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Part 7 of 8
Revelation Series
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Have you ever waited anxiously for a letter to arrive—maybe a bonus check, a college acceptance, or news from a loved one? You check the mailbox every day, and when it finally comes, you read it once, twice, three times, then share it with friends and family because the news is so encouraging.
That's what the first-century Christians experienced when they received the book of Revelation. When this letter arrived, it was so encouraging that the congregation read it aloud repeatedly and shared it with other churches. Jesus promised in chapter 1, verse 3: "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it because the time is near."
For years, people have said they don't like Revelation because it's frightening and intimidating. But Revelation is the only book in the Bible with a specific promise to bless those who read it. It was never meant to be scary—it was meant to be a book of encouragement and hope.
John had been exiled to Patmos. The story goes that they tried to kill him, but he wouldn't die, so they exiled him instead. On Patmos, Jesus gave John a vision and told him to write down exactly what he saw. Jesus instructed him in chapter 1, verse 19: "Write therefore what you have seen, what is now, and what will take place later."
These letters were written to real people—not just spiritual stories. They had families, jobs, and were experiencing intense persecution. The letters assured them that no matter how difficult things had become, God is a good God who absolutely loves them, and God is in control.
The same is true for us today. No matter how bad things get, we need to be reminded of God's goodness and God's control.
Imagine two white pillars. One pillar says Goodness—the goodness of God, that God is still on the throne and in control, no matter what we see in the news. The other pillar says God is a good God that absolutely loves us, no matter how many mistakes we've made.
As long as you stand between these two pillars, contentment, faith, and peace will rise in your life. No matter what happens to you, you'll know God's got this.
The problem comes when we step outside these pillars. If you say, "I believe God's on the throne, but I've made so many mistakes—does He really love me?" then peace goes down and fear, worry, and anxiety go up. Or if you say, "God loves me, but have you seen the news? Are things really under His control?" fear rises again.
The Bible tells us: without faith, it's impossible to please God. Not hard—impossible. Faith means standing between these two pillars, believing He's a good God and believing He's in control, even when you don't understand what's happening. You trust that He loves you and that He's working all things together for good.
This isn't something that happens by chance. It's an intentional choice. You must determine to build your faith on these two pillars.
One reason this book is so important is that it reminds us of these two pillars. But Satan will do whatever he can to discourage the church from reading Revelation. He wants to keep us from being reminded of God's goodness and control. However, God intended Revelation to be a blessing to the church—a book of hope and anticipation for what lies ahead.
Jesus wrote letters to seven churches in Asia Minor. We don't know exactly why He chose these seven, but theologians believe they may represent different eras of church history. If so, Laodicea—the last church—represents where we are right now.
Each letter had a very specific message for each congregation, and they were circulated among all the churches. Jesus repeatedly extended an appeal: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." We get so preoccupied with everyday life that we often miss what Jesus is trying to show us.
We focus on our failures, disappointments, and struggles, letting them get between us and God. That's why prayer is essential—it refocuses us on Jesus and keeps us listening to Him.
Jesus starts each letter with words of encouragement and praise, saying: "I know." Nothing gets past Jesus. He knows your successes and your failures. He knows the hurts you're experiencing and exactly what you need.
Satan, on the other hand, wants to convince you that God doesn't care about you. You'll hear people say, "I don't know if God really cares about me or loves me." But that's not your own thought—that's Satan, who is a liar and the father of lies.
You're going to hear three voices in your life:
You must determine which voice you're listening to. It's imperative that you know the truth, because if you believe Satan's lies, you'll respond accordingly. He whispers, "Why do you even go to church? Doesn't God really not care about you?"
At the close of each letter, Jesus appeals again: "Hear what the Spirit says to the churches." These letters were specific to each church, but the same message, promise, and warning apply to every church today.
Ephesus was located in what is modern-day Turkey. While Pergamum was the capital of the Roman province of Asia, Ephesus was the most important city, with a population of more than 250,000 people. It was a major commercial, political, and religious power.
The city was home to the Temple of Diana, the goddess of sex and fertility. Worship there involved illicit sex with temple prostitutes and sexual orgies. The church at Ephesus existed in an extremely difficult and corrupt culture. Paul founded the church, and Timothy was the first pastor.
In Revelation 2:1, Jesus says: "These are the words of him who holds the Seven Stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands."
Jesus explains this imagery in chapter one: the lampstands represent the seven churches, and the stars represent the messengers or pastors of the churches. Jesus walks among the churches. This is important because it means He's always with us. He knows all the things we do.
There are times we all go through difficulties and wonder, "Where's God in this?" But the Scripture promises us that He'll never leave you or forsake you. Not only is He with you, but He wants to be in a relationship with you. That's why we worship Him, gather together to worship Him, and should want to emulate Him.
Nothing happens in your life that He doesn't know about. He knows your thoughts. He knows your attitude whether good or bad. He's watching how you behave. We're so worried about what others think of us, but the only one who really matters is Jesus. He sees what you read. He knows what you watch. He knows what you say and how you're living your life.
In verse 2, Jesus commends the Ephesians: "I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be Apostles but are not and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name and have not grown weary."
Jesus gives them praise for two things:
1. Their Deeds
They were hard workers willing to get their hands dirty and serve other people. They understood that every believer is a minister with a responsibility to do the work of ministry. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2: "For we are God's handiwork, and we were created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Before you were ever born, God knew you and had a purpose and plan for your life. We were created to do good works.
Unfortunately, most churches in America are dying today because their people are not engaged in the work of ministry. The biggest percentage of churches in America are declining because their people have drifted away from using their gifts and talents. They've become spectators observing from the sidelines. But at Ephesus, the people were engaged—helping the hurting and reaching those far from God.
My hope for Northview is that as you read Revelation, it will ignite something in you. You'll begin to see that God wants to use you. Many people say, "I don't have any gifts. I'm just not talented." But that's a lie of the enemy. God knew you before you were born and has given you gifts and talents He wants you to use for His kingdom.
Consider this: there are around 10,000 people who gather at all our campuses each week. Imagine if everyone decided to engage with their God-given talents and serve the Lord. We would have an amazing impact not just on our city, but on the state, the nation, and the world.
2. Their Doctrine
Jesus also commended them for their doctrine. They refused to tolerate evil and tested the claims of false teachers against the Word of God.
My greatest concern as a pastor is how many Christians today are not reading the Word of God. Satan is a liar. How will you know you're being lied to if you don't know the truth?
There are around two billion Christians in the world today, and statistics say 80% of them never open their Bible except in church. That is frightening. It's essential that we read God's Word to protect ourselves from the enemy's lies.
Consider this scenario: If someone told you your spouse was in a horrible car wreck and wouldn't survive, fear and panic would rise immediately. But then someone else comes and says, "That's a lie. Your spouse is fine right there." Immediately your emotions calm down because you discovered it was a lie. You respond according to what you believe is truth.
If Satan convinces you something is true and Scripture clearly tells you it's not, you'll respond accordingly. You must get into God's Word to protect yourself from the enemy's lies. Jesus told us Satan is the father of lies and will do whatever he can to destroy your faith through lying.
At Yellowstone National Park, there are signs saying "Don't feed the bears." Most people think these signs are for human protection, but they're actually for the bears' protection. Each year, friendly bears get food from visitors all summer. When tourists leave, some bears die because they've forgotten how to feed themselves.
Have you forgotten how to feed yourself spiritually? You can't depend on your pastor, a podcast, your parents, or a TV preacher to feed you. You've got to feed yourself. You need God's Word as the foundation of your faith.
Thomas Jefferson once wrote: "I have always said, and always will say, that the studious perusal of the Holy scriptures will make better citizens, better fathers, better husbands. The Bible makes the best people in the world."
The Ephesians gathered together regularly to hear God's Word and pray. We gather once a week; they gathered daily. They shared meals, came together regularly, and made worship a priority even when they didn't feel like it. They obeyed God's Word. They weren't giving into sexual sin or explosions of anger. They loved their children and raised them in the admonition of the Lord.
There's something powerful about Christians who faithfully, day after day, do what God has called them to do. That's why knowing God's Word and determining to live by it is so critical.
At this point, the Ephesians probably felt pretty good about themselves. They were excited about the praise. But then they got to verse 4: "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first."
Jesus says: "You've worked hard. You've been persevering. You haven't tolerated evil. But there's one thing—you've forsaken the love you had at first."
What God is interested in is not the things you've done and the list you make and check off. God is interested in your heart, because He knows if you fall in love with Him, everything else will fall into place. If He's your priority—if He's the most important thing in your life—you'll want to please Him and serve Him without even thinking about it. You won't worry about checking off a list; you'll just do it because you love Him.
There are more than 600 Old Testament commandments, and a Jewish boy before he's twelve had to memorize them all. One day a Pharisee asked Jesus what the most important commandment was. Jesus responded:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments."
Jesus was saying: I know there are 600 commandments, but if you do these two things—love God with everything within your being and love your neighbor as yourself—you'll do all the rest of them. You don't need to worry about the rest. More than anything else, Jesus wants to be in a relationship with us.
For those of you who are married, think back to when you first fell in love. You thought about that person at night before you fell asleep. They were the first thing you thought about in the morning when you got out of bed. You were passionate about your love for them. You talked about them to everybody; you wanted everyone to know how wonderful they were.
When Sandy and I were dating in high school, if we weren't together, we were on the phone talking to each other. I talked about her to everybody. I was over the moon for this girl. You were attentive to their needs; you loved spending time together.
But then something starts to happen in a lot of couples. They get married, life is wonderful, they're so in love, and they think it's always going to be this way. And then neglect sets in. Apathy. Indifference. You begin to take your spouse for granted. You don't talk to each other as much as you used to. You stop putting their needs before your own. You no longer make the effort to keep the relationship special. You don't trust them like you once did.
Before you know it, you just don't care as much. If you're honest, you don't feel the way you once did, and you've become indifferent about the relationship. When that happens, we all see it. We all could tell you where that relationship is headed. We all know families and friends where you'll see a couple that was once so in love, and you can see them drifting apart. You can see the indifference taking place. You might say to your spouse, "They're not going to make it unless something changes."
The same thing is true with our relationship with Jesus. You used to be so in love with Him. You thought about Him all the time. You wanted your friends to meet Him and experience what you've experienced. But for a lot of different reasons, you've kind of neglected Him, and you just don't feel it anymore.
Now all of a sudden, even your friends are saying, "Man, I don't know what's going on with them spiritually, but they're not going to make it if something doesn't change. They've kind of walked away from that first love."
Of course, we quickly push back and say, "Steve, you know that's easy for you to say, but come on—life is hectic! I've got kids now, and they're involved in all these activities. I'm trying to get a promotion at work. I just have so many other things that need to happen, so it's just not the priority it used to be."
But this is what Jesus told the church at Ephesus they needed to do. In verse 5, He says:
"Consider how far 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."
Not only does He tell them what they need to do, but He gives them a pretty strong warning of what's going to happen if they don't do it. The first thing you need to do is stop right where you're at. You need to think about it. Remember what you felt when you first discovered a relationship with Jesus.
This isn't just going to happen. It's going to take you being intentional. You need to say to yourself: "I need to stop and think about this. I realize spiritually I'm not where I used to be. What's happened here? Why am I not where I used to be?"
Jesus wants us to recall the love and the emotion we once felt for Him. Remember what it was like when our love for Him motivated everything we did—when we did what we did because we wanted to serve the Lord, because we were so in love with Him and wanted the rest of the world to experience it as well.
Once we've remembered, Jesus said we need to repent. So often we think the word "repent" just means "I'm sorry." But that's not what it really means. To repent is to change directions. To repent is to go 180 degrees the other way. To begin to do the tasks and take the actions that you once did before.
He's telling us we need to get back to the relationship we once experienced with Jesus. We need to stop neglecting our relationship with God and once again make Jesus the priority of our life.
Did you once find time to pray? Then you need to find time again. Did you once have a daily devotion and a quiet time? Then you need to do it again. Guys, we need to fall in love with Jesus all over again.
So: Remember. Repent. Return. Because if you don't, He says He will remove your lampstand from its place. In other words, He's warning them that if they ignore this and don't do anything about it, their light is going to burn out. And that's exactly what happened to the church at Ephesus. There is no church there. There is no work in Ephesus today.
This reminds me of an old couple driving down the road. The wife turns to him and says, "You remember when we used to sit close together and snuggle as we drove? What happened?" He turns and goes, "I didn't move."
When you feel like your relationship is not what it used to be with Jesus, please remember: He didn't move.
Verse 6 says:
"But you have this in your favor: you hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate."
The Nicolaitans were basically a cult who taught impure doctrines and followed impure practices. I believe with everything in my being that God loves all mankind. I believe He loves the Nicolaitans. I believe He loves every one of us. But it says He hates their practices. He hates their bad habits.
Friends, God loves you and He loves me, but there may be some bad habits or practices in your life that He is not pleased with at all. You can't just do anything you want and think God's okay with it. Yes, we serve a God of grace and mercy who loves us and is very forgiving. When we mess up, He stands with His arms open wide, ready to receive us. But you can't just live any way you want and think everything's going to be okay in your life.
Jesus closed the letter with a promise and a challenge for every believer who's willing to respond and obey:
"To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."
Who is the overcomer? First John 5:5 tells us: "It is the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."
If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and you are following Him, then friends, you are indeed an overcomer, and you will spend all eternity with Jesus.
As I bring this to a close: if you're a Christian, I want you to be self-aware. I want you to be honest with yourself and ask yourself: Are you still in love with Jesus? Are you standing between those two pillars? Do you have that passionate, emotional, extravagant love for Jesus, or has your heart kind of grown cold? Has the flame kind of burned itself out?
If so, you need to do the same thing He told the church at Ephesus. You need to repent and return to that same relationship.
