Revelation | Pt. 3 - The Church Of Ephesus

First 3 chapters Jesus speaks to 7 churches
Performance Evaluations
Ephesus
Revelation 2:1
Christ addresses all 7 churches the SAME
Angel = Angelos
ANGELOS - messenger; human or divine
Jesus was addressing the Pastor who was the messenger to the local body.
Angels never preach or teach
What about Angels for a moment?
Hebrews 12:22
Paul warned about an obsession over angels
In Colossians he says false teaching is coming from those saying they got revelations from angels
What do Angels do?
1. Provide Protection
2. Worship God
3. Release God's Judgement
4. Give Strength
5. Make Divine Announcements
Angels do not preach or teach God's Word; 5-fold ministry does that
This message from Jesus is to the earthly messenger of Ephesus
When Christ speaks to a local church He first speaks to the pastor
The Lord does not bypass spiritual authority
If the Lord wants to correct Sheridan he will speak to me
False prophets bypass spiritual authority
God speaks to the local church through the pastor
What God did, He does
Please pray for me
First & foremost job of pastor? Hear and preach
Church is important word
Ecclesia in Greek
Borrowed word
No Christian vocabulary at the beginning
Ecclesia is 2 Greek words
EK - Out
KELISO - Called
EKKLESIA - Called Out or Called Out Ones
Ecclesia = Political word
1st church or ecclesia was in Athens
Ecclesia was 6000 elected citizens who gathered on a hill to hear a preacher
These elected citizens made decisions and passed laws
Ecclesia was ruling voice in Athens
There is a reason NT writers chose the word Ecclesia
The church is not a country club
Church = divinely elected assembly with ruling authority
Matthew 18:18
1st Church = Ephesus
Pillar church great history
Paul - Timothy - John - Onesimus
Gospel exploded in Ephesus
Map of Asia Minor
Largest church in 1st Century = Ephesus
1st Church that Christ address
Revelation 2:1
Revelation 1: Stars = Pastors & Lampstands = Churches
Hold = KRATOS
KRATOS - tight grip
No one can take it away
In the right hand of Jesus are these 7 pastors
Stars = ASTEROS
ASTEROS = Stars in the UNIVERSE
Pastors are to be guiding lights
No 2 pastors are the same just like no 2 stars are the same
Revelation 2:1-3
3 Commendations = Good Works, Enduring Trials, Sound Doctrine
Verse 4 says, “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.”
They have everything but the main thing
Lost their first love
35 years earlier Paul wrote them about their great love
Now their love has grown cold
They lost their awe and wonder of Jesus
Going through the motions
You know what this church needs?
Not another community outreach, not another obstacle, not another sermon
They need revival
When I say revival images pop up: crazy preacher for 4 hours or church all week
Revival - “To give new life or vigor to, an improvement in the condition or strength of something, and an instance of something becoming popular, active, or important again.”
Who needs Revival? Not unbelievers but believers
cannot revive someone who was never spiritually alive
The church in Ephesus needed revival
Revival is for Christians who have cooled off
Revival stirs our passion for God, people, church, prayer, worship
Revival makes those things important again
Excited to serve God with new vigor
Not just going through the motions
Revival changes things
Our nation needs a church that is experiencing revival
Divided racially, broke financially, and bankrupt spiritually
7 million adults in jail or on probation (more than anywhere)
95% of millenials do not believe the Bible is the Word of God
2018 = 30.3 billion searches in the US for porn
Porn gets more than Amazon, Netflix & Twitter combined
Bible Belt has higher search rates
Only thing that can change this is revival; not another program or book or conference
Jesus gives the recipe for revival
3 R's of Revival
Revelation 2:5
1. Remember
"Look how far you have fallen"
Sophomore at ORU = Early church
“Every great revival has always developed by believers who looked back into the past and remembered the acts of God.”
God continually reminds the Israelites of what He did
Celebrated the Passover to remember
Look back gives us confidence for today and hope for tomorrow
What He did then He can do again
2. Repent
Bad & unpopular word today
Not condemnation but an escape from condemnation
Acts 3:19
How do we experience times of refreshing aka revival? Repent
Repent of what? Sin
Sin is separation from God
Repent means not just turning from sin but turning to God
That is the Good News
Gospel transforms us
Not for information but transformation
Jesus & John said = repent
Repent means to change the mind
Right believing = Right living
To see revival we must repent
3. Return
Return to our first love
Return to Jesus
Fix your eyes...
Repent and return
Revival is not about discovering something new but rediscovering something or better yet someone that has been forgotten
Ephesus lost their first love
Revival is all about Jesus not you or me