Living Word Tabernacle

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CAN WE HAVE A MODEL CHURCH?

The Greek word ecclesia – church, the called out. The early church at Ephesus separated themselves from the EVIL of the world systems. That was God’s ideal of a model church. To unite the church and the world is opposed to Gods mind. The church will never convert the world, it may become churchy. The world will convert the church and has, the false church.

In the beginning – the church loved the LORD, and one another and had a love for the lost. By the end of the first century this was dying. This church, the model church began to prize worldly comfort and honor more highly than a close fellowship with the LORD.

A SMALL REMNANT 

However, there was a small remnant that faithfully loved the LORD – they were true overcomers. Their first love was the LOVE they had for the Word. When was the time you loved the WORD the most? If we cannot say it is now, then you are backsliding.

LOVE GROWS WEAK

The evidence that love was growing weak (the first love of the Word)!

1) More concerned about what the world thinks about you than God. 1 John 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.


2) A lack of love for one another. 1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

3) following that which is false. 3 John 9-11 – Dietrephes loved to have the preeminence – John called it evil, what he taught in the church and not to follow him.


4) A model church will eventually die, by failing to contend for the faith that so many were turning away from. Jude wrote, keep yourselves in the love of God (Jude 21).


This is the subject Sunday Morning (THE MODEL CHURCH) archived ON THIS PAGE.  www.livingwordtabernacle.com 

Pastor Bill Ivy - Living Word Tabernacle, Campbell Missouri USA