The One Who Holds 7 Stars in His Right Hand - 7 Letters Series

Following on from last week’s sermon ‘At Your Word,’ we will commence a 7 part series on the 7 letters to the 7 churches. They are from the book of the Revelation of Jesus. Jesus is speaking words which God the Father gave Him and the way of doing so is by His Spirit.

How Jesus represents Himself in the letters is one of the keys to applying correct meaning to the text. Let us remember that it is all about Jesus and open our ears to hear what the Spirit is saying. As you listen be blessed, empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name! 

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Transcript

00:00 Intro music and voice over.

Welcome to jesus loves the world podcast. For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name! 

00:20 Preacher

Following on from last week’s sermon ‘At Your Word,’ we will commence a 7 part series on the 7 letters to the 7 churches. They are from the book of the Revelation of Jesus. Jesus is speaking words which God the Father gave Him and the way of doing so is by His Spirit.

How Jesus represents Himself in those letters is one of the keys to applying correct meaning to the text. 

Let us remember that it is all about Jesus and open our ears to hear what the Spirit is saying. 

Turn with me to Revelation 2:1 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands.'

What a wonderful picture of Jesus and us. 

He holds the seven stars in His right hand. His hand of power and authority. The seven stars represent the messengers of God. 

In His love He is holding and sustaining with all His might and power. For us to know who He is, what He has done, is doing and will do.

He walks amongst the seven golden lampstands, that is His church. His church throughout the ages. 

Jesus emphasises that He walks amongst us. He is the centre of His church, the founder and head. He is here with us and by His Spirit speaks to the church in Ephesus at the time of writing and to us today.

Verse 2-3 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary.'

Jesus said, I know. He reminds us that He is all powerful, everywhere, and all knowing. He knows us better than we know ourselves. Not only does He see the outward things that we do, but He also sees our heart. That is the reason why we do what we do. 

In summary the church of Ephesus had rejected evil, tested some apostles as liars, persevered with patience, laboured for Jesus and had not become weary.

All this sounds great. However Jesus reaches in love, truth and power into their hearts.

Verse 4 'Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.' 

Tho they labour, persevere, test the apostles and do all those good things, they labour in vain because they have lost their first love. 

Remember at the beginning of this letter Jesus said His presence is with them. His essence, His Spirit, is walking amongst them. 

Yet their intimate relationship with Him has been lost. 

The love has not been lost by Jesus, as His love never changes. He never leaves us, is always with us and holds us in the palm of His nail pierced hands. 

The closeness of their relationship has been lost by the church themselves, not by Jesus. He is forever faithful and true, loving and kind, gracious and merciful. 

Instead of their relationship with Jesus having first place in their life, it is the works for Jesus that have become the priority. 

They have in fact replaced Jesus with their labour for Him. This has become a stronghold over them and sadly they have lost the revelation of Him and the reality of His truth and love for them. They are unaware of His presence with them. As a result, they have lost their love for others and their effectiveness in being His light and witness to the world.

Yes they have left their first love. 

The original language for this word love has two meanings 1: brotherly love, affection, good will, love or kindness and 2: a continual love feast.

Both are intertwined. In fact the continual love feast with the Living God, produces the outworking of brotherly love. Brotherly love cannot exist in itself, as it is the root of the continual love feast with God. 

If we forget the first thing, that is in a continual love feast with the God, then we cannot love. 

To know how to love, please listen to our podcast The Secret of Success.

Without the transforming power of God’s love within us, good works loose their effectiveness, as they become a work of the flesh. As a work of the flesh, they do not bring glory to our Father. They have no eternal value. They do not testify of Him, nor are they an effective witness of His light to the world.

Jesus is saying remember me as the first thing. I am the source of your life, your love, your everything. Spend time in my presence, receive from Me. Remember Me.

Verse 5'Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works...or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.

It is important to understand when Jesus declares He will remove their lampstand, He is not referring to their salvation, as Jesus has given His Spirit forever. 

The lampstand is symbolic of the churches light, or revelation, or effectiveness of shining brightly into the darkness of this world. 

Taking away the candlestick is the churches 'light unto the world' the witness of Jesus, the power and effectiveness of their witness. Because world sees the human works and not Jesus. They don't see any transformation or difference between the light and the darkness.

Jesus is stating a fact. You have forgotten your first love, you are doing church and life in your own strength, then your light or witness of me to the world will go.

Jesus is with us eternally, but some part of the church (the body of Christ throughout history) has lost sight of Jesus. They cannot feel Him, cannot hear Him, do not spend time with Him, don't have a close and intimate personal relationship with Him, nor see evidence of Him working in their life. There is no transformation, they do not have any fruits, therefore the world cannot se Jesus in those who say they are His. Some of the church throughout all history is doing church without Jesus. Doing church having lost their revelation of Jesus' love for them and the lost.

If there is no closeness with Jesus, there is no time coming into God's presence first each and every day, then our light will be less and less to the world. There is no transformation in our hearts and minds and therefore as a result no evidence of God's love.

As Jesus declared in John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

When Jesus speaks it is so. His command that we love one another, as I have loved you, is a declaration over every disciple. It is a promise that He fulfills, if we let Him. 

To do the first works is to be willing for Jesus to transform us in His love, truth and power. Give Him time, listen to Him, be surrendered to Him. 

Jesus is stating a fact that He will remove them from the place of being an effective witness of Him, a light on a hill.  

I think back to another time when Jesus walked the earth as a man and He linked light with works. 

Matthew 5:16 'Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.'

If He is not their first priority, they loose their first love, then their light and effectiveness to the world has gone. 

The church, the body of Christ is in this world damaged by evil as a witness of Jesus, who He is, what He has done, is doing and will do. The church has been given Jesus' power and authority, the keys to His Kingdom and His Spirit in a revelation of His love.

Jesus brings encouragement to them and urges them to give Him time, receiving from Him as the first priority. He loves so much that it is for their benefit and freedom that He brings this word. 

‘Let me change you, let me feed you and pour my love on you and in you. Each day is to be a fresh in filling. I am holding you in the palm of My nail pierced hands. Even when you feel so far away from me and can’t feel My love, stand in the truth, I love you.

Remember me. Remember how when you first heard about me, how you were set free with My truth. I commended you for your love and said grow in My love. How My Apostle prayed and declared My truth over you. That you would be rooted in my love and know how much I love you. 

Let me outwork in and through you. Spend time with me in my presence each day, listening to me. Remember my love for you and who you are in me. Let all my goodness flow down upon you, in you and through you. 

It is from that place of hunger for Me and the revelation of my love for you that you have fallen. You have not fallen from Me, as I still hold you and carry you in the palm of my hands. 

You are accepted, chosen, appointed, redeemed and reconciled. Saved, cleansed and justified. A king and priest, a conqueror and overcomer. Your beloved, adopted, forgiven and established in You. Made alive, transformed, renewed and empowered. Strengthened, safe and secure. You are to live in a place of rest in Me.’

Let us read what Jesus says will be the result if they change their mind and return to their first love.

Revelation 2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’

Eternal life in our resurrected bodies is our future inheritance. yet we can live in the love and certainty of Jesus’ promise. He is the one who gives us eternal life and He is the source of it all in this life. 

Jesus promises a special closeness that will never go away. Each day more and more. As we put Him first. Intimacy with Jesus, intimacy with the Father, as our first priority, He is the one who will bring it to pass.  

Conclusion

Therefore the first work is a revelation of God's love in Jesus, receiving of His love in who Jesus is, what He has done and will do. It is then as we live in His love, being surrendered to our Father's will, that the out working of His love is to love Him and to love others. 

This is the heart of God. This is the witness and light of the church, the revelation of God's love.

That is God's unconditional, undeserved, unending love in Jesus for us.   

Today Jesus walks amongst us. Even when we don't feel Him. Yes even when we fail Him, fail His people and fail the lost.

Paul urged the church in Ephesus and to us today to grow in love. Jesus is saying the same to us today, grow in my love, receive my love. Grow in my underserved and unearned favour and in the knowledge of Me and our Father. Be surrendered to our Father's will in every part of your life and you will be truely free. The Holy Spirit will transform us each day. 

The Holy Spirit will produce much fruit in and through us. The greatest of these is love. Love for God, love for others, to the glory of the Father. We are to be a light shining in this dark world pointing to Jesus. Remember Jesus says, I hold you in my right hand, I am greater than any weakness, I will never leave you nor forsake you. I am with you. Remember Me, remember My love.

19:40 Outro music and voice over. 

For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!