The seven churches (1 Ephesus)
Randall LaVere II
God has truly laid the burden upon my heart, and I believe of many others to pray for a true Revival. This message has been pressing on my spirit for over a year now, and after much prayer and study we are going to dig in deep into the word of God. In order for a church to be where God wants us to be, we must first understand his letters to the churches.
When Jesus appeared unto John on the isle of patmos, the first part of his revelation was seven letters to the messengers of 7 churches in Asia.
The word of God is not just meant for the time that it was written, but is applicable to the very days that we live in now. Some will teach that these particular letters were only for the churches of those times, but The word of God tells us, and teaches us otherwise.
2 Tim. 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
When teaching this, it is very important, that I do not say, well I think, or I believe, so you will not hear me say any thing like this. This is serious business, and I know that God has something awesome in store for those of us who hear what the spirit says unto the churches.
Rev. 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book, and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev. 1:18-20
Revelation is broken down into 3 divisions- the things which thou hast seen, the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. We will be studying in the section of the things which are. These are present things, and are going on in churches right now as we speak
It is important to note that the seven churches do not pertain to that of a dispensational application. Which means that the messages that are in the letters to the churches are for saints of God until the rapture of the church.
These letters were not just intended for study in the early church. There is a 3 fold application to the letters to the churches.
1 A local application- they were to be used for the times in which they were written.
2 A prophetical application- (from the time f their writings, until the rapture, revealing spiritual conditions in local churches, and in individuals in churches.) Rev. 1:9 says …..for the testimony of Jesus- the bible says that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
3 An individual prophecy- So that the individual in any church, in any generation may be warned, and profit by the failures, and compliments of these churches. So we then being in the church need to eat the manna of the word of God, and hear what the spirit is saying to the churches.
Rev. 2:1-7
The church of Ephesus has been named by many bible scholars and theologians, as the pre-occupied church. It was founded by Paul, and then pastured by Timothy, and then John. It was a church that was spiritually on fire for god, in one of the most pagan cities in Asia. Jesus starts out by telling them, a little bit about himself, and then a little about themselves.
1 these things saith he who holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven candlesticks.
He starts out by saying that he is the one that holds the pastor, and the church in his hands. If Jesus were not holding it up, then everything that you see around you would collapse. If God were not in it, it would fall to the floor.
Jesus starts out by saying I hold the seven stars in my hand. He tells us in 1:20 that the 7 stars are the angels of the seven churches. The word that is translated from the greek for angels here means messenger, or pastor. It means someone who preaches the gospel in the new testament.
He then goes on to say, that he walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. He also told us in v. 1:20 that the candlesticks are the seven churches.
The point that he was trying to convey to us was that he is holding up the pastor, and that he is walking in the midst of our churches. Jesus is present with us right now, as we lift up his name he is dwelling among us. We know that the church is made up of people, not of a building. The building is not the bride of Christ, the people that are inside are. Jesus is dwelling in the midst of the seven candlesticks. He is on the indside of us, shining his light out through the glorious gospel of his ressurection.
V2&3 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou can not bear them which are evil; and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and has found them liars: and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
Jesus starts out by lifting up this particular church, he said, I know…….
Jesus knows that you have been working. He knows the very intent of your heart.
He knows your labours, The Greek Kopos means Your trouble, and your work, your trials and your difficulties. I know that it has not been easy. I see the trials that you are going through. How even when the days were the darkest, and the storms were blowing and everything was falling down around you, I was there. When it seemed like that there was no one else around, and there was no reason to go on living, I was there. I know what its like to be human, I know what its like to be betrayed by those who said they love you. I know (he knows)
Next he goes on to say, I know how you can not stand them which are evil, and you have tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and have found them to be liars. I know that you have seen people come in and out of the church so many times that they do not even know where they are. You have seen many people who have professed to be Godly men fall down and turn their backs on me, and even take others down with them.
They left and never came back. Even though they told you they would do what ever it took to get the job done, they left.
And you have bourne. Greek bastazo- means carried on, or tolerated, you have carried the load, Even when it seemed like that you were all alone, you pressed on.
You had patience, and for my names sake you have not fainted. I know that you felt like giving up at times, but you kept going. Even though you were frustrated and down and out, but you did not faint. Jesus said I know.
4 Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou has left thy first love.
Remember when you first got saved, and the burden was lifted? Remember how good it felt to know that there was more to life than just looking for the next great high? Remember how good it felt when the pastor told you that your sins were removed as far as the east is from the west? What happened?
When you first got saved, you told everyone that you saw. You had a boldness where nothing on this earth could have stopped you from witnessing. You had a brand new life, and were relieved of all of the cares of this world. What Happened?
You could come into the church and worship freely, and not care what other people said, thought or how they looked at you.
What happened was that it became more of a political thing than a God thing. You started looking at what God could do for you next rather than what you could do for him.
This is the reason why he says you left your first love. When you truly fall in love with someone, you will care about how that they feel, Instead of being so selfish and always caring about the way that you feel.
We need to get back to where Christ is the center of our worship services, and not our selfish desires. What God wants for us, is for us to want him. The bible says Matt. 6:33 “seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all of these things will be added unto you.”
5 Remember therefore from where thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick from out of his place, except thou repent.
Jesus said Remember where you were and repent. Repent means to change your mind. Get your mind off of the materialistic needs in your life, and just get back to where you were at first.
There is a strict warning that if we do not put God first, then we will be left behind. He knows the condition of your heart, DO YOU? If you are here tonight and you are not 100% sure that your heart is in the right place, wont you repent? Won’t you change your mind, and decide to put Jesus as 1 in your life.
If the church is going to be revived, and renewed, then we have to get back to where we were in the beginning. Before things got so overcomplicated. Before we got so opinionated, and indoctrinated. Before all of that, we were just as children in the eyes of the Lord.
Any time throughout modern history before the church went into great revival, there was one common characteristic. In Brownsville, in Azuza St, In the God chasers, In England, and Toronto, there was one thing in common. That was Hunger.
It takes a hunger from people who want to see their families saved, People who are hungry for a move of God. People who are desperate for a change. A person who would do anything, people who are desperate, do desperate things. In the bible any time that someone was desperate for a change, they got what they were after. He who hungers and thirsts after righteousness shall be filled.
The woman with the issue of blood, pressed through the crowd. She had tried every method of healing and spent all that she had on Doctors. But she was desperate. She did not care what people thought, she knew what she was after. Blind Bartemaues, did not care what people thought, and screamed out to Jesus in a loud voice, Jesus thou son of David, have mercy on me. They were hungry, and did not care who knew it.
We cannot care what people think about us if we want a move from God. IF we want to walk in the fullness of what God has in store for the church, we have to discard every care of this world.
We need to start seeking the face of God, and not just his hands anymore. It is time for a change church, and God is ready and waiting to pour out a revival like this world has never seen before.
2 Chr. 7:14 If my people which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive them their sin, and will heal their land.
Repent, realize that it is not in us, but in God that all things are possible, pray, and seek his face. Then he will hear our prayers.
v.7 he that hath an ear, let him ear what the spirit saith unto the churches, To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
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