Ephesus: No Substitute for Love
Series: The Church Restored
Sermon: Ephesus: No Substitute for Love
Scripture: Revelation 2:1-7
Sandy and I went out for breakfast a couple of Saturdays ago, and sitting at a table not too far from us was an “older” couple. By my definition older means past retirement age. They weren’t notable because of their age, there were several other older couples sitting in the restaurant as well. What caught my attention was the way they were making goo-goo eyes at each other, holding hands across the table, and staring into each other’s eyes while they talked, and generally acting like teenagers who were in love.
I didn’t know the couple and I still don’t know the couple, although I saw them later at Sam’s Club. As I sat there watching them I began to wonder how long they had been married. Were they newlyweds? Or were they into their 4th or 5th decade of marriage? Isn’t it true that we expect couples who have been married for many years to stop behaving like they are in love, and just slip into the routine of married life—like the rest of us?
What happened to that honeymoon feeling? Did it get drowned in the monotony of jobs and chores, lost in the chaos of kids and diapers and little league, faded by years of taking each other for granted? Someone is certain to say that their love hasn’t been lost it’s just “matured.” Mature love should grow deeper and richer, but it’s also true that we should never lose the excitement and wonder of those honeymoon days.
I bring this to your attention because of Jesus’ evaluation of the church in Ephesus from Revelation 2. One of the complaints that Jesus has against the church at Ephesus is that they “had forsaken their first love.” Or, as the NLT puts it, “You don’t love me or each other as you did at first.” What happened to them? How did they reach the place where they didn’t love Jesus anymore?
Let’s take a quick look.
Jesus begins his evaluation by mentioning several things for which he compliments the church at Ephesus.
1. They are a serving church. They are busy doing the work of God.
2. They are a sacrificing church. He says they work hard. The Greek word means to work to the point of exhaustion.
3. They are persistent. Even in the face of suffering they weren’t going to quit.
4. They are dedicated to the truth. No teacher came into their company without being subjected to intense scrutiny. They would not tolerate evil or false teachers.
When you examine this church you see a church that is near to perfect, at least on the outside. Jesus had a different evaluation than ours. He saw that there was a heart condition that needed to be repaired. They were a serving, sacrificing, persistent, truth-loving church, but these qualities were not motivated by a love for Christ. What we do for the Lord is important, but so is why we do it.
You see it’s possible to serve and sacrifice and even suffer for the name of Christ, and yet not really love Jesus at all. Jesus even talked about those people who would come before him on the day of judgment and say, “Look at all the things we did in your name. We cast out demons, we healed the sick, etc. And Jesus will say to them, go away from me, I never knew you.
Labor is no substitute for love. Purity is no substitute for passion. The church must have a commitment to both or we become out of balance. The what should be balanced by the why. What we do should be balanced by why are we doing it.
Thankfully, Jesus says that there is a way to restore our first love. There is a way to experience those honeymoon feelings again.
1. Remember what you’ve lost. Grammatically, he says “keep on remembering.” Never stop remembering what it was once like to serve Christ with a heart-felt love and passion. Remember how you once were willing to sacrifice almost anything to do something for the sake of God’s kingdom? What happened to that commitment? What happened to that love? What happened to that joy? I want it back. I want to feel those feelings again, how about you?
2. Repent. Make a course correction. We are headed in the wrong direction and it’s time to put on the brakes, ask for directions, and get started back on the right road.
3. Repeat your successes. Your works are good. Your labors are worthy. Your persistence and dedication are exemplary. Don’t stop doing what works. Just don’t forget why you’re doing it.
(stand)
There is no substitute for love. What wife wants her husband to bring her flowers, but no expression of love included with them? What husband wants his wife to plan a weekend get-away but spend the entire time in different places and never with each other? Jesus talked about the religious people of his day who honor God with their lips, but their hearts are far from him. There is no substitute for love. Not in a marriage, not in a family, and not in a church.