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New Series: Lessons from the 7 Churches of Revelation - Part 1: Ephesus, You Have Left Your First Love

Pastor Boniface Mgonja - Sunday, July 16th, 2023

Book of Revelation - written by the Apostle John from prison on the island of Patmos at around 90 AD.

 

Recurring message: "He who has an ear, let him listen to what the spirit says to the Churches..."

Revelation Chapter 2:

Vs. 1 - “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."

  • God will never cease to be the Lord of His Church.

Vs 2-3 -  "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."

  • God sees and knows everything you are doing - your Good works, serving etc...
  • You are going through trials but you haven't given up - perseverance and steadfast faith!
  • Keep up the good work!  Don't quit doing good!

Vs 4 - "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first." 

  • This is the missing aspect of this church- LOVE.
  • Love God
  • Love People
  • LOVE is the essential component of our identity as a church.
  • They will know us by our Love -
  • As I have commanded you, You must LOVE one another, as I have loved you!  Then the world will know that you are my disciples.

Lesson to learn as today's church:  Cultivate and maintain LOVE for eachother and all God's people.

  • "In the end, the goal of the Christian life is love - love for God and for others." -Pastor Rick Elder.

Vs 5 - "Consider how far 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."

  • Think about it...reflect on where you are at in life?  How is your Faith and relationship with God?  Your LOVE for God and for people?  Do you see them as His Children?
  • *LOVE GOD & LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

VS 7 - "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."

  • Pay attention to God's words
  • Go back to your FIRST LOVE
  • Tree of Life = Garden of Eden and Future Paradise = Heaven
  • Return to your First Love so that you can inherit the Kingdom of God (the right to eat from the Tree of Life - Paradise)

"Truly I tell you, anything you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters, you did for me."

  • Matthew 25: 40-45 - 

    40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

    41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

    44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

    45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

 

Remember:  "In the end, the goal of the Christian life is LOVE. Love for God and love for others....

If we miss this, then we have missed what it means to be the Church/Christians."

 

*Next, watch the full replay of this sermon: Lessons from the 7 Churches of Revelation - Part 1: Ephesus, You have left your first love.