Summary: We can learn a lot from the letters to the seven churches in Revelation

INTRODUCTION

 SLIDE #1

 How deep is your love for the church, I am not only talking about ACC, but I am also speaking about the church in general. Do you see the church as something that is meaningful and important?

 I so love the church. I owe a lot to the church. It was at First Christian Church at Vandalia, MO that I found Jesus. The church is where my relationship with Jesus began and the church is where I was inspired to grow in my faith.

 I owe a debt of gratitude to many people who are a part of the church that have helped me to be who I am today.

 God loves the church, God cares about the church. God loves and cares about ACC also.

 Over the next seven weeks, I want to take us one a journey to seven ancient churches from the bible.

 As we examine the letters to the seven churches in Revelation, it is my hope that we can learn some things that will help us continue on our quest to be a stronger more effective church.

 I want us to take a hard look at what Jesus has to say to these churches to see what we can learn from each church.

 As we look at each of these situations, we can see how timeless God’s Word truly is.

 I want us to look at these letters from an individual standpoint also. These letters, although written to the churches, ultimately have personal application since we are the Church. What is written to the Church is written to each one of us also.

 SLIDE #2

 (BACKGROUND OF EPHESIAN CHURCH)

 Our journey starts out in Ephesus. The city was an important trade and religious center in her day. She boasted the temple of Diana, which was one of the seven ancient wonders of the world.

 The city had the best harbors in Asia Minor.

 Its population was ethnically diverse. Because of all of the idol worship, it was a tough place to have a church, but it was also a good place because of the cities worldwide impact.

 Let us begin our visit to the seven churches of Revelation.

 Let us first look at:

 SLIDE #3

SERMON

I. A PICTURE OF THE LORD. (1)

 In each of the letters to the seven churches, John begins each letter with a description of a different aspect of Jesus. Each of the descriptions fit with the theme of each letter.

 Let us look at the picture verse one paints of the Lord.

 SLIDE #4

 Revelation 2:1 (NASB) 1“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:

 What an introduction!

 This introduction serves to let the people know that Jesus has the power and authority to say what He is going to say to the church and carry out what He promises concerning them!

 This description of Christ shows that He cares and knows each one of us. As we will see later, He not only knows our actions, but our motives as well.

 Walking among the lampstands indicates someone who is familiar with the lamp stands (or churches). Jesus not only has the stars, but He holds them!

 Jesus not only oversees the churches but He dwells with them (Matt 18:20) and He walks among them, inspects them and knows them!

 Just as Jesus cared for each of these churches and He cares for the Auburn Christian Church also. He wants this church to reach its full potential.

 Let us look at what the Church at Ephesus was doing that was praiseworthy.

 SLIDE #5

II. PRAISE FOR THE CHURCH. (2,3,6)

 It is easy to just bang on the churches for the negative things that go on, or to look only at the perceived failures of a given church.

 As we look at the praise the Lord has for the church at Ephesus, it looks like they are doing a lot of thing right.

 Look at what God’s Word says

 What kind of things can we learn about this church? Look at verses 2,3,6 with me.

 SLIDE #6

 Revelation 2:2 - 6 (NASB) 2‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; 3and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. 6‘Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

 In these verses we find four things they were doing right.

 SLIDE #7

 The church was hard working. (v2)

 The text tells us that the Lord knew their deeds, toil and perseverance.

 The word for toil indicates that these people were serving to the point of exhaustion.

 The work was a labor or love. If you love who you serve and what you are doing, hard work is not a problem. This church worked hard.

 Secondly…

 SLIDE #8

 The church exhibited perseverance. (v2,3)

• The church in Ephesus faced fierce opposition. Ephesus was a religious capitol. The Christian faith flew right in the face of the false religions of the day.

• Remember in Acts 19:24 when Paul was run out of town for threatening the lively hood of the silversmiths who made false idols for the people to worship.

• The church patiently endured, serving the Lord.

• Even though it was not easy, the church did not grow weary of serving Jesus.

• The third area of praise for the church was…

• SLIDE #9

• The church resisted sin. (v2)

• It was not easy in a city noted for the immoral sexual practices associated with the worship of the goddess Diana.

• The text says that they hated evil men. (DEFINE HATE)

• When the church starts lowering its moral standards, its witness to the world also sinks down.

• We still live in a sin-stained world, it is not easy to resist the pull of the world, but the church MUST stand for what God wants.

• The forth area of praise for the church was…

• SLIDE #10

• The church was loyal to correct doctrine. (2,6)

• In order for a church to be able to tell if a person is a false teacher, they must know the truth so well that they can spot false teaching. They were not afraid to challenge false teachers. It is too bad that people today do not challenge what is being taught in the name of the Lord more.

• What the church taught meant something to the people. Now folks will go from church to church only looking for what they can get instead of valuing what is taught.

• When you look at the praise heaped on the church at Ephesus in this letter, one would have to ask themselves, “What is wrong with this church?”

• The church was a hard working doctrinal sound church. They carried on in the face of persecution; they hated sin, and did not grow tired of working for the Lord. What could the Lord possibly say was wrong with these people? Let look!

• SLIDE #11

III. A PROBLEM WITH THE CHURCH. (4)

• The church at Ephesus is about 40 years old before Revelation was written.

• The next generation was now an important part of the church, there we most likely not very many of those who were with the church in the beginning still alive.

• The church started out on the right foot. Look what Ephesians 1:15 says.

• SLIDE #12

• For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints,

• What does verse four of Revelation say is the problem with the church?

• What happened over the last forty years with the church?

• SLIDE #13

• Revelation 2:4 (NASB) 4‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

• SLIDE #14

• Their love for Jesus was fading.

• They lost their first love. This love is a love that will cause a parent to stay up all night with a child that is throwing up, the love that will cause a husband to wash the dishes. It is a love that will motivate us to serve the Lord.

• It involves zeal, devotion, intensity and commitment. It is the enthusiasm that we see when a person first comes to Christ.

• I have seen people changed by Jesus and they are excited to serve, but after a while, the flame dies out, many times it is doused by other Christians.

• How many marriages go the same way, they start out a ball of fire, passion, and devotion, only to end up with only smoke, no passion, little love and devotion.

• I have seen many Christians who do and say all of the right things, but they too have lost the love that once motivated them.

• The church had fallen from the height of devotion they once had climbed to the plains of mediocrity. Why we do what we do is important to God.

• What is the solution that Jesus pronounces for this problem?

• SLIDE #15

IV. A PRONOUNCEMENT FOR THE CHURCH. (5)

• In verse five we are given a way to fix the situation, all is not lost; the slate can be wiped clean.

• Look at verse 5

• SLIDE #16

• Revelation 2:5 (NASB) 5‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.

• We are given three remedies and a consequence for the problem described.

• SLIDE #17

• First we are to…

• Remember

• Remember the height from which you have fallen.

• Remember what was lost. Remember the Prodigal son? Before he got his act together, he remembered what he was missing at home.

Remember how great our God is!

• SLIDE #18

• Repent

• Remembering is not enough, we must do something about it. The Prodigal son not only remembered where he had fallen, but he was determined to do something about it and make it right.

• Many people will tell me that they remembered going to church when they were young, but they do not go now.

• Repentance means that you will do something about it.

• The Ephesians had lost sight of what should have been the center of their lives, their love for Jesus.

• SLIDE #19

• Repeat

• Remember from where you have fallen, repent and repeat the deeds that you used to do.

• Jesus did not spell it out for the people; they knew what they used to do.

• If a marriage is going bad you find out that the couple quits doing what they did when it was going well. Repeat what you did when it was going well.

• SLIDE #20

• Remove

• Jesus says that if they did not change their ways, God would replace them with someone who would do what they were supposed to do.

• Jesus will not regard them as a church of His.

• SLIDE #21

• Matthew 7:21 (NASB) 21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

• Finally, let us look at…

• SLIDE #22

V. A PROMISE FOR THE FAITHFUL.

• At the end of the letter to the church at Ephesus, Jesus gives a promise.

• SLIDE #23

• Revelation 2:7 (NASB) 7‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’

• The promise for those who serve lovingly and faithfully until death will receive the promised gift of heaven!

CONCLUSION

 The church at Ephesus lost its first love. The church worked hard and did good things, but they had a wrong motivation. Many times this will manifest itself in the form of legalism.

 How are we doing as a church? Are motivated by our love for Jesus?

 God is as interested in our motive as our work. Let’s serve Him out of love!

 Just imagine what the church would be like if we could all catch that vision!