Revelation part 5…1:19-20, 2:1-11
August 26th 2012.
When it comes to understanding the book of Revelation there is one basic key…
The key is recognizing that the book of Revelation is divided into three parts.
We find this in Rev. 1:19…
Jesus told John “write the things which you have seen, and the things which are and the things which will take place after this.
The first part involves the things which John has seen or things that have already happened meaning the things of the past.
The second part is found in the words…
“The things which are” they refer to the present day we are in or what is called the church age.
The church age is a period that has lasted over 2000 years.
The church age will come to an end with the rapture of the church and the beginning of the tribulation period.
The second part begins with Revelation chapters 2 and 3.
The third part is found in the words…
“Which will take place after this”.
This refers to the future after the rapture of the church.
The third part begins at chapter 4.
Immediately following the vision of Jesus Christ to John messages are given to 7 of the local churches in Asia.
Seven is a representative number it means the 7 churches are representative of all churches then and now.
When it comes to churches…we have to remember that churches are made up of individuals…
And though it may sound strange it is individuals of the church who can determine the spiritual life of the church.
So when we read these 7 messages to the churches we must read and apply them individually and personally.
Each of these 7 messages consist of 7 parts.
In the first part of the message…The addressee is first given in a set pattern: to the angel of the church of.
In the second part of the message…The speaker is mentioned in each some way…(Example) He who holds the seven stars in
His right hand.
In the third part of the message…The knowledge of the speaker is given…I know your works.
The fourth part of the part of the message consists of…An assessment is given to the church and then a verdict is
pronounced…
The fifth part of the message…Has a command issued from Jesus to the church.
The sixth part of the message… contains a general exhortation…he who has an ear to hear let him hear.
And the seventh part… contains a victor’s promise of reward.
Verse 20 says the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand and the seven golden lamp stands.
The seven golden lamp stands represent the 7 churches that would receive the letter or the revelation.
But we also see seven stars in the right hand of Jesus.
The stars in His right hand represent authority and power.
The word angel literally means messenger.
The angel or the messenger refers to the local pastor, the person whom God has placed in authority and given the responsibility
of the church or congregation.
What many do not understand or may not want to understand is…
The local pastor is a God given angel or God’s gift to the congregation.
Now before us Pastor’s begin polishing our halo we also have to remember…
Just as God places the star God can also move or replace as He pleases.
What the 7 stars in the right hand of the Lord tell us is…
The pastor of the congregation is a star in the right hand of God which refers not only to the place of power, and authority…
but a place of safety and protection.
It is God who is responsible to direct a Pastor’s motion, fill them with power and influence and support them.
A Pastor is to be an instrument in the hand of God.
It is when Pastor’s forget that they become a fallen star.
Chapter 2 verse 1…
To the angel or messenger of the church of Ephesus write, these things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who
walks in the midst of the seven golden lamp stands or the 7 churches.
Jesus walking in the midst of the 7 golden lamp stands meaning He walks in the midst of the churches of this earth.
When I read this I get picture of a person walking in their garden and observing the state of the garden…
Watering where watering is needed…
Pruning or clipping what needs clipping…
Lifting what has fallen…
And bracing what could fall.
This applies both to the church and believers as well…
Verse 1 shows us that Jesus knows and observes the state of the church or believer’s and what they need.
He accurately inspects each church and sees its true condition.
Where people only see the external functioning of the church the eyes of the Lord sees the internal.
Jesus told the church at Ephesus I know your works…
The church at Ephesus can be described in several ways…
They were a serving church that was very busy doing the work of the Lord.
They were a sacrificing church because Jesus said I know your labor…
Labor means toil to the point of exhaustion.
The church at Ephesus was also a steadfast church because the word patience means endurance under trial.
That means they kept going when the going got tough.
They were also a separated church because they could not bear those who were evil.
They tested those who said they were apostles and found some of them to be liars.
They knew how to evaluate those who claimed spiritual leadership to see if they were genuine.
Verse 3 Jesus recognizes that they were also people or a church that persevered patiently and had labored for His name
sake and had not become weary.
Since its founding the church had remained faithful to the Word of God regardless of persecution or difficulty.
They were busy, faithful, had moral and doctrinal purity and had very disciplined service…
Jesus also told them in verse 6…
But this you have that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitan’s.
Nicolas means one who conquers the people.
The Nicolaitan’s were followers of Nicolas and were involved in immorality and assaulted the church with sensual temptations.
The church Ephesus stood against them and Jesus commended them for it.
But look at Verse 4… Nevertheless I have this against you…
You have left your first love.
Notice Jesus does not say lost your first love only left it.
Leaving their first love means they still loved but they loved with a quality and intensity unlike that of their initial love.
First love is a reference to inner devotion.
An inner devotion to the Lord that they had in the beginning…
Inner devotion produces a love that is fervent, personal, uninhibited, excited and openly displayed.
Through time their passion and fervor for Jesus Christ had become cold and mechanical.
The Ephesian’s were so busy maintaining their dedication that they neglected their adoration.
They had lost the wonder and excitement of their relationship with the Lord.
When the wonder and the excitement are gone things becomes routine…
And then those we love the most are taken for granted.
The same happens in our personal relationships.
A man meets a woman and he opens the door, closes the door and then walks her to the door.
They can’t wait to see each other and can’t wait to hear each other’s voice…
They hug and kiss when they see each other and when they leave each other…
Both of their hair is all did…
Their bodies in shape…
Manners in action…
Thank you and you are welcome…
Excuse me…you are excused.
Let me just give you a sign here…
If you come home and the other person yells out is that you?
Or if your hands are full and the other person won’t open the door…
If your kiss is a miss…
And you don’t miss who you kiss…
And the negligee becomes negligence…
And there is no legitimacy in the intimacy…
When there is no emotion in the devotion…
When explanation replaces application…
When things romantically are done mechanically…
When passion goes out of fashion…
When you speak of burning the home fires after supper and you are told we are not having homes fries for supper…
They are all signs the inner devotion in no longer in motion.
Remember we are talking about the church and the church is made up of individuals…
This means when Bible study, meditation, prayer, going to church and praising the Lord loses its appeal…
When going to church becomes a burden or an obligation.
When serving God is routine and no longer has awe or wonder…
There may be a problem with the inner devotion.
Leaving the first love happens quietly and gradually by imperceptible shifts of focus.
We become preoccupied with responsibility…
Love is sacrificed for activity…
Leaving the first love does not mean losing it…
It means forsaking or abandoning it.
Jesus not only told them they had abandoned their first love…
He told them 3 ways to correct the situation and restore the passion.
Verse 5…
1.
Remember…
Remember where they once were spiritually and what they had as compared to now.
Remember their earlier times of fervent love and devotion as well as enthusiasm.
Remember back and see how much peace, strength and pleasure they have lost.
Then cultivate a desire to regain what has been forsaken.
2.
Repent…Repent means to change our minds and confess what we have done.
3.
Rediscover…We must rediscover and restore the original fellowship that was broken by neglect or sin.When
Jesus speaks this to the church at Ephesus is like a cup of cold water being thrown in their face to wake them up.
Verse 5 goes on to say…
Repent and do the first works or else…
Or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lamp stand from its place.
Jesus watches and does not mind trimming the church…
And will snuff out a church when they refuse to give light and truth.
Verse 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit (meaning the Holy Spirit) says to the churches…
Jesus used this phrase to alert dull ears.
Then He gave a promise…To him who overcomes…
The word overcome is another term for repentance…
Overcome emphasizes the totality and the life changing power of repentance.
When we recognize our sin or failure and we turn in genuine repentance toward the message and warning of the Lord Jesus
Christ…
The result is victory and reward.
Jesus says He will give to eat from the Tree of Life…
After the fall of man in Genesis man was forbidden to eat of the Tree of Life.
But Jesus says He will give meaning He will unlock what has been locked.
The Tree of Life is a source of life that comes from a deeper reality than anything in life can give.
Eating from the Tree of Life is a promise of special intimacy with the Lord.
And a promise of renewing the fellowship once lost.
Verse 7 goes on to say…Which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.
The paradise of God means the garden of God.
Or the third heaven.
The church of Ephesus was known as the careless church…
Made up of careless believers who neglected and had forsaken their love for the Lord.
Ephesus eventually became a pile of rubble makes me wonder if they failed to heed the warning.
Remember…repent…rediscover.