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Series Code: BOL
Program Code: BOL000667S
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00:01 (Breath of Life Theme Music)
00:10 Sermon #B667 - Ephesus: The Working Church 00:20 Dr. Byrd: Right now, we want to get into the word today 00:24 and we're beginning now a series on the 7 churches of Revelation. 00:31 And so I invite you now to take your Bibles and go with me to the Book of Revelation 00:36 and we're going to chapter 2. And we're going to go to verse number 1 as your turning. 00:42 I want to wish Essence, Richard and Passion a very happy birthday. 00:48 They know who they are. I hope you're watching Essence, Richard and Passion. 00:53 Happy birthday to you as well. 00:56 Revelation chapter 2 verse number 1 the word of God says in Revelation 2 verse 1 01:04 “unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write.” 01:07 These things said he that holds the seven stars in his right hand, 01:13 who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works and thy labor, 01:20 and thy patience, and how thou canst not hear them with your evil. 01:24 Thou I stride which say they are apostles and are not and has found them liars 01:31 and has born and has patience and for my name's sake as labor 01:37 and has not fainted nevertheless. I have somewhat against thee 01:42 because thou has left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen 01:49 and repent and do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly 01:52 and will remove thy candlestick out of this place except thou repent, verse 6. 02:00 But this thou has that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 02:10 And he that has an ear let him hear what the spirit said unto the churches. 02:16 To him that overcome it, will I give to eat of the Tree of Life, 02:21 which is in the midst of the paradise of God. 02:26 Today, we begin our series with the first church at Ephesus the working church. 02:34 Father right now, I pray your power in this place. 02:37 I pray your power over the airwaves and the television and the internet waves. 02:42 God have your way. Speak to me today, speak to your people today by speaking through me. 02:52 Bring comfort to someone, bring healing for someone else, 02:56 bring hope for everybody 02:58 and when this message would have concluded may we be able to say 03:01 “It was good that we tuned in today”. 03:04 Forgive me for my sins hide me behind your cross and Lord. 03:07 May your Holy Spirit run rampant today, run free today 03:13 and that the appeal time as we always say “God move by your power 03:16 and sprinkle out your grace”. 03:19 In the name of Jesus, I pray forgive us our sin, in his name. Amen. 03:26 Ephesus the working church. 03:31 The Book of Revelation opens up with seven letters to seven churches each of the seven 03:40 letters. It's a prophetic word from Jesus who's telling John what to write. 03:48 Now, let me remind you that there is something special about the number 7. 03:56 The number 7 signifies completion 04:00 and it's considered to be the number of spiritual perfection. 04:05 In fact, the number seven was the most sacred number to the Hebrews, 04:13 for there are seven days in a week. 04:18 It was on the 7th day during creation week that God rested from his work. 04:25 He sanctified the seventh day and he blessed the seventh day. 04:33 Then it was after the flood that God promised not to destroy the Earth again with water 04:39 and memorialize this covenant with the rainbow, which is comprised of seven colors. 04:46 You will remember that Joshua and the children of Israel walked 04:50 around Jericho seven times on the seventh day and the walls came tumbling down. 04:57 Naaman had to go dip in the Jordan River seven times in order to become clean. 05:04 In the New Testament, Jesus told us to forgive 490 times, which is seventy times seven. 05:12 The Bible records, Jesus says healing seven people on the seventh day. 05:18 Number one the man with the deformed hand, 05:20 number two the man possessed with the unclean spirit, 05:23 number three Peters mother-in-law with the fever, 05:26 number four the woman crippled by a spirit, 05:28 number five the man with the abnormal swelling of his body, 05:31 number six the lame man at the pool of Bethesda 05:35 and number seven the man born blind in John chapter 9. 05:40 Just before his death. 05:44 Jesus uttered seven last words on Calvary and in the Book of Revelation. 05:51 Jesus speaks of Seven Seals, seven spirits seven plagues, seven horses, 06:01 seven trumpets sounded by seven angels and he speaks of seven churches. 06:09 Now, Revelation is a unique book. It is not like any other book in the New Testament. 06:16 Revelation is what we call a prophetic book. There are two prophetic books in the Bible. 06:24 In the Old Testament, we have the Book of Daniel. 06:27 In the New Testament, we have The Revelation. God gave Revelation to Jesus. 06:33 Jesus gave it to an angel ,an angel gave it John. 06:40 John wrote it down and gave it to the seven churches which in these seven churches 06:46 and this message there is a message for us. 06:50 Now, you need to understand that in Revelation chapter 1. 06:53 We find the Apostle Paul, Apostle John Rather in Exile on the tiny island of Patmos. 07:01 But how did John get two Patmos? John got to Patmos 07:06 because it was after Jesus' death that Rome in the surrounding territories 07:10 became increasingly hostile towards Jesus followers. 07:14 And every disciple after Jesus death except John was murdered for his faith. 07:22 But John's Faith wasn't much better. 07:26 John didn't fare any better than the other disciples 07:32 because John was exiled to a rocky tiny island called Patmos. 07:39 John was banished from society by the Romans to reduce his religious influence. 07:46 This shouldn't surprise us or seems strange to any of us 07:49 because whenever people want to get rid of you they banish you. 07:54 They send you away. 07:57 but I'm a witness that healing comes out of brokenness. 08:02 You have to crush a rose petal before it gives off the sweet fragrance of perfume. 08:08 You have to irritate and oyster before it becomes a pearl 08:13 and it was during John's Exile. It was during the time that the Romans 08:19 banished him to Patmos that the Lord spoke to John in vision 08:24 and John received the most detailed vision of things to come given to any Apostle, 08:30 which is a blessing for us in these final days in Earth's history. 08:34 Because we now know how the end is going to be. 08:39 Praise God for John, praise God for John's ministry on Patmos. 08:46 And so it was on the island of Patmos. It was in John's exiled. 08:52 It was in John's banishment that the Lord revealed future events 08:57 and gave John messages for the seven churches. 09:00 Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia 09:08 and Laodicea when Christ appeared to John. 09:13 John saw seven candlesticks representing seven churches 09:18 and in the midst of the seven candlesticks, 09:21 in the midst of these seven churches was Jesus the Christ himself, 09:27 which Revelation chapter 1 verse 13 says one was like the son of man. 09:33 Which is a reminder my friends, 09:34 of Jesus was in the midst of candlesticks. 09:37 It's a reminder that Jesus is the light of the world and every church both now 09:43 and then has been commissioned by Christ to be a light in a dark world. 09:48 Churches do not create light. They just reflect light. Jesus is the light 09:55 but reflecting his light. It's the church's primary purpose. 10:01 Now the seven churches of Revelation with geographically located in Asia Minor. 10:08 They were located in Asia Minor along an established circular 10:13 trade route in what is now modern day Turkey. 10:17 This route brought together the most populous and influential parts of the province. 10:23 So then, once the gospel was given to the seven churches in these Seven Cities the 10:29 message would then spread to the Christian communities and the rest of the province. 10:35 The strategy was simple. 10:37 Get the message to these seven churches and the gospel message will spread 10:43 everywhere else. 10:44 Now, the first of these seven churches was Ephesus. 10:49 Ephesus was the city that had a population over 250,000 people. 10:54 It was all a Seaport City on the Aegean Sea. 10:57 House of one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, 11:00 which was a temple to the Greek Goddess Artemis. 11:03 It was home to an amphitheater, 11:05 which can hold up to 25,000 people which was the venue of the angry riot against 11:10 Christians in Acts 19. Ephesus boasted great diversity in commerce, 11:17 religion and culture founded by the Apostle Paul. 11:21 Ephesus was the most popular and prominent church in Asia Minor. 11:28 But Emperor worship was also prevalent in Ephesus. 11:33 Ephesus was also the sinner, 11:35 paganism in the first century world and the Christian believers of the first century 11:41 felt the constant social pressure to compromise their faith by worshiping the emperor 11:46 and cult's worship tolerating false teachers 11:48 and living life styles that mirrored the pagan world around them. 11:53 I must say that sadly there's nothing new under the sun just like Christians 12:00 felt pressure to compromise their beliefs 2,000 years ago. 12:05 Christians still sense and feel that pressure today. 12:10 Being a follower of Christ is not an easy thing. 12:16 Being a follower of Christ does not make you popular. 12:21 Being a follower of Christ cost you something. It might cost you, your marriage. 12:27 It might cost you, your relationship. It might cost you, some friendships. 12:33 It might cost you, your job. But as the old spiritual says, 12:37 serving the lord will pay off after a while. 12:42 Do I have a witness somewhere in this place? 12:45 The people in Ephesus were hard-working people who labored, 12:49 worked and endured for the Lord. They worked for the cause of Christ. 12:55 They work toiling to the point of exhaustion. 12:57 Their work was fervent for the Lord hence they were called The Working Church. 13:04 They served at every opportunity. They shared their faith. 13:10 They ministered to the poor. They prepared food for others. 13:14 They serve their Community. They told people about Jesus. They gave Bible studies. 13:21 They built up the church. They went to church. They weren't CME Christians. 13:29 People who went to church on Christmas, Mother's Day and Easter, 13:33 but they went to church all the time. They were not shaken by opposition. 13:37 They endured criticism and tough times their focus was on serving the lord no matter 13:43 what. They stood for the truth no matter what. They resisted false teachers. 13:48 They hated evil. They hated the Bible says the teachings of Nicolaitans. 13:53 Who were early gnostics, who wanted to blend Christianity with pagan practices. 13:58 The Nicolaitans taught that man's actions didn't affect his spiritual conditions, 14:03 which was a do as you please doctrine. 14:07 But the church of Ephesus wasn't deceived by their false doctrine 14:12 and they remain true to God. Jesus commended the Ephesians for their good works. 14:18 They're hard labors for their church discipline that guarded against false teaching. 14:24 So from the outside, looking in, 14:27 the Church of Ephesus looked like it had it all together. 14:32 The Church of Ephesus looked like it had it going on, 14:37 but remember looks can be deceiving what's on the outside may not be what's on the 14:43 inside because while Ephesus looked like they had it all together their hearts were 14:50 wrong. Jesus said, “They had lost their first love” 14:53 They have forgotten their first love and I don't care how hard you work. 14:58 Works without love is a problem. 15:01 The old saying says people don't care how much you know, 15:05 until they know how much you care. 15:08 They will know we are Christians by our love. 15:13 You do what you do because you fell in love with Jesus. 15:19 I dare somebody to go back and remember your first encounter with Jesus Christ. 15:26 Retrace the initial steps in your spiritual journey. 15:29 Go back and recall the joy that you had when your soul first found Jesus 15:34 and you wanted to tell everybody about him. 15:37 Rehearse in your mind your initial actions, your initial prayers your testimonies 15:42 and longings for Jesus. 15:44 That's why you shouldn't look at folks strange when they want to praise the Lord, 15:48 when they clap their hands, when they stomp their feet, when they say Amen, 15:53 because you don't know like they know what they've been through. 15:56 You don't know how they trusted in God. 15:59 You don't know how God has made a way out of no way. 16:03 Go back to your first love go back to when you were in church all the time that 16:08 you were just happy to be in the number. 16:11 The story is told of a wife who looked over at her 16:15 husband while he was driving their car and she said “When we first got married you 16:22 talk to me and tell me about your dreams, you'd shop 16:26 and then you stop and you pick flowers for me. 16:31 You'd open the door for me when we got into the car. 16:34 You have your arm around me pulling me close as we drove now look at us. 16:42 I'm all the way over here and you're all the way over there. What has happened?” 16:50 The old man was quiet for a few minutes. He was silent, but then he finally spoke up. 16:57 He said “Funny, I'm still sitting in the same spot.” 17:02 Jesus is still where he was when you gave your life to him. 17:08 Jesus is still where he was when you joined the church. 17:13 Jesus is still where he was when you got baptized. 17:18 Jesus is still where he was when you were serving his people don't forget your first 17:26 love. Jesus applauded the Ephesians witness, but then he addressed their weakness. 17:34 They had lost their first love there was a time when their love for 17:36 Jesus was vibrant and energetic and overwhelming 17:38 but they had lost their zeal for that love. 17:42 They still love Jesus but the deep patch that love for him was gone on the outside. 17:48 They were busy and working but on the inside they were cold and indifferent. 17:52 There was a lot of motion but no movement. 17:56 And so Jesus reminds us today. Reminds them that day, 18:03 that his joy rested in their hearts. And that's Jesus message for us today. 18:10 Yes, work for him. Yes, labor for him. Yes, endure for him. 18:17 But he's telling us just like he told the Ephesians. 18:20 Don't forget why you do what you do. Don't forget what he's done for us. 18:27 Don't forget the love we once had for him, his people his church and his ministry. 18:32 Don't forget the two great Commandments or to love God and love one another. 18:36 Jesus says in Revelation chapter 2 verse 5 remember therefore 18:40 from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works because if you don't. 18:46 I'm going to remove your candlestick. 18:49 I will remove this church unless you return to your first love. 18:53 I will remove this church unless you repent. 18:57 Let me tell you, do you know why many churches have grown stagnant 19:01 and are not growing in these last days? 19:04 The reason is they are no longer doing their first works. 19:07 Those things that are pleasing to God. Commitment is no longer a priority. 19:12 People go for days without prayer, days without Bible study, 19:15 days without even mentioning the Lord, 19:18 but the first works are key to revival and renewal among God's people, 19:21 and when Jesus is the priority. He will come in the midst, when Jesus is our priority, 19:29 he will stand in the midst of the candlesticks the church at Ephesus failed to 19:34 heed the warning and Jesus remove their light and in the same way many churches have 19:41 lost their light for Jesus. They're still meeting even on zoom still having Church. 19:48 But there's no power, no conviction, no joy, no praise, they have a form of godliness, 19:56 but that's all. 19:58 But we now have a wonderful opportunity to share his light in this dark world. 20:04 But we must heed the message and the voice of God. If our light is to remain. 20:14 But with all the work we do. 20:17 It must be combed in love. We can never forget why we do what we do. 20:25 It's because of love and all how I love Jesus. 20:33 Because he first loved me, Jesus went to Calvary to save a wretch like you and me, 20:44 that's love. They hung him high. They stretched him wide. 20:49 He hung his head for me, he died. That's love but that's not how. 20:55 the story ends in three days he rose again. 20:59 So Jesus closes its passage in verse 7 by saying, 21:03 “He that has an ear let him hear what the spirit say unto these churches to him 21:08 that overcome it, will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the 21:13 paradise of God.” 21:15 I'm almost done but let me say one final thing. 21:18 If we're honest with ourselves, if we're true to ourselves, 21:23 ministry and service can be discouraging when they don't seem to be noticed 21:27 or we can't see the results. We serve, we labor, we preach, we teach, we work, 21:36 we sing, we usher, we visit, we return tithes and offering 21:42 but sometimes it's still discouraging because things don't work out like they should. 21:47 But you got an endure in order to be an overcomer. 21:52 You got to endure in order to eat from the Tree of Life and reside in the midst of the 21:57 paradise of God. You may feel like giving up sometimes. 22:02 But don't you ever forget the race is not given to the swift, 22:05 to the strong but to the one that endures to the end and let us not be weary 22:10 in well-doing for in due season. We shall reap if we faint not don't being discouraged. 22:18 Hang on in there. Jesus words were not and will not be received by all. 22:25 Only those who have an ear for Spiritual things of God will discern his will. 22:30 Let me tell you something. I learned or could I just say why can't people hear the word? 22:33 Why can't they be change and converted by the Holy Spirit through the word. 22:37 But I've learned just 22:38 because somebody has an ear doesn't mean they have an ear for the Lord, 22:41 because spiritual things are spiritually discerned. 22:45 But we must overcome and must press on to partake of the Tree of Life in the midst 22:50 of the paradise of God. 22:54 The church at Ephesus had good intentions. They were diligent in their labor. 23:00 They were hard workers. They were a working Church. But their love had grown cold. 23:10 A busy life doesn't always mean a right relationship. 23:16 If you serve, if you work, if you work right, if you serve right, 23:21 you going to love right? 23:23 Let me tell you something. I'm working now more than I ever have before. 23:32 I want to think that I was working hard before the coronavirus, 23:37 but now we've got all this zoom, zoom this, zoom that, zoom meeting, zoom conferences, 23:42 zoom preaching, zoom everything and though limited I still have a physical ministry. 23:51 There are still funerals and graveside services is I have to do. 23:56 Only ten people are there but I'm one of the ten. 24:01 But this letter to the church in Ephesus reminds me that I must do what I do from a 24:10 premise of love. Not for any other reason. 24:14 You can't work hard for the Lord and want something out of it. 24:21 You can't work hard for the Lord because you working to get the next position. 24:29 You do what you do and you work like you work because you love the Lord. 24:36 God wants us to do the right things for the right reasons. 24:42 So the Jesus the first century is the same Jesus of today. 24:49 He walks among the candlesticks. He walks among the churches. 24:58 He's Alpha and Omega. The first and the last. The beginning and he's the end. 25:10 He is the one who was dead, but he came back to life. 25:15 He loves you and he loves me and all he wants us to do is love him back. 25:23 He says "if you love me, keep my Commandments." Today you want to work for the church. 25:32 You want to work for the Lord. You want to serve the Lord. You want to obey the Lord. 25:37 Well, let me tell you. You got to love the Lord. And I love the Lord. 25:44 And I won't take that back. Because he's been so good to me. 25:52 Praise God for the church at Ephesus. 25:55 Praise them for their work, praise them for their labors. 26:00 But if you don't have love, all of that is sounding brass and tinkling cymbal. 26:11 I want to be a working church. I want to be a willing church. 26:13 I want to be a working man a willing man, 26:17 but also want to be a loving Church, want be a loving pastor, 26:22 loving husband a loving father, today if you love the Lord. 26:33 I want work for the Lord. You want to serve the Lord. 26:40 You want to live for the Lord then you got to love the Lord. 26:47 My degrees can't save me. My suits can't save me. 26:52 The plaques in my office can't save me. 26:57 to hear people pat me on the back is good, but that's not going to save me. 27:03 I got to do the right things for the right reasons. And I must do them 27:08 because I love the Lord. 27:14 Thank you very much for tuning in to this week's Breath of Life broadcast. 27:18 We hope and pray that you've been blessed by Dr. Byrd's inspirational message. 27:23 If you would like to hear this sermon in its entirety, 27:25 please feel free to visit us at www.breathoflife.tv. 27:31 Or, call us at (256) 929-6460. 27:37 [END] 27:42 GONE BOOK PROMO 27:43 Dr. Byrd: Pain, loss, trama, 27:52 in life we experience these things. 27:55 My wife and I have a story, 27:58 we have a testimony of how we lost 28:02 our first born daughter in a horrific car accident. 28:09 We have this new sharing book, its en-titled “Gone.” 28:14 And, in it I want to share with you 28:18 how God has helped me, 28:21 how God has helped my wife, how God has helped us, 28:25 as we had to endure the fact that our first born daughter is gone. 28:37 www.breathoflife.tv |
Revised 2020-05-13