A few years back there was a trend for believers to ask the question, “What would Jesus do” if he were in the circumstances in which we found ourselves. It was a somewhat of a revival of the thought developed in a book written just prior to the turn of the twentieth century called In His Steps. In promotion of this idea there was all kinds of merchandise developed, especially bracelets which had the letters WWJD on them, an acrostic for “What would Jesus do?” The idea, of course, was that in any given circumstance one found himself, he could look at his bracelet, reflect on the action Christ might take, and then do likewise.
And though the idea is good and helpful at some level, I always thought the question was a bit misguided. In some cases, what Jesus actually did in similar circumstances was something we shouldn’t do. For example, he spoke in parables so that those who did not have eyes to see might remain blind to the truth, or he accepted worship from others, or he walked on water, raised the dead, etc. Obviously we shouldn’t or simply cannot do what Jesus did because we are not God the Son. In other cases, it is simply impossible to try to answer the question, “What would Jesus do?” It always seemed to me that the better question to ask is, “What has Jesus commanded us to do?” But, the acrostic WHJCUTD just doesn’t work as well on a bracelet, does it?
As much as I thought “What would Jesus do?” was a hard question to answer and maybe the wrong question to ask altogether, I do think there is another question about Jesus that is worth asking, namely, what would Jesus say? Or we might say more specifically, “What would Jesus say to our church?” You see, this question is not as difficult to answer because Jesus actually has spoken to the church.
Now, I don’t mean that Jesus has spoken directly to Cornerstone Community Church in Jackson, TN. Our specific church is not mentioned in the Scripture. However, in Revelation 2, John does write letters to seven different churches that existed in the first century in Asia Minor. He is instructed by the Lord to write and send these letters to the church in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. And though these letters really were to go to these seven historic churches, I think we are to understand that these seven churches serve as a good representative of churches in all times and in all places – including ours.
I say that for a two reasons. First, the Lord picks seven churches to address. And he didn’t choose this number because these were the only churches in Asia in the first century. They were not. There were others. But, as we saw in the first week of our study, throughout this book we find numbers serving a symbolic function. And the number seven, specifically, is a number used to symbolize completeness so that when it is used it is representative of the whole or all of something. Therefore, the fact that he chooses to address seven churches, I think, is indicative that these churches are representative of all of the churches so that each of us can learn from the strengths and weaknesses found in the churches addressed here.
Second, there is a refrain found near the end of each of these seven letters to call all individuals and churches throughout their respective times and places to listen to each letter. That refrain is found in our text this morning in verse 7, as the Lord says in 2:7, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Therefore, the idea is that any church in any age can read these letters and evaluate ourselves (collectively and individually) in light of these words. And that’s exactly what I would challenge us to do this morning. Let us hear these words, see if they might be a fitting critique for us, and even if not, take the warning to heart.
But before diving into what the Lord says to the church at Ephesus, I want to provide you with a general structure that we’re going to see in these letters that we’ll look at over the next seven weeks. I say general because there are exceptions. Not all the letters have all of these elements, but it’s a general structure we can anticipate.
The letters begin with “to the angel of the church in . . . write.” We noted this last week, but it seems that the angels serve to represent the churches so that when the Lord says that he holds the seven stars (which are the seven angels of the seven churches) in his hand, it’s his way of saying that he holds the churches in his hand (since the angels represent the churches). Therefore, each of the letters is written to the angel as a representative of the churches but are sent to the historical churches themselves.
This opening note of each letter is then followed by a description of Jesus, typically drawn from the vision of Christ that was provided in chapter 1. Moreover, the description of Jesus given in each letter is fit for the message the church receives, so for example, when the Lord rebukes the church in Thyatira for tolerating evil, he introduces himself as the one “who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze” (2:18), reminding them of his purity and holiness. We’ll see the same thing in our text this morning.
Then, there’s a commendation or word of encouragement often followed by a word of rebuke. It’s typically a pointing out of what’s good followed by pointing out what’s bad. Then, the rebuke is followed by an exhortation to repent and a warning of what will happen if the church doesn’t repent.
Finally, there is a call for all to hear and a blessing for the one who faithfully endures. In our letter this morning, we have all of these elements. So, with that structure in mind, let us hear what Jesus says to the church in Ephesus. First, we see that . . .
Jesus introduces himself as the one who walks in their midst and holds them in his hand. We read in verse 1, “To the angle 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.’”
Recalling the text we looked at last week (1:9-20), we understand that this is a declaration that Jesus is in the midst of the churches and in control of them. He’s with them, and he holds them in his hand. But this shouldn’t be understood merely as theological assertions of his omniscience and omnipotence (that he by nature of being God the Son knows all things and has all power) – though it is certainly no less than that. Rather, it should be heard in a personal and pastoral light. This is why Jesus follows up his self-description in verse 1 by saying in verse 2, “I know your works.”
That is, he applies his knowledge to of all things to them personally. He knows their works. And since all who have an ear to hear should hear this message, then we can equally note that the Lord knows our works as well.
Now, this can be comforting and convicting. It’s convicting in the sense that what you and I have done in secret is not really done in secret. The bitterness or unforgiveness we hold in our hearts that we think is never manifested for anyone to see, he knows. The lust that we’ve carried out, thinking it’s hidden from all, he knows. The glory we crave as we dive into different tasks, thinking no one sees it, he knows. Our sins are not hidden from him, and we must not think they are. Let this conviction lead us to repentance.
But on the other hand, this is a word of comfort, isn’t it? When you serve others in ways no one can see, he knows. Your hard labors each day and your faithful struggle to endure in doing what the Lord has called you to, he knows. No one else in all the world might understand the specific struggle you’re enduring as you try to live faithfully in the place and position the Lord has put you, but Jesus does. He knows your works. He knows your struggles. He knows your faithfulness. So, when you cry out to him in prayer, you don’t have to worry about explaining something to him he isn’t aware of. He knows your works. Be comforted by that.
But Jesus doesn’t merely tell them that he knows what they’re doing. He actually commends them concerning some things, letting them know that he is pleased with them. Specifically . . .
We read in verses 2-3, “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. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.”
This church was a hard-working church. They toiled and endured patiently in the midst of a culture around them that was not pure. They had stood strong against the temptations around them, even if it costs them it seems, which is evident from Jesus’ not that they had endured patiently and borne up for Christ’s name sake. Holding firm to Christ against the wickedness around them had been trying, but they had endured.
They had also kept themselves pure as a church it seems. He notes that they cannot bear with those who are evil. Those who would teach falsehood or promote immorality, they had not endured in the church. They were a church it appears that exercised discipline, not allowing false teaching to persist and false living to be promoted.
They had tested men claiming to be apostles, evaluating their teaching against the teaching of the apostles and had found these men to be false. They were a discerning, truth-driven group of believers.
They even hated what Jesus hated. Jesus notes in verse 6, “Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” The idea of being intolerant of something or hating something is not en vogue in our culture, but Jesus praises this church for it. We don’t know what the works of the Nicolaitans were. Some have suggested that they lived in such a way that undermined holiness, perhaps suggesting that there was nothing wrong with sexual immorality. This is said because this group is mentioned again in 2:13-15, and it seems there that this idea is present.
But we don’t know exactly. What we know is that Jesus hated the works of the Nicolaitans. And he commended the church in Ephesus for hating them as well. And this is instructive for us in that we are called not only to love what our Lord loves but hate what he hates. If we don’t hate what Jesus hates, then we simply are not being faithful to him.
And, again, I know this isn’t a popular stance. I know it’s hard to hate something. When you take a stand against accepting something that is against the Scripture, there are many voices that want to speak against you. So, you stand against someone practicing sexual immorality or homosexuality, and the attackers will come. Often other professing believers will encourage you not to be so rigid in your stance against those sins or even say that you’re being unchristian. But hear these words – the church at Ephesus is applauded for hating the works of these men that Jesus hated as well.
Now, before moving on, I know there can be a temptation to move on past this commendation of their hard work in fighting for doctrinal and moral purity because we know a rebuke is coming. It’s just the way we work. If after today one of you walked up to me and said, “That sermon was helpful in the following nine ways, but one thing you said I think was just off-base,” I probably wouldn’t walk out of these doors thinking, “Wow, I said nine helpful things.” I’d be tempted to ignore all of those positives because this negative is mentioned. But we must resist that temptation here.
Jesus commends the church for these things. He wants a church to fight for doctrinal and moral purity. He wants a church to exercise discipline. He wants a church to stand against immorality and bear up under and stand strong against the attacks of those who tell us we’re simply being too rigid to hate what Jesus hates. Therefore, in as much as you have done this, Jesus is pleased with you. He’s pleased that you didn’t let that professing believer leave his or her spouse without telling that it was sin. He is pleased that you called your brother or sister to repent of sexual immorality. He is pleased that you hate teaching that goes against the Bible and stand against it. This must be done. And if we ignore the call to doctrinal and moral purity, then the church is hopeless.
The church in Ephesus was commended for these things, and Jesus commends you as well in these things. So, be encouraged. I know it’s hard. I know it’s hard to endure attacks from other believers as you seek to obey Christ in this way. More importantly, Jesus knows it’s hard. He knows what you’ve endured for his name’s sake. And he’s pleased with you. So, be encouraged.
Yet, Jesus does have something against this church.
He declares in verse 4, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” Now, what’s unclear is exactly what this love is. And commentators seem split on the issue, some suggesting that it’s their love for God while others suggest it’s love for others (especially their brothers and sisters). But I don’t know that these two can be separated. After all, the same John who wrote this book wrote other books in the Bible, and in one of them, he wrote this: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother’” (1 John 4:20-21).
So, God tells us that if you love him, you’ll love your brothers and sisters in Christ. If you don’t, you simply don’t love him. Moreover, you cannot really love your brothers and sisters well without loving God for the greatest way to love another is to hold before them the Lord, what he has done for them, and what he has commanded them to do. Love for God and love for your brothers and sisters are inseparable. This is no doubt why Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God and then quickly added that the second is like it – we must love our neighbors as ourselves.
So, the church in Ephesus was a church that once had a vibrant love for God and their brothers and sisters, it appears. But they’d abandoned that love. Perhaps in their quest for purity in doctrine and morality (which is good), they’d forgotten the call to love. And love is crucial. In fact, according to 1 Corinthians 13, if you do something like give your body to be burned but don’t have love, it profits nothing.
And we know this or have seen this, haven’t we? If this is us, then we may love truth, are willing to stand up for right and call out wrong, and don’t mind making sure people know there are clear lines between right and wrong. But we’re characterized by a harsh spirit. We’ve lost all tenderness – toward God and others. People might not really even enjoy being around us because we’ve not loving and they might need to arm themselves for a rebuke we’re always ready and willing to give. We’re simply not characterized by love.
It might be a good litmus test to ask ourselves if we find more joy in finding fault in something or someone than we do encouraging and edifying someone for the apparent grace of God in them. Are we more immersed in the gospel or mere moralism which doesn’t delight in the grace of Christ?
And if a whole church becomes characterized by this, then there’s a good chance Jesus will simply get rid of them as a church. Jesus says if they will not repent, he will come and remove their lampstand (v. 5). That is, I think, Jesus saying that he’ll get rid of them from being a church. If we’re not bearing witness to the world by our love for God and love for one another, then we’re simply not fit to be a church, and Jesus will remove us.
This is why I believe it’s crucial for us to immerse ourselves in the gospel. We read the gospel, sing the gospel, preach the gospel, proclaim the gospel, hold up the gospel to one another, and lavish the gospel on one another. Why? Because our loving him stems from knowing that he first loved us. And we see his love chiefly in the gospel. This is why John began this book saying, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood” (1:5). The gospel screams of Christ’s love for us. And as we’re immersed in it, our hearts are moved to love him more and love our brothers and sisters more. A heart that finds security in the gospel doesn’t want others to feel condemnation but to see the beauty of the gospel and know the freedom that we find in it.
But, despite our labors to hold up the gospel, maybe we have lost our love for God and others we once had. If so, what do we do? We see it in verse 5.
In verse 5 the Lord says, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.” First, we need to remember. Was there a time when your affection for Christ and your brothers and sisters was great? There was a time when that was the case for the church at Ephesus. If there was a time like that earlier in your Christian life, remember it. And recognize that Jesus wants that again. He wants you to recall it. But he doesn’t want you to stop there. He also wants you to repent.
That is, he wants you to recognize that your present lack of love is sin. If you’re going to repent, it means that you need to acknowledge that you’re sinning. So, we need to identify our present coldness toward God and others this morning as sin. Then, we need to repent, which requires us turning from that and looking to the gospel for forgiveness. That is, repentance doesn’t mean just saying, “I’ll do better.” It means we turn and say, “I’ve done wrong. I need forgiveness. I have forgiveness through faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. I want to move away from my sin to obedience.” That’s repentance. Then, we walk in obedience. Jesus says, “Do the works you did at first.” That is, go back and start being characterized by the actions that characterized you when you were loving God and others.
Was that a time when you devoted yourself to prayer and private worship? Go back and do that again. Was it a time when you just loved holding up the gospel to others? Do it again.
After all, if we are not characterized by love for God and our brothers and sisters, we’re in danger. Jesus says in the end of our text, “To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is the in the paradise of God” (2:7). That is, he’ll give eternal life to the one who repents, to the one who is characterized by love. But this means that if we refuse to repent and are not characterized by love, we’ll not be able to have eternal life in paradise with God.
Therefore, this morning, if we’ve been convicted, let us remember, repent, and return to doing those works we once did.
What would Jesus say to us if he were hear this morning? One thing he’d say is that he knows what’s going on in our lives. He knows our sins but he also knows our struggles to obey. In as much as we’re standing and enduring hardship to stand for doctrinal and moral purity, he knows that and he is pleased. And in as much as we’ve grown cold in love, he knows that as well. And he calls us to repent. Therefore, this morning, let’s take a moment of silence and simply deal with our hearts before the Lord in silence this morning as we prepare to come to the table and delight in the richness of the gospel of Christ. Amen.