How Do We Mend?

How Do We Mend?

I. Introduction

A. Revelation 2:7a (NIV) Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

B. Revelation 2:17a (NIV) Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

II. We Need to .

A. Revelation 2:1-4 (NIV) ¹“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. ²I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. ³You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. ⁴Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.”

B. Revelation 2:4 (NIV) “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.”

1. They had forsaken their love of .

C. Luke 10:41-42 (NIV) ⁴¹“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴²but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

1. It may also be that they lost their for .

III. We Need to Be to .

A. Revelation 2:8-10 (NIV) ⁸“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. ⁹I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know about the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.“

1. The gospel cannot be without !

IV. We Need to on to the .

A. Revelation 2:12, 14-15 (NIV) ¹²“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. ¹⁴Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. ¹⁵Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.”

1. If you listen to sound, healthy it will lead to a God-honoring, healthy .

B. I Timothy 6:2b-5 (MSG) ^2bThese are the things I want you to teach and preach. ³If you have leaders there who teach otherwise, who refuse the solid words of our Master Jesus and this godly instruction, ⁴tag them for what they are: ignorant windbags who infect the air with germs of envy, controversy, bad-mouthing, suspicious rumors. ⁵Eventually there’s an epidemic of backstabbing, and truth is but a distant memory. They think religion is a way to make a fast buck.

C. Revelation 3:20 (NIV) Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

V. Conclusion