
“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 people, 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.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far 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. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”
Revelation 2:1-7
“8 But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, 9 because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.”
Revelation 2:8-9
Jesus starts with a
“I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance.”
Revelation 2:2
“No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.”
2 Samuel 24:24
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
2 Timothy 4:7
Jesus moves to a
“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.”
Revelation 2:4
“For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people.”
Ephesians 1:15
What is first love?
It is an
“I promised you as a pure bride to one husband—Christ.”
2 Corinthians 11:2
“This is what the LORD says: “I remember how eager you were to please me as a young bride long ago, how you loved me and followed me even through the barren wilderness.”“
Jeremiah 2:2
It is a
“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
I Thessalonians 1:3
Jesus finishes with
“Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.”
Revelation 2:5
Application:
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“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”
Revelation 2:7