The Church On Trial Pt. 1
What Does Love Have To Do With It?
Revelation 2: 1-7
To Ephesus
2 Write this to Ephesus, to the Angel of the church. The One with Seven Stars in his right-fist grip, striding through the golden seven-lights’ circle, speaks: 2-3 “I see what you’ve done, your hard, hard work, your refusal to quit. I know you can’t stomach evil, that you weed out apostolic pretenders. I know your persistence, your courage in my cause, that you never wear out. 4-5 “But you walked away from your first love—why? What’s going on with you, anyway? Do you have any idea how far you’ve fallen? A Lucifer fall! “Turn back! Recover your dear early love. No time to waste, for I’m well on my way to removing your light from the golden circle. 6 “You do have this to your credit: You hate the Nicolaitan business. I hate it, too. 7 “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches. I’m about to call each conqueror to dinner. I’m spreading a banquet of Tree-of-Life fruit, a supper plucked from God’s orchard.”
Introduction
I want to lift of the overall thought this morning, “The Church on Trial”. But I want to give a sub-thought and I want to get to a conclusion of the matter and give you a verdict on today. I want to give the sub-thought and verdict of “What does love have to do with It?
For the next few weeks, we will be dealing with the Book of Revelation. God convened a hearing and has called the church to trial. And so we will be dealing with the letters that were written to the 7 churches of Asia Minor. In these seven letters the Spirit gives a complete picture of the moral and spiritual history of the church, along with other truths.
Each letter that we will be teaching and coming from has four elements attached. (1) The manner in which Christ presents Himself. (2) The commendation or condemnation He gives. (3) The reward He promises. (4) The exhortation to hear. You will notice that even though these letters are written to specific churches, they also apply to us believers in every age.
Text
John begins, by addressing his message to the “angel” –probably referring to the pastor or elder—of the church of Ephesus. These are the things said by HE who holds the 7 lamp stands, or the 7 churches, in HIS hand. Let me say here Christ is seen here in His proper place of guiding, controlling and ruling over all. The text says he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand. How many know that he’s got you in his hands. You may think you’re in good hands with Allsate but you are in better hands with God.
The Ephesian church of Revelation chapter 2 is in a state that many of our churches, are in. The Ephesians church is in a state that, if not looked at and seriously critiqued, many churches are going to be in real soon. What is that situation? Well, the situation is just as John explained it.
Today we say so many times the phrase “Make it plain.” Well, John made it plain, by telling them as it was. He said: “These are the things said by Christ I’ve got convened a trial, and I got some good news for you and some bad news for you today. Let me tell you the good news first.”
You’ve been real good. I know what you’ve done, I know the labors that you have done in My name, I know that you’ve had patience, I know that you’ve contended for the faith, and I’m proud of you.
You see, I know that you’ve done your work for the community. You’ve provided clothes for the community; you’ve provided help and money for those that suffered at the hand of natural disasters like fire and flood. You labored for the kingdom of God.
You’ve had your weekly Bible studies, and your choir rehearsals, and your monthly church meetings. You’ve had communion once a month, and I’m glad. You’ve contested for the faith against false apostles and you know that they are liars. You’ve taught your churches to know the validity and power of the Holy Bible. You’ve taught the truth of the Word. You’ve told your children that there’s just something NOT right about the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the Mormons. You’ve told our youth that our God is NOT the same god of the Buddhists, and Hindus, and the Unitarians. But that’s what you did!
God says that there is no doubt that you love me and that you serve me. But nevertheless I have somewhat against thee. Somewhere along the road, you have veered off course and now you have left your first Love.
You know when I look at this church, the church of Ephesus; can I be real about it this morning? This church reminds me of people in the church now. You know how when people 1st joined the church, they were on fire. On Sunday morning, before the Pastor even got here, you were sitting in the parking lot waiting for the church doors to be opened. Now you’re the last person to get here and the first one to leave.
He says somewhere along the road you have left your first love. And it’s evident you have left your first love because now God only gets a part of your service, where as one time God says you used to be here for everything. Now you show up when it convenient for you.
You rather be on the golf course, or at home watching the NBA or the NFL, or whatever you do on Sunday. But God says it is evident that I’m not first place in your life. Because you do me like you do the do drop in’s. You just do drop in when it’s convenient for you.
Listen God is saying this, Not that you hadn’t at one point in time do what you were suppose to do. But somewhere along the line prayer meeting has become insignificant. Somewhere along the road being here on time for Bible study has lost its zeal. Somewhere along the road choir rehearsal has taken a... oh come on somebody. Somewhere along the road, giving what I have blessed you with has taken a backseat to your bill and other things. Somewhere along the road, you have left your first love.
And so the question that is asked is “what does Love has to do with it?” And the reality is love has everything to do with it.
God says listen, if you love me, you ought not have a problem obeying everything I tell you to do. And I can tell that we have a love issue, because many of us are not doing what God has called us to do.
See you got to understand that God is calling us on the carpet. He has convened a hearing and God has called church to the witness stand and he’s asking a question. God is saying you claim that you represent me but everything about you tells me that you are not practicing what you believe in.
And because you’re not practicing what you believe in, you are guilty of misleading other folk into thinking that God is not as powerful as we claim that he is. And yet God has all power in his hand. He can do anything but fail. But you don’t believe that and so you are telling other people that God can’t do it. Matter of fact is that you won’t hold on to the principles and precepts of his word.
And so God has convened a hearing and can’t nobody represent you. Johnny Cochran can’t, Jim Adler, can’t, because God says that they are guilty just as well.
And so the question that is asked is, “What does Love Have to do with it?” And God is saying Love has everything to do with it. What does love have to do with it? For the bible say if you love me, you will obey all of my commands. And I can tell there is a love issue in the church even today. Because the Bible says that the day will come when the love of men will go waxen cold.
In other words, what God is saying that in these last days, I’m not going to be able to tell beyond a shadow of a doubt if it is live or is it Memorex. There are people who are taking the talk, but not walking the walk.
We are living in an age when the church appears to have lost it power because those in the church are not connected to the power source.
We are living in an age when people are claiming that they are born again and washed in the blood, but yet church is not a priority.
We are living in a day and age where secularism has permeated in the church. So now you can’t tell if it’s entertainment or if it is real.
So God asked a question of the church this morning. He says, what does love have to do with it. Love has everything to do with it.
Well how do you know that preacher? For the Bible says in John 3:16 “For God so Loved the World that he gave.
So what does love have to do with it?
Love has everything to do with it.
Love made Jesus come through 40 and 2 generations
Love made Jesus heal the sick, and raise the dead
Love allowed Jesus to give his back to the whip
Love made Jesus on one Friday carry an old rugged cross up Golgotha’s hill
Love made Jesus go hang himself on the cross
Love made Jesus take nails in his hands, and a nail in his feet
Love allowed Jesus to die for yours and my sins.
Love made Jesus lay in a grave for 3 days.
Love made Jesus, early Sunday morning get up from the grave.
So what does love have to do with it? Love has everything to do with it.
It was Love that picked me up and turned me around. It was love that saved me. It was love that kept me. It was love woke me up this morning and put the breathe of life in me.
That’s why I believe the songwriter understood that love has everything to do with it when he wrote: Love lifted me. Love lifted me. When nothing else could help, Love lifted me.
I was sinking, deep in sin, far from the peaceful shores. Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more. But the master of the seas, heard my despairing cry. From the waters he lifted me now safe am I.
