Revelation 2v1 11 bible study

TFT3 - Truth for Today - The Book of Revelation Chapter Two & Three - The Messages to the Seven Churches

Introduction Following his vision of the exalted Christ, John receives instructions to acts as amanuensis for Christ, sending his own personal messages to each of the seven churches in Asia Minor. Each message is addressed to the overseers of each church, and convey the true spiritual condition of each church, commending the praiseworthy points and confronting the problems.

In each there is a message of hope and of reward for the faithful. The ones in error are not debarred from reward, but graciously invited to repent and receive all of God’s blessings.

If we are challenged this morning, it is not that we might be condemned, but corrected, that we might love and live for Christ as we ought.

Each message follows the same pattern. Christ introduces himself by revealing some aspect of his character before commending the right and correcting the wrong. For even when Christ had to confront spiritual problems in the churches, it is not all bad, except in Laodicea where you will notice he does not have a good word to say about them, and in fact in Sardis he can only commend a few people. Each gracious message ends with a promise for those who heed and obey his words- those who overcome.

Part One - Ephesus The Worldly Church By way of introduction Christ reveals himself as the head of the church, immediately asserting his absolute authority over every aspect of church life and of the believers’ life. For each beleiver has been saved from sin and bought with his own blood. We cannot say “Who is this? Who has the right to tell me what to do?” For Christ has that right.

As the Lord Jesus surveyed the church in Ephesus he found much to commend: their hard work for him (in spreading gospel) in the face of difficulty, without fainting or being wearied by it so as to give up. It was still a joy. They did not abandon faith when everything seemed against them.

They were true to his word, not tolerating false teachers (including Nicolataines) or allowing their teaching to be heard in the church. It would almost seem to be a a model church. In fact the church at Ephesus is known to have been a very spiritual one.

But Christ says I have one thing against you. Only one, but Oh how serious a thing! You have deserted ME, your first love. How is it that in such a spiritual church, such an exemplary church their love for Christ had grown cold?

The fact that they had deserted one love means that they had been drawn to another love.

It was the love of other things - Mk 4.19 we could call it worldliness.

For we cannot love God and the world, by which I mean all the world has to offer us.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

Lust of the Flesh The craving for sensual gratification of any kind is the opposite of spirituality. We may crave sex, food, music, TV; in fact anything that pleases the flesh. Whilst these things may not be wrong in themselves, they do not benefit the soul or involve the worship of God.

Lust of the Eyes The greedy longings of our hearts and minds which are the opposite of contentment. Some people are never satisfied with what they have - it seems everything they want is everything they see. The world is not enough to satisfy their greed for more. This church had begun to long for more, but not more of Christ - more things. You cannot serve God and mammon.

The Pride of Life The pride of life can mean to be overly self-assured of one’s own ability, which is the opposite of humility. But it can also indicate a misplaced assurance in the stability of earthly things. This is the opposite of readiness for Christ’s coming - for if we believe that Christ is coming then we must believe that this world will not last, and so we will not live for it and its passing pleasures. We will be ready to leave them behind. Anyone who tells me they are ready and waiting for the coming of the Lord but is taken up with the things of this world is fooling themselves, not me.

Remember the fool who built bigger barns. He thought he was selfsufficient - but he couldn’t keep his own life.

When Christians allow the spirit of the world around them to influence their hearts, lives and thinking, they are letting their love for God slowly leak away. This evening I must ask you a very personal question. Are you worldly? Try this simple test. Who do you put first in your life? If there is a church meeting through which you may be built up spiritually, but there is also something else to do, where will you go? Who are your friends? Who do you listen to, if you need advice? Whose example do you follow?

Do you spend as much time in prayer as you do watching TV? An honest answer to each of these questions will give you a very good idea of where your heart is with God right now.

The Bible lists three attributes of worldliness. for you are still carnal (worldly). For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? (1 Cor 3:3) At Corinth there was envy - indeed there was a kind of competitive spirit in the church to see who was the best at what and the church split into little groups, so much as to say, I follow Paul, I follow Peter.

This led to strife or arguments - people not getting along with other people in the church. This caused greater divisions, with people stupidly prepared to take sides in the argument. The result of this is that Christ is left out of our thinking.

So many things to distract us from the Lord Jesus Christ, but if we allow ourselves to be distracted, we are not in love with him as we once were.

This is a terrible situation. But there is a remedy.

The Remedy Remember the spiritual height from which you have fallen and repent.

They were backslidden in heart. They had known what it was to be right with God, on fire for God. Christ’s message is return to it. Others in the church have never known what it means to be on fire for God - you never have been. It’s your own fault. You must repent to know it for the first time.

V7 All the blessings of eternal life are to be enjoyed by the one who overcomes and obeys Christ’s words. Do you lack blessing? Do you long for restoration to be what you once were in God, to have what you once enjoyed in God? His promise is to restore you if you will repent. He will refresh your spiritual life for the fruits of the tree are for the healing of the nations. There is spiritual eternal healing in what Christ offers you.

Exegete 1 John 1v7. Cleanse from unrighteousness. Completeness is God’s will.

The Repercussions If you do not, I will close your church. Each one would be scattered. How many churches have been scattered in recent years? The one who took backslidden Judah into captivity in Babylon, who scattered apostate Israel to the four winds, will scatter us until each one of us is left on his own, unless we repent. History records that within 100 years of this letter being written, there was no more church in Ephesus. It in some way signifies a removal of his gracious provision for their souls, a giving them over to leanness and spiritual famine.

Conclusion The church at Ephesus had left their first love and are called by Christ to remember and repent. Will you repent this morning? Will you rededicate your life and love to the one who should be the centre of your attention / affection? Then pray this morning, “Lord, I love you. It’s you first Lord, no one else, nothing else. Help me to tear myself away from all other loves, to worship only you.”