Sermon Tone Analysis

In the next couple of weeks Ginnie and I will be celebrating 10 years of marriage.

I truly do believe God has blessed me twice in this life.

Once when He called me to salvation and the other is when Ginnie fell in love with me.

However, over the course of the 10 years their have been times where we got caught up in the task of life.

We got caught up in the day to day affairs that have come our way and I hate to say their have been times we have forgotten about whey we where doing all of this in the first place.

We have forgotten our love for each other and that is why we sacrifice, that is why we do what we do for each other.

This also happens in the church as we will see in and the church of Ephesus.

A couple years ago Pandora was a popular gift for ladies.

My wife wanted one and I bought one for her.

Over the years I have added new beads to the bracelet.

I didn’t just want to get one that was already put together.

I wanted to give her beads that had meaning.

I have given her music beads, I have given her beads to remind her of our children.

I have given her beads of letters of her name.

But the most speacial bead I have given to her is the Red Hot Love bead or buring hot love bead.

I wanted to always look at that bead and know that my love for her was hot and burning.

Today, we are going to be reminded that God wants our church to have a Red Hot burning love for Him.

Let’s discover today how to rekindle our first Love.

a.Take your Bibles and turn to

Ephesus was a well know city.

1.Ephesus was a well know city.

a.The Commentary The hand book to Revelation describes Ephesus this way: It was the most important city in the Roman province in Asia; it was a busy seaport, had a thriving commerce, and was the center of the cult of the goddess Artemis (see , ), and the goddess Diana, the temple of Diana was one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, As the book of Acts shows, it soon became a very important center of Christian activity, and at the time of the writing of this letter, it may have been the most important Christian church in the Roman empire.

2.The letter is addressed to the angel of the church of Ephesus: a.In this context angel more than likely refers to a person who represents the church.

Thus translators may render the angel of the church as “the representative of the church …,” or even “messenger of the church.”

b.The heading was addressed to the pastor of the church of EphesusBut this was not just another letter.

1.This letter was penned by the hand of John the Revelator and these are the words of Jesus Christ.

c.We know these are the words of Jesus Christ because in verse 2 it says

It had a busy seaport

thriving commerce

It was the center of worship of the goddess of Artemis and Diana.

In their was a revolt lead by the the golds smith because of Paul preaching the gospel.

God moved through Paul’s ministry in Ephesus with the gospel going to all of Asia as he preached in the halls of Tyrannus

The church was strong in Ephesus at this time and things at first look seemed to be going well.

This letter is addressed to the angel of the church of Ephesus.

This means it is addressed to the representative of the church.

The overseeer

The messenger of the church.

This letter is addressed to the pastor or lead elder of the church of Ephesus

As a pastor I get letters or messages all the time.

From time to to I get messages from vistors who have enjoyed our service.

I get messages weekly from church members over a varitey of subject matter.

I some time get messages from other pastors

But this letter to the pastor of the church of Ephesus didn’t come from any of those mentioned.

This letter comes from the one who holds the seven stars in this right hand.

This letter comes from the one who walks among the seven lampstands.

This letter that is addressed to the pastor lead elder is from Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the one who holds the seven stars in his hands.

Showing that He is to be in control of the church and its leadership.

What a sweet picture of comfort to know the church is in Jesus Hands.

Jesus is the the one who walks among the seven lampstand.

Which shows us that Jesus is not looking at our church from a far.

Jesus was among the church of Ephesus and He is among us.

I am reminded of the the song.

He is here.

Hallelujah, He is here amen, He is here you can touch him.

You will never be the same.

Jesus cares and loves his church.

We know this not only because he holds us in his hands, and because he is here among us.

We know this because Christ shed his blood for his bride the church on the cross.

So here is the lead elder/pastor of the church of Ephesus and he receives this book called Revelation that was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and he comes to a letter addressed to him from Jesus.

“`The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand

So here is the pastor of the church of Ephesus and he receives this book called Revelation that was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and he comes to a letter addressed to him from Jesus.

Jesus cares and loves his church.

We know this not only because he holds us in his hands, and because he is here among us.

We know this because Christ shed his blood for his bride the church on the cross.

Jesus is the one who holds the messengers of the church in his hands.Showing that He is in control of the church and its leadership

ii.Could you imagine being the pastor of the Chruch of Ephesus and recieving the book of Revelation and in it you have a letter personally addressed to you from Jesus Christ.

2.The letter directed to the Church of Ephesus does not just apply to them.

a.It also was meant to be a letter that applies to all churches throughout time 3.

The letter that John penned is also a letter for us at Tar Heel Baptist Church.

4. Let’s look at the letter John penned.

It also says and who walks among the seven lampstands

Jesus starts the letter to the pastor and says I know your works.

1.We know that Jesus Christ is the one that walks among the Lambstands a. Jesus Christ is not far off looking in on his churches.But Jesus was among the seven churches he addressed and he is here today ii.Could you imagine being the pastor of the Chruch of Ephesus and recieving the book of Revelation and in it you have a letter personally addressed to you from Jesus Christ.

2.The letter directed to the Church of Ephesus does not just apply to them.

a.It also was meant to be a letter that applies to all churches throughout time 3.

The letter that John penned is also a letter for us at Tar Heel Baptist Church.

4. Let’s look at the letter John penned.

The church of Ephesus was not a lazy church.

They where hard working.

The church of Ephesus was not a lazy church.

They where hard working.

The church of Ephesus was not a lazy church.

They where hard working.

Jesus says I know your toil

They weren’t a social club that only met once or twice a week.

They where a missional agency.

Remember this church was responsible or carrying the gospel to much of Asia.

They didn’t have the concept that Church is a building you attend.

If you remember in they met in a school house.

They viewed the church as a living organism that was made up for the purpose of carrying out the mission of God.

Their mission was the great commission.

Jesus tells the pastor I know your toil and patience endurance.

They understood what it was like to suffer for the gospel.

They where not liked in Ephesus as their was a riot in the city because one of the main attractions to the city was the worship of false gods.

Because these Christians would now bow down to Diana, they where abused, beaten, social outcast.

They had not grown weary.

They had not become faint in their work of spreading the gospel.

This church understood what it was like to pick up your cross and follow Jesus.

Jesus tells the pastor I know that you can’t bear anyone evil.