Christ Speaks To Churches 1

Christ Speaks To Churches

Revelation 2

This morning we come to the most understandable portion of the book of Revelation.

This part is not written about Jesus…but it is written about real churches, who make real mistakes, and who fall real short.

Now, in chapter 1 the Lord has reassured these Christians that he is about to speak to that, even though He was crucified, He is still alive; 1: 18.

He has assured them that He is the sovereign Lord who sees things the way they really are…and that His judgments are true and just; 1: 13-14.
He has also told them that those who are faithful have no need to be afraid; 1: 17.
And He has told them that He is aware of the persecution that they are suffering and that He is coming in judgment on the ungodly…and more specifically on Rome.

And that is significant because in chapter 2 here He is going to say some things to these churches…He is going to expose some things that are going on…and they can know that what He says is true and just.

Some times we can’t see the way things really are…or we don’t want to admit they are the way they are.

But since He sees the hearts and minds of men…the will know that what He says is true.

And the message to them is if they do not repent of what they are doing they too will be judged.

Now the faithful will not have anything to fear.
But for the unfaithful that is not true.

So, let’s begin in chapter 2. He says: “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:”

Now, we don’t know for sure what the “angel” represents in reference to each of these churches.
No scripture ever mentions a literal angel presiding over a church.
And if this were a literal “angel” you wouldn’t think that an angel would ever let some of these problems ever begin in these churches.
- So, more than likely this is not talking about a literal angel.

What we do know for sure is that this “angel” is some figure or representative of the church.

The angel may possibly represent the “leadership” in each of these churches.
Or, the angel may also represent the “true spirit” of each church.
- Each church possesses that which is visible…the outward appearance.
- And some times that outward appearance looks pretty good.
  - But when you get down to the inward appearance…things are not as good as they may outwardly seem.
  - So, we don’t know for sure what the angel represents exactly…other than the fact that the angel is some figure or representative of each of these churches.

So, the Lord says: “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:

There is no doubt to these Christians who this is from and who is making these judgments.

The One who is speaking to them is the One who has all authority over the churches.
He is sovereign Lord.

He says in verse 2 and watch this closely: “I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance…or steadfastness, and that you cannot endure 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.”

And now drop down to verse 6: “Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”

The Nicolaitans were a group who simply derived their name from Nicholas who is mentioned in Acts 6:5.
And they used his name simply to make themselves sound more credible.
They were actually a heretical group who were known as perverts and decadents.
Who practiced loose living and loose thinking, and manifested loose characteristics.
- And these brethren are commended here for hating the same things the Lord hates.

So when you consider all these things, this is a great church, right?

He mentions 7 outstanding characteristics of this church.
He says He knows their “deeds (acts, works), their toil(bone wearying work, painful effort), their perseverance (steadfastness)….He mentions this twice.
- These people were holding on in the midst of the tribulation.

He says that they “cannot endure evil men (they were quick to defend the truth)

and that they “put to the test those who call themselves apostles.”

They made sure that those who came teaching, that what they taught agreed with the word of God.

He says that they “have endured for His name’s sake, and have not grown weary.”

And they have hated the same thing the Lord hates.

As far as this church is concerned, they were as straight as a gun barrel.

When it came to outward appearance you couldn’t ask for better.

But inwardly they were lacking. Look at vs. 4: “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore 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.”

They “have left their first love.”

And the Lord says that they need to remember from where they have fallen.
And they need to repent and do the deeds they first did…or else He will remove their lampstand.

Now, notice, He tells them to “repent and do the deeds they did at first.”

Does that mean that what they were doing now was wrong…that they needed to do something completely different?
No. What they were doing now is what they needed to continue to do.

The only thing is, they needed to do those things with a different attitude and purpose.

They needed to do them out of love.
And that is why He tells them here to “repent” first…and then do the things they did at first.

Apparently these Christians at Ephesus were doing all these good things more because they “had too”…more out of duty… rather than because they wanted too.

They weren’t doing them because they loved the Lord.

Apparently, over time the love they initially had for Christ…the love that motivated them to do the things they were doing…had slowly faded away.

And even though they were right….they were as wrong as they could be.

You see, it is not enough to just be right.

Not enough to be right in our actions…and words.
We must also be right in our motives too.

Listen, you can do all the church work you can do…but if you do it because you have too…and there is no love behind it…it does not please the Lord.

These brethren needed to return to their first love.
They needed to remember how they used to be at the first…and return there.

Next, the Lord writes to the church at Smyrna. He says: “And to the angel of he church in Smyrna write: The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life (this statement will give these brethren hope for sure because some of them will soon die). ,

The first and the last, who was dead, and has come to life says this: I know your tribulation(grinding, crushing pressure) and your poverty(“pooooor”…having nothing…bankrupt) (but you are rich)(rich spiritually), and the blasphemy by those who say(they only say it…it is all talk…not every one is who they say they are) they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer.(God allows His people to suffer…and for these brethren they haven’t seen anything yet) Behold the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested (tested to see if they will remain faithful or give up), and you will have tribulation ten days (Not a literal 10 days. 10 is symbolic of total time; Dan. 1:12-16; Gen. 31:7. They must remain faithful through the entirety of the persecution). Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Some of these brothers and sisters are about to die at the hands of the Roman Empire.

Some of them are going to be led into an arena and used for sport.
Others will be put inside of iron animals and a fire will be built under the animals and they will be burned inside.
And others will be strapped between two horses, one headed north and the other south…and they will be literally torn asunder.
And some will be stoned…and others burned at the stake…and others eaten by lions.

And as I think about these brethren it makes me ashamed when I sit around and complain about some of the things I complain about.

Like a leaky roof…or a worn out carpet.
Or complaining about the high gas prices…or the cost of health insurance.

Or how had I have to work…or the way some brother treated me.

I feel pretty bad about the things I complain about in view of what these brethren are going to face…and yet I am envious of them because the Lord says “they are rich.”

And I am envious because if you will notice, there is no condemnation for these brethren.

All these brethren needed to do was endure.
Continue to do what they have been doing and if they would…even though it might cost them their lives…they would receive the crown of life.

Look at vs. 11 ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.’

They might die physically, but eternally they would live.

Brethren the message to us is “be faithful no matter what…even until death” and the crown of life will be ours.

In fact, that is the only way the crown will be ours…if we remain faithful until death.

And then the Lord speaks to the church at Pergamum. Vs. 12:

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two edged sword says this: “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is (He knows it is hard for them to be where they are because Satan has his throne right in their midst.)

Pergamum was the capital of the Roman province.
And there were several pagan temples in Pergamum.
And all these so called “great intellectuals” would come to Pergamum to worship their gods.
So these brethren lived where Satan lived.
- They were subjected to wickedness every day.

He says, “I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith, even in days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.”

This is another indication of the adverse conditions they were living in.
And yet, they remained faithful even when their leaders were killed.

But now verse 14:

But I have a few things against you, because you have there some(not all…a minority) who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit acts of immorality.

Balaam taught compromise.

In Numbers 23 and 24, and Numbers 25:1-6, and Numbers 31: 16…Balaam wouldn’t curse God’s people.
But what he did do was get the men and women of God to mingle and marry with the men and women of Midian…and bear their children.
And in doing so he got them to bow down to their pagan gods.
And as a result, Jehovah God did what Balaam wasn’t allowed to do and that is curse the people of God.
- So Balaam taught the people of God to compromise their beliefs…to compromise on the word of God.
- And that is what some of these people here in Pergamum were doing.
- They were teaching some of the brethren to compromise in their faith…and honor idols…and to commit acts of immorality.
- And it may be that the “acts of immorality” here speaks more of spiritual adultery more than physical adultery.
  - They were being unfaithful to Christ.

And notice again, only “some” were doing this.

That means that the silence of the majority must have been deafening!
Why were they allowing this?

Look at verse:15 ‘Thus you also have some(again, not all…a minority) who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. (It seems that some were quick to follow anything that came along.)

And the thing that Jesus has against this church is that they are tolerating these things.

They aren’t doing anything about it!
There is no discipline!

There is a time when the members of a congregation are to step up and say, “No more.”

And these people weren’t doing that.
They were standing by and watching their brethren be led astray by these false teachers and look what the Lord says to them in verse 16:

16’Repent therefore; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. 17’He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’

Outwardly, this church looked good…they held fast to the faith where Satan lived.

But inwardly, they were compromisers and they tolerated those who were teaching compromise.

Now, he writes to the church at Thyratira:

Rev 2:18-19 The Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished bronze, says this: 19’I know your deeds, and your love and faith and service and perseverance, and that your deeds of late are greater than at first.

This church is getting better all the time.

And they are different than the church at Ephesus…they work but they do their work in love.

But now, verse 20:

But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray, so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

When he mentions Jezebel here he is probably not talking about some woman who was actually named Jezebel.
Instead, he uses that name to symbolically speak of some woman…or some influence in the congregation that was committed to ungodliness and evil like Jezebel was over in 1 Kings.
And the problem is, they are tolerating her to do what she is doing!

Rev 2:21-22

‘And I gave her time to repent; and she does not want to repent of her immorality.

She refused to repent.
Therefore, vs. 22:

‘Behold, I will cast her upon a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. 23’And I will kill her children with pestilence; and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

Now notice vs. 24: ‘But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them– I place no other burden on you.

Those saints who have not delved into this wickedness will not be lost.
Not all are lost because of a few.
And not all lost because of many.

25’Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come. 26’And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations;

This is symbolic language that says that the faithful will triumph over evil and will be above the world.

27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father;

Jesus has already received the authority…the faithful will share in it.

28 and I will give him the morning star.(symbolic of eternal life)

29’He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

So, with this said, let me give you from all this 4 marks of a great church.

First, they work in love…and out of love.
Two, they endure…even unto death.
Three, they do not compromise and they do not tolerate compromise.
Fourth, they are disciplined.

What would Jesus say about us, the church at Brady? Individually?