the revelation and we have made it to chapter two. I feel like we need to start again at the beginning because you must never forget what this book is. The revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to him. And you know, that's a wondrous statement that takes my breath away each time I read it. What a glorious thing. That he would then deliver such a thing to us. Because it says he gave it to his, sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.

And so in verse two, we're going to look at the first of seven messages to seven churches. And as we have said, we need not look at these as individual churches, even though they are addressed as individual churches. But they don't stand alone because they're not showing various kinds of churches, they're showing what all churches are. Because there's some of all of these things in all churches.

And churches are not organizations. They are organized by the spirit of God, that is they have order in them. But they're not organizations. Men have organizations. And organizations, what usually kills, churches. Because it's not the organization upon which the church stands.

Men often think of churches, and they think of all these different churches that are around about, and these have been here for 100 years, this one's been here for 300 years, all of this stuff, and they have that organization that they've been able to maintain that.

And you can send men to college, you can teach men various practices of organization that might exist in the church, and you can perpetuate a church. Now when I say a church, you can perpetuate an assembly of people who come together. You can do that. That can be done in the flesh.

And unfortunately, it often is just a continuation of things that men thought was a good idea and kept on. But never forget that the church is the church of Jesus Christ And he said he would build that church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it.

Now all of these organizations will one day be gone if the Lord tarries long enough. How'd I know that? Because we have seven examples of it right here before us. Seven particular assemblies are mentioned. There's not one of them that you can go to today. that has carried on in their original founding.

Now men take great pride in writing up a statement of faith or a confession or some sort of thing that they can say, look, we've maintained this and we've stayed true to this all these years. And I'm not saying that there are not some who have, that there are not men in all assemblies or in many assemblies that have indeed held these things for many years. But one thing's for certain. And that is that the only church that is a true church in Jesus Christ is that which is established, maintained, and perpetuated by him. And I believe this is a true thing, that all churches have a lifespan. Everything in the world has a lifespan. Trees have a lifespan. There's no trees that's been here since the beginning. You know, there's, All things in the world come and go.

And so it is with assemblies that come together. One day, if the Lord tarries, there won't be, well I, you know, we say these things. One day there likely will not be anybody gathering in this particular location. Walking into things. that the Lord has established in his word that churches are to walk in. Now, we may not be walking in those things at present time. We must not ever think in our mind, oh, well, we are the church. Are we? I mean, if you'd ask any of these, they would've said they were, would they not?

Remember, the Lord said that when he, and giving a picture of him establishing his church in the world, he said, but the enemy has come and sowed tares among the wheat. And he said, let the wheat and the tares grow together until the time of the harvest. And so it is that there are over time, see, I think that The church at Ephesus, when it was founded, when they came together as brethren in the Lord, they were all believers. They were seeking the Lord. I mean, that was the foundation, that was the basis, that was why they came together. But over time, various things happened. The hearts of some grew cold. And I can't explain how all of that occurs, but it does.

And what should we learn from that? Do we just throw up our hands? Well, that's inevitable, so let's just don't worry about it, no. That's why to every one of these churches, whenever the Lord sent these messages, he closed it with these words. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear. These are warnings. Much of the New Testament is warnings. to the people of God. Now, you know, is the Lord gonna lose any of his sheep? No, don't lose one of them. But he has called us to be steadfast, to be mindful. of what we are by nature, and of our proneness to go away from Him, and that we will do that, apart from Him keeping us. So what does that cause the people of God to do?

Fall down on our face and say, Lord, Lord. That's what moved the hymn writer, I believe it was Edward Robinson, wrote that hymn, Prone to Wander. Lord, I feel it. prone to leave the God I love, here's my heart. Oh, take and seal it, seal it from thy courts above. And that's hopefully our prayer today.

Not that we're just meeting because we always did. Well, mom and daddy, you know my grandpa, he founded that church. And my family's been a part of this ever since it began. And we're just gonna keep on going. You can go out here in the cemetery and you can see the names of all these people that's here. That was glorious, thank the Lord, that the Lord raised up men. But brethren, we can't have any comfort in such a thing as that.

And so he says, unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil. And thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars. and has borne and has patience, and for my name's sake has labored and has not fainted. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and I will remove thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

And so that's the message to the church at Ephesus. And Paul, was given to go to Ephesus early in his ministry as he came there to Ephesus and a man had preceded him in Ephesus by the name of Apollos. And Apollos was a great orator. Apollos was a man that the Lord had raised up. He was originally a follower of John the Baptist. And he had learned much from John the Baptist, but he didn't know it all. He hadn't been brought to a full understanding of the truth. And the Lord sent a couple from Corinth by the name of Priscilla and Aquila, and they heard Apollos preaching. And they took him aside. And the scripture says they expounded the word of God to him, the way of God to him more fully. And the Lord opened Apollos' eyes and brought him to a place where he followed the Lord completely in a knowledge of the whole gospel of God. You know, people talk about the full gospel. And what they usually mean by that is something they want to put on the gospel.

The gospel is that Jesus Christ has died for sinners, and that he calls sinners unto himself, and that he will save such as be sinners, and none else. And that is the gospel. That's the good news. See, that's what we go preaching to men. And so when you have preached Jesus Christ and him crucified, you have preached the full gospel. You don't have to have something added to it or something that you can see, but it is that which Christ has done. That's the gospel in a nutshell. God, who at sundry times in divers manners spake in time past unto us by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, by whom he created all worlds. Oh, what a glorious thing. That's the gospel. That's the message that we come telling to men, that Jesus Christ died for sinners and rose again and ever lives to make intercession for the people of God. What a glorious message that is.

And so we see Ephesus. Ephesus was where they had the temple of Diana. and says for the space of over two hours when Paul had preached there about Jesus Christ, the strength of pagan idolatry was so strong that for two hours, in order to drown out what Paul was preaching, they said, it kind of reminded me of these people, all these protesters up there in Minneapolis. For two hours they just shouted, great is Diana of the Ephesians. And such is the way of pagan idolatry, of any idolatry.

It wants to cling to that so much so that you have to keep telling yourself that it's true. See, we don't have to keep telling ourselves that it's true, because the Lord teaches us that it's true. What we need to be telling ourself or being honest with ourself is what we are by nature. We don't need to be thinking we've got to go through some motions.

See, a lot of people think that by their much praying that the Lord hears them. Maybe they would have some beads and they can just move those beads from one side to the other. They can stand there and they can go through these rituals and God will hear them. That's what the mind of the flesh, the religious mind of the flesh believes that, thinks that way. But the Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before him.

And so, as I thought on these warnings that the Lord gave here to the church at Ephesus, I mean, he commended them. He said, I know thy works and thy labor and thy patience. He commended them. He said, you know, the evidence of Christ among you is here.

Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, temperance, all of these things are the work of God in men. I mean, even wicked men who don't know Christ, if a man is a temperate man, that is, the restraining grace of God. It may not be the indwelling of the Spirit that causes these things to come to pass, but it is the restraining grace of God that causes these things. If there's kindness in the world, where did it come from? I mean, if men have consideration of one another, where'd that come from?

It came from God. But you see, these things are specifically the fruit of the Spirit in the people of God. If these things are abounding, or we can see them in the world in some measure, and to people, how much more so should it be that these things abound in the sons of God as he works in us?

And so, he said, I know thy works, thy labor, thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil. You hate the way of evil. And thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars, and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

And who among us cannot say that in measure that's true? You know, how sweet and precious it is when a man first comes to see Christ as the Savior. And well, it should be a glorious thing. That's different for different people. Different people, you take a man who's a drug addict and an outcast of society, if the Lord should bring him out of that, You know, he has a stark revelation of things that's glorious. But you know, as glorious as that is, it won't last. Apart from the Lord sustaining it in him.

Paul understood that. He knew the coldness. He said, I'm the chief of sinners. He said, if the Lord doesn't keep me, I won't be kept. And so it is. And so he says, I have somewhat against thee because left thy first love. And so what does he say, so I'm gonna cast you off? No, he said, remember therefore from whence thou art fallen. See, that's the call to the children of God, is not I'm gonna cast you away because you've left your first love, but think on it. Now, some people don't have any consideration. See, these are those who have ears to hear. Can you hear this? I mean, does this ring true in your mind? Do you know yourself to be cold of heart from time to time?

Do you desire, Lord, work in me your perfect work? Stir my soul, O Lord. Bring me closer to thee. Let me see thee. As David said, I want to see thee as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. I have seen you, Lord. I have walked with you. You've been precious to my soul. Oh, that it might be so. Day after day after day. And so he says, remember, think on it, from whence thou art fallen. Repent and do the first words. What's the first words? To come back to the Lord, to pray, to seek him. See, God's people never cease seeking him.

We're seeking Him every day. Now we seek Him because we know who He is. See, whenever we were outside of the knowledge of Christ and He stirred us by His Spirit, we sought Him because we desired to know who He was. We know who He is. He's shown us who He is. And we desire to know Him better. We desire to walk with Him.

It's like those men on the road to Emmaus. And they walked along there and the Lord showed them all these things. And after he was gone, they said, wow. Said, didn't our hearts burn within us? How could we have been so blind that we didn't see and know who this was? They longed after him. Or else, he says, I will come unto thee quickly and remove thy candlestick out of the place. Now it's a mysterious thing. And I can't fully explain how this is.

But the scriptures plainly teach that there are some who follow the Lord for a season, and then they turn aside and walk no more with him. Now is that a testament to the failure of the Lord? No, not at all. It's to, what is the purpose of that? It's to remind us how weak we are and that we would be in the same shape that they're in apart from the grace of God. Now what does that do for a child of God? It causes him to run to Christ.

Say, oh Lord, don't cast me off. Wasn't that what David said? Lord, don't take your Holy Spirit from me. Now see, a man who's never known the presence of the Spirit, he can't pray, Lord, don't take your Spirit from me. He's just going out through the motions of religion. He'd say, Lord, I don't want to go to hell when I die.

But you see, the man in whom the Spirit of God works, he wants the presence of the Lord in him. He wants to know the Lord. And that's what he's saying. He's stirring them up. Now everybody In that meets among these people in Ephesus, he's not saying every one of you are the same. He said, he that hath an ear to hear, let him hear it. Can you hear him today? See, that's it.

He said, but here's one thing, he says, I will commend you about that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Now what is the doctrine, the message of the Nicolaitans? Nobody really knows. There's a lot of people that surmise that this was a false doctrine that was brought in by actually one of the original deacons, Nicholas, who came and sowed seeds of discord and trouble among the churches. and excused men in grace to commit sin. And some believe that that's what the doctrine of the Nicolaitans is. Some believe that it was those who would, if you break down the name Nicolaitan, it means a suppressor of the people. that it was someone who lorded himself over the heritage of God as a dictator, as a one who claimed to be a prophet of God and went about to establish himself and to gain followers. Some people believe that that's what it is.

I will say this, and I would like for us to turn over to Axe. I want to read to you something that Paul specifically said to the church at Ephesus. He was speaking to the elders of the church of Ephesus. Let's see here. Okay. in chapter 20 verse 17. Now this is when Paul is coming fixing to go to Jerusalem and he has decided to go by Ephesus.

Paul determined to sail by Ephesus because he could not spend time in Asia. for he hasted if it were possible for him to be at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. So he was on a journey to go to Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. Now, keep in mind that his journey to Jerusalem, to be there on the day of Pentecost, it ultimately led to his arrest by the Romans, and that's how he wound up in Rome. But on his journey, he stopped. because he loved the people of Ephesus, because this was one of the first works that the Lord used him in. And so he stopped by here, he says, for Paul had determined, well, I read that, in 17, and from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church, called the messengers of the churches.

And when they were come to him, he said unto them, You know from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, he spent three or four years, I don't remember which, but a good long time, serving the Lord with all humility of mind and with many tears and temptations which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews. and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there, save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide or await me.

But none of these things move me, neither count out my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy in the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Paul said, I don't care what happens to me.

He said, I'm gonna do what God has called me to do. I'm gonna testify the grace of God. And the Lord had appeared to him in a dream that he was going to go to Rome. And that's exactly what happened. And now behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. Remember what he said to Timothy. He said, I've run my race. He says, I know that the time of my departure is at hand. And so it is, dear brethren, that we would all do well to remember that we do have a time of departure. We don't know when that is, but it's at hand. It's not as far off as it once was. You know, every day brings us closer to that one place.

And now behold, I know that y'all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God shall see my face no more. Wherefore, I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Now, if you read the book of Ephesians, of course, Paul had preached to them before he, wrote back to them in this letter to the Ephesians, but he reminded them of the basic truths of the gospel. Ephesians is one of the sweetest books about setting forth the gospel of the glory of God in choosing a people in Christ from before the foundation of the world, and that Christ paid their sin debt. He said, I didn't hold back from you.

You know, it's a sad day we live in when men are fearful to preach the whole counsel of God, that there are certain doctrines and things that they're timid to preach, election being one of them, particular redemption being another. They're fearful to preach this, why? Because they're afraid people won't come. People will go away.

Paul said, I didn't hesitate. He said, I told you what the truth is, and I know this, that the Lord has a people who will hear the word of God and rejoice in it. And he said, I didn't hesitate to declare that counsel to you. And then he gives them some warnings. And the reason I wanted to read this is because When we read John's, the message of the angel to the church at Ephesus, we see exactly what Paul has told these men to happen is happening.

He said, take heed therefore unto yourselves. See, every man is called to preach the truth of God needs to take heed to himself. Don't just think because you've got a position or you've got some people that's willing to sit and listen to you that you can just do whatever you want to do. Take heed to yourself. Look at yourself. And to all the flock. over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which," what?

He hath purchased with his own blood. The Lord Jesus Christ has purchased his church. He's not purchased every man on the face of the earth, but he has purchased those that belong to him. He said, I'll build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Why? Because he purchased them. They belong to him.

Just like if you go to a store and you put your money down and whatever goods are on the counter, they become yours when you pay the money. Christ has paid the money. Now the difference in what Christ paid for and what you pay for, that stuff you go to the store and buy, it didn't belong to you until you bought it. But you see Christ, he's like went to the pawn shop.

And the stuff that's in there, it was his to start with. And he bought it. He didn't buy everything in the pawn shop. But he says, I want what's mine. And he says, I'm willing to pay the price. He purchased that flock with his own blood. And then he says this, for I know this. He says, I'm not thinking it might be true. He says, I know this. This is going to happen.

I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter among you, not sparing the flock. He said, there's gonna come some from outside with outside influences or whatever, and they're gonna come among you, and they are not going to spare the flock. They're gonna try to snatch one off here or there. What does a wolf, when he comes to the flock, does he go and try to get the strongest one of the flock? No, what does he do? He goes to the weaker one. And he is going to, that's the method in which that's going to happen.

He says, also, now this is frightening, but he's giving them this warning. He's talking to these men right there before him. He said, also of your own selves, of these elders, these men called, set apart by the churches to preach. He says, of your own selves, in your midst, I'm talking to you right now, he said. shall men arise speaking perverse things, and drawing away disciples after them. That's the quest of false preachers. They want to draw men after them. They want men to follow them, and they'll do lots of things to get men to follow them. They'll compromise what they're gonna teach them.

You know? They don't want to tell men some things because, man, if I told them that, they wouldn't come back. And besides that, it wouldn't give me any money. Then where would we be? See, men can make all these things up in their mind. Men say, oh, well, man, if we don't get the money in, the church will go down. Brethren, the church, If your money disappears to bar the church, if all the money that men have, if we're all stripped naked and bare and we don't have any many clothes to wear, that's not gonna affect the church at all. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear. Because you see, the Lord has his people and he'll draw them to himself. He doesn't depend on money. He doesn't depend on men in any wise. But he warns them, he says, there's some of you. Right here, I'm looking at you.

Some of you's gone. When I'm gone, he said, right now, he says, I kind of hold you in check a little bit because you're fearful maybe to go out on your own or whatever, and so you're gonna follow. But as soon as I'm gone, he said, then you're gonna say, yeah, you know, we never did really like what old Paul said. And you know, he was too strict. I mean, you know, he was, some of that stuff he was telling you, no, you don't really need all that.

I mean, we can get by without that. Therefore, watch and remember that by the space of three years, I cease not to warn ever one day and night with tears. He warned them. He continued. He said, look, this is happening. This is the truth of God. And there's not an alternate truth. There's not some other message than Jesus Christ and Him crucified. There's not. This is not in the court of men to decide. Well, we don't like that. We'd rather have a, you know, when I was a kid, the preachers didn't last long at the church I was at. I don't know, two or three years, and then you'd get you another one.

But what they'd do is go out and send a committee out to find the preacher. Usually they were stealing him from another church, you know. They'd go over here and hear old brother so-and-so preach, and then they'd, you know, lo and behold, the Lord would, lead him to go to the church, you know, that was bigger, where they paid a bigger salary. I always wondered, even as a kid, I thought to myself, you know, why is it that the Lord always leads these men to go somewhere where they're gonna get paid more money? You know, it was a puzzle, but to me, I didn't have any answers for it. I got the answers now, I know what it is. You know, it's the religious games that people play.

Because a man that's called of God, he don't care if anybody gives him any money or if they beat him on the back. He's going to do what God sent him to do and he's gonna do it come hell or high water. I cease not to warn you. And now, brethren, I commend you to God, to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. I have coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities and to them that were with me. I have showed you all things how that so laboring he ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said it is more blessed to give than to receive.

And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all. And they all wept sore and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship. And so he took his leave of them, but he left them with a warning.

He said, some of you are gonna depart from the things that I told you. And that's what the message to the church at Ephesus is. You have departed in some measure from those things that I have told you. He says, I'm not gonna cast you off unless you don't repent and turn from these things. Because if you don't return, if you don't repent and return from these things, it is an evidence of the fact that you have not heard the word of God. And if you have not heard the word of God, it's an evidence that you don't belong to the Lord. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.