Love, Joy, Peace...

The Church Exposed

Revelation 2-3


-We are going to speed through the 7 churches so we can focus on the less focused on parts of the Revelation

-Why 7 churches of Asia Minor when we know there were more (Colosse)?

-Seven as the number for complete…

-A message to al of the churches! 


In Revelation 1 Jesus reveals himself

-WHo is he now?

-What is he up to???


In Revelation 2-3 he reveals the churches…he reveals us!


Revelation 1:12-13, 20

-Seven people read the churches


Commends:

-Hard work

-Perseverance

-Don’t tolerate sin

-Tested those who claim to be apostles but are not

-Endured hardships

-Not grown weary

-Hate [that], which he also hates

-Remain true to my name

-Did not renounce your faith in Jesus

-Good deeds

-Love

-Faith

-Service 

-Doing more than you did at first

-Having little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name

-Kept his command to endure patiently


Corrects:

-Forsaken the love you had at first

-Hold to the teaching of Balaam/Nicolaitans

-Tolerate that woman Jezebel

-Having a reputation of being alive, but you are dead

-Lukewarmth


Three Calls To The Church

1. Resist

2:1 - I know your afflictions

-“thlipsis”

-The pressure the thinking, culture, values and lifestyles of the Kingdom of God meet the thinking, culture, values and lifestyles of those who do not hold Jesus as Lord

-Unfortunately, that pressure is inevitable

-Jesus never promises to remove the “affliction” 

-Only to sustain through the affliction


What pressures???

-Jezebel, Balaam and Nicolaitans

-In the Old Testament, Jezebel is the Sidonian wife of King Ahab of Israel 

-As a Sidonian, she was a non-Israelite who married Ahab

-Her goal was to completely lead Israel away from God and into worship Canaanite gods

-Her prophets were defeated by Elijah and then she threatens his life

-This is pressure from outside to succumb to the thinking of our day

Today’s Teachings:

-Secularism

-Uncertainty/Subjective Truth

-Epicureanism - Mandy Kelsch

-Science As Religion

-Eastern Religion


-We must resist the pressure to succumb to our culture’s thinking, values and lifestyles


Balaam & Nicolaitans

-Probably similar ideas based on the name

-Nicolaitans - Greek - "Nikon" = "Conqueror, lord" + "Laos" = "the people" 

-Balaam - Hebrew - "Baal" = "Conqueror, lord" + "am" = "the people" 

-Both sought to conquer God's people 

-Balaam could not do that by getting God to curse Israel

    -So he taught Balaak to entice Israel by sending Moabite women to invite them to their feasts

    -Thus, lowering the standard of holiness and causing God to curse Israel!

-This is the pressure from within to compromise God's standard!


-Progressive Christianity

-Universalism

-Sin is subjective

-Consumer Christianity


-We must resist the pressure to to succumb


-One concept addresses in Revelation 2-3 = Toleration

-Jesus cares about what a church “tolerates”?

2:2 - I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 

2:20 - Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. 


-We will fight through deep Bible study, prayer and community conviction to remain a church of the apostolic faith


I Corinthians 5:1-13

-The Corinthian church was proud of how tolerant they were!

-Paul helps them see that this is not holiness

-Clear areas where the loving thing to do is not be tolerant, but rather hand them over to Satan.

-Unrepentant immorality, greed, idolatry, slander, drunkenness, and swindling are all grounds for disfellowshipping


-How do we avoid this?


2. Respond


3:19 - Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.

=“Elegcho” & “paedia” 

=Elegcho = Expose/convict

-Same as…

John 16

Matthew 18:15 - Go and “show him”

John 3:20 - They hate the light for fear that their deeds will be “exposed”

-Hand in the cookie jar


=Paideuo = to train as children

-Used of Socrates training system in Truth, Goodness & Beauty (Troas Night)

-Goal was healthy citizens of the polis or city/society

Revelation 1:6 - “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father”


-How Jesus creates kingdom citizens…exposure and training!

-Is that how we do it? Is that our focus?


-We want to train…

-EHS & EHR

-Scripture Memory and Family Feud

-Young Leaders Training


-What about the exposure part?

-Openness about life - Thursday Group

-Asking probing questions of one another


Are you still open to exposure and correction?


COVID Slip…Accountability!

Weekly Questions:

1. How is your relationship with God? How are your times with God?

2. How is your evangelism?

3. Who in the fellowship are you strengthening?

-How can you move the needle this week?


Herein lies the Revelation appeal

“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

-8 times in Revelation…7 times in Revelation 2-3

3. Remember

Talking to the church in Ephesus…

2:4-5 - Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.


The love you had a first…

“Consider how far you have fallen!” - This is a call to remember

-Remember when you were a new Christian

You loved reading your Bible, fellowship, serving, sharing your faith….

-Jesus says that is how we should always be!
-Irony that this is the church John worked with 


-Remember when the church was growing and baptizing?

    -I want to get back to that!

    -It means we all need to be workers!

    -Easter Sunday coming up...Invite people!


-Key transition…

-From the receiver to the giver

-If this transition doesn’t happen you fizzle!


-Even for those who have made that transition

As Jesus says to the church in Thyitira, ‘you are now doing more than you did at first”

-It must be about loving God

Re:2023 - A Year of Responding to God’s Grace


-Jesus' call to overcome! - "to the one who is victorious..."

-7x in Revelation 2-3

-Greek word - "nikao" also translated "overcome"

-We can overcome!!!


Let's Resist - Pressure from outside and inside of the church 

Let's Respond - Let's expose and correct so that we can be healthy citizens of God's kingdom

Let's Remember - What it is like to serve God from a loving, grateful response to His grace!


Let’s overcome here in the KVC!!!


Kanawha Valley Church
1565 Smith Road, Charleston, WV 25314
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