The Backslidden Church
Revelation 2:1-7
* Today we begin ‘Part 2’ of the Revelation. Chapter 1 constitutes Part 1 of this book because it highlights the things which “have been.” Chapter 2 begins with the things which are. While we “THINK” it will be a good thing to get to the present-day things, caution might be the word to hold up. As we take a look at chapters 2 & 3, focusing on the churches mentioned, we may discover that looking in God’s mirror is not what we think it is.
* Every morning I get up & look in a mirror only to discover one more sign of my flaws. The mirror gives me the picture of myself which other see. The mirror which we will hover in front of (in chapters 2 & 3) give us the image of how God sees us. We begin with the church at Ephesus. (Read Text)
* In his book entitled, Biblical Preaching, Haddon Robinson tells this story; In the 1700s missionaries from the London Missionary Society faced a multitude of obstacles and temptations in the South Pacific. Many of their problems on the island of Tonga came from other Europeans, who considered the missionaries a threat to their freewheeling lifestyle. One of the tactics used to undermine the work of the missionaries was to taunt them and mock them for their sexual purity. George Veeson, one of the ten missionaries on Tonga, could not withstand the pressure. He gave in and joined the Europeans in their promiscuous life among the natives. He took land, servants, and a harem of wives. But he did more than that. He disgraced himself, the London Missionary Society, and God. [Holwick: Veeson later publicly repented of his actions]
* It would seem that the most forgotten part of sin is the disgrace, shame, & reproach, which our sin brings to God. And there is no greater sin than the sin of ‘backsliding.’ In years past, there was much talk about backsliding &, as so many other things, today there is little talk about it. Yet, backsliding is a Bible word found in the Old Testament. The Hebrews word literally means to fall back, fall away, revert back, or even lapse back into. I can see a picture of climbing a hill, hitting a soft spot, & falling back down the hill. This is the picture we see in the church at Ephesus.
* The church at Ephesus was an impressive church. The city was thriving & boasted of many of the things which the USA boasts of. By the world’s standards, this church was doing well & the Lord knew it. It is at this point that we would be well-served to note that “His ways, His standards, and His plans, are not the same as ours!” He their reputation & KNEW better!
1. His Commendation – Jesus had several good things to say about this church, but the most sobering is found in those first two words, “I Know.”
a. Look at all the things He knows. He knows about their works, their labor, how they had endured, and they put a halt to evil within the body. They did not tolerate evil within the body. He further states that this church ‘tested those who claim to be disciples’ and exposed their true character of dishonesty & deceitfulness. They profess to be believers, but live in the ways of the world. Paul wrote, “Holding to a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” Think about it; the church at Ephesus was holding people’s feet to the fire of righteous living. This is a message for those who think that the sin in the lives of professed believer’s is none of the church’s business. Jesus is commending this church for not allowing evil to prevail in the body. This is an echo from the teachings of Paul. The call of Christ to us is to be holy, pure, blameless, and spotless; and this body was doing it. In verse 6 Jesus commends them for one more thing; they hate (strong word) the deeds of the Nicolaitans! History suggests that these were the ‘power-mongers’ in the church. Acts 6 names one of the seven as “Nicholas” and HIS FOLLOWERS (Nicolaitans) seemed to embrace evil doctrines. Some suggest it was moral issues, other say it was idolatry issues, while others will suggest it was the “lording over” (power) issue. Whatever the issue, it was both well known & HATED by God and the church at Ephesus had taken a strong stand against it. These are the things which Jesus commended them for. Were I to alliterate this, I would say Jesus knew their service, sacrifice, steadfastness, & their suffering.
b. It is one thing to suffer as a part of this world because suffering is a part of this fallen world. However, it is another thing entirely to give your life to the gospel and, as best as you can, live your life for the gospel and then experience suffering as a result of it. In verse 3 we are told that they had both endured and tolerated many things because of their love for Christ. They knew what it was to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Why is it that believer in the USA possess so little commitment to Christ? Could it be that we do not know what it is to walk in His shoes, suffer for His truth, & have to endure for His cause? Jesus said, “You will be hated because of my name. If they hate you, be reminded, they hated me first.” The Ephesus church had withstood the attacks from the outside & the attacks from the inside and was now being commended by the Lord.
c. To get a snippet of this church in the 21st century language, they had great ministries, gave to missions, enjoyed food & fellowship, and had excited times of worship. To the world, they rocked.
d. One of the lessons taught about any correspondence is to begin as positive as possible. This is what Jesus did. To read the first part of this letter is to get the ear of the listening church. Now, Jesus got to the heart;
2. His Condemnation – In the midst of all the accolades, Jesus says, “I have this against you.” In other words, I have one thing against you. Think about that, after the laundry list of good things Jesus said about this church He follows with only ONE THING against. All in all what is one against so many? You and I might like those odds, but with Jesus, this one thing overshadows any good you might do. Very pointedly, Jesus says, “You have left the most important thing in your life. You have left, lost, missed, or misplaced your first love.” The message from our Lord is simple: As a church or a believer, we cannot do enough good works to ‘make up’ for abandoning our first love. This first love is none other than love for Jesus.
a. ‘First love’ is the top priority of our lives. For those who have dated & married, you understand what it is to have a first love. You remember the changes you made in your life for the one you loved. Good memories.
b. But how many of us remember a relationship that went sour? Perhaps the girl/guy of your dreams gave you the ‘I really like you’ speech. This is only followed by heart break. It means ‘you’ve been replaced.’
c. The church at Ephesus had replaced Jesus as their first love. Yes, they were still doing good things. Yes, they still called themselves a church. Yes, they still studied the word and worked in his name, BUT HE was not the center of their lives, attention, and focus. Other things had taken first place. Now, they were majoring on good things at the expense of the best. It seems to this preacher, that this is prevalent in the church today.
d. After church last Sunday, we went to lunch with missionary friends who were veterans of over 25 years on the mission field. They were speaking of the adjustment in coming back to the USA and expressing their sadness at the ‘easy believism’ in America. In the countries where they served, to come to Christ meant ‘discipleship’ or learning to live like Christ. It was not & is not an ‘if you are interested, there is a discipleship class for you’ as much as, ‘if you received Christ, you will demonstrate it by giving Him first place, meeting regularly for discovery (of how to become like Christ) and discipleship (of how to live for Christ).
e. It is my belief that were our Lord to write us a letter today, at the very least His words would include, “I have one thing against you. You have abandoned your first love.” For if He is truly first in our lives, He then He gets top billing, top priority, and top focus. I ask you to take a minute, review your last week’s schedule, and see where Jesus fits in.
f. If you were to graph the subjects you discussed this past week, how much of your graph would include HIM? So it begs the question, ‘What is true first love?’ If you have a personal relationship with Jesus, then your recall those first days after you were saved & remember how freely His name fell from your lips. It was an overflow of your heart. Today you’ve lost spiritual ground; you’ve lost that first love, & perhaps replaced that love.
3. His Consequences – Sadly in the American church today, backsliding is not considered bad. In fact, we have taken a very blasé, nonchalant, relaxed, & even unconcerned, attitude toward backsliding or replacing Jesus. For many who claim to be His, the attitude has become; “If I have nothing else to do or can find nothing else to do, then I can always gather with the church.” In fact, I read the results of a survey not long ago which indicated that in America today, people believe if they attend services one a month then they are actively involved in a church. How far this if from Acts 2 where they met daily. Please don’t miss this truth; ‘backsliding is big stuff to the one who died on the cross.’ The consequences (Vs. 5b) are twofold;
a. I will come to you – You ask, “How is Jesus coming to us a bad thing?” To read this is to remember my dad coming to me when I had done wrong. I have a friend who is much younger than me. He was about 5 or 6 & was sitting with his parents in morning service & being very rambunctious. His mom picked him up and out. As they walked out of the back door, we all heard the kid say, “Where are we going?” Our pastor stopped preaching long enough to say, “My dad used to call that a ‘whaling expedition.” It would seem that in Jesus’ coming, discipline is the reason.
b. I will remove your Lampstand – Do you remember what the Lampstands were? They were the churches. So, for the church who has abandoned her first love, Jesus says, “I will withdraw my spirit which is the oil for the fire and that will extinguish the flame which will remove the church.” Could the reason so many churches in America are in such turmoil, are declining, and are closing be that God has withdrawn from them? I never ceased to be amazed at the excuses we make for our condition.
4. His Correction – Jesus offers us a way back, a way out of our condition, & a way through. He says, “Remember, Repent, and Return.” Remember how far you have fallen. A fall always hurts & to relive it is painful but, in the spiritual sense, it is required if we are to be restored. When we remember, the Spirit of God will lead us to repent. Two times in verse 5, we are told to repent. No repentance equals no restoration, no renewal, & no revival. It is only at this point (Repentance) that we can return to Him. The Lord is calling us today to return. He is the Father looking down the road for us.
He longs for us to return. The backslidden believer and church is to the Lord what a wayward child is to a parent. He not only waits for you, but you start home, HE’LL meet you on the way and welcome you home. This scripture reminds us that HE’LL literally put ring on your finger, shoes on your feet and a robe around your shoulders. He’s already killed the Lamb for you. And what waits for you with Him?
5. His Confirmation - In Him, you become the victor, you’ll have the right to eat from the tree of life, and you’ll live in the paradise of God. For the backslider, the call today is to COME HOME.
