This morning we want to focus on the golden sash across Jesus chest. It is the sash that covers His heart. It is a Kingly sash, wore by one in authority. It is a symbol of strength for action. The material is real gold and gold is only achieved when refined by fire, indicating that He was tested, yet came forth as gold. The purity of gold over His heart represents the purity of His love. His heart of love is the basis of His authority, His strength and His actions. His love is the foundation for everything He is and does. This is Divine Love, which we understand when we see the Real Jesus. It is a Love this world does not understand. We need an extreme makeover of our concept of love. We need to see the Real Jesus to understand the Love that He expects us to have in our Christian Life. Most of us really only know phileo, brotherly love. It is love (actually friendship) based on common interests and concerns. It is usually based on our interests and concerns. JESUS EXPECTS CHRISTIANS TO HAVE AGAPE LOVE. He expressed what it means in Matthew 5:44 when He told us to "love your enemies" To love (agapáō) others means to see what their need is and to meet that need, not according to that person's concept of need, but that of the one who loves. For a believer, we are to see the needs of even our enemies and we must do everything in our power to meet that need. Believers are never told to love their enemies with the word philéō because that would mean to have the same interests as they have . TO SEE THIS WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND GOD CALLING US 'FRIENDS' God calls us his friend (phílos), as He did Abraham (James 2:23), when we adopt His interests as our own, just as Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son even as God did His own. The Son of Man, the Real Jesus Christ has a message for each of seven churches in Revelation. Each message indicates a facet or characteristic of His Divine Love, and how the church is falling short of His love. The very first church, Ephesus, thinks they love Jesus, but Jesus wants them to understand what Divine Love is really all about. Let us examine carefully Christ letter and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us: Let's Pray REVELATION 2:1-3  Jesus knows (eido)  "emphasizes better the absolute clearness of mental vision which photographs all the facts of life as they pass" (Swete) . 1. Works (ergon) • erga; The whole life and conduct as in John 6:29 . "Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” John 6:29 • deed, act, action, something done 2. Toil (kopos) • kópos; gen. kópou, from kóptō , to strike. Beating, wailing, grief with beating the breast, equal to kopetós , lamentation, wailing (Sept.: Jer. 51:3). In the NT, toil, labor, i.e., wearisome effort, generally • Originally suffering, weariness; hence exhausting labor 3. patient endurance (hupomone) • Hupomoné is associated with hope (1 Thess. 1:3) and refers to that quality of character which does not allow one to surrender to circumstances or succumb under trial. 4. Cannot tolerate evil men (Not able (ou dunēi).bear (bastasai) • No power to bear them. They are such a burden, you dismiss them as being a burden and drag to the congregation. 5. Test and deny false (pseudo) apostles 6. Patiently endured and born up for the sake of Jesus (bastazo) • bastázō; from básis, basis, foot. To bear, carry in the hands or on the shoulders (picturing the duty of a servant, to bear a pitcher of water). Also pictures carrying the cross. • Figuratively it means to bear, support, endure, i.e., labors, sufferings . 7. Not fainted or turned back. (kopiáō) • kopiáō; contracted kopió, from kópos, labor, fatigue. To be worn out, weary, faint Ephesus sounds like a great church. They are doing all the right things. They shoul dknow what love is: PAUL'S LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS Remember Paul's letter to the Ephesians: It was all about needing, knowing, living a life of Love, God's Divine Love.  1:5 - "In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ  2:4 - "For his great love wherewith he loved us"  3:17 - "that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  3:19 - " the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ"  4:2 - "bearing with one another in love"  4:15 - "speaking the truth in love"  4:16 - "the body...builds itself up in love"  5:2 - "Walk in love as Christ also loved us"  5:25 - "As Christ loved the church and gave himself for it"  5:25, 28, 33 "Husbands love your wives" - because you picture the love of Jesus Christ. How did the Church at Ephesus fail to wear the 'Golden Sash'? But I hold this against you, that you do not love as you did at first. Remember then how far you have fallen. Repent and live as you lived at first. Otherwise, if your heart remains unchanged, I shall come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. Revelation 2:4-5(Phillips) ~'But I

This morning we want to focus on the golden sash across Jesus chest. It is the sash that covers His heart. It is a Kingly sash, wore by one in authority. It is a symbol of strength for action. The material is real gold and gold is only achieved when refined by fire, indicating that He was tested, yet came forth as gold. The purity of gold over His heart represents the purity of His love. His heart of love is the basis of His authority, His strength and His actions. His love is the foundation for everything He is and does. This is Divine Love, which we understand when we see the Real Jesus. It is a Love this world does not understand. We need an extreme makeover of our concept of love. We need to see the Real Jesus to understand the Love that He expects us to have in our Christian Life. Most of us really only know phileo, brotherly love. It is love (actually friendship) based on common interests and concerns. It is usually based on our interests and concerns. JESUS EXPECTS CHRISTIANS TO HAVE AGAPE LOVE. He expressed what it means in Matthew 5:44 when He told us to "love your enemies" To love (agapáō) others means to see what their need is and to meet that need, not according to that person's concept of need, but that of the one who loves. For a believer, we are to see the needs of even our enemies and we must do everything in our power to meet that need. Believers are never told to love their enemies with the word philéō because that would mean to have the same interests as they have . TO SEE THIS WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND GOD CALLING US 'FRIENDS' God calls us his friend (phílos), as He did Abraham (James 2:23), when we adopt His interests as our own, just as Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son even as God did His own. The Son of Man, the Real Jesus Christ has a message for each of seven churches in Revelation. Each message indicates a facet or characteristic of His Divine Love, and how the church is falling short of His love. The very first church, Ephesus, thinks they love Jesus, but Jesus wants them to understand what Divine Love is really all about. Let us examine carefully Christ letter and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us: Let's Pray REVELATION 2:1-3  Jesus knows (eido)  "emphasizes better the absolute clearness of mental vision which photographs all the facts of life as they pass" (Swete) . 1. Works (ergon) • erga; The whole life and conduct as in John 6:29 . "Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” John 6:29 • deed, act, action, something done 2. Toil (kopos) • kópos; gen. kópou, from kóptō , to strike. Beating, wailing, grief with beating the breast, equal to kopetós , lamentation, wailing (Sept.: Jer. 51:3). In the NT, toil, labor, i.e., wearisome effort, generally • Originally suffering, weariness; hence exhausting labor 3. patient endurance (hupomone) • Hupomoné is associated with hope (1 Thess. 1:3) and refers to that quality of character which does not allow one to surrender to circumstances or succumb under trial. 4. Cannot tolerate evil men (Not able (ou dunēi).bear (bastasai) • No power to bear them. They are such a burden, you dismiss them as being a burden and drag to the congregation. 5. Test and deny false (pseudo) apostles 6. Patiently endured and born up for the sake of Jesus (bastazo) • bastázō; from básis, basis, foot. To bear, carry in the hands or on the shoulders (picturing the duty of a servant, to bear a pitcher of water). Also pictures carrying the cross. • Figuratively it means to bear, support, endure, i.e., labors, sufferings . 7. Not fainted or turned back. (kopiáō) • kopiáō; contracted kopió, from kópos, labor, fatigue. To be worn out, weary, faint Ephesus sounds like a great church. They are doing all the right things. They shoul dknow what love is: PAUL'S LETTER TO THE EPHESIANS Remember Paul's letter to the Ephesians: It was all about needing, knowing, living a life of Love, God's Divine Love.  1:5 - "In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ  2:4 - "For his great love wherewith he loved us"  3:17 - "that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  3:19 - " the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ"  4:2 - "bearing with one another in love"  4:15 - "speaking the truth in love"  4:16 - "the body...builds itself up in love"  5:2 - "Walk in love as Christ also loved us"  5:25 - "As Christ loved the church and gave himself for it"  5:25, 28, 33 "Husbands love your wives" - because you picture the love of Jesus Christ. How did the Church at Ephesus fail to wear the 'Golden Sash'? But I hold this against you, that you do not love as you did at first. Remember then how far you have fallen. Repent and live as you lived at first. Otherwise, if your heart remains unchanged, I shall come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. Revelation 2:4-5(Phillips) ~'But I