The%20Letter%20to%20the%20Church%20at%20Ephesus

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The Letter to the Church at Ephesus

• Revelation 21-7

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Introduction

• God is specific in His pattern for the church.
• The work that it is to do.
• The character of its members.
• The way it deals with sin and error.
• The attitude of the people in the church.
• The zeal of its members for the kingdom.
• The letters to the seven churches express our
  need to uphold Gods pattern.

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The Letter to Ephesus

• Address To the Angle or Messenger.
• The speaker Holding seven stars in right hand.
• Seven stars are the seven angels or messengers
  (Rev. 120).
• Seven candlesticks are the seven churches.
• He walks in the midst of the seven candlesticks
  (Matt. 2820, 1820).
• I Know He knows what we do, our hearts, our
  works (John 224).

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What Is Right With the Church

• Your works and your labor.
• Diligence in ministry of the church. We need such
  diligence.
• Patience.
• In suffering, endurance. We need such patience.
• Church faces trials of all sorts.
• But in all cases must have the faith to preserve
  and have patience.
• You cannot bear those who are evil.
• Patience does not mean inaction toward sin.
• They did not tolerate those living in sin.
  Neither should we.
• Patient with people while zealous against sin.

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What Is Right With the Church

• You have tested false apostles.
• Tested mens claims of authority (Matt. 715-20).
  As must we.
• Zealous to do so.
• Zeal does not negate discretion. These were
  tested before being cast off (Tit. 310).
• You have labored for My names sake.
• Labor against evil.
• Labor in work of the church.
• Not become weary.
• So we must be tireless in our efforts to be the
  kind of church Christ wants us to be.

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What was Wrong with the Church

• You have left your first love.
• Not object,
• But fervent degree of it.
• decay and declension of holy love and zeal
  (Henry).
• First affections toward Christ and brethren (Acts
  244-45 1 Pet. 122).
• Affections begin to cool and abate with time.
• Christ is grieved when He sees His people grow
  remiss and cold toward Him (Henry).
• All the labor we do will not excuse a lack of
  love and zeal for the Lord.

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Action to be Taken

• Remember from where you have fallen.
• Recall the zeal and love once had in the
  beginning.
• Recall devotion to God from the heart.
• Repent.
• Turn back to how you once were.
• Turn from mindless obedience to zealous love and
  obedience.
• Do the first works.
• Works that result from great love.
• No matter how much we do, unless we have love,
  there will always be something missing.
• I.e., care for brethren, love for lost souls,
  etc.

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Consequences of Inaction

• I will remove your lamp stand.
• Represents churchs presence with Christ (in His
  midst, 21).
• Though the congregation may still exist, without
  repentance their spiritual presence would be
  taken from Christ.
• I never knew you (Matt. 721-23 Rom. 96).
• Existence of a church does not mean they are
  right, only love and devotion to God is true
  indication.

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Promised Reward

• To him who overcomes Requires endurance.
• Eat from the tree of life which is in the midst
  of the paradise of God.
• Man was separated from this tree in the
  beginning.
• Adams sin took it away, our sins keep us away.
• But in Christ we can return (Rom. 517), but only
  if we hold fast, have patience, overcome the
  trials that face the church.