Revelation 2:1–7 - Cameron Jungels - Sunday PM, August 24, 2014

“Truth & Love” (Revelation 2:1–7)

^{Cameron Jungels/Eastside Baptist/Sunday PM/August 24, 2014} 

Revelation 2:1–7 (NIV)

 

To the Church in Ephesus

2 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. ² 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. ³ You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. ⁴ Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. ⁵ 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. ⁶ But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ⁷ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.  "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: (Rev. 2:1, NIV)

 

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. (Rev. 2:1, NIV)

 

¹⁰ On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,  ¹¹ which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."  ¹² I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,  ¹³ and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest.  ¹⁴ The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.  ¹⁵ His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.  ¹⁶ In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.  ¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.  ¹⁸ I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.  ¹⁹ "Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.  ²⁰ The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. (Rev. 1:10-20, NIV)

 

Christ praises a church that works hard and faithfully defends the truth in the face of opposition.  

² 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.  ³ You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.  (Rev. 2:2-3, NIV)

 

⁶ But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. (Rev. 2:6, NIV)

 

Christ rebukes a church that has grown cold in its love for God and others. 

⁴ Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.  ⁵ 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. (Rev. 2:4-5, NIV)

 

⁷ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. (Rev. 2:7, NIV)

 

Main Idea: In obedience to Christ, we must strive to be a church that is faithful to the truth while maintaining a fervent love for God and others.