Shemen Camp 26: S07 The Spiritual Condition of the Church of Ephesus

The Things Jesus And Was Not Happy About The Church Of Ephesus Nevertheless means that all the good in the Ephesian church did not cancel out the bad Jesus is about to describe. You have left your first love: Despite all the good in the Ephesian church, there is something seriously wrong. They have left - not lost - their first love. They once had a love that they don’t have anymore. This can be described as “a definite and sad departure.” 1. The distinction between leaving and losing is important. Something can be lost quite by accident, but leaving is a deliberate act, though it may not happen suddenly. As well, when we losesomething we don’t know where to find it; but when we leave something, we know where to find it. 2. Though they had left their first love, everything looked great on the outside. If you would have attended a service of the church at Ephesus, you might have thought, “This is a happening church. They are doing so much, and they really guard the truth.” At the same time, you might have had a vague, uneasy feeling - yet it would probably be hard to pin down. It wasn’t hard for Jesus to see the problem, even though everything probably looked wonderful on the outside. 3. The problem was serious. Without love, all is vain. No wonder Jesus said, “Nevertheless I have this against you.” “A church has no reason for being a church when she has no love within her heart, or when that love grows cold. Lose love, lose all —— 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NLT), 1 John 4:7-13. Be blessed as you listen to this thought provoking and challenging teaching from our father!