The Seven Churches: Ephesus

 

Write this to the church in Ephesus…

Revelation 2:1

WHO IS SPEAKING:  The One who holds the seven stars and walks among the seven candlesticks – Jesus Christ.

WHAT IS GOOD:  The church has worked hard and endured much.  They will not tolerate wicked men.  They have suffered for the sake of Jesus’ name and have not grown weary.  They hate the practices of the Nicolaitans (a sect that combined Christianity and paganism).

WHAT IS NOT GOOD:  The church does not love as they did at first – the love they had for others and for each other.

JUDGMENT:  Repent and return to their first love, or God will remove their lampstand completely. 

REWARD:  The victorious will eat from the Tree of Life in heaven.

LESSON:  Jesus spent much of His ministry talking about LOVE.  He compressed the law into two commands:  LOVE God with all your heart, soul, mind, strength – and LOVE your neighbor as you love yourself.  The Apostle John proclaimed:  This is the message you heard from the beginning:  we should LOVE one another.  God’s Word proclaims the same message to us today:  LOVE.