1 00:00:49,300 --> 00:00:55,300 2 00:00:55,342 --> 00:00:59,258 Father God, as we gather in the great city of Ephesus, 3 00:00:59,300 --> 00:01:01,967 we thank you for our hosts who have welcomed us. 4 00:01:02,050 --> 00:01:05,133 We thank you, Lord God, that they have allowed us to rent 5 00:01:05,217 --> 00:01:07,633 the entire city, so that we might have an opportunity 6 00:01:07,717 --> 00:01:09,967 tonight to study the Bible together. 7 00:01:10,050 --> 00:01:11,717 We thank you for wonderful weather. 8 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:13,383 We thank you for good friends. 9 00:01:13,467 --> 00:01:15,425 And, God, we thank you for the Scriptures, 10 00:01:15,467 --> 00:01:18,467 which tell us about this very important city 11 00:01:18,550 --> 00:01:21,133 in the history of the world and in the history 12 00:01:21,175 --> 00:01:23,883 of the Christian church and the message of the gospel 13 00:01:23,967 --> 00:01:25,425 of Jesus Christ. 14 00:01:25,467 --> 00:01:28,383 And as we open your Word tonight, God, 15 00:01:28,467 --> 00:01:31,967 we want to have ears to hear, and minds to conceive, 16 00:01:32,008 --> 00:01:34,967 and hearts to believe in the truth of Jesus, 17 00:01:35,008 --> 00:01:36,758 and so we invite you, Holy Spirit, 18 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:38,258 to lead us, to guide us, 19 00:01:38,300 --> 00:01:40,383 to instruct us and correct us. 20 00:01:40,467 --> 00:01:43,967 And, Holy Spirit, I invite you to enable me and to empower me 21 00:01:44,008 --> 00:01:47,133 to teach the Bible well, so that I might serve these people, 22 00:01:47,175 --> 00:01:48,633 whom you love so much. 23 00:01:48,717 --> 00:01:51,300 And so I ask for this grace, in Jesus' good name. 24 00:01:51,383 --> 00:01:52,925 Amen. 25 00:01:52,967 --> 00:01:56,217 Well, here we are, the great ancient city of Ephesus, 26 00:01:56,300 --> 00:02:00,008 and where we find ourselves at present is an ancient library 27 00:02:00,092 --> 00:02:03,217 that was constructed a few hundred years after the writing 28 00:02:03,300 --> 00:02:06,300 of the New Testament, but it gives you some idea 29 00:02:06,383 --> 00:02:09,300 of the magnificence of this city. 30 00:02:09,342 --> 00:02:12,467 Curiously, as well, just above us there is an inscription 31 00:02:12,508 --> 00:02:15,967 over the library that says, "Caesar is never wrong." 32 00:02:16,050 --> 00:02:19,300 And so no matter where you happened to be in the day, 33 00:02:19,342 --> 00:02:21,467 Caesar was always literally above you, 34 00:02:21,508 --> 00:02:24,717 and he was ruling and reigning as a king, and as a god, 35 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:26,217 and as a lord. 36 00:02:26,300 --> 00:02:29,592 And the city of Ephesus in its day was a very, very large city, 37 00:02:29,633 --> 00:02:33,258 one of the three largest cities in the nation at its time, 38 00:02:33,300 --> 00:02:35,592 and it was the leading city of Asia Minor. 39 00:02:35,633 --> 00:02:38,258 Perhaps a quarter million people lived here. 40 00:02:38,300 --> 00:02:41,925 This is one of the most significant archaeological 41 00:02:41,967 --> 00:02:46,217 excavations of this period of history on the earth. 42 00:02:46,300 --> 00:02:49,425 There's really nothing that matches it in majesty. 43 00:02:49,467 --> 00:02:53,258 And if you can conceive of it, only 10%-15% perhaps 44 00:02:53,300 --> 00:02:55,758 of the entire city has actually been excavated. 45 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,925 So, work has been going on for decades, and it will continue. 46 00:02:59,967 --> 00:03:02,592 In its day, as well, this was a very important city, 47 00:03:02,633 --> 00:03:05,508 because just around the corner and down the hill was 48 00:03:05,592 --> 00:03:08,633 an ancient harbor, where people would come in via boat, 49 00:03:08,675 --> 00:03:10,925 lots of commerce and trade, 50 00:03:10,967 --> 00:03:13,217 people visiting from other nations. 51 00:03:13,300 --> 00:03:15,883 They would then walk up the marble pathways 52 00:03:15,967 --> 00:03:18,758 and find themselves at the massive amphitheater 53 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,258 that seated some 25,000. 54 00:03:21,300 --> 00:03:24,967 And in Acts 19, that is where a riot gathered 55 00:03:25,008 --> 00:03:28,133 when Paul came on his third missionary journey, 56 00:03:28,175 --> 00:03:30,758 preaching Jesus as God. 57 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:34,133 The city responded with some hearty opposition. 58 00:03:34,217 --> 00:03:37,383 As we continue up the marble streets and up to the top of 59 00:03:37,467 --> 00:03:40,633 the hill, there is the agora, marketplace, where Paul, 60 00:03:40,675 --> 00:03:43,092 in all likelihood, did preach and teach, 61 00:03:43,133 --> 00:03:46,092 because he was a Roman citizen and had the legal right 62 00:03:46,133 --> 00:03:47,508 to do so. 63 00:03:47,592 --> 00:03:49,467 And as we continue, then, they actually excavated 64 00:03:49,508 --> 00:03:52,258 in the last few years the ancient city gates. 65 00:03:52,300 --> 00:03:54,633 And there's a cross that is on the front 66 00:03:54,717 --> 00:03:56,300 of one of the city gates, 67 00:03:56,383 --> 00:03:59,717 across from the image of Nike, the god of victory. 68 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,258 And so this was a very significant city, 69 00:04:02,300 --> 00:04:06,800 and from this place goods and people and ideas would spread, 70 00:04:06,883 --> 00:04:09,967 making this a very important, significant city. 71 00:04:10,050 --> 00:04:13,425 And this is part of Paul's plan in his missionary journeys-- 72 00:04:13,467 --> 00:04:15,883 and we see this in the book of Acts-- 73 00:04:15,967 --> 00:04:18,467 that as he travels to various places, including, as I said, 74 00:04:18,550 --> 00:04:22,967 three journeys here to Ephesus, he, for the most part, 75 00:04:23,050 --> 00:04:26,383 visited the major cities and bypassed the suburban 76 00:04:26,467 --> 00:04:28,758 and rural areas. 77 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:32,300 That is because God loves all people, and he loves all places, 78 00:04:32,342 --> 00:04:34,425 but cities are of strategic importance, 79 00:04:34,467 --> 00:04:37,300 because if you reach a city, then the good news of Jesus 80 00:04:37,383 --> 00:04:38,967 can ring out from that city. 81 00:04:39,050 --> 00:04:42,508 As the people travel, they take the news of Jesus with them. 82 00:04:42,592 --> 00:04:48,092 Rodney Stark, Wayne Meeks, early historians of Christian history 83 00:04:48,133 --> 00:04:52,300 tell us that early on in the days of Christianity, 84 00:04:52,342 --> 00:04:56,508 upwards of 60% of those who lived in major Roman cities 85 00:04:56,592 --> 00:04:59,092 were Christian, and the majority, 86 00:04:59,133 --> 00:05:01,508 upwards of 90%, who lived in the rural areas 87 00:05:01,592 --> 00:05:03,258 were non-Christians. 88 00:05:03,300 --> 00:05:05,508 They were pagans, and pagan literally meant 89 00:05:05,592 --> 00:05:07,217 the one who lives on the farm. 90 00:05:07,300 --> 00:05:10,383 And so early on, Christianity was an urban movement, 91 00:05:10,467 --> 00:05:14,300 primarily targeting cities, primarily targeting cities, 92 00:05:14,383 --> 00:05:16,883 and one of those chief cities was right here, 93 00:05:16,967 --> 00:05:19,092 the great city of Ephesus. 94 00:05:19,133 --> 00:05:21,300 And from here, we read in Acts 19, 95 00:05:21,383 --> 00:05:24,300 that the good news of Jesus rang out through the whole region 96 00:05:24,383 --> 00:05:27,592 of Asia Minor, as this was the premier city in Asia Minor 97 00:05:27,633 --> 00:05:31,800 in its day, and that included the other locations 98 00:05:31,842 --> 00:05:33,800 in Revelation 2 and 3. 99 00:05:33,883 --> 00:05:37,633 In Revelation 2 and 3, there are seven letters that are delivered 100 00:05:37,717 --> 00:05:41,133 by John, and they are to seven churches, 101 00:05:41,175 --> 00:05:43,967 and the first of those is a letter to the church 102 00:05:44,050 --> 00:05:46,758 at Ephesus, which we will read momentarily 103 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:50,425 in Revelation 2:1-7. 104 00:05:50,467 --> 00:05:54,133 The other six letters are actually in succession 105 00:05:54,217 --> 00:05:57,092 from Ephesus, because this was the premier city, 106 00:05:57,133 --> 00:06:01,092 and the news of the gospel went from this place forward. 107 00:06:01,133 --> 00:06:03,467 And the story of Revelation is this. 108 00:06:03,508 --> 00:06:07,758 Jesus picked 12 disciples to spend particular time with him 109 00:06:07,800 --> 00:06:09,717 when he was on the earth. 110 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,425 One of them was a young man named John. 111 00:06:12,467 --> 00:06:15,300 John was there when Jesus died, John was there when Jesus 112 00:06:15,342 --> 00:06:19,300 was buried, and John was there when Jesus rose from death. 113 00:06:19,342 --> 00:06:23,133 And he never, as a devout Jew, would've worshiped Jesus as God, 114 00:06:23,217 --> 00:06:26,383 unless he had seen him risen from death. 115 00:06:26,467 --> 00:06:29,425 And he saw Jesus rise, and he spent 40 days with him, 116 00:06:29,467 --> 00:06:32,300 and he saw Jesus preaching and teaching, 117 00:06:32,342 --> 00:06:35,800 and continuing his ministry, and proclaiming his resurrection, 118 00:06:35,883 --> 00:06:39,133 and John was there when he ascended back into heaven. 119 00:06:39,217 --> 00:06:43,383 And John then became a powerful leader in early Christianity. 120 00:06:43,467 --> 00:06:45,925 And John was preaching and teaching, and he saw, 121 00:06:45,967 --> 00:06:50,467 over the course of some decades, all of the other apostles die 122 00:06:50,508 --> 00:06:53,717 brutal, bloody, martyrs' deaths. 123 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:57,133 And they tried repeatedly to kill John, but he did not die. 124 00:06:57,217 --> 00:07:00,883 In fact, on one occasion, they tried to boil him alive 125 00:07:00,967 --> 00:07:03,300 in a vat of oil. 126 00:07:03,383 --> 00:07:06,300 And you can imagine what the condition of his skin 127 00:07:06,383 --> 00:07:08,258 and his appearance and his well-being was, 128 00:07:08,300 --> 00:07:10,217 but he did not die. 129 00:07:10,300 --> 00:07:12,633 So, they exiled him to the island of Patmos, 130 00:07:12,675 --> 00:07:15,217 and it's about perhaps a 3-4 hour boat ride, 131 00:07:15,300 --> 00:07:17,300 something of that nature, from here. 132 00:07:17,342 --> 00:07:19,133 We actually took the film crew there, 133 00:07:19,175 --> 00:07:20,883 and we captured it all for you. 134 00:07:20,967 --> 00:07:24,258 And there's a cave up on top of a hill that legend, history, 135 00:07:24,300 --> 00:07:28,800 tradition tells us is where he was visited by Jesus 136 00:07:28,883 --> 00:07:31,217 in Revelation 1. 137 00:07:31,300 --> 00:07:34,717 And in Revelation 1, we read that it was the Lord's Day, 138 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:38,008 so it was Sunday, the day of the resurrection of Jesus. 139 00:07:38,092 --> 00:07:41,133 And John was alone, and he was away from fellowship. 140 00:07:41,175 --> 00:07:43,092 All the other apostles are dead. 141 00:07:43,133 --> 00:07:46,008 He alone is the remaining disciple of Jesus 142 00:07:46,092 --> 00:07:47,967 from the original 12. 143 00:07:48,008 --> 00:07:50,300 He's probably lonely. 144 00:07:50,383 --> 00:07:53,300 He's in a very lonely place, exiled on an island, 145 00:07:53,342 --> 00:07:56,967 and Jesus comes down to visit with him from heaven. 146 00:07:57,008 --> 00:08:00,008 And then Jesus gives to John seven letters to deliver to 147 00:08:00,092 --> 00:08:04,592 seven churches, and they begin with the letter to the church 148 00:08:04,633 --> 00:08:07,425 here at Ephesus and proceed forward, 149 00:08:07,467 --> 00:08:11,508 and we find those in Revelation 2 and 3. 150 00:08:11,592 --> 00:08:14,883 And so the letter comes to the city of Ephesus. 151 00:08:14,967 --> 00:08:19,092 Now, there probably was not just one church meeting in this city. 152 00:08:19,133 --> 00:08:21,425 There were probably homes that were being used 153 00:08:21,467 --> 00:08:23,633 for the gathering of Christians. 154 00:08:23,675 --> 00:08:26,217 They've excavated up on the terraces some of the homes. 155 00:08:26,300 --> 00:08:28,758 Some of them are quite large with open courts 156 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:30,717 and large meeting areas. 157 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:33,467 So, there could've been a large number of Christians residing 158 00:08:33,508 --> 00:08:38,258 in this city at the time, roughly around 100 AD. 159 00:08:38,300 --> 00:08:40,592 Perhaps they gathered together, as well. 160 00:08:40,633 --> 00:08:42,717 We do not know all of the details, 161 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:45,758 but we do know that this became a place that the gospel 162 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:48,800 was brought after Pentecost in Acts 2, 163 00:08:48,842 --> 00:08:51,217 and so they would've brought the news of Jesus 164 00:08:51,300 --> 00:08:54,300 back to their homes and back to their hometowns, 165 00:08:54,342 --> 00:08:57,300 as they departed Jerusalem, and their pilgrimage had come 166 00:08:57,383 --> 00:08:59,883 to an end, and their return home began. 167 00:08:59,967 --> 00:09:02,383 And so that's how the good news of Jesus 168 00:09:02,467 --> 00:09:03,925 got here. 169 00:09:03,967 --> 00:09:05,425 And then it continued with 170 00:09:05,467 --> 00:09:06,800 three missionary journeys from Paul. 171 00:09:06,883 --> 00:09:08,550 Paul in Acts 19, we are told, 172 00:09:08,633 --> 00:09:10,633 actually set up in the Hall of Tyrannus 173 00:09:10,717 --> 00:09:12,758 and lectured for a few hours a day 174 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:14,633 over the course of 2 years. 175 00:09:14,717 --> 00:09:17,633 I did the math, and if it's correct, he lectured for 176 00:09:17,675 --> 00:09:20,467 3,120 hours, preaching, teaching, training, 177 00:09:20,508 --> 00:09:22,967 and this became the epicenter of Christianity, 178 00:09:23,008 --> 00:09:26,258 particularly after the fall of the temple in Jerusalem. 179 00:09:26,300 --> 00:09:29,967 The center of Christianity then moved, in large part, 180 00:09:30,050 --> 00:09:31,425 to Ephesus. 181 00:09:31,467 --> 00:09:35,508 And so this is a magnificently important city for those of us 182 00:09:35,592 --> 00:09:38,300 who believe the Scriptures and love Jesus. 183 00:09:38,342 --> 00:09:42,133 And that brings us to his word for the church at Ephesus 184 00:09:42,175 --> 00:09:45,633 in Revelation 2:1-7. 185 00:09:45,717 --> 00:09:48,467 And in this, we see that Jesus is exalted, 186 00:09:48,550 --> 00:09:50,633 and he is all-knowing, and he is all-seeing, 187 00:09:50,675 --> 00:09:54,008 as sovereign Lord and God, and he sees exactly what's happening 188 00:09:54,092 --> 00:09:57,300 in Ephesus, as well as the other locations of the seven churches 189 00:09:57,383 --> 00:09:59,008 of Revelation. 190 00:09:59,092 --> 00:10:02,300 And as a great missionary, he speaks with great specificity, 191 00:10:02,383 --> 00:10:04,467 telling them where they are succeeding, 192 00:10:04,508 --> 00:10:07,425 where they are failing, and what he commands them to do, 193 00:10:07,467 --> 00:10:10,300 because ultimately Jesus is the head of the church. 194 00:10:10,383 --> 00:10:12,092 He's the senior pastor. 195 00:10:12,133 --> 00:10:16,258 And so these are his words to those living in Ephesus 196 00:10:16,300 --> 00:10:17,758 in that day. 197 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:20,300 Revelation 2:1-7. 198 00:10:20,342 --> 00:10:22,508 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write--" 199 00:10:22,592 --> 00:10:25,008 And, again, as we read of the seven letters 200 00:10:25,092 --> 00:10:26,467 to the seven churches, 201 00:10:26,550 --> 00:10:28,633 there are a few things that are consistent. 202 00:10:28,675 --> 00:10:32,008 One is that every church has an angel that is appointed by God 203 00:10:32,092 --> 00:10:35,133 as a spirit being to guard and oversee the well-being 204 00:10:35,217 --> 00:10:37,133 of that church and those people. 205 00:10:37,175 --> 00:10:39,383 So, every church has physical human leadership 206 00:10:39,467 --> 00:10:42,633 and has angelic supernatural leadership. 207 00:10:42,717 --> 00:10:47,300 It goes on to say, "The words of him who holds the seven stars 208 00:10:47,383 --> 00:10:49,092 in his right hand." 209 00:10:49,133 --> 00:10:51,925 And this may have been by the Lord Jesus a criticism 210 00:10:51,967 --> 00:10:54,008 of the Roman emperor Domitian. 211 00:10:54,092 --> 00:10:57,008 He declared himself to be lord, god, and savior. 212 00:10:57,092 --> 00:10:59,425 The Christians oftentimes referred to him as the beast, 213 00:10:59,467 --> 00:11:02,217 and he may be the beast mentioned in Revelation 13, 214 00:11:02,300 --> 00:11:05,133 though Bible commentators debate that point. 215 00:11:05,175 --> 00:11:08,383 And he named a few months of the year after himself, 216 00:11:08,467 --> 00:11:11,383 and it was customary, after an emperor died, 217 00:11:11,467 --> 00:11:13,925 that then they would declare him to be a god, 218 00:11:13,967 --> 00:11:16,133 because he had gone on to the spirit realm. 219 00:11:16,217 --> 00:11:18,633 Well, Domitian declared himself to be god at the beginning 220 00:11:18,675 --> 00:11:20,092 of his reign, which was unprecedented. 221 00:11:20,133 --> 00:11:23,133 And one of the things he did to demonstrate that is he 222 00:11:23,217 --> 00:11:25,300 minted coins with his own face on it. 223 00:11:25,383 --> 00:11:26,800 You think of this. 224 00:11:26,883 --> 00:11:29,467 We have coins, for example, in the United States of America 225 00:11:29,550 --> 00:11:32,258 with dead presidents, but it would be a bit pretentious for 226 00:11:32,300 --> 00:11:35,633 a living president to begin his presidency by minting money 227 00:11:35,675 --> 00:11:37,258 with his face on it. 228 00:11:37,300 --> 00:11:38,883 He hasn't even done anything yet, 229 00:11:38,967 --> 00:11:40,967 but he's just declared himself to be god, 230 00:11:41,008 --> 00:11:43,092 so the expectations were assumedly high. 231 00:11:43,133 --> 00:11:45,092 And one of the coins that was minted, 232 00:11:45,133 --> 00:11:48,258 that I was able to find in my archaeological investigation, 233 00:11:48,300 --> 00:11:52,425 was him sitting on the globe with seven stars. 234 00:11:52,467 --> 00:11:55,133 And so the people in Ephesus were walking around with coins 235 00:11:55,217 --> 00:11:58,133 in their pocket that had their Roman emperor, 236 00:11:58,175 --> 00:12:00,800 who's worshiped as a god, sitting as a god, 237 00:12:00,883 --> 00:12:04,217 ruling and reigning as the sovereign with seven stars. 238 00:12:04,300 --> 00:12:07,300 And I think this is Jesus making a little fun of Domitian, 239 00:12:07,383 --> 00:12:10,300 saying, "That guy makes coins, but I'm actually the one 240 00:12:10,342 --> 00:12:12,133 "who sits among the seven stars. 241 00:12:12,175 --> 00:12:14,300 "I'm the one who rules over all of creation. 242 00:12:14,383 --> 00:12:17,300 "And Domitian is a counterfeit god, and he is not a king, 243 00:12:17,383 --> 00:12:19,425 "and I am the King of kings." 244 00:12:19,467 --> 00:12:22,300 ". . . who walks among the seven gold lampstands." 245 00:12:22,342 --> 00:12:24,967 And I think that might refer to the churches mentioned 246 00:12:25,008 --> 00:12:27,217 in the ensuing chapters. 247 00:12:27,300 --> 00:12:29,217 The church here is typified like a lamp. 248 00:12:29,300 --> 00:12:32,217 And you think of it in a place that is filled with 249 00:12:32,300 --> 00:12:33,925 demonic activity, and darkness, and paganism. 250 00:12:33,967 --> 00:12:36,300 Christianity is to come like a light, 251 00:12:36,342 --> 00:12:38,717 and Jesus says he is the light of the world, 252 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:41,425 and the church is to be like a lampstand. 253 00:12:41,467 --> 00:12:44,633 We are to talk about Jesus and love and serve like Jesus, 254 00:12:44,717 --> 00:12:47,425 so that others living in spiritual darkness 255 00:12:47,467 --> 00:12:50,508 might be attracted to him and transformed by him. 256 00:12:50,592 --> 00:12:52,800 And this is his imagery of the church. 257 00:12:52,842 --> 00:12:55,883 And so on other occasions where Jesus says that if the church 258 00:12:55,967 --> 00:12:58,467 does not repent of its sin and correct its ways, 259 00:12:58,550 --> 00:13:00,592 he will come and take their lampstand away, 260 00:13:00,633 --> 00:13:03,258 he is essentially saying, "If you will not burn brightly 261 00:13:03,300 --> 00:13:05,967 "for me, I will come and blow out what remains, 262 00:13:06,050 --> 00:13:07,925 "and you will no longer be a church. 263 00:13:07,967 --> 00:13:10,300 I will, in fact, shut you down." 264 00:13:10,342 --> 00:13:12,967 And he goes then, and he has commendations and criticisms. 265 00:13:13,008 --> 00:13:16,300 Verse 2, "I know your works, your toil and your patient 266 00:13:16,383 --> 00:13:19,758 "endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, 267 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:23,217 "but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, 268 00:13:23,300 --> 00:13:25,258 "and found them to be false. 269 00:13:25,300 --> 00:13:27,300 "I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up 270 00:13:27,383 --> 00:13:30,258 "for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 271 00:13:30,300 --> 00:13:32,092 But I have this against you." 272 00:13:32,133 --> 00:13:33,508 Here's the criticism. 273 00:13:33,592 --> 00:13:35,967 "You have abandoned the love you had at first. 274 00:13:36,008 --> 00:13:38,800 "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, 275 00:13:38,842 --> 00:13:41,092 "and do the works you did at first. 276 00:13:41,133 --> 00:13:43,758 "If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand 277 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:45,217 from its place--" 278 00:13:45,300 --> 00:13:47,967 shut your church down-- "unless you repent. 279 00:13:48,050 --> 00:13:52,092 "Yet this you have: you hate the work of the Nicolaitans, 280 00:13:52,133 --> 00:13:54,133 "which I also hate. 281 00:13:54,175 --> 00:13:57,217 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says 282 00:13:57,300 --> 00:13:58,758 "to the churches. 283 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:01,425 "To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of 284 00:14:01,467 --> 00:14:04,133 the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God." 285 00:14:04,175 --> 00:14:05,717 And so he begins with encouragements, 286 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:09,383 and then he moves to criticisms. And his encouragements are many. 287 00:14:09,467 --> 00:14:11,258 He says, number one, they serve faithfully. 288 00:14:11,300 --> 00:14:13,467 These are people who work hard. 289 00:14:13,508 --> 00:14:15,800 These are people who volunteer their hours. 290 00:14:15,883 --> 00:14:18,300 These are people who day after day, week after week, 291 00:14:18,383 --> 00:14:20,425 month after month, year after year, 292 00:14:20,467 --> 00:14:22,300 people are coming here for training. 293 00:14:22,342 --> 00:14:24,800 Christians are coming in from around the region. 294 00:14:24,842 --> 00:14:26,633 Classes are being held. 295 00:14:26,675 --> 00:14:28,383 Pastors need to be housed. 296 00:14:28,467 --> 00:14:30,300 Missionaries need to be fed. 297 00:14:30,342 --> 00:14:32,300 Funds need to be raised. 298 00:14:32,342 --> 00:14:36,217 People need to be commissioned, and they are serving faithfully. 299 00:14:36,300 --> 00:14:38,967 They are absolutely devoted to the cause. 300 00:14:39,050 --> 00:14:42,300 And Jesus says, "I don't have any criticism of your service." 301 00:14:42,342 --> 00:14:45,717 Because of their service, this became the epicenter 302 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:48,592 for missionary activity in the entire region. 303 00:14:48,633 --> 00:14:52,300 Again, to quote Paul in Acts 19, the gospel rang out from this 304 00:14:52,383 --> 00:14:56,258 place in all of Asia Minor because of these people. 305 00:14:56,300 --> 00:14:57,967 We don't know their names. 306 00:14:58,008 --> 00:14:59,383 They weren't pastors. 307 00:14:59,467 --> 00:15:01,800 Some of them probably weren't elders and deacons. 308 00:15:01,883 --> 00:15:03,800 They were just faithful Christians. 309 00:15:03,883 --> 00:15:06,383 Number two, he says, "You have endured hardship." 310 00:15:06,467 --> 00:15:09,467 And truth be told, this was a difficult place to minister, 311 00:15:09,508 --> 00:15:12,300 people coming through all the time, 312 00:15:12,383 --> 00:15:15,800 spiritual opposition of all sorts and kinds. 313 00:15:15,842 --> 00:15:18,092 There were some 50 gods and goddesses 314 00:15:18,133 --> 00:15:19,633 that were worshiped here. 315 00:15:19,675 --> 00:15:21,467 Prostitution was legalized. 316 00:15:21,550 --> 00:15:24,092 It was a very difficult place. 317 00:15:24,133 --> 00:15:26,217 In fact, just across from us, 318 00:15:26,300 --> 00:15:29,383 it is presumed that there was a brothel. 319 00:15:29,467 --> 00:15:31,383 And just alongside of us, 320 00:15:31,467 --> 00:15:33,967 there is a tunnel that goes from the library 321 00:15:34,008 --> 00:15:37,258 to the brothel, and it is presumed that a lot of men 322 00:15:37,300 --> 00:15:40,133 would go to "the library." 323 00:15:40,217 --> 00:15:44,217 It was a hard place to raise a family. 324 00:15:44,300 --> 00:15:46,758 It was a hard place to be a Christian. 325 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:49,967 Domitian was worshiped as a god, and if you didn't worship him 326 00:15:50,050 --> 00:15:52,300 as a god, you could be put to death. 327 00:15:52,342 --> 00:15:54,467 The only exception was if you were a Jew, 328 00:15:54,550 --> 00:15:57,133 and there was a large number of Jews here, 329 00:15:57,175 --> 00:15:59,092 but they had rejected the message of Jesus; 330 00:15:59,133 --> 00:16:01,633 and as the Christians were kicked out of the synagogue, 331 00:16:01,675 --> 00:16:04,133 they were now exposed to potentially being put to death, 332 00:16:04,217 --> 00:16:07,300 because they were not exempt from emperor worship 333 00:16:07,383 --> 00:16:09,217 through Judaism. 334 00:16:09,300 --> 00:16:11,633 They, in fact, were now in rebellion against the state, 335 00:16:11,717 --> 00:16:14,425 saying Jesus is Lord, not the emperor. 336 00:16:14,467 --> 00:16:17,633 And here, as well, they had one of the seven great wonders 337 00:16:17,717 --> 00:16:19,592 of the world just around the corner, 338 00:16:19,633 --> 00:16:21,300 and that was the Temple of Artemis. 339 00:16:21,342 --> 00:16:23,800 And as we've examined it, perhaps you'll remember, columns 340 00:16:23,842 --> 00:16:28,467 8 feet around, made of marble, 67 feet high, 127 columns, 341 00:16:28,508 --> 00:16:31,800 three to four times the size of the Parthenon 342 00:16:31,842 --> 00:16:36,300 in Athens, Greece, roughly the size of a soccer field. 343 00:16:36,342 --> 00:16:39,258 It was declared to be one of the seven great wonders 344 00:16:39,300 --> 00:16:40,967 of the world, 345 00:16:41,050 --> 00:16:44,008 and people would come there to worship the goddess. 346 00:16:44,092 --> 00:16:47,300 And various people groups in the region, from Anatolia, 347 00:16:47,342 --> 00:16:51,258 and Greece, and Rome, they had Cybele, they had Diana, 348 00:16:51,300 --> 00:16:54,008 they had Artemis, they had the mother goddess, 349 00:16:54,092 --> 00:16:58,133 and this all culminated together in one chief female deity, 350 00:16:58,217 --> 00:17:01,717 a pagan demon god who was powerful and worshiped, 351 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:03,383 called Artemis. 352 00:17:03,467 --> 00:17:07,133 We read in Acts 19 that what presumably was a meteor fell 353 00:17:07,217 --> 00:17:10,633 from the sky, and they believed it was a gift from Artemis, 354 00:17:10,675 --> 00:17:14,383 declaring that place to be her residence for the construction 355 00:17:14,467 --> 00:17:17,967 of the temple to her honor, and that was in Ephesus. 356 00:17:18,050 --> 00:17:21,425 So, then people came from all over to visit 357 00:17:21,467 --> 00:17:23,300 the Temple of Artemis. 358 00:17:23,383 --> 00:17:26,217 It was also a banking center, and so it was tied financially. 359 00:17:26,300 --> 00:17:28,800 It was connected to emperor worship, 360 00:17:28,842 --> 00:17:31,092 so it was connected politically. 361 00:17:31,133 --> 00:17:33,633 Furthermore, it had legalized prostitution, 362 00:17:33,717 --> 00:17:36,800 and it was a place that those seeking refuge from the law 363 00:17:36,883 --> 00:17:39,217 could, in fact, find amnesty, 364 00:17:39,300 --> 00:17:42,217 so it was a place for common criminals, as well. 365 00:17:42,300 --> 00:17:43,967 And he says, "You've endured hardship." 366 00:17:44,008 --> 00:17:45,800 And number three, "You have sound doctrine." 367 00:17:45,883 --> 00:17:48,092 They're not heretics. They don't have false doctrine. 368 00:17:48,133 --> 00:17:49,883 They're not reading crazy books. 369 00:17:49,967 --> 00:17:52,800 They're not believing new myths and fables and folklores. 370 00:17:52,883 --> 00:17:56,758 They're not chasing crazy misquoted Scripture 371 00:17:56,800 --> 00:17:59,300 and false teaching, and he says, 372 00:17:59,383 --> 00:18:01,425 "There are those who say they're false apostles, 373 00:18:01,467 --> 00:18:02,800 "and they have spiritual authority, 374 00:18:02,883 --> 00:18:05,258 and I'm going to tell you what the Bible says." 375 00:18:05,300 --> 00:18:07,258 He says, "You guys are smart, and humble, 376 00:18:07,300 --> 00:18:10,508 "and you open the Bible, and you see what it actually says, 377 00:18:10,592 --> 00:18:12,633 "and you test everything by the Scriptures, 378 00:18:12,717 --> 00:18:14,633 and you've rejected all the false teachers." 379 00:18:14,717 --> 00:18:17,800 And even think of this in our day, how popular it is, 380 00:18:17,883 --> 00:18:20,508 false teachers, false doctrine, crazy instruction. 381 00:18:20,592 --> 00:18:23,425 Imagine how powerful it was here in Ephesus, 382 00:18:23,467 --> 00:18:24,925 because Christianity had a root here. 383 00:18:24,967 --> 00:18:26,508 And here's what the cults do. 384 00:18:26,592 --> 00:18:29,133 The cults always come in behind the Christians. 385 00:18:29,175 --> 00:18:31,133 I mean, historically, after, let's say, 386 00:18:31,175 --> 00:18:32,717 a Billy Graham crusade, 387 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:34,300 the Mormons and the Jehovah's Witnesses, 388 00:18:34,383 --> 00:18:36,008 they're part of the cleanup crew. 389 00:18:36,092 --> 00:18:39,300 They roll into town right after, and they wait for people to hear 390 00:18:39,342 --> 00:18:41,967 about Jesus, and then they come in and twist the truth. 391 00:18:42,008 --> 00:18:43,967 Same thing was happening here in Ephesus. 392 00:18:44,050 --> 00:18:46,425 Lots of false teachers, false spiritual leaders, 393 00:18:46,467 --> 00:18:48,883 lots of crazy new books and strange new ideas, 394 00:18:48,967 --> 00:18:51,717 in the name of being biblical, were here. 395 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:53,217 And he says, "You know what? 396 00:18:53,300 --> 00:18:54,800 "You've not followed that. 397 00:18:54,883 --> 00:18:57,133 "You guys are Bible-believing, truth-telling, 398 00:18:57,217 --> 00:18:59,133 heart-following people of God." 399 00:18:59,217 --> 00:19:00,717 And he commends them for that. 400 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:03,508 Number four, he also says that they hate heretics. 401 00:19:03,592 --> 00:19:05,717 And that seems like a strong word, 402 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:08,467 but heretics are those who are intentionally leading people 403 00:19:08,508 --> 00:19:11,258 astray, and you need to know this. 404 00:19:11,300 --> 00:19:14,383 There are sheep, there are shepherds, there are wolves. 405 00:19:14,467 --> 00:19:16,258 You need to know that. 406 00:19:16,300 --> 00:19:19,092 And sometimes the sheep read all the verses in the Bible 407 00:19:19,133 --> 00:19:20,800 about love, and they say, 408 00:19:20,883 --> 00:19:22,550 "Well, we're just supposed to love everybody." 409 00:19:22,633 --> 00:19:24,383 Not the wolves. 410 00:19:24,467 --> 00:19:26,300 Sheep should love sheep. 411 00:19:26,342 --> 00:19:27,967 Sheep should love shepherds. 412 00:19:28,008 --> 00:19:30,383 Sheep should hate wolves. 413 00:19:30,467 --> 00:19:32,425 Wolves are false teachers, false apostles, 414 00:19:32,467 --> 00:19:36,967 false leaders who dishonor Christ and lead people astray. 415 00:19:37,008 --> 00:19:38,800 And so what happens is sometimes, 416 00:19:38,842 --> 00:19:42,300 when Christians are faced with false teaching, they say, 417 00:19:42,342 --> 00:19:44,133 "Can't we love them?" 418 00:19:44,175 --> 00:19:45,758 Yes, we can love them, 419 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:48,383 but we have to hate what they are teaching. 420 00:19:48,467 --> 00:19:50,758 And what happens is that wolves love sheep, 421 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:54,092 but they love them differently than shepherds, okay? 422 00:19:54,133 --> 00:19:57,758 So, the Bible uses the language of a Christian is like a sheep, 423 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:01,258 and a leader is like a shepherd who loves and cares for 424 00:20:01,300 --> 00:20:04,300 the sheep, and a wolf is one who is very dangerous 425 00:20:04,342 --> 00:20:06,633 and comes to lead them astray. 426 00:20:06,717 --> 00:20:09,717 And so a good shepherd will fight against the wolves 427 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:11,967 for the love of the sheep. 428 00:20:12,050 --> 00:20:14,967 That's why Jesus himself says, "I am the good shepherd," 429 00:20:15,050 --> 00:20:17,300 and 1 Peter 5 says he's the chief shepherd. 430 00:20:17,342 --> 00:20:20,592 They're to just be following in his example, 431 00:20:20,633 --> 00:20:23,092 those who are leaders in his church. 432 00:20:23,133 --> 00:20:25,592 And what he says is, "False teachers have come; 433 00:20:25,633 --> 00:20:27,633 "and like good shepherds, 434 00:20:27,675 --> 00:20:30,300 "out of love for the sheep and the chief shepherd, 435 00:20:30,342 --> 00:20:33,300 you have opposed them, and that's good." 436 00:20:33,383 --> 00:20:35,425 And some of you need to hear this, 437 00:20:35,467 --> 00:20:37,633 because you think the answer is to love everyone 438 00:20:37,675 --> 00:20:40,008 and to consider everything. 439 00:20:40,092 --> 00:20:41,717 Some people are deceptive. 440 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:44,092 Some people are in it for the money. 441 00:20:44,133 --> 00:20:45,883 Some people are working for the enemy. 442 00:20:45,967 --> 00:20:48,300 You could pray for them and want good for them, 443 00:20:48,383 --> 00:20:50,633 but you should not accommodate them or tolerate them, 444 00:20:50,717 --> 00:20:52,300 because they are leading you astray, 445 00:20:52,342 --> 00:20:53,883 and that's not for your good. 446 00:20:53,967 --> 00:20:55,633 And so all of this is commendation. 447 00:20:55,675 --> 00:20:57,008 Would you agree with me? 448 00:20:57,092 --> 00:21:00,967 If you were to get this in your church on a Sunday--let's say 449 00:21:01,050 --> 00:21:03,300 the pastor gathered everyone together and said, 450 00:21:03,342 --> 00:21:05,217 "We have a letter from Jesus. 451 00:21:05,300 --> 00:21:08,217 "We know it's from him, because it's all written in red ink. 452 00:21:08,300 --> 00:21:09,633 "It's amazing. 453 00:21:09,717 --> 00:21:11,967 We got a letter from Jesus." 454 00:21:12,008 --> 00:21:14,467 And then you read this-- the pastor read this aloud, 455 00:21:14,508 --> 00:21:16,508 and that's what would've happened in the congregation. 456 00:21:16,592 --> 00:21:19,092 Can you imagine reading that, hearing that? 457 00:21:19,133 --> 00:21:20,508 "He knows what we're doing. 458 00:21:20,592 --> 00:21:23,300 "He knows how we're serving, and he knows that we're biblical 459 00:21:23,383 --> 00:21:25,467 and steadfast and committed and devoted." 460 00:21:25,550 --> 00:21:28,967 And that would be fantastic, if that was the end of the letter, 461 00:21:29,008 --> 00:21:32,258 but he has some criticisms, as well. 462 00:21:32,300 --> 00:21:35,258 And his big criticism is this: 463 00:21:35,300 --> 00:21:37,758 "You're not very loving." 464 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:40,967 Now, he's commended them for hating wolves, 465 00:21:41,050 --> 00:21:45,300 but he's criticizing them for not loving shepherds and sheep 466 00:21:45,383 --> 00:21:49,092 and not loving himself, the good shepherd. 467 00:21:49,133 --> 00:21:50,717 And let me say this. 468 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:53,758 This is very common. 469 00:21:53,800 --> 00:21:57,258 As I've been studying the seven churches of Revelation, 470 00:21:57,300 --> 00:21:59,592 I would have to say of the seven churches-- 471 00:21:59,633 --> 00:22:02,467 and I would say this is important for us all to do-- 472 00:22:02,550 --> 00:22:05,300 as we read the seven letters to the seven churches 473 00:22:05,342 --> 00:22:06,800 in Revelation 2 and 3, 474 00:22:06,842 --> 00:22:10,008 we've got to ask, Which letter, if Jesus was going to send me 475 00:22:10,092 --> 00:22:12,092 one, would probably be the letter 476 00:22:12,133 --> 00:22:14,300 that I'd be most likely to get? 477 00:22:14,342 --> 00:22:18,508 And for me, personally, I would say the biggest proclivity, 478 00:22:18,592 --> 00:22:22,633 propensity, possibility would be for me to get this letter, 479 00:22:22,717 --> 00:22:28,383 in that the longer you study and the more you persevere, 480 00:22:28,467 --> 00:22:30,925 and achieve, and accomplish, and serve, and give, 481 00:22:30,967 --> 00:22:35,925 and pour yourself out, over time, you can become unloving. 482 00:22:35,967 --> 00:22:39,133 You can become unloving, and that's what happened 483 00:22:39,175 --> 00:22:41,300 to these people. 484 00:22:41,342 --> 00:22:43,758 They didn't have the wrong books on the shelf. 485 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:46,425 They didn't have the wrong teachers in the pulpit. 486 00:22:46,467 --> 00:22:50,258 He wasn't criticizing them because they weren't generous 487 00:22:50,300 --> 00:22:54,883 givers, or faithful servants, or patient endurers, or overcomers. 488 00:22:54,967 --> 00:22:56,717 He says, you know what? 489 00:22:56,800 --> 00:23:00,258 If we just put together a list like you would for a child, 490 00:23:00,300 --> 00:23:02,383 let's say a chore list, he's saying, 491 00:23:02,467 --> 00:23:05,258 "You know, we check every box. 492 00:23:05,300 --> 00:23:09,258 "Your church is absolutely dutiful and faithful, 493 00:23:09,300 --> 00:23:12,300 "but I know your heart, and it's gotten a little calloused, 494 00:23:12,342 --> 00:23:16,258 "it's gotten a little hard, and it's not very loving. 495 00:23:16,300 --> 00:23:18,217 "The result is," he says, 496 00:23:18,300 --> 00:23:20,300 "you've fallen from where you started. 497 00:23:20,342 --> 00:23:23,467 "When you started, there was a lot of love in your church, 498 00:23:23,550 --> 00:23:25,592 "love for each other, love for the leaders, 499 00:23:25,633 --> 00:23:29,217 love for non-Christians and lost people, love for the Lord." 500 00:23:29,300 --> 00:23:31,717 And it's not that they hate and despise. 501 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:36,258 They're just sort of done being very loving, being patient, 502 00:23:36,300 --> 00:23:40,217 and kind, and gracious, and understanding. 503 00:23:40,300 --> 00:23:42,633 And what oftentimes happens--and let me say this. 504 00:23:42,717 --> 00:23:46,633 In our day, this is just classic fundamentalism. 505 00:23:46,717 --> 00:23:49,592 You know, "We're Bible believing." 506 00:23:49,633 --> 00:23:51,258 Okay, but are you nice? 507 00:23:51,300 --> 00:23:54,383 Because the Bible says "love," a lot. 508 00:23:54,467 --> 00:23:56,300 "Well, we speak the truth." 509 00:23:56,342 --> 00:23:59,300 But do you speak the truth in love? 510 00:23:59,342 --> 00:24:05,300 Because the Bible says that we are to speak the truth in love. 511 00:24:05,342 --> 00:24:09,592 And what could happen for those who are like the Ephesians, 512 00:24:09,633 --> 00:24:13,258 it's truth and works and perseverance, 513 00:24:13,300 --> 00:24:17,425 but not love and grace and kindness. 514 00:24:17,467 --> 00:24:20,300 And so it becomes heavy handed, authoritarian, 515 00:24:20,383 --> 00:24:23,467 a little bit cold. 516 00:24:23,550 --> 00:24:26,633 How many of you--and you don't need to raise a hand-- 517 00:24:26,675 --> 00:24:30,300 but this could be you? 518 00:24:30,342 --> 00:24:31,967 You're not a heretic. 519 00:24:32,008 --> 00:24:33,383 You're not a false teacher. 520 00:24:33,467 --> 00:24:34,925 You've not gone apostate. 521 00:24:34,967 --> 00:24:36,467 You've not walked away from God. 522 00:24:36,508 --> 00:24:38,967 You've not stopped giving, serving, reading, caring, 523 00:24:39,050 --> 00:24:45,300 trying, but you have seen a decrease in loving. 524 00:24:45,383 --> 00:24:48,133 That's Jesus' word, and it's interesting, 525 00:24:48,217 --> 00:24:50,967 because it's really hard for us to judge someone's heart, right? 526 00:24:51,008 --> 00:24:52,883 We don't know. 527 00:24:52,967 --> 00:24:55,467 I mean, one of the most subjective things in the world 528 00:24:55,550 --> 00:24:58,133 is whether or not somebody is loving. 529 00:24:58,175 --> 00:25:00,383 And Jesus says, "I know your heart, 530 00:25:00,467 --> 00:25:04,133 and I don't see it filled with love." 531 00:25:04,175 --> 00:25:07,633 And let me say that there are some excuses that the Ephesians 532 00:25:07,675 --> 00:25:10,717 could've had, and they're the same kind of excuses that, 533 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:14,133 quite frankly, we could have. 534 00:25:14,217 --> 00:25:16,467 It's a hard city to live in. 535 00:25:16,550 --> 00:25:19,133 How many of you live in a hard city? 536 00:25:19,175 --> 00:25:22,258 All right, that's a redundant statement, "hard city." 537 00:25:22,300 --> 00:25:25,467 See, the closer you get to major cities in our day, 538 00:25:25,550 --> 00:25:29,217 the less likely they are to be filled with Christians. 539 00:25:29,300 --> 00:25:31,800 And people come and go, when they live in cities. 540 00:25:31,842 --> 00:25:34,008 So, as soon as you meet somebody, they go. 541 00:25:34,092 --> 00:25:36,008 You can start to be unloving and say, 542 00:25:36,092 --> 00:25:38,008 "I'm tired of trying to meet the neighbors. 543 00:25:38,092 --> 00:25:39,508 "They keep changing. 544 00:25:39,592 --> 00:25:40,967 "They're all renting, not buying. 545 00:25:41,008 --> 00:25:42,925 It's hard to love them. They keep moving." 546 00:25:42,967 --> 00:25:45,133 And after a while, you just stop pursuing people 547 00:25:45,175 --> 00:25:46,592 for relationship. 548 00:25:46,633 --> 00:25:49,217 After a while, too, it gets hard to love your city, 549 00:25:49,342 --> 00:25:51,592 because most cities don't have a lot of families. 550 00:25:51,633 --> 00:25:53,008 It's very expensive and very complicated, 551 00:25:53,092 --> 00:25:56,300 and it's not the kind of place you really want to raise kids, 552 00:25:56,342 --> 00:25:57,758 living in the city. 553 00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:00,133 What was true in Ephesus is true in our day. 554 00:26:00,217 --> 00:26:03,133 So, after a while, you start to get a little frustrated with 555 00:26:03,217 --> 00:26:05,300 the city, because all the parks are dog parks. 556 00:26:05,383 --> 00:26:07,967 I don't know if that was an issue in Ephesus, 557 00:26:08,008 --> 00:26:09,425 but it is in Seattle. 558 00:26:09,467 --> 00:26:11,133 You take your kids to the park, 559 00:26:11,175 --> 00:26:12,717 and they can't really do anything, 560 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:14,217 because it's not for them. 561 00:26:14,300 --> 00:26:17,467 All of a sudden, you see that the city is open with its 562 00:26:17,508 --> 00:26:19,008 sexuality, and open with its idolatry, 563 00:26:19,092 --> 00:26:22,008 and it has a tolerance and diversity of a lot of people, 564 00:26:22,092 --> 00:26:23,633 but not you, because you're narrow-minded, 565 00:26:23,717 --> 00:26:26,258 because you believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, 566 00:26:26,300 --> 00:26:28,258 and the life, because that's what he said. 567 00:26:28,300 --> 00:26:31,467 And after a while, you could just get a little sick of it 568 00:26:31,550 --> 00:26:34,092 all, get sick of all the religious people who are 569 00:26:34,133 --> 00:26:36,467 so committed to their false gods, sick of the politics. 570 00:26:36,550 --> 00:26:38,467 Do you know that taxes here were terrible? 571 00:26:38,550 --> 00:26:40,967 One of the ways Domitian ruled is he increased taxes 572 00:26:41,008 --> 00:26:44,883 very stringently to fund all of his work, 573 00:26:44,967 --> 00:26:48,217 and then he used much of the money to give significant pay 574 00:26:48,300 --> 00:26:51,300 increases to the military, so that the soldiers 575 00:26:51,383 --> 00:26:53,300 would enforce his rule of law. 576 00:26:53,342 --> 00:26:55,258 Now, how difficult is that? 577 00:26:55,300 --> 00:26:56,758 You're a Christian. 578 00:26:56,800 --> 00:27:00,300 Jesus says to pay your taxes, so you pay your taxes to a guy 579 00:27:00,342 --> 00:27:04,633 who says he's god, who hires soldiers to burden you. 580 00:27:04,675 --> 00:27:06,883 If you're going to get persecuted, 581 00:27:06,967 --> 00:27:08,925 you shouldn't have to pay for it. 582 00:27:08,967 --> 00:27:11,258 That should be a freebie, right? 583 00:27:11,300 --> 00:27:13,717 They have lots of legitimate reasons that 584 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:16,633 could've been for them excuses. 585 00:27:16,675 --> 00:27:18,258 They could've gotten together and said, 586 00:27:18,300 --> 00:27:20,425 "Here's all the reasons why we don't like Ephesus. 587 00:27:20,467 --> 00:27:22,008 "Here's why we're sick of Ephesus. 588 00:27:22,092 --> 00:27:23,967 "We've been here for decades. 589 00:27:24,008 --> 00:27:25,800 "We've already given, we've served, 590 00:27:25,842 --> 00:27:27,425 "we sent out missionaries, we planted churches, 591 00:27:27,467 --> 00:27:29,133 we wrote books." 592 00:27:29,175 --> 00:27:30,883 I mean, within a few generations, 593 00:27:30,967 --> 00:27:33,008 they had major councils down the hill. 594 00:27:33,092 --> 00:27:34,925 I mean, this place stayed faithful, 595 00:27:34,967 --> 00:27:38,092 at least theologically, for hundreds of years. 596 00:27:38,133 --> 00:27:41,425 So, for hundreds of years, generation after generation, 597 00:27:41,467 --> 00:27:43,758 your kids, your grandkids, your great-grandkids, 598 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:45,967 your great-great-great- grandkids, 599 00:27:46,008 --> 00:27:47,758 they're giving, serving, trying, 600 00:27:47,800 --> 00:27:50,508 caring, reading, praying, suffering, enduring. 601 00:27:50,592 --> 00:27:53,383 And at some point, they're sick of it. 602 00:27:53,467 --> 00:27:56,758 No need to raise your hand, but how many of you have been there? 603 00:27:56,800 --> 00:27:58,967 It's like, that's enough. 604 00:27:59,050 --> 00:28:00,717 Jesus is saying you're still alive. 605 00:28:00,800 --> 00:28:02,383 We're not at the finish line yet. 606 00:28:02,467 --> 00:28:05,592 Keep going, keep going. 607 00:28:05,633 --> 00:28:08,300 How do we become Ephesians? 608 00:28:08,383 --> 00:28:11,092 And my fear is if we go to the text, 609 00:28:11,133 --> 00:28:13,383 and we just read it historically, 610 00:28:13,467 --> 00:28:16,008 then it's an interesting number of archaeological facts. 611 00:28:16,092 --> 00:28:17,967 If we just read it theologically, 612 00:28:18,008 --> 00:28:20,300 then it allows us to criticize these people. 613 00:28:20,383 --> 00:28:23,633 But if we read it humbly, then we come under the Scriptures 614 00:28:23,675 --> 00:28:27,300 and we say, "I may be a lot like the Ephesians and/or 615 00:28:27,383 --> 00:28:30,300 I could become a lot like the Ephesians." 616 00:28:30,383 --> 00:28:32,800 And so this word is not just for them. 617 00:28:32,842 --> 00:28:36,133 It's for all the churches, and it's for me and my church, 618 00:28:36,217 --> 00:28:38,133 as well. 619 00:28:38,175 --> 00:28:41,592 And I'll give you a couple of ways that I think it is possible 620 00:28:41,633 --> 00:28:44,133 for us to become like the Ephesians. 621 00:28:44,175 --> 00:28:46,717 Number one, I think we can become like the Ephesians 622 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:49,800 if we pit truth and love against one another. 623 00:28:49,842 --> 00:28:51,300 Right? 624 00:28:51,342 --> 00:28:54,300 Jesus came full of grace and truth. 625 00:28:54,383 --> 00:28:56,383 Some people are grace people. 626 00:28:56,467 --> 00:28:58,258 Some people are truth people. 627 00:28:58,300 --> 00:29:01,425 And here Jesus is saying, "I want you to put truth, 628 00:29:01,467 --> 00:29:03,300 "wrapped in grace. 629 00:29:03,383 --> 00:29:06,300 I want there to be love around the truth." 630 00:29:06,342 --> 00:29:07,883 All right? 631 00:29:07,967 --> 00:29:10,008 Some of you are grace people. 632 00:29:10,092 --> 00:29:11,592 You're love people. 633 00:29:11,633 --> 00:29:14,217 Your answer to everything is be nice, love, patiently endure. 634 00:29:14,300 --> 00:29:15,967 Some of you are truth people, right? 635 00:29:16,008 --> 00:29:19,133 The Bible to you is like a series of bullets called verses, 636 00:29:19,175 --> 00:29:21,133 and you've always got one in the chamber. 637 00:29:21,175 --> 00:29:22,717 You're ready to go, right? 638 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:24,633 "No, no, no, Leviticus, Ephesians, Corinthians, Romans, 639 00:29:24,675 --> 00:29:26,133 boom, boom, boom." 640 00:29:26,217 --> 00:29:28,300 And Jesus is saying, "Good verses. 641 00:29:28,342 --> 00:29:30,258 "You hit the bull's eye, 642 00:29:30,300 --> 00:29:32,967 "but that person didn't feel like they were really loved, 643 00:29:33,050 --> 00:29:34,800 because they're bleeding," right? 644 00:29:34,842 --> 00:29:36,800 They didn't feel like that encouraged them 645 00:29:36,883 --> 00:29:38,383 toward repentance. 646 00:29:38,467 --> 00:29:40,883 It just crushed them toward shame, and guilt, 647 00:29:40,967 --> 00:29:43,300 and condemnation, when the Bible says there is now 648 00:29:43,383 --> 00:29:46,008 no condemnation for those who are in Christ. 649 00:29:46,092 --> 00:29:49,758 And so what we don't want to do is pit love or grace and truth 650 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:51,508 against one another. 651 00:29:51,592 --> 00:29:54,508 We want to say that the truth must be communicated from 652 00:29:54,592 --> 00:29:56,967 someone who is loving. 653 00:29:57,050 --> 00:29:59,633 But what can happen is we could become like the Ephesians 654 00:29:59,717 --> 00:30:03,008 when we elevate the truth, and we devalue love, 655 00:30:03,092 --> 00:30:05,508 or we devalue love for non-Christians, 656 00:30:05,592 --> 00:30:08,383 or other religions, or people who annoy us, 657 00:30:08,467 --> 00:30:12,883 people who oppose us, people who criticize us, 658 00:30:12,967 --> 00:30:14,467 people who mock us. 659 00:30:14,508 --> 00:30:18,008 And Jesus says, basically, we need to say the right thing, 660 00:30:18,092 --> 00:30:22,217 at the right time, in the right way, with the right motives. 661 00:30:22,300 --> 00:30:26,258 Truth, yes, with the airbag of love; otherwise, 662 00:30:26,300 --> 00:30:28,925 we're just going to decimate people. 663 00:30:28,967 --> 00:30:31,883 And certain churches do this, and certain pastors do this, 664 00:30:31,967 --> 00:30:34,508 and I know I've done this, and certain Christians do this. 665 00:30:34,592 --> 00:30:37,883 They just breathe fire on people and incinerate them, 666 00:30:37,967 --> 00:30:41,133 rather than speaking the truth to them in such a way that 667 00:30:41,175 --> 00:30:44,883 invites them to turn from sin, to meet with God and his people, 668 00:30:44,967 --> 00:30:47,217 and have a change of life through the power of 669 00:30:47,300 --> 00:30:48,967 the Holy Spirit. 670 00:30:49,050 --> 00:30:51,800 Number two, we could become like the Ephesians when we listen 671 00:30:51,842 --> 00:30:56,800 only to our doctrines and stop listening to the Holy Spirit. 672 00:30:56,883 --> 00:31:00,425 What can happen is you read the Bible so long and so many books, 673 00:31:00,467 --> 00:31:02,592 and you're under so much teaching and education that 674 00:31:02,633 --> 00:31:05,425 all of a sudden you've got most of your questions answered, 675 00:31:05,467 --> 00:31:07,633 and you've got all your verses in categories, 676 00:31:07,675 --> 00:31:09,883 and all your systemization is essentially completed, 677 00:31:09,967 --> 00:31:12,258 or at least functionally operative, 678 00:31:12,300 --> 00:31:15,467 and then all of a sudden, you don't need to pray much anymore, 679 00:31:15,550 --> 00:31:18,300 because you have a theology that tells you what to do. 680 00:31:18,383 --> 00:31:20,925 You don't need to listen to the Holy Spirit anymore, 681 00:31:20,967 --> 00:31:23,800 because you have a theology that directs all of your steps. 682 00:31:23,883 --> 00:31:26,425 And I'm not saying that we avoid our doctrinal distinctives 683 00:31:26,467 --> 00:31:29,300 and our theological clarity, but we still need to be filled with 684 00:31:29,383 --> 00:31:30,800 the Holy Spirit. 685 00:31:30,883 --> 00:31:33,217 We still need to be led by the Holy Spirit. 686 00:31:33,300 --> 00:31:35,467 We still need to listen to the Holy Spirit, 687 00:31:35,508 --> 00:31:37,092 and we need to remain teachable. 688 00:31:37,133 --> 00:31:39,758 And that's why one of the things that he says to 689 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:42,425 each of the seven churches is, "He who has an ear, 690 00:31:42,467 --> 00:31:45,425 let him hear what the Spirit has to say to the churches." 691 00:31:45,467 --> 00:31:48,300 What he's saying is, "You're not listening to the Holy Spirit." 692 00:31:48,383 --> 00:31:50,800 Now, the Holy Spirit did inspire the writing of Scripture, 693 00:31:50,842 --> 00:31:52,633 and that is perfect, true, and good. 694 00:31:52,717 --> 00:31:55,883 And the Holy Spirit is God, and he also dwells in the believer, 695 00:31:55,967 --> 00:31:57,883 and he will guide us in the truth, 696 00:31:57,967 --> 00:31:59,300 Jesus says in John's gospel. 697 00:31:59,342 --> 00:32:02,300 And what that means is he'll take the truth of the Bible 698 00:32:02,342 --> 00:32:05,467 and then use it to lead us, to shape us, to guide us, 699 00:32:05,508 --> 00:32:08,133 to inform us and direct us; but you can't live by 700 00:32:08,175 --> 00:32:10,883 the Word of God without yielding to the Spirit of God. 701 00:32:10,967 --> 00:32:12,383 But it is possible-- 702 00:32:12,467 --> 00:32:13,967 And there are even certain theologies, 703 00:32:14,008 --> 00:32:16,133 and one is called cessationism, that essentially says that 704 00:32:16,217 --> 00:32:19,258 the Holy Spirit does not operate today like he once did. 705 00:32:19,300 --> 00:32:22,800 It's a clever way of saying we don't need him like we used to. 706 00:32:22,883 --> 00:32:24,425 That's not true. 707 00:32:24,467 --> 00:32:27,300 We need him every moment of every day, 708 00:32:27,342 --> 00:32:30,092 and every Christian always has. 709 00:32:30,133 --> 00:32:33,467 We need him to lead us and guide us, convict us and instruct us. 710 00:32:33,550 --> 00:32:36,633 And one of the ways we can become like the Ephesians is 711 00:32:36,717 --> 00:32:39,592 we get so consumed with our studies and our systematics, 712 00:32:39,633 --> 00:32:41,633 that we forget that Jesus is alive, 713 00:32:41,675 --> 00:32:44,008 and we're supposed to have a relationship with him, 714 00:32:44,092 --> 00:32:45,800 and the Holy Spirit dwells in us, 715 00:32:45,883 --> 00:32:47,633 and we're supposed to follow him. 716 00:32:47,675 --> 00:32:50,300 And so then Christianity goes from a relationship 717 00:32:50,342 --> 00:32:53,217 that we enjoy to a belief system we adhere to. 718 00:32:53,300 --> 00:32:55,258 And let me submit to you it's both. 719 00:32:55,300 --> 00:32:57,425 Christianity is a belief system we adhere to, 720 00:32:57,467 --> 00:33:01,300 and it's a relationship we enjoy, but it has to be both. 721 00:33:01,383 --> 00:33:03,425 And when it says that they lack love, 722 00:33:03,467 --> 00:33:06,592 they were weak on the relational enjoyment of Jesus, his people, 723 00:33:06,633 --> 00:33:08,800 and lost people. 724 00:33:08,883 --> 00:33:11,883 Number three, we can become like the Ephesians when the people 725 00:33:11,967 --> 00:33:15,800 in cities that are our mission simply become annoying to us, 726 00:33:15,842 --> 00:33:17,633 instead of a mission for us. 727 00:33:17,675 --> 00:33:20,425 How many of you are annoyed by where you live? 728 00:33:20,467 --> 00:33:22,300 Okay, I am. 729 00:33:22,383 --> 00:33:24,300 I am. 730 00:33:24,342 --> 00:33:27,758 Taxes are high, traffic is bad, schools are poor, 731 00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:31,300 parks are horrible, and people are weird. 732 00:33:31,383 --> 00:33:33,925 That's my estimation, okay? 733 00:33:33,967 --> 00:33:37,217 That's my estimation. 734 00:33:37,300 --> 00:33:40,967 And he's not saying here that you need to like. 735 00:33:41,008 --> 00:33:43,008 There's a difference between love and like. 736 00:33:43,092 --> 00:33:44,633 I don't have to like my city. 737 00:33:44,717 --> 00:33:46,592 You don't have to like your city. 738 00:33:46,633 --> 00:33:48,800 The Ephesians didn't have to like their city. 739 00:33:48,842 --> 00:33:50,300 They had to love it. 740 00:33:50,342 --> 00:33:52,383 You can love people you don't like. 741 00:33:52,467 --> 00:33:54,383 You can love places you don't like. 742 00:33:54,467 --> 00:33:56,467 You can love people groups you don't like. 743 00:33:56,508 --> 00:33:59,300 You don't have to enjoy someone to have affection for them, 744 00:33:59,383 --> 00:34:02,967 because it says in--I think it's Romans 5:8--that God has poured 745 00:34:03,050 --> 00:34:05,592 out his love in our hearts, through the Holy Spirit, 746 00:34:05,633 --> 00:34:08,008 whom he has given us. 747 00:34:08,092 --> 00:34:12,008 Love comes from God, love comes through the people of God, 748 00:34:12,092 --> 00:34:14,217 and we are able to love people 749 00:34:14,300 --> 00:34:16,883 even if we don't like them. We're able to love cities 750 00:34:16,967 --> 00:34:20,133 and cultures and groups, even if they annoy us, 751 00:34:20,217 --> 00:34:25,217 because it is God's love through us, even for those people, 752 00:34:25,300 --> 00:34:28,217 times, and places that we don't like. 753 00:34:28,300 --> 00:34:31,217 And so what can happen is sometimes we look at 754 00:34:31,300 --> 00:34:34,883 a people group or a place, and we say, "It just annoys me. 755 00:34:34,967 --> 00:34:37,300 "The way they act, the way they think, 756 00:34:37,342 --> 00:34:39,133 "the way they spend our tax money, 757 00:34:39,217 --> 00:34:40,758 "the way they operate, 758 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:42,800 "the self-righteousness, the idolatry, the insanity, 759 00:34:42,842 --> 00:34:44,592 "the stupidity, it's annoying. 760 00:34:44,633 --> 00:34:46,300 "It frustrates me. 761 00:34:46,383 --> 00:34:48,383 I'm sick of this." 762 00:34:48,467 --> 00:34:50,258 And Jesus says love them. 763 00:34:50,300 --> 00:34:51,967 You say, "How can I do that?" 764 00:34:52,008 --> 00:34:54,883 The love of God needs to come to you and through you, 765 00:34:54,967 --> 00:34:56,300 and here's the gospel. 766 00:34:56,383 --> 00:34:58,217 We're like that to God. 767 00:34:58,300 --> 00:35:00,467 And, see, it always comes back to the gospel. 768 00:35:00,508 --> 00:35:03,300 Do any of you think that you annoy God? 769 00:35:03,342 --> 00:35:06,592 I'm very settled on the answer for my own life. 770 00:35:06,633 --> 00:35:09,467 I think of all the people who are annoying to God, 771 00:35:09,508 --> 00:35:13,092 I might make some sort of special list. 772 00:35:13,133 --> 00:35:15,092 I'm sure that God gets annoyed with me, 773 00:35:15,133 --> 00:35:18,008 that God gets tired with me, God gets frustrated with me. 774 00:35:18,092 --> 00:35:19,967 But do you know what he does? 775 00:35:20,008 --> 00:35:22,133 He continues to love me. 776 00:35:22,175 --> 00:35:25,258 And we can't receive love from God, as annoying people, 777 00:35:25,300 --> 00:35:28,300 without sharing God's love with annoying people, 778 00:35:28,383 --> 00:35:30,633 because that's hypocrisy. 779 00:35:30,717 --> 00:35:33,300 And what can happen is the longer you're a Christian 780 00:35:33,342 --> 00:35:36,300 and the more Bible you read, and the more doctrine you know, 781 00:35:36,342 --> 00:35:38,300 you can think that you're less annoying to God 782 00:35:38,342 --> 00:35:40,258 than other people are to you. 783 00:35:40,300 --> 00:35:42,717 And humility says, "No, God's loving to me, 784 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:44,217 "even though I'm annoying, 785 00:35:44,300 --> 00:35:46,467 "so I'm going to love others with the love 786 00:35:46,508 --> 00:35:48,467 "that he gives me, because it's a demonstration 787 00:35:48,508 --> 00:35:50,008 of the gospel." 788 00:35:50,092 --> 00:35:52,883 We could become like the Ephesians when we replace 789 00:35:52,967 --> 00:35:55,467 compassion with contempt, number four. 790 00:35:55,508 --> 00:35:58,383 When you look at people, you say, "They are so stupid. 791 00:35:58,467 --> 00:36:00,300 "They are so messed up. 792 00:36:00,342 --> 00:36:02,425 "They are so rebellious. 793 00:36:02,467 --> 00:36:04,592 "They're doing the same thing their parents did, 794 00:36:04,633 --> 00:36:07,425 "and that was an absolute train wreck. 795 00:36:07,467 --> 00:36:10,217 "Every generation in this city has acted like this, 796 00:36:10,300 --> 00:36:12,092 "and it's never worked. 797 00:36:12,133 --> 00:36:14,300 When is anybody going to wake up?" 798 00:36:14,342 --> 00:36:16,800 And, see, the Bible says that people are blind, 799 00:36:16,842 --> 00:36:20,383 that they're spiritually dead, and that is to give us 800 00:36:20,467 --> 00:36:23,467 compassion; but if we forget that apart from Christ 801 00:36:23,550 --> 00:36:27,217 we're dead and blind, what we end up with is contempt. 802 00:36:27,300 --> 00:36:29,217 "You are stupid. You are foolish. 803 00:36:29,300 --> 00:36:31,717 "You get what you deserve. I'm sick of you. 804 00:36:31,800 --> 00:36:34,633 I'm done with you. I don't have any hope for you." 805 00:36:34,675 --> 00:36:36,758 That's contempt. 806 00:36:36,800 --> 00:36:40,133 And compassion says, "And apart from the grace of God, 807 00:36:40,175 --> 00:36:42,508 "I'm at least as bad as you. 808 00:36:42,592 --> 00:36:45,258 "And if there's hope for me, there's hope for you, 809 00:36:45,300 --> 00:36:49,133 "and I have compassion, because you are walking away from God 810 00:36:49,175 --> 00:36:52,967 "and into death, and that is something that grieves me more 811 00:36:53,050 --> 00:36:55,467 than something that annoys me." 812 00:36:55,508 --> 00:36:58,300 And this gets really hard when it's your family, your friends, 813 00:36:58,383 --> 00:37:00,300 your coworkers, your neighbors. 814 00:37:00,383 --> 00:37:03,383 But we know that we've lost sight of the gospel when we 815 00:37:03,467 --> 00:37:04,967 have contempt instead of compassion for people, 816 00:37:05,050 --> 00:37:08,258 and I think that was part of what was going on here 817 00:37:08,300 --> 00:37:09,800 in Ephesus. 818 00:37:09,883 --> 00:37:12,800 They'd been so faithful for so long, and after a while, 819 00:37:12,883 --> 00:37:14,467 you just get sick of the work 820 00:37:14,550 --> 00:37:18,425 that remains to be done. 821 00:37:18,467 --> 00:37:21,758 Number five, I think we become Ephesians when we tell others 822 00:37:21,800 --> 00:37:25,008 to repent, but we don't do it. 823 00:37:25,092 --> 00:37:27,467 And this is classic religion. 824 00:37:27,550 --> 00:37:30,633 We tell other people to repent, but we don't. 825 00:37:30,717 --> 00:37:32,967 We tell them everything that's wrong in their life, 826 00:37:33,008 --> 00:37:35,300 and we don't really examine our own, 827 00:37:35,342 --> 00:37:38,633 and the result is we get proud, and haughty, and self-righteous, 828 00:37:38,717 --> 00:37:44,300 and judgmental, critical, and difficult. 829 00:37:44,383 --> 00:37:47,300 And I know that this is something that happens 830 00:37:47,342 --> 00:37:50,300 in my own life, and it happens in all of our life, 831 00:37:50,342 --> 00:37:54,092 that we could see others' sin more clearly than our own. 832 00:37:54,133 --> 00:37:56,925 We could have a passion for them to stop sinning, 833 00:37:56,967 --> 00:38:01,258 but we give ourselves permission to continue in our own vices. 834 00:38:01,300 --> 00:38:04,800 And what happens is, sadly, even with some preaching 835 00:38:04,883 --> 00:38:08,633 and teaching, it only tells sinners to repent of their sin. 836 00:38:08,675 --> 00:38:11,092 It doesn't tell religious people to repent 837 00:38:11,133 --> 00:38:13,300 of their righteousness. 838 00:38:13,383 --> 00:38:16,258 The result is the church is filled with religious people 839 00:38:16,300 --> 00:38:19,133 who are self-righteous and have contempt for those who are 840 00:38:19,217 --> 00:38:22,467 non-Christians or those who are stuck in sin. 841 00:38:22,550 --> 00:38:25,592 And so it is true that non-Christians need to repent 842 00:38:25,633 --> 00:38:29,258 of sin and that Christians need to repent of sin, 843 00:38:29,300 --> 00:38:32,217 and sometimes the sin that Christians need to repent of 844 00:38:32,300 --> 00:38:35,633 is religion, pride, legalism, judgmentalism, 845 00:38:35,717 --> 00:38:37,633 self-righteousness. 846 00:38:37,675 --> 00:38:39,508 It's works. 847 00:38:39,592 --> 00:38:41,800 It's this feeling that I'm better than you 848 00:38:41,842 --> 00:38:43,717 because I don't do what you're doing. 849 00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:46,800 And as soon as that happens, we feel free to tell everyone 850 00:38:46,842 --> 00:38:50,258 to stop sinning, but we stop repenting of our own sin, 851 00:38:50,300 --> 00:38:52,967 and the sin that sometimes we need to repent of 852 00:38:53,050 --> 00:38:54,467 is a lack of love, 853 00:38:54,550 --> 00:38:56,758 and that's Jesus' words. 854 00:38:56,800 --> 00:39:00,092 You're telling them all to stop, but you need to stop being 855 00:39:00,133 --> 00:39:04,092 so mean, so harsh, so cruel, so impatient, so selfish, so petty. 856 00:39:04,133 --> 00:39:07,258 We could become like the Ephesians, number six, 857 00:39:07,300 --> 00:39:11,383 when Jesus becomes more of a concept than a person. 858 00:39:11,467 --> 00:39:13,217 Let me say this. 859 00:39:13,300 --> 00:39:14,800 I love the Bible. 860 00:39:14,842 --> 00:39:16,800 I've been studying it for 20-plus years. 861 00:39:16,842 --> 00:39:18,300 I love books. 862 00:39:18,342 --> 00:39:20,508 I think between my digital and my physical library, 863 00:39:20,592 --> 00:39:22,758 it's like 7,000 or 8,000 books. I love books. 864 00:39:22,800 --> 00:39:25,133 I don't believe in the rapture, but if it happens, 865 00:39:25,217 --> 00:39:26,633 I'm grabbing my bookshelves. 866 00:39:26,675 --> 00:39:28,300 I'm just, I'm taking them with me. 867 00:39:28,383 --> 00:39:29,925 I love my books that much. 868 00:39:29,967 --> 00:39:32,133 I love to study. I love to think. 869 00:39:32,175 --> 00:39:33,633 I love to contemplate. 870 00:39:33,675 --> 00:39:36,508 But you know what can happen is, over time, Jesus can become, 871 00:39:36,592 --> 00:39:41,300 for those who are most studious, more of a concept than a person, 872 00:39:41,383 --> 00:39:44,300 more of a concept than a person. 873 00:39:44,342 --> 00:39:46,967 He's like a philosophical construct, 874 00:39:47,050 --> 00:39:50,258 and a historical figure, and a moral example, 875 00:39:50,300 --> 00:39:52,800 but he's not a living Lord. 876 00:39:52,883 --> 00:39:55,508 So you don't really talk to him like you used to 877 00:39:55,592 --> 00:39:58,467 with a child-like faith, which is prayer. 878 00:39:58,508 --> 00:40:01,800 Sometimes you don't really just get silence and solitude, 879 00:40:01,842 --> 00:40:04,508 and be alone with him, and invite him to come 880 00:40:04,592 --> 00:40:07,092 and spend time with you, and enjoy his presence, 881 00:40:07,133 --> 00:40:10,633 and be with him as a living Lord. 882 00:40:10,717 --> 00:40:15,883 And sometimes we even have theologies that justify this. 883 00:40:15,967 --> 00:40:20,633 We have ways of caricaturizing Jesus into some manageable 884 00:40:20,717 --> 00:40:25,383 philosophical construct or historical ideal. 885 00:40:25,467 --> 00:40:28,008 Let me say this. Jesus is a person. 886 00:40:28,092 --> 00:40:29,717 He's alive. 887 00:40:29,800 --> 00:40:32,383 He's ruling and reigning as Lord, God, Savior, King, 888 00:40:32,467 --> 00:40:34,967 and Christ, and he's happy to come meet with you, 889 00:40:35,008 --> 00:40:37,425 as he was happy to come meet with John. 890 00:40:37,467 --> 00:40:40,092 Some of us will not have that degree of 891 00:40:40,133 --> 00:40:43,092 supernatural revelation, but he's willing to be with you. 892 00:40:43,133 --> 00:40:47,092 This is time for solitude, silence, repentance, prayer, 893 00:40:47,133 --> 00:40:51,258 Bible reading, journaling, singing, worship. 894 00:40:51,300 --> 00:40:53,425 Turn your technology off. 895 00:40:53,467 --> 00:40:55,425 Get time with Jesus. 896 00:40:55,467 --> 00:40:58,633 He's alive, and he wants to be with you. 897 00:40:58,717 --> 00:41:01,925 And sometimes he is, but we're so dominated by the gods of 898 00:41:01,967 --> 00:41:05,300 hurry, worry, and busy, that we miss those divine moments 899 00:41:05,342 --> 00:41:07,800 to be with the Savior. 900 00:41:07,883 --> 00:41:12,925 Is Jesus for you a living Lord, or is he an idea, a concept, 901 00:41:12,967 --> 00:41:17,967 a systematic, theological position, a historical ideal? 902 00:41:18,050 --> 00:41:20,717 Be careful. Be careful. 903 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:23,592 Sometimes those who know the most about Jesus 904 00:41:23,633 --> 00:41:26,383 know Jesus the least. 905 00:41:26,467 --> 00:41:28,800 They could tell you all of the facts, 906 00:41:28,842 --> 00:41:32,300 but it's more like someone who is quoting a book they've read 907 00:41:32,383 --> 00:41:34,300 than a friend they've made. 908 00:41:34,383 --> 00:41:36,300 Do you know what I'm talking about? 909 00:41:36,342 --> 00:41:38,300 Do you ever meet somebody, and you could say, 910 00:41:38,342 --> 00:41:40,217 "All of what you're saying is true, 911 00:41:40,300 --> 00:41:42,883 but it just feels like you're quoting a book you've read." 912 00:41:42,967 --> 00:41:44,508 You meet someone else who knows Jesus, 913 00:41:44,592 --> 00:41:46,508 and they may be saying the same thing, 914 00:41:46,592 --> 00:41:48,508 but it sounds like a friend they've made. 915 00:41:48,592 --> 00:41:51,300 There's joy in their heart. There's life in their voice. 916 00:41:51,342 --> 00:41:52,758 There's hope in their eyes. 917 00:41:52,800 --> 00:41:54,425 "Oh, let me tell you about Jesus. 918 00:41:54,467 --> 00:41:56,467 "This is what he's done in my life. 919 00:41:56,550 --> 00:41:58,258 This is who he is." 920 00:41:58,300 --> 00:42:02,217 It's a friend they've made, not just an idea they believe. 921 00:42:02,300 --> 00:42:06,300 And, number seven, lastly, we become like the Ephesians 922 00:42:06,383 --> 00:42:08,967 when we feel like we've done enough. 923 00:42:09,008 --> 00:42:12,383 I see this oftentimes with older saints or those who grew up 924 00:42:12,467 --> 00:42:13,967 in Christian families. 925 00:42:14,008 --> 00:42:15,633 They reach a point where they're like, 926 00:42:15,717 --> 00:42:17,467 "I feel like I've done enough. 927 00:42:17,550 --> 00:42:20,425 "I've given enough money. I've volunteered enough hours. 928 00:42:20,467 --> 00:42:23,800 "I've led enough Bible studies. I've cooked enough casseroles. 929 00:42:23,842 --> 00:42:27,467 "I have done, I have done my share. 930 00:42:27,508 --> 00:42:29,508 "I have done plenty. 931 00:42:29,592 --> 00:42:31,508 "I have done a whole life of work. 932 00:42:31,592 --> 00:42:33,425 "I'm going to the bench. 933 00:42:33,467 --> 00:42:36,300 Somebody else can put the uniform on and take the field." 934 00:42:36,383 --> 00:42:38,592 And that may have been the case in Ephesus. 935 00:42:38,633 --> 00:42:40,258 And let me say this. 936 00:42:40,300 --> 00:42:43,633 What happened in Ephesus with the gospel was amazing. 937 00:42:43,675 --> 00:42:45,467 I mean, again, look at the roster. 938 00:42:45,550 --> 00:42:49,967 I mean, Paul, that's good. 939 00:42:50,050 --> 00:42:54,633 Luke, Timothy, Priscilla, Aquila, John, 940 00:42:54,675 --> 00:43:00,425 church councils and creeds--3,120 hours 941 00:43:00,467 --> 00:43:03,633 these people attended lectures at the Hall of Tyrannus 942 00:43:03,675 --> 00:43:06,092 during the noon nap hour. 943 00:43:06,133 --> 00:43:09,425 These people gave up 2 years of naps. 944 00:43:09,467 --> 00:43:11,967 That's devotion right there. 945 00:43:12,050 --> 00:43:15,300 I know martyrdom is hard, but you give up a nap every day, 946 00:43:15,342 --> 00:43:19,133 that is a significant sacrifice in a culture where-- 947 00:43:19,217 --> 00:43:22,425 I don't know if you noticed today--it gets hot. 948 00:43:22,467 --> 00:43:24,592 So, when they would take their siesta, 949 00:43:24,633 --> 00:43:29,008 they would go listen to Paul teach for 4 hours a day. 950 00:43:29,092 --> 00:43:30,467 They had read the books. 951 00:43:30,550 --> 00:43:32,258 They had taken the exams. 952 00:43:32,300 --> 00:43:33,925 They had been through the classes. 953 00:43:33,967 --> 00:43:35,967 They had entertained all of the missionaries. 954 00:43:36,008 --> 00:43:38,425 They had sent out all of the church planters. 955 00:43:38,467 --> 00:43:40,592 They had suffered all of the persecution, 956 00:43:40,633 --> 00:43:44,467 and some of them simply felt, "I believe that's enough." 957 00:43:44,550 --> 00:43:46,800 And Jesus says, "What about the love?" 958 00:43:46,842 --> 00:43:49,758 What I appreciate about Jesus is he doesn't go to guilt. 959 00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:51,217 "You could do more." 960 00:43:51,300 --> 00:43:52,967 He doesn't go to condemnation. 961 00:43:53,050 --> 00:43:54,967 "Hell's hot. Keep going." 962 00:43:55,008 --> 00:43:57,300 You know, he doesn't go to threatening. 963 00:43:57,383 --> 00:44:00,300 "I'm going to drop a bigger meteor on the city of Ephesus, 964 00:44:00,342 --> 00:44:02,008 right on the church." 965 00:44:02,092 --> 00:44:05,133 Instead, what he says is, "What about the love? 966 00:44:05,175 --> 00:44:09,300 "If you love me, and I love you, wouldn't we keep going? 967 00:44:09,342 --> 00:44:11,217 "Because there's more people to reach, 968 00:44:11,300 --> 00:44:14,883 there's more truth to teach, there's more things to do." 969 00:44:14,967 --> 00:44:18,508 So, if you're struggling to remain motivated, 970 00:44:18,592 --> 00:44:21,133 to finish well--and Paul says this, you know, 971 00:44:21,175 --> 00:44:22,633 "I've kept the faith. 972 00:44:22,717 --> 00:44:24,800 I've finished my race." 973 00:44:24,842 --> 00:44:27,967 What he's talking about is, he ran through the tape at the end 974 00:44:28,050 --> 00:44:30,883 of his life, and that's what each of us should aspire to. 975 00:44:30,967 --> 00:44:34,217 And if along the way we find ourselves sort of slowing down 976 00:44:34,300 --> 00:44:37,217 or stopping altogether, it may be that people aren't saying 977 00:44:37,300 --> 00:44:40,508 thank you, and they're not as appreciative as they should be, 978 00:44:40,592 --> 00:44:43,717 and they don't pat us on the back and give us the, 979 00:44:43,800 --> 00:44:47,133 "Atta boy," but the truth is if that's what causes us to stop, 980 00:44:47,217 --> 00:44:49,133 we're doing it for the praise of men, 981 00:44:49,300 --> 00:44:51,925 not for the glory of God in the first place, 982 00:44:51,967 --> 00:44:53,467 and rather than excusing our lethargy, 983 00:44:53,508 --> 00:44:55,633 we should repent of our idolatry. 984 00:44:55,717 --> 00:44:58,633 And I appreciate the fact that Jesus comes, and he tells them, 985 00:44:58,717 --> 00:45:00,258 "I see what you're doing. 986 00:45:00,300 --> 00:45:02,425 "You guys are working hard, I'm proud of you. 987 00:45:02,467 --> 00:45:04,467 "You've opposed false teaching. You've endured patiently. 988 00:45:04,508 --> 00:45:07,133 "You've served faithfully. You've given generously. 989 00:45:07,175 --> 00:45:09,217 "There's your 'Atta boy.' I do see it. 990 00:45:09,300 --> 00:45:11,300 "I do know it. I do love you. 991 00:45:11,383 --> 00:45:16,383 "If you don't feel appreciated, I know how it feels. 992 00:45:16,467 --> 00:45:18,633 "I love you. I need you to love me. 993 00:45:18,717 --> 00:45:20,633 "I love people we haven't gotten to yet, 994 00:45:20,717 --> 00:45:22,717 "so I need you to love them. 995 00:45:22,800 --> 00:45:24,633 Let's keep going." 996 00:45:24,717 --> 00:45:27,925 That being said, the revelation of Jesus then is that he is in 997 00:45:27,967 --> 00:45:31,383 all authority, and he shows up to the Ephesian church, 998 00:45:31,467 --> 00:45:34,383 and he reminds them that he has patiently suffered, 999 00:45:34,467 --> 00:45:37,425 that he has endured, that he has poured his life out, 1000 00:45:37,467 --> 00:45:41,925 not just as an example for them, but as their Savior, 1001 00:45:41,967 --> 00:45:44,717 so that they might follow in his footsteps, 1002 00:45:44,800 --> 00:45:48,092 by the power of the Holy Spirit, and it's a supernatural life 1003 00:45:48,133 --> 00:45:51,383 that he's calling them to, something they cannot do without 1004 00:45:51,467 --> 00:45:53,467 the power and presence of God. 1005 00:45:53,550 --> 00:45:55,800 And so Christianity here is ultimately not something 1006 00:45:55,842 --> 00:45:57,633 we do for God. 1007 00:45:57,675 --> 00:46:00,300 It's something that God does for us in Jesus Christ; 1008 00:46:00,342 --> 00:46:03,300 it's something that God does in us through Jesus Christ; 1009 00:46:03,342 --> 00:46:07,217 and it's God working out from that relationship 1010 00:46:07,300 --> 00:46:09,092 to impact others. 1011 00:46:09,133 --> 00:46:11,967 And that's what it means to love: to love God, 1012 00:46:12,008 --> 00:46:13,467 and to love others, 1013 00:46:13,550 --> 00:46:17,675 and to be a conduit of God's love to others.