The Thrill is Gone!
Revelations 2:1-7
by Robert G. Brooks
RgregoryBrooks@aol.com
Introduction:
The church at Ephesus was the most important church of Asia Minor; the
most important church of the seven churches of Revelations. The city of
Ephesus was a commercial center. It was a center of religious worship,
its temple to Diana being one of the seven wonders of the world. The
“seven stars” speaks of Christ’s sovereign protection of His church.
They are symbolized as lampstands. Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the
world.” But He said sin in the church would cause Him to “remove thy
candlestick.” (vs. 5)
I. Jesus said, “I know”
The church is under His eyes which “were as flames of fire” (1:14) Jesus
sees us to the very depths of our souls.
A) Ephesus was a working, busy church. Someone observed that the
modern church is run all too often like a secular business (without
the Holy Spirit); all under the motive of egoism in teaching, preaching,
and administration. Ephesus labored with patience. Many churches have
come to define Christianity by the number of church services one attends
in a week rather than service beyond the walls of the building. Indeed,
when the word “church” is used all too often it is the image of a
building rather than the people. One of the most lonely places in the
world is an empty church.
B) They were orthodox, rejecting false Apostles as liars and evil men. (vs
2) Today there are many false cults who may knock on our doors with
“false Christs” and witness many strange teachings by twisting Holy
Writ. In Galatians 1:8 Paul warns: “But though we, or an angel from
heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have
preached, let him be accursed.” In verse 9 Paul emphatically repeats the
curse! 2 John 9-11 warns not to invite them into our houses, nor bid
them Godspeed, or if we do such, we partake of their sins.
C) In verse 3 he commends them a second time for their patience and
labor.
II. Although Christ Commends Them He Expresses a Strong Criticism ( vs
4)
Verse 4 may be translated “The love you felt at first you have now
lost.” The old blues singer, B. B. King, has a song entitled, “The
Thrill is Gone.” That sums up the danger of the church at Ephesus! That
first encounter with the Living Christ, that first thrill of sins
forgiven, that first meditation of His love on the cross, that first
enlightenment that His holy blood was shed for our iniquities, the being
stabbed awake of our rebellion against the Creator of our being, the
lost thrill of sharing the Good News with some individual, or the thrill
of giving to missions so that the world may share in His salvation –
have you lost these?
One can be coldly orthodox, even patient, and doing “church work”, but
fallen from one’s first fervor, and thereby be ineffective, because one
is laboring “in the flesh”-- without the leadership of the blessed Holy
Spirit
III. Christ’s Remedy For Merely Human-Inspired Service and His Warning
(vs 5)
A) Repent…of the loss of your first ardour.
B) Remember….. that they were fallen in spirit to the human spirit, not
to the Holy Spirit
C) Work….labor with the enthusiasm of the first service – or Jesus would
remove them from being a lighthouse for the pagan city of Ephesus with
their extreme idolatry to Diana.
D) Repent of formalism – The importance of repentance is twice
emphasized.
IV. Who Were the Nicolaitanes? (vs 6)
They cannot be identified. It is surmised they were a sect that called
themselves Christians, yet were antinomian; that is to say they
tolerated immorality, even fornication. Note the Ephesians hated their
“deed”, not the persons, and in this they followed their Lord, God “so
loved the world,” but He hates with perfect hatred the evil which
envelopes mankind! Paul said, “Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that
which is good” (Roman 12:9). We even have in our day a church that
tolerates sodomy in its hierarchy!
V. Let the Spirit Rule the Church (vs 7a)
Thus eternal life in Christ is promised (vs 7b)
Conclusion
Jesus rebuked the Ephesian church, for no authentic light can emit from
a church which merely does “church work”, is coldly orthodox, is
self-righteously moral – but which has lost the thrill of those first
days of conversion. For that church is backslidden!
How about you, friend? Is the Thrill gone? God help us!
If you are not born anew – you too need to repent and receive the
thrill of the Living Christ.
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