Midweek Discipleship Study

Ephesus was known as "The Supreme Metropolis of Asia"

• Ephesus had a permanent population of @250,000

  • It was the 4^th largest city in the Roman Empire after Rome, Alexandra and Antioch

  • It had a large transient population of merchants, religious pilgrims and athletes

• Ephesus was an important commercial city, located at the intersection of 3 major road:

  • The road from Euphrates via Colossae and Laodicea

  • The road from Galatia via Sardis

  • The road from the Meander River Valley

• Ephesus was a city of great political importance

  • It was a "free city", meaning that it was not occupied by Roman troops

  • It held elections selecting its own magistrate and city council

  • It was an "assize city", meaning that the governor held court there on a regular schedule

• Ephesus was a religious city being home to the Temple of Dianna (one of the 7 wonders of the world and 4 times larger than the Parthenon in Athens) and the Temple of Artemis

To the angel of the church in Ephesus (v.1):

• Christ holds the seven stars in His right hand

  • Hold is the Greek word kratein and means to be secure, to be firm

  • The seven stars (Rev. 1:20) are the angels (the messengers) of the seven churches

  • The right hand was known as a place of honor and power

  • This description refers to the authority of God

• Christ walks among the seven golden lampstands

  • The seven golden lampstands (Rev. 1:20) are the seven churches

  • This description refers to Christ's presence among His churches and His people

I know (v.2-3 & 6):

• Christ knew their deeds, their work, their service

• Christ knew their toil (labor to the point of weakness)

• Christ knew their perseverance (the ability to endure for the long haul)

• Christ knew that they could not tolerate evil men

• Christ knew that they had endured (stood resolute in the face of difficulty)

• Christ knew that they had not grown weary

• Christ knew that they hated the deeds of the Nicolaitians

  • The Nicolaitians were believers who engaged in idolatry and immorality

  • Believers are never called to hate the individual

  • Believers are always called to hate the sin

• The first 4 of the 7 churches all dealt with false teachers and false teachings

You have left your first love (v.4):

• Left is the Greek word apliemi and means to depart, to leave alone, to forsake and to neglect

• The left their first love, they did not lose it!

• Christ is saying that the intenseness of their love for Him had weakened:

  • They had taken their eyes off of Christ

  • They had broken fellowship with Christ

  • They had become more focused on their works than their relationship with Christ

• Matthew 22:37-39

How to reclaim your first love (v.5):

• Remember what your relationship with Christ used to be like

• Repent

  • This is not a command to feel sorry

  • This is a call for an immediate change of attitude and conduct

• Redo…go back to the basics

  • Bible study

  • Prayer

  • Worship

  • Fellowship

  • Witnessing

Or else I am coming and will remove your lampstand (v.5):

• Christ makes it clear that He is coming again

• Christ says that unless they repent that He will remove their lampstand

  • Their light

  • Their presence

  • They will be the church of Ichabod (1 Samuel 4:21)

• Christ disciplines those that He loves:

  • Hebrews 12:6

  • 1 Peter 4:17

  • Proverbs 3:12

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the seven churches

To him who overcomes (v.7):

• The Tree of Life was first seen in the Garden of Eden

• This promise speaks to a return to Eden (Paradise)

• This promise speaks to the restoration of God's people