7 CHURCHES OF REVELATION - "Ephesus" - [Rev. 2:1-7] - Pastor Nathan Deisem - Fathom Church

7 CHURCHES OF REVELATION – Ephesus
“Remember Your First Love” - Pastor Nathan Deisem - Fathom Church
Revelation 2:1-7; Matt. 22:34-40; 2 Timothy 3:16;

• INTRODUCTION:
[[[ Thank you Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church ]]]
o We are Starting a Sermon Series called: “7 Churches of Revelation”
o PREVIEW: God’s Instruction for All churches in All places for All times!- Some theologians see this content differently (what else is new?)
• Anyone who denies these are seven real local churches at the time is wrong!
• Some view this as church history: Early church = Ephesus … Now Laodicea
- I believe these letter(s) were written to the whole church everywhere always:
• It’s in the Bible
– 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”
• EVERY LETTER: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”• (Also Revelation 1:3-4a) “3Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. 4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: …”
• (Also Revelation 1:20) “20 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lamp-stands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lamp-stands are the seven churches.”

• CONTEXT/BACKGROUND:
- Revelation is a Letter written by Apostle John!o Having Been Crucified and Resurrected… Within 5 years he appears to Paul – 65 years he appears to John• Chapter 2-3 --- These are JESUS’ words! (95 AD)
o John is exiled to Patmos in his 90s … because he wouldn’t die…(Tertullian tells us they tried to martyr John Frying him in oil)
• … “He suffered to harm from it” – kept on preaching.

o Seven Churches of Revelation in Asia (Minor) – Modern Day Turkey
(Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea)
• Most traveled and populace trade route of that time/regiono
[[[ MAP ]]] clockwise order of the letters
o Each Church Receives ~ 4 Parts to their Letter
* Christ * Commendation * Correction * Council * Commission
o Ephesus – Church where Timothy was the pastor/church planter
(This is also the church John attended near the end of His life)

Revelation 2:1-7

Description of CHRIST:
1 “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 lamp-stands.

COMMENDATION:
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 them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary.

CORRECTION:
4 BUT I have this against you, that you have abandoned your first love.COUNCIL: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 lamp-stand from its place, unless you repent.

o GREAT COMMANDMENT(S):
o Matthew 22:36-40
“36 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) foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

• Worship: Prayer – Praise • Word: Your Favorite Nutritious/Tasty Meal!
• Witness: (Not Let’s Go Soul Winning) – Fused to your life
o “He met a girl” - 1) Spend time w/ her 2)Talk about her!

COMMENDATION: (Reprise)
6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. COMMISSION: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.’

#NathanDeisem #FathomChurch #SevenChurchesOfRevelation

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