1 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:15,720 Well, last night at our young adults group, we were looking at 2 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:19,600 the character of Andrew the disciple, as we began our Bible study 3 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:21,760 series, looking at the disciples. 4 00:00:22,240 --> 00:00:25,680 And we read together a passage from John 1. 5 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:28,840 And reading that passage, we were able to determine a little bit 6 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:30,160 about Andrew's character. 7 00:00:30,890 --> 00:00:34,890 It was a helpful exercise so that we could get to know and understand 8 00:00:34,890 --> 00:00:38,970 a bit about who he was as a man and who he was as a follower 9 00:00:38,970 --> 00:00:39,530 of Jesus. 10 00:00:40,490 --> 00:00:45,130 And I think there's words that we would want to use to describe 11 00:00:45,130 --> 00:00:47,970 ourselves, just like we used certain words last night to describe 12 00:00:47,970 --> 00:00:48,570 Andrew. 13 00:00:49,130 --> 00:00:52,090 And I wonder if you were to come up with a list of how you would 14 00:00:52,090 --> 00:00:55,410 like you to describe yourself, what you would come up with. 15 00:00:55,410 --> 00:00:59,030 Maybe you would consider yourself to be loving, maybe you 16 00:00:59,030 --> 00:01:00,630 would consider yourself to be patient. 17 00:01:01,430 --> 00:01:05,510 Maybe you think you're loyal, maybe you think you're trustworthy. 18 00:01:05,510 --> 00:01:07,790 And of course, there are many other words that we could use to 19 00:01:07,790 --> 00:01:10,550 describe ourselves, but one word that we might choose to use, 20 00:01:10,550 --> 00:01:13,590 and it came up last night, is the word faithful. 21 00:01:14,710 --> 00:01:18,710 I think we like to think that others would consider us people on 22 00:01:18,710 --> 00:01:23,750 whom they can rely and trust, that no matter what the situation, 23 00:01:23,830 --> 00:01:28,930 we would be there, faithful to our families, faithful to our friends, 24 00:01:28,930 --> 00:01:31,490 to support them in whatever they're going through. 25 00:01:32,930 --> 00:01:36,050 I think we'd like to think that we are faithful people. 26 00:01:37,730 --> 00:01:41,170 The term faithful has been used to describe so many people and 27 00:01:41,170 --> 00:01:42,130 so many things. 28 00:01:42,770 --> 00:01:47,170 Old Faithful was the name given to a geyser in Yellowstone 29 00:01:47,250 --> 00:01:50,690 national park because it erupted on a regular basis. 30 00:01:50,770 --> 00:01:55,050 In fact, since the year 2000, it has erupted every 44 minutes to 31 00:01:55,050 --> 00:01:55,650 2 hours. 32 00:01:55,650 --> 00:01:59,910 Without fate, it was dependable and could be counted on 33 00:01:59,910 --> 00:02:01,590 to do what it was supposed to do. 34 00:02:01,590 --> 00:02:04,390 And so it got the name Old Faithful. 35 00:02:05,270 --> 00:02:09,510 But I also remember visiting Edinburgh as a child and seeing the 36 00:02:09,510 --> 00:02:14,750 statue of Grey Friars, Bobby, the Skye terrier, who demonstrated 37 00:02:14,750 --> 00:02:15,910 what faithfulness was. 38 00:02:16,070 --> 00:02:19,510 Bobby was the dog of John Gray, who had come to Edinburgh to 39 00:02:19,510 --> 00:02:20,470 work as a policeman. 40 00:02:20,470 --> 00:02:24,000 Well, actually he was a gardener and he found work as a policeman 41 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:24,840 in Edinburgh. 42 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:29,280 Now, this was at a time whenever. 43 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:31,880 This was the time whenever Bobby found Gray. 44 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:34,800 Often people think Gray found Bobby, but no, it was the dog that 45 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:35,480 found the man. 46 00:02:36,280 --> 00:02:41,760 And Bobby started following the Bobby, as in the policeman around 47 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:42,840 in his patrols. 48 00:02:43,640 --> 00:02:47,262 Now, John Gray died of tuberculosis on the 15th of February, 49 00:02:47,418 --> 00:02:51,550 1858, but he was always known as the policeman with the dog following 50 00:02:51,630 --> 00:02:52,030 him. 51 00:02:52,270 --> 00:02:57,870 And when he was buried in Grey Friars Kirkyard for 14 years, Bobby 52 00:02:57,870 --> 00:03:01,710 the dog stared at his master's graveside, demonstrating not only 53 00:03:01,710 --> 00:03:05,550 a faithfulness in life, but also in death. 54 00:03:06,990 --> 00:03:10,630 And as we turn to the first 11 verses of Revelation chapter two, 55 00:03:10,630 --> 00:03:14,670 this evening we come to the seven churches to which John had 56 00:03:14,670 --> 00:03:16,670 important messages to communicate. 57 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:20,760 And before we get into the seven, we'll look at two tonight 58 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,040 and then we'll pick it up in a few weeks time. 59 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:28,240 The thing to remember this is not a Woolworths or a Tesco pick 60 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:31,240 and mix wall that well, you know, I'm going to identify most 61 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:34,480 with this church whenever you look at it. 62 00:03:34,640 --> 00:03:36,960 He who has an ear to hear, let him hear. 63 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:39,680 We're going to come across that and bring that verse up a couple 64 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:40,720 of times this evening. 65 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:45,910 But these letters to the churches were to be read to all the 66 00:03:45,910 --> 00:03:46,510 churches. 67 00:03:47,390 --> 00:03:51,190 The two churches we look at tonight, Ephesus and Smyrna, were 68 00:03:51,190 --> 00:03:53,870 not just for those churches. 69 00:03:54,590 --> 00:03:57,990 They were going to be read by all seven and all the other churches 70 00:03:57,990 --> 00:03:59,550 right through to churches today. 71 00:04:00,350 --> 00:04:03,950 And so whenever we read them, we must understand they're not just 72 00:04:04,510 --> 00:04:10,270 for whoever they're written to, they're for us all to learn from. 73 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:14,160 And so these first two churches that we look at this evening, 74 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:19,440 Ephesus and Smyrna, they're presented to us as different situations 75 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:20,920 and how they find themselves. 76 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:26,240 But what is key that we'll discover is will they remain faithful 77 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:28,680 to Christ to the end? 78 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:34,120 Remember, Jesus has said, I am coming soon. 79 00:04:36,530 --> 00:04:41,290 And so here are churches who are now going to be challenged to 80 00:04:41,290 --> 00:04:45,650 see if they will remain faithful to the end when Jesus returns. 81 00:04:46,690 --> 00:04:50,210 In chapter one, we saw that the churches are described as lampstands. 82 00:04:50,290 --> 00:04:53,490 And in the midst of them is the risen Jesus Christ. 83 00:04:54,050 --> 00:04:59,290 Revelation 1:12 13 told us, Then I turned, this is John, to see 84 00:04:59,290 --> 00:05:00,730 the voice that was speaking to me. 85 00:05:00,730 --> 00:05:03,570 And on turning I saw seven golden lampstands. 86 00:05:03,570 --> 00:05:06,690 And in the midst of the lampstands, one like a son of man, 87 00:05:06,690 --> 00:05:11,310 clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. 88 00:05:12,110 --> 00:05:15,470 The concluding verse of chapter one interprets this scene 89 00:05:15,470 --> 00:05:19,470 for us by saying that the seven lampstands are the seven churches. 90 00:05:19,950 --> 00:05:25,110 So Jesus is in the midst of his church and it's important that 91 00:05:25,110 --> 00:05:29,790 we know that he's not looking down on them, nor is he far away. 92 00:05:30,430 --> 00:05:34,110 He is concerned about them and he is close to them. 93 00:05:35,020 --> 00:05:39,220 The seven churches are located in what we now know what was known 94 00:05:39,220 --> 00:05:42,820 then as the province of Asia and what we now know today as modern 95 00:05:42,820 --> 00:05:43,660 day Turkey. 96 00:05:44,060 --> 00:05:47,460 And these are churches that should be familiar to us as some 97 00:05:47,460 --> 00:05:50,140 of them are mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. 98 00:05:50,140 --> 00:05:52,900 And the first church that we come to is Ephesus. 99 00:05:52,900 --> 00:05:55,900 And if you look at the map there, you'll see in the middle of 100 00:05:55,900 --> 00:05:58,940 the Aegean Sea, a little white box that says Patmos. 101 00:05:59,100 --> 00:06:01,020 That's the island from which John is writing. 102 00:06:01,020 --> 00:06:03,500 And if you look at the red writing down on that green area, 103 00:06:03,500 --> 00:06:07,120 you will see the closest church to Patmos is Ephesus. 104 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:12,240 So I'm not saying that John could see it, but in terms of proximity, 105 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,440 he's writing to the first church that is the closest to him. 106 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:19,360 And this is a church that was planted by Paul during his third 107 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:20,480 missionary journey. 108 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:24,600 And Ephesus played an important role as a port city on 109 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:26,800 the west coast of the province of Asia. 110 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:31,490 The city was famous for its temple to Artemis, which we read 111 00:06:31,490 --> 00:06:36,730 about in Acts 19 and was also enthusiastic about the imperial cult. 112 00:06:37,450 --> 00:06:40,970 Now the imperial cult we'll come across again in different cities. 113 00:06:41,850 --> 00:06:46,530 The different cities in these seven churches, that was where they 114 00:06:46,530 --> 00:06:47,610 worshiped the emperor. 115 00:06:47,610 --> 00:06:50,650 That's what the imperial cult was, emperor worship. 116 00:06:50,890 --> 00:06:54,330 And so not only did they have a temple to Artemis, but they had 117 00:06:54,330 --> 00:07:01,470 a temple in Ephesus for Julius Caesar, a temple for the emperor 118 00:07:01,470 --> 00:07:06,510 Domitian, who lived or who reigned between 81 and 96 AD also 119 00:07:06,510 --> 00:07:10,350 may have been built before John wrote Revelation, but was certainly 120 00:07:10,350 --> 00:07:12,350 there into the 1000s AD. 121 00:07:13,070 --> 00:07:17,030 So the Ephesian church, like every church, is to reflect the light 122 00:07:17,030 --> 00:07:20,270 of God's holiness in a pagan society. 123 00:07:22,030 --> 00:07:27,560 It is to show a love to the world of Jesus and to know that Jesus 124 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:31,240 walks among them as believers and he knows what is happening. 125 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:34,480 And so what's presented here, as with the rest of the churches, 126 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:38,480 is like a school report with how well they have done and warnings 127 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:43,520 that need to be given so they can stay the course to remain faithful 128 00:07:43,520 --> 00:07:44,200 to the end. 129 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:48,360 And verse one opens with reflecting back to chapter one. 130 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:51,680 Jesus is identified as the one who's giving the message to the church 131 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:56,240 and commands the angel of the church in Ephesus to write down what 132 00:07:56,240 --> 00:07:56,840 he says. 133 00:07:57,990 --> 00:08:00,950 Now, the angels which perhaps guard and protect the churches or 134 00:08:00,950 --> 00:08:05,270 represent them in heaven, are in the hand of the Son of Man, because 135 00:08:05,430 --> 00:08:08,790 ultimately it is Jesus who protects the church. 136 00:08:09,590 --> 00:08:12,710 And the church in Ephesus has been faithful to the Lord Jesus. 137 00:08:13,030 --> 00:08:15,750 Look at what he says to them in verses 2 and 3. 138 00:08:16,150 --> 00:08:21,390 I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how 139 00:08:21,390 --> 00:08:25,110 you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who 140 00:08:25,110 --> 00:08:30,290 call themselves apostles and are not, found them to be false. 141 00:08:31,250 --> 00:08:35,850 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's 142 00:08:35,850 --> 00:08:39,730 sake, and you have not grown weary. 143 00:08:41,090 --> 00:08:44,410 The church in Ephesus is where Paul spent three years teaching the 144 00:08:44,410 --> 00:08:49,090 word of God, Apollos and Timothy and John himself taught there. 145 00:08:49,650 --> 00:08:53,890 Ephesus was an extremely well taught church from the time the church 146 00:08:53,890 --> 00:08:54,850 was first planted. 147 00:08:55,290 --> 00:08:58,250 And one of the things that Jesus knows, something that made 148 00:08:58,250 --> 00:09:03,050 his heart glad, was that the church had real doctrinal discernment. 149 00:09:03,770 --> 00:09:05,370 Look at it there in the verse. 150 00:09:05,850 --> 00:09:11,610 They knew how to spot a fake peddler of God's Word and they had 151 00:09:11,770 --> 00:09:15,690 persevered in working to make the true Gospel known. 152 00:09:16,250 --> 00:09:19,770 They had worked hard in a difficult city where idol worship 153 00:09:19,770 --> 00:09:23,210 was forced into the society and culture all about them. 154 00:09:24,410 --> 00:09:28,770 They have not allowed themselves to be dragged down with 155 00:09:28,770 --> 00:09:33,450 false gods and have continued to remain true and faithful to their 156 00:09:33,450 --> 00:09:35,210 Savior and Lord Jesus. 157 00:09:36,890 --> 00:09:37,290 But. 158 00:09:38,730 --> 00:09:39,770 There is a but. 159 00:09:40,810 --> 00:09:44,810 After such a good report, you can imagine their hearts sinking 160 00:09:44,970 --> 00:09:46,170 by what they hear next. 161 00:09:46,170 --> 00:09:53,620 In verses four and five, Jesus says, but I have this against you. 162 00:09:55,060 --> 00:09:58,820 Now this will make them sit up after such a glowing report. 163 00:09:59,620 --> 00:10:01,300 What is Jesus about to say? 164 00:10:04,020 --> 00:10:09,380 I have this against you that you have abandoned the love you had 165 00:10:09,460 --> 00:10:10,180 at first. 166 00:10:10,900 --> 00:10:13,460 Remember therefore from where you have fallen. 167 00:10:15,390 --> 00:10:18,510 Repent and do the works you did at first. 168 00:10:18,750 --> 00:10:22,510 If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place 169 00:10:23,070 --> 00:10:25,390 unless you repent. 170 00:10:26,990 --> 00:10:28,590 This is a bit of a shocking report. 171 00:10:29,550 --> 00:10:32,350 They have abandoned their first love. 172 00:10:33,950 --> 00:10:37,150 And whenever we think back to what Jesus has already said around 173 00:10:37,150 --> 00:10:44,370 this topic, we go to Matthew 24:12, where Jesus wants the pressures 174 00:10:44,370 --> 00:10:47,970 of the evil age to not affect his people. 175 00:10:48,450 --> 00:10:52,290 He doesn't want his disciples to grow cold by what is going on 176 00:10:52,290 --> 00:10:52,770 in the world. 177 00:10:52,770 --> 00:10:56,730 Because there in Matthew 24, he says, and because lawlessness 178 00:10:56,730 --> 00:11:01,490 will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 179 00:11:03,250 --> 00:11:07,970 Here's Jesus warning his disciples not to go after the things 180 00:11:07,970 --> 00:11:12,010 of the world, because when they do well, they will grow cold. 181 00:11:13,290 --> 00:11:17,610 So how can they here in Ephesus be said to have abandoned 182 00:11:17,610 --> 00:11:21,490 their first love when verses two to three give such a glowing 183 00:11:21,490 --> 00:11:22,890 report of faithfulness? 184 00:11:24,810 --> 00:11:28,490 Well, these verses, this letter to the Church is not a timeline 185 00:11:29,610 --> 00:11:33,130 because verses 2 and 3 are written in the present tense, not 186 00:11:33,130 --> 00:11:34,170 the past tense. 187 00:11:35,210 --> 00:11:39,480 These statements are all given so that we may know this is the current 188 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:40,760 position of the Church. 189 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:45,000 Abandoning your first love means that you have strayed from 190 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:49,480 both love of God and love of fellow believers, and the two are 191 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:50,280 inseparable. 192 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:55,960 The church at Ephesus was persistent and it was Orthodox, but 193 00:11:55,960 --> 00:12:00,200 a hardness callousness had arisen in its ranks. 194 00:12:00,760 --> 00:12:05,540 They needed a renewed fervency, a renewed tenderness for 195 00:12:05,540 --> 00:12:07,340 the Lord and for one another. 196 00:12:08,540 --> 00:12:13,500 True Orthodoxy is Always warm, it's always loving, and it's always 197 00:12:13,500 --> 00:12:14,860 generous in spirit. 198 00:12:15,340 --> 00:12:17,500 Because this is what John has already told us. 199 00:12:17,500 --> 00:12:21,660 In First John 4, verse 20, he makes it clear that love of God means 200 00:12:21,660 --> 00:12:23,900 that we love our brothers and sisters in the Lord. 201 00:12:23,900 --> 00:12:27,620 He writes, if anyone says, I love God and hates his brother, he 202 00:12:27,620 --> 00:12:28,460 is a liar. 203 00:12:29,510 --> 00:12:33,670 For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot 204 00:12:33,750 --> 00:12:36,070 love God whom he has not seen. 205 00:12:39,030 --> 00:12:40,710 Now, that's striking. 206 00:12:42,310 --> 00:12:43,990 That's a strong warning. 207 00:12:46,230 --> 00:12:50,430 These are words that warn us of how we are to love each other 208 00:12:50,430 --> 00:12:51,030 in Christ. 209 00:12:51,670 --> 00:12:55,670 This is to be the mark and the standard of the church. 210 00:12:56,610 --> 00:13:00,970 To not love in this way, John says, is a demonstration that we 211 00:13:00,970 --> 00:13:03,330 are not truly loving God. 212 00:13:04,450 --> 00:13:05,810 So let me ask you this. 213 00:13:06,450 --> 00:13:10,370 Are you truly loving the people of God in this place? 214 00:13:11,650 --> 00:13:13,570 Are you speaking well of them? 215 00:13:13,730 --> 00:13:17,090 Or are you ridiculing them, gossiping about them and speaking 216 00:13:17,090 --> 00:13:18,050 bad about them? 217 00:13:18,450 --> 00:13:21,610 And, you know, I need to search my own heart to answer this 218 00:13:21,610 --> 00:13:26,140 question, and I think we need all to do that as well. 219 00:13:27,660 --> 00:13:30,980 You see, as we will see with all the words given to the seven 220 00:13:30,980 --> 00:13:32,940 churches, there is a challenge to hear. 221 00:13:32,940 --> 00:13:37,700 This verse seven begins that challenge by saying, he who has an 222 00:13:37,700 --> 00:13:42,060 ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 223 00:13:43,820 --> 00:13:45,580 And so this issue isn't trivial. 224 00:13:46,780 --> 00:13:50,100 It's not one that we can choose to ignore if we're seriously 225 00:13:50,100 --> 00:13:51,100 living for Christ. 226 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:56,040 Because what's the consequence if they don't get their act together, 227 00:13:56,040 --> 00:14:00,120 if they don't fall in love with Jesus again so that they can 228 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:03,440 love him and love each other and not speak ill of each other? 229 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:07,000 Well, in verse 5, Jesus threatens to come and remove their 230 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:10,080 lampstand if they do not repent. 231 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:15,520 Removing the lampstand means the church will lose its status as 232 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:16,480 a Christian church. 233 00:14:17,210 --> 00:14:20,850 The light of Christ will no longer shine and the message of the 234 00:14:20,850 --> 00:14:25,450 Gospel will no longer resound from a church that has lost its first 235 00:14:25,530 --> 00:14:25,930 love. 236 00:14:26,890 --> 00:14:31,370 What the church must do is to remember where they were previously. 237 00:14:31,610 --> 00:14:35,810 And as in their earlier days, of love and devotion to Christ, they 238 00:14:35,810 --> 00:14:37,370 must return to him. 239 00:14:38,410 --> 00:14:42,410 They need to repent of their sin, and they need to be faithful 240 00:14:42,410 --> 00:14:44,730 once again to their Savior and their Lord. 241 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:50,200 Because repentance is essential in our relationship with 242 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:55,000 Christ and must be something we practice as we know and see the 243 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:58,360 sin that so easily weighs us down. 244 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:01,480 Now, let me caution you here. 245 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:05,840 We've used the word church a lot, and all too often in our culture, 246 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:07,960 we think of church as the institution. 247 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:10,520 Well, it's those boys up there. 248 00:15:12,170 --> 00:15:16,010 No, the church is the people of God, and always has been. 249 00:15:16,570 --> 00:15:19,850 And so when the church is called to repent, when the church 250 00:15:19,850 --> 00:15:26,010 is called to honestly inspect itself, it's not a charity commission 251 00:15:26,170 --> 00:15:27,850 inquiry into an institution. 252 00:15:29,050 --> 00:15:31,770 It's a deep searching of our own hearts. 253 00:15:32,570 --> 00:15:37,900 It's not pointing the finger at someone over there, it's looking 254 00:15:37,900 --> 00:15:41,420 in and seeing what is the truth of our own hearts. 255 00:15:41,420 --> 00:15:42,900 But do you see the consequences? 256 00:15:43,380 --> 00:15:45,700 Do you see the consequences that Jesus says? 257 00:15:46,100 --> 00:15:49,940 Do you see the consequences that John warns us about in his Epistle? 258 00:15:51,860 --> 00:15:54,340 This is something we must take seriously. 259 00:15:55,060 --> 00:16:00,020 We must seek forgiveness, and we must do better to love each other 260 00:16:00,660 --> 00:16:04,270 and to pray for that unity in the spirit of God. 261 00:16:05,710 --> 00:16:08,710 So as much as this is a hard challenge for this church, who have 262 00:16:08,710 --> 00:16:12,630 been accused of not keeping to their first love, of falling away, 263 00:16:12,630 --> 00:16:14,510 there is another positive to speak about. 264 00:16:15,150 --> 00:16:18,030 And Jesus wants to encourage the church in verse six, because 265 00:16:18,270 --> 00:16:19,630 there we read his words. 266 00:16:19,630 --> 00:16:20,630 Yet this you have. 267 00:16:20,630 --> 00:16:24,910 You hate the works of the Nicoletians, which I also hate. 268 00:16:25,790 --> 00:16:30,430 Now, we don't know much about these Nicolations, but they are brought 269 00:16:30,430 --> 00:16:34,120 up again in, in the letter for jaime in verse 15. 270 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:37,600 Now, they probably tolerated such things as sexual immorality 271 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:39,160 and eating food offered to idols. 272 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:44,480 It may have been that they did this in the name of love and acceptance, 273 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:48,360 all things to all men, but without presenting Christ. 274 00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:50,880 But what they're doing is. 275 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:54,760 It's not really love, it's falling for wrongful compromise. 276 00:16:55,160 --> 00:16:58,120 And the Ephesian believers followed Christ's example and hated 277 00:16:58,120 --> 00:16:59,480 what the Nicolaitians were doing. 278 00:17:00,620 --> 00:17:03,860 The Nicoletians may have been wanting to compromise, but the church 279 00:17:03,860 --> 00:17:05,260 in Ephesus was not. 280 00:17:05,660 --> 00:17:10,180 And so the challenge for us in our culture today is that in our 281 00:17:10,180 --> 00:17:15,060 apathy and in our boredom, we may hate nothing and confuse our 282 00:17:15,060 --> 00:17:18,780 apathy and tolerance with love, falling into the errors of 283 00:17:18,780 --> 00:17:20,780 relativism and pluralism. 284 00:17:21,660 --> 00:17:26,420 We need to remain faithful to Christ and know him again as our 285 00:17:26,420 --> 00:17:31,060 first love, so that as we hear and as we obey, we will not only 286 00:17:31,060 --> 00:17:36,320 conquer evil through Christ, but we will, as Jesus says, eat of 287 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:41,160 the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. 288 00:17:42,360 --> 00:17:47,240 This is how serious this challenge is to the church in Ephesus 289 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:48,440 and to the church today. 290 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:53,160 Not living by the standard of God means we lose our first love. 291 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:56,440 And that has eternal significance. 292 00:17:58,210 --> 00:18:02,450 This evening, as I plead with myself, I plead with you to be honest 293 00:18:02,690 --> 00:18:07,770 with yourself and repent of sin, so that you can have a wonderful 294 00:18:07,770 --> 00:18:12,930 assurance of enjoying the fruit of the tree of life in paradise. 295 00:18:14,290 --> 00:18:15,970 And isn't that what we want? 296 00:18:16,770 --> 00:18:23,700 That hope, that security, that when Christ comes again, we will 297 00:18:23,700 --> 00:18:26,140 be taken to be with him. 298 00:18:28,140 --> 00:18:32,780 But there is a second church to consider, and that is Smyrna. 299 00:18:33,100 --> 00:18:36,420 Now, Smyrna isn't mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, and it 300 00:18:36,420 --> 00:18:39,540 was most likely planted during Paul's third missionary journey. 301 00:18:39,540 --> 00:18:42,300 Again, and like Ephesus, it was a harbor city. 302 00:18:42,540 --> 00:18:45,980 And it was well known for its temple to the mother Goddess. 303 00:18:46,380 --> 00:18:49,980 And the imperial cult was present in the city with a temple 304 00:18:49,980 --> 00:18:51,900 built for Emperor Tiberius. 305 00:18:52,850 --> 00:18:55,770 Now, the church faced opposition for its allegiance to 306 00:18:55,770 --> 00:18:59,970 Jesus Christ from both the Jewish synagogue and the pagan culture. 307 00:19:00,290 --> 00:19:03,770 But notice the wonderful introduction to this letter to the 308 00:19:03,770 --> 00:19:06,370 church in Smyrna in verse eight. 309 00:19:08,130 --> 00:19:14,370 Let's take three, and to the angel of the church in Smyrna write 310 00:19:14,530 --> 00:19:20,540 the words of the first and the last who died and came to life. 311 00:19:21,500 --> 00:19:23,820 These are words of great encouragement. 312 00:19:24,140 --> 00:19:28,620 The church is being told that what is about to be said to them 313 00:19:28,700 --> 00:19:29,900 is truly known. 314 00:19:30,220 --> 00:19:34,460 And the Lord Jesus has endured suffering and glorious resurrection 315 00:19:34,620 --> 00:19:35,340 for them. 316 00:19:35,980 --> 00:19:40,220 Smyrna is one of two churches that doesn't face a rebuke. 317 00:19:40,460 --> 00:19:44,430 And in verse nine we see why Jesus continues. 318 00:19:44,430 --> 00:19:47,670 I know your tribulation and your poverty, but you are rich. 319 00:19:48,230 --> 00:19:52,390 And the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, 320 00:19:52,790 --> 00:19:55,190 but are a synagogue of Satan. 321 00:19:56,870 --> 00:19:59,830 I think these are beautiful words that Jesus gives to this church, 322 00:20:00,230 --> 00:20:02,990 which one of us, when facing hardship, doesn't want to know that 323 00:20:02,990 --> 00:20:05,670 our situation is known by the Savior. 324 00:20:06,310 --> 00:20:08,070 These are words of assurance. 325 00:20:08,470 --> 00:20:10,150 This is a church that is suffering. 326 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:14,960 They are spiritually rich because they were joined to Christ, 327 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:17,720 but they were financially poor. 328 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:21,040 And this may be because their commitment to Christ prevented them 329 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:24,920 from fully participating in what was the economic structure of 330 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:27,520 the time, what was known as the guilds, the professional guilds 331 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:28,400 of tradesmen. 332 00:20:29,120 --> 00:20:33,200 And to the wider business community in Smyrna, verse nine confirms 333 00:20:33,200 --> 00:20:36,560 to us that they have been slandered by the Jews. 334 00:20:37,070 --> 00:20:40,350 And so their reputation within the community was something that 335 00:20:40,350 --> 00:20:41,470 others questioned. 336 00:20:42,190 --> 00:20:44,910 But notice how the Jews are described here. 337 00:20:45,550 --> 00:20:49,710 Jesus says that they are a synagogue of Satan. 338 00:20:51,230 --> 00:20:56,270 These are people who should have known better through their knowledge 339 00:20:56,270 --> 00:21:00,030 of the scripture and rather than turning to God and his promised 340 00:21:00,030 --> 00:21:04,430 Messiah, Jesus Christ, they were working on the side of Satan. 341 00:21:06,120 --> 00:21:10,280 And isn't it interesting that those who often set themselves up 342 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:15,920 as more spiritual than others do more harm to God's people than 343 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:16,280 good? 344 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:19,400 They become the judge of all. 345 00:21:20,120 --> 00:21:23,600 They're unwilling to be honest with themselves, and they dishonor 346 00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:27,280 the name of Christ through their opinions of other believers. 347 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:32,770 Rather than building up the church, there may not be a rebuke 348 00:21:32,770 --> 00:21:34,370 for the church in Smyrna. 349 00:21:34,850 --> 00:21:39,050 But there is certainly a challenge to us in how we live and 350 00:21:39,050 --> 00:21:43,410 if we are truly faithful to Christ, as this church is commended 351 00:21:44,210 --> 00:21:45,170 in verse 10. 352 00:21:46,370 --> 00:21:48,370 But this church is not out of the woods. 353 00:21:49,010 --> 00:21:52,730 This is not a reprieve of the suffering that they're facing, this 354 00:21:52,730 --> 00:21:53,410 tribulation. 355 00:21:54,210 --> 00:21:57,170 Rather, this is an encouragement to keep going because 356 00:21:57,330 --> 00:21:58,450 it is worth it. 357 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:02,120 And now, for the second time in Revelation, we hear Jesus say 358 00:22:02,360 --> 00:22:06,920 the comforting words, do not fear. 359 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:11,000 Do not fear what you're about to suffer. 360 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:15,000 Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison that 361 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:16,160 you may be tested. 362 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:18,200 And for 10 days you will have tribulation. 363 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:24,040 Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 364 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:29,640 Although comforting words to begin with, they are put into context 365 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:33,480 by what would be words that are sobering to hear. 366 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:38,120 Their suffering wasn't going to end or decrease. 367 00:22:38,120 --> 00:22:39,800 In fact, it was going to increase. 368 00:22:40,279 --> 00:22:41,960 It wasn't going to go away quickly. 369 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:43,400 It was going to last a while. 370 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:49,480 Now, the number 10 in 10 days of tribulation seems quite short. 371 00:22:50,930 --> 00:22:53,610 If it's only going to be 10 days, surely why does Jesus need 372 00:22:53,610 --> 00:22:54,290 to tell them this? 373 00:22:54,290 --> 00:22:56,930 It'll be over and done within a week and a half, and then that's 374 00:22:56,930 --> 00:22:57,170 it. 375 00:22:58,210 --> 00:23:01,810 And so if that's not the case that it's going to be longer than 376 00:23:01,810 --> 00:23:04,810 10, there must be another meaning to the 10. 377 00:23:04,810 --> 00:23:10,210 And here it's telling us that it is God who knows the length of 378 00:23:10,210 --> 00:23:12,850 time that the tribulation will last. 379 00:23:13,970 --> 00:23:19,090 God knows the exact length of time, but there's a promise for the 380 00:23:19,090 --> 00:23:20,210 church to trust in. 381 00:23:20,770 --> 00:23:23,930 Yes, the church would continue to face tribulation as their present 382 00:23:23,930 --> 00:23:26,130 reality, and they would face death. 383 00:23:26,690 --> 00:23:30,450 But the one giving the message is the one in verse eight who said 384 00:23:31,170 --> 00:23:33,730 that they had died and come alive again. 385 00:23:34,450 --> 00:23:38,210 Jesus is assuring that the death is not the end of their story, 386 00:23:39,010 --> 00:23:43,010 and they could be assured eternal life because of their faithfulness. 387 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:44,160 Him. 388 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:50,280 The words to Smyrna are the words of the Holy Spirit, addressed 389 00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:52,560 to and applicable to all the churches. 390 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:56,520 As verse 11 tells us, he who has an ear, let him hear what the 391 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:58,240 Spirit says to the churches. 392 00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:03,920 The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death. 393 00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:09,040 The one who conquers, the one who overcomes, will not be injured 394 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:10,400 by the second death. 395 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:13,880 And John uses the phrase second death three other times in 396 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:18,000 Revelation, here and then in chapters 20 and 21, and he identifies 397 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:22,480 it as the lake of fire, and it clearly refers to punishment in hell. 398 00:24:22,560 --> 00:24:26,200 And thus we have further evidence that the crown of Life in 399 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:28,320 verse 10 refers to eternal life. 400 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:32,400 And so the Ephesians are promised eternal life if they conquer. 401 00:24:32,720 --> 00:24:35,920 Sorry, the Smyrna's are promised eternal life if they conquer. 402 00:24:36,330 --> 00:24:39,810 They will enjoy the tree of life in paradise along with the Church 403 00:24:39,810 --> 00:24:40,570 in Ephesus. 404 00:24:41,530 --> 00:24:44,250 Now John communicates the same truth in another way. 405 00:24:45,050 --> 00:24:47,850 Those who conquer won't suffer the second death. 406 00:24:48,090 --> 00:24:52,089 Yes, they will die physically, but they will be spared the second 407 00:24:52,089 --> 00:24:52,490 death. 408 00:24:52,490 --> 00:24:55,770 Eternal death, separation from God forever. 409 00:24:56,970 --> 00:25:00,210 And so these two letters to the churches warn us that we are 410 00:25:00,210 --> 00:25:01,690 to be faithful to Christ. 411 00:25:03,050 --> 00:25:05,810 In the first instance, this means that we must know him as Savior 412 00:25:05,810 --> 00:25:06,330 and Lord. 413 00:25:06,410 --> 00:25:09,850 We are to trust in him alone for our salvation and submit to his 414 00:25:09,850 --> 00:25:12,330 ways as the standard by which we live. 415 00:25:12,810 --> 00:25:16,450 This is the only way to be spared the second death and punishment 416 00:25:16,450 --> 00:25:17,770 for all eternity in Hell. 417 00:25:18,490 --> 00:25:24,210 The call is to come onto Jesus for salvation and him alone, because 418 00:25:24,210 --> 00:25:27,770 he is the only one who saves us and who keeps us. 419 00:25:28,220 --> 00:25:32,180 And this is what the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 7:25 assures us 420 00:25:32,180 --> 00:25:32,420 of. 421 00:25:32,420 --> 00:25:35,940 Consequently, he is able to save to the utmost those who draw 422 00:25:35,940 --> 00:25:40,460 near to God through Him, since he always lives to make intercession 423 00:25:40,460 --> 00:25:41,100 for them. 424 00:25:41,820 --> 00:25:45,740 This then means we live faithful lives unto death. 425 00:25:47,020 --> 00:25:55,100 And as those who do persevere, as those who are raised to life, 426 00:25:56,150 --> 00:26:00,830 we will eat of the Tree of life and receive the crown of glory 427 00:26:00,830 --> 00:26:01,750 in Paradise. 428 00:26:02,790 --> 00:26:06,790 These words are true and should not be doubted, because they 429 00:26:06,790 --> 00:26:12,390 are given to us by Jesus, and they're given to us by Jesus to warn 430 00:26:12,390 --> 00:26:15,750 us, to keep with him and trust none other. 431 00:26:17,670 --> 00:26:21,270 We've asked a few times, who is Jesus to you? 432 00:26:22,870 --> 00:26:25,350 Is this the Jesus that you will live for? 433 00:26:26,230 --> 00:26:28,230 Is this the Jesus that you will follow? 434 00:26:30,310 --> 00:26:35,910 Will you have ears to hear and will you obey? 435 00:26:37,350 --> 00:26:42,190 Because these are the letters to the churches, not just in the 436 00:26:42,190 --> 00:26:47,350 first century, not just in the persecutions that they endured, not 437 00:26:47,350 --> 00:26:51,370 just to the Reformation churches, but to the Church today, 438 00:26:52,010 --> 00:26:56,810 that we will pay attention to the one who is amongst the lampstands, 439 00:26:57,050 --> 00:27:01,610 not distant, not far off, but near and close. 440 00:27:01,610 --> 00:27:06,490 And he knows us and assures us not to fear and that he knows our 441 00:27:06,490 --> 00:27:06,970 ways. 442 00:27:09,290 --> 00:27:16,210 I will not try to give a report card because that says as 443 00:27:16,210 --> 00:27:18,490 much about me as it does anyone else. 444 00:27:19,470 --> 00:27:22,430 But Jesus here clearly marks it out for us. 445 00:27:23,230 --> 00:27:29,230 To be faithful to him is to have ears that are wide open to listen 446 00:27:30,030 --> 00:27:32,910 and a response that means we obey. 447 00:27:33,710 --> 00:27:36,350 Will you take this word seriously this evening? 448 00:27:36,910 --> 00:27:38,430 And will you plant it deep within? 449 00:27:39,550 --> 00:27:42,670 Live ever for Christ and be faithful to Him. 450 00:27:43,390 --> 00:27:44,190 Let's pray. 451 00:27:45,700 --> 00:27:49,460 Our Father God, we thank you for the glorious hope that revelation 452 00:27:49,540 --> 00:27:50,420 points us to. 453 00:27:50,820 --> 00:27:54,020 We thank you that it tells us who the Church are. 454 00:27:54,740 --> 00:27:58,020 Thank you that as we read these seven letters to the churches, 455 00:27:58,020 --> 00:28:00,180 they reflect your church in all of time. 456 00:28:01,460 --> 00:28:06,380 And Father, we know that we are living in a generation, in a 457 00:28:06,380 --> 00:28:08,020 world that is against you. 458 00:28:08,900 --> 00:28:12,100 Laws are changed so that they're harder for us to obey. 459 00:28:12,850 --> 00:28:16,210 In fact, we would have to break laws to preserve what we believe. 460 00:28:17,570 --> 00:28:19,690 This is not the society any of us want. 461 00:28:19,690 --> 00:28:21,970 It's not the society many of us were brought into. 462 00:28:22,850 --> 00:28:26,090 And so, Father, that demonstrates we cannot trust what 463 00:28:26,090 --> 00:28:26,850 is around us. 464 00:28:27,410 --> 00:28:30,610 We can only trust Christ, our first love. 465 00:28:32,210 --> 00:28:34,210 So kindle the fire afresh. 466 00:28:35,570 --> 00:28:39,580 Warm our hearts to Christ and to him alone. 467 00:28:40,540 --> 00:28:43,020 And Father, may we stand the tribulation. 468 00:28:43,980 --> 00:28:48,420 May we endure whatever is ahead, knowing that Christ is the 469 00:28:48,420 --> 00:28:54,540 one who was and is, who was dead and is now alive as we place 470 00:28:54,540 --> 00:28:56,620 our confidence in him, our risen Saviour. 471 00:28:57,180 --> 00:29:00,620 Give us ears to hear, give us hearts to obey. 472 00:29:01,420 --> 00:29:06,470 And Father, may we be faithful unto death and onto eternal life. 473 00:29:07,190 --> 00:29:10,630 We pray these things in Jesus name, Amen.