I wish to begin by sharing a verse from the book of Proverbs. Proverbs 29:18 wisely cautions, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (KJV). The American Standard Version says it like this: “Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint.” Vision, or rather purpose, establishes the “restraint” or “parameters” in which God’s people can move forward in effectiveness. If a church has lost its purpose, then that congregation will be deprived of direction and momentum.
A lack of clear vision and purpose will result in confusion and shattered enthusiasm, and the abandonment of a church’s God-ordained calling and mission; and as we will soon discover in this morning’s message, a lack of clear purpose can lead to the abandonment of a church’s first love. Bill Hybels says that “a clear vision provides a compelling picture of the future that enables us to say, ‘We know our destination. Nothing will lure us off the path from here to there. We will not be distracted’.”(1)
Understanding our church’s purpose will enable us to stay on the right path – or perhaps, even return to the right path from where we have fallen – in order to remain faithful and fruitful in our kingdom efforts. If we discover that we have gone astray, then hopefully we will understand how to reacquire our church’s purpose and effectiveness, and then start working toward that direction.
The Church Was Doing Things (vv. 2-3)
2 I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.
Here we find Christ’s words addressed to the church of Ephesus. “Ephesus was an ancient Greek city [and seaport] on the coast of Ionia, [located about 2 miles] southwest of present-day Selçuk in the Izmir Province of Turkey . . . According to estimates, Ephesus had a population of 33,600 to 56,000 people . . . making it the third largest city of Roman Asia Minor after Sardis and Alexandria Troas” (Wikipedia).(2)
“The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis [or Diana], completed around 550 B.C., [and] one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.” The Apostle Paul once “became embroiled in a dispute with some artisans, whose livelihood depended on selling statuettes of Artemis in the Temple of Artemis” (cf. Acts 19:23-41, Wikipedia).(3)
Despite its pagan influence, Ephesus “was an important center for Early Christianity . . . Paul lived in Ephesus, working with the congregation and apparently organizing missionary activity into the [remote regions].” “Between 53 and 57 A.D. [Paul wrote] the letter of 1 Corinthians from Ephesus.” It’s also thought that “the gospel of John might have been written in Ephesus, around 90-100 A.D” (Wikipedia).(4)
Jesus gave a commendation to the church of Ephesus for its Christian influence, pointing out some of the good things the congregation had done. The church worked really hard with diligence and patience. The members despised and confronted those who would harm the church with false doctrine; and they did their very best at making sure their labors were done in order to honor Christ.
In applying this example in today’s time, the church of Ephesus represents a congregation where its members have been attending church faithfully, volunteering in different departments and outreaches of the church, diligently teaching mature Christians; and also defending the church against false doctrine by correcting those who would spread destructive heresies. The members’ speech would always be seasoned with grace (Colossians 4:6) in edifying both each other and the Lord, Jesus Christ. But is this really enough?
The Church Had Lost Its Purpose (v.4)
4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
At first glance, the church of Ephesus appears to be a good congregation. The members seemed to be faithful; but Jesus inferred here that something was terribly wrong. So, what was the matter? Allow me to begin elaborating by sharing an illustration:
I once pastored a church where the people had no enthusiasm for ministry. They were happy sitting on the sidelines, just listening to the pastor preach a sermon on Sunday. They would then tell me, “Don’t worry that we’re not doing much and that we’re not growing. All God expects of us is faithfulness.”
Rick Warren elaborates, “What is faithfulness? Usually we define it in terms of beliefs. We think that by holding orthodox beliefs we are fulfilling Christ’s command to be faithful. We call ourselves ‘defenders of the faith.’ But Jesus meant far more than adherence to beliefs when He used the term. He defined faithfulness in terms of behavior – [a behavior that’s willing] to take risks in order to be fruitful” (p. 64, The Purpose Driven Church, Zondervan, 1995).
In other words, Jesus understood faithfulness as “actions,” and not just “beliefs” – actions that would bear fruit. Rick Warren continues to tell us, “God wants your church to be both faithful and fruitful. One without the other is only half the equation . . . We [cannot] use faithfulness as an excuse for being ineffective” (p. 64, The Purpose Driven Church, Zondervan, 1995). “Sadly, there are many churches today who are completely orthodox in their beliefs but are still unfaithful to [God] because they refuse to . . . reach a lost world for Christ” (pp. 65-66).
In verse 4, we learn “how” the church of Ephesus had fallen short. We read that they had lost their first love. This verse isn’t saying that the people failed to love Jesus anymore. We know they still loved Him by their perseverance and willingness to maintain correct doctrine. What verse 4 is saying is that the congregation had stopped looking unto Jesus for direction and inspiration on how to effectively reach the world with the gospel, in order to bear the fruit of souls won for Christ.
In a nutshell, the church of Ephesus had lost sight of its primary focus. To put this in a contemporary perspective, the members of the congregation attempted outreaches, and planned programs and events, hoping to bring honor and glory to Jesus, but they were left feeling empty; something was missing. They had lost sight of what was supposed to be first; or rather, they had forgotten their purpose – a purpose found by looking unto Jesus.
The church’s purpose is not about defending the faith or maintaining correct doctrine; although these are vital elements. It’s not about creating programs and events. It’s not about doing things to make people feel good and cater to the needs of seekers and church members. We may think that what we’re doing is bringing glory to the Lord, but if our actions don’t originate from the top down, then we’re left completely off base!
When I speak of our actions coming from the top down, I’m saying that we need to recognize, as Ephesians 5:23 teaches, that Jesus is the head of the church (cf. Colossians 1:18). So, rather than coming up with our own ideas of how to bring people in and glorify Christ, we need to allow the Lord to guide what we do as a church. This means making Jesus our first love, and learning from Him and His Word.
The Church Needed to Repent (v. 5)
5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent.
Here, Jesus provided counsel to the church of Ephesus. He said, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works.” These words tell us that in order to get back on track as a church, we need to consider how far we have fallen from what’s right and do the first works; or rather, practice the principles for church growth that are tried and true, and that stand the test of time. The first works are the purposes identified by God for the church, and demonstrated in the life of Jesus Christ.
So, what are the first works? In looking unto Jesus, there are two main statements of His; or rather, two main Scriptures, that summarize the purposes identified by God. The first one is found in Matthew 22:37-40, which says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
“Loving the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind” describes worship. The first purpose of the church is to worship God. Jesus commanded believers in John 4:24, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Now, “loving your neighbor as yourself” describes ministry. “Jesus said that even a cup of cold water given in His name was considered as ministry and would not go unrewarded” (p. 104, The Purpose Driven Church, Zondervan, 1995). The church is supposed to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12, NRSV)
In looking unto Jesus for direction, the second passage that summarizes the purposes identified by God is Matthew 28:19-20, which says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.”
“Go and make disciples” describes evangelism. “The word ‘go’ in the Great Commission is a present participle in the Greek text. It should read, ‘as you are going’” (p. 104, The Purpose Driven Church, Zondervan, 1995). This rendering implies that every believer is expected to be evangelizing. Now, “baptizing them” can describe fellowship, since one of the aspects of baptism is to identify a believer with the body of Christ (p. 105). Last of all, “teaching them to observe” describes discipleship, which is “the process of helping people become more like Christ in their thoughts, feelings, and actions” (p. 106).
Now, let’s take a look at the bad news that’s shared in Revelation 2:5: “I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place.” So, what is meant by the term “lampstand”? Back in Revelation 1:20, we read this: “And the lampstands, which you saw, are the seven churches.” John used the term “lampstand” as the symbol for an individual congregation. Therefore, we can surmise from this admonition that if a church fails to do the first works – which are 1) worship, 2) ministry, 3) evangelism, 4) fellowship, and 5) discipleship – then that individual congregation will be rendered ineffective and removed from the picture.
Now, you might be thinking, “We’re already doing these things as a church.” Are we? The church of Ephesus thought it was being faithful at doing all the right things, but it was only partially fulfilling God’s purposes. How does our congregation hold up in our attempts to adhere to the Lord’s purposes for His church, when what we’re doing is compared to the standard of the New Testament? Are we practicing the church’s purposes in ways that are connecting with our ever-changing culture? Are we really being faithful with the spiritual resources entrusted to our care?
I wish to share again from Rick Warren. He continues to say, “How do you define faithfulness? Are you being faithful to God’s Word if you insist on communicating it in an outdated style? Are you being faithful if you insist on doing ministry in a way that is comfortable for you, even though it doesn’t produce any fruit? Are you being faithful to Christ if you value man-made traditions more than reaching people for Him? I contend that when a church continues to use methods that no longer work, it is being unfaithful to Christ!” (p. 65, The Purpose Driven Church, Zondervan, 1995).
Verse 5 tells us where we must begin in accomplishing the purposes of God. Just as the church of Ephesus was instructed, we too are expected to “repent.” Therefore, the first step to getting back on the right path is to admit our mistakes. The word “repent” means to head in the opposite direction, do a “180,” and run back to what is right and true. Repentance requires humility and honesty with God, and with one another.
Time of Reflection
Are we, as a congregation, ready to do a “180,” repent and return to Christ, and do the first works and realign with God’s purposes laid out for His church? Are we ready to admit that what we’re presently doing isn’t working; and are we ready to engage the people of our culture on their level?
Remember, the church is not just about being faithful; it’s about being both faithful and fruitful. If you’re having any reservations, just remember Jesus’ words found in Matthew 3:10: “And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Hopefully, these words will instill within us a sense of urgency to get back on track with God.
Just as God has a purpose for His church, He has a purpose for individuals as well. The first purpose that will lead an individual to getting on track with God is for that person to repent and confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. In other words, the Lord’s first purpose for individuals is for them to be forgiven of their sins and to receive eternal life. So, how does a person receive such an indescribable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15)?
Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” I want to invite you to come forward today, walk the aisle and receive your God-intended purpose; to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; to be forgiven of your sins; and to become a child of the heavenly King.
This message is part of a series on being a "purpose driven church." Many in-text citations are from Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church (Zondervan, 1995).
NOTES
(1) Bill Hybels, Courageous Leadership (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000), p. 48.
(2) “Ephesus,” Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephesus (Accessed March 3, 2014).
(3) Ibid.
(4) Ibid.
