Letter to the Ephesians Pt. 3
Letters from Jesus • Sermon • Submitted
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Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
remember how much we are loved by the Father and Jesus.
How do we repent?
Jesus wants the Ephesians to reconsider or think differently. They are so preoccupied with works and toil that they have become distracted from their Source.
Jesus wants the Ephesians to reconsider or think differently. They are so preoccupied with works and toil that they have become distracted from their Source.
Like anxious Martha, they need to rethink their priorities. They need to put first things first and do the one thing that matters.
Like anxious Martha, they need to rethink their priorities. They need to put first things first and do the one thing that matters.
“Repent and do,” says Jesus. True repentance is a change in thinking that leads to a change in behavior.
“Repent and do,” says Jesus. True repentance is a change in thinking that leads to a change in behavior.
Jesus tells the Ephesians what to think (remember your first love), and then he tells them what to do (what you did at first).
Jesus tells the Ephesians what to think (remember your first love), and then he tells them what to do (what you did at first).
Jesus has no interest in holding an altar call where we come weeping and promising to change; he just wants us to change.
And what brings lasting change? It’s beholding Jesus. It’s seeing the Lord as our nearest and dearest friend.
And what brings lasting change? It’s beholding Jesus. It’s seeing the Lord as our nearest and dearest friend.
What deeds did we do at first?
You enjoyed Jesus. When you first entered the kingdom you may have done nothing at all except recline at his feet.
You enjoyed Jesus. When you first entered the kingdom you may have done nothing at all except recline at his feet.
“Do that,” says the Lord. “Stop trying to give to me and receive from me. Follow Mary who sat rather than Martha who stressed.”
“Do that,” says the Lord. “Stop trying to give to me and receive from me. Follow Mary who sat rather than Martha who stressed.”
This is not the recommendation you will hear from those who elevate works above grace.
Sadly, this is not the recommendation you will hear from those who elevate works above grace.
“Doing what you did at first means praying and studying the word and evangelizing with the enthusiasm you had when you first came to Jesus.”
“Doing what you did at first means praying and studying the word and evangelizing with the enthusiasm you had when you first came to Jesus.”
“Through hard work we prove our love and maintain our good standing with God.”
Beware this graceless message!
The mindless pursuit of religious busyness—even good works done in the name of Jesus—will distract you from the love of God. You’ll end up with toiling in the kitchen instead of reclining with Jesus in the lounge.
The mindless pursuit of religious busyness—even good works done in the name of Jesus—will distract you from the love of God. You’ll end up with toiling in the kitchen instead of reclining with Jesus in the lounge.
The manmade Religion of Self Improvement says God’s blessings are in front of us and we must press on to catch up to them. We have to pray more, witness more, and do more, before we can be blessed.
The manmade Religion of Self Improvement says God’s blessings are in front of us and we must press on to catch up to them. We have to pray more, witness more, and do more, before we can be blessed.
Psalm says God’s goodness and lovingkindness are following us (see ). They’re right behind us.
But the greatest psalm ever written says God’s goodness and lovingkindness are following us (see ). They’re right behind us.
We don’t have to push on to be blessed;
We don’t have to push on to be blessed;
We have to sit down. “He makes me lie down in green pastures” ().
we have to sit down. “He makes me lie down in green pastures” ().
The Good Shepherd is not the one pushing you to perform; he’s trying to get you to rest.
The Good Shepherd is not the one pushing you to perform; he’s trying to get you to rest.
What happens when we yield to his gentle hand and lie down at rest in his presence? His goodness and grace catch up with us and we are blessed.
What happens when we yield to his gentle hand and lie down at rest in his presence? His goodness and grace catch up with us and we are blessed.
Should we not work?
Understand that there are two kinds of work. There is the kind the Apostle Paul did when he said, “I worked harder than them all,” and there’s the Ephesian kind that wears you out and distracts you from the love of God.
Understand that there are two kinds of work. There is the kind the Apostle Paul did when he said, “I worked harder than them all,” and there’s the Ephesian kind that wears you out and distracts you from the love of God.
What’s the difference? Paul’s labor was a response to the love of God. “The love of Christ compels me” (). The Apostle Paul traveled the world like a man consumed. He had to tell people about God’s love because he would burst if he didn’t. “I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” ().
What’s the difference? Paul’s labor was a response to the love of God. “The love of Christ compels me” (). The Apostle Paul traveled the world like a man consumed. He had to tell people about God’s love because he would burst if he didn’t. “I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” ().
As we will see when we get to , there are faith works and dead works, and both kinds were evident in the Ephesian church.
As we will see when we get to , there are faith works and dead works, and both kinds were evident in the Ephesian church.
In the beginning, the church was known for “extraordinary miracles” done through Paul ().
In the beginning, the church was known for “extraordinary miracles” done through Paul ().
A generation later it had become known for the dead and toilsome works of forgotten men. Big difference.
A generation later it had become known for the dead and toilsome works of forgotten men. Big difference.
Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
b
What does it mean to remove a lampstand?
A literal reading of his words indicates he will move them out of their place.
Change is coming. If the Ephesians don’t change, Jesus will change them. If they don’t return to him, he will come to them and carry them to a new place.
Jesus does not say he will punish or extinguish them.
Picture a loving husband whose wife is buried with work. (Burned out).
He’ll gladly give up everything for her.
He’ll gladly give up everything for her.
That is the essence of what Jesus is saying here. “I am coming to you.” If they don’t return to their first love, their first love will come to them.
It’s sweet relief for the weary who can’t find their way home.
What will Jesus do if they don’t repent?
He will take them to a quiet place.
He will take them to a quiet place.
When the disciples got too busy with ministry, the Jesus of the Gospels would say, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” ().
He’s saying the same thing to his disciples in Ephesus. “Come away with me.”
The invitation was there, but the Ephesians had to respond. If they did nothing, then the Lord-among-the-lampstands would come and lead them himself.
But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
The Nicolaitans
The Nicolaitans
Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
Does Jesus hate people? He doesn’t hate the Nicolaitans; he hates their deeds.
This is the only time in scripture that Jesus says he hates something.
What terrible thing did the Nicolaitans do to arouse the Lord’s hatred? We will find out when we get to .
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’
What does it mean to have an ear to hear?
Did you know it’s possible to hear the words of Jesus and not hear what the Holy Spirit is saying?
He’s saying, “Don’t just hear my words; receive the Spirit of revelation.”
Did you know it’s possible to hear the words of Jesus and not hear what the Holy Spirit is saying?
Did you know it’s possible to hear the words of Jesus and not hear what the Holy Spirit is saying?
If you read the Bible and come away with a list of things you must do to earn God’s favor, then you have received earthly wisdom based on human understanding.
But if you come away with a revelation of Jesus—who he is and what he has done—then you have received heavenly wisdom. You have heard what the Spirit is saying because the Spirit always points to him.
What stops us from hearing the Spirit?
An unbelieving heart.
How are you receiving this message?
Or do they release grace and healing? “Now I know why my walk with God has been so lifeless. I’ve wandered from my first love. I need to drop everything and return.”
For as long as the Holy Spirit speaks through imperfect people, we will be tempted to ignore what he is saying. If only there was a definitive way to tell whether the message we’re hearing is from the Holy Spirit. There is!
How do we know we are hearing what the Spirit is saying?
The Holy Spirit will always seek to reveal Jesus (). When the message you are hearing directs you to Jesus.
As we read these letters from the Lord. If we come away feeling condemned or proud, we’ve missed him. But if we come away praising God and established in the grace of Jesus, then we have heard what the Spirit is saying.
A message for all churches
Jesus is the leader of the Church with a capital C.
His words are for all churches.
It’s a mistake to think that wandering from your first love was just an Ephesian problem.
Every worn-out believer needs to hear from the Lord among the lampstands. We all need to hear what the Spirit is saying through these letters.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’
Who overcomes?
The one who believes in Jesus.
A promise connected with overcoming is given at the end of each of the seven letters.
This promise leads us to wonder, how do I overcome? And what happens if I don’t?
Is Jesus saying I can lose my salvation if I fail the overcoming test?
Some define overcoming as a list of things you must do. You have to prevail in life’s trials, disarm spiritual enemies, and conquer every sin. You have to resist temptation, walk in daily victory, and defeat the devil. Do these things to your dying breath and you will earn the right to eat from the Tree of Life, but drop the ball and you’ll be toast.
This sort of thinking leads to stressed-out, overworked Christianity such as the Ephesians practiced, and it is not good news.
The word overcomes is a verb that means to conquer, prevail, or get the victory.
Look up the word in the dictionary and you will find a picture of Jesus who is the Overcomer.
“Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (). Jesus has overcome—past tense.
The devil couldn’t tempt him, the law lovers couldn’t silence him, Pilate couldn’t fault him, death couldn’t keep him, and the grave couldn’t hold him.
Jesus conquered death and he now sits at the right hand of God, bearing a name above every name.
Who is an overcomer?
Who is an overcomer?
You are, because Jesus is an overcomer and “as he is, so are we in this world” (). You cannot be one with the Lord and not be an overcomer any more than you can be one with the ocean and not be wet.
You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. ()
This is not a promise of a future reality but a statement of present fact. You have overcome because Christ the Overcomer lives in you.
you are an overcomer because Jesus makes you so.
you are an overcomer because Jesus makes you so.
You may say, “But I don’t feel like an overcomer.” In Christ, you are an overcomer nonetheless. When you came to the Lord he made you a new creation. He gave you his overcoming DNA and his overcoming Spirit. You are now an overcomer by nature. It’s in your genes.
Because of Jesus every believer is a crown-wearing tree-of-life-munching overcomer.
“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” ()
The word for conqueror is the same word for overcomer.
In Christ you are more than an overcomer, but what does that mean?
Jesus the Overcomer has done the hard work; our part is to receive the benefits and say, “Thank you, Lord!”
The identity of a conqueror comes from a conquered enemy, but we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
The identity of a conqueror comes from a conquered enemy, but we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Some say, “I’m a cancer survivor,” or “I’m a recovering alcoholic.”
Some say, “I’m a cancer survivor,” or “I’m a recovering alcoholic.”
those enemies don’t define you because you are more than a conqueror.
become grounded in God’s love for you () ().
How do we overcome?
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
Spiritual warfare for the Christian is not about shouting at the devil
It’s believing that Jesus is Lord over whatever situation we face.
It’s not fighting for the victory, it’s fighting from victory; delcaring that Jesus has already won.
…I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’
What is the tree of life?
Jesus is the Tree of Life who sustains those who feed on him.
Who eats of the Tree of Life?
The believer. Those who wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb have the right to eat of the Tree of Life ().
The believer. Those who wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb have the right to eat of the Tree of Life ().
When Jesus tells the Ephesians that only overcomers get the right to eat of the tree of life, he is not trying to threaten them.
When Jesus tells the Ephesians that only overcomers get the right to eat of the tree of life, he is not trying to threaten them.
He is giving them a wonderful affirmation of their position in Christ.
He is giving them a wonderful affirmation of their position in Christ.
Not an admissions test.
It’s a mistake to think of overcoming as some sort of admissions test.
He is giving them a wonderful affirmation of their position in Christ.
Where is the Paradise of God?
Where is the Paradise of God?
Wherever Jesus is.
Wherever Jesus is.
Jesus is talking about himself, for he is the Tree of Life in the Paradise of God.
Jesus is talking about himself, for he is the Tree of Life in the Paradise of God.
He is our refuge and the fortress of our salvation. He is our resting place and our longing fulfilled.
He is our refuge and the fortress of our salvation. He is our resting place and our longing fulfilled.
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What was Christ’s message for the Ephesians?
“I’ve seen how hard you guys are working and how you don’t put up with bad teachers. But you’re so busy that you don’t have any have time for me.
“I’ve seen how hard you guys are working and how you don’t put up with bad teachers. But you’re so busy that you don’t have any have time for me.
I offer you rest, but you prefer labor.
You have put yourselves under all this pressure and have forgotten how much I love and desire your company.
This is not good. You’re falling apart and heading for burnout. Turn around and go back to the beginning when everything was simple—just you and me enjoying each other’s company. Good times! Let’s do that again. I am the Tree of Life. Allow me to nourish and sustain you. Make my love your resting place. When you’re in Paradise why would you ever leave?”
What is Christ’s message for us?
Make yourself at home in God’s love and never leave.
Make yourself at home in God’s love and never leave.
If you are worn out from doing the Lord’s work, you can probably relate to the Ephesians. They were a hard-working bunch of believers, but they were dying on the inside. They were busy building, but their labor was in vain.
If you are worn out from doing the Lord’s work, you can probably relate to the Ephesians. They were a hard-working bunch of believers, but they were dying on the inside. They were busy building, but their labor was in vain.
Why do we push ourselves past breaking point? It can happen because we’ve forgotten how much God loves us. We think we have to prove ourselves or come up with the goods, but none of this pressure is from the Lord.
Why do we push ourselves past breaking point? It can happen because we’ve forgotten how much God loves us. We think we have to prove ourselves or come up with the goods, but none of this pressure is from the Lord.
You were made to receive your Father’s love. Lose sight of your Father’s love for you and you will lose your way. You’ll fall from the secure place of grace into the realm of dead works. You’ll become restless, insecure, and empty on the inside. You’ll try to replace his love with lesser things.
You were made to receive your Father’s love. Lose sight of your Father’s love for you and you will lose your way. You’ll fall from the secure place of grace into the realm of dead works. You’ll become restless, insecure, and empty on the inside. You’ll try to replace his love with lesser things.
If the Ephesians could leave the love of God, anyone can. But the good news is those who wander can come home again. If you have lost your first love, Jesus shows us the way back: Remember, repent (change your thinking), and do what you did at first. Go back to the place of your first love, when Jesus was your everything. Make every effort to enter his rest and let nothing move you.
If the Ephesians could leave the love of God, anyone can. But the good news is those who wander can come home again. If you have lost your first love, Jesus shows us the way back: Remember, repent (change your thinking), and do what you did at first. Go back to the place of your first love, when Jesus was your everything. Make every effort to enter his rest and let nothing move you.
(:17b19, GNB)
and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love,
and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love,
so that you, together with all God’s people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ’s love.
Yes, may you come to know his love—although it can never be fully known—and so be completely filled with the very nature of God.
Yes, may you come to know his love—although it can never be fully known—and so be completely filled with the very nature of God.
Eph 3:17