scriptural thought this morning on the power of god this message today is called the evolution of a church from fired up to burned out i've always loved camping and being outdoors but i've i've discovered this that when you are camping you can have a very great friend in the fire and with that great friend the fire you can build that fire you can cook with it You can be warm with it. There's a lot of great things that can happen with a fire. But if you let that fire get out of control, there's a lot of damage that can be done to that woods that you're into the people who own property there to the livestock that there much damage can be done i don't think it's a everybody is here's about the great storms that raid sometimes in the west where just acres acres and acres of land a lot homes are lost people's everything they had if a fire is out of control God wants us to use controlled fire. And the church is such a fire. One of the things that people can do, you can be warmed by the church, there's light in the church, there is food within the church that that fire is good for. But I want to share with you the church that we probably know more about than any other church in the New Testament. the church in Ephesus. And we know a lot about the church at Corinth. In fact, two epistles written to Corinth and there's a lot of things we can find out about Corinth from there. But the book of Ephesus is discovered in the book of Acts. It has the letter written to it from Paul, the church at Ephesus. And its pastor was also addressed. Two epistles were addressed to the pastor at Ephesus on things that were going on in that church and how to take care of it. Timothy was the pastor of the church at Ephesus for at least a year and a half. And as he was pastoring there, and as he was ministering there, Paul wrote to him about things that were happening in that church that he needed to be aware of. Things that were going on, and how to handle them, how to take care of them. And then the book of Revelation gives us the end of that church. As it had been in a live church for maybe 30 to 40 years. Where had it headed? Where was it going and a warning that was given to that church so we can see kind of the evolution of that church. So I'd like to for you with Acts chapter eighteen to look with me please. verses 18 and following Paul has been in Corinth and he says but Paul still remained a good while he took leave of the brethren and sail for Syria and Priscilla and Aquila were with him and he had had his hair cut off at Centuria for he had taken a vow And he came to Ephesus and left them there. But he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. And they asked him to stay a longer time with them, but he did not consent, but took leave of them, saying, I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem, but I will return again to you, God willing. And he sailed from Ephesus. And when he had landed in Caesarea and gone up and greeted the church, he went down to Antioch. Now, I've called this now some sparks of truth, some sparks of truth. If you're going to start a fire, you've got to have sparks from someplace. You've got to have a way. You've got to have an ignition source someplace. You've got to have something that starts that fire. And here, the sparks of truth were starting here. Paul has come to Ephesus, and with him are Aquila and Priscilla. Aquila and Priscilla were a couple who were also tent makers, who had become the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul struck up a friendship with them. They realized they had a common faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and he made tents, and sometimes they kept making tents while he went ahead and ministered. So they found themselves to be quite a team. Paul always traveled with a team. You're better off yourself to always be with a team. Someone you can trust. Someone you can be with. That's why we're often husbands and wives. Quill and Priscilla were a husband and wife team. Who had dedicated themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ. They wanted his gospel to be known. They knew they were carrying the gospel of the kingdom. That a day was coming that Jesus Christ was coming again with a kingdom that was going to be different than any kingdom on the earth. And that all the present kingdoms were going to be subdued. Ended. Wiped out. It was called a day of God's wrath, but it was also called a day of God's grace and mercy. Because righteousness was going to be extended to all people. So Paul comes to Ephesus with Aquila and Priscilla. He's going to lead them in Ephesus. While himself, he goes into the synagogue, which was normal for him, and began to reason among the Jews. Now, Paul's method was quite simple. He took the Old Testament, because there isn't a New Testament. He took the Old Testament, opened it up, and showed where the New Testament taught that a kingdom was coming. That that kingdom had to have a king. That king had to be an eternal king. He had to be one who would live on forever and ever. And he would then explain to them, the king has come. Jesus is that king. And he would reason in the synagogues with people like that. Some people would believe, some people would say, I don't know. I don't know. Crucified? Crucified's not a good thing. If it was such a great king, why haven't we heard more about it? If he's such a great king, why is he crucified? Crucified's a shameful death. Well, he's been raised from the dead. Yeah, we don't know anybody raised from the dead before. That's not a... And some would disagree with him. that led paul finally by the book of uh... an extra twenty eight to say i am through going to jewish people not to do it anymore the gentiles will listen so we're going to go to jim was to spend our time with the gentiles but here he reason with that begins an interest let me just take this to you wherever you are don't be afraid to start the sparks of truth around your neighbors around the people you work with You say, well they don't trust Christ right away. Neither did they hear. Neither did they hear. Paul is starting the firewood. He's getting things all together. Get the kindling together. Get all of the tender together. He's going to have a fire. Because God's going to have a fire. You see, God's the one who calls churches. It's not people. This is not an idea. This is not a recruitment form for a great business. God is creating churches. And as he creates churches, he creates them to be a light for the community. Now let me just share this with you, Edmont. It is an honor and a privilege to be chosen to be a light in a community. You follow that? God set up Edmont Bible Church as a light to the community. That is an honor and a privilege. it is his church and it's got to be his testimony is given out that's what gives the world the light they need to know about the wrath which is to come that's really get the light the lead about knowing who jesus christ is that's where they're going to get it all it's an honor be called the church of jesus christ that was what we read about a revelation chapter two emphasis have been such a church it had been called to be a lamp in the community And if you remember what we read, he said, if you don't do this, you don't represent me anymore, I remove your lamp from that community. Let me say something, brothers and sisters, it is a great shame to have our lamp removed. And it is a great loss for that community. Any place that the kingdom of God is not found, you're going to find people who can only walk the path of death. You follow me? They can only walk that path. There isn't another path. There's the path of life that's found through Jesus Christ, or the path of death that's found at every place else. It's not like there's some big third or fourth or fifth options in there. Every place that Christ is now going to be will follow the way of death. It cannot keep from it. Whether it's the death of itself or the death of those people they've declared to be less than them, it'll still be a culture of death. So, here Paul's going to the synagogue. He started the fire. Now watch what he did. He left Aquila and Priscilla there. Paul's got a vow he's got to keep, so he's going to leave. He's got something he's got to do, so he's not going to be able to stay. They're asking him to stay. But he can't stay. He's got to go. But Aquila and Priscilla are going to stay. If you would, look on down with me. Paul leaves. Aquila and Priscilla stay there. They're speaking to people about the Lord Jesus Christ. They're keeping the fire, if I can say it this way, warm. It's not caught on yet. There's not been a great ignition yet, but now Paul gets back. He goes to Jerusalem, he makes his way back. Turn to Acts 19 with me, just for a moment. And let's look at these first seven verses. And it happened while Apollos was at Corinth that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, that is, Galatia and all that area there, he came to Ephesus and finding some disciples, he said to them, did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? And they said to him, we've not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit. He said to them, into what then were you baptized? They said, into John's baptism. Oh, OK. Then Paul said, John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance. It was right that you should repent, you should turn away from trust in anything else. But go on and look what he says further, saying to the people that they should believe on him who would come after him. In other words, John is saying, repent, the kingdom of God is at hand, and the king is coming. Well, that's as much as these guys knew. The kingdom of God was at hand, and the king was coming, but they didn't know the king had come. The Holy Spirit then had not been given to them because they had not trusted Christ. When you trust Jesus Christ, that's when you receive the Holy Spirit. They hadn't received the Holy Spirit, though they were talking all of the messianic talk they were supposed to talk. That's how he recognized them as disciples. They had all the right words except a few. They were about the Holy Spirit. They were about Christ himself. And listen to what he says. He finishes his statement by saying that they should believe on him who should come after him. That is on Christ Jesus. And notice it's not just on Christ. If he'd said just Christ, that would have meant the Messiah. The Messiah. But he says Christ Jesus. Now he's told them specifically that the Messiah has come, and he's found in the person, a real person, Jesus. So he tells them about Christ Jesus, right? Now watch what happens. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. So they've been baptized in John's baptism, looking forward to the Messiah coming. Now they're baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, acknowledging that He has come. That's why they were baptized. Which, by the way, if you have not been baptized, Today is a great day for you because today you can be baptized. We have the baptistry has water in it and we're ready to baptize anyone who wants to admit openly I belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my Messiah. I know he's the Messiah and I'm not looking for any other and I want to make a public acknowledgement that I am a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a great day for you. Just see me after the service let me know that you want to be included in that and tonight we'll be having a baptismal service. Now, look what happens next. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Now the men were about 12 in all. They said, wait a minute. They received the Holy Spirit, they speak with tongues, and they prophesied. And that's the sign, isn't it, that the believers, that's the sign for Paul, that's the sign for all Jewish people. Here is one more confirmation that trusting in Christ is what makes you a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what brings you in the community. And as they received the Holy Spirit in the same way that it happened at Pentecost, in the same way that it happened in Samaria, in the same way that it happened to the Gentile legionnaire, the same way that it happened to him, it is now happening this time to indicate that God is confirming the work of the Gospel of Paul. This is the gospel of the kingdom. It's always a confirming work of the presence of the gospel. It's not about just feeling good about yourself or feeling good about God. It's always about a confirming work of what God was doing in opening up the gospel to other people. Now watch. He's going to gather more wood. So now you've got ignition going on. So firewood from the wilderness, we've called it. Why do I call it the wilderness? Well, simple. Where did John preach? He was preaching in the wilderness. So, here, the message of John, which had been preached in the wilderness, is now being repeated in Ephesus, far from the wilderness, if you would. That's in a very urban area. It's being repeated there, and there's still firewood. They're gathering firewood from the wilderness, is why I say it that way. You've picked up more firewood, you've put it on there, there's ignition. Paul is back. He's the apostle to the Gentiles. He's spoken the gospel. And it's caught fire. Now watch what happens as we go on. verses 8 to 10 and he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God so he's taking that old testament again he's speaking to all the jewish people in there who are familiar with the new testament or the old testament he's speaking to gentiles who have attached themselves to this uh... jewish synagogue because that was quite normal you could become a convert to israel to uh... Judaism by being in the synagogue, listening to all that sort. So there's Gentiles and Jews alike in that synagogue. He's taking the Old Testament, showing where the kingdom is, showing the promise that was given to David. David's going to have a son. One of his offspring is going to be the eternal king. Daniel's writing about the kingdom which is coming. It's going to destroy all the other kingdoms. It's going to be an everlasting kingdom. He's going to tell them about the Son of God. He's going to take them through Isaiah 40 to 66 to show them this is what the kingdom is about. This is what the Messiah is about. This is what it's all about. And some of them are going to believe. As it goes on further to say, But some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the way before the multitude. He departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus. And this continued for two years so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. So here's where you fill in your outline. Gathering more firewood. Gathering more firewood. He's picked up, he went to the synagogue, gathered more firewood. The disciples went with him in the synagogue. He is talking more about it and the firewood is being gathered. Please know this, every place you go, some firewood, some material is not flammable. Some of them will never catch on. You've got wet wood, you've got green wood, you've got wood that's just not going to catch on. Some firewood's just not flammable. So if you're thinking, well, it's magic. All you do is start telling the gospel and everybody just catches fire and they go on. Those of you who have been witnessing it all know that's not the case. That's not what happens. Sometimes people are just not flammable. They don't catch on at all. They get real upset about it, as a matter of fact. They'll speak against you. They'll do a number of things. You say, well then, that's when I get scared. I don't want to say anymore after that, because it gets spooky after the point. Look, it's not your gospel. It belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. They're not upset with you. They're upset with you because you brought the gospel to them. They're upset with the gospel. The gospel has a saving message in it to some. It has a condemning message in it to others. And those who feel only the condemnation side of it, who can't see the grace side of it, get mad about it. Those who see the grace side of it embrace it. They love it. They think it's wonderful. This is good news. So the good news, while it's good for some, sometimes carries not such good news for others. Number two, notice there's no wasting time with resistant materials. Move on to flammable fuel. this is a great uh... great picture for us as well listen there are people who are not going to listen to what we have to say that i could listen to the gospel of jesus christ move on move on to say well but i want to know christ you're being argumentative about is not going to change a thing once these steel themselves to it give god time to plow the ground back up again you've got time to soften their hearts move on to the flammable material that's exactly what he took away and for two more years now this is a little just decided it was a long time for paul to be in a place he's he's spending at least two-and-a-half years here already that's a long time can you imagine what those people are learning paul is the apostle to the gentiles he's the one largely responsible the bulk of new testament doctrine uh... if you want uh... books to read christian doctrine read the book of romans first That is the greatest collection of the body of Christian truth that you'll ever come across. That's a great one. Let me tell you this, if you want to read about how wonderful the kingdom of God is, Christ is, and the church is, read Ephesians. That is a full book of excellent stuff. He takes you from just low down to the sublimities right away. He takes you from being dead to being alive and seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. He shows you the full extent of what it means to be saved. This is a wonderful book, the book of Ephesians. He was there two and a half years with them. Teaching. Just teaching. Gathering more firewood. Getting the fire going more. But let's go on. Catching fire and burning the past. The fire spreads among those who will listen. And getting the message out to any who will hear, look in Acts chapter 19, 10. It says, And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. Now I'll remind you, Asia is the word that's used for the part of the world we call Turkey now. And this is saying that the word of God went out in all of Turkey, from right here. He's teaching people and it's catching on. This fire is going where it needs to go. Now it's providing warmth, it's providing food, but you also, remember what I told you, have to control the fire. If the fire's not controlled, it will do damage also. Look on with me here in Acts chapter 19, verse 11. Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out to them. Now, I want you to consider this. Where God is choosing to do his confirming work, he will often do things that cannot be explained in any other way but by him. It's not at all unusual for God to do miracle things. They say, wait a minute, I thought we were people who don't believe in miracles. No, no, no. That's not what we are at all. There is no point in us having prayer meetings if we don't believe in miracles. There's no point in us praying for people if we don't believe in miracles. Friends, we still believe in healings. We still believe that God heals. What we're saying is, we don't believe that there's anymore the gift of healing given to an individual. What we're saying is the book of James shows us, in James chapter 5, that the elders of the church had been given the responsibility of praying for the healing of its people. If any among you sick, says James 5, let him call for the elders. Let them gather together, anoint him with oil, lay hands on him, and the prayer of faith will save him. We'll heal that man. That's been given to the elders as a responsibility. It's not a single individual who's been given it that goes along whacking people on the head and they become healed. This is about God doing a confirming work of the gospel of Jesus Christ being His gospel. So in this city, which I'm going to share with you in a minute, this is a city that was filled full of all kinds of philosophies and all kinds of spiritist interests. Some of the people that we're going to read about in a minute obviously were shamans. witch doctors. We wouldn't call them that in Ephesus, but they were shamans. They were people who were using spirits and incantations and beliefs to heal and do all kinds of work there. So this city was open to that, but how do you know it's really God's work? While I was in India, we were introduced to a man who said, I want you to meet this man. A marvelous thing happened with this man. What was it? Well, he's Hindu. He's Hindu. And he got very sick. And it was near the point of death. They were burning all the things you need to burn. They were doing the incense, doing everything that is normal for a Hindu to do to bring life back to them. But he wasn't getting better. He was getting worse. So he went to the doctor. The doctors were trying to do something with him and couldn't figure out exactly what was wrong with him. So this lady came to the person that she knew to be a Christian. And she said, I'd like you to ask your God to heal my husband. He's very, very sick. And she said, I can't do that unless She said, what? She said, you have to throw away every indication of anything Hindu. You can't have the amulets on. You can't have the bracelets on. Anything that you're burning, the incense, all of it has to go out. Nothing but him in the room. Then he said, but what if it doesn't work? Then we've got to have something to fall back on. She said, then I can't pray for you. You can't have anything to fall back on. My God and my God alone will heal him. I don't want you to give credit to something Hindu if God does heal him. They agreed to it. Got rid of everything Hindu. The family prayed for this other family and the man made a miraculous recovery. He was well. And that whole family trusted Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Saying this, truly the Christian God is greater than all other gods. The Christian God is greater than all other gods. He was doing miraculous things, not simply so that people could feel better. You understand what I'm saying? Not simply so that we get past pains and aches and sorrows and sicknesses. He heals to confirm that He is the true God. We're pretty, if I can say this, we're pretty self-centered about the gospel. Why did Christ die? To save us from our sins. As if we're the end in itself. We are not the end in itself. Listen to this. He saved us for His own glory and honor. You follow that? He heals us for our own glory and for His own glory and honor. He doesn't heal us simply so we can feel better. He doesn't heal us simply so that we can be more productive people. He heals us for His own glory. You follow that? That's what He's doing here, in this place that's full of spiritists of all kinds. It's full of philosophies of all kinds. How do you confirm that the Gospel is actually the Gospel from the Creator God? Who else but the Creator could heal you? Who else but the Creator could put you back together again? Now, I'm telling you it was this very spiritist organization here. Look what further went on. Look at verse 13. Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists. What's an exorcist? The exorcist is the guy that drives evil spirits out of people. He exercises evil spirits out of them. Now, I'm telling you, Ephesus was full of people just like this. Here, this is an itinerant group of Jewish exorcists. That means they were on the road on a regular basis looking for places they could kick out demons. so here's this this group of uh... guys and they're hearing something what is this it took upon themselves to call the name of the call the name of the lord jesus over those who had evil spirits saying we injure you by the jesus and paul preaches there were seven sons of steve a jewish a jewish chief priest who did so and the evil spirit answered and said jesus i know and paul i know but who are you Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, prevailed against them, so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded. That's a pretty serious fight. You know what I'm saying? That's a pretty serious and strong fighting that goes on that these guys, this guy beats up seven of them, sends them out of the house wounded and without clothes. That's a pretty big deal. Why did he do that? Why did God do that? Okay, here's what I want you to see. On first, the fire spreads among those who will listen, getting the message out to any who will hear. They told everybody. They weren't specifically saying, we're just going to look around and say, we're looking for people who would like to be saved. Would you like to be saved? They were telling the gospel to everybody. those who heard attach themselves to it those who wouldn't hear they got angry about it the flames of the Spirit increased the heat through the confirming miracles so the miracles Paul was doing in verses 11 and 12 were increasing the heat and through confirming the miracles right let her see the Spirit protects the church by proving the counterfeit strange fire folk the church belongs to Christ and no other what was happening God was not willing, even though they were using the name of Jesus, He was not willing that they should be casting out spirits, because that would indicate that these Jewish itinerants, without believing in Jesus Christ, also were doing part of God's work. So He's not going to let them do that. That spirit's not going to go out of them. As a matter of fact, God's going to permit that spirit to beat them up. He's preserving his church. He's not willing to let his church be identified with that which isn't his church. You follow where we're at? This is critical to understand. This church is learning a lot of things, is it not? I mean, this church at Ephesus is catching on right away. They not only have instruction, they're seeing miracles take place. God's confirming the work. But they're also hearing that other people who want to hook onto this thing without being believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have equal power. They don't. So he's protecting his church. Go on a little bit further, because there's more to be seen here. The spirit creates more usable fuel through humility and repentance. The past is over and a new life has begun. Look with me, please, at verses 18 to 20. And many who had believed came confessing, telling their deeds. So a lot of people, whatever their deeds had been, and he doesn't tell us what they were, but many of their deeds, they're coming to confessing. They're admitting that they had been sinners. They're coming confessing that. They're confessing that Jesus Christ is the Lord. Look at the next verse, please. And many also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them inside of all. And they counted up the value of them in a total of 50,000 pieces of silver. That's a lot of silver, kid. And so the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed. Now, there's a lot of things that are going to take place here. You can read the rest of it here. An uproar is going to start. A riot is going to start. And there's going to be opposition to them. Alexander is going to stir up everybody. And as he stirs them up, he's going to tell them, look, this Christian thing is hurting us economically. They're saying that there isn't anyone else to worship but the Lord Jesus Christ. And our own temple is threatened by this. Diana's upset by this. We've got to do something about it. And they had this big uproar that went on that finally was settled by saying this, if you keep this up, do you know the Romans are going to come here someday and they're going to say, what's this uproar? It's got to be against us. And they're going to smack us good. And the uproar ended. Why? Because the uproar wasn't permitted by God to do anything. But I do want you to look at this. This church grows and has wonderful things happening to it. Until. Go with me to Acts chapter 20 just for a moment. Go with me to Acts chapter 20. Paul has been gone now. He has to leave. been moving all around us starting more churches and stuff and now he's taken offering back to jerusalem like he was accustomed to and as he's taken it back this time the holy spirit indicated in several churches that don't go back you go back now you're going to come back from there you're gonna be a prisoner if you go to jerusalem this is what's gonna happen to you well paul's determined that he's going to go to jerusalem even if it does mean but he's going to be arrested and taken captive taking the captive so in in all of that he's coming back around where the churches were he wants to encourage them all it was a strength in every one of those churches he wants to be be standing firm to the end so as he moves around he realized he does not want to go back to emphasis all the way if he goes back to emphasis all those people gonna be there and a good delay here they're all those all please come to our house we've before you go paul we want to come to our house from that have dinner that's had their and he's gonna be asked to stay days and days and days what he doesn't fit he comes to my leaders distance away and calls for the elders of the church to come to him right now let's let's pick this up God works through leaders gathered so Paul's understanding that God's going to do his work to leaders he gathers them together and then he starts speaking plainly with X chapter 20 verses 17 to 38 Here he says, from my leaders, he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them, you know from the first day that I came to Asia in what manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews, and how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you and taught you publicly from house to house. Testifying to Jews and also to Greece, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. That's the essence of the gospel. Repentance toward God, stop the way you're thinking about God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Further, and see, now I go bound in the Spirit, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received in the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. This is a sad meeting. Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. In other words, I don't owe anybody anything. I've told everybody I know the gospel of Jesus Christ. I haven't held it back. I owe you the gospel of Jesus Christ because it's the only way of salvation. This is the power of God. It's the only way you're going to be rescued from the wrath which is to come. I owe you that, and I don't owe anybody now. I have paid my debt. He goes on, for I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among whom the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves, men will rise up and speak perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore, watch and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone, night and day, with tears. And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have coveted no one's silver or gold, or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities and for those who are with me. I have shown you in every way by laboring like this that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive. When he had prayed and said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. Then they all wept freely and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship. Wow, that's a sad gathering, is it not? They know that they'll never see Paul again. And they know that they own their lives. The gospel had come to them and they were now saved. Now, let's just fill in some blanks, shall we? In his speaking plainly with them, he told them, I'm leaving you and I'll not be back. But he also said this, remember me and what I taught you. Remember me and what I taught you. He wants them to know, how did I live? How did I teach you? I was personal with you every step of the way. Number three, watch out and take cautious care. watch out take cautious care and there was a a good reason whether we have to watch out take cautious care he knows he's going to be gone he's not going to be there to stand for that he's not gonna be able to be there to uh... make make intercession and all the arguments that are taking place all the discussions that will take place and he tells them this savage wolves are coming to the church savage wolves come into the church these are going to be people who have in mind destroying the church They're going to enter into the church and they're going to have in mind stirring up trouble some way or another. He said watch out for them. He said secondly, some of you are going to change your doctrinal positions and make your own church. Some of you are going to get so strong, so mighty, so powerful that you're going to think that you're really smart. And you're going to create your own church out of the whole thing. Letter C. He tells them, stay with the truth and avoid covetousness. Stay with the truth and avoid covetousness. Now, the truth is the word of God. And that truth that he's telling them to stay with, he said, don't be covetous. Why would they be covetous? Because the principle was coming about that if you receive something that's benefit to you, then you pay for it. You give something that you have. And he was concerned about this. that they might change the doctrine in order that people would give more freely to them. And if they coveted being comfortable, if they coveted being taken care of and made their security this world only, they would abandon the gospel. Because the love of money is the root of all evil. You'll shipwreck your faith with your covetousness. If you desire to make yourself comfortable in this world, heaven isn't so homesick for you. You don't get homesick if you're already comfortable here. There isn't something to look forward to. Follow what's happening? Your hope diminishes. When your hope diminishes, your faith decreases. When your faith decreases, your love grows cold. Stay with the truth and avoid covetousness. Now, I know we're not going to have time for all this. I'm going to give you just some blanks to fill in here. First, he gave advice to the church. After he's gone he gives advice to the church. He can't be there anymore so he writes them an epistle. That's the book of Ephesians. So he's going to advise the church. Now this is what he said to the church. He said, learn humility through the truth of origin. Learn humility to the truth of origin. How'd you get here? Boy, he spends chapter one in a beautiful three to fourteen is one big sentence. you were chosen him before the foundation of the world you were here for the glory of his grace you were you were here because god loved you but god loves his own glory even more be humble you don't have anything to shout about or be proud of god is the one who saved you by his own grace he remind him you were dead in sins and trespasses in chapter two and now god made you alive you make yourselves alive you let you have a on operating church a church that's doing real well don't forget where you came from for crying out loud Don't forget where you came from. Remember that you are saved by grace, not because you worked hard and God said, man, that's a good group of people and I'm going to save them because they get the right idea. No! He said, you came from bad backgrounds and He made you alive. In the next chapters, in some of the chapters further, he taught this also. His prayer for them was that they would know hope, they would know the riches of the glory of his grace, they would know the power of God, and they would know God's love. Now here's something that tells me, kids. They were already at the point at which Paul wrote them this epistle, losing sight of the future. They were doing good work, but they were losing sight of the future. They get so involved with present circumstances, that they weren't thinking carefully, Christ is coming again. So he prayed for them, that God will renew that hope in you, that you'll remember your hope, the hope of your calling, and that you'll remember the riches of the glory of His grace, not your riches, not the money you're able to raise as a church, His riches! And he wanted to remember this. It's the power of God that's supposed to be operating in you. The power that raised up Jesus from the dead. Not your power of unity. Not your power of what you're able to buy and purchase and do. It's the power of God. It's the simple gospel. Paul wrote to the Romans, I'm not ashamed of the gospel for it's the power of God unto salvation. He said he was not ashamed of the message of the cross. He wrote the Corinth. Why? Because it's the power of God to salvation. I'm not ashamed of Christ, he said. Why? Because he's the great power of God. He was calling them back to the simplicity of the gospel. Let me go on further. C. He was teaching them good practice as God's church. And I saw there once again, as I looked through chapter 4, all the way through chapter 6, I saw that Paul was teaching them humility as Christ's workmanship. You've been saved by grace through faith, not that that is the gift of God, not of your works, lest any man should boast, but also that you are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus. Unto good works that you should walk in, what God has foreordained you should walk in. He told them to keep the unity of the spirit, the bond of peace. He told them, there's a reason why you have pastors. He told them, don't think the way the Gentiles think. And instead, put off the old way of doing things and put on the Lord Jesus Christ. And he spent chapters 4 and 5 doing that. He came to chapter 5 and said, let me go even further with you. Don't attempt to do things that's work of God on your own. Be filled with the Spirit. And being filled with that spirit, this is what it looks like. Wives being submission to your husbands, husbands being submission to your wives, children being submission to their parents, workers being submission to your bosses, bosses being submission to your workers. It went all the way through that. And brings them down to chapter 6 and verse 10 says, finally stand strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Don't work on what you think you can do yourself. Don't get habituated to doing right things, and now because of your habit, you do it. Let me see if I can share the great danger that it is. You've been a Sunday school teacher for years. You know how to teach a Sunday school class. You don't need to get spiritually fresh and spiritually encouraged. You got the same material. You sit down with the class. You tell them the stuff. You're done class. You know how to handle a wanna good grief. You've been in a wanna all this time. You've been working in a wanna for a long time. You're habituated to it. You know what time you do this. You know what time you do that. You do this. You do this. You do that. You do that. Zip. Zap. We're done. It all can be done through your administrative skills. It all can be done without the love of God. You follow what I'm saying? It all can be done without the power of God. It doesn't require humility. Just do it. They've worked in Maria and Christi's school a long time. You don't need to be fresh every day to get with those kids. Just, you know what to do, do it. No. No, no, no, no. If it's the work of God, it has to be done God's way. It's not adequate just to do it out of duty and habit. You follow what I'm saying? Listen, habit is a wonderful gift that God has given to us. You have the habit of driving home. That means you don't have to now think every moment. I can't remember, did we go left or right out of the parking lot? I can't remember now. How do you start the car? I've forgotten how to start the car. Oh no! You have a habit. You know how to do it. But it can also be an awful gift. Because if you learn bad habits, you repeat them thoughtlessly over and over and over again. And if you learn good habits, sometimes you don't even think about them. You just do the good habit. And it's no longer motivated and alive. You follow what I meant? It's no longer got life to it. It's just done. Because you can do it. You know how to do it. You have to worry about being a godly dad. You know how to do it. Just be dad. It's done. Ta-da. Or godly mom. You have to worry about being fresh and being a godly mom. You know how to do it. Dishes are done this way. Dinners are done this way. Breakfast is done this way. You get up, you go to bed. Get up, you go to bed. You go to work. Get up and go to bed. And that life doesn't have to be a lie. You follow me? Go on with me further. He told them of the need for God's power because they're engaged in a spiritual conflict. Uh-oh. There's a whole group of beings operating at the same time you are. In an alternate universe, it would seem. Oh, it's the same one, but they operate in a different categories than you do. I don't know about you, but I don't know how to hide my wings. They do. When they come down here, I don't see two pairs going this way, two pairs going this way, and two pairs coming up at the feet. I don't see all that. What I see is a person. They look just like us. That's a different rule than I got. How they pass from heaven to here, and they do so in the twinkling of an eye. I don't know how to do that. I don't have that. They're working under a different level than I am. And they can't be seen. And that's who we wrestle against, he said. Not wrestling against flesh and blood. You're wrestling against principalities and powers. The darkness that wants to cover up the church and get it forgotten completely. Wants to damage the lamp that you're supposed to be. Now he gives that advice to the church, but he's not done. He gives advice to the pastor as well, 1 and 2 Timothy. That's what he wrote. He told Timothy, get bold toward the truth, son. Stay bold toward the truth. Reject false teachers. Reject them. He's telling them. There are false teachers at Ephesus. They're going to be there. I already knew what they, I knew some of them were. There's Hymenaeus and Philetus. There's two guys that are very self-willed individuals. And if you're not careful, those guys are going to override you. And sure enough, wouldn't you know it? Hymenaeus and Philetus do. They come up and say, you know what? We think the resurrection's already passed. Oh boy, false doctrine. Timothy, you've got to stand against that. You've got to stand against all the false teachings. You've got to be alert. You've got to be aware. You've got to appoint the right kind of people to be in it. Timothy, you've got to stay bold. He said he taught Timothy proper church structure and practice. He gave personal cautions and called for courage. But you, O man of God, flee these things, and pursue instead righteousness, godliness, faith, gentleness. Pursue them. Abide in this word that you've been given. So, it told him boldness toward the truth, and to reject false teachers. He told him about proper church structure and practice. He gave him personal cautions, and called for courage for it. Be bold in the Lord, for the Lord did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of Love, power, and a sound mind. Timothy, take remembrance of who you are. So we know, burned out. By Revelation chapter 2, we now see the evolution of a church. A church that started out with sparks of being in the synagogue. It caught fire with some disciples that were looking forward to the Messiah. It continued to burn well with people who were now being changed from what they had been, being converted to the Lord Jesus Christ. It caught fire. And God had confirmed that work. And Paul had warned them false teachers are coming. So we find a church here who got on fire, knew false teachers were coming, and became very pointed to guard against all false teachers. So by the book of Revelation, he said, you hate those that are evil. I commend you for that. It is right that you should reject false teachers. It is right that you are doing the works that you should do, and you have done it without, with perseverance. You've done it continually. You're hardworking and you're consistent. That's what your first blanks are. You're protective of the flock. You're discerning and firm. You're holding on. You're protecting the flock, I'm seeing you do it. You knew false teachers were coming and you've been stopping them, you've been warning them. They're hardworking, consistent, they're protective of the flock, they're discerning and firm, but the original humble motivation was gone. Their love. Matter of fact, I looked at the Greek, the way this is written in the Greek, and it says it this way. Your love, the first love, has left you. In other words, it's not you, you left it, though that's what happened. It's that love was gone. The thing that makes the fire light and heat was missing. Still plenty of fuel there, and that fuel was doing what it's been doing, doing, and doing, and doing, but it was missing something. Missing its love. So he told them this, change or you lose your flame. Change or your lamp is going out. What does that mean? The honor and privilege you had before of being my witnesses. The honor and privilege you had before of being my ambassadors. to join with me in my kingdom to be a part of who I am I'm taking away from you you're doing church your own way that's not acceptable he said go back to where you came from repent do those first works all over again I'm gonna have to take your lamp away brothers and sisters That book of Revelation was written about seven churches. And it was written to show us what can happen to a church. It's got several different kinds of examples of what can happen to a church. Here was a church that was doing good stuff. It was missing its love. It's missing its love. I don't want us ever to be there. You follow where I'm at? I don't want us ever to be there. We have a reason for being here. There is a reason why Edgemont Bible Church has to stay here. Why it has to be a lamp of the kingdom of God. But I tell you this. Without keeping our love on fire and our love for each other, we will lose the power of God and become habituated to doing things the way we know how to do them. The simple way. The easy way. We can't afford that. May I say to you, this kingdom or this community cannot afford that. It will go into absolute degradation where there is no gospel witness left for it. You follow where I'm at? Would you consider carefully the things that we've talked about today? Would you consider your own ministry and ask yourself a simple question? Am I on fire about my ministry or am I burned out? Am I using the power of God in my ministry or am I dependent on myself? have and do i still pray with intensity for the people through whom for whom i minister my genuinely in soul on fire for those who got allies so fired up that i love the breath the ones i like and the ones i don't like the ones i can get along with easily and the ones i can't Let me share this with you. It's a miracle anybody is ever saved at all. Are you thanking God for saving the people he saved that are a part of your fellowship and body? Are you remembering to say, I thank God for these people. I don't even know who they are, Father, but I thank God for them. You save their souls. I don't know them very well, but you saved them. And I'm giving tribute to you, not to them. Great tribute to you because you saved somebody. Ask yourself these questions brothers and sisters and remember this is not a game we're playing This is not the old pastor spoke too long in the day, and we we had a difficult time Hope we get out of here pretty soon. Hey This is our life This is our life This is what you have been called out of this world for He honored you with salvation He honored you with the gift of eternal life. He forgave your wretched soul. Now forgive the other people around you that you keep on holding that stupid bitterness with. Let them go. It's wicked. It's evil. To go back simply where you started. I remember when I trusted Jesus Christ and how free I finally felt. And how willing I was to forgive anybody, anything. I want to be there again. I remember how I was so excited about what this message was that I heard that I passed it on to everybody I could. I want to be alive again. I want to be on fire. I don't want to ever put my lamp out. I want to be a part of it. Let's look to the Lord in prayer. Father, it's in Jesus' name that we bow before you. You are such an awesome, totally forgiving and gracious God. Thank you that you start churches, not people. Thank you that it's your gospel, that it's your Holy Spirit. Everything this is about is you. And thank you that you've allowed us to be participants with you in it. We give you praise for that today, Lord. We ask in Jesus' name that you'll forgive and cleanse and heal and make us a fresh new church again, on fire with the vibrancy of the gospel itself and its great power alone. Forgive us when we've been so cerebral. We've just thought our way through the gospel and been so proud of the things that we know that we've neglected the things that we need. Help us, Lord, to be a church on fire for the Lord Jesus Christ. Grant to us revival. And I'm conscious, Father, even as I'm praying this, of what we just saw in the video. of the young mother who prayed for revival, with many others who were praying in the church for revival, and the great cost it was to all of them in Syria. Father, we need revival. You need to be seen and known in this world, especially in our own community, lest it be lost and your wrath have to sit upon it. Thank you, Father, for what you're going to do in Jesus' name and for his sake.