Sermon – Revelation 2 – Ephesus

  • For the next several weeks, we will be in Revelation 2 and 3; and will be taking a look at the different Churches that were written to … the different messages that the Lord himself had John send.  Today, we will be in Revelation 2:1-7 – Ephesus.

  • Do we know anything about the city of Ephesus and/or the church that was located there?

  • In Acts 18, at the end of Paul’s 2nd Missionary Journey, he briefly stops in Ephesus after he left Corinth and Cenchrea; on his way to Syria with Priscilla and Aquila.

  • In Acts 19, we read that during Paul’s 3rd Missionary Journey, he traveled to Ephesus and baptized several believers in the name of the Lord Jesus, laid his hands on them, and the Holy Spirit came upon them.

  • Paul stayed in Ephesus for two years, meeting in the lecture hall of Tyrannus with the believers after some in the synagogues remained stubborn and rejected Paul’s message and were speaking against the Way.

  • Those in the city that made money from the temple of Artemis were upset with the believers because they were losing business.

  • The Gospel of John may have been written in Ephesus; and some claim that Mary, the mother of Jesus, also moved there because John was instructed to take care of her.

  • Paul wrote a letter to the Church in Ephesus; with the first three chapters focusing on God’s eternal plan for the redemption of humanity through Jesus and then manifested through the Church; and the last three chapters about practical instruction for godly living – saints were to be united – holy – loving – separated from ungodliness – wise – vigilant.
  • Timothy, by many accounts was left in charge of the Church in Ephesus, so the letters written to him would have applied to those in Ephesus.

  • The city of Ephesus is located in modern-day western Turkey.  The city of Ephesus was at one point, one of the largest in the Roman Empire, housed the temple of Artemis (Diana), the Library of Celsus and its medical school; and an amphitheater that could seat 50,000.  It was on the Aegean Sea and with is many roads, was a major trade center.

  • Read Revelation 2:1-7

  • Jesus, Himself, sent this message through John to the angel of the church in Ephesus.  This “angel” could have been the pastor of the church or an elder or just someone that would have taken the message from John to the congregation.

  • Jesus, Himself, says He knows all the things the Church does – He has seen their hard work and patient endurance – He knows they don’t tolerate evil people – He knows they have examined those who have claimed to be apostles and have seen through their lies – He knows that they have patiently suffered and have not given up – and He knows that they don’t approve of and even hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as He does. 

  • All of that is in their favor – those are things they are to be commended for, but not everything in this brief message is positive.  Jesus tells them that they have forgotten their first love; and if they do not repent and do what they did at first, their place among the Churches will be removed and they will not receive eternal life.

  • Sounds pretty straightforward.  They have done good things – they haven’t tolerated evil people – they haven’t quit after suffering for Jesus, BUT they have forgotten their first love and must repent of this before it is too late.

  • We are not given a list of all the good deeds these people did, but we can guess. 

  • We know the good deeds we have done in the past, and hopefully continue to do. 

  • The Church in Ephesus did not tolerate evil people, which was great – they stood for purity.

  • Do we stand for purity?  Do we allow and tolerate evil people to remain with us and to influence us negatively?  Has that happened in the past?

  • The Church in Ephesus did not accept the lies of those that claimed to be apostles.  Since Ephesus was on a major trade route, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine that some people passing through were sincere believers; but that some passing through, as well, were false prophets, trying to get people to abandon the true faith and follow them.  Since the Ephesians knew better, they were able to say no to these falsehoods.

  • Are we able to see through lies of those that claim to be of God?  Can we see their fruit?  Do we know enough Scripture to know if we are being told the truth?

  • The next thing they are commended for is up for some debate.  The Church in Ephesus did not accept and even hated the practice of the Nicolaitans, which the Lord Himself also hated.  And there are a few theories on who these people were or what they believed.

  • One theory is that they were people who dominated, subdued, or conquered others.  This theory comes from their name; “nikos” means to conquer, and “laos” means people/laity.

  • Another theory is that they encouraged people to eat food offered to idols; or perhaps even do this at pagan festivals.

  • Another theory is that they were followers of Nicolas – once of the first deacons mentioned in Acts 6:5, who was a proselyte from Antioch.  According to the writings of some of the Early Church leaders, Nicolas taught a doctrine of compromise, implying that total separation between Christianity and the practice of the occult and pagans was not essential. 

  • Regardless of the origin of the group, it seems they were heretics, whose practices should have been hated – they were sexually immoral and allowed and encouraged involvement in pagan activities.

  • Do we do any of that?  Do we conquer and dominate people?  Do we accept and encourage the practices of the occult?  Do we accept and encourage pagan activities?  Do we accept and encourage sexual immorality? … we must certainly, should not.

  • Everything mentioned, so far, has been praise for the Ephesian Church; and if we are the same, then we are to also be praised; but there is some criticism given to the Ephesian Church as well; and this can also apply to believers and congregations today.

  • Look back at verses 4 and 5 … Wow – that seems harsh – Jesus will remove their lampstand from among the churches if they do not repent and do what they did at first … They have lost their first love.

  • Even though they had done good works and were able to tell if people were teaching falsehoods and didn’t put up with evil, they themselves were not where they needed to be.

  • Same with us – we may do good works (or have in the past) – we may know if people are liars – and we may not put up with evil … but does that mean we are where we need to be in our personal walk with the Lord or where we need to be as a congregation?

  • So, how does someone lose their first love; or not love as they did at first? 
  • Depth … see Matthew 13 (parable of the sower) … Those who settle for a shallow relationship with Jesus will find they will never have the depth to make it through the rough spots in life.  The lack of spiritual depth will lead to nothing but a withered and dead faith.
  • Denial … see Mark 14:10-11 … Judas denied and betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver … and many people are tempted and sadly, give in, and do the same.  Maybe they don’t live up to His standards … maybe they want to not face a difficulty by being associated with Him or His Church … maybe they don’t speak up when they should … maybe the easier or quicker path is chosen; and faith and patience are not used.
  • Difficulties … see Galatians 4:8-11 … When life gets tough we discover the mettle of our faith and the reality of God’s power in our lives. It is only when we hold strong to our relationship with Christ that He in turn holds strong to us. When we come through trials and difficulties with Christ by our side we will find the spiritual strength we so desperately need.
  • Deception … see Galatians 1:6-9 … Sometimes people are swayed to follow a doctrine that is false or unscriptural. There are times when people drift in their relationship with God because others have deceived them. It is vital to continually measure your opinions about God and Jesus with scripture. If your beliefs do not match the bible, you are in the wrong.
  • Division … see Galatians 2:11-12 … There will always be people who will seek to divide those around them. We have to make the choice to stand up when and where God calls us to. Standing for God is not always popular but it is always the right thing to do.
  • The Essential Problem with Drifting … (1) Lack of a fear of sin

  • Even good churches will go bad when they fail to recognize sin for what it truly is, rebellion against God. When those who know Christ continue in their sin, they do it in the full knowledge of His goodness and grace. It is an act of rebellion against the grace of Jesus. It is an act of rejection of the goodness of Christ. It is an act of ingratitude for Christ’s forgiveness.

  • We live in an age where there is no longer any fear over the consequences of sin. Our society wants us to believe that God is benevolent and good and would never hold us accountable for our actions. We no longer examine our lifestyle by the principles taught in scripture. We often fool ourselves into believing that we live under grace so everything is taken care of and we can live how we please. God is clear on this issue; He loves sinners but hates sin. If God hates sin how can we think that it’s ok?

  • The Essential Problem with Drifting … (2) Lack of repentance over sin

  • The word repent means to turn away from. The biggest problem in the lives of so many Christians is the fact that they may have given their heart to Jesus but never repented of their sins. Too many who come to the altar and pray for salvation walk right back into their old lifestyles and there is no change. The reality is that sin just doesn’t bother us enough to want to change or ask Jesus to help change us.

  • The Essential Problem with Drifting … (3) Lack of victory over sin

  • The only victory that you have in your life is the one that Jesus gained through His resurrection from the dead. The only victories that Satan can ever have over you are the ones that you let him have. We forget this simple fact and we live far below the level we are meant to be living at.

  • You will never be able to defeat Satan or overcome the power sin in your own strength.  Both were destroyed through the resurrection of Jesus. The power given to you through the resurrection and the Holy Spirit is greater, you have been given victory. Start living like you’ve got it. Stop walking around with a defeated attitude, a defeated outlook and a defeated expectation. You have victory in Jesus and now is the time to live out that victory.
  • Results of Drifting – (1) Loss of Growth … We are meant to grow closer in our relationship with Jesus and it is absolutely impossible to grow in a relationship you choose to neglect. When we settle for a lower relationship with Christ we will never have the kind of relationship we are meant to have with Him. We lose the potential that we can only find in Jesus

  • Results of Drifting – (2) Loss of Grace … When we live at a lower level we miss out on the higher blessings and benefits of a growing relationship with Christ. Grace is the undeserved favor of God in our lives. When we fail to live in Christ’s power we miss out on the grace moments of life. Grace moments are those times that you can look back and say God was with me in a real way.

  • Results of Drifting – (3) Loss of Godliness … When we strive to become like Jesus it shows in how we live our lives and how we spend our time and how we spend our money and how we treat the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible study, fasting, praise, worship, having a deep burden for the lost, and gathering with the saints.

  • What Do We Do About Drifting? – (1) Recognize … You will never be able to embrace the change God has in store for your life until you recognize your personal need. There will never be a greater movement of God in your life if you are satisfied with where you are right now. How many of you here this morning want a closer walk with God?

  • What Do We Do About Drifting? – (2) Remember … We must remember the key to a deep relationship with Jesus is the issue of closeness not feeling. You may be close to Christ but not feel like you are, or you may be drifting and still feel as if you were close to Christ.  Never base your relationship with Christ on the way you feel because feelings are fickle, and they will betray you.  If you can remember a time in your life when you were closer to Christ than you are right now, you need to get back to that place. Remember where you were. Remember what Jesus has done for you. Remember when you knew His presence and knew His power.

  • What Do We Do About Drifting? – (3) Repent … If there was a time when you were closer to Jesus, what made that a reality? 9 times out of 10 our relationship with Christ drifts when we neglect the spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Bible study, and worship.  Repent means to turn away from. Turn away from your neglect of your relationship with Jesus.

  • What Do We Do About Drifting? – (4) Return … Return to the practices that helped you to grow and develop as a Christian. Return to your daily devotions. Return to your closer walk with Christ. Return to where you belong.

  • What Do We Do About Drifting? – (5) Revival … When you make the effort to get back to God, He will bring inner revival to your soul. When you strive to be more like Jesus, He will bring a greater love into your life. When you seek more of the Holy Spirit, He will fan the flames of faith within your heart.
  • Summary – The Church at Ephesus was commended for 5 things:
    • Working hard
    • Preserving
    • Resisting sin
    • Critically examining the claims of false apostles
    • Enduring patiently (for 40 years) and bearing up without becoming weary

  • Summary – The Church at Ephesus was criticized for 1 major thing
    • They forgot their first love

  • If we are honest we could probably list congregations and individuals, (possibly ourselves), that have lost their first love for Jesus.  But they or we didn’t wake up one morning and say, “I’m going to walk from Jesus now.”

  • People drift away, slowly and over time, and think during the process that they are OK and that nothing is wrong.  They gradually stop doing the following things … praying … reading their Bibles … inviting people … caring about souls … coming to church … giving … serving … (and we could name many more things).
  • These people have not misplaced their love for Jesus, but that have replaced Jesus with other things.  They choose to do other things than read or pray.  They choose to not come to church; or they do other things or go to other events when their congregation meets.  Jesus is no longer #1 in their lives.

  • If the Church at Ephesus can lose their first love, then we need to be careful it doesn’t happen to us; and if it has happened, we need to honestly realize that and change!

  • The simple answer to protect ourselves is found in Matthew 6:33.  We need to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness above all other things – seek them first – and the rest will be added to us.

  • Always put God’s Kingdom and Righteousness above everything else – all the time. 

  • If we do this, then Jesus will be #1 … we will read our Bibles, we will pray, we will reach out to the lost, we will take care of needs, and we will gather with our congregation when services are held; and not put anything else in front of our time with God and our relationship with and devotion to Him.

  • The heart of the matter is this: the more “stuff” you allow to clutter your life, the farther you’ll drift.  Closeness to Jesus is what speaks of our love for Him.  When we replace Jesus with anything else, then we’ve stopped loving Him as we should.  If you are not the closest you’ve ever been to Jesus right now, then you have drifted and you need to change your course right now … recognize your condition … repent and return to Jesus … remember Him and keep Him #1 … and work on revival in your life and the life of this church.