WEBVTT 00:00:01.919 --> 00:00:13.679 Hello, Professor Timothy here, First Baptist Church of El Daredo, Europe, joined us today in a series called A Good Soldier of Christ Jesus, which is a study in 2 Timothy chapter 2. 00:00:13.839 --> 00:00:20.239 Throughout this series, we're going to learn a lot about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus who makes disciples of Jesus. 00:00:20.399 --> 00:00:24.160 And so we're going to run this race as we walk through 2 Timothy 2. 00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:30.320 And I'm so thankful that you've chosen to join us today, and I hope you are encouraged by God's word. 00:00:35.200 --> 00:00:35.840 Amen. 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:36.399 Amen. 00:00:36.560 --> 00:00:41.200 Open with me to the book of Revelation, chapter 2. 00:00:41.359 --> 00:00:46.000 Today we'll be in Revelation 2, verses 1 through 7. 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:49.679 Revelation 2, 1 through 7. 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:54.159 I'll read those for us now. 00:00:54.479 --> 00:00:57.039 Revelation 2, 1 through 7. 00:00:57.759 --> 00:01:07.519 To the angel of the church in Ephesus, write, The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:19.280 I know your works, your toil, and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 00:01:19.519 --> 00:01:25.920 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:30.959 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 00:01:31.280 --> 00:01:36.000 Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. 00:01:36.239 --> 00:01:42.079 If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent. 00:01:42.319 --> 00:01:47.599 Yet this you have, you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 00:01:47.920 --> 00:01:51.280 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:57.920 To the one who conquers, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of God. 00:01:58.159 --> 00:01:59.439 Let's pray together. 00:01:59.760 --> 00:02:02.159 Lord Jesus, thank you for your word. 00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:19.919 Would you teach us in these moments what it means to live a life of devotion to you, to work and to serve and to believe, and do all of that out of a devotion for you, because of our love for you. 00:02:20.240 --> 00:02:24.240 Teach us now, speak now by your spirit, we ask in Jesus' name. 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:25.199 Amen. 00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:37.680 This morning I really want us to see one thing out of this passage, and it's simply this it's only when worship precedes our works that our works become worshipful. 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:45.520 So it's only when worship precedes our works that our works become worshipful. 00:02:45.919 --> 00:02:53.520 That's really where we're going throughout the entirety of this morning, and that's what we need to learn from the church at Ephesus. 00:02:53.840 --> 00:03:03.680 And we saw last week in chapter one, as we saw the introduction to Revelation, that John is exiled on the island of Patmos. 00:03:03.919 --> 00:03:06.560 The Holy Spirit is giving him this vision. 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:15.439 Quite literally, Christ is giving him the words to say, and Christ has written really these letters to these seven prominent churches. 00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:20.080 And we're gonna see what exists in these letters, but we saw a lot last week. 00:03:20.159 --> 00:03:31.680 We saw the fact that this book of Revelation is a book that is meant to be studied and learned and understood, and by the way, a book that's supposed to be read to provide encouragement for Christians. 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:41.039 And so now what we see is that these letters begin to the churches, and the first church on the route is the church at Ephesus. 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:47.039 And it begins again in verse 1 by saying this to the angel of the church in Ephesus right. 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:52.639 Now that's kind of strange language to our ears, to the angel at the church of Ephesus. 00:03:52.800 --> 00:03:55.039 Really, uh, two things might be happening. 00:03:55.199 --> 00:04:05.120 One, that's just a general statement, meaning the church at Ephesus, of figurative language, the angel of the church at Ephesus, just to the general church at Ephesus. 00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:11.840 It could be that John has in mind that each of these seven churches has somewhat of a guardian angel. 00:04:12.240 --> 00:04:19.759 Uh there was one person who mentioned that it could be, a commentator mentioned that that that could be to the pastor. 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:22.720 The angel is the pastor at the church at Ephesus. 00:04:22.959 --> 00:04:27.439 I do wonder if that's not just a pastor saying that that thinks a little highly of themselves. 00:04:27.519 --> 00:04:28.399 I don't know. 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:35.360 But what I think is just referring to the angel of the church at Ephesus, just to the general church that exists there. 00:04:35.519 --> 00:04:38.240 And so, what is he writing? 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:44.639 Well, first, before even that, let's talk about Ephesus itself, which was a very dark place. 00:04:45.439 --> 00:04:48.959 It's a very large place, a town of about 250,000. 00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:53.360 I guess I shouldn't call it a town, a great city of 250,000. 00:04:53.519 --> 00:05:03.920 It was a place that was a harbor city, really, for all the Mediterranean, flowed towards Ephesus when coming towards Asia Minor. 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:08.879 It's a city that there were four major highways that converged at Ephesus. 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:13.519 Again, a large city that was devoted to two types of worship. 00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:17.920 Uh, number one was the worship to the gods or goddesses. 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:27.839 They had one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, which was this great temple, great in size, great temple to Artemis, this goddess. 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:30.240 They would worship this goddess. 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:34.879 Not only that, but uh they worshiped the governing authorities. 00:05:35.279 --> 00:05:37.279 They worshiped the emperor. 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:44.480 When our presidents leave office a little while down the road, they get a presidential library. 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:50.399 Just last month, former President Obama opened up a library, his presidential library in Chicago. 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:55.839 We know here in the state of Arkansas, we have a presidential library for Clinton in Little Rock. 00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:57.839 That's a very neat thing that we have. 00:05:58.079 --> 00:06:11.199 Imagine with me, though, if you lived in a society, and I'm thankful we don't, that instead of opening libraries after they leave office, that they opened temples where you would go and worship these individuals. 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:17.360 Quite literally, that's what happens if you live in Ephesus, if you live in the Roman Empire. 00:06:17.680 --> 00:06:22.560 Their statement of the day was this: that Caesar is Lord. 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:29.519 Caesar is Lord, and they treated the governing authorities as if they truly are uh deities. 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:30.720 They are lords. 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:46.959 And so, in one society, you have the worship of all these foreign gods and goddesses, you have the worship of uh mere mortals who were treated as deities, and in the middle of all of this, you have this little group of Christians. 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:57.199 Throughout the city of Ephesus, in these little house churches, they were meeting, and they were something, saying something entirely different than Caesar is Lord. 00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:03.439 They were this group that had the audacity to believe something different, that Jesus is Lord. 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:10.319 And here is this little group of believers, this church that probably started in around A.D. 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:14.319 52 when Priscilla and Aquila come to Ephesus. 00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:18.399 Paul comes a little bit later and spends two years in Ephesus. 00:07:18.560 --> 00:07:24.480 They had Timothy, we read 2 Timothy over the summer, that that has been a leader in the church. 00:07:24.560 --> 00:07:29.920 So they've had unbelievable leadership, but they're in a very dark culture. 00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:42.560 And so to the angel of the church in Ephesus, right, the words of him, verse one, who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:51.199 This is referring to Jesus Christ, the authoritative one who uh walks among the churches, these seven churches. 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:54.079 And then he says this, verse two, and look with me now. 00:07:54.959 --> 00:07:57.199 I know your works. 00:07:58.240 --> 00:08:07.279 To the church at Ephesus, I know your works, your toil, your patient endurance. 00:08:08.160 --> 00:08:09.519 What is he saying here? 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:15.439 This is an unbelievable compliment, an unbelievable commendation to this church. 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:23.920 And just to let you know how this letter goes, I'm convinced that uh Jesus was the uh uh original uh champion of HR. 00:08:24.240 --> 00:08:39.279 I mean, he handles this so well in HR terms, the what it what we might call the compliment sandwich, that he brings, he brings in the church and says unbelievable things about them, and then he drops an absolute atomic bomb on the desk. 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:40.720 Here's the problem. 00:08:40.879 --> 00:08:45.120 And then even in verse 6, he's gonna compliment them one more time before they walk out the door. 00:08:45.519 --> 00:08:47.600 But we begin with the compliments. 00:08:47.759 --> 00:08:57.200 I I know your works, I know what you're doing, I know what what the things that you do as a church, and and by the way, uh they're very impressive. 00:08:57.759 --> 00:09:14.399 I know that he might say this, that in a dark society that that gives its livelihood to the worship of anything other than Jesus, you are uh standing firm and you are doing great works of ministry, even in a very dark place. 00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:17.360 I know your works, and then that word your toil. 00:09:17.600 --> 00:09:20.480 There's something about that word toil that's even deeper than just works. 00:09:20.559 --> 00:09:23.679 There is kind of sweat behind that word. 00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:26.720 Uh that that is that is hard labor. 00:09:26.799 --> 00:09:30.480 I I know you're working hard for the sake of the kingdom. 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:32.960 I know you're enduring patiently. 00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:47.440 So uh they've got the right practice, they've got the works, and not only that, verse two continues, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not. 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:49.360 You found them to be false. 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:55.600 Verse 3 I know you're enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:10:00.799 So not only do they have right works, I would argue they have right beliefs. 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:02.080 How do I know this? 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:14.080 Well, this is a church, as we just see in verse 2, that when false teachers seek to come and infiltrate uh the ranks of their church, they will cast the false teaching out. 00:10:14.399 --> 00:10:16.720 They will cast the false teacher out. 00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:22.799 And by the way, how how does a church know when false teaching exists? 00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:27.120 How does a church know when a false teacher is among them? 00:10:27.279 --> 00:10:29.759 They know because they know the truth. 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:34.480 They're able to spot the counterfeit because they know the truth so well. 00:10:34.720 --> 00:10:36.399 So think about this church. 00:10:36.639 --> 00:10:38.240 They have the right practice. 00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:42.240 I know your works, they have the right beliefs. 00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:48.399 You know when false teaching is among you, and you're able to call it what it is and cast it out. 00:10:48.639 --> 00:10:52.320 If you want another example, look down with me at verse 6. 00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:54.559 The compliment on the back end. 00:10:54.799 --> 00:10:59.440 Yet this you have, you hate the words of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 00:10:59.679 --> 00:11:21.200 The Nicolaitans is a group, and to be honest, we don't fully know who they were and what they are about, but the general understanding is that they were a group of self-proclaimed believers, but they love to use their, again, self-proclaimed belief in Christ as a license to live however they want. 00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:23.440 They loved this idea. 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:28.159 Hey, because I proclaim to know Christ, I am free to live how I want. 00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:35.440 And they engaged in all types of sin, and they did it under the banner of saying, you know, I know Christ. 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:40.639 Again, they were living out a false gospel, a false reality of the Christian life. 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:48.480 But Jesus commends this church that even the false teachers, the Nicolaitans, you put to the side, you cast out of the church. 00:11:48.639 --> 00:11:51.600 Again, I just want to say this again. 00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:55.360 They had right action, they had right belief. 00:11:58.000 --> 00:11:58.960 Verse 4. 00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:03.600 But I have this against you. 00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:09.519 First of all, how how could Jesus have anything against a church like that? 00:12:10.639 --> 00:12:14.159 The works are there, the knowledge is there. 00:12:15.200 --> 00:12:27.600 Quite honestly, if any of us moved to a new town and saw a church that acted and worked and existed, that sounded like this church, we would go to that church. 00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:30.960 What in the world might Jesus have against them? 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:37.600 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 00:12:39.200 --> 00:12:40.320 I have this against you. 00:12:40.480 --> 00:12:43.440 You have abandoned your first love. 00:12:46.399 --> 00:12:59.039 If we really think about it this morning, we can see and come to the conclusion of the reality that the right belief and the right works are not always enough. 00:12:59.120 --> 00:13:03.039 And by right beliefs, I mean the the facts, you the head knowledge. 00:13:03.840 --> 00:13:04.879 Think about it like this. 00:13:04.960 --> 00:13:09.440 If if I take my marriage to Katie, think about this this for a second. 00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:17.360 Imagine I would argue, and I hope this is the case, that I have the right belief, the right knowledge, that I know about marriage. 00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:22.559 I believe marriage is designed in uh the early chapters of Genesis. 00:13:22.799 --> 00:13:35.919 Designed, ordained by God, instituted by God, that exists between a man and a woman, and is this uh uh a picture, not the only picture, but a picture of the gospel, and I believe God designed it. 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:38.879 Not only that, I know the facts about my own marriage. 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:43.840 I know the facts that we were married on uh August the 1st of 2014. 00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:45.840 I shouldn't have said uh right before that. 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:50.960 August the 1st, 2014, in Hot Springs, Arkansas. 00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:53.679 These are the facts, and I know the facts. 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:59.600 Not only that, and I don't want to speak too highly of myself, but I would argue there are works present. 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:03.039 Again, I just said August 1st, just a couple weeks ago. 00:14:03.120 --> 00:14:06.000 I took Katie to dinner on her anniversary. 00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:11.519 I got her a nice anniversary gift a few weeks ago when we got home from vacation. 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:19.120 I took her car over to the car wash, I got the out wash, I vacuumed the inside on you know, on big days, important days. 00:14:19.200 --> 00:14:21.120 I love to have flowers delivered. 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:26.159 Like the works, I would argue, uh most of the time are there. 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:36.559 But I think we all know something that those facts and those works, if that's all there is, it's not quite enough. 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:40.879 Because imagine with me, and God forbid this would be the case, but imagine with me. 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:51.600 If Katie said, you know, Taylor, um our anniversary dinner, that the the food sure tasted good, but my goodness, I'd love a conversation with you. 00:14:52.559 --> 00:15:00.399 The the car sure is clean, the flowers sure smelled nice, but I I I I I just want connection with you. 00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:05.919 When was the last time we talked about something deep, something heavy? 00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:17.039 Like God forbid that would be the case, but you and I both know, and it doesn't have to be in a marriage relationship, any relationship, just the facts about the situation and the works are not enough. 00:15:17.360 --> 00:15:21.360 Is there an underlying devotion behind all of this? 00:15:21.519 --> 00:15:23.440 And here is my fear. 00:15:23.919 --> 00:15:27.679 And I know that it can be true because it's the case in Ephesus. 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:57.600 My fear is that it is possible for First Baptist Church of El Dorado as a community, but also us as individual uh Christians, that we can know the facts, and I hope you do, that we can do great works, and by the way, I know you do, and I know this church does, but but it can be done outside of the underlying motivation of I just love Jesus, of absolute devotion to Jesus. 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:01.919 And really, we see this idea all over Scripture. 00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:07.519 If you have time later today, go to Jeremiah chapter 2 as the prophet speaks. 00:16:08.320 --> 00:16:10.000 And he even brings this up. 00:16:10.080 --> 00:16:11.840 I won't go there, but I'll paraphrase. 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:17.279 Basically, the Lord looks at the people of God and says, Do you remember the old days? 00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:25.679 Do you remember when you were excited about a relationship with me when I brought you out of Egypt and you loved me so deeply? 00:16:25.759 --> 00:16:27.919 And then he says this, drops this bomb. 00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:33.919 What did I do to your fathers that that now you don't love me in that way? 00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:42.480 How is it that it's now become uh this relationship that's just based on you going through the motions? 00:16:43.039 --> 00:16:47.919 Sure, I'll go to the temple, I'll give my sacrifice, that's what I'm supposed to do. 00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:51.279 What happened to the devotion behind it? 00:16:51.519 --> 00:16:57.440 Think about uh Luke chapter 10, when Jesus goes to the house of Mary and Martha. 00:16:57.840 --> 00:17:05.519 There's a perfect example that Jesus gives us from Scripture of the beauty of when devotion is behind our love for Jesus. 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:06.880 Because what does Martha do? 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:19.039 Jesus is coming over, and all Martha can think to do is getting the house prepared, getting the food prepared, everything's swept, everything's in its perfect place, and she starts to get angry at her sister Mary. 00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:21.599 Because all Mary's doing is just what? 00:17:21.839 --> 00:17:24.000 Sitting at the feet of Jesus. 00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:26.079 You should be helping me work. 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:31.759 And Jesus tells Martha, actually, Mary has done the better thing. 00:17:32.400 --> 00:17:38.960 Oh, there's a time for works, but first, there's a time for devotion. 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:43.200 Think about 1 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 1 through 3. 00:17:43.359 --> 00:17:52.880 Maybe 1 Corinthians 13, the love passage, you'll often hear it at weddings, and that's a good time for it, but it's really about uh love in the Christian life in general. 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:54.880 And what does Paul say here? 00:17:55.119 --> 00:18:02.559 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I'm a noisy gong or a clanging symbol. 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:11.359 If I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but I don't have love, I'm nothing. 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:17.359 If I give away all I have and deliver up my body to be burned, but I don't have love, I gain nothing. 00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:19.440 What does Paul want us to see? 00:18:20.319 --> 00:18:29.680 That right belief, as in the right facts, the head knowledge, and the right works are not enough in and of themselves. 00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:31.039 I I hope they're there. 00:18:31.200 --> 00:18:33.279 I pray they're there for all of us. 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:44.640 But if there's not love behind it, if if the love for Jesus and the love for others is not the motivation behind it, we we've completely missed the mark. 00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:46.640 Look with me now at verse five. 00:18:47.599 --> 00:18:50.720 Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen. 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:54.400 Repent and do the works that you did at first. 00:18:54.960 --> 00:19:00.079 If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent. 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:02.960 These are difficult words, but look with me, verse five again. 00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:04.319 I see three things. 00:19:04.559 --> 00:19:06.799 Remember, repent, and return. 00:19:06.960 --> 00:19:08.720 Number one, remember. 00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:16.240 So maybe this morning, if you find yourself in a place where you're going through the motions, it feels like. 00:19:16.559 --> 00:19:22.400 Where maybe your spiritual life doesn't have the vibrancy that it used to. 00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:26.240 Oh, you say, I remember those times in life. 00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:30.880 Oh, when I was young, when I first came to know the Lord, and everything was fresh and new. 00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:46.160 I remember being a student in high school, and oh, those worshipful uh nights at the summer camp or or or this event or reality check, and and and you look, and maybe in your own life you you say it just doesn't feel as vibrant as it as it did. 00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:49.039 The devotion, uh have I lost my first love. 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:51.200 Well, first remember. 00:19:52.160 --> 00:19:57.440 Remember in your own life, think back to this. 00:19:58.240 --> 00:20:00.559 Think back to when you came to know the Lord. 00:20:02.400 --> 00:20:05.200 Think back to when you came to know the Lord. 00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:17.359 That moment, that time, that season in your life when you realized I'm a sinner and I need a savior, and then you realize there's a savior that died for me. 00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:20.240 The joy of that. 00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:36.559 I don't have to live lost in my sin, but but I can know, but I can know that there is a Father in heaven who loves me deeply, loves me enough to die for me, to rise from the grave. 00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:38.799 Remember where it started. 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:47.599 Remember your first love and the one who loved you even before you could love him back, who died for you even while you were yet a sinner. 00:20:47.759 --> 00:20:49.039 Remember from where you have fallen. 00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:51.200 And next is this repent. 00:20:52.240 --> 00:21:05.279 If if John here, really Jesus here through John, is telling us to repent, that means that us forgetting our first love is actually a moral issue, a sin issue. 00:21:06.160 --> 00:21:10.400 That God, I've made this a thing about going through the motions. 00:21:10.960 --> 00:21:15.359 I've made this about just showing up and looking the part. 00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:24.720 Well, repentance means if I'm going that way in sin, I'm now gonna walk away and go that way in obedience. 00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:32.079 Repent of just going through the motions, and then he says this remember, repent and return. 00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:36.960 Remember, repent, return. 00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:50.640 I I want to say something to make a point this morning, and and I I mean nothing to put myself on any platform because I don't need to be on any platform, but I've been so blessed in my life, and I'm so thankful. 00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:59.759 I I look with such gratitude to the Lord that I've been able to uh have some some great theological education and some incredible. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:07.920 Leaders that are so much higher and in greater authority than I'll ever be willing to pour into me. 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:22.640 And I think about being a student at the Pruitt School of Christian Studies at Washita, and the Pruits, members of this church for many years, and some of my favorite stories I ever hear about members of this church have the name Pruitt attached to it. 00:22:22.880 --> 00:22:24.400 But unbelievable people. 00:22:24.480 --> 00:22:26.480 And I was able to learn and grow there. 00:22:26.559 --> 00:22:30.880 And then I went to seminary, and y'all, this is unbelievable. 00:22:31.599 --> 00:22:37.200 You graduate from seminary and they give you a piece of paper and it says, master of divinity. 00:22:37.359 --> 00:22:37.599 Okay? 00:22:37.759 --> 00:22:39.680 The audacity of that phrase. 00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:42.160 I mean, truly the audacity of that. 00:22:42.319 --> 00:22:47.039 That somehow in 2016 I was able to master divinity. 00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:48.640 I mean, come on. 00:22:50.160 --> 00:23:00.000 And I've even gotten to do a little bit more work, and it's just, it's humbling to think about the fact that I that that the Lord has blessed me with opportunities. 00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:06.160 And again, I want to prove to y'all that I'm not just saying this to think highly of myself, because I promise I'm not. 00:23:06.240 --> 00:23:07.599 And here's the proof. 00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:33.119 Because there might be a temptation among you or among me or anybody that studies the Word of God or anybody that goes to any Bible study or any class or even gets any degree, there might be a temptation to think, okay, at each level, with each Bible study, I'm now going to move on to the deeper and the more important and the more critical, deeper theological items. 00:23:33.759 --> 00:23:40.880 You might even say that at each, you know, with each degree, there's a, hey, you're going to deeper places. 00:23:41.200 --> 00:23:59.200 Let me tell you, the deepest theological thing I have ever done, I have ever experienced, the deepest and most critical moment of theology I have ever engaged in did not happen in a college classroom or seminary classroom or any classroom like that. 00:23:59.680 --> 00:24:14.960 The deepest theological thing I have ever been a part of happened in a first grade Sunday school classroom when a sweet teacher was just telling me about Jesus, and for the first time in my life, I just said that I am a sinner and I need a savior. 00:24:16.400 --> 00:24:17.119 That's it. 00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:23.519 At six years old, I I reached the mountaintop, and I won't go deeper than that. 00:24:23.920 --> 00:24:24.720 I'll learn more. 00:24:24.880 --> 00:24:27.279 I'll learn different things along the way, Lord willing. 00:24:27.440 --> 00:24:32.000 But but I won't do anything more important than that, deeper than that. 00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:57.519 And this is the importance for all of us to know and to understand that when you think about your first love, where you started, the fact that you have a savior in heaven that loved you so much, loved you right there in your peace so much, that he would die for you and rise from the grave for you and wants a continual relationship with you, that's as good as it gets. 00:24:57.759 --> 00:25:01.039 That's as uh unbelievable as it gets. 00:25:01.279 --> 00:25:21.839 And by the way, when you realize that that's the kind of devotion that Christ Jesus has for you, the love he has for you, then when we remember those things, we repent, we return to that reality, then we realize that that reality motivates everything else about our lives. 00:25:23.119 --> 00:25:25.119 Do you love Jesus? 00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:28.720 That seems like a silly question. 00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:31.039 Uh I would hope you do. 00:25:31.519 --> 00:25:33.839 I would hope you would say yes to that. 00:25:35.279 --> 00:25:36.559 But do you love him? 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:39.440 Notice I didn't say do you do things for him? 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:44.720 Do you know about him, but but do you love him? 00:25:45.519 --> 00:25:56.720 Uh many years ago, now it's you know 25 or so uh years ago, worship leader uh uh Matt Redman uh wrote a song called The Heart of Worship. 00:25:56.960 --> 00:26:02.960 And uh the heart of worship, you may remember it from way back when, when the music fades, all stripped away. 00:26:03.039 --> 00:26:06.160 I simply come, I'm coming back to the heart of worship. 00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:08.640 Fascinating story behind that song. 00:26:08.799 --> 00:26:17.039 It was at the really at the very beginning of uh the kind of contemporary worship trend, at the very beginning of it. 00:26:17.279 --> 00:26:36.880 And uh at the beginning of that, you know, sound systems were getting bigger and were getting louder, and you know, uh we uh we'd hang up lights in the building that would turn this color and that color, and uh some churches that were way out there might even pump a little fog in the room before, you know, the the Holy Spirit fog coming in the room. 00:26:36.960 --> 00:26:46.079 And and uh at the beginning of this, uh the the whole contemporary worship trend, and and they wrote this song simply because of this. 00:26:46.240 --> 00:26:58.400 The pastor at Matt Redmond's church saw what was going on and just wanted to make sure that his church understood that behind anything else must be a devotion to Christ. 00:26:58.480 --> 00:27:03.920 And so what he did for us period of time was take the sound system away. 00:27:04.079 --> 00:27:17.359 The pastor did this, take the sound system away, the lights away, even I think the majority of the musicians away, and and it was mostly just their voices, and and they worshiped that way for a period of time. 00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:29.599 And Matt Redmond talks about this and says it was very awkward for me because I was, you know, the worship leader of the church, and basically, even my job was basically taken away because uh they they they did it without me. 00:27:29.680 --> 00:27:32.240 They just used their voices. 00:27:32.640 --> 00:27:39.279 But what Matt Redman talks about was that was such a sweet time for their church because they really had to make a decision. 00:27:40.640 --> 00:27:53.200 Are we here just for, you know, some cool experience on a Sunday morning, or are we here because we love Jesus deeply and we want to worship? 00:27:53.519 --> 00:28:00.480 And out of that, this song was written that I'm coming back to the heart of worship where it's all about you. 00:28:00.799 --> 00:28:03.359 What is the importance of this kind of devotion? 00:28:03.519 --> 00:28:04.640 Look at the end of verse 5. 00:28:04.720 --> 00:28:12.559 These are harsh words, but if not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent. 00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:18.079 If not, I will come and remove the lampstand unless you repent. 00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:19.200 What does this mean? 00:28:19.359 --> 00:28:24.960 Really, removing the lampstand just really means just removing your influence. 00:28:25.279 --> 00:28:30.000 And I don't mean influence just in a look at us type way, aren't we impressive way. 00:28:30.240 --> 00:28:33.119 I mean influence for the kingdom of God. 00:28:33.519 --> 00:28:40.480 I'll remove your ability to be a city on a hill for a lost world to look to. 00:28:42.000 --> 00:28:58.559 And I just want to tell us something this morning, and and the the harsh words uh just because we've received harsh words uh from the Lord, and and we need these words, and I'll insert our name simply because this is where we are this morning, but any church can say this. 00:28:58.799 --> 00:29:02.640 Here is the truth of the matter, and and you know this. 00:29:02.799 --> 00:29:08.319 Uh uh God does not need First Baptist Church of El Doredo. 00:29:08.400 --> 00:29:09.839 That's the end of the sentence right there. 00:29:10.079 --> 00:29:13.039 God does not need First Baptist Church of El Doredo. 00:29:14.079 --> 00:29:20.720 God's mission will continue if this afternoon we close our doors forever. 00:29:21.519 --> 00:29:29.839 God's kingdom will expand, and his kingdom will come if First Baptist Church is not a part of it. 00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:34.400 Now, here's the exciting part, the other side of that. 00:29:34.559 --> 00:29:36.960 Here's what what wakes me up in the morning. 00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:40.319 God delights to use First Baptist Church of El Doredo. 00:29:41.119 --> 00:29:58.480 God delights for us to be a people that desire to be used by him and want to give our lives to serve him and to be a church that has devotion to him and wants to serve a lost world because we love him. 00:29:59.359 --> 00:30:02.480 And the same that is true of Ephesus is true for us. 00:30:02.960 --> 00:30:16.480 If we uh let ourselves just look inward and just become a church that just wants to go through the motions, the Lord could remove our lampstand, our influence in a broken and lost world. 00:30:16.880 --> 00:30:29.680 But the other side of that gets me so excited that if we want to be individual Christians and a collective church that just says this from the bottom of my heart, I just love Jesus. 00:30:30.319 --> 00:30:34.319 From the bottom of my heart, I know what Jesus has done for me and it's changed everything. 00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:41.759 From the bottom of my heart, I want to love people like Jesus first loved me. 00:30:42.079 --> 00:30:48.720 If we're that kind of people, there is no telling what the Lord desires to do. 00:30:48.880 --> 00:30:59.279 Uh I think there's something so special when uh when Christians just tap into that first love and return to that first love. 00:30:59.440 --> 00:31:09.200 I think there's something special when anyone uh in any walk of life just finds themselves at home with their uh first love. 00:31:09.680 --> 00:31:10.480 I was fascinated. 00:31:10.559 --> 00:31:16.559 You may have seen the story, I don't know, of just a couple weeks ago of a 73-year-old man named Lewis Cobb. 00:31:17.279 --> 00:31:19.279 73-year-old man named Lewis Cobb. 00:31:19.599 --> 00:31:25.680 He grew up wanting to be a baseball announcer, a play-by-play announcer. 00:31:26.079 --> 00:31:31.359 And uh he grew up wanting that, and he didn't end up uh doing that as his full-time job. 00:31:31.440 --> 00:31:34.720 He he actually was a career uh substitute teacher. 00:31:34.880 --> 00:31:42.799 Uh and uh it's fascinating that just uh a couple of weeks ago, the Philadelphia Phillies, the Major League team, they had an auction. 00:31:43.039 --> 00:31:56.480 They had an auction, and one of the prizes up for bid was a chance to call one inning of uh Phillies baseball on the Phillies Radio Network. 00:31:56.720 --> 00:32:05.920 Like, truly, your voice for an inning is going out to the larger Philadelphia area and beyond, certainly, and you get to call an inning. 00:32:06.000 --> 00:32:11.200 Now, uh you and I both hear that and think, wow, that is a dangerous idea. 00:32:11.680 --> 00:32:25.440 Because don't you know someone with money to lose would would uh or money to spare would love to just get on the radio and have an audience of X number of thousands and thousands of people and just, you know, just shoot the breeze for a little while. 00:32:25.680 --> 00:32:38.000 But Lewis Cobb, this career substitute teacher, he he grew up with a passion for calling radio, the baseball on the radio, and he saw his opportunity to just tap into his first love. 00:32:38.079 --> 00:32:46.640 And for just a second, I just want you to hear for about a minute just what it sounds like when someone taps into his first love. 00:32:46.960 --> 00:32:48.319 It's the most beautiful thing. 00:32:48.480 --> 00:32:49.920 Can we play this video? 00:32:52.079 --> 00:32:53.599 We are headed to the third inning. 00:32:53.759 --> 00:32:59.920 Phillies on top two to one, and we're pleased to welcome uh Lewis Kalb from Medford Lakes, New Jersey. 00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:02.480 He is our Phillies fantastic auction winner. 00:33:02.559 --> 00:33:07.599 He uh outbid the competition to uh spend an inning and do some play-by-play in the booth. 00:33:07.680 --> 00:33:09.200 And Lewis, uh welcome. 00:33:09.440 --> 00:33:10.559 Glad to have you here. 00:33:10.799 --> 00:33:11.680 Thank you, Scott. 00:33:11.759 --> 00:33:13.279 It's a thrill to be here. 00:33:13.359 --> 00:33:17.359 It's a lifelong dream to be in the Phillies broadcast booth. 00:33:17.440 --> 00:33:17.920 So here we go. 00:33:18.079 --> 00:33:20.640 Painter with the first pitch to Ortez. 00:33:20.720 --> 00:33:22.319 It's in there for strike one call. 00:33:22.720 --> 00:33:26.160 Phillies with two in the bottom of the second to take the lead. 00:33:27.200 --> 00:33:29.839 As we start the top of the third, now Paiter delivers. 00:33:30.079 --> 00:33:35.119 It's bounced foul towards the Phillies dugout. 00:33:35.920 --> 00:33:37.680 And they count one and one. 00:33:39.759 --> 00:33:43.039 Phillies winning the first two games of this series. 00:33:43.440 --> 00:33:47.759 One more to go tomorrow night, and then a three-game set with the Blue Jays over the weekend. 00:33:47.839 --> 00:33:49.039 Uh, Pater delivers. 00:33:49.359 --> 00:33:53.680 It's a check swing, it's a call, strike three, he got him. 00:33:56.480 --> 00:34:00.799 How did you know the regular guy was just worried about his job in that moment? 00:34:03.119 --> 00:34:06.720 How in the world did we let this guy come in here and do this? 00:34:07.759 --> 00:34:14.800 Just a classic old school Vin Scully type voice for the that was made for this. 00:34:15.199 --> 00:34:28.960 And that that guy, Lewis Cobb, took every opportunity to just tap into his first love, and then for one inning in Philadelphia on one night, he let the world know that he's really good at what he does. 00:34:29.280 --> 00:34:30.800 And he loves to do it. 00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:37.199 I it was such an amazing thing to listen to, and I just loved it so much a couple weeks ago. 00:34:37.280 --> 00:34:50.320 And I just want to tell you, church family, what you just heard really for a baseball game, I believe that's in a sense what it sounds like when you and I just tap into our first love. 00:34:51.760 --> 00:34:58.400 When our works become something we do out of sheer delight for Jesus. 00:34:59.119 --> 00:35:03.760 Let me tell you what it sounds like when people tap into their first love. 00:35:03.920 --> 00:35:17.360 It sounds like, it sounds like this, when someone can stand down front a week ago and just say something that formerly didn't exist and say, we're gonna feed college kids next week. 00:35:17.519 --> 00:35:24.559 And I kid you not, after the final amen of that service, within 30 seconds, the meal was taken care of. 00:35:25.440 --> 00:35:32.159 Because there's people at this church that just love Jesus and ran up to tell me, we'll do this, it's done. 00:35:33.039 --> 00:35:55.920 It sounds like what tapping into the first love sounds like is life group leaders all over this campus that get here early, that study the week leading up to it, and just want to teach, whether they're in first grade or eighth grade or twelfth grade or or you know 150th grade, whatever it might be, they just want to love and to teach. 00:35:56.159 --> 00:36:07.920 It just looks like an outreach team that has uh spent the last week at the new dorm on the South Ark campus just giving out welcome bags so that our new students here in town feel like they're at home. 00:36:08.079 --> 00:36:13.280 There's just something beautiful that happens when a church taps into this reality. 00:36:13.519 --> 00:36:21.119 I believe in Jesus, I love Jesus, I want others to know about Jesus, and that's what fuels everything I do. 00:36:21.360 --> 00:36:42.480 May it not be said of First Baptist El Dorado, it has not been said to this point, may it not be said in the future that we have lost our first love, but would it be said of us that we are a church that embraces deeply our first love, and that it is our love for Jesus that fuels every other thing that we do? 00:36:42.639 --> 00:36:47.360 Would you bow your heads with me in this moment, Lord Jesus? 00:36:47.440 --> 00:36:58.000 What it what a privilege it is to come into this room and to worship you, to be with brothers and sisters in Christ, to be with friends. 00:36:58.239 --> 00:36:59.840 Lord, what a gift. 00:37:01.039 --> 00:37:04.400 But Lord, would this not just be a place where we go through the motions? 00:37:04.559 --> 00:37:12.000 Would this not be a place where uh we we just kind of uh we come because we're quote unquote supposed to? 00:37:12.159 --> 00:37:18.159 Would this be a place where we come to worship and adore Jesus? 00:37:18.960 --> 00:37:25.519 And as a church, would all that we do be done for the sake of the fact that we love Jesus deeply? 00:37:26.079 --> 00:37:33.440 Lord, if there's anybody here this morning that wants to join this church family, I pray that they would come. 00:37:35.199 --> 00:37:40.320 Would they come and join this family so they can join us in the worship of Jesus? 00:37:40.719 --> 00:37:53.760 If there's someone that for the first time wants to worship Jesus, for the first time wants to know that you sent your son to die for them, to forgive their sins, would they come now, be introduced to Jesus? 00:37:53.840 --> 00:38:00.400 If they want to talk about baptism, if they just want to pray together, whatever it may be, would they now come? 00:38:03.039 --> 00:38:06.880 And Lord, for all of us, we have a response to give in this moment. 00:38:08.880 --> 00:38:12.639 Would we respond in worship? 00:38:14.000 --> 00:38:28.559 Not because we're quote unquote supposed to, because we have to, because it's quote unquote what you do on a Sunday morning, no, because we have a Savior that loves us deeply and we love you deeply in return. 00:38:28.719 --> 00:38:31.360 Would we worship you now in Christ's name? 00:38:31.519 --> 00:38:31.920 Amen. 00:38:32.079 --> 00:38:33.840 Would you stand up now as we worship? 00:38:33.920 --> 00:38:37.519 I'll be down front for anyone that would like to respond this morning.