Habits #1: Attend Regularly
Habits – Week #1
Attend Regularly
Revelation 2:1-7; Acts 18:8-20; Hebrews 10:25
Attend Regularly- The habit of making church a priority
What we value will ultimately determine what we do
Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands: 2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. 3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. 4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. Revelation 2:1-5
1. The Church should value Evangelism
Evangelism is simply telling someone about Jesus Christ
Church culture says, “contain Jesus.” The Bible says, “proclaim Jesus.”
Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God. 9 But some became stubborn, rejecting his message and publicly speaking against the Way. So Paul left the synagogue and took the believers with him. Then he held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia—both Jews and Greeks—heard the word of the Lord. 11 God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. 12 When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled. 13 A group of Jews was traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus in their incantation, saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. 15 But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” 16 Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered. Acts 19:8-16
2. The Church should esteem Jesus
The story of what happened spread quickly all through Ephesus, to Jews and Greeks alike. A solemn fear descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored. Acts 19:17
If we esteem something more than Jesus, we are not going to grow in our relationship with Jesus
What we lift up, we will live out
3. The church should be eager to live for Him
Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. Acts 19:18
We need to be more obsessed with our repentance rather than our reputation
A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars. 20 So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect. Acts 19:19-20
“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give the right to eat from the tree of life which is in the paradise of God. Revelation 2:7
Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25