Simple Faith

Bill Henry: What is the function of the Christian church in the year 2026? The same as it was from the beginning. Here's Pastor Bill Henry.

We as the church are to go out and be the light and salt of the earth. We as the church are to go out and make disciples of men and women. We're not to bring people here to church hoping they'll hear the Gospel and hoping they get saved. And by the way, I still hope that happens. I still pray that happens and I've seen it happen. But we come here to church to be equipped for the work of the ministry. We come here to church to stir one another up to love and to good works, to go out and be the saints of God.

Guest (Male): Hello again and welcome to Simple Faith, the radio ministry from Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington. Today, we continue Pastor Bill Henry's new study of Revelation. For the next several weeks, our eyes are going to rest on the seven letters to the seven churches described in Chapters 2 and 3. Today, we'll be looking at the Lord's postcard to the church in Ephesus.

Now, the Ephesians were firm in their belief in the Lord as Savior and their doctrine was strong, but they had walked away from their emotional attachment to Him. Their love had grown cold. It happened to the Ephesians and it still happens to Christians today. Here's Pastor Bill with our study.

Bill Henry: Revelation Chapter 2, we're going to be looking at verses 1 through 7 this morning. "To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, 'These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: I know your works, your labor, your patience, that you cannot bear with those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary.

Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.'"

So as we come to Revelation Chapter 2, verses 1 through 7 this morning, the Lord's letter to the church there in Ephesus, a few things to note. First of all, there are several views pertaining to these letters. Number one, all seem to agree that these letters, first and foremost, were written to specific churches and would be later delivered to these churches themselves. Seven churches there in Asia, what basically would be in modern-day Turkey today.

The second view also says that while these letters were written to these individual churches, since there are seven and there were many more churches just in Asia Minor itself, that there was probably more of a representation as well of the completeness. In other words, the number seven throughout the Scriptures represents completeness. So it probably represents, another view says, that these basically are letters to all Christians, all churches for all times, which again, it's the word of God, so it stands forever.

The third view is that these letters also represent the different ages of the church within church history. The first letter representing the first portion of church history, and the seventh letter to the Laodiceans, basically the last portion of church history. And if you look over it, it's kind of interesting, we here almost 2,000 years later can kind of look back, have that luxury of hindsight, and see that church history actually matches up fairly well with what these letters say.

Now lastly, there's also the view that there's always each of these churches, basically in every church era. That there's always going to be churches who are like Ephesus or Laodicea or wherever. And so you can kind of line up. What I can say is that the Lord has a lot to say to these churches. And these are eternal truths, so they are very relevant for us even here today. And it's interesting if you'll notice to even each of the letters, even though they're written to the churches, it's noted that it's also for individual believers.

So let's pay attention to this as we study through it and not just kind of come to that place, "Well, this is the book of Revelation so I'm just going to kind of tune out" as Pastor Bill is teaching. Let's not turn it off because this is wonderful stuff here. Now what's interesting to note about each of these letters, there are similarities. At the beginning of each letter, we'll see that they're addressed to a church, a specific church in a specific city, but also to the angel or messenger, or say pastor leader of that church.

But it also goes on after that address to give a portion of the description of Jesus that He gave Himself in Chapter 1. He doesn't just come out and say, "Hey, this is Jesus here, listen up." He goes back to Chapter 1 again, the Revelation of Jesus Christ, and a portion of Himself that He revealed there. He uses a portion of that in each of these seven letters. Now then at the end of every letter, He says basically in one form or another, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

He basically is saying, "Look, pay attention. Listen up." And so it's interesting too because He also tells each of the churches, "Hey, I know what you are going through. I know what's going on." And so again, there are those He commends in every letter, that there are those who are overcoming even those churches that are pretty messed up that we're going to come to see. But He finds those within the church to commend because Jesus recognized that there would be those who are overcoming even in a messed up church and maybe a messed up church era.

It's a blessing to see that even within the midst of a church that may be messed up or a church age that may be messed up, God still has those that we might call the remnant. He still has those that will continue to love Him, love His word, be filled with His Spirit and about the work of the Lord. And it's just a blessing to see. I think it's a comfort to see and to remember that Jesus said even the gates of hell itself will not prevail against My church. And so even today, as we see such a great upheaval within the church today, Jesus is still here.

Jesus still recognizes those who are walking humbly with Him and in love with Him. Now it's interesting to note that five of the churches are also called to repent of one thing or another. And it's interesting to note this because the church wasn't even a hundred years old yet. About 70 years roughly, 75 years or so when these letters were written. So it's kind of interesting to note that when men get involved, we always mess it up. And so even as we go and we look at the early church fathers, hey, it's a good thing to read them.

I love to read the early church fathers. I like to read the mid-church fathers and then some of the modern church fathers. I love to see and to read, but we need to remember that even again, the church was pretty messed up as we see here in these seven letters already after just 65, 70 years. And so when we do read the early church fathers, we don't just say, "Well, the early church fathers said this or that." No, let's go back to the word of God. See, we can go back to the original.

We can look and see and study and everything that they say that lines up with the word of God, we hold onto. And it's just a beautiful thing to remember that we have the light of the word of God to test all these things too. So lastly, we remember that we come to a second division in the book of Revelation now. If you'll remember, the Lord Jesus gave a breakdown in Chapter 1 of what to be looking for. And so basically in Chapter 1, as Jesus said, John wrote down those things which he had seen.

And that's what Chapter 1 was. And now as we come to Chapters 2 and 3, John will write as Jesus is telling him to about the things which are. Again, the state of the church and the things which are. So we come to verse 1 of Chapter 2. It says, "To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, 'These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands.'" Now remember, again, this isn't some weird stuff. What's Jesus talking about?

We just go back to the end of Chapter 1 and we see exactly what Jesus is talking about. He already told us that the seven stars are the seven angels of the seven churches, those seven messengers, those seven leaders at every church. The golden lampstands, He already told us, they are the seven churches that He's writing to. And so He is He who walks in the midst of these seven golden lampstands. So again, it's not some weird stuff. It's very simple, very straightforward. But we need to understand what Jesus is basically saying here.

He's basically putting forth, "Look, I am God. Look, I hold the leaders of the churches in My hand. I am He who is in the midst of these churches. I am God." And so we need to understand that even as we see those who oversee the church, they are not God. We are not God. Only He alone is God. It's a much-needed reminder to all of those who serve in ministry, one kind of ministry or another, that this is not our ministry, it is the Lord's ministry. That the Lord is over all these things, all these things are in His hand.

You see, we're just here to serve the church that has been purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ. And especially by the way, those seven stars are the seven messengers. Today, a lot of pastors have forgotten that we are messengers of the word of God. We are to deliver to you, God's sheep, the word of God. Not stories that will make you laugh or make you cry and feel good as you're walking out the door, that tickle the ears. But so many, and I'd say even the majority of those within the church today leading the church, even seminaries, they're not teaching that the Bible is the word of God.

They've forgotten that we are simply messengers. So whether you're teaching the children, whether you're greeting people at the door, whether you're doing slides, whether you're preaching from the pulpit, we need to remember that Jesus is the Christ, Jesus is God, this is His church, and to give His message. Very important. Now notice verse 2. It says, "I know your works, your labor, your patience, that you cannot bear with those who are evil." What a blessed thing to know that Jesus knows all things.

It says here, "I know your works." You know, He's always here within our midst. Jesus, here, standing even now, even though we don't see Him, we know He's here because He's told us that He is here. And because He is here, He knows our works. He knows our lack of works, He knows the works that we do. He knows what's going on within His church even though we may think He doesn't know. "Well, He's not here so He can't hear me gossiping. He's not here so He can't see me doing this wonderful work for His name."

No, He sees everything because He is here within our midst. I know your works. Very interesting word here in the Greek. "Know," it's oida. And in the Greek oida literally means a complete knowledge or a full knowledge. One commentator said the Lord knows everything there is to know about the church. It's a complete—there's in the Greek there's ginosko and it means a knowledge that occurs over time and with experience. This is a different word. Jesus knows everything there is to know.

Now notice it says here, "I know your works, your labor, your patience." The church there at Ephesus, "I know your works," Jesus said. They were working very hard for the Lord. In the Greek here, it's laboring. It denotes labor to the point of sweat and exhaustion. Man, this church was busy for Jesus Christ. They were working just rugged working. And notice it says, "and they were patient as well." Hupomone in the Greek. It denotes patience in trying circumstances or perseverance.

One commentator said this, "It means a courageous acceptance of hardship, suffering, and loss despite their difficult circumstances." The Ephesian believers remained faithful to the Lord. I know your works. I know that you're being patient. Can I ask you here this morning, are you working hard for the Lord here at the church? Are you serving here at the church for the Lord? Are you enduring, are you, hupomone, are you enduring patience during trying circumstances, a courageous acceptance of hardship, suffering? And that's beginning more and more within our world.

Or have we checked out? Have we kind of turned off, put it on cruise control if you will, and just kind of, "Well, I don't need to do this, I don't need to do that." No, no, we need to continue on in works. Notice labor, patience, for Jesus knows. He sees all that we do. He sees all that we don't do within the church. He sees our works, our laboring, our patience. And as we also see here, it continues that the church there, they would not bear with those who are evil.

The New Living says they don't tolerate evil people. The Amplified says cannot tolerate wicked men. They cared about doctrine. So not only were they working hard for the Lord as a church, they also cared about that which is right and wrong. They cared about that which is biblical and holy and they would not put up with evil people within the church, those who were unholy, those who were sinful. You know, there's been a great movement today of accepting everything into the church in the name of love, in the name of tolerance.

And yet here the Lord is giving them accolades saying, "Hey, it's a good thing that you don't accept those, you don't put up with those who are evil within the church." Look guys and gals, we as the church are to go out and be the light and salt of the earth. We as the church are to go out and make disciples of men and women. We're not to bring people here to church hoping they'll hear the Gospel and hoping they get saved. And by the way, I still hope that happens. I still pray that happens and I've seen it happen.

But we come here to church to be equipped for the work of the ministry. We come here to church to stir one another up to love and to good works, to go out and be the saints of God. And so we don't invite people into the church and say, "Hey, you can come to the church in your sinfulness and not repent and not change." Again, those are not things that are biblical. "Well, you know, just come on in, it doesn't matter." No, thank the Lord He doesn't leave us where we were.

Man, I praise Jesus He didn't leave me sitting on my surfboard so many years ago, sitting there unmet by His Spirit. No, no, He met me and He changed me. I was born again in that moment that I repented, turned away, wept over my sin. And I was changed. I didn't even know what had happened. I didn't have a pastor there telling me what was going on. I'd heard the Gospel and the Lord just at that moment used it to lead me to repentance. Today sadly so many not only bear with those who are evil but welcome them into the pulpits.

They say it doesn't matter what kind of sin we have, it doesn't matter. It totally matters. You see Jesus died for all those sins. And He didn't die to leave us there by the way. He died so He can take us out of the mud. He died so He can cleanse us from our sins and from all unrighteousness. And so Jesus commends those, the church here, that they didn't put up with this. Look at verse 2, it continues, "And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars."

So again, I love this, that as people came into the church and were saying, "Hey, we're an apostle, we're from the Lord," they would test them. Let's go to Acts Chapter 20 please. Turn in your Bibles with me please to Acts Chapter 20. It's interesting because many years before John is writing this letter dictated by the Lord, the Apostle Paul, as he was headed to Jerusalem, was speaking to the elders from Ephesus. And so this is Paul speaking to them. Acts Chapter 20, coming in at verse 28 through verse 31.

And this is Paul warning them of the very thing that they're still doing here. It's neat to see. Acts 20, verse 28: "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.

Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears." And so I love this. This is again one of the things the Lord's commending them back here in Revelation Chapter 2, verse 2. You have tested those who say they're apostles and have found them to be liars. Now in the early church and man, even today, there are many who would come in the name of Jesus calling themselves apostles, calling themselves leaders.

We could even say these biblical authors or whatever you want to say, and they come. And yet it's interesting because even as Paul had just warned, they're not seeking to make followers of Jesus Christ. They're seeking to make followers of themselves, or of their church or their denomination. I tell people here, we have people come sometimes and say, "Hey, we're just checking it out, testing the waters. We're trying to find a home church." Hey, you're welcome.

And just know that we'd love to have you, but if this isn't the place the Lord has you, we know that when you walk out that door it doesn't mean you're not saved, that we're the only church because it's not about us. It's not about Pastor Bill Henry and how dorky he is or how wonderful he is. It's not about Calvary Chapel. It is all about Jesus Christ. It is all about Jesus Christ. And yet a lot of people don't do that. They make it about themselves. And we need to understand this, and especially those who claim to be apostles today.

There are no more apostles today as there were in the biblical times. There were the 12 apostles and there were prophets that the Lord used. Jesus is the rock, the foundation of the church, and He used the apostles and the prophets as part of that foundation that He built. And so it's interesting because we have to notice it says they basically they tested them. You've tested those. Sadly, most Christians I believe today don't even know how to test. You know, I love the Bereans.

When Paul went there in the Book of Acts to teach, he started teaching about the Messiah and they're like, "Well, this sounds strange. What do you mean risen from" all these things? And so I love what we read there. Every day that Paul would teach, they would go home, it says, and they would study the Scriptures to see whether what he said were true or not. That's testing. To test things and people by the word of God.

Guest (Male): This has been Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry from Simple Faith Calvary Chapel in Vancouver, Washington. Today, we brought you a message from Pastor Bill's series in Revelation. It's our sincere hope and prayer that you've been blessed by the words you heard from Pastor Bill today. If you'd like to share today's message with someone, it's available at our website to either watch or listen, and you can actually download an audio MP3. We have a large number of Pastor Bill's messages archived and you can find them all at simplefaith.org. That's simplefaith.org. Just click the media tab.

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Thanks for joining us today and be sure to join us next time as our series in Revelation continues here on Simple Faith with Pastor Bill Henry, brought to you by Simple Faith Calvary Chapel.