EPHESUS, THE CHURCH THAT LEFT IT'S FIRST LOVE
Revelation 2:1-7
We begin our consideration of the seven letters of our Lord to the
churches of Asia-Minor. There are many different ways of looking at these
letters of Jesus to those churches. You may consider them, first of all,
prophetically. As you look at these seven churches you will discover that the
Spirit of God gives to us a a panoramic view of church history--beginning with
the days of the apostles in the first letter and going all the way to the days
of apostasy--these seven letters portray for us the seven secessive stages of
church history. What John saw here, in prophecy, we look back for the most
part and read in history. You can look at them, first of all, prophetically.
Then, of course, you can study these letters personally. You will notice down
in verse seven it says:
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches.
This means to us that there is a personal message in all of these letters to
our hearts. When I read these letters I read them for my own profit. I read to
see what God has to say to me personally. As we go through these seven
letters, we must always ask God to speak to our hearts individually and
personally that we might have ears to hear what the spirit of God has to say.
So, you can study the letters prophetically, you can study the letters
personally and then you can also study these letters practically. You can see,
first of all, God's message to the church of that day. There was actually a
church of Ephesus. The church actually existed and the conditions which the
Lord Jesus mentions in this letter were actually true in that first century
church. Not only do you see the church then, but you see the church today as
well. All through the ages these different letters have application to the
churches of the Lord Jesus. What I'm going to do primarily, as we study these
letters together, is to take the practical messages from them whic ...
Revelation 2:1-7
We begin our consideration of the seven letters of our Lord to the
churches of Asia-Minor. There are many different ways of looking at these
letters of Jesus to those churches. You may consider them, first of all,
prophetically. As you look at these seven churches you will discover that the
Spirit of God gives to us a a panoramic view of church history--beginning with
the days of the apostles in the first letter and going all the way to the days
of apostasy--these seven letters portray for us the seven secessive stages of
church history. What John saw here, in prophecy, we look back for the most
part and read in history. You can look at them, first of all, prophetically.
Then, of course, you can study these letters personally. You will notice down
in verse seven it says:
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the
churches.
This means to us that there is a personal message in all of these letters to
our hearts. When I read these letters I read them for my own profit. I read to
see what God has to say to me personally. As we go through these seven
letters, we must always ask God to speak to our hearts individually and
personally that we might have ears to hear what the spirit of God has to say.
So, you can study the letters prophetically, you can study the letters
personally and then you can also study these letters practically. You can see,
first of all, God's message to the church of that day. There was actually a
church of Ephesus. The church actually existed and the conditions which the
Lord Jesus mentions in this letter were actually true in that first century
church. Not only do you see the church then, but you see the church today as
well. All through the ages these different letters have application to the
churches of the Lord Jesus. What I'm going to do primarily, as we study these
letters together, is to take the practical messages from them whic ...
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