The Church of Ephesus: Rekindling First Love.

Donnis McCoy
May 18
3 min read

Revealing Revelation – Lesson 2 Recap

Text: Revelation 2:1–7

1. Foundation: The Believer’s Process of Transformation

Before diving into Jesus’ letters to the churches, we explored the four stages of every believer’s spiritual journey:

Salvation – We are rescued from sin’s penalty through faith in Christ. (Romans 10:9)
Justification – God declares us righteous through Christ’s sacrifice. (Romans 5:1)
Sanctification – We are being shaped and set apart daily. (1 Thessalonians 4:3)
Glorification – We will be perfected and made new at Christ’s return. (Revelation 21:4)

Key Insight: This process is not about perfection, but progress in Christ. Jesus addresses the Church not to destroy it, but to transform and purify it for His return.

2. Christ in the Midst of His Church

We are reminded from Revelation 1 that Jesus walks among the lampstands—He is present, not distant. He sees beyond what we do into why we do it (Jeremiah 17:10).

The Church is not judged by activity, but by affection.
He is not looking for performance, but partnership—a Bride in love.

3. Background on Ephesus

A wealthy, influential city, home to the temple of Diana, filled with immorality and pagan worship.
The church had a rich spiritual legacy—planted by Paul, led by Timothy, and visited by John.
Despite its strong leadership and teaching foundation, something vital was missing.

4. Jesus’ Commendation (vv. 2–3, 6)

Hard work – They labored faithfully.
Perseverance – They didn’t give up.
Doctrinal purity – They exposed false apostles and hated the works of the Nicolaitans.

Application:

God honors our effort, endurance, and truthfulness. These things matter—but they are not enough on their own.

5. Jesus’ Concern (v. 4)

“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”

They had become dutiful but distant.
They lost affection, not just attention.
They still served God, but they no longer sought intimacy with Him.

Modern Parallel:

Doctrinally sound, but devotionally dry
Serving in ministry, but starving in personal worship
Still working, but no longer weeping in love for Jesus

6. Jesus’ Counsel (v. 5)

Remember – Look back to when love burned bright.
Repent – Turn your heart back to Him.
Repeat – Do the things you did at first: private prayer, spontaneous worship, hunger for His Word.
Warning – If not, He will remove the lampstand—His manifest presence and influence.

Insight: The removal of the lampstand doesn’t mean losing salvation but losing spiritual effectiveness and testimony.

7. Jesus’ Promise (v. 7)

“To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life…”

The overcomer is not the strongest, but the one who endures in faith (1 John 5:4–5).
Christ promises eternal intimacy and life in God’s restored paradise.

8. A Mirror for Today’s Church

Like Ephesus, many churches today:

Emphasize truth over tenderness
Run well-organized ministries but lack the manifest presence of Jesus
Celebrate theological precision but neglect relational passion

Reflection Question:

Is my love for Jesus still burning? Or has it become a memory?

Commitment and Charge

Beloved, Jesus is still walking among His churches—and among us. He speaks not in anger, but in deep, redeeming love. He calls us to:

Return to our first love
Renew our daily intimacy with Him
Refocus our works on worship and not just duty
Revive the flame through communion with Christ

Let us not be a people who are theologically correct but spiritually cold. Let our doctrine be clothed in devotion and our service born from sacred affection.

Commitment Prayer:

Lord Jesus, reignite my love for You. Help me remember where I’ve fallen. I repent for my heart drift, and I return to you my first love. I will serve not out of obligation, but out of passion for Your presence. Make me an overcomer who walks closely with You, both now and forever. Amen.