The Seven Churches: Part II
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Remaining vigilant. Taking Precautions. Learning form Mistakes. Looking to the future and not just the here and now. Everlasting Glory to come and not comfort that is transient and temporal now.
As we are listening to Jesus as he speaks to these individual churches, and the individual people in those churches, and the church at large, we are listening for Jesus as he speaks to us individually, to us a church, and to the church at large.
We are either serious about Jesus or we are not. There is no in-between.
How does a church becomes a church? Living in the Way of Jesus and becoming an establish assembly of believers, a church, a local gathering. The Ephesians, Smyrnans, Laodiceans, etc. etc. were all people like us, hearing about Jesus, being rescued from their acts of rebellion and sin, idolatry, sexual immorality, false worship. Acts 18-19 tells the story. Without the exile, the Jewish synagogues would never have been in Asia Minor, without Jewish Christian, the gentiles would never have heard, and if Gentiles would never have heard, we would never have heard about Jesus.
The gospel spread by way of the postal route of Asia Minor. Some came to hear Paul teach in Ephesus, some brought the news and the trenching of Jesus back tot heir towns. Disicples grew and multiplied, and within 40-50 years the churches were already in danger of being removed as a witness to the world for Jesus.
How does that happen? How does a church slide into such decline that the Lord Jesus needs to write a letter to warn and rebuke, calling them to repent?
Persecution against the churches had begun in Rome, as Jesus promised in John 15, starting in the year 64 under Nero for 4 years, a second one under Domitian lasting for 16 years, in this time all the apostles were killed, and many disciples of theirs. Paul executed, Peter hanged upside down on a cross, Timothy clubbed to death and John as Tertullian records, before exiled to patmos was “boiled in oil.” Things were not looking good for the church towards the end of the first century. This last book is the Lord’s diagnosis of the situation, seen and unseen, of the churches in Asia minor. Jesus is a warrior, coming to his church.
There are 2 true and faithful churches and 5 in a serious decline, ones that had succumbed to the winds of culture, the overwhelming pressure to participate in what was idolatrous and satanic worship. There is wave after wave of corrupting assaults by the dragon, the beast, that enemy of ours Satan. Sexual Immorality, Idolatry, Compromise, False Teaching.
The world is overcome by the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Jesus walks among his people, sanctifying them, teaching them, leading them, sustaining them, reminding them of what he told the people of Israel (cf. Zech. 4:6–9), whom he required to live as a lamp stand in the world “not by [earthly] might nor by power, but by my Spirit’ says the Lord” (Zech. 4:6).
Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill.” We live in this world as lights. As we allow Jesus to live through us. But what happens when living as lights brings darkness upon us? Do we stand strong or do we cower? Do we compromise or do we remain faithful to what we have been taught or experienced? .
Thankfully,
Jesus Reveals Himself to his people (individually + corporately)
Jesus Reveals Himself as his people they need him to be revealed
Jesus Reveals his knowledge of his people, the good and the bad
In His Revelation there is Direction, a Remedy for the Problems, and Hope for the Future
Judgement begins with the church. 1 Peter 4:17–19, 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
It is a call of repentance first to the church we can pull out the broad strokes of what Jesus addresses so that we might listen and obey:
Faithfulness to ChristThe Struggle/Problems with CompromiseComplacency Sexual Immorality in relationship to False Worship Letting our guard down, napping.
But we see…
The Command to Conquer. The Call to Victory.
The Spoils of Victory, the reward for winning the battles/battle of (Spiritual) Warfare
The Holy Spirit is Speaking.
We Have Ears that Can Hear.
'Those who have an ear, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ Let's hear.
“Every age has had it’s darkness and dangers, the task of the Christian is not to whine about the moment in which he or she lives, but to understand it’s problems and respond appropriately to them.” Carl Trueman
J. Greshem Machen, when writing “Christianity and Liberalism” was exposing what was and woudl be the damaging effects of liberal Christianity for the church in the west. When I was in college, the issue of the day was the challenge of post-modernity. By the time we understood how to engage and the church shifted, we had moved way past that and the issues of millennials was upon us. On and on it goes, but it just doesn’t happen in one day. It is the slow and steady progress of the resistance against the truth.
The World, the flesh, and the devil make for a difficult journey. Revelation 3:22, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches (plural).”
The aim of this book is to expose what is true about us, calling us to repentance and hope. Warning us about Judgement, and trusting in the Divine Truthfulness: it is reliable, consistent, penetrating, life giving. If we are to be a light/lampstand in this world, we must remain faithful to Christ, resisting compromise, resisting complacency, resisting the pull towards our flesh, and false worship.
The Seven Letters have a common structure…In each one Christ declared that He knows their works; each one includes a promise to those who overcome; each one gives an exhortation to those hearing; and each letter has a particular description of Christ that related to the message which follows. Each letter includes a commendation (except the letter to Laodicea), a rebuke (except the letters to Smyrna and Philadelphia), an exhortation, and an encouraging promise to those heeding its message. In general these letters to the seven churches address the problems inherent in churches throughout church history and are an incisive and comprehensive revelation of how Christ evaluates local churches.
The list of the seven churches are in the order of their occurrence on the road which led from Ephesus northwards through Smyrna to Pergamum and then southwards through Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea. These cities were both postal and administrative centres, centers of Roman Emperor worship, greek and roman god and goddess worship, financial trade. Some historians believe that at the time of John’s writing Asia Minor had the greatest concentration of Christians in the world. In addressing these churches John is reaching not only those in Asia Minor, but those scattered through the world.
The Command to Conquer. The Call to Victory. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God…they will not be hurt by the second death…I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it….I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star.
1. Ephesus, I know “your toil and patient endurance”; “you cannot bear with those who are evil”; “you have attested those who have called themselves apostles”
BUT…“You have abandoned your first love.”
This church lives in a wealthy sea coast city, easily accessible by land, the shrine of Diana. Metal workers made money there making miniatures and idols there. Paul visits there, Acts 19:19-21, Prisca and Aquila remained, Apollos taught there, strong in spirit and in his doctrine, but didn’t know the “way” and after he leaves Paul returns, spending three years there, instructed the elders when he left in Acts 20 about AD 57, Timothy was a pastor there, 1 Tim 1:3, in AD 66 John was there himself. A new generation needed to learn how to Love one another”, it takes time, they were loyal to doctrine, but fell short in love, they could sniff out a doctrinal rat, but couldn’t express their love toward one another. They attended church week in and week out, but their devotion and love for Jesus wasn’t what it used to be. There can be no compromise with the world.
2. Smyrna, I know “your tribulation, your poverty (but you are rich), and your slander”
BUT…there is no condemnation. They lived in the ‘first city of Asia’, the top of the hill was the crown of Smyrna, historically faithful to Rome. Perhaps found by Paul in his 3rd journey, 53-56 AD, here polycarp was burned at the stake, a disciple of John, refusing to say ‘caesar is lord’ (insert story here) they are rich in spiritual blessing, the Lord knows us, the lord was the ever living one who died, translation while he died he was living. The tribulation would be a short period of time, Isisah 26:20, 54:8, Matthew 24:22, 2 corinthians 4:17, 1 Peter 1:6) The second death will not harm us. the Doctrine of Hell. Rev 20:14. “Keep the Rudder true”
The story of Polycarp…faithful to the end who round 160 AD, serving as a Pastor for the church in Smyrna, a city in Asia Minor (modern Izmir in Turkey) which was devoted to Roman worship. His is the earliest chronicle of a martyrdom outside the New Testament. Christians were called Atheists because they didn’t not worship the gods of the Romans, the Emperors. When being brought into the arena, the Proconsul of Smyrna asked him whether he was Polycarp. On hearing that he was, he tried to persuade him to apostatize, saying, “Have respect for your old age, swear by the fortune of Caesar. Repent, and say, ‘Down with the Atheists!’” Polycarp looked grimly at the wicked heathen multitude in the stadium, and gesturing towards them, he said, “Down with the Atheists!” “Swear,” urged the Proconsul, “reproach Christ, and I will set you free.” “86 years have I have served him,” Polycarp declared, “and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?”
3. Pergamum, “you hold fast to my name”; “you did not deny my faith”
BUT “some there hold to the teaching of Balaam [and] the Nicolaitans” On Balaam (numbers 25:1,2, 31:16) The Romans made this the Capital of the Asian province, Aesculapius the god of healing, a snake, was worshipped. the EMT logo, a snake on stick. It was the center also of emperor worship. Again, they were called to offer incense and say ‘Caeser is lord’ but they wouldn’t. They clung to their confession yet..they compromised, participating in the feasts, finding a middle ground. they weren’t disciplined to resist what would come if they refused. the loss of a job, position, wealth. Rather than look to Christ as the bread of life, the manna of life (John 6:33,35) they ate food sacrificed to idols and joined themselves with temple prostitues, but only once in a while, when they needed to. Persistent compromise will only be tolerated for so long. It will ruin your soul.
The new name on a white stone: the believer either receives a new name, that is a new relation to the Lord revealed in a gloriously transformed character OR he reveals to us his new name in relationship to us, especially in the life to come.
4. Thyatira, “your love, faith, service, and patient endurance”; “your latter works exceed the first”
BUT “you tolerate the woman Jezebel” Situated in a valley, garrison kept there because they were wide open to attack, and to defend Pergamum. Jezebel has always been synonymous with seduction to idolatry and immorality, (1 Kings 16:31, 18:4,13,19, 19:1,2). She must have been an influential prophetess, in the church, seeking to come up with a solution that did not involve rejection. The city was filled withTrade Guilds with trade gods and conferences i.e. “worshipping the god of the guild” They seek to keep both worlds appeased but God knows they heart, he sees their inner motives. The world seeks to oppose the christian who desires to keep a clear conscience. The morning star, glory, authority, royalty. True to the end, the judged will be the judges, the witnesses to the world will be come the judges over the world.