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1)
Reading of
Scripture-
Our Lord Jesus
Christ says to
John; 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
lamp stands: 2
"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;
3 and you have
persevered and
have patience,
and have labored
for My name's
sake and have
not become
weary.4 Nevertheless I
have this
against you,
that you have
left your first
love. 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
lamp stand from
its place —
unless you
repent. 6 But
this you have,
that you hate
the deeds of the
Nicolaitans,
which I also
hate.
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."'
2) The
Loveless Church
of Ephesus -
a) Jesus
Christ Approval
-
1) Their
Works & Labor -
By what Jesus
our Lord here
means is that
they were very
busy and hard
working doing
his work even to
the point of
exhaustion in
trying to get
his message out.
This church is a
self sacrificing
church in many
ways.
2) Knows
Their Patience -
The meaning here
is that they
endured under
trial even when
things were
very
hard, they
continued on.
Even under
persecution they
stood firm in
the faith
against all
obstacles.
3) They
can not bear
Evil - They
can not tolerate
those that are
bent on being
evil rather than
repent &
surrender unto
Jesus Christ,
those that come
among the flock
and try to
create strife
among them.
4) They
Tested Apostles -
This church has
also tested any
pastor or
evangelist and
such to see if
they
are
true ministers
of Gods Holy
Words of the
Body of Christ,
and they have
found out that
these false
apostles
are liars,
deceivers and
wolves in
sheep's
clothing.
5) They
Have Persevered -
Even under rough
times they had
not given way to
murmuring or
complaints
6) They
had Patience -
Even the
troubles that
false apostles
(Pastors/Evangelist)
has caused them,
and
yet
they remained
patient without
losing their
cool that is.
7) They
Labored -
They worked very
hard being
diligent in
spreading the
word of Jesus
Christ, the
Good
News in bringing
the lost to
Jesus Christ.
8) That
Had Not Become
Weary -
They have not
become worn out,
nor discouraged
from all of
their
hard
work and
troubles of
getting the word
of Jesus Christ
out to the Lost
souls.
9) They
Seem Like the
Perfect Church -
So my friends
when we look at
all the good
things that
Jesus
Christ said
about this
church, it sure
seem like they
are the perfect
Christian church
doesn't? It just
seems
like they are
full of
obedience and
love to our Lord
Jesus Christ
doesn't it? Not
Really!
Appearances are
very deceiving
to put it
lightly. Now
lets look at the
next part to
where Jesus
Christ seems to
have
something
against them.
b) Jesus
Christ Accuses
Them -
1) Heart
Trouble -
This church
suffers from
Heart Trouble;
as Jesus Christ
tells them in
this letter to
their
church;
2) Read
Scripture - Revelation
2:4 Nevertheless
I have this
against you,
that you have
left your first
love.
3) Wrong
Motives -
Even though they
displayed works
.... labor ...
and patience,
and they do not
tolerate
false apostles
or evil, these
are not enough
because their
motivations are
not for their
Love of Jesus
Christ,
but their
motives for all
of their labor,
patience and
such are based
on a religious
works instead of
their
love for Jesus
Christ. And if
they can not
love Jesus
Christ, have
zeal for him, then how can
they love
anyone else and
spread Jesus
words without
Love for others?
4) Read
Scripture - 1
Thessalonians
1:3 remembering
without ceasing
your work of
faith, labor of
love,
and
patience of hope
in our Lord
Jesus Christ in
the sight of our
God and Father,
..........
5) They
Forgot the Laws
of Love - They
seen to have
forgotten the 2
greatest
commandments -
To
which
are the Laws
of Love,
"LOVE GOD" (Matthew
22:37-38)
and "LOVE YOUR
NEIGHBOR"
(Matthew
22:39)
to which all of
the Old
Testament laws
and Prophets
teaches us to
observe and obey
with our hearts
and minds (Matthew
22:40)Its
all about love
my friends!
6) The
Marriage - The
kind of Love
that our Lord
Jesus Christ is
talking about is
the honeymoon
type
of
Love when we
first accepted
Jesus Christ as
our Lord and
repented of our
sins. Kind of
like when a man
and woman first
gets married
with all of the
joys, the love
and the
excitement of
the new found
relationship.
7) Neglecting
the Marriage -
But when either
spouse, the
husband or the
wife starts to
take the
marriage
for granted, by
their intimacy
and excitement
becoming less &
Less, then
relationship is
in danger of
leading
to a complete
breakup, and
later a divorce.
A neglect of a
relationship
happens slowly
and surely, a
little
neglect here,
and a little
there and before
you know it,
DIVORCE! So is
it the same with
our relationship
with our Lord
Jesus Christ. We
had better not
take our
relationship
with Jesus
Christ for
granted either.
If
we do he would
divorce us as
well, that is to
remove us from
his saving
grace.
8) The
Divorce - The
Ephesus church
was so busy
working doing
ministry work in
Jesus name that
they
neglected their
intimate and
personal
relationship
with him. So in
that Jesus
Christ
eventually
becomes a
stranger to
them, that they
no longer even
know who he even
is. So Jesus
Christ that is
among the
churches
sees that their
hearts are far
from him and if
they are a
complete
stranger to him.
9) Jesus
Christ doesn't
Know them -
Will Jesus
Christ say to
them on judgment
day;
Matthew
7:23 And then I will
declare to them,
'I never knew
you; depart from
Me,
...........
c) Jesus
Christ Warns
Them
1) JESUS
WARNS THEM - So
Jesus Christ
FIRMLY Warns
them by saying
to them;
2) Read
Scripture - Revelation
2:5 Remember
therefore from
where you have
fallen; repent
and do the
first
works, or else I
will come to you quickly
and remove your
lamp stand from
its place —
unless you
repent.
3) They
May be Condemned - When
Jesus Christ
said I will come
to you quickly
and remove your
lamp
stand, he means
when he comes in
judgment of
their church,
and remove them
as one of his
churches, as
part of the Body
of Jesus Christ
to no longer be
a member of the
Body, a part of
him. In other
words
Jesus Holy
Words, his Holy
Truths shall be
taken away from
them, his
presence will no
longer be there
with them and
they will be
condemned with
the rest of the
world.
They will be
tossed into the
lake of fire
will the rest of
this wicked
world if they do
not repent and
turn
from
their wickedness
of their hearts.
d) They
Can be Restored
if they do 3
Things
1) Restoration
Possible - They
can be restored
in their
relationship
with Jesus
Christ, that one
on one
intimate and personal
relationship
with him by
doing the
following 3
things
a) First; Remember
what they have
lost and to
redevelop a zeal
& desire to have
a intimate &
personal close
relationship
with
Jesus Christ
b) Second; Then
they must repent
of their sins
against Jesus
Christ and
change their
hearts & minds
c) Third; They
must do the
works they did
at first such as
intimate prayer,
bible study, and
mediate
on thewonders & Holy
Words
of God (The
Bible) in
obedience,
service and
worship to him
2) No
Light -
This church was
in danger of
losing its light
and we should
notice that this
church is no
longer there and
there is no
light
there either. Is
this how it will
be in these last
days as well?
3) Your
Church
Neglecting
Jesus? -
Is your church
neglecting their
zeal, passion &
desire, & their
intimate love
relationship
with Jesus
Christ? If they
are they had
better beware,
because they
will receive the
exact same
judgment from
Jesus Christ as
the Ephesians
church has may
have received!
e) Jesus
Gives them one
Final
Accommodation
1) They
Hate Nicolaitans
Practices - Jesus
Christ our Lord
does give the
Ephesians Church
another
commendation,
and that is that
they
hate the
practice of the
Nicolaitans,
their False
deeds/ways.
2) Who
are the
Nicolaitans? -
They are
professing
Christians who
hold to false
doctrines
similar to the
doctrines of
Balaam, that
allows
for and
practices
aggressively and
selfishly
desires for
immorality,
including and
not limited to
sexual
immorality.
These practices
may also include
greed, that is
they think gain
is godliness.
f) Listen
& Take Heed to
What Jesus
Christ Says
1) Take
it to Heart - Those
who Love Jesus
Christ will take
to heart HIS
WARNINGS to the
Churches
and they will
examine them
selves
and their church
to see if they
are one the
churches that is
in deep series
trouble with
Jesus Christ.
2) Examine
Themselves - 2
Corinthians 13:5 Examine
yourselves as to
whether you are
in the faith.
Test
yourselves.
Do you not know
yourselves, that
Jesus Christ is
in you? — unless
indeed you are
disqualified.
3) Take
Heed or Receive
Condemnation - If
They Do not take
to Heart Jesus
Christ Warnings
to the
Ephesians
church then they
will only
receive his
judgments and
his
condemnations
rather than his
blessings.
4) Jesus
Christ
Disciplining His
Church - Have
you ever
wondered why in
some churches
that so
many people are sick,
having family
problems, high
divorce rates
and even passing
away before
their time?
Could it be Gods
judgments on
them or is it
test and trials
to see how
faithful they
really are to
Jesus Christ?
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