Letter to the Church at Ephesus

Rev. Dr. Thomas Lee Windham

Letters to the Seven Churches • Sermon • Submitted 6 months ago • Presented 6 months ago

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YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVING FEELING

SCRIPTURE: REVELATION 2:1-4

Revelation 2:1–4 NKJV

1 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Introduction

In this text we find JOHN IS IN PRISON ON THE ISLAND OF PATMOS. He is given a vision, a revelation of Jesus Christ. John sees His glory and says, "WHEN I SAW HIM I FELL AT HIS FEET AS THOUGH DEAD." Then Christ puts his hand on John and says, "DO NOT BE AFRAID. I AM THE FIRST AND THE LAST. I AM THE LIVING ONE; I WAS DEAD, AND BEHOLD I AM ALIVE FOR EVER AND EVER."

John is told to write what he sees and the Lord begins this revelation by addressing Seven Churches Found in Asia Minor. The seven churches listed here in Revelation 2 - were actual, historical churches in Asia Minor. They are representative of churches that have existed throughout the church age. What Christ says here to the churches is still relevant in our day and age.

Notice what Christ says to this church in the first five verses of this passage. First, the risen Christ speaks to his church in VS. 1 "TO THE ANGEL OF THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS WRITE."

• We know a lot about the church at Ephesus

• It was a privileged church that had been greatly blessed

• The church at Ephesus was planted by the Apostle Paul and it began with a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit

• You can read the events in Acts 19

There is evidence that John had strong links with this church. Timothy later served as its Pastor.

• Paul tells him to "stay … in Ephesus" in 1 TIMOTHY 1

• When Paul says farewell to the Ephesians Elders in Acts 20, he weeps and so do they, because they know they won't see each other again

• The Letter to the Ephesians was also written to this Church

• It was a marvelous church, privileged and blessed in every way

• But as time went on we now hear the Lord saying to this Church – You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling

Church history tells us Ephesus was a great Commercial – Political - Religious - And A Sports Town. The location of Ephesus made it a great place to live and work. In the beginning part of AD cities that sat at the mouth of rivers commanded the trade of the regions. Ephesus lay at the mouth of the CAYSTER VALLEY making it one of the greatest harbors in all of Asia Minor. Not only did Ephesus have a great Seaport, but three great roads also connected it to the rest of Asia, and the world.

• The greatest of these roads was the great trade route from the EUPHRATES, which reached Ephesus by way of COLOSSE and LAODICAEA, and brought the trade of the East by way of the markets

• The road from Galatia came into Ephesus by way of SARDIS, and poured into its lap the trade of Asia Minor

• A third road came up from the south, and added the trade of the MAEANDER VALLEY to the trade of the CAYSTER VALLEY

• In commerce and in wealth there were few cities that could match up with Ephesus in its day

• We have heard the Phrase “ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME”

• In actuality – “ALL ROADS LEAD TO EPHESUS”

Ephesus was also a city of the greatest political importance in Asia. Once again church history tells us that Ephesus enjoyed the title of ‘SUPREME METROPOLIS OF ASIA.’

• This was what was known as a free city

• Ephesus also was granted political freedom by Rome, because of its status as the premier town in Asia

• Therefore it had its own magistrates called -- STRATEGOI

• It had a democratically elected governing body called the -- BOULE

• And it had an assembly of all its citizens called the -- EKKLESISA

The Church in Ephesus made its first appearance in ACTS 18 after the Apostle Paul’s tour in Corinth. Paul came to Ephesus but left to preach in Caesarea, then to report in Antioch. He returns from Antioch to the upper coast of Ephesus, in ACTS 19 and one would notice he has an intriguing encounter with some fellow brethren of the faith who were disciples of John. Filled with joy and excitement in seeing his brothers; he makes an inquiry of them about the Holy Ghost, but surprise to hear that they have not heard of the Holy Ghost. Notice, they have been having church services all this time, but they were operating the church with No Power.

• That’s how many of our Churches operate today

• We operate on our own with no Power of the Holy Spirit

• Come in Sunday and sit still and afraid to move

• Come in on Sunday and can’t wait to get it over with so we can go back home

• Come in and sit to hear a boring sermon delivered with no Power

• Sit in Pews and look around at those who look as though they would like to be anywhere else but there

• No Power

Paul realized the only reason they were operating in the church with no power because they were more focused on the teachings and traditions of John instead of understanding the person he was speaking about and the one that came after, who is the Christ.

• Paul changes their focus toward JESUS and immediately they received the HOLY GHOST

• That granted them Power from on high

• This power radiated from them into the community causing a revival

• The Holy Spirit calls the Church to Revival

• Not Simultaneous Revival

• Not Annual Revival

• Revival is Called by the Holy Spirit

That’s why the local Churches are not moving today. We no longer rely on the Holy Spirit.

• Come in frowning

• Come in and just sit

• Come in hurried to get out

• You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling

So, John is told to write what he sees. In this opening Verse –

• The seven stars represent the seven Pastors who watch over those regions in which those churches are located

• Timothy was the Chief Pastor of Ephesus during this time period

• The seven lampstands is a reference to each church listed

• Each lampstand represents a church from which the light of Jesus Christ shone

The Commendation

The first sentence in this verse is a reference to the fact that the Ephesian Christians have stood firm in the solid teaching that they received from the Apostle Paul who labored among them for three years, and whose ministry was based there. This verse is also a commendation to what Paul wrote in I THESSALONIANS 1:3. While Christ here is pictured as the One who is speaking it is in fact the Apostle John that is doing the writing.

• John is commending the Ephesians, and those who are Christians for their spiritual discernment

• We are to test everything against what the Word of God says

• I THESSALONIANS 5:21 says, “TEST ALL THINGS; HOLD FAST WHAT IS GOOD”

THIS IS NOT A REFERENCE TO TESTING A PERSON’S SPIRIT, BUT THEIR TEACHING AGAINST WHAT THE WORD OF GOD SAYS.

• As Christians the Word ought to represent who we are

• That is the greatest sermon ever preached

• It is not with words that we preach, but with our lives to a world that is spiritually bankrupt

• Our actions as Christians ought to speak so loudly, that no one can hear what we are saying

Much of the problem today is – we don’t have enough of the Word of God – therefore anything goes. We don’t study the Word enough to discern if what we are hearing or seeing is of God.

• Fight over things that are in the Bible

• Accept things that are not

• COLOSSIANS 2:8 “BEWARE LEST ANY MAN SPOIL YOU THROUGH PHILOSOPHY AND VAIN DECEIT, AFTER THE TRADITION OF MEN, AFTER THE RUDIMENTS OF THE WORLD AND NOT AFTER CHRIST”

• Cautioned not to allow our Traditions to get in the way of serving the Lord in Spirit and in Truth

The Church at Ephesus was not idle. On the contrary they were very busy working for the Lord.

• Their calendar was full

• People in their neighborhood would have looked at them and said, "Man, those folks must be some kind of good Christians, they sure are busy"

• And not only were they busy for the Lord - They took a strong stand against heresy

• They were well grounded in the Word

• Bible Study Class was full on Wednesday evenings

• Sunday morning Worship was full - talking about expanding the Sanctuary

• No doubt their Pastor was an Expository Preacher, giving them clear application points to every sermon

• They had withstood persecution and not fainted

• Outwardly everything looked great

And for these good things Christ commends them. Nothing goes unnoticed by God. He knows all that we do. But there is a powerful insight to be learned here.

• Mere works are not enough to please the Lord

• He wants more than outward compliance

• What Jesus wants is a heart that is changed

• ST. MATTHEW 15:8 “THIS PEOPLE DRAWETH NIGH UNTO ME WITH THEIR MOUTH, AND HONOURETH ME WITH THEIR LIPS; BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME”

• We are told in REVELATION 14:13 “….THEIR WORKS DO FOLLOW THEM”

After the Lord pats them on the back, He makes a Transition. VS. 4 “NEVERTHELESS, I HAVE SOMEWHAT AGAINST THEE, BECAUSE THOU HAST LEFT THY FIRST LOVE.” To be a Christian means to love the Lord Jesus Christ with all that you are.

• To the Ephesians though they had become COLD, METHODICAL REMNANTS of what they were

• While their theology and moral purity was good, their diminished zeal for truly living for the love of God had been forsaken

When we allow ourselves as Christians to get into a “routine” of just doing and not being, we run the risk of simply losing our first love, which ought to be Christ. Before we do anything for the Lord; we ought to first be reading His Word, praying, and fellowshipping with other Christians otherwise we run the risk of simply being irrelevant to our culture as these brothers and sisters were becoming. This is why Christ rebuked them. THE EPHESIANS WERE A CHURCH OF THE LOST LOVE. The Lord said I have something against you -- You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling.

They had started out strong, but over time things had begun to change. A generation had come and gone since Paul had preached to them. While they had remained faithful to the Word of God, and had endured hardship, the likes of which most of us could not understand, something was lacking.

The Condemnation

• They had lost their passion

• They had lost their fervor for Christ

• The Passionate Love that had motivated them and burned within their hearts had given way to a mechanical orthodoxy, a ritualistic form of service that lacked enthusiasm and zeal

• They now found themselves simply Going Through the Motions

• You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE LOSE OUR FIRST LOVE? What happens when the passion we once had for Christ is replaced by Legalism or by Self-Righteousness, or by a mechanical form of Christianity that contains all the externals but lacks the internal passion the once stirred our hearts and moved us to love for Christ?

We now find little or no time for Jesus on a daily basis.

• Instead of being concerned about the things that concern Him -- we are more concerned about ourselves and our personal desires

• Unwilling to give all we are and all we have to Jesus

• We are unwilling to be inconvenienced for Jesus

• We do not tithe, because that might deny us some of the material things that make our life more comfortable

• We do not witness, for that would cause others to think we were fanatical

• We are more willing to give our TIME - ENERGY -- MONEY to a sporting event or some sort of entertainment, then we are to the things of God

• Life for us is about self-advancement - no longer about the Kingdom of God

• And we wonder why they have no Spiritual Power

• We wonder why we have not sensed the presence of God in our life for a mighty long time

• Yes, my brothers and sisters - You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling

It is a dangerous thing to go through the motions of Christianity without a passionate love for Christ.

• It sets the wrong example for new Christians, causing them to have to backslide to get into fellowship with the church

• It teaches our children a distorted lesson on what it means to be a Christian

• And this coldness has a tendency to become self-perpetuating

• It causes us to become content with less than God's best, denying us the true riches of our life in Christ

It is like our marital relationships. It is not intended to ever grow boring and old. This is why God established the family at the foundation of time. It was established in the SECOND CHAPTER OF GENESIS - Look, as the Bible opens up it takes just Two Chapters for God to establish the Family. GENESIS 2:24 “THEREFORE SHALL A MAN LEAVE HIS FATHER AND HIS MOTHER, AND SHALL CLEAVE UNTO HIS WIFE; AND THEY SHALL BE ONE FLESH.”

• Even the Preacher on our Wedding Day rehearses the words by saying “UNTIL DEATH DO US PART”

• Our love should remain Strong and Committed, time should not change that

• That’s the way God intended it to be

• That is the way our Love for Him is supposed to remain as well

What Jesus wants is for us to love Him like He loves us.

• He demonstrated that love for us on Calvary’s Cross

• Jesus suffered and died for us

• Bearing our sins on Calvary's Cross

• Not because He was forced to, but because of His love for us and His desire to bring us into relationship with the Father

Jesus has never lost his passion for us. His love for us will always Burn Hot.

• His desire to be in relationship with us is as strong today as it was when He made us

• It is as passionate today as it was when He hung there on the cross and said, "FATHER FORGIVE THEM, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO"

--As the song says -

"SOFTLY AND TENDERLY JESUS IS CALLING, CALLING FOR YOU AND FOR ME.

SEE ON THE PORTALS HE'S WAITING AND WATCHING, WATCHING FOR YOU AND FOR ME. COME HOME, COME HOME,

YEA WHO ARE WEARY COME HOME, COME HOME.

EARNESTLY, TENDERLY JESUS IS CALLING,

CALLING OH SINNER COME HOME"

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS? Today the ruins of that ancient city lie under the murk and mire of a swamp.

The Outcome

Loss of First Love results in Death.

• The Church at Ephesus died

• And the city died around it

• He who hath ears let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches

--The truth of the matter is that a church is made up of individuals

--The passion of the church will never be any greater than the collective passion of her members

--If we are on fire for Christ, that passion will be reflected in our church

--If we grow cold in our love for Jesus, that coldness will be evident in our fellowship.

--The Lord said to the Church of Ephesus -- You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling

--Let us make sure we have a healthy, sincere love for the Lord

--Let us make sure our Passion is for the Lord

--Let us make sure we have a Love Affair with the Lord

--Let us make sure we are the Church the Lord is coming back to Redeem

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