"Discipleship 201 For Born Again Christians"

Discipleship 201 for Born Again Christians. That's our message. The text is taken from Revelations chapters 2 and 3.

Okay, you've completed one discipleship program and you are gloriously saved. You've been baptized, you're reading the Word of God every day, you're praying daily, your a regular in church attendance and even busy doing work in your church. And you might also be feeling pretty good about yourself.

But suppose I tell you today that it is very likely that the Lord is not satisfied with your production and that He wants more and better from you going forward. And how do I know this? I know this because He wrote letters to seven churches according to the book of Revelation and He was dissatisfied with the production of six them and not completely satisfied with the seventh.

The members of the seven churches were doing these things that you are doing yet the Lord was unhappy with all but one of them. And He threatened six of them very strongly. Yes indeed the Lord is a hard taskmaster and He is this way because He's perfecting us. He wants to make us overcomers. One of the fatal mistakes made by believers is falling into Satan's trap in which he causes us to think that working for the Lord is more important than loving God. And being busy in our church is more important than loving our neighbor. And I've discovered that we could become very busy working for the Lord and yet be lacking in true love. And we see this being pointed out to us in the Lord's letter to the seven churches.

Especially His letter to the church at Ephesus who He referred to as the busy but loveless church. He warns the people of this church to get back to the love that they once had for God and for their fellow man. And when the light of God's love first shined into their hearts the joy that they had at that time. This warning is to all of us. It is a warning to the people in every church.

Father we thank You for Your love and mercy. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ that we will return to our first love. And not only love for You Lord but love for our fellow men. We thank You and praise You for pouring out of Your Spirit upon us that our focus may be laser like and pleasing to You Father we pray in the holy and the precious name of Jesus Christ. And help us not to lose our focus in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Here is what the Lord said to the Christians of Ephesus. I know your deeds and your labor and perseverance and that you cannot tolerate evil people. And you have put those who call themselves Apostles to the tests and they are not and you found them to be false. And you have perseverance and have endured on account of My name and have not become weary, Revelation 2: 2 and 3. This sounds great. These are commendable deeds performed by the people of this church. It sounds as if they have it going on. They are impressive but the Lord turns around and chides them telling them He has something against them. Meaning He has a problem with them. And what is this issue. Well He tells them that their love has grown stale and artificial and that they no longer demonstrate true love neither for Him nor for their neighbor. And He says to them if they do not repent and fix this problem He will come to them and remove their lampstand from its place.

I've searched and have not been able to find a clear understanding of what this means removing the lampstand. I'm not quite sure what all this threat to put out their light entails but but it does not sound very good for these children of God. And for any who refuse to change.

A great question for new believers and even seasoned ones is how do we get better and how do we become more pleasing to the Lord God. We find many on the street who take their walk with God much too lightly. As if it is a piece of cake or as if it is a slam dunk as they say. Clearly it is neither an easy road nor is it a breeze.

Here's what the Apostle Paul tells us in Hebrews 6: 1 to 3. Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrines of Christ, let us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptism, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permit. The New American Standard Bible version.

In other words moving on from the baby milk or the basics of our salvation, let us launch out into the deep. Let us strive for maturity. Someone wrote that, 'our faith is either growing or dying.' Paul is encouraging us to progress in our faith.

Another source tells us to respond more to the life of God inside us and the instructions of the Holy Spirit. Remember He is our guide along this pathway leading to perfection, and He will lead us into all that is true. And the Lord has warned us all that we cannot please Him without faith. Oh God, please increase our faith!

The Apostle then goes on to make a worrisome statement in verses 4 to 6 saying: "It is impossible in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the Heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance."

This is a dire warning about falling away from our walk with God, which can be terminal, we may never get back for the enemy may take us out altogether, if the Lord allows him to do so. Many say this is one of the most difficult passages in scripture.

And I can tell you that it does not mean that if you fall into a backslidden condition that there's no hope for you ever again. And I can say this with confidence. Because according to Revelation 2 and 20 the Lord even gave adulterous Jezebel opportunities to repent for teaching and seducing believers of the Church of Thyatira to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed to idols.

And He said I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality and she did not repent, Revelation 2:21. The Lord is merciful and slow to anger otherwise we would all perish. Otherwise I certainly would not be here today! Nevertheless, why should we gamble with our soul? If Satan beguiles us and draws us into sin again, we should quickly repent and get back to obedience to God's Word, get back to loving God.

There are seven warnings that the Lord gives to all believers in Christ everywhere that this is not going to be a joy ride. We will all have to become overcomers. To put it another way, there will be obstacles for us to overcome.

He promises however that there will be rude awakenings on that faithful day, when He will tell some of us that He never knew us! So here are the warnings as given to the the seven churches which were located in present day Turkey or Türkiye. Since seven is God's perfect number, these warnings are to every believer in every Church.

Number one, do not just be busy working in your church but cultivate genuine love for God and for your fellow men everywhere.

Secondly, do not fear persecution whether it be physical or emotional. Do not fear what man can do to you. He can only kill the body. Fear God scripture says who can kill the body and damn the soul to destruction.

Thirdly, be careful and watch out for those who have the doctrine of Balaam, which could be any evil doctrine, especially those found in the cults, but even false doctrines in a few mainline churches as well. Satan is busy working to deceive and entrap the people of God everywhere in every way imaginable. The enemy works hard to place a stumbling stone in the path of every believer.

Number four, watch out for the Jezebel spirit in the church, seducing the members drawing them into fornication. This is an active spirit in today's churches. If we do not resist this urge the Lord says He will cast you into a bed of affliction.

Number five, make sure your works are perfect before God. The Lord sternly warns those who appear alive in the church, but are really dead, because they're not truly alive in Christ. And He promises to come upon them like a thief in the night. This will be a sudden and surprise visit that could be fatal.

Number six, this point is not a rebuke but a warning to hold fast to that which we have received that no man will take your crown. It is a warning to cast aside a tendency to walk complacently as if we are not surrounded by danger. And the Lord puts an open door before the faithful that no one can shut. And He promises to keep the faithful from the great hour of tribulation that is coming upon the Earth.

Finally number seven, a warning to complacent and robotic believers who are just going through the motions. These are consistent in reading the Word and in church attendance but their neither hot nor cold. And the Lord promises to get rid of them in the worst possible way. He says He will spit them out of His mouth. I will let you be the judge of how this shameful rejection would be.

This message would not be complete if there's no mention of the glorious fruit that is burst in our lives by the wondrous Holy Spirit. The Spirit of the Living God is all knowing, all powerful and He is present at all times and everywhere that you go. Enough could never be said about the one who dwells in the heart of every true believer in Christ.

Oh friend, He came into your heart the day that your soul was regenerated. He took up residence in your heart on the day that you were made new. And you now possess a piece of Him, which is a deposit on the promises of God.

Scripture refers to it as, "A deposit on your inheritance!" And when you shall have received the balance there shall be a glorious transformation in your life. We do not even have words to adequately express this wonderful move of God that will radically transform the existence of every faithful believer in Christ eternally. In the meantime His power will explode in your heart if it is pure, and if you nurture your relationship with Him. He will begin to produce glorious fruit in the way you think, the way you behave, the way you speak and the way you perform in every aspect of your life.

And there will be a recognizable positive change in your interactions with people, and the ways that you handle the issues of life. According to Revelation 5 and 22 He will produce more love in our hearts, even for our enemies. And we will be more joyful from one day to another. And the peace that surpasses all understanding will envelope us, and will remain no matter what we are going through.

We will deal with others more patiently, and not rush to anger. He will make us a kinder, and gentler person. We will become a better version of ourselves, as we are overcome with goodness. We will behave faithfully toward God, and toward those that we are in relationship with. And finally, we want to encourage you in your walk with the Lord and please look out for discipleship 301 coming soon. God bless and keep you in Jesus mighty name. Amen.

You've been listening to this message and perhaps you do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We want to give you an opportunity to make that commitment today Please engage your heart and say this prayer after me:

-Father I am a sinner.

-I'm sorry for all my sins, every one of them.

-Please forgive me.

-Thank You Lord for Your forgiveness.

-Today I invite Jesus Christ into my heart.

-Dear Lord Jesus make my heart Your home.

-I give You the key to my heart because I now belong to You forever.

-Please give me the Holy Spirit to lead me into all truth.

-Thank You Lord for saving my soul. Amen.

Welcome friend to the body of believers in Christ. There are so many of us here awaiting the return of the Good Master. In the mean time we want to encourage you to become water baptized as quickly as possible. It is the fulfillment of all righteousness. Please read the Word of God every day. It is your daily food. Begin reading in the book of John, then go to Matthew, Mark and Luke, reading audibly as often as possible for faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Pray daily. Attend at your local church. And one glad morning the Savior will come and receive us all unto Himself and we shall indeed forever be with the Lord. God bless and keep you in Jesus mighty name. Amen.