“Hey, That’s My Church!”

This is a series of studies into the letters to the “Seven Churches” in the Book of Revelation. The series is entitled “Hey, That’s My Church!” because the letters are addressed to churches but the fact is that churches are made up of individuals. So, we can take this series as to say “Hey That’s Me!” First we will look at the Church at Ephesus.

“Active but Hollow” Rev. 2:1-7

In v. 1 Jesus tells where the letter is addressed to and by whom. Jesus tells John that he holds 7 stars (which are the pastors) and He walks among the lamp stands (which are the churches). So in essence Jesus is telling John to write this church and to tell them the letter is from the One that truly knows them and the real issues in their lives that need attention.

In vv. 2-3 Jesus praises them for their activity. They had good deeds; they worked hard, and did not give up when times got hard. They also could not stand wicked men and tested them to see if they were really what they claimed to be. These are qualities I would hope that every church would have.

In v.4 it begins to go down hill. If Jesus told you that He had something against you, would you listen? I think so. So, here is the problem. They had “forsaken their first love.” This does not mean that they left their first love or that their first love had left them. It simply means that they got off track with their priorities. They had put the activities of religion ahead of their love for Christ.

In v.5 it gets better. Jesus not only uncovers the problem but He also gives the solution. There is a three step process in getting their priorities back in order. 1. “Remember the heights from which they have fallen”. This simply means that they needed to remember what their relationship was like when things were in the right order; when they put God first and not religious practice. 2. “Repent”. This simply means to turn away from the things that do not please God and turn towards the things that do. It is a matter of focus. Give attention to Jesus and your walk with Him first. 3. “Do the things you did a first” Do not just turn towards those things but do them. What brought you close to Christ at first will do the same now. In regards to the Ephesian Church read Acts 19. This is the beginning of this church and helps with the context of what Jesus is saying to this specific church.

But for us, the things that bring us close to Christ are simple to state but difficult to do. Things like prayer, reading the Bible, a missional lifestyle, and walking by faith will make your walk with God real and rich.

In v. 7 Jesus gives a warning, “Those that have an ear, let them hear what the Spirit says…” Is God speaking to you? My prayer is that you submit to Him and that your relationship is not “Active and Hollow” but “Full and Faithful” to Christ

Reflection

This May I will be graduating from the undergrad program at New Orleans Theological Seminary and I thought I would post some reflections.
First I could have never accomplished this without my family. Thanks to my wife Tammy and children Kalib, Morgan, and Cory. You four are a blessing and great encouragement to my life. You left everything to follow me and for that I am grateful.

To The Lord's Church for it's support and love through these years of training and learning; you are a great church.

Some lessons I have learned from this journey; 1. It feels great to finish something. This has not always been my best quality. 2. God is faithful. When we left Florida we had no idea of how we would make it but God has made a way. 3. I have learned discipline. If pastoring were easy everyone would be doing it. The fact is, this is a very hard calling but through discipline, focus, and God's leadership, It has been and (I hope will continue to be) a very rewarding experience.