Last week's lesson below this week: (check for the voice message on Sermons on our home page)
Why Do We Live the Way We Do? Revelation 2:1-7
The first of the seven churches addressed by the Lord in the book of Revelation was located in Ephesus. This letter teaches us the importance of doing right for the right reason.
Revelation 2:1-7 “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: ‘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; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 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. Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 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’” (Revelation 2:1-7).
- ‘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”. Fore-warned is fore-armed: In Acts chapter 20 Paul addresses the elders at the church in Ephesus prior to his departure for other areas: Acts 20:29,30 “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves’ men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.” 1 Tim 1:3,4 “As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, … instead, further the administration of God which is by faith.” You and I are not likely to run into a burning bush which talks to us about God’s will. We are not likely to have visions or hear God’s voice like John. I am referring to the book of Revelations here. I do believe that Paul and other New Testament writers have given us information to prepare us for how to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. Apparently the church as Ephesus listened and heeded Paul’s warning. The question before us is how are we doing in preparing for Satan’s attack here as God’s family in Shafter?
Rom 15:4 “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
Again, we do not have burning bushes or visions and voices, but we do have God’s Word. 2 Tim 3:16 tells us that God’s Word is inspired in order to teach us, correct us and train us in righteousness. We have seen time and time again in Scriptures where the Lord warned His followers that He was going to be arrested, killed, buried and resurrected. But when the time came, they were NOT prepared. Are WE PREPARED?
- “and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary.”: This intolerance of wrong teachings and a willingness to engage in religious controversy is not popular today, but the Lord has likewise commended us to prepare for battle. Later in Ephesians Paul records that we have been given the armor of God in order for us to fight the spiritual forces of darkness. I pray that as we read God’s word that we do a better job than the Apostles did in absorbing and putting into practice the teachings we find in Scripture. To echo Paul’s words elsewhere: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Gal 6:9) This warning is critical because as we read the parable of the Sower we see that there are many obstacles in living for God’s kingdom. Jesus even warns us about the struggles ahead of us: John 15:18,19 “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.” James 1:12 “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord promised to those who love Him.” Do we have the fortitude and conviction to live according to God’s expectations and teachings?
- “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore, remember from where you have fallen and repent and do the deeds you did at first”. The church at Ephesus seems to have a good connection with the Lord but it turns out that this is not exactly true. Mtt 22:37 “And Jesus said to them, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all our mind.” Jer 31:33 ““This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” John 17:20,21 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” John 15:4,5 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches, he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” 1 Cor 8:3 “If anyone loves God, he is known by Him.” Mtt 7:23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”
- 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. …. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God’” There is a reward for those who remain faithful. Parable after parable teaches us that our faith will produce works and our unity with the Lord will be evidenced in the way we live our lives for the glory of God. Paul tells us: 2 Tim 4:7,8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing.” Rev 3:5 “He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
The church in Ephesus was commended for many things. They remembered what they were to do, yet they forgot why they were to do these things. Their motivation needed to be to please and honor Christ. Unfortunately, they lost sight of this. It is possible to do what is right because of tradition, pride, family history, peer pressure, etc. We do not know what motivated these brethren. Yet we know that if they did not correct their mindset, they would lose their designation as a church of Christ.
This is the lesson for us today. We need to know why we do what we do.
“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
Love needs to be the motivation for everything that we do. This is not just about love for others, though it would include that (cf. Romans 13:8-10). Our love for Christ will motivate us to obey Him. Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). The apostle John wrote, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). Doing what is right without love is pointless. And obedience without the right motivation – as with the church in Ephesus – will eventually fade.
Conclusion
We must continue to stand for the truth, oppose error, and endure hardships. However, we need to remember why we do these things. It must be because we love the Lord and want to please Him.
20 July:
Revelations Overview: God is Sovereign Over All
Rev 20:11,12 “Then I saw a great white throne . . . and I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.”
Last week we looked at the blessings which we enjoy being the children of God. The last and greatest component of our blessings is our relationship with God. That relationship is what is going to guarantee our eternal blessing of being in heaven when time comes to an end. The ultimate message of Revelations echoes this thought - that God is going to be victorious,
and we will be rewarded for our faithful service. Today I want to look at a few of the teachings or messages that the Book of Revelations brings to us:
1). One of the components or messages we find in Revelations is that today and until the end of time there is an ongoing spiritual warfare. Rev 13:7 “It was given to him [the beast] to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.” Rev 6:9,11 “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the soul of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained. … And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.”
To prepare for this conflict Paul tells us that we have been given armor from God - Ep 6:11,12 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places”. As Revelation shows us, many will lose their lives for the cause of Christ – BUT those who remain faithful until the end will not lose their souls. 1 Tim 6:12 “Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called….” James 1:12 “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” There is an ongoing battle between the forces of good and evil and that is why it is so important that we are active participants as God’s children and servants.
2). There is an ongoing battle between the forces of good and evil and that is why it is so important that we are active participants as God’s children and servants. Mtt 16:24,25 “Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 24:9 “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.” 2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Suffer because of testimonials
Revelations explains that those who suffer do so because they share a testimonial of our Lord Jesus Christ to all who will listen: Rev 12:17 “So the dragon was enraged and went off to make war with the rest of her children who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” Rev 20:4 “Then I saw the thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jeus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image”. Acts 5:41,42 “[After the apostle’s flogging] they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” Jesus said that by this shall all men know that you are My disciples - if you have love, one for another. Jesus is referring to a person who is showing their love for the Lord and for others. Here is where our actions give validity to our words. James spoke directly to this idea of a faith which does not have works is a faith that is dead.
3). A third theme found in Revelations is the nature of Christ, the Lamb of God. The book clearly shows how Christ is our mediator of salvation and judgement. This achievement is accomplished through His role as a slain sacrifice for the sins of man. Some 27 times the title “Lamb” is used referencing the One who will open the seals found in the book of revelation. Revelations ch. 5: “and one of the elders said to me, ‘Stop weeping; behold the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.’ And I saw between the throne a Lamb standing, as if slain, who came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. When He had taken the book, those all around the throne fell down before the Lamb and sang a new song. “….Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor …” Rev. 13:8 “All who dwell on the earth will worship [the beast], everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lam who has been slain.”
In the Book of Revelations, the term ‘Lamb’ is not just associated with Christ’s death but also with victory, power and glory thus His ability to open the seven seals.
4). The ultimate message found in Revelations is the sovereignty of God. Occasion after occasion illustrates the victory of God and the Lamb over the forces of evil. Rev 7:10,15,17 “and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. … For this reason, they are before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple … and the Lamb, in the center of the throne, will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God ill wipe every tear from their eyes.’” Rev 4:9-11 “And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and forever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sit on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever; and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ‘Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.’” Evil powers sit on thrones as they ‘claim’ authority and use their strength to generate sin and destruction but the throne that dominates Revelation is the throne of God, who is simple called ‘the One who sits on the throne.’ Satan’s forces have limited power granted to them by God (9:1, ,5) and even in their rebellion they do His sovereign will (17:17). God will be the judge of all mankind, living and dead and will summon us all before His throne to give account for our deeds (20:11,12).
Our response is to not allow the ‘thrones’ of this world to distract us from the worship and service of the One who made all things. We must not allow the cares of this world to deaden our hearts and actions in service of God’s eternal kingdom. Let us remain faithful and obedient to the One who loved us so much that He was willing to sacrifice His Son, the Lamb, in order to restore our relationship with Him.