JESUS HIS OUTLINE, YOUR OUTLINE- THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS

REVELATION

A Verse by Verse Study

My own personal journey

"A journey of studying what’s revealed to me!"

Jesus, His Outline for the Church, Your Outline for the Church

THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS

REVELATION 2 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,

‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: ² “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; ³ and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. ⁴ Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ⁵ Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. ⁶ But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁷ “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”

Did you know that if you are a saved, born again Christian who calls Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior, you are not alone!  You are part of the church.  Jesus addressed seven churches in the book of Revelation.  We KNOW there were more than seven churches.  We also KNOW that there is a church today called the Body of Christ.  For further study look up the phrase body of Christ or Christ’s body.  We are called to be in fellowship with one another.  We aren’t called to stand alone but to be a part of the Body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12: 20-27 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. ²¹ And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. ²³ And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, ²⁴ but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, ²⁵ that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. ²⁶ And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

Now you weren’t alive when the letters were written to the churches but as I have said before, those letters were distributed among the body of Christ and by the councils of wise scholars were included by divine plan in the Canon of Scripture.  This Word is for you!  Everything in the book of Revelation is for you individually and for the body of Christ at large and in whole.

You can find in each passage, as Jesus addresses each church there is an outline.  We can look at this outline and locate ourselves.  The Word says in Hebrews 4:12-13 that the Word of God can locate us in our spiritual condition. The Word of God can locate our hearts.  Read the outline to each church and locate yourself!  Then ask the Holy Spirit to change you where you need to change, to root out anything that doesn’t belong.  Repent if necessary, be encouraged when appropriate and carry on in his strength.  We must be strong in the Lord and the power of his might if we are to be effective in his body!

Hebrews 4: 12  For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ¹³ And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Each church will be addressed with the following outline:

·         THINGS COMMENDABLE

·         THINGS CORRECTABLE

·         ADVICE, INSTRUCTION, WARNINGS

·         ENCOURAGEMENT

As Jesus addresses Ephesus, where there truly was a church, a group of people, a part of the Body of Christ who referred to themselves as Christians.

1.      HE COMMENDS

a.      Good works, labor and patience

b.      Can’t bear evil

c.       Labored for his name’s sake without becoming weary

d.      Able to spot false apostles by testing them.

2.      HE CORRECTS (OR REBUKES)

a.      YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE

3.      HE WARNS

a.      Remember from where you are fallen.

b.      Repent and do the first works or else…

c.      Without repentance he will remove their lampstand.

d.      Listen and pay attention to what the Spirit of God says.

5.      ENCOURAGEMENT

a.      Overcomers will get to eat from the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.

This was a church, a Christian Church, but they were chilling and drying up.  They had lost their first love, yet they still did good deeds.  Remember in the beginning when the Holy Spirit was first poured out, everyone was excited about Jesus. They loved him and wanted to fellowship and fell his presence.  They came together for prayer and fasting and things shook.  Miracles happened as the Good News was spread.  Was it that way with me? Was it that way with you?  Is it still that way?  If we are not on fire for God with a passion for him as our first love, we might find ourselves located in the letter to the church at Ephesus.

Notice that he even acknowledged they were able to spot false apostles.  There are many that take pride in trying to knock down every preacher they can.  Being able to spot false prophets and apostles without being on fire for and deeply in love with Jesus may locate you in the book of Ephesus.  Some find themselves critical of many without even asking themselves “Am I what I once was or should be in my relationship with Christ?”  “Have I grown cold about the things of God?”  However, Jesus commended their ability to spot false apostles.  Discernment is important and there will always be false prophets.  The Devil will always be sending in his anti-christ spirit to try to disrupt and divide the body of Christ.  If we were all full of the Spirit and able to discern there would be no problem.  We’d spot false prophets but be so full of love for Christ, we wouldn’t spend more time tearing down false prophets than we did in fellowship, prayer and fasting.

His warning was to repent.  His warning was to fall in love with Jesus all over again.  At the time of the letter they still had a lampstand in the presence of God.  It had not been removed, however Jesus warned them that the chilling wouldn’t stop without repentance.  The fire would go out.  They would fall completely out of love and become just a religious group of people with no life and only good works.  They would think they were a Christian Church but their lampstand would be removed, making them not stand in the presence of the living God!

Don’t let the fact that we don’t see him walking on earth personally cause us to grow cold.  Be on fire. Be filled with his presence.  Spend time with him daily.  Tell others about him.  This is how the fire is spread and this is how the fire keeps burning. Be in love with Jesus who is loveable. Don’t be a cold, spiritually dying Christian. 

Be encouraged to stay lit.  Be encouraged to fall in love again.  Be encouraged to  keep the fire burning and be assured of the promise to eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God.

There will be many that think they are going to the paradise of God but will find they let their lamps go out.  Just look at the ten virgins parable:

Matthew 25:1-13

New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴ The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶ “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

⁷ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

⁹ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

¹⁰ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

¹¹ “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

¹² “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

¹³ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Did I recently hear that the Pope said Jesus wasn’t coming back? I’m not sure if I heard that or not but there have been reports of many saying Jesus isn’t coming back.  Maybe that was the problem with the church at Ephesus. Maybe they were growing cold because Jesus didn’t come back in their timing? Maybe he became just a figurehead.  I don’t know.

I do know in the parable, Jesus return is likened to a wedding when the bride goes out to meet her groom, hearing of his return but she isn’t ready. Five have no light.  Five miss the wedding.  This is only a parable. It’s a picture of a wedding and one of the parties doesn’t attend.   For that person it’s as if the wedding never took place.

Shall we instead choose to stay lit and attend the wedding, sit down to a feast and eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God?

Lisa Kimbrell Hutchinson

aka Joyreaper

I WILL BE EVEN MORE UNDIGNIFIED THAN THIS

2 Samuel 6:14-22

¹⁴ And David danced before the Lord with all his might, clad in a linen ephod [a priest’s upper garment].

¹⁵ So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.¹⁶ As the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul’s daughter [David’s wife], looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷ They brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it, and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.¹⁸ When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name [and presence] of the Lord of hosts,¹⁹ And distributed among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed, each to his house.

²⁰ Then David returned to bless his household. And [his wife] Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, How glorious was the king of Israel today, who stripped himself of his kingly robes and uncovered himself in the eyes of his servants’ maids as one of the worthless fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!

²¹ David said to Michal, It was before the Lord, Who chose me above your father and all his house to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord. Therefore will I make merry [in pure enjoyment] before the Lord.²² I will be still more lightly esteemed than this, and will humble and lower myself in my own sight [and yours]. But by the maids you mentioned, I will be held in honor.

MY NOTES: Because of David’s example, the people he led also praised God with shouting and on musical instruments. 

David danced with all his might before the Lord’s presence.  How often do we see church services where people are dancing with all their might in the Lord’s presence?  Yet, many will go to a bar and dance before each other!   The ark represents God’s presence which is far more worthy of celebration of people or a band!  Prior to this David had attempted to bring the ark to Jerusalem but Uzziah had tried to control the ark with his hands (the hand of man) and Uzziah died right there.  Many preachers have tried to control God’s presence and the place seems dead when you go to church.  There’s no flow of the Spirit, no obvious touch of God upon God’s people and no life giving Spirit flowing in the place at all, much less enough to make people dance and rejoice with all their might.  David sent the ark to Obededum’s.  Obededum watched over the presence of God in his house and he was blessed. David realized that the ark must be handled God’s way rather than man’s way and ordered the ark brought up to Jerusalem again. This time they carried it God’s way and here David danced before the Lord with all his might.

David was a King in Israel. All eyes were upon him yet he wasn’t embarrassed to dance before the presence of God with all his might clothed only in a linen ephod

First, David blessed the Lord with offerings and then he turned to bless the people.  The desire to be a blessing continued at the return of the presence of God.  The presence of God in a person’s life should inspire a desire to give and bless!  If a person’s heart continues in greed they probably haven’t let go completely to God!

David’s desire to bless continued as he was enjoying God’s presence.  His desire was to bless his family.  Sadly his wife rejected the rejoicing and mocked David.  She accused him of nakedness and being undignified.  This was an exaggeration as he was wearing an ephod. Jealousy often causes exaggeration.  She accused him of acting shamelessly yet the word says he was dancing before the Lord with all his might.  And you can see that at this behavior no one died as they did when man tried to control the presence.  God had accepted David’s praise and undignified dancing yet his wife, Michal mocked.

We should be very careful in mocking the things of God.  It’s wise to consider what the word says rather than what the world will think or say.  Michal was more concerned with dignity than she was at what was happening in the Lord.  She was more concerned with dignity than at realizing that the presence of God was returning to bring great blessing.  You can also see a touch of jealousy in her heart at the fact that time was spent being a blessing and bringing a blessing to the women of Israel even though David did nothing wrong.  Her jealousy was at the fact he was blessing and being blessed in their presence.  She had refused to enter in to the blessing David and the others were enjoying and became critical rather than being blessed herself.

David did not yield or accept his wife’s mockery.  Instead he told her the truth that it was before the Lord that he was dancing and praising and doing what she thought foolish.  He confronted her jealousy over her father’s house and reminded her that it was the Lord that had chosen him and he also did not care what she said about him or how she mocked.  He said, “Therefore I will play before the lord.”  He was saying, “I will be what you call undignified before the lord and even more so.”  “I will play in God’s presence if that’s where the blessing is.”

It must have hurt David to have even one that was closest to him that he loved so much criticize and mock yet he didn’t back down or change because of it.

He desired Michal to be his wife because he had sent for her when he became victorious and took her back away from Saul’s house who had stolen her.  Instead of appreciating him and loving him, she despised and was jealous of him.

Here he says “I will be more vile than this and base in my own eyes.”  He wasn’t going to let pride and concern of what other might think stop him from enjoying the presence of God and being a blessing to God and a blessing to others.  He noted that although she dishonored him, those that entered into God’s presence and the celebration of God’s presence would honor him.