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    The Church Jesus Saw
    The Church Jesus Saw
    The Church Jesus Saw
    Ebook117 pages1 hour

    The Church Jesus Saw

    By Maxwell R Watson

    ()

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    About this ebook

    I have made a detailed study of Revelation chapters 2 & 3 over more than 25 years. This book is a look at these two chapters in order to discover the kind of church Jesus expects us to be. To open our eyes to the pitfalls of the early church in an attempt to avoid them ourselves. To focus on Jesus ideal of how not to do church but in a way that is both learned and inspiring.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMaxwell R Watson
    Release dateAug 21, 2014
    ISBN9781311690326
    The Church Jesus Saw
    Author

    Maxwell R Watson

    I am now retired. I spent 20 years as a Pastor and then worked in International Humanitarian Aide work. In 2004 I survived a massive stroke and like to encourage people to not give up in their life circumstances.

    Read more from Maxwell R Watson

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      Book preview

      The Church Jesus Saw - Maxwell R Watson

      The Church Jesus Saw

      or

      Letters to the 7 churches

      by

      Maxwell R Watson

      Copyright 2014 Maxwell R Watson

      ISBN: xxxxxxxxx

      Published at Smashwords.com

      Contents

      Dedication

      Acknowledgements

      Introduction

      Chapter 1 Ephesus

      Chapter 2 Smyrna

      Chapter 3 Pergamum

      Chapter 4 Thyatira

      Chapter 5 Sardis

      Chapter 6 Philadelpha

      Chapter 7 Laodicea

      Epilogue

      About the Author

      Dedication

      This book is dedicated to my wife Christine Watson. Chris has stood by my side as a true partner through every part (the beautiful and the extremely difficult) of life for over 33 years; she is an amazing woman of God a wonderful mother to our four, now adult, children and now an ideal loving and caring Grandmother. Whilst juggling these she also wears the cap as my Carer as I live with a disability.

      Acknowledgements

      I wish to acknowledge those who have had critical input into my life. Those who have been mentors in my life include: the late Mr. Bob Weeding; Mr. Frank Kimpton & the very much still with us Mr. Kevin Craik, Dr Keith Farmer, Dr Lionel Berthelsen and Mr. Dennis (professor) Nutt. These men saw something in me that was worth bringing out. For some, it was leadership, while for others, it was to excite or challenge my thinking. I am truly grateful to each of them; and yes those who have gone before me, I still miss. To my wonderful amazing wife of over 33 years, your uncanny ability to love me regardless of what life has thrown at us, and to challenge my thinking to rise to a higher level. To my Heavenly Father, who seems to be always waiting for me to catch-up, get the plan and to move me to act on that plan!

      Notes

      I am purposeful in having the text spaced a bit wider than most books. I find reading easier this way, and I feel sure most do. The same is applied to the font I use. It is my sincere hope that you find this book both easy to read and inspirational. Therefore, I believe that you will rise to the challenge of striving to become the person and the church that God so desires you to be. Wherever I use the term the church I am referring to the universal church, not on particular brand of Christianity. The church refers to that worldwide group of Born Again, Bible believing and Spirit filled people. I apologise for using cliché terms that the media use in a detrimental way. But, these terms are not detrimental at all. They may be fundamentalist; but who cares? If being a Fundamentalist is believing in God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, that one must be Born Again (see John 3: 3-8) and that being Filled with the Holy Spirit is not what we should expect (see Matthew 28:19; John 14:16 & 26; Acts 2:38; Acts 4:31; Romans 8:27; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 5:16 & 22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 4:30; Ephesians 5:18. 1 John 4:4; Hebrews 9:14) then I’m a fundamentalist; I believe in the fundamentals.

      All scriptures quoted are from the New International Version, unless otherwise stated.

      Introduction

      Writing this has been both a hard labour and a labour of love. I have felt for close to 30 years that these two chapters in Revelation are so important for today’s church; yet I have battled with my authority, or lack of authority, to speak into the situation, especially beyond the local church. However, this is very possible just an attack on me not to write it. So I put aside my negative feelings, girded up my faith and have written this, not to condemn but to encourage. As encouragement is always my desire and purpose in writing.

      To say these are important chapters is a great understatement really. The seven churches give us great guidance in what is good for the church to be doing as well as those things that are not to our long-term benefit. Each of these seven churches receives four things:

      A Commendation

      A Criticism:

      An Instruction and:

      A Promise:

      It is not my desire to point at any modern church and say you are just like XXX. Rather it is my desire to teach readers that there are things which are very easy for us to fall into doing; which we perhaps should avoid. Yet equally there are many good things for us, the modern church, to be focused on doing. Let us be united in being the church that Jesus has in mind for us to be.

      Chapter 1

      Ephesus: The Careless Church

      Photo from (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephesus)

      Revelation 2:1-7

      "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. ² I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. ³ You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.⁴ Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. ⁵ Consider how far you have fallen! Repent 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. ⁶ But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ⁷ Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

      Background and Brief

      Ephesus: is the modern-day city of Selcuk! In the first-century, Ephesus was the Capital of Proconsul Asia. This meant a Roman governor lived there. This made Ephesus an important place. It was a Free city which means it was self-governed. It had a Population of some 250,000.

      The main trade was due to the harbour at the Mouth of Cayster River. It was the link from Rome to Asia Minor. Ephesus was a melting pot of ethnic groups.

      Ephesus boasted the largest open-air theatre of that time it had seating for around 25,000 people. The city was also the host of The Great Temple of Diana (or Artemis) the goddess of fertility, who took the form of a Bee; was located in Ephesus. Temple prostitution was considered a viable trade and may refer to the practice of Nicolaitans. Heraclitus (born c. 540 BC); he was known as the weeping philosopher. He said: The inhabitants of Ephesus were:

      fit only to be drowned and that the reason why he could never laugh or smile was because he lived amidst such terrible uncleaness.

      The image below shows the ruins of what was the temple of Diana/Artemis. (Image from http://bibleencyclopedia.com/places/Ephesus_Temple_of_Artemis_ruins.htm)

      Today Ephesus is a dead city; the cause of this death was deforestation and over grazing initiated the harbour and river to become silted up; the sea is at present some 20 miles (32 kilometres) from where ancient harbour walls once were. It is an easy google search to find currently of where Ephesus was and where Selcuk now stands.

      Paul - ministered there for 2 to 3 years: see Acts 19.

      Timothy ministered there (1 & 2 Timothy… especially 1 Timothy 1:3.)

      Pricilla, Aquila and Apollos all ministered there: Acts 18.

      The story of the town/city is the story of the church and as a noteworthy point this is always the case. I can look back and see this in places I have been in ministry. We should be aiming to turn this around so that we, as the church, are influencing the city we are in and not the other way around. We can have influence on a city; we can be flavour the city by being the church God called us to be.

      Digging deeper

      The Message to Ephesus as found in Revelation 2:1-7 quoted above contains those four elements I spoke of in the Introduction.

      In verses 2, 3: Jesus acknowledges their hard work, this is part of their commendation. He did not just wade in with criticism he told them the good he had witnessed; Hard work; John, who was the one writing this vision down used the Greek word kopos and we know that kopos means wearisome toil. The church was busy labouring with an exhausting toil.

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