Oct 18, 2020

Revelation 2:1-7

As we approach verse 1 of Revelation chapter 2, please keep in mind, Jesus is dictating a letter to His servant John… Revelation 2:1-7, “To the angel (pastor or messenger) of the church of Ephesus (church located in Ephesus) write, ‘These things says He who holds (tightly) the seven stars in His right hand, who walks (presently) in the midst of the seven golden lampstands (this is a reference to the revelation of Himself given to John in chapter 1): (2 — Jesus’ Commendation) ‘I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; (3) and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 

(4 — Jesus’ Criticism) Nevertheless (in spite of all of the things just mentioned) I have this against you, that you have left (let go of) your first love. (5 — Jesus’ Council) Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place — unless you repent. (6) But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. (7) He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.’”

Let me begin with a quick profile of the city of Ephesus: Though the origins of this Hellenistic city date back to the 10th century BC (Ephesus means the desired one), the city reached its notoriety when Augustus issued a formal decree making Ephesus the capital of Asia Minor in 27 BC. At the time of John’s writing, Ephesus was the permanent home of the Roman Governor and the ruling class — boasting a population of around 500,000 residents.

Because Ephesus had an important port positioned at the crossroads of four major Roman highways, the city was the center of commerce and banking for the region. By the first century, Ephesus was known as the Backbone of the Roman Empire. The Greek historian Strabo says Ephesus was “second in importance and size only to Rome.” The city was so influential it linked together East and West serving as the lifeblood for the entire area.

In addition to having a massive open-air-theater capable of holding up to 25,000 spectators, Ephesus also possessed one of the world’s largest libraries making her a center for education and learning. Beyond this, Ephesus was the location of the famous Temple of Artemis (Diana in Roman mythology) — one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Because Diana was the goddess of childbirth and women, Ephesus was a religious center. Aside from the grotesque practices of temple prostitution, the worship of Diana was steeped in mysticism and the occult filling the city with unspeakable immorality. In a modern comparison, imagine Ephesus as a cross between Las Vegas and New Orleans.

And yet, in spite of all these things, in a twist, the city of Ephesus proved to be fertile ground for the Gospel! Though the Apostle Paul visited Ephesus at the very end of his second missionary journey alongside his friends Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18), he would return in his third expedition spending some three years ministering in Ephesus (Acts 19). 

Not only was a church (made up mostly of Gentiles) founded and shepherded by Paul (he would teach daily from “the school of Tyrannus”), but we’re told “the name of Jesus was magnified” (Acts 19:17) and “the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.” (Acts 19:30)

The impact of this church was so incredible that a man named Demetrius eventually stirred up a riot claiming that “not only was their trade (selling silver shrines of Diana) in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana ran the risk of being despised and her magnificence destroyed.” (Act 19:27) The radicle impact of the Gospel in the city of Ephesus was so tangible it was hitting Satan in the wallet!

In fact, this church in Ephesus was unique in that Paul spent more time there than he did in any other church he planted, is the only one of these seven mentioned in the Book of Acts, and the only church in the New Testament in which two different letters were sent. You have Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians and this letter written by Jesus through the Apostle John.  

Following the ministry of Paul, the radical preaching of the Gospel, and the formation of this church, Ephesus and the surrounding area would never be the same. This was a happening church with a glowing reputation. She was solid. Not only did the church in Ephesus grow, but from her twelve other churches were planted in the surrounding region. 

There is no question this Ephesian church was a theological titan. In a sweet moment Paul would spend with the Ephesian elders on the shore of Miletus recorded in Acts 20, he would attest that they had “not shunned to declare to the whole counsel of God.” To this point, their doctrinal acumen would be evidenced by the weighty substance of the letter Paul would write to this church from a Roman cell 10-years-later. 

Beyond Paul’s specific ministry, this church in Ephesus would be later pastored by his protégée Timothy (who in the mid-60s was beaten to death in the streets) only to then be led by the Apostle John. In the case of this particular letter written to her by Jesus, it would come 40 years after the church was established and some 30 years after Paul’s Epistle.

Regarding the period of church history Jesus uses this letter to address, this church in Ephesus correlates to what we’d call the Post-Apostolic Church that comprised of the 1^st and 2^nd centuries. In a sense, Jesus was addressing more than just the believers living in Ephesus, but the second-generation of Christians these Ephesians represented.

As you examine church history you will discover, as the church began to transition away from its original founding generation, several things became characteristic of this second wave. First, like the early disciples of Jesus, the generation to follow was also extremely devoted to the things of Christ. In a Roman world growing largely hostile to Christians, these saints were serious followers of Jesus! Enduring the persecutions of both Nero and Domitian, these believers lived and died for the name and glory of Christ! 

Secondly, as demonstrated by the writings of Clement of Rome and the Didache (which is considered to be the oldest catechism of the Christian faith), we know this Post-Apostolic Church was also doctrinally solid. While it’s true there were heretical influences percolating around the church, during this period, they were largely relegated to the fringes. You can imagine this was largely the byproduct of the constant admonitions of men like Paul, John, and Peter who cautioned against the false teachers they knew were coming. 

And yet, with all of this being said, sadly and rather tragically, according to some of the writings of the early church leaders, there is ample evidence it was during this second wave the church began making a tragic turn from the Gospel of Grace into legalism. 

Because these Ephesian Christians recognized the wicked tendencies of the world around them, they feared the negative influences of culture might end up corroding the moral fabric of their church. To combat this, the early church fathers began erecting moral-walls in order to insulate the flock from these creeping, sinful influences. 

While the motivation for this had been the noble desire to remain holy and set apart for the purposes of God, the sad and unintended consequence was that holiness was no longer being seen as the result of the transformative power of God’s grace; but instead, was seen as something to be achieved through personal performance and the limiting of liberty.

Ignatius (who was the 3rd Bishop of Antioch and a student of John) wrote, “Experience proves that in this life peace and satisfaction are had, not by the listless but by those who are fervent in God's service. And rightly so. For in their effort to overcome themselves and to rid themselves of self-love, they rid themselves of the roots of all passion and unrest.”

As I mentioned in our introduction to these Seven Letters that every letter begins by being addressed to the “angel of the church of _______”. Additionally, they all close with the same admonition, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Between these two bookends, Jesus will commend what He finds commendable, condemn what He finds condemnable, He will emphasize a relevant aspect of His person, before finally providing to the church the necessary instruction and warnings.

Notice Jesus begins his letter to this church with a list of powerful commendations. He writes, beginning in verse 2, “I know” (He had a full, supernatural knowledge of)… “Your works…” These were things this church had purposed to do for Jesus. “Your labor…” Which described the intensity of their work — they labored to the point of exhaustion. 

“Your patience…” This affirms these Ephesian believers were not swerved from their purpose exhibiting a steadfast endurance in their service of Jesus. “And perseverance…” Through it all these believers were able to bear or carry what was burdensome. 

Jesus adds, “You have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.” WOW! These saints served faithfully and took their calling seriously! While their culture was incredibly immoral and hostile to the followers of Christ, these Christians were working hard to fulfill the work Jesus had called them to anyway. Outwardly this church was active and impressive. There was a genuine determination to reach their world no matter the cost! 

Aside from this, Jesus commends the fact they “cannot bear those who are evil.” Though seeking to reach a corrupt culture, these saints refused moral compromise! This church was able to influence their world without allowing the world to negatively influence them. They refused to support (“bear”) those of a bad nature (“those who are evil”). This church knew the difference between what was right and what was wrong!

You see the leaders of this church were not afraid of exerting discipline in the presence of sin knowing that a healthy body requires a working immune system! The stakes were simply too high to allow nonsensical, sinful behavior to spread throughout the church. 

Jesus also says, “You have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars.” Since this church and been founded upon the truth of Scripture, they willingly “tested” or made a trial of those claiming to have authority (“apostles”). The church leaders in Ephesus were serious about protecting the flock God had entrusted to them — willing to publicly call out these teachers as “liars” if they deviated from Biblical doctrine!

As one example of this, in verse 6, Jesus commends them for “hating the deed of the Nicolaitans, which He also hated.” This Greek word nikolaitês is a compound word niko meaning to conquer and laites meaning the people. Many scholars believe the “Nicolaitans” were an early group seeking to exert authority over the people by claiming the need for a priestly intermediary. If this is the case, it would explain why Jesus said He “hated their deeds” for no man has the right to come between Jesus and His bride!

Following this wonderful commendation, Jesus transitions to a measure of criticism. While this Ephesian church was clearly doing all the right things, Jesus diagnoses a heart condition! He says in verse 4, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” In order to understand what it was these believers “left” you need to first understand what Jesus means when He uses this phrase “first love.” 

In the Greek, “first” or prôtos means first in rank — with the word agapê, being a feminine noun, signifying love or affection. While this word described a marital love, in the majority of the instances it’s used in the Bible, agapê referred to the covenantal love of God for mankind, which by its very design, served to yield a reciprocal love back to Him. In fact, twelve times in the NT you will find agapê used in the phrase the “love of God.”

Contrary to what most Bible commentators say, I do not believe in referring to “their first love” Jesus was in some way addressing a feeling that had diminished, an excitement this church no longer possessed, or a romance that with time had slowly wained. I do not believe, as one author observed, the problem was that their “home had become a house.”

Please understand, when it comes to the Christian experience, “first love” or agapê love was never a love you or me possessed for God, but rather a love He demonstrated towards us! As Paul would write in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love (agapê) toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

So how is it that we “leave our first love?” Christian, you “leave your first love” the moment the motivation for doing anything related to the Christian life (whether it be Bible-study, time in worship or prayer, or for that matter your Godly service) becomes anything other than being the natural response of Jesus’ great love for you!

Don’t miss this… The problem wasn’t the fact this church no longer loved Jesus. The problem was they had grown to see their work and doctrinal purity as the way they could demonstrate their love for Jesus — as opposed to these things being a natural response of the incredible love Jesus had already demonstrated towards them! 

The issue Jesus is addressing was not a diminished feeling or a waning passion, but a warped motivation! Which explains why, after listing all of the wonderful things this church was doing, Jesus says, “Nevertheless, I have this against you!” What He’s saying is “in spite of the good things happening in this church the one thing missing trumped it all!” It’s a rather incredible thought, but Jesus is telling this Ephesian church and by extension you and me that He cares more about the motivation behind our work than the work itself!

Notice Jesus is direct in that this was not something they had accidentally lost! It was instead something they’d willingly left or deliberately stepped away from! There was a quality to their love for Jesus that no longer existed. You know I have found “leaving your first love” is actually much easier to do than you might think. Let me explain…

There is a dangerous byproduct when the motivation behind your Godly service shifts from being a natural response of God’s love for you to the way you demonstrate your love for Him… Your works supplant His grace as the basis of God’s favor and your holiness. 

Because this church culture in Ephesus and then later emblematic of the Post-Apostolic Church stressed demonstrating love for Jesus as opposed to enjoying Jesus’ love for them, it became so easy to place a greater focus on the work they did and the sacrifices they were making for Christ than the work Jesus did and the sacrifice He made for them!

Holiness had become the result of pious living and not the byproduct of God’s amazing grace! The sufficiency of Jesus’ work on Calvary had been replaced with the sufficiency of their own merit. In a sense, Jesus tells them that because they were exchanging the Gospel of Grace for legalistic moralism they were choosing to leave their “first love.” 

Because legalism fosters a moral structure and creates a church culture that demands more laws to obey, liberties to forgo, things to be sacrificed, and works to do instead of a personal relationship founded on Jesus’ “first love” to enjoy, Legalism is fundamentally anti-gospel! It diametrically opposes the good news (the true Gospel) that Jesus has already done something to earn for me a favor I could never earn! You know a church is in a dangerous place when it starts heralding and celebrating personal achievements over sin in place of the true Gospel of Grace which preaches Jesus’ permanent victory over sin! 

In light of this heart condition, Jesus pleads with them to “remember from where they had fallen,” He exhorts them to “repent,” before finally admonishing them to “do the first works.” Obviously the key to understanding Jesus’ counsel hinges upon what He means by “the first works.” Let me illustrate how most tragically apply this exhortation… 

“Christian, if you’ve left your ‘first love’ and you’re not feeling it for Jesus like you used to, then you need to get back to doing the things you were doing when you first got saved… ‘the first works.’ Just like a married couple who’s flame for one another has dimmed, the key to rectifying this stagnation is to re-stimulate the relationship… You need to re-ignite that passion you’ve lost with Jesus by getting back to work. Christian, don’t be a lazy wife!

Return to your ‘first love’ and ‘do the first works’ by committing to read through your whole  Bible over the coming year, instead of listening to Rush Limbaugh during your afternoon commute dedicate yourself to only listening to that angel Chris Tomlin, start rising before the sun to spend at least an hour in prayer… Christian, you need to get back to serving others and start making church attendance a renewed priority. You see the best way to fix this heart problem is to recreate the early days of your relationship with Jesus.”

While this sounds nice and all there is a fundamental problem with this approach… Aside from the fact this Ephesian church was already doing everything one could possibly do, it’s a reality of the Gospel that it’s impossible to transform a heart through outward activity! Sadly, by presenting things to do to fix a relationship with Jesus, this perspective becomes guilty of the very thing Jesus was trying to address in the first place!

It’s not an accident Jesus opens His letter in verse 1 by introducing Himself as “He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands.” Beyond the fact He’s reminding them of His authority over the church (“He holds the seven stars in His right hand”), this detail that He “walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands” is interesting for it spoke more of His presence than His person!

You see the only effective way to change the heart of an individual and retune their motivations is to return their focus back onto the person, love, and grace of Jesus. What this church needed more than anything else if they were to return to their “first love” was a renewed awareness of and dependency on the presence and person of Jesus. 

Christian, what was your “first work” when it came to your relationship with Jesus? What did you “do” when you first encountered your Savior? The answer: You heard His call, humbly came to the cross where you witnessed the incredible depths of His love, you then placed your faith in His atoning sacrifice, accepted His forgiveness, received His blessed favor, only to then die to yourself so that you might live through Him!

With that in mind, consider Jesus’ counsel… He first pleads with them to “remember from where they have fallen.” In order to address this heart condition, Jesus wants them to “remember” the beginning and keep remembering how their relationship with Him began! Interestingly, this had nothing to do with their works, sacrifices, or faithfulness and instead had everything to do with Jesus, His work, sacrifice, and faithfulness.

As a remedy to what had gotten warped in their own hearts and thinking, Jesus wants these Ephesian believers to remember the very first moment they encountered and experienced the “first love!” Not their love for Him, but His love! You see Jesus wanted them to remember the magnitude of His love being demonstrated to them (independent of them) through the amazing grace revealed through His willing sacrifice on the cross!

Jesus then commands them to “repent!” In order to return to their “first love…” In order to get back to the point where God’s love for them was the preeminent thing — the motivating reality… These believers needed to reject and turn away from the notion that their works played any role in God’s lasting favor or their personal holiness.

Understand, repentance is not just a “turning from,” but a “turning too” — which is why Jesus ultimately instructs them to get back “to doing the first works.” They could “remember from where they had fallen” and even “repent” of their legalism, but it would all be for naught if they failed “to do the first works…” 

I know that sounds confusing, but don’t forget what the “first work” was as it pertains to your relationship with Jesus — what you originally did? To “do the first works” is Jesus’ exhortation for you to come back to the cross, the place of grace, the basis of His favor, the motivator of your behavior, the origins of holiness, the essence of God’s “first love” for you! 

In 1 John 4:9-10 we read, “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

It’s sobering to think that Jesus then warns this church that if they refuse to make this change He would “come quickly and remove their lampstand from its place!” Because this departure from the power of grace fosters such a distortion of the Gospel message, Jesus is telling them He was willing to shut down this church rather than allow it to peddle a message of legalistic moralism in place of the power of His amazing grace.

And yet, Jesus also promises that if this church “overcame” this root of legalism by returning to the essence of the Gospel message… Their “first love…” A dependency on His grace alone… They’d experience from God renewed life and fruitfulness. In verse 7, Jesus closes this letter, saying, “To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” This morning if you feel as if your life is fruitless, maybe the reason is that you’ve also “left your first love.”

So what is Jesus saying to our church and to each of us individually? For starters, modeling the outward appearance of this Ephesian church isn’t a bad thing at all. Oh, that Calvary316 would also be known as a church that makes such an impact in our community as this church in Ephesus. That we’d be recognized by Jesus as a serving church. That we’d possess a heart to study His Word and the boldness to speak the truth to culture embracing the lie! That we’d love what Jesus loves and hate what He hates!

I must also say that, like the Ephesians, we need to be a church uniquely distinct from but also one that appeals to the culture around us. That it would be said that while we were a magnet for the downtrodden, we also boldly resisted that which is evil. That in our witness to the world around us “Jesus was magnified” and “His word grew mightily.”

And yet, we need to also take to heart Jesus’ criticism that when any aspect of our Christian experience is motivated by anything other than His love we are in danger of beginning a dangerous tailspin from grace and blessing into legalism and bareness.

“Well Pastor Zach, how do I know this is happening in my life?” Don’t misunderstand, work in and of itself is not a bad thing. In actuality, work was something God designed specifically for our enjoyment. If you go all the way back to the beginning of the human experience, you will see that Adam enjoyed his work (caring for the Garden) because his work flowed from his relationship with God. It was God-given and God-motivated!

And yet, following the fall, when Adam’s work no longer flowed from his relationship with God, how very quickly it morphed into labor and toil! In Genesis 3:17-19, we read how, “God said, ‘Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.’” 

Christian, the way you can tell your Christian service (work) is being motivated by legalism and is no longer a manifestation of God’s grace is actually rather simple… Anytime an aspect of your Christian life is no longer flowing from Jesus’ first love one thing is certain to happen… God will curse your work and it will no longer be enjoyable! 

You see, what many Christians call “getting burned out” (when Bible-study turns stale, time in prayer grows ritualistic, worship is unenthusiastic, church experience regimented, and service unenjoyable — when the work turns into labor) may in actually be God actively and deliberately cursing that work as a warning you’re in the process of leaving “your first love” and the motivations driving you are no longer a reciprocation of Jesus’ grace and love. Burn out just maybe God letting you know you’re trying to earn something He’s already given!

Christian, if this is you and you find yourself tired and burned out, the remedy is simple… Remember Jesus and return to that place you first experienced His love. Come back to the foot of the cross (the place of “first love”) and hold fast the banner of His grace… Seek nothing more than to “do the first works” whereby all other Christian work shall flow. And what is that “first work?” Basking in and enjoying His “first love!” As Jesus would say in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.”

This morning may “he or she who has an ear hear what the Spirit is saying.” You have a choice as to what type of relationship with Jesus you want to have. The key question is what is the motivator of your Christian service? You can labor in your work seeking to earn a blessed favor you’ve already been given — all the while dying a slow, unenjoyable death… Or you can choose to abide in Jesus’ amazing grace and experience the life and fruitfulness that only flows from the fountainhead of His great love for you.

In closing, it’s not an accident that of all the things Jesus commanded His followers to do was that when we gathered together we needed to come to the Lord’s Table and partake of the elements. In light of this letter to the Ephesians, think about the language Jesus used. 

He specifically commands us to “do this” (speaking of our partaking of the bread which represented His body and the cup signifying His blood — atonement, and purification) “in remembrance of Me.” How interesting that when we’re in danger of “leaving our first love” He said, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works.”

Think about that… Knowing how easy it would be for you and me to slide into a legalistic mindset that overemphasizes our works thereby robbing us of the power of grace, Jesus knew the most central truth we, as His disciples, could never ever forget is that His work on the cross that demonstrated the first love was, is, and will always be more than enough! 1 John 4:19 defines the dynamic… “We love Him because He first loved us!”

Christian, when you believe you’re doing good — remember Jesus and the fact it was your sin that drove Him to the cross. And when you starting thinking you’re not good enough — remember Jesus and the fact it was His love for you that drove Him to the cross.