The Church with Everything but the Greatest Thing

In this message centering on Revelation 2:1–7, Chuck Swindoll examines the first of seven "performance reviews" conducted by the Lord Jesus Christ—this one addressed to the church in Ephesus. Swindoll contrasts the gloomy predictions of modern church analysts like George Barna with the perfect, piercing insight of the Risen Christ. He portrays the Ephesian believers as "God’s spiritual Marines"—a dynamic congregation known for their inexhaustible energy, their patient endurance under persecution, and their sharp doctrinal discernment in spotting false apostles [5–7, 25]. However, Swindoll highlights the terrifying pivot in verse 4: "But I have this against you." Despite their orthodox theology and tireless service, the Ephesians had abandoned their "first love." Swindoll defines this not as a sudden rejection of faith, but as a gradual erosion of intimacy where activity for God replaces a relationship with Him. He illustrates this tragedy with the image of a marriage where a husband fulfills all his duties—paying bills, living at home, raising children—but confesses he no longer loves his wife. Just as duty cannot replace affection in a marriage, busy church work cannot replace love for Jesus [26–28, 31–32]. The message offers a practical, three-step prescription for restoration: Remember how it used to be (the height from which you have fallen), Repent (change your mind and turn around), and Do the deeds you did at first. Swindoll warns that failure to heed this counsel will result in the removal of the "lampstand"—the loss of the church's light and influence. He concludes with a touching story of a Scottish shepherd seeking his lost daughter in the city, illustrating that the Savior is "tenderly calling" His people back to intimacy [33–35, 39–40].

Message Key Facts:

• The Structure of the Letters: Swindoll outlines the pattern found in the seven letters: The Address (to the angel/pastor), the Description of Christ (unique to each letter), the Commendation (strengths), the Concern (weaknesses), the Correction (instruction), and the Counsel (invitation to hear) [9–13].
• Historical Context of Ephesus: Swindoll describes Ephesus as a prominent city in modern-day Turkey, featuring a 40,000-seat theater and the immoral Temple of Artemis (Diana). He notes that Paul, Timothy, and the Apostle John all ministered there, giving the church a rich spiritual heritage [15–17].
• Teenage Chariot Riders: Swindoll shares a humorous observation from his travels to Ephesus: deep ruts in the road outside the ancient library were described by his wife, Cynthia, as "speed bumps for teenage chariot riders".
• Spiritual Marines: Swindoll characterizes the Ephesian church as "God's spiritual Marines"—the few and the proud. They toiled to the point of exhaustion and refused to tolerate evil men, yet they lacked the one thing that mattered most.
• "Restrictive Attributive": explaining the Greek grammar of verse 4, Swindoll notes the phrase "left your first love" uses a restrictive attributive construction ("your love, the first one, you have abandoned"). This emphasizes the primacy and priority of the love that was lost [26–27].
• The 35-Year Drift: Comparing Revelation 2 with Ephesians 1:15, Swindoll notes that 35 years earlier, the Apostle Paul had commended this same church for their "love for all the saints." In one generation, a church known for love became a church of loveless duty [29–30].
• The Three Commands: Swindoll summarizes the cure for spiritual apathy with three imperatives:
  1. Remember: A continuous action of recalling the past intimacy.
  2. Repent: A decisive change of mind and direction.
  3. Do/Repeat: Returning to the original actions of devotion [33–35].
• The Shepherd’s Call: The sermon concludes with a story by Clarence Edward Macartney about a Scottish shepherd who finds his wayward daughter in the city by sounding his familiar "shepherd's call." Her recognition of her father's voice saved her, illustrating how Christ calls believers home [37–39].

Message References:

• Revelation 2:1–7: The primary text containing the letter to the church in Ephesus.
• Revelation 1:19: The divine outline for the book: "Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things".
• Acts 18–19: Referenced as the historical account of the founding of the church in Ephesus by Paul, Aquila, and Priscilla.
• Ephesians 1:15: "I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints..." (Contrasted with their state in Revelation).
• 1 Corinthians 13: Referenced to assert that without love, even great sacrifices and knowledge are nothing [30–31].
• John 15:1: "I am the true vine," referenced to explain grammatical emphasis in the Greek text.

 

Message Speaker:

Pastor Chuck Swindoll