Sermon notes from Sunday 29 April 2018 am
Revelation 2 verses 1 - 7
As we continue on in this book of Revelation and our own individual look at it, we come now to the beginning of a different section, a section entitled 7 churches. These 7 churches were 7 literal churches. Jesus spoke to John on the Isle of Patmos about 7 real churches in Asia Minor. He was also given a symbol and teaching of the churches down through all the generations. A picture of what the church would come through and how they would cope. Not only speaking to 7 churches, he is speaking to you and me as individuals today. Verse 7 "he that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." 7 churches and we cannot take out one by one as we want to take an overview of the 7 churches to get further into the book. Today it is important to hear what the Lord has to say to us, to you and I about the place where we worship. Not only that but speak about the praise we offer. It is very easy this morning to lift the hymn book and sing but it may not come from the depths of our hearts. Not only look at the place of worship and the praise of worship look at the position we hold. Speaking to the angels of the churches, that is leaders in the church. Notice again the position of where Jesus is - in the centre of the churches. He has the 7 angels in his right hand. He is pointing this out for us again. What we see through the 7 churches - firstly a commendation that is given. The Lord takes time to commend them. I am glad he does that because there is no-one who makes mistakes more than me. He picks us up and says you did a great work there. The Lord goes through the churches and commends the things that need to be commended for. He doesn`t turn a blind eye to the churches because they are doing things wrong.
The commendation. He encourages us in our work. We see how the Lord has a knowledge of what is taking place in the churches. It is not the gaze of Samuel as he looked on Jesse`s sons. This is God who has eyes as flames of fire in chapter 1. "I know thy works" verse 2 and it is repeated in verse 9. These are active churches and he says "I know". Right from the foundation of the first church he knows their works and he knows our works today. These believers in Ephesus "I know thy works and thy labours." He knows the works of the churches and how they labour. The word means to work to the point of exhausion, falling off your feet with tiredness. He saw this church`s activities, what they were doing, working to the point of exhaustion. It also tells us they had great patience, endured in the work, kept at it. Sometimes it is hard to keep at it. It is easy when things are going well but when things get down and discouraging it is hard to keep at it but we need to keep at it. He is looking at that very quality in your life and mine. Do not give up on your family, do not stop witnessing, praying for them to see them saved. "I know thy works." "and thou didst not bear them which are evil." They knew those who were God`s and they avoided them. Verse 12 he knew about their suffering and pain. Chapter 2 verse 8 he knew their works, that God had set before them an open door and no man could shut it. They had little strength but had kept God`s word and not denied it. Remember the day Jesus came into Mary and Martha`s house. Mary broke the jar of alabaster oil. Jesus told them to leave her alone for she has done this in preparation for my death. The most precious thing she had, not withholding it from the Lord and he knew all about it. Nothing held back. Jesus was sitting watching the people coming into the temple one day. Many were giving in in their abundance but one woman came in, no-one noticed her but she put in 2 mites into the treasury. There were those who had put in out of their abundance but the Lord looked at this woman because she gave the last she had. Are we giving everything to the Lord today? Because he has redeemed us and we are his children. Remember when the Lord comes again dividing the sheep and the goats. "When I was in prison you visited me, naked you clothed me, hungry you fed me." They asked "when did we do that?" Jesus said "as often as you did it unto those of my brethren ye did it unto me." (Matthew 25 verses 36 to 40) One day we will stand before the Lord on the judgement day and he will bring it all to us. What a Saviour we have. Even a cup of cold water given in Jesus` name shall not go unnoticed.
The Lord also chastises. It is for our benefit, it is not done out of bitterness nor out of malice. He knows there are things in our lives that have to be taken care of and we have to be chastised for those things. The Lord chastises us in the same way. In John 15 and the picture of the vine, Christ is the vine and we are the branches. "Every branch in me that beareth fruit he purgeth it." Why? To produce more fruit. What about those not bearing fruit - he cuts them off and throws them to one side because they are of no use. It is to you and I who are serving him, loving him with all our hearts he has to do certain things in our lives. It sometimes can be painful but not done out of malice. Maybe he has to deal with our temper or our tongue, the places we go to, the things we are doing. Sometimes it is hard and difficult. He does it because he loves us. Hebrews "and ye have forgotten the exhortation ... my son despise not the chastisement of the Lord." Going through a difficult time. What is the Lord doing that you might bear more fruit. "My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord ... for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth." (Hebrews 12 verses 5 and 6) Ephesus were commended for so many things but there were things that they needed to be chastised for. "But they left their first love." It is possible to serve the Lord and get away from the first love. They were going through the motions. Sometimes we say they lost it but actually they left it. It was deliberate, somewhere they had forgotten about the Lord. At 12 years of age Mary and Joseph had lost Jesus. One thought he was with them while the other thought he was with them. Somehow missed him, left him behind. We can be doing so much but actually leave the Lord behind. Chapter 2 verse 14 Pergamum allowed false teachers to come into the church. Chapter 3 verse 16 Laodicea not out and out just going through the motions.
He also challenges - verse 4. Remember he tells them in verse 5, remember what they had, what they were. Sometimes it is good to remember - are we still as out and out, zealous, have the same love for the word of God, for fellowship, outreach and the gospel? Pergamos remembered his father`s house, remembered that day when everything worked out and was going for them. The love that was in that house. Then he tells them to repent. That runs through all the 7 churches. We often preach of the sinner to repent of this sin and come to Christ. Now looking at the church to repent of their sins, to turn away from the sin. The prodigal says sorry to his father "I have sinned against God and you." He was owning up to it. Verse 5 of chapter 2 tells the church to "remember, repent and return." Got to get back to it. The prodigal son would never know the enjoyment in his father`s house if he didn`t leave the pigs behind and go back to his father`s house. Many backsliders are like that today. It is the returning they are afraid of. They are scared of the word failure. Paul warned the Ephesians that there would be ravenous wolves who would rise up to take them away but he told them `don`t pay any heed.` Are we mindful, listening to the right company, hve spiritual growth every day? 1 Thesslonians 5 verse 21 "prove all things, hold fast that which is good, abstain from all appearance of evil." Keep up your guard. The devil is waiting to pull you down. "Do not despise the day of small things." (Zechariah 4 verse 10) What a responsibility we have today. God has something very special and precious for this house. "I will take pleasure in it and will be glorified in it." (Haggai 1 verse 8) God will answer our prayers if we hold on. That is what we have today. The Lord says hold onto it and strengthen it. Hold on and he will do the rest. In Revelation 3 verse 20 the challenge was to open the door. In chapter 3 verse 8 the church at Philadelphia`s challenge was to not close the door. Hold onto what you have which has been given to us by Christ. Do not let it die and do not let someone stand in the pulpit and say anything different.
The condemnation he also makes. "I will come and remove the candlestick" meaning no more witness. What if the Lord removed our candlestick today?
There is also a crown. The Lord crowns, he honours perseverance. "Them that honour me I will honour." (1 Samuel 2 verse 30)
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