WEBVTT 00:00:03.399 --> 00:00:03.866 Amen. 00:00:03.866 --> 00:00:06.033 Good morning. Thank you Isaac. 00:00:06.033 --> 00:00:07.599 Welcome, everyone. 00:00:07.599 --> 00:00:13.066 It's good to have you here for Memorial Day weekend, a weekend of remembrance. 00:00:13.066 --> 00:00:15.365 Thank you for remembering to come to church as well. 00:00:15.365 --> 00:00:17.966 It's good to have you here as we continue in our series. 00:00:17.966 --> 00:00:25.666 We began last week on the Book of Revelations, specifically the seven churches of Revelation, chapters two and three. 00:00:25.666 --> 00:00:29.332 And I was reminded, thinking about the main issue, the church in Ephesus. 00:00:29.332 --> 00:00:31.000 What we'll be looking at today was facing. 00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:35.332 I was reminded of a story that help relate to this issue they were facing. 00:00:35.332 --> 00:00:36.665 I've shared this before. 00:00:36.665 --> 00:00:39.765 It's a it's a famous story about Winston Churchill. 00:00:39.765 --> 00:00:45.966 He was known for being maybe, having a little too much to drink at times or every day. 00:00:47.365 --> 00:00:49.966 Some would say that's a little too frequent. 00:00:49.966 --> 00:00:56.633 And he was at a party and one of his main rivals there was a lady he was known for having a rivalry with, and she pointed it out. 00:00:56.633 --> 00:00:57.066 Mr. 00:00:57.066 --> 00:00:59.600 Churchill, you are drunk. 00:00:59.600 --> 00:01:05.099 And he said to her, yes, but you are ugly, and I will be sober in the morning. 00:01:07.099 --> 00:01:10.799 Now there's something to point out about that that relates to today's message. 00:01:10.799 --> 00:01:17.266 One is that they may both have been accurate, but neither was really helpful. 00:01:17.266 --> 00:01:18.500 Right? 00:01:18.500 --> 00:01:22.965 They both were pointing out truth, assuming they were both true. 00:01:22.965 --> 00:01:25.200 But neither was loving. 00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:29.900 Neither was looking to help the other person. 00:01:29.900 --> 00:01:31.000 Be mindful of that. 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:42.733 Sometimes we can become so fascinated and fixated on the truth that we forget about love, and we're going to see that challenge in the church in Ephesus today. 00:01:43.733 --> 00:01:46.365 In fact, we're going to be in the book of Revelation, chapter two. 00:01:46.365 --> 00:01:48.632 If you have your Bible, you want to turn there. 00:01:48.632 --> 00:01:50.865 If you have a church Bible, those are out in the lobby. 00:01:50.865 --> 00:01:53.165 Page 976. 00:01:53.165 --> 00:01:59.900 The pages on the screen should match up with the Bible, but if you're not familiar with the Bible, Revelation is at the end. 00:01:59.900 --> 00:02:03.365 Should be easy to flip to and and find it there. 00:02:03.365 --> 00:02:04.700 And we're going through this series. 00:02:04.700 --> 00:02:10.800 It's interesting thing to note before we read this passage, we'll be reading chapter two, verses one through seven. 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:14.599 We'll see this pattern as we look at each of these seven churches. 00:02:14.599 --> 00:02:17.633 Each of them are addressed with a similar pattern. 00:02:17.633 --> 00:02:19.032 There's a few things. 00:02:19.032 --> 00:02:25.800 There's in fact seven key things he points out all along the way that are true in each situation. 00:02:25.800 --> 00:02:29.665 They talk about Christ in each one, it talks about a commendation. 00:02:29.665 --> 00:02:33.332 Here's something you're doing well, they point out to them. 00:02:33.332 --> 00:02:35.265 But also there's a criticism. 00:02:35.265 --> 00:02:37.233 Here's something that needs to change. 00:02:37.233 --> 00:02:41.332 So there's a number of key things that show up almost in each one of these letters. 00:02:41.332 --> 00:02:51.765 And there's a bit of a pattern you can look for that as we read through this, because the author is writing to them with a very specific intent that he wants all these churches to hear. 00:02:51.765 --> 00:02:54.466 So let's look at Revelation chapter two. 00:02:54.466 --> 00:02:55.966 Look at verse one through seven. 00:02:55.966 --> 00:03:02.633 And why don't you, if you don't mind, stand up as I read, stand just as a sign of respect for God's Word. 00:03:02.633 --> 00:03:08.099 Of course, we'll be reading it all throughout our time together, but I'm gonna read through the whole section right now. 00:03:08.532 --> 00:03:20.966 Revelation two, verse one 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. 00:03:20.966 --> 00:03:28.800 I know your works, your toil, and your patience and endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil. 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:35.866 Thatyou have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and have found them to be false. 00:03:35.866 --> 00:03:49.866 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary, but I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 00:03:49.866 --> 00:03:55.665 Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen, repent and do the works you did it first. 00:03:55.665 --> 00:04:04.599 If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent. 00:04:04.665 --> 00:04:06.133 Yet this you have. 00:04:06.133 --> 00:04:12.000 You hate the works of the Nicolaitans which I also hate. 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:17.266 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 00:04:17.365 --> 00:04:24.699 To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God. 00:04:24.865 --> 00:04:27.865 You may be seated. 00:04:29.632 --> 00:04:41.199 Ephesus we studied in depth when we went through the book of Ephesians, would have been what was the most prominent Roman city in this area of the world. 00:04:41.565 --> 00:04:45.399 It would have been well known for its size, for its influence. 00:04:45.399 --> 00:04:51.333 And so it makes sense that this would be the first church addressed in this list of letters. 00:04:51.333 --> 00:04:55.000 It's going to be one of the most well-known and significant. 00:04:55.000 --> 00:05:13.300 And you may recall last week I pointed out, in fact, you can bring up the map of the region that as the letters, as each church is addressed as we go through chapter two, it follows this circuit, starting with Ephesus, and it goes around in order Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia out to see it. 00:05:13.300 --> 00:05:26.533 It goes in a circle starting in Ephesus around almost highlighting and pointing out that these would have been a circuit that was regularly traveled by a circuit of churches that was regularly communicated to. 00:05:26.533 --> 00:05:34.132 In fact, many think that John the Apostle oversaw them at some level, and the sending letters to all of them. 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:49.065 In fact, I think one thing that is important to point out about this, each of these separate letters, okay, even though one is going separately here, addressed directly to Ephesus this week, Smyrna next week, on and on. 00:05:49.065 --> 00:06:00.165 These are also to all the churches collectively, because Ephesus wasn't just a big, well known city, it was also a bit of a sending hub for the church. 00:06:00.165 --> 00:06:03.699 You know, we have more material of the seven churches we look at. 00:06:03.699 --> 00:06:07.033 We have more biblical material in Ephesus than any of the other churches. 00:06:07.033 --> 00:06:14.033 We've got the book of Ephesians, First and Second Timothy were written to Timothy, who was the pastor in Ephesus. 00:06:14.033 --> 00:06:18.233 Also Acts 18 and 19 walk through some of Paul's first encounters there. 00:06:18.233 --> 00:06:24.065 So we have a lot of biblical material on this church in particular. 00:06:24.100 --> 00:06:25.399 It was influential. 00:06:25.399 --> 00:06:27.000 It was well known. 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:31.399 Paul spent the most time there of really any place else he spent teaching. 00:06:31.399 --> 00:06:39.833 So it really became a sending hub for missionaries, for people who were trained, maybe somewhat like Louisville was Southern Seminary here, many people, thousands of people. 00:06:39.833 --> 00:06:42.766 This is the largest theological seminary in the world. 00:06:42.766 --> 00:06:48.100 Thousands of people are here being trained every year and being sent out all over the place. 00:06:48.100 --> 00:06:55.533 And many see this as a home hub, as a training center for many churches, Ephesus would have been seen this way. 00:06:55.533 --> 00:06:59.300 They would have been seen as significant and prominent. 00:06:59.432 --> 00:07:06.199 Each of these messages has a message for that specific church, but also to all. 00:07:06.199 --> 00:07:18.766 In fact, the key phrase I've put in your notes here, and we're going to look at it through the lens of the lampstand, is that the lampstand is a picture of one church united in Christ. 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:23.100 The lampstand is a picture of one church united in Christ. 00:07:23.100 --> 00:07:25.665 Look back in chapter two and you'll see this in verse one. 00:07:25.665 --> 00:07:34.500 He says 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. 00:07:34.500 --> 00:07:38.065 And you may be sitting here thinking, lampstands, stars, what's going on? 00:07:38.065 --> 00:07:39.065 I'm already confused. 00:07:39.065 --> 00:07:46.833 Well, he already explained, we we didn't highlight it last week, but I pointed out now he already explained what are the stars or the lampstands? 00:07:46.833 --> 00:07:49.266 Many times in Revelation, the pictures are obscure. 00:07:49.266 --> 00:07:51.565 You're not exactly sure what they point to here. 00:07:51.565 --> 00:07:53.300 He was very clear. Look back. 00:07:53.300 --> 00:07:57.065 Just one verse, chapter one, verse 20, this, this last part of it. 00:07:58.365 --> 00:08:10.800 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand the seven golden lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:14.100 So we know when he talks about a lampstand, he's talking about the churches. 00:08:14.100 --> 00:08:20.899 But however, if you have a reference Bible, you probably have a note in there that points back to Exodus. 00:08:20.899 --> 00:08:31.800 In fact, when the tabernacle was being established and God was telling them, here's how to build it, here's how I want it, exactly how many who have attempted to recreate that have more of this kind of picture of the lampstand. 00:08:31.800 --> 00:08:37.299 If you want to put up the image of that and you can see this way, this is designed. 00:08:37.299 --> 00:08:41.765 Yeah, there are seven separate lamps, but they also are all together as one lampstand. 00:08:43.432 --> 00:08:44.765 And here's the point of all this. 00:08:44.765 --> 00:08:54.066 As I'm building up to this, we are not just one separate church, separate from other churches, even within our own city. 00:08:54.066 --> 00:08:59.432 Every church that believes in Christ and preaches the true gospel of Christ. 00:08:59.700 --> 00:09:02.700 We are all one church at one level. 00:09:03.332 --> 00:09:09.732 You know when he sends these messages out to separate churches, he's also sending it to all of them. 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:16.633 If you're correcting one of your children in front of the other children, you also want the other children to hear what you're saying. 00:09:16.633 --> 00:09:23.133 Yeah, I'm talking to you right now, but I know some of you others in here are going to struggle with this as well. 00:09:23.200 --> 00:09:31.899 And so as we're teaching through this and you think, oh, yeah, you know what this kind of looks like Valley View when you read one of these churches, but not that one. We're not like that. 00:09:31.899 --> 00:09:33.500 Oh, well, take note. 00:09:33.500 --> 00:09:36.832 We could be someday or might have been in the past. 00:09:36.832 --> 00:09:43.100 These are notes to all of us, and we need to be mindful of the message that's given to us. 00:09:43.100 --> 00:09:46.100 We are all one in Christ. 00:09:46.466 --> 00:09:48.332 This is why we could have a few weeks ago. 00:09:48.332 --> 00:09:51.633 We could have Bob Russell in here to preach. 00:09:51.633 --> 00:09:56.966 Bob Russell, well known pastor in Louisville, very influential through Southeast. 00:09:57.365 --> 00:10:01.033 You know, he didn't say, you know what, I don't want to go over to lowly Valley View. 00:10:01.033 --> 00:10:02.799 I'm so much better than that. 00:10:02.799 --> 00:10:05.566 I've from Southeast, a way better church. 00:10:05.566 --> 00:10:10.533 Oh, I mean, I don't know, he may have thought it, but he didn't say it. 00:10:10.533 --> 00:10:10.799 No. 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:23.666 Instead, he said, we are one church, and I'm going there to invest in the kingdom of God in Louisville, in our community, ultimately in the world. 00:10:23.700 --> 00:10:36.000 In fact, I shared in the midweek update how he spent some time the day after that, he called me and said, John, I just want you to know things seem to be going great in Valley View. 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:37.966 He didn't have to do that. 00:10:37.966 --> 00:10:40.832 He's I mean, he could have left here and gone. 00:10:40.832 --> 00:10:43.100 Glad that's over. 00:10:43.100 --> 00:10:46.299 But he called me and said, John, things seem to be going great there. 00:10:46.299 --> 00:10:49.732 Listen, I could tell your people know how to listen. 00:10:49.732 --> 00:10:50.732 They were locked in. 00:10:50.732 --> 00:10:52.265 They were listening carefully to me. 00:10:52.265 --> 00:10:53.066 They want to learn. 00:10:53.066 --> 00:10:54.899 They want to grow. I can see it. 00:10:54.899 --> 00:10:57.432 Plenty of places I go aren't like that. 00:10:57.432 --> 00:10:59.633 Your people were full of positivity. 00:10:59.633 --> 00:11:02.666 They were so excited about what's happening at the church. 00:11:02.666 --> 00:11:04.865 Everyone who came up to me, he said, was encouraging. 00:11:04.865 --> 00:11:10.700 I didn't get the normal negative nanny showing up, wanting to just tell me all the things that are wrong with the church. 00:11:10.700 --> 00:11:13.133 He said, God is at work in your church. 00:11:13.133 --> 00:11:13.966 Be encouraged. 00:11:13.966 --> 00:11:15.600 Sometimes it's hard to see when you're in it. 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:17.732 Be encouraged. There's a positive spirit. 00:11:18.700 --> 00:11:24.066 He didn't have to do that, but he understands it's not about just any one church. 00:11:24.066 --> 00:11:25.932 That's why we can pray for other churches. 00:11:25.932 --> 00:11:31.966 We can partner with other churches because at the end of the day, we're all in this together. 00:11:31.966 --> 00:11:37.533 There is one church and it even says Christ walks among them all. 00:11:39.966 --> 00:11:45.966 Now, he does have a specific message here right now for Ephesus in this season. 00:11:46.666 --> 00:11:51.899 And we're going to see him highlight the things they're doing well, become commendation. 00:11:51.899 --> 00:11:53.566 Here's what you're doing well. 00:11:53.566 --> 00:11:54.633 Give them a correction. 00:11:54.633 --> 00:11:57.033 Here's what's not going well. 00:11:57.033 --> 00:11:58.732 And then give them a new path forward. 00:11:58.732 --> 00:11:59.700 And so let's look at those. 00:11:59.700 --> 00:12:03.200 We'll start out by looking at the things that are going well. 00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:08.000 We're going to look at three of those in particular here that start out starting with verse two. 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:11.566 First he highlights their discernment. 00:12:12.799 --> 00:12:15.200 And the first thing he feels like they're doing well. 00:12:15.200 --> 00:12:20.265 The characteristic of this church in Ephesus that's going well is that they are discerning. 00:12:20.265 --> 00:12:21.932 They have a strong sense of discernment. 00:12:21.932 --> 00:12:24.765 Look at verse two. 00:12:24.765 --> 00:12:40.966 He says, I know your works, your toil, your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not. 00:12:40.966 --> 00:12:43.966 And you found them to be false. 00:12:44.832 --> 00:12:54.332 So he highlights the fact that they aren't just taking in whatever is told them, naively believing whatever new message comes along. 00:12:54.332 --> 00:13:03.799 And every single day there's some new message that shows up in your social media feed that seems amazing on its surface value. 00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:08.000 On its face value at first glance, too good to be true. 00:13:11.765 --> 00:13:13.399 But in Ephesus, he's proclaiming. 00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:19.332 He's praising their ability to evaluate carefully, to discern, to think about. Is this true? 00:13:19.332 --> 00:13:21.466 Reminds me of the Bereans in Acts 17. 00:13:21.466 --> 00:13:27.365 They were called more noble because they took what Paul was saying and they compared it to the scriptures daily. 00:13:27.365 --> 00:13:31.799 Does this align with what Scripture says or not? 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:36.299 And listen, I love this about Valley View. 00:13:36.299 --> 00:13:37.832 This is a burden of mine for Valley View. 00:13:37.832 --> 00:13:43.533 But also I think it is mostly true of Valley View that there is a spirit of discernment here. 00:13:43.533 --> 00:13:52.566 There is a spiritual intuition here that many have, because many have spent many years just reading their Bible faithfully over and over again. 00:13:52.566 --> 00:14:00.865 I had a guy come to me this week and say, John, here's this teaching that I've heard this week and heard something about it just seems off. 00:14:02.133 --> 00:14:04.432 I can't quite put words to why it is. 00:14:04.432 --> 00:14:07.566 I can't quite explain it, but something about it seems off. 00:14:07.566 --> 00:14:08.899 There's that spiritual intuition. 00:14:08.899 --> 00:14:10.133 I said. Let's look at it together. 00:14:10.133 --> 00:14:12.066 We got into it, sure enough. 00:14:12.066 --> 00:14:13.232 Yeah, you're right, I think you're right. 00:14:13.232 --> 00:14:14.566 I think it does feel often this way. 00:14:14.566 --> 00:14:15.732 Let's talk about let's look at it. 00:14:15.732 --> 00:14:18.033 I loved seeing that. 00:14:18.033 --> 00:14:23.232 I'm not just going to blindly take it in and accept everything thrown our way. 00:14:23.399 --> 00:14:24.533 So they have discernment. 00:14:24.533 --> 00:14:26.066 They have spiritual intuition. 00:14:26.066 --> 00:14:27.133 That is a good thing. 00:14:27.133 --> 00:14:31.033 That's a positive quality we want to see in our church. 00:14:31.033 --> 00:14:40.232 The second one he highlights here is in verse three the fact that they are determined, they're discerning, they have spiritual discernment, but they're also determined. 00:14:40.232 --> 00:14:50.166 Look here at verse three, I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 00:14:50.166 --> 00:15:02.865 So it's not just that they can discern truth, but also that they will bear up under many times when they are confronted with a falsity. 00:15:02.865 --> 00:15:07.432 It's not just that one false apostle came through and then they gave in to the others. 00:15:07.432 --> 00:15:09.600 No, he says, I know you're enduring. 00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:11.566 You're bearing up for my name's sake. 00:15:11.566 --> 00:15:17.765 You're continuing to walk through the onslaught, patiently standing firm. 00:15:18.232 --> 00:15:22.832 And this would have been so important in that culture, the culture of Ephesus. 00:15:23.033 --> 00:15:31.865 I mean, this was Ephesus was most known for and most famous for one of the seven ancient wonders of the world, the temple to Artemis or Diana. 00:15:31.865 --> 00:15:45.932 She was a fertility goddess, and this was probably the largest structure ever built in the Greek world, and many came from all over to go see it, and were known for this. 00:15:45.932 --> 00:15:48.899 So they were known for worship to a fertility god. 00:15:48.899 --> 00:15:51.832 They were known for idolatry. 00:15:51.832 --> 00:15:53.066 In fact, idols were sold. 00:15:53.066 --> 00:15:55.265 This was part of the problem with Paul coming there. 00:15:55.265 --> 00:15:57.166 They felt threatened by his presence. 00:15:57.166 --> 00:16:00.066 Our trade is going to be threatened. 00:16:00.066 --> 00:16:04.600 They also had a number of temples dedicated to previous Roman emperors. 00:16:04.600 --> 00:16:07.600 There was this cult of emperor worship. 00:16:08.633 --> 00:16:09.299 Also. 00:16:09.299 --> 00:16:12.365 There was a huge thriving Jewish community there as well. 00:16:12.365 --> 00:16:16.700 So they're getting it hit from multiple directions. 00:16:16.700 --> 00:16:24.033 Here is all this cultural pressure to believe differently than you say you believe all around you every day. 00:16:24.865 --> 00:16:26.566 Look, you say you're Christian. 00:16:26.566 --> 00:16:27.732 What are you doing? 00:16:27.732 --> 00:16:31.432 That's not how the rest of us act and get in line with how we are. 00:16:34.666 --> 00:16:38.100 And I think many of us can relate to that today. 00:16:38.265 --> 00:16:41.566 I've had conversations with a number of you who are at work. 00:16:41.566 --> 00:16:45.765 You feel pressure to fall in line with the culture. 00:16:45.765 --> 00:16:53.533 Maybe you're told, look, this month you need to wear this t shirt to celebrate this lifestyle that I know you're opposed to, but just do it anyway. 00:16:53.533 --> 00:16:53.932 Come on. 00:16:53.932 --> 00:17:01.566 Just it's just a t shirt or just a pin on your lapel or or a photo on your profile. 00:17:01.666 --> 00:17:04.665 Just fall right in with it. 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:09.400 But they stood firm. 00:17:09.532 --> 00:17:11.465 They didn't give in to the pressures around them. 00:17:11.465 --> 00:17:16.232 They still stand firm and they stayed dedicated to the gospel. 00:17:16.865 --> 00:17:23.532 Another good thing that we want to be known for discerning, dedicated. 00:17:23.566 --> 00:17:26.099 And then look at the third thing he highlights here about them. 00:17:29.032 --> 00:17:33.500 Not only are they discerning and determined, they're dedicated to the truth. 00:17:33.500 --> 00:17:35.633 Look at verse six. 00:17:35.633 --> 00:17:38.165 Yet this you have. 00:17:38.165 --> 00:17:43.865 You hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 00:17:43.865 --> 00:17:44.865 Hate. 00:17:44.865 --> 00:17:46.032 It's a strong word to use. 00:17:46.032 --> 00:17:51.333 I don't think in church we feel like we should ever use that to hate a group of people. 00:17:51.532 --> 00:18:02.266 And I think what he means here and what he's emphasizing is they understood that that group is opposed to the gospel, and there's a part of us that should not like that. 00:18:02.566 --> 00:18:08.599 Maybe hate might feel too strong, but there's a part of us that should not want that to happen. 00:18:09.665 --> 00:18:15.400 We don't know exactly who the Nicolaitans are, most assume because and we'll look at them. 00:18:15.400 --> 00:18:18.665 They show up again in the letter to the church in Pergamum. 00:18:20.200 --> 00:18:29.066 You know, most assume that they were a group based on what was written there, who was encouraging people to compromise in their practices. 00:18:29.133 --> 00:18:32.700 We've got all this cultural pressure around us. 00:18:32.700 --> 00:18:33.766 You know what? 00:18:33.766 --> 00:18:39.432 Let's at least have some areas of compromise to show that we can get along. 00:18:39.432 --> 00:18:43.599 It's okay to go to the temple of Diana and worship there as well. 00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:46.532 That doesn't mean you're going along with everything they teach. 00:18:46.532 --> 00:18:53.932 I don't know if it's exactly how it would have spelled out, but again, there's plenty of ways in the culture you're pressured to just go along. 00:18:53.932 --> 00:18:55.633 It doesn't mean you're for that. 00:18:55.633 --> 00:18:58.432 Just go along. 00:18:58.432 --> 00:19:02.965 Just this week, I heard a story of a of a girl who was a student at Boyce College. 00:19:02.965 --> 00:19:15.532 She was fired from a local coffee shop because when they asked her what her views were on marriage, she expressed a biblical, traditional, biblical view and they fired her for it. 00:19:15.532 --> 00:19:20.365 We don't feel like you fit in with our values. 00:19:22.900 --> 00:19:32.865 The reality is we live in a culture where there is going to be a lot of a lot of pressure on you to compromise, and it's going to be couched as no big deal. 00:19:32.865 --> 00:19:35.766 And look, there'll be times where it's not a big deal. 00:19:35.766 --> 00:19:39.165 I mean, obviously there are times we've got to engage with people who are different than us. 00:19:39.165 --> 00:19:41.133 We've got to use wisdom on how to figure out that is. 00:19:41.133 --> 00:19:50.732 But there are other times when it is a big deal and there is a place to draw a line in the sand, and there is a place to take a stand, and you need great wisdom and courage to know when that is. 00:19:52.099 --> 00:20:02.032 And John wrote to Ephesus, and he said to them, good job, well done. 00:20:02.400 --> 00:20:10.165 Now with every quality we have, with every strength, what's the flip side of that, that sometimes we run into? 00:20:10.165 --> 00:20:12.266 There can be a weakness. 00:20:12.266 --> 00:20:22.465 And we see in this determination, this dedication, this commitment to the truth, he's going to highlight what he says is a weakness, a challenge. 00:20:22.932 --> 00:20:24.266 Yeah, you're great here. 00:20:24.266 --> 00:20:27.932 But don't ignore the reality that you're struggling here. 00:20:27.932 --> 00:20:29.799 And so here's where they've gotten off course. 00:20:29.799 --> 00:20:32.432 We're going to see this in verse four. 00:20:32.432 --> 00:20:35.299 I have this against you. 00:20:35.299 --> 00:20:36.465 Yeah. You've done great. 00:20:36.465 --> 00:20:38.400 You're full of zeal for the truth. 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:45.865 But I have this against you that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 00:20:47.965 --> 00:20:49.099 You strong in doctrine. 00:20:49.099 --> 00:20:51.099 You love the truth. You're dedicated. 00:20:51.099 --> 00:20:51.900 You're not giving up. 00:20:51.900 --> 00:20:56.633 You're not compromising. And yet you're lacking love. 00:20:56.633 --> 00:21:00.465 You've abandoned the love you've had at first. 00:21:02.500 --> 00:21:07.165 And now the big challenge of this is the reality. 00:21:07.165 --> 00:21:11.900 That love is the thing that first opens your heart to the gospel. 00:21:11.900 --> 00:21:14.900 So to abandon that, that's a big problem. 00:21:15.232 --> 00:21:19.000 I mean, think about how you came to know Christ. If you know him. 00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:27.766 It wasn't just because you read a great theology book and the doctrine seemed accurate and excellent to you know, you experienced the love of Christ. 00:21:27.766 --> 00:21:30.465 In fact, your doctrine was probably way off in many areas. 00:21:30.465 --> 00:21:33.566 You can look back and go, oh man, I had that all wrong. 00:21:33.566 --> 00:21:36.732 And yet you still came to know Christ because of his love for you. 00:21:36.732 --> 00:21:40.932 Probably because the love of many around you who poured into you. 00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:46.000 We've gotta keep love at the center. 00:21:46.000 --> 00:21:48.099 And I don't mean some empty love. 00:21:48.099 --> 00:21:51.900 Biblical, Christ centered, Christ exalting love. 00:21:51.900 --> 00:21:55.400 It's got to be at the center of everything we do. 00:21:55.400 --> 00:22:04.365 If you've been through the pastor's class, I make a big deal out of this because many churches have this tendency we grow in our knowledge. 00:22:04.365 --> 00:22:15.633 If you're growing in your knowledge of Scripture and of who God is, and yet you're not growing emotionally if you're not growing in how to love others well, then you are misunderstanding the gospel. 00:22:16.465 --> 00:22:19.599 As you grow in your knowledge of who God is, you should be growing. 00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:30.266 You should be more loving, more tender, more approachable, more quick to apologize and extend forgiveness and to admit wrong. 00:22:30.266 --> 00:22:32.833 We should be growing in those areas as well. 00:22:35.066 --> 00:22:38.900 And he's highlighting here you've gotten off course. 00:22:39.766 --> 00:22:41.633 This is also important. 00:22:41.633 --> 00:22:43.799 Before we look at the correctives he gives them. 00:22:43.799 --> 00:22:48.266 This is really ultimately a life and death issue for the church. 00:22:49.099 --> 00:22:52.133 This isn't just some yeah, we better get love, right? 00:22:52.133 --> 00:22:55.099 I guess we'll put that on top of everything else we're doing now. 00:22:55.099 --> 00:22:58.365 This is a life and death issue for the church. 00:22:58.365 --> 00:23:01.365 Churches that are not loving will die. 00:23:02.900 --> 00:23:04.633 Ephesus is a good example of that. 00:23:04.633 --> 00:23:08.099 By the way, there is no Ephesus anymore. 00:23:08.865 --> 00:23:14.266 You know, some of these churches that we'll talk about and look at, those cities are still there. 00:23:14.266 --> 00:23:17.266 There are still churches in those areas. 00:23:18.299 --> 00:23:20.365 Ephesus doesn't even exist as a city. 00:23:20.365 --> 00:23:26.566 And more most prominent city in the Roman area of the one of the most prominent regions is not even there. 00:23:28.766 --> 00:23:32.032 And the church is not even there. 00:23:32.266 --> 00:23:34.665 This is a life and death issue for the church. 00:23:34.665 --> 00:23:36.200 We've got to be fastidious. 00:23:36.200 --> 00:23:40.000 We've got to fight for love in the church. 00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:43.400 I want you to look at the correctives he gives them. 00:23:43.400 --> 00:23:45.200 He gives them three things to do. 00:23:45.200 --> 00:23:50.700 How do you continue to stay on course and move towards love? 00:23:52.900 --> 00:23:56.400 All of these are going to be in verse five. 00:23:56.566 --> 00:23:59.665 First thing he says is remember. 00:24:01.232 --> 00:24:06.299 Remember therefore from where you have fallen. Remember. 00:24:07.833 --> 00:24:20.932 And I think for us, the simple thing there is to remember the love of Christ that you first felt, that you first experienced, that of first attracted you to him. 00:24:20.932 --> 00:24:22.365 Go back to that. 00:24:22.365 --> 00:24:25.665 Make sure you're continuing to remember his love for you. 00:24:25.665 --> 00:24:29.032 Continue to study scriptures on love. 00:24:30.099 --> 00:24:32.500 I've listed in your notes First Corinthians 13. 00:24:32.500 --> 00:24:35.133 That's one of the best passages you can read on love. 00:24:35.133 --> 00:24:43.732 It's known as the love Chapter, and it talks about what love is, but it spends just as much time talking about what love isn't. 00:24:43.732 --> 00:24:46.165 Which is important to know as well. 00:24:46.165 --> 00:24:50.266 And one of the things they say, he says in there is he says. 00:24:50.766 --> 00:24:57.900 You can have everything right but if you don't have love, you're like a noisy gong and a clanging cymbal. 00:24:58.566 --> 00:24:59.500 Here's how we say this. 00:24:59.500 --> 00:25:03.665 In our world, people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. 00:25:03.665 --> 00:25:09.400 And it's almost cliche, but isn't it true? 00:25:09.532 --> 00:25:16.365 How many times will people come up to you and they have something great to tell you, and but it's done in a cold, distant way and it's all about them. 00:25:16.365 --> 00:25:18.365 And it's not really about you and it's not loving. 00:25:18.365 --> 00:25:19.299 Do you want to hear that? 00:25:20.299 --> 00:25:23.665 Oh, man, just go on, go on. 00:25:23.665 --> 00:25:25.500 Go tell someone else I don't care. 00:25:25.500 --> 00:25:27.299 You don't care about me. 00:25:27.299 --> 00:25:30.299 This is all about you. 00:25:30.665 --> 00:25:31.566 Go back. 00:25:31.566 --> 00:25:32.633 Remember. 00:25:32.633 --> 00:25:35.133 Remember that love. 00:25:35.133 --> 00:25:40.665 Remember that moment when you felt so unloved and you experienced the love of Christ for the first time? 00:25:40.665 --> 00:25:43.665 Do you remember that? 00:25:45.133 --> 00:25:48.133 And you felt his love. 00:25:48.932 --> 00:25:51.932 When you felt unlovable. 00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:55.066 Everybody needs that. 00:25:55.066 --> 00:25:58.066 Everybody wants that. 00:25:58.865 --> 00:26:00.500 Now, it's not either, nor either or. 00:26:00.500 --> 00:26:09.266 We want solid doctrine too, but we want to make sure that the love of Christ is front and center. 00:26:09.266 --> 00:26:13.665 Remember, second, he says, repent. 00:26:13.665 --> 00:26:20.365 Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent. 00:26:20.732 --> 00:26:22.032 Repentance. 00:26:22.032 --> 00:26:24.865 The Greek word just means turn around. 00:26:24.865 --> 00:26:26.232 You're going this direction. 00:26:26.232 --> 00:26:28.333 Stop. Turn around. 00:26:28.333 --> 00:26:30.032 Go the other direction. 00:26:30.032 --> 00:26:34.900 It usually, I think, always should also involve sorrow, grief. 00:26:34.900 --> 00:26:41.200 I'm sorry for the wrong I was doing and it should involve then turning around, turning back the right direction. 00:26:41.200 --> 00:26:50.532 And so if you realize I am not a very loving person, repent. 00:26:50.566 --> 00:26:52.432 Repent. 00:26:52.432 --> 00:26:57.965 Have sorrow for that and turn around. 00:26:57.965 --> 00:27:06.766 Look, no matter who you are, you can absolutely change who you are today. 00:27:06.766 --> 00:27:23.299 Starting today, if you are known as a stern, hard, unloving person, you can absolutely from today forward be known as a kind, joy filled, loving person. 00:27:23.799 --> 00:27:25.766 Today. 00:27:25.766 --> 00:27:30.165 This doesn't have to take centuries for this to occur. 00:27:30.165 --> 00:27:32.566 It can start today and can continue. 00:27:32.566 --> 00:27:33.665 One decision at a time. 00:27:33.665 --> 00:27:36.465 From today forward. Repent. 00:27:36.465 --> 00:27:37.900 Remember. 00:27:37.900 --> 00:27:40.333 Repent. 00:27:40.333 --> 00:27:51.865 And then the third thing he says here, remember therefore from where you have fallen, repent and do the works you did at first. 00:27:52.965 --> 00:27:56.165 If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 00:27:56.165 --> 00:27:59.165 Unless you repent. 00:27:59.833 --> 00:28:00.500 You know, it's interesting. 00:28:00.500 --> 00:28:03.165 The church in Ephesus. 00:28:03.165 --> 00:28:04.700 In fact, you can put that map up. 00:28:04.700 --> 00:28:06.833 I skipped it a minute ago, but go ahead and put that map up. 00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:17.566 This is a picture of the city of Ephesus, former city of Ephesus, and I forgot to bring up a laser pointer to highlight this. 00:28:17.566 --> 00:28:20.766 But here's the main thing I want you to see the shoreline. 00:28:20.766 --> 00:28:23.000 500 BC. 00:28:23.000 --> 00:28:27.766 When they built the city, it was back behind the shoreline right on the edge of the water. 00:28:27.766 --> 00:28:32.000 But now the shoreline is all the way out at the end of the bay. 00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:32.732 The bay's gone. 00:28:32.732 --> 00:28:34.532 It got filled up with silt. 00:28:34.532 --> 00:28:35.799 Over time. 00:28:35.799 --> 00:28:40.200 This city that thought they were the most important in the world. 00:28:41.266 --> 00:28:45.133 Every day the river was filling up that bay. 00:28:45.133 --> 00:28:48.932 Now it's something like six miles away from the coastline. 00:28:49.165 --> 00:28:52.165 Every day. 00:28:52.665 --> 00:28:56.266 Mud, dirt, silt from the river every day. 00:28:56.266 --> 00:28:58.766 Small portions a little bit. Can't tell. 00:28:58.766 --> 00:28:59.665 Just a little bit. 00:29:01.833 --> 00:29:10.500 But if you don't deal with the sin that's piling up every day, the anger, the bitterness, the hardness. 00:29:11.400 --> 00:29:15.200 And over time, you are far from God. 00:29:15.599 --> 00:29:18.532 Repent. Remember. 00:29:18.532 --> 00:29:21.532 Turn to him. 00:29:21.633 --> 00:29:24.465 This is true of you personally, and it's true of our church. 00:29:24.465 --> 00:29:29.299 As a church, collectively, all we are are a collection of individuals. 00:29:29.299 --> 00:29:31.900 We've got a daily pursue him. Remember. 00:29:31.900 --> 00:29:33.299 Repent. 00:29:33.299 --> 00:29:35.232 Return to the things you did at first. 00:29:35.232 --> 00:29:36.200 And so here's what this means. 00:29:36.200 --> 00:29:49.333 Return to those simple practices you did at first, when you first came to know Christ, when you were on fire for him, when you couldn't read the Bible enough, when you couldn't spend enough time in prayer, when you couldn't be at church enough, when you couldn't be in Bible studies enough. 00:29:49.333 --> 00:29:52.566 But I think of many people over time, they forget those practices. 00:29:52.566 --> 00:29:54.000 They start to wander away from them. 00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:56.032 And you feel like I can coast. 00:29:56.032 --> 00:30:00.833 I was just even telling the elders this morning, you know, last month I felt like I couldn't pray enough. 00:30:00.833 --> 00:30:05.566 I was praying constantly and I said, you know, over the last week, I realized some of that has slipped. 00:30:06.865 --> 00:30:11.566 I didn't have that same enthusiasm over the last week, and the Lord just brought it to mind this morning. 00:30:11.566 --> 00:30:15.200 It's so easy to get comfortable and coast. 00:30:16.599 --> 00:30:26.865 But go back, return to those things you did at first when you were so on fire for him and so in love with him. 00:30:27.799 --> 00:30:38.133 In fact, it's interesting how many of you over the last couple of months, I can't tell you how many people who are new to the church came in and said. 00:30:39.000 --> 00:30:41.066 Well, I used to go to church. 00:30:41.066 --> 00:30:43.633 I used to be involved. 00:30:43.633 --> 00:30:45.766 It's time to get back. 00:30:45.766 --> 00:30:47.133 Person after person. 00:30:47.133 --> 00:30:52.000 I bet 20 people we know now it's time. 00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:54.932 We've got to get back. 00:30:54.932 --> 00:30:57.700 We've got to get back to the things we did first. 00:30:59.400 --> 00:31:00.333 Now here's why. 00:31:00.333 --> 00:31:05.165 Let me show you the promise he gives them to those who conquer. 00:31:05.165 --> 00:31:06.066 Look at what he says to him. 00:31:06.066 --> 00:31:07.700 To the one who conquers. 00:31:07.700 --> 00:31:09.900 Here's what's out before you. 00:31:09.900 --> 00:31:18.133 The promise I will grant to you to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God. 00:31:18.833 --> 00:31:22.066 Now we are going to partake in communion in just a second. 00:31:22.066 --> 00:31:26.333 In fact, if you're helping with that, go ahead and get those elements ready. 00:31:26.333 --> 00:31:32.833 I want to point out why this would have been an interesting message to the people in Ephesus. 00:31:33.165 --> 00:31:41.400 Okay, obviously when you think of the tree of Life, you think of the garden back at the beginning of the Bible, you think of the tree of knowledge, good and evil, and the tree of life. 00:31:41.400 --> 00:31:42.365 Both are there. 00:31:42.365 --> 00:31:57.532 But this also would have been really targeted at the people in Ephesus, because one of their main symbols celebrating the cult of Diana was the date palm, the tree, and it was situated in the garden, the Paradise they called it. 00:31:57.532 --> 00:31:59.099 It was the the word for. 00:31:59.099 --> 00:32:02.099 It was the Paradise around the temple. 00:32:02.465 --> 00:32:04.599 And so here's the contrast. 00:32:04.599 --> 00:32:04.833 Yeah. 00:32:04.833 --> 00:32:07.833 Go eat from that tree, the tree of life. 00:32:09.365 --> 00:32:11.165 But it's not. 00:32:11.165 --> 00:32:12.099 It's a dead tree. 00:32:12.099 --> 00:32:15.099 Instead, the tree where we find life. 00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:19.799 It's the tree where Jesus hung. 00:32:19.965 --> 00:32:22.266 It's the tree where Jesus died. 00:32:22.266 --> 00:32:25.900 And it's through his death that you will find life.