sf389 The Way We Were (Revelaiton 2 1-7)
Revelation 2:1‑7
INTRODUCTION
Excited about what God is doing.
Pace Maker
Various kinds ‑ Swiss $20 thousand, Japanese $10 thousand, Sears $195 ‑ Man thought a while said "better try the Sears model" Check up ‑ Doctor "any problems?," Man "no, only when I get a little excited my automatic garage door keeps flying open.” I am that excited!
The church is where it is at! Nothing like a Spirit filled church.
What a power in the hand of God is a holy church.
Seven messages to seven churches
Literal churches
Represent all churches of all time
Numbers are symbolic
1 = unity
2 = witness
3 = divine, trinity
4 = earth = four corners of the earth
6 = man
7 = perfect, creation
Ø Not a church problem today that is not addressed in these seven letters.
He that has ears let him hear!
We are nothing more than the sum total of the individuals in it.
1A. THEIR PROGRAM (2a)
1B. They Were Busy Doing Good Works
"They were are going church for a coming Lord"
They had a full schedule
Lot's of activity
They took seriously their responsibility to minister to everyone
2B. They Were Not a Lazy Church
"labor" = laborious toil
Deacon's Prayer
Now I lay me down to sleep
The sermon's long, the subject's deep
If he should quit before I wake
Give me a nudge for goodness sake
The church was not sleeping
They worked hard at God's work.
2A. THEIR PURITY
1B. Morally pure (2b)
They would not tolerate open, habitual, sin among their members.
The upheld high spiritual standards
2B. Theologically Pure (2c)
Tested teachers
Ø Heeded Paul's warning
Acts 20:28 (NKJV) 28Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
Ø They were not opened minded when it came to the scriptures.
Ø That is not unchristian it is Biblical.
Ø Only in America would the lambs defend the wolves’ right to devour them.
Tested methods (6)
Ø Nicolaitans ‑ nico = to rule; laos = laity
Artificial division between the clergy and the laity ‑ this is not in the word of God.
They wanted to rule over the people. Careful Jesus is the only one to rule ‑ Pastors are to lead, no division between the clergy and the laity.
You do not, cannot pay me to serve Jesus for you. You give to God and God pays me. We are all ministers.
3A. THEIR PERSERVERANCE (3)
They had persevered
persevered = "patience" = to hold up under persecution
1B. They lived in a difficult time
1 Corinthians 16:8-9 (NKJV) 8But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. 9For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
2B. They were in a difficult place
Lots of opposition in Ephesus (Acts 19:23‑41)
Ø Dementrius Silversmiths ‑ goddess of Diane
Ø The gospel was bad for the idol business.
Ø Everywhere Paul went there was a revival, riot or both
These folks held on under opposition.
Ø You can tell the size of a Christian by what it takes to stop him.
4A. THEIR PROBLEM (4)
1B. They Had Lost Their Passion
Jesus was their first love
Ø They did not love him as they once did ‑ their honeymoon was over.
Honeymoon that period of time between "I do" and "you better."
Ø If you do not love your mate, more you probably love them less.
Young couple next door kissing. Wife "why don't you do that?” Husband "I hardly know the woman."
They had lost the glow ‑ the passion
Ø They were orthodox, active, worked hard, and persevered.
But they did not love Christ the way they had.
2B. Why They Lost Their Passion
They had become legalistic (2b)
Ø So interested in orthodoxy that we forget to love Jesus
They had become workaholics (2a)
Ø They were so busy working for God they had forgotten to love Him.
Ø They had forsaken their quite time with God
Ø God would rather you spend time with Him than to do things for Him.
Jesus Wants Your Heart
Ø If you give Him your wealth, He is no richer
Ø If you give Him your scholarship, He is no smarter
Ø If you give Him your labor, He is no stronger
Ø What He desires is your love!
Ø Nobody can love Jesus more than you can!!!
3B. The problems that would be solved if we just loved Jesus
The attendance problem
Ø Where your heart is your heals will follow.
The financial problem
Ø You do not have to be begged to give to someone you love.
The service problem
Ø Does a mother have to begged to sit up with a sick child
The evangelism problem
Ø If you love Jesus, you will feed His sheep.
Church arguments would be solved
Ø If we love Him, we will love each other.
A Mother's Love
Four children ‑ 1 brain damaged, specially loved. Mother had surgery children went to see her brought gifts. Little girl with brain damage brought weeds ‑ mother accepted the gift of love. You may have limits but God will receive your love!
5A. THE LORD’S PERSCRIPTION (5)
1B. Remember
Stop and think
Ø Was there ever a time in your life when you loved the Lord Jesus more than you do right now?
Ø If there were you are backslidden.
2B. Repent
This is a terrible sin
Matthew 22:37-38 (NKJV) 37Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and great commandment.
Ø The greatest commandment is to love Him, therefore the greatest sin in not to love Him
Ø When Jesus tells us to repent, He means we can do something about it.
You choose to love Jesus
3B. Return
"do the first works”
Go back!
Ø We must go back before we can go on.
Ø We need to go back to the childlike faith.
Ø We must become like little children...
APPLICATION
Remember
Repent
Return!
THE WAY WE WERE
April 25, 1999- Revelation 2:1‑7
1A. THEIR PROGRAM
1B. They Were Busy Doing ______________ Works
2B. They Were Not A _________________ Church
2A. THEIR ______________________
1B. _________________ pure
2B. Theologically Pure
1C. Tested ___________________
2C. Tested ___________________
3A. THEIR PERSERVERANCE (3)
1B. They lived in a difficult __________________
1 Corinthians 16:8-9 (NKJV) 8But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost. 9For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
2B. They were in a difficult ____________________
4A. THEIR ____________________ )4)
1B. They Had Lost Their __________________
2B. ________________ They Lost Their Passion
They became _________________
They had become ______________
3B. The problems that would be solved if we just ______________ Jesus
The ________________ problem
The ________________ problem
The service problem
The _____________________ problem
Church ________________ would be solved
5A. THE LORD’S PERSCRIPTION (5)
1B. ______________________
2B. ______________________
3B. ______________________