"Dear Church, You Got Me In My Feelings" Revelation 2:1-7::You've Got Mail

[Music] come on put those lessons together unless I up oh come on you can do better than that let's give God some praise [Music] have your Bibles join with us the revelations chapter 2 we're beginning a new series today entitled you got mail I know some of you may not remember but there used to be a day when you want an Internet you have to put in a little cd-rom in your computer make sure your computer was connected to your phone line AOL dial-up internet y'all remember that do you who still got your AOL email account come on be real wave it hi don't be ashamed come on wave them hi you got your AOL AOL account you got it man who else I know some more some more people got it you still use the don't J man I ain't managed I got hotmail so I ain't hating oh yeah I understand but but God spoke to me on that and talked about you got mail and over the next couple of weeks I'm gonna focus in on the church and let me go and say this and I hope it's no secret as your pastor I love the church I'm an apologist for the church I'm a defender of the church and I'm struggling lately simply because the church has taken a bad rap the church to me sometimes takes the blanket of blame over different peoples hurt insecurities and we go ahead and blame the church when it's not the church it was probably some rude individuals that attended that church but that's not the church you know what I'm saying and I hate how we make blanket statements you know one preacher bad all preachers bad you know not every black pastor went to the White House we didn't go so don't be talking about you gotta be prophetic we didn't go hey it went everybody you know I'm saying and even then be careful because it's hard for me to judge intent right cuz you don't know what you would have done if you got the invitation it's easy to say what you wouldn't do when you know you won't gonna get invited you know so so I'm I get tired of the blanket statements you know the movement popular gospel artists you know making some derogatory terms against the church I've seen people walk away from the church because of some of the stuff we say about the church and I believe we're gonna be held accountable for that now hear my heart and really I feel the intent of this series for me is I love the church but I know that the church should be critiqued in a loving compassionate way for those who love to see the church be better now I have a problem with people who always got something negative say about the church but ain't gonna help the church now you know I love I love constructive criticism as much as the next person but don't just say something didn't just like bump it that's what no if you're gonna give some constructive criticism let's all help the church why because I believe the church is the hope of the world the Bible confirms and reaffirms that he says he's coming back for his church without spot or wrinkle which means yeah we're gonna have to get in the washing machine a little bit we're gonna have to be ironed a little bit but we we are the Bride of Christ and so I really want to look at it because I think part of the challenge deaconbrown is that we all can come up with our own preference for the church but what does Jesus think about the church so over the next couple of weeks there are seven letters written to seven churches in the book of Revelation and we're gonna unpack them and I hope I'm not sure how this gonna go could be a didactic teaching series it could be your church ECU I don't know but I want y'all to hear my heart because I think that as we are believers if you're part of the church you ought to feel some type of responsibility to help the church be better if you're not building the church what are you doing like that we are no longer able to just sit on the fence you can no longer just say well I just attend no either you are helping the church or you are bringing down the church there is no and I'll get into that because there's one church the last word he says my problem with you you you neither hot nor cold I got to spew you out your lukewarm so and so that's all I won't deal with today so let's get to Revelation chapter 2 we're gonna go over these over the next two months we can read etern 133 let's give God praise for that that's incredible that's amazing but I still believe the best days of the church are and I really do and I made it a mission of mine and I love the church and I'm not one of those you know I'm careful make sure you know we can always be planned you know how church people are now people just crazy period and ain't just Church people your family crazy your co-workers crazy your classmates crazy you crazy yeah I mean it's a city buddy right so once we are honest about it and try to navigate it and say alright how can we work through this and see what God is saying all right Revelation chapter 2 all right some I'm gonna be longer than I want today because I got to give foundation but hopefully y'all pray with the preacher and help us do it Revelation chapter 2 beginning around verse 1 New Living Translation reads this way write this letter to the Angel of the church in Ephesus this is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand the one who walks among the seven gold lamp stands I know all the things you do I'm seeing your hard work and your patient endurance I know you don't tolerate evil people you have examined the claims of those who say there are apostles but are not you discover they are liars you patiently suffered from me without quitting but I have this complaint against you you don't love me or each other as you did it first look how far you've fallen turn back to me do the works you did it first and if you don't repent I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches this is in your favor you hate the evil deeds and Nic elations just as I do and anyone with ears to hear must listen to the spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in paradise of God verse 4 is Jesus talking to the church at Ephesus and he says but I got one issue one complaint against you you don't love me or each other as you did first as we're going through the series and I'm gonna title each serie each sermon dear church it's gonna always start it but today as we deal with this first letter that Jesus sends concerning the church I want to talk about dear church you got me in my feelings lift those hands Oh heaven said Lord speak we need to hear you may be seated at the presence of God dear church got me in my feelings as I've stayed on my love of the church I appreciate what the church means and what it stands for and oftentimes we fail to understand we fail to to really get to the place to even have even a historical construct for the significance of the church part of that's because for many reasons we make the church synonymous with brick and mortar and that is not just the church the Bible lets us know that the church in essence is not brick and mortar it is people it was instituted to us that word that we first hear in Scripture found around Matthew chapter 13 was a moment when Jesus takes his disciples where he takes them to a place called Caesarea Philippi and it says to Rhea Philip I asked him some poignant questions who do people say that I am who do you say that I am and in the midst of that conversation Peter responds he remarks and and he answers in the affirmative he says you are the Christ son of the Living God and on that moment Jesus makes the declaration he invites us and infringes upon us the first mention of the church he says that upon this rock confession of faith I'll build my church that word church is simply ecclesial the called out it is a significant thing it a group of people who are founded on the bedrock of the faith the faith the foundation the belief that Jesus is the Son of God that's what undergirds the church in essence the church is a body of believers that is built on that sturdy foundation but also as he was preparing to leave them he gave them the mission of the church the Great Commission go ye therefore and make disciples baptizing and doing those things so the church has a foundation Church has a mission whenever you read the book of Acts it begins to give us the maturation of what the church is in essence supposed to be Jesus did not leave documents he left disciples it's intriguing that whenever you read the book of Acts and I encourage you in your own spare difunctional periods spend some time in the book of Acts because it is there we began to see the synergy the growth the maturation of the church and how it started with a few fledgling fearful disciples how that thing begins to morph and grow and to now what is the univer Universal Church that we have today I think it's interesting to know that God used problems pain vicissitudes to be the fertilizer favored for the growth of the church and I was instituted it and God began to fasten and grow the church we get my brothers and sisters I was leave to us as much as we have the foundation and the mission and began to understand the machinations and the growing's of church it is there in the book of Revelation that we begin to see it from a different perspective because one of the challenges in trying to discern and begin to talk about the church is that if I was to give each of us the microphone all of us would come up with our own idea of what the church should be some would suggest perhaps this place of social advocacy perhaps it should be committed to making sure that it's advancing social concerns others would say well the church should perhaps just be a Worship Center where we come and just worship others would say the church should be a place that meets needs totally all of us could come about our own way about what we deem what the church should be and that's cool based upon our preference one of the dangers and challenges of trying to define something by preference is the preference might not be as purpose that even though some things are good they may not be godly and when I say that I think that every mission of a church it really depends on the location that there is no just singular Church that does it all but we must maintain the sense of reality that there are some core things we should all do because if we were to nitpick every situation every church every institution every leader every church attended signed something wrong but I want to submit for you today that is not just about making sure that we understand our preference but what is Jesus's purpose for the church and that's what brings us my brothers and sisters to the book of Revelation it is here but I believe that in the seven letters that he pens to that exiled prophet by the name of John the elder that he begins to allow us understand God's purpose for the church I understand when it comes to revelation I could see and since the apprehension for most of us because we don't like to deal with the book of Revelation for many of us the language is scary we don't like the verbiage of Revelation but for any believer you ought to be excited about the book of Revelation the book of Revelation is the most powerful book for us why because it gives us the eschatological ending that God has already ordained for Humanity and creation in essence if I was a sum up the whole book of Revelation here it is God wins tried it again I know you get caught up in the beast and the Antichrist and all that language let me just give you two right now just one a singular theme for the book of Revelation here it is God wins and those who are connected to God when Israel which means that no matter what happens what transpires are in the book of Revelation no matter what Armageddon fights those things that take place winner you are on God's side you are guaranteed to be victorious I thought I had a few people that could shout right in there cuz I ain't gonna give you much to shout about today but that's good news for somebody to know that at the end of the day no matter what it looks like now God will win that's what it is but most of our challenge in understanding the book of Revelation beyond its most important and critical thing is that most of us don't know the language of Revelation language of Revelation is apocalyptic literature it literally is symbolizes as symbolism metaphors in essence you got to understand the language what is they what are they really trying to say it's almost as if I would tell you 50 years ago if I said that something's bad you will say that it's bad negative but nowadays if you say something's bad it means good that the only way you can discern that is understanding the language the vernacular the verbiage for which it is produced and that is one of the key factors in making sure you understand the book of Revelation that's an essence my brothers sisters what Revelation chapter warning is it it morphs and begins to mature us understand about the realized work of Jesus Christ Revelation chapter 1 given to that exiled prophet by the name of John the elder as he's on the Isle of Pettus what Chapter 1 simply gives us understanding is that he's Alpha and Omega that this is the one he is the total sufficient Savior the sole wanna that has satisfied all of the requirements for our redemption let me say that one more time what you hear in Chapter wanna is that Jesus is a king who's known as our lamb he is the sacrificial lamb that because of his blood was shared of our sins have been forgiven and we have access to the throne of grace some are gonna shout over that that in essence is the building block that revelations chapter 1 don't miss it my brothers and sisters that you can't move to chapter 2 unless you understand the work had begun and was finished through Jesus Christ and it is here that he transitions because in chapter 2 and 3 he writes seven letters looking at seven churches seven locations it begins its outlying them in a very unique way he writes them to a church in Ephesus church in Smyrna Pergamum Thyatira layered to see a Philadelphia and others he writes a letter a letter once again allowing them to understand his expectations for the church here is the tricky part because each location is special each location is unique however he still can pull universal truths out of each church and this is what I'm suggesting to you what he says the Ephesus he's saying to us what he's saying to Smyrna he's saying to us what he's saying to Pergamum Thyatira and layer two see he's saying to us in essence even though he's speaking to a local context and congregation there are some universal truths we can glean from it and my brothers and sisters that's what brings us to this first letter as he now pins it as this King he writes this to John the elder and the first church he wants to talk to is a church in a place called Ephesus Ephesus is perhaps the largest of these seven locations is perhaps considered even the capital of Asia Minor it it's a major burgeoning place it is huge matter of fact it ranks third in population behind Rome and Alexandria about quarter of a million people have now lived within the limits of Ephesus and as he looked at the church that was planted there by Aquila and Priscilla he looks at them he notices y'all do good works you are discerning people but I got one problem that when I survey you in I peel back the layers behind your works and your discernment there's something that concerns me you don't love me like you used to our relationships a little free we don't seem to be on it like we used to and just like Drake as Kiki does she still love him and danced her is she still riding with him that's the same question that Jesus asked his church at Ephesus he looks at them and says I know you're doing good works but do you still love me I know that you have a discerning spirit but are you still riding with me and may I ask you a question today because at the end of the day this was not just a question for the church in Ephesus it was a church for us today God is asking us the question he knows you serve in ministry he knows that you come to church you tithe you sing in a choir you you sit on the front row but do you still love him if he was to look at your heart are you still passionately in love with the Lord I mean I'm talking about do you still love the Lord and I want to ask that question I don't mean to get all in your business and my brothers and sisters but if the truth be told that some of us can look at our lives and we can declare is not what it used to be that here we are we in church but we don't love like we used to be we we sing but we don't pray like we used to pray I mean I mean we come and we we operate but there's something sort of missing I wish you be honest I know you want that person on your roll to assume that you're the greatest Christian this side of heaven and you want you to think that you got everything together but I wish some honest people were being here and be frank with me and say you know what pastor I must admit that sometimes I feel distant from the Lord and that happens in a subtle way because our text tells us as great as the church in Ephesus was from a commercial standpoint it was a seaport area a lot of trade was going on from a political standpoint all the big wheels would make their decision in Ephesus from a religious standpoint it was supposed to be the home base of our team is that Greek god of fertility and was some reason in spite of all that they were drifting away it was so bad my brother's sisters that even if you were trying to locate this church now you would have a hard time finding it matter of fact scholars have found out that what they assumed to be a Shore town when they found his city limits come to find out it had now wandered seven miles from the shore perhaps some scholars did some great research some archaeologists began to unearth some things that come to find out that Ephesus has great of a church a great as a city it was it had one fatal issue it could not manage his silting process yes it was silting well silting was when dirt and debris would wash up from the sea and began to push the border of the city back and it would happen because the people neglected to keep dredging the dirt see the problem is whatever dirt would come you had to make sure that you kept dredging it so you're sure or your line won't be moved back but they got complacent they got lazy and so that line started to push them back and because they didn't deal with their dirt debris what started out as an inch move to a foot foot move to a yard yard moved to a football field until finally they were seven miles from the shore let me ask you a question child of God because distance just doesn't happen overnight you just don't fall out of love overnight happens it's a small little thing maybe if you waking up in a rush and you fail to do your devotion this morning or maybe it's yes you're tired and before you decide to read your Bible there's something else that intrigues you it starts out real small maybe maybe it's some concert that you had to see it and even though you normally go to church you just say well I just I'll just sleep in this Sunday one Sunday moves to two Sundays two Sundays moves to three Sunday's next thing you know you're starting to plan stuff and now you don't even read your Bible you don't even pray anymore you ain't even watching us on streaming thing now you've got distant from the Lord and the question I want to push with us today and the question that I think is on this passage of Scripture is that Jesus is saying in spite of your words in spite of everything you do I got a problem your heart is not connected to me and here's the danger my brothers and sisters is this text lets us know that in spite of all our outside stuff and we can look like we got it going on if our heart is not connected to Jesus Jesus says I will get rid of you y'all ain't helping me here I know I know you want me to give it to you in a sanitized manner I'm sorry guys I can't preach nothing but the Word of God and I know you want me to come give you some content lui that as long as you know he says listen if it ever gets to the place where your heart continues to be distant from me here's what I'm gonna do I'm just gonna end up making sure that you're no longer gonna be connected to me if you take my presence for granted I I'll move on and the blessings I've been giving you I'll give to somebody else because my chief aim is not what you do externally but I want to know is your heart still committed to me I wish I had some help do me a favor touch somebody close to you and ask them a question do you really love Jesus that's our text and I want to look at it I have to give it to us I have to teach you this I want you to understand so that there will be some understanding and how we're gonna tackle each of these letters because each of these letters are written in four parts make sure you write these down this is gonna be important matter of fact you need to write these down because I made quiz you on it later here in our tanks that each letter each seven letters is written in a specific pattern number one the first part is gonna be an introduction that defines Jesus for that church that that first part is always gonna be how Jesus is defined for that church second part is gonna be Jesus's complements of that church but he tells of what he sees that they're doing well and what they are mastering and what they have going on the third part is where Jesus criticizes the church it's where he telling some of the things that they need to work on the things that they need to make sure that they're growing in the areas that needs to be there their margins of expansion and the fourth part is the promise that happens that when they allow the spirit to open their ears and hear that he says they're some guarantee promises I'm gonna give to you every letter will flow that same way from an introduction defining Jesus the Jesus's commentary his commending of their actions to him being critical to him finally allowing them to understand that if you around the Spirit to open your ears here's your guaranteed victorious promise that I'm gonna give to you that my brothers and sisters it's how we're gonna outline it well let me give it to you real quick let me share what I see in this text because uh in chapter 2 verse 1 this first church Ephesus notice how Jesus is defined he says I'm the one angel the house and I'm holding the Seven Stars in my right hand and I walk amongst the seven golden lampstands I got to slow down here once again remember I told you in order to understand revelation you got to understand symbolism the vernacular the verbiage of Revelation and in the Bible specifically in Revelation numerology is critical seven is God's number number of perfection completion so in here we're seeing completed we're seeing here a total a universal a mature thing and notice what Jesus says in this takes you see me as the one holding seven stars in my right hand that word stars in text whenever you read throughout Revelation it literally means church leadership he's very saying that I'm the one holding as angel of the house I'm the one holding the leaders of the church notice he's not holding them individually but collectively as if the suggests that when we read it the better rendering is I'm the one that is holding up those who lead you now I know let me polish me because I know nowadays especially we can be quick to be critical of those God calls to lead because we began to judge them based on our criteria and I'm here to tell you that there is no perfect leader if you are here because you assume that I'm perfect please ma'am please sir you can depart now I am not perfect no leader in God's house is perfect but here is where we got to be careful because Jesus makes it clear in the text I'm the one holding them in my right hand the reason why you ain't say nothing is because if we'll be honest most of us are guilty of attacking those who are in the hand of God and I've learned this and over 15 years of pastoring I want to tell you because I know we can be quick to lambast people we can be quick to I'll go ahead and put our mouth on people and we can be quick that as soon as we see them fall or they do something we don't like we're quick to go ahead and tack and let me just warn you child of God be careful attacking those that are in the hand of God because I'm here to tell you no disrespect to others but he says you're in my right hand which is the power side of God but let me tell you be careful because what you do not understand is why you're attacking them in his right hand you forget God got another hand y'all don't like me what I'm simply trying to tell you is God will protect his own that's my David's here touch that not anointed ones up and do my prophets no harm which means the best thing you can do is that when they fall victim to something you pray for a winner they end up falling short pray from winner they may not do what you want them to do pray for them why because I learn that God can do far worse to them that would you didn't think that you can do by yourself I wish I had some help in other words he says I'm home putting them in my right hand not only that golden lampstand is literally symbolic of the church and he says not only am i holding them I'm walking amongst them that what gives the church the presence and power is not how many pews it has it's not how many locations they can boast but what gives the church its power is the fact that Jesus is walking in the midst of y'all may help I know y'all hang on like this because some of us assume that if you don't show up to church the church is gonna stop you assume that if you ain't here to hold it goes Ango move you assume that if you don't show up on Sunday that's something that's gonna happen let me go ahead and reassure you that there is nobody in this place that can't be replaced let me just be real with you and I've come to learn that what shows us what kind of successful church it can be is not predicated on how many folk is in the pews up but what makes a church powerful is is Jesus walking in the midst of it and I don't know about you my brothers and sisters are that when I come to church I've got to this place if nobody else show up my prayer is the Lord you show up because if you show up then I've got everything that I mean he says I'm the one holding the Stars and walking amongst the golden lampstands and he concludes by saying if you got an ear by the spirit I wish I had time because I would tell you what he literally says is you can't do what I'm asking you to do if you're not driven and led by the spirit you can't hear you can't act unless the spirit makes you up do what is car yelling Oh help me here in other words uh you don't just need the Sun you need the spirit to an act but the Sun is saying because it's the spirit that allows us to walk in a different way he says that the spirit allows I ears to be open and in that first letter he says I'll give you truth from the tree in the paradise of God I see why you can't shout because you don't remember what Genesis said he said it's the tree of life which is in essence what he said that winner you operate according to what I give to you I'll give you the gift of eternal life I know y'all can't shout about that I see because if I made promises to you and told you gonna get a brand-new car if I told you gonna mink fur in your closet if I told you that you don't have free gas for the rest of your life you would have flipped over the pews but we don't shout over salvation no more weak we don't shout over so cheer on we we don't shout over the fact that our eyes are kept and I know that some people trying to make you think that this is it but as a child of God you wanna shout over salvation you wanna shove it that I'm just passing through you wanna shout that I got another home waiting for me you wanna shove it that there's something greater than this you wanna shout about the gift of God is eternal life opens is in then wait with the middle and so imma live real quickly I'm gonna drop these on your rollin up out of here notice in the tense that after knowing showing who he is and the promises they don't get he says where I got some issues and I'm in my feelings about a couple things because as I look at what you do and your heart there are some challenges they don't always line up so let me drop these to you early let me give these to you write these down here's the first thing that he tells us in this passage that he said this is what's really driving me crazy this is why I'm struggling with our relation why you got me my feelings it's because I want your inward exaltation to be consistent with your outward execution in other words he says I want what you're doing the outside to match what you do on the inside but that's what he says so I know all the things you do he said matter of fact he come in as a matter of fact he says man here's the crazy thing y'all amazing when it comes to good works he literally talks about this concept he he looks at the church in Ephesus say man y'all is strong y'all work hard y'all y'all are committed to trying to do what you can for the kingdom of God in other words he listed under two banners you were strong in good works pertaining to your labor and Terk pertaining to your patients that were labor it kept us in the Greek it literally means tutorial with sweat he says many y'all are hard workers that I don't have to push you to do good deeds you roll up your sleeves and you get it done that that whenever the call is made you don't mind serving for the Lord you don't want to sit on the sidelines you you want to get involved if there's a sign up for anything you go ahead and do it you make sure that you told you are laboring in the kingdom and here he says that's commendable but then he says not just a labor that I love he also your patience so where patience is not some passive term and literally in the Greek word it suggests to us he says it's his fortitude with wherewithal it's it's being consistent in trouble in other words what he says is is when you got true godly patience you can go through something and instead of having the perspective of a pity party you'll say you know what even though I don't like it what is God trying to teach me in the midst of this then I'm not gonna let what I go through stop me from doing what I'm supposed to do for the kingdom of God in other words the more pain the more pain I'm gonna get in other words I that I understand that somehow someway God is using this not to destroy me but to develop me y'all ain't helping me he says I appreciate that about you cuz folk will oftentimes go through something they'll go away from the church something will have a headache and then get missing but now not you it takes everything for you not to come you got to make sure that you are giving your all he says I appreciate the fact that you do all that you can in labor and in patience by is the motivation right are you serving just to be served or are you serving cuz you really love the Lord are you serving because you want people to pat you on the back are you serving because you want people to put your name in lights are you serving enough because you believe the pastor will be there and he'll watch you and you'll see what you're doing or are you really serving because your heart is any he wants to know and all your good works and all your patients are is the motivation that your inward matches your outward I was a head time I know that ain't none of us but you know some of us can be and if we're not careful the motivation for our good work instead of being God glorified it can be self satisfying will start to do stuff so that people are knowledge a year they just type volunteer yeah oh they always on post yeah they always do and so and so and if we're not careful we can be known for good works and not have a good heart I wish I had time because it can tell because if your motivation is not right if your good works are out there if you don't have the right motivation if people ain't watching you won't do it if stuff ain't going the way you want it to go then you fall away he wants to know does your inside match you out challenge because I see the good work she do but is it good or is it just for a photo op I'm struggling because I want to give you the benefit of the doubt but are you really doing it because she loved me so he says listen I want to make sure that your outward execution matches your inward expression but then he also says one thing I also notice why I got me my feelings I want to know can your desire for me match your discernment for the truth because one of the things that's intriguing when you read these three verses we gave you is that it says one thing God says that I really appreciate not besides your good words boy y'all sweat hard y'all go in y'all a patient also I can tell you're discerning people you don't just let anything and anybody come and try to give you God's Word so you got to go back in Acts chapter 19 and 20 when Paul before he gets sent off to Rome he spends a lot of time with the church in Ephesus and one thing he warns the mob he says be careful there's some false teachers that's gonna come amongst you and they gonna tell you everything that's gonna sound good but it ain't gone so you need to be on watch see I know for us today we don't know how that is but in antiquity this was crucial this is when they were formulating the gospel they they were trying to make sure they were living the correct godly life they were making sure they were following the teachings and the mandates of Jesus and in that day just people would come and they would come up with all kind of crazy stuff that they assumed was sounded good but was not from God and so what the church in Ephesus theater is that whenever you came they would examine your life they would want to hear what you got they want to make sure that she knew what she was talking about they didn't just want you talking to them and coming to them with something that you do not know that comes from Scripture they want them under adulterated truth of God's Word they did not want you to water it down I didn't want you to come with some new revelation that you think you got and so he says I appreciate the fact that y'all were discerning enough to know what was God and what was not and because you were mature enough you could call it what it was you're real but you think you you telling true but you a liar yelling Oh help me here now and I want to kill you that's my greatest trouble with the contemporary church is because we'll just listen to anybody we all open our eyes and I heart something anybody that got a website got a flyer got a fanpage as long as it sound good they got all the look on them they seem like they can hold them my correctly but yet be careful my brothers and sisters because God didn't make you foolish she gave you a gift called discernment which means you gotta try the spirit up by the spirit up which means if it don't feel right it ain't right y'all ain't helping me here which me I can let myself be fed by anybody I know that some of y'all just go to any other conference and do whatever you want to go but I've got to praise my spiritual life is too important I just came late everybody put their hands in my meal because I want you to know that it's here if it ain't in the Word of God we got nothing to talk about if it is not in his truth we ain't got nothing to discuss Allah help me because I want to submit to us that that's where the church is now I've been having this conversation wherever I go that we've shifted dispensational II in what the major fight for the church will be before the previous generation what's fighting the worship wars they were going over what kind of worship we was going through they were trying to argue well praise and worship vs. deacons doing devotionally they were doing worship arguments but now our generation is fighting a different fight is moved from a worship wars to Doctrine Wars but now we're gonna have to make sure that we are our defenders of the authentic gospel because at the end of the day we got a whole lot of people making up a whole lot of stuff that ain't in the Bible I know that's bad English but that's good preacher and I'm here to tell you that's why you got to be careful cuz you got people out there trying to tell you ain't no hell trying to tell you ain't no eternal life try and tell you this and that and let me tell you something there is no new revelation Under the Sun let me tell you let me go and just brush your little prophetic bubble cuz I know you're an apostle I know you a cardinal I know you a bishop and all that but let me tell you something God's Word has stood the test of time and if God didn't say it back then he ain't saying it now which means when I show up to church I'm not coming to hear some new revelation I'm coming to hear what has God already said and how can I apply it in y'all ain't helping me here because the gospel may not tickle your ears but it's still the truth you do know what the gospel is right that over forty and two generations he sent His only begotten Son that was born to a virgin mary' he leav 33 years but reigns by friends and not by others he was hung up on an old rugged cross one Friday Barry's gonna borrow tomb but early on the third day he rose with all power in his hand a cinder to the right hand of the Father and he's awaiting for his return see I know that ain't gonna make everybody shout but the gospel in essence I if it ain't about the work the ministry the message of Jesus Christ it ain't the good news so miss me with that because it begins with Jesus it is with Jesus and I wish I had somebody touch somebody tell him you better know something about that gospel because in the name of G every knee shall bow every tongue shall come I made it my life's message if y'all get tired of it didn't leave imma talk about Jesus imma talk about the good news because in here my liver in here my Jesus what he said [Applause] so don't get it twisted don't you think some folk will come and try to give you some other stuff and make you fumble over yourself and think you need Jesus plus something else that's two or three people around you tell them Jesus all I need Jesus he's enough I wish I had hip he's enough he's enough to get you through your marriage he's enough to get you through your heartache he's enough to help you in your help he's enough to build up the church he's enough to save our nation Jesus so he tells him be seated please are scaring me listen he says I can trust you with the truth but then he uses something in verse six it's kind of peculiar I got to use it right here because I think it's significant he says and one thing that we do have a favor is that y'all are against the Nicolay shoes I got a pose here because for most of us we don't know what it is many scholars they struggle but they pretty much have settled on the fact they believe that this was a sect of heretical believers who tried to create their own form of Christianity now what makes this dangerous is that we mean niccola's not in revelation but in Acts chapter 6 Acts chapter 6 when God saw that what the work of the Apostles was too much he told them to create a diagonal those who would help serve the underserved who get seven men filled with the Holy Spirit that could help you in the Ministry of tables and out of the seven one of them was Nicholas so Nicholas was an ordained spirit field leader in the church but somehow he fell away he strayed away from the teachings and they deemed him a heretic y'all don't hear me but I want you to receive this because I've been seeing it says I've been praying and in the kingdom the greatest straight to the church is not gonna come from outside the church it's gonna be folk that are under the guise of supposedly knowing God's truth and I'll go make themselves to the point where they're gonna be making up anything that they can and go get away from the original teachings of y'all and go hit me here now that's why I be careful don't just fall prey to names check people out here what they gotta say for you go hook line y'all ain't helping me here because here it was the challenge internally that was their issue he says but you you show discernment you showed you can do good words but then he tells them this but here's my issue with you because the thing that I really want to make sure is that your love gets restored because if it's not you're gonna be replaced here it's where he goes off and I'll admit to you I wish I had a better way I wish I could take is I know we love oh he's the god of grace he don't always forgive us but here is a warning in this letter that Jesus may say listen I love y'all and I love your good works you can count it off and I appreciate the fact that you discerned it but if you don't know me and you don't love each other what's your purpose in existing I'll see y'all miss T he said no I appreciate how many volunteer hours you got Oh y'all look good at the back to school bash the health expo yes Lord and you serve in the nursery you serve in the choir y'all got all that you look good in grey suits on first Sunday but if you don't love me and if you don't love one another what's the purpose of heaven shirt you'll see I know I mean I know you got all these nice buildings and you got multiple locations and you got screens and automated videos and and you look good and all that but if you don't love what's the point you might as well close up shop say I know that's hard preaching but that's reality in the Word of God and it makes us look at ourselves because in all that do if we don't love what's the point y'all and go help me here because it began to hit my heart as I study this week and I got on my knees and tears came out of my eyes because my question to God and I aim to do good ministry have we forgot the basics of loving one another have we forgotten the essence of making sure that the primary thing we should do is make sure we love God before you tell me how many people signed up to serve did they love God before you tell me how many services you do do you really love God and I will admit to you I struggled because there have been some times that we can get so caught up in ministry we can get so caught up in building church that we fail to build our relationship with God and God sent me to tell you good man I love what you're doing but I need to know is your heart right do you love me or are you just coming to church just to come to church you appreciate the lights and all that but I'm gonna tell you that God told me climb out for us just being the church that if we're gonna be the church God wants us to be he's not judging us on the people on our role but he's judging us on the passion of our heart which means if we don't love God we ain't nothin up if we don't love one another we ain't nothin up he will take us because he can take the blessings he's giving us and give it to somebody else and I Russell as I say Lord I admit there been times I got more caught up in ministry dear loving you I got I got I must admit I know I'm a hit by myself and I got caught up in trying to build the church that I didn't always take time to build time with you I know I got caught up I made sure we were doing good works and doing that but there have been times that I didn't give God the attention that he deserves I know I know I'm in here by myself I know I know I know y'all gonna look at me and judge me and I know you might vote me out after the sermon but I got to tell my truth there big time well spend time researching for sermons instead of reading to get closer to God there been times of my brothers and sister a struggle and here the word was if I can't trust you to love me I take it all the way how the Mickey I wrestle but then he tells us some help I know he says but when you find yourself like that he gives us a remedy in the text I'm getting out of here here here it is I've been too long here it is he says three things to get back remember repent return when you find yourself distant and not as in love as she used to be remember repent return I wish I had time right if if y'all felt like hearing some Bible and some some preaching I would tell you there's power in remembering in other words what he tells them is that you got to get to the place where you go back to the moment when you remember where the Lord saved that you ought to take some time every now and again that you should go back to the time well you realize his grace is greater than your mistakes that you should spend some time going back to the moment you realized as bad as I be he still been good to me I won't take it perhaps the greatest enemy to some of us is a bad memory because sometimes you can think you made it all by yourself I see you when you come to church you come in walk in like you own the church sit down and don't even want to move you got your honest crosser you say he did not tell the neighbor to touch nobody cuz I ain't touching nobody I'm just glad I'm you just better be glad I'm here see folk like that y'all get on my nerves because you act like you brought yourself to this place but when you remember when you remember where he found you when you remember what you did we know you remember it was nobody but God winner you remember that it was God that brochure it was God that woke you it was God that I wish I had somebody I'm not trying to bother you but my soul and got happy just touch somebody tell them do you remember what the Lord has already done up into your life out of has somebody something y'all still seated because you don't remember you ain't always look that good you you ain't always true that could you you ain't always had to help your hair he kept your mind he kept yeah I wish I had somebody to say thank God I still remember what is already Turner Oh shucks my soda and got happy he said remember but the second thing he said do is repent he said that when you remember and you see where you are and you realize you haven't done what you're supposed to do the right response is to tell the Lord I'm sorry see I know some of y'all too bougie for that you ain't gonna admit that you made some mistakes but every time I wake up in the morning I tell the Lord I'm sorry I know I didn't do what I was supposed to do yesterday I'm sorry I you know what I didn't got every I and cross every T I'm sorry I see the reason why something you can't get delivered is because you too stuck up to ask for forgiveness huh but real believers understand that I serve a God that he's faithful and just to forgive me of all of my sins huh which means when I ask him to forgive me huh even if I messed up real bad he'll still come back and see about me huh do I got any mature folk in the house huh they can just say I'm sorry I made some mistakes I'm sorry huh I haven't done what I was supposed to do I'm sorry I'm not giving you the Broward if you deserve I'm sorry yeah is there any sorry folk in the house that can open your mouth and tell the Lord I'm sorry Oh shucks I feel good here now he said remember number one he said repent number two but here it is and I'm rolling about it here the last thing he said I was returned in other words I don't just want you to think about where you are I don't want you to just think about how far brought you up but I need you to go back and go back to that place will you make me priority in your life I need you to go back to that place when I was a chief one among your thoughts huh that you woke up in the morning thinking about me huh on your job you were thinking about me and I was the last thing you thought about how you're a Fed hit the pillow at night huh I got a rule about it here do me one favor I feel like having a little grab a neighbor by the head that neighbors hair like you got Holy Ghost power and while you're shaking that neighbors head shake it real good and like a chicken that neighbors hand said me excuse me if I shake a little too hard but I've just started to remember how good the Lord has been and I made up my mind that since he's been that good to me that's the least I can do is return the favor huh and be good back to God I'm canonical now that I got a word for somebody it ain't time to play checks no mom but you gotta go back I filled Andre couch in my spirits take me back take me back deal all till I get back to the place where I first believed you I got anybody here that said I'm going back because when I think about the goodness of Jesus and all he's done for me my soul cries hallelujah thank God for saving me I'm outta here now but I can hear some of you saying pastor I can't go back I've been moved away from home I can't go back I got a different entrance I can't go back but let me tell you there's a place that no matter where you go you can always go back to and my grandma told me it as a young boy when she sang the song they said at the cross at the cross where I first saw the knight and the burden of my heart rolled away it was there by I receive my Oh shucks y'all don't want to help me preach and oh y'all don't want to help me preach and y'all don't want to help me preach know what I'm talking about open your mouth and say take me back when he walks with me take me back to Winnie wops and talks with me take me back open your mouth and shout yeah sorry got it [Music] somebody tell him I'm going back I'm going back till I get my joy back I'm going back to my heart gets right I'm going back everyone standing I'm doing everyone said to play selfie I'm done I wish I had a voice this is all your good works is cool but do you love me all your discernment is great do you love me all the locations and services thousands people but do you love me it's a critical question and I want to submit that if we're not careful we can make ministry and Idol that you can love what you do and I love who you are and who's you belong to maybe that's why we see so many people who get so caught off guard and if they don't get enough lights get enough attention they get angry because when you are not secure in your love and connection with Christ you'll start to believe your validation is predicated on who you are so you start judging your your stature in the kingdom based on how many people connect with you when Jesus says I want you to understand the only thing that matters is how are you and I connected [Music] emphasis I got one issue you don't love me like you used to love me before whenever the church doors are open you used to beat the church coming but now you you roll in when you want to roll in you roll out early everything else takes precedent he says I see what you're doing and as good as I've been to you this how you gonna treat me many ways I made for you this this how you gonna treat me alright maybe that's a warning to us because I know we and it's nothing wrong with doing good works and we're gonna continue to do good ministry we're gonna continue to make sure that we discern who feeds us but if we don't do the bare basic necessity of loving God and loving one another what's the point see love covers a multitude of sins faith hope and love Paul says but the greatest of these is love and in this world full of hate the only thing to try about hate is alone and the church ought to be the chief place where love is exemplified you ain't gotta like everybody love everybody maybe that's that's what he said to emphasis and he's saying us it's when I look at you I see beyond what you do and I see who you are and I want to make sure that you're still [Music]

Channel: Tabernacle Baptist Church Augusta

Views: 6,802

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Id: FPHo1XfhXME

Length: 57min 49sec (3469 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 23 2018