What Would He Say To You

Introduction

Good morning. Open your Bibles to Revelation chapter 2. We’ll spend most of our time this morning in Revelation chapter 2 or in chapter 3. On Thanksgiving weekend, we think of a lot of things. We think of being with family. I remember one particular prayer on the need to have extra patience because we’re going to be with family. And it would do us a lot of good if we can know what people were thinking. You know, I really wonder sometimes, for example, after Alabama embarrassing the lost Auburn, I wonder what Ken’s thinking. But he didn’t show up today, so I can’t be sure. You think about Ken on vacation, just so everyone’s clear, they would kill Florida. Just so you can tell them that. I understand that.

But for the time being, we’re going to celebrate that Alabama lost. You think about Revelation chapter 2, though, is we have some unique insight. It’s not just God speaking to us, which is phenomenal. That is in and of itself miraculous that God speaks to us, that we have his revealed word. That is a miracle that we should never tire of reading. Sometimes we take the Bible for granted, but then when you think about historically how rare it is that God speaks to man and all the work that various men have put in to make sure that we can have the word of God, we realize what a treasure it is. But it’s twice the miracle, twice the blessing, because in chapter 2 and 3, symbolic or otherwise, you have God giving his thoughts towards the seven churches in Asia.

It’s pretty interesting. You think about the first one in chapter 2, you see in verse 1 to the angel of the church in Ephesus, and we think of the Ephesians letter that Paul wrote, and we realize we we know that church. We know some things about it. We at least know what Paul wrote to them in the book of Ephesians. But I wonder, what if God was speaking directly to me. In Revelation chapter 2 and 3, in these letters to the seven churches of Asia, you have these almost what you’d call report cards or progress reports on how they’re doing. And two of the seven are doing really well. And the other five have their good parts, but they also have their struggling moments, sometimes as a collective, sometimes as a part.

But this one I want to focus on at the same time. What would God say to me as an individual? What would he say to us as a church at South Bumbi? Because we are responsible for ourselves at judgment. Yes, part of what I will answer for is was I in subjection to elders at God’s New Testament example. Was I a Christian who served as part of a local church at God’s New Testament example? But ultimately I will be judged for who I am and what I’ve done before my God. He has revealed his word to us. He has let us know what his expectations are, and the question is, how do I measure up? And in this unique circumstance in Revelation chapter 2 and 3, we see God answering that exact question.

1. You Have Abandoned the Love You Had at First

If you notice in verse 2, he says, I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. And if you stop the reading there, you say, Wow, the church at Ephesus is doing great. They are testing the spirits, as John would say in 1 John chapter 4, to see if they were from God, and they recognize they weren’t. They’re making sure they’re not giving in to false doctrine. That’s very difficult in the first century as well as in our 21st century.

To not give in to false teaching, to not let it creep in is a major issue. And the church at Ephesus didn’t seem to have that problem. Then you look at verse 3. You’re enduring patiently. The implication, obviously, being there’s some sort of struggle or trial to be overcome. And then even at the end, you have not grown weary. Matching some of the exhortations in Hebrews to not grow weary. Or in Galatians chapter 6, to not grow weary of doing good. God has expectations for us. And while that church at Ephesus did a lot of good things and we’re meeting God’s expectations. The text doesn’t end there. If you notice in verse 4, but I have this against you that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. You see, it’s interesting that God looked at Ephesus and saw good things. They were standing up for doctrine. They were not letting false teaching creep in. That is difficult to do. And they were kind of this stronghold of truth the way the church should be. But then you find verse 4 as some translations render it real easily. You have left your first love. You loved me. You were serving me. We know you know the right things to do. That’s what verse 3 and 4 makes very clear. Excuse me, 2 and 3 make very clear.

But you have left the love you had at first. You have abandoned, as the English Standard Version says, your first love. That is very demoralizing as a people. Wouldn’t it be hard for you if you’re talking to God and you think you’re ready? And none of us are really excited to say, hey, I want God to measure every little thought I have. I can’t wait to see what it looks like. Because we know we struggle. The good news is God’s grace is there. His forgiveness is possible if we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us. That’s the good news. But here is Ephesus getting this progress report, if you will. And he says, you’re doing good things, but you’ve left your first love.

Perhaps if I was anything like them, if it was my thoughts, I’d be like, wait, I I verse 2 and 3 makes it sound pretty good. I’m doing the right things, right? Yes. You’re checking the boxes. You know that I am God. You know that you need to make sure that false ideas don’t creep in. But yet I have this against you. And how bad is it, verse 5, that if you don’t repent, I will remove your lampstand from its place. Even though in verse 6 they hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. This was a group that knew truth. Truth was being preached in this pulpit, you might say. But God had a problem with them that was so severe, if they didn’t fix it, they would not be saved and in good standing with their God.

I think that’s interesting because if God could look at me and say that, there would be some alarm bells. Because I take comfort in, let’s just be really honest. One of the good news about the gospel of God is that we can look at his inspired word and say, hey, I need to be doing some of these things, and I need to avoid that. That’s very difficult. But I can take comfort in saying, you know what? I’m doing some of these good things. I I’ve stopped doing some bad things. And ultimately, as I’m looking at this list, I’m doing pretty good. But what God tells us here in Revelation chapter 2 and many other places in the New and Old Testament alive is it’s not just about doing good things.

It’s not about just not doing bad things. God says you are to be motivated properly. Look with me in 1 Corinthians chapter 13. In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, you notice that there has to be something behind it. It’s not just this keyword love, it’s an attitude behind it that perhaps the Ephesians were lacking. In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, of course, we think of the famous verses here, 4 through 7, love is patient, love is kind, love suffers long. But notice before that, what is Paul talking about anyway? Well, in verse 1 of chapter 13, if I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I’m a noisy gong or a clinging symbol. And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love.

You can have faith that moves mountains. You can do all the right things. But if you don’t have love, what is it worth?

Nothing. Zero. Religion, specifically Christianity, is not about rule keeping. God expects that we do what he says. The church of Ephesus was commended, by the way, in verse 6 of Revelation chapter 2 for hating the works of the Nicolas because God also hates those works. God cares about his will being followed. It is a must. It is non-negotiable. But also is the fact that God expects us to turn over our entire hearts to Him. And you see, what can happen over time as a Christian is at first you are thankful, you are loving how great God is. Look at Ephesians chapter 2. Undoubtedly they had this on their mind. In Ephesians chapter 2, we think about where we were without God lost, with no hope. How bad was it?

Verse 1 of Ephesians chapter 2, you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you once walked. Verse 3, among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh. But verse 4, but God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ by grace, you have been saved. And verse 8, for by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God. Not a result of works, so that no one may boast, for we are his workmanship. Created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

You recognize that we were lost. We were dead in our sins and our trespasses. There was no hope. But because of Jesus’ sacrifice, of which none of us could compel God to offer, because of his crucifixion and his resurrection, we can be forgiven. And I hope that even if it wasn’t the most grand emotional experience you’ve ever had, that you maybe felt a little bit in your mind, light as a feather coming up from the waters of baptism. Recognizing that your sin doesn’t cling closely anymore. In fact, it’s nowhere on you. Your garment is spotless, it is pure. And there’s motivation there. But if we’re honest, time passes. And we kind of forget about who we were, and we start thinking more about who we are, which is good for self-analysis, but not for remembering the proper motivation.

You see, how can a church be good at keeping law but not have love for the lawgiver? Well, apparently it is possible. And the church at Ephesus was struggling with that. We cannot just be about black and white, but about serving God with the proper motivation. We love God because he first loved us, John writes in 1 John chapter 4. It is very clear. We have to be motivated properly. And if you say, well, maybe I have left my first love. If God would say that to you, please remember how wonderful it is that Jesus died for you. It is just as true today as it was when you first heard the good news. We need the grace of God always. And if we lose that joy, if we lose that motivation, what else is there to get us through?

2. Some Who Hold the Teaching of Balaam

The church at Ephesus struggled with that. If you turn back to Revelation chapter 2, though, we realize this wasn’t the only letter, if you will, that God gave to the churches. You notice in verse 14, it was great of the church at Ephesus to put down false teachers, but not all groups were as good at that. Just like people, these churches had different pros and cons. There were strengths and weaknesses. And in chapter 2 and verse 14, we read about the church at Pergamum, and they had some problems. In verse 13, notice God says, I know where you dwell. What does he know about where they dwell? That’s where Satan’s throne is. This is tough territory. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

But verse 14, but I have some things against you. You have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. In fact, verse 15 doubles down on the problem. So also you have some who hold the teachings of the Nicolaitans. Now you might know that name Balaam, you might not in verse 14. It’s an Old Testament reference to, let’s just quickly say a thorn in Israel’s side. And who was Israel but God’s chosen children? God’s faithful, or they should have been. And Balaam was a thorn in their side. And yet, verse 14 says, unlike the church at Ephesus, even though you’re doing well where Satan’s throne is, I have this against you.

You have some following a false teaching, a problematic teaching. In fact, in verse 15, this church is the opposite of Ephesus, essentially. Whereas they hated the works of the Nicolaitans like God hates. This church, in some cases, these members what? Embrace the teaching. And this is a problem. This kind of goes without saying. But you recognize, by the way, who is this letter addressed to? If you look at verse 12, the church at Pergamum. This is possible. These church walls don’t block out any and all sin. You realize that? There’s a common joke that generally throughout a worship service, we’ll have three or four prayers, and just about every prayer asks for forgiveness of sins, and that’s great. But keep in mind, one preacher once asked, how many times are people sinning during the worship to where we have to keep asking for forgiveness again?

Think about that for a moment. If we really believe that God offers forgiveness, then do we need to ask twice? When we sin, we confess and we move forward. The truth of the matter is, though, even though that is intended to be humorous because of our repetition in prayer, these church walls don’t block out sin. I am just as selfish and self-involved when I walk from the front of the building into the building by going in the doors than if I just stayed on the doorstep. I don’t become holy walking in here. Yes, there are great people who are great influences, and we are focused on the word of God, and iron should sharpen iron, and we should be moved and touched by the miracle that is God revealing his word to us so that we can shape our lives and change and be different and better.

But we are works in progress. And so if God were to reach down and say, you are holding to this wrong teaching, what should my reaction be? It must be change. Whereas Balaam was the thorn in the side, there’s some speculation over what are these Nicolaitan faith holders. Perhaps it was Gnosticism, perhaps it was just this idea of some sort of spiritual compromise. That God cares about what you’re thinking, but not necessarily as much about what you’re doing. So you can cooperate with the world a little bit. But don’t really, you don’t have to go all the way to where you get in trouble, just as long as you stay faithful up here in your mind. Is that what Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did? Is that what Jesus did?

Certainly it’s not what the apostles did. God expects us to stand up for what’s right, to not allow compromise. You see, he does expect us to live with love, but you know what sometimes we do on the spectrum of the church at Ephesus, we go, you know what? The church at Ephesus was good at doctrine, but they didn’t have love. It’s all about love. And God tells the church at Pergamon, he said, Hey, you might be serving me well even in a difficult place, but you’re not doing what? You’re not holding the doctrine right. We go over here, we say, see, it’s all about doctrine. You gotta have it right. What is the answer? You have to have both. God expects us to understand his word.

He’s made it readily understandable if we’re willing to commit to listening. Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t that wonderful that God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, has revealed his word to us, not just in general, but in a way that we can understand. And so we have an obligation to make sure we’re understanding it right. What this means is a wake-up call to realize that even though I’m in these walls, I need to make sure not only am what I’m being taught, but what I believe is in line with what God says. We have to ever presently be thinking about, am I believing and doing what God would have me to do? That’s a constant threat. It’s a little bit different even than what we find here at the Church of Thyatira.

3. You Tolerate That Woman Jezebel

In verse 19 of Revelation chapter 2, in the third letter, the third that we’re looking at, I know your works, your love and your faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. Verse 20, but I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sick bed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. See, this is really fascinating in conjunction with the previous church, the church of Pergamon.

Because you see in verse 14, you have some in your number who are holding these teachings. That’s not what the verse says about here at Thyatira. Do you see the difference? It’s not, hey, there are some who do that, implying, by the way, there’s some who who don’t. There is the collective idea in verse 20, you tolerate that woman, Jezebel. Now, again, Old Testament in generic terms. Who is Jezebel? Well, the author of every wrong, sinful scheme you can think of, generally in the Old Testament. There’s a bad idea in the king’s accounts, generally it traces to Jezebel or her puppet husband Ahab. Jezebel was a thorn in the side of the people of God. She was actively trying to wipe out people, including Elijah, and propagate false religion.

That’s not exactly obviously what’s being spoken of here in the New Testament. Jezebel is long since passed. But what is the problem with the church here? They are tolerating her. This is different than full acceptance. We see that because of the language difference in 14 and 15 of chapter 2, and here in verse 20. You see, there’s a difference in partaking and tolerating. You know, at Thanksgiving time, there’s all kinds of good food. And this past week, my wife and my mom made part of a great feast. But you know, I tolerate vegetables. That is, I put as few as possible on my plate. Really, I think they’re false doctrine and should be left off. Okay, but my family says I have to tolerate them. And so green beans make it to their way on my plate.

By the way, green beans covered in bacon like all vegetables should be. Tolerating means we allow it. May not be the number one fan, but we’re not speaking out against it. This is just as wrong as following after false teaching. If God is pure and the religion he teaches is to be pure and undefiled, then why do we think it’s okay to be anything but pure and undefiled ourselves? If Jesus died on the cross, shed his blood so that I can be washed clean. How is it possibly acceptable that it’s okay for me to stain my garments just a little bit? Because it makes my life easier for someone else’s.

And in a culture, in a world that is all about quote unquote tolerating sin, tolerating wickedness, the basics of biology being bent. Christians need to say no. God’s will comes first. Important caveat here. Tolerating sin is wrong. That does not mean that everything I think is not natural or right is wrong. There’s a difference in the politics that I agree with and what God has spoken as true. Toleration that is uncalled for by God is that which is sinful. There can be zero mixing with Christians in sin. But that doesn’t mean that I reach out and actively hate at everybody else who disagrees with my ideas about life. You see, in verse 20, these are people who from verse 19 were marked as loving and faithful.

4. The Reputation of Being Alive, but You Are Dead

And again, I’m struck by the fact that I don’t have to be considered the worst and the lowliest of sinners to have this problem somewhere in my soul, somewhere in my mind, somewhere in this church. This wasn’t by a quick glance the worst church in the face of the world or history. But God saw them for what they did well, and he saw them for what they didn’t. And what was his expectation? That they repent and change or else. What if God said that to me? Consider another example in chapter 3 and verse 1, the church at Sardis. To the angel of the church in Sardis write, the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars, I know your works.

You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Verse 2 makes it worse. Wake up and strengthen what remains and is about to die. For I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember then what you received and heard, keep it and repent. So what does he have for the church at Sardis? A very dire warning. I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. This is frightening because you know who I really want to convince is good and saved and smart? Everybody else that I see and interact with. You know what this proves conclusively, something we know, but when you see it on paper, it makes it more real. God sees through any deception that we can offer.

No matter how I act, if I act like everything’s fine and it’s not, whether I’m harboring some sort of secret sin and nobody else knows it, God does. I might even deceive myself, but God sees through it. And you know what this shows? If God were to reach out to me and say, hey, you have a reputation for being great. You seem like you’re alive, you seem like you’re on fire for me, but I know you’re a fraud. It can happen to me. It can be me. We have to be honest with ourselves. Because God is always going to see right through us. If this is us, what is Jesus’ advice as always in these letters and in his life? Repent. Or you will perish. Notice in verse 2, he says you need to wake up to be strengthened.

Why? What flaw did God find in verse 2? Your works are not complete. Meaning there is more to do. There is never a point that you will reach where you can coast on autopilot. There’s never, okay, well, I’ve done enough. It’s okay now. I’m going to do nothing. We have different roles to play in different stages of our life, and that means finding the opportunity and fitting in. Maybe I can’t do now what I could do 10 years ago. Maybe I can do more, maybe I can do less. But God expects me to trust and serve him in love and faithfulness to his word at every age I get to.

You think or others think you are alive, but I know that you are dead.

Chapter 3 and verse 4. You have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. Before we move on to that, consider in the church at Sardis in verse 4. God says, even in the midst of this darkness, what can there be? There can be light. There can be that which is cleansed. So if you look around and you say, hey, I am innocent, that’s for God to judge. But you stay unstained from the world. You stay focused. And we’re going to see why that’s so important after we look at this example in verse 14. In verse 14, and to the angel of the church of Laodicea, right, the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.

5. I Am Rich, I Need Nothing

You know where this one’s going, right? The church at Laodicea is described as the lukewarm church. Who is what? Spewed from the mouth of God. We could stop and focus on any of those words, but I want to focus on verse 17. You say I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing. Not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. In verse 14, notice that this is the church in Laodicea. There is all kinds of what we might call hate on this church Laodicea because we know them as the lukewarm church. The one who God spews out of his mouth, the one who’s arrogant in verse 17. But notice, just like the church at Sardis, there were some there who were blameless and cleansed.

But here in verse 17, describing the church at Laodicea, what is the attitude? What is the problem? I don’t need anything. We’ve got it. By the way, these are not atheists. These are not atheist people saying, hey, I don’t need God. I’m good. I’m smart. I’m clever. This is the church at Laodicea. And so how might that creep into my mindset? How might that creep into the church here? We stop realizing the ever-present need for God. Remember that sacrifice of Jesus we have to have at the front of our mind every day? We need to remember it. Have you ever stopped and thought of all the Old Testament traditions, of all the Old Testament memorials? Why in the New Testament there is essentially one that we do on a recurring basis.

It’s the Lord’s Supper. Every week. Does God need us to spend a few minutes each week praying to Him? Is that His way of coercing that? Of course not. We need to remember the sacrifice of Jesus. His body and blood is so important that not only does our soul’s purity depend on it, but that God says, you remember this every week of your life. Isn’t that fascinating? In the Old Testament, the Jews kept all kinds of festivals, all kinds of feasts. But God says in the New Testament, this one, Jesus, and what he did for you, you remember. The minute we so much as lessen by one percentage point how important the sacrifice of Jesus is, we are gone. Because we’re thinking now to ourselves, I don’t need anything else.

The church at Laodicea didn’t just become agnostic or atheist with this viewpoint. These are people who knew better. But they looked at their stuff, they looked at their wealthy society, their cleverness and coming up with an eyeball in the first century. And somewhere in their hearts, where they said it out loud or showed it by their actions, God deemed them as saying, I need nothing. And he says these terrifying words, but you are wretched. You are in need. You’re naked. You’re not wealthy. You’re poor. You can’t see. You’re blind. God sees through any charade we want to put up. The good news is, though, as we go back to verse 4 of the church and Sardis, he recognizes those who are his. There were a few who had not soiled their garments.

6. Be Faithful unto Death

There were those who walked in white who were worthy of him. But if we haven’t, we recognize that there is a chance to change. In each of these letters, Jesus would say, Repent. Repent. Yes, you will perish if you don’t, but repent. But for those who are faithful to the church at Smyrna, which seem to have no real negative connotation given. In verse 10, note this, of chapter 2. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison that you may be tested, and for ten days you have tribulation. And despite that, he finishes saying, Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. God has never promised an easy physical life.

He has not promised Christians that. And when we act like that, we’re doing a disservice to those who are suffering. And to ourselves for when we suffer too. But what we are commanded to do is if we are wrong, if God’s wake-up call has struck you, repent, change, take advantage of the time. And if you are doing good, if you think that God would give you a good progress report, that overall you have weaknesses and you confess those when you commit sin. Jesus says, no matter what you’re facing, be faithful unto death. Why? Then I will give you the crown of life. It’s amazing that God speaks to his people. It’s amazing that we can know where we stand. It’s fascinating, though, that even though we have all of those blessings, there is a world, perhaps in this room and outside together, that knows what we should do, but we just don’t.

Conclusion

God has made it clear that if you believe in Jesus and you’re willing to repent of sins, confess him as Lord and Savior in your life and all that comes with that designation, and are baptized that you can have your sins forgiven. Your soul can be wiped clean. Recognize though that still requires faithfulness, to be faithful unto death. But maybe we’re like those members of the churches in Asia. Christian people who have suffered. We’ve tolerated sin. We’ve gone whole in on false teaching. Maybe we’ve lost the love we had at first. Jesus doesn’t say, hey, it’s okay it happens. He says, repent or you’ll be removed. Recognize that it’s wonderful that Jesus even offers us the option to repent. You can have your sins forgiven. Please don’t leave this room not being sure of where you stand with God.

If we can help you in any way, please come forward now as we stand and sing the invitation song.