LOVE LOST!

The City of Ephesus: [Picture of Ephesus during Bible times]

Revelation2:1-7(NKJV)
1
"To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, 'These things says He who holds the seven stars in His
right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 I know your works, your labor,
 Ephesus was a unique city, a population of 250,000 people.
your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they  It was the chief seaport of Asia ... nearly all goods from east to west
are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and went through Ephesus.
have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you,
that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do  The theater in Ephesus seated 25,000 people at one time!
the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place--unless  It's roads were wide, it homes spacious, it buildings elaborate, it was
you repent. 6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who a tourist town!
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."  Ephesus was also very religious ... having dozens of temples to
various gods and goddesses.
Introduction: [Show a salt shaker full of salt]:  One of the 7 wonders of the world was in Ephesus ... the temple to
ARTEMIS (also called "Diana"). The temple was 425 feet long,
How many know what this is?... SALT! We use it to spice up our adorned with gold, marble, and all kinds of jewels, and about 1,000
food, to add flavor to it, to preserve, to help in healing, to cleanse, etc. Salt prostitutes in the temple ... ARTEMIS was the "goddess of LOVE!"
is a necessity in our diet, we would die without it! In antiquity it was  Even the city name reflects this: "EPHESUS" means
considered so important that at times it was more valuable than gold and "Desirable" or "Maiden of Choice"
was used sometimes as hard currency!  The Church in Ephesus was probably the largest Church in its day!
Salt is made up of only 2 elements: SODIUM & CHLORINE (thus  This Church had entered it's second generation! It was established
Sodium Chloride). Like Christianity … made up of 2 elements, TRUTH by Paul around 50-60 AD.
(JUDGMENT) & LOVE. Combined they are wonderful ... but either  It was a well established Church, a reputation of high degree ... but
existing alone brings death! the Church was at a spiritual crossroads as far as God was
Truth without Love is like Chlorine ... chlorine without sodium is a concerned, and how ironic that its problem was that of LOVE! In the
poisonous gas, it is what gives bleach its distinctive offensive odor. very town where the "love goddess" was strongest!
Chlorine is used to purify, but alone it is a killer! Love is like Sodium,  There was nothing wrong with their service and works, but they
sodium almost never is found in nature without combining itself to some were losing their passion for God, and in a town that held a premium
other element, it is an extremely active agent. If Chlorine isn't available, it on passion this could easily become a liability and snag to the
will combine with something else ... love is like this. IT IS NOT ENOUGH Gospel!
to JUST love, without truth love combines with all kinds of things and can
 Unless they renewed their love for Christ they would be no different
produce strange substances!
than the temple to ARTEMIS – and even less to offer!!!!
Page 2
The Bible teaches us that if we lose our "first love" for Christ, our service
THE CHURCH MUST COMBINE BOTH TRUTH & LOVE ... like
will become weary, and the results will be just another institution
salt, in order to be useful!
attempting to create another product! God calls us to have passion in our
The Church in Ephesus was missing LOVE ... though they
service for Him, and when we do our ministry becomes a JOY rather than
maintained truth, they had lost an important element. The passion of their
just a JOB!
faith and service was missing, it can happen!
1. Ephesus Appeared To Be A ‘Model’ Church. 2) If they as a Church had lost their passion and love for
God, then they would be left with all kinds of activity but
Revelation 2:1-3 no real love too!
1
"To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, 'These things says He who 3) They had all the outward appearances of worship and
holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven service but they were empty ... sooner or later it would
golden lampstands: show!
2
I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear 4) How sad for a Christian or a Church to settle for just
those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and ritual ... forsaking passion and love!
are not, and have found them liars; 5) Passion and Love can do more than programs, work, and
3
and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My judgment!
name's sake and have not become weary. B. If they Lost their Passion and Love they would lose their
effectiveness and reason for existence.
A. They were a WORKING church
v. 2 - ‘I know your works, your labor…’ Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
B. They had PATIENCE 1) Their lampstand (the Church) existed in this town so that
v. 2 - ‘…your patience…’
these people could know the difference between LUST
C. They didn’t tolerate false prophets. and LOVE!
v. 2 - ‘…and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested
those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars’ 2) For them to ignore LOVE would leave the people
D. They wouldn’t Quit. without a way to know the difference!
v. 3 - ‘and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My
name's sake and have not become weary.
This is true today of the Church: IF WE DON'T LOVE GOD AND ONE
1) These were not sporadic Christians ANOTHER our society will degenerate into a society based on LUST ...
... they were hard workers all the time! never knowing the difference between the two!
E. God commends them for this stability
1) Being a second generation Church had given adequate C. A Church that only loves Truth (Judgment) and not each other is
time to really develop their teaching and programs. in danger of losing their lampstand ... and light!
2) Yet, something quite important was still missing!
3) Important enough to endanger their lampstand from 3. God Gave A Three Step Solution.
continuing!!!
F. All that was missing by this Church was its PASSION OR God didn't leave them with the problem ... He offered a solution
LOVE for God!
First: REMEMBER!    
2. Their Service To God Had Become A Ritual (Religious). v. 5 – “Remember therefore from where you have fallen…”

A. They were not far from being similar to the Temple of Artemis!! 1) The starting point of repairing the problem was in remembering
1) at the Temple of Artemis there was all kinds of activity ... the Past – where they had come from!
but no REAL LOVE! (just lust! ) 2) Those who forget the good things of God in the past will lose
their passion for God in the future!
  Happened all the time to Israel when one generation
failed to remember what God had done for their
forefathers!
3) They were to remember the days of passion!
4) Finding something that has been lost is a good feeling!
Second: REPENT!
v. 5 – “…repent…
1) Repentance is not Easy but it is Necessary.
2) Repentance is not Popular but it is Practical.
 Noah's message from the ark was not "SOMETHING
GOOD IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU!"
 Jeremiah was not put into the pit for preaching,
"POSSIBILITY THINKING WILL MOVE
MOUNTAINS!"
 Daniel was not put into the lion's den for telling people,
"I'M O.K., YOU'RE O.K. – Everything is going to be
alright!"
 John the Baptist was not forced to preach in the
wilderness and eventually beheaded because he
preached, "SMILE, GOD LOVES YOU!"
 THEY ALL preached repentance! ... turn around before
it's too late! SIMPLE, but PROFOUND!
Third: REPEAT!
v. 5 – “…and do the first works…
1) The final action was to re-do; re-take; re-live their Passion and
Love!
2) It doesn't take some new thrilling program to revitalize a Church
--- but it does take a repeating of the passion that brought us into
existence.
3) Some of the best things in life have been around a long time,
they are worth repeating!
4) Over and over again the prophets spoke the same message ...
1) Israel though wanted to hear something NEW AND
DIFFERENT!
2) This will characterize the last days before Christ coming
again, people wanting new teaching!
Don’t expect God to do something ‘New’ in you or the church until we
have Mastered the old stuff first ... there is nothing new under the sun
anyway!
Conclusion:
A. There was on compromise offered: ‘or else!”
v. 5 - “…or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—
unless you repent.
1) It must be done ‘quickly’
2) OR – their lampstand would be ‘removed’
B. Keep the Truth (Judgment):
Revelation 2:6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
The Nicolaitans were followers of Nicolaus who taught that adultery,
fornication, and all sexual activity was not sinful but lawful.
C. God says, “Don’t just hear Me but DO IT!”
Revelation 2:7 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."
1) If the Ephesians Hear and Do they not only will keep their
lampstand but they will enjoy Heaven also…
2) God’s plan was universal to the church at Ephesus and
individually to ‘He who has an ear…’
SADLY – The church did not listen. [Picture of the ruins of Ephesus
today]
 Today, Ephesus is a pile of rubble!
 A memory
 Dead
 No lampstand!