Kindle Love - How to love while enduring persecution and defending the faith.
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Revelation 2:1.
1 “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.
What is the city of Ephesus known for?
Who’s words are being written?
What do the seven stars represent? - Revelation 1:20.
What do the seven lampstands represent? - Revelation 1:20.
Revelation 2:2-3.
2 “ ‘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.
3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.
Jesus’ Commendations:
They have toil and endurance in persecution without weariness.
Matthew 5:10-11.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
They can not bear with evil people
They defend the faith.
1 John 4:1.
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Revelation 2:4.
4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
Jesus’ Rebuke:
They have abandoned love.
Seven areas of love to consider:
God’s love of us.
Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:19.
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
19 We love because he first loved us.
Love of God -Deuteronomy 6:5. 1 John 4:7-21.
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Love of Brothers
John 13:34.
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
Love of Neighbors
Love of Self
Leviticus 19:18.
18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
Love of Enemies
Matthew 5:43-45.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Which of these loves had been abandoned?
What is their first love?
Receiving God’s love to give to others. 1 John 4:19.
Revelation 2:5
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
Jesus’ solution to kindling love:
Remember - God’s love
Repent - of forgetting and not practicing receiving and giving God’s love.
Repeat - Keep receiving and giving God’s love.
Jesus’ Consequence:
If we, the local church, quit receiving and giving God’s love, we will die as a church - the lampstand which holds the lamp of the Spirit will be removed.
Revelation 2:6.
6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Jesus’ Commendation:
They hate the works of the Nicolaitans.
Revelation 2:7.
7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
Hear Jesus’ words spoken by the Spirit.
We are more conquers in God’s love.
Romans 8:35-37.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
We are given the tree of life in the paradise of God. Genesis 2:9; Ezekiel 28:13; 31:8; Revelation 22:2.
Jesus’ solution to kindling love:
Remember - God’s love.
Repent - of forgetting and not practicing receiving and giving God’s love.
Repeat - Keep receiving and giving God’s love.