OC Bereans

Gentlemen,

The #1 take-away for me from our study of Jesus’ Letter to Ephesus:

“I feel the need to heed” (1:3) because of DEVOTION … not duty, nor doctrine.

Jesus desires and demands our “first love” devotion more than anything else we might imagine.  Click here to download the Revelation 2:1-7 Notes on the Letter to Ephesus.

Two additional resources you may want to check out:

• A 2006 sermon by Ken Baugh, pastor of Coast Hills Church, entitled “Ephesus: The Careless Church“
• Chuck Missler’s 66/40 Radio Broadcasts are now available as daily podcasts on the Book of Revelation.  You can subscribe for free on iTunes.

I have also uploaded eight slideshows that we have used on Monday nights since the beginning of the new year.  You can access these from the Downloads tab at the top of this page.

We will wrap up our study of the Letter to Ephesus this coming Monday night with a “necessary excursus” on the “tree of life” in Genesis 2-3 … then onto a study of the Letter to Smyrna (Rev. 2:8-11).  To aid your preparation for this next letter, here are several questions for you to explore prior to Monday night:

1. What titles / traits of Jesus are used in the greeting?  Why are these significant to believers in Smyrna?
2. Identify three specific things which Jesus knows [οἶδα] about believers in Smyrna.  Think about the details of each of these.
3. How can Jesus say of them, “but you are rich”?  In what ways?
4. Why are Jews in Smyrna called “a synagogue of Satan”?  Can you find a biblical parallel to this accusation?
5. What are the two commands that Jesus issues to the believers?
6. Define the “crown of life” … look for biblical cross-references.
7. What is promised to the “overcomer”?  What is NOT promised?
8. Define the “second death” … look for biblical cross-references.

Rick H. will bring the dessert, so show up by 7 pm to enjoy that! … our study starts shortly after that.

Shalom!

~ tr