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It is generally true that when a
person first becomes a believer 

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in Jesus Christ that they are 
overcome with a passion for the 

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Lord Jesus Christ, even though 
they are lacking in knowledge 

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about many things, many truths 
concerning God. 

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But the danger for a new 
believer is that as they grow 

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and as they accumulate an 
increase in knowledge, they at 

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the same time lose their 
enthusiasm for the person of 

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Jesus Christ. 
That is precisely what happened 

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to an entire church in the 
ancient city called Ephesus. 

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And it is this assembly that the
Lord Jesus Christ has his 

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servant John address before any 
other in the Book of Revelation.

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And I believe there is a reason 
why the Lord Jesus addresses 

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this assembly initially. 
But before we dive into the 

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details, let's read this short 
letter together in Revelation 

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chapter 2, beginning in verse 
one to the Angel of the church 

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in Ephesus, right? 
The words of him who holds the 

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seven stars in his right hand, 
who walks among the seven golden

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lampstands. 
I know your works, your toil, 

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and your patient endurance, and 
how you cannot bear with those 

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who are evil. 
But I've tested those who call 

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themselves apostles and are not,
and found them to be false. 

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I know you're enduring patiently
and bearing up for my name's 

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sake, and you have not grown 
weary, but I have this against 

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you, that you have abandoned the
love that you had at first. 

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Remember therefore, from where 
you have fallen, repent and do 

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the works that you did at first.
If not, I will come to you and 

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remove your lampstand from its 
place, unless you repent. 

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Yet this you have. 
You hate the works of the 

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Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 
He has an ear. 

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Let him hear what the Spirit 
says to the churches, To the one

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who conquers. 
I will grant to eat of the tree 

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of life, which is in the 
paradise of God. 

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Every church has an origin 
story. 

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Some churches emerged because of
a few families in a particular 

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area. 
I feel like there's a lack of 

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true Bible teaching. 
So they meet in a home and 

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something happens in that place 
where it grows into an 

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organization, an Organism, a 
local church. 

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Other formations have occurred 
because of an evangelist who 

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came into town or a missionary 
and they preached the gospel 

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faithfully and converts came 
about and a church starts. 

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There are other things that 
happen with formations such as 

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an established ministry that 
raises up elders and then as an 

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extension of their church plant 
another one. 

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And some churches even start out
as a youth group and over time 

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they grow into a multi 
generational ministry. 

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I love hearing about how people 
come to Jesus Christ. 

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I equally enjoy knowing how 
somebody was called into the 

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ministry, and I find great 
thrill in hearing testimonies of

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how the Holy Spirit of God 
raises up churches across the 

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world. 
And if you're like me, then you 

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will enjoy this message today 
because the Holy Spirit has 

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given us the very details, the 
very account of how this church 

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in Ephesus started the first 
time. 

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The word, the name Ephesus 
appears is in the book of Acts, 

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specifically in chapter 18. 
So let's turn there together in 

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Acts 18 verse 18. 
This was after Paul plants a 

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church in Corinth. 
We read here that he travels to 

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Ephesus with his new friends 
Priscilla and Aquila. 

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Acts 1818 reads. 
After this Paul stayed many days

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longer and then took leave of 
the brothers and set sail for 

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Syria and with him, Priscilla 
and Aquila at Saint Cray. 

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He had out, he had his, he cut 
his hair for he was under a vow,

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and they came to Ephesus and he 
left them there. 

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But he himself went into a 
synagogue and reasoned with the 

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Jews. 
So Paul leaves Corinth, makes 

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his way to Syria, then comes to 
Ephesus and evidently something 

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special was happening there. 
Paul felt the need to move on, 

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but he he asked Priscilla and 
Aquila to remain in Ephesus to 

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nurture something that God was 
beginning to do in the hearts of

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people. 
What we find here is that in 

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Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila 
met the gifted Apollos. 

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Remember we talked about 
Apollos, how he came into town 

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and he was a wonderful order. 
He was limited in his 

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understanding. 
So God used this couple to 

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inform him and to help him grow.
And he was a mighty vessel in 

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the hands of God. 
And after even a brief time, we 

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see added believers coming to 
this place. 

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And Paul, while making travels 
in roads and inland regions, he 

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comes back eventually to 
Ephesus, and that's when things 

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really take off because he every
single day preaches the truth, 

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defends the truth, explains how 
Christ is the Messiah, and this 

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is the fruit of his unabated 
ministry. 

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Scroll down to Acts 19 verse 10.
This continued for two years. 

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Paul was doing this for two 
years straight so that all the 

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residents of Asia heard the word
of the Lord, both Jews and 

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Greeks. 
This is so significant because 

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what what was happening in 
Ephesus was spilling over into 

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neighboring regions. 
The word that was preached now 

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was was having its way across 
the borders of this town. 

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And some believe that even other
churches were planted as a 

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result of what was happening 
here in Ephesus. 

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But it wasn't just the word of 
the Lord that was being 

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expounded. 
There was something else that 

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was happening here that was 
unique. 

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We read here that unusual 
manifestations start taking 

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place, unique miracles that the 
Bible calls extraordinary 

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happening by the hands of Paul 
so that even handkerchiefs 

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people would come in such faith 
and desperation. 

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They would take their napkins, 
they would take aprons and they 

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would have Paul touch it. 
And then they would take those 

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objects and go to those who are 
sick or possessed with demons 

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and they would be expelled. 
And so this is this is awesome. 

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This is unparalleled and we see 
the fruit of what was happening 

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here with the combination of 
word and wonders. 

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Come down to Acts 19 verse 18. 
Also, many of those who are now 

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believers came confessing and 
divulging their practices, and a

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number of those who had practice
magic arts brought their books 

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together and burned them in the 
sight of all, and they counted 

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the value of them and found it 
came to 50,000 pieces of silver.

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So the word of the Lord 
continued to increase and 

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prevail mightily. 
One word to summarize what's 

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happening here in Ephesus. 
One word, revival. 

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Lot of talk about revival these 
days. 

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Revival is breaking out here. 
Revival is happening on this 

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campus. 
Revival is breaking out of this 

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church. 
There are marks of a true 

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revival. 
You can manufacture revival. 

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You can fabricate it. 
You can manipulate people into a

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frenzy, but a true revival will 
cause repentance, radical 

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repentance, and not just 
repentance. 

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With that, the response of the 
people will be a reverential awe

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of God's Word. 
Don't we see that there is 

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repentance here? 
In verse 20, we read that the 

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word of the Lord continue to 
increase and prevail mightily. 

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So be discerning. 
If people claim that there's a 

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move of God, but there isn't 
repentance and there isn't the 

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word of God being proclaimed and
received and obeyed, you have 

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every right to question that 
revival. 

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But all it was a real thing here
in Ephesus. 

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It was a glorious thing and it 
was just more than that. 

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It wasn't just a spontaneous 
visitation of the Spirit of God.

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It wasn't just an episode. 
It led to something else more 

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permanent. 
Because you see, Paul remains 

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here for a total of three years,
and with these culverts, with 

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the sermon, he singles out those
who can lead this church. 

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And so he raises up elders and 
he trains them and he pours into

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them, and they become a very 
powerful church. 

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He stays in touch with them for 
many years. 

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That's where the book of 
Ephesians comes from. 

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And even beyond that, he later 
appoints his disciple Timothy to

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be the teaching pastor of that 
church. 

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In fact, it's more than just the
origins, the Genesis account of 

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this church that makes this 
church impressive. 

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The legacy of its leadership is 
incredible. 

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So again, remember, you had 
Priscilla and Aquila, arguably 

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Apollo's, who helped foster the 
foundation. 

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Paul, yes, he was there as well,
but he comes back to establish 

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the framework. 
He then raises up Timothy to 

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oversee that church with other 
elders. 

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And it is believed that at some 
point, John, the very same John 

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who wrote the Book of 
Revelation, was a Bishop in the 

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church in Ephesus. 
So you're hearing this, you 

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think that's wonderful, that's 
interesting, but how does that 

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help me understand this book? 
Well, I'm persuaded that knowing

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the background may help us 
understand why Christ introduces

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himself the way He does to the 
church in Ephesus. 

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What does he say? 
Look back again to Revelation 

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21, to the Angel of the church 
in Ephesus, right? 

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The words of him who holds the 
seven stars in his right hand. 

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What did we determine about the 
meaning of these stars in his 

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right hand? 
Who were they? 

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The leaders of these churches, 
The elders of these churches, 

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particularly the elder who's in 
charge of instructing and 

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speaking to these churches. 
And Christ resurfaces this 

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element of his being to this 
group of believers. 

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Why? 
Could it be because of their 

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impressive spiritual heritage? 
Could it be because of their 

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spiritual pedigree, the 
ministers that they had over the

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years? 
And Christ wants to remind this 

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group of believers, I am the 
center of the church. 

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You know what's possible for 
Christians to do? 

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Become so infatuated with men of
God, with brilliant theologians,

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with missionaries who've done 
great things in nations that 

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nobody would dare to step foot 
in with former reformers and 

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revivalists. 
You can love and appreciate men 

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of God more than God himself, 
servants of Jesus Christ more 

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than Christ himself. 
Listen, I've personally heard 

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ministers who talk about those 
of the past, who even talk about

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current pastors with greater 
excitement and affection than 

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Christ himself. 
And here you have the Lord Jesus

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introducing him, reintroducing 
himself to the church and says, 

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those ministers are in my hand. 
If it wasn't for me, these 

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ministers wouldn't exist. 
I'm the source of their 

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strength, their insight, their 
power. 

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I'm the one who extends my hand 
and plants them in different 

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places so that they can bless my
people. 

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But the greatest men of God are 
men at best. 

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And if you do know anybody, any 
believer, minister or not, who 

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has lived so sacrificially, such
a sanctified life that has 

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impacted you, never forget the 
source of their godly scent. 

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It's Christ himself, Christ in 
them, Christ oozing out of them.

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And no matter what Christ does 
through someone, remember, he is

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infinitely more glorious, more 
fascinating. 

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And this is what I believe 
Christ is doing here, reminding 

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this church with a wonderful 
history, wonderful roster of 

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leaders and ministers. 
My face outshines these stars. 

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The same one who holds these 
stars, we're told in Revelation 

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2, one walks among the seven 
lamp stands. 

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You get the impression from 
Revelation one that when John 

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initially saw Christ that he was
standing in the midst of these 

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lampstands. 
But there's an added detail now.

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He's walking. 
Christ right now on this Lord's 

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Day is walking and many all 
rather churches. 

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And he's looking at every heart 
from the leadership down. 

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He's examining. 
And this is what we find him 

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doing here. 
He begins by commending this 

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church. 
Come with me to Revelation 22 

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and let's see how he begins. 
He wants to say, I know your 

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works and your toil and your 
patient endurance, and how you 

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cannot bear with those who are 
evil but have tested those who 

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call themselves apostles and are
not, and found them to be false 

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00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:08,320
toil. 
That should stand out to us. 

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He says more than once, I know 
your works. 

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But he says to this church, I 
know your toil. 

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You know what the word toil 
means in the original beating. 

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In other words, I know how 
you're taking a beating. 

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This is a church that labored 
intensely. 

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They work to serve God to the 
point of exhaustion. 

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Now there's a difference of 
being weary of the ministry and 

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being weary in the ministry. 
Two different things. 

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There's some people who give up 
on ministry because it's too 

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difficult. 
That's not this church. 

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They worked hard while serving 
and they would not give up. 

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They were faithful, they were 
committed. 

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They were serious and they gave 
absolutely everything that was 

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in them to volunteer in every 
way possible. 

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Think about it in the modern 
context. 

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After a long week of work, they 
would come to the service. 

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They would come to the church to
help out in any way. 

231
00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:05,600
Friday night evangelism was 
followed up by an early morning 

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00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:07,440
of setting up breakfast for 
fellowship. 

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They gave it all. 
This was not a spectator church.

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00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:15,360
It was buzzing with activity. 
It was filled with energy. 

235
00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:19,360
So many things got done. 
There was no worry about any 

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need because everybody was 
serving in one way or another. 

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I know your toil. 
You're not lazy. 

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You're invested completely. 
But they didn't just serve well.

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This church also suffered well. 
That's what he means by the next

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00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:38,920
thing. 
I know your patient endurance. 

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00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:44,120
Well, we get a sample of what 
this church went through when 

242
00:14:44,120 --> 00:14:48,640
they started because when that 
revival broke out, they put out 

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00:14:48,640 --> 00:14:51,680
many idol making shops out of 
business. 

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00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,040
Remember the the great temple 
Artemis was there. 

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They had different things going 
on in that ancient city. 

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00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:59,680
It was, it was a major one and a
lot of idolatry was taking 

247
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place. 
And we see the trouble that Paul

248
00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:04,880
almost gets himself into because
this frenzy breaks out, this 

249
00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:08,120
riot almost breaks out and it 
gives us a little taste of what 

250
00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:11,040
this church might have endured. 
Think about it this way. 

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Imagine being a church in a 
neighborhood that because of 

252
00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,160
your efforts and the gospel 
being preached and the power 

253
00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:22,320
that was exuding from that 
place, bars shut down, clubs 

254
00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:27,440
shut down, adult entertainment 
places shut down, temples and 

255
00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:31,080
mosques close their doors. 
Somebody's going to get 

256
00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:35,080
irritated. 
You can imagine the harassment 

257
00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:38,960
that they experienced week after
week, but it didn't bother them.

258
00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:43,800
They were fearless. 
They kept going, and Jesus says,

259
00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:50,200
I know your patient endurance. 
But this group wasn't just 

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00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,400
invested practically. 
They were sharp. 

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00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:59,000
They were mindful of other 
things, including sin in the 

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00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:01,440
church. 
Look at the third thing, he 

263
00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:02,920
says. 
Rather, Christ praises them for 

264
00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:06,280
their zero tolerance of sin. 
You cannot bear with those who 

265
00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:09,600
are evil. 
So this group of believers did 

266
00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:12,920
not take unrepentant behavior 
lightly in their assembly in 

267
00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:15,560
their congregation. 
And we have reason to even 

268
00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:19,760
believe that they took seriously
Jesus's mandate for the church 

269
00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:22,920
to confront professing 
Christians who will not let go 

270
00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:26,400
of their sin. 
Let me pause and say this. 

271
00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:30,000
There are many people who have a
variety of ideas of what a 

272
00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:31,560
church should be and what it 
should look like. 

273
00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:35,040
But let me say this. 
The word church appears only 

274
00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:39,400
twice in the four Gospels by the
lips of Jesus. 

275
00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:43,400
Specifically once in Matthew 16 
where he tells Peter, upon this 

276
00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:46,000
revelation of who I am, I will 
build my church, and the next 

277
00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:50,000
time in Matthew 18 where Jesus 
instructs Christians how they 

278
00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:52,640
are to confront one another when
they're in sin. 

279
00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:56,280
Out of all the functions that 
Jesus could have brought up 

280
00:16:56,280 --> 00:16:59,880
about his church, the one thing 
that he focuses on is church 

281
00:16:59,880 --> 00:17:03,760
discipline. 
Think about that church 

282
00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:06,079
discipline. 
He gives the protocol. 

283
00:17:06,079 --> 00:17:09,240
He gives the steps necessary to 
what? 

284
00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:14,680
Keep the local assembly pure. 
Let me ask you this, how many 

285
00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:16,599
churches today take church 
disciplines seriously? 

286
00:17:17,599 --> 00:17:20,040
It's the one thing that Jesus 
brings up about the function of 

287
00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:21,480
the church. 
It doesn't talk about preaching.

288
00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:23,760
The Bible talks about preaching.
It doesn't talk about prayer. 

289
00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:25,800
The Bible talks about prayer 
fellowship. 

290
00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:28,880
Yes, it's there, but I just find
it interesting that are all the 

291
00:17:28,880 --> 00:17:31,560
things that Christ mentions. 
He brings up how we should keep 

292
00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:35,120
each other accountable. 
That's what this church was 

293
00:17:35,120 --> 00:17:38,120
doing. 
They were faithful to that 

294
00:17:38,120 --> 00:17:42,560
mandate. 
More than that, Christ 

295
00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:44,800
congratulated them for their 
discernment. 

296
00:17:46,120 --> 00:17:49,280
He says here, you have tested 
those who call themselves 

297
00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:52,920
apostles and are not and found 
them to be false. 

298
00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:56,080
This is one of the most 
impressive things about the 

299
00:17:56,080 --> 00:17:59,960
church in Ephesus because it 
reveals that they took seriously

300
00:17:59,960 --> 00:18:05,000
the words of their founder, 
namely Paul, who sat with these 

301
00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:09,320
elders before he left them 
permanently. 

302
00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:13,800
And one of the instructions that
he gave them is in Acts 2029 to 

303
00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:15,560
31. 
You don't have to turn there 

304
00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:17,560
unless you want to, but hear 
what Paul says. 

305
00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:21,360
Here's a reminder for us. 
I know that after my departure 

306
00:18:21,640 --> 00:18:26,640
fierce wolves will come in among
you, not sparing the flock, and 

307
00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:30,880
from among your own selves will 
arise men speaking twisted 

308
00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:34,120
things to draw away the 
disciples after them. 

309
00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:40,200
Therefore Acts 2031. 
Therefore be alert, be alert, 

310
00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:44,120
remembering that for three years
I did not cease night or day to 

311
00:18:44,120 --> 00:18:49,760
admonish everyone with tears. 
So he gathers these pastors and 

312
00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:52,880
he says, Listen to me. 
A time is coming where there 

313
00:18:52,880 --> 00:18:55,640
will be false teachers who will 
try to come in and even in your 

314
00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:59,000
own group that will rise and 
they will speak twisted things 

315
00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:01,560
and they will try to get their 
own movement, their own ministry

316
00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:06,320
with deception. 
Be alert, be watchful, be 

317
00:19:06,320 --> 00:19:10,240
discerning. 
And the realization of Paul's 

318
00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:13,360
warning appears in First and 
Second Timothy, where Paul 

319
00:19:13,360 --> 00:19:16,280
reminds Pastor Timothy, hey, 
there are teachers in there that

320
00:19:16,280 --> 00:19:19,400
shouldn't be teaching. 
Address it, Timothy, and under 

321
00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:22,200
his leadership he did. 
And ever since they remained 

322
00:19:22,360 --> 00:19:27,240
alert, vigilant, careful, even 
up to this point. 

323
00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:30,520
In the final letter to the 
Ephesians, Jesus praises this 

324
00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:33,520
church for how they handled 
those who try to come in and 

325
00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:40,160
lure people away from the truth.
So far, we should be impressed. 

326
00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:44,000
This is a remarkable church. 
This is like a five star church.

327
00:19:44,920 --> 00:19:49,800
If anything, we need more 
churches like this, right? 

328
00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:54,120
Active, serving. 
They don't tolerate sin. 

329
00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:57,080
They can smell a false teacher 
from a mile away. 

330
00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:03,320
Give us more churches like this.
And yet Jesus says I have 

331
00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:05,240
something against you. 
And what he has against this 

332
00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:09,320
church is so serious that it 
puts them in danger of losing 

333
00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:13,480
their light as much as looking 
at these. 

334
00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:18,320
Wonderful accolades may inspire 
us. 

335
00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:24,200
They actually warn us because it
reveals that a church on the 

336
00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:33,400
surface can appear so healthy, 
so vibrant, and yet be so far 

337
00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:39,160
from the will of Christ. 
What does He have against this 

338
00:20:39,160 --> 00:20:41,920
ministry? 
Well, before we get into that, 

339
00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:44,920
let's examine some things that 
Christ teaches about his 

340
00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:49,680
example. 
Here's what I mean before we go 

341
00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:51,840
to verse four and look at what 
He has against them. 

342
00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:55,120
Did you notice that Jesus 
compliments before He 

343
00:20:55,120 --> 00:21:00,120
criticizes? 
And if we strive to be like 

344
00:21:00,120 --> 00:21:03,880
Christ, let us imitate Him in 
the way He offers correction. 

345
00:21:05,920 --> 00:21:09,120
One way to do that is, like the 
Master, persuade fellow 

346
00:21:09,120 --> 00:21:12,560
believers that we genuinely 
appreciate and value them before

347
00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:16,800
we attempt to critique them 
because our flesh favors 

348
00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:19,280
pointing out the faults and 
others rather than eagerly 

349
00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:24,480
encouraging Christians. 
But what our Savior teaches us, 

350
00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:26,120
oh, even in this you have an 
example. 

351
00:21:26,120 --> 00:21:30,920
I have an example that when 
needed, rebuke needs to be 

352
00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:32,960
offered. 
It should be wrapped. 

353
00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:38,200
It should be coated with love. 
So he praises this ministry. 

354
00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:41,920
He praises his believers before 
he highlights where they're 

355
00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:46,320
weak, where they're wrong. 
But I even see Jesus here giving

356
00:21:46,320 --> 00:21:48,360
us a model of how we should 
think and engage with 

357
00:21:48,360 --> 00:21:51,960
unbelievers. 
Squirtle verse 6. 

358
00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:55,880
Yet this you have. 
You hate the works of the 

359
00:21:55,880 --> 00:22:01,200
Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 
Who are the Nicolaidans? 

360
00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:03,280
Well, there's a lot of debate, 
not a lot of information in the 

361
00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:04,920
scriptures to come to a clear 
conclusion. 

362
00:22:05,120 --> 00:22:08,040
Some make a case that it was a 
movement that started by 

363
00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:09,800
somebody with a similar name in 
the book of Acts. 

364
00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:11,560
But you can't say that 
dogmatically. 

365
00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:15,560
Whoever the Nicolaidans were, 
they did some things that Jesus 

366
00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:18,160
didn't like. 
But we have another clue. 

367
00:22:18,240 --> 00:22:25,720
Scroll down to Revelation 215. 
So also you have some who hold 

368
00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:31,800
the teaching of the Nicolaidans.
So this group taught something 

369
00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:34,520
and it's believed because their 
presence of the church that they

370
00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:38,080
had a distorted teaching about 
Christianity, about the gospel, 

371
00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:40,360
about what it means to have a 
sanctified life. 

372
00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:47,160
And Jesus praises the church in 
Ephesus for how they abhorred 

373
00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:50,800
the Nicolaitans and what they 
produced and christened them and

374
00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:53,080
beyond. 
But notice what he says. 

375
00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:54,160
You have to read your Bible 
carefully. 

376
00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:57,320
He doesn't say you hate the 
Nicolaitans, does he? 

377
00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:03,640
You hate the works of the 
Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 

378
00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:07,400
Big difference. 
Because Christians, if you're 

379
00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:12,840
not careful, you can hate 
sinners, you can despise 

380
00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:15,840
sinners, you can wish harm on 
sinners. 

381
00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:21,800
That's not the heart of Christ. 
The way to follow Jesus is not 

382
00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:25,840
sinners we hate, but their sin, 
Not false prophets, but we 

383
00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:29,800
despise their perversion. 
Not evil men necessarily, but we

384
00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:32,280
loathe their evil ways. 
And to be able to make that 

385
00:23:32,280 --> 00:23:36,280
distinction in your heart is to 
be that much more like Jesus. 

386
00:23:38,600 --> 00:23:41,040
Now let's come to what he has 
against the church in Ephesus, 

387
00:23:41,600 --> 00:23:44,160
verse 4. 
But I have this against you, 

388
00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:47,280
that you have abandoned the love
you had. 

389
00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:52,360
At first when I looked at this, 
I thought, I'm trying to imagine

390
00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:56,560
how this church reacted when 
this letter was read aloud. 

391
00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:00,160
So you can imagine, like they 
were smiling. 

392
00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:01,800
Verse 2 and verse three, I know 
your words. 

393
00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:03,440
I know your toy. 
I know your patient endurance. 

394
00:24:03,440 --> 00:24:05,480
And they're looking at each 
other like, yeah, he recognizes 

395
00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:08,320
us, Praise God, Wonderful. 
And then finally. 

396
00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:12,640
But I have this against you. 
Was there a collective gasp? 

397
00:24:14,520 --> 00:24:18,240
Did a chilling silence fill that
room? 

398
00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:27,600
This is strange, and though we 
can't know for certain how this 

399
00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:30,760
church reacted, perhaps for us 
more confusion arises than 

400
00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:33,480
anything else. 
Because here's the confusion. 

401
00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:37,120
How can such a devoted group of 
Christians be indicted for being

402
00:24:37,120 --> 00:24:42,600
loveless? 
How can you have Christ saying 

403
00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:46,280
you lack love? 
Is he referring to a love for 

404
00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:48,080
God? 
A love for the fellow brethren? 

405
00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:52,120
A love for the lost. 
Well I love the ESV translation,

406
00:24:52,120 --> 00:24:55,240
but I think in this part here it
makes it a little bit more 

407
00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:57,160
difficult to pin down. 
But when you look at any other 

408
00:24:57,160 --> 00:25:00,400
faithful word for word 
translation, it becomes clear 

409
00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:04,560
The wording might sound familiar
to you because here we see you 

410
00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:08,240
have left the love you had at 
1st and others would say you 

411
00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:15,280
have left your first love. 
So it's not necessarily the 

412
00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:19,320
absence of love, but the object 
of love that's being underscored

413
00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:22,080
here. 
You have left your first love. 

414
00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:24,800
Well, I think the debate is over
right there. 

415
00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:27,280
Why is the debate over? 
Because we know what Jesus said 

416
00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:31,120
about the greatest and 1st 
commandment, that you shall love

417
00:25:31,120 --> 00:25:33,920
the Lord your God with all your 
heart and all your soul, all 

418
00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:37,320
your mind, all your strength. 
And the second one is what? 

419
00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:41,280
Love your neighbor as yourself. 
So you have to highlight that 

420
00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:45,840
word first, your first love. 
What's in view here is love for 

421
00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:51,440
Jesus Christ. 
But doesn't really solve this 

422
00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:55,360
because we're left to wonder 
then, how is it possible for a 

423
00:25:55,360 --> 00:25:59,280
church to be so busy, so 
wholesome, apparently so 

424
00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:03,720
healthy, and be deficient in 
their love for the person of 

425
00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:09,800
Jesus Christ? 
And here's where I think married

426
00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:13,920
people might understand it 
better than others. 

427
00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:19,760
Is it possible to be a busy, 
committed, faithful and 

428
00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:25,200
responsible spouse while being 
affectionately numb towards your

429
00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:28,560
husband or your wife? 
Don't lie. 

430
00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:34,880
It is possible. 
And sadly, many married people 

431
00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:39,280
who were once deeply taken by 
one another have allowed their 

432
00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:43,000
marriage to be reduced to being 
roommates. 

433
00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:47,400
Yeah, the bills are getting 
paid, dinners are being 

434
00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:51,880
prepared. 
You have things being taken care

435
00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:53,800
of at the home. 
Kids are cared for, you have 

436
00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:58,160
vacations planned every year. 
But your heart is not connected 

437
00:26:58,800 --> 00:27:03,520
as it once was. 
And so sincere conversations 

438
00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:05,960
have been replaced with weekly 
to do lists that you have to 

439
00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:10,600
agree on. 
And over time, the focus of a 

440
00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:12,200
marriage is no longer one 
another, but the 

441
00:27:12,200 --> 00:27:14,320
responsibilities that marriage 
demands. 

442
00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:17,120
That's what happened to this 
church. 

443
00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:20,880
They were doing, they were 
doing, they were doing, they 

444
00:27:20,880 --> 00:27:24,760
were doing, but their hearts 
were no longer in it for the 

445
00:27:24,760 --> 00:27:28,600
same reasons. 
When they started, everything 

446
00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:34,800
became a mechanical routine. 
And if a pastor is not careful, 

447
00:27:35,800 --> 00:27:40,640
he can prepare his messages in 
that way where it's no longer 

448
00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:43,200
because you're in love with 
Christ because of how you met 

449
00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:47,000
him that week, and now you're 
coming up to that platform to 

450
00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,320
look at other people that you 
love so that they can fall 

451
00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:51,200
deeper in love with the person 
of Christ. 

452
00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:57,520
It's now a lesson and you want 
to just make sure that it's void

453
00:27:57,520 --> 00:28:00,960
of error and that it's delivered
with some kind of excitement so 

454
00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:03,440
that you can at least satisfy 
the people who are coming to 

455
00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:05,760
hear something. 
And you get that paycheck at the

456
00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:09,800
end of the month. 
Where's the where's the love for

457
00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:12,360
Christ? 
Where's the overflow of how you 

458
00:28:12,360 --> 00:28:14,200
worship them? 
And you received from him and 

459
00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:16,760
you've seen something of his 
beauty and, and his glory and 

460
00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:19,120
you can't wait to somehow show 
it. 

461
00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:24,320
And whatever you're preaching, 
it can happen with pastors. 

462
00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:28,560
It happens to a lot of pastors. 
It can happen with members. 

463
00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:33,440
OK, so yes, praise God, you come
to Friday night Bible study. 

464
00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:37,080
But why? 
It's because you have nothing 

465
00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:40,280
else to do. 
Is it because it's just what you

466
00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:42,560
do on Friday nights and it's a 
little weird if you don't come 

467
00:28:42,560 --> 00:28:45,120
to Bible study Friday nights? 
Or is it because Sunday service 

468
00:28:45,120 --> 00:28:49,560
is not enough and you want to 
know more about Jesus and oh, 

469
00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:52,680
OK, I guess NBC has a Friday 
night Bible study. 

470
00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:55,560
I want more because I want more 
of Christ. 

471
00:28:55,960 --> 00:29:01,560
See the difference? 
If you're saved in this place, 

472
00:29:01,840 --> 00:29:05,520
then you can say with absolute 
confidence, you can recall a 

473
00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:09,960
communion with Christ that 
captivated you when you first 

474
00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:13,120
tasted the truth and have been 
sealed of the Holy Spirit of 

475
00:29:13,120 --> 00:29:16,080
God. 
And you were able to 

476
00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:18,360
effortlessly relate everything 
to him on a personal level. 

477
00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:20,880
Everything that came your way, 
you're able to bring back them. 

478
00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:24,360
Everything that you did, you 
were mindful of him. 

479
00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:31,440
But you see, what some call the 
honeymoon phase is a heart 

480
00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:36,120
posture that Jesus expects for 
us and from us to maintain. 

481
00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:39,840
Can I prove that to you? 
Let's go to Jeremiah chapter 2, 

482
00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:53,850
verse 2, Jeremiah 22. 
Go and proclaim in the hearing 

483
00:29:53,850 --> 00:29:56,730
of Jerusalem. 
Thus says the Lord, I remember 

484
00:29:56,730 --> 00:30:02,090
the devotion of your youth, your
love as a bride, how you 

485
00:30:02,090 --> 00:30:04,890
followed me in the wilderness, 
in a land not sown. 

486
00:30:06,530 --> 00:30:07,810
What is the Lord referring to 
here? 

487
00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:11,560
The love that Israel had when 
they were first delivered from 

488
00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:15,680
bondage, when they were brought 
out into the wilderness. 

489
00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:18,400
And what the Lord is 
highlighting here is the 

490
00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:21,200
exuberance of this people, the 
soaring affection that they had 

491
00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:24,520
when they were lost but found 
and God longed for it to return.

492
00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:27,640
Where is that love? 
Where is that devotion of youth?

493
00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:30,160
Where is that willingness to go 
where I go? 

494
00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:33,200
You went to a land not sown. 
You're willing to follow me 

495
00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:36,160
there because you were so 
captivated by me. 

496
00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:41,880
I want it back. 
And the same thing happened with

497
00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:44,440
these Christians. 
Their relationship with the Lord

498
00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:46,720
has been reduced to cold 
orthodoxy. 

499
00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:51,320
They can confront sin, no 
problem. 

500
00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:54,640
They can memorize doctrine. 
They can explain it well. 

501
00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:57,240
They can put on many events and 
appear busy. 

502
00:30:57,240 --> 00:31:00,880
But they had a dying heartbeat 
towards Christ. 

503
00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:06,880
Is that the same for you? 
Come on. 

504
00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:09,520
I say this in love. 
I say this after a week looking 

505
00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:11,400
into this and looking into my 
own heart. 

506
00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:14,120
Where's your heart as you hear 
this message today? 

507
00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:17,720
Are you a shell As you sit in 
that Pew? 

508
00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:25,520
Are you empty? 
Is there any kind of aroma to 

509
00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:29,360
your worship? 
Or you sing, but your heart is 

510
00:31:29,360 --> 00:31:32,600
not soft. 
You serve. 

511
00:31:32,600 --> 00:31:36,080
Yes, you're responsible. 
You're dutiful, but it's no 

512
00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:37,600
longer from the place of 
delight. 

513
00:31:40,440 --> 00:31:44,160
This is possible for any of us. 
Let me put it this way. 

514
00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:47,720
Can you confidently say, Lord, 
if you take away my ministry, if

515
00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:52,360
I never have any future 
opportunity, even if you cancel 

516
00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:55,120
my abilities, I will love you. 
I will adore you. 

517
00:31:55,120 --> 00:32:00,920
That's what the Lord is after. 
Because it's a temptation for 

518
00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:03,960
Christians to be more enamored 
with church activity than the 

519
00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:06,920
head of the church. 
He doesn't want that in His 

520
00:32:06,920 --> 00:32:09,400
church, so he calls them to 
repent. 

521
00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:11,760
You know what encouraged me the 
most about this? 

522
00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:16,200
If Christ expects us to maintain
and grow in that personal love 

523
00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:18,040
for Him, then it's possible. 
It's attainable. 

524
00:32:18,240 --> 00:32:21,320
He never asked anything of us. 
That is not possible. 

525
00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:24,520
Never. 
Behind every command, every 

526
00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:28,040
promise, there is the power of 
God for us to walk in it. 

527
00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:31,040
So here's that, what that means 
for you and I. 

528
00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:35,040
We don't have to give in to the 
common trend of Christianity 

529
00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:39,040
that as you grow in age, as you 
grow in experience, you wane and

530
00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:41,320
your affection and your 
enthusiasm for Christ. 

531
00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:47,200
And even if you do, the Lord 
gives us a way out. 

532
00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:50,880
So he doesn't just point his 
finger at where the problem is. 

533
00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:58,200
He quickly offers the solution 
and begins with the letter R 3 

534
00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:03,400
words with the same letter. 
The first thing is to remember 

535
00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:07,080
what do we see here, but I have 
this against you that you have 

536
00:33:07,080 --> 00:33:08,480
abandoned the love you had at 
first. 

537
00:33:08,760 --> 00:33:11,680
Remember verse 5. 
Remember therefore from where 

538
00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:15,280
you have fallen, repent and do 
the works that you did at first.

539
00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:18,920
So remember, imply 
self-assessment that you are to 

540
00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:22,600
examine your own heart and ask 
yourself, is my love for Christ 

541
00:33:22,600 --> 00:33:25,360
where it once was? 
Is it maturing? 

542
00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:26,880
Is it growing? 
Is it stable? 

543
00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:30,120
Is it there? 
And obviously there's something 

544
00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:33,280
unique about those first moments
after you get saved. 

545
00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:37,480
There's something that's 
incomparable really. 

546
00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:40,160
And I don't believe what the 
Lord is asking of Christians is 

547
00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:45,280
to recapture those emotions upon
your first realization of his 

548
00:33:45,280 --> 00:33:46,880
grace, of his forgiveness, of 
his love. 

549
00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:48,800
I don't think that's what he's 
asking for. 

550
00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:52,040
All he's simply saying is 
remember the fellowship you had 

551
00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:55,600
with me, Remember how it was 
personal for you, Remember how 

552
00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:59,480
real it was to you. 
So the Lord is not demanding 

553
00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:01,920
something that is is 
unrealistic. 

554
00:34:02,280 --> 00:34:08,320
It's very possible the way you 
prioritized me, that's what the 

555
00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:12,320
problem is. 
Is it still there or is it 

556
00:34:12,320 --> 00:34:15,520
virtually non existent? 
Would you remember? 

557
00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:19,120
Would you think? 
Would you look back and if 

558
00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:21,880
you're struggling in this place 
to come to a conclusive answer 

559
00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:24,600
because you don't know what 
standard to measure yourself by.

560
00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:29,159
The Bible is our guide. 
Our memories can betray us, our 

561
00:34:29,159 --> 00:34:33,520
feelings can lie to us. 
So the Bible gives us direction 

562
00:34:34,040 --> 00:34:37,560
and I share this last Wednesday 
a prayer because this verse so 

563
00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:41,840
penetrated in my heart. 
So I share it with you now where

564
00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:46,520
Peter tells us in First Peter 
1/8, though you do not see him, 

565
00:34:47,679 --> 00:34:51,080
you love him. 
And though you do not now see 

566
00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:55,199
him, you believe in Him and 
rejoice with a joy that is 

567
00:34:55,199 --> 00:34:58,240
inexpressible and filled with 
glory. 

568
00:35:00,720 --> 00:35:03,720
That's a miracle. 
How can you love somebody that 

569
00:35:03,720 --> 00:35:08,000
you haven't seen physically? 
Clearly, salvation is a work of 

570
00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:10,040
God. 
It's a miracle. 

571
00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:14,560
It testifies to the fact that we
are spirit beings, that we can 

572
00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:17,640
actually love someone even 
though we haven't seen them with

573
00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:20,640
our eyes. 
But here's the main point. 

574
00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:26,280
Did you notice how Peter 
connects love and links it with 

575
00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:30,120
joy? 
In other words, the way you can 

576
00:35:30,120 --> 00:35:33,920
measure if you love Christ is to
reflect upon the joy you have 

577
00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:37,720
for and towards Christ. 
And this is the level of joy. 

578
00:35:37,720 --> 00:35:40,440
It's inexpressible. 
You can't put words to it. 

579
00:35:40,680 --> 00:35:43,440
In other words, if you want to 
know if my love for Christ is 

580
00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:48,680
supreme, what does he bring more
thrill to my soul than anything 

581
00:35:48,680 --> 00:35:51,840
else in this life. 
Oh yes, you enjoy certain 

582
00:35:51,840 --> 00:35:53,840
hobbies, you love traveling, 
looking around, those are all 

583
00:35:53,840 --> 00:35:56,520
wonderful gifts from God. 
But you have to ask yourself 

584
00:35:56,520 --> 00:36:00,840
this, is He better? 
Does he bring me more 

585
00:36:00,840 --> 00:36:02,960
satisfaction than anything else 
in this life? 

586
00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:06,920
Because Peter speaks about a joy
that is inexpressible and filled

587
00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:09,600
with glory. 
That's how you know you love 

588
00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:10,880
him. 
Where's that joy? 

589
00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:14,440
So it's not confessional. 
I love the Lord Jesus Christ. 

590
00:36:14,840 --> 00:36:18,760
OK, where's the joy? 
Where's the delight? 

591
00:36:18,760 --> 00:36:23,880
Where's the happiness? 
The Bible here is not against 

592
00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:26,280
feeling, but this is deeper than
feeling. 

593
00:36:26,280 --> 00:36:28,400
It's conviction that produces 
something. 

594
00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:34,760
You don't have to answer this 
out loud, but do you know how 

595
00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:38,600
the book of Ephesians ends? 
The same epistle that Paul wrote

596
00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:39,960
to the church that John 
addresses? 

597
00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:42,600
It ends in a certain way, and I 
think it's fascinating. 

598
00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:45,720
What's the last verse of the 
book of Ephesians? 

599
00:36:45,960 --> 00:36:52,040
Well, let's go there. 
And Ephesians chapter 6 in verse

600
00:36:52,040 --> 00:37:02,360
24, Grace be with all who love 
our Lord Jesus Christ with love 

601
00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:07,280
incorruptible. 
That's all Paul signs off. 

602
00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:09,440
That's how he concludes his 
thoughts. 

603
00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:12,920
Grace be with all who love our 
Lord Jesus Christ with love 

604
00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:15,280
incorruptible. 
That word incorruptible stood 

605
00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:17,800
out to me. 
I wanted to know what it means. 

606
00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:21,200
It's the same word in the 
original that's used for 

607
00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:25,200
immortality. 
And we know what immortality 

608
00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:26,800
means, right? 
It's for something or someone to

609
00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:30,640
live on forever. 
So what is Paul essentially 

610
00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:32,000
saying to this group of 
Christians? 

611
00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:36,280
There is a grace for those, and 
may there be a grace on those 

612
00:37:36,560 --> 00:37:40,360
who love Jesus Christ with an 
undying love. 

613
00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:47,920
And it's this very same church 
that had a dying love for Christ

614
00:37:48,720 --> 00:37:54,840
in Revelation chapter 2. 
It was disappearing. 

615
00:37:57,280 --> 00:38:01,040
It was robotic ministry. 
It was going through the 

616
00:38:01,040 --> 00:38:08,920
motions, remember. 
And once you remember, repent. 

617
00:38:10,720 --> 00:38:13,040
I can think of many Christians 
and churches that need to 

618
00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:16,520
repent, but this one, Yes, this 
one. 

619
00:38:17,480 --> 00:38:19,480
And it must have been very 
difficult for a hard working 

620
00:38:19,480 --> 00:38:23,120
church to hear that word. 
But here's the point. 

621
00:38:23,120 --> 00:38:27,240
If we're going to receive any 
help from Christ to rekindle 

622
00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:31,720
that love for Him, it requires 
honesty on our part. 

623
00:38:32,640 --> 00:38:36,000
It may not, it may not be 
enjoyable to admit it, but it's 

624
00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:39,880
necessary for Christ to be able 
to do what He only can do in us.

625
00:38:40,880 --> 00:38:44,160
That we have tolerated this, our
hearts being cold towards Him. 

626
00:38:44,560 --> 00:38:48,120
So what does that look like? 
Lord, I, I confess that I'm just

627
00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:51,800
going through the motions. 
I, I admit that I'm more 

628
00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:56,480
passionate about defending 
doctrine than worshipping you. 

629
00:38:58,920 --> 00:39:04,280
I stand here open because I I 
preach, but I'm not really 

630
00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:11,160
passionate. 
I serve, but I'm not satisfied 

631
00:39:11,240 --> 00:39:16,240
in you alone. 
This this step requires 

632
00:39:16,240 --> 00:39:20,760
humility, and that's why I 
believe the Lord, knowing the 

633
00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:24,480
hearts of His own people, would 
be reluctant to admit this. 

634
00:39:24,480 --> 00:39:26,920
So He quickly offers a warning 
with it. 

635
00:39:27,640 --> 00:39:30,960
Come back to verse 5. 
Remember, therefore, from where 

636
00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:33,960
you have fallen, repent and do 
the works you did at first. 

637
00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:38,280
If not, I will come to you and 
remove your lampstand from its 

638
00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:41,200
place unless you repent. 
So what is he saying? 

639
00:39:41,560 --> 00:39:45,280
He wants to alarm them. 
If you don't repent, I will 

640
00:39:45,280 --> 00:39:50,920
remove. 
Now some are satisfied in 

641
00:39:50,960 --> 00:39:53,280
thinking that what Christ is 
saying here is that they're 

642
00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:55,720
going to lose their spiritual 
light in their community, that 

643
00:39:55,720 --> 00:39:57,600
they're not going to have the 
influence they once had. 

644
00:39:58,600 --> 00:40:00,960
That's definitely true, but I 
think it's much more drastic 

645
00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:03,800
than that. 
I believe what Christ is saying 

646
00:40:03,800 --> 00:40:08,840
to this church is, yes, you will
lose your impact, but you'll 

647
00:40:08,840 --> 00:40:12,640
also lose your meetings. 
He's talking about physical 

648
00:40:12,640 --> 00:40:15,920
dispersion here. 
He's talking about shutting this

649
00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:20,360
church down, and he has many 
ways of doing that. 

650
00:40:22,920 --> 00:40:27,800
But why so dramatic? 
And here's what came to mind. 

651
00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:29,760
I think it's because of the 
influence of this church. 

652
00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:35,320
Remember how they really touched
Asia at this time with what was 

653
00:40:35,320 --> 00:40:38,240
happening in their own 
congregation? 

654
00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:43,520
So for Christ to say this, I 
believe in part is I don't want 

655
00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:46,000
what's happening here to be 
replicated elsewhere. 

656
00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:48,920
I don't want all these 
neighboring churches and 

657
00:40:48,920 --> 00:40:51,880
ministries that look up to this 
church as an exemplary model and

658
00:40:51,880 --> 00:40:54,920
then think that this is what I'm
really after, getting really 

659
00:40:54,920 --> 00:40:57,400
busy but not really having a 
heart throbbing for Christ. 

660
00:40:57,440 --> 00:40:58,800
I'm going to shut this place 
down. 

661
00:40:58,800 --> 00:41:00,800
I don't want to copy paste of 
it. 

662
00:41:04,920 --> 00:41:08,520
Jesus sees differently than us. 
Come on, think about it with all

663
00:41:08,520 --> 00:41:10,480
these other churches, if there 
is anyone that deserved to be 

664
00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:14,560
shut down. 
I can think of so many in this 

665
00:41:14,560 --> 00:41:18,360
and in a real life example. 
But again, it goes to show how 

666
00:41:18,360 --> 00:41:19,840
he evaluates what he's really 
after. 

667
00:41:19,840 --> 00:41:22,000
And This is why we're here to to
know his heart. 

668
00:41:22,720 --> 00:41:25,120
Look back at this language he 
says here in verse 5. 

669
00:41:25,120 --> 00:41:28,360
Remember from where you have 
fallen, fallen. 

670
00:41:31,080 --> 00:41:36,640
What's a fallen church to you? 
A church that is scandalized 

671
00:41:37,280 --> 00:41:41,240
with immorality in the 
leadership, embezzlement of 

672
00:41:41,240 --> 00:41:44,440
funds, that's, that's a fallen 
church in my imagination. 

673
00:41:45,560 --> 00:41:49,280
You know what it is to Jesus 
Church that is so busy but is 

674
00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:52,960
not doing it for the Lord. 
That's a fallen Christian. 

675
00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:57,640
That's a fallen church. 
God help us. 

676
00:41:58,440 --> 00:42:02,600
And the danger of hearing this 
is to not take this vanishing 

677
00:42:02,600 --> 00:42:07,320
love seriously. 
So we have to hear his words. 

678
00:42:08,480 --> 00:42:11,280
And this is precisely why I 
believe Christ addresses this 

679
00:42:11,280 --> 00:42:16,240
church first, because we're all 
headed towards greater spiritual

680
00:42:16,240 --> 00:42:19,800
peril when we depart from that 
place of intimate devotion. 

681
00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:23,960
That's where so many things go 
wrong for a Christian and for a 

682
00:42:23,960 --> 00:42:31,000
group of Christians. 
Many things happen when we leave

683
00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:33,800
our first love, many things that
we never thought we would 

684
00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:37,360
invite, that we would allow. 
And that was true for Israel's 

685
00:42:37,360 --> 00:42:41,120
crumbling condition even before 
they crossed the Jordan into the

686
00:42:41,120 --> 00:42:43,000
promised land. 
The Lord warned them. 

687
00:42:43,240 --> 00:42:46,240
He says, listen here, all the 
blessings if you choose life 

688
00:42:46,600 --> 00:42:48,640
here all the curses if you 
choose death. 

689
00:42:49,560 --> 00:42:53,840
And after describing some of 
these curses, he reveals the 

690
00:42:53,840 --> 00:42:56,440
diagnosis. 
He reveals where things will go 

691
00:42:56,440 --> 00:42:59,400
wrong. 
And I want to show it to you. 

692
00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:01,120
Listen to these words. 
I remember studying this in 

693
00:43:01,120 --> 00:43:04,080
Deuteronomy, I think when we 
were studying it together as a 

694
00:43:04,080 --> 00:43:08,720
church, and I never forgot the 
Scripture and Deuteronomy 28, 

695
00:43:08,720 --> 00:43:10,960
verse 47. 
Notice what the Lord says. 

696
00:43:11,640 --> 00:43:14,880
He's speaking to His own people,
and He says, because you did not

697
00:43:14,880 --> 00:43:19,320
serve the Lord your God with 
joyfulness and gladness of 

698
00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:22,920
heart, because of the abundance 
of all things. 

699
00:43:23,040 --> 00:43:27,160
Did you hear that? 
Can I read it again? 

700
00:43:28,680 --> 00:43:32,160
Because you did not serve the 
Lord your God with joyfulness 

701
00:43:32,160 --> 00:43:36,200
and gladness of heart because of
the abundance of all things He 

702
00:43:36,200 --> 00:43:39,640
didn't say. 
Because you didn't serve me, You

703
00:43:39,640 --> 00:43:41,600
didn't serve me with joyfulness 
of heart. 

704
00:43:41,600 --> 00:43:44,760
So what were they doing? 
Does it sound familiar? 

705
00:43:44,760 --> 00:43:48,000
They were willing to serve, but 
they didn't have gladness in the

706
00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:53,920
soul. 
That is one of the reasons why 

707
00:43:53,920 --> 00:43:59,960
they spiraled out of control. 
It started here, serving without

708
00:43:59,960 --> 00:44:06,040
savoring Jesus. 
So he says, listen, you church 

709
00:44:06,040 --> 00:44:08,080
and Ephesus, you need to 
remember, you need to think 

710
00:44:08,080 --> 00:44:09,920
deeply. 
Don't just brush it off. 

711
00:44:09,920 --> 00:44:11,880
Don't just cancel that 
conviction when it visits you 

712
00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:15,520
think, remember from there, if 
you're honest with yourself, if 

713
00:44:15,520 --> 00:44:18,600
you can say, yes, I know, I know
I'm not where I'm supposed to 

714
00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:22,400
be, then you need to repent. 
And lastly, you need to revisit.

715
00:44:24,840 --> 00:44:28,640
Look how specific the Lord is 
back in Revelation 2 and verse 

716
00:44:28,640 --> 00:44:29,800
5. 
Remember therefore from where 

717
00:44:29,800 --> 00:44:35,320
you have fallen, repent and do 
the works you did At first He 

718
00:44:35,320 --> 00:44:38,400
didn't say, OK, if you remember 
and you realize you need to 

719
00:44:38,400 --> 00:44:42,240
repent, then just sit tight and 
wait for a flood of emotion to 

720
00:44:42,240 --> 00:44:47,040
come. 
Wait for a spontaneous surprise 

721
00:44:48,040 --> 00:44:51,160
of the Spirit to just combust 
you so that you can be where 

722
00:44:51,160 --> 00:44:53,440
you're supposed to be. 
He says no, you need to work for

723
00:44:53,440 --> 00:44:55,520
it. 
There are certain things that 

724
00:44:55,520 --> 00:44:59,800
you can do to reignite that 
passion for the personal Christ.

725
00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:03,960
That's that's not far fetched. 
If you've ever done marriage 

726
00:45:03,960 --> 00:45:07,280
counseling and there's some 
trouble in your relationship, 

727
00:45:07,280 --> 00:45:11,800
then you'll hear from a faithful
counselor after assessing, OK, 

728
00:45:12,120 --> 00:45:16,440
there are things that you both 
need to do to re establish this 

729
00:45:16,440 --> 00:45:19,480
love. 
So it's going to require 

730
00:45:19,480 --> 00:45:22,040
something on both of your ends. 
It's going to some planning, 

731
00:45:22,040 --> 00:45:26,880
some thinking here so that as 
you by faith in a sense, engage 

732
00:45:26,880 --> 00:45:29,240
in these activities, something 
will take place, something will 

733
00:45:29,240 --> 00:45:31,280
follow. 
It's no different here. 

734
00:45:32,360 --> 00:45:35,640
Don't just wait for some kind of
supernatural thing to strike 

735
00:45:35,640 --> 00:45:38,560
you. 
No, you need to pick yourself up

736
00:45:38,560 --> 00:45:42,280
and do some things if you want 
this passion to come back. 

737
00:45:43,960 --> 00:45:47,120
And this is the part now the I'm
just going to breathe for a 

738
00:45:47,120 --> 00:45:51,560
second and I want to be very 
practical, very practical. 

739
00:45:51,560 --> 00:45:56,240
I want to help. 
I want to help all of us of how 

740
00:45:56,240 --> 00:46:00,560
if we find ourselves here to be 
where Christ wants us to be. 

741
00:46:00,560 --> 00:46:03,080
So I gave you 3 Rs. 
Let me give you 3 CS. 

742
00:46:05,440 --> 00:46:07,520
First thing you got to do, the 
first work that you have to do 

743
00:46:07,520 --> 00:46:10,560
is communicate. 
Communicate with who? 

744
00:46:10,560 --> 00:46:14,360
With Christ. 
No meaningful relationship can 

745
00:46:14,360 --> 00:46:16,720
happen unless there is clear 
communication. 

746
00:46:18,880 --> 00:46:21,720
And you have probably 
experienced the frustration of 

747
00:46:21,720 --> 00:46:24,920
trying to Foster and deepen in 
your relationship with someone, 

748
00:46:24,960 --> 00:46:28,320
but every time you have to talk 
to them or try to talk to them, 

749
00:46:28,320 --> 00:46:31,600
they're not present. 
So not just communication, but 

750
00:46:31,640 --> 00:46:38,240
undistracted, intentional 
communication, opening your 

751
00:46:38,240 --> 00:46:42,640
heart to Christ. 
You know how many times I've 

752
00:46:42,640 --> 00:46:45,080
come to the Lord? 
I said, Lord, you need to help 

753
00:46:45,080 --> 00:46:50,000
me with my heart. 
Lord, I know your warnings. 

754
00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:52,840
I know where things go wrong for
churches, for ministers, You 

755
00:46:52,840 --> 00:46:58,160
need to help me. 
And sometimes my times of 

756
00:46:58,160 --> 00:47:02,640
prayers looks just like that and
only that for that morning. 

757
00:47:04,040 --> 00:47:09,040
Just help me Lord, let me not 
lose my amazement. 

758
00:47:09,040 --> 00:47:12,760
Let me not lose my my love, my 
appreciation, my adoration. 

759
00:47:12,760 --> 00:47:17,120
Strengthen it in me, protect it,
secure it in me. 

760
00:47:17,120 --> 00:47:21,600
God, I don't want to ever look 
at this Bible with dull eyes. 

761
00:47:22,320 --> 00:47:24,200
I don't ever just want to put 
things together, Lord. 

762
00:47:24,200 --> 00:47:28,160
I want it to just flow out of my
heart because I'm stunned by 

763
00:47:28,160 --> 00:47:32,440
you. 
Communicate, but not just 

764
00:47:32,440 --> 00:47:36,680
communicate, contemplate, 
contemplate. 

765
00:47:38,160 --> 00:47:40,240
I invite you to turn to Psalm 
103. 

766
00:47:40,760 --> 00:47:43,800
This is an example for us. 
I'll wait for you. 

767
00:47:43,840 --> 00:47:47,840
This is a famous passage, but 
look at verse 2 of Psalm 103. 

768
00:47:57,250 --> 00:47:59,410
Let's read it together. 
You don't have to read it out 

769
00:47:59,410 --> 00:48:04,050
loud, but with your eyes. 
Bless the Lord all my soul, and 

770
00:48:04,050 --> 00:48:07,090
forget not all His benefits. 
Who forgives all your iniquity? 

771
00:48:07,090 --> 00:48:09,650
Who heals all your diseases? 
Who redeems your life from the 

772
00:48:09,650 --> 00:48:11,570
pit? 
Who crowns you with steadfast 

773
00:48:11,570 --> 00:48:14,370
love and mercy? 
Who satisfies you with good so 

774
00:48:14,370 --> 00:48:16,210
that your youth is renewed like 
the eagles. 

775
00:48:16,210 --> 00:48:20,520
Do you see it? 
There's a mind soul connection 

776
00:48:20,520 --> 00:48:24,840
here. 
If I want my soul to truly bless

777
00:48:24,840 --> 00:48:30,320
the Lord, I am to remember, not 
forget. 

778
00:48:30,560 --> 00:48:33,480
I am to meditate on certain 
things. 

779
00:48:33,840 --> 00:48:37,240
My soul can't bless unless I'm 
willing to think. 

780
00:48:39,120 --> 00:48:40,800
Forget. 
Not all His benefits. 

781
00:48:40,800 --> 00:48:43,280
Another way to put it is if I 
want something to happen in my 

782
00:48:43,280 --> 00:48:48,240
heart, I got to engage my mind 
is that's where people go wrong.

783
00:48:48,240 --> 00:48:50,000
They're just again, they're 
waiting for some kind of thing 

784
00:48:50,000 --> 00:48:52,160
to visit them in their 
affection. 

785
00:48:52,160 --> 00:48:54,720
Sometimes something just an 
illustration in a sermon 

786
00:48:54,720 --> 00:48:58,080
perhaps, or some kind of 
testimony to take place that 

787
00:48:58,080 --> 00:49:00,960
that may surprise you so that 
you can, you can have that fresh

788
00:49:00,960 --> 00:49:04,800
infatuation. 
No, you need to think, you need 

789
00:49:04,800 --> 00:49:09,520
to contemplate, if you want to 
know this joy that is 

790
00:49:09,520 --> 00:49:12,880
inexpressible and filled with 
glory, you need to be exposed to

791
00:49:12,880 --> 00:49:16,880
His glory. 
That's precisely what we're 

792
00:49:16,880 --> 00:49:20,480
seeing here. 
And God has given us the main 

793
00:49:20,480 --> 00:49:23,280
window to behold Him is this 
book. 

794
00:49:24,360 --> 00:49:28,200
It's right here in front of us. 
So I told you earlier, I was 

795
00:49:28,200 --> 00:49:30,960
reading through Exodus, but I 
finished Genesis last week, and 

796
00:49:30,960 --> 00:49:33,560
one of the things that moved me 
about Genesis was the story of 

797
00:49:33,560 --> 00:49:37,200
Joseph. 
And this is where it was fresh 

798
00:49:37,200 --> 00:49:39,880
for me. 
It wasn't just what God did for 

799
00:49:39,880 --> 00:49:43,720
Joseph. 
It's what God did in Joseph, not

800
00:49:43,720 --> 00:49:47,120
just the, the the clear traces 
of Providence and how, oh, I 

801
00:49:47,120 --> 00:49:49,000
know where this is going. 
Yeah, you're throwing him into a

802
00:49:49,000 --> 00:49:50,120
pit. 
I know you're going to sell 

803
00:49:50,120 --> 00:49:51,920
them. 
But God, I know where this not, 

804
00:49:51,920 --> 00:49:55,320
not just that, as wonderful as 
that is, but how even though God

805
00:49:55,320 --> 00:49:57,920
was orchestrating this story and
putting the pieces together to 

806
00:49:57,920 --> 00:50:01,760
save this nation called Israel, 
he was also doing a personal 

807
00:50:01,760 --> 00:50:05,040
work in this man. 
And when his brothers finally 

808
00:50:05,040 --> 00:50:08,480
came to him, and yes, he tested 
them, but he also unmasked 

809
00:50:08,480 --> 00:50:10,640
himself and he was willing to 
forgive them. 

810
00:50:10,640 --> 00:50:14,200
That's a miracle. 
So people love to talk about the

811
00:50:14,200 --> 00:50:16,640
Providence of God and Joseph, 
you have every right to, but I'm

812
00:50:16,640 --> 00:50:19,320
looking at what God did in that 
man's heart this past week. 

813
00:50:20,240 --> 00:50:22,120
I say I want that in me. 
Yes, what? 

814
00:50:22,120 --> 00:50:23,320
I want to celebrate your 
Providence. 

815
00:50:23,320 --> 00:50:26,360
But can you deal with this heart
that loves to clutch to 

816
00:50:26,360 --> 00:50:30,040
bitterness, loves to think about
what I've been hurt by in the 

817
00:50:30,040 --> 00:50:31,760
past. 
Do a miracle in me. 

818
00:50:33,480 --> 00:50:36,280
I say you behold the glory. 
Yes, Lord, this is available. 

819
00:50:37,480 --> 00:50:42,040
So contemplate and you have to 
do this if there's going to be 

820
00:50:42,040 --> 00:50:45,360
any chance for your heart to 
beat again for the Lord Jesus 

821
00:50:45,360 --> 00:50:48,600
Christ. 
And listen, I'll add this, 

822
00:50:50,120 --> 00:50:54,000
Spurgeon said, Visit many books,
but live in the Bible. 

823
00:50:55,400 --> 00:50:56,920
Visit many books, but live in 
the Bible. 

824
00:50:57,080 --> 00:51:00,280
And I believe those are other 
means of grace in our lives, 

825
00:51:00,760 --> 00:51:03,960
that there are men of God, there
are different people that we 

826
00:51:03,960 --> 00:51:07,040
might know that when you look at
their life, when you sit with 

827
00:51:07,040 --> 00:51:10,360
them, when you read about their 
stuff, it is contagious. 

828
00:51:11,320 --> 00:51:14,880
So look at and look for other 
people who have an infectious 

829
00:51:14,880 --> 00:51:18,600
love for Christ and let that 
iron sharpen your iron. 

830
00:51:18,600 --> 00:51:21,720
And there are many ways of doing
this. 

831
00:51:21,840 --> 00:51:24,000
Personally, what came to mind 
was a little book that I have, 

832
00:51:24,000 --> 00:51:28,400
and I've mentioned this before 
on a Wednesday night, a prayer 

833
00:51:28,400 --> 00:51:31,960
book that's been collected of 
all the Puritans, not all of 

834
00:51:31,960 --> 00:51:35,120
them, but many of them, and just
neatly organized by different 

835
00:51:35,120 --> 00:51:37,000
subjects and different prayer 
requests. 

836
00:51:38,280 --> 00:51:41,120
And though again, I live in the 
Bible, I'm not afraid from time 

837
00:51:41,120 --> 00:51:45,760
to time to look at how some of 
these Puritans prayed and how 

838
00:51:45,760 --> 00:51:50,640
it, it, it impresses me. 
How do you have this love 

839
00:51:50,640 --> 00:51:53,080
language for Christ, for 
somebody they haven't seen? 

840
00:51:53,760 --> 00:51:58,040
I want it, I desire it. 
And sometimes it puts language 

841
00:51:58,040 --> 00:52:00,120
to the things that I can't even 
express to the Lord. 

842
00:52:00,280 --> 00:52:02,560
Can I give you an example? 
This is from the Valley of 

843
00:52:02,560 --> 00:52:03,560
Vision. 
That's the name of the book. 

844
00:52:03,560 --> 00:52:05,040
And page 50. 
Let me just read this to you. 

845
00:52:05,240 --> 00:52:06,680
Lean in, I know it's raining, 
It's OK. 

846
00:52:06,680 --> 00:52:10,840
It's not going to hurt you, but 
just listen to these words and 

847
00:52:10,840 --> 00:52:17,600
page 50 of the Valley of Vision.
Oh Holy Spirit, as the sun is 

848
00:52:17,600 --> 00:52:23,160
full of light, the ocean full of
water, heaven full of glory, so 

849
00:52:23,160 --> 00:52:28,480
may my heart be full of Thee. 
Vain are all divine purposes of 

850
00:52:28,480 --> 00:52:31,800
love and the redemption wrought 
by Jesus, except thou work 

851
00:52:31,800 --> 00:52:34,320
within, regenerating by Thy 
power. 

852
00:52:34,480 --> 00:52:37,600
Giving me eyes to see Jesus, 
show me the realities of the 

853
00:52:37,600 --> 00:52:41,640
unseen world. 
Give me thyself without measure 

854
00:52:42,320 --> 00:52:46,680
as an unpaired fountain, as 
inexhaustible riches. 

855
00:52:46,720 --> 00:52:52,480
I bewail my coldness, poverty, 
emptiness, imperfect vision, 

856
00:52:52,640 --> 00:52:56,840
language, service, prayerless 
prayers and praiseless praises. 

857
00:52:57,720 --> 00:53:00,520
Suffer me not to grieve or 
resist Thee. 

858
00:53:01,880 --> 00:53:06,600
Come as power to expel every 
rebel, lust to reign supreme and

859
00:53:06,600 --> 00:53:09,640
keep me Thine. 
Come as Teacher, leading me to 

860
00:53:09,640 --> 00:53:12,000
all truth, filling me with all 
understanding. 

861
00:53:12,920 --> 00:53:17,160
Come as love that I may adore 
the Father and love Him as my 

862
00:53:17,160 --> 00:53:20,840
all. 
Come as joy to dwell in me, move

863
00:53:20,840 --> 00:53:24,400
in me, animate me. 
Come as light, illuminating the 

864
00:53:24,400 --> 00:53:27,040
scripture, molding me in its 
laws. 

865
00:53:27,680 --> 00:53:31,720
Come as sanctifier, body, soul 
and spirit, Holy thine. 

866
00:53:31,880 --> 00:53:35,960
Come as helper, with strength to
bless and keep directing my 

867
00:53:35,960 --> 00:53:39,840
every step. 
Come as beautifier, bringing 

868
00:53:39,840 --> 00:53:42,920
order out of confusion, loving 
this out of chaos. 

869
00:53:42,920 --> 00:53:47,880
Magnify to me Thy glory by being
magnified in me, and make me 

870
00:53:47,880 --> 00:53:53,000
redolent of Thy fragrance. 
It's hard to read that and not 

871
00:53:53,000 --> 00:53:56,680
get moved. 
Contemplate. 

872
00:53:58,160 --> 00:54:05,120
Lastly, commit. 
Don't leave your undistraction, 

873
00:54:05,480 --> 00:54:08,320
communication with Christ and 
contemplation of Him up to 

874
00:54:08,320 --> 00:54:15,120
chance. 
Pick a place, choose a time, and

875
00:54:16,440 --> 00:54:21,240
protect that pursuit daily. 
Give yourself goals. 

876
00:54:21,240 --> 00:54:23,760
It's OK, but let them be 
realistic. 

877
00:54:25,000 --> 00:54:29,840
How are you going to communicate
and contemplate Christ on a 

878
00:54:29,840 --> 00:54:33,080
daily basis? 
How much time are you able to 

879
00:54:33,080 --> 00:54:34,960
give Him? 
It's not about the duration of 

880
00:54:34,960 --> 00:54:38,040
the time. 
Who would want to spend time 

881
00:54:38,040 --> 00:54:40,760
with someone who is concerned 
about the length of time instead

882
00:54:40,760 --> 00:54:42,280
of the substance of that 
meeting? 

883
00:54:44,880 --> 00:54:46,120
Christ is not interested in 
that. 

884
00:54:48,000 --> 00:54:53,040
That takes a lot of time for 
people to get commit. 

885
00:54:54,080 --> 00:54:56,320
Come up with some rules for 
yourself, because sometimes it 

886
00:54:56,320 --> 00:54:58,600
takes discipline. 
No, no, let me retrace. 

887
00:54:59,080 --> 00:55:02,040
It does takes discipline before 
you reach delight. 

888
00:55:05,120 --> 00:55:07,280
Here's a rule that I know many 
abide by and something that's 

889
00:55:07,280 --> 00:55:11,920
helped me over the years. 
Very simple rule, Bible before 

890
00:55:11,920 --> 00:55:15,080
breakfast. 
Simple right before I eat 

891
00:55:15,080 --> 00:55:16,760
physical food, I'm going to eat 
spiritual food. 

892
00:55:17,600 --> 00:55:18,880
That's it. 
Bible before breakfast. 

893
00:55:19,680 --> 00:55:21,640
You preach that to yourself and 
you remind yourself that and 

894
00:55:21,640 --> 00:55:22,640
there are other things that you 
can go. 

895
00:55:22,640 --> 00:55:25,680
I know people who have very 
unique things that they've 

896
00:55:25,680 --> 00:55:27,680
applied to their own lives so 
that they can make sure that 

897
00:55:27,680 --> 00:55:29,520
they commit to this 
communication and this 

898
00:55:29,520 --> 00:55:34,200
contemplation. 
Repent and do the works that you

899
00:55:34,200 --> 00:55:38,920
did at first. 
And here's the final promise. 

900
00:55:39,320 --> 00:55:41,800
It's not a warning, it's an 
encouragement. 

901
00:55:42,600 --> 00:55:47,760
And verse 7 of Revelation 2, he 
who has an ear, let him hear 

902
00:55:47,760 --> 00:55:51,400
what the Spirit says to the 
churches, to the one who 

903
00:55:51,400 --> 00:55:56,920
conquers, I will grant to eat of
the tree of life, which is in 

904
00:55:56,960 --> 00:56:02,520
the paradise of God. 
You can imagine how this verse, 

905
00:56:02,520 --> 00:56:06,800
which echoes in different ways 
in each letter has caused much 

906
00:56:06,800 --> 00:56:11,440
debate because some may 
interpret this idea of 

907
00:56:11,440 --> 00:56:17,760
conquering, especially when you 
look at the reward, as just a 

908
00:56:17,760 --> 00:56:21,040
general encouragement for all 
believers because they would say

909
00:56:21,040 --> 00:56:24,680
in first John, John calls all 
believers overcomers who have 

910
00:56:24,680 --> 00:56:27,840
put their faith in Christ. 
So this is just really a general

911
00:56:27,840 --> 00:56:31,040
comment for all believers, no 
matter the condition of your 

912
00:56:31,040 --> 00:56:34,240
faith, that we all have this 
promise, we all have eternal 

913
00:56:34,240 --> 00:56:41,760
life, we're all conquerors. 
Others see this as a warning for

914
00:56:41,760 --> 00:56:45,480
believers that if you do not 
overcome this faithfulness in 

915
00:56:45,480 --> 00:56:48,880
this area, then you actually 
risk not inheriting eternal 

916
00:56:48,880 --> 00:56:53,680
life, that you'll be barred from
what in this case, eating of the

917
00:56:53,680 --> 00:56:57,640
tree of life. 
In other words, this teaches to 

918
00:56:57,640 --> 00:57:02,960
some that salvation is not 
guaranteed, and if you're going 

919
00:57:02,960 --> 00:57:05,800
to go with that, then you have 
to also say that it's the 

920
00:57:05,800 --> 00:57:08,800
strength of your love for Christ
that determines if you have 

921
00:57:08,800 --> 00:57:14,440
eternal life. 
Lastly, there are some who 

922
00:57:14,440 --> 00:57:18,960
believe that what John is saying
here by the Spirit is that he is

923
00:57:18,960 --> 00:57:23,600
speaking to believers, genuine 
believers, to strive to overcome

924
00:57:24,080 --> 00:57:28,640
a particular obstacle which will
lead to a reward that will 

925
00:57:28,680 --> 00:57:32,040
enrich their experience of the 
life to come. 

926
00:57:34,560 --> 00:57:38,320
I hold to that point. 
I believe to be an overcomer in 

927
00:57:38,320 --> 00:57:41,560
this context is to be a diligent
believer who matures in a 

928
00:57:41,560 --> 00:57:45,760
specific area of faithfulness 
that Christ will honour in a 

929
00:57:45,760 --> 00:57:49,400
wonderful way. 
He who overcomes. 

930
00:57:49,400 --> 00:57:52,520
Well, if you honor the context, 
what does he ask you to overcome

931
00:57:52,640 --> 00:57:54,800
in this case? 
Negligence and your and your 

932
00:57:54,800 --> 00:57:57,360
love for Christ. 
If you overcome that, then then 

933
00:57:57,360 --> 00:57:59,120
here's a particular specific 
reward. 

934
00:57:59,120 --> 00:58:01,520
Now I know that some of us might
be curious and well, what does 

935
00:58:01,520 --> 00:58:04,320
this really mean? 
And, and, and in some cases does

936
00:58:04,320 --> 00:58:07,440
sound like perhaps he is 
speaking about gaining eternal 

937
00:58:07,440 --> 00:58:09,120
life. 
But then you have to do the work

938
00:58:09,120 --> 00:58:11,600
and compare. 
Is that true in some cases and 

939
00:58:11,600 --> 00:58:13,160
others not? 
We'll get there. 

940
00:58:13,320 --> 00:58:16,320
But I would say that here we 
find that there is a call to 

941
00:58:16,320 --> 00:58:20,520
overcome in order to touch 
something that others who don't 

942
00:58:20,520 --> 00:58:28,760
overcome will not experience. 
Thank God that heaven is 

943
00:58:28,760 --> 00:58:30,960
available to all who repent and 
believe on the Lord Jesus 

944
00:58:30,960 --> 00:58:33,000
Christ. 
But let me say this because I 

945
00:58:33,000 --> 00:58:37,760
fear God, Not every Christian 
will experience what's to come 

946
00:58:37,760 --> 00:58:40,040
in the same way. 
As glorious as it's going to be 

947
00:58:40,040 --> 00:58:43,160
for all of us, if you honor what
Jesus says here, then there are 

948
00:58:43,160 --> 00:58:48,280
particular prizes for those who 
are overcomers or overcomers. 

949
00:58:48,680 --> 00:58:51,640
And here's what Jesus Christ, 
the living Messiah, says. 

950
00:58:51,640 --> 00:58:53,440
The Maranatha Bible Church on 
this Sunday. 

951
00:58:54,440 --> 00:58:58,840
Overcome your coldness towards 
Christ and he is ready to help 

952
00:58:58,840 --> 00:59:04,280
us remember, repent, revisit. 
How do you do that? 

953
00:59:05,480 --> 00:59:07,840
Go back to the place of 
undistracted communication. 

954
00:59:09,040 --> 00:59:11,840
Go back to contemplating. 
And oh, when you're there, 

955
00:59:11,840 --> 00:59:17,200
commit to it, and you will soar 
again in your satisfaction in 

956
00:59:17,200 --> 00:59:19,240
Christ. 
Let's pray, 

957
00:59:33,840 --> 00:59:41,360
Lord, we ask you from a sincere 
heart that you would give us 

958
00:59:41,480 --> 00:59:46,160
that love that's incorruptible 
again, if it has become corrupt,

959
00:59:46,160 --> 00:59:52,080
if it did rot over time, if we'd
allow the maggots of this world 

960
00:59:52,080 --> 00:59:56,400
to eat away at that love. 
Oh, forgive us. 

961
00:59:58,520 --> 01:00:00,600
And Lord, we pray for 
encouragement more than anything

962
01:00:00,600 --> 01:00:04,200
else, that this quality of faith
is possible for every single one

963
01:00:04,200 --> 01:00:09,600
of us. 
And help us, Lord, protect this 

964
01:00:09,600 --> 01:00:14,560
passion when you work it in us 
again, to never forget that 

965
01:00:14,560 --> 01:00:17,960
that's where you're ultimately 
after that, all that we do, all 

966
01:00:17,960 --> 01:00:21,160
that we say, all that we help 
with, that it would come from 

967
01:00:21,160 --> 01:00:23,040
the place of loving you 
personally. 

968
01:00:24,560 --> 01:00:28,200
Help us, Lord. 
So this day we pray, Lord, in 

969
01:00:28,200 --> 01:00:31,120
our own hearts, responding to 
this truth, believing that you 

970
01:00:31,120 --> 01:00:35,680
hear us and that we can walk not
just weeks and months, but year 

971
01:00:35,680 --> 01:00:38,920
after year after year, with a 
maturing love for you. 

972
01:00:40,480 --> 01:00:43,640
Sustain us by your grace. 
In Jesus name we pray. 

973
01:00:44,280 --> 01:00:46,080
Amen. 
Can I ask you to do something? 

974
01:00:46,720 --> 01:00:48,080
It's raining so you can't go 
anywhere. 

975
01:00:48,080 --> 01:00:52,280
Anyway, the praise team is going
to come up. 

976
01:00:54,400 --> 01:00:56,600
Just stay in your seat unless 
you want to stand up. 

977
01:00:56,600 --> 01:00:58,800
You can do whatever you want. 
Just don't distract anybody. 

978
01:00:58,920 --> 01:01:01,960
Take this message to heart. 
Pray this message. 

979
01:01:02,880 --> 01:01:05,880
Translate it in your own life. 
Even if you're walking with a 

980
01:01:05,880 --> 01:01:08,520
brimming love for Christ, ask 
the Lord to secure it. 

981
01:01:09,280 --> 01:01:13,680
Ask the Lord to keep you. 
Let's just talk to the Lord who 

982
01:01:13,680 --> 01:01:16,960
just spoke to us through this 
word and at the right time, 

983
01:01:16,960 --> 01:01:19,000
we're going to sing together. 
Can we do that?