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There is no doubt in my mind 
that I got the better end of the

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deal and being able to come here
than you did for having me, for 

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so many reasons, so many 
reasons. 

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I didn't necessarily say this to
Brother Shifflett yesterday. 

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I found it difficult to say to 
him. 

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Maybe I should have, but he, he 
has become one of my favorite 

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preachers and I listen to him. 
He ministers to me all the time.

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And sometimes I'll text him and 
let him know. 

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But just to be able to rub 
shoulders with him and 

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fellowship with him was a 
tremendous blessing and and an 

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honor. 
And Pastor Almanza and his 

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family, dear friends and for 
many years and very dear to my 

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heart. 
And he knows that. 

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And I appreciate his friendship 
and Pastor Boots and his family,

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the example they've been over 
the years to see how the Lord 

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has used him and his family and 
friends that I can call on and 

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know that they'll tell me the 
right thing. 

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They'll give me the help that I 
need. 

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And just so rare today you find 
those kind of friends. 

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Don't let them go. 
Don't let them go and appreciate

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this church. 
And I also appreciate the area 

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of the country, like Pastor 
mentioned, I, I do love history 

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and I, I just revel in the 
things that I've been able to 

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see. 
And, and then all of the good 

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food we've eaten together And, 
and just man, we've, we've, 

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we've eaten some good food. 
What was the name of that, that 

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sub place we went to that steak 
place, Charlie's. 

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Yeah, get 3. 
There's different, three 

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different sizes and give me the 
big one and just gone. 

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Just just a blessing and 
appreciate the Salonims. 

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For many years I've known them 
and they watch me as a teenager 

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coming to Bible college and 
invested in my life in ways that

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they'll never know just by their
godly example and raising Sarah 

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and C, Brian and brother Johnny 
coming down to Chicago. 

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I could go on and on and on. 
It's a honor and honor, and I 

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mean that from the bottom of my 
heart. 

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Take your Bible and turn with me
to Revelation chapter 2. 

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Revelation chapter 2. 
Brother Amanza and I got 

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together and he asked me what I 
was going to preach on. 

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And I told him and he said that 
it it really just would fit so 

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well together. 
And now I understand exactly 

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what you were saying. 
I don't know how to put this, 

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but I'm going to preach. 
His was a much more pleasant and

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cheerful and, and, and, and 
joyful message that I needed. 

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God dealt with my heart. 
And I mean that by the time he 

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was done preaching, I just 
wanted to get to the altar. 

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God dealt with my heart. 
But the message that I have to 

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bring tonight is what happens if
you don't heed the message that 

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he just preached. 
And it's a scary message. 

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It's it's a message that that 
the text strikes fear in my 

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heart and I hope it does for you
too in such a way that will lead

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you to obey the text. 
The title of the message is 

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Candlestick removed. 
Candlestick removed. 

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It's a scary thought to me that 
we can have all of our doctrine 

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right in our church and still be
rejected by God and have our 

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Candlestick removed, all because
we don't love Jesus like we 

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should. 
It's a scary thought and it 

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strikes fear in my heart and 
makes me want to heed this text 

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to the best of my ability. 
God helping me. 

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Revelation chapter 2. 
Let's look at verse #4 

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Revelation 2 for Scripture. 
Nevertheless, I have somewhat 

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against thee, because thou has 
left thy first love. 

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Remember therefore, from whence 
thou art fallen, and repent and 

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do the first works, or else I 
will come unto thee quickly. 

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That's what scares me quickly. 
And will remove thy Candlestick 

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out of his place, except thou 
repent. 

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Candlestick removed. 
Let's pray. 

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Our heavenly Father, would you 
help me to preach? 

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Would you help me to relay a 
burden on my heart? 

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Would you give me the words the 
the, the mind, the spirit, the 

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unction? 
And then for your dear hearers, 

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I pray that there would be a 
listening heart that we would 

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all listen tonight to what the 
Spirit has to say to the church.

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And I pray this in Jesus name. 
Amen. 

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In Revelation chapter 2 and 
three, there are 7 messages 

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addressed to seven different 
churches. 

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The messages were given by 
Christ to the Apostle John for 

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the sake of relaying those 
messages directly. 

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To each church. 
John was the last living 

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apostle. 
He lived to about age 90 as 

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these letters were coming to him
in one letter to the churches. 

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I'm certainly not standing here 
saying. 

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That I can decipher every jot 
and title for you in the Book of

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Revelation, but each church 
would get a personalized message

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from the risen Savior. 
Just like the State of the Union

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address is given by the 
president. 

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It's supposed to bring us up to 
date on the affairs and the 

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status of our nation. 
These letters to the churches 

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were given as state of the 
church addresses to each 

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individual church by President 
Jesus Christ. 

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John is having a real vision of 
Christ concerning the end times.

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He is hearing the voice of the 
resurrected Savior. 

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And when John heard the voice of
Christ, he turned aside to see 

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what he could see. 
And the Bible says he saw 7 

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golden candlesticks. 
Look at verse chapter one verse 

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#12 chapter one, verse 12. 
And I turned to see the voice 

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that spake with me, and being 
turned, I saw 7 golden 

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candlesticks. 
And in the middle of those 

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candlesticks was the Lord Jesus 
Christ in all his glory. 

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Look at verse #13. 
And in the midst of the seven 

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candlesticks, one like unto the 
Son of Man, clothe with the 

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garment down to the foot, and 
girt about the paps with the 

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golden, don't miss that word, 
golden girdle His head. 

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And his hairs were white like 
wool, as white as snow. 

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And His eyes were as a flame of 
fire, And his feet like unto 

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fine brass, as if they burn in a
furnace. 

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And His voice as the sound of 
many waters. 

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The right hand of Jesus held 
seven stars. 

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Look at the beginning of verse 
#20 the mystery of the seven 

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stars which thou sawest in my 
right hand. 

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So we have 7 stars in the right 
hand of Jesus Christ. 

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What are they? 
What do they represent? 

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Each * Each Candlestick is the 
church that's being addressed, 

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and Jesus is in the mist. 
Look at verse #20 the mystery of

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the seven stars which thou 
sawest in my right hand, and the

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seven golden candlesticks. 
Here it is. 

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The seven stars are the angels 
of the seven churches, and the 

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seven candlesticks which thou 
sawest are the seven churches. 

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So the angels were given as a 
gift to those seven churches. 

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Now the word Angel simply means 
messenger. 

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Messenger. 
Who is the messenger called to a

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church designated to a church? 
But it's pastor. 

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The pastor. 
So the seven stars are the seven

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literal pastors of these 
churches. 

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And the Lord is starting with 
who? 

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He's starting with the 
leadership. 

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He's starting with the stars. 
He's starting with the pastors. 

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The candlesticks are the 
churches themselves. 

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Look at the end of verse #20 and
the seven candlesticks which 

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thou sawest are the seven 
churches. 

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Every church that exists today, 
that is one of Christ's church, 

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that Christ could say this is my
church is one of His 

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candlesticks. 
They're golden to represent His 

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purity and the purity that He 
wants in those churches. 

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Now what's a Candlestick for? 
Brother Almanza just preached it

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for us. 
It's the shine forth the light 

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in this Dark World. 
We are as churches, true 

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churches, to be his Candlestick.
The Bible says in Luke chapter 8

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verse #16 no man when he has 
lighted a candle covereth it 

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with a vessel or putteth it 
under a bed, but setteth it on a

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Candlestick that they which 
enter in may see the light. 

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Our goal is to help people see 
the light and that is why we do 

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our best to try to win souls so 
that people who can't see the 

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light now can have the light 
shined upon them. 

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And that's why as churches we, 
we do everything we can. 

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We we rack our our brains to do 
anything that's right, to try to

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bring people to a saving 
knowledge of the Lord Jesus 

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Christ. 
We'll use technology in a right 

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way. 
We won't compromise the Word of 

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God, though. 
We want people brought not to an

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institution, not a corporation, 
but to the light. 

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And that's why we'll preach 
standards. 

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We want them brought to the 
right thing, to the light 

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shining in His golden holiness. 
That's why we try to raise a 

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godly seed that they might grow 
up beside and get in the battle 

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with us to bring more people to 
the light. 

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That's why we seek to have godly
marriages, because that marriage

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is a picture of Christ and the 
Church. 

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And we want to shine forth as 
light. 

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Mount Victory Baptist Church is 
his Candlestick. 

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It's very obvious to see that. 
Didn't have to be here long to 

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know that by the time that the 
workers meeting was done on 

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Saturday, it was very evident 
that this was the church going 

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in the right direction. 
Yeah, even a Candlestick of our 

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Lord. 
Keep your place here in 

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Revelation, but turn with me to 
Philippians chapter 2. 

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Philippians Chapter. 2 Even 
though our true candlesticks are

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in place, let's not strut around
like independent fundamental 

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Baptist Peacocks let's walk in 
humility so that these churches 

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can remain candlesticks. 
Philippians chapter 2 it was 

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already quoted look at verse #15
the Bible says that ye may be 

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blameless and harmless, the sons
of God without rebuke in the 

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midst of a crooked and. 
Perverse Nation. 

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Among whom ye shine as lights in
the world. 

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Jesus wants us to shine as 
lights. 

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But we must remember we are not 
that true light. 

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Turn to John chapter 1. 
John chapter 1. 

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Jesus is the light of the world.
That's right. 

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But the Candlestick which is US 
is to hold forth that light. 

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John chapter one verse #8 The 
Bible says he was not that 

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light, but was sent to bear 
witness of that light, capital 

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L. 
You'll notice it's talking about

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a person that was the true 
light, which lighteth every man 

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that cometh into the world. 
And so in Revelation we see 

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Christ, the light of the world, 
walking among his candlesticks, 

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holding the seven pastors in his
right hand. 

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That's a good place to be right 
now as one of his pastors in the

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right hand of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. 

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We were St. preaching on the 
corner a week ago. 

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And as I was preaching the 
gospel on the street corner, a 

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00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:57,840
man came to me walking around 
the corner with his sodomite 

192
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partner right next to him. 
He held up the horns and he 

193
00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:04,000
screamed Hell, Satan, Hell 
Satan. 

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00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:06,800
And, and I, I, I, I was like, 
somebody said to him, what did 

195
00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:08,720
he say? 
And he heard them ask that 

196
00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:10,640
question. 
And he said it again, Hell, 

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00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:13,160
Satan. 
And in a world that is as wicked

198
00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:16,360
as that, that is, I'm standing 
on the corner preaching the 

199
00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:19,280
gospel. 
Someone would dare scream that 

200
00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:22,240
in my face. 
It's a comforting thing to know 

201
00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:25,280
that his pastors are secure in 
his right hand. 

202
00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:29,760
That's right. 
But he starts with the pastors. 

203
00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:35,440
Why is Jesus walking among the 
candlesticks? 

204
00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:41,400
What is the imagery there for? 
Jesus is walking among the 

205
00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:44,040
candlesticks because he's 
inspecting them. 

206
00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:50,360
He's working on them. 
He's trimming, he's making sure 

207
00:14:50,360 --> 00:14:54,440
that the oil is there, the power
of his Holy Spirit. 

208
00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:59,360
Candlesticks are often have 
problems and they they need 

209
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repair. 
And so the Lord Jesus Christ is 

210
00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:08,400
walking among the candlesticks. 
The seven letters would have 

211
00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:12,360
been delivered to those churches
and most likely read to the 

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00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:17,760
churches by that pastor. 
It starts with the leadership, 

213
00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:21,680
and that's why you want to pray 
for your pastor, that he has 

214
00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:25,760
God's wisdom and God's power and
God's direction. 

215
00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:30,680
Hey, turning a country upside 
down for right won't start with 

216
00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:33,520
the government. 
Now the government might be 

217
00:15:33,520 --> 00:15:36,680
affected by it, but it doesn't. 
It never starts with the 

218
00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:39,000
government. 
It doesn't start with the media.

219
00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:41,480
It doesn't start with with 
education. 

220
00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:45,320
As was preached, when Christ 
comes, he's looking for the ones

221
00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:48,720
that He. 
Called to be in charge of his 

222
00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:54,360
candlesticks starts right there.
And so the first church dealt 

223
00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:59,320
with here is the church at 
Ephesus, established by Paul 

224
00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:03,800
with Aquila and Priscilla. 
In Acts chapter 18, And so this 

225
00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:10,760
church is that church which gave
us the book of Ephesians, same 

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church. 
By the time we come to 

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Revelation chapter 2, the church
at Ephesus is about 45 years 

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00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:23,720
old. 
And it's as if this church that 

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has these decades behind them 
has let things slip. 

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00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:34,040
And we see that in the passage 
often times when, when, when a 

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00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:37,520
bad car accident happens, that 
there, there, there have been 

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00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:41,040
times when they have tried to 
recreate the accident to try to 

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00:16:41,040 --> 00:16:44,640
find out exactly what happened. 
And, and, and I would like to 

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00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:50,320
just kind of recreate tonight 
this church at Ephesus, what 

235
00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:52,840
took place, what was going 
wrong? 

236
00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:59,160
Christ's message to the church 
at Ephesus was a blistering 

237
00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:04,480
warning that they were about to 
have their Candlestick removed. 

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00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:09,880
Now look with me. 
Chapter 2 of Revelation verse #1

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00:17:10,839 --> 00:17:14,079
The Bible says unto the Angel, 
that is the pastor, as we've 

240
00:17:14,079 --> 00:17:20,400
stated unto the Angel of the 
Church of Ephesus, Right these 

241
00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:24,960
things sayeth he that holdeth 
the seven stars in his right 

242
00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:27,400
hand. 
Those are the pastors who 

243
00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:31,800
walketh in the midst of the 7 
golden candlesticks, The 

244
00:17:31,800 --> 00:17:38,640
churches I know thy works, and 
thy labor, and thy patience, and

245
00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:41,360
how thou canst not bear them 
which are evil. 

246
00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:45,360
And thou has tried them which 
say they are apostles and are 

247
00:17:45,360 --> 00:17:50,320
not, and has found them liars, 
and has born, and has patience, 

248
00:17:50,600 --> 00:17:54,120
and for my name's sake has 
labored and has not fainted. 

249
00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:59,480
Nevertheless I have somewhat 
against thee, because thou has 

250
00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:04,200
left thy first love. 
Remember, therefore, from whence

251
00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:09,440
thou art fallen, and repent and 
do the first works, or else I 

252
00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:14,000
will come unto thee quickly. 
And this, this, this part should

253
00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:19,080
concern you as a church member. 
It concerns me as a pastor. 

254
00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:23,360
Jesus said, I'll come unto thee 
quickly, and we'll remove thy 

255
00:18:23,360 --> 00:18:28,320
Candlestick out of his place, 
except thou repent. 

256
00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:33,600
If the church at Ephesus was in 
danger of having their 

257
00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:38,000
Candlestick removed, then any 
church is in danger of having 

258
00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:41,640
their Candlestick removed. 
You can have your church 

259
00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:45,240
removed. 
Now what does that mean? 

260
00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:48,000
Hey, what? 
What does that exactly mean? 

261
00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:55,200
A removal of Christ's gospel, A 
removal of his hand? 

262
00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:58,960
A removal of his true 
ordinances? 

263
00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:05,360
A removal of His true preaching,
of His true power, of His true 

264
00:19:05,360 --> 00:19:08,240
presence. 
The Lord Jesus Christ can 

265
00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:12,720
literally look down upon a 
church that was a Candlestick 

266
00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:16,520
and say effectively, I unchart 
you. 

267
00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:24,040
I see some things here #1A group
may call themselves a church and

268
00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:27,080
not be a Candlestick of the Lord
Jesus Christ. 

269
00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:32,440
Understand that a real church is
not a church because they have a

270
00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:35,360
building and call themselves a 
building. 

271
00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:39,880
They may have special music. 
The special music here has been 

272
00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:42,840
glorious. 
Let me stop and say that a 

273
00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:47,240
church may have special music. 
They may have offerings. 

274
00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:52,800
They may have special meetings, 
a sermon, a website. 

275
00:19:53,360 --> 00:19:57,720
They may have a beautiful sign 
out front that says so and so 

276
00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:01,040
church. 
But if their Candlestick has 

277
00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:04,160
been removed. 
None of those things matter. 

278
00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:07,000
We may as well hold the funeral 
of the church. 

279
00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:10,160
Now. 
The church at Ephesus, the Bible

280
00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:15,960
tells us, was doctrinally sound.
Could they be in danger of 

281
00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:18,040
having their Candlestick 
removed? 

282
00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:22,800
Yes. 
Yes, the church at Ephesus 

283
00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:28,520
doctrinally was a good church. 
But Jesus said they had fallen. 

284
00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:33,680
Look at chapter 2, verse #5 
Remember, therefore, from whence

285
00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:38,320
thou art fallen. 
The church at Ephesus had 

286
00:20:38,360 --> 00:20:42,200
standards and convictions equal 
or better to any good 

287
00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:44,560
independent fundamental Baptist 
Church. 

288
00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:50,120
Today they might be what we 
would call a great church at 

289
00:20:50,120 --> 00:20:52,800
home. 
I have in my basement boxes of 

290
00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:55,480
old sort of the Lord magazines 
that were given to me. 

291
00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:59,560
I mean from back when John R 
Rice started that that magazine.

292
00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:03,080
You open them up and some of 
them just crumble into powder. 

293
00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:05,320
They're so old. 
And I'll look in there and I'll 

294
00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:10,120
see that it is true What I was 
told that in about every state 

295
00:21:10,120 --> 00:21:14,000
of the union way back then, the,
the, the, the, the largest and 

296
00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:18,240
the most vibrant churches of 
every state almost in the union 

297
00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:23,080
was a church just like this, an 
independent Baptist Church. 

298
00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:28,760
But what happens? 
Pride gets into a church and 

299
00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:32,880
people in that church begin to 
draw a circle around themselves.

300
00:21:32,880 --> 00:21:35,640
And they'll say everything 
that's inside of this circle is 

301
00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:39,240
right and good and everything 
outside of this circle is not 

302
00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:43,640
What's wrong with everyone else?
Your church can have a doctrinal

303
00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:48,240
statement that is bulletproof 
and still be removed as a 

304
00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:52,040
Candlestick. 
The church at Ephesus proves 

305
00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:56,360
that to us. 
They were against the things 

306
00:21:56,360 --> 00:22:00,440
that we are against. 
They were for the things that we

307
00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:04,560
are for. 
I preach against the homosexual 

308
00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:08,280
crowd because my Bible dictates 
that I do that. 

309
00:22:09,120 --> 00:22:12,640
I preach against abortion and 
against tongues. 

310
00:22:13,240 --> 00:22:17,600
I preach for the King James 
Version of the Bible, but what 

311
00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:20,000
the Bible is saying to us 
tonight is you can do all of 

312
00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:23,840
those things and have your 
Candlestick removed. 

313
00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:28,400
The church at Ephesus had the 
bragging rights to be able to 

314
00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:31,080
say we were founded by the 
apostle Paul. 

315
00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:35,320
We were founded by, I mean, if 
they had Founders Week like 

316
00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:37,560
Moody does, they've compromised 
long time ago. 

317
00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:41,600
But if they had Founders Week, 
they could say we were founded 

318
00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:44,040
by Paul. 
The Lord Jesus Christ is saying 

319
00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:45,920
that doesn't matter to me, I'll 
unchurch you. 

320
00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:53,560
We're not sure who the Angel of 
the church was at this time, but

321
00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:57,280
the church was a sound church. 
And I want to stress that this 

322
00:22:57,280 --> 00:23:02,280
church would make the good 
churches of today look liberal. 

323
00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:06,560
When you read the passage in 
Revelation, they are commended 

324
00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:11,000
#1 for being a working church. 
Look at verse #2 chapter 2. 

325
00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:14,280
Verse #2 I know thy. 
Works and thy labor. 

326
00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:18,040
The church at Ephesus, they 
weren't a bunch of slouches. 

327
00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:21,200
They were the type of people 
that when the pastor said, hey, 

328
00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:23,760
there's a new ministry to be 
started, they're going to get 

329
00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:26,040
right behind that thing. 
They're going to roll up their 

330
00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:29,760
sleeves and work hard. 
We should never complain about 

331
00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:34,000
fulfilling the Great Commission.
His last command should be our 

332
00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:37,520
first priority. 
The stations were man at the 

333
00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:40,240
church at Ephesus. 
They took care of business. 

334
00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:43,960
They were a laboring church and 
and and I see that here and I 

335
00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:47,680
believe in that and I love that 
the church and I pastor, we 

336
00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:52,040
praise God by his grace. 
We're a working church up no 

337
00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:54,760
room today for cream puff 
Christians. 

338
00:23:54,760 --> 00:23:59,120
We ought to want to do the work 
of God and when we call for soul

339
00:23:59,120 --> 00:24:02,440
winning, people ought to show up
and then we ought to have the as

340
00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:06,800
pastors just keep on ordering 
tracks because you people and us

341
00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:11,000
pastors keep passing them out. 
And we should labor work for the

342
00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:14,760
night is coming. 
And when we attend funerals, we 

343
00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:18,320
ought to look at that hearse and
say one day we're going to ride 

344
00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:21,000
in that thing if the Lord Jesus 
doesn't come back first. 

345
00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:23,800
And if there's anything we're 
going to do for the Savior, 

346
00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:27,840
let's get it done. 
Now the church at Ephesus not 

347
00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:31,560
only worked, but get this, they 
worked with the right motive. 

348
00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:37,640
Verse #3 and for my name's sake 
has labored and has not fainted.

349
00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:40,200
They weren't laboring to make 
the pastor happy. 

350
00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:43,320
They weren't laboring. 
Because they were afraid of what

351
00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:45,000
would be said if they didn't 
show up. 

352
00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:48,760
Their motive was right. 
The Bible says for thy name's 

353
00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:51,680
sake. 
In their mind they were working 

354
00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:54,920
for Christ and that's exactly 
the way it ought to be. 

355
00:24:56,480 --> 00:25:02,480
This church was about to be 
rebuked even though they were a 

356
00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:06,560
hard working. 
Church and the point I'm making 

357
00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:12,960
is being a hard working church 
won't keep you a Candlestick #2 

358
00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:16,640
they were a patient church. 
Two times they're called patient

359
00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:19,840
in verses 2 and three. 
Look at verse #2 I know thy 

360
00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:25,760
works and thy labor and thy 
patience, and has born verse 3 

361
00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:29,600
and has patience. 
It's not enough to be hard 

362
00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:32,560
working in the work of God, we 
must also be patient. 

363
00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:35,800
And Ephesus would have been the 
temple of Diana. 

364
00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:39,760
All kinds of wickedness, 
prostitution to the idols, and 

365
00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:41,680
all of the wickedness that goes 
with it. 

366
00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:45,960
The temple of Diana was 
destroyed and rebuilt, constant 

367
00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:50,000
idolatry and new believers 
coming to the Lord. 

368
00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:53,200
The Ephesian church had to be 
patient with those outside of 

369
00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:56,000
the walls of the church. 
And so should we. 

370
00:25:57,200 --> 00:25:59,920
And then when they come inside 
of the walls of the church, we 

371
00:25:59,920 --> 00:26:04,160
need to preach hard and preach 
with conviction and preach 

372
00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:07,200
without compromise. 
But we also need to be patient 

373
00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:10,840
with our new believers and bring
them along just the way the Lord

374
00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:12,920
Jesus Christ brought his 
disciples along. 

375
00:26:13,120 --> 00:26:16,640
We need to be patient. 
Ephesus had that. 

376
00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:21,080
They had patience. 
One of the most difficult 

377
00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:26,400
virtues to obtain is patience. 
And if I were to ask, I'm not 

378
00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,040
going to do it tonight for a 
raise of hands of how many of 

379
00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:31,480
you would say I need more 
patience? 

380
00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:35,880
I think the vast majority of us 
would put our hands up. 

381
00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,600
They had it. 
They had what I don't have. 

382
00:26:40,880 --> 00:26:44,480
And they were still in danger of
having their Candlestick 

383
00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:48,360
removed. 
They were a hard working church.

384
00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:51,320
They were a patient church. 
Third, they were a zealous 

385
00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:53,920
church. 
Would you look at verse #2 where

386
00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:58,560
it says, and how thou canst not 
bear them, which are evil. 

387
00:26:59,360 --> 00:27:02,480
What do we see from that? 
The church at Ephesus wasn't 

388
00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:05,200
afraid to practice church 
discipline. 

389
00:27:06,080 --> 00:27:09,320
They could not bear them, which 
were evil. 

390
00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:15,560
Several times over the course of
the 18 years that I've been 

391
00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:18,960
passed through at Cornerstone 
Baptist Church Church, we 

392
00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:22,560
started in 2008, we've had to 
practice church discipline. 

393
00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:26,480
We've had to do this in cases 
where we found out that there 

394
00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:31,000
were members that were involved 
in homosexual behavior, members 

395
00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:33,680
who were working at gambling 
casinos that would not quit 

396
00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:38,880
their job, members that were 
gossiping, members that refused.

397
00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:44,480
To have a repentant attitude 
toward public sin which which 

398
00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:47,960
brought disgrace upon the name 
of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

399
00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:52,520
Church discipline is biblical 
and Ephesus did it. 

400
00:27:53,360 --> 00:27:57,240
The church at Ephesus would have
invited Pastor Shifflett and 

401
00:27:57,240 --> 00:28:00,000
David Cloud to come and preach 
A2 week conference. 

402
00:28:00,360 --> 00:28:03,160
They were rock ribbed. 
They were a zealous church. 

403
00:28:03,360 --> 00:28:06,960
They believed in doctrinal 
purity and ecclesiastical 

404
00:28:06,960 --> 00:28:09,320
separation from the world. 
Look at verse 2. 

405
00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:13,880
And thou has tried them which 
say they are apostles and are 

406
00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:18,440
not, and has found them liars. 
They didn't tolerate false 

407
00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:21,840
doctrine and they were commended
for it. 

408
00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:26,560
And there's a place for that. 
We need to be zealous like the 

409
00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:29,520
Ephesian church. 
I'm not taking anything away 

410
00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:31,160
from what they were. 
Why? 

411
00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:34,640
Because there's places out there
that call themselves churches 

412
00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:39,120
today that are are ordaining 
homosexuals to the pulpit to 

413
00:28:39,120 --> 00:28:42,280
preach. 
The Presbyterian Church in the 

414
00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:47,840
United States and others ordains
open homosexuals to be their 

415
00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:51,480
preachers. 
I tell you that is not a 

416
00:28:51,480 --> 00:28:55,720
Candlestick. 
No way the Evangelical Lutheran 

417
00:28:55,720 --> 00:29:00,520
Church will ordain a homosexual 
if they're in a committed 

418
00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:04,440
relationship. 
That's not a Candlestick. 

419
00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:08,960
That's right. 
Joel Osteen pastors Lakewood 

420
00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:12,440
Church, he said. 
I don't try to make the services

421
00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:16,480
at Lakewood super religious. 
He decided one year to come to 

422
00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:20,840
my city, Chicago, and fill up 
the stadium where the Chicago 

423
00:29:20,840 --> 00:29:23,920
White Sox play, and he called it
a church service. 

424
00:29:24,040 --> 00:29:27,320
Listen to me, brother. 
You can fill a stadium without 

425
00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:29,960
filling heaven. 
That's right. 

426
00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:33,200
It's like a family that has 15 
adopted children. 

427
00:29:33,360 --> 00:29:35,760
They've got a lot of children, 
but no births. 

428
00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:39,880
And you can have a lot of people
in a building and have no one 

429
00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:44,480
getting born again friend. 
Many of these mega churches drop

430
00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:46,160
the word Baptist from their 
name. 

431
00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:49,320
They do it, but out of 
convenience so that they won't 

432
00:29:49,320 --> 00:29:53,840
appear as on edge and offensive 
in their approach to preaching. 

433
00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:56,320
They'll just drop the word 
Baptist from their name, 

434
00:29:57,440 --> 00:30:01,440
embarrassed by the clear 
connotation of those that would 

435
00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:05,600
follow the line of Christ by 
being baptized by immersion 

436
00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:09,680
after salvation. 
The church that Rick Warren used

437
00:30:09,680 --> 00:30:12,520
to pastor? 
Saddleback Church. 

438
00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:17,040
Humanistic to the core, 
self-centered philosophy. 

439
00:30:17,800 --> 00:30:21,320
But he wrote a book, he became 
famous, he filled a building 

440
00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:24,800
with people and, and, and he 
used the the, the, the the 

441
00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:27,960
tactics and the strategies of 
the world to do it. 

442
00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:31,040
He started the church by 
knocking on doors and asking 

443
00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:34,280
unsaved people why they didn't 
go to church and what they would

444
00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:37,960
want in a church. 
Took a survey and then he 

445
00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:43,120
patterned his church after what 
unsaved people said they wanted 

446
00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:47,680
in a church and his son 
committed suicide. 

447
00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:52,080
I don't care what anybody says. 
God doesn't give us children a 

448
00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:55,400
raise so that they can blow 
their brains out for somebody 

449
00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:56,880
else to have to clean off the 
wall. 

450
00:30:57,000 --> 00:31:02,240
That is not a Candlestick. 
Churches pastored by women are 

451
00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:06,920
not a Candlestick. 
That is a blatant disrespect to 

452
00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:11,480
the word of God. 
The Roman Catholic Church is not

453
00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:14,520
a Candlestick. 
Not only is the Roman Catholic 

454
00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:17,840
Church apostate in their 
beliefs, and we could be here 

455
00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:22,040
all night discussing that, but 
they have joined hands with 

456
00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:26,560
those in Africa that practice 
voodoo, saying we need to give 

457
00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:30,000
attention to the traditional 
practices as well. 

458
00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:35,360
That's not a Candlestick. 
Churches that correct the Bible 

459
00:31:36,040 --> 00:31:39,480
are not a Candlestick. 
You see, they wouldn't, they 

460
00:31:39,480 --> 00:31:42,320
wouldn't appreciate somebody get
up here like Pastor Shifflett 

461
00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:45,920
and just preach Pastor Almonds 
with all of that zeal. 

462
00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:47,280
What are you? 
What are you getting so excited 

463
00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:49,360
for? 
You know, just. 

464
00:31:49,360 --> 00:31:55,040
Stand behind the lectern, the 
clear acrylic lectern with your 

465
00:31:55,040 --> 00:32:01,000
blue jeans, your Diet Coke, and 
just and just and just share the

466
00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:04,040
word. 
No, no, no, no. 

467
00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:06,120
Lift up thy voice like a 
trumpet. 

468
00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:10,520
The Bible says, cry aloud. 
They would call us 

469
00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:15,120
fundamentalist, quote, 
literalistic, Amen, 

470
00:32:16,640 --> 00:32:21,640
overconfident, reactionary. 
They criticize preachers quote 

471
00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:26,200
who pepper their presentations 
with so many Bible verses that 

472
00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:28,360
their messages. 
Appear to be straight out of the

473
00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:33,960
scripture. 
Hello, thank you for the 

474
00:32:33,960 --> 00:32:39,280
compliment. 
For God told Paul to tell 

475
00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:43,520
Timothy preach the word. 
But that's where we are today. 

476
00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:48,360
Under the new order of service 
produced by the Scottish 

477
00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:52,240
Episcopal Church. 
God should not be referred to 

478
00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:56,720
with male terminology, should 
not be called Father, should not

479
00:32:56,720 --> 00:33:01,960
be called Son or Man. 
They are not a Candlestick, and 

480
00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:04,240
you don't have to be ashamed to 
say that they're not a 

481
00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:08,240
Candlestick. 
A church in Flint Township, MI 

482
00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:14,040
called The Bridge opened up a 
licensed tattoo parlor inside of

483
00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:17,440
their church building. 
They called it Serenity Tattoo. 

484
00:33:17,640 --> 00:33:21,520
On the church grounds, church 
members can leave services and 

485
00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:24,920
get tattoos on their arms, their
necks, their legs and their 

486
00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:27,200
backs. 
The pastor of the church said 

487
00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:29,960
we're about doing church a 
different way. 

488
00:33:30,720 --> 00:33:32,800
No, no, no, you're not a 
Candlestick, friend. 

489
00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:37,520
You're not a Candlestick. 
A church in San Jose, CA called 

490
00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:41,440
Urban Life provided beer for 
attendees after the service. 

491
00:33:41,800 --> 00:33:45,400
The pastor, Bill Jenkins, said 
that he's made urban life as 

492
00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:49,560
unchurch like as possible. 
There's a short message. 

493
00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:52,720
And and then it's a little bit 
of group discussion and then on 

494
00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:55,920
your way out, you can grab 
yourself a brood again. 

495
00:33:55,920 --> 00:34:00,360
They call themselves churches. 
But please, friend, I say it 

496
00:34:00,520 --> 00:34:04,240
broken hearted almost. 
Those are not candlesticks. 

497
00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:08,120
God does want us to be militant 
for the truth. 

498
00:34:09,280 --> 00:34:13,760
The militancy of our fundamental
movement is just about gone. 

499
00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:18,920
You know, we're fundamentalists 
with emphasis on the fun. 

500
00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:22,239
And I like having fun. 
But listen when we get behind 

501
00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:25,040
the pulpit, when it's time to 
stand for truth, we ought not to

502
00:34:25,040 --> 00:34:28,239
be ashamed, and we ought to be 
firm in what we know to be 

503
00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:32,560
right. 
The church at Ephesus were they 

504
00:34:32,560 --> 00:34:36,120
were working church. 
They were a patient church. 

505
00:34:36,120 --> 00:34:38,679
They were a zealous church. 
Would put us to shame. 

506
00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:44,280
But they were still in danger of
having their Candlestick 

507
00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:49,000
removed. 
The churches today that have all

508
00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:52,280
of these big problems that I 
just listed, the church at 

509
00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:54,280
Ephesus didn't have any of those
problems. 

510
00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:58,480
None of those. 
Problems, but they were still in

511
00:34:58,480 --> 00:35:00,440
danger of having their 
Candlestick removed. 

512
00:35:01,480 --> 00:35:04,880
Point #2 The church at Ephesus 
was a good church that left its 

513
00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:09,040
first love. 
The church at Ephesus was a good

514
00:35:09,240 --> 00:35:14,720
church that left its first love.
After all of these compliments 

515
00:35:14,720 --> 00:35:17,520
and accolades, Jesus rebukes the
church. 

516
00:35:18,240 --> 00:35:21,920
You understand a church can have
just as many wrong things about 

517
00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:24,840
it as good things. 
And the Lord Jesus Christ 

518
00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:29,360
doesn't put aside the bad things
because they're outweighed by 

519
00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:32,200
the good things. 
He tells this church where 

520
00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:35,200
they're failing. 
The same Lord that can commend 

521
00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:37,880
can also rebuke. 
He's not a partial judge. 

522
00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:43,040
And the sin that Christ charged 
this church with was the leaving

523
00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:48,960
of their first love. 
This is not the leaving of your 

524
00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:52,600
first love in the sense of 
leaving the first woman that you

525
00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:54,920
ever loved. 
And so you had this crush in 

526
00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:57,880
kindergarten and you consider 
that your first love and then 

527
00:35:57,880 --> 00:36:00,720
you got transferred to a 
different school and you left 

528
00:36:00,720 --> 00:36:02,880
your first love. 
No, the leaving of the first 

529
00:36:02,880 --> 00:36:07,120
love here means Portia Lewis, my
wife not loving me the way she 

530
00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:10,520
did on August the 7th, 11, 2004,
the day we were married. 

531
00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:16,000
It is the the the losing of the 
level of your love for that 

532
00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:19,800
individual. 
The sin here is not to love. 

533
00:36:19,920 --> 00:36:24,240
Jesus Christ, the way you did 
the day you got saved, and to 

534
00:36:24,240 --> 00:36:28,080
continue in that way, it is a 
lessening of the level of your 

535
00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:30,720
love. 
It is the leaving of the love 

536
00:36:30,720 --> 00:36:33,680
you had for God. 
When you were first aware of his

537
00:36:33,680 --> 00:36:36,960
saving grace? 
When you were first aware of the

538
00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:38,920
change that he could make in 
your life? 

539
00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:41,320
When, when, when that I'm going 
to go into it. 

540
00:36:41,320 --> 00:36:43,080
But when? 
When everything was fresh and 

541
00:36:43,080 --> 00:36:46,400
new and you your. 
Love for Him was strong, and 

542
00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:49,920
that level was high. 
But then you start to leave that

543
00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:54,640
When you first got saved, your 
thoughts of Jesus were in heaven

544
00:36:54,920 --> 00:36:57,840
and the Bible were warm like 
mama's apple pie. 

545
00:36:58,720 --> 00:37:01,000
But but apple pies can cool off,
can't they? 

546
00:37:01,600 --> 00:37:05,120
They can, and that cooling 
effect is the leaving of the 

547
00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:09,240
love you had at first or leaving
your first love. 

548
00:37:10,120 --> 00:37:12,040
It's letting our love level 
drop. 

549
00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:18,440
All of us have to watch our love
level, and I'm not going to ask 

550
00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:20,320
tonight. 
How many of us have ever run out

551
00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:24,160
of gas in our automobiles? 
There be some hands raised. 

552
00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:27,280
Listen to me. 
And because of that, you've 

553
00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:29,920
learned to watch that needle. 
You've learned to watch that 

554
00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:31,680
gauge so that you know where 
you're at. 

555
00:37:31,920 --> 00:37:34,880
And what I'm saying is when our 
when our love for Jesus level 

556
00:37:34,880 --> 00:37:38,680
starts to leave full and starts 
to go down, hey, we're in danger

557
00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:42,800
of having our Candlestick 
removed as a church and we need 

558
00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:46,000
to be careful. 
The Scriptures are telling us 

559
00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:50,760
that Christ is grieved to see 
his people grow cold toward Him.

560
00:37:51,160 --> 00:37:55,240
So grieved that if repentance 
doesn't take place, the entire 

561
00:37:55,240 --> 00:37:59,800
church can be drugged down and 
have their Candlestick removed. 

562
00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:05,480
And with all of those good 
things that they were and that 

563
00:38:05,480 --> 00:38:09,880
they were doing, and we can get 
all up in arms about urban life 

564
00:38:09,880 --> 00:38:12,960
providing beer. 
We can get irate about the 

565
00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:18,200
bridge passing out tattoos, We 
can scream and yell about a 

566
00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:22,080
church that would call God the 
Father, God the Mother, and we 

567
00:38:22,080 --> 00:38:26,280
can get we can get passionate 
about Catholics holding hands 

568
00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:30,160
with voodoo pagans. 
But the church at Ephesus didn't

569
00:38:30,160 --> 00:38:34,800
have any of those problems. 
They were simply a bunch of 

570
00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:39,440
fundamental Christians who were 
cold hearted in their love for 

571
00:38:39,440 --> 00:38:44,880
the Son of God. 
Perfect doctrinal statement, a 

572
00:38:44,880 --> 00:38:48,240
model church, but. 
They're love for Jesus. 

573
00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:52,280
What I'm saying to you tonight 
is it, is it just a bunch of 

574
00:38:52,280 --> 00:38:56,440
rules? 
You know, I'm human and, and 

575
00:38:56,440 --> 00:38:57,720
there's something about my 
makeup. 

576
00:38:57,720 --> 00:39:01,520
I get worked up for a cause. 
And it doesn't take a lot, OK, 

577
00:39:01,640 --> 00:39:04,000
if I think it's right, I want to
champion for it. 

578
00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:06,480
I want to I want to be on the 
right side of history. 

579
00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:08,000
Amen. 
But but listen to me. 

580
00:39:08,120 --> 00:39:11,360
I want to do it not because I'm 
compelled to do it because I 

581
00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:15,280
just want to take a stand, but I
want to love Jesus more. 

582
00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:19,160
When you wake up in the morning,
is your mind on the Savior? 

583
00:39:20,160 --> 00:39:23,080
When you when you when you pull 
it into that parking lot and you

584
00:39:23,080 --> 00:39:25,400
get out of your car and you grab
your Bible to come into this 

585
00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:29,720
service, is it about Jesus, your
love for him? 

586
00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:35,760
That's what makes a church slide
in those other areas that I just

587
00:39:35,760 --> 00:39:38,960
preached. 
They grow cold in their love for

588
00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:43,680
Jesus. 
That's why a pastor can raise 

589
00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:49,640
wicked, ungodly rebels and stay 
in the pulpit in spite of what 

590
00:39:49,640 --> 00:39:51,560
the qualifications in the Bible 
say. 

591
00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:56,040
He loves the praise of man and 
the pulpit more than he loves 

592
00:39:56,320 --> 00:39:59,880
Jesus Christ. 
That's why a Christian can skip 

593
00:39:59,880 --> 00:40:03,320
a service here and there, a 
midweek service here and there 

594
00:40:03,320 --> 00:40:07,440
and and give an excuse to the 
pastor love for Jesus. 

595
00:40:08,360 --> 00:40:11,880
That's why women can be immodest
when they know better. 

596
00:40:12,320 --> 00:40:15,800
The problem isn't that that the 
truth hasn't been presented. 

597
00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:21,040
It's a love for Jesus Christ. 
That passage in the Bible that 

598
00:40:21,040 --> 00:40:24,600
speaks of modesty speaks of 
lifting up the men, lifting up 

599
00:40:24,600 --> 00:40:29,320
holy hands unto God, and like 
manner also that women adorn 

600
00:40:29,320 --> 00:40:32,880
themselves in modest apparel. 
How can our men come into the 

601
00:40:32,880 --> 00:40:36,720
churches of today and lift up 
holy hands when the women are 

602
00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:44,520
are on the pulpit immodest? 
That's why some women can mouth 

603
00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:48,840
their husbands and ignore the 
clear command to reverence their

604
00:40:48,840 --> 00:40:52,520
husband and listen. 
Have have a home that's out of 

605
00:40:52,520 --> 00:41:00,600
order for the sake of carnality,
unwholesome strife in the 

606
00:41:00,600 --> 00:41:07,280
church, bitterness, conflict. 
Even the face of some Christians

607
00:41:07,280 --> 00:41:10,840
you can't even stand to see, 
just sight of them just starts 

608
00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:13,880
to produce feelings in your 
heart that are contrary to the 

609
00:41:13,880 --> 00:41:16,440
word of God. 
But it's it all goes back to a 

610
00:41:16,440 --> 00:41:20,120
love for Jesus. 
That's why your Bible reading is

611
00:41:20,120 --> 00:41:24,440
as dry as a bone. 
No love for Jesus. 

612
00:41:25,240 --> 00:41:27,440
That's why Christians can start 
to rob God. 

613
00:41:27,720 --> 00:41:31,520
That's why soul winning efforts 
can be curtailed and, and cut 

614
00:41:31,520 --> 00:41:33,160
back. 
And you don't get out there and 

615
00:41:33,360 --> 00:41:35,960
and, and and and, and put that 
literature out and knock on 

616
00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:39,080
those doors and talk to those 
coworkers like you once did. 

617
00:41:39,240 --> 00:41:43,640
The problem isn't socialism, 
it's not communism, it's not 

618
00:41:43,640 --> 00:41:46,920
Catholicism, it's not liberalism
or modernism. 

619
00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:50,000
It's cold dead fundamentalism, 
friend. 

620
00:41:50,240 --> 00:41:57,200
And we need to love the Lord 
Jesus like we did at the 1st you

621
00:41:57,520 --> 00:41:59,880
if. 
You, if you met the Savior I met

622
00:42:00,400 --> 00:42:05,040
there was something in here warm
and you loved him and it was 

623
00:42:05,040 --> 00:42:07,000
fervent. 
It was real and not just a 

624
00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:09,520
feeling, but it was it was 
backed up by action. 

625
00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:14,560
We're in danger of having our 
Candlestick removed when we 

626
00:42:14,560 --> 00:42:21,400
won't aim to get back there. 
Friend, turn to Matthew, chapter

627
00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:22,440
24. 
Keep your place. 

628
00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:26,040
In Revelation chapter 2, Christ 
prophesied that this would 

629
00:42:26,040 --> 00:42:31,760
happen. 
And we we certainly see the 

630
00:42:31,760 --> 00:42:33,840
beginning of this in our own 
lifetime. 

631
00:42:34,760 --> 00:42:38,200
We see it all around us. 
And I do believe there's a 

632
00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:41,320
further fulfillment that will be
seen in the future, but we see 

633
00:42:41,320 --> 00:42:45,600
this right now. 
Look at Matthew chapter 24, 

634
00:42:49,000 --> 00:42:55,640
verse #12 Matthew 2412, The 
Bible says. 

635
00:42:55,640 --> 00:43:00,120
And because iniquity shall 
abound, the love of many shall 

636
00:43:00,120 --> 00:43:03,600
wax cold. 
The good thing is that Jesus 

637
00:43:03,600 --> 00:43:07,400
still speaks to his churches 
through his messengers. 

638
00:43:08,080 --> 00:43:12,200
And the rebuke we need is simply
to get back to loving Jesus like

639
00:43:12,200 --> 00:43:16,440
we used to. 
And our doctrine won't change, 

640
00:43:17,000 --> 00:43:19,560
but our practice will. 
It'll change. 

641
00:43:19,560 --> 00:43:22,520
It'll be more in line with what 
the Lord wants us to be. 

642
00:43:23,840 --> 00:43:27,280
So point #3 how does a church 
get back to their first love? 

643
00:43:27,760 --> 00:43:31,760
Praise God, we can get it back. 
I love that old song for revival

644
00:43:31,760 --> 00:43:36,280
can happen, it can happen. 
Jesus gave the church at Ephesus

645
00:43:36,320 --> 00:43:39,720
some advice. 
Get this some advice in the form

646
00:43:39,720 --> 00:43:41,840
of a command. 
OK, I'm giving you some advice, 

647
00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:44,800
but you better do it. 
Look at Revelation, chapter 2, 

648
00:43:45,680 --> 00:43:50,400
verse #5 Revelation chapter 2, 
verse #5 The Bible says, 

649
00:43:50,400 --> 00:43:56,200
Remember therefore from whence 
thou art fallen, and repent, and

650
00:43:56,200 --> 00:44:01,520
do the first works, or else I 
will come unto thee quickly, and

651
00:44:01,520 --> 00:44:04,800
will remove thy Candlestick out 
of his place, except thou 

652
00:44:04,800 --> 00:44:07,280
repent. 
Here it is they were to 

653
00:44:07,280 --> 00:44:10,000
remember. 
Repent. 

654
00:44:10,600 --> 00:44:15,160
And repeat, remember, repent, 
repeat. 

655
00:44:15,440 --> 00:44:20,120
A good church, a sound church, a
zealous church, rock rib, but 

656
00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:22,160
ready to have their Candlestick 
removed. 

657
00:44:22,560 --> 00:44:26,720
Remember, repent, repeat number 
one, remember, remember, 

658
00:44:26,720 --> 00:44:29,960
remember what therefore from 
whence thou art fallen. 

659
00:44:29,960 --> 00:44:32,440
That is the first step to 
revival. 

660
00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:36,760
God is saying in His Word that 
He wants you to remember what it

661
00:44:36,760 --> 00:44:40,000
was like before when you were on
fire. 

662
00:44:40,320 --> 00:44:43,520
The prodigal son, the Bible 
tells us, remembered. 

663
00:44:43,640 --> 00:44:46,000
He thought. 
He thought about what it was 

664
00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:48,200
like back home when he could 
eat. 

665
00:44:48,720 --> 00:44:52,920
The food was good, it was good. 
Remember when the food was good 

666
00:44:52,920 --> 00:44:55,760
at church and you weren't mad at
what the preacher was saying, 

667
00:44:55,920 --> 00:44:58,720
but you ate it and you 
assimilated it and it made you 

668
00:44:58,720 --> 00:45:01,680
better? 
Wasn't it better when the 

669
00:45:01,680 --> 00:45:05,160
preaching of the Word of God 
thrilled your soul and broke 

670
00:45:05,160 --> 00:45:09,000
through that pride and that 
preaching you that that that 

671
00:45:09,000 --> 00:45:12,880
preaching brought peace and joy 
and strength and purity? 

672
00:45:13,120 --> 00:45:15,160
Wasn't it? 
But didn't you sleep better at 

673
00:45:15,160 --> 00:45:16,960
night? 
When you? 

674
00:45:17,040 --> 00:45:19,200
When you? 
Remember those days back when 

675
00:45:19,200 --> 00:45:22,920
you were really right with God? 
How much cheerful did you wake 

676
00:45:22,920 --> 00:45:27,240
up in the morning? 
Remember what it was like to be 

677
00:45:27,240 --> 00:45:32,960
really right with God? 
Remember how sweet it is to sit 

678
00:45:32,960 --> 00:45:36,120
at the feet of Jesus like Mary 
did. 

679
00:45:37,520 --> 00:45:43,640
It must be easier to think of of
death to come and and the valley

680
00:45:43,640 --> 00:45:46,960
of the shadow of death when you 
can remember eternity in heaven 

681
00:45:46,960 --> 00:45:49,880
and you love Jesus. 
We have to remember. 

682
00:45:50,560 --> 00:45:56,680
Remember #2 repent, repent. 
Verse #5 Remember therefore, 

683
00:45:56,680 --> 00:45:59,600
from whence thou art call 
fallen, and repent. 

684
00:46:00,120 --> 00:46:05,600
Sin used to grieve us. 
Repentance is a godly sorrow for

685
00:46:05,600 --> 00:46:08,320
sin that leads us to forsake 
sin. 

686
00:46:08,360 --> 00:46:11,360
Isaiah preached it. 
He said, Seek ye the Lord while 

687
00:46:11,360 --> 00:46:14,720
he may be found, Call ye upon 
him while he is near. 

688
00:46:15,080 --> 00:46:18,840
Let the wicked forsake his way, 
and the unrighteous man his 

689
00:46:18,840 --> 00:46:22,320
thoughts, and let him return 
unto the Lord, and he will have 

690
00:46:22,320 --> 00:46:26,760
mercy upon him and to our God, 
for he will abundantly pardon. 

691
00:46:26,800 --> 00:46:30,240
Repent, repent A sorrow for our 
sin. 

692
00:46:30,240 --> 00:46:31,720
It used to grieve us. 
Remember. 

693
00:46:32,320 --> 00:46:34,800
Yes, Ezekiel cried it out in his
day. 

694
00:46:35,000 --> 00:46:38,480
Repent and turn yourselves from 
all your transgressions. 

695
00:46:38,840 --> 00:46:41,120
So iniquity shall not be your 
ruin. 

696
00:46:41,880 --> 00:46:44,560
Cast away from you all your 
transgressions. 

697
00:46:44,560 --> 00:46:47,680
Why? 
Whereby ye have transgressed and

698
00:46:47,680 --> 00:46:50,360
make you a new heart and a new 
spirit. 

699
00:46:50,840 --> 00:46:55,120
Churches today know more about 
repentant recreation than they 

700
00:46:55,120 --> 00:46:57,800
do repentance. 
And I'm just saying, go back in 

701
00:46:57,800 --> 00:47:01,120
your mind's eye and remember 
when sin used to grieve you. 

702
00:47:01,280 --> 00:47:03,720
We need to be grieved about our 
backsliding. 

703
00:47:04,840 --> 00:47:07,360
Grieve to the point where we 
look back to God. 

704
00:47:08,120 --> 00:47:09,440
Stop blaming people. 
Yeah. 

705
00:47:09,680 --> 00:47:10,800
Come. 
On. 

706
00:47:10,880 --> 00:47:14,240
Blame the one in the mirror. 
We're the ones who've grown 

707
00:47:14,240 --> 00:47:16,480
cold. 
We're the ones who've been 

708
00:47:16,480 --> 00:47:20,560
backslidden. 
Repent, be humble and sincere. 

709
00:47:21,800 --> 00:47:27,280
Then last repeat verse #5 says 
do the first works show the 

710
00:47:27,280 --> 00:47:30,720
Savior the same love you did 
when you gave him your life. 

711
00:47:31,840 --> 00:47:36,200
First thing I think when I think
about the 1st works as prayer, 

712
00:47:37,240 --> 00:47:39,640
remember when you went into your
prayer closet and there was a 

713
00:47:39,640 --> 00:47:42,040
real awareness of the presence 
of God? 

714
00:47:42,960 --> 00:47:46,440
You remember that I believe 
we're so much concerned today 

715
00:47:46,440 --> 00:47:49,560
about our churches being air 
conditioned in prayer 

716
00:47:49,560 --> 00:47:52,760
conditioned and we don't give 
the emphasis to prayer. 

717
00:47:54,560 --> 00:47:57,040
And one of the things I get to 
do is preach at the Pacific 

718
00:47:57,040 --> 00:47:59,600
Garden Mission where Unshackle 
is recorded. 

719
00:47:59,600 --> 00:48:04,880
And I'll go now preach to 2 or 
300 or 400 homeless guests 

720
00:48:04,880 --> 00:48:07,400
there. 
And I remember when I was a bus 

721
00:48:07,400 --> 00:48:09,360
kid and my youth pastor would 
take me there. 

722
00:48:09,360 --> 00:48:12,280
And before the preaching 
services, the, the preachers 

723
00:48:12,280 --> 00:48:14,480
would get together and they 
would pray and they would get a 

724
00:48:14,480 --> 00:48:16,840
hold of God and they would ask 
for God's power. 

725
00:48:17,160 --> 00:48:19,120
And, and, and they don't, they 
don't do that anymore. 

726
00:48:19,120 --> 00:48:21,600
It, it's just the show. 
And they've got the charismatic 

727
00:48:21,600 --> 00:48:24,240
music that they, we don't allow 
that when we go there. 

728
00:48:24,240 --> 00:48:27,040
We take over the service, but 
they use all of that stuff and 

729
00:48:27,840 --> 00:48:30,120
it's gone by the wayside and 
they don't have the prayer 

730
00:48:30,120 --> 00:48:33,400
meetings before the preaching. 
And I'm just saying we have to 

731
00:48:33,400 --> 00:48:37,240
get back to the first works and 
make prayer real. 

732
00:48:37,240 --> 00:48:42,920
Big friend, soul winning. 
If some of you witnessed like 

733
00:48:42,920 --> 00:48:46,280
you did when you first got 
saved, you'd be such a nuisance 

734
00:48:46,280 --> 00:48:51,080
for the devil and God would use 
you to bring sons and daughters 

735
00:48:51,080 --> 00:48:56,080
to glory. 
Cults can give their all and 

736
00:48:56,080 --> 00:48:58,880
true Christians cannot. 
That same day we were on the 

737
00:48:58,880 --> 00:49:00,840
street corner and, and the guys 
came by. 

738
00:49:00,840 --> 00:49:03,600
Hail Satan. 
Some Mormons came by on their 

739
00:49:03,600 --> 00:49:07,000
bikes. 
OK, you know, these, these these

740
00:49:07,000 --> 00:49:10,280
young guys on bikes and white 
shirts and, and Elvis this and 

741
00:49:10,280 --> 00:49:13,160
that and they screamed out 
Jesus. 

742
00:49:13,840 --> 00:49:15,360
They kept on, right? 
I'm thinking, you know, what was

743
00:49:15,360 --> 00:49:19,680
that? 
But they're talking about a 

744
00:49:19,680 --> 00:49:22,480
false Jesus. 
But they're not. 

745
00:49:22,480 --> 00:49:27,240
Ashamed of it. 
And we who know the real Christ 

746
00:49:28,080 --> 00:49:32,320
remember a time in our life when
we were compelled to give out a 

747
00:49:32,320 --> 00:49:36,760
tract. 
Now it's an inconvenience that 

748
00:49:36,800 --> 00:49:42,160
old zeal can be regained. 
For when we lose Holy Ghost 

749
00:49:42,160 --> 00:49:46,920
power and Holy Ghost fire, men 
go to hell fire. 

750
00:49:47,840 --> 00:49:50,120
We must intensify our soul 
winning efforts. 

751
00:49:50,320 --> 00:49:54,120
Third, the first works love for 
soul. 

752
00:49:54,120 --> 00:49:58,040
Hot preaching. 
Soul hot preaching this is just 

753
00:49:58,040 --> 00:50:02,640
about gone and God gave you some
this week by by a brother 

754
00:50:02,640 --> 00:50:04,400
Shifflin. 
You know what that was that was 

755
00:50:04,400 --> 00:50:06,600
soul hot preaching. 
If you didn't love that, 

756
00:50:06,600 --> 00:50:10,240
something's wrong with you. 
Friend and pastor all minds us 

757
00:50:10,240 --> 00:50:13,120
just preaching his heart out and
we can just. 

758
00:50:13,120 --> 00:50:15,440
Sit there like. 
OK, you try to shake me, you try

759
00:50:15,440 --> 00:50:19,480
to move me when you lose your 
love for soul. 

760
00:50:19,480 --> 00:50:23,000
Hot preaching, my friend. 
You're a Candlestick about to be

761
00:50:23,000 --> 00:50:26,840
removed. 
We now have a love for snack bar

762
00:50:26,840 --> 00:50:30,080
preaching, that preaching 
that'll just tie us over. 

763
00:50:30,080 --> 00:50:32,920
What does a snack for? 
It just ties us over not not 

764
00:50:32,920 --> 00:50:35,680
really fill us up. 
You can tell a lot about a 

765
00:50:35,680 --> 00:50:37,840
Christian by what kind of 
preaching they like. 

766
00:50:38,680 --> 00:50:40,040
It's simple. 
The first works. 

767
00:50:40,280 --> 00:50:44,720
What good things were you doing 
that you don't do anymore? 

768
00:50:45,480 --> 00:50:52,040
And you get back to that He that
hath an ear, let them hear what 

769
00:50:52,040 --> 00:50:54,800
the Spirit saith unto the 
churches. 

770
00:50:54,800 --> 00:50:58,320
We're losing so many 
candlesticks in this hour. 

771
00:50:58,880 --> 00:51:01,520
And what do we do when a 
church's Candlestick is is 

772
00:51:01,520 --> 00:51:04,640
evidently removed? 
And what do you do? 

773
00:51:04,720 --> 00:51:08,440
I think you close the doors down
and reopen it as a new church. 

774
00:51:08,440 --> 00:51:12,280
Keep the building, but but a new
church and and trying to jump 

775
00:51:12,280 --> 00:51:14,640
start a church that the 
candlesticks already been 

776
00:51:14,640 --> 00:51:17,120
removed. 
Maybe it's almost time to start 

777
00:51:17,120 --> 00:51:22,640
all over friend. 
Perhaps your church is sound 

778
00:51:24,000 --> 00:51:29,200
like the church at Ephesus and I
believe it is to to the to the 

779
00:51:29,200 --> 00:51:36,120
glory of God, to the credit of a
hard working, soul loving pastor

780
00:51:36,120 --> 00:51:39,840
and his wife and family. 
We're we're looking at a sound 

781
00:51:39,840 --> 00:51:41,760
church. 
It's very evident this church is

782
00:51:42,400 --> 00:51:46,720
has matured in the year that I 
have been gone and it come back 

783
00:51:47,040 --> 00:51:51,960
and you've grown numerically but
more than that I see maturity in

784
00:51:51,960 --> 00:51:54,760
this church and this is a sound 
church going in the right 

785
00:51:54,760 --> 00:52:00,600
direction sound but that doesn't
mean that it's safe can have all

786
00:52:00,600 --> 00:52:06,560
that in order you lose that love
and this is the thing that 

787
00:52:06,560 --> 00:52:10,360
scares me quickly. 
Jesus says quickly. 

788
00:52:10,720 --> 00:52:13,040
Remember, Sampson didn't even 
know that this that his strength

789
00:52:13,040 --> 00:52:15,280
was gone. 
Quickly he'll come and remove 

790
00:52:15,280 --> 00:52:19,600
thy Candlestick, except thou 
repent, pastor. 

791
00:52:33,240 --> 00:52:35,680
Heads bowed and eyes closed. 
Because I want you to think of 

792
00:52:35,680 --> 00:52:37,920
something, and I don't want you 
to be thinking of anything else.

793
00:52:39,080 --> 00:52:41,360
We're looking at anybody else 
when I ask you this question. 

794
00:52:41,360 --> 00:52:43,640
Because this is the thought that
kept going through my mind when 

795
00:52:43,640 --> 00:52:50,200
he was preaching. 
If everyone in this church was 

796
00:52:50,200 --> 00:52:54,800
just like you, would our 
Candlestick be removed? 

797
00:52:58,040 --> 00:53:03,680
If everyone in this church was 
exactly where you are when it 

798
00:53:03,680 --> 00:53:07,840
comes to being on fire for God, 
When it comes to having your 

799
00:53:07,840 --> 00:53:10,320
first love. 
When it comes to doing the 

800
00:53:10,320 --> 00:53:15,240
things that he preached about 
tonight, if everyone in this 

801
00:53:15,240 --> 00:53:21,200
church was just like you, where 
would our Candlestick be? 

802
00:53:22,480 --> 00:53:26,520
Would he have to remove it? 
Because the truth is, you are 

803
00:53:26,520 --> 00:53:28,640
the church. 
You are the church. 

804
00:53:30,800 --> 00:53:32,640
You can have all the things that
he mentioned. 

805
00:53:33,560 --> 00:53:36,760
You can have a pastor that leads
in the right direction. 

806
00:53:37,000 --> 00:53:39,920
You can have people around you 
that are doing some of the 

807
00:53:39,920 --> 00:53:42,640
things that are right. 
But if the whole church is not 

808
00:53:42,640 --> 00:53:46,680
moving in that direction, that's
the Candlestick. 

809
00:53:47,520 --> 00:53:50,040
That's the Candlestick that's 
removed is the church. 

810
00:53:51,440 --> 00:53:54,880
And does God remove it when 
there's one or two or five left?

811
00:53:54,880 --> 00:53:57,600
I don't know. 
But I don't want to get to the 

812
00:53:57,600 --> 00:54:02,560
point where we have to find out 
if everybody was just like you, 

813
00:54:02,560 --> 00:54:05,920
would we have a Candlestick or 
would he have to remove it? 

814
00:54:09,280 --> 00:54:10,720
Father, I thank you for the 
message. 

815
00:54:11,440 --> 00:54:13,200
Thank you for the reminder that 
it is. 

816
00:54:13,720 --> 00:54:16,720
Even in a, in a good church, 
even in a place where things are

817
00:54:16,720 --> 00:54:19,160
happening, even in a place where
there's a lot of emotion and a 

818
00:54:19,160 --> 00:54:22,800
lot of busyness, our Candlestick
can be removed. 

819
00:54:24,720 --> 00:54:28,280
God, may it never be said about 
Mount Victory Baptist Church 

820
00:54:28,280 --> 00:54:32,680
that you had to come and take 
the Candlestick away because we 

821
00:54:32,680 --> 00:54:36,360
were a church in name only. 
We didn't have the power. 

822
00:54:37,040 --> 00:54:40,720
We left our first love. 
May you help us. 

823
00:54:42,520 --> 00:54:44,640
Thank you for all you do in 
Jesus name, Amen. 

824
00:54:44,640 --> 00:54:46,400
As the piano plays. 
If God spoke to your heart 

825
00:54:46,400 --> 00:54:47,160
tonight, you come.