WHEN TECHNIQUE ECLIPSES RELATIONSHIP-I—Revelation 2:1-7
Firstless Love
Attention:
We can rarely afford ‘dates’ per se. but we do look forward to our ‘grocery store dates.’ Rather than hunting & fetching certain items(as usual), we will take our time going down every aisle in the store. We use the time to discuss things but more than anything, just to get back in touch with each other to reconnect without other obligations getting in the way.
Wal-mart supercenter is a terrible place for this(too crowded) but our local Food Lion is a great place because its much more ‘intimate’ & ‘romantic.’ :-)
You see, ‘hunting’ groceries lends itself to technique alone whereas ‘dating’ lends itself to relationship. They are vastly different things.
The way in which we approach anything can make those choices & actions Liableous.
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.
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 realtionship with Jesus from lapsing into a technique.
What occurs when technique overshadows relationship?
9 liabilities of a relationship that is eclipsed by technique.
1—When technique eclipses relationship...
Our LEADERSHIP is Liable(:1)
Explanation/Argumentation:(:1)Messenger/Head/Point man
:1—“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write, ...”
“The Angel of the church”—
“To the angel”—aggelw— ‘a messenger; especially an "angel"; by implication, a pastor:-- angel, messenger.’—This technically must not be intended for an angel, as such, because his “deeds” are spoken of in a manner that befits one that is a member & flesh partner in God’s church.
This “angel” is answerable to/responsible for/ the happenings within his particular body of Christ in Ephesus...Therefore “the angel” is the pastor &/or the collective eldership within Ephesus.
Angels are special creations of God, who are always faithful to follow him. There was a time when some of the angels switched allegiance led by Satan himself. What makes this so irreversable is the angels are spiritual beings who experience God in His perfect fullness.
?What is the relationship of angel to believer/pastor/church?
?How can angels fail to accomplish their intended mission & how does this effect our successes/failures?
Mal. 2:7; 3:1[NASB]—“For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, & men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger[angel-Kalm] of the LORD of hosts.”....“Behold, I am going to send My messenger[angel-Kalm], & he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; & the messenger[angel-Kalm] of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts.”
Both John the Baptist & Jesus are rendered by the typical word for “angel.”
Jesus introduces Himself to “the angel”. He introduces Himself to each church using a different personal characteristic revealed previously in John’s vision.
This says something about responsibilities of leadership...as well as those of follow-ship!
**Heb. 13:17—“Obey your leaders, & submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy & not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”
Jas. 3:1—“Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.”
“Ephesus”—Efesov— ‘Permitted’—‘Hercules(Greek god akin to Hebrew Baal) permitted the Amazons to dwell in it.’ 3 miles from coast near mouth of Cayster River. Artificial harbor. Easily accessible by land & sea. Commercial center for the Roman province of Asia. Home of worship of Artemis(Diana). Paul preached there during his 2nd Missionary Journey() & remained there 2 yrs. during his 3rd.(Acts 19:8-10). ‘About 50 miles south of Smyrna.’
:1—“...These things says He who holds the seven stars[1:20] in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:[1:20]”
Jesus’ hold on the seven stars & among the seven golden lampstands is important for the Ephesian church. This is specific to & pertinent to their particular failure/need/weakness. Jesus speaks to the Ephesian church with this particular authority.
All are liable to Jesus no matter their office, position or lack thereof.
Pastors/Associate pastors/Elders/Deacons, etc. are Undershepherds of Jesus. A servant under His direction. He is a lesser ‘star’ which is held in the very hand of the Son of God. If “the star”(angel) fails, he fails in the Son’s limiting “right hand,” & likewise, if he is faithful in obedience he is in the Son’s enabling & comforting “right hand.”
2Cor. 11:2—“For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.”
Jesus’ being the Great & Chief Shepherd—Implies Undershepherds & responsibility with accountability.
Heb. 13:20—“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,”
1Pet. 5:4—“& when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”
Argumentation:
1Cor. 9:16-17—“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship.”
1Cor. 15:1-2—“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received & in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain.”
Mat. 15:12-14—“Then His disciples came & said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” But He answered & said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.””
1Pet. 5:2-4—“Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; & when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”
*Heb. 13:7—“Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.”
Lk. 22:24-26—“Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, & those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ “But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, & he who governs as he who serves.”
3Jn. 9-11—“I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, & forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.”
Acts 6:1-6—“Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples & said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God & serve tables. “Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit & wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer & to the ministry of the word.” And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith & the Holy Spirit, & Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, & Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; & when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.”
Acts 14:19-23—“Then Jews from Antioch & Iconium came there; & having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul & dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up & went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And when they had preached the gospel to that city & made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, & Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, & saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” So when they had appointed elders in every church, & prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”
Eph. 4:11-16—“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, & some pastors & teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith & of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to & fro & carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- from whom the whole body, joined & knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
Illustration:
Our dog Molly/So excited about neighbor’s boat—Flew off porch so fast that she misses her step/Grinds face into grass & Nearly flips over/?What was her leadership?—To chase what is moving-unusual-different...Her natural bent/Our LEADERSHIP is Liable
Application:
?You make available your giftedness to aid your LEADERSHIP?
?Our LEADERSHIP rely upon Technique rather than Relationship?
?Your Technique eclipsed your Relationship with Jesus?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
When technique eclipses relationship our...
LEADERSHIP is Liable(:1)
Presented 12/30/2012am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
