First Love

Revelation 2:1-7

Church at Ephesus

• Founded by Priscilla and Aquila

• Paul led some Old Testament believers to Jesus and this launched a church in earnest

• The church grew greatly and threatened the goddess of the city

Church at Ephesus

• Paul warned them of coming danger

• Acts 20:25-31

• Revelation 2 gives us Jesus’ scorecard regarding how they handled the threat

JESUS CARES ABOUT WHAT HISCHURCH BELIEVES AND TEACHES

1. FOR JESUS DOCTRINE IS FOUNDATIONAL AND IS TO HAVE PREEMINENCE

– Everything is built upon what God has revealed– For Jesus, truth is not relative– There are boundaries beyond which a true

Christian cannot go

JESUS CARES ABOUT WHAT HISCHURCH BELIEVES AND TEACHES

2. THERE ARE NON-NEGOTIABLES FOR A TRUE CHURCH

– We summarize these in the Baptist Faith and Message (2000)

– This is the doctrine are members are to hold and all teachers are to teach

JESUS CARES ABOUT WHAT HISCHURCH BELIEVES AND TEACHES

3. We Should Be Determined to Know This Truth

– Scripture comes first in our statement– Apart from Scripture we know little about God– We are in danger in our culture from biblical

illiteracy