In the classic musical “Fiddler on the Roof” a Russian peasant named Tevye asks his wife a very simple question; “Do you love me?” Love him? She had never met him until the day of their arranged wedding. Now after twenty five years of marriage he wants to talk of love? It sounds so ridiculous, so foreign to her that she thinks that he is suffering from indigestion and should lie down. Tevye being so determined repeats the question once again. She asks what he is thinking, then explains how hard she has worked as his wife—cooking his meals, washing his clothes and having his children. Still it just doesn’t satisfy Tevye. So once again he repeats the question. This time she falls back on the obvious in response; she is his wife! Even so Tevye persists—does she love him? After some reflection, she answers that she does indeed love him, realizing that her life hasn’t been just meaningless busywork. She has worked so hard because of her love for Tevye. It is very possible as Tevye realized and feared, for activity to replace love. Another man, a first century carpenter asked His bride the same question; “Do you love me?” Do our full plates of activities and other churchy things show our love and devotion for our Lord? Or are we simply busy doing: Bible Studies, evangelism, fellowship and worship because that is what Christians are supposed to do? If so it is quite possible that our love for the Savior has grown cold. This was the problem that existed in the church at Ephesus. Their religious busyness (a status symbol in many churches today) was not springing from a deep felt love and devotion for Christ. Their love for the Savior had been replaced by a service done out of obligation. It seems very fitting to begin here with the church at Ephesus. Ephesus was the most important seaport in the province of Asia. This was the fourth most important city in the Roman Empire. Jesus tells the Apostle John, “Write this down”. Then He dictated a letter of generous praise but also of stinging rebuke. As we study the church at Ephesus, we will see some valuable lessons for the church today. Let’s look deeply at the contents of this letter and, at the same time let the Spirit read the contents of our lives to see if we are doing everything but the one thing—loving Him.
I. Let’s examine the background of the city of Ephesus and the church located there.
A. Geographically Ephesus was a very important gulf city located where the Cayster River met the Aegean Sea.
1. Ephesus was a city where commerce flowed making it an extremely important export center.
2. In addition to sea trade the businesses in Ephesus flourished as a result of three main trade routes converging there.
B. A visitor to the city would not only be impressed by the city’s hustle and bustle but the grandeur as well.
1. Ephesus was one of three most influential cities on the eastern side of the Roman Empire.
2. Ephesus had the advantage of being a free city enjoying a degree of self government.
3. A traveler arriving in Ephesus would make their way down a street thirty-five foot wide lined with columns that ran from the harbor to the center of the city.
4. Although Ephesus was not the capital of the Province it still held great political importance.
5. The Roman governor tried importance cases in Ephesus and people flocked to its stadium, market place and huge theater.
6. The theater built on the hillside overlooking the harbor could seat 25,000 people.
C. Spiritually Ephesus was the center of worship for the Roman gods.
1. The most famous temple in Ephesus was the temple of Artemis which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
2. The temple employed thousands of priests and priestesses and contributed to the economy greatly by manufacturing images of this goddess.
3. Paul established a local congregation here with the help of Aquila, Priscilla and Apollos.
4. Paul ministered here for three years and then left Timothy in his place to teach sound doctrine and guard against false teaching.
5. 3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer 4 or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith. (1 Timothy 1:3-4—NIV 2011)
6. Tradition holds to the fact that later the apostle John was shipwrecked off the coast of Ephesus and served as a leader in the church there until his exile on the island of Patmos.
7. None of the other six cities mentioned held the prominence and history of Ephesus.
II. The areas of commendation for the Ephesian Christians.
A. This was a very hard working and energetic congregation.
1. The people had endured many trials so the Ephesian Christians did not lack serious and sustained activity, even to the point of suffering for Christ's name.
2. The people instead of withdrawing from the pagan culture of the city, continued to organize and minister to the people of the city.
3. These Christians were in it for the long haul, they were disciplined and determined to harvest the spiritual rewards. Very similar to the Galatian Church.
4. 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. (Galatians 6:9—NLT)
5. They have not grown weary in their work for the Lord.
B. The Ephesians were commended for their discernment and doctrinal purity.
1. A commitment to doctrinal purity would help them guard against those who would turn their freedom in Christ into bondage through sin or the other extreme, legalism.
2. The Ephesians’ hunger for spiritual truth turned away many a teacher who sought to compromise their principles.
3. Apparently they heeded Paul’s warning that false teachers would come like ravenous wolves and they guarded against them.
4. 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. (Acts 20:29-30—NLT)
III. The areas of condemnation for the Ephesian Christians.
A. They were beginning to lose their inner devotion to Christ.
1. Many times our greatest strengths can become our greatest area of weakness.
2. They had worked tirelessly to defend orthodoxy, and in their zeal this led to their knowledge replacing knowing and their loving being replaced by hating.
3. They knew how to defend the doctrines but forgot who these doctrines pointed to.
4. They lost their first love, they forgot Jesus.
5. The reference to "first love" can be seen as a reference to their inner devotion to Christ that characterized their earlier commitment, like the love of a newly wedded bride for her husband.
B. All that was left was truth without grace. Law without love. Nothing was left but a legalistic self righteousness.
1. So what seems a silly question might actually cut to the heart of the matter. “Do you love me?”
2. Without that love for Jesus and others, the good deeds and hard work they were so proud of had lost its real value.
3. If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 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. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3—NIV 2011)
4. They substituted “For the love of Christ” with “For the love of doctrinal purity” as their motto.
5. This motivation eroded their love until there was nothing left but a cold commitment to orthodoxy.
IV. There was hope for the Ephesians’ situation in three simple remedies given by the Lord.
A. They need to remember and reflect on the height from which they have fallen.
1. The first step back for the Prodigal Son came when he remembered his home.
2. In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! (Luke 15:7—NLT)
3. The Ephesians needed to reflect on their earlier acts of service motivated by the deep devotion and fervent love they had for Christ in the beginning.
B. Repent…Turn around; don’t keep going in the same direction.
1. Remember repentance is not blaming your circumstances on other people.
2. Repentance is taking responsibility for your wrong doing and then seeking forgiveness.
3. Confess that you have left your first love!
C. They need to begin doing the things that they had been doing in the beginning.
1. The Ephesians had become great at hating falsehood, but when it came to loving Christ they really stunk up the place.
2. They needed to rediscover the joy of serving Christ out of a passionate love for Him.
3. In this letter Jesus is generous in His praise, direct in His rebuke and doesn’t pull any punches about the consequences if the Ephesians don’t correct the problem.
V. Time to make some honest application for the believers of today.
A. Don’t sit back and detach yourself from the commendations and condemnation made by Christ to the Ephesians.
1. Could the Lord be speaking to you? If He is; is your heart open?
2. We often get busy doing church; we go through the motions without really reflecting on why we do what we do.
3. It is extremely easy to slip into sincere service that crowds Christ out of your heart.
4. Maybe He is asking you that simple question; “Do you love me?”
B. What do we need to do if we feel that He is trying to get our attention?
1. We need to begin by honestly evaluating our life and our motives.
2. What drives your responses, your choices and your actions?
3. Maybe now is the time to remember and return!
Closing:
There is something about a ghost town that captures the imagination. As you walk the streets you can almost hear the echoes of the past. But the buildings stand empty as mute reminders of life that is gone. With every passing season more buildings collapse, more weeds grow up, more animals take over the ruins where a thriving town once stood. A ghost town is nature’s testimony that once something has been emptied, destruction & death follow, unless the void is filled. Jesus tells us that it is not enough for a man to be freed from the power of Satan. His life must be filled with the Spirit of God or Satan will get hold of him again. Like the ghost town, if a person is not filled with a life in Christ, he will be filled with something else, & the end result is death & decay.
