The Church at Ephesus
THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS – REV 2 1-7 – APRIL 26 2026
EPHESUS: Ephesus was a city on the western coast of Asia Minor, near the mouth of the Cayster River. The city was famous for its temple of Diana (or Artemis, Acts 19:27), and pilgrims came to Ephesus from all over the Mediterranean world to worship the goddess.
The first thing to note in this letter to the Ephesian church is that THE MESSAGE IS FROM THE LORD JESUS CHRIST: “To the angel [or messenger] of the church in Ephesus . . .” (Revelation 2:1). This is not John’s message to the Ephesian believers; IT IS A MESSAGE FROM THE LORD. [EVERY MESSAGE IN A JESUS LED CHURCH!]
7 CHURCHES – 7 GOLDEN LAMPSTANDS – 7 STARS – 7 LETTERS
7 CHURCHES - REV 1:11 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.
7 GOLDEN LAMPSTANDS – REV. 1:12 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw SEVEN GOLD LAMPSTANDS.
13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves.
7 STARS – REV. 1:16 He held SEVEN STARS [MESSENGER ANGELS] in his right hand, and A SHARP TWO-EDGED SWORD CAME FROM HIS MOUTH. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. [TBC HAS A MESSENGER ANGEL!]
7 LETTERS - I believe these written letters are timeless. We see in scripture and in history that each letter is direct enough to bring conviction to ALL GOD BORN LOCAL CHURCHES. I believe these letters are timeless… They are written to EVERY GOD BORN LOCAL CHURCH in every generation.
WHEN WE USE THE WORD CHURCH… WE SEE 3 TYPES OF CHURCHES IN THE BIBLE – GLOBAL BODY OF CHRIST, THE LOCAL CHURCH, THE CHURCH WITH NO WORD OR PRESENCE.
I BELIEVE THERE ARE CHURCHES TODAY THAT MEET LIKE NORMAL BUT THEY NO LONGER CARRY THE FIRE MESSAGE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!
- THE COMMENDATION… VS. 2-3
REVELATION 2:2-3 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your HARD WORK and your PATIENT ENDURANCE. I know you don’t TOLERATE EVIL people. You HAVE EXAMINED THE CLAIMS OF THOSE WHO SAY THEY ARE APOSTLES BUT ARE NOT. You have discovered they are liars. 3 You have PATIENTLY SUFFERED for me WITHOUT QUITTING.
[HARD WORK / PATIENT ENDURANCE / NO TOLERANCE FOR EVIL / EXAMINE APOSTLES / PATIENTLY SUFFERED / WOULD NOT QUIT! WHAT A RESUME’ FOR A CHURCH!
- THE CORRECTION… VS. 4-5
REVELATION 2:4-5 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.
YOU DO NOT LOVE ME - YOU DO NOT LOVE EACH OTHER… LIKE YOU DID AT FIRST.
YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE! [FOR GOD AND HIS PEOPLE]
SOLUTION: REPENT! TURN AWAY FROM WORLDLINESS AND SIN!
CONSEQUENCE… REMOVAL OF YOUR LAMPSTAND. THE CONGREGATION CEASES TO BE A JESUS CHURCH.
- THE CLOSING COMFORT… REV. 2:6
REVELATION 2:6 But this is in YOUR FAVOR: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.
WHO ARE THE NICOLAITANS?
CERTAIN HERETICAL CHRISTIANS, REFERRED TO IN REVELATION 2:6, 15.
THEY TAUGHT THAT THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND CHRIST WAS SUFFICIENT FOR SALVATION.
THE KNOWLEDGE JUSTIFIED THEM BY FAITH, AND THEY WERE FREE FROM THE RESTRAINTS OF THE LAW, AND MIGHT INDULGE INSANE WITH IMPUNITY.
CLOSING: JESUS TOLD THE EPHESIANS HOW TO KEEP THEIR FIRST LOVE ALIVE… SO JESUS SAID…
WE MUST REMEMBER, which literally means “to remember and respond” in the original Greek language. We ought to continually call to mind the things we have lost, abandoned, or neglected (Psalm 119:55; Psalm 42:5–6; Jeremiah 51:50; Matthew 16:9–10; Acts 20:35; Galatians 2:10; Hebrews 13:2–3; 1 Corinthians 11:24–28).
WE REPENT. We respond to our memories by changing our minds about sin, confessing our sins to the Lord, and returning to Him, our First Love (Revelation 3:3; 1 John 1:9).
WE RETURN; we do the first works. For believers, the “first works” are to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).