Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Challenging letters
• In some ways the message is following on from this morning's message:
• Peter - do you love me?
• Ephesus seems to have lost its first love
• Examples of people who started well but ended badly
• Examples: Saul, Solomon, Demus, Lot's wife
• Can this happen with a church on the whole?
• Seven letters written to seven churches
• Rev 1:11 - churches in Asia Minor
• [Lost its first love,] Corrupt, compromising, lifeless, lukewarm - only two faithful churches
• You need to repent or the church would close (lose its lampstand)
• These messages are timeless
• Which church are we?
• In each letter, condemation and commendation
• Examples
• Overview:
• Jesus Understands His Church
• Jesus Commends His Church
• Jesus Charges His Church
• Jesus Commands His Church
• Jesus Appeals to His Church

Jesus Understands His Church

• Jesus knows everything about the Church (v2)
• David knew this: Psalm 139:1-4
• Jesus knows us through and through
• A comfort and challenge

Jesus Commends His Church

• Your works, labour and patience (v2)
• He knows the church is a hard working church
• It is a church of perseverance that continues trusting God
• They are a discerning church (v2)
• They tested the credentials of apostles
• An apostle had to be a eyewitness of Christ
• They could not tolerate evil (v2)
• They hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans (v6)
• The buzz words today are 'tolerance and love'
• Commentators are unsure re this verse
• Maybe a licentious people
• Maybe a corrupt following
• Christ hates these deeds
• Do we hate that which Christ hates?
• They have laboured for Jesus' sake (v3)
• They are not in for themselves or for image but for God's sake
• They have not become weary
• What is the church like today

Jesus Charges His Church

• They had left their first love (v4)
• This is a frightening thought - doing hard work but no passion and love for Him
• Zealous for truth but not pray
• Zealous for doctrine but not loving
• Satisfaction in your work and not Christ
• The charge (v5)
• What are the signs of losing your first love
1. When you do not love souls
2. You fight for truth  but start fighting people
3. When doing activity for God becomes a substitute for communing with Him
4. When your eyes are on other people and not the Lord
5. When other things mean too much to us - when the Lord starts to take second place in our life
6. When you become insensitive to sin
   And so we could go on...
• Where is your soul - is it loving Christ and burning for Him?
• Remember when you first became a Christian

Jesus Commands His Church

• Repent (v5)
• Where had this church come from - Explanation (Eph 1:15)
• This should be a tremendous warning to us
• "Remember from where you have fallen"
• Is it not the case that many churches have closed in Wales?
• Do we love one another?
• John 13:34
• John 14:15, 21
• As you have begun in Christ Jesus, continue in this
• Repent:
• Starts in your mind
• Moves to heart, to action and will

Jesus Appeals to His Church

• This word is for all people (v7)
• There is a promise given - everlasting life
• They understood what the tree of life meant
• We are called to fight the good fight, continue and persevere to the end
• 'Work out your salvation with fear and trembling'
• Those who continue in sin and do not do the will of God will not have everlasting life

Closing Remarks