What Does Jesus Think? (Part 1)

This is a message from leading the way with Dr. Michael, you sat. We pray that it will encourage you in your walk of faith. If you would like to learn more about Dr. you sat on leading the way, please visit our U.1 of the most beautiful sites is a couple who've been married for 50 or 60 years and are as much in love with each other as they were either fell in love is one of the most awesome science I have known couple also been married for many many years and yet they can stand to be away from each other. It is absolutely beautiful. It's inspiring.

It is thrilling experience for everyone around them and I in a culture of that has confused lust with love in a culture that has confused perversion with punitive culture that has confused the eroticism with intimacy, a culture that has confused momentary pleasure for a lifelong commitment. Such a relationship is not only rare, it is inspiring.

In the same way our continuous love for the Lord Jesus Christ not only draws the attention of others to him, but it is in the deer and near to the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ; how do you know that you know that well.

The only way I know that is what Jesus said he is the one who told us what brings Jordan's car. Here's the one who tells us what brings disappointment as part and is the only way I know is what he said from his own words, there are people running around today and speaking with authority what the church should do should not do their people running around and speaking with authority about what believers should do and should not do and only doing it is adding to the confusion when we all we need to know is in the book is given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ himself and the seven letters in the book of Revelation, Jesus tells us exactly what he likes and what he dislikes. He tells us exactly what honors him and what dishonors him.

He tells us exactly what is pleasing to him and what is displeasing to him. He tells us exactly what he expects of us who do not leave us as a pray to the circumstances of the defense in the fantasies of some preacher or some theologian or some pastor no, he tells us everything we need to know and that is why beloved friends. This series of messages on the seven churches in the book of Revelation is probably the most important series of ever preached very few people would disagree with me that this is a confusing time that we live in a time of confusion times of confusions are very important times to go back to know what Jesus said in times when one's opinion is king in times when commitment is fleeting and times when dedication and keeping one's word is no longer binding in times of rampant false teaching in the church of Jesus Christ.

It is vitally important to clean the words of Jesus.

It is vitally important to take hold of that which is the words of the Lord Jesus Christ himself in each one of the seven letters I noticed one thing all 77 times. Each time Jesus said, I know I know everything. This is, I know what exactly it means that there is nothing hidden from the eyes of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It means that he knows who is faithful, and who is not. It means that he knows who is serving him and who is self-serving. It means that he knows everything. It means that he knows not only what goes on in his church, but he knows what goes on in the heart of every believer not to be sure, these messages were delivered to the pastors of the churches and there were delivered to the pastors of the churches so that they would not speak their own words but speak Jesus's words, in the sense it's an awesome responsibility.

So the first message of the risen Christ is send to the church in Ephesus.

If you read books and commenters are going to find is a lot made of the fact that Ephesus was geographically the closest apocalypse where John was caught up to heaven and seeing the revelations us where he was at the time, but the reality is a lot more than that Ephesus was the most important city in the region at that time Ephesus was not the Public was the most important city in that whole region and that is why the message comes to them first because of three reasons. Number one, it was a free city. All the major cities had Roman soldiers guarding it.

There were under the thumb of the Roman Emperor, but Ephesus was a free city. It was self-governing.

It was also a city that was the center of pagan worship. It was the center of the worship of Artemis and that is very important. It was also the city that contains so many people from diverse ethnic background and that is why Paul the apostle consider Ephesus to be a very significant and very strategic city. Why, because he knew once the gospel takes hold in Ephesus. All these people from diverse ethnic backgrounds they going to go back to their countries to the places of birth and the government take the gospel with them. And that is why the apostle Paul who was fidgety, who could not stay still sit still in one city for too long.

He stayed in Ephesus longer than any other city. He stayed there for three years and he knew the soil was hard for the preaching of the gospel, but he also knew that once those Ephesians get it they going to get. And that's exactly what happened when they got it they got and that is why this is the city.

The church that gets the first letter in the book of Revelation chapter 2 beginning at verse one. These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and he walks among the seven goals golden lampstands pieces. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you, you have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen repentant and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, but you have this in your favor. You hate the practices of the net collections, which I also hate.

He who has an easier living here. What the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give the right to eat from the tree of life which is in the paradise of God, a precious heavenly father the Lord Jesus Christ tells us that he who has ears father we have outward ears and we got to hear this message but will you please for the sake of the shed blood on Calvary penetrate into our inner ears and into our hearts and into our vision and our minds and into our will by the power of your Holy Spirit is the only one he can do that for we pray this in Jesus name, amen. I love the description of the risen Lord Jesus Christ here it is absolutely astounding to Scripture than this. Also, comforting and encouraging description it says that he holds the stars and these are the churches in the number seven. As you know, in the Bible to sign of completion. All of the churches all over the world.

He has his church all his believers in his right hand these believers. These churches, these men and women Boys and Girls Club. Every nation, every tribe love the Lord Jesus Christ.

They are held in his right hand.

In other words, he is telling us that Jesus is sovereign over his children that Jesus is in control and the lives of all those who have submitted their control over his control means that Jesus called the security of the believer. The security of those who love him in his own hand, it means that Jesus would never let his all go parish or be lost or be snatched out of his hand. What comfortable what joy to know that you are and I am in the very palm of his right hand, but he also said that he walks he walks in the middle of the seven goldens that that's again the Hebrew way of saying that that he is actively moving in the midst of his people that he is actively moving in the lives of all his children.

The Bible says Jesus said that when two or three are gathered together in my name, then I'm in the midst I'm working on listening. I'm hearing on answering I am involved in the lives of my children. What does the risen Lord. Think of these believers in Ephesus as well as three things two things. First of all, he tells them about three praise worthy virtues that the Exhibit 3 praise worthy virtues. Secondly, he tells them about what they doing that is breaking his heart. And thirdly, he gives them a three-step program for the recovery. Three praise worthy merits is either believers in Ephesus.

They were alert. They were biblically sound these believers in their church were discerning a commodity that is so rare these days. These people were discerning they were active. There would involve very had a good program for every age group in the church there would busy believers tested false teachers and they rejected the false teaching. In other words, they were good Presbyterians.

They did everything indecent in order that were good Baptists. They would buy the book. There were good evangelical Anglicans. They fought the liberals but not only that they didn't moan and complain and criticize.

Like other churches, like other believers. They did what they did with a sense of endurance, they did what they did with a sense of perseverance they face tribulation than they face persecution in the age discrimination in the face all kinds of hardships, but they phrased it with courage and valor not moaning and complaining as I look at me. They did not give in to the permissive culture that was surrounding them in the worship of Artemis various and they stood out in every one of us would have to say wow is not impressive is not wonderful and it is. I'm not making fun of them. But don't misunderstand me.

It is absolutely thrilling to see this church.

It was not only biblically sound. It was not on the persevering, but also it was a church that refused to tolerate evil they would make sure that Sin out of the gun wouldn't allow it to fester like cancer. They had good spiritual discipline, they would not put up with the sin of the net collections and I'm going to come back and explain that in the message to the Pergamum church because I need to spend little time explaining that particular sin that was rampant at that time some much more in details later on.

Members of first Church of the Ephesians served well were up to par they had done everything right. Which bring me to the second thing the finger breaks the heart of Jesus in their focus of doing the right thing and believing the right thing. They have learned the most important thing go by the wayside.

They allowed the love for Jesus to slip by and go by the wayside.

Look to explain this in more practical terms, perhaps so that you can understand it would be like the husband who sends his wife flowers, who never forgets anniversary date a birthday date who gives his wife expensive gifts, but he doesn't spend time with his wife. It would be like a wife who keeps an immaculate house cooks delicious food. The house is perfect. She does everything right. She takes care of her husband's needs, but never enjoys fellowship with her husband. That is how the Lord Jesus Christ is feeling about the church in Ephesus and that is why his telling them he saying you are doing all things. But the most important thing go by the wayside. Beloved, I want to tell you that's how the Lord Jesus feels about his children whom he loves. That's how he feels when they believe the right things is not that he ignores that his mother this is not important to him. It is important. That's why he pointed out to them. He says I praise you for that.

I am glad you are believing the right. I'm glad you believing the truth, I'm glad you're standing for the truth. I am glad you are upholding the truth will imitate something upholding the truth doesn't have to replace your love for me this and I've traveled the world and have seen it and I've seen churches that day I saw ride on the truth that they lack the leftward Jesus Christ go by the wayside. I've seen believers who would fight for the truth but the leftward Jesus Christ has gone by the wayside is like the couple who went for counseling. Wife said my husband never tells me that he loves me. Husband said that's not true. I told her that I love the 25 years ago and I have entered my mind. See, I know that you know that Jesus loves you even little kids know Jesus loves you open the book and the thousand times through the pages of his book he says I love you I love you love you love you know that he loves you.

I don't have to dwell on that.

But did you know that Jesus wants you to love him back with the same intensity that he loves you with what you have zero. Did you know that thinking that it breaks his heart. When you cease to love them when the same intensity that he loves you. I wanted to write. This is important. Believing the right thing about him is very important doing the right thing by him is very important. But Jesus craves for your love for him more than anything else he not saying that the other things going on in the know that's what the liberal churches compromised. This is one of love rules and no truth.

That's where they went wrong, and them that idea of love or sentimentality anyway.

Not the kind of love that Jesus is talking about. And when you do not love Jesus.

When you ignore him all week long and then you come to church on Sunday and says I love you Lord willing, and I'll sing the words anyway breaks his heart with someone that understands yes he understands, but here's what he said. He said that's the one thing the one thing that wounds my loving heart is that you have ceased to love me like once docketed once and not talking about just saying the words he is talking about loving him day in and day he's talking about loving him with your heart with your mind with your soul with your spirit with your decision-making with the model role model is set before your family the role model he set in your business loving him with every ounce of your being. I know the problem for all of us listen to me if you don't think I'm tempted as much as you are, if not more than your and you get it wrong.

Listen to me. The temptation for all of us is that we live busy lives and we confuse serving Jesus would loving Jesus.

Those of us question involving minister. That's a huge temptation that we begin to replace our love for him and spending time with him and adorning him and worshiping him was serving him near the Bible from cover to cover tells us that it is your love for Jesus you love for Jesus your love for Jesus is the most important thing that you can give him back in the Old Testament God chose Israel for a bride and he and the example of a husband and Israel as a bride and he loved them he gave them everything he leveraged his love upon them, and what happened like a woman who runs after other man. They ran after other gods and God's heart was broken, go home and read the book of Hosea. It will help you understand the heart of God in the New Testament which the apostle Paul calls the church in Galatians chapter 6 because the church the new Israel of God.

It is a bride of Jesus Christ, you are neither believers in the Lord Jesus will his bride. He patrols this to the Lord Jesus.

And just as Israel of all the Churchill believers have forsaken the love for Christ running after other things.

Listen to what the apostle Paul said to the Corinthians 2nd Corinthians 11 203. Listen to what Paul said.

He said I promised you to one husband to So that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I'm afraid that as Eve was deceived by the serpent's coming your minds will be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ that you know that you can serve Jesus but not loving him but you know that.

Did you know that you can believe all the right doctrine all sound biblical doctrine but don't love Jesus.

If cease to ignore him cease to worship him. If cease to spend time with him if cease to magnify his name in your life. In fact, when that happens, even your service for Christ is nothing but duty and right direction instead of being joy unspeakable but is a good news for all of us. Here's the good news for those of us who have done all the right things, believe all the right things but have forsaken our love for Jesus Christ. Your divine lover is waiting for you. Your divine lover is trying to woo you to himself, your divine lover is welcoming you your divine lover is longing for you to turn back to him and that is why, thirdly, Jesus gives the church of Ephesus, three step program for recapturing the first love is his recall reverse and recapture recall the time when you were so overwhelmed by the love of Christ for you. Recall the time when he was so overwhelmed with the forgiveness of God through Christ of your sins. Recall the time when you realize how unworthy you are in your God forgave you all your sins. Recall the times when you received from Ms. Hank to give eternal life recall all of that and recall how we will not only overwhelmed but they wanted to spend your days you spent. If you want to spend your nights and adoring him and worshiping him, thanking him. Recall that time and then ask yourself the question, what sin, what sin entered into my life that has robbed me of my ability to love Jesus and lose my first love.

What or whom has distracted me from loving Jesus working or whom diverted my attention from loving Jesus water room stall the hearts of my devotion for him beloved auditor something didn't have to go around running around from counselors and helpers and preachers and teachers.

None an I want to tell you on the authority of the word of God and from my personal experience, the place of failure is the place of recovery go back to that place. That is why Jesus says repent, reverse course turnaround go back to just feel some remorse and emotional high because you heard the words of Jesus. None. And then the remorse is useless. It can help you but do something about do something about it. Recapture the time when used to love being in the presence of the Lord Jesus recapture the time when used to love worshiping him and adoring him recapture the time when your love for Christ occupied your thoughts occupied your mind occupied your desires occupied your decision-making process. Probably this is one of the hardest things to me, at least in the whole Bible of the Lord Jesus Christ says if you persist, if you persist, not loving me. I'm going to do nothing short of coming and removing your lampstand. Probably nothing more terrifying for me in my walk with the Lord that I would serve him and Mont Steve that I'll serve him with my own strength that are serving with my own power analysis to loving. Probably the one thought that I would never want to contemplate for the Lord Jesus Christ to remove his life for my life and neither do you a promise.

You don't want to contemplate that either. And so I get the verse seven with the Lord Jesus Christ talks about the reward of loving the reward of loving you know in the garden of Eden. God said to Adam and Eve don't touch the tree, but they grabbed for Jesus is now in your love me.

I'm going to pick up the choice of the fruit of the tree and handed to you on a platter. You don't have to grab for it many years ago I heard the story that resonated in my heart and my spirit this last week as I was thinking about this incredible message of the Lord resurrected Jesus is giving to his church, pleading with him and it was spot them back in the 19th century there was a renowned lecturer by the name of Wendell Phillips and Wendell Phillips was deeply devoted and adoring of his invalid wife and one night he was giving a lecture. Some miles away from his hometown of Boston and his friends came at the end of the lecture in this attendance with Mr. Phillips assessed the last train has already gone and wanted to spend the night and go home in the morning they said to him, we have to get some special transportation right now on and that's gonna take long time and you know it's cold and sleeting outside the city. Implicit you gonna face many miles of of treacherous road and and and difficulties wanted to just spend the night when the Philip simply looked at them and said thank you very much, but at the other end of those miles. I shall find my beloved and my beloved phenomena tell you something your love for Jesus Christ is not only going to make the journey joyful is not only going to make the journey peaceful is going to make you long for the day when you see beloved Lord Jesus Christ