Christ threatens to remove the Ephesian church's lampstand because a spiritual fall is serious when a person cannot or will not get back up. Sin soon corrupts the mind and can quickly become a way of life, so salvation is at stake. At the very moment a sinner most needs closeness with God, he can find himself opening up to the influence of Satan the Devil, which compounds the danger. Having left their first love, the Ephesians, despite their labor, doctrinal purity, and busyness, are in danger of this decline. Removing the lampstand means expulsion from the fellowship of the Body of Christ. Christ wisely uses this threat as a forceful and compelling warning that provokes urgency to remember where they have fallen, repent, and return to their first works while there is still time. The warning is joined to hope, for Christ ends His admonition with the promise that the one who overcomes will eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God.

He threatens to remove their lampstand, their place in the church, if they fail to repent. Removing the lampstand means they are this close to losing their place. This problem is a salvational issue because He threatens to take their salvation away because of their hard, callused, always-fighting attitude.

The proper contrite attitude together with being a witness of righteousness, through the grace of all God's gifts in action, is the difference between uselessness and eternal life for us. We are all standing together before God by election as firstfruits to continue in patient labor, overcoming the evil, carefully weighing the Word of God in perseverance, without becoming weary in walking the walk. Ten years before the events of Genesis 15, Abram at 76 submitted himself to God's judgment for the sake of peace, and let Lot choose what physically looked to be the best territory. On Lot's part, here is another decision driven by the mind of men based on what is seen that did not work out very well either. Brethren, we have taken so much time here because we needed to see over the expanse of time Abraham's, as well as Sarah's faith grew in the grace and knowledge to more carefully consider God's solutions to things and not their own. Over decades they were also developing the mind of God as evidenced in a number of places. Although perhaps not as pointedly here, as in other places, there is a lesson for us in seeking God's favor. Here in Genesis 18:3 the word translated favor is the Hebrew word khane, 2580 in Strong's Concordance and can be subjective (kindness, favor) or objective (beauty). In the Hebrew this word first appears one time prior to this in Genesis 6 where we read, But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Grace may very possibly be the correct translation here, because as we saw in the last sermon, God showed His mercy to all men as part of the whole package of His grace given to Noah to continue His plan to bring all men to repentance, salvation, and knowledge of the truth, even in the face of such catastrophic times. However, in the New English Translation, you will find the same sentence translated as, But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord. Because they rightly noted that in a marginal reference that the phrase find favor in the eyes of is the Hebrew idiom meaning to be the object of another's favorable disposition or action; to be a recipient of another's favor, kindness, mercy. The marginal reference goes on to say in citing Bible references, the favor/kindness is often earned (that is right!), coming in response to an action or condition. Right now we will be turning to two of those references just to drive home the point and especially since the second one is quite germane to this firstfruits season. Turn to Proverbs 3, and as you do, keep in mind God's words in Isaiah 66. Now with this in mind, and God's strong desire to grant His favor to those who have the humble attitude of the publican, we will be reading Proverbs 3. The more we lean on Him and the truth of His Word rather than our own limited understanding the more likely He will grant His favor, and not just any old favor, but rather the way of thinking like He thinks as a way of life; a carefully considered witness to His righteousness and His way of life! Now please turn with me to another very simple but very appropriate scripture during this firstfruits season, one that is part of the cycle of scriptures that are rehearsed this time of year. Also please keep in mind that we are looking at favor as seen in God's Word, as a response to an action. Please turn with me to Ruth 2. Brothers and sisters, as we go through this count to the Feast of Firstfruits and carefully consider our own walk as the elect of God, perhaps we have seen that the focus of the original question was wrong. For us, it should not be, What is the difference between grace, mercy, and favor? They are all part of the package God is using to help us, and eventually all men along the way. The real focus should be right where we began, the attitude of the beaten. Are we walking this walk as the resurrected Christ commands maintaining the humble, teachable, child-like attitude, and love for our awesome Creator, while trembling at His Word? If we are, then in faith we grow in