JCSLK 77 Jesus John and the Churches Revelation 2

 

JCSLK 77 Jesus John and the Churches

Revelation 2

 Sermon Video

Introduction: 

"The apostolic church thought more about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ than about death and heaven. The early Christians were looking, not for a cleft in the ground called a grave but for a cleavage in the sky called Glory." - Alexander MacLaren

The book of Revelation, which could also be titled the Epistle of Jesus Christ, was written at Jesus’ command by John, the last living apostle on earth. With John died the office of apostle, there have been no other apostles and anyone who claims title is either a liar or deluded or both.

Jesus The Church’s Vision

The Church Sees Jesus

John hears Jesus speaking and commissioning him to write this epistle. Revelation 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

John hears the incredibly loud, powerful voice, a voice that could not be ignored or forgotten and then he sees Jesus, in the way Jesus wanted to portray Himself to His churches. Revelation 1:12-16 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; 13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14 -- His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; 15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

John sees Jesus Standing With His Churches. This is how Jesus wanted his churches to see Him at this time of persecution from the Roman empire of Domitian and pressure from the spiritual empire of Satan. He is with them, He stands in their midst, they are not alone, the creator, savior, lord and king is standing beside them.

Take note of His appearance, it is not an accident that Jesus appears this way to John, to the seven churches then or to all of His churches today.

His garment and hair are white which shows His sinlessness and purity.

His eyes like flame, his feet like brass just pulled from the furnace, and a sword proceeds from his mouth. This shows Jesus as the righteous judge, avenger and executioner of those who harm His churches. He is coming and He comes with raging wrath and a slaying sword.

John says, His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. This is Jesus in His great glory and power, putting even the sun to shame.

The seven stars, Jesus says, are the angels of the seven churches which are represented by the seven lamp stands. The repetition and significance of seven begin here with this vision but it will continue through the book of the Apocalypse. Seven throughout scripture represents completeness, maturity, perfection. God made time to be in increment of 7 days in week and in Jeremiah and Daniel it is 70 weeks of years that contain God’s plan for the first coming of Jesus and one final week, one final seven that will be revealed in the book of Revelation.

We might wonder about the angels of the churches. If I told you that there were angels looking over your shoulder this morning in church maybe more of you would put your phones and stay awake. I’m tempted to tell you just that, but the word angel in the Greek simply means "messenger” Does each church have an heavenly messenger in its midst or is Jesus talking about holding the pastors of those churches in his hands?

I believe it is pastors who truly should understand that they are messengers of God when they preach the word of God, but I could be wrong and if you feel a tap on your shoulder as you’re running through Facebook, email, or Insta, it may be the other kind of God’s messenger.

The outline of the Book is given to us by Jesus Christ as well it is in Revelation 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, (John’s vision) and the things which are (the situation of the 7 churches in the present, and the things which shall be hereafter (the consummation of the age, the final week of Daniel’s prophecy, the coming of the King.)

Jesus Still Stands with His Churches

We can and should apply John’s vision of Jesus Christ in His power, rightlessness and glory to the Lord’s churches today. And I’m sure you already are very aware that not every group that claims the name Church and certainly the ones who don’t even bother to use the word church, are not the church that Jesus stands with in today’s persecution and pressure.

Today Jesus still reveals Himself to us though His word. He assures us He is coming with justice to judge a sinful world. He consoles that we are not struggling in vain. He strengthens us that we may continue to fight for faith. He inspires us that so that we might continue the work of sharing His Gospel, His good news.

Now lets take a closer look at the church Jesus stands with. In chapter 2 Jesus addresses one by one, each of the churches according to the needs in each church. These were real churches, in fact John had been the pastor in Ephesus. He would be very familiar with all these churches. They fellowshipped and communicated with each other. These churches were along a highway, a trade route, that led from Ephesus in a circular path which ended at Laodicea. The order of the letters is the order that you would travel along that coastal to valley trade road. (you can see it on the map on your bulletin.

 Jesus The Church’s Creator

The Church Created

Since our understanding of these 2 chapters is keyed to these seven churches, it is important that we define the word church. If you have a misconception about the church then you will also misunderstand this passage and the book of Revelation.

Definition of the Word Church.

When Jesus writes to the “church at Ephesus” or the “church at Smyrna” we understand that he is writing to a group of Christians in those towns. But a group of Christians is not the same as a church of the Lord. So what exactly is the Biblical definition of the church?

In the Bible the word church appears 114 times. It is the translation of the Greek word ekklesia, besides church it is also translated assembly 3 times in the book of Acts, during the time that the Ephesians called an assembly, an ekklesia to try and punish Paul who was disrupting their worship and trade in the goddess Diana.

The word ekklesia is a compound word derived from ek out of and kaleo to call. As it is used in Jesus’, Paul, John time it simply means and assembly, called together for a purpose. Technically this was the word used for the city council meetings of the Greek and Roman cities and it was the word Jesus choose when he said in …Matthew 16:18-19 upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Jesus said that he would build His church on the rock. That “rock” was not Peter, but Jesus, who Peter identified as the Messiah. Jesus was the foundation that He himself would his ekklesia upon. Matthew 16:18 is the first time the word church is used in the Bible but it is not the occasion when Jesus started His church. That took place in …

Mark 3:13-1413 And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. 14 And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,

In the passage we see the exact definition of the church enacted. Jesus calls his apostles to himself and they came, they assembled and then he ordained twelve as apostles and then sent them forth to preach. We see the same event in Matthew 5 and in Luke 6, just before Jesus preaches the Sermon on the Mount.

The church, by definition, by history and by practice is an assembly. Since it is an assembly it must be local, and it must be visible. You can’t assemble anything and it be universal, nor can you assemble anything and it be invisible. The church is a local, visible assembly of born again, baptized believers joined together to carry out the Great Commission of their Lord.

I recently saw this quote on Facebook from a former missionary to Africa and now pastor up in Dumas, Texas. He wrote, “The Church is a gift from God - assembly required.” – Pastor Johnny Widener

One final thing, the church is not the same as the family of God, which can be invisible and unassembled, nor is it the same as the Kingdom of God/ Heaven/ Christ. They are all connected but they are not the same thing.

Now Jesus dictates His message through John to the churches in the order that they appear along that trade route. The epistle would be received first at Ephesus, where it would be copied and sent to the next church, which would also copy it and send it on until the letter was received at Laodicea and the Book of Revelation would have been presented preserved and propagated.

In fact, this is how all the New Testament was created. Local churches took the letters, the gospels and teaches for Paul, Luke, Mark, John carefully copied them, persevered them and sent them on. Never let anyone tell you that some council set up by the early already apostate, Catholic church in 325 AD determined what books you have in your Bible. The “Canon” was determined by the Holy Spirit in local churches a good 200 years before the council of Nicaea ever met.

So, though the natural order of these churches would be Ephesus through Laodicea, I’m going to categorize it in two messages, the churches Jesus corrects and the churches Jesus comforts. Of the seven churches 5 of them must be corrected to a small or a great degree by Jesus. He starts with Ephesus.

 Jesus The Church’s Judge

The Church Corrected

The appraisal of each church by the Lord contains mostly the same elements but specifically deals with the issue of each church.

Each judgment contains,

A description of Jesus as the head of each church.

A description of condition or situation in the church

A recommendation, remedy or call for repentance for each church,

A reward for the church if it obeys the Lord and

An invitation to any individual in the church

Ephesus – The Church That Left Their First Love: Revelation 2:1–7

Description of the Lord Jesus, Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. Each description of the Lord is taken from the first vision John had of Jesus back in chapter This description shows Jesus as the one who has the authority over the churches and pastors.

The Description of the churches at Ephesus. In most cases these descriptions are  both positive and negative, only two churches have no negative attributes and only two have no positive ones.

Here Jesus says to Ephesus, “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 

This was a hardworking, involved, active church. It did not tolerate evil, or false teachers, it was strong and enduring for the name of Christ. This was a hard working, busy church, standing for truth and standing strong in the midst of trial and tribulation.

And yet there was something that the Lord needed to correct, and it was not a minor issue. “Nevertheless, he says, “I have somewhat against thee, because you have left your first love.”

Ephesus the most important city in the region, also had the most important church and influential church, but it had left its first love. First love here means first in order of priority. The first love of a church is Jesus Christ and Ephesus had fallen out of love with their Savior and Lord.

The Lord now tells the church, “5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. This church had to do two things, it had to “Remember and repent, in order to do the first works. Return to loving Jesus. He was the reason they were saved, baptized and joined together as a church.

If they respond to the Lord’s invitation then he says, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcomes, I will give the reward of eating of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”

This invitation from Christ is to any individual within the church who will respond to the word given by the Spirit and begin to bring a change in the church. All of the rewards to the churches and the individual in the church who would respond are always reminders of what awaits them in heaven. Here it is to eat of the tree of life, in the midst of the paradise of God. The tree that once stood in Eden and one day will stand again in the new paradise, the city of New Jerusalem.

Jesus says this will be given to him that overcomes, to him that conquers. That title of overcomer is not something that super Christians can accomplish. John had earlier defined an overcomer in 1 John 5:4–5 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

We have become so engrossed in the work of the Lord that we have forgotten the Lord of the work. - A. W. Tozer

Pergamum: The Worldly Polluted Church - Revelation 2:12–17

Jesus is now described as, “he which hath the sharp sword with two edges.” He holds judgment over the church. From the very start his assessment of the Pergamos church is harsh and hard.

He does tell them that they still honor his name, have not denied His name. They hold to the name of Jesus in spite of their surroundings. They have not denied the faith, even in the face of death and martyrdom.

But this church which once stood strong even when confronted by death, has now opened itself to the teachings of Balaam and also allowed in their membership those which believe like the Nicolaitans. Balaam was an OT prophet who set Israel on the path to compromise with the idolatrous nations around them, and Nicolatianism is a word that means "Rule over the laity" in other words these were people who were spiritual elitists, they believed they had superior ability or spiritual insight and therefore they should rule over others in the church.

Jesus tells them to “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.”

If they repent then He will, “give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.” Without going into detail for sake of time, again these rewards to the overcomers centers on Jesus and our reward in heaven.

A Pergamos church is one which has allowed the world to mix or even define its worship of Jesus. This is a church which has usurped local church authority, with elitists either inside the church or boards, conventions, or presbyteries outside the local church now ruling in the place of Jesus Christ through each person within the church membership.

Thyatira: The Church Of Compromised Morals - Revelation 2:18–29

To the church of Thyatira, Jesus is seen as the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;” This shows Jesus as holy, pure and worthy to judge His own church.

Thyatira is a working church, it is a church that exemplifies charity, service for the Lord, and faith in the Lord. They are doing more now than they were doing when first founded.

But, there is a serious problem of immorality. Jesus charges them, “you allow that woman Jezebel, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.”

Jezebel in the Old Testament was a prophetess of Baal, she brought the worst form of paganism, sexual immorality and child sacrifice into the nation of Israel, this Jezebel was bringing paganism and sexual sin into the Lord’s church.

Once again, the Lord tells the church to repent. And His punishment is extremely harsh, “ I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, and I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

For those who still faithful in this polluted church, Jesus tells them to hold fast to the good that they still have. And if they do, he will give them power over the nations and give them the morning star. This of course is another name for Jesus. The reward is always Jesus, Jesus and more of Jesus.

Sardis: The Dead, Dying Church - Revelation 3:1–6

To Sardis, Jesus presents himself as, “he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars. This shows Jesus as having complete and absolute power over this church. The church at Sardis has no qualities that the Lord can commend. It is truly the dying church. Jesus tells them, “1b. .I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. 2  Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

They had a reputation, or perhaps a high opinion of themselves but the truth was that they were in truth a dead church, incomplete and imperfect before God.

He tells Sardis to hold fast to what remains and once again to repent. And if not he will come like a thief and they will not see Him coming in sudden judgment. It is interesting that the city of Sardis had been conquered twice before while they slept, confident in their reputation and the walls that surrounded them. Now the church was in the same situation, confident in a lie and ready to be destroyed.

For the few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy…the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. The undefiled ones will walk with Christ in white, (a symbol of righteousness.) The overcomers will not have their name blotted from the book of Life and Christ will confess their name before God and the angels. Remember an overcomer is one who has believed in Jesus Christ. Here we have another promise that if you are a believer you need never worry about your eternal security, Jesus promises your name will not be blotted out.

Laodiceans: The Lukewarm Church - Revelation 3:14–22

To the Laodicean church Jesus is, “the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;” He is the final word, the faithful and true witness and the causative force of creation itself.

The church Jesus tells them, is lukewarm and He warns them He will spit them in disgust out of his mouth, away from himself. The church sees itself as rich and needed nothing but Jesus sees them as wretched, miserable, poor blind and naked. Once again just like Sardis there is nothing positive, nothing good that the Lord can commend the church for. This church is not too bad and its not to good, it is a lukewarm church. It has a false sense of their worth, but Jesus says they are utterly wretched, poverty stricken and blind to their own nakedness.

The remedy Jesus tells them was to buy gold tried in the fire from Christ. This description signifies suffering and sacrifice on behalf of Jesus.  White raiment speaks of purity and righteousness.  Eye salve speaks of healing and spiritual sight.  They are being rebuked and they must repent.

Jesus invitation to this, one of the worst churches, is his most personal and passionate. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Let me share more observations from AW Tozer who was a sharp critic of the modern church even though the church he criticized was over 50 years ago.

Evangelical Christianity is now tragically below the New Testament standard. Worldliness is an accepted part of our way of life. Our religious mood is social instead of spiritual. We have lost the art of worship. We are not producing saints. Our models are successful business men, celebrated athletes and theatrical personalities.

Christianity is so entangled with the world that millions never guess how radically they have missed the New Testament pattern. Compromise is everywhere. The world is whitewashed just enough to pass inspection by blind men posing as believers.

The Church has sprung a leak and the world is leaking into the Church. – A. W. Tozer

 Conclusion

What the Churches of Revelation Mean to Us

Jesus in choosing these seven churches chose churches that represent all churches of all time. They are in their time a type for us as a church in our time. The do not represent all church at certain so called ages of the universal church, because there is no such thing as a universal church on the earth.

They do represent the Lord’s local churches in all times and we should pay attention to the message. Any church can be a church that has lost its first love, or a church that is dying or a church that has let immorality into its membership and does nothing to stop it. Any church can and often is ruled by elitists or grows lukewarm.

And Remember the Lord’s invitation, “He that hath and ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches.” You don’t need a vote of the church, you just need one member to hear the Spirit and start the work of the Holy Spirit. Just one convicted heart to begin to pray for their church, pray for the messenger of the church, pray for each member of the Church of Jesus Christ.

This morning, “Oh Lord, let me be that convicted heart.”