Apr 14, 2018
If Jesus was to write a letter to your church, what do you think He would say? Would it be filled with words of commendation and congratulations for a job well done? Would He shower your local congregation with accolades for all their generous giving and selfless serving? Or do you think He might have a few words of criticism and critique? Well, you don’t have to wonder or conjecture, because Jesus has spoken to His church. And we find the content of His message in chapters two and three of the book of Revelation. In these two chapters, Jesus addressed seven different churches, expressing words of commendation and exposing acts deserving of condemnation. And lest we think these messages have nothing to do with us, Jesus makes it perfectly clear that His Words are timeless in nature and limitless in terms of their application. They are for all churches in all times. And in Revelation 2:1-7, we will find that His words for the church in Ephesus have an irrefutable and unmistakable ring to them. If we look closely and honestly, we will recognize our own church in this passage. What was happening in Ephesus was not unique to them. Their praise-worthy activities should be true of all churches. But while they had done a lot of things well, they had also dropped the ball in a few significant areas. And if we’re honest, so have we. Jesus isn’t out to demoralize them, but to motivate them to return to their former state of faithful obedience. And He wants the same thing for us. But to return to where we were, we have to do two things: Remember and then repent. We must recognize that we have strayed and express a willingness to be restored to our former state. Remember and repent. Even good churches can wander. We can all lose our focus and our way. But Jesus calls us to return.