Revelation 2:1-7
Today Pastor Lyle will continue a series of sermons on the letters written by Jesus in the first century to seven different churches and recorded in Revelation 2 and 3. We’ll look at the first letter this morning, which was written to the church in Ephesus. We’ll see that this city was quite prominent in its day and had a culture steeped in pagan worship. In many ways, the church in Ephesus was up against considerable odds when it came to staying faithful and moving forward. The letter Jesus wrote to this church is mixed. He commends their loyal perseverance. They rightfully stayed true amid pressure to compromise. However, they had a potentially fatal flaw. Their faith had lost its foundation of love and they would lose all effectiveness as a church if this was not regained.
Apply
- Jesus commends perseverance in holding to the truth. How committed are you to viewing Christ’s truth as the foundation of your understanding of what is right and valuable? What are some voices that come against Christ’s truth in our world?
- What does it mean to live with our “first love” firmly in place? What happens when we hold on to truth but do so without love?
Pray
- Ask God to work in your heart and in the hearts of all who will be attending our services online or in person today.
- Pray that those who are new to the church will be welcomed and find meaningful relationships.
- Pray for our Children’s Ministry Pastor, Jerilyn Bayer.
- Pray for the Children’s Ministry Associate, Annette Faszer. Pray for the Children’s Ministry Assistants.