Revelation 2:1-7

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

One, two, testing.

Okay.

Sorry about that.

So as I was saying, I get these messages from Verizon Wireless telling me that it's time

to upgrade to a new plan.

And it's a message that I ignore, delete it right away.

But if I get a message from my wife reminding me, don't forget your son's piano recital

tonight.

Now that will stick and I won't forget.

So this message is coming from our Lord Jesus Christ.

So this letter is coming from Jesus.

Secondly, some messages are time-specific.

When I tell my kids to study for the SAT, as much as they don't want to hear it, it is a

very time-specific message.

It applies to them for maybe about two years in high school and then they'll never hear

it from me again.

And you can count on it.

But this message, Jesus' letters to the seven churches, it's not a time-specific message.

It's a message that transcends time and culture.

These messages were written approximately A.D. 90 and the churches they were addressed to,

they don't exist now in present day.

But His messages, it applies to us and also the generations to come.

This evening's scripture comes from Revelation chapter 2, verses 1 through 7.

Revelation 2:1–7

It's on page 1028 on your Pew Bible.

Page 1028 in your Pew Bible.

Page 1028 in your Pew Bible.

Page 1028 in your Pew Bible.

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.

Yet this you have.

You hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

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.

Let us pray.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus, how vast is your love, as vast as the ocean.

And Lord Jesus, thank you for bringing us here tonight to worship you, to praise you.

And as we get ready to hear your message, Lord, I pray that you will open our ears and humble our hearts.

And Lord, I pray that you will open our hearts.

And Lord, I pray that you will open our hearts.

Do not leave any room for resistance in our hearts.

Help us to listen to your message and act upon it.

In your holy name, I pray.

Amen.

So starting this evening and for next six weeks, we will open the letters to seven churches written by Jesus one week at a time.

And tonight, this is a letter to church of Ephesus.

And for the next seven letters, you will see Jesus describing himself differently seven times.

And he also describes his promise or the reward seven times differently.

And then there is a one unchanging theme that he asks us to do, which is to conquer or overcome.

So tonight, we will focus on the three sections of the letter.

First, Jesus commends Ephesians.

Second, Jesus rebukes Ephesians.

Third, Jesus tells us to conquer or overcome.

I'm going to be reading from different parts of the Bible.

So, you know, you can write it down.

You don't have to necessarily go to it.

You're welcome to write it down and maybe, you know, look them up later on in your spare time.

So starting at verse two, it says, I know your works, your toil, and your patient endurance.

So Paul talks about his own example in Ephesus, how hard he worked.

Paul was a tent maker.

So he worked all day making tents.

But every chance he got, he was...

Testing.

Testing

Testing

Okay, can you hear me now?

Testing, okay

So Paul

Tells the Ephesians

Through his own example

That how hard he worked

And every chance he got

He was sharing

Word of the Lord Jesus

With the people

Either at the synagogue

Or at the marketplace

Wherever he had a chance to share

The gospel he did

And this is his own

Testimony that comes from

Acts chapter 20

Acts 20:33–35

Verses

33 to 35

I coveted no one

No one's silver

Or gold

Or apparel

You yourselves know

That these hands

Minister to my necessities

And to those

Who were with me

In all things

I have shown you

That by working hard

In this way

We must help

The weak

And remember the words

Of the Lord Jesus

How he himself said

It is more blessed

To give

Than to receive

I have seen

Many of you

I'm going to just

Mention a couple of

Examples

That inspired me

Over the years

This one particular

Small group leader

I know

He has a full time job

He sees patients

All day

And he sees patients

Even in the evening hours

And then

To lead

The small group

He will rush in

Always

A snack in his hands

And smiling

Ready to teach

The word of the Lord

God sees that

Jesus

Knows that

How hard you work

And

Our youth group leaders

Some of them drive

More than an hour

Each way

And yet they come

They spend time

With our teenage

High school

Junior high school students

They are role model

To them

Some of the college

Students

Even

With their busy schedule

They come

And they teach

Our youth group

Students

So all these things

Full time moms

Have little children

And yet

Once a week

They are leading

Bible study

For the women

In a small group

With a happy heart

So all these things

Jesus sees

And Jesus knows

Just like how he

Commends

Ephesians

For their hard work

And then he also

Commends

Their

Patient

Endurance

Bearing up

For my namesake

And not

Grown

Weary

In the morning

We've been studying

Book of Acts

And last month

We

We saw

How

When the people

Of Ephesians

Received the gospel

And then they start

Rejecting these idols

Burned them

Got rid of them

And then the

Idol makers

Silversmith

Basically

They got all upset

Because they were

Losing money

They were not

They can't sell idols

Anymore

So they rounded up

People

And they start

Having a protest

Against the

Believers

We don't

Have

Group of

Angry

Mobs

Outside

Protesting

Against our

Church

But

In many

Different ways

We also

Face

Persecution

I know

Students

Who come

From

Different

Background

Telling us

That

Their parents

Are not

Christians

Matter of

Fact

Their parents

Practice

Different

Religion

And they

Are not

Happy

About

Them

Practicing

Christianity

Or when

You share

The gospel

In workplace

Sometimes

They

Look at

You

Like you

Have three

Heads

Sometimes

They

Isolate

You

Calling

You know

You

By

Names

Narrow

Minded

Intolerant

How can

You believe

Something like

That

In this

Age

Of

Science

So

In

In our

Own ways

We also

Face

Persecution

But

Apostle

Paul

I mean

Apostle

John

Tells

Us

That we

Need to

Not

Grow

Weary

And

Keep

On

Doing

What

We're

Doing

I

Meet

With

A

Young

Man

In

This

Congregation

Regularly

And

We

Share

What

We

Are

Reading

We

Share

Our

Prayer

Topics

And

Then

One

Day

He

Shared

With

Me

How

Hard

It

Was

To

Share

The

Gospel

Amongst

These

Workers

And

I

Said

Me

Too

You're

Not

The

Only

One

I

Face

That

Too

My

Agnostic

Atheist

Friends

You know

They

They

Don't

They

Really

Don't

Like

When

I

Start

Talk

About

Jesus

So

We

Were

Able

To

Share

What

We

Go

Through

As

Christians

Encourage

One

Another

And

Pray

For

One

Another

And

This

Brother

Told

Me

That

I

Encourage

Him

I

Said

To

Myself

No

You

Encourage

Me

Because

I'm

Seeing

How

God

Is

Working

In

Your

Life

And

As

We

See

That

As

I

See

That

I

Get

So

Much

Encouragement

So

Again

Apostle

Paul

In

His

Own

Testament

In

Acts

Acts 20:18–21

Chapter

20

Verses

18

To

21

He

Says

You

You

You

You

You

You

You

Know

How

I

Lived

Among

You

The

Whole

Time

From

The

First

Day

That

I

Set

Foot

In

Asia

Serving

The

Lord

With

All

Humility

And

With

Tears

And

With

Trials

That

Happened

To

Me

Through

The

Plots

Of

The

Jews

How

I

Did

Not

Shrink

From

Declaring

To

You

Anything

That

Was

Profitable

And

Teaching

You

In

Public

And

From

House

To

House

Testifying

Both

To

Jews

And

To

Greeks

Of

Repentance

Toward

God

And

Of

Faith

In

Our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

So

We

Know

People

Who

Face

Persecutions

Maybe

Not

In

New

Haven

But

When

You

Receive

Letters

From

Our

Mission

Missionaries

That

We

Support

How

Often

Do

We

See

Someone

So

And

So

Got

Killed

We

Recently

Got

A

Letter

From

Stanley

Colzar

And

This

Missionary

Who

Is

In

India

Not

Stanley

But

His

Former

Coworker

He

Was

Just

Murdered

By

His

Own

Family

The

Judicial

System

Found

Him

Not

Guilty

But

His

Own

Family

Took

His

Life

Just

Because

He

Accepted

Jesus

And

He

Was

Teaching

The

Gospel

Jesus

Also

Commends

Ephesians

That

You

Cannot

Bear

With

Those

Who

Are

Evil

False

Teachers

Teachers

And I'm

Hate

The

Now

How

Does

The

Bible

Describe

False

Teachers

Second

Corinthians

Chapter

Eleven

Verses

Thirteen

To

Fifteen

Apostle

Paul

Says

For

For such

Men

Are

False

Apostles

Deceitful

Workmen

Disguising

Themselves

As

Apostles

Of

Christ

And

No

Wonder

For

Even

Satan

Disguises

Himself

As

An

Angel

Of

Light

So

It

Is

No

Surprise

If

His

Servants

Also

Disguise

Themselves

As

Servants

Of

Righteousness

Their

End

Will

Correspond

To

Their

Deeds

So

Apostle

Paul

Tells

Us

False

Teachers

They

Deceive

Us

They

Disguise

Themselves

As

If

They

Are

Teaching

The

True

Gospel

But

At

The

End

We

Will

Know

They

Are

False

Teachers

Because

Of

The

Fruit

They

Bear

The

Deeds

At

The

End

We

Will

See

That

These

Are

False

Teachers

Another

Example

From

The

Bible

Comes

From

Second

Peter

Second

Peter

Chapter

Two

Verses

One

To

Three

But

False

Prophets

Also

Arose

Among

The

People

Just

As

There

Will

Be

False

Teachers

Among

You

Who

Will

Secretly

Bring

In

Destructive

Heresies

Even

Denying

The

Master

Who

Brought

Them

Who

Bought

Them

Bringing

Upon

Themselves

Swift

Destruction

And

Many

Will

Follow

Their

Sensuality

And

Because

Of

Them

The

Way

Of

Truth

Will

Be

Blasphemed

And

In

Their

Greed

They

Will

Exploit

You

With

False

Words

So

Here

Apostle

Peter

Tells

Us

These

False

Teachers

They

Deny

Jesus

They

Promote

Sensuality

Which

Later

On

We'll

See

How

The

Nicolaitans

They

Were

Practicing

Sexually

Immoral

Acts

And

Then

They

Exploit

Believers

With

Greed

And

Now

Let

Us

Look

At

Some

Specific

Examples

Of

These

False

Teachers

In

The

Bible

In

First

Timothy

Chapter

One

Verse

Twenty

Mentions

Hymenius

Alexander

And

Then

Later

On

It

Also

Mentions

Person

Named

Philetus

According

To

Early

Church

History

I

Guess

They

Were

Claiming

That

They

Were

Living

In

A

Post

Resurrection

Time

And

They

Saw

Themselves

As

They

Already

Have

The

Resurrected

Body

Clearly

A

False

Teaching

And

How

Often

Do

We

Come

Across

These

Groups

They

Claim

That

Oh

Jesus

Is

Coming

Back

At

Such

A

Such

A

Day

Such

A

Day

Such

A

Year

A

Specific

Time

When

God

Clearly

Told

Us

That

The

Time

Is

Only

He

Knows

And

Yet

These

False

Teachers

They

Predict

These

Things

All

The

Time

And

The

Other

Example

I

Would

Like

Us

To

Look

At

Is

From

1st

Timothy

Chapter

4

Verses

1

To

3

Now

The

Spirit

Expressly

Says

That

In

Later

Times

Some

Will

Depart

From

The

Faith

By

Devoting

Themselves

To

Deceitful

Spirits

And

Teachings

Of

Demons

Through

The

Insincerity

Of

Liars

Whose

Consciences

Are

Seared

Who

Forbid

Marriage

And

Require

Abstinence

From

Foods

That

God

Created

To

Be

Received

With

Thanksgiving

By

Those

Who

Believe

And

Know

The

Truth

And

Today

We

Have

Some

Preachers

You

Know

When

You

Listen

To

Their

Message

Sometimes

It

Sounds

Like

They

Are

Nutritionist

They

Talk

About

Food

Some

You

Know

So

In

In

The

Days

Of

Early

Christians

And

Even

Today

There

Were

All

Kinds

Of

This

False

Teaching

You

Know

Focusing

On

Money

Focusing

On

Success

And

Wealth

And

We

Hear

Them

Today

Also

Now

How

Can

We

Discern

The

False

Teachings

At

Our

Present

Time

In

First

John

Chapter

Four

Verses

One

To

Three

It

Says

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

By

This

You

Know

The

Spirit

Of

God

Every

Spirit

That

Confesses

That

Jesus

Christ

Has

Come

In

The

Flesh

Is

From

God

And

Every

Spirit

That

Does

Not

Confess

Jesus

Is

Not

From

God

This

Is

The

Spirit

Of

The

Antichrist

Which

You

Heard

Was

Coming

And

Now

Is

In

The

World

Already

Apostle

Paul

Also

Commended

The

Barians

In

Acts

Acts 17:11

Chapter

17

Verse

11

So

The

Barians

They

Study

Scripture

Daily

Even

After

They

Hear

The

Message

From

Apostle

Paul

They

Went

Home

And

They

Examine

The

Scripture

To

See

Whether

It's

According

To

The

Scripture

So

We

Need

To

Test

The

Spirit

And

Also

Study

Read

The

Scripture

And

Meditate

On

It

And

Then

Lastly

Because

We're

Living

In

A

Society

With

So

Much

Information

We

Are

Just

Getting

Bombarded

With

Information

Books

Sometimes

Your

Coworker

May

Just

Give

You

A

Book

If

One

In

Doubt

If

You're

Not

Sure

Ask

The

Pastors

Ask

The

Pastors

For

Guidance

Ask

The

Pastors

And

Elders

You

Know

So

And

So

Gave

Me

This

Book

And

I'm

Not

Sure

Whether

This

Is

A

True

Teaching

Consult

With

The

Pastors

And

Elders

That's

One

Way

To

Also

Discern

Whether

This

Is

False

Teaching

Or

Not

And

Then

The

Second

Part

Of

The

Letter

Jesus

Now

Rebukes

The

Ephesians

We're

Looking

At

Verses

4

To

5

But

I

Have

This

Against

You

That

You

Have

Abandoned

The

Love

You

Had

At

First

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

Lamb

Stand

From

Its

Place

Unless

You

Repent

Why

Is

Jesus

Rebuking

Them

Because

Just

Before

He

Commended

Them

For

All

Their

Good

Work

Enduring

Patiently

You

Know

Not

Tolerating

The

False

Teachers

And

False

Prophets

And

Now

He's

Rebuking

Them

And

Sometimes

It

Feels

Really

Harsh

Like

Why

Is

He

Being

So

Harsh

Well

When I

Was

When I

Was

Practicing

A sermon

With

My

Kids

I

Know

I

Tell

Them

To

Study

SAT

And

Then

On

Top

Of

That

I

Practice

Sermons

On

Them

I

Said

To

Them

Look

If

You

Drive

And

Text

At

The

Same

Time

You

Will

I

Will

Be

Very

Angry

And

If

I

Catch

You

Second

Time

There

Will

Be

A

Fury

And

If

You

Don't

Listen

And

If

You

Keep

Drive

And

Text

At

The

Same

Time

Guess

What

I'm

Going

To

Take

The

Car

Key

Away

From

You

Why

It's

Not

Because

I

Want

To

Be

A

Mean

Dad

Or

Try

To

Make

Your

Life

Miserable

It's

Because

I

Love

You

It's

Because

I

Don't

Want

You

To

Get

Into

An

Accident

I

Don't

Want

You

To

Get

Killed

I

Don't

Want

You

To

Hurt

Other

People

So

When

I

Tell

You

Not

To

Text

And

Drive

It's

Because

I

Love

You

Now

You

See

Jesus

Is

Rebuking

Ephesians

Not

Because

He's

Just

Trying

To

Be

Hard

Because

He

Loves

Them

He

Died

For

The

Church

He

Died

For

Us

So

Sometimes

Jesus

Uses

A

Stern

Warning

To

Get

Our

Attention

And

What

Is

He

Rebuking

About

He's

Saying

You

Guys

Abandoned

Not

Just

You

Know

Accidentally

Lost

You

Guys

Abandoned

The

First

Love

Abandoned

Is

A

Willful

Action

That

You

Do

Intentionally

Early

On

Paul

Commended

Ephesians

For

Their

Faith

In

Jesus

And

Also

Their

Love

Toward

All

Saints

But

Along

The

Way

They

Started

To

Abandon

This

Love

Love

Towards

Christ

And

Also

Love

Towards

One

Another

So

Jesus

Is

Saying

You

Need

To

Regain

The

First

Love

Now

If

You

Think

About

It

Love

For

Christ

And

Love

For

One

Another

Where

Do

We

Hear

This

Theme

Isn't

This

From

The

Greatest

Commandment

Love

Your

Lord

God

With

All

Your

Heart

With

All

Your

Mind

With

All

Your

Strength

And

Love

Your

Neighbor

So

Ephesians

They

Stop

Keeping

This

Most

Important

Commandment

So

Maybe

They

Were

Just

Doing

The

Work

For

Doing

The

Work

Sake

While

There

Was

Really

No

Love

Towards

Christ

Or

Love

Towards

One

Another

In

The

Church

Apostle

Paul

Tells

Us

To

Examine

Our

Selves

In

2nd

Corinthian

Chapter

13

Verse

5

He

Says

You

Need

To

Examine

Where

You

Have

Fallen

Just

Like

Here

Examine

Yourself

Is

There

Love

For

Christ

In

You

Is

There

First

Love

And

The

Importance

Of

First

Love

I

Would

I

Like

All

Of

Us

To

Find

This

Passage

It

Comes

From

In

Your

Pew

Bible

It's

1023

Page

1023

1st

John

John 4:7–12

Chapter

4

Verses

7

To

12

And

You

Can

See

Why

Jesus

Is

Putting

So

Much

Emphasis

On

Love

Towards

God

And

Love

Towards

One