Summary
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write, “I know your works, your toil, and your patient endurance… but you have abandoned the love you had at first. (You’ve lost that lovin’ feeling).”
This must be humiliating for Jesus.
If He had an ego, I bet we nailed it to a tree in a garden.
It was to Ephesus that Paul had written, “Awake, Oh sleeper and arise from the dead and Christ will shine on you . . . the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is a profound one and I am saying that it refers to Christ and His church.”
We were each made for intimate communion in a covenant of love in a garden of delight. Physical communion is a passing reference to the spiritual communion for which we are each made, and in which our Lord rejoices.
Satan tempts us to immorality—that is, broken covenants.
And then he tempts us to morality—that is, faith in laws, and the rejection of communion altogether.
He whispers in the soul, “Since your heart was abused, never surrender it again; keep your shame safe behind a veil—katakalypsis.”
To Ephesus, Jesus seems to say, “Thank you for refusing to give your passion to another . . . but what’s the point? You no longer give it to me. Repent and do the things you did at first.”
Bride of Christ, what were the things you did at first?
If you have any hope in Jesus, do the things you did at first.
But what do you say to the bride that has no hope . . . And, if you do the things you did at first because someone tells you to do the things you did at first, you’re not doing the things you did at first . . . are you?
“Like me, or else!” How do you say that to a person?
Well, Jesus is not saying that to a person, but a star, that is an angel, perhaps even His Spirit.
He’s talking to the Light, which He’s fixin’ to place in your lampstand.
Jesus took bread and broke it saying, “This is my body given to you.”
And He took the cup saying, “This is the covenant in my blood.”
He’s saying, “Baby, baby, I climbed up on this tree for you . . . if you would only love me the way that I love you.”
Look at the heart of God unveiled before you—apokalypsis.
Now, may you do the things you did at first.
*Discussion questions are available for this sermon here: Discussion Questions “Ephesus & That Lovin’ Feeling”