We Cannot Take The Church's Existence For Granted

We Cannot Take The Church’s Existence For Granted

Preaching Portion: Revelation 2:4-5

Subject: The Church At Ephesus

Theme: Extinction

INTRO: Why are we so weak, when the Lord and Savior are so STRONG?

·      A weak and sickly church is not a credit to our triumphant Christ.

·      David Bryant of “Proclaim Hope” ministry states; “That is the way I see the church of Jesus Christ today – it’s on life support. We have lost our the vision as to who Jesus is and why His exaltation in our lives rid us of fear of the future, and gives us a buoyant hope for the future.”[1]

·      Larry Poston writes how Muslims view Christians; “When a Muslim views a Christian he sees a person who wears his Christianity like a casual garment, useful for show on certain occasions but tossed aside when not needed. He sees Christian as captives of a materialistic culture that has co-opted Christianity by marketing Christian music, books, clothing and paraphernalia.”[2]

·      It is safe to say that a weak and sickly church is not a credit to our triumphant Christ.

·      A church that is on life support cannot rise up and walk. Do not assume any church’s existence.

1.     Consider History

a.     What does the Moody Bible Church and the Hagia Sophia (Church of Holy Wisdom, Istanbul, Turkey) have in common?

                                               i.     Answer: The Hagia Sophia was the pattern for the Moody Church in Chicago.

b.     The city of Istanbul is not one of the seven churches of Asia. What happened here however, is a story that has been repeated throughout this region.

                                               i.     The Hagia Sophia was dedicated by the emperor Justinian in AD 537 who said during the dedication speech “Solomon, I have outdone thee!”[3]

                                              ii.     Justinian could not have predicted what would happen to this church century’s later. Christianity and Islam collided here. Today it is a museum visited by thousands annually.

                                            iii.     With a military strategy building around the city of Constantinople in 1453[4] with pleas for help falling on deaf ears (even the Pope). Constantine XI prepared the 50,000 people by telling them they needed to prepare to face sacrifice and death without fear.

                                            iv.     Thousands of people gathered in the church conducting masses and singing and crying. When the city fell and the Ottoman warriors entered the church the people were massacred. The church building was spared and converted into a mosque. SEE PIC

c.      Who fought against these people – Janissaries! These were Jewish boys captured in other battles across the region and taught to fight for the Islamic cause. In other words these young Janissaries were Jews killing Jews!

d.     The triumph of Christianity over paganism indicated that Christianity was a superior religion, but the triumph of Islam over Christianity shows that Islam is superior to Christianity.[5]

                                               i.     The Battle of Yarmuk in 636 with some 50,000 Christians massacred ended the Byzantine era out which came the King James documentation for that version of the Bible.

e.     Sacred Space

                                               i.     This concept of sacred space is a key reason that the Middle East conflict will never end, Back in A.D. 637, Muslim armies besieged and conquered Jerusalem and in A.D. 692 the Dome of the Rock was completed on the Temple Mount, directly above the site where the Jewish Temple once stood. But the Holy Land is occupied by Israel, which means there can be no peace until the Muslims win back what they perceive to be their land.[6]

                                              ii.     Mosques are symbols of conquering and dominance. Take a look at the landscape of larger cities and you can see the spires of Mosques sticking up in high places to lord dominance over a community.

2.     Consider Scripture – Revelation 2:1-7

a.     The Hagia Sophia is used as an example for this sermon because modern Istanbul, Turkey and Ephesus are part of the same community and real estate.

                                               i.     If history teaches us anything, We should not assume that where Christianity exists that it is no guarantee that it will remain.

b.     Note the commendations

                                               i.     Through hard work and patience, the church has performed many righteous deeds (2:2a).

                                              ii.     They do not tolerate sin in the church (2:2b).

                                            iii.     They allow only sound doctrine to be taught (2:2c).

                                            iv.     They have suffered for Jesus (2:3).

                                              v.     They hate the practices of the Nicolaitans (2:6). ^[7]

1.     The Nicolaitan movement is difficult to define, for the only information we have is found in Rev. 2:6, 15, and probably in the discussions of the cults of Balaam (2:14) and Jezebel (2:20–23)^[8]

2.     Balaam was about putting a stumbling block in front of people – causing a subversion of righteous pathways

3.     Jezebel represents all that is sensuously appealing and sexually attractive.

c.      Note the counsel

                                               i.     They are to remember their first love (2:5a).

                                              ii.     They are to repent (2:5b).

                                            iii.     They are to return to their first love (2:5c).^[9]

                                            iv.     The penalty (2:5d): If this does not happen, their lampstand will be removed.^[10]

1.     The loss of the “lampstand” indicates a loss of effective witness before a watching world.

2.     In other words a church on a respirator cannot rise and run and influence.

3.     There has got to be a power that matches our testimony

d.     Jesus promises that all overcomers would receive fruit from the tree of life in paradise.

                                               i.     “Our lives must declare the victory of Jesus over sin and death, with confidence in the ultimate triumph of his work over all the power of the enemy.” Thus it demands faithfulness and a determination that we will place living for him alone above all earthly things^[11]

Conclusion

·      Ask God to bring to remembrance the “first flush of excitement” the time you got saved. What has changed? How do I return?

·      The church is called to repentance TONIGHT!

·      What actionable steps can I take right now that will return me back to a “first flus” excitement for Christ? What do I need to get rid of? What do I need to add?

·      Am I effective as a witness? What must change? What steps am I going to take get beyond mediocrity?   

 

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[1] Erwin W. Lutzer The Cross In The Shadow of The Crescent. (Harper House: Eugene, OR 2013) 56.

[2] Larry Poston, The Current State of Islam In America (Evangelism and Missions: Wheaton, IL 2001) 17.

[3] Lutzer 43.

[4] Lutzer, 44.

[5] Lutzer 47.

[6] Lutzer 50.

^[7] Willmington, H. L. (1999). The Outline Bible (Re 2:2–6). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

^[8] Osborne, G. R. (2002). Revelation. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (120). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

^[9] Willmington, H. L. (1999). The Outline Bible (Re 2:5). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

^[10] Willmington, H. L. (1999). The Outline Bible (Re 2:5). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

^[11] Osborne, G. R. (2002). Revelation. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (122–123). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.