I. The church in Ephesus. (Rev 2:1-7)a.The Words of “Him who Hold the Seven Stars” (v.1)

The statement about Jesus walking among the candlesticks recalls an Old Testament promise: "I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people" (Leviticus 26:12). This promise to ancient Israel is now made to the church, the new Israel (Galatians 6:16). “And as many as shall walk by this rule, peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.”

Revelation 1:19-20 19"Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. 20The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels[c] of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

I.“I Know Your Works” (vv. 2-3)Each letter is introduced with Christ’s assertion, "I know..." (2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15). The church is to understand that Christ is perfectly aware of the distresses and persecution the church members may be suffering. He also knows what they have achieved and where they have failed in their faithfulness to him.

II.Remember Your First Love (vv.4-6)Spiritual problems (2:4-6)

Ironically, the Ephesian church and its leadership may have gone too far in rooting out heresy. There was a spiritual problem in the church described as a forsaking of "first love" (2:4). This is generally taken to mean the church members’ love for one another. Theological orthodoxy and tests of loyalty may have been substituted for mercy and compassion. This could have lead to an undue preoccupation with being "correct," resulting in the proverbial "straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel."

This is an important lesson to all Christians. While doctrinal purity is important to the Christian faith, it can unintentionally lead to witch hunting and an inquisitorial spirit. We can defend the faith only if we first remember to defend love for one another (John 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; even as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. As it says on page 78 in your book, we don’t want to be the elder brother in the story when the prodicgals come home. Lk 15:11-32Paul, who said, "The Lord is the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:17

a.The Promise of Access to the Tree of Life (v.7) The overcomers at Ephesus are promised the gift of eternal life. The symbolism of salvation for the Ephesians is "the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God" (2:7). The apostle Paul remained in Ephesus for more than two years on his third major journey, and his preaching led to a major conflict between the Gospel and the worship of Diana. This preaching turned many away from idol worship, upsetting silversmiths who specialized in the manufacture of idols (Acts 19:26).

I. The Church at Smyrna (Rev 2:8-11)a.The Words of “The First and the Last” (v.8)

The church at Smyrna was a suffering church (2:8).

b.“I know Your Affliction” (v.9)c.“Do Not Fear” (vv. 10-11)

It was warned about an impending persecution and that some of its members would experience martyrdom (2:10). The church in Smyrna would soon be persecuted and martyred by Jews and heathens. This would happen for "ten days" (2:10). Most commentators take that figure to mean a short but definitely limited period of time. We moderns have similar expressions to denote short periods of time during which traumatic events occur, such as the phrase, "A day of infamy…"

The church at Smyrna(50 KM north of Ephesus) apparently suffered at the hands of a group "who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan" (2:9). These Jews thought they were the people of God but were actually the representatives of his adversary (John 8:31-47). In all likelihood, the people referred to were local Jewish citizens of Smyrna who opposed the church. They may have been pressing the local government to take action against the Christians.Why are these people said not to be Jews? They were Jews by race and religion. But they were not spiritual Jews, in the sense that the New Testament defines a Jew. Paul made the point in his writings: "A man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit" (Romans 2:29). The church saw itself as the Israel of God, the "true circumcision" who worshiped God in Spirit and put its faith in Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:3).

I. A Way to Begina.Pressure has a way of revealing what is really in our hearts. The

stresses of life can drive us closer to God or drive a wedge between us. The churches of Ephesus and Smyrna give us two different examples of how churches respond to pressure.

i. Ephesus was concerned about maintaining sound doctrine but began to relate to each other out of legalism rather than love.

ii.Smyrna faced poverty and persecution, yet remained faithful to Christ.

b.Attitude checki. When you had a really bad day,

1.How did circumstances affect your attitude?2.How did your attitude change your actions?

a. Being Squeezedi. What are the pressures people face today?

1.Family stresses2.Work stresses3.World events4.Economic situations

ii.Sponge1.When you squeeze a sponge, what comes out was previously absorbed.2.When we face pressure, what comes out reveals what we’ve been taking in (MT

12:35)3.Character of churches is revealed in Ephesus and Smyrna as they faced adversity.

a.Ephesus has been infiltrated by false teachersb.Smyrna faced the threat of persecution and physical danger.c.Ephesus maintained their doctrinal purity but lost their love.

Smyrna was materially poor but rich in faithfulness.Read Revelation 2:1-11

Discuss the pressures of churches today.

I. What does Revelation 2: 1-7 mean to me?

II. Revelation was written to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor, which is now modern Turkey (Rev. 1:4, 11). The principle purpose for the writing is to encourage and chastise them for how they were running their churches (Rev. 2:1-3:22). John was fully convinced that Christ would triumph over the forces of Satan and his work in the world. He then exhorted them to be faithful and discerning between what is false and what is truth, and warned them not to worship the Emperor or to comply with evil, apathy, or compromise. He restated the importance of discipleship and Christian formation so they (we) could be authentic Christians of excellence and

distinction, bringing no disrepute to Christ or His Church.

I. God’s purpose for John in Revelation is not that he be condescending or judgmental. Rather, it is so he could offer hope and encouragement to the Church. At the same time, it points out the issues and problems so we can address them and move from our ways to His Ways. If we just sit and point fingers at problems, ignore them, rationalize they are OK, or worry we might offend people and do nothing about fixing them, we do the Church, God, and ourselves a disservice. We are called to know what we are doing and His precepts so we can be better for His glory. Let’s take a hard look at our church and see where we are with what He has called us to, and have the courage and fortitude to fix what we are not doing right so we can seek being our best for His glory.

I. Jesus ends this letter with the importance of listening and heeding His precepts. We are to allow the flow of the Spirit, and to be Sprit-led, not self-led, especially with how we lead the Church. A church can only be successful as long as love is penetrating and being modeled from its leadership and members. When love is lost, so is the church (1 Cor. 13)!

II. Questions to discuss

a. What sort of pressure did each church face?

b. How did each church respond to adversity? What did they do well? What mistakes if any, did they make?

c. Christ called Ephesus to remember their first love. Christ also encouraged Smyrna to face tribulation without fear. Is there a relationship between love and courage? 1 John 4:18

d. What kind of an attitude should we have in times of adversity? What can we do during peaceful seasons to prepare ourselves for times of trial?

I. Considering Compromise

a. Discuss pressures churches face today. Consider internal stresses such as conflict among the members as well as external pressures such as hostile or disparaging attitudes from unbelievers. Discuss how Ephesus & Smyrna dealt with pressures.

b. Ephesus moved toward legalism while Smyrna seems to have remained faithful. What might account for the difference in their responses?

c. Sometimes adversity drives people toward Christ; sometimes it drives them further away. How can we prepare ourselves for adversity?

d. Read James 1:2-3 and 1 John 4:18. What do these verses have to say about the attitudes we should have during trials?

e. Sometimes when we face pressure we may be tempted to compromise to avoid difficulty. How can we stay faithful and avoid compromising our faith in hard times?