The Church's First Love
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Lord of the Lamp Stands
Lord of the Lamp Stands
1 “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:
Angel - lit. “messenger.” Likely the person(s) who represented the church before God. Pastor, evangelist,
Ephesus - gateway to the Eastern portion of the Roman Empire. Home of massive temple to Artemis, a goddess of fertility (Diana)
as well as hosting temples to the Imperial cult. Perhaps as many as 250,000 residents.
Church now about 40 years of existence.
Deeply immersed in the culture, value and life of Rome
28 At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
Also considered a center for the magic practices. Generic term to describe document that had magic formulas, spells, etc. were called “Ephesian documents.
18 Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. 19 A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars. 20 So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect.
Paul’s home base for three years of his ministry. Warned somewhat prophetically that false teachers would attempt to draw them away from true faith
29 I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. 30 Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following. 31 Watch out! Remember the three years I was with you—my constant watch and care over you night and day, and my many tears for you.
John also ministered from Ephesus in his later life.
Seven stars/Seven lamp stands - symbolism of Christ’s protection and control of His churches. Ephesian church is reminded that they aren’t calling the shots here. It is Christ who determines right and wrong. He is intimately engaged with every church. He knows and understands their predicament, conditions, situations.
The Good
The Good
2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. 3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.
This is “Loyalty in practice.”
hard work - toil, work at the cost of pain, great difficulty to achieve the goal. A working church.
Endurance - “To take a cut or a beating.” Often trans. as “labor.” In this case, intense labor on behalf of Jesus.
the church was working hard to resist the values and pressures of the culture around them. (and always had)
Diligence in examining others’ teaching - discovering false apostles (Matt. 7.15-16) They made careful assessments of teachers who claimed to be apostles. Loyalty in doctrine.
Patient suffering - Bearing up without become weary. Being willing to remain under the burden. Again, loyalty in practice.
9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
Examined - they had spiritual discernment. They could differentiate sin and immorality.
11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.
27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
The Bad:
The Bad:
4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!
12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.
Abandoned or lost their first love. Could be love for God or their love for people. Likely both.
Paul had commended them for their love in the early days (Eph. 1.15-16)
Odd dichotomy.
They loved doing the right thing and believing the right doctrine but chose not to be loving at the same time. Pure faith and doctrinal correctness are based on a love for God and a love for others. To see lost people learn the truth about God and respond to it.
Their initial impact on their culture had cooled and they had fallen back on a defensive posture of orthodoxy rather than a loving effort to evangelize.
They were still allied to Jesus and maintained their citizenship in the kingdom but were not reaching out to the world a message of liberation, healing, cleansing, transforming grace in Jesus.
Works motivated by Christian responsibility rather than intimacy with Christ.
The program had overshadowed the Person.
Love for others is the hallmark of true discipleship
Working hard at doing things right but not necessarily for the right reasons. A “dry othordoxy.” Paint by numbers faith. Mechanical. Check the boxes style of praxis.
Not a strong relationship with the Lord or with others.
They had become hard-hearted.
Jesus warns them to avoid a harsh legalism and community based solely on “do’s and don’ts.”
34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.
John, who wrote both Revelation and 1 John, reminds the church:
18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.
The Answer:
The Answer:
5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches. 6 But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.
3-fold
Remember - they had gotten to having knowledge without compassion, grace. But not just nostalgia. There has to be a proper action.
Repent - Go back to the right thing.
Rethink what is going on. We see ourselves as we really are.
Confess where we have sinned, turning back to the right way. It is a change of heart that produces a change of life.
Return - Do it.
Not just a matter of “feeling” loving, but of action in a loving way toward God, the fellowship and the community.
36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
37 Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’
12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.
Consequence for inaction:
Removal of their lamp stand.
They would cease to be recognized by Christ as His body.
The light of Christ would cease to shine through them.
Further commendation: Hate (righteous wrath) the deeds of the Nicolations. Unknown Christian heretical sect. Ref. vv. 14-15 accuse them of encouraging Christians to engage in idolatry and sexual immorality. Jesus wants us to love, but not lose all sensibility. Continue to practice wisdom from the Word.
The Promise:
The Promise:
7 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.
Ear to hear repeated to every church. Are we sensitive to the Spirit’s calling and direction in our lives?
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.
Victorious - overcome, defeat the enemy.
Tree of life - eternal life
9 The Lord God made all sorts of trees grow up from the ground—trees that were beautiful and that produced delicious fruit. In the middle of the garden he placed the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Paradise - Park, restoration of the perfect fellowship that existed in the Garden of Eden.
Application points:
Effort put into the kingdom - The King knows. Do we get tired of doing good too quickly?
Do we know enough of the truth to tell when someone is trying to deceive us about doctrine or biblical matters? Do we accept and promote immorality even in ignorance?
Do we intentionally do the things we did in our early walk with Christ to keep the relationship strong?
At times we become so consumed with serving the Lord that we lose focus on the Lord himself. We are then set up to become targets for our Enemy. 2 Tim. 2.26