There is a popular expression that says "seeing is believing." However, many people saw the amazing signs performed by Jesus and did not believe in him. In two separate incidents recorded in John 4:43-5:18, Jesus performed signs of healing, but few believed in him. One politically connected man did believe while the religious leaders did not. He became a model of faith, while they became a warning about the dangers of man-made religion. (full sermon notes)
God's presence in the early church produced awesome acts of community giving and healing but also an awesome judgment against hypocrisy and deception.
In Revelation 2:1-7, we read the letter to the church in Ephesus, a cosmopolitan port city where intellectual and religious currents were always trying...
In a brief burst of practical instructions, we learn how to treat church leaders, other church numbers, and everyone else.