Loving the City
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Introduction
Introduction
Greeting
Welcome everyone, thank you for joining us for our sunday gathering. Lets open with a prayer to perpare our hearts for the word.
Story
As a lead team, we recently went to a leadership retreat with the POAC, I felt like God set me up for this sermon becuase he taught me and showed me he is walking among his church and how the church is a vessal for light in this world. He didnt just teach me this in scripture but he showed in through his church. I was wrestliong with a question like should i go left or right and a person just comes up and says go left. jesus is among his church and the church is the light of the world and for the light to function it operates through love. We going to read a passage in revelation but i want to lay some context beofre we unpack the passage.
Context
The Letter of revelations was a combintation of three tyoes of writing 1. Phophecy 2.Revelation and 3. a letter to local churches in asia minor in modern day turkey. Jesus as commisioned John to write the words Of jesus to this churches to encourage them, warn them and remind him of his promises.
Text
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
“Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
The Church is a Lampstand
The Church is a Lampstand
Teaching
The first thing i want to highlight is what does jesus mean when he says he holds the 7 stars and 7 lampstands. He laters exlains that the lampstands are the churches. the following question then is what is a lampstand?
Lampstands where was used in the old testament in the holy place and they were the means of which lamps were held up. Jesus is saying that the church is a lampstand what does lampstands carry they carry light. Why does lampstands carry light they help people see.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
We togther as a church are the light of this city. This contexts lays the founhdation for why jesus warns them later on calls them to repeent.
Story
I grew up in belverdere and sometimes i wonder honestly when i have come to christ from 10 years ago if they church didnt decided to move here if i would of know christ becuase i only came to know christ becuase i saw a light in these people. I saw something different, i saw love, and community and that was what drew me to the faith.
Transition
Jesus transition warn them
Jesus Encouragement & Warning to the Church
Jesus Encouragement & Warning to the Church
Teaching
Jesus says something that is beautiful but its hidden it says i walk among the Lampstands, That is important becuase jesus hasnt just ascended but his also walking among his people. That jesus aware of every pain, thought and action were are taking and he as noticed something that need to be corrected in his church. He highlights what the church is doing and he aslo highlights where they have gone wrong.
Encouragement
1. Jesus Knows Faithful in ministry
2. Discernment ability to call falsehood
3. Perserving in hardship and opposition
Warning
They have forsaken the love there first love
The church was initially zealous and motivated by love, but that love diminished as time passed. This love could be directed at God or brothers and sisters in the Lord. Their love for unbelievers in the city may have also waned under the heavy hand of persecution.
Story
We all have experienced this when hardship comes or we have a fight or we have diffcult circumstances and our hearts get sour and the love that first movatied drys up.
Teaching
Jesus warns us he will remove our lampstand whcih is essenial our ablity to be light and salt in this world is conditionally to what movatites us to do ministry or follow jesus and if our intentions are aligment with love God, his people or non belivers then the our familys, citys and the pay the price because we lost our influence in the world.
Transition
I believe jesus is among us and i want tonight to be a night where we let God search our hearts if that is
Conclusion
Conclusion
I want us to have room to repent if our hearts has dryied up and ask God to fill our hearts
If you have a word to share for the church come to the front.