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Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

The Seven Churches of Revelation Part 3

Revelation 2:8-11 Smyrna

Today we continue our teaching series called “The Seven Churches of Revelation”

Over the next several weeks we will seek to understand the importance and relevance of this text in our lives today. Just like the rest of our Bible, we believe that Revelation is valuable and integral to our faith- It’s there for a reason.

Through this study we want to hear and understand the warnings and instructions to these churches. As we do that, we also want to discern how we can learn from these warnings in our lives and through our local church.

Our desire is to renew and refine our vision of life and what the church should be. Our series is specifically focused on Jesus’ words to the 7 Churches in Asia minor

Today we continue with the Church in Smyrna, found in Revelation 2:8-11.

Revelation 2:8-11

“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.

Smyrna was a beautiful and luxurious city with great significance in the Roman Empire. And although the letter brings no complaint against the Church in Smyrna, it does deliver an encouragement and a warning.

What does it mean to be faithful?

To be faithful means that we declare with our lives that Jesus is Lord!

Exodus 1: Shiprah and Puah in Egypt

2 Kings 5: Naaman and Elisha

Daniel 3: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abegnego,

Amos 4: Israel’s unfaithfulness

Luke 1: Mary’s song

For Jesus to be the Lord of our lives, we must surrender ourselves entirely to Jesus Christ.

Revelation 21:1-5

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

The challenging question for us to ask is: Who is Lord?

Who is the Lord of your life?

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Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

The Seven Churches of Revelation Part 2

Revelation 2:1-7 Ephesus

Today we continue our teaching series called “The Seven Churches of Revelation”

Over the next several weeks we will seek to understand the importance and relevance of this text in our lives today.

Just like the rest of our Bible, we believe that Revelation is valuable and integral to our faith- It’s there for a reason.

Through this study we want to hear and understand the warnings and instructions to these churches. As we do that, we also want to discern how we can learn from these warnings in our lives and through our local church.

Our desire is to renew and refine our vision of life and what the church should be.

Our series is specifically focused on Jesus’ words to the 7 Churches in Asia minor

Today we begin with the Church in Ephesus, found in Revelation 2:1-7.

Revelation 2:1-7

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Ephesus was one of the most influential cities in the Roman world. It was a melting pot of cultural and religious influences.

The Apostle Paul had founded the church some 40 years earlier, spending a significant amount of time there. And late in the first century, the resurrected Jesus commends them on how they have held firm.

Jesus is saying, “in spite of all your hard work and perseverance, you have forsaken what’s most important.”

But the implication here is not that they lost their first love, as if it disappeared somehow by accident. The word ‘forsaken’ here communicates intentional action.

Are these words true about our church today?

I shudder thinking about ever being a part of the church where the gospel is seen as an obligation and duty rather than a calling compelled by love.

One of the most significant question in this text is, “how?”

How is it possible that a church that could appear so effective and faithful could miss what matters most?

Hebrews 2:1

We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

How does the church in Ephesus forsake their first love? How does the church in 2023 make the same fatal error?

It didn’t happen all at once, instead it was a series of moments, a process of drifting.

“Five Signs of a Drifting Church”

1. There is a loss of focus on the pure love of God expressed through faithfulness to the Gospel.

2. A sense of urgency is replaced by a sense of the routine or going through the motions.

3. People are distracted by entertainment or busy-ness, or both.

4. The Word is watered down.

5. 20% of the people do 80% of the ministry.

The bottom line:

The question isn’t ‘what do you do?’

The question is ‘who do you love?’

Verses for further study/reflection:

Acts 19:8-41

1 Corinthians 13

Matthew 7:23

Revelation 2:1-7, The Message

2 Write this to Ephesus, to the Angel of the church. The One with Seven Stars in his right-fist grip, striding through the golden seven-lights’ circle, speaks:

2-3 “I see what you’ve done, your hard, hard work, your refusal to quit. I know you can’t stomach evil, that you weed out apostolic pretenders. I know your persistence, your courage in my cause, that you never wear out.

4-5 “But you walked away from your first love—why? What’s going on with you, anyway? Do you have any idea how far you’ve fallen? A Lucifer fall!

“Turn back! Recover your dear early love. No time to waste, for I’m well on my way to removing your light from the golden circle.

6 “You do have this to your credit: You hate the Nicolaitan business. I hate it, too.

7 “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches. I’m about to call each conqueror to dinner. I’m spreading a banquet of Tree-of-Life fruit, a supper plucked from God’s orchard.”

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Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

The Seven Churches of Revelation Part 2

Revelation 2:1-7 Ephesus

Today we continue our teaching series called “The Seven Churches of Revelation”

Over the next several weeks we will seek to understand the importance and relevance of this text in our lives today.

Just like the rest of our bible, we believe that Revelation is valuable and integral to our faith- It’s there for a reason

Through this study we want to hear and understand the warnings and instructions to these churches. As we do that, we also want to discern how we can learn from these warnings in our lives and through our local church.

Our desire is to renew and refine our vision of life and what the church should be.

Our series is specifically focused on Jesus words to the 7 Churches in Asia minor

Today we begin with the Church in Ephesus, found in Revelation 2:1-7

Revelation 2:1-7

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Already in our teaching we have said that revelation is a Jesus focused letter. As we begin chapter 2, we are reminded that these words are from Jesus, for his church.

The imagery we read in verse 1 takes us back to the vision that John gave us in Chapter 1. This is the revealing, the revelation of Jesus. Don’t lose focus on him.

With verse 2, his message begins.

Revelation 2:2-3

I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

Ephesus was one of the most influential cities in the Roman world. It was a melting pot of cultural and religious influences.

The Apostle Paul had founded the church some 40 years earlier, spending a significant amount of time there. And late in the first century, the resurrected Jesus commends them on how they have held firm.

Revelation 2:4

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.

Here we are faced with perhaps the hardest question of this text: What does it mean that they have forsaken the love they had at first?

For our understanding of this warning, it’s really the pivotal matter. As with so many things in revelation we are left without the details we would like to have.

First, I want us to notice- they did not lose their first love- they left it. The word here is to give up or abandon.

They didn’t lose their first love haphazardly- they left it.

Next, and perhaps most challenging for us today is that New Testament Scholars disagree on what is meant by “First love”- there is not a universal view on this text.

Generally, two thoughts are regarded as the best possibilities for interpreting the text.

First- The love that they have forsaken is their love for God.

The church had done all these great things FOR God, but they had lost sight of their love and connection with God the Father.

They were helping others, doing the bible studies, the work of the church to keep it going- but it was all empty of true love for God.

The other popular view is that the church had lost their love for others.

Perhaps in their fervency to keep correct doctrines, to keep things in order and comfortable in the church- they had lost the passionate heart of Jesus for the lost.

Their passion had shifted to preservation rather than mission

While these two views are a little different, I think the exhortation of Jesus brings resolution to both. (And don’t forget this message is just as much about our church in 2023 as it was for the church at Ephesus in the year 95).

Revelation 2:5-7

Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Whatever is happening in the church- it’s no light matter to Jesus.

What was required was no small course correction- this was a radical re-direction back to the love they held in the past.

Revelation at its core is a Jesus letter- and in that there is great hope. To those who will head his voice and obey- there is the promise of new creation, of eternity ahead in paradise.

This exhortation began with Jesus, and it ends in hope for those who live in relationship with him, a good reminder that Revelation is a book of hope!

Even in our short study of this book, it is easy to tell that it is no easy task. There are so many questions, so many images, so many details we would love to have.

For us today- I want us to commit to holding our view with humility. With an openness and charity to those who see it differently than we do.

Today i am leaving it open to your interpretation with the Holy Spirit-

Whether it’s a lost love of God they are called back to, or a lost love of neighbor and the mission to reach others for Christ.

Will you return to your first love?

Will you seek the heart of God passionately and allow your love to thrive through relationship with him?

There is a great hope and promise ahead for those who are victorious in Christ!

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Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

The Seven Churches of Revelation

Revelation Chapter 1

Today we begin our new summer teaching series called “The Seven Churches of Revelation”

Over the next several weeks we will seek to understand the importance and relevance of this text in our lives today.

Just like the rest of our Bible, we believe that Revelation is valuable and integral to our faith- It’s there for a reason.

Through this study we want to hear and understand the warnings and instructions to these churches. As we do that, we also want to discern how we can learn from these warnings in our lives and through our local church.

It would be a mistake if we believe that this was only about something back then- 2000 years ago.

Our desire is to renew and refine our vision of life and what the church should be.

What we know about Revelation:

-This entire book is a vision, given by God to the apostle John.

-John is in exile on the Isle of Patmos. He has been exiled to Patmos to try to keep him from preaching the Gospel in the Roman Empire.

-John’s banishment is a form of ‘the death penalty’. They sent him away to die.

-While in exile, the Lord chose that experience to reveal world-changing truths to John. And He writes them down here, in the book of Revelation.

Revelation 1:1-20

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near. John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

The focus of the letter comes immediately: Revelation is a Jesus letter.

Consider some of the ways Jesus is described here:

-“him who is, and who was, and who is to come,” (verse 4)

-“the faithful witness” (verse 5)

-“the firstborn from the dead” (verse 5)

-“the ruler of the kings of the earth” (Verse 5)

-“who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood” (verse 5)

-“has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father” (verse 6)

-“I am the Alpha and the Omega” (verse 8)

-“who is, and who was, and who is to come” (verse 8)

-“the Almighty” (verse 8)

1. These words are relevant today

Our tendency is to take anything complicated, thought-provoking, or potentially challenging and excuse it or minimize it. The temptation may be to make these words only applicable to the churches in Asia Minor 2,000 years ago. But these words are relevant today.

2. These words are for you

One of the biggest dangers we can make in reading Scripture is applying it to everyone else, and not ourselves. In the coming weeks, as we journey through Revelation, believe that there will be specific wisdom that you need right now, encouragement for the season you are in right now, a challenge for you that may not be easy but a challenge from the Lord that you need. These words are for you.

3. Jesus is your past, your present, your future

We see it from the very beginning: Revelation is a Jesus book. Jesus has been there since the beginning. He’s right here in the beginning of Revelation and He’s been there, seated at the right hand of the Father, long before this moment. No matter what you face today, the picture we see of Jesus, the picture John writes down so vividly, is the picture of Jesus for you, right now.

Revelation 22:17

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

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Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

The Seven Churches of Revelation

Revelation Chapter 1

Today we begin our new summer teaching series called “The Seven Churches of Revelation”

Over the next several weeks we will seek to understand the importance and relevance of this text in our lives today.

Just like the rest of our bible, we believe that Revelation is valuable and integral to our faith- It’s there for a reason

Through this study we want to hear and understand the warnings and instructions to these churches. As we do that, we also want to discern how we can learn from these warnings in our lives and through our local church.

It would be a mistake if we believe that this was only about something back then- 2000 years ago.

Our desire is to renew and refine our vision of life and what the church should be.

Who’s the author of this letter?

Verse 1 records that the author’s name is John. Historically the church as assumed this to be The Apostle John.

The dating of this letter is debated- but many believe it to be written late in the first century around 90AD

Verse 19 of chapter 1 records the instructions he was given.

1:19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.”

“What you have seen” – The vision of Jesus Himself in Chapter 1. The only detailed biblical description of how Jesus now appears.

“What is now” – The message to the seven churches in Asia Minor in AD90

“What will take place later”- Represented in the rest of the book of Revelation. Things that will take place in the future, into our time and beyond.

So, John is told to write down what he sees and what he hears relating to the churches in his time, as well as events yet to happen in the future.

Revelation 1:1-3

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

So what’s the message? What was he told to write down?

That’s what we call the book of Revelation and you don’t have to look far for the main theme.

The word Revelation means an unveiling, uncovering, or to make things known.

Notice, it’s the unveiling, or uncovering from Jesus Christ- to make things known.

There is a very real sense that Jesus is the one doing the revealing, the making things known, sharing a message to the churches.

Here in our text, In revealing himself and his message, Jesus also reveals the urgency of his message.

Revelation 1:4-8

John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen. “Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.” So shall it be! Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

As we enter the body of the letter, the recipients, those whom it is written are identified as the 7 churches of Asia.

And the theme, the focus of the letter comes immediately: Revelation is a Jesus letter.

Listen to some of the way’s he’s described here”

“him who is, and who was, and who is to come,” (verse 4)

the faithful witness, (verse 5)

the firstborn from the dead, (verse 5)

the ruler of the kings of the earth. (Verse 5)

“who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood” (verse 5)

“has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father (verse 6)

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” verse 8

“who is, and who was, and who is to come,” (verse 8)

“the Almighty” (verse 8)

Revelation 1:9-16

I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

John first heard the voice of the Lord, now he has turned and sees Jesus

Here we first encounter one of the more challenging aspects of the book of Revelation, and that’s it’s extensive use of imagery.

What a reader in the first century, familiar with the Old Testament, would have heard would have been themes like:

Jesus as a person of great dignity and authority

wisdom and purity

Themes of glory and splendor.

Revelation 1:17-18

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Jesus response to John- Don’t be afraid.

“It begins and ends with me”

“I was dead- John you were there you saw it, but now look, I am alive forever. And I have the power and authority over death and hell. Do not be afraid- The victory is mine, and so are you.”

This is the revealing of Jesus Christ.

In our interaction and study of this letter we want to see Jesus through this book.

From the very beginning to the very end- it’s Jesus.

We believe that He will return, the dead shall be raised to life, there will be a final judgement where sin and evil are dealt with once and for all, Christ will be victorious, and those who profess Him as Lord will spend eternity with him in New Creation.

And friends that’s a message of hope if you are in Christ.

That’s the message these churches heard, and Christians throughout the church age have heard.

And we cannot miss the invitation of Revelation to Join that hope.

For all the prophetic messages it contains, it’s also an invitation letter to join Christ in His kingdom and that is to Come to him.

Revelation 21:16-17

The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick.

Throughout our study, let us commit together to see Jesus, and to respond to his invitation.

Come!

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If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@cotnaz.org

Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom of Christ!

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