Revelation 2:1-5 Amplified Bible
Message to Ephesus
2 “To the angel (divine messenger) of the church in [a]Ephesus write:
“These are the words of the One who holds [firmly] the seven stars [which are the angels or messengers of the seven churches] in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands (the seven churches):
2 ‘I know [b]your deeds and your toil, and your patient endurance, and that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and have tested and critically appraised those who call themselves apostles (special messengers, personally chosen representatives, of Christ), and [in fact] are not, and have found them to be liars and impostors; 3 and [I know that] you [who believe] are enduring patiently and are bearing up for My name’s sake, and that you have not grown weary [of being faithful to the truth]. 4 But I have this [charge] against you, that you have left your first love [you have lost the depth of love that you first had for Me]. 5 So remember the heights from which you have fallen, and repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God’s will] and do the works you did at first [when you first knew Me]; otherwise, I will visit you and remove your lampstand (the church, its impact) from its place—unless you repent.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Revelation 2:1-5 New King James Version
The Loveless Church
2 “To the [a]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, your [b] patience, and that you cannot [c]bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and 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 first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
The Witness of the Church
Throughout the first century A.D., Jesus’ followers fanned out across the Roman Empire to spread the good news of God’s salvation in Christ.
They formed communities to support and encourage each other in life, faith, and witness. Yet by the end of the century, persecution came to many Christians in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), and they needed major assertive support.
Christ Knows Our Works
Apostle John, one of the exiled leaders, wrote the book of Revelation to them.
It’s filled with words of hope and caution and warning from Jesus to the churches, whom he calls golden lampstands.
What a comfort to know Christ the King walks among the churches he loves.
Jesus knows you.
The letter to the church in Ephesus is the first of Christ’s seven letters to the first-century churches in Revelation 2 – 3, and each begins, “I know…” Jesus knew and understood these early believers’ circumstances.
When it came to their successes, their struggles, trials and their tribulations, He was deeply aware and concerned. He wrote directly to each church specifically about the context in which it found itself (Revelation 2:9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15).
Pause a minute. Ponder about the nature of that phrase, “I know your works.”
Who knows you?
Perhaps you might think of your spouse, your children, or your boss.
But ultimately, “Who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him?” (1 Corinthians 2:11).
The only one who truly knows is the one who, through the apostle John, wrote this letter.
The psalmist, understanding this, marveled:
O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar …
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether …
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it. (Psalm 139:1-2, 4, 6)
Christ’s letters to the first-century churches are historical, written to real churches in real places, with real men, women, and families living at a certain point in time.
Revelation 2:1-5 are Jesus’ words for John to write to the church in Ephesus.
He recognizes how good and faithful the church in Ephesus has been, but they had forgotten their first love.
Yet the specific issues which the Lord addressed are timeless:
believers enjoying a sense of triumphant expectation or dealing with failures in their Christian pilgrimage; struggling converts who had begun well but had slid back into laziness; congregations once known for their vibrancy and genuine commitment to Christ and His people are becoming dreadfully complacent.
These specifics are not unfamiliar to us; neither are they unknown to Jesus.
There is an awesomeness about the simplicity of this phrase, “I know all of your works,” relevant to gatherings of God’s people in which we find ourselves today.
The risen Christ looks upon us, saying, I know.
What did Jesus mean when he said “I will remove your lampstand”?
The Lord warned these brethren that unless they repented and did “the first works” He would remove their “lampstand from its place” (Rev. 2:5).
The “lampstand” was symbolic of the Lord’s presence and His recognition of that congregation as belonging to Him.
20 Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Come before Jesus today, with honesty and openness and willingness. He already understands, and, through the authority of His word, He wants to speak directly with us about the shaky situation in which we, too, find ourselves in.
In the first of seven messages to different churches, Jesus tells the church in Ephesus that he knows all of their deeds, hard work, and perseverance.
He also challenges them, giving compliments before critique.
Church communities are filled with blessing because Jesus walks among us!
Christians care for each other, hear biblical preaching and teaching, praise God, and pray together.
We host programs, help community causes, and contribute to international relief and missions.
In what ways is your church community a witness for God?
How could you do this better?
How might our churches become a better witness for God?
We are witnesses of Christ when we receive a sure, personal testimony that He lives within.
Being a witness of Jesus Christ in the most fundamental sense is to possess a sure, personal testimony He is the divine Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of the world.
What does the Bible say about being a witness for Christ?
Jesus instructs (and prayed for) us to witness (John 17:18; 1 Chronicles 16:8–12).
John 17: Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.
Telling people about Jesus, how he has transformed us, saved us, and renewed our lives is witnessing and is obedience to Him.
https://billygraham.org/answers/how-can-i-witness-for-christ
https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/blog/witness-to-jesus-christ
In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit ….
Praying …..
Psalm 84 The Message
84 1-2 What a beautiful home, God-of-the-Angel-Armies!
I’ve always longed to live in a place like this,
Always dreamed of a room in your house,
where I could sing for joy to God-alive!
3-4 Birds find nooks and crannies in your house,
sparrows and swallows make nests there.
They lay their eggs and raise their young,
singing their songs in the place where we worship.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies! King! God!
How blessed they are to live and sing there!
5-7 And how blessed all those in whom you live,
whose lives become roads you travel;
They wind through lonesome valleys, come upon brooks,
discover cool springs and pools brimming with rain!
God-traveled, these roads curve up the mountain, and
at the last turn—Zion! God in full view!
8-9 God-of-the-Angel-Armies, listen:
O God of Jacob, open your ears—I’m praying!
Look at our shields, glistening in the sun,
our faces, shining with your gracious anointing.
10-12 One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship,
beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches.
I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God
than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin.
All sunshine and sovereign is God,
generous in gifts and glory.
He doesn’t scrimp with his traveling companions.
It’s smooth sailing all the way with God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 