Sermon By Rev. Richard Jones

rec 03-14-21

LETTER TO A CARELESS CHURCH
Revelation 2: 1-7

APPROVAL   Revelation 2: 1-3
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ”˜The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 “”˜I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found the grown weary.

Acts 19: 18-20
Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.

1 Peter 4: 17
For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

ADMONITION   Revelation 2: 4-5
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

Matthew 22: 36-40
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT   Revelation 2: 6
Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

AWARD Revelation 2: 7

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”™