The Seven Churches and the Kingdom Today
Topic: Ephesus: Working in Patience
Scripture: Revelation 2:1-7;
Greetings Kingdom Citizens and Sons of God:
Now for many ministers of the gospel this one can be a tough reality. So many times we want to always preach and teach the Word of God in a favorable place and a favorable season. However, for anyone who has spent true time with the Lord, He will put you in situations where the place and season is uncomfortable. Let me help you to understand. The people at Ephesus who were doing the work of the Lord was in a place and a season where preaching, teaching and believing in the name of Jesus was unfavorable and in many cases cost the believer their life, only to gain it with the Lord. But when we look at true ministry one of the attributes the pastor or elder, for example must have is patience.
1 Timothy 4:2: “Preach the word; be instant (ready) in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”
That word longsuffering is patient endurance. Why must a leader have patient endurance? Because everyone is not where they are but they are to have patience with those who are less mature in the attempt to mature them through their submission to Jesus Christ. At Ephesus, the people there were in the midst of false god worship and persecution from the standpoint of their opposition to the worship of Diana of the Ephesians and the Roman Empire. We are at this very same point, with self worship, homosexuality, validation, affectation, false god worship through secret societies, fraternities, sororities and other organizations that require the taking of oaths and rituals. To preach the true uncut Word of God in this day is unfavorable because it cuts and convicts. But the dangerous and sad part to this is those types of actions are expected from the sinner, but when it is a saint who is still involved in these false god organizations and antichrist behavior then we have sin corrupting from the inside. Knowing this and seeing this as God has shown me, we as leaders must have patience and endure longsuffering because if we truly love the flock and our fellow man or woman then we will teach and preach the truth in season or out of season, whether it is favorable or unfavorable.
Now many times what happens is when things get unfavorable or God shakes things up, and this is personal because I am currently learning it and have experienced it, we want to move to a place of familiarity and comfort and many times God wants us to operate in the uncomfortable state to show His eternal power.
At the Father’s Service,
Elder Calvin Calhoun Jr.
