Let Us Go to the House of the Lord.

The fifteen psalms that make up the ‘Songs of Ascents’ seemed to illustrate various stages of the pilgrimages to the various festivals in Jerusalem.  When we get to Psalm 122 it’s clearly about the arrival in Jerusalem.  The first two verses illustrate that the Psalmist, David, is thrilled at the idea of going up to the house of the Lord, which at that time was the tabernacle.  The phrase: ‘let us go to the house of the Lord!’ indicates fellowship with the others on the journey as well as in worship.  But this zeal does not abate once the journey is over as he’s just as the zealous when he gets there.  So this is not just a psalm about good intentions, but rather about seeing them through and maintaining the zeal when the journey is over and it comes to worship!

Verses 3-5 illustrates that Jerusalem was a wonderful place, a really great city and meeting place where the tribes gather to worship at the house of the Lord.  But that wasn’t always the case as in the past, when David conquered it (2 Samuel 5:6-9) it was probably just a collection of houses in a strategic situation rather than the capital that David transformed it into.  This was the city that he’d used to unify Israel not just as a nation but also in worship!  And that is illustrated by the use of the covenant name of God, Yahweh (LORD) in verse 4.  They worshiped God because of who he is.  The covenant existed purely because of God’s initiative when he’d rescued them when they were slaves in Egypt.  Therefore, it illustrated his character.  The word: ‘judgement’ in verse 5 can be rendered ‘justice’ in the Hebrew.  So he was a God who they could always depend on to do right!  So Jerusalem symbolised unity amongst God’s people and spiritual reform!

But David takes nothing for granted, just because things are OK now doesn’t mean they always will be.  So he urges his fellow countrymen to: ‘Pray for the peace of Jerusalem’ (v6).  His prayer is simple, that peace and security would continue.  Archbishop Thomas Cranmer who wrote the ‘Book of Common Prayer’ and what became the ‘Thirty Nine articles of the Church of England’ was a major figure during the Reformation in England.  But what isn’t commonly known is that he had further reforms in mind which he was unable to ever get around to due to his martyrdom!  That illustrates that great men of God never assume anything; the Christian faith is a reforming faith based on the unchangeable Word of scripture!  In other words, the church has to be constantly reforming itself in the light of scripture.

And that’s illustrated in the last verses of this psalm as they show that David is praying that genuine fellowship will continue.  The phrase: ‘For my brothers and companions sake’ (v8) illustrates this.  His prayer is that: ‘For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good’ (v9) illustrates he is concerned that pure true religion would continue and the nation would grow because of it.  So, just as David is praying for their next part of their growth, we need to as well if we are looking to the Lord to take us to the next stage of spiritual renewal.

Would you like to listen to a sermon on this Psalm? Let us go to the House of the Lord.

 From where does my Help come?

One of things I do, when I’m thinking about what course of action to take on an issue or preparing a piece of scripture to preach on is to ask myself a series of questions. The answers dictate the approach I’ll take to the particular issue or scripture concerned.  In this psalm the Psalmist does something very similar by asking the question: ‘From where does my help come?’

It’s easy to imagine this psalm being sung on the pilgrimages to Jerusalem. The writer is asking a rhetorical question.  The idea of him looking to the hills (v1) is interesting as they could have been the home of leftover pagan shrines (Deuteronomy 12:3-4) or the ‘high places’.  In Deuteronomy chapter 12 we learn that the Ark of the Covenant was to move around Israel, but only to the place that the: ‘LORD your God shall choose’ (Deuteronomy 12:11).  So the ‘high places’ represented heretical worship!  The Pilgrims, approaching Jerusalem, would have seen the Temple Mount, the place where the Ark now resided, as the true place of worship!  So the Psalmist contrasts these two places of worship.  He seeks to serve and worship the Lord in the right and proper way as his: ‘help comes from the LORD who made heaven and earth’ (v2).

The Psalmist invokes the name ‘Yahweh’ the covenant name for God, which is a name that reveals so much of his love for his people. In other words, he helps because he cares!  But this is also a personal relationship which is seen in the use of the words: ‘My help’.  This encourages us today as the Christian has a personal relationship with the Lord. He is not some vague or distant deity; rather he has revealed himself to us through Jesus Christ in his word the Bible.  He watches over his people as represented by Israel in this psalm.  The people of God in the Old Testament are often referred to as the ‘Assembly’ which is where we get our word church from.  So God watches over his people, the church, in every day and age, and the encouraging thing is that he will: ‘neither slumber nor sleep.’ So he’s always attentive to his people’s needs.

So this gives the writer of the psalm great confidence. The pilgrimage up to Jerusalem would have gone through some difficult country where there was a real risk of injuring oneself.  But the Psalmist is confident that the Lord will not let his foot slip (v3).  How might we apply this today?  The idea of pilgrimage was to keep focus and achieve the goal of worship at the temple in Jerusalem.  In the same way, if we keep our focus on the Lord we will not get knocked sideways by the next strange fad that is making its way round the churches.  We will be so rooted in God’s Word our focus will be on him alone!  Some of the festivals would have been during the hot summer and the travelling would have been very tiring, yet the nights would have been surprisingly cold!  But the Psalmist looks to the Lord to sustain his people during the difficult journey (vs5-6).  The last verses (vs7-8) emphasise again that the Lord watches’ over every aspect of a believer’s life as he cares about them that much!

Pilgrimage was hard but, for the believer, it was worth it! There will be many things that will bruise and buffet us as we seek to serve the Lord, but we can take encouragement from this psalm. Jesus when speaking to his disciples the night before his crucifixion, knowing that they were going to go through a roller-coaster of emotions, said: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). His words, and this psalm show we have a God and Saviour who cares about us and is with us every step of our earthly pilgrimage! That’s a great encouragement whatever we face!

Would you like to hear a sermon on this Psalm? My Help comes from the Lord.

Deliver me, O Lord!

This month we start a new series on the ‘Songs of Ascents’.  I tend to think of the ‘Songs of Ascents’ as pocket sized psalms as with the exception of Psalm 132 they are very short.  The Hebrew term can mean: ‘marching song’[1] or: ‘going up’[2] and it’s likely these psalms were sung during the pilgrimages to the temple in Jerusalem.   It’s thought there are 15 of them as there were 15 steps to ascend to the temple.

But Psalm 120 may strike us as an unusual psalm as we generally think of psalms starting in a negative light and changing at some point to end on a positive note.  But Psalm 120 doesn’t and we find the writer in a similar situation at the end of the psalm to the one he was in at the beginning!

A while back I was talking to a former elder of the church I grew up in.  Both of us could recount situations where we’d counselled people only for them to go off and do exactly the opposite of what we’d advised.  The worst of it was that sometimes, when challenged, they would respond by saying we’d told them to do it!  The upshot was we often felt there were people talking about our supposedly bad advice behind our backs.  The Psalmist seems to have a similar problem as he appeals to the Lord to save him: ‘from lying lips’ and: ‘from a deceitful tongue’ (v1).

The nature of the problem is highlighted in verse 1.  The phrase: ‘I called to the Lord’ has a past and present tense in the Hebrew which suggests the problem has been going on for some time.[3]  Perhaps, every now and again, the psalmist thinks that the malicious gossip has died down only for it to resurface again!  Yet he prays confidently expecting the Lord to intervene.  He may be troubled, but he knows that when deceitful things are said behind his back there’s very little he can do about it.  So instead the Psalmist looks to the Lord to vindicate him by asking the rhetorical question: ‘What shall be given to you, and what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue? (v3).  There’s a sense that even if he’s under attack, the: ‘shape arrows’ (deceitful talk), which are aimed at him, are, in actual fact, being turned back on his attackers (v4)!  As Christians we will undoubtedly find ourselves in the same kind of situation from time to time, but the wisdom of the Psalmist is to leave it with the Lord rather than continually worry about a situation we can do very little about!

Yet the Psalmist is realistic enough to know that he appears isolated.  After all, the Lord is not under any obligation to act as a ‘Fairy Godmother’ and wave a wand so all our problems disappear.  The mention of Meshech and Kedar in verse 5 is interesting as both places are far apart and outside the borders of Israel.  As the Psalmist can’t literally be living in both and as they were barbarous and pagan places, I suspect the Psalmist is experiencing a sense of spiritual loneliness which is typified in verse 7 where he wants peace and yet those against him are for all out war!  In other words the slanderous attacks on him may be coming from people he would expect to be on his side!

In the end this might seem a very strange psalm for Pilgrims to sing as they’re going up to the temple in Jerusalem.  Surely they’d want something a bit more uplifting.  But basically it reflects the Pilgrims / Christians experience.  We, just as they were for being zealous, will be singled out for ridicule and slanderous things will be said about us and our faith!  But what a joy it was for them to come together in pilgrimage, as it is for us today in fellowship, with God’s people!

Would you like to listen to a sermon on this passage? Deliver me, O Lord!

[1] Eric Lane, Psalms 90-150, The Lord Reigns (Fearn, Christian focus, 2006) 143.

[2] James Montgomery Boice, Psalms volume 3, Psalms 107-150 (Grand Rapids, Baker Books 1998) 1068-1069.

[3] Craig C. Broyles, New International Biblical Commentary, Psalms (Pleabody, Massachusetts, Hendrickson Publishers Inc, 1999) 447.

‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me’ (Revelation 3:20).

If the biopic of Ed Wood is to be believed, the man was an eternal optimist!  However, he is remembered as one of the worst film directors of all time which is typified by his ‘masterpiece’ ‘Plan 9 from Outer Space’.  The level of ineptitude is amazing; a plot that makes no sense, inane dialogue, people running through a set in different directions to try to disguise it’s the same set, scenes changing from night time to broad daylight for no apparent reason.  If that’s not bad enough, Bella Lugosi who had started shooting the film died during the production, but rather than reshoot his scenes, Ed Wood decided to use existing footage and cast a new actor in the same role.  But the replacement was taller and looked nothing like Lugosi, so he spent the entire film with his cape covering half his face to try and disguise the fact!  Yet Ed Wood continued to make films oblivious to the fact that the critics slated them.  The Church at Laodicea had a similar problem, they were a delusional Church!

Laodicea was a well to do place and the Church clearly thought highly of itself (v17).  But Christ reserves his most scathing criticism for them!  The area was noted for its springs of tepid water that ran over limestone.  The water was not fit to drink and would make you sick.  The King James Version has Jesus’ memorable phrase: ‘I will spue thee out of my mouth’ (v16).  They were apathetic and are summed up in an accusation that the Church is neither cold nor hot’[1] and that makes Christ sick!  Steve Wilmshurst notes: ‘it seems that they pose no threat at all to the world or to the enemy of souls.  In a sense, that is the worse criticism there can be made of the Church – that it bothers no-one.’[2]

Unfortunately Churches can be apathetic in certain areas today.  Churches can rely on the experience culture.  For them it is all about what’s happening now rather than the eternal truths of scripture.  Or how about a ‘Social Gospel’, obviously there’s nothing wrong with helping the poor and needy, but if that becomes your all embracing action and message there’s problem!  Even Churches that prize the Gospel highly can be guilty of having a critical spirit and looking down on other Churches by being all too ready to point out their faults while overlooking their own!

The remedy for the Church in Laodicea was to see themselves as Christ saw them. Laodicea was noted for its eye ointment, and that’s the origin of the reference to: ‘salve’ (v18).  Only them would they see their apathetic state.  The area was also known for black wool which was a major part of the town’s wealth.  The solution to their poor spiritual state was to look to the riches and holiness Christ offered which is represented by the offer of white clothing. Verse 20 is one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible.  It’s not about Christ knocking on the door of an unbeliever’s heart but reconnecting with one that has grown cold in its love for him! ‘The idea is of the supper in Eastern lands, which was the best meal of the day, a leisurely and lingering affair.’[3]  The picture is of the kind of meal you have with a friend where, by the end of the meal, you feel you know them so much better!

Verses 21 and 22 highlight Christ love, not just for the Church in Laodicea, but the universal Church which are represented by the ‘Seven Churches’.  Those at Laodicea could overcome this spiritual malaise and share in what Christ had attained (v21).  Jesus loves his Church, he laid his life down for her (Ephesians 5:25-26) and never gives up on her.  Whether our Churches are big, small or weak in the eyes of the world, if they’re faithful Christ will continue to walk among them and have fellowship with them (1:12-13).  Now that’s real encouragement whatever we face as Churches!

Would you like to listen to a Sermon on this passage? Why an Apathetic Church makes Christ Sick!

[1] Leon Morris, Revelation (Leicester, Inter-Varsity Press, 1969) 82.
[2] Steve Wilmshurst, The Final Word, The Book of Revelation Simply Explained (Darlington, Evangelical Press, 2008) 48.
[3] Richard Books, The Lamb is all the Glory, The Book of Revelation (Darlington, Evangelical Press, 1986) 52.

“I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name” (Revelation 3:8).

There was something gratifying when Leicester City won the Premier League a few years ago.  Here was a football club whose entire squad did not amount to anywhere near the price that is usually paid for a top player in a transfer deal.  Yet, completely unexpectedly, they managed what seemed unattainable.  One can only surmise that it was done through hard work and a considerable self- belief.  The little Church at Philadelphia was going to achieve something incredible to!  However, this was not going to be through their own efforts, but rather, by what Christ was going to do for them.

In verse 8 Jesus promises great opportunities for them with the phrase: ‘I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.’  What makes this so significant is that if you’d been visiting Philadelphia the Church was highly unlikely to be listed in the guidebook.  This was a small and weak looking Church which would have seemed insignificant!  But it was a faithful Church as this is the only other Church, alongside Smyrna which Christ finds no fault with![1]

The phrase: ‘I have set before you an open door’ is not dissimilar to two other similar passages which are found in Acts 14:27 and Colossians 4:3.  In both cases, it is used to illustrate there would be great opportunities for the Gospel.  But, how were these opportunities going to come about for a Church which lacked a voice in its community, and would generally have been dismissed as irrelevant? Strangely enough, the answer is most likely to be found in the opposition they were facing.  Verse 9 refers to Jewish opposition, with the use of the phrase: ‘synagogue of Satan’. Remarkably, however, Jesus claims: ‘I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you’ (v9).  As remarkable as it might seem, this opportunity meant the conversion of many who were previously giving the Church a really hard time!

If the language seems harsh, it is for good reason.  Although it does not play well with people today, there is only one way to God, and that is through Jesus Christ alone (as stated in Acts 4:12): “salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which they must be saved.” Jesus himself also said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).  The Church in Philadelphia had believed this, and stood faithfully by this truth, as a result of which they were going to see others turned to Christ!

But persecution was coming.  The phrase: ‘the whole world’ in verse 10 almost certainly refers to the Roman world which they were part of.  Yet, once again Christ was going to protect them, and the persecution would be limited.  But there was also blessing to be gained.  The rather odd phrase: ‘a pillar in the temple of my God’ (v12) is a picture of permanence and security.  Jesus is almost certainly using the history of Philadelphia in this rather strange illustration.  In AD 17 there had been a major earthquake and ever since many people had been reluctant to move back into the city.  So those who lived in Philadelphia would have lived in the state of insecurity – hence this emphasis on permanence.  In the end, whatever their apparent smallness and weakness as a Church, they were secure in Christ.  Verse 13 illustrates they were to take these promises to heart and live in the light of them, as their security was in the sovereign Christ: ‘the living one’ (1:18). For us, in our ever-changing world, we too can find the same security in Christ.

Like to listen to a sermon on this passage? A Church that has an Opportunity.

[1] This is probably why the phrase: ‘key of David’ is used in verse 7.  The phrase occurs in Isaiah 22:22 where the faithful Eliakim displaces an unworthy official and is given by the Lord authority to open and shut just as Christ has here.  Michael Wilcock, The Message of Revelation, I saw Heaven Opened (Leicester, Inter-Varsity Press, 1989), 55.

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.  I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God” (Revelation 3:1-2).

The danger of projecting an image is people seeing through it and finding out one’s not living up to it.  When Jonathan Aitkin brought his case for liable against a newspaper and Television program his defence was he would depend on: ‘the simple sword of truth and the trusty shield of British fair play.’[1]  However he’d lied and he was found guilty of perjury.  He lost his marriage, his fortune and his freedom.  There’s a happy ending as he eventually found peace and fulfilment in Christ.  But imagine how the Church at Sardis felt when Jesus basically says to them: “I’ve found you out!”

Visibly Sardis was probably a large lively Church.  No doubt the equivalent Church today would have the latest technology, a lively worship band and a charismatic Pastor, who, as their website says, gives ‘inspirational and empowering messages!’  But the problem was Christ had seen through them (v1).  The truth hurts at the best of times, but to be told: “you are dead” must be a devastating blow!

So what was wrong?  We cannot be sure, but we have some clues.  Firstly, although Sardis had a temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis, making it was as pagan as any city in Asia Minor, there’s no mention of any opposition!  Persecution is a notable feature, in these letters to the Churches.  Could it be their ‘inspirational’ Pastor, served up feel good messages that didn’t challenge anyone?  The second clue is found in the introduction of the letter which refers to: ‘the seven Spirits of God’ (v1, see Isaiah 11:2).  The Holy Spirit is essential in the preaching of God’s Word for a Church to have life, so it’s not stretching logic too far to suggest the Church was spiritually dead![2]  However empowering their Pastor’s messages appeared to be, they were the words of man, not God!

So Jesus urges them to: ‘Wake up’ and remember their first experience of the Gospel (v3).  They had received new life in Christ, but now they were killing any chance of spiritual growth!  Being on the side of a hill, Sardis was virtually impregnable from three sides.  The road leading into the city was well fortified.  Yet twice in its history the city had been caught unprepared and was conquered by stealth.[3]  The Church was so oblivious to their situation Jesus was going to come against them: ‘like a thief’ (v3) and catch them completely unawares which sounds ominous for the future of the Church.  But as before, Jesus has a promise for the faithful.  The phrase: ‘in white’ (v4) represents the holiness that Christ will give to those who have not ‘soiled their garments.’  What’s wonderful is that others in the Church could join them (v5).  The second part of the verse does not suggest that believers can fall away.  We have lost the idea of this today, but the Bible is often written in corporate terms referring as it does to the ‘people of God’.  So this does not mean individuals will be excluded from: ‘the book of life’ but that the future of the Church was on distinctly dodgy ground (v3).

Once again the passage ends with: ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches’ (v7).  This is surely a warning to a Church in any day and age to take a hard look at itself and to assess whether its works are: ‘complete’ (v2) in the eyes of Christ, because what role can we possibly serve if he finds us lacking where the work of the Holy Spirit is concerned?

Would like to listen to a sermon on this passage? A Church that’s all Style but no Substance!

[1]  Michael White, Political Editor, The Guardian, Tuesday 11 April 1995
[2] Steve Wilmshurst, The Final Word, The Book of Revelation simply explained (Darlington, Evangelical Press, 2008) 51.
[3] Leon Morris, Revelation (Leicester, Inter-Varsity Press, 1969) 75.

“I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.  But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practise sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols”  (Revelation 2:19-20).

Every Church has them, or will come across them sooner or later.  I call them the ‘narrow band’.  What I mean by that is that they believe they are the few who have a unique knowledge that others have not got.  It may be to do with anything from Bible versions to some unique spiritual experience they claim to have had.  In the Church at Thyatira it manifested itself in a dangerous teacher and her followers!

Thyatira was a small prosperous city.  It had a temple dedicated to Apollo, the sun god which may account for Christ introducing himself as the: ‘Son of God’ (v18).  In many ways the Church was thriving as it was a loving Church and was showing real zeal by increasing its work.  No doubt if you went to a service there you would have been made to feel very welcome and probably you would have had several invites to dinner (v19)!  But Christ knows his Church and, as verse 18 shows, he sees all, and some of what he sees does not impress him!

Four times in my pastoral vocation I have been accredited.  Once by the ‘Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches’, then again with the ‘Evangelical Fellowship of  Congregational Churches’ and also by the two Churches I have served in as Pastor. Each time I have been independently recognised as being called to my role as a Pastor. However, the: ‘woman Jezebel’ had not!  She called: ‘herself a prophetess’ and others in the Church had just accepted her word for it (v20)!  I think it is unlikely that her name was Jezebel, but rather it gives an indication of the damage she was doing to the Church.  In the time of the Prophet Elijah Jezebel: ‘killed the prophets of the Lord’ (1Kings 18:13) as she was a worshipper of the detestable god Baal!  The reference in verse 24 to: ‘the deep things of Satan’ may mean this woman was teaching that Christians could be involved the pagan idol feasts.  Or that to know Satan secrets you had to indulge yourself in sinful practise, but your soul would remain untouched due to God’s grace.[1]  But whatever she was teaching she was bad news for the Church just as her Old Testament namesake was!

The rather strange reference to Christ’s feet being like burnished bronze (v18) is coupled with the words: ‘refined in the furnace’ in Chapter 1 verse 15.  A furnace melts down metal to rid it of all its impurities, so this is a reference to the purity and holiness of Christ.  This helps us understand why his judgment will be so severe on this woman and: ‘her children’ which is probably a reference to her followers.  Yet there is an indication of grace here as Christ has given her time to repent (v21).  There are various times in scripture where we see that God protects his Church in this way.  Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11 are a good example as is the situation in 1 Corinthians 11:29-30.   Perhaps it was more common in the Early Church for the Lord to keep it pure in this way, but we should not rule out that he can still do it today!  However we look at it, verses 22-23 acts as a warning for Churches to remain faithful to scripture and to test each ministry against it!

But there were some faithful Christians in Thyatira and Christ wants to do nothing but bless them!  Those who are faithful are to: ‘hold fast’ as this blessing is not unwarranted.  But what a blessing it is as they will rule with Christ and have a share in Christ: ‘the morning star’ (v28 and 20:16).  There is a lesson here to check every ministry against the scripture as we are told: ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches’ (v29).  After all the Word of God is the ‘sword of the Spirit’  (Ephesians 6:17) and therefore greater than self appointed human authority!

Would you like to hear a sermon on this passage?  A Church that Tolerates Dangerous Teaching!

[1] Steve Wilmshurst, The Final Word, The Book of Revelation Simply Explained (Darlington, Evangelical Press, 2008) 44.

“I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells” (Revelation 2:13).

Pergamum was the capital of the Roman Province we now call Asia Minor. It was the centre of Empire, and had a temple dedicated to Aesculapius, the god of healing – represented by a snake – which may account for the phrase: ‘where Satan’s throne is’ (verse 13). Therefore, the situation would have been very difficult for the Church there – as Christians were viewed with suspicion, for not submitting to the Emperor.  So, how does Christ address them?

The imagery of Jesus, ‘walking among the lampstands’, representing the Churches (1:20), tells us that the Lord knows all about them. He knows that things have been tough, but they have remained faithful, even during intense opposition (v2).[1]  Yet, if they had been uncompromising in the past, some of them had done a 180 turn and gone to the other extreme!  But, what exactly were they doing wrong?

For that, we need to take a trip back to the days of the Exodus. In Numbers, chapter 22-24 we meet Balaam.  Balak, the King of Moab, was terrified that his kingdom would be overrun by the people of Israel.  So, doing what you did in those days, he calls a prophet who, for a price, will curse them!  Balaam obviously has a nice little side-line in doing this, but insists that he can only do so if God permits it.  A memorable adventure with his ass follows, but Balaam disappoints Balak as he ends up blessing Israel!  However, the story does not end there – Balaam wants it both ways.  He wants his promised wage packet, so he finds another way, by encouraging the Moabite women to lure the men of Israel into sexual immorality (Numbers 31:16).  He comes to a bad end (Numbers 31:8) and is sadly summed up as one ‘who loved to gain from wrongdoing’ (2 Peter 2:15).

So the Church was compromising. Like Balaam, they acted as if they were faithful to God.  Yet in other areas they were anything but!  Most likely some in the Church were saying they could be part of the city’s trade guilds, each of which had its own god and would have had meals where some of the food was sacrifice to an idol.  No doubt these feasts would have also encouraged immorality.  Yet to get on in their particular jobs some Christians were convinced they could both serve God and participate in pagan revelry (v14)!  If that was not bad enough, some of them were following the teaching of the dreaded Nicolatians.[2]

But Christ was having none of it! The two-edged sword John referred to in 1:16 is mentioned twice in this passage.  In Hebrews 4:12-13 that metaphor is used to show the truth and the power of the Word of God.  Quite simply Christ implies the message of the Gospel will cut the arguments of those guilty of this sin to pieces!  The Church needed to repent for allowing this false teaching, which some had embraced (note: ‘them’ in v16), to have compromised the Church.

Nonetheless, Christ wants to bless his Church, with two promises: The ‘hidden manna’ probably refers to the manna that was kept in a jar during the Exodus – to remind future generations of God’s goodness to them (Exodus 16:33). This is later fulfilled in Christ in John 6:51 when Jesus says: ‘I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live for ever’.  There are several possibilities as to what the ‘white stone’ symbolises.  But one idea that appears most relevant here and makes most sense is the idea of the 12 stones that were on the breast plate of the high priest that had the names of the 12 tribes on them.  This stone would have their: ‘new name’ on it, ensuring their inclusion among God’s people.  Their future is assured, if they continue to be faithful by staying true to the Word of God.  What a great incentive this is for us today not to compromise whatever the temptation!

Want to listen to a sermon on this passage?  A Church that Tolerates False Teaching!

[1] Who was Antipas?  Some commentators have linked him to various martyrs, but to be honest we just don’t know.  It’s likely that he was a leader in the Church who had been faithful in the face of major opposition.

[2] The Nicolatians are mention here again, but Balaam may give us an indication about what they taught.  The name Balaam means: ‘lord of the people’ and the word Nicolatians means: ‘to rule the people’ which suggests they could have been teaching some form of legalism which led to a ‘cast iron’ control of people.  Warren Wiersbe, Be Victorious (Wheaton, SP Publications, 1985) 30.

“I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 2:9).

First impressions are important.  A few years ago, I was looking for the right way to describe the Church, as we were setting up our new website.  I did not want to paint a false picture, so in the end I described us as a ‘small but enthusiastic Church’.  Had they had websites back in the days of the Seven Churches Smyrna’s website might have read something like this.  ‘We are small, struggling Church who has suffered persecution in the past, and are about to face persecution again.’  I wonder if this kind of image would encourage you to attend a service there?

But, such was the reality of the Church to whom Christ sends this letter. The Church had almost certainly come into being during Paul’s remarkable two year ministry at Ephesus (Acts 19:10) – but found its self in a hostile situation, as Smyrna was one of the first places to embrace Emperor Worship, and so, verse 9 highlights their problems.  Interestingly enough, however, Jesus has only words of encouragement for them.

Firstly, he reminds them of who he is.  He is: ‘the first and last, who died and came to life’ (v8).  If they were having a hard time for not worshipping Caesar as ‘lord and saviour’ they could look to one who was the real deal!  Their confidence was in one who was sovereign over everything, even life and death!  Secondly, they had encouragement of knowing that Jesus knows them and their situation.  The: ‘I know’ (of verse 9) is a common feature in these letters.  Jesus is walking among the seven lampstands which represent the Churches (1:13), so he really knows his Churches. The Lord knows they appear very poor; the text uses the Greek word: ‘ptocheia’ which means to have nothing at all.[1]  But in reality they are: “rich”, which reflects their spiritual state!  The Lord knows that they are having a hard time due to the hatred of the Jews.  He knows they are going to suffer persecution, but he reminds them that he is in control and the time will be limited (v10).

Finally, Jesus tells them their future.  For those who are faithful, there will be a: ‘crown of life’ and also the promise of being with Him forever (vs10-11).  Are you, like me wondering how they felt when they received this letter?  I imagine they would have been very encouraged.  Those believers may well have been a ‘laughing stock’ of Smyrna, and no doubt, people felt they could push them around.  However, the fact remained that Jesus was Lord, and sovereign over everything – and that made all the difference!

Sadly, in some Churches today there has been a tendency to teach that if you come to Jesus all your problems will be solved.  A false ‘gospel’ of ‘easy believe-ism’ has been substituted, for Christ’s command to deny ourselves, and take up our cross and follow him (Mark 8:34).  Anyone preaching such a falsehood would have been very quickly booted out of the Church in Smyrna, as they knew it could be tough following Christ.  Nonetheless, they would have been encouraged to keep going because the benefits were truly going to be ‘out of this world’!  Living as we do, in a situation today where Gospel preaching is often scorned and the Bible criticised, we too can take encouragement from the words of the glorified Christ to a small, struggling first-century Church in Asia Minor.  We too can appear poor, but in reality be rich, if we trust in the truth of the Gospel.

Would you like to hear a sermon on this passage?    A Church that has Real Riches despite its Appearance.

[1]  Leon Morris, Revelation (Leicester, Inter-Varsity Press, 1969) 65.

“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (Revelation 2:4).

The very first Church Christ addresses is one that John would have been well acquainted with.  The Church at Ephesus would have been in existence for about forty years at this time.  It had been established by Paul, and in the two years of his ministry there, God had caused a remarkable work to happen, whereby the good news of the Gospel was heard throughout Asia Minor (Acts 19:10).  It was a Church that was undoubtedly facing persecution, but it was also a Church that was faithful!

Indeed, when we read verse 2, we get a picture of a Church that had taken Paul’s departing warnings seriously (Acts 20: 28-31) and could almost literally ‘smell’ bad teaching.  What is more, they had done all this in the face of opposition (v3).  To use an analogy, if you were looking for good Bible teaching and a ‘Reformed’ ministry, you would have been impressed by the first page of the Ephesus Church website, and doubly so by the time you had listened to one or two of their sermons!

So it comes as a bit of a shock when Jesus says: “Yet I have this against you” (v4).  Despite all their Biblically based teaching, they had fallen out of love with their Saviour.  In fact it’s worse than that as the word used is: “abandoned”.  Everything had become routine and dutiful, rather like those marriages where a husband and wife get divorced after years of being together, because, and someone comments: “they only stayed together for the children”…  This may have been a faithful Church, but it was only out of a sense of duty, rather than a deep love for the Lord!  The phrase: “Remember the height from where you have fallen” illustrates that Christ does not see this as a small thing; in fact, in the Greek this can literally be rendered as: ‘keep on remembering’.  ‘They had enjoyed a close walk with God’ and were to remember that![1]  Indeed, it was so serious that Christ threatens to remove their lampstand (v5) unless they repent.  In other words, the Church would cease to exist!

Yet, there was still hope, their love for the truth shows that they literally had the mind of God (v6)![2]  Christ leaves them with some encouragement in both the start and the finish of this letter.  Firstly, he has an intimate relationship with his Church as he: ‘walks among the seven golden lampstands’ (v1) which, as we have seen, represent the ‘Universal’ Church.  He still loves them, with the sacrificial love, which is demonstrated in 1:5, even when their love has grown cold.  Secondly, those who respond to Christ’s warning have the promise of a wonderful future with him (v7).

In conclusion, no matter how Gospel-based and ‘reformed’ we are as a Church, Jesus will find a fault with us if we are not if displaying love for him and for others.  But if you think about it, the more we understand about Christ’s love for us, as shown in the cross, our love should increase.  In other words, good ‘Cross shaped’ theology should never encourage us to be cold and unloving!

Want to listen to a sermon on this passage? A Church that has Fallen out of Love!

[1] Leon Morris, Revelation (Leicester, Inter-Varsity Press, 1969) 60.
[2] Who and what were the Nicolatians?  There are various ideas, but the truth is we just don’t know! We will encounter them again in the letter to the Church at Pergamun and that may give us a few clues!