The Message to the Churches (1 of 2)
Chapter two and three of Revelations addresses letters to the seven churches in Asia. Many volumes of books have been written about the meanings behind these letters and what these historic churches symbolize. I believe these churches serve a three-fold purpose. 1. These seven churches are literal, historical churches; 2. These churches represent specific periods of church history; 3. These churches represent spiritual conditions that can be found within the Church of Jesus Christ during any point in history. For example, if the church as a whole today is the Laodicean church (the lukewarm church), there will always be certain churches that are faithful and on fire even if the overall condition of the church is weak. At any point in time you can see faithful and unfaithful churches. However, at different times in history, the overall view of the church is at various states of spiritual focus. In this study, we will be looking at the meaning of the letters rather than the meaning of the churches.
These letters serve as examples to be praised, failures to avoid, instructions for the believer and consequences for neglecting God’s purpose. When instructing the churches, Jesus praised the churches for what was in order, He pointed out their areas of disobedience, He instructed with promises of their eternal reward and then warned of the consequences of neglect. It is neglect for the things of God that leads to failure within the church. God has never allowed us to choose the middle of the road. There are only two ways: obedience that leads to righteousness or sin leading to death (Romans 6:16). There is no such thing as partial obedience. Either we trust God and submit or we don’t believe God and live in disobedience.
When we obey, we do so out of faith and a love for God, not obligation. True obedience is always out of faith. I obey because I believe His promises and know that His plan for my life is perfect. Obedience reveals that I believe His word completely – both the promises and the judgment. Disobedience is the opposite. I willfully choose a sinful lifestyle because I don’t believe God will keep His promises to satisfy and fulfill my life and I don’t believe He will really judge my actions. From the beginning, God has always given the same instruction – choose the blessing or the curse. In God’s presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). Or we can choose the curse. Psalm 112 warns that the wicked shall be grieved, he shall gnash his teeth and melt away and he will see his desires perish. Deuteronomy lays the groundwork of God’s principle of choice. Deuteronomy 11:
26 " Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse:
27 "the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God which I
command you today;
28 "and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but
turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which
you have not known.
Instead of breaking down this study to examine each church, we will examine these four areas of instruction Jesus addressed to the churches – Praise, Failure, Instruction, and Rewards or Consequences.
Praise
Jesus praises the churches that are striving to fulfill His commands. If you
take the time to read Revelation chapter 2 and 3 you will notice that not all of
the churches receive praise for their efforts. Jesus straightway warns the
churches that are living in total neglect of their purpose. The churches and
people that are trying to live the Christian life are praised and then
instructed. The instruction is necessary because it is far too easy to lose
sight of the reason we have our faith and lose sight of the purpose of God’s
call. Jesus always begins with praise for those living for Him in order to
encourage, then He moves to instruction. ‘Here is what you are doing right but
to fulfill the call these forgotten areas need new focus’. We can’t see God’s
plan. We can only see our narrow point of view. The word of God was written to
be our guide so we are directed to God’s purpose. I can’t see how trials, events
and benefits fit together for His purpose until after the fact. For this reason,
I have to trust God if I am to stay the course. God honors our efforts to please
Him and directs us to His purpose. God knows that we are finite and
shortsighted. Because of our human limitations, we can only see the command but
often can’t see the reason behind it. It is vital that we are teachable so that
when we are instructed we don’t resist God’s correction. Once we resist, we are
completely out of His will by our disobedience.
To encourage the church to continue the race, Jesus begins with praise for what is being done. The church is praised for its works, labor, patience, intolerance of those who are evil, testing those who claim to be God’s messengers and apostles, perseverance, and especially for enduring persecution and not denying His faith (vs. 2:2-3, 13, 19, and 3:10). Every deed, sacrifice, suffering and act that is done in faith and love for Christ will be rewarded and will not go unnoticed. Jesus said that what God sees in secret, will be rewarded openly (Matthew 6:4). God measures success differently that the world. It is easy to think that good works have to be seen, but God says that when we receive praise for our works, we have our reward already. God rewards labor that is done out of love and not for fanfare.
This is also true for wealth. In Revelation 2:9, Jesus said, "I know…your poverty, but you are rich". Then in 3:17 Jesus condemns the Laodicean church by saying, "you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' -- and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked". The Smyrna church was suffering from tribulation and poverty, but God praised them and called them rich in spite of the poverty. The Laodicean church was comfortable, wealthy and at ease and God called them wretched, poor, miserable, blind, and naked. Laodicea was living for the ‘here and now’ but Smyrna was living for the hope of heaven and the eternal rewards of God. Those with an eternal perspective are always praiseworthy and those who love the world are always under condemnation (1 John 2:15).
Failure
As mentioned earlier, it is essential to point out the failure so that
correction can be made. Failure due to neglect and disregard for God’s word are
condemned. We live in a culture that is offendiphobic – the fear of offending
anyone (with the exception of God). Even in the church, this fear is so
pervasive that we would rather let someone die and go to hell than to risk
sharing the hope of salvation and being called intolerant or offensive. Once the
church decides to abandon evangelism, the next step is to deny the reality of
hell so that we are justified in our disobedience. Only those believers and
churches willing to take a stand and be beacons of light will make an impact on
this culture. The so-called tolerant churches are having little impact and often
a negative impact on our culture. To tell someone that sin is ok is worse than
saying nothing at all.
Those who obey the command to share the truth while also obeying the command to ‘pursue peace with all men’, will see God open doors and work through their ministries. To be effective we always must align ourselves and our churches with what God is blessing. If a church departs from God’s will, the door will be closed. If a church seeks God first and then seeks to fulfill His will, the door will be opened. Look at Revelation 2:7-8:
7 " And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ' These things
says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens
and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":
8 "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can
shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied
My name.
Those who "have kept His word and not denied His name" will have the open door. This is the people and are the churches that will make an impact. They may not be liked, but God will open the door and bless their efforts. Even persecution and war against the church cannot shut the door that God opens. Those who don’t stand on His word and deny His name through their actions and disbelief will not see God’s hand working. Church growth is not an accurate measure of God’s blessing. Both small and large churches can be obedient. Both small and large churches can be in disobedience.
The failures of these churches were – and still are – they Left their first love; allowed the gospel to be polluted by False doctrines; and Lukewarm Christianity.
You have left your first love.
Look at Revelation 2:
4 "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first
love.
5 "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.
Love comes from the word agape. Agape is unconditional, self-giving, sacrificial love. Agape is always a reference to God’s love. Whenever we see the English word ‘love’ given as a command in scripture, it is always agape. There are other words that we translate into love. These are Philia, which means warm affection or friendship and Eros, which means passion. Eros is never translated as love in the scriptures, but in the English language we call Eros love. God’s love is a command because we must submit to God and allow Him to love through us. We are not capable of agape love outside of God’s will. We are to become conduits of God’s love and this love becomes a willful choice. We love God because we choose to submit to His love.
The word ‘first’ in this passage means ‘first in rank’. This church was praised because they were doing the work God called them to do and their actions showed that they were careful to do all they had been commanded. They were patient; they labored; they did not tolerate evil; and they tested those who presented doctrine. However, they failed to put God first. The works became more important than their relationship with Jesus Christ. God did not have first place in their hearts. They forgot the greatest commandment God has given. In Matthew 22 we are told:
37 Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your
heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 "This is the first and great commandment."
The only works that honor God is what is done out of self-giving love for God. Self-serving works mean little. Good works in ministry mean little when they become our purpose above loving God. When God shows us that we have drifted from that agape love for Him, we are commanded to remember from where we have fallen and repent. To repent means to turn from the direction we are going and back toward the direction God is going. We put God in His rightful place – first in our life.
Lukewarm Christianity
Revelation 3:
15 "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were
cold or hot.
16 "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit
you out of My mouth.
17 "Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing'
-- and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked --
18 "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich;
and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness
may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
19 "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
The Bible warns that in the last days many in the church will have a form of godliness but denying its power. Jesus warned He would not tolerate a lukewarm church but it would be ‘vomited out of His mouth’. A cold church is one that is living in complete opposition to scripture. There is no doubt where they stand. A person who is cold and not living by any scriptural standard can come to the knowledge that they are living without hope in Christ, and can be persuaded to repent. A person on fire for God is living their life for God’s purpose and the hope of their future is in Heaven. The lukewarm person is not living for God and because they have a false Christianity, they can’t see their sins because everything can be easily justified. They can always do a deed here and there to make themselves feel spiritual. The lukewarm person or church has just enough godliness to feel spiritual so they don’t see any need to pursue God, however, anyone who is at room temperature is dead. A lukewarm church is a church with spirituality, but without holiness. It is a church that has a form of godliness but no love for God.
False doctrines
Jesus condemned several of the churches because they allowed false doctrines,
which polluted the true doctrine of Christ. Three specific false doctrines are
mentioned in these two chapters. Lets examine them a little closer so that we
can understand how this applies to the church today.
The doctrine of Nicolaitans
To the church in Ephesus
6 "But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also
hate.
To the church in Pergamos
15 "Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which
thing I hate.
The word Nicolaitans comes from a combination of Greek words but literally means ‘to rule over the laity’. God has never given permission for the church leaders to rule over the people. Most cults are born out of religious rule. Leaders get the power over the people by making themselves the intermediary between the people and God and make themselves the judge over who has salvation. Any student of the Bible can see the error of this. That is why almost all cults discourage their followers from studying the scriptures without ‘guidance’. I was recently given some literature from a cult that spelled out the dangers of reading scripture without a ‘study program’ or elders to guide them. Their own words were, "Regardless of how sincere you are, the scriptures will be confusing and you will be mislead if you study outside our program".
Jesus presented another plan for church leadership. Look at Matthew 20:
25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers
of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority
over them.
26 "Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among
you, let him be your servant.
27 "And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave --
28 "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give
His life a ransom for many."
That is quite a different picture than we see in churches and religious groups that are not followers of God’s plan. A spiritual leader shows his qualifications by becoming the servant of others. A true leader leads by example and not instruction alone. 1 Corinthians 11:1 gives the picture of true leadership in one phrase, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." God said that He hates the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. That is a strong warning against all groups who practice this unbiblical style of leadership. Any leader that attempts to control or rule over the people is in direct violation of God’s commands. That does not mean a church can’t set standards; it means that the people, following scripture, submit themselves to the authority of God and then to each other. A true leader humbles himself to lead by serving Christ and others.
Eddie Snipes
Exchanged Life Outreach
http://www.exchangedlife.com
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