Sermon Notes - Revelation 2:1-7 - Letter to Ephesus - Littleby Baptist Church - May 9, 2021

Continuing in Revelation

a.      Jesus is using John to write to the Seven churches.

b.     As we look at the seven epistles or letters.

c.      Each was written:

                                                    i.     To a specific audience.

                                                  ii.     At a specific time

                                                iii.     For a specific purpose.

d.     A couple of letters are full of praise, some are full of rebuke, and like the one we will review today some are a mixture of the two.

e.      With the receipt and reading of these letters, some would have been encouraged and some would have been warned.

                                                    i.     Kind of like those who have heard the Gospel of Jesus.

1.     Encouraged in that we have Hope in our Savior.

2.     Warned that we must repent before it is to late.

2.     First Letter is to Ephesus

a.      Largest city in Asia Minor.

b.     Acts 19:1-7 Intro of Paul serving in Ephesus.

c.      Acts 19:13-17 Seven sons tried to cast out demon in ‘Jesus name that Paul preaches’ and were pummeled by the demon possessed man.

                                                    i.     Vs. 17 ‘name of the Lord Jesus was held in high esteem.’

d.     Reference rest of Acts 19 - Riot in Ephesus started by those who make things for worshipping Artemis. Paul’s friends kept him away.

e.      Paul ministered there for 3 years, roughly 53 AD and 43 years before this letter.

f.      Ephesus was a town that had an established church under the ministry of Paul.

                                                    i.     Timothy served the church in Ephesus for a period of time.

g.     Tradition and non-Biblical sources tell us that the Apostle John and Mary the mother of Jesus settled in Ephesus.

3.     Revelation 2:1

a.      Jesus, the one holding the seven stars ‘the messengers’ and walking among the lampstands ‘the churches’, tells John to write the letter.

b.     Write to the angel – write a letter to the messenger, paster, teacher, leader, of the church of Ephesus.

c.      A letter written to the church by Jesus… an Awesome thought.

4.     Revelation 2:2

a.      I know… showing a characteristic of Jesus… He is Omniscient, all knowing.

                                                    i.     Jesus knows everything the church has done and He expands on it.

b.     Your works – We are expected to Keep the Word of God… we are to have faith in Jesus and to go do what we were created to do.

c.      Your endurance – 1 Thessalonians 1:13, endurance inspired by hope found in Jesus.

d.     Cannot tolerate evil – Paul had warned them, Acts 20:28-30 – do not let false teachers lead them astray.

e.      You have tested those who say they are apostles – They knew they were going to have false teachers, likely Judaizers who were out to push OT laws. They trusted in the Holy Spirit to provide discernment.

f.      Found them to be liars – Tried, tested, and found wanting.

g.     We need to stay alert and watch for those who will lead us astray. There are many with their own agenda and we need to not let them lead us astray.  

5.     Revelation 2:3

a.      Great words to be said about someone.

b.     The Ephesian church has endured persecution.

c.      Based on what we have read, they have probably taken those hard stands like they needed to take.

                                                    i.     Likely made some people mad, have dealt with backlash from people in the church, families, communities…

d.     If we put it in today’s context when we have to take a stand on the Word of God.

                                                    i.     If we take a stand on something the Bible teaches that society does not agree with, we may face:

1.     Attacks from those who advocate non-Biblical behavior.

2.     Family and friends disowning us.

3.     Persecution in one form or another.

e.      The Ephesian church endured hardships in the Lord’s name and did not grow weary.

                                                    i.     Does not mean they were singing kumbaya the whole time.

                                                  ii.     Does not mean they were charging the hill in war.

                                                iii.     Means they did not give up; they stood their ground.

1.     Remember the full armor of God is to help us stand our ground.

2.     Withstand the attacks of the evil one.

6.     So far so good…. But that is about to change.

7.     Revelation 2:4

a.       Ouch.

b.     Jesus is telling the church that they have abandoned Jesus.

                                                    i.     Never want to hear.

c.      Ephesians 1:15-16 – 30-35 years ago they were recognized by Paul as faithfulness and Love.

8.     The church had remained true to the teachings, solid on their doctrine, served others…

a.      BUT – they were no longer devoted to Christ.

b.     1 Corinthians 13:1-3 – Without love for God and Love for Others, nothing else matters.

c.      That is one of the biggest things we need to remember today.

                                                    i.     We are called to Love God… meaning give our lives to Him, trust in Him, make Him the priority.

                                                  ii.     We are then called to Love others….

1.     Shouting at those we do not agree with us, is not showing Love.

2.     Treating people as a second-class citizen does not show Love.

                                                iii.     I would Love to see people from all walks of life and from every stage sitting here each week.

1.     Those who struggle with porn, addiction, homosexuality, you name it…

2.     Don’t agree with their choices but we are still called to Love them.

9.     Revelation 2:5

a.      Remember your first love.

b.     See what has changed.

c.      See it as the sin it is and Repent!

d.     Turn from your ways and do what you used to do:

                                                    i.     Devote yourself to God, not just doctrine.

                                                  ii.     Share the Good News of Jesus.

                                                iii.     Care for those in need.

                                                iv.     Don’t do it because it is the right thing to do, but because you love Jesus.

e.      If they did not repent, they would not longer be the Lord’s church.

                                                    i.     Scary thought.

                                                  ii.     A church can get so caught up on doing the right thing, focused purely on doctrine, and but no longer be a church that Loves the Lord.

                                                iii.     I think we have seen a lot of this over the years.

1.     Too many ear ticklers.

2.     Too many people don’t want to hear the truth.

3.     Too many get stuck on what is right and wrong, but forget about the 1^st and 2^nd Greatest commandments, Love God and Love Others.

f.      We need to protect ourselves from being focused on being the church and losing focus on where our Hope comes from.

10.  Revelation 2:6

a.      Nicolaitans were a group who believed in complete freedom since Grace would cover it.

b.     It is believed they taught that we could and should experience all physical sin, since it impacted only the body not our spirit.

c.      Jesus is saying that the Ephesians stance on solid doctrine kept them from being swept away into this false religion.

d.     Emphasizes the importance of having solid doctrine.

11.  Revelation 2:7

a.      Repent, turn from your sin, and return to your first love… and the reward is waiting.

b.     True for all who choose to follow Christ.

c.      We must repent of our sins, turn from our wicked ways, and follow Jesus.

d.     All who do this will be given eternal life and live in the ‘paradise of God’.

12.  Conclusion

a.      In the letter from Jesus to the Ephesians we see:

                                                    i.     Solid doctrine is important, but not enough.

                                                  ii.     Serving others is key, but not enough.

                                                iii.     Casting out false teachers is needed, but still not enough.

                                                iv.     We can believe and go through the motions, but without Love it is all for naught.

                                                  v.     It is imperative that we Love God and Love Others.    

b.     Pray that the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, calls us to repent of it, and helps us stay focused on our Jesus.