Letter to Ephesus
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Intro
Intro
Begin a new series entitled “Letters From God to The Church
We are going to take a close look at the letters to the 7 churches found in
I was AIT and our Professor said it would be a great study to look at these 7 churches and develop a church health guide based on it.
That has always intrigued me
As a church, we need to take serious look at our health and try to see what Jesus would say to us if He were to write.
My plan is to look at each church
See what they were commended
See what they were condemned
See what they needed to do
See what happens when they obey
Then we can analyze our church and discover what we would need to do to be healthy
Let’s look at Ephesus
It was the largest city of the Roman province of Asia Minor.
It was not the capital, though the Roman governor lived there.
It was a commercial center because of its excellent natural harbor.
2. It was a free city, which allowed it to have local government and much freedom, including no garrison of Roman soldiers.
It was a free city, which allowed it to have local government and much freedom, including no garrison of Roman soldiers.
3. It was the only city which was allowed to hold the bi-annual Asian games.
It was the only city which was allowed to hold the bi-annual Asian games.
4. It was the site of the Temple to Artemis (Diana in Latin), which was one of the seven wonders of the world of its day. It was 425’ x 220’ with 127 columns which were 60’ tall; 86 of them were overlaid with gold (see Pliny’s Hist. Nat 36:95 ff). The image of Artemis was thought to have been a meteor which resembled a many breasted female figure. This meant that there were many cultic prostitutes present in the city (cf. ). It was a very immoral, multicultural city.
It was the site of the Temple to Artemis (Diana in Latin), which was one of the seven wonders of the world of its day.
It was a very immoral, multicultural city.
Paul stayed in this city more than 3 years (cf. ; ).
5. Paul stayed in this city more than 3 years (cf. ; ).
Tradition asserts that it became John’s home after Mary’s death in Palestine.
6. Tradition asserts that it became John’s home after Mary’s death in Palestine.
God Affirms Our Effort
God Affirms Our Effort
In these letters, He affirms before He condemns
He tells they were doing the right things
They were believing the right things
Utley, R. J. (2001). Hope in Hard Times - The Final Curtain: Revelation (Vol. Volume 12, p. 31). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.
But you missed it.
What were they doing right?
In the midst of a city which was
Wealthy and materialistic
On the coast and a trade route
Full of idol worship
Full of Political influence
Looks a lot like our nation and this church may represent a majority of modern churches.
Faithful
They had the right behavior
Works - a passive type of meaning that God was working through them and doing the ministry
They were hard workers - labor - redeeming work/vocation
Commitment to God’s word and work “endurance”
Doctrinal Fidelity - Tested, Hate Nicolaitans
Doctrinally sound and theologically vigorous
Selfless - Don’t tolerate evil for Christ’s sake -
Tolerated many things and did not grow weary - in other words they get knocked down and bounce right back up
Opposes Our Earning
Opposes Our Earning
They abandoned their first love.
They got the head right, they hands right, but not the heart
They were genuine believers, had it right at one point, but still missed it.
Understand, they were saved by grace, but somewhere along the way began to believe that good works, working hard doing the right things pleases God.
We can be tempted by this as well
We feel that we must work hard to earn God’s love
We can do all the right things on the outside, but the heart is wrong and it will suck you dry
Salvation is by grace, not works, but my works is the way I maintain by salvation
We have he hope not for anything that we have done or will do, but because of Jesus.
Cross is not only just enough to save you, but also to sustain you.
No need to work or do good to maintain your salvation
They just were working hard to please God, but not the right heart
Commends Our Repentance
Commends Our Repentance
What were they to do?
Repent
How?
Remember the things they did first
They were to go back to the gospel
Jesus said, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
Get back to the heart of the issue
Notice the church as a whole is called on to make a decisive repentance (cf. ) and to become active in its love for Christ, for each other, and for the lost.
Notice the church as a whole is called on to make a decisive repentance (cf. ) and to become active in its love for Christ, for each other, and for the lost.
Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
Repentance is crucial for a faith relationship with God.
Repentance is crucial for a faith relationship with God (cf. ; ; ; ; , ; ; ; ). The Hebrew term meant a change of actions, while in Greek it meant a change of mind. Repentance is a willingness to change from one’s self-centered existence to a life informed and directed by God. It calls for a turning from the priority and bondage of the self. Basically it is a new attitude, a new world-view, a new master.
The Hebrew term meant a change of actions, while in Greek it meant a change of mind.
Repentance is a willingness to change from one’s self-centered existence to a life informed and directed by God.
It calls for a turning from the priority and bondage of the self.
Basically it is a new attitude, a new world-view, a new master.
Utley, R. J. (2001). Hope in Hard Times - The Final Curtain: Revelation (Vol. Volume 12, p. 35). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.
However, if they fail to respond to Jesus’ repeated call to repentance, the Lord will take drastic measures.
Baker New Testament Commentary: Revelation b. Rebuke (2:4–5)
However, if they fail to respond to Jesus’ repeated call to repentance, the Lord will take drastic measures. He is coming and is already on the way to visit them; he will not wait until his coming at the consummation. And even before his final coming, the Ephesians will no longer be a church. Jesus will remove the lampstand from its place, which means that as a congregation they will experience a complete spiritual blackout. A church ceases to be a church when it no longer serves its Master with genuine love and dedication. There is hard evidence that nominal Christianity dies a natural death within a generation or two and consequently disappears completely from the scene.15 The members may still come together, but they meet for social and not spiritual purposes.
A decade after John wrote the Apocalypse, Ignatius penned a letter to the church at Ephesus in which he praised the local Christians for their patient endurance and their resistance to deceit. He notes that some people from Syria had passed through Ephesus with evil teachings but that the Ephesians had refused to listen. He commends them for being of one mind with the apostles in the power of Jesus Christ. Apparently, the people had taken seriously the words of Jesus
He is coming and is already on the way to visit them; he will not wait until his coming at the consummation.
And even before his final coming, the Ephesians will no longer be a church.
Jesus will remove the lampstand from its place, which means that as a congregation they will experience a complete spiritual blackout.
A church ceases to be a church when it no longer serves its Master with genuine love and dedication.
There is hard evidence that nominal Christianity dies a natural death within a generation or two and consequently disappears completely from the scene.
The members may still come together, but they meet for social and not spiritual purposes.
A decade after John wrote the Apocalypse, Ignatius penned a letter to the church at Ephesus in which he praised the local Christians for their patient endurance and their resistance to deceit. He notes that some people from Syria had passed through Ephesus with evil teachings but that the Ephesians had refused to listen. He commends them for being of one mind with the apostles in the power of Jesus Christ. Apparently, the people had taken seriously the words of Jesus.
A decade after John wrote the Apocalypse, Ignatius penned a letter to the church at Ephesus in which he praised the local Christians for their patient endurance and their resistance to deceit.
He notes that some people from Syria had passed through Ephesus with evil teachings but that the Ephesians had refused to listen.
He commends them for being of one mind with the apostles in the power of Jesus Christ.
Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Book of Revelation (Vol. 20, pp. 116–117). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.
Apparently, the people had taken seriously the words of Jesus.
If they were obedient, they would eat from the tree of life.
This is an allusion to the Garden of Eden (cf. ). As humans began in fellowship with God in a garden with the animals, so the Bible ends in the same manner (cf. ; , , ). The term “paradise” was a Persian word for a nobleman’s walled garden which was used in the Septuagint to translate the Garden of Eden. It is one of the many references to the Messianic age that is found throughout the letters to the seven churches.
This is an allusion to the Garden of Eden (cf. ).
As humans began in fellowship with God in a garden with the animals, so the Bible ends in the same manner.
God’s purpose for mankind, made in His image and likeness, has always been eternal life.
The term “paradise” is used in two senses: (1) in it may refer to the righteous part of Sheol/Hades. Jesus tells the repentant thief that he would be with Him there that day (Jesus did not return to heaven for 40 days, cf. ) and (2) in it refers to God’s presence, God’s heavenly throne room (“the third heaven”).
The fall of and the rest of the Bible document God’s commitment to mankind’s redemption and eternal fellowship with Him.
God’s purpose for mankind, made in His image and likeness, has always been eternal life. The fall of and the rest of the Bible document God’s commitment to mankind’s redemption and eternal fellowship with Him. This fallen world, this gap in full fellowship, was not God’s desire, but mankind’s shame. God will restore creation for His purposes.
This fallen world, this gap in full fellowship, was not God’s desire, but mankind’s shame.
God will restore creation for His purposes.
What Do We Learn?
What Do We Learn?
The Ephesus Church is certainly a church where the world and all of its trappings came to the careless church.
The Ephesus Church is certainly a church where the world and all of its trappings came to the careless church. The Lord Jesus knows the weaknesses of his churches as well as their strengths. Within this short message to the Church in Ephesus, He gives them both well-deserved compliments and well-defined challenges as to its shortcomings. The Ephesus Church had a history of great leaders with the Apostle Paul, Timothy, and later the Apostle John all serving as leaders within this church. Yet here is a church that has become proud and careless in its witness. They had forgotten that servants of the Lord as shepherds are in fact mere gifts given by the Lord God himself. A fundamental truth within church revitalization understands that church health, growth, and success are not guaranteed forever and that some churches need to be warned to worship Jesus and not the leader leading from the pulpit. Here is a church that had many good and great things happening, yet it became lax with its witness.
The Lord Jesus knew their weaknesses as well as their strengths.
This church had a history of great leaders with the Apostle Paul, Timothy, and later the Apostle John all serving as leaders within this church.
Utley, R. J. (2001). Hope in Hard Times - The Final Curtain: Revelation (Vol. Volume 12, pp. 36–37). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.
Yet here is a church that has become proud and careless by losing its first love in its witness.
A fundamental truth we should learn and understand is that church health, growth, and success are not guaranteed forever and that some churches need to be warned to worship Jesus and not the leader leading from the pulpit or a successful program.
A fundamental truth within church revitalization understands that church health, growth, and success are not guaranteed forever and that some churches need to be warned to worship Jesus and not the leader leading from the pulpit. Here is a church that had many good and great things happening, yet it became lax with its witness.
Here was a church that had many good and great things happening, yet it became lax with its witness.
They needed to realign themselves with Jesus’ desire for His church.
How about us?
Have we lost our first love?
Some were here when this church began and others have been here for a long time, have we lost our first love?
Have we relied on our past glories to keep us going?
Are just happy with the status quo?
We need to seriously ask ourselves these hard questions and take action to realign ourselves with God’s will for our church and ourselves.
First, let’s start with our lives?
Pray for God to reveal where you have moved and repent
Commit to live for him and with him daily
Prayer