- Rediscover Your First Love
Christ Jesus Addresses the Church of Ephesus
Christ Jesus begins his dictation to John the Divine concerning the Revelation of Jesus Christ generally but specifically to the angel of the Church of Ephesus. Why would Christ address the angel of the Church? The Church of Ephesus is the same church the Apostle Paul established during his Second Missionary Journey as described in the Book of Acts chapter nineteen. Reference for today’s Revelation Bible Study is Revelation 2:1 – 7.
Christ Uses Sandwich Approach to Assess the Church of Ephesus
In identifying and addressing, the problem of the Church of Ephesus Christ Jesus utilized a strategy I shall name the Sandwich Approach. First, he identifies areas of their Christian Life that please him. Second, he identifies their shortcomings. Finally, he identifies another area he is pleased with, and then he summarizes his assessment of the performance of the Church of Ephesus.
Christ Jesus Compliments the Church of Ephesus
Christ compliments the Church of Ephesus on its performance in the following areas:
- Its “works”,
- Its “labour”,
- Its “patience”,
- The Church of Ephesus hates evil, Revelation 2:2.
- Its history: “And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted,” Revelation 2:3.
Christ Jesus Reprimands the Church of Ephesus
Having complimented the Church of Ephesus Christ Jesus wants them to be aware, he is not satisfied with specific aspects of their lives. “Nevertheless, I have somewhat against” you, “because” you have left your “first love.” This is a specific as Christ got, however, the Church of Ephesus knew exactly what Christ referred to by saying, “fallen from their first love.”
Let’s recall what we know about the Church of Ephesus:
- The Church of Ephesus was the headquarters for the Word of God for All Asia. For more than two years three months all of Asia both Greeks and Jews heard the Word of God because Apostle Paul was at the Church of Ephesus, Acts 19:8, 10.
- The Ephesians were “worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter”, Acts 19:28,34 – 35.
- “And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds,” Acts 19:18.
- Many Ephesians believed the Word of God that Apostle Paul preached and accepted Jesus Christ. To demonstrate publicly that they had turned from their “curious arts” or the occult they publicly burned their strange literature, Acts 19:19.
- Finally, the Word of God “mightily grew” and prevailed in Ephesus, Acts 19:20.
Christ Jesus Final Compliment to the Church of Ephesus
- “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate,” Revelation 2: 5 – 6.
What does Christ Jesus means by the Church of Ephesus has fallen from its first love? Imagine, if you can, a couple in courtship. Imagine the demonstration of love, care, dedication to each other, quality time spent in each other’s presence, quality communication between them for many hours each day, imagine all of that and more.
Now imagine, with remorse, a famine in each of the areas listed above, the extent of the famine is the degree to which the couple has drifted apart. So too is the magnitude of the fall of the Church of Ephesus from the Lord Jesus Christ. The Believer stopped doing his specific “first works”. Christ Jesus wants the Church of Ephesus to be aware of the extent of its fall; to repent; “and do the first works.”
Have you fallen from your first works concerning serving the Lord Jesus Christ? When was the last time you prayed to the Lord? Where is your Bible? You have not read it in a long time! You no longer speak to others about Jesus Christ. What is the health of your faith in God? Is it sickly or strong and vibrant?
Christ Jesus wants you to realize how far you have drifted from him. He wants you to repent now, turn to him again and do your first works. He doesn’t want to “come quickly and remove your” candlestick for that reason he warns you. Make the adjustments today, changes your life by repenting and doing the first works. What’s a church without an angel?
Christ Jesus wants the Church of Ephesus and every Believer to assess himself, to repent and rediscover his first love. That is why he said, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” Whatever the Spirit says to the Church of Ephesus, it says to each Believer. Christ Jesus loves us and cares for us to the extent he sends this word for us, “his servants”, because the time of his return is near, Revelation 1:1. Repent and do the first works.
Christ Jesus Recommends Repentance For the Church of Ephesus
In closing, “To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” How profound that in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, Christ mentions the Garden of God and the “tree of life.” The same tree that is in Eden and because He did not want Adam to eat of it expelled him from the Garden because of sin, Genesis 3: 22- 23.
Christ Jesus promised the Church of Ephesus and every Believer that overcomes the world to “give to eat of the tree of life”. This tree, which is still in “the Paradise of God” and which Adam did not eat from because he sinned, we will eat if we obey and overcome the world. We overcome the world by the power of the Holy Ghost and by our faith in Jesus Christ.
Christ Jesus is a God of few words. By his audit of the Church of Ephesus, he identified its weaknesses. Through the revelation of Jesus Christ, he’s informed the Church of Ephesus how to fix its problems. However, this problem is not confined to the Church of Ephesus but is common to every Believer that has left his first love, in the body of Christ, then and now.
Nevertheless, Christ Jesus expects by addressing this problem in the Church of Ephesus Believers everywhere will address their similar problems. Therefore, the Church of Ephesus is like a template or blueprint with specific problems. Christ identifies and provides solutions for them, if a Believer has similar problems the same solution Christ provides to the angel of the Church of Ephesus, that specific solution is available to him. This is the testimony of Jesus Christ believe it, obey him, repent and do the first works.
- “Blessed is he that reads, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand,” Revelation 1:3.
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