He Who Has an Ear, Let Him Hear

Passage: Revelation 2:1-7

Setting of Ephesus

Ephesus was a large and influential city in Asia Minor. It was politically important, commercially active, and religiously prominent because of the temple of Artemis. Paul ministered there for about three years, while Priscilla, Aquila, Apollos, Timothy, and others also contributed to the growth of the church. Paul’s ministry in Ephesus helped spread the gospel throughout Asia Minor and contributed to the establishment of other churches in the region.

After toiling for years and writing letters to Ephesus, now we are at a point where Jesus himself is addressing the church through Apostle John many years later. An entire generation may have passed since Paul’s original ministry. Now Jesus addresses in what state they are in. This raises an important question for every church: What will a church be known for after one generation? More immediately, what is the church known for now?

A church may desire to be known for Reformed theology, Calvinism, expository preaching, or doctrinal precision. Maybe they do mercy ministry very well. Great volunteering in the community, and other programs. These are undoubtedly valuable and important, but the church must ask whether its actual character is defined by love for Christ.

What defines us?

People reveal what they love through what they think about, read about, listen to, defend, discuss, and desire to be near. Their repeated conversations and activities naturally display their deepest affections. People can become known for coffee, sports, politics, entertainment, hobbies, or cultural interests. It is even more telling for what they oppose. Constant criticism, bitterness, and complaints. Someone who non-stop speaks about what he despises becomes known as a person of hatred and dissatisfaction. What a burdensome and toxic quality.

So, how should a Christian be known? Primarily by hate? Or by love? Hatred of evil has a proper place. If you are a Christian, you do not tolerate evil, but it must arise from love for God: We do not love God because we hate evil; we hate evil because we love God.

The church is described as a lampstand because it bears the light of Christ and His gospel. The question is not merely whether Christians are “a” emitting light, but what kind of character they are displaying. Their confession, worship, relationships, and obedience should proceed from affection for God.

Jesus commended the church in Ephesus for several important qualities:

• They worked diligently.
• They persevered through trials.
• They did not tolerate persistent evil.
• They tested those who claimed to be apostles.
• They exposed false teachers.
• They endured for Christ’s name without growing weary.

This was a knowledgeable, disciplined, and resilient church. They took the Scripture seriously and obeyed Paul’s earlier warning that false teachers would arise from Acts 20. They practiced church discipline and sought to preserve the purity of the church. It’s even difficult to criticize this church, because so many of us fail at these practices. They put us to shame! Christians must study Scripture diligently, confront persistent sin, resist false teaching, and persevere through hardship. Jesus did not condemn the Ephesians for hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans. He agreed with their opposition to immoral teaching and practice. 

Despite all their strengths, Jesus declared, “I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” To be clear, love for Christ is neither mere emotionalism nor cold intellectualism. It’s not a temporary emotional excitement that fades in a couple of months as we see after a mission trip or a bible camp. But neither can genuine Christianity exist as doctrine and obedience without affection. Love is informed by Scripture, produces obedient action, and includes a real response of the heart. The greatest commandment doesn’t say “to study” or “obey” God with the whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, but to LOVE Him with the whole person. When Jesus restored Peter after his denial, He repeatedly asked, “Do you love Me?” He could have said a host of other things to Peter. Faith without love is not genuine Christian faith. The Ephesian church had continued doing many correct things, but their hatred for evil had increasingly defined them. So, their love for Christ faded. 

This warning applies to every church and Christian. It is possible to defend biblical truth, exercise discipline, oppose immorality, attend worship, and perform acts of service while lacking warm affection for Christ. Discipline without love becomes cruelty, and Christian service without love becomes meaningless.

First Love

John Gill says this about the first love,

by which is meant, not hospitality to strangers, or an affectionate care of the poor of the church, or a zealous concern to feed the flock, and maintain church discipline; but the love of the saints to God, and Christ, and one another, which appeared at the beginning of this church state, when they were all of one heart and one soul, as generally at first conversion love is the warmest; and so it was at the first planting of Gospel churches, and therefore here called first love.

Why did you become a Christian? It is the moment you fell in love with Christ, not because of hatred or evil of sin. It’s because of God’s saving grace from your destructive sin and damnation. That’s why, in the letter to the Ephesians, Paul doesn’t start with the instruction on how to behave. The first half of the letter is about how and why they were saved. Paul explains the marvelous salvation plan of God!

We easily overcomplicate what our love for Christ is. Everyone actually knows what it looks like. “How? What does it look like?” you may ask. J.C. Ryle looks at what we naturally tend to do and directs them toward Christ:

• Like to think about Him.
• Like to hear about Him.
• Like to read about Him.
• Desire to please Him.
• We like to be His friends.
• We are jealous of His name and honor.
• Like to speak about Him.
• Desire to become like Him.

Therefore, the Christian life should not be colorless, joyless, bitter, complaint-driven, or dominated by fear. A Christian should not be controlled by fear of circumstances, fear of failure, or fear of man. Christian thoughts, words, and actions should be marked by love for God and love for others.

Returning to the first love

Jesus gives the Ephesian church three necessary responses:
1. Remember from where they have fallen. Christians must carefully examine the condition of their hearts and recall the warmth, gratitude, and devotion that once characterized their relationship with Christ.
2. Repent of coldness and lovelessness. They should bring their spiritual condition before God in prayer and allow Scripture to expose their sin and need.
3. Do the deeds they did at first. Returning to first love is not merely attempting to produce an emotional feeling. It involves returning to the gospel, prayer, Scripture, worship, obedience, fellowship, and loving service.

The warning is sobering: if the church refuses to repent, Christ will remove its lampstand. A congregation may continue to possess a name, building, organization, and doctrinal identity while ceasing to function as a faithful light-bearing church. They will taste the discipline of the Lord, and eventually their destruction if they persist in their hardness of heart. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Receiving God’s Word with understanding, affection, faith, and obedience. To overcome is to persevere against false teaching, spiritual coldness, temptation, worldliness, fear of man, and sinful desires. Christians do not overcome through their own strength. Be encouraged and strengthened, because God has already provided you with everything you need.

Ephesians 6:13-17
13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Return to the gospel. Remember God’s saving love. You can never graduate from this foundation of our first love of the Gospel, and you can never say that you are too mature to go back to it. Again, I ask you: What are you known for?