WEBVTT

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 Okay, well good morning everyone. Great to see you again. I think we're a little smaller this morning with the car park being out and a bunch of other things.

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 We're a little smaller this morning. Last Sunday, Chris kicked off the Revelation series and did so really fantastically.

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 We looked at, he kind of introduced the series and we looked at Revelation chapter 1.

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 One, if you are new to Watermark or you weren't here last Sunday, I want to encourage you to download that because Chris really explained so much of this book of the Bible.

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 And really going to help you get your head around it. And we're going to work through it between now and Christmas.

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 And so if you weren't here last Sunday, I want to encourage you to download it and listen to that.

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 The other thing is, if you didn't grab one of these on the way in, make sure you grab one on the way out.

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 There's a whole lot of reading and information here that's going to help us work through this book of Revelation together.

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 So if you didn't get one on the way in, make sure you grab one on the way out.

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 And this morning we're going to continue by looking at Revelation chapter 2.

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 And before we do that, let me pray and then we're going to listen to the scripture being read to us.

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 So will you join me as we pray together?

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 Heavenly Father, we have come to worship and adore you this morning.

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 Father, many of us come with such a heavy heart this morning.

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 We've come with confused emotions.

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 We've come to have our eyes lifted off of ourselves and the circumstances of our world and to draw near to you.

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 You are the rock of ages upon which we can build our lives and hinge our hopes.

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 You are God of the ancient of days.

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 You have seen kingdoms rise and kingdoms fall.

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 You have existed in glory since before the world began.

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 And your dominion and your authority and your sovereignty has never ever been threatened or toppled.

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 You are God of the great I am.

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 Everything we need is found in you.

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 And so we come to you this morning to find our rest and our peace and our hope.

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 God, where we are hurting and anxious, come and bring your healing power.

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 Where we are fearful and worried, come and bring your reassurance.

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 Where we are hurt and upset, come and minister your peace, we pray.

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 God, teach us what you mean when you say in the Psalms, be angry but do not sin.

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 Help us not to sin in our anger, in our pain, in our confusion, God.

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 Lord, you call us to love you supremely and for you to be first in our hearts and our lives.

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 God, we confess that so seldom is this our reality.

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 Other things capture our heart's attention.

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 Other fears, other loves, other things promise us the world and yet we fall for their lives.

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 Other gods and idols lure our hearts away.

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 Father, we confess this, we do not deny it.

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 And yet though we sin continually, you continually repeat your kindness to us.

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 Oh, that we would give ourselves to you forever and never attempt to live on our own or live for ourselves.

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 Father, we need you to come and reorientate our hearts back towards you.

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 Shine the light of the gospel into our hearts that we can turn back to you today, we pray, God.

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 Father, this morning we want to pray for the churches across Asia, this wonderful continent in which we live.

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 And this morning we especially want to pray for the church in India.

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 God, that country with millions of gods and millions of idols.

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 We pray that you, God, will be supreme.

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 We pray for pastors and church leaders there, for churches across India.

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 We pray for an incredible outpouring of the Holy Spirit today.

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 God, revive and encourage and strengthen them.

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 This morning, God, we want to pray in particular for our friends, Mark Davidson and Anand in Mumbai,

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 for Aksha and Ranjit in New Delhi.

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 God, we pray for Jonathan and Rajiv in Bangalore.

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 God, may they know your presence.

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 May you draw closer to them.

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 Father, we pray where they're facing challenges and difficulties, strengthen them and encourage them, we pray.

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 Oh, God, hear our prayers.

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 We pray for the innumerable churches and leaders across Asia.

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 Those we know and those we don't know.

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 But you know everyone.

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 Be their hope.

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 Be their guide.

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 Be their encouragement.

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 We pray these things in your precious and glorious name, Jesus.

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 Amen.

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 Amen.

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 Theo and Echo, will you come and read Revelation chapter 2 for us?

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 Thanks.

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 The scripture reading comes from Revelation chapter 2.

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 Please follow along.

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 Your bulletins are on the screen.

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 To the angel of the church in Ephesus write,

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 the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand,

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 who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

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 I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance,

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 and how you cannot bear with those who are evil,

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 but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not,

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 and felt them to be false.

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 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake,

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 and you have not grown weary.

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 But I have this against you,

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 that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

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 Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen,

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 repent and do the works you did at first.

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 If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place,

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 unless you repent.

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 Yet this you have, you hate the works of the Nicolaitans,

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 which I also hate.

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 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

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 To the one who conquers, I will grant to eat of the tree of life,

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 which is in the paradise of God.

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 And to the angel of the church in Theotira write,

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 the words of the Son of God,

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 who has eyes like a flame of fire,

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 and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

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 I know your works,

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 your love and faith and service and patient endurance,

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 and that your latter works exceed the first.

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 But I have this against you,

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 that you tolerate that woman Jezebel,

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 who calls herself a prophetess,

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 and is teaching and seducing my servants

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 to practice sexual immorality,

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 and to eat food sacrificed to idols.

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 I gave her time to repent,

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 but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality.

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 Behold, I will throw her onto a sick bag.

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 And those who commit adultery with her,

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 I will throw into great tribulation,

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 unless they repent of their works.

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 And I will strike her children dead.

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 And all the churches will know that I am He who searches mind and heart,

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 and I will give to each of you according to your works.

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 But to the rest of you in Theotira,

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 who do not hold this teaching,

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 who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan,

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 to you I say,

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 I do not lay on you any other burden.

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 Only hold fast what you have until I come.

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 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end,

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 to him I will give authority over the nations,

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 and he will rule them with a rod of iron,

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 as when earthen pots are broken in pieces,

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 even as I myself have received authority from my Father.

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 And I will give him the morning star.

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 He who has an ear,

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 let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

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 This is the Word of God.

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 Great. Thanks, Echo and Theo.

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 Okay, so we are in the book of Revelation,

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 as you would have heard many times by now.

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 And it is a book that's written by the last apostle, John.

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 And he is on the island of Patmos.

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 He's there because of his witness of Jesus.

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 He's there in exile.

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 And while he's there,

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 God gives him this revelation,

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 and he writes it down for these various churches.

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 And this revelation,

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 the Greek word is apocalypse.

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 And sometimes when we think of apocalypse,

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 as Chris said last week,

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 we can think of fire and doomsday

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 and comets hitting the earth

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 and that kind of stuff.

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 Actually, the word apocalypse

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 just simply means a revelation.

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 And the reason God gives John this revelation

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 is because he wants to show him

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 what's happening in the spiritual realm.

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 It's like peeling back the curtain

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 and revealing what's behind there

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 or what's obscure.

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 And the reason for this is that

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 God is showing John and us

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 that so much of our lives is lived

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 merely in response to what we can see.

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 We think just purely in a physical world,

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 and God wants to reveal to us

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 that there's so much more than what meets the eye.

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 There's a whole spiritual realm going on around us.

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 And it's kind of like if you're watching a movie

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 or a series or something,

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 and let's say there's a villain, okay?

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 And his name happens to be Dan.

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 And this villain you see here

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 has a conversation with his partner in crime

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 called Justin.

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 And these two are plotting some case.

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 And then this good-looking villain called Dan

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 goes up to somebody innocent

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 and starts sweet-talking them

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 and having a conversation,

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 getting them to try and give them access

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 to government archives

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 or some million-dollar deal

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 or whatever it is.

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 What's happened is

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 when you see that scene,

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 the innocent person,

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 innocent person Simon,

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 all they know what's going on

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 is this nice-looking person called Dan

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 has come and spoken to them

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 and is trying to sweet-talk them.

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 But because you've seen the preceding scene,

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 you've seen what's happened,

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 you're thinking,

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 no, don't give them the access codes.

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 Don't take that drink.

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 Don't tell them that piece of information.

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 Why?

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 Because what's been revealed to you

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 is the real plot

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 that's going on behind the scenes.

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 On the surface,

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 it just looks like

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 these two people having a conversation.

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 But there's a whole other plot

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 that's going on behind.

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 That's what God is doing.

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 He's saying,

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 John, churches, Christians, watermark,

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 I want to reveal to you

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 to show you what's going on

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 in the spiritual realm.

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 And so the book of Revelation is

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 that's what much of it's about.

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 As Chris said,

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 it's also a prophecy.

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 We see this in chapter 1, verse 3,

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 where he says,

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 Blessed is the one

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 who reads this prophecy.

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 Now, in the Bible,

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 prophecy is very seldom

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 about foretelling the future.

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 Sometimes we think

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 prophets are those

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 that can see into the future

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 and then tell us

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 what's going to happen.

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 Actually, in the Bible,

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 prophecy is always

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 a word from God

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 that demands a response.

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 Thus saith the Lord.

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 What are you going to do with this?

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 And sometimes

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 when God brings,

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 or when a prophet speaks,

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 he'll say,

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 This is what God says.

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 And if you don't respond,

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 then this will happen.

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 But actually,

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 when God brings a word

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 via a prophecy

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 or his prophet,

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 it should arrest us.

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 It should make us sit up

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 and think,

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 Wow, okay,

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 what am I going to do with that?

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 How am I going to respond?

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 And that's really important

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 because as we go through

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 the book of Revelation,

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 it's easy to be caught up

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 with all this imagery.

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 There's the beast

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 and the dragon

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 and this Babylon

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 and this prostitute.

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 And we can get caught up

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 with all the imagery

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 and try and understand it.

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 But actually,

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 this book is meant

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 to arrest us.

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 It's meant to make us

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 sit up and say,

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 Okay, God, you're speaking.

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 How am I going to respond

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 to your word?

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 And then thirdly,

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 the book is not only

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 a revelation.

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 It's not only a prophecy.

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 It's also a letter.

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 And that brings us

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 to our passage of Scripture today.

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 Because what we see

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 in chapter 2

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 and chapter 3

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 is that John

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 writes the book

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 of Revelation

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 to seven

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 very specific

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 individual

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 real-life churches

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 that are facing

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 real-life challenges

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 in modern-day Turkey,

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 the ancient world

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 of Asia Minor.

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 And these churches

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 weren't just,

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 or the letter

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 isn't just theoretical.

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 It isn't just

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 an analogy

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 or a parable

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 that Jesus tells.

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 These are real letters

00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:26.480
 written to real churches

00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:28.219
 facing real challenges.

00:12:28.360 --> 00:12:29.439
 I think we've got a map

00:12:29.439 --> 00:12:30.159
 up on the screen.

00:12:31.959 --> 00:12:33.120
 But what's interesting

00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:34.199
 is that sometimes

00:12:34.199 --> 00:12:34.959
 we can think

00:12:34.959 --> 00:12:35.399
 that these are

00:12:35.399 --> 00:12:36.360
 seven letters

00:12:36.360 --> 00:12:37.879
 written to seven churches.

00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:38.819
 Like the postman

00:12:38.819 --> 00:12:39.639
 comes with his

00:12:39.639 --> 00:12:40.819
 stack of letters

00:12:40.819 --> 00:12:41.279
 and says,

00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:42.639
 There you go, Ephesus.

00:12:43.159 --> 00:12:44.519
 There you go, Thyatira.

00:12:44.980 --> 00:12:46.379
 There you go, Pergamum.

00:12:46.379 --> 00:12:47.120
 And later,

00:12:47.240 --> 00:12:47.779
 see at the back

00:12:47.779 --> 00:12:48.480
 there's even a letter

00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:48.939
 for you.

00:12:49.379 --> 00:12:49.899
 But actually,

00:12:49.980 --> 00:12:50.500
 what's happening

00:12:50.500 --> 00:12:52.200
 is it's one letter,

00:12:52.460 --> 00:12:53.500
 it's one book

00:12:53.500 --> 00:12:54.740
 that is written

00:12:54.740 --> 00:12:55.700
 and it first gets

00:12:55.700 --> 00:12:56.720
 delivered to the church

00:12:56.720 --> 00:12:57.139
 in Ephesus

00:12:57.139 --> 00:12:58.539
 and they read

00:12:58.539 --> 00:12:59.480
 the section to them

00:12:59.480 --> 00:13:00.120
 and then they read

00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:01.519
 the section to the next church

00:13:01.519 --> 00:13:02.179
 and then they read

00:13:02.179 --> 00:13:03.299
 the section to the church

00:13:03.299 --> 00:13:04.000
 in Pergamum

00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:05.019
 and Thyatira,

00:13:05.179 --> 00:13:05.820
 et cetera, et cetera.

00:13:06.039 --> 00:13:06.860
 And then they go

00:13:06.860 --> 00:13:07.299
 and they read

00:13:07.299 --> 00:13:08.240
 the rest of the book

00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:08.860
 of Revelation

00:13:08.860 --> 00:13:10.720
 and when they finish

00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:11.519
 with the whole thing

00:13:11.519 --> 00:13:12.460
 and they understand it,

00:13:12.860 --> 00:13:13.899
 they then send it

00:13:13.899 --> 00:13:14.720
 on to the next church

00:13:14.720 --> 00:13:15.840
 and then Smyrna gets it

00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:16.280
 and they read

00:13:16.280 --> 00:13:16.840
 from the beginning

00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:17.340
 and they read

00:13:17.340 --> 00:13:18.240
 the letter to Ephesus

00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:19.500
 and the letter to Smyrna

00:13:19.500 --> 00:13:20.420
 and et cetera, et cetera,

00:13:20.420 --> 00:13:21.019
 the whole thing

00:13:21.019 --> 00:13:22.080
 and then they take

00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:23.300
 the entire Revelation

00:13:23.300 --> 00:13:24.879
 and they pass it on

00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:26.160
 to the next church.

00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:27.379
 So they didn't just

00:13:27.379 --> 00:13:28.280
 each get their own

00:13:28.280 --> 00:13:30.120
 individual envelopes

00:13:30.120 --> 00:13:31.139
 with kind of like

00:13:31.139 --> 00:13:32.379
 a postscript at the end.

00:13:32.860 --> 00:13:33.780
 The entire book

00:13:33.780 --> 00:13:34.300
 of Revelation

00:13:34.300 --> 00:13:34.860
 is delivered

00:13:34.860 --> 00:13:35.620
 to each one

00:13:35.620 --> 00:13:36.780
 of the seven churches.

00:13:37.420 --> 00:13:38.379
 Now what's interesting

00:13:38.379 --> 00:13:39.700
 is that in each one

00:13:39.700 --> 00:13:40.540
 of those sections

00:13:40.540 --> 00:13:41.580
 of the individual churches,

00:13:42.280 --> 00:13:43.120
 Jesus has some

00:13:43.120 --> 00:13:44.100
 challenging things

00:13:44.100 --> 00:13:45.160
 and He often rebukes

00:13:45.159 --> 00:13:45.679
 the churches,

00:13:46.299 --> 00:13:47.100
 which is interesting

00:13:47.100 --> 00:13:48.259
 because as you're

00:13:48.259 --> 00:13:49.000
 reading the letter,

00:13:49.159 --> 00:13:49.899
 you know that all

00:13:49.899 --> 00:13:50.740
 the other churches

00:13:50.740 --> 00:13:51.500
 are going to read

00:13:51.500 --> 00:13:52.519
 your mail, right?

00:13:53.139 --> 00:13:54.240
 Jesus is not very good

00:13:54.240 --> 00:13:55.339
 at saving face.

00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:56.039
 He kind of just

00:13:56.039 --> 00:13:57.019
 puts it all out there,

00:13:57.539 --> 00:13:58.179
 tells everyone

00:13:58.179 --> 00:13:59.139
 what He has to say

00:13:59.139 --> 00:14:00.120
 to everyone.

00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:01.339
 But here's why

00:14:01.339 --> 00:14:02.199
 this is important

00:14:02.199 --> 00:14:03.779
 because our little church

00:14:03.779 --> 00:14:04.579
 here in Hong Kong,

00:14:04.740 --> 00:14:04.919
 right,

00:14:04.959 --> 00:14:05.579
 on the west side

00:14:05.579 --> 00:14:06.019
 of the island,

00:14:07.019 --> 00:14:07.860
 hopefully there's

00:14:07.860 --> 00:14:08.419
 some things

00:14:08.419 --> 00:14:08.959
 we're doing well,

00:14:09.480 --> 00:14:10.159
 hopefully Jesus

00:14:10.159 --> 00:14:11.039
 would commend us,

00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:12.179
 but there's probably

00:14:12.179 --> 00:14:13.099
 also some things

00:14:13.099 --> 00:14:13.959
 that He would

00:14:13.959 --> 00:14:14.899
 challenge us on.

00:14:15.559 --> 00:14:16.399
 And so what is Jesus

00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:17.360
 going to do to us?

00:14:17.879 --> 00:14:18.740
 Does Jesus write

00:14:18.740 --> 00:14:19.620
 an individual letter

00:14:19.620 --> 00:14:20.799
 to every church

00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:21.379
 in the world,

00:14:21.519 --> 00:14:22.799
 to you at Watermark,

00:14:22.899 --> 00:14:23.679
 here's your letter.

00:14:24.179 --> 00:14:24.839
 To that church

00:14:24.839 --> 00:14:25.899
 meeting under the tree

00:14:25.899 --> 00:14:28.939
 in the Sahara Desert,

00:14:29.519 --> 00:14:30.279
 here's your letter.

00:14:30.699 --> 00:14:31.459
 To that church

00:14:31.459 --> 00:14:32.240
 meeting on the corner

00:14:32.240 --> 00:14:33.740
 of 5th and 17th Avenue

00:14:33.740 --> 00:14:34.819
 somewhere in Pennsylvania,

00:14:35.500 --> 00:14:36.519
 what does Jesus do?

00:14:37.179 --> 00:14:38.120
 He gives us

00:14:38.120 --> 00:14:38.659
 what He gave

00:14:38.659 --> 00:14:39.759
 His original churches,

00:14:39.759 --> 00:14:41.519
 which is the entire revelation.

00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:42.939
 And here's why

00:14:42.939 --> 00:14:43.659
 He does that.

00:14:43.939 --> 00:14:44.759
 Because what we

00:14:44.759 --> 00:14:45.779
 don't just need

00:14:45.779 --> 00:14:46.960
 is a performance review.

00:14:47.399 --> 00:14:48.120
 We don't just need

00:14:48.120 --> 00:14:48.960
 Jesus come and say,

00:14:49.120 --> 00:14:49.539
 Hey, Watermark,

00:14:49.939 --> 00:14:50.559
 I've gone through

00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:51.100
 the checklist

00:14:51.100 --> 00:14:51.639
 and you're doing

00:14:51.639 --> 00:14:52.519
 three things right

00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:53.539
 and four things badly.

00:14:53.899 --> 00:14:55.080
 Here I want you to prove.

00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:56.379
 What we need

00:14:56.379 --> 00:14:57.200
 is what the church

00:14:57.200 --> 00:14:57.679
 has needed,

00:14:57.899 --> 00:14:58.860
 which is a revelation

00:14:58.860 --> 00:15:00.639
 of Christ in His glory

00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:01.580
 on His throne.

00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:02.919
 We need a revelation

00:15:02.919 --> 00:15:05.279
 of how magnificent

00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:06.399
 Jesus is.

00:15:06.819 --> 00:15:08.039
 We also need a revelation

00:15:08.039 --> 00:15:08.919
 of how Satan

00:15:08.919 --> 00:15:09.519
 is going to try

00:15:09.519 --> 00:15:10.639
 and attack the churches

00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:11.779
 and all the ways

00:15:11.779 --> 00:15:12.600
 that He does that

00:15:12.600 --> 00:15:14.000
 through false teaching

00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:15.079
 and this and that.

00:15:15.399 --> 00:15:16.179
 But we also need

00:15:16.179 --> 00:15:16.740
 a revelation

00:15:16.740 --> 00:15:18.340
 of how Jesus wins

00:15:18.340 --> 00:15:18.860
 in the end

00:15:18.860 --> 00:15:19.919
 and how ultimately

00:15:19.919 --> 00:15:21.159
 Satan is crushed

00:15:21.159 --> 00:15:22.960
 and Jesus is victorious.

00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:24.379
 Does that make sense?

00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:25.819
 And so what we need

00:15:25.819 --> 00:15:26.620
 is not just

00:15:26.620 --> 00:15:27.960
 a performance review.

00:15:28.379 --> 00:15:29.240
 We need the book

00:15:29.240 --> 00:15:29.919
 of Revelation.

00:15:30.699 --> 00:15:31.960
 And so Jesus gives us

00:15:31.960 --> 00:15:32.539
 what He gave

00:15:32.539 --> 00:15:33.679
 the original churches,

00:15:34.159 --> 00:15:34.620
 which is,

00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:35.620
 He has a revelation

00:15:35.620 --> 00:15:36.679
 of my glory.

00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:38.139
 Learn.

00:15:38.139 --> 00:15:39.259
 Read this

00:15:39.259 --> 00:15:39.939
 and be blessed

00:15:39.939 --> 00:15:40.460
 by it.

00:15:42.460 --> 00:15:42.899
 Okay?

00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:43.699
 Something else

00:15:43.699 --> 00:15:44.179
 we're going to learn

00:15:44.179 --> 00:15:45.000
 about these letters

00:15:45.000 --> 00:15:47.519
 is almost everything

00:15:47.519 --> 00:15:48.319
 that's written

00:15:48.319 --> 00:15:50.620
 in the section

00:15:50.620 --> 00:15:51.319
 to the seven

00:15:51.319 --> 00:15:52.340
 individual churches

00:15:52.340 --> 00:15:53.620
 is also written

00:15:53.620 --> 00:15:54.439
 later on

00:15:54.439 --> 00:15:55.439
 found in the book

00:15:55.439 --> 00:15:56.039
 of Revelation.

00:15:56.559 --> 00:15:57.059
 And everything

00:15:57.059 --> 00:15:58.319
 we see later on

00:15:58.319 --> 00:15:58.720
 in the book

00:15:58.720 --> 00:15:59.299
 of Revelation

00:15:59.299 --> 00:16:00.039
 is found

00:16:00.039 --> 00:16:01.080
 in the seven churches

00:16:01.080 --> 00:16:01.899
 earlier on.

00:16:03.159 --> 00:16:03.580
 And so,

00:16:04.159 --> 00:16:04.779
 in a sense,

00:16:04.779 --> 00:16:05.860
 these seven churches

00:16:05.860 --> 00:16:07.100
 are almost live

00:16:07.100 --> 00:16:07.919
 flesh and blood

00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:08.679
 case studies

00:16:08.679 --> 00:16:09.339
 for what John

00:16:09.339 --> 00:16:09.879
 is going to say

00:16:09.879 --> 00:16:10.439
 later on.

00:16:10.939 --> 00:16:11.559
 So later on,

00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:11.959
 you're going to see

00:16:11.959 --> 00:16:12.539
 these images

00:16:12.539 --> 00:16:13.299
 of beasts

00:16:13.299 --> 00:16:14.500
 and warfare

00:16:14.500 --> 00:16:15.259
 and horses

00:16:15.259 --> 00:16:16.159
 and all this stuff

00:16:16.159 --> 00:16:17.539
 and you can kind of think

00:16:17.539 --> 00:16:18.339
 what on earth

00:16:18.339 --> 00:16:18.959
 is going on?

00:16:19.419 --> 00:16:19.819
 But actually,

00:16:19.899 --> 00:16:20.360
 He's given us

00:16:20.360 --> 00:16:21.199
 some case studies

00:16:21.199 --> 00:16:21.860
 to show us

00:16:21.860 --> 00:16:22.620
 how it plays out

00:16:22.620 --> 00:16:23.259
 in real life

00:16:23.259 --> 00:16:24.259
 early on in the book

00:16:24.259 --> 00:16:25.419
 in these seven churches.

00:16:26.139 --> 00:16:26.299
 And so,

00:16:26.419 --> 00:16:26.899
 for example,

00:16:27.179 --> 00:16:27.899
 in the letter

00:16:27.899 --> 00:16:28.419
 to the church

00:16:28.419 --> 00:16:29.139
 of Philadelphia,

00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:30.220
 Jesus says this,

00:16:30.220 --> 00:16:31.420
 because you've kept

00:16:31.420 --> 00:16:32.019
 my word

00:16:32.019 --> 00:16:33.540
 about patience

00:16:33.540 --> 00:16:34.080
 and endurance,

00:16:34.360 --> 00:16:35.480
 I will keep you

00:16:35.480 --> 00:16:36.160
 from the hour

00:16:36.160 --> 00:16:36.759
 of trial

00:16:36.759 --> 00:16:37.540
 that is coming

00:16:37.540 --> 00:16:38.740
 on the whole world.

00:16:39.960 --> 00:16:40.639
 But then,

00:16:40.720 --> 00:16:41.139
 later on,

00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:41.879
 that's exactly

00:16:41.879 --> 00:16:42.519
 what we're going to see

00:16:42.519 --> 00:16:43.600
 in chapters 6 and 7.

00:16:43.920 --> 00:16:45.240
 There's this tribulation

00:16:45.240 --> 00:16:45.800
 that's coming

00:16:45.800 --> 00:16:46.639
 on the whole world

00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:47.519
 and who's going

00:16:47.519 --> 00:16:48.460
 to keep God's people?

00:16:49.019 --> 00:16:49.180
 Well,

00:16:49.220 --> 00:16:50.139
 at the end of chapter 6

00:16:50.139 --> 00:16:51.360
 we see God's going

00:16:51.360 --> 00:16:51.759
 to be the one

00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:52.660
 who keeps His people.

00:16:53.060 --> 00:16:54.480
 God seals His people

00:16:54.480 --> 00:16:55.160
 and He keeps them

00:16:55.160 --> 00:16:55.960
 even in the midst

00:16:55.960 --> 00:16:57.460
 of trials and persecution.

00:16:58.060 --> 00:16:58.600
 All we see

00:16:58.600 --> 00:16:59.680
 in chapter 2,

00:16:59.679 --> 00:17:00.139
 the letter

00:17:00.139 --> 00:17:01.059
 to the church

00:17:01.059 --> 00:17:01.559
 in Smyrna,

00:17:01.699 --> 00:17:02.239
 Jesus says,

00:17:02.659 --> 00:17:04.379
 Be faithful unto death

00:17:04.379 --> 00:17:05.919
 and I will give you

00:17:05.919 --> 00:17:06.899
 the crown of life.

00:17:07.399 --> 00:17:07.740
 In other words,

00:17:07.779 --> 00:17:08.740
 He writes to this church

00:17:08.740 --> 00:17:09.179
 and He says,

00:17:09.799 --> 00:17:10.359
 You're going through

00:17:10.359 --> 00:17:10.899
 difficulty

00:17:10.899 --> 00:17:12.419
 even if you have to die,

00:17:12.519 --> 00:17:13.179
 even if it costs

00:17:13.179 --> 00:17:13.879
 you your life,

00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:14.879
 be faithful

00:17:14.879 --> 00:17:16.480
 because I will vindicate you

00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:17.139
 and you will come

00:17:17.139 --> 00:17:17.779
 back to life.

00:17:18.299 --> 00:17:18.480
 Well,

00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:19.079
 that's exactly

00:17:19.079 --> 00:17:19.599
 what we see

00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:20.379
 in chapter 11.

00:17:20.799 --> 00:17:21.480
 In chapter 11,

00:17:21.579 --> 00:17:22.559
 there are these two witnesses

00:17:22.559 --> 00:17:23.980
 and they are taken

00:17:23.980 --> 00:17:25.019
 to the town square

00:17:25.019 --> 00:17:25.740
 and they're talking

00:17:25.740 --> 00:17:26.399
 about Jesus

00:17:26.399 --> 00:17:27.839
 and they are killed,

00:17:28.299 --> 00:17:29.200
 they're chopped down

00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:30.539
 and they're left for dead

00:17:30.539 --> 00:17:31.519
 in the town square

00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:32.380
 so that everyone

00:17:32.380 --> 00:17:33.460
 can walk past

00:17:33.460 --> 00:17:34.460
 and mock at them

00:17:34.460 --> 00:17:36.160
 and scoff at them

00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:37.160
 and laugh at them

00:17:37.160 --> 00:17:38.559
 but what happens?

00:17:39.059 --> 00:17:39.960
 They are vindicated.

00:17:40.420 --> 00:17:41.400
 They're brought back to life.

00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:42.779
 And so that's exactly

00:17:42.779 --> 00:17:44.019
 what we see in chapter 2

00:17:44.019 --> 00:17:45.019
 with the letter to Smyrna.

00:17:45.500 --> 00:17:46.000
 In other words,

00:17:46.100 --> 00:17:47.319
 everything God writes

00:17:47.319 --> 00:17:47.980
 to His people

00:17:47.980 --> 00:17:48.960
 in the seven letters,

00:17:49.299 --> 00:17:50.559
 He then shows

00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:51.460
 how that plays out

00:17:51.460 --> 00:17:52.340
 later on in the book

00:17:52.340 --> 00:17:53.180
 and everything we see

00:17:53.180 --> 00:17:54.080
 later on in the book

00:17:54.080 --> 00:17:55.059
 is given to us

00:17:55.059 --> 00:17:55.539
 an example

00:17:55.539 --> 00:17:56.279
 earlier on

00:17:56.279 --> 00:17:57.119
 in the letters

00:17:57.119 --> 00:17:57.940
 of Revelation.

00:17:59.960 --> 00:18:00.139
 Okay,

00:18:00.200 --> 00:18:00.679
 last thing

00:18:00.679 --> 00:18:01.859
 by way of introduction

00:18:01.859 --> 00:18:02.519
 and then we're going

00:18:02.519 --> 00:18:04.179
 to get into one today.

00:18:04.639 --> 00:18:05.619
 When we read

00:18:05.619 --> 00:18:07.339
 these seven sections

00:18:07.339 --> 00:18:08.559
 to the seven churches,

00:18:09.099 --> 00:18:09.759
 one of the things

00:18:09.759 --> 00:18:10.679
 we'll quickly notice

00:18:10.679 --> 00:18:11.579
 is that it follows

00:18:11.579 --> 00:18:14.259
 a very similar flow

00:18:14.259 --> 00:18:15.839
 or pattern.

00:18:16.359 --> 00:18:17.500
 It starts off telling us

00:18:17.500 --> 00:18:18.299
 these are the words

00:18:18.299 --> 00:18:18.819
 of Jesus

00:18:18.819 --> 00:18:20.480
 and then describes

00:18:20.480 --> 00:18:21.319
 some aspect

00:18:21.319 --> 00:18:21.960
 of Jesus

00:18:21.960 --> 00:18:22.779
 in His glory.

00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:23.839
 And so it says

00:18:23.839 --> 00:18:24.879
 these are the words

00:18:24.879 --> 00:18:25.519
 of Jesus

00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:26.839
 who has eyes

00:18:26.839 --> 00:18:27.500
 like fire

00:18:27.500 --> 00:18:28.919
 or these are the words

00:18:28.919 --> 00:18:29.399
 of Jesus

00:18:29.399 --> 00:18:30.319
 who holds

00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:31.240
 the keys of life

00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:32.379
 or these are the words

00:18:32.379 --> 00:18:32.859
 of Jesus

00:18:32.859 --> 00:18:33.639
 who holds

00:18:33.639 --> 00:18:34.439
 the lampstands

00:18:34.439 --> 00:18:34.859
 in His hands.

00:18:34.959 --> 00:18:36.019
 So it says

00:18:36.019 --> 00:18:36.659
 these are the words

00:18:36.659 --> 00:18:37.059
 of Jesus

00:18:37.059 --> 00:18:38.139
 and then it describes

00:18:38.139 --> 00:18:38.919
 some aspect

00:18:38.919 --> 00:18:39.500
 of Jesus

00:18:39.500 --> 00:18:40.179
 and His glory.

00:18:40.980 --> 00:18:41.139
 Now,

00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:42.439
 that's really important

00:18:42.439 --> 00:18:43.919
 because what it means

00:18:43.919 --> 00:18:44.459
 is firstly

00:18:44.459 --> 00:18:45.159
 these aren't just

00:18:45.159 --> 00:18:46.139
 letters of advice.

00:18:46.519 --> 00:18:47.139
 It's not like

00:18:47.139 --> 00:18:50.720
 Joe Bloggs

00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:52.159
 from New York City

00:18:52.159 --> 00:18:52.759
 or Tim Keller.

00:18:52.759 --> 00:18:53.599
 Tim Keller

00:18:53.599 --> 00:18:54.799
 writing to Watermark

00:18:54.799 --> 00:18:55.180
 saying,

00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:55.940
 Watermark,

00:18:56.059 --> 00:18:56.940
 I've done an assessment

00:18:56.940 --> 00:18:58.180
 and this is what

00:18:58.180 --> 00:18:58.799
 I think of you.

00:18:59.279 --> 00:18:59.960
 These are the words

00:18:59.960 --> 00:19:00.460
 of Jesus,

00:19:00.660 --> 00:19:01.680
 the sovereign God

00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:02.759
 and therefore

00:19:02.759 --> 00:19:03.920
 we better sit up

00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:04.400
 and listen.

00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:06.539
 But in addition,

00:19:07.480 --> 00:19:08.299
 each aspect

00:19:08.299 --> 00:19:09.599
 of Jesus' glory

00:19:09.599 --> 00:19:10.359
 that's revealed

00:19:10.359 --> 00:19:11.500
 in the opening lines

00:19:11.500 --> 00:19:14.720
 speaks to some aspect

00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:15.759
 of what the church

00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:16.400
 is going through

00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:17.079
 later on.

00:19:17.940 --> 00:19:19.319
 Either the encouragement

00:19:19.319 --> 00:19:20.319
 or the challenge

00:19:20.319 --> 00:19:20.960
 that He brings.

00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:21.299
 So,

00:19:21.420 --> 00:19:21.840
 for instance,

00:19:21.980 --> 00:19:23.180
 look at the letter

00:19:23.180 --> 00:19:24.019
 to the church

00:19:24.019 --> 00:19:24.680
 in Philadelphia.

00:19:24.880 --> 00:19:25.420
 It says this,

00:19:25.799 --> 00:19:26.559
 These are the words

00:19:26.559 --> 00:19:27.059
 of Jesus,

00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:27.960
 the Holy One

00:19:27.960 --> 00:19:29.059
 who has the key

00:19:29.059 --> 00:19:29.559
 of David,

00:19:29.840 --> 00:19:31.259
 who opens doors

00:19:31.259 --> 00:19:32.539
 that no one can shut

00:19:32.539 --> 00:19:33.980
 and who shuts doors

00:19:33.980 --> 00:19:35.100
 that no one can open.

00:19:35.660 --> 00:19:35.779
 Okay?

00:19:36.620 --> 00:19:37.700
 But then later on

00:19:37.700 --> 00:19:38.240
 in the letter,

00:19:38.380 --> 00:19:39.259
 this is what He says

00:19:39.259 --> 00:19:39.579
 to them,

00:19:39.900 --> 00:19:41.279
 I have set before you

00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:41.940
 an open door

00:19:41.940 --> 00:19:42.600
 which no one

00:19:42.600 --> 00:19:43.400
 is able to shut.

00:19:43.799 --> 00:19:44.840
 I know that you

00:19:44.840 --> 00:19:45.840
 have little power

00:19:45.840 --> 00:19:47.019
 and yet you have

00:19:47.019 --> 00:19:47.920
 kept my words

00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:48.980
 and not denied

00:19:48.980 --> 00:19:49.500
 my name.

00:19:49.960 --> 00:19:50.240
 So,

00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:50.940
 what's going on here?

00:19:51.019 --> 00:19:52.099
 The church in Philadelphia

00:19:52.099 --> 00:19:53.680
 is a small church.

00:19:53.779 --> 00:19:53.860
 Okay?

00:19:53.900 --> 00:19:54.839
 This isn't Philadelphia

00:19:54.839 --> 00:19:55.380
 and USA.

00:19:55.759 --> 00:19:56.279
 This is Philadelphia

00:19:56.279 --> 00:19:57.000
 and Turkey.

00:19:57.180 --> 00:19:57.279
 Okay?

00:19:57.680 --> 00:19:58.759
 It's a small church.

00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:00.200
 They're not very powerful.

00:20:00.799 --> 00:20:01.660
 They're not very rich.

00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:02.539
 They don't have

00:20:02.539 --> 00:20:03.400
 a lot of influence,

00:20:03.500 --> 00:20:04.700
 either economic influence

00:20:04.700 --> 00:20:05.720
 or cultural influence

00:20:05.720 --> 00:20:06.839
 or political influence

00:20:06.839 --> 00:20:08.140
 and they're feeling

00:20:08.140 --> 00:20:08.799
 the pressure

00:20:08.799 --> 00:20:10.279
 because the Roman world

00:20:10.279 --> 00:20:12.059
 is closing in on them

00:20:12.059 --> 00:20:13.579
 and they feel like

00:20:13.579 --> 00:20:14.900
 our church doors

00:20:14.900 --> 00:20:15.500
 are about to be

00:20:15.500 --> 00:20:16.720
 closed and shut off.

00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:18.079
 Any minute now,

00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:18.799
 the emperor is going

00:20:18.799 --> 00:20:20.240
 to come and close us down

00:20:20.240 --> 00:20:22.139
 and Jesus writes them

00:20:22.139 --> 00:20:22.419
 and says,

00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:23.359
 these are the words

00:20:23.359 --> 00:20:23.899
 of the one

00:20:23.899 --> 00:20:25.279
 who opens doors

00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:26.659
 that no one can shut

00:20:26.659 --> 00:20:28.099
 and who shuts doors

00:20:28.099 --> 00:20:29.039
 that no one can close.

00:20:29.399 --> 00:20:30.819
 I know what's going on

00:20:30.819 --> 00:20:31.740
 and even though

00:20:31.740 --> 00:20:32.759
 you feel threatened,

00:20:33.199 --> 00:20:35.059
 know that there's nothing

00:20:35.059 --> 00:20:36.139
 that anybody

00:20:36.139 --> 00:20:37.000
 in the world can do.

00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:38.339
 If I want your church

00:20:38.339 --> 00:20:38.839
 to stand,

00:20:38.939 --> 00:20:39.799
 it will stand.

00:20:40.460 --> 00:20:41.179
 You see what he's saying?

00:20:41.699 --> 00:20:42.899
 The words of the one

00:20:42.899 --> 00:20:45.179
 who has the resources

00:20:45.179 --> 00:20:46.159
 to accomplish

00:20:46.159 --> 00:20:47.339
 what you and your church

00:20:47.339 --> 00:20:47.779
 needs.

00:20:48.519 --> 00:20:48.799
 And friends,

00:20:48.859 --> 00:20:49.799
 that's really encouraging

00:20:49.799 --> 00:20:51.259
 because as Watermark,

00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:51.919
 there are going to be

00:20:51.919 --> 00:20:52.720
 a whole lot of things

00:20:52.720 --> 00:20:53.659
 that we go through

00:20:53.659 --> 00:20:55.679
 and every resource

00:20:55.679 --> 00:20:57.459
 that we need as a church

00:20:57.459 --> 00:20:58.740
 is found,

00:20:59.159 --> 00:21:00.240
 not in your pastors,

00:21:00.959 --> 00:21:02.159
 not out there

00:21:02.159 --> 00:21:04.339
 through some pastor,

00:21:04.759 --> 00:21:05.819
 it's found in Jesus.

00:21:06.579 --> 00:21:07.399
 These are the words

00:21:07.399 --> 00:21:07.859
 of Jesus

00:21:07.859 --> 00:21:09.119
 who has every resource

00:21:09.119 --> 00:21:09.839
 we need

00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:11.359
 to encounter

00:21:11.359 --> 00:21:12.199
 or to go through

00:21:12.199 --> 00:21:12.779
 the challenges

00:21:12.779 --> 00:21:13.759
 that we're going to face.

00:21:13.759 --> 00:21:15.059
 If we're struggling

00:21:15.059 --> 00:21:15.700
 with unity,

00:21:16.379 --> 00:21:17.059
 these are the words

00:21:17.059 --> 00:21:17.579
 of Jesus

00:21:17.579 --> 00:21:19.259
 who holds his church together.

00:21:19.720 --> 00:21:20.500
 If we're struggling

00:21:20.500 --> 00:21:21.259
 with unforgiveness,

00:21:21.799 --> 00:21:22.559
 these are the words

00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:23.140
 of Jesus,

00:21:23.259 --> 00:21:24.700
 the one who pours grace

00:21:24.700 --> 00:21:25.519
 into our hearts

00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:26.519
 and shows us

00:21:26.519 --> 00:21:27.579
 what forgiveness looks like

00:21:27.579 --> 00:21:28.759
 so that we can forgive others.

00:21:29.160 --> 00:21:31.220
 If we're struggling

00:21:31.220 --> 00:21:32.259
 with feeling unloved

00:21:32.259 --> 00:21:32.940
 or unloving

00:21:32.940 --> 00:21:33.920
 to those around us,

00:21:34.200 --> 00:21:35.019
 these are the words

00:21:35.019 --> 00:21:35.379
 of the one

00:21:35.379 --> 00:21:36.160
 who loved us

00:21:36.160 --> 00:21:37.539
 with an everlasting love,

00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:38.900
 who pours his love

00:21:38.900 --> 00:21:39.599
 into our hearts

00:21:39.599 --> 00:21:40.279
 that we can make

00:21:40.279 --> 00:21:41.859
 know and make known

00:21:41.859 --> 00:21:42.619
 his love

00:21:42.619 --> 00:21:43.680
 to those around us.

00:21:43.980 --> 00:21:44.859
 Does that make sense?

00:21:46.579 --> 00:21:47.339
 Should I explain

00:21:47.339 --> 00:21:47.879
 that all again?

00:21:48.619 --> 00:21:49.440
 Okay, great.

00:21:50.299 --> 00:21:51.099
 Thank you, Simon.

00:21:52.099 --> 00:21:53.279
 Okay, so first thing

00:21:53.279 --> 00:21:54.019
 is these are the words

00:21:54.019 --> 00:21:55.399
 of Jesus who...

00:21:55.399 --> 00:21:56.779
 Second thing is then

00:21:56.779 --> 00:21:58.019
 Jesus says,

00:21:58.200 --> 00:21:59.240
 I know what's going on

00:21:59.240 --> 00:21:59.839
 in your church

00:21:59.839 --> 00:22:01.559
 and this is so encouraging.

00:22:02.139 --> 00:22:03.200
 I know every challenge

00:22:03.200 --> 00:22:03.720
 you're facing,

00:22:03.980 --> 00:22:05.420
 I know what's going on.

00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:06.940
 I know how you've endured.

00:22:07.460 --> 00:22:08.799
 I know how you've put up

00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:10.000
 with difficulty.

00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:10.839
 I know how you're

00:22:10.839 --> 00:22:11.740
 facing persecution.

00:22:11.980 --> 00:22:13.059
 I know what's going on.

00:22:13.440 --> 00:22:14.500
 But it's also a warning

00:22:14.500 --> 00:22:16.279
 because he knows

00:22:16.279 --> 00:22:17.579
 everything that's going on

00:22:17.579 --> 00:22:18.859
 and he also knows

00:22:18.859 --> 00:22:20.119
 where we compromise.

00:22:21.079 --> 00:22:21.500
 Jesus says,

00:22:21.619 --> 00:22:22.339
 I know what's going on

00:22:22.339 --> 00:22:22.799
 in your church.

00:22:22.940 --> 00:22:23.599
 And often there's

00:22:23.599 --> 00:22:24.619
 a commendation there,

00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:26.180
 an encouragement.

00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:27.819
 And then he says,

00:22:27.960 --> 00:22:28.380
 thirdly,

00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:30.200
 but this is what

00:22:30.200 --> 00:22:31.079
 I have against you.

00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:32.220
 There's an admonition

00:22:32.220 --> 00:22:33.720
 or a correction,

00:22:33.880 --> 00:22:34.539
 a rebuke.

00:22:35.640 --> 00:22:36.079
 Watermark,

00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:37.259
 I'm so encouraged

00:22:37.259 --> 00:22:38.359
 by this is what's going on

00:22:38.359 --> 00:22:38.940
 in your church,

00:22:38.940 --> 00:22:39.420
 says Jesus.

00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:40.840
 But there's this thing

00:22:40.840 --> 00:22:42.240
 that I want you to be aware of.

00:22:42.519 --> 00:22:43.700
 Don't forget about this.

00:22:44.320 --> 00:22:44.980
 And then fourth thing

00:22:44.980 --> 00:22:45.680
 Jesus says,

00:22:46.019 --> 00:22:46.500
 is he says,

00:22:46.580 --> 00:22:47.460
 he who has ears,

00:22:47.539 --> 00:22:48.340
 I want you to hear.

00:22:48.860 --> 00:22:49.300
 In other words,

00:22:49.360 --> 00:22:50.000
 don't just think,

00:22:50.120 --> 00:22:50.779
 that's interesting,

00:22:50.900 --> 00:22:51.640
 I'm sure the elders

00:22:51.640 --> 00:22:52.560
 will think about this.

00:22:52.900 --> 00:22:53.539
 Listen up.

00:22:53.580 --> 00:22:54.460
 What is Jesus saying

00:22:54.460 --> 00:22:55.680
 to us as a church?

00:22:56.060 --> 00:22:56.980
 And then the fifth thing

00:22:56.980 --> 00:22:58.560
 is he always promises

00:22:58.560 --> 00:23:00.360
 some gift of grace.

00:23:00.700 --> 00:23:01.019
 He says,

00:23:01.080 --> 00:23:02.039
 to those who endure,

00:23:02.300 --> 00:23:03.500
 I promise you this.

00:23:03.580 --> 00:23:04.539
 I will give you this.

00:23:04.539 --> 00:23:05.619
 I will stand with you

00:23:05.619 --> 00:23:06.599
 in this way.

00:23:07.099 --> 00:23:07.379
 And so,

00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:08.519
 that's how the letters

00:23:08.519 --> 00:23:09.500
 unfold.

00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:10.460
 Okay,

00:23:10.539 --> 00:23:11.480
 now with that introduction,

00:23:12.019 --> 00:23:12.940
 today we're going to dive

00:23:12.940 --> 00:23:13.940
 into primarily

00:23:13.940 --> 00:23:15.119
 the letter to the church

00:23:15.119 --> 00:23:15.639
 in Ephesus

00:23:15.639 --> 00:23:16.960
 and we'll reference

00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:17.579
 a little bit

00:23:17.579 --> 00:23:18.319
 the second one

00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:19.359
 that Theo and Echo

00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:19.960
 read to us,

00:23:20.039 --> 00:23:21.079
 the church of Thyatira.

00:23:21.700 --> 00:23:21.940
 And so,

00:23:22.059 --> 00:23:24.420
 look at Revelation chapter 2

00:23:24.420 --> 00:23:25.680
 verse 1 with me.

00:23:25.879 --> 00:23:26.700
 Let's work through

00:23:26.700 --> 00:23:28.139
 this passage together.

00:23:28.279 --> 00:23:29.059
 If you've got your Bible,

00:23:29.700 --> 00:23:30.200
 open up

00:23:30.200 --> 00:23:31.519
 and let's work through it.

00:23:32.160 --> 00:23:33.180
 Jesus says this,

00:23:34.180 --> 00:23:35.059
 to the angel

00:23:35.059 --> 00:23:35.740
 of the church

00:23:35.740 --> 00:23:36.299
 in Ephesus,

00:23:36.720 --> 00:23:37.600
 write these words.

00:23:38.200 --> 00:23:39.039
 These are the words

00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:39.480
 of him

00:23:39.480 --> 00:23:40.559
 who holds

00:23:40.559 --> 00:23:41.539
 the seven stars

00:23:41.539 --> 00:23:42.380
 in his right hand

00:23:42.380 --> 00:23:43.460
 and who walks

00:23:43.460 --> 00:23:44.380
 amongst the seven

00:23:44.380 --> 00:23:45.600
 golden lampstands.

00:23:46.039 --> 00:23:46.240
 Now,

00:23:46.319 --> 00:23:47.340
 remember from last week,

00:23:47.420 --> 00:23:48.240
 what does that mean?

00:23:49.080 --> 00:23:49.279
 Okay,

00:23:49.460 --> 00:23:49.900
 Jesus says,

00:23:49.980 --> 00:23:50.860
 I hold the stars

00:23:50.860 --> 00:23:51.319
 in my hand.

00:23:51.400 --> 00:23:52.640
 The stars are the angels,

00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:53.299
 those that are

00:23:53.299 --> 00:23:54.080
 kind of looking

00:23:54.080 --> 00:23:55.100
 after the church

00:23:55.100 --> 00:23:56.120
 and the church

00:23:56.120 --> 00:23:57.080
 is the lampstand.

00:23:58.039 --> 00:23:58.180
 Now,

00:23:58.600 --> 00:23:59.039
 in other words,

00:23:59.100 --> 00:23:59.519
 Jesus says,

00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:00.460
 I'm holding you.

00:24:00.920 --> 00:24:01.799
 Church in Ephesus,

00:24:02.139 --> 00:24:02.700
 you're going through

00:24:02.700 --> 00:24:03.200
 challenges,

00:24:03.660 --> 00:24:04.839
 you're facing persecution,

00:24:05.259 --> 00:24:06.019
 the Roman Empire

00:24:06.019 --> 00:24:07.379
 is squeezing in on you.

00:24:07.900 --> 00:24:08.799
 Your future

00:24:08.799 --> 00:24:09.740
 is not in the hands

00:24:09.740 --> 00:24:10.539
 of your pastor,

00:24:11.019 --> 00:24:11.859
 it's not in the hands

00:24:11.859 --> 00:24:13.200
 of the Roman Emperor,

00:24:13.339 --> 00:24:13.779
 Domitian,

00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:14.960
 it's not in the hands

00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:16.599
 of any political leader

00:24:16.599 --> 00:24:17.480
 or the economy.

00:24:17.940 --> 00:24:18.680
 Your church

00:24:18.680 --> 00:24:19.799
 is in my hands.

00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:20.980
 I've got you.

00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:22.559
 Friends,

00:24:22.740 --> 00:24:23.379
 we as a church

00:24:23.379 --> 00:24:23.940
 are going to face

00:24:23.940 --> 00:24:24.539
 some challenges.

00:24:25.460 --> 00:24:25.879
 There are going to be

00:24:25.879 --> 00:24:26.660
 things that are

00:24:26.660 --> 00:24:27.700
 awkward or difficult

00:24:27.700 --> 00:24:28.759
 that come our way,

00:24:28.819 --> 00:24:29.319
 no doubt.

00:24:30.039 --> 00:24:30.859
 Jesus says,

00:24:31.079 --> 00:24:31.700
 this church

00:24:31.700 --> 00:24:32.879
 is in his hands.

00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:34.519
 The words of him

00:24:34.519 --> 00:24:35.779
 who holds the church

00:24:35.779 --> 00:24:36.579
 in his hands.

00:24:37.240 --> 00:24:38.299
 That's encouragement,

00:24:38.500 --> 00:24:39.099
 but as we said

00:24:39.099 --> 00:24:39.440
 just now,

00:24:39.480 --> 00:24:40.259
 it's also a warning

00:24:40.259 --> 00:24:41.639
 because when Jesus

00:24:41.639 --> 00:24:42.980
 talks about a lampstand,

00:24:43.259 --> 00:24:43.960
 he's not talking

00:24:43.960 --> 00:24:44.879
 about an Ikea

00:24:44.879 --> 00:24:45.859
 lampstand, okay?

00:24:45.980 --> 00:24:46.740
 You pull the little

00:24:46.740 --> 00:24:47.500
 chain and then

00:24:47.500 --> 00:24:48.259
 it goes off

00:24:48.259 --> 00:24:48.980
 and you pull it again

00:24:48.980 --> 00:24:49.619
 and it goes on.

00:24:50.160 --> 00:24:51.279
 What's he talking about?

00:24:51.980 --> 00:24:52.680
 He's talking about

00:24:52.680 --> 00:24:52.980
 one of those

00:24:52.980 --> 00:24:54.019
 Jewish lampstands

00:24:54.019 --> 00:24:55.139
 that's got the

00:24:55.139 --> 00:24:57.879
 stand in the middle

00:24:57.880 --> 00:24:58.920
 and then the seven

00:24:58.920 --> 00:25:00.740
 branches that

00:25:00.740 --> 00:25:01.500
 come out of it.

00:25:02.100 --> 00:25:02.360
 Eric,

00:25:02.420 --> 00:25:02.680
 I don't know

00:25:02.680 --> 00:25:03.460
 what we call it.

00:25:03.500 --> 00:25:04.080
 What do we call it?

00:25:04.400 --> 00:25:04.800
 Menorah?

00:25:04.920 --> 00:25:05.300
 Is that right?

00:25:05.740 --> 00:25:05.920
 Okay,

00:25:06.000 --> 00:25:06.340
 thank you.

00:25:06.440 --> 00:25:07.260
 It's called a menorah.

00:25:07.700 --> 00:25:07.840
 Okay,

00:25:07.940 --> 00:25:08.360
 so it's got

00:25:08.360 --> 00:25:09.180
 the lampstands

00:25:09.180 --> 00:25:09.720
 got the seven

00:25:09.720 --> 00:25:10.380
 branches that

00:25:10.380 --> 00:25:10.880
 come out of it

00:25:10.880 --> 00:25:11.380
 and on top

00:25:11.380 --> 00:25:12.140
 of each branch

00:25:12.140 --> 00:25:12.860
 is a candle.

00:25:13.580 --> 00:25:14.240
 And so when Jesus

00:25:14.240 --> 00:25:14.580
 says,

00:25:14.840 --> 00:25:15.640
 I'm holding the

00:25:15.640 --> 00:25:16.020
 lampstand,

00:25:16.100 --> 00:25:16.620
 I'm walking

00:25:16.620 --> 00:25:17.240
 amongst you,

00:25:17.580 --> 00:25:18.460
 it also means

00:25:18.460 --> 00:25:19.020
 he has the

00:25:19.020 --> 00:25:19.820
 authority to

00:25:19.820 --> 00:25:20.420
 blow out the

00:25:20.420 --> 00:25:20.720
 candle.

00:25:21.380 --> 00:25:22.000
 He's the one

00:25:22.000 --> 00:25:22.900
 that's holding it

00:25:22.900 --> 00:25:23.900
 but he also

00:25:23.900 --> 00:25:24.800
 has the authority

00:25:24.800 --> 00:25:25.980
 to snuff it out.

00:25:26.900 --> 00:25:27.560
 Jesus says

00:25:27.560 --> 00:25:28.480
 to the church

00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:28.940
 in Ephesus,

00:25:29.140 --> 00:25:29.720
 the one who's

00:25:29.720 --> 00:25:31.280
 holding the

00:25:31.280 --> 00:25:31.920
 stars and the

00:25:31.920 --> 00:25:32.860
 lampstands.

00:25:32.860 --> 00:25:33.640
 Look at verse 2.

00:25:34.320 --> 00:25:35.460
 I know your works,

00:25:35.820 --> 00:25:36.480
 your toil,

00:25:36.800 --> 00:25:37.320
 your patience

00:25:37.320 --> 00:25:37.759
 endurance,

00:25:38.220 --> 00:25:39.120
 and how you cannot

00:25:39.120 --> 00:25:39.920
 bear with those

00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:40.519
 that are evil,

00:25:40.860 --> 00:25:41.560
 but have tested

00:25:41.560 --> 00:25:42.280
 those who call

00:25:42.280 --> 00:25:43.100
 themselves apostles

00:25:43.100 --> 00:25:43.900
 and are not,

00:25:44.140 --> 00:25:44.900
 and you found

00:25:44.900 --> 00:25:45.740
 them to be false.

00:25:46.120 --> 00:25:46.940
 I know you are

00:25:46.940 --> 00:25:47.900
 enduring patiently

00:25:47.900 --> 00:25:48.660
 and bearing up

00:25:48.660 --> 00:25:49.660
 for my namesake,

00:25:49.820 --> 00:25:50.720
 and you have not

00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:51.420
 grown weary.

00:25:51.420 --> 00:25:52.860
 So what's Jesus

00:25:52.860 --> 00:25:53.660
 commending here?

00:25:54.120 --> 00:25:54.580
 What's his

00:25:54.580 --> 00:25:55.440
 encouragement to

00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:55.620
 them?

00:25:56.279 --> 00:25:56.759
 He says,

00:25:56.840 --> 00:25:57.220
 I know your

00:25:57.220 --> 00:25:57.880
 righteous deeds,

00:25:58.240 --> 00:25:58.759
 I know you are

00:25:58.759 --> 00:25:59.560
 swimming upstream

00:25:59.560 --> 00:26:00.700
 against the tide

00:26:00.700 --> 00:26:01.380
 of your culture,

00:26:01.740 --> 00:26:03.120
 and I know that

00:26:03.120 --> 00:26:04.680
 you love my word

00:26:04.680 --> 00:26:05.580
 and you've taken

00:26:05.580 --> 00:26:06.800
 my word seriously.

00:26:07.380 --> 00:26:07.700
 You see,

00:26:07.779 --> 00:26:08.180
 what's happening

00:26:08.180 --> 00:26:08.920
 in Ephesus is

00:26:08.920 --> 00:26:09.300
 there are two

00:26:09.300 --> 00:26:10.300
 great cultural

00:26:10.300 --> 00:26:10.840
 pressures,

00:26:11.240 --> 00:26:12.019
 or two other

00:26:12.019 --> 00:26:12.660
 things that were

00:26:12.660 --> 00:26:13.740
 distracting the

00:26:13.740 --> 00:26:14.100
 Christians.

00:26:14.519 --> 00:26:15.240
 The first is

00:26:15.240 --> 00:26:18.500
 Ephesus housed

00:26:18.500 --> 00:26:21.060
 the temple of

00:26:21.059 --> 00:26:21.679
 Artemis.

00:26:22.639 --> 00:26:24.619
 And the temple

00:26:24.619 --> 00:26:25.519
 of Artemis was

00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:26.179
 one of the

00:26:26.179 --> 00:26:26.980
 seven wonders

00:26:26.980 --> 00:26:27.559
 of the ancient

00:26:27.559 --> 00:26:28.099
 world,

00:26:28.700 --> 00:26:29.599
 and Artemis

00:26:29.599 --> 00:26:30.319
 was worshipped

00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:31.279
 everywhere in

00:26:31.279 --> 00:26:31.639
 Ephesus.

00:26:31.859 --> 00:26:32.579
 It was the

00:26:32.579 --> 00:26:33.679
 icon of Ephesus.

00:26:33.919 --> 00:26:34.359
 People would

00:26:34.359 --> 00:26:35.279
 come from far

00:26:35.279 --> 00:26:36.099
 and wide to

00:26:36.099 --> 00:26:37.519
 worship the

00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:38.119
 goddess of

00:26:38.119 --> 00:26:38.619
 Artemis.

00:26:39.119 --> 00:26:39.899
 And Artemis

00:26:39.899 --> 00:26:40.679
 was the goddess

00:26:40.679 --> 00:26:41.859
 of life and

00:26:41.859 --> 00:26:42.399
 fertility.

00:26:43.079 --> 00:26:44.200
 So if you are

00:26:44.200 --> 00:26:45.379
 struggling to

00:26:45.379 --> 00:26:46.139
 have kids,

00:26:46.639 --> 00:26:47.159
 your family

00:26:47.159 --> 00:26:47.480
 would say,

00:26:47.619 --> 00:26:48.279
 go and pay

00:26:48.279 --> 00:26:48.980
 homage to the

00:26:48.980 --> 00:26:49.919
 goddess of

00:26:49.919 --> 00:26:50.259
 Artemis.

00:26:50.259 --> 00:26:50.779
 Go to the

00:26:50.779 --> 00:26:51.299
 temple and

00:26:51.299 --> 00:26:51.740
 burn some

00:26:51.740 --> 00:26:52.180
 incense.

00:26:52.599 --> 00:26:52.900
 She will

00:26:52.900 --> 00:26:53.339
 look after

00:26:53.339 --> 00:26:53.619
 you.

00:26:54.379 --> 00:26:54.680
 And so

00:26:54.680 --> 00:26:55.599
 Artemis is

00:26:55.599 --> 00:26:56.700
 everywhere in

00:26:56.700 --> 00:26:57.140
 Ephesus.

00:26:57.359 --> 00:26:57.799
 And remember

00:26:57.799 --> 00:26:58.559
 in Acts chapter

00:26:58.559 --> 00:26:59.400
 20, I think

00:26:59.400 --> 00:26:59.640
 it is,

00:26:59.740 --> 00:27:01.519
 21, the city

00:27:01.519 --> 00:27:02.460
 of Ephesus is

00:27:02.460 --> 00:27:03.279
 unhappy with

00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:03.759
 the Christians

00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:04.400
 because they

00:27:04.400 --> 00:27:05.299
 say, now

00:27:05.299 --> 00:27:06.140
 Artemis is not

00:27:06.140 --> 00:27:06.440
 going to be

00:27:06.440 --> 00:27:06.900
 worshipped.

00:27:07.099 --> 00:27:07.500
 And they

00:27:07.500 --> 00:27:08.140
 drive them

00:27:08.140 --> 00:27:08.559
 out of the

00:27:08.559 --> 00:27:08.819
 city.

00:27:09.900 --> 00:27:10.379
 And so the

00:27:10.379 --> 00:27:10.920
 Christians,

00:27:11.420 --> 00:27:12.099
 those facing

00:27:12.099 --> 00:27:12.839
 persecution,

00:27:13.299 --> 00:27:14.299
 are persecuted

00:27:14.299 --> 00:27:15.059
 because their

00:27:15.059 --> 00:27:15.879
 family members

00:27:15.879 --> 00:27:16.259
 would tell

00:27:16.259 --> 00:27:16.960
 them, it's

00:27:16.960 --> 00:27:17.539
 okay to

00:27:17.539 --> 00:27:18.240
 follow Jesus.

00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:19.079
 just don't

00:27:19.079 --> 00:27:19.680
 forget to

00:27:19.680 --> 00:27:20.240
 every now

00:27:20.240 --> 00:27:20.539
 and then

00:27:20.539 --> 00:27:21.180
 pay homage

00:27:21.180 --> 00:27:21.839
 to Artemis.

00:27:22.620 --> 00:27:22.859
 But the

00:27:22.859 --> 00:27:23.980
 other great

00:27:23.980 --> 00:27:24.319
 thing in

00:27:24.319 --> 00:27:24.980
 Ephesus, or

00:27:24.980 --> 00:27:25.319
 the other

00:27:25.319 --> 00:27:26.380
 terrible thing,

00:27:26.460 --> 00:27:27.799
 challenge, is

00:27:27.799 --> 00:27:28.420
 that Ephesus

00:27:28.420 --> 00:27:28.960
 was the

00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:29.779
 primary city

00:27:29.779 --> 00:27:30.559
 of imperial

00:27:30.559 --> 00:27:31.319
 cult worship.

00:27:32.019 --> 00:27:32.359
 And so the

00:27:32.359 --> 00:27:32.880
 first, the

00:27:32.880 --> 00:27:33.700
 emperor Domitian

00:27:33.700 --> 00:27:34.559
 came to

00:27:34.559 --> 00:27:35.200
 Ephesus and

00:27:35.200 --> 00:27:35.839
 they set up

00:27:35.839 --> 00:27:36.220
 the first

00:27:36.220 --> 00:27:36.940
 temple and

00:27:36.940 --> 00:27:37.299
 the first

00:27:37.299 --> 00:27:38.480
 shrine to

00:27:38.480 --> 00:27:39.140
 the emperor.

00:27:39.759 --> 00:27:40.220
 And so at

00:27:40.220 --> 00:27:40.779
 the Agora,

00:27:40.960 --> 00:27:41.380
 which is the

00:27:41.380 --> 00:27:42.220
 marketplace where

00:27:42.220 --> 00:27:43.059
 you do business

00:27:43.059 --> 00:27:43.859
 and networking

00:27:43.859 --> 00:27:44.500
 and you meet

00:27:44.500 --> 00:27:45.200
 people and you

00:27:45.200 --> 00:27:46.120
 do your weekly

00:27:46.120 --> 00:27:47.079
 grocery shopping,

00:27:47.079 --> 00:27:48.199
 as you walk

00:27:48.199 --> 00:27:48.779
 into the

00:27:48.779 --> 00:27:49.799
 Agora, you

00:27:49.799 --> 00:27:50.319
 have to take

00:27:50.319 --> 00:27:50.879
 a pinch of

00:27:50.879 --> 00:27:51.779
 incense, throw

00:27:51.779 --> 00:27:52.179
 it at the

00:27:52.179 --> 00:27:52.779
 feet of the

00:27:52.779 --> 00:27:53.500
 shrine to the

00:27:53.500 --> 00:27:54.399
 emperor Domitian

00:27:54.399 --> 00:27:55.419
 and pay homage

00:27:55.419 --> 00:27:55.839
 to him.

00:27:56.839 --> 00:27:57.220
 And so for

00:27:57.220 --> 00:27:57.839
 the Christians

00:27:57.839 --> 00:27:58.859
 who go to

00:27:58.859 --> 00:27:59.619
 the Agora to

00:27:59.619 --> 00:28:00.500
 also do business

00:28:00.500 --> 00:28:00.899
 and meet

00:28:00.899 --> 00:28:01.480
 people and

00:28:01.480 --> 00:28:02.199
 network and

00:28:02.199 --> 00:28:02.659
 do their

00:28:02.659 --> 00:28:03.759
 shopping, what

00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:04.119
 are they going

00:28:04.119 --> 00:28:04.460
 to do?

00:28:04.980 --> 00:28:05.419
 And maybe

00:28:05.419 --> 00:28:05.740
 they're in

00:28:05.740 --> 00:28:06.339
 their company,

00:28:06.460 --> 00:28:06.939
 they all go

00:28:06.939 --> 00:28:07.779
 after work for

00:28:07.779 --> 00:28:08.460
 drinks down at

00:28:08.460 --> 00:28:09.599
 the Agora and

00:28:09.599 --> 00:28:10.500
 there's only one

00:28:10.500 --> 00:28:11.199
 person that

00:28:11.199 --> 00:28:12.019
 follows Jesus.

00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:13.240
 What's he

00:28:13.240 --> 00:28:13.759
 going to do?

00:28:14.359 --> 00:28:15.139
 Sorry, am I

00:28:15.139 --> 00:28:15.859
 making a noise

00:28:15.859 --> 00:28:15.960
 here?

00:28:15.960 --> 00:28:16.980
 What's he

00:28:16.980 --> 00:28:17.420
 going to do?

00:28:18.680 --> 00:28:19.220
 And so the

00:28:19.220 --> 00:28:19.779
 Christians are

00:28:19.779 --> 00:28:20.740
 constantly faced

00:28:20.740 --> 00:28:21.140
 with this

00:28:21.140 --> 00:28:21.720
 pressure.

00:28:22.700 --> 00:28:23.860
 And so Jesus

00:28:23.860 --> 00:28:24.799
 here commends

00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:25.279
 them, he says

00:28:25.279 --> 00:28:25.900
 you've stayed

00:28:25.900 --> 00:28:26.779
 faithful, you

00:28:26.779 --> 00:28:27.620
 focused on

00:28:27.620 --> 00:28:28.299
 Jesus, it's

00:28:28.299 --> 00:28:29.120
 required serious

00:28:29.120 --> 00:28:30.299
 work, serious

00:28:30.299 --> 00:28:30.880
 endurance.

00:28:31.559 --> 00:28:32.240
 Jesus says I've

00:28:32.240 --> 00:28:32.840
 seen it, I

00:28:32.840 --> 00:28:33.279
 know your

00:28:33.279 --> 00:28:33.940
 works, I know

00:28:33.940 --> 00:28:35.259
 your toil, I

00:28:35.259 --> 00:28:35.620
 know your

00:28:35.620 --> 00:28:36.680
 patient endurance.

00:28:37.400 --> 00:28:37.940
 But now look

00:28:37.940 --> 00:28:38.279
 at what he

00:28:38.279 --> 00:28:38.640
 says.

00:28:39.160 --> 00:28:39.660
 He says I

00:28:39.660 --> 00:28:40.100
 know you

00:28:40.100 --> 00:28:40.840
 cannot bear

00:28:40.840 --> 00:28:41.380
 with those

00:28:41.380 --> 00:28:42.000
 who are evil.

00:28:42.840 --> 00:28:43.440
 Now who's he

00:28:43.440 --> 00:28:43.980
 talking about

00:28:43.980 --> 00:28:44.519
 when he says

00:28:44.519 --> 00:28:45.160
 you cannot bear

00:28:45.160 --> 00:28:45.560
 with those

00:28:45.560 --> 00:28:46.060
 who are evil?

00:28:46.940 --> 00:28:47.240
 He's talking

00:28:47.240 --> 00:28:47.519
 about the

00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:47.840
 emperor?

00:28:48.640 --> 00:28:49.000
 He's talking

00:28:49.000 --> 00:28:50.880
 about villain

00:28:50.880 --> 00:28:51.779
 Dan and

00:28:51.779 --> 00:28:52.560
 his sidekick

00:28:52.560 --> 00:28:52.980
 Justin?

00:28:54.320 --> 00:28:54.920
 Who are the

00:28:54.920 --> 00:28:55.660
 evil people

00:28:55.660 --> 00:28:56.380
 that Jesus

00:28:56.380 --> 00:28:56.779
 is talking

00:28:56.779 --> 00:28:57.000
 about?

00:28:57.080 --> 00:28:57.400
 Look at what

00:28:57.400 --> 00:28:57.820
 he says.

00:28:58.480 --> 00:28:59.300
 He says but

00:28:59.300 --> 00:28:59.840
 you have

00:28:59.840 --> 00:29:00.800
 tested those

00:29:00.800 --> 00:29:01.320
 who call

00:29:01.320 --> 00:29:01.759
 themselves

00:29:01.759 --> 00:29:02.800
 apostles and

00:29:02.800 --> 00:29:03.960
 are not and

00:29:03.960 --> 00:29:04.519
 you found

00:29:04.519 --> 00:29:05.120
 them to be

00:29:05.120 --> 00:29:05.560
 false.

00:29:06.700 --> 00:29:06.980
 You see

00:29:06.980 --> 00:29:07.500
 what's happening

00:29:07.500 --> 00:29:07.759
 here in

00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:08.540
 Ephesus is that

00:29:08.540 --> 00:29:09.200
 some people are

00:29:09.200 --> 00:29:09.740
 coming in and

00:29:09.740 --> 00:29:10.140
 they're saying

00:29:10.140 --> 00:29:11.460
 we know that

00:29:11.460 --> 00:29:12.259
 Paul came and

00:29:12.259 --> 00:29:12.820
 taught you the

00:29:12.820 --> 00:29:13.500
 Bible and he

00:29:13.500 --> 00:29:14.080
 said some good

00:29:14.079 --> 00:29:15.259
 things but if

00:29:15.259 --> 00:29:16.199
 you really want

00:29:16.199 --> 00:29:16.960
 to know God

00:29:16.960 --> 00:29:18.259
 we'll show you

00:29:18.259 --> 00:29:18.619
 some other

00:29:18.619 --> 00:29:19.019
 things.

00:29:19.339 --> 00:29:19.939
 We'll teach you

00:29:19.939 --> 00:29:20.299
 some other

00:29:20.299 --> 00:29:20.639
 things.

00:29:21.299 --> 00:29:21.579
 And they're

00:29:21.579 --> 00:29:22.199
 coming in with

00:29:22.199 --> 00:29:22.939
 all sorts of

00:29:22.939 --> 00:29:23.679
 false teaching

00:29:23.679 --> 00:29:24.119
 or they're

00:29:24.119 --> 00:29:24.779
 coming in saying

00:29:24.779 --> 00:29:25.500
 do you think

00:29:25.500 --> 00:29:26.220
 the Bible says

00:29:26.220 --> 00:29:26.599
 that?

00:29:26.799 --> 00:29:27.539
 Yeah Jesus is

00:29:27.539 --> 00:29:28.919
 good but he's

00:29:28.919 --> 00:29:29.679
 not God.

00:29:30.519 --> 00:29:30.759
 You know.

00:29:31.199 --> 00:29:31.779
 Or worship

00:29:31.779 --> 00:29:32.679
 Jesus but don't

00:29:32.679 --> 00:29:33.439
 forget to also

00:29:33.439 --> 00:29:34.279
 pay homage to

00:29:34.279 --> 00:29:35.039
 Domitian or

00:29:35.039 --> 00:29:35.779
 Artemis or

00:29:35.779 --> 00:29:37.000
 Deceitism whatever

00:29:37.000 --> 00:29:37.480
 it is.

00:29:38.099 --> 00:29:38.679
 They were coming

00:29:38.679 --> 00:29:39.279
 in with false

00:29:39.279 --> 00:29:40.039
 teaching and what

00:29:40.039 --> 00:29:40.579
 did the church

00:29:40.579 --> 00:29:41.379
 in Ephesus do?

00:29:42.099 --> 00:29:42.519
 They would open

00:29:42.519 --> 00:29:43.240
 up their Bible and

00:29:43.240 --> 00:29:43.919
 say really?

00:29:44.519 --> 00:29:45.359
 Just show us in

00:29:45.359 --> 00:29:46.119
 the scriptures where

00:29:46.119 --> 00:29:46.939
 does it say that?

00:29:47.619 --> 00:29:48.240
 In other words they

00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:49.079
 would test what they

00:29:49.079 --> 00:29:49.659
 heard from the

00:29:49.659 --> 00:29:50.619
 stage on Sunday

00:29:50.619 --> 00:29:51.879
 according to God's

00:29:51.879 --> 00:29:53.039
 word and sometimes

00:29:53.039 --> 00:29:53.799
 they found what

00:29:53.799 --> 00:29:54.519
 people were saying

00:29:54.519 --> 00:29:55.859
 was false and so

00:29:55.859 --> 00:29:56.539
 they would reject

00:29:56.539 --> 00:29:56.839
 it.

00:29:57.339 --> 00:29:58.159
 Here was a church

00:29:58.159 --> 00:29:59.599
 which was strong

00:29:59.599 --> 00:30:00.599
 theologically and

00:30:00.599 --> 00:30:01.779
 dogmatic about we're

00:30:01.779 --> 00:30:02.779
 only going to listen

00:30:02.779 --> 00:30:04.079
 to what God says in

00:30:04.079 --> 00:30:04.539
 his word.

00:30:04.980 --> 00:30:05.720
 We're not here to be

00:30:05.720 --> 00:30:06.679
 impressed by false

00:30:06.679 --> 00:30:08.259
 teachers or eloquent

00:30:08.259 --> 00:30:09.679
 teachers or great

00:30:09.679 --> 00:30:10.119
 orators.

00:30:10.419 --> 00:30:11.259
 We're here to see

00:30:11.259 --> 00:30:12.399
 what does God say

00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:13.100
 and that's what

00:30:13.100 --> 00:30:13.440
 we're going to

00:30:13.440 --> 00:30:13.720
 follow.

00:30:15.160 --> 00:30:16.200
 And all this makes

00:30:16.200 --> 00:30:17.040
 sense because when

00:30:17.040 --> 00:30:18.000
 we read the rest of

00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:18.660
 the New Testament

00:30:18.660 --> 00:30:19.980
 remember the books

00:30:19.980 --> 00:30:20.720
 of 1 and 2

00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:21.180
 Timothy?

00:30:21.800 --> 00:30:22.600
 They're written by

00:30:22.600 --> 00:30:23.640
 the apostle Paul to

00:30:23.640 --> 00:30:24.320
 this young man

00:30:24.320 --> 00:30:25.480
 Timothy and

00:30:25.480 --> 00:30:26.460
 Timothy is leading

00:30:26.460 --> 00:30:27.380
 a church and where

00:30:27.380 --> 00:30:28.120
 is he leading the

00:30:28.120 --> 00:30:28.440
 church?

00:30:28.640 --> 00:30:29.040
 Do you remember?

00:30:29.759 --> 00:30:30.620
 In the city of

00:30:30.620 --> 00:30:31.000
 Ephesus.

00:30:31.660 --> 00:30:32.440
 And as you read

00:30:32.440 --> 00:30:33.180
 the books of 1

00:30:33.180 --> 00:30:33.900
 Timothy and 2

00:30:33.900 --> 00:30:35.460
 Timothy Paul says

00:30:35.460 --> 00:30:36.620
 again and again

00:30:36.620 --> 00:30:37.080
 and again,

00:30:37.259 --> 00:30:38.080
 Timothy I want you

00:30:38.079 --> 00:30:39.039
 to guard the good

00:30:39.039 --> 00:30:39.859
 deposit of the

00:30:39.859 --> 00:30:40.460
 doctrine that's

00:30:40.460 --> 00:30:41.259
 been entrusted to

00:30:41.259 --> 00:30:41.439
 you.

00:30:41.799 --> 00:30:42.819
 Timothy I want you

00:30:42.819 --> 00:30:43.579
 to preach the

00:30:43.579 --> 00:30:43.939
 word.

00:30:44.519 --> 00:30:45.539
 Timothy dedicate

00:30:45.539 --> 00:30:46.379
 yourself to the

00:30:46.379 --> 00:30:47.279
 public reading of

00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:48.220
 scripture and to

00:30:48.220 --> 00:30:49.039
 the teaching of

00:30:49.039 --> 00:30:49.720
 God's word.

00:30:50.379 --> 00:30:51.000
 Paul writes to

00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:52.220
 Timothy about a

00:30:52.220 --> 00:30:53.139
 hundred times and

00:30:53.139 --> 00:30:54.139
 says whatever you

00:30:54.139 --> 00:30:55.859
 do make sure you

00:30:55.859 --> 00:30:56.980
 stick closely to

00:30:56.980 --> 00:30:58.240
 God's word and to

00:30:58.240 --> 00:30:59.559
 the theology and to

00:30:59.559 --> 00:31:00.359
 doctrine that you've

00:31:00.359 --> 00:31:00.599
 heard.

00:31:01.019 --> 00:31:01.939
 Don't take in these

00:31:01.939 --> 00:31:02.679
 other teachings.

00:31:03.199 --> 00:31:03.819
 Make sure that

00:31:03.819 --> 00:31:04.679
 whatever you're

00:31:04.679 --> 00:31:06.079
 teaching is found in

00:31:06.079 --> 00:31:06.659
 the scriptures.

00:31:06.660 --> 00:31:09.560
 And so here the

00:31:09.560 --> 00:31:10.779
 church in Ephesus is

00:31:10.779 --> 00:31:11.640
 rock solid.

00:31:12.140 --> 00:31:13.000
 They are theologically

00:31:13.000 --> 00:31:13.560
 strong.

00:31:13.660 --> 00:31:14.200
 They've been taught

00:31:14.200 --> 00:31:15.060
 well by Paul.

00:31:15.340 --> 00:31:15.920
 They've been taught

00:31:15.920 --> 00:31:17.380
 well by Timothy and

00:31:17.380 --> 00:31:18.080
 they're a church that

00:31:18.080 --> 00:31:19.400
 know their theology and

00:31:19.400 --> 00:31:20.519
 they know God's word

00:31:20.519 --> 00:31:21.820
 and they love God's

00:31:21.820 --> 00:31:22.160
 word.

00:31:23.580 --> 00:31:25.560
 And Watermark, can I

00:31:25.560 --> 00:31:27.740
 say, can the elders

00:31:27.740 --> 00:31:30.180
 say, we would love for

00:31:30.180 --> 00:31:31.140
 this to be true of us

00:31:31.140 --> 00:31:31.759
 as a church.

00:31:32.840 --> 00:31:33.800
 When I think about

00:31:33.800 --> 00:31:34.800
 Watermark, one of my

00:31:34.800 --> 00:31:35.880
 dreams for Watermark is

00:31:35.880 --> 00:31:36.640
 that in 50,

00:31:36.660 --> 00:31:38.300
 60, and in 100

00:31:38.300 --> 00:31:40.560
 years time, we are a

00:31:40.560 --> 00:31:41.800
 church which is rock

00:31:41.800 --> 00:31:44.200
 solid theologically and

00:31:44.200 --> 00:31:45.400
 doctrinally because we

00:31:45.400 --> 00:31:46.880
 know God's word.

00:31:47.340 --> 00:31:48.320
 We've been built on

00:31:48.320 --> 00:31:48.860
 God's word.

00:31:49.660 --> 00:31:50.700
 I pray that when my

00:31:50.700 --> 00:31:52.620
 kids are grandparents,

00:31:53.620 --> 00:31:55.220
 that anyone who comes

00:31:55.220 --> 00:31:56.759
 to Hong Kong will know

00:31:56.759 --> 00:31:57.980
 if you want to be taught

00:31:57.980 --> 00:31:59.240
 God's word, there is a

00:31:59.240 --> 00:32:00.279
 church called Watermark

00:32:00.279 --> 00:32:00.560
 Church.

00:32:00.660 --> 00:32:01.460
 You can go there and

00:32:01.460 --> 00:32:02.100
 they will teach you

00:32:02.100 --> 00:32:03.120
 God's word because that

00:32:03.120 --> 00:32:04.320
 is a church that loves

00:32:04.320 --> 00:32:04.980
 God's word.

00:32:04.980 --> 00:32:05.039
 God's word.

00:32:06.039 --> 00:32:07.319
 And so Jesus writes to

00:32:07.319 --> 00:32:08.059
 this church and he

00:32:08.059 --> 00:32:09.599
 says, well done.

00:32:10.259 --> 00:32:11.360
 You've tested what you've

00:32:11.360 --> 00:32:12.460
 heard against God's

00:32:12.460 --> 00:32:14.460
 word and you've tested

00:32:14.460 --> 00:32:15.500
 what's false and you

00:32:15.500 --> 00:32:17.140
 love and you love my

00:32:17.140 --> 00:32:17.440
 word.

00:32:17.500 --> 00:32:18.259
 Look at what he says in

00:32:18.259 --> 00:32:18.700
 verse 6.

00:32:18.779 --> 00:32:20.720
 He says, you hate the

00:32:20.720 --> 00:32:21.380
 teachings of the

00:32:21.380 --> 00:32:22.579
 Nicolaitans, which I also

00:32:22.579 --> 00:32:22.880
 hate.

00:32:23.420 --> 00:32:24.819
 The Nicolaitans were a

00:32:24.819 --> 00:32:25.759
 group of people that were

00:32:25.759 --> 00:32:28.259
 teaching, worship Jesus,

00:32:28.759 --> 00:32:30.299
 but you know, it doesn't

00:32:30.299 --> 00:32:31.440
 matter if you also take on

00:32:31.440 --> 00:32:32.860
 some other stuff and

00:32:32.860 --> 00:32:33.620
 they were teaching,

00:32:33.759 --> 00:32:35.259
 teaching that was

00:32:35.259 --> 00:32:36.539
 promoting sin and

00:32:36.539 --> 00:32:38.460
 unholiness and lack of

00:32:38.460 --> 00:32:39.640
 purity in the church and

00:32:39.640 --> 00:32:41.160
 Jesus says, I want you to

00:32:41.160 --> 00:32:42.440
 follow my word.

00:32:43.860 --> 00:32:46.140
 Now, unfortunately, that's

00:32:46.140 --> 00:32:47.580
 not all that Jesus says to

00:32:47.580 --> 00:32:49.299
 the church in Ephesus because

00:32:49.299 --> 00:32:50.320
 look at what he says in

00:32:50.320 --> 00:32:51.000
 verse 4.

00:32:51.580 --> 00:32:53.220
 He says, but I have this

00:32:53.220 --> 00:32:55.400
 against you, that you have

00:32:55.400 --> 00:32:56.980
 abandoned the love that you

00:32:56.980 --> 00:32:57.880
 had at first.

00:32:57.880 --> 00:33:01.020
 Here is a church which is

00:33:01.020 --> 00:33:03.220
 absolutely rock solid in

00:33:03.220 --> 00:33:04.640
 theology and doctrine.

00:33:05.680 --> 00:33:07.460
 They love God's word, but

00:33:07.460 --> 00:33:09.820
 unfortunately, rock solid

00:33:09.820 --> 00:33:12.320
 theology can sometimes lead

00:33:12.320 --> 00:33:15.220
 to ice cold hearts and

00:33:15.220 --> 00:33:16.780
 cold hearted worship.

00:33:18.140 --> 00:33:19.620
 Listen to what Tim Chester

00:33:19.620 --> 00:33:20.380
 writes.

00:33:20.440 --> 00:33:22.100
 He says, we can pride

00:33:22.100 --> 00:33:23.580
 ourselves on not letting our

00:33:23.580 --> 00:33:26.580
 theology, sorry, I just lost

00:33:26.580 --> 00:33:27.000
 my place.

00:33:27.000 --> 00:33:28.819
 We can pride ourselves on not

00:33:28.819 --> 00:33:30.180
 letting our theology be

00:33:30.180 --> 00:33:32.839
 infected by worldly ideas, but

00:33:32.839 --> 00:33:34.420
 all the time our lives and

00:33:34.420 --> 00:33:35.880
 hearts can be infected by

00:33:35.880 --> 00:33:38.440
 worldly priorities, living for

00:33:38.440 --> 00:33:40.460
 the treasure of earth, seeking

00:33:40.460 --> 00:33:41.700
 our security in that.

00:33:42.160 --> 00:33:43.740
 We may be strong on doctrine

00:33:43.740 --> 00:33:46.460
 and moral orthodoxy, but are

00:33:46.460 --> 00:33:48.319
 our churches characterized by a

00:33:48.319 --> 00:33:50.900
 passionate love for Jesus and

00:33:50.900 --> 00:33:51.680
 his people?

00:33:51.680 --> 00:33:57.000
 That's an amazing, amazing

00:33:57.000 --> 00:33:57.460
 thought.

00:33:58.460 --> 00:34:00.660
 We can be dead straight,

00:34:01.560 --> 00:34:05.440
 absolutely spotless in terms of

00:34:05.440 --> 00:34:06.700
 what we believe in our heads,

00:34:07.360 --> 00:34:09.960
 but our hearts characterized by a

00:34:09.960 --> 00:34:12.320
 passion for Christ and for his

00:34:12.320 --> 00:34:12.780
 people.

00:34:13.860 --> 00:34:16.059
 Jesus says, Ephesian church, I

00:34:16.059 --> 00:34:16.860
 know your works.

00:34:17.440 --> 00:34:18.559
 I know your toil.

00:34:18.559 --> 00:34:20.539
 I know your patient endurance.

00:34:21.039 --> 00:34:22.820
 I know that you've tested those

00:34:22.820 --> 00:34:24.519
 who call themselves apostles and

00:34:24.519 --> 00:34:24.900
 teachers.

00:34:25.119 --> 00:34:26.519
 You found them to be false.

00:34:27.019 --> 00:34:28.360
 I know how you are enduring

00:34:28.360 --> 00:34:30.059
 patiently and you're bearing up for

00:34:30.059 --> 00:34:31.679
 my namesake, and you have not

00:34:31.679 --> 00:34:34.199
 grown weary, but I have this

00:34:34.199 --> 00:34:34.880
 against you.

00:34:35.519 --> 00:34:37.860
 You have abandoned the love that

00:34:37.860 --> 00:34:39.019
 you had at first.

00:34:40.599 --> 00:34:42.599
 Now the church in Thyatira that

00:34:42.599 --> 00:34:45.719
 Echo and Thea read to us, their

00:34:45.719 --> 00:34:47.159
 problem is the opposite problem.

00:34:47.159 --> 00:34:49.000
 They are a church which is

00:34:49.000 --> 00:34:50.599
 characterized by great love.

00:34:51.079 --> 00:34:53.019
 He says here, I know your love

00:34:53.019 --> 00:34:55.139
 and your works exceed what they

00:34:55.139 --> 00:34:55.879
 were at first.

00:34:56.119 --> 00:34:57.719
 In other words, you love the

00:34:57.719 --> 00:34:59.399
 people around you and you love me

00:34:59.399 --> 00:35:01.079
 more now than you did previously.

00:35:01.480 --> 00:35:03.059
 But this is what I have against

00:35:03.059 --> 00:35:03.319
 you.

00:35:03.639 --> 00:35:05.440
 You welcome teachers into your

00:35:05.440 --> 00:35:07.799
 church that promote sin, and you

00:35:07.799 --> 00:35:09.219
 welcome teachers that don't tell

00:35:09.219 --> 00:35:11.619
 you about the holiness of God and

00:35:11.619 --> 00:35:12.679
 the purity of the church.

00:35:13.099 --> 00:35:14.219
 And Jesus rebukes them.

00:35:14.259 --> 00:35:16.079
 He says, I've given them time to

00:35:16.079 --> 00:35:17.279
 repent, but they refuse.

00:35:17.400 --> 00:35:19.360
 I will strike them, and all the

00:35:19.360 --> 00:35:20.940
 churches will know that I am he

00:35:20.940 --> 00:35:23.239
 who searches the heart and mind, and

00:35:23.239 --> 00:35:24.659
 I will deal with them according to

00:35:24.659 --> 00:35:25.139
 their works.

00:35:25.460 --> 00:35:26.900
 So we mustn't swing to the

00:35:26.900 --> 00:35:28.340
 opposite side where we think

00:35:28.340 --> 00:35:29.940
 theology is bad.

00:35:30.360 --> 00:35:31.619
 Theology is just academic.

00:35:31.799 --> 00:35:33.360
 What really counts is just if we

00:35:33.360 --> 00:35:34.980
 love people and love God.

00:35:35.319 --> 00:35:36.900
 Because that's where Thyatira was,

00:35:36.940 --> 00:35:38.679
 and God says, no, that's not good

00:35:38.679 --> 00:35:39.019
 either.

00:35:39.900 --> 00:35:41.340
 Friends, if the history of the church

00:35:41.340 --> 00:35:43.300
 tells us anything, it's that when

00:35:43.300 --> 00:35:46.039
 churches abandon God's word and

00:35:46.039 --> 00:35:48.820
 doctrine, it's only a matter of time

00:35:48.820 --> 00:35:52.079
 before that church and that city no

00:35:52.079 --> 00:35:53.200
 longer knows God.

00:35:54.079 --> 00:35:55.680
 And so if we want our future

00:35:55.680 --> 00:35:58.240
 generations in Hong Kong to know God

00:35:58.240 --> 00:36:00.140
 and to love Him, we dare not abandon

00:36:00.140 --> 00:36:00.640
 the Scriptures.

00:36:01.200 --> 00:36:04.079
 We mustn't do what Thyatira did, the way

00:36:04.079 --> 00:36:05.220
 we abandon the Scriptures.

00:36:06.019 --> 00:36:07.280
 No, no, let's not swing to the

00:36:07.280 --> 00:36:08.080
 opposite side.

00:36:08.860 --> 00:36:11.600
 And yet, we cannot be a church that

00:36:11.600 --> 00:36:15.019
 just knows God's word, but it hasn't

00:36:15.019 --> 00:36:17.260
 dropped from our heads to our hearts.

00:36:19.660 --> 00:36:22.060
 Friends, FG, who Jesus is, and the

00:36:22.060 --> 00:36:25.560
 message of the gospel, that you and I,

00:36:26.420 --> 00:36:29.240
 because of our sin, because of God's

00:36:29.240 --> 00:36:31.920
 righteous holiness, because of His

00:36:31.920 --> 00:36:33.860
 justice, you and I deserve to be

00:36:33.860 --> 00:36:36.300
 condemned to hell for all eternity.

00:36:36.300 --> 00:36:39.640
 And God would be absolutely just to do

00:36:39.640 --> 00:36:40.280
 such a thing.

00:36:40.960 --> 00:36:42.980
 But instead of that, Jesus took our

00:36:42.980 --> 00:36:44.260
 condemnation in our place.

00:36:45.120 --> 00:36:46.840
 Where our destiny was death, it's now

00:36:46.840 --> 00:36:47.300
 life.

00:36:47.800 --> 00:36:50.340
 Where our future was condemnation, it's

00:36:50.340 --> 00:36:51.660
 now reconciliation.

00:36:52.539 --> 00:36:54.700
 Where once our fate was wrath and

00:36:54.700 --> 00:36:56.180
 judgment, it's now that we are called

00:36:56.180 --> 00:36:57.560
 sons and daughters of God.

00:36:57.980 --> 00:37:00.720
 Friends, if that magnificent truth of

00:37:00.720 --> 00:37:03.860
 the gospel is inside our heads, but it

00:37:03.860 --> 00:37:05.720
 doesn't penetrate our hearts, what's the

00:37:05.720 --> 00:37:06.019
 point?

00:37:06.960 --> 00:37:08.000
 What's the point?

00:37:08.740 --> 00:37:10.940
 Because being a Christian is not only

00:37:10.940 --> 00:37:13.080
 somebody who has a knowledge about

00:37:13.080 --> 00:37:16.320
 Jesus, it's someone who loves God and

00:37:16.320 --> 00:37:17.480
 walks with Him by faith.

00:37:18.480 --> 00:37:19.840
 See, friends, a Christian isn't just

00:37:19.840 --> 00:37:21.880
 someone who believes that Jesus is God.

00:37:21.960 --> 00:37:23.700
 That's important, but that's not enough.

00:37:24.180 --> 00:37:26.019
 Even the devil believes that Jesus is

00:37:26.019 --> 00:37:26.380
 God.

00:37:27.039 --> 00:37:28.560
 A Christian is not just someone who

00:37:28.560 --> 00:37:29.980
 believes that the Bible is true.

00:37:30.100 --> 00:37:31.700
 You do need to do that, but that's not

00:37:31.700 --> 00:37:32.080
 enough.

00:37:32.079 --> 00:37:34.619
 Even the devil knows that the Bible is

00:37:34.619 --> 00:37:34.860
 true.

00:37:35.559 --> 00:37:37.719
 Friends, a Christian is someone who's come

00:37:37.719 --> 00:37:39.319
 to see that Jesus is God.

00:37:39.719 --> 00:37:42.000
 That Jesus is our only hope in life and

00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:42.299
 death.

00:37:42.799 --> 00:37:45.159
 That outside of Christ, there is not one

00:37:45.159 --> 00:37:46.840
 single drop of salvation.

00:37:47.400 --> 00:37:48.900
 And therefore, someone who has thrown

00:37:48.900 --> 00:37:50.559
 themselves at the mercy of Jesus.

00:37:50.559 --> 00:37:52.719
 But in addition to that, a Christian is

00:37:52.719 --> 00:37:54.699
 someone who is living their life loving

00:37:54.699 --> 00:37:57.799
 Christ, trusting Christ, and obeying

00:37:57.799 --> 00:37:59.639
 Christ because of the gospel.

00:38:01.139 --> 00:38:03.739
 Friends, the history of the church tells us

00:38:03.739 --> 00:38:07.519
 that there are hundreds of churches, and

00:38:07.519 --> 00:38:09.000
 unfortunately, it's the church leaders'

00:38:09.179 --> 00:38:12.559
 fault, that we get 100% on a theological

00:38:12.559 --> 00:38:13.179
 exam.

00:38:13.880 --> 00:38:16.579
 Every dot, every tittle, be able to answer

00:38:16.579 --> 00:38:18.280
 every question perfectly.

00:38:19.079 --> 00:38:21.460
 But our hearts are not filled with love for

00:38:21.460 --> 00:38:23.800
 either Christ or one another.

00:38:24.699 --> 00:38:25.759
 And so what's the point?

00:38:26.719 --> 00:38:27.639
 What's the point?

00:38:28.559 --> 00:38:29.780
 Now let me ask you this question.

00:38:30.659 --> 00:38:33.360
 What do churches like that generally look

00:38:33.360 --> 00:38:33.739
 like?

00:38:34.139 --> 00:38:35.320
 What's the feeling?

00:38:35.500 --> 00:38:37.099
 What does it feel like on the ground?

00:38:37.099 --> 00:38:39.159
 What does it look like when you come in to

00:38:39.159 --> 00:38:40.179
 a church on Sunday?

00:38:41.900 --> 00:38:43.079
 Tell you what it feels like.

00:38:43.139 --> 00:38:46.039
 It feels like arrogance on one hand.

00:38:46.539 --> 00:38:48.500
 We know our stuff better than the church

00:38:48.500 --> 00:38:49.099
 down the road.

00:38:49.880 --> 00:38:52.539
 But it also feels like judgmentalism, doesn't

00:38:52.539 --> 00:38:52.759
 it?

00:38:53.539 --> 00:38:56.400
 It feels like that church down the road, if

00:38:56.400 --> 00:38:58.219
 only they knew things as well as we did.

00:38:58.900 --> 00:39:01.119
 If only they knew the Greek and the Hebrew

00:39:01.119 --> 00:39:03.559
 and if only they could really know what was

00:39:03.559 --> 00:39:03.980
 going on.

00:39:03.980 --> 00:39:06.779
 Or, sometimes churches like that, there's

00:39:06.780 --> 00:39:09.360
 fighting inside and there's judgmentalism

00:39:09.360 --> 00:39:11.740
 and the pastor can look down at his people

00:39:11.740 --> 00:39:14.240
 and think, I wish these people knew their

00:39:14.240 --> 00:39:14.880
 Bibles better.

00:39:15.580 --> 00:39:17.340
 If only they could get their act together.

00:39:18.440 --> 00:39:19.900
 Friends, how many times have we heard of

00:39:19.900 --> 00:39:21.880
 one church attacking another church because

00:39:21.880 --> 00:39:23.960
 they're not theologically perfect?

00:39:24.900 --> 00:39:26.960
 And this is particularly relevant for us

00:39:26.960 --> 00:39:29.280
 because at Watermark, our elders are

00:39:29.280 --> 00:39:31.440
 passionate about not neglecting the truth of

00:39:31.440 --> 00:39:31.940
 God's Word.

00:39:31.940 --> 00:39:34.320
 We never want to be a church which is

00:39:34.320 --> 00:39:36.340
 careless about the way we handle God's

00:39:36.340 --> 00:39:36.599
 Word.

00:39:37.019 --> 00:39:39.119
 We want to be a church which knows God's

00:39:39.119 --> 00:39:41.139
 Word and is changed by it and is radically

00:39:41.139 --> 00:39:42.659
 committed to it, even in the face of

00:39:42.659 --> 00:39:43.039
 opposition.

00:39:43.639 --> 00:39:45.659
 We want to be a church which encounters God

00:39:45.659 --> 00:39:47.659
 and His Word and has God speaking to us from

00:39:47.659 --> 00:39:49.599
 His Word and are submitting to it and

00:39:49.599 --> 00:39:50.659
 surrendering to it.

00:39:51.400 --> 00:39:53.400
 But friends, if we are absolutely doctrinally

00:39:53.960 --> 00:39:56.320
 precise and theologically as straight as an

00:39:56.320 --> 00:39:59.360
 arrow, but our hearts are not moved by love for

00:39:59.360 --> 00:40:01.300
 Christ, it's all in vain.

00:40:02.059 --> 00:40:04.180
 And so remember how Jesus comes to the

00:40:04.180 --> 00:40:05.800
 religious leaders one day and He says,

00:40:06.220 --> 00:40:08.220
 You search the Scriptures because you think

00:40:08.220 --> 00:40:10.200
 that in them you will find eternal life.

00:40:10.640 --> 00:40:12.700
 And don't you realize that they bear witness

00:40:12.700 --> 00:40:13.320
 about Me?

00:40:13.820 --> 00:40:16.079
 The Scriptures are there to bring you to Me,

00:40:16.200 --> 00:40:18.760
 says Jesus, to show you the wonder of

00:40:18.760 --> 00:40:19.980
 Christ and who He is.

00:40:21.039 --> 00:40:24.579
 I've got a hero called Ray Ortlund and he's

00:40:24.579 --> 00:40:25.840
 becoming a hero of mine.

00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:28.460
 He's just handed over his church actually in

00:40:28.460 --> 00:40:32.780
 America and he wrote a book many years ago.

00:40:33.500 --> 00:40:36.300
 The book is called The Three Priorities for

00:40:36.300 --> 00:40:37.340
 a Strong Church.

00:40:37.920 --> 00:40:40.179
 Now when I see a book like that, I want to

00:40:40.179 --> 00:40:40.820
 read it, right?

00:40:41.220 --> 00:40:43.019
 Because I want Watermark to be a strong

00:40:43.019 --> 00:40:43.460
 church.

00:40:44.079 --> 00:40:46.800
 The Three Priorities for a Strong Church.

00:40:47.500 --> 00:40:49.019
 What do you think those priorities are?

00:40:50.019 --> 00:40:52.840
 He says, number one, you love Christ.

00:40:53.760 --> 00:40:56.340
 Number two, you love one another.

00:40:56.340 --> 00:41:00.140
 Number three, you love the world out there that is

00:41:00.140 --> 00:41:01.980
 dying because they do not know Christ.

00:41:03.420 --> 00:41:07.600
 Friends, more important than getting every perfect

00:41:07.600 --> 00:41:09.760
 thing right and understanding every verse

00:41:09.760 --> 00:41:12.840
 perfectly, are we a church that loves Christ,

00:41:13.280 --> 00:41:16.360
 that loves one another and loves the city in which

00:41:16.360 --> 00:41:18.380
 we live and is dying because it does not know

00:41:18.380 --> 00:41:18.760
 Jesus?

00:41:18.760 --> 00:41:22.460
 Tim Keller says, God doesn't just want us to know and

00:41:22.460 --> 00:41:26.380
 obey him as a citizen obeys a king or merely follow him as

00:41:26.380 --> 00:41:27.600
 sheep follow a shepherd.

00:41:28.280 --> 00:41:32.560
 He wants us to know him and love him as a wife loves her

00:41:32.560 --> 00:41:33.040
 husband.

00:41:33.840 --> 00:41:35.780
 You see, friends, to be a Christian is not just to have

00:41:35.780 --> 00:41:37.140
 knowledge about Jesus.

00:41:37.700 --> 00:41:41.440
 It's to love him and to walk with him by faith.

00:41:42.160 --> 00:41:44.880
 And that's what Jesus is calling this Ephesian church to.

00:41:44.880 --> 00:41:47.960
 In the midst of all the imperial cults, in the midst of the

00:41:47.960 --> 00:41:50.840
 persecution, in the midst of the challenges that they're facing,

00:41:51.579 --> 00:41:53.400
 he says, will you love me?

00:41:53.500 --> 00:41:54.500
 Will you trust me?

00:41:54.840 --> 00:41:55.840
 Will you obey me?

00:41:56.380 --> 00:41:59.300
 Domitian, the emperor, would say, Caesar is Lord.

00:41:59.880 --> 00:42:02.660
 The Christians weren't just to know academically that Jesus

00:42:02.660 --> 00:42:04.880
 were Lord, but to love him as Lord.

00:42:05.539 --> 00:42:08.480
 And still, friends, today in our world, the devil will come to

00:42:08.480 --> 00:42:12.920
 us and say, Watermark, you can love Jesus, just also love

00:42:12.920 --> 00:42:14.019
 money as well.

00:42:14.400 --> 00:42:17.559
 You can love Jesus, just love this as well.

00:42:17.940 --> 00:42:21.200
 You can love Jesus, just love this as well.

00:42:21.700 --> 00:42:25.000
 The devil would come to us and say that we are mature Christians if

00:42:25.000 --> 00:42:28.780
 our theology is all straight, even if we're seduced by other

00:42:28.780 --> 00:42:29.200
 loves.

00:42:29.519 --> 00:42:30.539
 Do we love Christ?

00:42:31.079 --> 00:42:32.159
 Do we love one another?

00:42:32.780 --> 00:42:34.460
 Do we love the city in which we lived?

00:42:34.460 --> 00:42:41.420
 Now, as we come towards the end, look at what Jesus says in verse

00:42:41.420 --> 00:42:41.960
 5.

00:42:42.900 --> 00:42:43.900
 Jesus says this.

00:42:45.059 --> 00:42:47.579
 He says, remember therefore from where you have fallen.

00:42:48.300 --> 00:42:50.559
 Repent and do the works that you did at first.

00:42:51.179 --> 00:42:54.380
 If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its

00:42:54.380 --> 00:42:56.820
 place, unless you repent.

00:42:57.679 --> 00:42:59.240
 Now, remember what we said earlier.

00:42:59.380 --> 00:43:02.059
 Jesus, when he's talking about a lampstand, is not talking about an

00:43:02.059 --> 00:43:05.940
 Ikea lampstand, he's talking about this Jewish menorah, right?

00:43:06.380 --> 00:43:08.219
 And there's candles on top.

00:43:09.139 --> 00:43:13.940
 But in the ancient world, the candles didn't rely on wax.

00:43:14.360 --> 00:43:15.840
 They were full of oil.

00:43:16.599 --> 00:43:19.279
 And so the oil would burn and keep the candle going.

00:43:19.380 --> 00:43:21.840
 And if you wanted the candles to keep them going, you had to top up

00:43:21.840 --> 00:43:22.460
 the oil.

00:43:22.840 --> 00:43:26.820
 Remember, Jesus tells a parable about some people that didn't bring

00:43:26.820 --> 00:43:30.460
 enough oil and so their lamps go out because they weren't prepared.

00:43:31.019 --> 00:43:32.100
 They weren't ready.

00:43:32.900 --> 00:43:37.580
 Well, in the Bible, oil is almost always a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

00:43:38.740 --> 00:43:40.340
 So what's Jesus saying here?

00:43:41.300 --> 00:43:47.880
 Jesus is saying that when he says, I'll remove your lampstand, he's

00:43:47.880 --> 00:43:49.820
 talking about closing down the church.

00:43:50.280 --> 00:43:51.580
 But how is he going to do it?

00:43:52.019 --> 00:43:55.180
 He's not going to do it by just magically closing down the meetings.

00:43:55.179 --> 00:43:59.659
 Jesus is not going to close down the church by sending a meteor to, you

00:43:59.659 --> 00:44:01.219
 know, smash our building or something.

00:44:01.639 --> 00:44:03.699
 How does Jesus close down churches?

00:44:05.139 --> 00:44:07.179
 How does he snuff out the lampstand?

00:44:07.859 --> 00:44:09.179
 He removes the oil.

00:44:10.159 --> 00:44:12.199
 He takes the Holy Spirit from the church.

00:44:12.679 --> 00:44:15.859
 And so if we just go through the motions until eventually we die out.

00:44:16.739 --> 00:44:20.219
 Friends, the scary thing is that you don't even realize it's happened until

00:44:20.219 --> 00:44:23.719
 years down the road, there's no more life left in the church.

00:44:23.719 --> 00:44:28.199
 Friends, all around the world, there are hundreds of churches, thousands of

00:44:28.199 --> 00:44:30.759
 churches which gather each week in church buildings.

00:44:31.419 --> 00:44:33.839
 And they sing some songs and they listen to a message.

00:44:34.219 --> 00:44:35.879
 But the Holy Spirit is not there.

00:44:36.000 --> 00:44:37.219
 There is no life there.

00:44:37.359 --> 00:44:38.619
 There is no light there.

00:44:39.219 --> 00:44:40.500
 And there is no church there.

00:44:41.019 --> 00:44:45.699
 And Christ is not there because they have long since forgotten their first love.

00:44:46.359 --> 00:44:47.439
 Their first love.

00:44:47.440 --> 00:44:50.519
 And so the question is, what do we do about this?

00:44:51.119 --> 00:44:52.940
 Well, Jesus says something very interesting.

00:44:53.079 --> 00:44:53.980
 Look at verse 5.

00:44:54.260 --> 00:44:55.500
 He actually says it twice.

00:44:56.260 --> 00:45:02.019
 He calls this church, which is a pillar of theological and doctrinal strength, he calls

00:45:02.019 --> 00:45:02.960
 them to repent.

00:45:03.119 --> 00:45:04.059
 Look at how he says it.

00:45:04.599 --> 00:45:09.119
 Remember therefore from where you have fallen, repent and do the works that you did at first.

00:45:09.480 --> 00:45:14.780
 If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent.

00:45:14.780 --> 00:45:19.260
 And Jesus calls us to repent of our lovelessness.

00:45:19.740 --> 00:45:24.740
 Now that's interesting because we typically think that if you don't, we think of love as

00:45:24.740 --> 00:45:26.060
 an emotion that you feel.

00:45:26.500 --> 00:45:28.240
 You either love something or you don't.

00:45:28.760 --> 00:45:29.680
 Love is like a ditch.

00:45:29.780 --> 00:45:32.100
 You fall into it and you fall out of it, right?

00:45:32.780 --> 00:45:33.380
 Not really.

00:45:33.940 --> 00:45:35.580
 But that's how we typically think of love.

00:45:35.700 --> 00:45:37.140
 If I love something, great.

00:45:37.220 --> 00:45:39.240
 If I don't, there's not much I can do about it.

00:45:39.260 --> 00:45:39.960
 It's just a feeling.

00:45:40.060 --> 00:45:40.660
 It's an emotion.

00:45:40.659 --> 00:45:44.879
 But actually Jesus says, I want you to repent of your lovelessness.

00:45:45.179 --> 00:45:49.779
 How do you repent of losing and abandoning our first love?

00:45:51.119 --> 00:45:53.559
 Well, sorry, I'm making a noise of this thing.

00:45:53.639 --> 00:45:54.940
 I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

00:45:55.719 --> 00:45:56.739
 Anyway, we're almost done.

00:45:57.519 --> 00:45:58.579
 Let me tell you a story.

00:46:01.339 --> 00:46:01.739
 Sorry.

00:46:02.319 --> 00:46:07.159
 About a year, a year and a half ago, Claire and I were going for a walk up the peak.

00:46:07.159 --> 00:46:10.339
 And we're going for a walk on the ring road.

00:46:11.059 --> 00:46:14.159
 And Claire says to me, how's our marriage doing?

00:46:15.539 --> 00:46:19.019
 Now, I think you know what's happening, right?

00:46:19.460 --> 00:46:23.339
 When Claire asks that question, she's not asking because she doesn't know.

00:46:23.859 --> 00:46:25.460
 She does know what's going on.

00:46:26.059 --> 00:46:30.079
 It's a kind of way of saying, our marriage sucks at the moment, doesn't it?

00:46:30.339 --> 00:46:30.579
 Right?

00:46:31.379 --> 00:46:34.099
 And so I know that Claire was saying that for two reasons.

00:46:34.099 --> 00:46:38.639
 One, because after being married for 10 years, I know what she means when she says, how's our marriage doing?

00:46:39.239 --> 00:46:42.460
 But secondly, because I knew how our marriage was doing.

00:46:42.619 --> 00:46:44.440
 And it wasn't at its best.

00:46:45.039 --> 00:46:46.099
 It wasn't sweet.

00:46:46.199 --> 00:46:47.839
 It wasn't full of life and joy.

00:46:48.179 --> 00:46:49.719
 It felt like hard work.

00:46:50.779 --> 00:46:52.319
 And so we'd both noticed this.

00:46:52.679 --> 00:46:54.039
 And so we go for this walk.

00:46:54.259 --> 00:46:56.559
 And Claire brings it up.

00:46:57.099 --> 00:46:59.639
 Which, can I be honest, wasn't easy.

00:47:00.000 --> 00:47:01.319
 We talked through it.

00:47:01.319 --> 00:47:02.639
 It wasn't an easy conversation.

00:47:02.799 --> 00:47:04.000
 But it was a good conversation.

00:47:05.099 --> 00:47:12.299
 And so one of the things Claire says to me in that conversation is she says, Kevin, I see the way that you're serving around the house.

00:47:12.719 --> 00:47:14.699
 I see the way that you wash the dishes.

00:47:14.860 --> 00:47:18.659
 I see the way that you try and come home and have dinner with the kids.

00:47:19.000 --> 00:47:21.159
 I see the way that you're helping and you're serving.

00:47:21.880 --> 00:47:23.839
 And I'm grateful for all those things.

00:47:24.599 --> 00:47:28.159
 But if I'm honest, I don't sense that there's much tenderness.

00:47:28.619 --> 00:47:31.000
 I don't sense there's much gentleness.

00:47:31.000 --> 00:47:33.719
 You're doing all the right things.

00:47:34.280 --> 00:47:40.960
 But it feels like there's lacking this tenderness, this sweetness, this love in your actions.

00:47:41.480 --> 00:47:44.280
 You're going through the motions because that's what a good husband does.

00:47:44.280 --> 00:47:47.720
 But it doesn't feel like your heart is really in it.

00:47:50.340 --> 00:47:53.880
 Now, to be honest, she was absolutely right.

00:47:53.880 --> 00:48:00.840
 And I think I knew exactly what she meant because we had recently moved to Hong Kong about four or five months before that.

00:48:00.840 --> 00:48:16.579
 And my heart and my mind was so focused on the job and the work and what am I trying to not mess everything up that actually something else, in other words, the job, had captured my attention and my heart.

00:48:16.579 --> 00:48:23.239
 And so even while I'm at home and I'm trying to do the right things, my mind is elsewhere and my heart is elsewhere.

00:48:24.179 --> 00:48:28.539
 In other words, over a matter of time, Claire was no longer first in my heart.

00:48:28.679 --> 00:48:32.880
 Something else had captured my heart's affection and my heart's attention.

00:48:33.519 --> 00:48:35.440
 Something else had become first in my life.

00:48:35.440 --> 00:48:44.860
 And so even though I'm trying to go through the motions, actually, while I'm trying to serve at home and I wash the dishes and the kids and Claire's saying, hey, can you make sure you're home for dinner?

00:48:45.260 --> 00:48:50.059
 Part of my heart is getting frustrated because I'm thinking, you're taking me away from what's actually first in my heart.

00:48:50.960 --> 00:48:53.240
 And so what did my wife need in that moment?

00:48:54.480 --> 00:48:56.260
 Well, what is going to bring back the sweetness?

00:48:56.400 --> 00:48:58.400
 What is going to bring back the joy and the tenderness?

00:48:58.740 --> 00:49:00.700
 What is going to revive our marriage again?

00:49:00.699 --> 00:49:04.099
 What Claire needed was firstly for me not to be defensive.

00:49:04.699 --> 00:49:05.659
 Okay, that's a good start.

00:49:06.319 --> 00:49:10.319
 She needed for me to admit where she was right and where I was wrong.

00:49:11.279 --> 00:49:14.099
 But what she actually needed was for me to go away and repent.

00:49:15.339 --> 00:49:19.939
 She needed me to go away and do business with God and say, God, you're right.

00:49:20.519 --> 00:49:21.259
 She's right.

00:49:22.039 --> 00:49:22.859
 God, I'm sorry.

00:49:22.980 --> 00:49:24.980
 Something else has become first in my heart.

00:49:25.879 --> 00:49:27.319
 And I want to put that right.

00:49:27.320 --> 00:49:32.160
 She needed me to not just go through the motions and stir up my love.

00:49:32.620 --> 00:49:34.059
 She needed me to repent.

00:49:34.760 --> 00:49:42.080
 Friends, can I say repentance always feels like death because it requires us that we humble ourselves and admit that we're wrong.

00:49:42.580 --> 00:49:45.840
 But repentance always, always leads to life.

00:49:46.620 --> 00:49:51.140
 And Jesus calls the Ephesian church and he calls us today to put right our lovelessness.

00:49:51.260 --> 00:49:53.400
 Not by just stirring up our emotions.

00:49:53.820 --> 00:49:56.539
 Not by doubling down and working twice as hard.

00:49:56.539 --> 00:49:59.239
 Not by being twice as dedicated.

00:50:00.239 --> 00:50:01.579
 But by repenting.

00:50:02.380 --> 00:50:07.380
 By coming to him and saying, Christ, something else has captured my heart's attention.

00:50:08.360 --> 00:50:10.639
 Something else is first and foremost in my heart.

00:50:11.440 --> 00:50:13.279
 Something else has come before you.

00:50:15.000 --> 00:50:18.860
 By coming to him and returning to him and making him first in our lives again.

00:50:20.039 --> 00:50:21.279
 And so how do we do that?

00:50:21.920 --> 00:50:24.579
 How do we turn to Christ in faith and repentance?

00:50:24.579 --> 00:50:30.900
 In one of his final letters in the New Testament, the Apostle John writes and he says this.

00:50:31.039 --> 00:50:32.699
 This is how we know what love is.

00:50:33.380 --> 00:50:35.840
 Not that we love God, but that he loved us.

00:50:35.920 --> 00:50:38.420
 And he sent his son to be an atoning sacrifice.

00:50:39.759 --> 00:50:43.099
 Indeed, we love because he first loved us.

00:50:43.099 --> 00:50:46.000
 Friends, when we had done nothing right.

00:50:46.000 --> 00:50:51.039
 When all we had done to God is scorned him and mocked at him and laughed at him and rejected him.

00:50:51.739 --> 00:50:54.759
 Jesus came to us in profound love.

00:50:55.440 --> 00:51:00.339
 For God so loved the world, you and I, that he gave his only begotten son.

00:51:00.799 --> 00:51:04.279
 That we can be welcomed in back to his family, his children again.

00:51:04.280 --> 00:51:08.500
 That he might pour his love into our hearts and bring us back to him together.

00:51:09.180 --> 00:51:10.940
 Jesus comes to us and says,

00:51:12.060 --> 00:51:15.180
 Friends, turn away from the things that have captured your heart's attention.

00:51:15.880 --> 00:51:18.000
 I have this and this is what I'm calling you to.

00:51:18.320 --> 00:51:19.960
 Return to your first love.

00:51:20.420 --> 00:51:21.740
 Return to your first love.

00:51:21.900 --> 00:51:24.260
 Come and love me again.

00:51:25.519 --> 00:51:26.040
 Repent.

00:51:26.640 --> 00:51:28.720
 Come to me again.

00:51:28.719 --> 00:51:28.899
 Come and love me again.