Part 4 - Ephesus: The Church That Lost Its Love Series

This message was recorded on May 10, 2020, in Winchester, Virginia, and is part of the sermon series, Overcomers.

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Pastor Brad Reaves

Grace Community Church

Discover:

http://www.gracecommunity.com

Watch:

https://youtu.be/MH0Q_rhT4eE

I want you to picture with me an older couple riding down the road together. They’re in the same car they had when they got married, a ‘65 Mercury Monterey. Complete with AM/FM Stereo, power brakes, wing windows, and a vinyl bench front seat. They could be taking their Sunday to drive through the country together after picking up their ice cream cone, when suddenly the wife looks over at her husband and says, “When we first got married, you’d talk to me and tell me about your dreams. You’d stop and pick flowers for me. You’d have your arm around me, pulling me close as we drove. Now, look at us. I’m all the way over here and you’re all the way over there. What’s happened? The old man drove on silently for a few minutes and finally spoke up, “Funny; I’m still sittin’ in the same spot.”

We’re continuing on in Jesus’ address to the 7 churches of Asia Minor found in the Book of Revelation. If you’ve been following along with us, you know that we’ve spent the last 3 weeks looking at John’s vision of Jesus in the first chapter. Jesus was seen by John in all his glory. Described as wearing a long robe with a golden sash around his chest, hair white wool, eyes aflame with fire, feet like flaming bronze, and a voice of many waters. Probably reminiscent to John as when he was on the Mount of Transfiguration.

Behind this description is the holiness and righteousness of Christ. He’s God incarnate and in this, there is no sin, no impurity, nothing untrue.

In John 3:20 we read, “For everyone who does evil hates the light.” If you love the world, you will despise the truth of Christ. Part of our postmodern era is a dismissal of absolute truth, which is why we can pass a law legalizing infanticide and sexual immorality, and criminalizing those who disagree. There is a rapidly increasing hostility toward the truth. This is a generation committed to doing evil at an alarming rate. What is even more concerning is the Church’s divergence from the truth and tolerating modern paganism.

The church has always been an “island in a sea of paganism” (MacArthur) and from the very beginning that’s where the church stood. In America, we have always lived bountifully under the freedoms of our constitution, which included our religious freedoms. In our country, being a Christian is not a crime, at least for now. What happens when the church loses its love for the truth of God? What happens when we compromise on our faith for the sake of being accepted or to feel more comfortable in a society that is ever-increasingly hostile toward the truth? This is why Jesus wrote these letters we find in Revelation 2 & 3 to 7 churches. These are 7 real churches in Asia Minor: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. In fact, in that order, that’s the postal route to go through the whole country. So today, we begin by looking at the church considered the epicenter of this area, Ephesus

I. The Case in Ephesus

“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. (Revelation 2:1)

The main point of these letters is for Jesus to remind the church and charge the church to be zealous for the gospel, reject false teaching, and live in a manner that resembles the Gospel. Jesus addresses the “angel of Ephesus. Probably the archangel assigned to the church. The wording of verse 1 describing Jesus, “him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.” is identical to John’s description of Jesus in Revelation 1:20.

If Jesus were to write a letter to us today, what do you think he would say? The greatest need for the church today isn’t programs, buildings, or plans. The greatest need for the church today is to be faithful to Jesus (Hughes). In so the letters follow a shared format. Christ (1) praises the churches, (2) points out areas for repentance, (3) warns the churches of his judgment, and (4) promises blessings for those who overcome in his name. (Phillips). Each church is in a unique situation that can be universally understood and edified. Each letter By addressing these 7 churches, Jesus is essentially speaking to all the churches.

The first of these churches is the Church in Ephesus. If you know your Bible, you know that founded and taught by some of the best leaders found in the Book of Acts. The letter to the Ephesians in the New Testament is Paul’s letter to this church. Likely, it was started by Aquila and Pricilla, a husband and wife team left there by Paul in Acts 18.