It is a good practice in marriage to remember and reflect on when you and your spouse began your relationship. Remember how the relationship began. Remember those first dates. Remember the courtship. Remember how you pursued each other. Remember those feelings of love toward your spouse. Remember what made you fall in love with them.

For me, it hasn’t been that long. April and I are still newlyweds in the honeymoon period. But still, it is good to remember. Often in marriage, you can get so busy with life, that you forget how much you love your spouse and take them for granted, and as a result, your love can grow cold.

But a little remembering and reflecting, can be very beneficial. You can remember how you pursued each other in the beginning of the relationship, and start being intentional about pursuing each other in the present, and that can help reignite the fires of love in marriage.

This advice is not only good for marriage relationships, but as we will see in our passage today, it is good advice for our relationship with God.

Today we will continue in Revelation Chapter 2, and we will look at the letter to the church at Ephesus and learn what to do when love grows cold.

Last Sunday, we began a study in the book of Revelation. We are calling this study Lampstand. The Apostle John was in a prison labor camp on the island of Patmos on account of the Word of God and testimony in Jesus Christ. On a Sunday, while John was worshiping, Jesus gave him a vision. In this vision, Jesus instructed John to write to messages to the seven churches in Asia. In this vision, we see Jesus tending to the Lampstands which represent churches. This vision helps us know the purpose and mission of the church.

And we see that Jesus is tending to the churches to make sure they continue to shine for His glory.

Last week, we got a glimpse of Jesus in His glory. He was clothed in a priestly garment that lets us know He interceded on behalf of His church. He has hair white as snow which shows us His purity and Holiness. He has eyes of fire that see everything, even to the thoughts and intents of the heart. He has feet of glowing hot burnished bronze that lets us now that He rules in justice. He has a deadly weapon. A sharp two-edged sword to protect His church. And His voice is speaking loud and clear. Like a trumpet, and like the roar of many waters. And He is tending to His churches so that they shine for His glory.

Annapolis First Baptist Church, let's be a church shining brightly for the glory of Christ. So brightly that every dark corner of our community can see a crisp, clear picture of Christ and His glory.

Today, we will look Christ’s message to the church at Ephesus. And in looking at this message we can learn a lot about the Kind of Church Christ wants us to be.

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

The word angel in Greek is angelos or messenger. The angel most likely refers to a messenger who would take this letter from John to the church in Ephesus.

This message is to the church in Ephesus. But it also applies to churches today. Let’s talk a little about the church at Ephesus. These list of cities John is writing to is listed in an order that look a lot like a postal route through Asia Minor. And first on the route is Ephesus. Ephesus was a prominent city in Asia Minor, what we call Turkey today. In Paul’s day and in John’s day, Ephesus was a crucial port city. However now, the ancient city ruins of Ephesus is located inland. The Cayster River has deposited silt into the harbor of the Aegean Sea, so that it’s no longer at the port any longer.

Ancient Ephesus was a major port city with a river inland. And one of the most prominent features was the Temple to Artemis. When Paul was in Ephesus, He spent a considerable amount of time in Ephesus. For two years, Paul taught in the hall of Tyrannus, and the gospel message was spreading from Ephesus all over Asia minor. The Gospel was making such a difference in the pagan city of Ephesus, that the silversmiths who made a lot of money making shrines to the false god Artemis was losing business. And of course they were not happy. They started a riot and Paul had to leave town. Many people left the idolatrous pagan religion of Ephesus to follow Christ. And during the life of the church at Ephesus, they had some really good church leaders such as, Paul, Apollos, Aquila and Pricilla, Timothy, and even the Apostle John. It is believed that John was serving as an elder in the church at Ephesus when he was arrested by the Roman Authorities. The Ephesian church members, saved out of pagan religion, had such a love for Jesus.

This message is from Jesus. Look at how Jesus introduces himself. In each message to each church, He introduces himself in some way that brings us back to John’s vision in chapter 1.

The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

We see a picture of Jesus with these messengers in His right hand. And He is tending to the churches. He is making sure these lampstands, or churches are shining brightly for His glory.

As we look at Jesus message to the churches, we will see messages of commendation; things going well in the churches, as well as correction. Things that need to change so that the churches light will not flicker out.

So, as we read the message to the church at Ephesus, we can see the kind of church Jesus wants: In order to shine for His glory, we see things that should and should not characterize His church.

I know your works, your toil…

When Jesus says, “I know”, I am reminded of those eyes. Those eyes like a flame of fire. He knows exactly what is going on in His churches. He has complete full knowledge. And Jesus first has a message of commendation for a job well done. He commends the church at Ephesus for being a hard-working church.

This church was laboring to the point of sweat and exhaustion for the Glory of Christ. They were not a church that just held down a pew on Sunday morning. They didn’t go to church to be entertained. They were a church who lived on mission for Christ. They were aggressively evangelizing the lost. I am reminded of how the church was growing all over Asia minor as Paul was teaching in the hall of Tyrannus. The church was busy helping each other grow in their faith. They were busy caring for people in need.

Annapolis First Baptist Church, lets be a church that works hard for the glory of Christ. Be a church that evangelizes the lost, that helps each other grow in the faith, that meets the needs of the people around us. Jesus wants us to be a church working hard for the Glory of Christ.

And your patient endurance

The church at Ephesus was long suffering for the Glory of Christ even in the midst of a very difficult circumstance. Even though the church was going through persecution for their faith, they remained faithful.

I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake.

Remember in Paul’s day the persecution He faced in Ephesus for the sake of the Gospel. The riot forced him out of town. And think about the Apostle John. He was one of their pastors, and He was arrested and put in a prison labor camp because He refused to worship the Roman Emperor and Refused to stop talking about Jesus.
So, it was a difficult city to be a Christian in.

I think about Annapolis First Baptist Church. Thankfully, it’s a lot easier to be a Christian here in the United States, but persecution is on the rise. Will we as a church stand firm in the face of persecution? Will we be faithful to share the good news of the Gospel to people we come in contact with? Will we be committed to share the Gospel full-strength, without diluting it, so that we can see people saved and growing in their faith? Jesus wants us to be a church patiently enduring for the name of Christ.  

The next commendation we see is that the church was a discerning church. Jesus gives them a “job well done” for their discernment.
Jesus commends them for “how you cannot bear with those who are evil.”

The Ephesus church would not put up with those who are evil; church members whose lives were characterized by sin. In Matthew 18, we see Jesus’ teaching on church discipline. We see the pattern of how to deal with sin in the church. The purpose of church discipline is never to kick someone out of the church. The goal is for them to repent of sin, and be restored to right fellowship with God and the church body. However, a refusal to repent is a sign that the person does not have a real relationship with Christ. Jesus wants us to be a church that cannot bear with those who are evil.

But have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.

The church at Ephesus was a discerning church not only in how they called out sin, but they called out false teachers.
False apostles came to Ephesus. And the church was able to recognize them as false. People who claimed to be sent from God, but were not. Thankfully, the church at Ephesus had elders who could discern true teachers from false.

Let me show you from Acts 20:28-30 one of the roles of the elders. It was the role of the elders in the Ephesus church, and all the churches and even the Elders here at Annapolis.

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock: and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Acts 20:28-30

In this passage in Acts, Paul is on his way to Jerusalem with an offering to present to the Jerusalem church. And He was trying to get there before Pentecost. So, He stops at Miletus and has the church elders from Ephesus come to him in Miletus. And He gives this instruction to the Elders.

Elders must first pay careful attention to themselves. AS a pastor or elder overseer, of the church, I must pay very close attention to my life. Am I teaching accurately God’s word? Am I practicing what I preach?

Then we see the call to pay careful attention to the flock. The flock the Holy Spirit made you overseers. So, we see the Elders job is to oversee the flock, The church.
Then we see to care for the church. Or shepherd or pastor. You see, Elders, Bishops, Overseers, Pastors, are the same office.
And they pay attention to the flock Christ obtained with His blood.

I know after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you.

Paul foretells that false teachers, fierce wolves, will come in to the church. The Elders have to know God’s word so well they can easily detect false teachers coming in.

Then also, and from your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 

There are dangers that come from outside the church and even inside the church. The elders have to be aware of people within the church. People who twist things to draw people to their own agenda rather than the Glory of Christ.

So, Paul commends the church at Ephesus for being a discerning church. Annapolis FBC, we need to be a discerning church. To protect from dangers coming from outside the church and even from inside. Pray for me! Pray for discernment and strength.

We must test everything. Like Jesus commends the church at Ephesus.
But have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.  

Yet this you have, you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

In Acts 6, we meet a man named Nicolaus. When division arose in the Jerusalem church because some of the Greek speaking widows were not getting taken care of, the apostles appointed 7 Greek speaking men to take care of the Greek speaking widows to make sure they get the food they should get. One of the 7 men, the last on the list, was Nicolaus. Evidently, Nicolaus used his influence in the church to lead the church into sexual immorality and idolatry.

In the letter to the church at Pergamum, we see that Jesus connects the works of the Nicolaitans to Balaam’s false teaching that led the nation of Israel astray in Numbers 22-25. Balaam could not curse the nation of Israel, because God was blessing them.  Since He could not curse them, Balaam chose to led them into sin. He used the Moabite women to lead the Israelites into sin so that God would have to curse them with a plague.
Jesus commends the church at Ephesus for being a pure church. A church that hates immorality and idolatry.

Annapolis FBC, we must be a pure church. A church that hates sexual immorality and idolatry. A church that does not tolerate sin. Let’s live for the Glory of Christ.

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And the second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Matthew 22:37-39

Annapolis First Baptist Church, we need to be a church that loves God with all our heart, soul and mind. And a church that loves one another.
So far we have seen the church at Ephesus receive a “well done”. They receive commendations. However, we see here in verse 4 a correction.

But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

The church at Ephesus had so many things going for them. They were a hard working church, a patiently enduring church, a discerning church, a pure church. However, they had an issue that if not corrected could make their lampstand burn out. A danger that could keep them from shining for the Glory of Christ.
Their love had grown cold.

“You have abandoned the love you had at first.”

They don’t love God the way they used to.
They don’t love one another the way they used to.

Thankfully Christ, as He is tending to His church, gives them instruction to make sure they continue shining brightly. He instructs them in what they need to do to love like they should.

Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.

So, we can summarize Jesus’ instructions as remember, repent, and repeat.

The church at Ephesus needs to remember the love they had a first.
Do you remember when you first came to faith in Jesus?
And the zeal you had for Him? I hope you do. Every true convert of Christ will be filled with great love joy and zeal for Christ.  
Remember how you wanted everyone around you to know about the savior who has made such a change in your life?

I think about the Ephesian Christians, saved out of all kinds of immorality and idolatry.
Jesus radically saved them.

Take some time to remind yourself of your life before Christ.
Remember how you were lost and heading towards destruction in Hell.
Then remember how you came to Christ.
Don’t let yourself forget or take it for granted.
Do you remember?

Repentance is a change of mind that changes our direction. We turn to Jesus, who changes us from the inside out.

And do the works you did at first.

Just like in a marriage, if you stop pursuing your spouse, stop going on dates, let all the busyness of life distract you from each other, then the feelings of love you have for each other will grow cold.

You need to remember, repent, and repeat. Remember how you pursued her at first. Remember what made you fall in love with her. Repent of allowing things to grow cold. And then repeat. Go on dates. Pursue her again like when you first got married.

And it’s the same way with God.

Are you pursuing Him?
In Bible study?
In prayer?  
Zealously sharing the Gospel?
Making sure no sin gets in the way to keep you from Him.
Church, will you evaluate your love?
Are you loving God like you should.
If you love God, you will love one another.
If not, then you should remember, repent, and repeat.

“If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from it’s place, unless you repent.”

 Even though the church at Ephesus was a hard-working church, a patiently enduring church, a discerning church and a pure church, the issue of their love growing cold caused them to be in danger of the fire of their lampstand flickering out.

Because they were not loving like they should, loving God and loving one another, their church was in danger. In danger of the light of the glory of Christ being snuffed out.

We want to be church shining brightly for the glory for Christ.
Let’s make sure we are a church that loves.
Let’s be a hardworking church, a patiently enduring church, a discerning church, a pure church, and a church that loves.
Ask God to speak to you from His word.
If you find that your love has grown cold: Remember, repent and repeat.  

He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Genuine believers in Christ have the Holy Spirit within to help us hear from God’s word.
If you have ears to hear, LISTEN!

“To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”
 
The true believers in Jesus will have ears to hear.
And they will conquer.
And they will be granted to eat of the tree of life in the paradise of God.
This is a promise of eternal life.
A promise for genuine Christ- followers.
Eternal life is waiting for you.