Respond To Christ’s Call To Love Series

Visionary View: Respond to Christ’s Call to love

Today, as God's church, we draw nearer each day to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Some of you may search for signs of His imminent return and find many Biblical prophecies fulfilled already. Yet, remember Jesus' own words in Mark 13:32 and Luke 12:40 - "No one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows."

Luke 12:40, You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

Though the precise timing of Christ's return remains unknown, we can have unwavering confidence in His promise to return.

Whether His return happens today, tomorrow, or in a future generation, it is clear that we are living in the last days before His glorious coming. In these crucial times, we are called to respond to Christ's resounding call to return to our first love.

Let us reflect on the words of the Apostle John in Revelation 2:1-7, where he writes to the church in Ephesus.

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:

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.

4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 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 favour: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.

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.

Just as the church at Ephesus had its opportunity to respond to the Lord's call, so do we.

Friends, we too are called to be a shining light for Christ and share the love of God with others. Today let us consider together the lessons we learn from the church at Ephesus and seek to renew our love for Christ.

For context, Ephesus was a city of great influence and pagan practices and housed a powerful gospel light that spread throughout Asia. The church at Ephesus had great opportunities to share the message of Jesus, and so do we.

Ephesus was located at the capital of the province of Asia, a city that was a commercial and religious centre.

Ephesus was called the “Light of Asia.” It was an ending point for a great Roman road system that constituted the westward trade route. It was famous for the temple of Diana, one of the seven wonders of the world. And it was the hotbed of every false religious cult and superstition.

Ephesus was a city filled with paganism, yet God planted a church there that became a powerful gospel light throughout Asia.

The church at Ephesus had a great Christian background, with the apostle Paul as its originator. During a two-year period, he evangelized the whole province from this church.

Timothy worked there, and the apostle John served as pastor before and after his exile to Patmos in his later years.

Some of the most important parts of the New Testament are associated with Ephesus — the gospel of John; 1, 2, and 3 John; Revelation; Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians; and Paul’s letters to Timothy.

The Lord Jesus Christ gives a strong call to this great church let’s look at the three aspects of His call:

I. The Lord of the Church

II. The Life of the Church

III. The Lessons from the Church

I. The Lord of the church.

In Revelation chapter 2, we encounter the triumphant Christ, the Lord of the church, who holds the messengers of the churches in His right hand. Notice where he is and what he is doing - He is present in the midst of His churches, guiding, loving, and ministering among them. As the same Christ who was victorious in Revelation chapter 1, He remains sovereign over His body, the church. We take comfort in the knowledge that we are securely held in His hands and that He walks alongside us.