Christ the Faithful Pastor Warning His Churches

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; of the Laodiceans...: Or, in Laodicea I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. - Revelation 2:1-3:22

    ‘Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.’ Revelation 1:19-20

    The Lord Jesus Christ himself is the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls (1 Peter 2:25). All earthly pastors are his under-shepherds. In Revelation chapters two and three, we have seven letters which the Lord Jesus dictated to the apostle John, which were sent to the pastors of the seven churches in Asia. Each letter was sent to a specific local church in the cities named: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. These were literal local churches in the apostolic era. However, these seven churches represent all the churches of Christ in this world throughout the gospel age. These are letters from Christ to us. They are just as pertinent to the life and ministry of the local church to which you belong as they were to the seven churches to which they were originally sent. ‘He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.’ This admonition is given seven times in these two chapters because our Lord Jesus means for every believer to pay particular attention to the warnings contained in these seven letters. In these letters, the Son of God himself warns us plainly of the most prominent dangers we must face in this world.

    Here is a fact we must never forget

    The Lord Jesus Christ says, ‘I know thy works’ (2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15). God has ordained that all who are saved by his grace walk in good works for the honor of his name (Eph. 2:8-10). And that which God has ordained, God will bring to pass. He will see that his people walk in good works. The indwelling presence of God the Holy Spirit makes all believers new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). That new nature created in the heaven born soul is bent toward Christ and holiness (2 Peter 1:4; Gal. 5:22-23). Those who profess faith in Christ but by their works deny him are reprobate (Titus 1:16). This is not a debatable issue. True believers glorify God before men by their good works.

    For the religious hypocrite, these words are terrifying - ‘I know thy works.’ ‘The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good’ (Prov. 15:3). His eyes are a flaming fire and darkness is light before him. A man may deceive his pastor, his family, and even himself; but the Son of God is not deceived. All things are naked and open before him (Heb. 4:13). That makes hypocrisy a losing game. ‘The hypocrite's hope shall perish’ (Job 8:13).

    For the believer, these words are full of comfort and cheer - ‘I know thy works.’ What a delight! Our dear Savior looks not at our works themselves, but at the motive behind them. He looks into the heart and sees why we do the things we do. And he is well-pleased with the most feeble efforts of sincere, believing hearts. By the merits of his blood and righteousness, he makes our works a sweet smelling sacrifice to God, acceptable and well-pleasing in his sight (1 Peter 2:5). Imagine that, God is well-pleased with the faltering steps of believing sinners for Christ's sake, because they are steps toward him! God will not forget your works of faith and labors of love (Heb. 6:10). The works of those who die in the Lord ‘shall follow them’ (Rev. 14:3). And they shall be named by Christ himself in the day of judgment (Matt. 25:37-39). The Son of God, our Savior says, ‘I know thy works.’ What could be more comforting?

    Then, the Lord Jesus warns his churches of certain dangers that must be overcome

    In these two chapters, he identifies six conditions which, if they are not resisted and overcome, will result in apostasy and eternal ruin. If these conditions are allowed to go unchecked in any local church, it will soon wither and die. It may continue to exist in name, but that is all. Christ will withdraw the light of the gospel from it. Instead of being a house of light, it will be a den of darkness.

    Here are six dangerous conditions into which we are constantly tempted to fall. The world, the flesh, and the devil all strive to pull us down into these pits. If you find yourself described in these letters, the Lord Jesus warns you to repent and turn to him.

    1. The first danger described is apostasy from our first love.

    The Lord Jesus Christ says, ‘I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love’ (2:4). These Ephesians were zealous in good works, patient in trials and afflictions of life, and thoroughly orthodox in doctrine. But there was a dreadful decay in the matter of love to Christ! ‘A wife may be very faithful to her husband and may give evidence of bustling assiduity in all matters pertaining to him - and yet, there may be a decay in love. Her sense of duty may cause her to remain faithful in all the details of attention she bestows upon him’ (William Hendriksen). Even so, you and I may be very faithful in all the outward forms of godliness and remain perfectly orthodox in doctrine, while our hearts' love and devotion to Christ declines and decays. Are you like the Ephesians? Does your love for Christ decline? Do you find yourself more and more concerned about the cares of this world and less and less concerned about Christ? Repent! Turn anew to Christ! Renounce all but him and set your affection on him alone (Col. 3:1-3). NOTE: The correction for dead doctrine is not the absence of doctrine, emotionalism, or Pentecostalism, but steadfast commitment to Christ. Like Mary, let us take our place at his feet and have our hearts ravished with his love (Luke. 10:39-42).

    2. Next we are warned not to embrace the doctrine of Balaam (2:14)

    When Balak called for Balaam to curse Israel, God restrained him. Much to Balak's disgust, God forced Balaam to bless his people (Num. 22-24). Yet, Israel became involved in the worship of Baal (Num. 25:1-3). Their sin, we are told, was the result of Balaam's counsel (Num. 31:16). The doctrine of Balaam is the doctrine of compromise with the religion of the world. Balaam did not advise Israel to give up the worship of Jehovah. He simply told them it would be wise to accept the worship of Baal and go along with the religious customs, traditions, and practices of their pagan neighbors. Be warned! Compromise with false religion is damning to the souls of men. Compromise is the way of least resistance, the way approved of by the world, the way that is easiest on the flesh. But any compromise of God's truth is an outright denial of Christ (2 Cor. 6:14-18). The only way to remove the offense of the gospel is to deny the gospel. We must never give any credibility to the religion of this world. Those who preach freewill deny the sovereignty of God. Those who preach the freedom of man deny the sovereignty of God. Those who preach salvation by the will, works, or worth of the sinner deny salvation by grace. Those who preach universal atonement deny the efficacy of Christ's blood. Those who preach universal grace deny the efficacy of God's saving grace. God's people must never seek agreement with such men, even in the name of peace, unity, and brotherly love. The only way those who believe the gospel can get along with those who do not is for us to deny the gospel. That we must not do!

    3. We are all, by nature, tempted to embrace the doctrine of the Nicolaitans (2:15)

    The Nicolaitans were a group of heretics in John's day who taught that it was alright for believers to engage in the sexual immoralities of pagan religions. They ‘committed fornication, adultery, and all uncleanness, and had their wives in common, and also ate things offered to idols’ (John Gill). They were antinomians. They were opposed to the law of God. Their doctrine was, ‘Let us sin that grace may abound. Since we are saved by grace, it does not matter how we live.’ Without question, any man who preaches salvation by grace alone will be accused of antinomianism (Rom. 3:8). It is not possible to preach redemption, justification, and sanctification by grace alone, through the merits of Christ alone, without some legalist crying, ‘That is antinomianism! That will lead to licentiousness!’ Having said that, this must also be declared - Any man who is an antinomian is a lost man. God's elect seek holiness and righteousness. They are not self-willed, licentious rebels. Their hearts and lives are ruled by the love of Christ. And the love of Christ prevents lawlessness.

    4. The churches of Christ and individual believers are constantly pressured by the world to be tolerant of false prophets (2: 20)

    The church at Thyatira was charitable, diligent in service, patient in trial, and well established in the faith of the gospel. But it was tolerant of ‘that woman Jezebel.’ There was a women in the church who claimed to be called of God and gifted as a preacher, a prophetess. Our Lord calls her ‘Jezebel’ after Ahab's wife, because she was a deceiver. Though the Word of God clearly forbids the ordination of women and the tolerance of women as preachers and teachers in the house of God (I Tim. 2:11-12), this church allowed this woman to teach and to seduce the people with her doctrine. The flesh says, ‘Do not make a fuss about false prophets. It will only cause trouble.’ The world says, ‘Judge not! To condemn the actions of another is bigotry.’ Satan tempts us to be silent, lest we create strife and division. Yet, the Bible warns us constantly to ‘beware of false prophets’ (Matt. 7:15). If they are not identified, exposed, and denounced, they will soon devour a congregation (Gal. 1:6-9; 2 Tim. 2:16-18).

    5. We must guard against the tendency of our flesh toward hypocrisy, ritualism, and lifeless orthodoxy (3:1)

    We are all prone to hypocrisy. We are all great pretenders by nature. Being natural born hypocrites, there is an innate tendency in man to substitute ritualism for worship, a creed for Christ, and orthodoxy for life. ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees’ (Luke. 12:1). We must take care that we live in the pursuit of true godliness, not a mere form of godliness. We must carefully observe the ordinances of Christ (baptism and the Lord's supper), but resist the mere outward practice of religious ceremonies. We must tenaciously adhere to the doctrine of Christ, but fear that form of doctrinal purity that has no heart. All who have, practice, and hold to a form of religion without Christ are like the church at Sardis - ‘Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead!’

    6. Our Lord warns his churches of the most dangerous of all fleshly tendencies: lukewarmness, apathy, and indifference (3:15-16)

    The Laodiceans were lukewarm. Nothing is more disgusting to the palate than lukewarm coffee, lukewarm stew, lukewarm gravy, or lukewarm milk. And nothing is more disgusting to Christ than lukewarm, half-hearted, apathetic, indifferent men and women. Yet, we are ever prone to become lukewarm about the things of Christ. Every faithful pastor has seen many gradually sink into disgusting apathy. Once the gospel of the grace of God made the faces of men and women light up with joy, who now are unmoved by it. Once the story of redeeming love filled them with rapturous gratitude and melted their hearts to tears, but now nothing moves them. They are lukewarm.

    If we would overcome these evil tendencies of the flesh, we must obey the counsel of our compassionate Savior

    There is no guesswork involved. The Lord Jesus tells us exactly what must be done. ‘Remember from whence thou art fallen’ (2:5). ‘Repent and do the first works’ (2:5). ‘That which ye already have hold fast’ (2:25). Tenaciously adhere to the truth of God, the gospel of his free and sovereign grace in Christ. ‘Be watchful and strengthen those things which remain’ (3:2). ‘Buy of me!’ (3:18). Without money and without price, by faith alone, we must buy from Christ the gold of his grace and the white raiment of his righteousness, as we did in the beginning, and anoint our eyes anew with the eye salve of the gospel.

    Here are the promises the Son Of God gives to those who heed his word, overcome these dangers, and persevere unto the end

    Let the wise make personal application to himself. Return to your first love, and Christ promises you the blessedness of eternal glory (2:7). Hold fast the doctrine of Christ and confess him in the midst of his enemies, and he promises to own you as his (2:17). Continue in the way of faith, and the Son of God will give you power over the world (2:26). Awake, arise from the dead, and he will give you light of life (3:5; Eph. 5:14). Return to Christ with a true and fervent heart of faith, and he will cause you to reign with him forever (3:21). The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, leans hard against the door of his church, knocking to his beloved (3:20). If anyone in his house will open to him, he will come in and sup with him!