The Church Of Ephesus: The Flame That Became An Ember (Revelation 2:1-7)

Jesus begins His remarks to this church (2:2-3,6) by talking about what is right with them. They had a lot going for them and He lets them know that He has seen all the good they have done in His name. He commended their service, using three words to describe their activity. First, He commends them for their WORKS. They have done much for the glory of the LORD. They have been at work, and He has seen it all. He stills sees what we are doing and saying for Him. Nothing is hidden from His sight (Luke 8:17). Second, they have been at LABOR, doing the intense work with a sense of fervency. They were working their fingers to the bone, showing that they were not just a "Sunday morning crowd". They were actively working for the LORD at great personal expense and sacrifice. The church of Ephesus also demonstrated PATIENCE, or a sense of "steadfast endurance". They were working in the midst of persecution and opposition. If we are truly serving the LORD in a spirit of love and devotion, you can be certain that the devil and his kin are not going to sit by idly and watch people turn from darkness to the light of Christ. Is it any wonder that where there is immense persecution and strife that the church of Jesus Christ finds its greatest growth and influence? Think of countries like Iran, North Korea, China, and others where the name and message of Jesus is cursed, hated, and His followers are "Public Enemy No. 1". The spirit of Ephesus is working mightily in these and other places that we will know about only when Jesus returns to make all things new.

Jesus commended Ephesus for its determination to keep separate from the evils and influences of the world system and their dedication to upholding the standards of the faith (2b, c, 6). They checked out the credentials of teachers and preachers to see if what they taught lined up with the Scriptures, like the Bereans did with Paul (Acts 17:11). I want my congregation, readers, or respective Bible class to do the same with what I present. I want to be held to a standard when I approach the sacred desk (James 3:1-2). I shudder at the number of false teachers and preachers who grace pulpits in America and other places with flattering, "ear-tickling" tales of fancy and fantasy that are in conflict with the truth of God's Word (2 Timothy 4:3). The church of Ephesus, if possible, would rise and rightfully condemn us for allowing the proliferation of nonsense and trivia that passes for preaching today. We are biblically ignorant and susceptible to every type of drivel. The commendation that Jesus gave to Ephesus for its firmness and stand on Scripture and doctrine ought to put us to shame. As we read further, we also see that while Jesus had much to commend Ephesus, He also had words of condemnation we need to read and use to examine our own walk with the LORD. Have we become so devoted to the work of the LORD that we forget the LORD of the work? Have we lost our love for Him and yet hold on to the things that represent Him? Have we let our own merits and efforts take the place of sincere and honest devotion to Him? Has our worship turned hollow and nothing more than a way to take up time in the "service"? Have we attached ourselves to mere doctrine and not a desire to know Him more closely? After all, we will be spending eternity with Him and our brethren. We need to keep this in mind and to look forward to it with a sense of joy, love, and wholehearted devotion to Him for what He has done for us. Ephesus is a wake-up call" for anyone who is serious in their walk with the LORD and desire to please Him. it is also a "wake-up call" for the church in the last days to get our minds off of what the world would demand of us and redirect our focus on the Lord Jesus. We need to be about His business, not the agendas of a system and mindset that will go the way of the dust. Let us return to the fire of the faith, and not be content with the embers of what could have been. Amen?

donaldwhitchard@outlook.com

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