The Church of Dim Orthodoxy

Revelation 2:1-7

Back in 2007/2008 I had a few friends in college who were marines that had recently returned from a tour in Iraq and, naturally, they had many stories to tell. I remember one story where my friend and his squad were set up around a city that they were preparing to invade at night. The city’s power supply had been knocked out so everything was pitch black, and they had split up on opposite sides of a street, hiding behind some buildings while waiting for the command to advance. The commanding officer was using his night vision to look for threats when, from the squad across the street, a source of light was created. It brightened suddenly, then dropped down, dimmed, then came back up, then brightened again. Immediately recognizing what that was, the commanding officer darted across the street, snatched the …cigarette… out of some very surprised hands, shoved it into the dirt… “ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US ALL KILLED??? A SNIPER COULD SPOT YOU FROM A MILE AWAY WITH THAT!!!” Shining light in the darkness can be dangerous.

The church of Ephesus is no small cigarette, and neither is the church at large. Their letter opens with a reminder that they are one of the 7 lampstands among which the Lord walks, as established in Revelation 1. But what does that mean for them? How about us? What is a lampstand supposed to do when there are enemies in the darkness who hate the light? Let me suggest 3 headings for you this morning: 1. A lampstand must keep its light pure. 2. A lampstand must keep its light bright. and 3. A Lampstand must trust in the source of its light. Let’s start walking through our text.