Chambersburg Bible Church

Text: Revelation 2:1-7Revelation 2:1-7
2 ¹ Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; ² I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: ³ And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. ⁴ Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. ⁵ Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. ⁶ But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ⁷ He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.  

Topic: Believers must constantly look for the Lord’s appearing

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Revelation 2:4Revelation 2:4
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.  
records the scathing rebuke of the Lord for the church at Ephesus, but they were not all words of rebuke.

• The church at Ephesus was standing up to the task – Verse 1
  • “I know thy works, thy labor, and thy patience”
  • They were busy and active for the Lord
• The church at Ephesus was standing up for the truth –  Verse 2
  • “I know how that canst not bear them which are evil”
  • They tested those who claimed to be apostles, but were not
    • They claimed to be teachers of importance
    • They claimed to have authority
    • They were liars
    • I John 4:1John 4:1
      4 ¹ When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,  
      – “…believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God
• The church at Ephesus was standing in the test – Verse 3
  • “Thou hast not fainted”
    • It was not easy going in Ephesus
    • Believers were criticized by the world
    • There was opposition
    • In spite of it all, they remained faithful

Were it not for what is recorded in verses 4 and 5, one would think that the Church at Ephesus was the model church!

• Thou hast left thy first love – Verse 4
• Thou art fallen – Verse 5
• All that the Lord had commended them for in the first three verses meant nothing

The church at Ephesus was doing all the right things

• It is possible to serve the Lord for a variety of motives
  • To gain the praise of men
  • For prestige
  • For position
  • For the sake of reputation
  • Out of a sense of duty
• All service which is not born out of love and devotion to the Lord is worthless

This passage can easily be applied to the return of the Lord, and will kick off our theme for this year, Coming again in 2010?

• 2 Timothy 4:1-82 Timothy 4:1-8
  4 ¹ I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; ² Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; ⁴ And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. ⁵ But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. make...; or, fulfil ⁶ For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. ⁷ I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: ⁸ Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.  
  
  • His appearing will be a time of judgment
    • All people will be judged
    • The living and the dead
  • Based upon the imminent return of Christ, Paul charges Timothy to Faithfulness
    • “I solemnly order you”
    • It is a mandate to us all
  • Judgment could be only moments away
• 2 Timothy 4:82 Timothy 4:8
  8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.  
  
  • His appearing is a time of reward
    • Crown of Righteousness
    • For those who habitually loved and desired the Lord’s Appearing
    • “Do we merely give assent to the doctrinal truth of His imminent return, or do we show by our daily life that we love, yearn for, and await His appearing?”

• Acts 1:8-11Acts 1:8-11
  8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. power...: or, the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon you ⁹ And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. ¹⁰ And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; ¹¹ Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.  
  
  • “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.  And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.  And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
  • Have you left your first love?
  • Do you love his appearing?

Movie-goers are anxiously awaiting the release of Roland Emmerich’s doomsday flick, 2012.  The theme of 2012 is that planet earth will come to a cataclysmic end through a series of catastrophic events taking place in December of that year. 2012 is just one of many recent productions that deal with the “end of the world” scenario that has captured the thinking of the masses.  The History Channel recently aired a series of programs suggesting that mankind is rapidly approaching the end of civilization as we know it.  What’s even more remarkable is the suggestion that the exact time of earth’s pending doom is prophesied.  These programs claim that evidence for the apocalyptic end of the world in 2012 is revealed in the writings of Nostradamus; the December 21, 2012r 21, 2012
Izbrano poglavje ne obstaja!
conclusion of the current Great Cycle of the Mayan calendar; the alignment of the earth, sun, and galactic equator which will occur in late 2012. These arguments seem to point so convincingly to the imminent destruction of our blue planet that many Christians have been caught up in the hype and are counting-down the days.  Will the world end in 2012? 

The simple answer is no!  It is biblically impossible for the world to end in 2012 because there is much yet that God plans to accomplish before He destroys the world (Revelation 21:1Revelation 21:1
21 ¹ And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  
). A detailed eschatological (teaching concerning end time events) discussion of God’s future plans is beyond the scope of this article, but a brief survey of God’s immediate agenda for the future will show why the end cannot come until much later.

The next great event on God’s calendar is what Christians call the rapture.  The rapture will take place when Jesus Christ appears in the sky and takes believers from the Church age with Him to heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:13-181 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. ¹⁵ For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. prevent: or, come before, or, anticipate, or, precede ¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: ¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. ¹⁸ Wherefore comfort one another with these words. comfort: or, exhort  
).  The sudden and imminent appearing of Jesus from heaven is the event that every Christian has anticipated since the time of Christ’s own ascension (Titus 2:13Titus 2:13
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; glorious...: Gr. the appearance of the glory of the great God, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ  
).  The Bible does not reveal when that event will occur, but simply that it will and that it could happen at any moment (1 Corinthians 15:50-581 Corinthians 15:50-58
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. ⁵¹ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵² In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. ⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. ⁵⁵ O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? grave: or, hell ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁵⁸ Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.  
).

The rapture of the Church will set in motion a series of divine events that will eventually culminate in the destruction of the world.  The Great Tribulation will immediately follow the rapture and will last for seven (7) years.  The Battle of Armageddon will mark the end of the seven years (Revelation 16:16; 19:11-21Revelation 16:16; 19:11-21
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. ¹¹ And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. ¹² His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. ¹³ And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. ¹⁷ And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; ¹⁸ That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. ¹⁹ And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. ²⁰ And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. ²¹ And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.  
).  The Book of Revelation indicates that following that battle, Jesus will rule as King on planet earth for one thousand (1,000) years (Revelation 20:1-6Revelation 20:1-6
20 ¹ And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. ² And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, ³ And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. ⁴ And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. ⁵ But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.  
).

Based upon these truths, it should be obvious that the end of the world is at least 1,007st 1,007
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.  
years away.  But don’t sit back and breathe a sigh of relief just yet because Jesus is coming again.  When Jesus comes, things will suddenly change and change for the worse.  So much so that people who are living on the earth after the rapture will long for the end to come.  They will be left behind to endure the difficulties of the Tribulation period.  Are you ready?  

If you would like more information concerning this article or the ministries of the Chambersburg Bible Church, please contact Pastor Yoder. 

Jeremiah 29:1-15Jeremiah 29:1-15
29 ¹ Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon; ² eunuchs: or, chamberlains ³ By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, saying, ⁴ Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; ⁵ Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; ⁶ Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. ⁷ And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace. ⁸ For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. ⁹ For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD. falsely: Heb. in a lie ¹⁰ For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. ¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. expected...: Heb. end and expectation ¹² Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. ¹³ And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. ¹⁴ And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive. ¹⁵ Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon;  
depicts a letter written to the Jewish leaders who were carried away into captivity in 597 B.C. during the time of Daniel. Jeremiah’s message from the Lord for those dwelling in captivity was to build houses, families, relationships, and endurance. He also told them that God intended the captivity to last for 70 years, and that faithfulness to God and endurance in hard times would be necessary for Godly living. Verse 11 is a wonderful truth which indicates that although God was judging his people, he was not angry with them, nor did he write them off. Their previous disobedience did not forfeit all of the promises which God had made to his chosen people in times past. God would still fulfill all that He had promised, and his thoughts toward them were of peace.

Mid-week Minutes is a weekly summary of Pastor’s Bible Study from the mid-week Prayer Service.