Christ has the power. And if you have no love, where's your power coming from? power to do what God wants. Who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands?
Well, it tells us also in the same verse in the last chapter that these are the churches. But that he moves in the midst of the golden lampstands. means he's present and he is active. The dominant emblem of Christianity is the cross of Christ. the dominant emblem of the church is the lampstand.
to bring the light to the world. You're listening to Cross-Reference Radio with our pastor and teacher, Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Revelation. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross-reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching.
But for now, let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Revelation, chapter 2, as he begins his message: Ephesus, love lost. Revelation chapter 2 The title is Ephesus, Love Lost. Probably familiar with what Jesus has to say to these seven churches But I have found out In my experience is It's like uh these seven churches are like a tool you often use. You just keep going back to them at some point. and uh very beneficial.
We will take verses five through seven in our reading. Let's start at verse 4. Give it a little Okay. Nevertheless, I have this against you. that you have left your first love, 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, But this you have That you hate the deeds of of the Nicolaitans. which I also hate, 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.
Have you ever attended a church? That was very active, had a lot of programs. probably would also have very Exciting music, nothing wrong with that. intolerant of false doctrine even Yeah. Noticeably, love was missing.
There's no warmth. No excitement over Christ. doctrinites and not much more. They know about love, they could teach on it. They could talk about it.
But it just wasn't there Maybe you have not experienced a fellowship like that. Paul said about love. If I have not love, I am nothing. Loving Christianity without loving Christ is possible. Not intentional.
You get caught up in the work, in ministry. That's what happened to Martha. Church obedience can become ritual. You're doing what you're supposed to be doing, but you're sort of outside the box, and you're not even aware of it. If love is lost, Then what's moving you?
Memory, doctrine, those are important things, but they're not enough according to Jesus. Because If it continues that way, You're going to be destroyed. Satan will get hold of you. Any one of these seven churches could be us. At any point It takes a congregation.
to be loving as a congregation. And I wanted two people with love. Not just a pastor with love. The entire Population. Six of these churches were responsible for their own condition.
One Smyrna, of course, they were persecuted. That was from the outside in.
So this is a church character study. As we go through the seven churches, we're looking to see what. is Jesus saying to us What corrections do we have to make? Or what strengths do we have that we must continue to develop. And Jesus has something to say.
to each of the churches something that is good except for one church. Laodicea Yet Even to them, He mentions his love. He says, I chasten who I love. I'm telling you these things because I love you. All the letters end with Listen to what the Spirit is saying to the assemblies.
I use assemblies, alternate between church and assemblies, because we come sometimes. Think that the church is this organization. without people. It is an assembly of people that come together. To worship the Lord.
And Satan hates it. And he's very serious about ruining it. And here are five out of seven churches that he was getting the upper hand on. One, he couldn't get the upper hand on, so he punished them as best he could. He found enough.
people to do his work for him. Hear what the Spirit says to the churches, that's plural. It goes beyond each individual church and each age. These churches would get to read at some point. each other's critique.
They would get to see how what Jesus said about each of them and then. be able to appraise themselves. in the light of what was said. If you were in the church at Sayatira, and you read about the church at Philadelphia, you got to say, man, we got to get rid of this Balaam doctrine that's killing us.
So you'd be more like the church at Philadelphia. You'd hope that would be. One of the outcomes. Also, what we find here is that each church in some way corresponds. Two Conditions in Church History And I can't put too much into this, but some of it is there.
For example, Ephesus matches the Apostolic Age, the days of the Apostles, but the late stages when really John was the only one left that we know of. And that is what was happening in the church. Paul had spent Years in Ephesus, for example, but that was forty years ago.
So now we're way up. And then the church of Smyrna, well, soon Rome will intensify her persecutions. Throughout her empire, on the church, and she will kill many of the leaders in the churches as well as the people, also.
So there's that apostolic age, there's the persecution that's coming, and ultimately there's Laodicea, which is the last days church. All of these overlap to some degree. And you cannot be too dogmatic with it, but you can't miss it at the same time. The apostate church matches the Laodicean Church. In Revelation, Jesus on the outside, and they're all inside, smug and happy with themselves.
Each generation has its challenges, each generation of assemblies, that is. But not everyone responds the same way. The reactions are different, but they shouldn't be. They should be uniform. They should be consistent.
Uniform is a as a m as A troop of soldiers marching together. But oftentimes the church is simply spazzd. Moving out of control. And not In unison.
So how we behave as an assembly matters. Many years earlier, Peter said, For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God. And if it begins with us, What will be the end of those who do not obey the Gospel of God.
Well, Peter is saying, we got to take care of our business. We're saved, and we still are accountable. How awful it will be for those. who are accountable without Christ.
Well, don't let them be without Christ because the church has failed to preach the truth. When unbelievers come to a church, they need to get the truth of the gospel. That you're a sinner. And you will go to hell without Christ. You don't have to like it.
That's how it's going to be. The Bible is true, every word of it. The church is held accountable, as I mentioned in earlier studies, because the church counts. The people are held accountable. Because the people count.
What you do matters. And when Jesus says, I move between the lampstands, he says, I'm present and I am active.
So Readers of the Revelation, especially these seven churches, that section, have to ask themselves Is this my church? Which one of these do I attend? And then they have to ask themselves: what about my walk with Christ? Have I lost my first love? Am I Harbouring bad doctrines Such as the teachings of the Balaam types who taught God's people to stumble.
Well, now we look at the first verse. I would like to do just, you know, you could spend forever in these seven churches. I know, because my notes are so thick with them. I said, oh man, how am I going to say anything? How am I going to get this down to Uh one 20-minute session that we do on Sundays.
Yeah. To the angel of the church of Ephesus, verse 1, write. These things, says he who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands.
Now, we're 66 years thereabout. From Pentecost when the church was born. The church has been around a while now. Ephesus is the church of exceptional beginnings.
So many great Pastors poured themselves into this church, It's a big city. quarter of a million people were in ancient Ephesus.
Now The churches couldn't meet and large halls as a rule. It was very rare. that Paul was able to meet in the hall of Tyrannus was exceptional. Most of the time they met in the homes of people l uh people with Larger homes. In courtyards.
And what this would end up meaning is that there were many congregations in Ephesus, but one church. They weren't divided in that way. They were very plugged in with each other. Ephesus was the fourth largest city. In that ancient world, following behind Rome, Alexandria in Egypt, and Antioch in Syria.
And Antioch and Syria, that's where that solid church was. In those early days, after Pentecost. It was one of the most prosperous cities in the ancient world. Multiple trade routes.
Now, this is kind of important because multiple trade routes went through Ephesus, the Great Silk Road from China all the way to the Mediterranean.
Well, why that's kind of important? Because that's going to resurface again when we get further into the Revelation and the Tribulation period. Today, China is trying to reactivate her Silk Road. To go through Iran and just all the way through India to the sea. She's meeting some resistance.
At some point, she's got to go through Israel. And also That's China. Iran is also trying to run us a road of commerce through Iran, through Israel.
Well, we'll get to all of that. And I don't I'm sorry I even brought it up because now I've lost time talking about what's coming instead of what's here. Also, in that city was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the temple to Diana. Acts chapter 19 tells about the rough time the Christians had there in Ephesus and how they held firm as far as we know. It is one of the chief seaports of Asia Minor.
And that it stayed that way till its harbor silted up. He says to the angel, Of the church.
Now, both angel and church are singular. Angel means messenger. And church, of course, refers to the called-out ones, the assemblies. Not all angels, well, let me. Put it this way.
Angels, as I mentioned, means messenger. Not all the time does it refer to an angelic being with wings straight out of heaven to earth.
Sometimes context gives it that. Peter said this, and he said this about those who gave us the scripture. He said, That These men removed, holy men of God spoke moved by the Holy Spirit.
Well, God didn't just do that now and no longer does that. He still does move in the hearts of those who speak. The word of God, who deliver his message. And a messenger he delivers He communicates what someone else has authored. That's what a messenger does: he delivers the message.
He didn't author it. Pastors ought to deliver A message. This is not only the case of Not only the case of New Testament pastors, this was the way it was in the Old Testament also. If the natural man is to receive spiritual things from God, he will do it through God's people as a rule. And God's people, as a rule, have a shepherd.
And the shepherd's role is vital. to the church's survival. And this is who God is saying. I want to address this to the pastor because he's going to be the one that speaks to the people, and they're all going to get it. Malachi chapter two Now, this is an Old Testament priest that's being spoken of here, not to be confused with all these other types of priests that exist throughout the ages.
To Malachi in chapter 2. God says, for the lips of a priest should keep knowledge. and people should seek the law from his mouth. for he is the messenger of Yahweh of hosts.
So, it's not a new theory, it's in scripture. There's precedence, and that's important to learning what's going on here.
Now there are many good commentators. They don't agree with this. Look, it's their prerogative to be wrong. I'm you know But there are many others.
So a lot of these areas, you know, they don't match exactly, and I'll hit some of them with pleasure from time to time. I expected a little chuckle at the with pleasure. Mm-hmm. This church in Ephesus As I mentioned, gifted In her beginnings, Apollos preached there. Aquila and Priscilla Pulled him aside and said, Listen, you're a little off on your message about the gospel.
And he responded, he didn't. Push against them. which is a testimony to his character also. Timothy and Tychicus, they ministered there. Paul spent three years ministering in Ephesus, and John, according to church history, ended his years on earth there in Ephesus and was buried in that city.
The only church that we have in the scripture that has two significant letters addressed to it. by two different people. We have two letters to the Corinthians, but Paul's the author of both in Thessalonica, same thing. But we have to the Ephesians a church from Paul. And then this letter from Christ.
These things say he who holds the seven stars in his right hand.
Now, we covered that last chapter in verse 20. We're speaking of the pastors, we're told that. And to hold the stars is to hold the power. Christ has the power. And if you have no love, where's your power coming from?
power to do what God wants. Who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands?
Well, it tells us also in the same verse, in the last chapter, that these are the churches. But that he moves in the midst of the golden lampstands. means he's present and he is active. The dominant emblem of Christianity is the cross of Christ. The dominant emblem of the church is the lampstand.
to bring the light to the world. And he holds the pastors and moves without restriction in the midst of his churches. His assemblies. He's here right now. In verse 2, he says, 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. You gotta love that direct language. They're liars.
They're not mistaken, they might be that too. But a mistake is not always intentional, whereas a lie is.
Someone can be wrong about something doesn't mean they're lying. But a liar is Of course, wrong because they're not telling the truth. The truth gets in the way of Satan. and his people.
Well, Christ always knows what's going on in the church and The movement between the lampstands is not for nothing. May we not waste it. When he mentions your labors, well they put effort into their faith.
Now, this word labors, well, he says, I know your works, I know your labors. Which is Here a Greek word that we get our English word agony from. Ergon in the Greek and he says, I know your work, And the agony. The hard work, the toil. Your patience.
That's that inner resolve to put up with other drivers. I mean, put up with. Yeah. Delays, yes. Uh and uh setbacks.
In other words, they did not quit. They work hard. And they kept at it. These three words, works, labor, and patience, are found together in Paul's Thessalonian letter, which is very informative for us as Christians. Any lazy Christians here, raise your hand.
No, don't. But maybe you are offended at the thought of lazy. You would know why you would be offended if that offends you. It's not meant. by me to offend you.
But As the adaj goes if the shoe fits. Wear it. And maybe um Try to fix it. Anyway, coming back to this Thessalonian quote. Paul wrote to them, remembering without ceasing your work.
of faith, labor of love. And patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our God and Father.
Now, what's remarkable about that is that that church in Thessalonica was remarkable. One of the excellent churches in the New Testament. They're good and bad, and this is one of the great ones. He says here He continues, Jesus speaking. and that you cannot bear those who are evil.
Well, Ignatius, one of the ancient church fathers, wrote a letter to the Ephesians also. It's not considered scripture, it's okay reading. And he mentions these things about Ephesus also. He also ends his letter while he has it in there that this was a great church. being that it was written after John wrote This revelation is an indication that they got their act together.
at least for a while. They're intolerant of evil people. properly close-minded to sanctimonious impersonators. He says, and you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not.
Well, they were intolerant of frauds.
So far, so good. I'm liking this church. I want to attend this church so far. Wish more Christians And more churches behave this way. But you look at some of the people that are out there.
That have so many advocates, and you just scratch your head. How could any Christian attend that church? You'll say that how could any Christian vote for certain people? This is what gets us in trouble. When strong people allow weak people to get away with doing wrong.
Everybody suffers more. Life's hard enough when you get it all right.
Well, anyway. Talking about Discernment and acting on the discernment. It's not enough to say, that guy is false in his teachings. It'll go skipping down the road. 1 John 4, Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Well, the faithful are unable to stomach heretics. They just can't. That would happen with Laodicea when the Lord says, You know, I'm going to spit you out of my mouth. I can't stomach this. They said no, this church in Ephesus, to the onslaught of pagan demands.
Whereas Progamus and Thyatira They caved. Unbelievers Always trying to get us to stop behaving like believers. Not every single time.
Some just, you know, fine, do as you want, but then there are others that are active. And they would accuse us of being hypocrites for yielding to the very temptations they threw in our way. We're going to tempt you with something, and if you cave in, you're a hypocrite. No, if I cave in, I might just be weak. Caving in is different from Well, no, let me back that up.
Being weak is different from being an active hypocrite. And uh I'll come back to that one. And found them liars.
Well, they were likely claiming that I'm sent from the church. Probably or possibly. but not likely claiming I'm an apostle of Jesus Christ because We're you know some 60 years away from the crucifixion.
So, the claim of, so there are two types of apostles in the church: the ones who are sent out by the church and the 11 handpicked by Jesus Christ. And uh I don't think that they were claiming that. Who knows, though? You know, when you get a fraud, They're not bound by decency. Charlatans still nest in pulpits.
Not this one, I hope. And silly people enable, finance, and defend them. to this day. Paul prophesied again. 40 years ago when he was meeting with the elders of this church.
about the wolves that they would face. Coming from within, Acts 20 verse 29, I know this, that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Acts 20 verse 31, Therefore watch and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. with passion. This has been Cross-Reference Radio with Pastor Rick Gaston.
This program is a radio outreach of Calvary Chapel, Mechanicsville, in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Pastor Rick has been teaching through the book of Revelation, but if you're interested in learning about a different book of the Bible, we have hundreds of past episodes available to listen to on demand. Just visit us online at crossreferenceradio.com and you'll find an archive of Pastor Rick's past teachings. While you're there, you can also find links to follow our program on your favorite podcast app, as well as links to get connected with us on Facebook and YouTube. There's also an interviews tab where you can learn more about Pastor Rick's heart for ministry.
Well, we hope you'll join us next time here on Cross Reference Radio. Yeah, hello.
