Church Health #1 - Ephesus: Remember Your First Love

Cape Elizabeth Church of the Nazarene

Church Health #1 - Ephesus - Remember Your First Love
Date: Sunday, January 7, 2007
Author: Rev. Jonathan K. Twitchell

Happy New Year! I trust you had a blessed start to 2007. Whether you took time to make New Year’s resolutions or not, I pray that you will take time to consider how you might plan to grow in your walk with God during this year. Perhaps you might plan to join a Sunday School class or small group. Maybe you’ll set aside more time each day to spend in prayer or reading the Bible. Maybe this year you will look for a new ministry to be involved in, putting your gifts to work for the Lord. Perhaps you will take to heart these words from Colossians 3:23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.”

Over the next several weeks, Pastor Ken and I will be leading us in an exploration of some Biblical principals of Church Health, based upon the letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor, found in the first three chapters of the book of Revelation. Let me encourage you to plan to be here every single week as we consider these passages of scripture and consider how they apply to our local church here in 2007.

A lot of attention is often paid to the notion of Church Growth. Clearly, the size of a congregation may be an indicator at how successful it is at spreading the Gospel and at meeting needs of those in its community. However, just as there may be healthy large people and healthy small people, there can also be unhealthy large churches and unhealthy small churches. It is far more important to me that we focus our attention on being a healthy church rather than being a large church. While large churches may offer more programs and have more resources for ministry, small churches offer a family setting and opportunities for tight-knit fellowship that often aren’t found in larger churches. This is not to say that one is better than the other…but to say that our goal should not necessarily be church growth, but rather should be church health.

As we understand what it means to be a healthy church, we find ourselves ministering to our community. We share life together in small groups, and we serve others through ministries like the Root Cellar. We’re involved in international ministry through our missions program and our internet ministry. In short, we find that we are healthy when we are each doing our part to utilize our gifts and resources to advance the Kingdom of God . That’s the sort of church I want us to be known as—the sort of place where anyone can find a place to be plugged in….where anyone can use their gifts in service to the Master. When that happens, we will see the Kingdom of God around us in many ways.

While not specifically a church health manual, the first few chapters of the book of Revelation have a great deal to say about what healthy churches look like…and what sorts of things keep a church from being healthy. Before we get into the specifics of the letters, let me read the first chapter, which will serve as our introduction to the passages that we’ll study in the weeks to come. I invite you to hear these words from Revelation chapter 1:

¹The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, ²who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. ³Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

⁴John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia :

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, ⁵and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.

   To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, ⁶and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
⁷Look, he is coming with the clouds,
      and every eye will see him,
   even those who pierced him;
      and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.

⁸"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

⁹I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. ¹⁰On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet, ¹¹which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."

¹²I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³and among the lampstands was someone "like a son of man,"dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. ¹⁴His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. ¹⁵His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. ¹⁶In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

¹⁷When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

¹⁹"Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later. ²⁰The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

May God add His blessing to the reading of His Word

This first chapter of Revelation gives us some clues to the writing of Revelation. While some scholars disagree, the best evidence seems to suggest that the John credited as the author of Revelation is the apostle John—the same John who wrote the Gospel according to John, and the letters of first, second, and third John. In that case, the letter was probably written sometime between 95AD and 98AD, the best dates that we can identify as the time of John’s exile on Patmos . John most likely wrote this book during the reign of Emperor Domitian, and many scholars believe that the persecutions carried out by Domitian were the common background of both author and readers of the book of Revelation.

John says that he wrote the letter after having a vision on the Island of Patmos , which (for Survivor fans) could be described as “the Original Exile Island .” Patmos was a rocky island located in the Aegean Sea (between the present-day countries of Turkey and Greece ). Patmos is only 25 miles around, and has a bare and mountainous terrain. Rome used Patmos as a place to exile criminals. We also know that during this time, Christians throughout the entire world were under great persecution by the Roman Empire . As Roman authorities began to enforce emperor worship, Christians who affirmed the simple creedal statement “Jesus is Lord” were subject to persecution to the point of death. In the midst of this challenging time to Christians, John writes about this vision, in an effort to encourage Christians who were holding fast, and to challenge those who had already begun to compromise.

While there are many interpretive models for reading the book of Revelation, our approach through this series will be to consider that each of the seven churches mentioned were historical churches with real people facing real dilemmas. Before any attempt is made to “unlock” any “hidden” meanings of Revelation, one must first take the time to fully understand the original audience and the churches that were the recipients of this letter. The letters to the churches are about real people, going through real struggles. The persecution that they faced was real, the temptation to compromise was huge.

Having said that, we also believe that God’s Word is inspired—not only for the original readers, but for those who read it today. As we learn what God was saying to those seven churches in Asia Minor in the first century AD, we will discover truths that are applicable to our church in Maine —in the 21^st century AD.

We begin our journey through these seven letters with a letter to the church in Ephesus , found in Revelation chapter 2, verses 1 through 7:

¹"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: ²I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. ³You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. ⁴Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. ⁵Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. ⁶But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ⁷He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

The Word of the Lord for His Children today

Ephesus was one of the cultural and political centers of the day, serving as the capital city for the province of Asia , as well as the home to the Great Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Artemis was a goddess of fertility and goddess of “the hunt,” and worship of Artemis was central to the economic and political structure of Ephesus . You may recall that when the Gospel was first introduced to Ephesus by the Apostle Paul, that there was a great riot. For as Paul preached the gospel, people became convicted of their sins—specifically the sin of idol worship. As they repented, the silversmiths and craftsmen realized that worship of the Living God was going to cut into worship of Artemis, consequently, into their livelihood which was based on making silver shrines and statues. And so they stirred up the crowds to have a meeting in the theater. We know from archeological evidence that this theater held about 25,000 people. The Bible tells us that they rushed as one man into the theater and for two hours chanted: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.”

In the midst of such a pagan city, the Christians in Ephesus were commended for many things: their hard work, dedication, and perseverance. We’re told that they have endured hardship for the sake of the Gospel, and that they are able to discern between truth and falsehood—right and wrong. We know that they have little tolerance for wickedness, and that they hate the practices of the Nicolaitans.

The Nicolaitans were a heretical cult, which was associated with an individual named Nicolas. While we don’t know much about them, we can determine that they had worked out some sort of compromise with the pagan culture around them. Nicolaitans believed that they could be followers of Christ and continue to worship the local gods and participate in the drunkenness and immorality that often accompanied idol worship. The believers in Ephesus were commended for not tolerating the Nicolaitans, and remaining pure.

In fact, I think that purity is probably one of the words that I would use to describe these believers. It appears as though they may have been among the very first forerunners of the Church of the Nazarene—espousing holiness of heart that affected the way in which they lived their lives. They held on to their commitments to live holy lives in the face of adversity, and they were careful to protect their orthodoxy (right belief) and orthopraxy (right practice or actions). Their commitment to living separate from the world is commendable.

It seems as though the believers in Ephesus had taken to heart the words of Paul’s letter where he says, “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God….(and a little later he writes)…Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”

These are important things for a church. It’s important to understand what we believe, and to teach what the Bible says about salvation and how we ought to conduct our lives. The Ephesian church is commended for their commitment to truth and holiness, and these are characteristics that a healthy church should embrace. We need not be ashamed of our fervent beliefs in God’s Word and the Gospel contained within its pages. We must stand firm against sin in all forms—from envy and gossip to drunkenness and immorality. If we are not already being continually filled with the Spirit of God, then we must earnestly seek this baptism, asking the Spirit to purify us from all unrighteousness and to allow us to live a life that is pleasing to God.

And yet, the words which Jesus spoke and John wrote down in Revelation 2:1-7 are not all words of praise and commendation. For Jesus tells the believers exactly what He has against them, they have forsaken their first love.

Now, while it was probably obvious to them exactly what Jesus meant, it isn’t quite so obvious to us. What was the “first love” of the Ephesians? Was it simply their love for God? Had their love for Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy overtaken their love for God? Quite possibly. I’ve seen people get so hung up on being right that they are no longer Christ-like. They become so defensive of their understanding of “What the Bible says,” that they forget that another brother or sister with clear conscience might possibly arrive at a different conclusion. I’ve seen organizations that use the Bible to bash those that they don’t agree with, and I’ve heard of churches that kick people out of fellowship who don’t completely agree on the same Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy.

I’m not suggesting that it’s not important to be right, to know the right way, and to do the right things. However, I do believe it’s possible that we “can be so right that we’re wrong.” It’s possible that even though we may be right about our doctrinal point or our understanding of holy living, that we treat our brother or sister in a wrong way. While they had remembered Paul’s exhortation to live a holy life, they may have forgotten that they were to “be imitators of God, as dearly loved children.” I do think that it’s possible that in our desire to be holy, we fail to imitate God and to love one another.

That’s one possibility of what was wrong in the Ephesian church. Here’s another possibility—perhaps they had turned Christianity into such an intellectual exercise of orthodoxy that they had forgotten to be in relationship with God—that they were to love Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Bible students and pastors are often faced with this struggle. In our desire to fully explore the Word of God and to understand the theological and doctrinal issues, we sometimes forget that at the heart of the Gospel is a simple love story—God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. In our intellectual pursuit of the historicity of the scriptural accounts we fail to experience God in the here and now. In our desire to learn all we can ABOUT God, we fail to simply spend time WITH God.

Perhaps you’ve experienced the same lack of love in your life—the passion that once consumed you has faded, and Christianity becomes routine. Church becomes a place to go and a thing to do, rather than an opportunity to encounter the Almighty God. Perhaps Bible reading and prayer have become an obligation, and you simply try to get through the assigned pages so you can complete your reading plan before the end of the year. If this is you, let me encourage you to get out of the rut quickly—go visit another church to get a fresh perspective (just be sure to come back and encourage us with that perspective!). Instead of reading the entire Bible this year, just read through the Psalms…or join us on our campaign to LISTEN to the New Testament during the season of Easter. Go on a spiritual retreat alone in a cabin for a weekend, or simply take a walk in the woods (it’s warm enough!). It doesn’t matter what you do, so long as you do something to break out of the routine so that you can have a fresh encounter with the Living God.

Perhaps the Ephesians had forsaken their first love by failing to imitate God in their love for others. Perhaps they had forsaken their first love by allowing their religion to overtake their relationship with God. Or, I think that a third option exists—for the church in Ephesus was known as one of the great sending churches of the first century. Paul stayed in Ephesus for about three years, and discipled many believers. It is thought that many of the other churches throughout Asia Minor (including the six other churches that we’ll learn about over the next few weeks) may have traced their roots to missionaries from Ephesus who had been trained by Paul. If that’s the case, is it possible that the Ephesians first love was evangelism—that they would do whatever necessary to spread the Gospel into the world? Had they lost their passion for reaching their neighbors and friends with the Good News that God loves them?

When I think of the passion of the Ephesian pagans who would stand in the theater for two hours and shout “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians,” I have to wonder what would happen if Christians around the world exhibited that same sort of fiery passion for telling the world about our Great and Almighty God. If we would give of ourselves—I mean really invest every fiber of our being into spreading the Gospel of Jesus—we might begin to see the world around us transformed.

You see, a great love for a God and a great love for others is best expressed when we try to bring those two great loves together. That is the mark of a truly healthy church. A healthy church is not determined by the number of church services we hold during the week, or how many people attend a small group, AS MUCH AS IT IS marked by a fervor to bring the people we love into relationship with the God that we love. I couldn’t care less about the style of music that we play or the number of scripture lessons we read, COMPARED TO how well we reach into our communities and our neighborhoods with the Gospel. If each one of us would make a concerted effort in 2007 to love God and to love others, and to do everything possible to bring those two great loves together, then the world would be changed.

Jesus offers a remedy to the church in Ephesus —a remedy that we must also hear this morning. You can remember it simply as the three ‘R’s. Remember. Repent. Return. Remember the height from which you have fallen. Remember the passion you once had for the Kingdom of God . Remember the way in which you couldn’t wait for an opportunity to tell someone about the great things God was doing in your life. Remember the fire that burned within your soul, inspiring you to do everything you could to be salt and light in this world. Remember.

The second ‘R’ is Repent. Once you’ve remembered that height, it’s vital that you repent of your falling. Whatever it was that caused that passion to fade, repent of it. Seek God’s forgiveness. Repent of apathy. Repent of selfishness. Repent of pride or arrogance. Repent of being too timid to speak words of truth and love. Remember and Repent.

And the third ‘R’ is to Return. Return to the things you once did. As you remember what it was like when you first accepted Jesus into your life, return to that lifestyle. Immerse yourself in the Word. Saturate your life with Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs. Devote yourself to the fellowship of the saints. Give of your resources to the Kingdom of God . Tell others about this great love in your life. Remember. Repent. Return.

Programs don’t make a healthy church. A dynamic preacher does not make a healthy church. Choruses or hymns, drums or organs, do not make a healthy church. In and of itself, a prayer group on Wednesday or a second service on Sunday does not make a healthy church. Sunday School, by itself, does not make a healthy church. A dynamic missions program does not guarantee a healthy church.

Here’s what makes a healthy church: A group of people committed to God, to each other, and to the world around them. A people who will remember their first love—who will be imitators of God in everything that they do. A people who are committed to doing right, to hard work, and to perseverance, but not at the expense of being in relationship with God. And a people who are completely sold out to telling everyone around them about the Great and Wonderful God that we serve.

In 2007, may we do all that we can to live every moment of every day for Jesus.

I invite you to receive this benediction, written by Paul to the believers in Ephesus :

Benediction: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

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