Over
the next seven weeks I will put out a blog each Monday, looking at the seven
letter to the seven churches in Revelation 1 -2. These letters are hard hitting
and so relevant and useful in the times that we find ourselves.
For a copy of the
full copy of the ‘SEVEN’ study, please email us at office@communitychurchputney.com
or come along on a Sunday morning.
The letter to the Ephesian Church 2:1-7
John had spent many years in Ephesus. As the ‘Apostle
of love’ John’s presence had clearly influenced this church, as Paul wrote, ‘…ever since I heard about … your love for
all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks…’ (Eph.1:15-16).
Now John, inspired by the Spirit, writes this letter some years later. They’re
still devoted to truth and prepared to suffer, but they’ve lost their first
love – rendering everything useless! Let’s take heed and learn from this first
letter, let’s ask ourselves the question, “My first love is…?”
i) Description
of Jesus – Jesus Head of the Church and her leaders
Read Revelation 2:1
“Seven Stars…angels” These are in Jesus’ hand and symbolize church
leaders. Jesus’ has authority over church leaders. This authority is given to leaders
who remain ‘in His hand’ – under His protection and authority. In 1:20 these
leaders are referred to as “the angels of the churches”. ‘Angel’
means ‘messenger’ – Church leaders are messengers of God as they teach God’s
word. Each letter is written to an ‘angel’ which only make sense it they are
church leaders who then pass on God’s message.
“Seven candlesticks” represent of the seven
churches and the Universal Church (the church throughout the world and all
history); He walks amongst His church, protecting and sanctifying (working to
improve) her. This metaphor also points to our mission as lights in this world (See
1:12-13; 2:5) We first come across the seven-branched candlestick in Exodus
25:1-40. Moses is told to make it and the priests are to keep it lit outside
the ‘Holy Place’ in the tabernacle. The light of these candles represent
perpetual worship and devotion of the people – devotion that He still wants
from us.
ii) Praise
– Good deeds done with perseverance
Read Revelation 2:2-3, 6. They look like
the ideal church: they’re active in good works, they believe the right things,
they endure hardship... They would have past the religion exam with flying
colours! What could they possibly be lacking?
iii) Criticism
– Lost your first love
Read Revelation 2:4. As we see in 1
Corinthians 13, we can do great things, but without love we are ‘a resounding gong… am nothing… gain
nothing!’ Their loss of love was
probably in three directions: up, in and out. They had lost love, they once
had, for God, their church and those not yet Christians. It’s not just what we
do that’s important. God is looking at the motives.
iv) Solution
– “Return to the beginning”
Read Revelation 2:5a. Losing our love for
Jesus is no small thing. Jesus describes this as “how far you have fallen”!
The solution was to “do the things you did at first”: go back to the beginning of
your relationship with Jesus; remember how you loved Him because you saw His
gracious love in a fresh way – you gave nothing but your sin and He gave
everything for your salvation! “Amazing Grace…”
v) Warning
– “I will remove your lampstand”
Read Revelation 2:5b. Jesus warns them, “I will remove your lampstand”. Whatever
this means it’s something bad! It at least means that a local church suffers
the loss of God’s blessing. It may close down, or even worse, continue as a
kind of social club, doing good works, but it’s not a real church from God’s
perspective.
vi) Promise
– Eternal blessings
Read Revelation
2:7. This is a real challenge with a real promise for us.
Will you listen? Will you seek to restore your first love? True Christians
will, of course, want to listen to Jesus. Those who have the life of God in
them will be ‘victorious’ seeking to love God. To all true Christians, there is
the glorious promise of heaven.
Daily studies for personal
or family use week beginning 9/1/17
MY FIRST LOVE IS…? – The letter to the Ephesian Church 2:1-7
This week we want to focus on thinking about
and ensuring that our love is alive and is focused in the right direction. The
Ephesian church was amazing in many ways but all the great things are
overshadowed by a massive problem: Jesus says “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at
first. Consider how far you have fallen!” Let’s learn from this
church.
Monday – Memory
verse for this week
Take time to memorise,
meditate upon and pray based upon this text.
1 Corinthians 13:2 ‘If I have the gift of
prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith
that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing…’
Tuesday – Everything is great but…
What are the great things about the Ephesian church
and what is the one, massive, eclipsing, problem? (2:1-4)
Do you love Jesus (including His people and
mission) more now than you did at first? Take time to express your love, your
repentance, and your desire to grow in love.
Wednesday – Do the first things
Jesus tells them “Repent and do the things you did at first” (2:5). What did we do
at first? Surely we believed, simply, in Christ for salvation. We are all prone
to forget that we had no good in us by which God should accept us. As the years
of serving Christ go by we can start to think that we are loved and accepted by
what we do, or become less loved and unacceptable by our failures. Let’s go
back to the ‘love we had at first’,
we are saved by faith in Christ alone. Read and pray out of Eph. 2:8-9 and Rom.
5:1.
Thursday – Chosen by grace
Jesus said of this church, “You have forsaken the love you had at
first.” The gospel is how we entered salvation; if love is to remain fresh,
one must keep close to the cross. Many think that Christians are full of
themselves, having an “I’m better than
you” attitude, this should never be! We of all people know that God saves
the ungodly. Read and thank God out of Ephesians 2:1-3 and Romans 5:6-8.
Friday – My first love is…?
Our love for God springs from the work of the
Holy Spirit in us. A Christian’s love for God, is part of their nature; it’s a
love that can be stunted, diminished but never entirely lost! Loving God and
the things that He loves is also a choice, Let’s pray each day, and keep
choosing to live in His love and give His love to others. Read and use Ephesians 3:14-19 to guide your
prayers in growing in love
Serving or leading a team is a great way of demonstrating and growing our love. If you are not serving or leading, please pray and consider this – it will bless your local church and you!
Serving or leading a team is a great way of demonstrating and growing our love. If you are not serving or leading, please pray and consider this – it will bless your local church and you!
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