Revelation – Remedy for a Cold Heart – 4

Revelation 2:1-7 – 1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

2 “‘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. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 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. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

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Do you take complements well? There are some people who just have to have positive feedback on everything they do to feel valued. Other people have a hard time receiving complements and don’t know how to react when they are given. Though these two types of people are completely different, they have one thing in common. They each would prefer to hear the good things over the bad.

Can you think of a time you were complemented by somebody and it just meant the world to you? Maybe because of how hard you tried and someone finally noticed it, or maybe just because of who that person is, it meant the world that they would say something nice about you.

What would you do if Jesus, to your face, told you all the good things you are doing, even the things nobody sees? That’s what’s happened here in this first letter to the church in Ephesus. Jesus starts off by giving essentially a long run-on sentence of nine things they are doing well.

Remember, Jesus stands among the lampstands, which are the seven churches. He is with you and sees you. As one commentator said, “As one who walks in the midst of the churches, Christ is able to say, “I know your deeds” (2:9; 3:1, 8, 15).”[1] This was a great church. The city of Ephesus was huge and important, and this church was actively living out their faith. Jesus spouts off a list of nine things this church is doing well. As we think about these, we need to evaluate our life and see if we look like this as well. Would Jesus say the same things to us?

The list of positive things they did can be broken up into two categories: deeds and theology.

Deeds:

1) Their works. (vs 2)They served the Lord. A Christian is not saved by works, but a Christian is saved to work. You could tell these people knew Jesus because there was fruit to show of it (Matt 7:17).

Ephesians 2:10 – For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

James 2:14-17 – 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Is there fruit from your faith? Are there works to show that you follow the Way? If there are not, there is a good chance you don’t actually follow Jesus. Jesus even says as much (Matt 7:21-23).

2) Their labor. (vs 2)They served tirelessly and under threat of persecution. Following Jesus is hard work. It’s not the easy road. They understood this and lived it out.

Matthew 7:13 – Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction,