{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\cocoartf2870
\cocoatextscaling0\cocoaplatform0{\fonttbl\f0\fswiss\fcharset0 Helvetica-Bold;\f1\fswiss\fcharset0 Helvetica-BoldOblique;\f2\fnil\fcharset0 Verdana-Bold;
\f3\fnil\fcharset0 Verdana;\f4\fnil\fcharset0 Verdana-BoldItalic;\f5\fswiss\fcharset0 Helvetica;
}
{\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;\red0\green0\blue0;\red0\green0\blue0;\red252\green16\blue27;
\red251\green2\blue255;\red0\green23\blue255;}
{\*\expandedcolortbl;;\cssrgb\c0\c0\c0;\csgray\c0\c0;\cssrgb\c100000\c17519\c13069;
\cssrgb\c100000\c25279\c100000;\cssrgb\c1229\c23499\c100000;}
\margl1440\margr1440\vieww14500\viewh12460\viewkind0
\deftab720
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f0\b\fs54 \cf2 \cb3 7 Letters - Part 2\

\f1\i\fs32 Don\'92t Let Religion Replace Relationship\

\f0\i0\fs28 \cf4 Revelation 2
\fs34 \cf2 \
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f2\fs28 \cf4 \
\
Revelation 2:1 ESV
\f3\b0  \'93To the angel of the church in 
\f2\b Ephesus
\f3\b0  write: \'91The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.\
\
\
\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f4\i\b\fs24 \cf5 (slides only)
\f3\i0\b0\fs28 \cf4 \
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f2\b \cf4 Revelation 1:20 ESV 
\f3\b0 As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands, 
\f2\b the seven stars are the angels of the seven 
\f3\b0 churches, and 
\f2\b the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
\f3\b0 \cf2 \
\
\
\

\f2\b \cf4 Revelation 2:2\'963 ESV 
\f3\b0 \'93\'91I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name\'92s sake, and you have not grown weary.\
\
\
\

\f2\b Revelation 2:6 ESV 
\f3\b0 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the 
\f2\b Nicolaitans
\f3\b0 , which I also hate.\
\
\
\
\

\f2\b Revelation 2:4 ESV 
\f3\b0 But I have this against you, that you have 
\f2\b abandoned
\f3\b0  the love you had at first.\cf2 \
\
\
\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f0\b\fs36 \cf2 1. It is possible to be DUTIFUL but not LOVING.
\f5\b0 \
\
\
\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f2\b\fs28 \cf4 Luke 10:40 ESV
\f3\b0  Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, \'93Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.\'94\
\
\
\

\f2\b Luke 10:41\'9642 ESV 
\f3\b0 But the Lord answered her, \'93Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.\'94\cf2 \
\
\
\

\f2\b \cf4 Revelation 2:5 ESV
\f3\b0  do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you 
\f2\b and remove your lampstand
\f3\b0  from its place, unless you repent.\
\
\
\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f0\b\fs36 \cf2 2. It\'92s impossible to faithfully REPRESENT Jesus without LOVE.
\f5\b0 \
\
\
\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f2\b\fs28 \cf4 Revelation 2:4 NLT 
\f3\b0 \'93But I have this complaint against you. You don\'92t love me or each other as you did at first!\
\
\
\

\f2\b John 13:34\'9635 ESV
\f3\b0  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 
\f2\b By this
\f3\b0  all people will know that you are my disciples, 
\f2\b if you have love for one another
\f3\b0 .\'94\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f2\b \cf2 \
\
\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0
\cf6 1 John 4:20\'9621 ESV
\f3\b0  If anyone says, \'93I love God,\'94 and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f2\b \cf2 \
\
\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0
\cf6 Romans 12:9\'9610 ESV 
\f3\b0 Let love be 
\f2\b genuine
\f3\b0 . Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 
\f2\b Love
\f3\b0  
\f2\b one
\f3\b0  
\f2\b another
\f3\b0  with 
\f2\b brotherly
\f3\b0  
\f2\b affection
\f3\b0 . Outdo one another in showing honor.\cf2 \
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f2\b \cf2 \
\
\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f0\fs34 \cf2 LOVE is the SOIL where our CONNECTION to God and others GROWS.
\f5\b0 \
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f2\b\fs28 \cf2 \
\
\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f0\fs36 \cf2 3. It\'92s possible to GROW deeper in LOVE with God and EACH OTHER.
\f5\b0 \
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f2\b\fs28 \cf4 Revelation 2:5 ESV 
\f3\b0 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f2\b \cf2 \
\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f0\fs34 \cf2 A. DESTROY the things that SEPARATE you from God.
\f5\b0 \
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f2\b\fs28 \cf6 Acts 19:18\'9619 ESV
\f3\b0  Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. 19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f2\b \cf2 \
\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f0\fs34 \cf2 B. PARTICIPATE in BIG and SMALL community.\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f2\fs28 \cf6 Acts 20:18\'9620 ESV
\f3\b0  \'93You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable,
\f2\b  and teaching you in \ul \ulc6 public\ulnone  and from \ul house to house\ulnone ,
\f3\b0 \
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f2\b \cf2 \
\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f0\fs34 \cf2 C. Visibly EXPRESS your BOND with each other.
\f5\b0 \
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f2\b\fs28 \cf6 Acts 20:36\'9638 ESV 
\f3\b0 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. 37 And there was 
\f2\b much weeping 
\f3\b0 on the part of all; they 
\f2\b embraced
\f3\b0  Paul and 
\f2\b kissed
\f3\b0  him, 38 being 
\f2\b sorrowful
\f3\b0  most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.\
\
\

\f2\b Romans 12:9 NLT 
\f3\b0 Don\'92t just pretend to love others. Really love them.\
\
\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f2\b \cf4 Revelation 2:7 ESV 
\f3\b0 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will 
\f2\b grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.\'92
\f3\b0 \
\
\
\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f2\b \cf2 Sermon in a sentence:\
\pard\pardeftab720\partightenfactor0

\f0\fs34 \cf2 Jesus loves His church too much to let our DUTY replace our DEVOTION.\
\
\
\
}