I. Introduction
A. Ephesus
1. Means desirable
a. Such as a bridegroom would find his bride, desirable
2. It was the site of the main temple to Diana
a. But, this Diana was not the same Diana as the Greek or Roman goddess
b. This Diana was much older
(1) She was the mother of all life
(2) A fertility goddess of the most profane kind
(a) her worship included sexual immorality
(b) human sacrifice
(c) and many other degraded practices
B. Turn to Ephesians 1:15 & 16
1. Now this is Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus
Ephesians 1:15-16
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, (16) I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
2. The church at Ephesus was established on Paul's 3rd missionary journey
a. Where he stayed for 2 years, preaching and teaching
b. Then in about 61 AD Paul wrote the Epistle to the Ephesians
3. John's Revelation was written about 90 AD
a. So that at the writing of the Revelation the Church at Ephesus was only between 30 and 40 years old
b. Comparable with the age of Grace Baptist
C. As we examine Jesus words to the church at Ephesus we shall see
1. The Commendable
2. The Unworthy
3. The Warnings
4. And the Promises
D. But first there is something to be learned from preamble to this message concerning the Lord
Revelation 2:1
"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:
a. Jesus, the High Priest, holds the seven stars in His right hand
(1) He is the master of the messengers to the churches
(2) His right hand is the hand of power
(3) His right hand is the hand of authority
(4) He holds the pastors of these seven churches in His right hand
(5) He is the one who controls these men
b. And Jesus, the Prophet, walks among the seven golden lampstands
(1) He is the judge of the churches
(2) And He is there among them
(a) He judges
(b) He protects
(c) He comforts
(d) He commends
(e) He condemns
(f) He praises
(g) And He warns
c. Ryrie says that, in view of the lost first love, Jesus, here, is emphasizing a special relationship with the churches and their pastors. This special relationship is brought out in the Holding fast of the stars, and the walking among the lampstands as opposed to just having the stars and standing among the lampstands, as we saw in Chapter 1.
II. Body
A. The Commendable - Turn to Revelation 2:2 - 3
Revelation 2:2
I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.
1. Hard work & Perseverance - Think about this
a. They had a going AWANA program
(1) The leaders were faithful
(2) The people were industrious
(3) The kids brought visitors
(4) They stuck to the Bible
b. They ministered to those in need
(1) Seeing that the sick were cared for
(2) That the poor and needy were provided for
(3) And they had a good big brother - big sister program for the fatherless
c. The word of God was proclaimed in truth
d. They worked hard and they persevered in this work
2. Orthodoxy - They tried those who came as apostles
a. This church diligently applied the tests John outlines in 1 John 4:1 ff
1 John 4:1-3
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (2) This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, (3) but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
(1) In 2 Peter 2:1 - 2, the big fisherman warns about these false prophets
2 Peter 2:1-2
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves. (2) Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
(2) Their deleterious teaching being difficult to detect because they come wrapped in half truths
(3) Bringing in their Clandestine heresies
b. But the church at Ephesus was true to the Bible and when heresies cropped up, Jesus said that they could not tolerate these wicked men
c. So, you see, they stuck with the Word of God
(1) Testing everything that anyone brought to the church
(2) And they found and drove out those false apostles and teachers
3. Then in Revelation 2:3, Christ goes on the commend them further
Revelation 2:3
You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
a. When those around them mocked them
(1) Calling them the religious right
(2) Calling them subversives
(3) Many losing their jobs because of their faith
(4) This church continued in the truth
(a) They never compromised to be politically correct
(b) They never compromised to be up to date
(c) They were not ashamed of their name
i) I am very unhappy when those who would join our fellowship, CBA or RMCBA, reject the name "Baptist"
ii) I've heard many excuses
a) They don't want to prejudice people
b) The name Baptist is seen by people as extremist
c) But, I see, the name Baptist as synonymous with a stern uncompromising stand on Scripture
iii) When I go to a Baptist church, I have a pretty good idea of their doctrine
iv) Well, these Ephesians were not ashamed of their name
(d) And they defended the name of Christ
(5) They were faithful to God's truth
(a) Turn to John 15:18 - 20
b. This church, the Ephesian church, realized that Jesus promised them persecution
John 15:18-20
If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. (19) If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (20) Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.
(1) Because of Christ, Christians will be persecuted
(2) The servant is not greater than the master
(3) If He was persecuted
(4) Then so will all who glorify His name
4. The last thing that Christ commended them for is found in Revelation 2:6
Revelation 2:6
But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
a. There are two theories as to what the practices of the Nicolaitans was
(1) The first is that there was a "Free love" cult lead by a man named Nicolas
(2) The second comes from the meaning of the word Nicolaitan, which is "Conquer the people"
(a) The most prevalent theory among conservative Christians is that the Nicolaitans elevated the pastors over the congregation
(b) Now, this practice has resulted in this present day, has resulted in the separation of the clergy from the laity
i) Backwards collars
ii) Distinguishing robs
iii) Pastoral dictatorships
iv) Even the elevating of men to a position approximating deity
5. So Christ is commending the church for its
a. Hard work and perseverance
b. For its stand against heresy
c. For enduring hardships for His name
d. And for hating the practices of the Nicolaitans
e. All for these things being highly commendable customs
B. BUT, Now we have the Unworthy things that Christ sees - Revelation 2:4
Revelation 2:4
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
1. When we read Ephesians 1:15, we saw that the church was commended for its love
a. In most of Paul's letters, he tries to find something commendable to thank God for
(1) His evaluation was based in
(a) Faith
(b) Hope
(c) And Love
(2) And as Paul, himself said, in 1 Corinthians 13:13, the greatest of these is love
Ephesians 1:15
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
2. BUT, stop for a moment, Jesus has qualified His condemnation, "You have forsaken your first love."
a. First love
(1) The first love must be the love of Christ
(2) Only when we are in Christ can we truly love one another
(a) Over the years, as my family and I have traveled from church to church; during our time in the Army and during our time candidating and filling pulpits, we have found that we can truly love people who are almost total strangers. We could be very comfortable in a group of people we did not know. Why, because we were all bound together by our common love for Christ. In every church I have ever been I, there is such a heterogeneous group of people as could ever be expected to gather under one roof in a common purpose. Doctors, Lawyers, Laborers, Policemen, Carpenters, Home makers, Merchants, Government officials, Soldiers, The young and the old and the in-between, men, women, boys and girls. All gathered in one place to worship God through the love of Christ.
(b) The first love must be our love of Christ
b. But, sadly, the church at Ephesus had forsaken it's love of Jesus Christ
(1) They had not accidently drifted away
(2) They had not had it stolen from them
(3) They had not lost it through inattention
(4) They had deliberately walked away from their love of the Son of God
c. This church was characterized by a cold orthodoxy
(1) Very busy doing what they had before; but, without the love of Christ to warm their hard work
C. The Warnings - Revelation 2:5
Revelation 2:5
Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
1. Christ, the one who has the pastors of the seven churches in His hand, the one who walked among the churches, is now saying,
2. Remember the height from which you have fallen!
a. How this must hurt the Lord
b. Like any bridegroom who realizes that His fiance no longer loves Him
c. Remember just how far up you were
d. And see just how far down you have come
3. Repent
a. Turn from your deliberate abandonment of your love for Christ
b. Return to that loving relationship you had with the Lord in the past
4. If you do not return to your first love, Christ says that He will remove your lampstand from its place
a. That is the church at Ephesus would cease to exist
D. And the Promises - Revelation 2:7
Revelation 2:7
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
1. The Overcomer
a. First, turn to 1 John 5:4 & 5
b. The overcomer is a Christian, John tells us
1 John 5:4 - 5
for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
(1) This is the life changing faith
(2) Not mental assent to some facts about Jesus
(a) It is trusting Christ
(b) It is living Christ
(c) It is loving Christ
2. Jesus promise is that the overcomer will eat of the tree of life - eternal life in His kingdom
a. In Genesis 3:22, we find the first mention and the attributes of the tree of life
Genesis 3:22
And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."
(1) Eternal life
(2) But, Revelation 22:1 & 2, tells us where the tree of life will be
Revelation 22:1 & 2
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb (2) down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
(3) Then verse 14 of that same chapter tells us that only the overcomer will be able to even get to the tree of life
Revelation 22:14
Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
b. Look at Revelation 2:7
(1) After the commendations
(2) After the condemnations
(3) After the Warnings
(4) And before the promises
(5) Jesus says,
Revelation 2:7a
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
E. He who has an ear, let him hear - listen, take heed, don't ignore this message, this is important, don't miss this - everything said to all the churches is for your benefit
1. Christ wants us to take heed of everything He is telling these churches
a. Each one who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior has the indwelling Holy Spirit to give the believer an extraordinary ability to understand spiritual things
(1) As Paul says, even the deep things of God
(2) But, We must listen
(a) With our ears
(b) Desiring to know truth
F. Church age theory
1. Now as we examine the church at Ephesus, we said that we would compare it with the church age theory
a. Most scholars place the Age of the Ephesian church between - 70 AD and 170 AD
b. Or what we know as the Apostolic Age
2. This was an age characterized by
a. An adherence to sound doctrine
b. Hard work and endurance
c. It was the beginning of a proliferation of false teachings and teachers
d. And by persecution and hardship
e. The beginnings of the exaltation of the clergy
f. And as we have seen, close to the end of the first century, the beginnings of a cold orthodoxy
(1) The church, the desirable one
(2) Forsaking her first love
III. Summary
A. The church at Ephesus was commended for
1. Hard work and perseverance
2. For its stand against heresy
3. For enduring hardships for Christ's name
4. And for hating the practices of the Nicolaitans
B. But, the church was condemned for leaving its first love
1. All that hard work
2. All that hardship they endured
3. Their strict stand against false teachings
4. All this without the love of Christ that first fuelled their passions
C. The Spirit's warnings are to repent and return to that first love
1. Or the church would cease to exist
D. But, for those who hear and take what they hear seriously, there is a promise
1. Eternal life
2. In Christ's kingdom
3. The right to eat of the tree of life
