Revelation 2:1-7
- It is possible that churches can be weak, or can have problems in their midst. It is possible for christians to disobey God.
Acts 2:42-47
- This is a picture of a new testament church; an ideal picture of what God can do. When God moves in His people, the people can really impact the people around them.
- When we do things according to God’s way, we will always succeed.
- God is very specific in the way He wants His church to be built. The problem is that we don’t follow enough.
Strengthen our love (v1-7)
Church at Ephesus
- It is a fundamental problem when the church at Ephesus (1) forsook/abandoned their first love and (2) fell from a ‘great height’.
- We have to be careful of our hearts, watchful of our actions and words, mindful of the things that we let into our lives, so that we don’t lose sight of our motivation, our pasion, our drive, our enthusiasm.
- When you lose your first love for God, then you have lost a lot. When you have love for God, your heart will always fresh with Him.
Challenge: don’t ever lose your first love with God.
- When the church fell, God rebuked them, and they repented (changed their mind and heart).
- Without God transforming you from within, you will continue to fall again and again. Only God is powerful enough, big enough to take away our sin and restore us.
- Do the things you did at first. Restore the sweetness of your first meeting with God, the fresh joy you had in your heart when you met Him. Renew the love you had in your heart. Repent, and then return back to God, refreshed. And be rewarded by the right to eat again of the fruit from the Tree of Life.
Challenge: Renew your love, return to God, and check your distractions
Strengthen our faith and doctrine
Church at Pergamum
- Problem: wrong teachings and wrong practices.
- There are wrong idols everywhere, misguided desires that might be masquerading as righteous pursuits, but in reality are distractions that might lead us away from God.
- Judgement: God will fight against us, removing His covering and protection in our life, taking away the blessings that He has given us, putting us in misery, keeping us in slavery.
- Solution: Receive teachings correctly
- Reward: Hidden manna-white stone with new name
Challenge: Hebrews 5:11-14
- Learn God’s Word correctly
- Build solid foundations
- Deal with wrong practices