1
00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:06,100
Welcome to the Liberty Baptist 
sermon archives. 

2
00:00:06,300 --> 00:00:09,100
The message you're about to hear
was preached at Liberty, Baptist

3
00:00:09,100 --> 00:00:13,100
Church in Eastern Massachusetts.
You can find out more about us 

4
00:00:13,100 --> 00:00:17,500
or contact us at my Liberty, 
Baptist dot org or just look us 

5
00:00:17,500 --> 00:00:19,800
up on Facebook. 
And now, we hope that this 

6
00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:22,200
message from God's word will be 
a blessing to you. 

7
00:00:24,100 --> 00:00:28,500
As we continue our Series in 
Revelation and we are looking at

8
00:00:28,500 --> 00:00:32,800
the seven churches, just ABS a 
bit of review because it's 

9
00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:34,900
probably a good thing for us to 
take a few minutes to review. 

10
00:00:34,900 --> 00:00:39,800
Revelation 2 and Revelation, 3 
are letters that were written to

11
00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:42,400
seven literal churches that were
in Asia Minor. 

12
00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,900
They were the ones that first 
received the Revelation from 

13
00:00:45,900 --> 00:00:48,400
John there on the Isle of 
Patmos. 

14
00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:53,100
And Jesus Christ has a message 
for each pastor of the seven 

15
00:00:53,100 --> 00:00:55,700
churches and we're To look at 
each of these churches. 

16
00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:57,200
We tried to get through Ephesus 
last week. 

17
00:00:57,200 --> 00:00:59,100
We were not able to do so, but 
that's okay. 

18
00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:01,600
And we are going to look at each
of these churches. 

19
00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,700
And we're going to find that, 
although they are seven literal 

20
00:01:04,700 --> 00:01:09,800
churches that were around around
90, ad, or so. 

21
00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:13,100
And many years after as well. 
We also see that these seven 

22
00:01:13,100 --> 00:01:16,800
churches are representative of 
churches today, as well and some

23
00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:19,400
of the difficulties and some of 
the issues and some of the 

24
00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,000
triumphs that churches have 
today as well. 

25
00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,800
And so, there's a lot that we're
going to find the Reinstructive 

26
00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:27,500
from these churches. 
And so we started from Ephesus 

27
00:01:27,800 --> 00:01:31,600
last week and we saw that each 
of the seven churches is going 

28
00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:36,200
to receive for the most part. 
A commendation Jesus is going to

29
00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:39,200
say things that these churches 
did, right? 

30
00:01:39,300 --> 00:01:40,700
They're going to receive a 
complaint. 

31
00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:43,900
There's some things that these 
churches did wrong and then 

32
00:01:43,900 --> 00:01:46,000
they're going to receive a 
charge, all right? 

33
00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:48,300
This is what the Lord wants you 
to do. 

34
00:01:48,500 --> 00:01:51,500
And so, we started looking at 
that, with Ephesus Ephesus is an

35
00:01:51,500 --> 00:01:53,900
interesting Town. 
It was a town that was prestige.

36
00:01:54,100 --> 00:01:56,300
Aegis. 
Remember it was the greatest 

37
00:01:56,300 --> 00:02:00,600
Metropolis in the Roman Empire 
in Asia during that time. 

38
00:02:00,700 --> 00:02:03,800
It's great and wide Harbor 
allowed shipping to come in 

39
00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,100
trade between East and West. 
A lot of time flowed right 

40
00:02:07,100 --> 00:02:09,900
through Ephesus. 
It was a prestigious place, it 

41
00:02:09,900 --> 00:02:12,700
was a political place because of
its great Prestige. 

42
00:02:12,700 --> 00:02:17,800
It was called a free sitting. 
The Roman Empire did not place 

43
00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:23,000
any army there in and a military
presence with in Ephesus, they 

44
00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:27,400
were able to self And as long as
they mind their p's and q's, 

45
00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,100
they were able to self govern 
themselves. 

46
00:02:30,100 --> 00:02:32,800
Are there were political place 
but they were also very Pagan 

47
00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,500
places. 
Well, you remember that Diana 

48
00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:40,500
was the Goddess that was 
worshipped there and all of the 

49
00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:45,400
great debauchery that took 
place, the god of fertility. 

50
00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:49,400
And so because of that, the 
sexual acts that took place 

51
00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:53,200
there in the name of worship and
of course, Pagan worship false 

52
00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:55,500
worship. 
But In the name of worship, all 

53
00:02:55,500 --> 00:02:57,900
of that took place there in 
Ephesus. 

54
00:02:58,100 --> 00:03:02,000
And so we looked at all of that 
last week and we really only got

55
00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:07,500
to the first part of our lesson 
and I'm a little bit off down 

56
00:03:07,500 --> 00:03:08,100
here. 
There we go. 

57
00:03:09,100 --> 00:03:11,900
We've got to the first part of 
our lesson last week, which was 

58
00:03:11,900 --> 00:03:15,400
the Commendation and so we will 
look at that and as we do. 

59
00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:17,300
So let's go ahead and read our 
text again tonight. 

60
00:03:17,300 --> 00:03:21,900
So Revelation Chapter 2, and 
we'll begin in verse number one.

61
00:03:21,900 --> 00:03:25,400
Where it says this, it says, To 
the angel of the Church of 

62
00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:27,800
Ephesus. 
Write these things saith. 

63
00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:31,500
He that holdeth the Seven Stars 
in his right hand, who walketh 

64
00:03:31,500 --> 00:03:33,500
in the midst of the seven, 
golden candlesticks. 

65
00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:36,500
I know that works and thy 
Labour, and thy patience. 

66
00:03:36,700 --> 00:03:39,500
And how thou canst, not bear 
them, which are evil, and thou 

67
00:03:39,500 --> 00:03:43,100
Hast, tried them, which say they
are Apostles, and are not and 

68
00:03:43,100 --> 00:03:46,000
Hast found them. 
Liars and has born and has 

69
00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:50,500
patience, and for my name's sake
Hast, laboured and Hast, not 

70
00:03:50,500 --> 00:03:52,500
fainted. 
Nevertheless, I have somewhat 

71
00:03:52,500 --> 00:03:55,800
against thee because thou Hast 
Left thy, First Love, remember, 

72
00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:59,300
therefore from whence Thou Art 
fallen and repent, and do the 

73
00:03:59,300 --> 00:04:02,300
first works or else. 
I will come unto thee quickly, 

74
00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:05,800
and will remove thy Candlestick,
out of his place, except thou 

75
00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:08,500
repent. 
But this thou Hast that, thou 

76
00:04:08,500 --> 00:04:12,100
hatest the Deeds of the 
Nicolaitans, which I also hate 

77
00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,200
he that hath an ear. 
Let him hear what the spirit 

78
00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:16,700
saith unto the churches to him, 
that overcometh. 

79
00:04:16,899 --> 00:04:20,500
Will I give to eat of the tree 
of life, which is in the midst 

80
00:04:20,500 --> 00:04:23,700
of the garden of paradise. 
And so in verses number two, and

81
00:04:23,700 --> 00:04:27,800
three And 6, we see that Jesus 
gives the pastor and the church 

82
00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:30,900
at Ephesus a commendation. 
What does he say of them? 

83
00:04:31,100 --> 00:04:34,000
He says, I know your Works, 
you're working, you're doing 

84
00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:39,600
something your labor again, 
re-emphasizing that by patients,

85
00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,500
that they were patient in the 
work that they did for the Lord,

86
00:04:42,700 --> 00:04:44,900
and thou canst, not bear them, 
which are evil. 

87
00:04:44,900 --> 00:04:50,100
That meant that they were not 
going to carry that worldliness.

88
00:04:50,100 --> 00:04:53,700
That was there in Ephesus with 
them in the church as they went 

89
00:04:53,700 --> 00:04:55,500
that They were going to not have
that. 

90
00:04:55,500 --> 00:04:58,400
Be a part of their church and 
has tried them which say they 

91
00:04:58,407 --> 00:05:01,300
are Apostles, and are not and 
Hast found them Liars. 

92
00:05:01,300 --> 00:05:03,700
They didn't take those who call 
themselves quote-unquote. 

93
00:05:03,700 --> 00:05:07,900
Apostles at face value, they 
took their message and balanced 

94
00:05:07,900 --> 00:05:10,900
it against the word of God, and 
they let the word of God be true

95
00:05:10,900 --> 00:05:13,200
as it says. 
And every man a liar, they 

96
00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,700
looked at these ones who call 
themselves Apostles. 

97
00:05:15,900 --> 00:05:18,700
And if they were not Apostles, 
they had no part of them. 

98
00:05:18,900 --> 00:05:23,600
They took no counsel from them 
verse 3 and has borne. 

99
00:05:23,700 --> 00:05:26,200
And as Patience. 
Once again and for my name's 

100
00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:29,300
sake Hast, laboured and Hast, 
not fainted they worked, they 

101
00:05:29,300 --> 00:05:32,300
worked hard. 
And despite the difficulty of a 

102
00:05:32,300 --> 00:05:36,100
church being planted in such a 
wicked and depraved place. 

103
00:05:36,100 --> 00:05:39,600
Like Ephesus, they did not 
faint, they kept going and going

104
00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:41,600
for the Lord. 
And the verse 6, we looked at 

105
00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:45,500
this, but this thou Hast that, 
thou hatest the Deeds of the 

106
00:05:45,500 --> 00:05:49,100
Nicolaitans, which I also hate 
and we don't know exactly who 

107
00:05:49,100 --> 00:05:51,700
the Nick Elations are as a 
little bit of review. 

108
00:05:51,900 --> 00:05:55,400
But we do know that their name 
literally Early means to conquer

109
00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:58,700
the people and we saw that it 
may very well be that it was the

110
00:05:58,700 --> 00:06:02,300
very start of the Priestly 
assumption that would turn into 

111
00:06:02,300 --> 00:06:05,000
later. 
The Roman Catholic Church in 300

112
00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:08,100
or so ad. 
When Constantine puts his 

113
00:06:08,100 --> 00:06:12,300
official stamp of the Roman 
Empire upon the church, thus the

114
00:06:12,300 --> 00:06:15,300
Roman Catholic Church as we know
it today being born. 

115
00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:20,900
And so they said Jesus says to 
the pastor and to the church at 

116
00:06:20,900 --> 00:06:23,900
Ephesus, you have not allowed 
this. 

117
00:06:24,100 --> 00:06:27,100
Type of clergy laity. 
This type of Priestly 

118
00:06:27,100 --> 00:06:32,300
assumption, this type of of 
preeminent Behavior by those who

119
00:06:32,300 --> 00:06:34,900
call themselves leaders. 
You don't want it here. 

120
00:06:34,900 --> 00:06:38,400
And as a reminder of what I said
last week, I am the pastor, but 

121
00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:42,600
I am a person in this church, 
just like anyone else, and that 

122
00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:45,600
God has called me to leadership 
position, but that does not make

123
00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:49,000
me more special to the Lord than
anyone else. 

124
00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:52,300
Is that, we all have to go to 
the Lord the same way and you 

125
00:06:52,300 --> 00:06:53,800
can see that that's not the 
case. 

126
00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:56,700
In the Catholic church and I 
believe that was the sin of the 

127
00:06:56,700 --> 00:06:59,600
nickel ations that we see here 
as well and will come up again 

128
00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:02,500
later as well. 
So that's the Commendation that 

129
00:07:02,500 --> 00:07:05,100
we found here but there was 
something that the church at 

130
00:07:05,108 --> 00:07:08,600
Ephesus wasn't doing right and 
it goes back to our title last 

131
00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:12,400
week about service with a smile.
So there was the Commendation 

132
00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:15,200
but there's also the complaint 
number two. 

133
00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:20,600
Its complaint as wonderful as 
this church was it had a major 

134
00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:23,800
issue and this was it really one
issue. 

135
00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:25,400
One complaint. 
Here it is. 

136
00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:29,600
They lost their first love. 
They lost their first love. 

137
00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:31,800
Look at verse number four, with 
me again, it says this. 

138
00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:36,900
Nevertheless, I have somewhat 
against thee because thou Hast 

139
00:07:36,900 --> 00:07:41,300
left thy First Love. 
Now, what should be the 

140
00:07:41,300 --> 00:07:42,800
church's? 
First love. 

141
00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:47,000
I heard that. 
All right. 

142
00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:48,800
God, that's exactly right. 
Thank you. 

143
00:07:49,100 --> 00:07:51,600
As I hear you, I can hear them, 
but I want to hear you. 

144
00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:53,400
All right. 
Good God. 

145
00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:59,000
Jesus Christ is our first love, 
by the way, when Jesus was asked

146
00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:01,600
about the greatest commandment. 
What did he answer? 

147
00:08:01,900 --> 00:08:04,700
Love the Lord, thy God with all 
thy heart, with all thy soul, 

148
00:08:04,700 --> 00:08:06,800
with all thy mind. 
And the second is like unto it 

149
00:08:06,800 --> 00:08:10,500
love thy neighbor, as thyself 
upon this, hang all the law and 

150
00:08:10,500 --> 00:08:12,600
the prophets were just talking 
about that and our men's bible 

151
00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:17,200
study last night and so our 
first Love as a church ought to 

152
00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:20,700
be God. 
Now listen, that should be 

153
00:08:20,700 --> 00:08:23,600
common sense. 
We're a church. 

154
00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:26,600
I mean you would think because 
we're a church. 

155
00:08:27,100 --> 00:08:29,100
We just ought to naturally love 
God. 

156
00:08:29,100 --> 00:08:31,800
But can I tell you? 
My experience from going to 

157
00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:36,600
church all my life, not the 
right church for 17 years, but 

158
00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:37,900
being in the quote unquote, 
right? 

159
00:08:37,900 --> 00:08:41,600
Church since then, but still 
having seen a lot of things and 

160
00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:45,200
knowing The Human Condition, and
knowing my own heart and my own.

161
00:08:45,400 --> 00:08:49,500
Flesh, just because you're in 
church, doesn't mean you love, 

162
00:08:49,500 --> 00:08:54,600
God, the way you should and just
because your church believes the

163
00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:59,000
right, things does it mean the 
church loves God the way it 

164
00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,500
should? 
I mean it should be a slam dunk.

165
00:09:01,500 --> 00:09:03,400
Here we are. 
It's God's church. 

166
00:09:03,500 --> 00:09:05,500
We talk about it regularly? 
No, it's not my church. 

167
00:09:05,500 --> 00:09:07,500
It's not rivero's church. 
It's not your church. 

168
00:09:07,500 --> 00:09:09,600
It's the Lord's Church. 
Well, if it's his church, we 

169
00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:11,300
ought to love him but here's the
problem. 

170
00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:16,100
Sometimes we get so deep into 
our own thinking We get so deep 

171
00:09:16,100 --> 00:09:21,300
into our own ideas or listen. 
Sometimes we get so deep in our 

172
00:09:21,300 --> 00:09:25,400
servants to him. 
That we forget that we're 

173
00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:29,400
serving him but do we love him? 
The way we should see. 

174
00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:32,000
That's a problem. 
You say, well, Pastor as long as

175
00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,900
you're serving the lord and 
you're working hard for him, you

176
00:09:34,900 --> 00:09:37,300
have to love the Lord. 
Oh, you mean like the Pharisees?

177
00:09:38,300 --> 00:09:41,000
Because it seems to me that they
were tithing down to the nth 

178
00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:43,500
degree, but their hearts are 
very far from God. 

179
00:09:44,100 --> 00:09:45,900
Now I'm not against service to 
the Lord. 

180
00:09:45,900 --> 00:09:48,700
I think it's important. 
We talk about sharing our faith.

181
00:09:48,700 --> 00:09:50,300
I think it's an important thing 
to do. 

182
00:09:50,500 --> 00:09:53,300
We talk about service in the 
church I think it's an important

183
00:09:53,300 --> 00:09:55,700
thing to do. 
We talked about serving our 

184
00:09:55,700 --> 00:09:58,700
neighbors in the community, it's
an important thing to do and we 

185
00:09:58,700 --> 00:10:01,900
do it for the Lord, but at the 
same time, there is an element. 

186
00:10:01,900 --> 00:10:05,700
If we're not careful that we can
serve the Lord, while not loving

187
00:10:05,700 --> 00:10:07,900
the Lord, with our heart, at the
same time. 

188
00:10:08,300 --> 00:10:11,500
Because we get so busy in the 
work that we miss, why we're 

189
00:10:11,500 --> 00:10:13,000
doing the work in the first 
place. 

190
00:10:13,900 --> 00:10:16,300
It is easy for pastors to do 
Pastors. 

191
00:10:16,300 --> 00:10:18,600
Get so involved in budgets, they
get. 

192
00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:22,400
So involved in church growth, 
they get so deep into maybe 

193
00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:26,800
certain situations trying to 
help people that church building

194
00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:30,700
and church planting can end up 
becoming more about ego. 

195
00:10:30,700 --> 00:10:34,100
It can become more about self, 
then it is actually serving the 

196
00:10:34,100 --> 00:10:36,300
lord. 
I know some pastors, if we're 

197
00:10:36,300 --> 00:10:40,300
not careful, we can Be very 
self-serving in our leadership 

198
00:10:40,300 --> 00:10:44,000
and in our methods of service 
because we want the church to 

199
00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,800
grow. 
So that our status can grow, you

200
00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:51,000
know, what God says about that 
is no part in that has no part 

201
00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:52,500
and parcel that he doesn't want 
that. 

202
00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:54,900
You know why we serve the Lord 
because we love him. 

203
00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:58,400
That's what it should be. 
That's what it's supposed to be 

204
00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:00,900
and that's why sure we need to 
encourage people to serve the 

205
00:11:00,900 --> 00:11:03,400
Lord once in a while we 
encourage people to follow the 

206
00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:06,700
Lord but in the end, Well then 
encouragement is good. 

207
00:11:06,700 --> 00:11:11,200
There should just be this swell 
within us that we just want to 

208
00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:13,200
serve the Lord we want to do, 
right? 

209
00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:16,200
Because we love him with all of 
our heart. 

210
00:11:17,100 --> 00:11:20,200
This is no. 
So how did they lose their first

211
00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:21,700
love? 
It says, right here, in verse 

212
00:11:21,700 --> 00:11:24,800
number 4, I have somewhat 
against thee because I was lost.

213
00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:28,500
I first love it, could mean a 
couple different things, it 

214
00:11:28,500 --> 00:11:32,300
could mean that they had slipped
in their love for God because of

215
00:11:32,300 --> 00:11:35,100
the busyness of their service, 
they were so busy. 

216
00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:39,300
Serving God, they forgot about 
God, some Churches and we're not

217
00:11:39,300 --> 00:11:41,500
careful, we can do the same. 
We're not better than anyone 

218
00:11:41,500 --> 00:11:43,400
else or different than anyone 
else we can be. 

219
00:11:43,400 --> 00:11:46,400
So busy going here, going there,
doing this doing that. 

220
00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,300
That we forget, the reason that 
we're doing it and why we're 

221
00:11:49,300 --> 00:11:52,000
doing it. 
That a teacher, May teach a 

222
00:11:52,008 --> 00:11:54,600
Sunday school class out of 
obligation just because she, or 

223
00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:57,600
he has done it for so long. 
But they've lost the heart to do

224
00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:01,500
it for God, or maybe there's an 
opportunity to serve somebody 

225
00:12:01,900 --> 00:12:05,800
but somebody doesn't want to do 
it because it might 

226
00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:09,300
inconvenience them or they might
be out a few dollars or they 

227
00:12:09,300 --> 00:12:12,900
might be out some of their time.
But what did Jesus say when you 

228
00:12:12,900 --> 00:12:17,600
serve someone else, you're doing
it for me, a cup of water given 

229
00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:22,500
to someone else is done to 
Christ and so these people may 

230
00:12:22,500 --> 00:12:24,400
it just have been that they were
so busy. 

231
00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:26,600
And listen, they were people 
that worked. 

232
00:12:26,900 --> 00:12:30,700
They were people that labored I 
mean, Christ makes that quite 

233
00:12:30,700 --> 00:12:33,900
clear when he talks to Ephesus 
but could it have been that they

234
00:12:33,900 --> 00:12:37,100
were so busy that they had lost 
their love. 

235
00:12:37,500 --> 00:12:40,500
I find this to be true just in 
my relationship with Diane. 

236
00:12:40,500 --> 00:12:43,600
I mean, there are times were 
coming and going and we barely 

237
00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:45,500
see each other. 
I'm here and she's there or 

238
00:12:45,500 --> 00:12:47,700
everything and it's almost like 
one of us. 

239
00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:49,100
We have to say something like 
this. 

240
00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:52,000
I feel like I haven't seen you. 
And, you know, the funny thing 

241
00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:53,400
is, maybe we have seen each 
other. 

242
00:12:53,900 --> 00:12:57,100
Maybe we've even been in the 
house the apartment, but we just

243
00:12:57,100 --> 00:13:02,200
haven't really spent quality. 
Together, and I wonder if it's 

244
00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:03,600
that way for the Lord. 
We're so busy. 

245
00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:05,600
I got to get Sunday school, got 
to get the church, got to get 

246
00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:07,100
soul-winning, got to, get to the
special meeting. 

247
00:13:07,100 --> 00:13:10,200
Gotta do this, gotta do that and
there's nothing wrong with that 

248
00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:14,500
in and of itself, but if we just
do it at a routine out of habit 

249
00:13:14,600 --> 00:13:18,700
and not out of this, I want to 
do it because I love him, then 

250
00:13:18,700 --> 00:13:20,100
we kind of Miss. 
What? 

251
00:13:20,100 --> 00:13:21,900
God has Ephesus was a great 
church. 

252
00:13:21,900 --> 00:13:25,700
They didn't great things, but 
maybe they just got so busy. 

253
00:13:25,900 --> 00:13:28,800
They lost their first love. 
So, that's one thing. 

254
00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:33,200
But it also could mean this it 
could have been that they 

255
00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:38,600
labored for God in such a way. 
And they were fighting evil to 

256
00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:43,300
such an extent that they lost 
their loving Spirit as they did.

257
00:13:43,300 --> 00:13:46,400
So, I think this is a 
possibility. 

258
00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:49,900
Probably, when we should dwell 
on for a minute Ephesus was a 

259
00:13:49,900 --> 00:13:52,400
pagan place. 
There's a lot of bad things 

260
00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:53,900
going on. 
I don't have to read to you. 

261
00:13:53,900 --> 00:13:56,600
You don't want me to read you 
necessarily all of the things 

262
00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:59,400
that they were doing in the name
of quote-unquote religion, in 

263
00:13:59,400 --> 00:14:02,700
Ephesus to the god of fertility,
the goddess of fertility, we 

264
00:14:02,700 --> 00:14:06,300
don't need to, they lived in a 
very Pagan place on top of the 

265
00:14:06,300 --> 00:14:10,100
fact that the Roman Empire was a
very Pagan Empire in general, 

266
00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,400
but in the midst of it, this 
church was planted and this 

267
00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:15,900
church grew and the Church 
Thrive. 

268
00:14:15,900 --> 00:14:19,000
And it was obvious that there 
were forces from the outside 

269
00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:21,300
that we're trying to work at the
church on the inside. 

270
00:14:21,300 --> 00:14:24,000
That's why he said there were 
some that call themselves 

271
00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:26,300
Apostles, but you realize they 
weren't Apostles. 

272
00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:28,500
And you took care of them. 
You remove them from the 

273
00:14:28,500 --> 00:14:30,300
assembly. 
There was a nickel ations who 

274
00:14:30,300 --> 00:14:33,200
tried to bring their Doctrine 
into the church and know you 

275
00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:36,000
realize it was wrong and you 
remove them as well. 

276
00:14:36,100 --> 00:14:38,400
They were fighting evil at every
turn. 

277
00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:42,000
The evil that was outside, just 
in the community and the evil. 

278
00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:45,300
That was trying to be brought 
into the church by the Evil one,

279
00:14:45,300 --> 00:14:48,500
by the way, it's still the same 
today as it Satan tries to 

280
00:14:48,500 --> 00:14:50,800
discourage Us by what we see on 
the outside. 

281
00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:53,500
And there's occasion that Satan 
tries to stir up things on the 

282
00:14:53,500 --> 00:14:55,500
inside to try to discourage us 
as well. 

283
00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:58,500
The Bible says, we have to watch
for both of those things to be 

284
00:14:58,500 --> 00:15:01,200
careful to not have that 
dissension but, you know, you 

285
00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:07,400
can get so busy in fighting That
in the process, you lose who you

286
00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:13,000
are because of the fight. 
Could I just maybe illustrate in

287
00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:15,800
a way that we would understand 
very clearly today? 

288
00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:21,900
Party politics and such is, is 
seems like a losing game 

289
00:15:21,900 --> 00:15:24,100
nowadays. 
It whether, you know, 

290
00:15:24,100 --> 00:15:26,900
republican-democrat, it just 
seems like it's kind of all one 

291
00:15:26,900 --> 00:15:29,800
in the same, in a lot of ways. 
And so, this isn't a political 

292
00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:32,400
message, but just understand 
where I'm going here for just a 

293
00:15:32,408 --> 00:15:35,300
second. 
But it is very obvious. 

294
00:15:35,700 --> 00:15:40,000
There are forces of evil that 
are at play all around us today,

295
00:15:40,800 --> 00:15:46,000
they're out there. 
They are pushing agendas in 

296
00:15:46,100 --> 00:15:50,200
Washington. 
D.c. they're pushing agendas in 

297
00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:52,800
Beacon Hill, they're trying to 
push. 

298
00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:58,100
Gende has agendas rather in 
towns and cities in classrooms. 

299
00:15:58,900 --> 00:16:04,500
This is very, very normal for us
to see today, and it's our job 

300
00:16:04,500 --> 00:16:08,000
as Believers to stand for that, 
which is good. 

301
00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:11,800
And that which is right to not 
just accommodate the world. 

302
00:16:12,300 --> 00:16:18,100
And to not celebrate the world 
and to not approve the world and

303
00:16:18,100 --> 00:16:21,500
saying, no, as a church. 
As much as it would be easier 

304
00:16:21,500 --> 00:16:26,200
for us to just go with the flow 
of the world system, Jesus 

305
00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:30,500
Christ died for that world 
system, so that the people in 

306
00:16:30,500 --> 00:16:35,600
the world could be saved. 
So we can't just agree with it 

307
00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:38,900
and celebrate it and do those 
things know we have to stand 

308
00:16:38,900 --> 00:16:41,800
against it. 
But wouldn't we say that those 

309
00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:46,100
who Become our quote-unquote 
opponents, whether in the 

310
00:16:46,100 --> 00:16:50,500
political Arena, or whether it's
in these culture, wars, that 

311
00:16:50,500 --> 00:16:54,600
take place that we can get to 
the point that we look at those 

312
00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:59,200
people in such a way and when 
they say things that are just 

313
00:16:59,500 --> 00:17:03,300
cuckoo crazy because I mean is 
there, I mean that's not a 

314
00:17:03,308 --> 00:17:05,099
theological term but that's what
it is. 

315
00:17:06,099 --> 00:17:09,900
They look at us and they say 
things we watch it on TV, you're

316
00:17:09,900 --> 00:17:12,400
minding your own business. 
Just looking at the news online 

317
00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:13,900
and you're like there it is 
again. 

318
00:17:14,599 --> 00:17:17,300
I'm just trying to, you know 
find out what's going on in the 

319
00:17:17,300 --> 00:17:19,000
world today and there's 
something to get my blood 

320
00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:22,400
pressure up 30 points already 
and I not even trying. 

321
00:17:24,000 --> 00:17:27,900
When we get to that point, we 
start interacting with people 

322
00:17:27,900 --> 00:17:30,900
and could it be? 
Because we're trying to strive 

323
00:17:30,900 --> 00:17:35,600
for that, which is right in the 
midst of it, we lose our loving 

324
00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:39,200
christ-like Spirit as we're 
standing for that which is, 

325
00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:41,500
right? 
Because the world just wears us 

326
00:17:41,500 --> 00:17:46,100
down and what we look at, as 
opponents in the political 

327
00:17:46,100 --> 00:17:50,300
Arena, or as opponents in the 
culture wars, we look simply as 

328
00:17:50,300 --> 00:17:55,000
adversaries instead of as people
who Did Jesus Christ, their 

329
00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,800
savior? 
No, that's what can happen. 

330
00:17:58,100 --> 00:18:02,500
You say, Pastor these people 
they won't get saved. 

331
00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:04,700
Let me ask you a couple 
questions one. 

332
00:18:04,700 --> 00:18:07,700
How do you know that? 
How do you know? 

333
00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:11,500
I know some people that had some
pretty liberal opinions about 

334
00:18:11,500 --> 00:18:16,400
life until they got saved. 
And all of a sudden, their views

335
00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:19,300
did not become liberal or 
conservative their views, became

336
00:18:19,300 --> 00:18:22,800
biblical. 
Somebody who gave testimony in 

337
00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:25,500
that, like, this is my life, 
aren't you? 

338
00:18:25,500 --> 00:18:28,300
Glad that someone didn't look at
you and say, oh, well, who did 

339
00:18:28,300 --> 00:18:31,500
you vote for? 
Not a like you, but if we don't,

340
00:18:31,500 --> 00:18:37,500
we're not careful the news, the 
media, the influencers, the 

341
00:18:37,500 --> 00:18:40,900
Twitter feed, the social media 
will condition us that it's us 

342
00:18:40,900 --> 00:18:44,700
against them. 
When the real issue is this, 

343
00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:48,600
it's them against Jesus Christ 
who is trying to draw them unto 

344
00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:52,300
him and we are to be his 
ambassadors to go and love them.

345
00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:57,000
Still standing for what's right?
No not going and approving no 

346
00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,400
not going. 
And waving a rainbow flag in 

347
00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:01,700
front of the church unless you 
want to wave the rainbow flag 

348
00:19:01,700 --> 00:19:04,700
and say that it's because the 
the Lord will never flood the 

349
00:19:04,700 --> 00:19:07,400
Earth again but no not doing 
that. 

350
00:19:07,400 --> 00:19:10,700
Just to try to say oh we love 
you, we let no that's not love 

351
00:19:10,700 --> 00:19:12,800
what that is is that span during
Ring. 

352
00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:16,700
And that's taking that, which is
not true and putting it out 

353
00:19:16,700 --> 00:19:19,000
there. 
Know what we need to do is stand

354
00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:21,700
for what's right? 
Like the church at Ephesus is 

355
00:19:21,700 --> 00:19:23,900
but we better not lose our first
love in the meantime. 

356
00:19:24,500 --> 00:19:29,800
And as we love, Jesus Christ, 
the way we should and we do all 

357
00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:32,900
of a sudden, we don't look at 
them as the adversary. 

358
00:19:32,900 --> 00:19:35,400
We look at them as someone who 
needs to get saved. 

359
00:19:37,300 --> 00:19:42,200
It's a big difference. 
But this is where we're at today

360
00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:49,200
and I'm telling you read wants 
red to hate blue and blue wants 

361
00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:51,300
blue to hate red and we're 
living in the middle of it right

362
00:19:51,300 --> 00:19:55,300
now. 
And you know what red does it to

363
00:19:55,300 --> 00:19:59,400
play read like a fiddle so they 
get their way and blue does it 

364
00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:01,300
to Blue to play Blue like a 
fiddle. 

365
00:20:01,300 --> 00:20:04,400
So they can get their way and in
the meantime who's the one that 

366
00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:07,900
supposed to be in control God 
and we're following marching 

367
00:20:07,900 --> 00:20:12,800
orders of politicians and 
influencers and people that we 

368
00:20:12,800 --> 00:20:15,600
have no business listening to 
because they have no idea what 

369
00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:18,500
they're talking about well that 
politicians a Christian. 

370
00:20:18,500 --> 00:20:21,500
Well, Praise the Lord if they 
are. 

371
00:20:22,300 --> 00:20:24,900
But I've seen far too many 
politicians that name the name 

372
00:20:24,900 --> 00:20:27,800
of Christ to whip us up into a 
frenzy and then get their own 

373
00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:32,900
way. 
I've seen it far too many times.

374
00:20:34,700 --> 00:20:36,300
I don't know if you're having 
fun and I'm enjoying myself. 

375
00:20:36,300 --> 00:20:37,500
That's good. 
You're all nodding. 

376
00:20:37,500 --> 00:20:40,700
I mean it's almost it's almost 
like your Baptist you're 

377
00:20:40,700 --> 00:20:42,600
nodding, that's good. 
I mean that's I'm you're not if 

378
00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:44,400
you're not going to a man and 
not as good. 

379
00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:47,100
Tomato is good. 
Whatever feedback is good 

380
00:20:47,100 --> 00:20:49,400
whatever. 
It's like, but the tomato is 

381
00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:50,700
red. 
So I mean it's you know, it's a 

382
00:20:50,700 --> 00:20:53,600
mind but yeah, it's but no. 
Do you understand where we're 

383
00:20:53,608 --> 00:20:55,800
going this night? 
Because I think sometimes we can

384
00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:58,000
be so busy. 
We lose our love for the Lord. 

385
00:20:58,100 --> 00:21:01,700
But sometimes that first love 
because the first Love Is Love 

386
00:21:01,700 --> 00:21:04,400
the Lord, but the second is love
thy. 

387
00:21:04,500 --> 00:21:08,200
As thyself. 
And so they have to go together.

388
00:21:08,500 --> 00:21:10,400
And so we need to remind 
ourselves. 

389
00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:13,500
Here's the Ephesians. 
So great in so many ways, but 

390
00:21:13,500 --> 00:21:17,300
they lost their love and we 
can't get there, Robert Sergeant

391
00:21:17,300 --> 00:21:18,700
wrote this and this is really 
good. 

392
00:21:19,200 --> 00:21:22,000
What lesson, what a lesson to be
learned here. 

393
00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:24,700
A church that is active and 
Orthodox. 

394
00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:28,700
Yet black backslidden yet. 
This is the way of backsliding. 

395
00:21:28,700 --> 00:21:31,000
Both on a church level and on a 
personal level. 

396
00:21:31,300 --> 00:21:34,600
It is a gradual almost 
imperceptible process. 

397
00:21:35,100 --> 00:21:38,000
We begin to love. 
Of the work of the Lord, more 

398
00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:40,700
than the lord of the work. 
Think about that. 

399
00:21:40,700 --> 00:21:43,200
We begin to love the work of the
Lord. 

400
00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,400
More than the lord of the work. 
Backsliding is often thought of 

401
00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:50,700
as missing church services 
quitting and areas of service or

402
00:21:50,700 --> 00:21:54,400
Etc. 
But this is the ending point, a 

403
00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:57,100
Christian could be backslidden 
and yet attend every church 

404
00:21:57,100 --> 00:22:00,200
service and be actively involved
in a host of worthwhile 

405
00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:03,800
Ministries. 
That's tough. 

406
00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:08,700
A Christian can be backslidden 
and yet attend every church 

407
00:22:08,700 --> 00:22:11,700
service and be actively involved
in a host of worthwhile 

408
00:22:11,700 --> 00:22:14,300
Ministries. 
Well, as long as I'm in the 

409
00:22:14,300 --> 00:22:16,100
right place, doing what the 
pastor says? 

410
00:22:16,100 --> 00:22:18,500
No, that's what the Pharisees 
did. 

411
00:22:19,700 --> 00:22:21,200
And what did Jesus say? 
We just looked at this last 

412
00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,600
night unless your righteousness 
exceed that righteousness of the

413
00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:27,000
Pharisees. 
Well, hold on a second. 

414
00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:29,000
There were supposed to be most 
righteous of all well know, 

415
00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,300
their hearts weren't right, 
their bodies were in the right 

416
00:22:31,300 --> 00:22:34,100
places but the hearts weren't we
can't do the same and have a 

417
00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:39,300
right doctrinal statement. 
But then have our hearts far 

418
00:22:39,300 --> 00:22:40,800
from God. 
We can't have that. 

419
00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:42,600
So that's the complaint that 
Christ has. 

420
00:22:42,900 --> 00:22:45,100
Number one, we see the 
Commendation number two. 

421
00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:49,300
We see the complaint number 3. 
And finally tonight, we see this

422
00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:53,300
If we see the charge, the 
charge, what are they supposed 

423
00:22:53,300 --> 00:22:56,300
to do to fix this? 
This is not good. 

424
00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:58,700
What should they do to fix it? 
They are so good and so many 

425
00:22:58,700 --> 00:23:00,300
ways. 
But there's a problem here. 

426
00:23:00,700 --> 00:23:03,200
What should they do to fix it? 
Look at verse number five, 

427
00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:07,400
remember, therefore from whence 
Thou Art fallen and repent and 

428
00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,400
do the first works or else. 
I will come unto thee quickly, 

429
00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:12,800
and will remove thy Candlestick 
out of his place. 

430
00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:15,800
Except thou, repent. 
There's three words that I have 

431
00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:20,500
underlined, in my Bible in that 
verse Jesus Christ is telling 

432
00:23:20,500 --> 00:23:24,300
the pastor and the church at 
Ephesus to do to be able to get 

433
00:23:24,300 --> 00:23:25,100
themselves. 
Right. 

434
00:23:25,100 --> 00:23:30,100
The first is this remember 
remember remember what remember 

435
00:23:30,100 --> 00:23:32,100
therefore from whence Thou Art 
Fallen. 

436
00:23:33,100 --> 00:23:34,700
It's almost as if he's saying 
this. 

437
00:23:34,900 --> 00:23:36,500
Remember when you were in love 
with Jesus? 

438
00:23:37,500 --> 00:23:40,800
Go back to that last place you 
were loving Jesus when Abraham 

439
00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:42,900
got away from the Lord and went 
down to Egypt. 

440
00:23:42,900 --> 00:23:46,400
The Bible said that, he went 
back to Toulouse where the altar

441
00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:51,000
was were he had met God before? 
And some of us, maybe just need 

442
00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:54,000
to get back to that place where 
we knew that our relationship 

443
00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:55,800
and our love. 
For the Lord, was what it was. 

444
00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:58,800
And we just need to remember 
what that was like, remember how

445
00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:01,400
beautiful that was remember what
it was like, when prayer was 

446
00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:02,400
sweet? 
Remember what it was? 

447
00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:05,500
Like, maybe that time that you 
fasted and God really did 

448
00:24:05,500 --> 00:24:07,200
something in your heart. 
Remember that time? 

449
00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:09,200
When you got to lead someone to 
Christ and how sweet? 

450
00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:11,400
That was. 
Remember those things? 

451
00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:15,900
Remember what it was, like, 
remember that love, and remember

452
00:24:15,900 --> 00:24:19,300
that joyous Fellowship that you 
had in the Lord remembers? 

453
00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:22,400
That but then the second word 
I've underlined there is repent 

454
00:24:22,500 --> 00:24:24,700
meaning. 
This don't just remember it. 

455
00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:27,900
They'll go back to that way. 
Repent. 

456
00:24:27,900 --> 00:24:32,000
Okay Lord. 
I my love is to the ministry. 

457
00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:35,500
Instead of to you, my love is to
my own efforts or my own. 

458
00:24:35,500 --> 00:24:37,500
Thoughts are my own desires and 
send it to you. 

459
00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:40,800
So now I am going to turn. 
I have changed my mind about 

460
00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:43,300
what I'm going to do. 
I remember what that was? 

461
00:24:43,400 --> 00:24:46,600
And I'm going back because I 
want to love you as I should I 

462
00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:48,500
want to go back to my first 
love. 

463
00:24:48,500 --> 00:24:51,000
I remember. 
Her and I repent, and then the 

464
00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:57,700
most important part, maybe that 
the next word and do do it now. 

465
00:24:57,700 --> 00:25:01,900
Go and do those things you 
remembered and repented over and

466
00:25:01,900 --> 00:25:05,100
do the first Works. 
He says, remember when it was 

467
00:25:05,100 --> 00:25:08,900
sweet remember when the love was
the way, it should have been 

468
00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:11,800
Ephesus. 
He says, Ephesus, you're not far

469
00:25:11,800 --> 00:25:14,700
from where you need to be. 
Just remember what it used to 

470
00:25:14,708 --> 00:25:16,800
be. 
Like and repent. 

471
00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:19,200
Turn back around from the 
direction you're going. 

472
00:25:19,500 --> 00:25:23,600
And then do the things that you 
used to do and God will approve 

473
00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:25,100
you. 
But here's the thing. 

474
00:25:26,300 --> 00:25:30,800
If the people at Ephesus did not
listen, there were consequences.

475
00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:36,000
Because it says this remember 
therefore from whence Thou Art 

476
00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:39,100
fallen and repent and do the 
first works or else. 

477
00:25:39,100 --> 00:25:40,600
What does that mean? 
There's a consequence. 

478
00:25:41,200 --> 00:25:45,200
If you don't do what asked you 
to do, there's a consequence 

479
00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:48,400
here is what it is. 
I will come unto thee quickly, 

480
00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:51,900
and will remove thy Candlestick 
out of his place except thou 

481
00:25:51,900 --> 00:25:55,200
repent. 
Now, we might look at that and 

482
00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:57,400
say, well what does that mean? 
Removing the Candlestick that 

483
00:25:57,400 --> 00:25:58,900
doesn't seem to make a whole lot
of sense. 

484
00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:01,900
We'll remember, this is 
something that Is already 

485
00:26:01,900 --> 00:26:04,800
revealed to us a little bit ago.
So jump up to Revelation chapter

486
00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:09,100
1, verse number 20, and you'll 
see very quickly what this 

487
00:26:09,100 --> 00:26:12,200
means, the mystery of the Seven 
Stars, which thou saw'st in my 

488
00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:14,800
right hand and the Seven golden 
candlesticks. 

489
00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:17,800
The Seven Stars are the Angels 
of the seven churches and the 

490
00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:21,800
Seven candlesticks, which thou 
saw'st are the seven churches. 

491
00:26:22,300 --> 00:26:24,300
So, what is Jesus Christ saying 
here? 

492
00:26:24,600 --> 00:26:29,500
He says, you need to get it 
right or if you don't I'm 

493
00:26:29,500 --> 00:26:31,200
pulling your Authority as a 
church. 

494
00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:37,000
You'll be a Gathering Place will
be an assembly, but you won't be

495
00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:39,600
my church. 
And it makes you wonder how many

496
00:26:39,600 --> 00:26:44,000
places that meet on Sunday have 
a cross in front, have people 

497
00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:48,800
that open their Bibles and maybe
even have doctrine, that seems 

498
00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:52,400
correct. 
But yet God says this, you may 

499
00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:56,000
look right, you may have the 
right symbolism, you might talk 

500
00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:59,300
the right words, but you don't 
have my authority. 

501
00:26:59,300 --> 00:27:02,800
I've taken the Candlestick away 
because You've lost your first 

502
00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,900
love. 
You're in it for the love of 

503
00:27:05,900 --> 00:27:09,300
self, you're in it, for the love
of the work, you're in it for 

504
00:27:09,300 --> 00:27:12,600
the love of the authority, 
you're in it for the love of 

505
00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:15,500
whatever it is, you not in it 
for the love of me. 

506
00:27:15,500 --> 00:27:19,500
And if you don't love me, then 
you don't need my authority, go 

507
00:27:19,500 --> 00:27:23,400
for it on your own. 
That's tough, that's tough. 

508
00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:28,000
And what's so startling about 
this as he's not talking about a

509
00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:30,000
church that has Doctrine that's 
wrong. 

510
00:27:30,500 --> 00:27:33,700
He's talking about a church that
has the right doctrine, that 

511
00:27:33,700 --> 00:27:38,000
hates Doctrine that wants to get
it out of their church but he 

512
00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:41,000
says this you don't get this 
love thing, right? 

513
00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,000
With me, you lose your 
Authority, you're no longer a 

514
00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,600
church and it's something that I
think about a lot and something 

515
00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:50,900
that the Lord has to remind me 
about often and time and time 

516
00:27:50,900 --> 00:27:54,400
again, that it's not just enough
to be proud that our Doctrine is

517
00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:58,200
good and right and that our 
Doctrine, I believe a sound 

518
00:27:58,200 --> 00:28:02,300
biblically, but we better be 
living that which we say we 

519
00:28:02,300 --> 00:28:06,500
believe, and we better look. 
Love the one who we say, we 

520
00:28:06,500 --> 00:28:09,400
believe in chiefly Above All 
Else. 

521
00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:13,200
And I'm probably gonna end up 
preaching a message on this 

522
00:28:13,500 --> 00:28:15,600
later on and we were talking 
about this last night in men's 

523
00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:17,200
bible study. 
So I don't want to get too deep 

524
00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:21,200
into it here but we get so deep 
into the do's and don'ts. 

525
00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:24,300
Here's what you should do. 
Here's what you shouldn't do and

526
00:28:24,300 --> 00:28:26,700
there is a good place for that. 
We should talk about these 

527
00:28:26,700 --> 00:28:29,000
things because the Bible does 
say there's things that we 

528
00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:30,500
should do and there's things we 
shouldn't do. 

529
00:28:30,500 --> 00:28:33,400
And God tells us this out of his
abundance of love for us because

530
00:28:33,400 --> 00:28:36,100
he knows those things that we 
shouldn't do or harmful for us 

531
00:28:36,100 --> 00:28:39,000
and he wants to keep those 
things out of our Lives because 

532
00:28:39,300 --> 00:28:42,600
he wants us to have the best. 
East but here's what we forget 

533
00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:46,900
the do's and the don'ts, you can
throw them all away. 

534
00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:52,800
You're saying really? 
If you just love Christ, the way

535
00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:57,200
you should. 
Remember, love Christ, love 

536
00:28:57,200 --> 00:29:00,900
others upon this hangs, all the 
law and the prophets, the law 

537
00:29:00,900 --> 00:29:05,000
was our Schoolmaster to bring us
to Jesus Christ, but now we are 

538
00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:08,100
no longer under that. 
Schoolmaster, it is a good 

539
00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:11,200
understanding for us to 
understand the Holiness of God 

540
00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:13,300
helps us to understand his 
character. 

541
00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:15,100
It helps us to understand his 
ways. 

542
00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:18,700
But at the same time, if I just 
love him with all my heart, and 

543
00:29:18,700 --> 00:29:22,600
all my soul, and all my mind, 
everything else just works 

544
00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:26,200
itself out the way it should. 
Because if you love someone 

545
00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:29,700
deeply and they tell you, I 
don't want you to do that. 

546
00:29:31,100 --> 00:29:33,700
Do you tell that person? 
Well, show me where it says 

547
00:29:33,700 --> 00:29:38,900
that. 
You say no if that bothers you, 

548
00:29:38,900 --> 00:29:42,600
I won't do well with God. 
The things that are sin aren't 

549
00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:45,600
just bothersome to him. 
There were two front as 

550
00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:48,800
Holiness, and not only that but 
he knows that we partake in 

551
00:29:48,800 --> 00:29:50,800
them. 
It's not for our good either, 

552
00:29:51,300 --> 00:29:54,500
it'll hurt us, he wants to 
protect us. 

553
00:29:55,700 --> 00:29:57,300
So we just love him as we 
should. 

554
00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:00,500
And if we don't even if our 
doctrines, right, we get 

555
00:30:00,500 --> 00:30:03,500
ourselves into a place where we 
are so far off. 

556
00:30:03,500 --> 00:30:05,900
God says, you're not even church
anymore, because I've been in 

557
00:30:05,900 --> 00:30:08,400
Baptist Church. 
I've been Independent Baptist 

558
00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:12,000
Churches, where you go in and 
it's as cold as a meat locker. 

559
00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:16,800
And it is as dry as the Sahara 
Desert. 

560
00:30:18,700 --> 00:30:23,200
But their doctrinal statement on
their website lines up down to 

561
00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:28,200
every Point, could it have been 
that they lost that Authority? 

562
00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:31,100
The Christ gave them because 
they lost their first love, 

563
00:30:31,100 --> 00:30:35,300
because they got caught up in 
something else other than Jesus.

564
00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:41,200
So that gets us back. 
And here's, here's it says, in 

565
00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:44,000
verse 7, and I need to address 
that says he that hath an ear. 

566
00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:46,200
Let him hear what the spirit 
saith unto the churches, we're 

567
00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:48,900
going to see that at the end of 
every letter, but then it says 

568
00:30:48,900 --> 00:30:51,600
this to him, that overcometh, 
will I give to eat of the tree 

569
00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:54,200
of life, which is in the midst 
of the paradise of God. 

570
00:30:54,300 --> 00:30:56,300
Now, I need to cover this 
quickly because we're going to 

571
00:30:56,300 --> 00:30:59,900
see the Overcomers if you will, 
at the end of every letter and 

572
00:30:59,900 --> 00:31:02,900
if you're reading that to him, 
that overcometh, will I give 

573
00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:05,100
will I give to eat of the tree 
of life which is in the midst of

574
00:31:05,108 --> 00:31:09,300
the paradise of God, you might 
get The mindset that salvation 

575
00:31:09,300 --> 00:31:11,600
is something that you have to 
persevere, until the end. 

576
00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:14,000
You got to overcome so that 
you'll be able to go to heaven. 

577
00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:15,300
But that's not what it's saying 
here. 

578
00:31:15,308 --> 00:31:17,700
And it's again, why we have to 
compare scripture with 

579
00:31:17,700 --> 00:31:21,800
scripture, the Overcomers that 
we see in each of these seven 

580
00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:24,700
letters. 
Clearly point to those who just 

581
00:31:24,700 --> 00:31:28,200
know Jesus Christ, their savior 
not because they persevere, I've

582
00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:32,200
overcome until the end. 
Well, guess who overcame sin and

583
00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:34,400
death and Hell? 
Jesus Christ. 

584
00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:38,200
We are Overcomers because we 
have trust in As our savior 

585
00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:42,400
Revelation, 12:11 says this and 
they overcame him by the blood 

586
00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:45,700
of the lamb and by the word of 
their testimony and they loved 

587
00:31:45,700 --> 00:31:49,200
not their lives unto the death. 
First John five, four and five 

588
00:31:49,200 --> 00:31:53,000
for whosoever or whether for 
whatsoever is born of God, 

589
00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:56,700
overcomes, the world. 
If you're born of Jesus Christ, 

590
00:31:57,100 --> 00:32:00,300
then you've overcome the world 
for this is the victory that 

591
00:32:00,300 --> 00:32:03,200
overcometh. 
The world even our faith who is 

592
00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:04,800
he? 
That overcometh the world. 

593
00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:08,600
But he that believeth, that 
Jesus is Is the Son of God. 

594
00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:11,500
So it brings us all the way back
to the illustration. 

595
00:32:11,500 --> 00:32:15,800
I use at the beginning of the 
message, last week service, with

596
00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:19,400
a smile, there's this man at 
Shaw's it says on the back, ask 

597
00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:21,400
me how to save on the back of 
his T-shirt. 

598
00:32:21,400 --> 00:32:24,100
He looked very upset, he looked 
very angry probably because he 

599
00:32:24,108 --> 00:32:27,100
was gathering carts at 7:30 in 
the morning outside of Shaw's. 

600
00:32:27,300 --> 00:32:32,100
And I just looked at him and all
I thought was, I would I wonder 

601
00:32:32,100 --> 00:32:34,500
what would happen if I asked you
how to save it probably would 

602
00:32:34,500 --> 00:32:37,200
not be very pleasant your shirt 
says to ask. 

603
00:32:37,300 --> 00:32:39,100
Q. 
But your demeanor says, stay 

604
00:32:39,100 --> 00:32:42,500
away. 
But when I thought of that last 

605
00:32:42,500 --> 00:32:45,500
week and I'm preparing this 
message, I thought, boy, was 

606
00:32:45,500 --> 00:32:50,100
that what Ephesus was like, they
had the right message, but they 

607
00:32:50,100 --> 00:32:53,300
didn't have the love. 
And so because of that, nobody 

608
00:32:53,300 --> 00:32:59,200
wanted to maybe talk to them 
about the Lord, is that what we 

609
00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:01,200
are like. 
Oh, we're right. 

610
00:33:01,900 --> 00:33:06,100
But we've lost our love. 
And so sure we say, well, I wish

611
00:33:06,100 --> 00:33:09,900
someone would ask me about Jesus
Christ, nobody wants to talk to 

612
00:33:09,900 --> 00:33:13,900
you because maybe our life 
doesn't radiate that love the 

613
00:33:13,900 --> 00:33:17,500
way that it should that kindness
that compassion that patients, 

614
00:33:17,800 --> 00:33:21,900
that it should. 
We're supposed to serve him, but

615
00:33:21,900 --> 00:33:23,200
we should serve him with a 
smile. 

616
00:33:24,100 --> 00:33:27,300
We should serve him, joyfully, 
it should be a joy to come to 

617
00:33:27,300 --> 00:33:28,900
church. 
It should be a joy to give it 

618
00:33:28,900 --> 00:33:31,400
should be a joy to share our 
faith with other people to 

619
00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:34,400
watch. 
People get saved to sing to to 

620
00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:37,200
Worship in the church to do any 
of these things. 

621
00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:41,500
It's just be a joy, why? 
But if I don't Pastor won't be 

622
00:33:41,500 --> 00:33:44,000
happy, that's I'm not part of 
that equation. 

623
00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:50,000
Or shouldn't be. 
No, really it's about or I want 

624
00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:54,500
to make you happy because you 
have given me, joy, unspeakable,

625
00:33:55,300 --> 00:33:59,600
and full of Glory. 
I just want to be able to serve 

626
00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:02,900
you and I want to do so with 
gladness and with a good spirit 

627
00:34:02,900 --> 00:34:05,400
it's what Ephesus was missing. 
We want to make sure we don't 

628
00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:09,400
miss at our church as well. 
Thank you for listening to the 

629
00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,199
sermon from the pulpit of 
Liberty Baptist Church. 

630
00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:15,699
If this message was a blessing 
to you or if there's any way we 

631
00:34:15,699 --> 00:34:19,600
can serve you, please Let us 
know by contacting us at info. 

632
00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:23,699
At my Liberty Baptist dot org. 
Or you can visit us this Sunday 

633
00:34:23,900 --> 00:34:26,600
at eight hundred Washington 
Street and East and 

634
00:34:26,600 --> 00:34:30,800
Massachusetts may the Lord bless
you as you grow in his word. 

635
00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:19,600
Let us know by contacting us at 
info. 

636
00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:23,699
At my Liberty Baptist dot org. 
Or you can visit us this Sunday 

637
00:34:23,900 --> 00:34:26,600
at eight hundred Washington 
Street and East and 

638
00:34:26,600 --> 00:34:30,800
Massachusetts may the Lord bless
you as you grow in his word.