fRevised         REVELATION. Commentary by Mr K Gerner BA

AUDIO VISUAL MINISTRIES, 152 High St. HOLYWOOD.Co Down.BT18 9HT, NI

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Lesson No.2. GIVING MESSAGE to THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS

REVELATION Chapter 2 v 1 ­ 7

1. POSITION OF THE CHURCH

     Ephesus was the leading city of the Roman Province of Asia. It was the sea end of the main trade route with the East, and through the port there was a constant flow of trade ­­...very like Belfast !  It was the greatest commercial centre of the country with many roads leading to it, and Corinth was the next great station on the road to Rome. The city was full of traders, work­ers and merchants. A great Temple was dedicated to DIANA, with a business in silvery shrines.

ACT 19:27 NIV There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and the goddess herself, who is worshipped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty."

PAUL WAS LED THERE BY THE LORD as a Centre from which multitudes of people could be reached with the Gospel (Acts 18:18to20) On his first visit, he had to hurry on to Jerusalem, and it was only at his 2nd visit (Acts 19:1 to 6) that a Church was started there. Between these two visits, the work was nurtured by Aquilla and Priscilla at their working place (Acts 18:26) They were helped by a visit from Apolllos, whom they seem to have brought into the Baptism in the Spirit

ACT 18:26 NIV He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

The work was begun in the SYNAGOGUE ("Their own church") but due to heavy opposition, moved to a Public Hall

ACT 19:9 NIV But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

Paul stayed about 2 1/2 years there very successfully and shown by his persecution by the idol makers.

Paul returned about AD 60 to speak top the Elders of the Church (Acts 20 v 17 to 38) and reminded them of his sacrificial minis­try among them

ACT 20:31 NIV So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.

He prophetically warned them about two dangers to come :­

(a) False Teachers coming from without

(b) Ambitious leaders arising within the Church to divide the testimony.

There is no mention of either of these here, and Paul's warning through Word of Knowledge, may have averted the trouble, to which other churches did succumb (Rev chaps 2, 6 and 15)

Paul's epistle to the EPHESIANS is very positive and seems to show the Church going forward in good order (Cf Ephes 6 v.11 to 21) in AD 64. Here in Revelation (some 32 years later) Christ tells them that they have lost their foundation love for Him. TIMOTHY may have been an Elder for a period here, with a good loving ministry.

2.PRAISE FOR THE CHURCH. V 2 AND 3

     Christ always starts with items for PRAISE, and we need to copy Him.

(a)WORKS AND LABOUR

     Christ commended hard work and activities. We are NOT saved by works (Eph 2:8) but Christ does have works in mind for us afterwards

EPH 2:10 NIV For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Good works have the effect of :­

(i) Glorifying God

MAT 5:16 NIV In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

(ii) Good is done

1TI 6:18 NIV Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.

(iii) Gives an example to others

TIT 2:14 NIV who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wick­edness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

TIT 3:8 NIV This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

(iv) Great aim of leading others to Jesus

HEB 10:24 NIV And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

(v) Guides men to see real faith

JAM 2:17 NIV In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.18 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

1PE 2:2 NIV Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

(b) PATIENCE IN ADVERSITY

Patience in adversity is valued in the Word of God

ECC 7:8 NIV The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.

ROM 12:12 NIV Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

PSA 37:7 NIV Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

HEB 10:36 NIV You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

JAM 1:4 NIV Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

DO NOT GIVE UP

ACT 1:4 NIV On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised,  (c) REJECTION OF FALSE DOCTRINES AND EVIL TEACHERS

Other Churches had accepted these, but EPHESUS REJECTED THEM

True teachers show up the false teachers.

ISA 32:6 NIV For the fool speaks folly, his mind is busy with evil: He practices ungodliness and spreads error concerning the Lord; the hungry he leaves empty and from the thirsty he with­holds water.7 The scoundrel's methods are wicked, he makes up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.8 But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands.

Jesus warned his disciples to beware of the Teachings of the Scribes and Pharisees under the picture of LEAVEN

MAT 16:11 NIV How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."12 Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

PAUL ECHOES THIS SAME WARNING

COL 2:8 NIV See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

HEB 13:9 NIV Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them.

1JO 2:26 NIV I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.27 As for you, the anointing you re­ceived from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeitjust as it has taught you, remain in him.

TRUE APOSTLES HAVE A BIBLE REVELATION OF CHRIST AND THEIR MESSAGE IS CONFIRMED BY OTHERS (Galatians chaps 1 and 2)

True Apostles manifest a Christlike life

1TH 2:10 NIV You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.

They also have a continual miracle ministry

ROM 15:18 NIV I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done19 by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation.

MAIN FALSE APOSTLES SEEM TO HAVE BEEN THE JUDAIZERS

ACT 15:1 NIV Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved."

 

ACT 15:24 NIV We have heard that some went out from us without our authorisation and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.

THE NICOLAITANS AND BAALAMITES had immorality in their teachings. Although we have been redeemed from the Law's curse, we must continue to obey God's moral laws, as sin destroys the soul. (2 Pet.2 v9 to 16)

JUD 1:4 NIV For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorali­ty and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

JUD 1:11 NIV Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been de­stroyed in Korah's rebellion.

THIS SIN CAN LEAD TO A COOLING OFF IN OUR LOVE FOR THE LORD, and there would seem to be no unconditional eternal security taught here in the Bible.

4. POINT OF NEED

REV 2:4 NIV Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.

(a) IMPORTANCE OF FIRST LOVE

Loss of first love is VERY SERIOUS, and Peter underlines it :

2PE 2:20 NIV If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.

THE EVIDENCE OF BACKSLIDING IS :­

(i) SELFISH AIMS.

Prov.14 v.14 shows the Backslider full of his own ways.cf Isa 1:4. Jer.14:7.

HOS 11:7 NIV My people are determined to turn from me. Even if they call to the Most High, he will by no means exalt them.

(ii) SPIRITUAL LOVE COOLED

MAT 24:12 NIV Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,

(iii) SEPARATION FROM KINGDOM

LUK 9:62 NIV Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

(iv) STRONG BONDAGE TO FORMS

GAL 4:9 NIV But now that you know Godor rather are known by Godhow is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

(v) SEPARATION FROM GOD & LOSS OF JOY IN THE LORD

HEB 10:38 NIV But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him."

(B) INFLUENCING FACTORS IN BACKSLIDING

(i) ABSENCE OF SPIRITUAL LEADERS

Just as Moses being away from the people (Exod 32:1,8) brought backsliding, so the Apostle John's enforced absence from the Church may have led to this going back

(ii) ASSOCIATION WITH LESS SPIRITUAL FRIENDS

1KI 11:4 NIV As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

A CHURCH CAN CONTINUE AS A SOCIAL ENTITY BY COMMITTEES AND AR­RANGEMENTS, ALTHOUGH IT HAS LOST ITS FIRST LOVE AND POWER IN CHRIST.THE LORD THEN MAY RAISE UP A REMNANT OR BRING A NEW CHURCH OUT OF THE OLD FORM, WHICH IS STIFLING HIS POWER. The Church here has to return to their first love and miracle works

(iii) ABSORPTION INTO THE WORLD Some Jewish kings did what was right BUT NOT WITH A PERFECT HEART

2CH 25:2 NIV He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not wholeheartedly.

SUCCESS AND WORLDLY ACCEPTANCE CAN CORRUPT A CHURCH

(IV) ANOINTING OF GOD IS LOST

This Church may have continued their evangelistic services, but there was no anointing or miracles, like those on the rock who received the word gladly, and then fell away under pressure

LUK 8:13 NIV Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.

(cf DEMAS FORSOOK PAUL in favour of the world & lost the anoint­ing of God.

2TI 4:10 NIV for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. )

4. PERSONAL CHALLENGE = remember/repent/remove

REV 2:5 NIV Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.       

(a) REMEMBER

This can be translated "Remember what loss you have sustained" from the early days of your anointing in Christ. The PRODIGAL SON came to HIMSELF before he came home to find welcome and rein­statement.LUK 15:17 NIV "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!

LUK 15:20 NIV So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

ONCE YOU ARE A SON, YOU ARE NOT ALWAYS A SON, BUT CAN DIE TO YOUR PRIVILEGES, UNLESS YOU REMEMBER YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

LUK 15:24 NIV For this son of mine was dead and is alive again;

JER 2:2 NIV "Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem: "'I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the desert, through a land not sown.

JOH 14:26 NIV But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.LET THE SPIRIT WORK IN THE BACKSLIDER!

(b) REPENT

There is a real repentance for Christians ­­ even Apostles like Peter

LUK 22:32 NIV But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."

There is a DEFINITE CHANGE IN HEART AND MIND

HOS 14:2 NIV Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: "Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.

ACT 8:22 NIV Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.

(C) REMOVING THE LAMPSTAND is the alternative for NOT obeying the Lord If we fail to repent, we can degenerate to a place where we have all the FORMS OF CHRISTIANITY WITHOUT the POWER AND LOVE OF GOD being ministered. A DEAD SHELL IS LEFT AND GOD WILL WITHDRAW OUR PRIVILEGES.

MAT 21:43 NIV "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

REPENT BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE as when Esau sought, but could not find a place

HEB 12:17 NIV Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.

DO IT NOW !