WEBVTT 00:00:00.680 --> 00:00:04.540 Well, it is a new year for us coming up with just a few days away. 00:00:04.540 --> 00:00:11.640 The Mayans were wrong and that gives us an opportunity as a as a church family, just to pause within our own lives, reflect 00:00:11.640 --> 00:00:15.400 on a former year and look forward to a new year. 00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:22.380 Now, if you if you're like my dad when it comes to New Year's tradition, he is the Scrooge of New Year's. 00:00:22.640 --> 00:00:25.740 Okay, because I can remember as a kid, everyone always wants to come up with these resolutions. 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:28.950 Something to do with losing weight, something to do with making more money and being happy. 00:00:29.140 --> 00:00:29.240 Right? 00:00:29.680 --> 00:00:31.740 Just the American Dream resolution. 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:37.800 My dad would always just think that's just so goofy because there's nothing magical that happens on January 1st, right? 00:00:38.120 --> 00:00:40.420 January 1st is just another day in our lives. 00:00:41.380 --> 00:00:48.380 But the important thing to recognize when we come to days like today and a new year and a new beginning for our lives is it's important for 00:00:48.380 --> 00:00:55.500 us as people to always be reevaluating, to look at where we've been and 00:00:55.500 --> 00:00:57.200 ask questions about where we're going. 00:00:58.020 --> 00:00:58.820 We shouldn't just do it. 00:00:58.940 --> 00:01:01.720 On January first or the end of December. 00:01:01.720 --> 00:01:08.740 We should we should look at our lives and examine it on a periodic basis to determine if the path that we're on is one we're just 00:01:08.740 --> 00:01:13.450 allowing to happen in our lives, or we're just seeking after God's will and direction for our lives, the reason for which we exist. 00:01:14.220 --> 00:01:14.960 It's healthy to do. 00:01:16.260 --> 00:01:18.840 And this year gives us an opportunity. 00:01:18.840 --> 00:01:23.260 The coming of the new year gives us an opportunity to examine that within ourselves. 00:01:24.740 --> 00:01:31.540 And I recognize as people that a lot of times we begin to visualize dreams for our lives, especially when you're young, right? 00:01:31.880 --> 00:01:37.080 Everyone wants to be the president of the United States and an astronaut that works on a fire truck. 00:01:37.260 --> 00:01:37.260 Right? 00:01:37.380 --> 00:01:37.920 Or at least the boys. 00:01:38.160 --> 00:01:38.640 Right. 00:01:38.820 --> 00:01:39.770 That was or a cop. 00:01:39.940 --> 00:01:47.220 You know, you just have these high aspirations of life, these things that you want to do that make a difference and matter and your dreams so large as a child. 00:01:47.220 --> 00:01:51.290 And then as an adult, you tend to live in reality of crushed dreams. 00:01:51.360 --> 00:01:56.500 And after a while you lose the desire to dream within your life because of disappointment. 00:01:58.140 --> 00:02:05.200 And disappointment can sometimes serve us up difficult platters or meals to eat within our lives. 00:02:06.660 --> 00:02:13.740 but I believe when we come to know the Lord and understand his purposes in our lives, it gives us the freedom and opportunity as people to dream 00:02:14.800 --> 00:02:15.300 and the joy. 00:02:15.400 --> 00:02:17.160 It's not because of anything within our own capabilities. 00:02:17.250 --> 00:02:24.960 It has to do with everything that he's doing within us to understand what God desires for us, and to dream and 00:02:24.960 --> 00:02:25.400 to plan. 00:02:26.860 --> 00:02:34.060 If I were to ask you this morning if you could dream in your life right now, there's one thing that 00:02:34.080 --> 00:02:34.700 you would just want answered. 00:02:36.320 --> 00:02:36.880 What would it be? 00:02:38.660 --> 00:02:40.140 Thinking about 2013. 00:02:40.180 --> 00:02:46.240 What prayer or desire from your heart would you desire for God to intervene and answer within your life? 00:02:47.640 --> 00:02:54.880 I'll encourage you, as we think about that question, not to think so much positionally as about things that we can acquire, because we'll begin to start treating 00:02:54.880 --> 00:02:55.910 God like a pinata. 00:02:56.280 --> 00:03:03.040 You know, I could use a Ferrari, Lord, and I could and I could use a big bank account that I'm necessarily going to spend. 00:03:03.040 --> 00:03:10.180 I could use it all, but when I ask that question, when we think about God the way that we want to gear that question is not to think so much possession as 00:03:10.180 --> 00:03:10.940 we do relationally. 00:03:12.240 --> 00:03:17.000 Now, sometimes when we talk about the way that we would desire for God to work in our lives, we say the word. 00:03:17.080 --> 00:03:18.600 We want God to do that relationally. 00:03:19.020 --> 00:03:20.890 When we talk about that, it can be positionally. 00:03:22.080 --> 00:03:25.560 For instance, you think about your family as a as a father. 00:03:25.560 --> 00:03:29.880 You may feel stress within your life to make provision for your family. 00:03:30.420 --> 00:03:37.520 And so in order to enhance the relationship of your family and to get a certain amount of stress with within your family off of your shoulders, 00:03:38.080 --> 00:03:44.840 maybe a certain a growth and income would help support that, or maybe a better handling of the income in which you possess. 00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:51.000 Maybe some of us need relational work all the way around in our lives. 00:03:52.060 --> 00:03:53.020 Maybe some of us. 00:03:53.020 --> 00:03:55.880 We think about what we desire for God, and we talk about relationally. 00:03:56.360 --> 00:04:02.260 Maybe some of us could think about that in terms of personally, rather than seek to watch God change other people. 00:04:02.260 --> 00:04:05.460 Maybe rather, we should ask God to begin to work on our hearts to handle situations. 00:04:06.340 --> 00:04:09.150 God, how can you work on me and my individual character? 00:04:10.660 --> 00:04:14.890 Or maybe, maybe you're just throwing the book at this God idea and you're just saying, you know what? 00:04:15.200 --> 00:04:16.980 I just need a total life change. 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:21.880 I need a new perspective, a new way of thinking, a new attitude, a new approach. 00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:25.240 Because everything that I've been on in my journey so far hasn't been working for me. 00:04:26.880 --> 00:04:27.280 And that's good. 00:04:28.260 --> 00:04:29.540 Any place that you are, it's good. 00:04:30.140 --> 00:04:31.610 Figuring out the answer to that question. 00:04:32.120 --> 00:04:36.140 If I could have one dream answer in life, God used to intervene in one way. 00:04:36.140 --> 00:04:39.780 This is where I would desire it to be as good. 00:04:40.700 --> 00:04:46.560 Maybe we should ask the question more specifically and say, rather than what is it you desire to see accomplished in 2013? 00:04:47.160 --> 00:04:50.110 What is it you think God desires to accomplish in you in 2013? 00:04:51.980 --> 00:04:53.490 What would God have for you this year? 00:04:55.120 --> 00:05:00.720 What does God desire to work in you and through you and do for you as an individual? 00:05:02.640 --> 00:05:07.300 We're going to use today as an introduction to help us answer those questions. 00:05:07.840 --> 00:05:13.180 A new perspective, a new idea, a new focus on what God desires for us in this world. 00:05:13.340 --> 00:05:17.840 And the way that we're going to do this is we're going to begin a new study together on the book of Ephesians. 00:05:18.940 --> 00:05:26.200 Now, if you've been to Alpine Bible Church for from the beginning since our existence, in the 00:05:26.200 --> 00:05:30.300 early stages, the first few months as a church family, we've gone through this book together. 00:05:31.920 --> 00:05:39.300 And the reason is because this book in the New Testament, I have to say, if I gave it an award, would probably be my favorite book in 00:05:39.300 --> 00:05:39.820 the New Testament. 00:05:40.480 --> 00:05:42.060 It's a close second with the book of John. 00:05:43.420 --> 00:05:45.340 And the reason is the way that this book is broken down. 00:05:46.600 --> 00:05:53.620 This book begins in the first three chapters, explaining to us as people theology of all things, who is God and who are we 00:05:53.620 --> 00:05:54.460 in light of him? 00:05:55.440 --> 00:05:58.600 We begin to set the premise of the way we should operate within our lives. 00:05:58.680 --> 00:06:03.060 We set a foundation for the way we should set our trajectory for 2013. 00:06:04.360 --> 00:06:05.720 This is who I am. 00:06:05.720 --> 00:06:07.040 This is who God is. 00:06:07.300 --> 00:06:07.920 The first three chapters. 00:06:09.740 --> 00:06:10.620 And the last three chapters. 00:06:11.660 --> 00:06:16.840 In light of understanding that this is the way God desires to work in our lives, to live for him. 00:06:17.840 --> 00:06:23.990 It's a beautiful book for us to examine together, and the reason we're going through it again is one. 00:06:24.740 --> 00:06:27.270 Four years ago, we went through this as a church as we began together. 00:06:27.600 --> 00:06:29.940 We are not the same people as what we were four years ago. 00:06:30.840 --> 00:06:33.300 Second, we've grown significantly from eight people, right? 00:06:33.760 --> 00:06:40.820 So when we think about everything that our church wants to be and we think about this book of Ephesians, it's a beautiful place for us to go because we know as a 00:06:40.820 --> 00:06:46.030 church family, what we've got coming down the road for us is a new home and a new opportunity. 00:06:47.340 --> 00:06:54.520 It's going to give us potential and a place in which God's kingdom can continue to grow, as church family will continue to expand, and we can reach out for 00:06:54.520 --> 00:06:58.650 generations to come here in Lehigh, as we get ready to move into that bar in the near future. 00:06:59.740 --> 00:07:03.210 And so what it does for us as a church family is we study this book of Ephesians together. 00:07:03.240 --> 00:07:10.960 It takes us, gives us an opportunity to step back, to look at who God is, look at who we are, look at the way God desires to work in our lives, to live out 00:07:10.960 --> 00:07:12.700 this life that God has called us to. 00:07:13.860 --> 00:07:15.820 A new plan, a new dream. 00:07:17.020 --> 00:07:17.470 A new vision. 00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:20.660 If you're here this morning. 00:07:22.380 --> 00:07:23.370 And you feel a little weak. 00:07:24.440 --> 00:07:25.520 And your ability to dream. 00:07:26.920 --> 00:07:28.730 You feel a little weak in the faith to trust. 00:07:28.860 --> 00:07:29.700 And the one who. 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:33.700 Gives you the opportunity to dream big within him. 00:07:34.400 --> 00:07:39.920 I'm going to try to encourage us with this morning, and then I'm going to encourage you to, as we go throughout this series. 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:42.160 This series should take us between 8 to 10 weeks to go through. 00:07:42.160 --> 00:07:44.990 I want to encourage you just to come be a part of his for as much as you can. 00:07:46.020 --> 00:07:50.420 Allow the Lords is to work in your life and to accomplish what it is that he desires. 00:07:51.260 --> 00:07:52.100 And to answer this question. 00:07:53.480 --> 00:07:56.000 God, what is it that you have for me in 2013? 00:07:57.740 --> 00:07:57.960 God. 00:07:57.960 --> 00:08:00.380 What is it you desire to do within me? 00:08:01.780 --> 00:08:08.800 The way we're going to do this morning is we are going to talk about an incredible circumstance and the impossibility of 00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:09.820 how we can reach that in our lives. 00:08:10.220 --> 00:08:10.640 Right. 00:08:11.540 --> 00:08:12.420 So you get that for a minute. 00:08:12.440 --> 00:08:16.820 We're going to talk about an incredible circumstance, and then we're going to be shocked and think within our hearts. 00:08:16.820 --> 00:08:18.220 That seems almost impossible. 00:08:18.360 --> 00:08:20.620 And then we're going to talk about how we can see that happen within our lives. 00:08:22.100 --> 00:08:24.870 In order to begin that, I'm going to open this up in a word of prayer. 00:08:25.900 --> 00:08:26.390 So let's pray. 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:30.700 God. 00:08:30.780 --> 00:08:32.760 We are just simply taking our lives. 00:08:33.820 --> 00:08:36.120 We're looking at this book and God. 00:08:36.120 --> 00:08:38.799 We're just throwing ourselves on our knees before you. 00:08:40.260 --> 00:08:47.420 Lord, wherever we are in our walk with you in these moments, God, we're asking you to intervene and strengthen us and give us 00:08:47.420 --> 00:08:54.920 the ability to see what it is that you've called us to give us the ability to see you as you are and identify ourselves as we've been created in 00:08:54.920 --> 00:08:56.840 you, and for what purpose we exist. 00:08:57.380 --> 00:08:58.220 God, give us hope. 00:08:58.940 --> 00:09:02.100 Give us the joy of experiencing this relationship with you. 00:09:02.660 --> 00:09:09.720 God help us just to throw our vision and our dreams on you, God, to see this world as you see 00:09:09.720 --> 00:09:12.900 it and to live in this world as you've called us to live. 00:09:14.060 --> 00:09:20.770 So, God, I pray that as our hearts are here this morning, that you, God, allow our hearts to become tender to your will and desire for us. 00:09:21.740 --> 00:09:23.870 Speak to us and it's in Jesus name we pray. 00:09:24.540 --> 00:09:26.440 Amen. 00:09:27.760 --> 00:09:34.760 Since we're beginning the book of Ephesians together, I almost thought, we're not even going to talk about the book of Ephesians for the first introduction, the book of 00:09:34.760 --> 00:09:35.080 Ephesians. 00:09:35.120 --> 00:09:35.680 And that would have been weird. 00:09:36.580 --> 00:09:43.800 So to open up the book, let me let me just show you how Paul introduces this, because the audience to which he's writing this book helps us 00:09:43.800 --> 00:09:49.470 to understand how we can accomplish or see happen in our lives what the content of the book possesses. 00:09:50.440 --> 00:09:57.520 And so he says to us in chapter one and verse one, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, to the saints who 00:09:57.520 --> 00:10:04.580 are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus, grace to you and peace from God our 00:10:04.580 --> 00:10:06.090 father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:10:07.040 --> 00:10:11.800 Verse two should look familiar to you as a church, because we say this every Sunday when we leave grace and peace with you are dismissed, right? 00:10:12.020 --> 00:10:12.860 It's biblical. 00:10:12.860 --> 00:10:13.660 Did you even know that? 00:10:13.940 --> 00:10:14.460 It's amazing. 00:10:14.740 --> 00:10:21.920 But in verse one he says, as he's writing this book, look who he addresses it to those who are at Ephesus, but he more specifically says, and who are faithful 00:10:21.940 --> 00:10:23.780 in Christ Jesus. 00:10:25.680 --> 00:10:31.440 Paul starts his book with those that are seeking after God in his life or in their lives. 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:40.550 And I got to say to us, as we think about the contents of everything that's about to be possessed, if I could just take one slogan from my life and be content with it, 00:10:41.060 --> 00:10:43.860 it's got to be those last few words of verse one. 00:10:45.040 --> 00:10:49.280 If someone could say to me when I die, he was faithful in Christ Jesus. 00:10:50.460 --> 00:10:53.090 And what a beautiful thought to carry in this world. 00:10:53.880 --> 00:11:00.060 It doesn't say that you guys, we accomplished these wonderful things, or that we were really good people and morally we lived up to this certain expectation. 00:11:00.620 --> 00:11:06.160 All it simply says about the Apostle Paul writing these people is that they were just faithful to Jesus. 00:11:07.580 --> 00:11:14.740 I got to think, as we look at the contents of everything that's about to be possessed in this book together, if we keep one thought just overarching within our mind, 00:11:14.740 --> 00:11:19.380 recurring over and over, just say to ourselves, be faithful in Christ Jesus. 00:11:20.540 --> 00:11:23.600 Everything that we discuss today becomes a possibility. 00:11:25.340 --> 00:11:32.340 Vision and fulfillment of God's plan, and especially in the book of Ephesians, rests on 00:11:32.340 --> 00:11:34.040 the back of God's people. 00:11:34.770 --> 00:11:37.300 As they are faithful in Christ Jesus. 00:11:38.680 --> 00:11:43.940 It's often been said that God created plan A, which is his church and there is no plan B. 00:11:45.100 --> 00:11:50.380 God chooses and desires to reveal his glory primarily through us as individuals. 00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:58.240 Think about all the ways God desires to work in this world, and tells us in the Bible that God has breathed His Spirit into you. 00:11:58.480 --> 00:12:03.460 And the way that God chooses to magnify himself first and foremost is through you as individuals. 00:12:05.800 --> 00:12:13.220 I believe one of the beautiful reasons why is because he's given the ability to then proclaim where your desire to live for him comes from, to 00:12:13.380 --> 00:12:14.180 share with this world. 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:18.780 When we go out into this world and we shine as lights for him, this is the reason why. 00:12:18.860 --> 00:12:22.800 And we can proclaim that declaring the beauty of who Christ is. 00:12:24.540 --> 00:12:28.080 And faithful is what we should seek for the year. 00:12:29.160 --> 00:12:30.540 And Paul begins this journey. 00:12:30.540 --> 00:12:34.660 I want to talk about this together, talking about an impossible circumstance. 00:12:35.700 --> 00:12:37.080 The city of Ephesus. 00:12:37.760 --> 00:12:44.580 If you know anything about the city of Ephesus, it is an enormous city in which Paul has visited and the church has been established. 00:12:45.700 --> 00:12:53.080 Today, I think more than any other city that lives in ancient biblical times, this city has been excavated and archaeologically dug up more 00:12:53.080 --> 00:12:53.880 than all others. 00:12:54.440 --> 00:12:58.200 10 to 15% of the city of Ephesus has been uncovered. 00:12:58.820 --> 00:13:00.060 The reason is this city. 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:04.360 Most of the city has no inhabitants laying upon it today. 00:13:04.580 --> 00:13:10.600 And so the houses that you don't have to knock any houses down to dig the earth underneath of it, and so you can uncover what exists there. 00:13:11.360 --> 00:13:15.840 Ephesus today lives in the area or is located in the area of modern day Turkey. 00:13:17.200 --> 00:13:24.360 At the time that the Apostle Paul was writing this letter to the church of Ephesus, it's estimated that the population of the city was somewhere around 00:13:24.360 --> 00:13:27.200 250,000 people. 00:13:28.460 --> 00:13:30.890 That's more than five times the city of Lehi. 00:13:32.440 --> 00:13:36.280 Ephesus was the capital of a region called Asia. 00:13:37.880 --> 00:13:45.030 Ephesus was located on the far western seashore of Turkey, and if you were to visit the city during ancient times, 00:13:45.100 --> 00:13:47.200 there were two ways in which you would enter the city. 00:13:47.480 --> 00:13:51.510 From the east there were massive trade routes, and from the west there was a large seaport. 00:13:52.760 --> 00:13:59.860 In order to enter into Asia with all of the goods that the individuals may have been carrying to sell in order to provide for their families, they would come one of two ways 00:13:59.860 --> 00:14:05.220 the route into Ephesus by road or the port into Ephesus by sea. 00:14:05.400 --> 00:14:08.700 It was the central focus of the region of Asia. 00:14:10.240 --> 00:14:12.780 And life in Ephesus was big. 00:14:14.160 --> 00:14:18.330 I have to think that people being packed in that city often felt very small. 00:14:19.960 --> 00:14:27.480 It was built so elaborate and so well that if you were to go there today, the very streets in which they built over 2000 years 00:14:27.480 --> 00:14:28.900 ago still exist. 00:14:30.220 --> 00:14:30.800 They were made of marble. 00:14:32.260 --> 00:14:38.000 And what we do with our streets out here, because within a few years, potholes take it over and it needs fixed over and over. 00:14:38.020 --> 00:14:40.620 Could you imagine they built a street that lasts for thousands of years. 00:14:40.640 --> 00:14:41.380 We need to take notes. 00:14:42.340 --> 00:14:44.480 The cool thing about studying the city of Ephesus. 00:14:44.540 --> 00:14:51.280 When you go in and you visit the town, they didn't have billboards on the sides of the streets like we have today, the way that people advertise for their businesses. 00:14:51.340 --> 00:14:58.640 When you went into this enormous city, was they etched into the marble stone as you were traveling along locations of places for which you could visit? 00:14:59.700 --> 00:15:01.580 So when you were walking together, it would be interesting. 00:15:01.920 --> 00:15:05.500 You would just be looking on the ground for different places that you might want to go and enjoy. 00:15:05.520 --> 00:15:08.740 As you went into the city and people got around that way. 00:15:10.440 --> 00:15:12.600 The spiritual condition of Ephesus. 00:15:12.660 --> 00:15:15.920 I got to say, for the life of the Apostle Paul would be one that I would describe difficult. 00:15:18.180 --> 00:15:23.560 The majority of people that existed within the city did not follow Jesus by any stretch of the imagination. 00:15:24.920 --> 00:15:31.460 In fact the customs and times of the individuals they followed the goddess called Artemis, or as some refer to as Diana. 00:15:32.800 --> 00:15:38.000 It says in verse 35, just to give a description of the worship that's existing within the city. 00:15:38.020 --> 00:15:45.100 After quieting the crowd, the town clerk said, Men of Ephesus, what man is there, after all, who does 00:15:45.100 --> 00:15:52.260 not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, and of the image which fell 00:15:52.260 --> 00:15:57.570 down from heaven, she whom all of Asia and the world worship. 00:16:00.300 --> 00:16:07.140 This guy is beginning to describe for us the town clerks, describing for us the spiritual condition for which Ephesus is founded. 00:16:07.880 --> 00:16:14.960 If you do a little history on the goddess Diana and you begin to study the city of Ephesus, you actually find out that the temple in which this man is referring to 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:19.980 was the original one of the original Seven Wonders of the world. 00:16:21.140 --> 00:16:23.100 Everyone knew about this goddess. 00:16:23.540 --> 00:16:26.560 Everyone knew about the structure in which they went and worshipped. 00:16:26.580 --> 00:16:29.700 And if you belonged to Ephesus, you belonged to Diana. 00:16:31.340 --> 00:16:34.360 People worshipped this Greek goddess. 00:16:36.340 --> 00:16:39.520 While we think about what God desires for us as an individual. 00:16:39.560 --> 00:16:46.620 You think about what God desires for us as a church family, and when you feel like the minority, it doesn't always seem easy to 00:16:46.620 --> 00:16:47.660 dream, right? 00:16:48.860 --> 00:16:49.300 What God? 00:16:49.320 --> 00:16:51.430 What does God have for us in 2013? 00:16:52.440 --> 00:16:52.870 I don't know. 00:16:53.370 --> 00:16:59.080 What can he possibly do in a city of Lehigh where we feel as a church family, like a minority. 00:17:01.480 --> 00:17:08.640 I think when the Apostle Paul got into the city of Ephesus and they're worshipping the goddess of Diana, and how faithful this was, how well spoken of 00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:14.680 this monument and this pillar to Diana was throughout the whole known world, and how everyone belonged to her. 00:17:14.700 --> 00:17:21.700 Could you think about the overwhelming thoughts of the Apostle Paul as he says, stepping into the city, seeing this glorious thing, having no building for himself to go to 00:17:21.700 --> 00:17:23.430 worship and saying, yeah, but I love Jesus. 00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:33.380 Tells us in chapter 19 and verse one, Paul describes for us the perspective he gathers of the church when he shows up. 00:17:35.020 --> 00:17:40.030 He says, Paul passed through the upper country and came to Ephesus, and he found some disciples. 00:17:41.420 --> 00:17:42.180 And he said to them. 00:17:43.320 --> 00:17:45.370 Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? 00:17:46.320 --> 00:17:49.740 And they said to him, no, we have not heard whether there is a Holy Spirit. 00:17:51.480 --> 00:17:52.660 These guys are theologically messed up. 00:17:53.600 --> 00:17:54.210 If you didn't catch that. 00:17:54.960 --> 00:17:57.740 And he said into what were you baptized? 00:17:58.660 --> 00:18:00.400 And they said, into John's baptism. 00:18:01.860 --> 00:18:02.200 In verse four. 00:18:02.340 --> 00:18:09.600 And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in him who was coming after him that is in Jesus. 00:18:10.120 --> 00:18:12.840 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 00:18:13.700 --> 00:18:14.220 And look at this. 00:18:14.580 --> 00:18:18.500 The massive church they were in, all about 12 men. 00:18:20.540 --> 00:18:20.960 Wow. 00:18:22.700 --> 00:18:24.440 250,000 people. 00:18:25.180 --> 00:18:28.700 And Paul steps into this city and now they've got 12, right? 00:18:28.980 --> 00:18:30.740 This is just like exponential increase here. 00:18:31.020 --> 00:18:32.500 Mega church in the making. 00:18:33.820 --> 00:18:39.580 You think about the dreams that you could have and the possibilities that would exist in the city with 12 people. 00:18:40.740 --> 00:18:44.840 I mean, it's like throwing stones at someone who's coming at you with an army tank, isn't it? 00:18:47.320 --> 00:18:51.400 Paul says something interesting about these guys, if just to explain this passage of Scripture to us. 00:18:52.260 --> 00:18:54.560 They said to them that we don't know anything about this Holy Spirit. 00:18:55.240 --> 00:19:01.620 And when he asked them what they were baptized in, he says, we are baptized in John's baptism, which says this about these individuals. 00:19:02.200 --> 00:19:08.980 They were around Jerusalem and heard the message about the coming of the Messiah from John the Baptist before Jesus ever showed up. 00:19:10.020 --> 00:19:11.320 And so they listened to John's message. 00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:19.120 They repented to the message that John proclaimed, left for the city of Ephesus and never knew anything about the ministry that Jesus conducted on the world. 00:19:19.220 --> 00:19:24.940 For the next three and a half years, they just took the message of John with them and began to proclaim that in the city of Ephesus. 00:19:25.920 --> 00:19:27.040 Interesting thought, isn't it? 00:19:27.140 --> 00:19:28.720 And they asked him, what were you baptized in? 00:19:28.860 --> 00:19:29.740 And he says, John's baptism. 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:38.040 Now, today when we get baptized, there's a symbolism to the baptism in which we express as believers, you put your faith in Jesus, you put your trust in him for 00:19:38.040 --> 00:19:42.040 salvation, and then you get baptized to reflect the salvation that Jesus brought. 00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:44.500 Jesus cleanses us from all our sins. 00:19:44.740 --> 00:19:45.560 Jesus makes us whole. 00:19:45.580 --> 00:19:46.340 Jesus restores us. 00:19:46.440 --> 00:19:48.240 He takes the old man and he buries it. 00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:52.030 He resurrects us to a new man in relationship with him, by faith in him alone. 00:19:54.120 --> 00:19:58.160 The baptism that we celebrate today symbolizes that go into the water. 00:19:59.300 --> 00:20:01.050 We go in a dirty man or woman. 00:20:01.880 --> 00:20:04.780 We come out clean in Christ, being forgiven. 00:20:06.080 --> 00:20:10.180 We've gone in an old man and died and come out a new man in Christ. 00:20:11.620 --> 00:20:17.440 The baptism which these guys are talking about have nothing to do with that, because Jesus hasn't even come and Jesus hasn't died. 00:20:19.180 --> 00:20:25.200 In the early traditions, when an individual would begin to teach his people any religious teaching. 00:20:25.880 --> 00:20:32.940 They would, in order to symbolize that they were going to follow what that teacher was stating, would go and be baptized on behalf of the teachings of that teacher to say 00:20:32.940 --> 00:20:35.480 to the world, I'm following what this teacher is teaching. 00:20:36.840 --> 00:20:37.920 Same for us in Jesus. 00:20:38.380 --> 00:20:40.700 We're following what Jesus is teaching in baptism. 00:20:42.040 --> 00:20:44.400 We're saying, Jesus, you are my Lord and I am pursuing you. 00:20:45.460 --> 00:20:50.220 And what these individuals are saying in this passage of Scripture to the Apostle Paul is, listen, Paul, we know this. 00:20:50.360 --> 00:20:51.560 Jesus was about to come. 00:20:51.980 --> 00:20:54.690 We never heard anything about him, didn't even know the Holy Spirit came. 00:20:55.240 --> 00:20:56.230 We were just following this. 00:20:56.260 --> 00:20:59.040 John who was telling us about this, Jesus who was coming. 00:20:59.380 --> 00:21:02.500 And so we were baptized to say to this world, we're following the teachings of John. 00:21:03.900 --> 00:21:06.680 And so Paul shares with them about the coming of Jesus. 00:21:07.620 --> 00:21:12.980 They accept what Jesus has stated to them, and their lives are changed for the sake of Christ. 00:21:13.860 --> 00:21:15.410 And then the church just explodes. 00:21:15.560 --> 00:21:16.720 12 people start attending. 00:21:17.740 --> 00:21:20.160 I got to tell you, this isn't all the believers that came and worshiped in Ephesus. 00:21:20.520 --> 00:21:27.680 If you read in chapter 18, you'll see there's a little resemblance of somewhat of a church that began to gather in chapter 18, but in chapter 19, 00:21:27.960 --> 00:21:33.780 it puts for us a number on there and helps us understand that this church, by all aspects and understanding, was very small. 00:21:35.240 --> 00:21:36.740 But here's the interesting thing that happens. 00:21:38.320 --> 00:21:43.740 Paul as a as a missionary, pastor, church planter, whatever you want to call him. 00:21:44.120 --> 00:21:47.340 We know that as we study about the Apostle Paul, he went on four missionary journeys. 00:21:48.500 --> 00:21:50.060 Three of those are recorded in the book of acts. 00:21:51.700 --> 00:21:53.720 On his missionary journey in which he went to Ephesus. 00:21:53.980 --> 00:21:56.400 He stayed in Ephesus for almost up to three years. 00:21:56.520 --> 00:22:00.480 Paul stayed in the city of Ephesus longer than he stayed in any other city in which he proclaimed the gospel. 00:22:02.280 --> 00:22:05.000 The Bible tells us something interesting happens with these people. 00:22:06.040 --> 00:22:12.480 Because as they thought about their city and they thought about the glory of this goddess Diana, which people worship 250,000 people. 00:22:13.640 --> 00:22:15.140 These 12 people began to dream. 00:22:16.800 --> 00:22:21.200 They begin to dream about what God would do in them and through them. 00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:25.720 If they, as it says in verse one, were just faithful to Jesus. 00:22:27.560 --> 00:22:30.560 Bible tells us in acts chapter 19 and verse ten. 00:22:32.700 --> 00:22:34.620 That as they dreamed in the Lord. 00:22:35.940 --> 00:22:43.740 This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard 00:22:43.740 --> 00:22:48.200 the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks. 00:22:48.540 --> 00:22:52.880 I got to tell you, when you hear the word Asia, you might instantly think about the continent Asia. 00:22:53.380 --> 00:22:55.920 If you think about the continent of Asia, you're thinking way too big. 00:22:56.040 --> 00:23:00.520 According to this text of scripture, Asia wasn't Asia as we know it today. 00:23:00.520 --> 00:23:01.920 It wasn't one of the seven continents of the world. 00:23:02.600 --> 00:23:03.280 Asia was roughly. 00:23:03.320 --> 00:23:06.220 It was a region that was roughly the size of the country, of Turkey. 00:23:07.620 --> 00:23:12.900 You think about what Paul's saying here, these individuals and I want us to understand this morning. 00:23:13.340 --> 00:23:15.680 I'm not saying we're going to go out and change the world, okay? 00:23:15.960 --> 00:23:23.000 What I want us to understand this morning is all we have to get within our minds as we seek what God desires for our lives is just be faithful, and 00:23:23.000 --> 00:23:24.070 God takes care of the rest. 00:23:24.520 --> 00:23:25.920 The results are up to him. 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:27.600 But God goes in. 00:23:27.600 --> 00:23:30.500 Or these guys go into the city and they begin to dream for what the Lord. 00:23:30.760 --> 00:23:35.060 Just 12 of them gathering together, thinking and asking the question, God, what do you have for us? 00:23:35.120 --> 00:23:38.320 This is a new phase in my life, a new transition for me. 00:23:38.360 --> 00:23:39.860 I've come to understand you. 00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:44.560 I want you to paint the picture for which I could step foot into this world, and how I should live my life. 00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:45.750 God, I just want to be faithful. 00:23:48.140 --> 00:23:54.720 It says within two years, all of the country of Turkey heard the message about Jesus. 00:23:56.700 --> 00:24:02.110 You consider the effects of this when you study the archaeology of the city, the transformation that took place. 00:24:03.960 --> 00:24:11.200 Tells us as you uncover the earth of Ephesus and you see the stones, remember I told you in the beginning they would carve billboards of 00:24:11.200 --> 00:24:16.650 direction people needed to go in order to discover things within the city that they wanted to provide for themselves. 00:24:16.780 --> 00:24:17.180 Or do. 00:24:18.100 --> 00:24:23.020 Those billboards begin to be replaced with a picture of the Ichthus, the symbol of the Christian church? 00:24:23.060 --> 00:24:26.560 The markings of that started to scatter itself all over the city. 00:24:27.720 --> 00:24:33.720 People like Luke and Paul and Timothy and John and Mary begin to gather at the city to proclaim the name of Christ. 00:24:34.500 --> 00:24:38.680 Interesting thing about the city of Ephesus is this was a predominantly a city that belonged to the slaves. 00:24:40.080 --> 00:24:45.420 And the Bible tells us that for the first time in the lives of these slaves, Jesus gave them an identity. 00:24:45.580 --> 00:24:48.700 He made them feel like a person, like their life mattered and counted. 00:24:49.580 --> 00:24:56.140 And these slaves coming to this new identity in Christ, some of them in the city of Ephesus, begin to rise in prominence and significance. 00:24:56.420 --> 00:25:00.680 And they held to this Jesus who gave them value and purpose in life. 00:25:02.100 --> 00:25:09.160 So much so that the early history of the church tells us that the city of Ephesus became a primary supporting point for the church, as it 00:25:09.160 --> 00:25:11.100 spread throughout the entire known world. 00:25:11.100 --> 00:25:13.780 These slaves supported the cause of Christ. 00:25:15.780 --> 00:25:20.740 And as you read early history, it even tells us that eventually. 00:25:22.260 --> 00:25:24.120 Related to the goddess of Diana. 00:25:25.420 --> 00:25:32.420 And eventually the city became so overrun with those who pursued after Jesus that seventh wonder of the world was destroyed 00:25:32.730 --> 00:25:34.500 so that Jesus could be proclaimed. 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:44.520 There was even within the city of Ephesus, this monument that was celebrated to a lady who ran the local most popular brothel 00:25:44.520 --> 00:25:45.500 of the town. 00:25:46.440 --> 00:25:54.220 You can imagine, in order to run anything and be so popular that they erect a statue of you, you've got to be pretty important 00:25:54.220 --> 00:25:55.640 and significant in life, right? 00:25:56.140 --> 00:25:58.020 You go to the jazz Stadium today. 00:25:58.340 --> 00:26:05.720 You see 1 or 2 guys that were really important to the jazz, and they felt that they were so significant that they put a statue of those guys on the outside of the building, how important 00:26:05.720 --> 00:26:08.460 they must have been to the jazz and to all of Utah. 00:26:08.460 --> 00:26:08.580 Right? 00:26:08.620 --> 00:26:11.580 That we could gather around the side of that and see this guy who could bounce the ball really well. 00:26:12.560 --> 00:26:13.640 The same thing happened with the city. 00:26:16.740 --> 00:26:23.200 This lady was so prominent and owning this brothel, and thought to be so important in the lives of the people, that they placed a statue of her. 00:26:25.280 --> 00:26:32.280 As you read about history in This Lady and the Power of Jesus as it came into the city of Ephesus and influenced the town, 00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:36.080 history tells us this lady eventually became a follower of Jesus. 00:26:38.560 --> 00:26:45.860 Going to think about my own perspective and seeing what happens in Ephesus, and it causes me to pause within a moment of life and seeing the transformation that takes place here and ask 00:26:45.860 --> 00:26:48.100 myself, do I really have a faith that big? 00:26:50.800 --> 00:26:52.500 To look at something so large. 00:26:54.080 --> 00:26:57.370 And to see God's perspective over the town. 00:26:59.460 --> 00:27:06.620 To begin to dream, not just dreams for myself, because I've been so beat up on dreams, but to just begin to dream dreams that are so enormous and 00:27:06.620 --> 00:27:10.680 impossible that they can only be answered by the power of God. 00:27:10.920 --> 00:27:11.720 And that's very. 00:27:13.460 --> 00:27:17.340 Can I tell you in our lives the things that we pursue or the things that we're really burdened for? 00:27:18.680 --> 00:27:25.930 We talk about dreaming dreams for the Lord, or dreaming dreams that all the things that you're going to pursue as dreams in your life are the things that you carry burdens or desires for. 00:27:27.760 --> 00:27:30.460 When we talk about doing that for Jesus or doing it for the Lord. 00:27:30.520 --> 00:27:36.860 If we're if we carry a burden for what Christ desires to accomplish, we can begin to dream dreams large enough, as the Apostle Paul did. 00:27:36.920 --> 00:27:39.030 And this little church of 12 people in the city of Ephesus. 00:27:41.860 --> 00:27:48.900 Verse ten tells us within two years, this is not just the city of Ephesus, but the entire region was changed for 00:27:48.900 --> 00:27:49.360 the Lord. 00:27:49.460 --> 00:27:54.840 As a matter of fact, when you read the book of Revelation, the first few chapters of the Book of Revelation is written to the seven churches. 00:27:55.100 --> 00:28:02.120 All seven of those churches exist within the region of Asia that started through the church of Ephesus, as it began 00:28:02.120 --> 00:28:03.510 to proclaim the name of the Lord. 00:28:04.660 --> 00:28:07.480 The impact that happened on Ephesus was so large. 00:28:07.520 --> 00:28:09.600 Look what the passage says here for us in acts 19. 00:28:11.120 --> 00:28:15.940 These, Demetrius, this is talking about one of the temple workers of the goddess Diana. 00:28:16.380 --> 00:28:23.740 His name is Demetrius, gathered together with the workmen of similar trades and said, men, you know that our prosperity 00:28:23.740 --> 00:28:25.160 depends upon this business. 00:28:26.320 --> 00:28:29.280 You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia. 00:28:29.280 --> 00:28:36.200 This Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods at all. 00:28:36.200 --> 00:28:36.690 It's good advice. 00:28:37.620 --> 00:28:44.760 And so he says in verse 27, not only is there a danger that this trade of ours fall in disrepute, but also that the temple of the great Goddess 00:28:44.760 --> 00:28:51.840 Artemis be regarded as worthless, and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will 00:28:51.860 --> 00:28:54.100 even be dethroned from her magnificent. 00:28:58.010 --> 00:28:58.460 Mm. 00:28:58.560 --> 00:29:00.590 He saw the writing on the wall, didn't he? 00:29:01.620 --> 00:29:06.540 Jesus is doing something so powerful here now that we can't even think of stopping it. 00:29:06.640 --> 00:29:09.720 This is so enormous and what God desires to accomplish. 00:29:11.080 --> 00:29:18.100 When you think about 250,000 people and the impact of Jesus becoming so prominent here that the known church at 00:29:18.100 --> 00:29:25.400 the time begins to be supported through the slaves of the city as they go around the world and begin to proclaim the name of Christ that all of Asia 00:29:25.400 --> 00:29:28.320 is changed for the sake of the Lord. 00:29:28.340 --> 00:29:35.620 And it starts with just a dozen individuals who have enough faith within our lives to begin to dream in Christ and 00:29:35.660 --> 00:29:36.630 answer the question. 00:29:37.700 --> 00:29:38.240 God, what would you desire? 00:29:40.020 --> 00:29:41.190 And it starts with this. 00:29:42.860 --> 00:29:46.100 People who are faithful in Christ. 00:29:48.680 --> 00:29:54.470 I gotta say, when we talk about seeing a world change through us and in us because of what Jesus wants to accomplish. 00:29:56.400 --> 00:29:57.400 You know that dream could start. 00:29:58.540 --> 00:29:59.620 Too large could. 00:30:00.920 --> 00:30:01.820 Maybe within ourselves. 00:30:01.940 --> 00:30:07.020 All that we're thinking right now is, man, that's great that God may want to change the lives of other people, but. 00:30:08.040 --> 00:30:11.310 But what I really want is I just want to focus on me right now. 00:30:12.560 --> 00:30:19.700 I know that there's things in my life that before I even begin to think about what God could accomplish through me, that I just want God to get right with me. 00:30:21.280 --> 00:30:23.160 You know, I think that's an okay place to be. 00:30:23.160 --> 00:30:23.880 That's completely fine. 00:30:24.580 --> 00:30:25.740 That's where everybody starts. 00:30:26.800 --> 00:30:30.180 As a matter of fact, when I wake up tomorrow, that's where I'm going to start with my life. 00:30:31.720 --> 00:30:32.500 God, here I am. 00:30:33.560 --> 00:30:34.100 Work on me. 00:30:36.140 --> 00:30:36.480 God. 00:30:36.480 --> 00:30:39.980 Use me, teach me, equip me, show me. 00:30:40.760 --> 00:30:43.110 And now, God, may I just go out in this world and just shine. 00:30:45.760 --> 00:30:49.180 It's not about going into the world and just shoving Jesus down people's throats. 00:30:50.980 --> 00:30:55.640 Really, being faithful in Christ is about taking the time to allow yourself to come before the presence of the Lord. 00:30:55.940 --> 00:31:00.080 And as you enjoy his presence, just make that known in the world around you. 00:31:01.200 --> 00:31:05.720 We make time for the things that are important to us, and as we spend time with Christ, he begins to transform us. 00:31:06.780 --> 00:31:10.560 And the beauty of who Jesus is will naturally get reflected in this world. 00:31:11.580 --> 00:31:12.220 If we're just faithful. 00:31:14.200 --> 00:31:17.440 And so I'm going to give us this crazy thought and talking about that. 00:31:18.460 --> 00:31:21.580 How can we see what happens in Ephesus to happen in our world? 00:31:23.220 --> 00:31:24.300 How can it happen to me? 00:31:24.400 --> 00:31:24.780 How can it happen in my family? 00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:26.520 How can it happen in my relationships around me? 00:31:26.740 --> 00:31:30.680 And how can God use that to transform the city and the area in which I live? 00:31:30.760 --> 00:31:32.680 Lehigh, Saratoga, alpine, Highland, wherever it is? 00:31:32.940 --> 00:31:33.860 How can God do that? 00:31:34.740 --> 00:31:38.740 Seems like a crazy dream, but let me just tell you this morning, God's doing it, not you. 00:31:38.760 --> 00:31:42.600 And when God does it, you can dream whatever you want in him as he moves through your life. 00:31:43.360 --> 00:31:43.700 He's capable. 00:31:45.640 --> 00:31:51.180 Bible tells us this in Romans chapter or excuse me, Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 28. 00:31:52.220 --> 00:31:59.500 Just to grab the idea for us that it's not up to us, it says, therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be 00:31:59.500 --> 00:32:06.160 shaken, let us show gratitude by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and all. 00:32:07.480 --> 00:32:09.560 For our God is a consuming fire. 00:32:11.520 --> 00:32:13.820 So we talk about doing things for God's kingdom in this world. 00:32:14.200 --> 00:32:19.120 Notice it's everything to do with his kingdom, and everything that he's done with his Kingdom has nothing to do with us. 00:32:19.680 --> 00:32:21.860 I love the way that he describes it here for us. 00:32:22.100 --> 00:32:24.110 He talks about this kingdom as unshakable. 00:32:26.260 --> 00:32:29.560 You know, God never promised to us that this world would be perfect. 00:32:29.800 --> 00:32:32.140 God never promised this world would go easy. 00:32:32.240 --> 00:32:35.420 God never promised that if you follow him, everything's going to go well. 00:32:36.620 --> 00:32:40.940 But what he did promise is, as this world does fall apart, because it will, and eventually it will fade away. 00:32:41.180 --> 00:32:45.840 You can be part of a kingdom that will last for all of eternity and cannot be shaken. 00:32:46.720 --> 00:32:50.600 And when you read in Romans chapter eight and verse 37, it says this about us, about us as people. 00:32:51.080 --> 00:32:53.260 We are more than conquerors in Christ. 00:32:54.500 --> 00:32:58.380 You think about the thought of an unshakable kingdom and becoming conquerors in Christ. 00:32:59.320 --> 00:33:02.280 We aren't conquerors because we conquered anything at all. 00:33:02.580 --> 00:33:05.100 We aren't conquerors because we did anything at all. 00:33:05.300 --> 00:33:08.900 We're conquerors because he conquered everything. 00:33:09.880 --> 00:33:11.360 He is the conqueror. 00:33:11.360 --> 00:33:14.200 We get to enjoy the presence of a kingdom that will not shake. 00:33:14.200 --> 00:33:19.220 And as everything falls apart as God said that it would, his kingdom endures forever. 00:33:21.540 --> 00:33:21.820 Meaning. 00:33:21.820 --> 00:33:23.460 If God says it happens. 00:33:25.440 --> 00:33:27.120 Faith that moves mountains. 00:33:28.600 --> 00:33:31.900 Do you see what Jesus wants to accomplish in our lives? 00:33:32.960 --> 00:33:39.320 To let go of a world that's fading away and to give us a hope that with peace passes all understanding in him. 00:33:40.340 --> 00:33:47.740 And you become a conqueror in Christ, not because we conquered, but because he has already come and conquered. 00:33:49.440 --> 00:33:56.460 So when we talk about dreaming in Christ, we can dream whatever we want as he leads us in our lives and whatever difficulty we think might 00:33:56.460 --> 00:34:03.060 be arising before us, we can seek his faith and just be faithful and God will have it under control. 00:34:05.200 --> 00:34:05.880 His kingdom is unshakable. 00:34:08.920 --> 00:34:10.060 When you think about that kingdom. 00:34:11.679 --> 00:34:13.530 And you step into a situation like Ephesus. 00:34:16.120 --> 00:34:22.139 It helps us to get little or great peace within our lives to recognize whatever happens here, who cares? 00:34:23.480 --> 00:34:27.020 I'm a part of something far greater in this kingdom than anything. 00:34:27.060 --> 00:34:29.300 This kingdom, other kingdom that's falling apart will present. 00:34:30.699 --> 00:34:34.580 And I'm spending time with the king of this unshakable kingdom. 00:34:35.340 --> 00:34:42.060 I am just faithful to him in that I just seek his face and whatever he desires to do. 00:34:42.280 --> 00:34:43.800 From there, I allow him just to work it out. 00:34:47.020 --> 00:34:51.460 We talk about the life of Ephesus and the promises of Ephesus. 00:34:53.100 --> 00:35:00.180 It helps us as individuals to begin to dream those dreams and understand what God desires to accomplish by putting our focus off of the kingdom of 00:35:00.180 --> 00:35:02.140 this world, and on the kingdom to come. 00:35:04.460 --> 00:35:09.440 There's a saying that says, eventually this too shall pass. 00:35:09.520 --> 00:35:11.920 But what's done for Jesus is what will last. 00:35:13.300 --> 00:35:15.860 His kingdom. 00:35:16.420 --> 00:35:18.870 You think about the possibilities of Ephesus. 00:35:20.140 --> 00:35:22.140 The Bible also gives us a warning for this church. 00:35:23.340 --> 00:35:24.880 Interesting thought about about this warning. 00:35:25.200 --> 00:35:25.700 You look at this. 00:35:25.900 --> 00:35:26.830 This group of people. 00:35:26.840 --> 00:35:28.640 Paul stayed there longer than anywhere. 00:35:28.720 --> 00:35:30.340 This place was turned upside down. 00:35:30.400 --> 00:35:31.540 All of Asia was conquered. 00:35:31.720 --> 00:35:32.610 If anyone got it together. 00:35:32.680 --> 00:35:34.150 It was this group of the church in Ephesus. 00:35:34.660 --> 00:35:39.640 But you read within about 30 years time, John writes in the book of Revelation to this people of Ephesus. 00:35:41.580 --> 00:35:48.800 He carries this thought in verse two I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, 00:35:48.800 --> 00:35:52.590 and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not. 00:35:52.700 --> 00:35:53.980 And you found them to be false. 00:35:55.200 --> 00:36:00.020 And you have perseverance, and have endured for my name's sake, and have not grown weary. 00:36:00.780 --> 00:36:02.540 So far he says positive things about the church. 00:36:03.620 --> 00:36:05.080 Two things that we want to pull out of this in the positive. 00:36:05.540 --> 00:36:06.380 We'll just talk about. 00:36:06.400 --> 00:36:10.280 First, the focus of the people of Ephesus is the truth of God's Word. 00:36:10.980 --> 00:36:11.560 That's important. 00:36:12.300 --> 00:36:15.520 And I think within God's church, we kind of get two dynamics of individuals. 00:36:15.580 --> 00:36:16.280 Personality wise. 00:36:16.400 --> 00:36:18.340 We fit the gamut of spectrum in between that. 00:36:18.620 --> 00:36:24.400 But we have people that are very studious book knowledge how it is love the encyclopedia type people. 00:36:24.400 --> 00:36:24.500 Right. 00:36:25.180 --> 00:36:28.940 And then you got a group of people that are just like Bob Marley. 00:36:29.720 --> 00:36:34.260 I don't know whatever else, kind of let's just love, let's not talk about what divides. 00:36:34.960 --> 00:36:38.540 Let's don't talk about the specifics that make people stand against you. 00:36:38.540 --> 00:36:39.420 Let's just let's just love. 00:36:40.880 --> 00:36:43.360 And I think both of those can be important. 00:36:44.080 --> 00:36:51.200 And one left to itself is dangerous because the truth of who God is helps us to identify if we're even worshiping the right God. 00:36:51.720 --> 00:36:57.040 When you connect yourself spiritually, you want to connect yourself to the God who empowers you with the right spirit, right? 00:36:57.900 --> 00:37:04.000 You want to have a perspective of yourself that is godly and biblical, to understand who we are in light of who he is. 00:37:04.320 --> 00:37:06.120 If you get God right, you get yourself right. 00:37:06.440 --> 00:37:08.620 It's important God praises this church for that. 00:37:08.960 --> 00:37:11.520 It's so important for you to take the time to understand who God is. 00:37:12.640 --> 00:37:13.690 So we want to connect to him. 00:37:14.740 --> 00:37:17.280 We ask questions about what's the best way for me to connect to you? 00:37:17.300 --> 00:37:19.020 God's given us all sorts of avenues to do that. 00:37:19.300 --> 00:37:22.520 One of the most powerful things we can do is just open up his word and understand it. 00:37:23.060 --> 00:37:23.720 Begin to read it. 00:37:24.260 --> 00:37:26.960 We don't understand it, begin to study it, research it. 00:37:27.860 --> 00:37:30.540 Grab within our mind who God is. 00:37:30.600 --> 00:37:31.220 His truth is important. 00:37:31.660 --> 00:37:34.740 That's we always want the freedom here as a church family to ask questions and grow. 00:37:35.600 --> 00:37:36.180 The truth is important. 00:37:36.960 --> 00:37:38.680 Jesus said the truth sets you free. 00:37:38.960 --> 00:37:40.160 You get God right, you get him right. 00:37:40.480 --> 00:37:42.320 The second thing that the church did in failure was this. 00:37:43.320 --> 00:37:46.980 But I have this against you that you have left your first love. 00:37:47.920 --> 00:37:52.660 Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first reset the timer. 00:37:53.100 --> 00:37:53.740 I'm coming. 00:37:53.860 --> 00:37:55.780 I'm going to remove your lamps and all the way for this to go away. 00:37:56.740 --> 00:37:57.690 I'll tell you what the end of it says. 00:37:58.620 --> 00:37:59.660 Jesus says he's coming to the world. 00:37:59.700 --> 00:38:00.000 He's going to tell. 00:38:00.160 --> 00:38:03.140 He's telling the people that he's going to remove their lampstand as a church. 00:38:04.220 --> 00:38:10.300 What they're literally saying to us as people, what they're literally Jesus saying in this passage because they've left their first love. 00:38:10.460 --> 00:38:11.680 Jesus is removing the lampstand. 00:38:11.740 --> 00:38:13.820 He's saying to the people, I'm shutting down the church. 00:38:14.620 --> 00:38:16.120 I am closing this church. 00:38:17.540 --> 00:38:20.040 And you imagine within our minds what this might look like as individuals. 00:38:21.080 --> 00:38:24.360 I do not think God showed up with a chain lock in hand. 00:38:24.560 --> 00:38:27.380 Okay, God didn't come in and all of a sudden he's standing at the door. 00:38:27.420 --> 00:38:28.600 One Sunday they were gathering to worship Jesus. 00:38:28.700 --> 00:38:28.930 What are you doing? 00:38:29.080 --> 00:38:29.910 Blocking the door. 00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:33.010 Church is closed, I locked it, you know that's not how it happened. 00:38:34.180 --> 00:38:40.400 I think happened in this passage of Scripture is that Jesus is saying the presence of his spirit, which empowers the church to move forward in this world. 00:38:40.940 --> 00:38:41.900 It's being taken away. 00:38:43.380 --> 00:38:50.880 And the reason is not because they don't understand who he is, but because they're not taking the knowledge and understanding of who God is and making the traveling from their mind 18in 00:38:51.060 --> 00:38:51.540 to their heart. 00:38:51.680 --> 00:38:55.000 They're not connecting to their heart, their heart to the truth of who God is in their lives. 00:38:56.300 --> 00:38:56.940 They lack love. 00:38:58.740 --> 00:39:02.280 We don't learn about God just to know about God. 00:39:03.360 --> 00:39:05.220 We learn about God to know God. 00:39:06.520 --> 00:39:09.380 So there's a difference between knowing about him and knowing him. 00:39:10.500 --> 00:39:14.800 Little good it does for us on Sunday morning to gather together and listen to a message for him. 00:39:14.840 --> 00:39:22.240 If we don't leave on Monday and Tuesday and meditate on it and seek his face and desire to get near him to 00:39:22.240 --> 00:39:23.320 long to be with the Lord. 00:39:24.820 --> 00:39:27.560 So those individuals that were faithful in Christ, I have to think within our mind. 00:39:27.560 --> 00:39:31.100 The reason that they desire to be faithful to God is because they just want to be with Jesus. 00:39:33.300 --> 00:39:34.440 And they came to know him. 00:39:35.680 --> 00:39:37.800 And the truth of them because of the desire to be with him. 00:39:38.820 --> 00:39:39.960 And they grew in love with him. 00:39:40.860 --> 00:39:46.220 But they forgot to continue in their love for him and then left it just about knowing about him but not knowing him. 00:39:47.760 --> 00:39:51.220 So we can even do that in our own lives as we encounter people who don't carry the same faith. 00:39:52.840 --> 00:39:54.680 You don't carry the same faith as me. 00:39:54.700 --> 00:40:01.880 So I'm just going to argue with you about truth because quite frankly, out of all beliefs in the world, Christianity makes so much plain sense that you can literally argue with someone and sound much 00:40:01.880 --> 00:40:02.600 more brilliant than they do. 00:40:03.040 --> 00:40:04.320 You know, you know about God. 00:40:07.000 --> 00:40:07.620 But do you know? 00:40:10.020 --> 00:40:17.020 Jesus is desiring to connect with us in that way, seeing his kingdom that's unshakable and just knowing him in our 00:40:17.020 --> 00:40:20.800 lives in truth and loving him with our lives. 00:40:22.260 --> 00:40:25.210 You know, when I think about the city of Ephesus, I look at the situation. 00:40:25.880 --> 00:40:26.600 I think, man, that is beautiful. 00:40:26.920 --> 00:40:30.550 You look down at the Apostle Paul, 250,000 people, all of them just praising Jesus. 00:40:30.700 --> 00:40:32.000 Could you imagine that worship service. 00:40:32.300 --> 00:40:32.400 Right. 00:40:32.820 --> 00:40:34.440 You gather together in the city of Ephesus. 00:40:34.440 --> 00:40:38.480 When you study it, there's an amphitheater that can hold up to about 25,000 people. 00:40:39.080 --> 00:40:42.740 We know at least one time the Apostle Paul was there and the place was packed because there was a riot. 00:40:44.340 --> 00:40:45.640 Could you imagine going to church? 00:40:45.900 --> 00:40:46.880 25,000 people? 00:40:46.900 --> 00:40:49.180 It would be like the angels singing, worshiping God. 00:40:49.180 --> 00:40:50.860 The city's just being transformed. 00:40:50.880 --> 00:40:51.880 How beautiful it is. 00:40:51.880 --> 00:40:55.460 If they sold a ticket, I would buy it and go and just be there at least once in my life, right? 00:40:55.960 --> 00:40:57.510 That would be a great worship service. 00:40:58.980 --> 00:41:03.240 I got to be a part of a worship service once in an auditorium that held 25,000 people. 00:41:03.240 --> 00:41:03.450 It was amazing. 00:41:04.760 --> 00:41:08.520 All those voices just singing together in harmony, praising the Lord. 00:41:09.740 --> 00:41:13.220 But if you were to ask the Apostle Paul about the beauty of the picture of the church that was built there. 00:41:15.240 --> 00:41:17.520 He described it for us in understanding the circumstance. 00:41:19.960 --> 00:41:27.060 He said in acts chapter 20 and verse 18, you yourselves know from the first day that I set foot in Asia how I was with 00:41:27.060 --> 00:41:34.060 you the whole time serving the Lord with all humility and with tears, and with trials which came upon me through the plots 00:41:34.060 --> 00:41:35.120 of the Jews. 00:41:36.740 --> 00:41:41.850 Verse 24, he says, but I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course. 00:41:42.300 --> 00:41:47.380 And the ministry which I received from the Lord, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. 00:41:47.660 --> 00:41:54.360 And now, behold, I know that all of you among whom I went about preaching the kingdom will no longer see my face. 00:41:55.840 --> 00:41:56.800 And Paul is about to leave. 00:41:57.240 --> 00:42:03.080 It tells us he left Ephesus and he and he went and traveled west into the other regions of the world. 00:42:03.080 --> 00:42:07.420 And he and eventually he came back to a southern portion of the area of Asia. 00:42:07.680 --> 00:42:08.960 But he didn't go back to the town of Ephesus. 00:42:10.660 --> 00:42:12.540 And when he came just below Asia. 00:42:13.080 --> 00:42:18.020 in Asia, just below Ephesus, he sent word to the church of Ephesus and just asked for the elders to come and visit him. 00:42:18.760 --> 00:42:20.640 These people, he spent three years with these people. 00:42:20.640 --> 00:42:22.340 He's loved, these people he's sacrificed with. 00:42:22.700 --> 00:42:27.270 And it tells us in verse 36, and when he had said these things, he's talking to these individuals. 00:42:27.660 --> 00:42:35.160 He knelt down and prayed with them, and they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul and repeatedly kissed him. 00:42:35.240 --> 00:42:38.460 I don't know what kind of smooch that was, but we don't do that here. 00:42:39.060 --> 00:42:46.160 Grieving, especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again, and they were accompanying him to the 00:42:46.160 --> 00:42:47.210 ship. 00:42:49.260 --> 00:42:50.440 You ask the Apostle Paul. 00:42:52.040 --> 00:42:53.920 Paul, what were your dreams like in Ephesus? 00:42:57.360 --> 00:43:02.210 I think based on these texts, Paul would come to us and say, I got into this city. 00:43:03.320 --> 00:43:03.720 And it looked impossible. 00:43:05.180 --> 00:43:06.700 And with men all things are. 00:43:08.040 --> 00:43:09.460 Situation looked difficult. 00:43:09.560 --> 00:43:11.690 These people worshiping this false god. 00:43:12.980 --> 00:43:13.880 And all we had was 12 people. 00:43:15.660 --> 00:43:21.320 And I did what I did in every situation in which I couldn't trust to myself, I just I just turned to Jesus. 00:43:23.180 --> 00:43:25.080 And we were just faithful to him. 00:43:26.220 --> 00:43:27.670 And we saw God transform. 00:43:28.120 --> 00:43:29.040 Unbelievable. 00:43:29.040 --> 00:43:36.220 We could dream dreams that we never thought possible with us as men, but with God and His unshakable kingdom, everything is possible. 00:43:38.740 --> 00:43:39.410 But I got to be honest. 00:43:41.540 --> 00:43:42.800 It was sacrifice to be made. 00:43:44.740 --> 00:43:48.640 And I had to really get to a place in my life where I had a gut check and I had to say to myself. 00:43:49.960 --> 00:43:56.500 Is the burden for what God desires for this place more than my own life. 00:43:59.860 --> 00:44:00.200 Paul said. 00:44:02.220 --> 00:44:03.380 I didn't count my life as anything. 00:44:05.240 --> 00:44:06.260 It belonged to Jesus. 00:44:08.520 --> 00:44:14.960 If I want Jesus to accomplish things in my life, my life belongs to Jesus. 00:44:17.040 --> 00:44:22.660 And I got to a gut check in my life where the burden for what God desired to do, I knew was more glorious. 00:44:22.660 --> 00:44:23.990 But I had to answer for myself. 00:44:24.480 --> 00:44:30.240 Am I willing to lay my life down for what Jesus desires to accomplish in me? 00:44:34.180 --> 00:44:38.280 Is my burden for what Jesus wants more important than my own desires. 00:44:42.580 --> 00:44:43.730 Tells us that it brought Paul. 00:44:45.220 --> 00:44:45.660 In his life. 00:44:45.780 --> 00:44:46.880 The places where he wept. 00:44:48.420 --> 00:44:49.860 Places where it was difficult. 00:44:51.540 --> 00:44:53.530 Places where it may be even seemed impossible. 00:44:55.540 --> 00:44:57.380 But Paul loved Jesus. 00:45:00.040 --> 00:45:02.500 I think within our lives we ask the question. 00:45:03.720 --> 00:45:05.200 What is it you desire for 2013? 00:45:05.740 --> 00:45:08.420 Or what is it God desires to do within you for 2013? 00:45:10.320 --> 00:45:12.860 And we think about opening up this book of Ephesus together. 00:45:14.720 --> 00:45:20.700 I want to say to us, we've got to begin with the understanding of knowing whatever Jesus wants to do in our lives. 00:45:20.740 --> 00:45:23.380 It's far better than any dream that we're ever going to come up with for ourselves. 00:45:25.140 --> 00:45:31.640 And whatever Jesus wants to do in our lives, the goodness of what Christ wants to bring is better than any dream that you could imagine within your own life. 00:45:33.180 --> 00:45:34.640 The question you have to answer. 00:45:37.300 --> 00:45:39.520 Am I willing to lay myself down? 00:45:40.680 --> 00:45:42.080 For what Jesus wants to accomplish. 00:45:44.020 --> 00:45:49.800 Am I going to allow God to have control of me, to speak to my heart, to allow these things to happen? 00:45:52.700 --> 00:45:54.480 Book of Ephesus starts this way. 00:45:55.980 --> 00:45:57.340 The reason the church was powerful. 00:45:58.780 --> 00:46:02.040 The reason the church saw this world turned upside down for the sake of Christ. 00:46:03.320 --> 00:46:07.040 It's because they took that gut check and they said, Jesus, it belongs to you. 00:46:08.480 --> 00:46:09.700 And so Paul begins the book this way. 00:46:11.720 --> 00:46:13.390 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. 00:46:14.600 --> 00:46:15.520 By the will of God. 00:46:16.500 --> 00:46:22.140 To the saints who were at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus. 00:46:24.520 --> 00:46:27.200 If we were to start with just that thought in our lives. 00:46:29.060 --> 00:46:32.400 The rest of the book that God will write for us will be glorious. 00:46:33.420 --> 00:46:33.900 It will be beautiful. 00:46:35.140 --> 00:46:42.170 It'll be life changing, not just for you, but for everyone around you as the glory of Christ is revealed.