Acts 15 records the Jerusalem Council, where the early church had to answer a crucial question: Is Jesus enough? Some said Gentiles had to follow the law of Moses to be saved, but the apostles stood firm—salvation is by grace through faith in Christ alone (v. 11, Ephesians 2:1-10).
The result? A joyful affirmation of the gospel and practical steps to preserve unity between Jewish and Gentile believers. Even when disagreements followed (vv. 36–41), the mission continued. Grace held them together and moved them forward.
🎯 Theme: Salvation is by grace, not by burdening others with the law.
🌀 Reflection: When differences arise, do you fight for grace and unity? How does the gospel shape your convictions and your conversations?
💬 Mission Challenge: Encourage someone in your church family today—especially someone different from you. Affirm your shared hope in Jesus.
As I write this, I am on my seventh day of my current hospital stay. This hospitalization — or even the illness really — is not the subject of my reflections but merely a backdrop. However, I will give enough details for clarity and hopefully none for complaint.
Many of you most likely do not know that I am in the hospital, and that is because I don’t care for that sort of attention. Outside of the Christ Community prayer group and a few personal messages, I have not shared much. Ultimately, this is pride — not trying to hide things necessarily, but some difficulties are hard to share even when you should (2 Corinthians 12:9). So I’m sharing now.
Two weeks ago (May 29), I woke up with what I thought to be gout flare ups in both feet. This was odd as gout typically manifests in just one, isolated joint. I already knew that I am an atypical sort of guy, so I just was going to roll with the weird. Within an hour, both feet were fully swollen up to the ankle. By lunch, my left wrist and the little finger joint on the right hand had joined in with swelling and pain.
The next morning (May 30) I awoke to walking being nearly impossible because of excruciating pain in both feet. I needed assistance eating because the pain in both hands was nearly as bad. I still managed to walk to the bathroom a few times. Little did I know I would only walk one more time the following day.
The next Monday (June 2), Candice took me to an orthopedic doctor in Oxford. They performed x-rays and examinations that revealed my feet were “full of arthritis”, meaning there was no space in my foot not taken up by inflammation which explained why walking or even standing, and the doctor scheduled a wide array of labs to be run and started me on a steroid pack. The following day (June 3), Kevin took me to Oxford to get the labs run. And the wait began.
Long story short, steroids brought little relief and the lab results were largely inconclusive except to say that wide spread inflammation was occurring in my body. By the end of the week (June 6), the total joints inflamed and in pain expanded to both knees, the right hip, and eventually both shoulders. We went to the hospital that night and ended up staying (and are still here).
Ultimately, there is no official diagnosis, but what is known is:
There was gout involved.
Even though there initially was thought to be some sort of infection, none was found.
My body had an autoimmune response and was fighting against itself causing the wide spread inflammation to all the joints.
God is still seated on His throne, still loves me, still cares for me, can heal me if He so chooses, and — for whatever reason — has me where I need to be even if it’s not where I want to be (Romans 8:28, 2 Corinthians 4:16-17).
The reason I am writing this is because in the midst of the worst two weeks of my life, I have consistently seen and experienced the goodness of God on display (Psalm 27:13) and want to share that. So, with no further ado, let me share with you about the goodness of God.
Reflection #1 — An Excellent Wife I Have Found
10 An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
Proverbs 31:10-12
So far (and for the rest of this), Candice is typing instead of me. I have gained about 95% usage of my left arm and hand back and only about 75% of my right arm and hand (which also has an IV in a less-than-helpful position). This is the first collaboration of this sort Candice and I have ever done, and judging by how much she hates that she’s having to type out a reflection thanking God for her and bragging on her, this may be our last.
Over the last two weeks, Candice has tirelessly (despite exhaustion and being as overwhelmed and scared as I have been) cared for me night and day. She has advocated for me with doctors (even ferociously at times), fed me, bathed me, and loved me through this time. While I was humiliated for being so unable to do for myself, her love humbled me and reminded me that wedding vows spoken by young adults prove out by the deeper-than-romance love that God can foster between a husband and a wife.
This has not been easy for her. She didn’t expect it to be. The love that she has shown me, even as she types this now through her own tears, has preached the gospel of Jesus’s love for His Church more eloquently and effectively than my words ever could (Ephesians 5:32). Her selfless actions and unrelenting care were more than “word or talk”, showing her love “in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18).
I could not, should I live a thousand years, hope to ever repay or match her show of love and care (although I can’t wait to get to go home and try). She’s more precious than treasure (Proverbs 31:10), has all of my trust, is my favorite person and the love of my life, and has shown real-life love more than I could have ever dreamed of 22 years ago.
Reflection #2 — God Exulted Over Me With Loud Singing
The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty One who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
We were supposed to be on a mission trip with our Christ Community youth group in New Mexico right now, but obviously we are not.
I am immensely thankful that God allows me to be one of the pastors at Christ Community, and getting to serve and disciple our kiddos is one of the greatest joys of my life. Needless to say, a large portion of my heart has been in New Mexico while my body has been confined to this hospital bed.
Sara Goldwater worked it out with Candice that they would FaceTime us so that we could participate in some of their nightly worship times. I knew we needed that, but at the time I was so mentally, physically, and emotionally overwhelmed I almost said no. Thankfully, I didn’t because the kiddos and adult leaders who are so dear to my heart ministered to me more that night than I ever have to them.
The time they spent singing and songs they chose were so carefully, lovingly, and thoughtfully arranged that by the end I was ugly crying and raising the only hand I could in worship of God.
The first song they chose was “Battle Belongs“, reminding that God is our fortress, mighty to save, and has already won the only battle that eternally matters through the cross and His empty tomb (Colossians 2:14-15).
The second song was “Firm Foundation (He Won’t)“, reminding me that Jesus is my rock and firm foundation, who has never failed in all of history, will never fail in the time that remains, and will protect and keep me through the storms of this life (Matthew 7:24-25). It brought to mind a quote from Charles Spurgeon (who dealt with debilitating gout and health problems that often left him bedridden for longer than I have been):
I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages.
After a verse and chorus of “Because He Lives“, and being reminded that I know who holds the future, the mission team humbled me and loved me in a way that was nearly overwhelming. They passed the phone around and one-by-one spoke something meaningful, encouraging, personal, and loving. To say that I was wrecked is a vast understatement. I was reminded of Zephaniah’s words to Israel above about how, even in times of trials and exiles, God was still in their midst, still mighty to save, still rejoicing over them. But it’s the last part of Zephaniah 3:17 that was so poignant and clear to me that night as it describes God Himself quieting His people, those He loves, by exulting over them with loud singing. I experienced God singing over us by His mission team singing over me. That memory will stay with me from here on out.
Reflection #3 — Built Up and Burdens Borne
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:2
We have experienced such a great outpouring of love, concern, care, and prayer from our family, faith family, and friends. Difficult times are often lonely times, but that has not been our experience. I could not begin to recount all of the text messages and phone calls. Family (both biological and church) have come to sit and visit to lift spirits. The days leading up to the hospital stay, Candice did not have to cook as well as care for me because God has people in our life who took care of that, even being so thoughtful as to find out some foods our kiddos would like and sending us to the hospital with our own vending machine stockpile so as to not go without at all.
Sometimes it is not until after tragedy or loss that people step up in this way. I have often wondered why we do not share more freely how we feel with people while they are still with us. However, I do not have to wonder anymore because God has used the kindness and care of our families and friends to show His goodness toward us.
Without hesitation, Katherine and my parents have taken care of Xander for the entirety of the hospital stay, keeping him busy and worry-free while Candice and I were living out the opposite. Candice’s dad wanted to show appreciation for our helping him through similar health difficulties that we may experience the way he felt when cared for. And as far as helping bear our burdens, Kevin got me in and out of the vehicle and wheelchair multiple times, and he and Daddy literally carried me out of the house the day I went to the hospital.
Keri was still able to go with our church on the mission trip, and we did not have to doubt for a second that she would be cared for, looked after, and loved like she was their own (because that’s how our faith family loves). We received many text messages at various times making sure that we knew she was being cared for looked after (while still letting her be the independent young woman she is). We are thankful for the spiritual aunts, uncles, and cousins who have adopted our kiddos and love them.
While tangible shows of care and physical presence are big, nothing has moved me more than the sheer volume of people praying for us. Too often, we treat prayer like the least we can do, but what more can you do than seek God Most High on behalf of someone? I felt like the man in Mark 2:1-12 whose friends carried him on the roof of where Jesus was, removed a section, and lowered their friend to where Jesus could help him. It’s humbling to know that so many were willing to approach the throne of grace and seek mercy from the King on my behalf (Hebrews 4:16). It is the most they could do, and they did it tirelessly.
When you are feeling alone in sickness and pain, it’s too easy to be isolated, but God in His goodness, as reminded us at every turn, that He is with us and has given us family, friends, and a faith family to remind us of that.
Reflection #4 — Lord From Sorrows Deep I Call
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.
Psalm 42:11
Sunday night/the wee hours of Monday morning was probably the longest of my life thus far. I have been avoiding pain medication as much as possible, but should have taken it sooner that night. The pain got to be too much, and coincided with a night requiring multiple lab draws with arms too swollen to find veins. I had just become overwhelmed.
In normal circumstances, I use the Dwell app (an audio Bible/Scripture meditation app) to take my mind off of difficulties or trials, but I could not work my phone or hold a Bible in my hands. My mind was so frantically distracted that I found it difficult to bring Scripture to mind. I laid in the dark, pleading with the Lord, praying for help or relief or whatever.
Now, if you know Candice, sleep has always been very precious to her. If you know hospitals at night, you know sleep is for well people at home. However, Candice stood over my bed for hours, playing various playlists of Scripture verses to help me fix my mind on things above, on Jesus, “not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:1-2). She played “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” to help the “Word of Christ dwell in [me] richly” more than the pain that overwhelmed me physically (Colossians 3:16).
Dark times can cloud our vision. Sometimes hope is eclipsed by temporary trials. But for those who have been saved by grace through faith in our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, “suffering produces endurance”, “endurance produces character”, “character produces hope”, and “hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5). My hope remains because it is not fickle, moveable, earthly hope; my hope is a person. My hope’s name is Jesus. And I can cast “all [my] anxieties on Him, because He cares for [me]” (1 Peter 5:7).
One of the clearest evidences of God’s goodness is that He has given us His Word — not only to reveal Himself, but to renew our minds, anchor our hearts, and strengthen us in every season of life. In His mercy, God does not leave us to be shaped by the world around us, but transforms us through the renewal of our minds so that we can discern His will and walk in it (Romans 12:2). His Word brings comfort and life in the midst of affliction, reviving our hearts when they are weary (Psalm 119:50). When our minds are fixed on Him through the promises of Scripture, He surrounds us with perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). Rather than letting anxiety consume us, He invites us to bring everything to Him in prayer, and as we dwell on what is true and good, His peace guards our hearts and minds in Christ (Philippians 4:6-8). In trials, His Word gives strength and courage, equipping us for every step of obedience (Joshua 1:8-9). Because Scripture is breathed out by God, it thoroughly equips us for every good work — not just in easy seasons, but especially when life is hard (2 Timothy 3:16-17). When we delight in His Word and meditate on it daily, we become like trees planted by water — stable, nourished, and fruitful no matter the conditions around us (Psalm 1:2-3). And as we not only hear His Word but live it out, we experience His blessing and see more clearly who He is (James 1:22-25). In spiritual battle, His Word is our sword (Ephesians 6:17), and even Jesus, in the wilderness of temptation, showed us that we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).
Every verse is a testimony to His kindness — He has not left us in the dark, but has spoken light and truth to sustain us.
That night, when my body had failed me and there was no strength to attempt to battle for myself, God sustained me with His Word. It was a refreshing reminder of His goodness, goodness I learned of from His Word and experience anew through His Word again and again. Here are some examples of both song and Scripture playlists:
I do not (we do not) write this seeking sympathy or trying to complain. I am thankful to have a God who does not leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6) but instead meets me in my darkness with His light (John 1:5, Psalm 18:28).
On the way to the hospital last Friday night, Kevin reminded me of Satan’s words to God when seeking to tear apart Job’s life to make him curse God (Job 1:8-12, 2:3-6). Now, I am far from Job, and I am not saying this is all some elaborate test of my faith. The consequences of the Fall on the world and within human bodies (death, decay, sickness, etc.) is enough. But if you think on Satan’s rationale for needing to hurt Job, his earthly logic seems sound:
9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”
Job 1:9-11
and,
3 And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” 4 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.”
job 2:3-5
Kevin reminded me that Satan knew that by attacking Job’s health it could fundamentally affect how he lived and thought. So Satan was right — insomuch as the things of this earth being all that there are. His logic, at face value, was sound. However, what Satan discounted — what he always overlooks in his passion and sinful pride — is that the LORD is not of this world. The Creator of all that is, the King of kings and Lord of lords is not bound by the logic of a being He created because He Himself is Truth.
When He saves people, He fundamentally changes them from the inside out, making them new creations not religious converts (2 Corinthians 5:17). His change in those He saves is not a mere change of mind but truly a change from death to life, delivering them from “the domain of darkness” to the “kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).
I am not Job. But I have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9). My faith has wavered at times these last two weeks, I have forgotten who and whose I am, but praise God when all else is stripped away and I find myself at rock bottom, Jesus is the Rock (Psalm 18:2, 1 Corinthians 10:4).
I have to remind myself that God is no more or less good if He chooses to heal me immediately and/or completely or if whatever purpose He allows this to go on. He is good because that is who He is.
God is good all the time.
And all the time God is good.
As difficult as this period is (and seems to continue to be), I can rejoice that in the midst of sickness and pain I have seen the goodness of God and can see more clearly the sweetness and beauty of Jesus’s return when He will dwell with His people, wiping away their last tears with His nail-scarred hand as well as wiping away death, mourning, crying, and pain (Revelation 21:3-4). All of those things have an expiration date that is set and sure.
The goodness of God has no expiration date.
We are thankful to have the opportunity to share with you and would appreciate your prayers. If anything has helped you, lifted your spirits, or helped you see the goodness of God in Christ, then I’m glad to be where I am. And I am learning to be content that whatever season I find myself in I am not alone for He is with me.
The Holy Spirit came with power, just as Jesus promised, filling the believers and birthing the Church. Peter boldly preached Christ crucified and risen, and the Spirit moved—three thousand believed, repented, were baptized, and joined the family of faith. What followed was a Spirit-shaped community: learning, praying, sharing, worshiping. The Church was alive—and the Lord kept adding to it, day by day (v.47). That same Spirit still empowers, convicts, and unites us today.
🎯 Theme: Jesus was crucified according to God’s plan – but God raised Him!
🌀 Reflection: Are you making space for the Spirit and the Word to shape your daily life and church family?
💬 Mission Challenge: Share a truth from today’s chapter or offer to pray for someone today—just like the early Church, let Jesus be seen through your words and actions.
We’re continuing in our study of Revelation called The KING is Coming. We took a break for our He Who Promised is Faithful readings during Holy Week but are glad to be back at it. Today, we will be diving into Jesus’s letter to the church at Pergamum. Once again, I am thankful for Jamie Harrison and the opportunity to do this study together. This week’s passage is Revelation 2:12-17:
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. 13 “ ‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. 15 So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’”[1]
Keith Harris: Greetings, Sojourners,
Today’s letter to the church at Pergamum is tough, Jamie. And, so speaking, I turn it over to you because this is a lot.
Jamie Harrison: It is a lot, so y’all buckle up and stay buckled up – especially if you are driving and listening to this Bible study. No reading while driving.
Keith: Click it or ticket.
Jamie: Yeah, I’ve heard that somewhere.
Just a quick reminder of the similarities between each letter. Each letter is going to start with that same salutation. Write to the angel of the church, this week in Pergamum. Then we’re going to look at what Jesus says about Himself, His attributes. Then we’re going to get maybe something about their works, some praise and then admonition – something they need to work on (in all but two of the churches). Then, that same universal admonition to let anyone who has ears to hear, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. Finally, we’ll get a promise.
Before we start, in the first letter, we really talked a lot about listening to what the Spirit is saying, not just to the church at Ephesus or Smyrna, now Pergamum, but what He is saying to the Church today as a whole and to our local church body. What is He saying? And as a part of your local church body, what is He saying to you?
Keep those things in mind as we dive into this letter because I think this letter hits on a lot of stuff that’s probably affecting us today. So, here we go.
Jesus starts off by saying something about Himself does not have the best positive connotation to it.
Keith: Yes, it is not the portrait of Jesus people would like to paint. But, nevertheless, it’s the one He gives us here.
Jamie: In the letter to Smyrna, we get that He is the first and the last. In the letter to Ephesus, He’s the One who holds the seven stars and who walks among the golden lamp stands. In Pergamum, all He says about Himself is, “Thus says the One who has the sharp, double-edged sword” (v. 12)[2], which again, does go back to ch. 1:16 where He had seven stars in His right hand and a sharp double-edged sword came from His mouth. I think it’s interesting that the sword comes from His mouth because I want to – I’m kind of jumping ahead of myself real quick. Turn to Revelation 19:19, and I’m going to read a couple of verse, actually starting in verse 11 of Revelation 19 (and go through v. 13):
11 Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and with justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a fiery flame, and many crowns were on his head. He had a name written that no one knows except himself. 13 He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God.
If any of this sounds familiar, it’s because, again, in Revelation 1, that’s how He is described. He is called the Word of God. We know that the sword is the Word of God.
14 The armies that were in heaven followed him on white horses, wearing pure white linen. 15 A sharp sword came from his mouth, so that he might strike the nations with it. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty. 16 And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
And then we get this horrible supper of God where all these people are wiped out who were gathered together. And then in verse 21, it says,
The rest were killed with the sword that came from the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds ate their fill of their flesh.
So, this sharp double-edged sword that comes from His mouth is what eventually will end everything. That’s the sword He chooses – that’s, excuse me, the attribute He chooses to describe Himself with here (in the letter to the church at Pergamum). So, if you’re listening to this, and you’re in Pergamum, this is not good news. It’s terrifying.
Keith: I mean, there is the admonition opportunity for repentance, but their current standing without repentance is not good at all. That sword Jesus speaks of is pointed at Pergamum.
Jamie: It is pointed at Pergamum.
He goes from there to the works and the praise that He’s going to give. He tells them (in v. 13), “I know where you live – where Satan’s throne is. Yet you are holding on to my name and did not deny your faith in me.” Please don’t mistake that when He says, “where Satan’s throne is,” to think He means hell. Satan wasn’t (isn’t) cast into hell yet. That has not happened. He was cast down to earth.
Keith: And hell doesn’t have a throne. Satan is going to be inmate number one there.
Jamie: That’s correct, and we’ll see that actually in Revelation 19 and 20 when we get there, that he’ll be one of the first couple beings cast into hell. But what it’s talking about when it says that the satanic throne – Satan’s throne…. Literally, during this time, Pergamum was considered the headquarters of Satanic opposition. That would have been a literal thing. It was a gentile base for false religion. They had a throne there that was a throne-shaped altar that looked like Zeus at the acropolis, the city’s highest peak, a throne-shaped altar to Zeus.
Then a lot of people from all over the [Roman] empire at that time would come to a palace that was built for Asclepius – the god of healing. His symbol was a rod in his hand and a snake wrapped around the rod, kind of like what we see on the back of ambulances and things like that today. That was what he held, that was his symbol, the snake-wrapped rod. People would come from all over the empire to sleep in his temple to get touched by one of the numerous non-venomous snakes that would be slithering around on the floor. Just to repeat, they would intentionally and willingly sleep on a floor that was covered in snakes in hopes that a snake would slither on them. Just because they are non-venomous doesn’t mean they don’t bite. They thought this would heal them.
So, that’s where Satan’s throne comes in. Because literally, that’s what it was considered to be during that time – not a good place to be. I would imagine if you were a Christian there at the time, and Jesus says “yet you are holding on to my name” and “did not deny [their] faith in [Him], even in the days of Antipas…who was put to death” among them. That’s a big deal. It’s really cool, like, hey, these awful things are going on around you…. We understand how easy it is now to get drawn away or moved away from Christ – we have to say this is ok because it’s what everybody says, and I don’t want to offend anybody…. These guys didn’t do that. They stuck with Jesus. They didn’t deny their faith even though all these things were going on around them. Even though it might seem easy that a snakebite might heal you, they trusted in Him.
Keith: Well, it’s like how sometimes people want to take things into their own hands. In our churches today, there’s no Christian culture in the world. Everything is in the realm held by, how does Paul say it in Ephesians 2? The prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2)? I imagine this was a really terrible things because I know when we have conversations with people about what the Bible says about things, people find great offense.
This isn’t a pastor, this isn’t a Christian, this isn’t some church guy, preacher saying, hey, I think the worldliness you are involved in is satanic. This is Jesus. He says that this whole idea there, whether it’s Zeus or Asclepius, what you’re dealing with here is Satan. This is heavy. This is not, oh, well, I just believe something different. Jesus says He is the only way and everything else is opposed to me. He ain’t playing here.
Jamie: Let me interject here. I was having a conversation with a young man who had been talking to one of his buddies who claimed to be a Christian who said at the same time said he doesn’t believe everything the Bible says. Well, it’s either all or none. There’s no in between. I think me and you – or it might’ve been me and Kevin one, I can’t remember…but if there’s anything in the Bible that you’re not going to believe it would be the resurrection of Christ because that’s the most far-fetched thing, right? Jesus rose again. That’s the basis of Christianity. If you believe that, everything else is believable. So, with the Bible, it’s either all or it’s nothing. We can’t add. We can’t take away from the Word of God. He wrote it. All Scripture is breathed out by God. All of it. So, I just wanted to interject that before we move forward.
Keith: I mean, the sword coming from His mouth is what He said. I think this is a very good example that sometimes – and I don’t even want to use sometimes because it sounds like I’m trying to make it more palatable – Jesus doesn’t speak on a basis of what’s going to make us more comfortable or happy or what’s going to fit in, He’s God. He’s the Creator. He’s the Author of life. He speaks and it is – or it ain’t.
Jamie: Yeah. So, there’s not your truth or my truth. Is that what you’re saying?
Keith: We don’t have to say what I’m saying. The whole idea is what Jesus said. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, the life, and no one comes to the Father but by me.” So, when He is talking here to the church at Pergamum and telling them what they’ve experienced and that He knows their living in a terrible place – that this is where the throne-shaped alter is, again where Satan dwells. Jesus tells them they’ve done well despite all of that, but that there’ve been casualties as well, which is I think that’s where you are headed next.
Jamie: Yes. So, the very next thing He says, is but I have a few things against you. With Ephesus, He had one thing: they had lost their first love. With Smyrna, they had nothing. Now we get to Pergamum, and it’s like, hey, here are a few things against y’all. So, let’s go through these.
He says that there are some who hold to the teachings of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block in front of the Israelites, to eat meat sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. What He’s talking about there is the story of Balaam. If you go back to Numbers 22-25, you’ll get the whole story. Balaam was this guy who was called a seer of the gods – kind of like a pagan divination expert.
Keith: And just to clarify, I had heard Balaam – the story of Balaam and the donkey – preached many times in my childhood. I was a grown man before I read it fully for myself, which is on me, but Balaam was always treated like a hero in those sermons. Balaam was not of God’s people (Numbers 22:5–6). Balaam was not a prophet of the God (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11; Revelation 2:14). He was a mess (Numbers 31:16).
Jamie: Mmm Hmmm. I firmly believe that he would have absolutely cursed Israel had God allowed him to (Numbers 22:12, 20–22; Numbers 23:11). So, that’s what you get when you read the story. You get introduced to Balaam. He comes and is asked to curse Israel (Numbers 22:5–6). He gets on his donkey, and there’s an angel in the way who is about to kill him (Numbers 22:21–23). The donkey just quits (Numbers 22:24–27). He beats the donkey (Numbers 22:27–28). Then the donkey talks to him; that’s where you get that whole conversation from (Numbers 22:28–30). That all happened to remind Balaam that God is in control and that he should do what He said (Numbers 22:31–35).
Keith: It doesn’t matter where the money is, where the fame is, where the fortune is…. When the God speaks, the lowercase g gods have to bow in subjection.
Jamie: Right. So, in looking at the oracles that Balaam gives, he gives three different ones, and in all three he ends up blessing Israel because the Lord will not allow him to curse them (Numbers 23:5–12; 23:16–24; 24:2–9). The first one was at a place that was known as the high places of Baal—a cultic center for the worship of Baal (Numbers 22:41). The second oracle takes place atop Mt. Pisgah, and so that is where all the heavenly omens were made or astrological observations were made—things like that, everything that people would have looked at during that time to see signs and things of that nature (Numbers 23:13–14). If that sounds familiar.
Keith: It unfortunately does.
Jamie: The third place is on Peor, which is another cultic center of worship (Numbers 23:28). So, all three places he takes him, where Balaam tells him to meet him, are places of Baal—places that are against God (Numbers 22:41; 23:14; 23:28). What you end up happening is Balaam advises Balak to be friendly to Israel, share his women with them, things like that (Numbers 31:16; Revelation 2:14), and…
Keith: And if you draw them in, you’ll destroy them from the inside out.
Jamie: That’s right, and Israel ends up following along. By the way, you can check out Numbers 31:16 to see where Balaam tells him to be friendly with them and Numbers 25:1-9 you get this horrible story of Israel having sexual relations with these Moabites and eating meat sacrificed to idols. These Moabite women are encouraging them to do it. As we were just talking about before we got started, they make it all the way to the entrance to the tabernacle.
Keith: One guy is planning on taking his Moabite cult prostitute right up inside the tabernacle to show Israel what’s up.
Jamie: That’s right, and at that point, a plague had started because of what was going on. That is until Phineas drives a spear through the man and the woman and ends the plague. 24,000 Israelites are killed in this plague.
So, when Jesus tells the church there that they are holding to the teaching of Balaam (Revelation 2:14), Balaam taught Balak to place a stumbling block in front of the Israelites (Numbers 31:16). It’s like they were telling folks that they see they follow Jesus but add this or take away this (Galatians 1:6–9). We could name so many examples of this, but none of it is ok. If you are placing a stumbling block in front of people—placing something that is not biblically accurate—you are causing them to fall away (Romans 16:17; Matthew 18:6–7). I think that’s part of why James says that not everyone needs to be a teacher. You’ve got to be careful (James 3:1).
Keith: It’s definitely why Jesus says you can’t serve two masters.
Jamie: That’s correct. Especially when you’re teaching children. If you don’t know God’s Word and you’re not studying God’s Word, don’t teach children – don’t teach adults for that matter, but definitely don’t teach children.
Keith: That’s another reason, and I know we said this in the first or second part of this study, if you don’t know, say, “I don’t know.” There’s no shame in saying that you have to look something up because you don’t want to cause somebody to stumble.
And I mean the issue here is you have two pictures. They could very well have that zeal of Phinehas—not saying go run people through with spears, but God Himself said that Phinehas was jealous with His jealousy (Numbers 25:10–13). You can dwell where Satan’s throne is. You can dwell where Satan dwells and hold fast to the name of Christ and not deny your faith even when people are getting killed (Revelation 2:13), or you can go the way of Balaam and go along to get along (Revelation 2:14; Numbers 31:16). I think there’s probably—and I’m definitely not welcoming terrible persecution—but when persecution sets in, those who have faith in Christ hold fast unto death, like we saw with Smyrna last week (Revelation 2:10), or they cut bait and fish. They either join the culture or go further into Christ. What he’s telling the church at Pergamum is that they have some folks playing with some stuff they don’t need to be playing with, telling them specifically to go back and test the Scriptures and see what happened to Balak and Balaam (Numbers 25:1–3; 2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11).
Jamie: It didn’t work out so well. Specifically, what was going on during that time in Rome – to help make this understandable, is you’ve got – in order to join the guilds or unions like we were talking about in Smyrna, you would have the people in Rome and in Pergamum having to take a little pinch of incense and put it on the altar to affirm their loyalty to Caesar, the emperor. And that is spiritual fornication, obviously, because when you do that, you’re saying Caesar is lord. Then they would be able to have a job and things like that. So that’s what was specifically going on, but not only were they committing spiritual fornication, they were committing adultery, too. It says, “In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans” (v. 15), which we mentioned back in the letter to Ephesus was a group of people who believed in giving in to sensual pleasure, basically elevating what they want over anybody, anytime, whoever, whenever, type of thing – as long as it feels good to you, it’s good.
If it feels good, it’s good. That’s not the case because what feels good for 20-30 seconds is not always good for you. I think it’s pretty clear here that God has a design, God has a way, and specifically, God Himself – Jesus – is talking to these folks telling them that this is not they way He called them to be. Come to Him. Don’t go toward Balaam or Nicholas. Follow Him, not the world. You can’t serve both.
You start to notice a common thread here through these letters, and you’ll see it in the next one to Thyatira, is sexual immorality. Think about how this applies today with easy access to pornography. You know when I was coming up and computers first came out, we got one in our house, and I remember everybody at school saying you have to have a subscription to look at that type of stuff. They will talk about it. Now you just click on there and you can look at whatever you want. Pick your own category – whatever you like to see.
Keith: At the time we are recording this, this is the week after Twitter, or X, decided to be a pro-porn platform, and the comment on that is, in the state of Mississippi as well in some other states in the United States, there’s been some legislature that was meant to make it more difficult for people to access porn so that people, especially in their formative years, aren’t building pathways in their brains looking at this stuff. Now, one of the big three social media platforms (out of the originals) is allowing people to be free to put porn on there. It is their right as American citizens – as part of their freedom of speech… but I guess the word from Jesus would be to those who have ears to hear would be to ask what rights do you have in Christ. It may be permitted by the government, but what honors Him? What glorifies Him?
This is the kind of crossroads they were at. It’s where we are right now.
Jamie: That’s right, and there’s a lot more we could say on that. I guess we shall digress at this time.
Keith: Because of the same opportunity that’s given to the church at Pergamum, if we’re going to talk about the things today, the same opportunity is offered to people today: repentance.
Jamie: Exactly. That’s exactly what the next verse says. Repent! Man, if you’re addicted to sexual immorality type stuff, be it literally, physically, or just emotionally – whatever the case is, repent. Now does that mean that after you repent, you’ll never fall into that temptation again? No, it doesn’t. Then, you repent.
Keith: What did John the Baptist tell the Pharisees? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:8)?
Jamie: That’s right. It’s constant vigilance. That’s part of sanctification, becoming more like Christ. He tells them repent or else He will come to them quickly and fight against them with the sword of His mouth. Look again, fight against them with the sword of His mouth. We just read in Revelation 19 where basically He just speaks a word.
Keith: The ESV says, “war against them.” That word is what we’re alluding to.
Jamie: One word and they’re done. That’s how serious it is. Repent. Otherwise, if you don’t, this is what is going to happen. Jesus is going to come quickly and take them out. I mean, there’s no nice way to say that, but it’s exactly what He’s saying here. And if there’s ever been anything to fear, it would be Jesus with a sword out of His mouth.
Keith: He’s very effective in His warfare.
Jamie: He is. 100% accuracy. And that’s real warfare, not video game warfare. It’s real life.
Keith: This isn’t figurative. We’ve been talking about not being able to serve two masters. What Jesus is telling them – and us – is that you’re either of His Kingdom or of the kingdom of the world. That doesn’t mean anyone is going to lose their salvation, but sometimes we have these warnings from God’s Word that show us that it takes more than saying some words or “making a decision” or an emotional response and not confessing Jesus as Lord. Jesus being Lord means endure unto death. It doesn’t mean sinless perfection. It does mean bearing fruit in keeping with repentance. This is where the church at Pergamum was. They were at a crossroads. They either keep heading toward the throne of Satan, the side he is dwelling on or change. We’ll see when we get to Revelation 19 and 20…I think the words of the hymn by Martin Luther, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”: “one little word will fell him”. When Jesus speaks – that is when He says it is finished, nothing can stay His sword.
Jamie: That’s heavy. Heavy.
So, after this admonition, we get the universal admonition: Let anyone who has ears to hear, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. We asked at the beginning what the Spirit is saying to you now. Remember these letters are to us now as well as to these churches. Where are you at? Have we allowed stuff to come in that shouldn’t be there? Do we need to clean house, so to speak? And if you do, man, repent. Don’t be embarrassed of it. Don’t let your feelings of guilt hold you back. Repent.
Keith: That’s right. There’s no condemnation on the other side of repentance, but only condemnation without it.
Jamie: So then we get to our final promise to the one who conquers. Remember 1 John 5:4-5 there. The one who conquers being those who are saved.
He says He will give some of the hidden manna. What’s He talking about there? John 6:35 – Jesus declares Himself the Bread of Life. He gives salvation. He says He will also give the one who conquers a white stone with a new name inscribed on it that no one knows but the one who receives it. That’s cool. Now I’m going to tell you guys really quick that what the stone that has a new name that nobody knows. No, I’m not. It says nobody knows it. So again, if the Bible doesn’t give the answer, we’re probably not meant to know the answer.
Keith: The one who receives it. I just think about the beautiful picture there of the new beginning, that clean slate – literally, in this case. And the God who saves is the God who adopts and the things that came before are done away with. He has borne the wrath we deserve. He bore our sin on the cross that we deserved. He adopts us and gives us a new name. We’re His.
Jamie: Amen. And that white stone, I want to point out really quick. They used to hold the games in Pergamum back then, so win athletes would win, they would be given a white stone as part of the prize. That white stone was their admission ticket, so to speak, to the winner’s celebration after the games were over. So, you know, whether that is what Jesus is what Jesus is referencing here or not – I don’t know. Historically speaking, it’s possible. I just want to point out how cool it is. If you think about this, put together, if He’s giving us a white stone with a new name that no one knows but the one who receives it, that’s our admission ticket – our ticket to get into eternity with Him. He gives us salvation. He gives us eternal life with Him. He’s going to adopt us in like you said – as His children, as co-heirs with Christ. That is awesome. That is good news. And I like ending on good news because this letter did not have a whole lot of good news in it except in the end when Jesus told them that despite all the bad, they could repent and spend eternity with Him. That. Is. Good. News.
Keith: Amen.
Well, we will continue this next time with the letter to the church at Thyatira. I hope that this has been fruitful for you and given you more than food for thought. Again, just to reiterate, admonitions are painful and uncomfortable, but the admonition to repent, just as Jamie said, is good news. Dear Sojourner, we leave you. Have a good week and God bless!
We’re continuing in our study of Revelation called The KING is Coming. We took a break for our He Who Promised is Faithful readings during Holy Week but are glad to be back at it. Today, we will be diving into Jesus’s letter to the church at Smyrna. Once again, I am thankful for Jamie Harrison and the opportunity to do this study together.
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. 9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’[1]
Keith Harris: Greetings, Sojourners,
We are in the letter to the church in Smyrna, continuing our study of Revelation. Jamie, why don’t you remind us as you did in our last Bible study about the form of these letters – the five things that show up in each one.
Jamie Harrison: Yes, that is correct. Each letter is going to have a salutation. In this letter, “Write to the angel of the church of Smyrna” (Revelation 2:8)[2] – the angel being, of course, the pastor, the messenger, the person delivering them the Word. Then, you’re going to have where Jesus will say something about Himself – His attributes. Then, there will be something about their works, some praise and admonition. Except in this church – Smyrna is one of two churches that does not have an admonition (correction, something to fix). Then, you’re going to have a universal admonition which is to anyone who hears, who has ears to hear – to listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. Finally, each letter will contain a final promise.
Keith: Alright, talk to us about Smyrna. What does Jesus tell us about Himself here?
Jamie: He starts off by saying, “Thus says the First and the Last, the one who was dead and came to life” (Revelation 2:8). The letter to Ephesus referenced back to the description of Jesus in Revelation 1, and so does this one. In Revelation 1:17, Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last…”; He continues to say, “I was dead, but look – I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys to death and Hades.” It’s really cool that Jesus keeps going back to what He’s already said – to almost repeat for emphasis.
Keith: He’s doing it on purpose.
Jamie: Correct. He’s is the First and the Last which, like I said in Revelation 1, is a claim that He is God. He was there in the beginning as we know. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). So He was the First, and He will be the Last.
It’s also important to note that He points out again that He is the one who was dead and has now came to life because all of Christianity is a complete waste of time if He didn’t raise from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:14-17). There’s a lot of dead people, but He’s the only one….
Keith: What is it that John Goldwater says? “Dead saviors can’t save.”
Jamie: That’s correct. You know, I was talking to someone the other day and – I apologize if this bothers anybody, but you know where people are like, You know that my dead relative was looking down on me today, or I was talking to them and they clearly gave me an answer. I know this is going to bother some people, but if you’re expecting some dead relative to help you with something, you’re [in a pickle]. I’m sorry, but when you take your last breath, you’re done. So, it’s important that we make a decision for Jesus before that happens….
Keith: …because He was dead and came to life – not was brought to life. He just stopped being dead (Revelation 2:8, John 10:17-18). Like Jamie was saying on the part of our relatives, it may seem to have someone we care about look from what we would describe as an afterlife, but we have something better than that: we have the God of the universe who was there at the beginning, pre-existed the beginning (John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:17) – He’s going to be there at the end and continue eternally. He is the God who saves, the God who looks after (Zephaniah 3:17, Psalm 121:3-5). He’s Emmanuel – God with us (Matthew 1:23). We shouldn’t be satisfied with lesser things (Psalm 119:37). Jesus is clearly superior to everybody and everything (Hebrews 1:3-4, Philippians 2:9-11).
Jamie: That’s right.
After Jesus says this, He goes into telling them some things about themselves. He says, “I know your affliction and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 2:9). Let’s touch on that real quick. When He says, “I know your affliction and poverty.” History tells us that Smyrna was a very wealthy town – very well-to-do. Why would the Christians there experience “affliction and poverty”? It’s simple when you look at it.
In order to work, you had to join a guild, which is like what we would call a labor union, right? Each one of those guilds back during that time, would have been represented by some god or goddess. In order to join, you had to worship that god or goddess. So as a Christian….
Keith: …almost like your dues….
Jamie: As a Christian, I’m not going to worship this god or goddess because that’s a false god. I’m not going to be able to join a guild, which means I’m not going to work because I can’t get a job. It wasn’t laziness – they couldn’t get a job. A lot of Christians ended up begging for food and things like that, but it’s because they were willing to suffer that affliction to follow Christ.
So, we ask ourselves the question of if someone comes to you at work and asks you to do something immoral (or whatever the case may be), are you going to do it to keep your job or say “no” and that whatever happens happens? Are you going to compromise your relationship with Christ to advance at the workplace? Or are you going to put Him first? These Christians here at Smyrna put Him first.
Then He tells them that He knows the slander of “those who say they are Jews and aren’t but are a synagogue of Satan”. He tells [the believers there] that they are about to suffer – that the devil is going to throw some of them in prison to test them, and they’ll “experience affliction for ten days”; He tells them, “Be faithful to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).
He kind of tells them exactly what’s about to happen. There’s this synagogue of “Jewish” people who are claiming to be Jews but in the biblical sense, they’re not.
Keith: Ethnically, they are, right? But just as Jesus told the Pharisees on more than one occasion – you’re talking about your father Abraham but you’re of your father the devil. The fruit of your life is showing what you are more than your ethnicity is.
Jamie: Mmmm…. This was happening. This synagogue was slandering them. They would be jailed normally about ten days. They experienced, obviously, persecution and things like that while in prison – sometimes to the point of death. But Jesus says, “Be faithful to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life.” So, what is the crown of life talking about? I think we probably know the answer to that, but let’s look at James 1:12. Again, we always want the Bible to speak for itself. James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” So, it’s eternal life with Jesus.
You notice, you know, this book of Revelation a lot of times – when we look at it, we think it’s just a sign of what’s going to happen and all these different things and how bad things are going to be – and it is, but it’s not at the same time. The revelation is of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1). It’s about Jesus Christ. It’s to lead us to Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:17-18, 5:9-10). The whole central setting of Revelation is the throne room (Revelation 4:2-6). Everything centers around the throne room where God – the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit – is present with multitudes around them worshiping Him, praising Him (Revelation 4:8-11, 5:11-13). Right? As all of these things are going on.
There’s no admonition in this letter to Smyrna. There’s no this is what you’re doing wrong. They have it. They get it. They have a relationship with Jesus, and because of that relationship, they are putting off these other things and are following after Him. Because of that they’ll receive the crown of life.
Keith: I mean, just that idea in and of itself: be faithful unto death. If you’re living in an area of the world where following Jesus means certain death, you’re going to be in less need of an admonition because if you’re know that following Jesus means certain death here on earth, you’ve counted the cost like Jesus said in Luke 14:27-28.
The idea there that “be faithful unto death, and I’ll give you the crown of life”, He doesn’t say when you die in prison in ten days or when you die in the tribulation; it’s for all of life. If you’re like John, who’s on the island of Patmos in probably his 80s or 90s – that just because he didn’t get martyred, he’s no less faithful unto death. He’s faithful until the time that God calls him home. That crown of life isn’t just for martyrs; it’s for those who are saved for all of life.
Jamie: You know, you’re talking about people who are being persecuted even to the point of death today…. Was it Richard Wurmbrand in that book we read[3]? They put him in a room – in a closet, basically smaller than a closet, and all four walls were nails. There was just enough room for you to stand. If you moved at all, you were going into these nails. They had him in that room for days on end. No food. No water. Nothing like that. Eventually, they would open the door and he would just collapse to the ground. They would defecate and make him eat it – urinate in his mouth, things like that….
Keith: …beat his feet so much that he could never wear shoes again the rest of his life….
Jamie: Right. And not once did he waver. Not once did his relationship with Christ come into question. He continued to tell the guards about Jesus the whole time he was there. And eventually did get out. But what it did was it strengthened his faith. So, if there was any point, to all of these trials is that it strengthens our faith in God.
Keith: Speaking of, I had forgotten about this, but while you were talking…there was a guy named Polycarp. He was a pastor in Smyrna and a disciple of the apostle John. And at [Polycarp’s] martyrdom, when he’s about to be executed for Christianity, they gave him an opportunity to recant. We talked last week where Jesus gave the church at Ephesus to repent and remember the love they had at first – those who were going to execute Polycarp gave him an opportunity to repent and remember his love for the powers-that-be, His love for Jesus was more. He says,
“For eighty and six years I have been his servant, and he has done me no wrong. And how can I now blaspheme my king who saved me?”
They killed him for that, but Jesus’s own words here – and I don’t think that’s an accident – I mean, it’s more than ten days later, but I don’t think it’s an accident that Jesus told Smyrna this knowing full well that Polycarp and those in the immediate context living in the same situation as Polycarp – that they were faithful unto death.
Polycarp has a crown of life. John has a crown of life. And if we, in our churches today, are faithful unto death, then we’ll receive that crown of life. The proof’s in the pudding, so to speak.
Jamie: It is. That pudding’s pretty good stuff…..
Just to finish this out real quick…. I always say real quick, and it always takes forever. I take that back.
Keith: It takes the time it takes.
Jamie: Just to finish this out, we have Jesus with a universal admonition, which in a word, you know, is let anyone who has ears to hear, listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. What is the Spirit saying to us? He says, “To the one who conquers”. Remember 1 John 5:4-5 here. This is those who are saved, those who have a relationship with Jesus will never be harmed by the second death.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and one seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 I also saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged according to their works by what was written in the books. 13 Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them; each one was judged according to their works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
This is not a scare tactic by any stretch of the imagination. It’s explaining what the second death is. You might have died here on earth, but the second death is the one – it’s the one. If you have a relationship with Christ, you won’t experience the second death (John 3:16, 5:24). You will have a life everlasting with God the Father (John 17:3). If you don’t have a relationship with Christ, you will experience that second death, which – even with all of the lake of fire and all that – the punishment of hell is an eternal separation from God (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; Matthew 25:41, 46). You’re never with Him again. You’re eternally separated from your Creator.
Keith: And the ever-presence of His wrath.
Jamie: That’s right, but I think the people who are there will still blame Him – will still be angry with Him. So imagine living in eternal punishment, being angry the entire time. That’s the feeling it’s going to be. I can’t describe it. We’ve never been there. We don’t understand it. We don’t want to be there.
Sometimes, like right now, people will be like, now, let me invite you to come to know Jesus, but I don’t want you to come to know Jesus because you’re scared to go to hell. If you come to know Jesus, it needs to be because you were convicted by His Word and want to have a relationship with Him – and you want to love Him.
Keith: How does Paul say it in Philippians 3:8? The surpassing worth of knowing Christ. That’s a far cry from the surpassing worth of not wanting to go to hell.
You think about different people you’ve heard talk. Well, I got married to so-and-so because they were the only person in my community or if I didn’t marry this person I’d have to marry that person. That’s not love. … The idea that you’re just pursuing one thing because you don’t want the other, that’s not it.
That’s not the image you get in Matthew 13:44-46 where Jesus is giving the parables of the man who is walking through a field and finds a treasure worth more than any treasure he’s ever seen. He immediately goes back to his house, cashes out all of his assets, and buys the field. He’s not willing for anyone else to find this treasure. The pearl merchant who, upon finding the pearl of great price, doesn’t haggle – doesn’t negotiate – he cashes out everything he has to buy this one pearl.
Jamie: And that’s what these people in Smyrna did. They were willing to give up their jobs – the opportunity to own their house, purchase food for their family, things of that nature – for the sake of Christ.
Keith: That’s one of the things that I wonder here, and I’m not trying to speculate. But He’s talking to them about how they were rich before Christ in a worldly sense. Now in a worldly sense they’re in poverty. Jesus reminds them that they are rich – that their life is in danger but they have Life. I would imagine some of them were in definite danger – not necessarily of martyrdom or execution but just in the ability to sustain themselves and live.
As we look at this to close it out, think about how we talked about Polycarp and Richard Wurmbrand. It reminds me of the perspective here – “the one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death” (Revelation 2:11) – the idea that the closest to hell believers will ever experience is what they experience here on earth. That’s the greatest threat the world can give us – that it’s going to kill us, leads us to our greatest reward (Philippians 1:21-23, Revelation 21:4-5).
This reminds me of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.I’ve been reading through his Letters and Papers from Prison[4]…. There are times where he’d be aggravated that he had opportunities for the gospel and he’d repent and minister to this or that person. Everyone who was thrown into the concentration camps wasn’t Jewish ethnically. They weren’t even necessarily for the cause. If they Nazis wanted to just get someone out of the way, they had the camps for this.
Bonhoeffer, on the last day of his life, got up and preached. There was a guy there as a witness – a British intelligence officer kind of kept the Nazi guards at bay to let him finish his sermon. Then Bonhoeffer willing went with them – walked to his execution almost consoling the guards because – you know, you’d have to feel some kind of way when somebody’s looking at you and talking about the love of Christ, preaching the gospel and you’re going to be the one to kill him. And what he told those guards right before they took his life was: “This is the end, but for me, it is the beginning.”
Where so many face the second death, those believers in Smyrna, they face the beginning.
The tears they had for persecution were wiped away by the nail-scarred hands of their Savior whom they served unto death.
That’s good news.
Jamie: Amen.
Keith: Well, Jamie, that about wraps it up for Smyrna. Sojourners, we’ve enjoyed our time with you today. Check with us next time as we look at the letter to the church at Pergamum.
21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”
25 The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. 26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
The Original Context
Lamentations is a book of grief written in the aftermath of Jerusalem’s destruction. It gives voice to the sorrow of a people who had lost everything – temple, city, freedom.
Lamentations 3 is a turning point where there is a flicker of hope in the midst of lament. In the middle of darkness, the character of God shines forth: steadfast love, daily mercy, and great faithfulness.
These verses are not spoken from comfort but from ruin. They don’t deny suffering; they declare hope despite suffering, despite crying out in lament. Waiting quietly for the Lord’s salvation was not easy, but it was the only way forward.
Fulfillment in Jesus
Holy Saturday represents the in between. Jesus’s body lay in the tomb. His disciples were scattered and silent. The heavens were quiet. From the outside, it looked like all hope had been buried.
But even in silence – in the in between, God was faithful. Jesus had already promised that after three days He would rise (Mark 8:31). Even when the world couldn’t see it, God’s mercies were not on pause. His redemptive plan was still unfolding.
Holy Saturday reminds us that waiting is part of redemption. Jesus entered the grave, but He wouldn’t stay there. Sunday was coming.
Hope for Today
Many of us live in “Saturday” seasons – waiting for prayers to be answered, healing to come, or joy to return. The silence of God – the in between – can feel unbearable. But Lamentations gives us a word for these moments. God’s mercies never end. His faithfulness is great. And even when we wait in the dark, we wait with hope.
So today, rest in the character of God. Remember His past faithfulness. Trust in His promises. Wait quietly – not because you see the answer yet but because you know and trust that Jesus will bring it.
1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. 7 “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. 10 And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. 14 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.
The Original Context
Exodus 12 tells the story of the first Passover – the night when God delivered His people from slavery in Egypt. Each household was to sacrifice a lamb without blemish and spread its blood on their doorposts. When the Lord passed through Egypt to strike down the firstborn, He would “pass over” the homes marked by the blood. It was a night of both judgment and mercy, death and deliverance.
This event became central to Israel’s identity. Every year after that night in Egypt, they celebrated Passover to remember how God saved them by the blood of a lamb. The Passover meal – the lamb, the unleavened bread, and the bitter herbs – became symbols of God’s redemption and a foreshadowing of something greater to come.
Fulfillment in Jesus
The night before His crucifixion, Jesus gathered His disciples to celebrate the Passover one final time (Luke 22:15). But He transformed the meal. Instead of focusing on the lamb on the table, Jesus pointed to Himself: “This is my body…. This is my blood…poured out for many” (Mark 14:22-24).
Paul makes it clear in 1 Corinthians 5:7: “Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.” Jesus is the true Lamb without blemish, slain for our deliverance. His blood does not merely cover a door – it cleanses our hearts. His death does not rescue us from one night of judgment but an eternal separation from God.
And just as God instructed His people to remember the Passover forever, Jesus commanded us to remember His sacrifice through the Lord’s Supper until He returns.
Hope for Today
Maundy Thursday reminds us that Jesus went to the cross with full knowledge and purpose. He chose to be the Lamb. He prepared the table. He washed the feet of His disciples (and betrayer). He gave His body and blood to establish a new covenant of grace.
As we remember the Last Supper, let us not rush past it. Jesus wanted us to remember that night – to remember His love, His blood, His sacrifice.
So today, receive the Lamb. Rest in His finished work on the cross. And give thanks that the wrath of God due our sin has passed over us because the blood of Jesus has covered us. This is truly the Lord’s Passover.
6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD, to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant— 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” 8 The Lord GOD, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares, “I will gather yet others to him besides those already gathered.”
The Original Context
Isaiah spoke these words to Israel during a time of spiritual renewal, casting a vision of God’s heart for the nations. In contrast to the idea that Israel alone was God’s chosen people, Isaiah announced that foreigners who loved and followed the Lord were welcomed into His house.
This radical promise highlighted something about God’s covenant: His salvation was never meant for Israel alone because God was gathering worshipers from every tribe and tongue to find joy and belonging in His presence. His temple was never meant to be a barrier but a beacon.
Fulfillment in Jesus
When Jesus entered the temple in the final week of His life, He saw that its courts – meant for Gentile worshipers – had been turned into a marketplace. In righteous anger, He drove out the merchants and quoted Isaiah 56:7 in Matthew 21:13:
“My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you make it a den of robbers.”
Jesus was restoring the temple to its true purpose. And ultimately, He became the new and better temple (John 2:19-21). In Him, all who trust and follow God, all who confess Him as Lord and believe in their hearts He is risen from the dead – regardless of background or nationality – are brought near (Romans 10:9-13, Ephesians 2:11-22).
Hope for Today
Jesus is still gathering outcasts. He is still welcoming foreigners. He is still saving sinners. And He is still building a house of prayer for all peoples.
If you’ve ever felt like an outsider – too far off, too broken, too different, too sinful, too shameful – know this: there is room for you in God’s house. The joy of His presence is not reserved for some select few who have it all together or who have the right genealogy, but offered to all who come to Him through Christ.
This Holy Week, let your prayers rise in confidence and hope. Jesus has not merely opened a way for people to come to Him, He IS the Way (John 14:6), and He prepares a place for Him in His Father’s house for all He saves (John 14:2-3). If He has saved you, you belong there; you are home with Him. And through Him, your worship is welcomed with joy.
We’re continuing in our study of Revelation called The KING is Coming. Today, we will be diving into the first of Jesus’s seven letters to the churches — this one to the church at Ephesus. Once again, I am thankful for Jamie Harrison and the opportunity to do this study together.
1“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2“ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
Keith Harris: Greetings, Sojourners,
As I said, we are continuing in our King is Coming study of the book of Revelation, and now we are entering into the part where you have these letters from Jesus to churches. Before we get into that, though, Jamie, we were talking after looking at the earlier two Bible studies in this series – talk to us about the chain of command from Revelation 1 real quick.
Jamie Harrison: Just to hit on that, the chain of command was given from God, and it was given from God to Jesus. In the very first study in this series, we said from God to the angel – which we understand Jesus and God are one and the same.[1] I do think it’s important for clarification that it was given from God (the Father) to Jesus, then to the angel, to John, and subsequently to us. And all seven of these letters are directly from Jesus.
Keith: Right. That’s what we’re doing here. We want to be as careful with this as we are with other passages, but maybe we want to be a little bit more careful just in how people want to misuse the book of Revelation for fear mongering or manipulation. What Jamie is referencing is in Revelation 1:1, it says “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants…”.
So, just as we’ve been telling y’all, we don’t have this all together – we are students of the Bible and are wanting to help people study the Bible for themselves. Let’s go ahead and talk about the first of these seven letters (or the letters in general). Jamie?
Jamie: To start, a few things about the letters is I think it is important to note that, yes, these letters are written specifically to these seven churches. And these seven churches would have been kind of the center, I guess you would say, of how things got from one place to another. So, if I was delivering mail, so to speak, these would kind of be the seven hubs. It’s important to understand that these letters were given to those churches and then disseminated to all the churches from there.
Keith: It’s kind of like how the letter to the church at Colossae was meant to be shared with Laodicea and vice versa.
Jamie: Exactly. It’s important as we read these letters to look at the similarities of these churches to the Church today – the Church meaning believers but also to the individual (local) church bodies. So, you look at the Church as a whole, but then you also look at my individual (local) church body. How do we stack up? Where are we?
Some of the key verses here in these letters are seen through Revelation 2:7 that says[2], “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.” This is going to be repeated in every letter – plural churches (Revelation 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13, 3:22). It’s extremely important to listen to what the Spirit is saying to us as believers right here, right now. What is He saying to us?
And then, finally, before we jump into the letter specifically to Ephesus, we are going to look at each letter with five very distinct parts: a salutation (to the angel of the church of __), attributes of Jesus (something about Himself), their works (praise and in five of seven an admonition[3] to them), a universal admonition (“Let anyone who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches”), and a final promise to each church. That’s kind of the way we’re going to look at each one, alright?
So, the salutation, of course, being the same in each letter, to the angel of the church of ___. We know that the angel is obviously talking to the pastor there at that local church.
Keith: Where do we find that? How do we know that? Remind them where we know what it means by “angel”, what it means by “lampstands”. We’re not just making this up. It comes from….
Jamie: Back in Revelation 1:20: “The mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” Another word there for “angels” is messengers – someone who delivers the Word.
Keith: So, in the context of Revelation 1:20, this is not some ethereal guardian angel, so to speak. This is the pastor that God has called to the church. To the angel – the pastor – of the church of Ephesus.
Jamie: Right. The attributes of Jesus that we see here – what He says about Himself there in Revelation 2:1, He says, “Thus says the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand and who walks among the seven golden lampstands.” This is, again, a direct correlation back to Revelation 1:20 that we just read and also 1:16 – He had seven stars in His right hand. The right hand, of course, being the hand of might, the hand of power and strength. Jesus is holding these pastors in His hand. He’s walking among the churches.
I think that’s important to talk about just for a second. Is Jesus walking among our churches today? You know, if He was writing these letters today – these seven letters – would your (local) church body get a letter from Him?
Keith: Or would it be getting one of the five admonitions? Or one of the well-dones?
Jamie: Exactly. Is Jesus walking in your church? And if He is, what is He saying? What is He saying to you?
Well, here’s what He said to the church at Ephesus. He gives them praise for their works, saying, “I know your works there” (Revelation 2:2-3). In other words, they are active for God. They’re doing things that He’s told us to do in His Word. They’re toiling at a cost. Some of them would have been persecuted for their faith, up to the point of being killed for their faith. They’re laboring for the Lord, and obviously, that includes endurance, too. They weren’t just laboring for a minute; they were laboring for a while. They were enduring for a while. They did things that were uncomfortable because the Lord told them to do it, called them to do it.
He goes on and says that they can’t tolerate evil people. He says that they have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not and found them to be liars. So, they’re enduring hardships for Christ. He keeps going on and on about all these awesome things that they’re doing. They’ve endured these hardships and not grown weary. Think about that for a minute. That’s really saying something. That’s saying something big time because we are quick to grow weary.
You know, COVID, back in 2020 made us all weary and about had us done. And here, He’s like, hey, these people didn’t even get tired at all.
Keith: You hear people talk about all the time – and I think it’s even a hashtag on social media: #firstworldproblems – it doesn’t take much to make us weary. That’s the irony of the pandemic, at least for the first part of it: we were getting more rest, more opportunity for rest. It’s like, how can people who are as far away from retirement as we are say, man, I’m tired of resting, let’s go back to work?
Jamie: Right, yeah. Anyway (chuckles).
I also think with that idea in mind where it says that they endured hardships for the sake of His name (Revelation 2:3). At the heart of every Christian should be a desire to do the will of God (Psalm 40:8, John 4:34). And I think it’s important to point out that it’s as God chooses, as God leads you, as God tells you to (Proverbs 3:5-6, Romans 12:2). If you’re just enduring for the sake of enduring hardships, that’s all you’re doing: enduring them (1 Peter 2:20). All lot of people say all the time that the Lord is doing this or that when the Lord ain’t got nothing to do with it (Jeremiah 23:16, Matthew 7:21-23). So, you should be careful and make sure that what you are doing, if you’re toiling for the Lord, is because He’s leading you in that direction (Colossians 3:23-24). Don’t get burned out at church because you are trying to do so much. Don’t take on things that God hasn’t called you to take on. But now, if He calls you to take it on – take in on because what He’ll do is keep you from being weary, right? He will help you endure (Isaiah 40:29-31, 2 Corinthians 12:9).
Keith: The believers in Ephesus, they had just…look at the list here that Jesus gave! But what we know from the book of Acts is that God had done such a mighty work in Ephesus – so many people were getting saved that it upended their economy (Acts 19:18-20)! A big part of their economy was silver shrines (or idols) for Artemis, and it got to the point that there was a riot – an unlawful protest and threatening the lives of the church – because nobody was buying these idols anymore (Acts 19:23-27). People were losing their jobs, at risk of losing their homes, their livelihood in these false gods because people being saved said, hey, I can’t do this anymore (Acts 19:28-34, 1 Thessalonians 1:9).
I don’t know of many people who are weary in their churches because they’re upending the idol industry. I mean, it should be, but I’m afraid that’s not the case nearly as often as it should be.
Jamie: Agreed.
The last thing Jesus says to them, if you jump down to Revelation 2:6: “Yet you do have this: you hate the practices of the Nicolaitans[4], which I also hate.” Back in Acts 6:1-5, we see where Nicholas was one of the first deacons. They named him a deacon, but he’s actually a false believer. He led the church astray, led people in immorality, specifically sensual temptations enticing believers to pleasure themselves with self-indulgence. But Jesus tells the church at Ephesus that they hate that practice. Later on we’ll see a church that did not hate that practice but embraced it.
Keith: That’s where we find out more about their beliefs, too. Jesus doesn’t get specific here, but in the letter to the church at Pergamum, He relates it to Balaam who was a false preacher (Revelation 2:14; Numbers 22:12, 31:16). He was tasked with cursing Israel but couldn’t do it because God inhibited him (Numbers 22:18-20, 23:8). Also, they are looped in with Jezebel (Revelation 2:20). These accusations are in red letters. This is the letter from Jesus to the church at Ephesus. If He says it’s good – that hating the works of the Nicolaitans is something He also hates, it’s a pro-gospel stance (Revelation 2:6).
Jamie: Very much so.
So, that’s the works and the praise. He tells them they’re doing a good job on all those things. It’s important to note that this is the Lord commending them for these things. And then He says, “But….”
Keith: Don’t you just love that?
Jamie: The “but” cancels out everything that came before it. Unfortunately….
Keith: …and replaces it with this admonition.
Jamie: The question that I think this leads us to is: how many sins does it take to separate us from God for eternity? The answer is: one. If we sin once, we’ve fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). So, it’s important to note that repentance is necessary.
Keith: Also here, this is the church at Ephesus. Jesus – it’s important to note here, not minimizing the sin but maximizing the power – that right hand that holds the churches, He’s not threatening to pull their salvation. He’s made them alive (Ephesians 2:1-5). He’s given them eternal life. John 10:28-29 says that He has them in His hand an no one can “snatch” them from His hand. He’s threatening to remove the lampstand, not their salvation.
Jamie: That’s exactly right. He tells them, I have this against you. You’ve abandoned the love you had at first.
Now, I think about this: I’ve been to a lot of different churches in my lifetime that were doing a lot of cool things, ministry-wise. A lot of people who had been there a really long time, etc. But when you walk in a church and don’t feel loved – you don’t see that others feel loved necessarily…. You know I hear a lot of “Christians” talking about people a lot of times, like did you know ___?
Keith: “Church folks”.
Jamie: Right. Can you believe so and so? Things of that nature. And I think that’s what this falls under. So, why do we do the ministries that we do?
Keith: You get kind of caught up in being an institution rather than part of the body of Christ.
Jamie: That’s it, and I think that’s exactly what the Lord is getting at here. It’s like, look guys, you know you’re doing all these great things, but you’re doing it almost out of a sense of duty as opposed to the fact that you love me.
People say all the time that you know we’re not saved by works. That’s accurate. You are only saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5). But because of grace – because we love Jesus – the works will follow (John 14:15, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15). That’s why James said that without works there is no faith really (James 2:17, 26).
Keith: What did the Holy Spirit say to the church at Ephesus 20-30 years before this? In Ephesians 2:10, He says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which He has prepared beforehand.” Not religious obligation. Not good institutions. We are His workmanship. Just like those silversmiths were crafting idols, God is crafting little-Christs[5] out of us.
Jamie: Remember that the Church is the bride of Christ. So, think about it as an example of a marriage. Do you do things for your spouse because you have to or because you want to – because you love them? Now, sometimes we do things for our spouse because we have to; it’s just part of it. But we do things for them for the most part because we want to – because we love them – because there’s a relationship there. And that’s the idea here. Hey, you’ve grown a little salty in your relationship, grown a little cold in that relationship – going through it like a habit. You’re going through a routine. You’re doing these works – working in the church, you know, whatever you’ve got going on, you know at the foot pantry, fill in the blank. You might be doing it so people can see you there. Maybe it’s a social thing. But here’s the question: what are you actually doing? I know a lot of organizations that claim to help people but it’s really all about status – look at me, look at what I’m involved in – and not helping.
Keith: I mean, that’s the image that He gives there. You have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember, He tells them, from where you have fallen. You’ve got this pinnacle moment! I know in my own marriage that going through the motions doesn’t get me very far. Funny note on that phrase (going through the motions), is that in England “the motions” means a bowel movement. In a marriage going through the motions is about the equivalent to a bowel movement. It doesn’t cut it. (laughter from both)
You’ve got that standard there – that original love that was motivating and driving everything and have now fallen short of that standard. And that standard is love. What does 1 John 4:19 tell us? We love because He first loved us. This isn’t zeal coming from us; this is a response of worship coming from the only way you can respond to the Savior you took you from dead in your sin to alive in Christ: love. And that’s what they’ve got to remember.
Jamie: The next thing that Jesus says here, and I think this is really important, is for them to repent and do the works they did at first. So, there’s an opportunity to repent. It’s not like, oh, you quit loving me so I’m going to find somebody else. Like we said earlier, He does tell them that if they don’t He’ll come and remove their lampstand from it’s pace. That means that local church body would cease to exist. That doesn’t mean that they were no longer saved personally. That means that local church body there, whatever the case may be, would cease to exist if they did not repent.
So what? What is the overall call here? What is He telling this church? He’s saying, look, you’re doing all these great things. You’re doing these wonderful things – helping people – doing everything I’m asking you to do, but you’re doing it all out of a sense of duty instead of out of the love you have for me.
The key here is what He says, again in Revelation 2:7, “Let anyone who has ears listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.” What is the Spirit saying to the church? The Spirit is saying it’s about love. It’s about a relationship. It’s not like this ooey-gooey, mushy-feeling type thing – sometimes relationships are hard. They’re tough when they call us to do things we don’t necessarily want to do. They’re going to be hard and cause us issues. They’re going to cause us to have things go on in our life that maybe we don’t want that much. But the fact is that, if we’re doing it out of love for Christ, it’s all going to work out for the better – for you and the other people involved.
Keith: And a call to repentance is a good thing. It’s not a welcome thing, but it should be. How many times do we have to wonder did I do okay in this or did I do wrong in that? I would think that a letter from Jesus Himself saying, hey, these things are done well but the fact that you’re just doing them out of a sense of obligation – you’ve lost something here and you need to repent to gain it back.
Jamie: It’s a good thing. It is very good. It’s how we grow in a relationship. It’s the same thing – back to a husband and wife. How do you grow in that relationship? You’ve got to have a tough question, right? You know, if you’re the spouse that’s being offended, or whatever the case may be, if you don’t ever tell the other person, they won’t know so that repentance can take place.
So, we jump there to the final promise. The promise He gives here is: “To the one who conquers, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7). I don’t think we have to go too much into that. We understand that salvation is eternity with the Lord Jesus Christ. But you might think that the one who conquers is going to have a sword and shield and on the day of the battle of Armageddon, I get to fight all the demons and all these things. No, that’s not true, because if you had to do it you’d die. That’s not a thing. They’re stronger than you – sorry to be the one to break that to you. But the Bible, again, always answers the Bible. So, as we’ve probably stated ten times at this point, if the Bible doesn’t give you the answer, you probably weren’t meant to know.
Keith: On the things where the Bible is clear, those are important. Where the Bible is not clear – it’s not saying it’s not important but it’s definitely of lesser importance.
“…because everyone who has been born of God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. Who is the one who conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
So, when He says “to the one who conquers”, He’s saying to the one who is saved. To the one who is my child – that’s how you conquer. That’s what He’s talking about here. So, if you conquer the world you have a relationship with Christ. You will be with Him for eternity and eat from the tree of life. It’s pretty awesome.
Keith: It’s definitely worth repenting and advice worth repeating.
Jamie: I think to end this we talk about the love chapter in 1 Corinthians 13. You know, a lot of times we read it at weddings and things like that, but here I want to look at it this way. Starting in 1 Corinthians 13:4 (and going through the end of verse 8) where he lists the things that love is, take “love” out and insert your name. So “love is patient, love is kind” – take “love” out and put your name there.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, 5 is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends.
So, the question we need to ask ourselves is could we take “love” out and put our names in and it still be true. Put our churches name in there. The answer for everybody on the face of this earth is, no, we are going to fall short in at least one of these areas. That’s where repentance comes in.
Keith: As often as needed.
Jamie: So, I think that hopefully gets a good understanding of the letter to Ephesus, and kind of what it was that the Lord was saying to them and to us.
Keith: As a challenge, there’ sone thing that Ephesus has that we don’t have currently in our churches. In this exact moment, we can do a post mortem (or autopsy) on the church at Ephesus. When I say post mortem, I mean after death. There is no church in Ephesus. In fact, there is no Ephesus today. Ephesus was, and you can look this up, a harbor town. At some point, the harbor began to have silt floating in, and the harbor was no longer dockable for ships. And Ephesus, just like its harbor, dried up.
I think it’s far to say that the lampstand was removed, and the reason I say that is that God didn’t just remove the church and damn or condemn everyone else. He dammed the harbor and moved people elsewhere, to other areas.
So, the challenge is, if you’re listening to this you obviously have an ear. Listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. In this case, look specifically and see the love you had at first – personally and as a church body. If you are in need of repentance to do the works you had at first, do it because the One who holds the seven stars in His hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands is more than capable of pulling that lampstand up and wrapping that church up.
Consider this challenge, sojourners. Take these words to heart. Study them for yourself. Check what we say by the Bible. And, Lord willing, we’ll talk to you next about the church at Smyrna.
[4] The Nicolaitans held a lot of beliefs similar to the gnostics as well. There is not a lot known about them beyond what we see here in the letters of the church of Ephesus. The information citing Nicholas from Acts 6 as the beginning of that movement comes from Irenaeus (pastor who lived in the 2nd century, born about 30 years after the book of Revelation was given) and Hippolytus of Rome (pastor who lived in the 2nd and 3rd century).
[5] The word “Christian” began as a term meaning little-Christ and was initially used to mock believers (Acts 11:26, 1 Peter 4:16).
Every week, our faith family gathers because of all that Jesus has done for us — His life, His death, His resurrection, His work even now, and His imminent return. We don’t gather to impress each other or prove ourselves on the basis of religion or attendance. We come because we need Jesus — and because He has made a way for sinners (like us) to be made right with a holy, holy, holy God.
This Sunday at Christ Community, we will spend time in worship reading 1 John 1:5-2:2. It’s a beautiful and powerful reminder that God is light, and that in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5). That’s both comforting and confronting. It comforts us because it means that God is pure, holy, trustworthy, and sinless (everything we aren’t), but it also confronts us because when we step into His light, our sin is exposed. So, we don’t get to walk in darkness and claim to have fellowship with the God who is light (1 John 1:6).
That sounds like bad news if we were to stop there, but praise GOD, the good news is coming in 1 John 1:7: “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”
The blood of Jesus. That’s our hope. He is our hope. Our sins — real, serious, and shameful though they are — can be cleansed by His blood. Y’all, that’s not just a line from some hymn but the truth of the gospel.
That gospel saturates every part of our worship gatherings. We read it together from the Word. We sing it. John opens the Word and preaches it. And we have the opportunity to hear it from our own voices and the voices of our brothers and sisters, reminding us that Jesus doesn’t wait for us to clean ourselves up to come to Him — He came to save us while we were still sinners, and He did it because He loves us (Romans 5:8)!
As 1 John 2:1-2 says, when we do sin (and we do), we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous! He is the propitiation for our sins. He bore the wrath of God due for our sin, took our place on the cross we deserve, made peace by the blood of His cross, and gives the LIFE He has and the favor of God He deserves to those who put their trust in Him — for those who confess Him as Lord.
If you need to be reminded that God is still gracious and Jesus still saves, come on (Titus 3:4-7, Hebrews 7:25).
You won’t be out of place because our gathering is full of sinners in need of grace (Luke 5:31-32, 1 Timothy 1:15). The only difference is that many of us sinners have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9). You’ll hear us pour our hearts out singing “Thank You, Jesus, for the blood applied…. Thank You, Jesus, You have saved my life!” You’ll hear us sing “O the blood, it is my victory!” You’ll hear us sing because we haven’t moved past our need for grace. We’ve just come to the One who gives it freely (Romans 3:23-25, John 1:16, Revelation 22:17).
5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
Just Keith Harris 