“Firsts” are always so special. You may not remember; but the first step you took as a toddler, the first word you said were milestones in your life. Then, there was the first day of school, and many other subsequent “firsts” which marked the beginning of new chapters in your journey of life. First experiences are always special. The first believers of Jesus in Ephesus too, had experienced their first love, when they had encountered the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Church in Ephesus
The church in Ephesus was a church with a mighty beginning. It was started by Apostle Paul who “took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus” (Acts 19:1). God used Paul powerfully to start this church and it experienced a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 19). Through the Apostle Paul, God did powerful and extraordinary miracles in the city of Ephesus. People were healed of their illnesses, and those possessed by evil spirits were set free (Acts 19: 11-12).
That marked the beginning of the Ephesian church. After Apostle Paul, Timothy became the pastor, followed by Aquila and Apollos. With these strong pastoral leaders, the church had a solid spiritual foundation.
In His letter to the church in Ephesus (Rev 2:1-8), Jesus praised the church for its spiritual achievement: (1) the people were actively and zealously serving, (2) they were discerning; the leaders defended the truth against the false teachers, (3) the church persevered despite persecution (Rev 2:2-3)
If there was a report card for the church, the marks would be: A+ for hard work, A+ for perseverance, A+ for not tolerating sins and wickedness, A+ for being biblically sound and upholding the Truth, A+ for faithfulness.
However, Jesus Christ found something that was not right with the church. The hearts of the people were far from God. Their original love — for one another, for the lost, and for the Lord was flickering and fading away. Jesus warned the church that, “If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand”. For us today, do we hear the same warning from our Lord Jesus? We may do a lot of great work for Jesus Christ, but what is the real condition of our hearts? May God help us to put these 3Rs into practice.
1.Remember
The Ephesians had at one time enjoyed a very deep and rich relationship with the Lord, but over time, labour and service had become a substitute for their love for God. If we are not vigilant, we can become like that too — substituting our love for God with our ministries and service. Jesus Christ says, “Therefore, remember how far you have fallen.”
REMEMBER! Remember in the past, how lost you were when you did not know Jesus. Remember how desperate you were for a Saviour.
Remember the Gospel you heard and kept in your heart. Remember how Jesus has been with you. Remember the joy, the overwhelming peace and joy He alone gives.
Is there anything you love more than Christ? Is there anything you want more than Christ? Is there anyone whom you wish to serve more than Christ?
Remember how it used to be when He was the CENTRE OF YOUR LIFE.
Intentionally make your relationship with Jesus grow. After all, it is the most satisfying relationship you can ever have.
2. Repent
Jesus urged the Ephesian church to, “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”. Jesus meant, “Repent, or else, judgement will come upon you!”
What should we confess? Confess the sin of neglecting our relationship with God. Confess the sin of replacing God with our service. Confess the sin of turning worship into a duty and routine.
3. Return
Jesus Christ said to the church, “do the things you did at first”.
The problem with the Ephesians was that they had forgotten their first love: Our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus was not telling the Ephesian church to ’stop serving.’ Instead Jesus wanted the church to remember the PURPOSE of serving Him: serving should be out of joy and gratitude for what He has done for us, and not as a substitute for Him.
If the Ephesian church, so strong, so powerful and discerning, could lose their first love for the Lord, so can we. Questions worth pondering on are:
DID I EVER EXPERIENCE JESUS CHRIST AS MY FIRST LOVE?
WHERE, AND WHEN DID I LOSE MY LOVE FOR HIM?
WHAT STEPS CAN I TAKE TO RESTORE MY FIRST LOVE FOR JESUS CHRIST?
And the promise to those who return to our First Love (Jesus Christ), is that we will “eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (verse 7). This means, one day, God will come from Heaven and walk among us as He did with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before they sinned (Genesis 3:8). We will enjoy an intimate love relationship with our Maker for eternity.
By Rev Candy Liong
Faith Methodist Church, Kuching