Ephesus - 7 Churches Part 1. Sermon by Pastor Andrew Marttinen. March 1, 2025
Revelation, Chapters 2 & 3
In Revelation Chapter 1 we had a Vision of Christ among the candlesticks. The chapter ends with a commission to His church that reflects the Great Commission of Matthew 28.
In Matthew it also says:
“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
(Matthew 5:16)
So, how are the churches doing with His mission?
If you could travel back in time to the year 100 and visit several small Christian communities scattered across the Mediterranean world, what would you actually find? Numerous Christian communities, each one with its own corporate personality, shared a common sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves. Each church viewed itself as a sort of nuclear family that belonged to an extended family of fellow Christian communities from places as far flung as Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome. Despite some real diversity, they held the most central aspects of their faith in common: their self-conscious identity as Christians centered on the incarnational narrative that Jesus is Lord.
Revelation, Chapters 2 & 3, we have a message to seven of these congregations in what was then called Asia Minor. These messages contain 1. An assessment of how closely they were being true to Christ. 2. Some words of advice that a certain generation of the church would call admonitions, and 3. Promise a reward to those who
“hear what the spirit is saying.”
One other general principle in Revelation is that the promises spoken of to the churches in the beginning of Revelation are the rewards mentioned at the end of the message. Rev. 2-3 is fulfilled in Rev. 21-22. I will read from the brilliant First Nations Version, translated in 2021, which gives the English version of names of the churches in their village contexts:
To the Village of Desire:
I write this to the messenger of the Sacred family that gathers in the village of Desire (Ephesus)
These are the words of the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and the one who walks among the seven golden lampstands.
I know what you have been doing, how hard you've worked,
and the rough path you have walked with firm steps.
I also know you do not put up with evil and worthless ways.
You have put to the test the ones who falsely call themselves “message bearers”
and have proven them to be liars who speak with forked tongues.
I know you have never grown tired of representing me,
even when thorns grew up across the path.
But I have against you this one thing - you have walked away from the love you had at first.
So remember what made you stumble, go back and find that first love,
and do what needs to be done. unless you change your thinking about this,
I will have to come and remove your lampstand.
But you have this in your favor.
Like me, you hate what the rulers of the people (Nicolaitans) do.
Let the one who has ears here and do what the Spirit is saying to the sacred families.
To the ones who win the victory,
I will give them fruit to eat from the Tree of Life that grows in the Creator's beautiful garden.
Ephesus (to 100). This was Paul’s best beloved church. He prayed that Ephesus would have a vision of Christ so that they could know Him better.
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,
may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,
and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Eph. 1:17-19a NIV
Ironically, the “Village of Desire” lost its desire rather quickly. The bride of Christ lost her first love so soon after it was born. Through Christmas there was a secular song blasting through the sound systems everywhere you went “Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, the very next day, you gave it away.” That minimalist story, 15 words long, seems to ring true through the ages. Describing the heartache could fill volumes of literature. There were so many good things about Ephesus at the beginning of this message that it may be easy to overlook that one “little” part, but have you ever had the love of your life say on your honeymoon “I don’t love you any more.” That’s not a little thing, it’s the worst thing.
From The London Book of Lists (p.118) Tim Jepson & Larry Forges; Crimes for which a person could be executed in 1800. Starting in the late 17th century: The number of capital offenses on the books in England began to increase dramatically from about 50 in 1660 to 288 by 1815. The general prosperity of the realm combined with the burgeoning Industrial Revolution created a wealthy and Powerful middle class intent on maintaining its property and interests. This inspired Parliament to enact a series of harsh laws that was later termed “the bloody code.” The following were all examples of capital offenses in the early 19th century: arson, assaulting or obstructing a revenue officer, bestiality, being seen in the company of gypsies, burglary, carnally abusing girls under the age of 10, cutting down a tree in gardens or on avenues, false coining, damaging Westminster or Fulham Bridge, deer hunting, stealing, or killing, embezzling (by Servants of the bank of England), extortion, forging a birth certificate or baptism/marriage record, forging a check, highway robbery, horse, cattle, sheep stealing house-breaking, impersonating at Chelsea Pensioner, manslaughter, murder, pilfering from a Navy dockyard, piracy, rape, rioting, robbing the mails, sacrilege, shoplifting, showing false signals to cause shipwreck, stealing in a dwelling house, stealing from a shipwreck, stealing onboard a barge or ship, suicide (including failed suicide attempts), taking false oaths to receive a seaman’s wages, treason, unlawful shooting at a person (even if the shot missed). With so many laws there were inevitable inconsistencies. It was only a misdemeanor to help kill one of your parents, for example, but to pick-pocket more than a shilling was punishable by death. The age of criminal responsibility in England in 1800 was seven. It was a sad matter of course for children under the age of 10 to be charged with crimes and executed or sent to Australia. Being a nation or a church that, in the interest of self-preservation (of mostly its leaders) becomes strictly proper and strict has its consequences.
Ellen White (who spent 9 years in Australia) wrote in Testimonies Volume 8: “But the early Christians began to look for defects in one another dwelling on mistakes, giving place to unkind criticism, they lost sight of the Savior and the great love he revealed to sinners. They became more strict in regard to outward ceremonies, more particular about the theory of the faith, more severe in their criticism.”
It looks like Ephesus had many makers of lists and pickers of nits. If we see the 7-branches of a candelabra as a chiastic structure, the first and last are mirror images of themselves. Churches that get prosperous (or think they are prosperous) get picky. If we see chiasm–Ephesus lost it’s first love as a consequence of being stiffly proper and strict about who comes into their congregation. Laodicea–the church just before Christ’s coming, could have the same problem.
As a counter-balance to this, the churches between Ephesus & Laodicea tolerated too much nonsense. In more than one case God had to tell them “If you don’t take care of the problem, I will.” Scary, from the One who says,
“Vengeance is mine” and “I will repay.”
(Hebrews 10)
Let’s get back to Ephesus and look at the quick cause & effect: “When they became more strict and particular, they lost their love of Jesus.” I beg of us, let's never lose that love. What’s the cure? The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.
One of the earliest hymns of the Christian church was recorded in Philippians 2: 6-11 Lyrics by Paul.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
The reward for the ones who overcome: Eat from the tree of life that grows in the Paradise of God. Remember I said that the promises to the churches in the beginning of Rev. are fulfilled in the last part of Revelation. Here’s what we find in Rev. 22. Lyrics by John: Eden Restored
Revelation 22: 1-5
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal,
flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city.
On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.
And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
No longer will there be any curse.
The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.
They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
There will be no more night.
They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.
And they will reign for ever and ever.