No Compromise

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This is a sermon that is part of a series of messages based on Revelation 2-3. This message is about the message that was given to the church of Pergamos and emphasizes God's desire for His church to remain pure and holy; not compromising or accomodating with ungodly and pagan practices.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

We have been following the messages in Revelation 2 that Jesus sent to the churches in Asia (Turkey). We are studying these messages with the understanding that they should be interpreted and applied the same as other prophetic scriptures in the Bible. That is, we should recognize that the message was given originally to a specific audience and contained a direct meaning for those original readers or hearers. However, we believe that the prophecies have additional applications to all Christians in all time periods as we try to take the messages and rightly apply the principles to our current time and place.

We have studied the message to Ephesus which emphasized the importance of maintaining the fervency of love for God and not allowing our devotion to grow cold and die out. Last week we looked at the message to Smyrna which emphasized the opposition and persecution that the believers were enduring and the admonition for them to remain faithful even until death, but do not fear what man could do to them.

Today, we are moving on to the third church that is mentioned – Pergamos.

What do we know about Pergamos? Pergamos (or Pergamum as it was also called) was another city in the general region of Turkey. It was situated about 60+ miles directly north of the city of Smyrna. It was the northernmost city of all seven that are mentioned here in these chapters.

Pergamos was not a coastal (harbor) city, and therefore did not attain to the same commercial greatness of either Ephesus or Smyrna, which both were closer to the sea and were important trade cities. However Pergamos surpassed both of the other cities as a cultural center. (Barclay)

The city was important even before the days of the Roman Empire and was a capital city for previous kingdoms. Then, in 133 B.C., the king of this city and the region willed his dominions to the possession of Rome. Even then, it remained the capital of the Roman province of Asia. (Barclay)

It was built up on a conical hill and maintained impressive power and prestige. Even prior to the time when the city was bequeathed to Rome, Pergamos was the location of a renowned library and the city came under the wrath of Ptolemy when a Pergamene king tried to persuade the librarian from Alexandria to come and work for them in Pergamos. (Barclay)

As a result, an embargo was launched against Pergamos to prevent papyrus from being purchased for the library. Therefore, out of necessity, parchment was invented from the skins of animals and some centuries later became much more popular and prominent than papyrus because it was more durable. (Barclay)

We’ll have more to say as we go on regarding some additional characteristics of this place called Pergamos.

Let us turn our attention now to the message that Jesus Christ gives to the church in Pergamos. As we noted in prior messages, Jesus follows a pattern in each of these messages and I have identified the pattern like this: a word of revelation; a word of commendation; a word of accusation; and a word of exhortation.

I. A Word of Revelation (v. 12)

Here again, Christ uses an interesting description of himself to identify some quality or characteristic about himself that we need to understand.

“…him who has the sharp sword with two edges.” (cf. 1:16)

(Barclay) Roman governors were divided into two classes: those who had the “right of the sword” and those who did not. The “right of the sword” gave the governor the authority over life and death and the right to execute anyone. The Roman leader based in Pergamos would have had this authority, so this could be a reminder to the Christians there that Christ’s authority and power was greater than the Roman proconsul.

Other writers refer more to the idea that is implied by various other passages in the Bible where the word of God is symbolized by the sword:

• Eph. 6:17 “… and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.”
• Heb. 4:12 (NKJV) For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
• Revelation 19:15 (NKJV) Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

It seems to me that Jesus Christ is revealing the fact that He is the Word of God revealed in the flesh (John 1:14) and He has the same power that God’s word has always had. His Word has the power of creation and the power of destruction. He speaks and worlds come into existence that did not exist before. He speaks and calms the storms. He holds all things up (together) by the Word of His power. When He returns he will strike the nations by simply speaking their demise into reality.

This is the One who has taken notice of their condition and made an assessment of them. He has the authority and the power to do with them whatever He chooses or wishes.

II. A Word of Commendation (v. 13)

A. He knows their works

We mentioned last week that this is a phrase that appears in all of the messages to all seven churches. It seems to be a reminder that God intimately knows all about every detail of our lives. He knows all of our actions and keeps a record. The Word teaches that we all will be judged some day for the deeds done in this life. (1 Peter 1:17; Rev. 20:13-13)

B. He knows their environment.

“…where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is.”

This phrase tells us that Jesus knows all about the environment in which this church exists. He understands the darkness and the level of wickedness and evil that the believers contend with on a daily basis.There are a number of ideas among Bible scholars about what this phrase refers to including:

• Temple of Zeus with a throne-like altar on a crag above the city. (Zond. Pict. Bible Dict.)
• Temple of Asclepios (god of healing), whose temples were the closest thing to hospitals in the ancient world. This god was referred to as “Asclepios the savior” by many. The emblem of this god was a serpent wrapped around a stick. (Barclay)
• Temple dedicated in 29 B.C. as first provincial temple for the worship of Roman emperors. This “emperor cult” worship led to the practice of men required to confess Caesar as Lord under threat of death. (Barclay)

All of these were probably adequate reasons for this city to be called Satan’s seat. None-the-less, Jesus is acknowledging the extreme adverse conditions in which they were required to live out their faith.

As Jesus prayed in John 17… that the Father would protect the disciples from the evil (One) in the world, even though He did not remove them from the world.

“The darker the night, the brighter the light shines.”

(Barclay) “The principle of the Christian life is not escape, but conquest.”

C. He knows their strong faith

“You hold fast my name.”

“You have not denied my faith…”

These people had faithfully held onto their allegiance to Christ, and their apparent confidence in the truth. They had not given up their confession of faith in the Lord. They had remained strong in their beliefs even in the midst of strong persecution and opposition. One example of which was the martyrdom of Antipas.

Some believe that Antipas might have been a pastor of this church.

“martyr” – same word that is normally translated “witness.” Because of the persecution and frequency of death, it was often assumed that a true witness would suffer death for Jesus.

III. A Word of Accusation (v. 14-15)

In spite of all the good things that the Lord has said about them, he goes on to bring a word of accusation against them for their blatant failures.

The point that seems to stand out to me so much is the fact that all the while these people were maintaining the right “theology” or the right terminology and were apparently willing to “die” for their faith, yet they were apparently not willing to stand against those in their “congregation” who had adulterated the practice of their faith to include various practices of sensuality and immorality.

(Barclay) [These wayward members] sought to persuade Christians that there was nothing wrong with a prudent conformity with the world’s standards.

They were compared to the OT figure, “Balaam who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication.”

(F.G. Smith) “When Balak desired Balaam to pronounce a curse against Israel, God by various means miraculously prevented Balaam’s doing so; but Balaam craftily instructed Balak to make use of the women of Moab to seduce the men of Israel to sacrifice to their idols and to indulge in the licentious accompaniments to such idolatry.”

(Bible Background Commentary) Other nations could not destroy Israel, but Balaam knew that if he could subvert their morals, God would withdraw his blessing and judge them….

“Those who hold the teachings of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.” (God hates the “thing” – i.e. teachings, not the people.)

Nicolaitans were mentioned earlier in connection with Ephesus, but I didn’t really talk about them.

The writers of early church history described these people as living their lives in “unrestrained indulgence,”  “shameless in uncleanness,” and “[they] abandon themselves to pleasure like goats.” (Barclay)

I fear that we are living in a day and age when the church is accepting more and more of the practices of the world into its fellowship with little or no objections. We seem to be simply agreeing that this is the way the world is now. But God’s Word still stands for biblical morality and standards of righteousness and holy living.

The verses we read during our Scripture reading earlier clearly stated that God expects His people to be different than the ungodly and immoral practices going on in the rest of the world.

IV. A Word of Exhortation (v. 16)

Jesus gives a very short exhortation to these people living in Pergamos…. REPENT!

He is making it very clear that He wants them to stop the way they are going and make a turnaround.

The Bible tells us that godly sorrow brings repentance. Believers who have strayed from the truth of holiness and godliness and have incorporated worldly standards of morality and sensual living need a God-given sense of sorrow and remorse for their compromise and sin. Then, they need to repent; turn around and straighten out the areas of fault and compromise in order to once again line up with the truth of God’s Word.

Conclusion:

I think this passage of Scripture reminds us of the importance of having God search our hearts and see if we are cutting corners and compromising with the philosophies and practices of the world.

We need God’s Spirit to reveal to us any tendencies to accommodate the spirit and practices of our society in order to avoid any stigma that might accompany our faithful obedience to God’s standards of holiness and righteousness.

Our closing song is a prayer that asks God to search us and reveal any spiritual need in our hearts. Let us sing this prayerfully and honestly before we close this service this morning.

Cleanse Me Oh God

Faithful until Death

(The audio recording of this message is not available due to technical difficulties.)

Rev. 2:10 “… Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”

Introduction:

We are continuing our series of messages based Revelation 2 – 3 that contains the messages from Jesus Christ unto the seven churches in Asia (modern-day Turkey).

Last Sunday we spoke about the message sent to the church at Ephesus regarding their glaring fault of forsaking their original love for Christ. At one time they demonstrated a fervent love for the Lord, but by the time John was writing this book, they had left (walked away) from the kinds of attitudes and behaviors that would have nurtured their love and kept it fresh and vibrant.

Now, we are giving attention to the second message that was directed to the church in Smyrna.

Let me just briefly review a couple of introductory points that I shared last time.

The word “angel” should probably be understood as a word that describes the person who would be delivering the message to the believers, such as a pastor or church leader. We also spoke about the possibility that even though these seven churches did actually exist in the first century, there is a likelihood that the number seven is meant to emphasize the Christian church in its entirety or as a complete group.

We mentioned that these messages had specific meaning to the original audiences to whom they were written, but they also apply to all Christians in all generations. This means that the descriptions of these seven churches, would also accurately describe individual believers and churches in every historical period of the church at large.

(Descriptions of Smyrna from Wm Barclay & F.G. Smith) The city of Smyrna, just like the other churches mentioned, was located in Asia Minor about 45 miles north of Ephesus.

Smyrna was considered the loveliest city of Asia and was called by some, the ornament, the crown and the flower of Asia. The long, narrow, land-locked harbor off the Aegean Sea ended in the heart of the city and was one of the safest harbors most easily defended in the time of war. The city of Smyrna was a free city and its loyalty to Rome dated well before the period of Rome’s ascendance to status of empire. It was a city of great trade as well as religious, and cultural eminence. It laid claim to being the birthplace of Homer. Its magnificent architecture was displayed in the many temples to pagan deities.

(Matthew Henry) Smyrna is perhaps the only city out of the seven that is still known by the same name.

As we mentioned last week, we have noticed that the messages to these seven churches all follow a similar pattern in each one. That pattern includes a word of revelation; a word of commendation; a word of accusation; and a word of exhortation.

There are a couple of deviations from that pattern and one of the deviations is the fact that two of the churches did not receive any accusation from the Lord. One of those was the church we are reading about today, Smyrna, and Philadelphia was the other one. Neither one of these received a word of accusation or condemnation, but only praise and support.

Let us take a look now at the “words” the Lord offers to the believers in the town of Smyrna.

I. A Word of Revelation (v. 8)

Revelation 2:8 (NKJV) "…These things says the First and the Last, who was dead, and came to life…”

As we pointed out last week, the message to each church begins with a statement that reveals an important quality about Christ that reveals His divine attributes or qualities. There are two aspects of self-revelation that the Lord gives here in verse 8.

A. First and Last

This is a title that the believers (and the Jews) would have recognized as a title for God.

Isaiah 44:6 "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.

They were to understand that Jesus Christ was there in the very beginning and would always continue to be; just like the God of Abraham in the O.T. This would be a very relevant point to the Jews in this city who opposed the Christians.

This truth would undoubtedly be a comfort to these believers during times of opposition and persecution. They would not face anything in their present or future, but what the Lord would be right there accompanying them through every event.

B. Was dead, but is alive.

(Barclay) The structure of this sentence in the original Greek gives the idea of one who has “passed through the experience of death” and “came to life again” by experiencing the resurrection from the dead.

How comforting these words must be to the people who were facing severe persecution and death as predicted just a couple of verses later. Jesus Christ had already experienced death and had risen again in victory over death and the grave, so He could provide the grace for these followers in their time of great need.

Certainly we can receive hope and inspiration from these words as well. The same Christ that provided such bold assurance to these first century Christians, is still available for you and me today!

“Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Heb. 13:8)

 II. A Word of Commendation (v. 9)

Revelation 2:9 (NKJV) I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

A. He knows their works

“I know your works” – this is a statement that the Lord gives to every one of the churches.

The Lord reminds the saints at Smyrna that He knows all about them and the efforts they have put forth to serve Him and obey Him even in the midst of stiff opposition.

We must realize dear friends that our “works” are wide open to the eyes of the Lord, whether good or bad. He intimately knows all that we do whether it is for His glory or not; whether it is promoting righteousness or not; and whether it is from a pure motive or not.

B. He knows their tribulation.

(Barclay) The Greek word used for “tribulation” literally means “crushed beneath a weight.” (Thayer) The word is defined by the terms, pressing and pressure.

The kind of persecution and opposition they were facing on a regular basis undoubtedly felt like being pressured or pressed by a heavy weight until the point of being crushed. I can’t really imagine what they must have been going through. I read stories of Christians even today who are persecuted for their faith and it is hard to grasp or mentally comprehend. These people were serving the Lord in spite of these fierce tribulations.

C. He knows their poverty.

(Wm. Barclay) There are two Greek words for “poverty.” One describes the state of a man who has nothing superfluous. The other one describes the one who has nothing at all. It is this second term that is used here.

This is probably a literal reference to their economic situation. Various writers describe this kind of situation to stem from two possible causes (or more likely from both causes):

ð     The Gospel of Jesus Christ has always appealed more to the people of lower economic status because of the hope it offered for a better life after this earthly life has ended. The adverse living conditions of those in poverty made the heavenly world seem all the more attractive.

ð     They were also in poverty due to the fact that they were the objects of attack and confiscation of their earthly goods by those who despised their faith and their loyalty to Christ.

In spite of their poverty by the standards of the world and society around them, the Lord says they were rich! How satisfying it is to know that even though the children of God may be poor by the world’s standards, they can be wealthy by God’s standards because of their spiritual faith and their relationship with Jesus Christ.

What a stark contrast there is between this church and the one we will be studying in a few weeks: Laodicea. It was a congregation that said they were rich, but God says they were poor.

I don’t know about you, dear friends, but I’d much rather have God say I am rich, than to have influential people of the world honor me for my wealth. I’d rather be spiritually wealthy and physically poor than to have all the riches of this world and be bankrupt in my soul. “I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.”

D. He knows their enemies.

“…those who say they are Jews and are not.”

(Barclay) If you recall in the book of Acts, it was the Jews in several different towns that caused the mobs and rulers of the cities to rise up against the Christian missionaries. There are at least 4 cities where this is described. (See Acts 13:50; 14:2, 5, 19; 17:5)

(Albert Barnes) …they indulged in a bitterness of reproach, and a severity of language, which showed that they had not the spirit of the Jewish religion; they had nothing which became those who were under the guidance of the spirit of their own Scriptures. … and the meaning here is, that although they were of Jewish origin, they were not worthy of the name.

Some have suggested that the name “synagogue of Satan” was an accusation that some Jews levied against the Christians, so here the term is returned against them. (Bible Background Commentary)

III. A Word of Exhortation (v.10)

Revelation 2:10 (NKJV) Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

A. Do not fear.

Has anyone ever told you, “Cheer up, things could be a lot worse!”

My Dad used to say, “They told me, ‘Cheer up, things could be worse.’ So I cheered up, and sure enough, they did get worse!”

It seems to me that the words of Christ to the saints in Smyrna could be paraphrased in the same way – “You’ve been suffering already for your loyalty to Me, but you’re going to suffer more than you already have.” “So, do not be afraid.”

In the Gospels, Jesus is quoted as saying, “Do not fear him who can kill the body, but fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body.” Now He is providing encouragement to the believers that they need not be afraid what man can do to them. There is imprisonment awaiting them, and more tribulation and finally death for some.

“ten days” – Some say it is figurative language denoting a short period of time (Barclay) and some believe it was symbolic language probably meaning ten years (FG Smith). In any case death was included as the possible end of it all.

One of the pastors of this church, Polycarp, was a disciple of John. Polycarp was martyred for his faith about mid-way through the second century.

B. Be faithful.

The key for them was to remain faithful in their loyalty to Christ and the truth of the Gospel.

Several sources I used referred to the martyrdom of Polycarp. He was given many opportunities to save His own life if he would only declare “Caesar is Lord,” and deny Christ.

Rather than forsake His Lord, Polycarp willingly went to be burned at the stake as many of the local citizens carried the wood to be laid around his body for fuel. His dying testimony included these words, “Eighty and six years have I served Him and He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”

If they stayed true to God, then He would grant them life that was eternal – life that would far outweigh the physical death they might have to experience for their undying allegiance to their King Jesus.

Conclusion:

As we close this morning, I want to encourage each one of us to take heart and look up to the Lord in faith and confidence. The Lord knows you works, your suffering and tribulation, your poverty and need. He knows all about those who are His enemies and would do their best to turn you away from obedience and faith.

 He knows all about these things in our lives that try our faith and our endurance. He also knows every detail of the future. He knows what every one of us will go through before we leave this world. But, He is the First and the Last! He has always been and always will be!

He was put to death, but He rose again and conquered the enemy. His victory is available for every one of us because He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Praise God!

Forsaken Love

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This is a sermon based on Revelation 2:1-7, the message to the church of Ephesus. It speaks about the need for believers to retain their initial love for God.

Written Excerpts:

Rev. 2:4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Introduction:

We are returning today to the book of Revelation for a look at a specific message to a specific audience about a specific topic. The message is given to John by the Lord Himself. It is a message to be given to the “angel” of the Church of Ephesus. And, while there are several topics addressed in the message, the over-arching theme is about love.

Before we launch into the message to the Church of Ephesus, we need to discuss a few introductory matters.
Who are the “angels” of the seven churches?
Who or what are the seven churches?
And, what do we know about Ephesus?

A. The word “angel” is a word that can also be translated as messenger and as such, can also carry the additional meaning of “pastor” or “bishop.”

There is a viewpoint that refers to the common Jewish and Greek understanding that every earthly thing has a heavenly counterpart. So, the angels would be the heavenly counterpart or representation of the churches themselves.

Most other scholars generally fall into one of two positions. Some believe that the word “angels” is a way of referring to specific messengers from the churches that were receiving the revelation from John and delivering it back to their congregations.

Others believe that the word is referring to the pastors or bishops/ elders of the churches. This view would likely be based on the OT passage in Mal. 2:7 where the word “messenger” (angel) is equivalent to priest.

In any case, the message is being delivered to one who seems to be responsible for delivering it back to the general congregation.

B. The seven churches…
We do know that there were churches during the first century in all seven of these cities mentioned here. We also know that there were more than seven churches in the province of Asia (modern-day Turkey) by the end of the first century when this revelation was written.
Why only seven? And what do they represent?

You’ve heard me say many times before and you’ll hear it again, the number seven represents perfection and completion. It is probably God’s way of telling us that these messages really relate to the entire church or the complete church.

Some have put forth the idea that the seven churches represent seven successive eras in the history of the church. According to this view then, the seventh and last church (Laodicea) would represent the era of church history immediately prior to the Lord’s return.

However, since this is a prophecy and since there were actual churches identified by these names during the time of the author’s writing, I agree with the scholars who say we should understand this the same as we would any other prophecy. The prophecy had specific meaning and relevance to the original audience, but it has specific application to all believers in every era or age throughout the history of the church.

This means that in every generation of the Christian church, there are believers who can be described as having similar qualities and faults as each congregation mentioned here.

C. What do we know about Ephesus?

We probably remember Ephesus as one of the cities mentioned in the book of Acts where the Apostle Paul established a church in the midst of great opposition. See Acts 19.

We also know that Paul loved the people there very much as displayed in the emotional farewell address he gives to them on his way back to Jerusalem where he knows he will face persecution. Ephesus was one of the churches that also received a letter from the Apostle Paul when he was imprisoned in Rome. Eph. 1:1-2, 13-16.

Some additional information about Ephesus sheds more light on this message they received from Jesus Christ through John.Because of its location, Ephesus was a harbor city and thus a great city of commerce, wealth, and power. It was a “free city” in the Roman Empire, giving it the privilege of self-government (within limits) and to be free of Roman troops garrisoned there.

Ephesus was the center of worship for the goddess Artemis (Diana, KJV) and the Temple of Artemis is listed as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. A part of this pagan religion included some of the worst immorality known at that time.

In the midst of all this evil, there had been a thriving church with which people were associated through its early history that we recognize: Paul, Aquila, Priscilla, Apollos, Timothy, and finally even John.

Now that we have talked about these introductory matters, let us quickly examine the message offered to the church at Ephesus.In this message we find a pattern that is repeated in the messages to the other six churches as well. That pattern includes a word of revelation; a word of commendation; a word of accusation; and a word of exhortation.

I. A Word of Revelation

In all but one of the messages to the seven churches, Christ provides a descriptive revelation about Himself that is repeated from the descriptions given in chapter 1, verses 12-18, and by which Christ reveals that He is divine.

(Barclay) These descriptions and titles are used in relation to God in the OT and now Jesus is revealing Himself in the same way to John.

A. “…holds seven stars in his right hand.”

(Barclay) In the OT, it is God himself who controls the stars. (Job 38:31, God asks Job who controls the constellations?)

We already learned in chapter one that the stars are the “angels of the seven churches” (1:20), i.e. the messengers, bishops or leaders of the churches. This would imply His sovereignty and control over the churches.

The grammatical structure of this sentence shows that He does not hold onto a portion of the stars (churches), but He holds the whole group in His hand.

B. “walks in the midst of the candlesticks.”

Christ is always present in the Church. Wherever believers have met in the name of Christ, He is there in the midst.Christ gives a word of revelation about himself and that primarily shows Him as the Lord of the church and the constant companion of the church.

Hallelujah! Jesus Christ is building his church; he is governing his church; and he is communing with his church in every age in every language and culture and in every circumstance, whether good or bad.

II. A Word of Commendation

A. Toil or labor (v. 2)

(Barclay) … this is the kind of toil which takes everything of mind and sinew that a man can put into it. The Christian way is not for the man who fears to break a sweat… [either physically or in prayer].

B. Endurance or perseverance (vv. 2, 3)

(Barclay) …not resigned patience [of a slave], but courageous gallantry which accepts suffering and hardships and turns them into grace and glory.

C. Zeal for truth (vv. 2, 6)

These Christians apparently had a reputation for examining the claims and credentials of self-proclaimed leaders and sorted out the fakes.

They also took a clear stand against the immoral and promiscuous standards of the society that had infiltrated the professing church.

They refused to bend in order to accommodate and compromise with the culture. They weren’t interested in being known as a church that was willing to abandon its emphasis on holiness and separation from ungodly behaviors.

III. A Word of Accusation

Left your first love (v. 4)

(Jamieson, Fausset, & Brown Commentary) “…thirty years had elapsed since Paul had written his Epistle to them. Their warmth of love had given place to a lifeless orthodoxy. Compare Paul's view of faith so called without love, 1Co 13:2.

(Albert Barnes) In this respect they were in a state of declension; and though they still maintained the doctrines of his religion, and opposed the advocates of error, they showed less ardor of affection towards him directly than they had formerly done.

IV. A Word of Exhortation (v. 5)

A. Remember

The first step to recovery of something that has been lost is to remember what one had in the beginning. Without that recollection of the former state, it will not be possible to

B. Repent

Literally, experience a complete change of thinking and acting. Practically speaking, repentance means that you do not and cannot go on the same direction and manner you’ve been g

C. Revive original works/spirit

(Matthew Henry's Commentary) They must return and do their first works. They must as it were begin again, go back step by step, till they come to the place where they took the first false step; they must endeavor to revive and recover their first zeal, tenderness, and seriousness, and must pray as earnestly, and watch as diligently, as they did when they first set out in the ways of God.

There have been various times when I have explicitly stated or implied that faithfulness to the Lord is all he requires. He doesn’t require “success” as the world (or even the church) judges success. Yet, this passage reminds us that mere faithfulness is not enough unless that faithfulness includes the faithful fanning of the flame of love for God.

I’m not simply talking about emotional, warm and cozy feelings about Christ, but an ardent, vibrant love for Him that craves His Holy presence, His smile of approval, and His tender voice of guidance. I am talking about the joy of being in His presence; those times when we lose track of time and can’t stop praising Him for who He is and all He has done.

Conclusion:

(F.G. Smith) “What [was] the fate of this church? There is no evidence that they gave heed to the exhortation to repent, and the candlestick has long since been taken away. Not a vestige of a church remains to mark the site of this once important congregation.”

Dear friends, I want to challenge each of us today to examine our hearts and lives to see if we still contain the deep love for the Lord that we once had.

If not, then please remember, repent and be revived.

Washed in His Blood

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This is a sermon that was given as part of a communion service and was based on the text found in Rev. 1:5-6.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

Today, because of the fact that we are celebrating communion, I want to focus on just a couple of verses that are included here in Rev. 1. John has given a brief introduction (1-3); greeting (4-5a); and doxology (5a-6). In his greeting he mentions that the message comes from “him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; and from Jesus Christ…”

Let me pause just a moment to address a question that arises from this passage that I suppose many of you are asking, as I did when I read it. Who/what are the “seven Spirits…before his throne?”

I don’t want to take a lot of time to get tied up with this, but let me just offer this much…

ð     Some Bible scholars say it is a reference to seven ministering angels (spirit-beings), in which case the word “Spirits” should be translated with a small “s” rather than capital “s”.

ð     I felt that the stronger argument was presented for the view that it is a reference to the Holy Spirit. The number seven is included because it is a significant number throughout scripture; symbolically emphasizing perfection, completion and universality.

ð     It is further argued that the number seven refers to the diversity or fullness of the Holy Spirit’s operations in the world.

Then it seems like John breaks immediately into a doxology or song of praise to Christ and in that phrase we find the words that I want to focus on today.

v. 5 “…Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father…”

In preparation for the sacrament of communion, I want to direct our thoughts for the next several minutes on these statements: He loved us; He washed us; and He made us.

I.   He Loved Us

Oh, dear friends, these words are so familiar to us and they are so common throughout the Bible, but they are “music” to our ears! The love of God is the underlying motivation for everything else He has done for us and with us.

We’ve all heard so much about the love of God I am sure that I can’t tell you anything “new” today, but… Oh, how wonderful and pleasant it is to review it again.

Love prompted the Father to send the Son. (Jn. 3:16)

Love compelled the Son to go to the cross. “While we were yet (still) sinners, Christ died for us.” “Here is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us…”

II.  He Washed Us

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

(Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible) Sins leave a stain upon the soul, a stain of guilt and of pollution. Nothing can fetch out this stain but the blood of Christ…  (Deeper than the Stain)

(Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament) He has removed the pollution of sin from our souls by his blood; that is, his blood has been applied to cleanse us from sin. Blood can be represented as having a cleansing power only as it makes an expiation for sin, for considered literally its effect would be the reverse. The language is such as would be used only on the supposition that he had made an atonement, and that it was by the atonement that we are cleansed…

III. He Made Us

These are powerful words. They are encouraging words; beautiful words. He not only loved us and washed us, but He made us what He wanted us to be. The great news of the Gospel is that Jesus does transform us.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Jesus not only made us a new “creation” (creature), but He made us into something that we never could have hoped to be…

“Kings” – His divine work of grace in our lives makes us royalty!

            O yes, O yes, I’m a child of the king

            His royal blood now flows through my veins…

 “Priests” – that same grace makes us into a priesthood of believers.

The Apostle Peter writes that we are a “royal priesthood.” (1 Pe. 2:9) Read Rev. 5:9-10

The Protestant Reformation revived the biblical concept of the priesthood of all believers. Every truly born-again Christian has the privilege of entering into the holy of holies. We can “come boldly unto the throne of grace.” (Heb. 4:16).

The distinction of priests and people, nearer and more remote from God, shall cease; all shall have nearest access to Him. All persons and things shall be holy to the Lord. (JFB, A Commentary… on the Old and New Testaments.)

Conclusion:

We are going to share the sacrament of communion in just a few more minutes. As we prepare to receive the elements of the Lord’s Supper, let us reflect on the fact that Jesus Christ loved us so much that He willingly came to this earth and surrendered His life for us.

He washed us in His atoning blood and all our transgressions have been blotted out and will be remembered against us no more! He has transformed us; made us into something we were not and never had any hope of becoming – kings and priests.

Praise the Lord for His wonderful grace!