Post by Messenger on Aug 26, 2005 10:27:47 GMT -5
I'm starting another chapter study, (actually 2 Chapter), on the 7 Churches of Revelation, as talked about in Revelation 2 & 3!
We look at the Church in Ephesus.
Revelation 2:1-7 (New International Version)
To the church in Ephesus:
"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 men, 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 your first love. Remember the height from which 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. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
The church at Ephesus has much going for it. Look at what Christ loves about their church:
Their Deeds-What exactly are deeds? Deeds are the things, (actions), that we do. They can be both good and bad, but in the context of these verses, they are obviously good deeds, & not evil, otherwise, Jeus would not be commending them.
Matthew 5:16 reads, " (New International Version)
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." We see here that, when a person does acts according to God's will, men will see that there is something different about them, & will see, that what is done, is of God, & not our own selfish desires-and God will be glorified fo them!
Then we see that they are commended for their hard work & perseverance. To persevere means to continue doing the Lords work, no matter what others may think or do. As Believers, perseverance also has another consequence. Look at 1 Timothy 4:16-" (New International Version)
Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."
When we persevere in our witness of Jesus Christ, others will be moved to come to know Christ, because they see the kind of commitment & relationship that we have with our Lord & Savior!
Perseverance has another quality that we see in this passage friom Revelation. It is also revealing. It is the commitment to expose to that which is false, (both doctrine, & people), that are NOT of God! This is why both my church, & myself live only by this saying-"IF IT AIN'T IN THE BIBLE-WE DON'T BELIEVE IT! The Bible & ONLY the Bible must be our guide book for exposing that which is false!
Perseverance also produces both strength & endurance. The Christian walk is never easy, especially when you have been walking it for as long as I have-20+ years! There have been countless times, that I have fallen, but the Holy Spirit of God has always lifted me up, & drove me forward in my Christian walk to do that which God requires of me, no matter how many times that I have fallen!
But now, we switch gears, & look at what HAS happend to the church at Ephesus.
Jesus says that they have forgotten their first love. What was their first love? Their initial commitment to follow him-what we Christian would call "backslidding". They had forgotten what it was like when they were new Believers, the joy that they knew, as BORN AGAIN children of God!
Haven't we ALL gone through this at some point in our Christian lives? Remember the joy of knowing what it was like to know that you were no longer bound for Hell, but were now one with the Creator of the entire universe? Pretty wonderful, wasn't it? This is a wake up call for all of us who HAVE fallen away from the Lord-to WAKE UP, & remember all that it means to be a Believer, & to return to the life that we knew, when we were initially saved!
Here is a link that talks more about remembering:
s12.invisionfree.com/New_Again/index.php?showtopic=221
We learn a lot from the church at Ephesus-that even when we DO fall away from the Lord, we can always CAN come back, & that when we put our faith in the leading & power of the Holy Spirit, we CAN make a difference in other people's lives, as well as strengthen our own walk with the Lord as well!
Be blessed!
Bill
We look at the Church in Ephesus.
Revelation 2:1-7 (New International Version)
To the church in Ephesus:
"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 men, 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 your first love. Remember the height from which 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. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
The church at Ephesus has much going for it. Look at what Christ loves about their church:
Their Deeds-What exactly are deeds? Deeds are the things, (actions), that we do. They can be both good and bad, but in the context of these verses, they are obviously good deeds, & not evil, otherwise, Jeus would not be commending them.
Matthew 5:16 reads, " (New International Version)
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." We see here that, when a person does acts according to God's will, men will see that there is something different about them, & will see, that what is done, is of God, & not our own selfish desires-and God will be glorified fo them!
Then we see that they are commended for their hard work & perseverance. To persevere means to continue doing the Lords work, no matter what others may think or do. As Believers, perseverance also has another consequence. Look at 1 Timothy 4:16-" (New International Version)
Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."
When we persevere in our witness of Jesus Christ, others will be moved to come to know Christ, because they see the kind of commitment & relationship that we have with our Lord & Savior!
Perseverance has another quality that we see in this passage friom Revelation. It is also revealing. It is the commitment to expose to that which is false, (both doctrine, & people), that are NOT of God! This is why both my church, & myself live only by this saying-"IF IT AIN'T IN THE BIBLE-WE DON'T BELIEVE IT! The Bible & ONLY the Bible must be our guide book for exposing that which is false!
Perseverance also produces both strength & endurance. The Christian walk is never easy, especially when you have been walking it for as long as I have-20+ years! There have been countless times, that I have fallen, but the Holy Spirit of God has always lifted me up, & drove me forward in my Christian walk to do that which God requires of me, no matter how many times that I have fallen!
But now, we switch gears, & look at what HAS happend to the church at Ephesus.
Jesus says that they have forgotten their first love. What was their first love? Their initial commitment to follow him-what we Christian would call "backslidding". They had forgotten what it was like when they were new Believers, the joy that they knew, as BORN AGAIN children of God!
Haven't we ALL gone through this at some point in our Christian lives? Remember the joy of knowing what it was like to know that you were no longer bound for Hell, but were now one with the Creator of the entire universe? Pretty wonderful, wasn't it? This is a wake up call for all of us who HAVE fallen away from the Lord-to WAKE UP, & remember all that it means to be a Believer, & to return to the life that we knew, when we were initially saved!
Here is a link that talks more about remembering:
s12.invisionfree.com/New_Again/index.php?showtopic=221
We learn a lot from the church at Ephesus-that even when we DO fall away from the Lord, we can always CAN come back, & that when we put our faith in the leading & power of the Holy Spirit, we CAN make a difference in other people's lives, as well as strengthen our own walk with the Lord as well!
Be blessed!
Bill
