The Seven Churches of Revelation, Part 2

The church at Ephesus was a good church-going people who diligently did things right, but in focusing on doing the “right things,” they had become people who were not loving. Truth and sound doctrine are essential, but we need to speak and live the truth from a heart of love.

Savior of the World
Mack Brock

No Body
Elevation Worship

Nothing Else
Cody Carnes

Just because you are doing all the right things doesn’t mean you are being the right kind of person.

–

A Pattern to the Messages
– The name of the church that is being addressed.
– A character description of the author.
– The words ‘I know’
– A commendation.
– A condemnation.
– Help.
– A promise or a consequence.
– A choice.

–

Revelation 2:1-3
“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.”

–

What you are doing is getting in the way of who you are to be.

–

Revelation 2:4
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.

–

Matthew 23:27-28
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

–

1 Corinthians 13:3
If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

–

Ephesians 3:14-19
I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

–

Ephesians 4:1-3
I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

–

Revelation 2:5
Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.

–

1. Remember

–

2. Repent

–

3. Return

–

Revelation 2:5-7
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.

–