Point of Grace Worship 3.14.21 Sermon Notes – Letters from Jesus – Lent 2021

The encouragements and admonishments build throughout the seven letters with “forsaking your first love” as the foundational threat to faith and faithfulness.

The answer is always “Repent!” – Surrender to the truth as revealed by Jesus and “love your first love first…”

The Fourth and Fifth letters contain “Code Red” warnings from Jesus! He is serious! He wants them to be as concerned about the issues He reveals as He is! He has deep concern for His church – the people and the teaching!

What is behind His fervor?

Thyatira is warned about tolerating falsities and their promoters which taint, actually “gut”, the truth of Jesus!

He warns Sardis of what inevitably results from such a lack of spiritual vigilance – a faith life once known for transforming authenticity now rings hollow.

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“To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. 21 I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, 25 except to hold on to what you have until I come.’

26 To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star. 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

How does Jesus affirm the church?

The church is in trouble with Jesus for “tolerating that woman Jezebel”! Who is she?

Jezebel is a problem because “By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.” What does this mean?

How do you see Jesus showing up “full of grace and truth”?

What explains such an extreme Jesus response?

“To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

What does Jesus know? (This time He shares not no words of affirmation!)

What is His “love cry”? Does it sound like the original call to “loving your first love first”?

How do you see Jesus showing up “full of grace and truth”?

Jesus, how are You leading me/us to respond to this word from You?

This Week’s Prayer Jesus, I love You! I worship You! I trust You! I give myself over to You today! You the WAY, the TRUTH, the LIFE and no one comes to God the Father except through You. I thank and praise You for the passion, fervor and zeal with which you Seek me, Save me and Rescue me each day all while doing battle against evil, the evil one and all his cunning accomplices. All this you do out of love for me, for all people and for Your church. Thank you, Jesus, I love you! I praise you also for being adamant about Truth! You know that You are the only true means of Life now and forever for every person. Your way is the True way. Thank you for being a Warrior for Truth and I surrender to You! I confess honestly Jesus that I struggle at times with understanding and applying Your Truth especially when my own ego gets in the way - when I think I know what is better for me and others than You do. I need You Holy Spirt, the Spirit of Truth to lead me into all Truth. I also confess that I sometimes compromise Your Truth and Your Love in my thoughts, attitudes, convictions, actions and words as well as my moral choices and positions. Sometimes I have held on to sin and sins disregarding Your word to me. (Spend a moment confessing to Jesus specific things He is bringing to mind.) I am so very thankful, in this moment, that I can confidently ask for and authentically receive Your complete and total forgiveness solely based on Your grace towards me in Jesus – who has paid for all my sins. I do that now. Thank you for fighting for me even when I fight against You. Jesus, fill me afresh with Your Spirit so that I might live today, not out of my old sinful self but out of my new self, my new Life in Christ, that is in this moment of truth filled prayer being renewed and restored by Your Spirit. Today I get to trust You and live fully alive, with You as my WAY, my TRUTH and my LIFE! Amen!

How could a group of people living like this change the world?

Afterthoughts for 2021 - Thursday @ 7

Resources for this Week

Here are some suggested readings for each day of this week. The Meditation Hints below may help you listen and receive all God has for you.

Mon – John 14:1-7 Tue – Revelation 2:18-29 Wed – Revelation 3:1-6 Thu – Revelation 5:9-14 Fri – John 8:31-38, 44-45 Sat - Psalm 119:9-16

Meditation Hints:

Solitude – Spend TWO minutes quietly alone. Take some deep breaths… Just be… “Holy Spirit, speak to me through Your Word! I rest in You!”

Scripture – Read the scripture slowly, out loud if possible, listen, reread, dwell, notice words & phrases you are drawn to & return there! Reflect on what you are noticing and where He is leading your thoughts.

Prayer – Have a conversation with God, “What are You saying to me, God?” Talk about what you notice is on your heart. Begin to own the “word of God” being revealed to you.

Finish - Spend TWO minutes again with God, resting and listening and being loved.

Helps: Join the “I BELONG” Challenge Go to pog.church and click the “I BELONG CHALLENGE” menu tab. After you sign up you will get a daily email with the daily reading. “Sermon Resources” for this week from pog.church

“Union with Christ” by Rankin Wilbourne

The “One Minute Pause” App from your app store

“Get Your Life Back” by John Eldredge

“Restoration Year – A 365 Day Devotional” by John Eldredge