For a number of months now, the Lord has been speaking this phrase to me, as He has been developing this Word, I believe, for the Church.

That, incidentally is one of the ways the Lord often speaks to the church. First a phrase. Then a sentence. Then a whole word begins to "work its way out." Some of the prominent prophetic writers have received their revelation over a period of time, but you get to read it all at once.

The phrase that has repeated itself over and over in my mind is this:

"What are you doing in Ephesus?" the question is asked.

For months! "What are you doing in Ephesus?"

"Lord, what are you asking that for? " is my question to the Lord.

AN INTERESTING TURN OF EVENTS

An interesting thing happened on the way to this word. Several months ago, I e-mailed a prophetic friend with an international ministry about this phrase I was hearing. I never know where in the world he is when I write because he's nearly always on the road. I didn't hear back from him for a while.

A number of weeks later when I was with him, the subject came up.

His remarks went something like this, "Yeah, I was wondering why you wrote that to me," he said. "I was on a trip to the Middle East and was IN EPHESUS praying for the seven churches, when I get this email from you - and in the subject it says, "What are you doing in Ephesus?" I thought, "What's up with Steve asking me this now?"

We had a chuckle about that! But in the Lord's humor, I believe he confirmed this word by making an EXACT connection in time and place when He had me write my friend, asking "What are you doing in Ephesus?"

GOD SPEAKS TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS

Of course, when you get a word like that, the first thing is to go to the Word itself and read about Ephesus---that is, the Church at Ephesus. Of course, in the book of Revelation, John records the message he was told to send to Ephesus. More on that in a minute.

WHAT A LETTER!

The Lord actually had a specific message for each of the seven churches in seven different cities in Asia. But the first message was to Ephesus, one of the churches that the apostle Paul planted. John was believed to have also ministered there for years. Ephesus was like the "Crown Jewel" of church plants. The great men of God planted the church in Ephesus. Paul was there for three years, after all!

Talk about a great genetic code that would have been instilled at the birth of the Church at Ephesus. But there was a problem. However, before we get into that, we must ask ourselves, "What ARE we doing in Ephesus, anyway?"

EPHESUS? DON'T YOU MEAN LAODICIA?

Is the Lord off in His timing? I was taught all my life that the church is probably more like LAODICIA than any other church in Revelation. You know, lukewarm, neither hot nor cold - rich and increased in goods, and lacking nothing - all the while not knowing that they are miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Laodicia is supposed to be the last-day church that is depicted in the Bible. Isn't Laodicia the condition of the church in the world today?

Well, maybe in America. Probably not the rest of the world. Nevertheless, that's not what the Lord is speaking to me about the church? I suppose He ought to know what He's talking about, don't you?

JUST WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM IN EPHESUS?

I like the Lord's style. He's got good news and He's got bad news for Ephesus. But He starts with the good stuff. We can learn something here.

Oh, by the way, He ends with good news too. You've heard this somewhere before, haven't you? "If you have to confront someone, tell them something that is "good" and also true - THEN tell them the problem. Then close with another compliment." It's called the "sandwich" method of confronting a person or group.

Where do you think we all learned this method?

THE GOOD NEWS FIRST

The good news is pretty clear. Let's read it:

Rev 2:1-7 1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

LET'S SUMMARIZE

Not that you need me to, but let me recap. Their deeds are known. Hard work! Ever feel like the Lord thinks you're lazy? Not here. Their hard work is duly recorded and noted.

They have perseverance! They're not quitters. Can't discourage them into giving up. They persevere when others would just throw in the towel. I'd love to hear the Lord say this to me, wouldn't you?

The Lord is pleased that this congregation (or church members throughout the city of Ephesus) will not tolerate wicked men. No compromise. These folks were living out principled lives. And God took note.

They even tested men who claimed to be apostles from God. And if they weren't really apostles, they weren't accepted. End of story. False apostles need not apply in Ephesus.

Then the Lord's own recap of his first compliment, "You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary."

Let's skip the bad news in the middle and see how the Lord sandwiches this letter and closes with yet another compliment. Here's how the Lord wraps up the Word for Ephesus:

Rev. 2: 6 "But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate"

WHAT ABOUT THE NICOLAITANS?

As it turns out, there was a heretical sect within the church that had compromised in their lives and taught that it was all right to have pagan practices of immorality and idolatry in the church. Some were into Balaam and others were openly followers of Jezebel. The Believers at Ephesus had no patience for this group of immoral, compromising people, who were called collectively "Nicolaitans." And the Lord was pleased because He too hated the practices of the Nicolaitans.

With all that these Believers had in common with the Lord's heart, how could there even be bad news...and if there was bad news, how bad could it really be with all these compliments being handed out?

THE BALL DROPS

Now to the meat of the message,

When the Lord gives His judgment over Ephesus, it was worse than you would imagine. The Lord, having built them up on either side, lowers the boom to the church in Ephesus. He tells them their problem and then says,

Rev. 2:5 ". . . If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. "

Even with all their hard work, perseverance, and unwillingness to tolerate false apostles, or immoral Believers, the Lord says, in effect, "If you don't repent from the state you're in-I'm going to remove your church-your ministry---any light that is keeping this congregation here. I'll remove your lampstand, Church in Ephesus, from it's place among the other churches.

"Change or I'll put your lights out."

"Change what," they asked?

Here it is:

Rev 2: 4-5 "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

THE FIRST LOVE

What is the Lord talking about? Isn't it interesting, how common that expression is today? "Oh, they're still in their first love," or "He's a baby Christian, still experiencing his first love. It's so refreshing." It's been stated as, "They're still in the honeymoon period." Everyone knows what it means. And everyone knows how you act when you're "in it" (the first love).

AT EPHESUS, THE LOVE HAD STOPPED

At Ephesus, they had known that love at one time.. Those sweet times of fellowship with the Holy Spirit and with one another. Kindnesses and sacrifice for others-and all the more kindness and grace for others who didn't deserve Love. That's the fun of first love. You just give it away, even when people are undeserving or ungrateful. It's just so exciting to see the Lord use that innocent love to change people's lives. And it's contagious, like a virus. Everyone begins to catch the first love bug.

But in Ephesus, there was no longer any "first love" hanging around.

It was completely gone!

THE HEIGHT FROM WHICH THEY HAD FALLEN

All that was left was hard work, perseverance, and refusal to put up with immorality, or accept false doctrine or false apostles. But all that "discipline" is just so much refuse, as far as the Lord is concerned. He's going to remove their candle if that's all they have to offer each other, or the Church in Ephesus, or the City of Ephesus.

IS THIS SOUNDING FAMILIAR?

Seemingly, never before in history has the Church, at least in America, been given so much media time and even Christian media time. How do we use that time? Well, we want to stand out as "light" to the world right? Don't we?

So we let the world know what we won't put up with. No immorality. No abortions. No homosexuality. We're conservative more than liberal, right? Let the world know what we're against. What we stand for. And what we won't stand for.

NOW HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD FOR SOME OF OUR CHURCHES AND SOME OF US. . . . . .Or our cities, or congregations, or ministries, or gatherings, or individuals . . .

"Church--- What are you doing in Ephesus?" the Lord pleads with compassionate tears in His eyes.

"If this is all you have to offer the World, as good as it is that you stand for Holiness, and uprightness . . . if this is all you have to offer, I'll soon come and remove your lampstand."

"I'll remove the congregation in this city and I'll remove all the congregations in 'that' region and I'll remove that ministry on TV and that radio program whose mission it is to call sin ---sin, and to call doctrinal error, 'heresy." If this is all you have to offer the church and the world, I will soon remove your lampstand.----Unless you repent and do the works that you did at first, when you were in love with me! . . . when you were in love with each other! . . . . When you loved the lost as I love the Lost!"

"Return to that love or your church, or ministry, or local gathering will be no more-because I will remove it."

NO NEW REVELATION HERE

It's all in His revealed Word. It was there long before the book of Revelation. It's the Lord's heart. When He comes in His Glory. . .

He will NOT ASK, "How many within the church did you keep from believing a false doctrine?" --Though it may be good to do this.

He will NOT ASK, "Did you stand firmly against people you were convinced were false prophets or false apostles?" ---Though it is good to do this?

He will NOT ASK, "But did you get on national TV and let the world know what moral stands cannot be accepted by the church?" Though it could be ok to do this?

But when He comes in His Glory, this is what will ACTUALLY HAPPEN:

Matt 25:31-40 31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, `Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37 "Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40 "The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

May we all :

"Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place."

And if we individually repent--or if the individuals within a given church repents, then they will have the ultimate reward as was promised for a repentant Ephesus:

Rev 2: 7 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.