Now again, remember that these
churches represent a certain period in church history. Ephesus is the church of the 1st
Century apostles; you and I are not living in this church, but in the age of
the Laodicean church. We are the “last-days” church that is expecting the
return of our Lord in Revelation 4:1.
Notice that this letter is
addressed “Unto the angel..." Who is this angel? We are told who he
is in 1:20 where it said, “The mystery of the seven stars which thou
sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are
the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest
are the seven churches.” The angel is the pastor or messenger unto the
church of Ephesus.
As we study further, we will find
that every church, no matter how corrupt, has true pastors in them. God will
not leave His sheep without true pastors to shepherd them. In addition to that,
God will always protect his messengers. Notice that the verse says, “the seven stars (pastors or messengers)
which thou sawest in my hand.” God
protects those who faithfully serve and represent Him. I pity those who lift
their hand against God’s servants. They are actually fighting against God
Himself.
How many times have you heard
someone speak evil against a pastor? Oh, I know that you hear it all of the
time if you are involved in the life of a church. Those who do so are defying
God and bringing judgment upon themselves. Some will say, “Well, you don’t know
how bad our pastor is.” “You don’t know what he has done.” Let me ask you this,
“Who made you judge and jury against God’s anointed?” God can “set up” and God can “put down” (Daniel 5:19). You just leave that responsibility to
Him. He doesn’t need your help.
A prime example in the Bible that
all of us would do well to follow is found in 1 Samuel 24 when David had the
opportunity of a lifetime to end his years of running from King Saul. David and
his men were hiding in the caves of En-gedi and King Saul decided that he had
to use the bathroom in one of the caves. Guess which cave he chose? Yes, the
very cave in which David and his men were hiding! It was then that David’s men
encouraged him to take advantage of the opportunity to kill Saul. So David got
close enough to Saul to cut off just a small piece of his robe. After Saul had
left the cave, David fell under tremendous conviction that he had even thought
enough of himself to reach out and touch the Lord’s anointed. He said in 1 Sam
24:10, “Behold, this day thine eyes have
seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave:
and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not
put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD's anointed.”
Yet today, how many people will
reach out and touch or speak against “the
LORD’s anointed” without even batting an eye. They are on dangerous ground
and I would advise you to keep no company with them. Paul said in 1 Corinthians
5:11-13, “But now I have written unto you
not to keep company, if any man that is called
a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an
extortioner; with such an one no not to
eat…therefore put away from among
yourselves that wicked person.” That verse is telling you and I not to
keep company with a “brother” that
among other things is a railer. A railer is someone who runs his mouth and
speaks evil of other people. You are to have no part with them. As a matter of
fact, you should not even eat with them. Maybe that railer is you? I would
encourage you to repent before your next meal lest those who eat with you be
partakers of your sin.
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