Truth and Love

Ephesus Church: Truth and Love
Rev 2:1-7 June 16, 2019
I. Introduction:
A. Marriage Monday for Men -
B. I have always been challenged by this statement by John Stott “Truth without love
is too hard and love without truth is too soft."
1. It has been a constant check on my own heart to make sure my
communication of truth is tempered with love and my love has backbone
with truth!
2. We will see today in Jesus’ letter to the Ephesians Church that His heart is for
both truth and love and not one at the expense of the other!
C. As we move into the section of the book of Revelation that contains Jesus’ letters
to the seven churches in Asia, we will learn what Jesus is most concerned about
with church life!
1. The truth is that not everything that goes on in the church is of equal
importance, and you and I may differ on what we think is important but we
will find out in these letter exactly what is important to Jesus.
D. Now listen to how Jesus begins His letter to the Church in Ephesus.
1. Read 2:1
2. We learned in 1:20 that:
a) Stars = the angels of the church = messengers = most likely human
messengers, today we would call them the pastors of the church,
especially teaching pastors
b) The lampstands are the churches themselves and give us an indication of
the churches purpose to be God’s light in this dark world!
3. The fact that He holds the messengers in His right hand indicates that He has
a firm grip on these pastors by His power and authority.
4. The fact that He walks among the lampstand, the church, indicates that His
presence and activity are right there in the church.
• So bottom line Jesus’ presence and power are in operation in His church. Both the
Ephesus Church and MVC!
II. The Church in Ephesus
A. The Church at Ephesus which at the time of Revelation was in existence for just
over 40 years
1. Ephesus was the largest city in Asia Minor and had temples there both for the
Imperial Cult of Rome and the Greek goddess Artemis.
2. In Acts, we learn from Paul’s ministry of the word in Ephesus for two years
that the gospel spread throughout all of Asia Minor.
3. God’s word was growing mightily and prevailing to the point that believers
were turning from pagan religions, burning their old religious books and
turning from idol worship to such a degree it impacted the business of the
silversmiths, which brought about a big disturbance from an angry mob!
4. So the ongoing threat of persecution was always a reality for this church!
B. And false teaching and false doctrine were real threats to them
1. In Acts Paul warned the Ephesian elders to be on guard for themselves and
all the flock because there would be negative influences and false teaching
coming from both outside and inside the church.
2. In 1 Timothy, we learn Paul left Timothy in Ephesus so that he might instruct
certain men not to teach strange things.
C. Now listen to how Jesus commends/praises this church.
1. Read v2-3
2. They did many things for Jesus’ sake (deeds v2) For Jesus’ sake they have
worked hard and persevered under these pressures and have not tolerated evil
immoral men or false teaching. In none of this have they grown weary but
they keep on whole-heartedly serving Jesus.
3. This sounds a lot like MVC – For nearly 75 years now MVC has done many
things for Jesus, worked hard, persevered, disciplined immoral members and
proclaimed God’s Word!
4. Side Bar – In the midst of false teachers from within and without for 40 some
years they have stayed faithful to God’s truth! Truth is important and
essential to Jesus and His Church
a) I believe they were faithful here because of the instructions that Paul
gave to their pastor, Timothy. By practicing these, they were able to
remain faithful to God’s truth!
(1) 2 Tim 2:2 a strong discipleship movement
(a) Finding faithful men and women who are able to teach
others and entrusting God’s truth to them. Then
commissioning them to do that with others. Simply going
deep with a few and multiplying from there.
(b) That should be an encouragement to MVC as that is exactly
what we are seeking to do
(2) 2 Tim 4:1-4. A strong preaching ministry. One that is not driven
by the desires of the people but by the word of God truthfully and
practically taught in such a way as to instruct and encourage as
well as convict of sin and warn of the consequences of such a life.
b) MVC must focus on these two means for the next 75 years if we want to
see God’s truth, to be at the center of MVC ministry! Something that
Jesus considers not just important but essential!
D. So they had many good things going on in this church but listen to one big
concern that Jesus had for them.
1. Read v4
2. Their love! It does not say whether that is love for one another or for God. I
think God left it that way because it applies to both!
3. John in 1 John 4:20 says “… the one who does not love his brother, whom he
has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. Our love for God and
each other are intimately tied together!
4. Love for each other can easily be overlooked when we get so involved in
doing so many good things for the Lord.
a) I have seen many people so busy serving that they are getting angry with
everyone else because they are not helping or doing as much as they are.
(1) Then the temptation of every person involved in ministry is to use
people to build our ministries rather than using our ministries to
build people.
(2) Often people become interruptions to our ministries rather than
interrupting our ministries to serve people
b) I have seen too many theologically minded people who will ram people
over because they disagree with them about Bible interpretations.
(1) They have a sharp theological mind but it is totally divorced from
relational love for people.
(2) Other Christians who disagree with them have become the enemy!
5. Our love for God can be totally left behind as we fall in love with the
ministry, keeping busy with God’s work, loving the significance and
affirmation we can gain from doing something to help someone else.
a) Read 2 Corinthians 11:2-3
b) Have you lost the simple and pure devotion to Jesus?
c) We can love the Bible and the truths that help us live better without
loving God
d) We can love ministry without loving God
(1) We can fall in love with the mission and vision, the strategy and
goals, and the work with them becoming realities and loving that
more than Jesus.
(2) Like a good pastor friend of mine that was confronted by his wife
for having an affair with the ministry and leaving her behind.
e) It is no different from the husband and wife that are busy keeping the
house up, going to all the events on their calendars, caring for the kids
and love doing it but the reality is that their love for one another has lost
its fire. It is not that they do not like each other but rather they have lost
the fire and passion for each other, which should be at the heart of
everything they do!
E. There is a tension that the Bible teaches and Jesus is calling his church to –
remember, "truth without love is too hard and love without truth is too soft but
truth and love in tension is just right.”
1. Generationally that older generation falls a bit heavy on the truth side and the
younger generation falls a bit heavy on the love side.
2. Listen to Beth Moore’s strong words to the younger generation at the Passion
Conference Video Link
3. MVC will rise or fall based upon whether we will sacrifice one for the other!
May God give both the younger and older generations the courage to live the
tension of both truth and love!
F. Next Jesus tells them what they must do to correct this. Read 5a-c
1. Remember – regain their bearing of what it is supposed to be like by
remembering when they first began this journey being in love with Jesus and
ministering out of love for Him.
2. Repent – Be so convicted in your heart and mind of this sin that you are
broken to your core so that the direction of your ministry turns around!
3. Do - the things you did at first when you were deeply in love with Jesus and
people!
G. If we do not the consequences are big
1. Read 5d-e
2. The effectiveness of MVC as a lighthouse for Jesus will go out.
3. Either we will end up eventually closing the door and selling the building to
Home Depot or we will be a church that continues with business as usual but
with no eternal value or effectiveness.
H. But on the other hand if MVC has the wisdom and courage to be a church that
holds the tension of truth and love for years to come listen to the reward!
1. Read v7.
2. The privilege to eat of the tree of life in the future eternal kingdom of God!
I. Pray