Today we are going to examine Jesus’ letter to the church in Ephesus, found in Revelation 2:1-7. But before we jump do, there are two things you need to know. First, when Jesus gave John this vision, he showed John seven lampstands or seven golden lampstands in Rev. 1:12, “Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven gold lampstands.” What do these seven lampstands represent? According to Revelation 1:20, “the seven lampstands are the seven churches.” mentioned in Revelation 1:11.
Secondly, when Jesus gave John this vision, he also showed John seven stars in Revelation 1:16, “In his right hand he held seven stars.” What do these seven stars represent? According to Revelation 1:20, “these seven stars are the seven angels of the seven churches.”
Who are these seven angels? Are we to believe these are literal angels? Or, do they represent something or someone else? Some say these are angels designated to guard the seven churches. Others say these are the elders or pastors of these seven local churches. I believe in the latter; I believe these are elders or pastors, not literal angels.
Why do I tell you all this? I tell you this because you will see this terminology with each letter to the seven churches we look at.
Also, as we examine each letter to each of the seven churches, we will see Jesus doing three things to each church. First, Jesus will commend them. Secondly, Jesus will criticize them. And lastly, Jesus will comfort them.
With the church of Ephesus, here is the point I wish to make: A church can do many right things. It can be hard working, intolerant to sin, intolerant to false teaching, diligent in sound doctrine, suffer persecution well for the sake of Christ, and hate the works of heretics, all of which are good characteristics for any church. But if a church has abandoned its first love, it must repent and return to Christ.
Notice who this letter is addressed to.
Revelation 2:1, “To the angel…” Now remember, this “angel” is considered the pastor or elder of the church. Can you imagine what it would be like to receive a letter directly from Jesus addressing your church? I often wonder if we were to get a letter, what Jesus would have to say about Northeast?
Notice what church this pastor is at.
Revelation 2:1, “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write…” This pastor is the shepherd of the church in the city of Ephesus. There are 6 facts you might like to know about this city:
First, Ephesus was the capital city of Asia Minor; it was the center for land and sea trade. Secondly, it was one of the most influential cities in the entire eastern Roman Empire. Thirdly, in this city was the temple of Artemis. Artemis is the Greek goddess of wild animals, hunting, vegetation, and childbirth; and the temple of Artemis remains one of the ancient wonders of the world today. Fourthly, Ephesus was a major city of manufacturing, especially for images of the Greek goddess Artemis. Fifthly, the Apostle Paul ministered here, and warned the believers in Ephesus that false teachers would come and try to draw people away from Jesus, and indeed they did. False teachers caused many problems for the believers in Ephesus, but in the end the church resisted them. Lastly, John, the writer of Revelation, spent most of his ministry in this city.
Also notice how Jesus introduces himself in his letter to the church in Ephesus.
Revelation 2:1, “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.” That is an interesting way to introduce himself.
What does it mean? Remember, “the seven golden lampstands” are the seven churches and “the seven stars” are the seven pastors of each church. When Jesus says that he “holds the seven stars in his right hand” and that he is the one who “walks among the seven golden lampstands”, he is saying to the pastor and to the church of Ephesus that he alone has power and authority over the seven churches and their leaders.
Why does he say that? He says that because the church of Ephesus had become large, and as they became large, they became proud. The larger they became, the prouder they became, which is the danger for any church as it grows. And Jesus was reminding them that he alone is the head of the church; he alone is the head of the body of believers.
It would do every church well to remember that, whether the church be large or small. The pastor is not the head of the church, and therefore, the pastor has no power or authority over the church. Likewise, the elders or deacons are not the head of the church, and therefore, they have no power or authority over the church. The largest tithe payer is not the authority over the church. Denominational leaders or Bishops are not the head of the church. Jesus alone is the head of the church, Jesus alone has power over the church, and Jesus alone has authority over the church.
Why is Jesus the head of the church? Why does Jesus have sole power and authority over the church? Answer: He bought the church. Jesus purchased the church, he redeemed the church, he ransomed the church, and he paid the church’s debt. How did he do that? By the shedding of his blood.
So, you may ask, what is the role of the pastor and elders then? The pastor’s role is to feed the sheep the Word of God. And the elders role is to serve the sheep and meet the needs of the church, whatever that need or needs may be.
As Jesus’ church, we are not free to do whatever we please. God gave us a book, made out of 66 books, called the Bible, and in it he tells what he expects of his church and how we are to conduct ourselves. Therefore, what we do must be in accordance with the Bible, or else, we are church outside the will of God.
Next, in Revelation 2:2-3 and verse 6, we see Jesus makes 6 commendations to the church in Ephesus.
First, Jesus commended them for being hard working. Jesus said, “I know your works, your toil…” They were a busy church. Very involved in serving the community. And very involved in serving one another.
Secondly, he commended them for being persevering. Jesus said to them, “I know…your patient endurance.” They were a patient, steadfast and persistent church.
Thirdly, Jesus commended them for not tolerating sin. Jesus said to them, “I know…how you cannot bear with those who are evil.” This church did not tolerate evil, namely, they did not tolerate sin among its members. This was something that even Paul also commended them for in his letter, and this was an especially difficult thing to do especially because of the sexual immoral practices that were associated with the goddess of Artemis.
I don’t think many churches today would receive this commendation, why? Because so many pastors and churches in America have lowered their standards on what is right and wrong, and have compromised with the world. Which is why so many churches are bowing down to the ever growing secularism happening in our nation. Rather than resist sin, many church in America tolerate it, and justify it somehow, and are destroying the church’s witness in America. And the reason so many pastors and churches are lowering their standards regarding morality, is because they have lowered their standards on the Word of God. When a pastor lowers his view on the Bible, rather than resist sin, he will tolerate it, and so will the church he pastors. So, the church in Ephesus had a very high view of Scripture.
Fourthly, Jesus commended them for critically examining the claims of those who claim to be teachers of the gospel and are not. Jesus said to them, “I know…you have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.” The church of Ephesus was vigilant in its doctrine. They cared very much about sound doctrine. This was not a church that was theologically ignorant. Just like they did not tolerate sin among their members, they did not tolerate false teachers in their pulpits.
Fifthly, Jesus commended the church for patiently enduring hardships without growing weary. Jesus said to them, “I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.” This implies Ephesus was a church that was heavily persecuted because of their faith in Jesus, namely because they were followers of Jesus in a city that worshiped the Greek goddess Artemis. However, despite their persecution, they remained faithful, steadfast, and theologically diligent.
The last, and sixth, commendation is found in Revelation 2:6, “Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolations, which I (Jesus) also hate.” Who are the Nicolaitans? They were a heretical Christian sect. In other words, they were believers who compromised their faith in order to enjoy some of the sinful practices of Ephesian society. They claimed to be followers of Jesus and all the while they were satisfying the desires of their flesh. They claimed to be followers of Jesus on one hand and on the other hand they involved themselves with the sexual immoral practices of the Greek goddess Artemis. And worse yet, they were seducing others from the church to participate in their sinning. And Jesus commended them for hating the works of these people; notice the church in Ephesus hated their “works” and not the people themselves.
Unfortunately, I feel like the Nicolaitons match the description of many Christians today. A lot of people claim to be a follower of Jesus, all the while they are purposely and deliberately enjoying the sinful practices that our nation and this world has to offer. Now, despite what they are doing, we must love them, but that does not mean we have to love what they are doing. You can love someone without liking what they do. And that is what Jesus commended the church in Ephesus for.
So, the six commendations that Jesus gave to the church in Ephesus are 1) working hard, 2) persevering, 3) resisting sin, 4) critically examining the claims of false teachers, 5) enduring hardship, and 6) hating the works of the Nicolaitans. And these are six commendations that should be shared by every church.
After Jesus commends them, he criticizes them.
In Revelation 2:4, Jesus tells them, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” So, the church in Ephesus does well in working hard, persevering, resisting sin, not tolerating false teachers, enduring hardships, and hating the works of the heretical Christian sect called the Nicolaitans, but they are called out for abandoning or deserting their first love.
What first love have they abandoned? Scholars believe this statement applies to one of two things: 1) the church in Ephesus had abandoned their love for Christ and 2) they abandoned their love for each other. Some believe this statement applies to both, as do I. I believe when Jesus said this he meant they abandoned their love for himself and for each other.
Why do I believe it is both? First, I believe it is both because Paul, in Ephesians 1:15, commended the church for their love of God and their love for each other. Secondly, I believe it is both because you cannot love one another the way Jesus commands us to without loving Jesus first, according to John 13:34 & 35. Our love for others stems from our love for Christ. Therefore, I believe the church of Ephesus is guilty of abandoning their love for Jesus and their love for one another.
How did this church become a church that abandoned the love they had at first? How did they abandon their love for Jesus and their love for others? I believe that there are two answers for this. First, the church founders had died, and the second generation believers had lost their zeal and passion for God. This is why it is so important to have senior members in a church. The church needs senior citizens to help younger generations stay grounded and zealous for Christ.
Secondly, if you recall, they were a busy church serving the community and the second generation believers were still carrying out the same works and ministries from the first generation believers. But remember, this second generation of believers had lost their zeal and passion for God. So, the works they were doing were not being done out of right motive.
The work and ministries they had done for so long became more of a routine. They did not do the work in serving each other and the community out of a love for Jesus or a love for each other. They had done what they had been doing for so long, they had forgotten the real reason for doing the work they did. They were doing such works because they knew that was what they were supposed to do, but it was not because they loved Jesus or others. Therefore, the motive for which they did things in the community was all wrong. A church is supposed to do what it does as a result of the love it has for Jesus, and therefore a love for others.
This means a church can become so busy doing ministry, that it becomes distracted from the main thing – Jesus Christ. It can become so busy doing ministry it forgets why it is doing what it is doing – a love for Jesus and a love for others. A church can become so busy doing ministry that after a while, the believers lose their zeal and their passion for God, and it does what it does simply out of routine; it does what it does because that is what it has always done.
This also means a busy church does not equate to a healthy church. It means a busy ministry does not equate to a healthy ministry. A church may be hard working, it may be perseverant, it might not tolerate sin or false teaching, and even teach sound doctrine, but if a church is busy with ministry, and that ministry is simply being done out of routine rather than a love for Christ and a love for people, that church risks abandoning the love they had at first. When and if that happens, what is a church to do? Is there any hope for a church like that? Yes.
After Jesus criticizes them, he calls them to remember.
Revelation 2:5, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen.” Jesus calls the church to remember where they have fallen from. To remember how much they once loved Christ. To remember how much they loved others as a result of their love for Jesus. And to compare their love for Christ and for others in the past to their present.
That is a good thing for any Christian to do, why? Because it is an easy thing for a follower of Jesus to lose their passion for Jesus. It’s easy for a follower of Jesus to lose their zeal for Jesus. It is easy for a follower of Christ to love Christ less, especially if you have been his follower for a good length of time. Let me ask you: Do you have the same love and zeal and passion for Jesus today that you once had?
If your answer is no, take Jesus’ advice and remember how much you loved Jesus the day he saved you. Remember the passion you had to serve him when he forgave you of your sins and adopted you into the family of God. Remember the zeal you had to follow him when you surrendered your life to him.
Then Jesus calls them to repentance.
Revelation 2:5, “ repent and do the works you did at first.” He calls them to repent for doing works without the love of Christ being their motive. He calls them to return to a loving relationship with him. Jesus calls the church to get their relationship right with him again. Jesus is calling them to find their zeal and passion for him again. And he calls them to return to serving one another and the community with the right motive. Which tells us Jesus does not think highly of a church, his church, if it is busy doing ministry for any reason other than its love for Jesus and love for others.
What happens if the church of Ephesus fails to repent and return to its first love? In Rev. 2:5 Jesus said, “If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” If they do not, Jesus would take their status away as a church. He would treat them like an apostate church (a church that has forsaken Jesus and no longer believes). And the church of Ephesus would become an ineffective church in the city of Ephesus.
You may ask, can Jesus do that? Yes. Remember, he holds the power and authority over every church, not just these seven. As the head of the church, which he purchased with his blood, Jesus can do with his church as he wishes and no one can stop him.
There comes a time when every church needs to evaluate itself. A time when the church needs to evaluate what it is doing and why? To determine if what they do is out of a love for Jesus and out of love for others, or is that church doing what it’s doing in the community because that is what it has always done or some other wrong motive. And if it does not do what it does out of love for Jesus and out of love for others then, that church has abandoned its first love. It must repent and return to Christ, or else, that church will cease to be an effective church.
I would encourage everyone who is involved in ministry or leads a ministry to take some time this week and evaluate your ministry. I would encourage you to ask yourself why are you doing what you do? Are you still as zealous and as passionate for God in the ministry you are involved with? Are you working in the ministry that you are in because you love Christ and love others? Or, is the ministry you are leading or involved with something that is being done out of routine, because it is what you have always done, instead of a love for Jesus and a love for others? Sometimes a ministry needs to be allowed to die, simply because the motive is no longer right. It is being done out of routine rather than a love, a passion, and a zeal for Jesus, and for others. And sometimes the ministry doesn’t need to die, as much as the leader of a ministry needs to step down for a time and allow someone else who is more passionate and more zealous to take over.
Lastly, Jesus comforts the church in Ephesus.
Jesus says to them in verse 7, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Which means, anyone at the church in Ephesus with ears must listen to what the Spirit is saying.
Then Jesus says, “To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” This is the same tree in Genesis that Adam and Eve were permitted to eat, but instead they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If you recall, for disobeying God, Adam and Eve were banned from the garden of Eden and forbidden to eat of the tree of life. And not only were Adam and Eve forbidden to eat of this tree, but all of humanity.
One day this tree will make a reappearance in the New Jerusalem, according to Revelation 22:1-2. Its roots will be watered by the living water coming from the throne of God. It will bear constant fruit. And the people living in New Jerusalem, who have believed in Christ and surrendered to his Lordship, will be able to eat from it and live forever.