/Practices”—ergon—1) Business, employment, that which any one is occupied; 2) Any product whatever, any thing accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind; 3) An act, deed, thing done: the idea of working is emphasized in opp. to that which is less than work. Strong—Toil(as an effort or occupation); by implication--An act.

Argumentation:

2Jn. 1:9-11—“Whoever transgresses & does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father & the Son. If anyone comes to you & does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.”””

Ex. 20:2-6—““I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third & fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me & keep My commandments.”

Ex. 34:12-17—““Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst. But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, & cut down their wooden images ‘(for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, & they play the harlot with their gods & make sacrifice to their gods, & one of them invites you & you eat of his sacrifice, & you take of his daughters for your sons, & his daughters play the harlot with their gods & make your sons play the harlot with their gods. You shall make no molded gods for yourselves.”