Goal: Evaluate message to church in Ephesus. To remember message
of spirit to churches. What does it mean to have left your first
love? Have you left your first love? Do you know how it is possible
to see if you have left your first love?
ACC. TO CHAP. 1, WHAT WAS JOHN TO WRITE? Things he had seen, things
which are and things which will take place after these things.
IN CHAP. I WHAT HAD JOHN PRIMARILY SEEN? Vision of Jesus
WHAT DID JOHN HAVE IN MIND WHEN HE WAS TOLD WRITE THE THINGS WHICH
ARE? Chap. 2 and 3 - Messages to the churches.
AFTER THESE THINGS BEGINS CHAP. 4
BASED ON CHAP. I, TO WHOM WAS THE LETTER WRITTEN TO GENERALLY AND
SPECIFICALLY? Bondservants to show them the things which must shortly
take place and specifically to the seven churches.
TAKE OUT MAP AND SEE GEOGRAPHICAL RELATIONSHIP OF CHURCHES TO ISLAND
OF PATMOS. WHERE WAS ISLAND OF PATMOS? Right off the coast of Asia.
Cities in a loop which goes up, down and around.
AS YOU DID OVERVIEW OF ALL CHURCHES, WAS THERE A PATTERN IN THE
WAY JESUS DEALT WITH CHURCHES? HOW DOES EACH MESSAGE BEGIN? Jesus
describes Himself, Commendation (what is good) ... I know, Reproof
(what is the problem) .... but I have this against you, Instructions
and/or Warnings, Promise (to those who overcome)
WHAT IS THE PHRASE WHICH APPEARS IN EACH MESSAGE? He who has an
ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
WHY DO YOU THINK HE MAKES THAT STATEMENT?
ALL THE MESSAGES TO ALL 7 CHURCHES .... ALL WOULD READ THE CONTENT.
MESSAGE THAT NEEDS TO BE READ, HEARD AND HEEDED TODAY .... EVERYONE
THROUGHOUT THE AGES.
WHAT IS THIS SAYING TO YOU AND I TODAY? Message for us
(VA) EPHESUS - DESCRIPTION OF JESUS, COMMENDATION, REPROOF, INSTRUCTIONS/WARNINGS,
PROMISE TO OVERCOMERS, MESSAGE OF THE SPIRIT TO THE CHURCHES
IN THE MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS, HOW DOES JESUS DESCRIBE
HIMSELF? (vs. 1) The One who holds the 7 stars in His right hand
and walks among the 7 golden lampstands.
WHAT ARE THE 7 STARS, ACC. TO CHAPTER 1:20? Angels of 7 churches
IF HE HOLDS THE 7 STARS, HE HAS THE POWER (VA).
HE WALKS AMONG 7 LAMPSTANDS. WHAT ARE THE 7 LAMPSTANDS? 7 churches
IF HE IS WALKING IN THE MIDST OF THE 7 LAMPSTANDS, WHAT DOES THIS
SHOW YOU ABOUT JESUS AND HIS UNDERSTANDING OF THE CHURCHES? He knows
what is happening
HE IS WALKING IN THE MIDST OF THE CHURCHES AND HE KNOWS WHAT IS
GOING ON. THE REPEATED PHRASE ìI KNOWî IS BECAUSE HE
IS WALKING IN THE MIDST OF THE CHURCHES.
HOW DOES JESUS COMMEND EPHESUS? (vs. 2) I know your deeds, toil
and perseverance. You cannot endure evil men and you put to the
test those who claim to be apostles and are not. You have endured
for my nameís sake and have not grown weary for my nameís
sake. (VA - essence)
WHAT KIND OF CHURCH IS THIS? Church who does a lot.
IS THERE ANYTHING WRONG WITH DEEDS, TOIL AND PERSEVERANCE?
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM JESUS HAS WITH THE CHURCH? (VA) You left their
first love (reproof)
TENSE, MOOD AND VOICE OF LEFT? Aorist, active, indicative. WHAT
DOES THE ACTIVE VOICE MEAN? Subject does the action. They did it.
WHAT IS IMPLIED BY AORIST TENSE? Action at a point in time. At a
point in time, you left.
WHAT ABOUT INDICATIVE MOOD? Mood of reality, it is a fact ....
you have left your first love.
WAS THERE ANY HOPE, HELP OR WAY OF RECOVERY FOR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE?
(VA) Remember from where you have fallen. Remember where you once
were. Remember what that relationship was like when you had your
first love for the Lord.
WHAT ARE HIS FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS? (VA) Do the deeds you did at
first.
WHAT IS VERB TENSE, VOICE AND MOOD FOR REMEMBER? Present, active,
imperative verb. Present tense .... continuous action. Active voice
.... subject does action. Imperative mood .... command.
THIS IS A COMMAND, YOU KEEP ON AND ON REMEMBERING FROM WHERE YOU
HAVE FALLEN. KEEP ON REMEMBERING.
WHAT WAS THE TENSE, MOOD, AND VOICE OF REPENT? Aorist, active,
imperative. Aorist tense .... action at a point in time, active
... subject does action, Imperative .... Command .... Do it now,
make the choice. Do it at the moment you need to repent.
WHAT IS THE TENSE, MOOD AND VOICE OF DO? Aorist, active, imperative
Do those deeds now. Make a decisive commitment.
WHAT IS HIS WARNING? (VA) If you do not repent, I will remove the
lampstand out of its place unless you repent.
WHAT WERE THE 7 LAMPSTANDS? 7 churches. WHAT IS HE SAYING THEN?
Repent or this church will no longer exist. Eventually, the church
in Ephesus ceased to exist.
CAN YOU SEE ANY PARALLEL TO THE WAY THE JESUS DESCRIBES HIMSELF
TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS AND THIS WARNING?
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