Why Ephesians?

Why did Paul choose to write this letter to the Church in Ephesus?  Because He wanted to encourage them, remind them of their faith in Christ, and that the church is united under Christ.  When we say church we think of many things, some think it is a building, others think of it as a business, some think of as a safety net, while others think of a place to go to be encouraged.  I believe that we have forgotten what it means to be the Church, we have twisted it into what we want it to be.  We like it to be about us and making us feel good, when I was getting into ministry one of my co-workers told me this, “Scott make sure you don’t preach on sin and stuff like that, people need to be encouraged and know that God loves them no matter what they do.”  I don’t remember how I responded after picking up my jaw from the floor.  But I believe this is how many people feel.  We have forgotten that the church as whole is the Body of Christ that we are to come together and give Glory to God.   We have been too focused on looking at what we want out of God and not focused on what God wants out of us.

We read about the church of Ephesus in Revelations chapter two where it says; “Write this letter to the angel of^* the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:  “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars.  You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.  But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!  Look how far you have fallen from your first love! Turn back to me again and work as you did at first. If you don’t, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.  But there is this about you that is good: You hate the deeds of the immoral Nicolaitans, just as I do.  “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Everyone who is victorious will eat from the tree of life in the paradise of God.”  Notice God praises the church for many things but then He says in verse four, “But I have this complaint.”  What is this complaint? It is simple they do not love God as they once did.  You see God wants us to love Him over all other things, the church in Ephesus was more in-love with their deeds then they were with God.  They fell out of love with God and in-love with themselves. 

I remember when I first got real with God, man was I on fire, I changed my major, changed Schools for that matter.  God begin to work in me and I lived a different life then I had lived before.  Then somehow unbeknownst to me, I begin to focus on other things, I became a pastor got married life continued on.  I became focused on succeeding as a pastor I read church growth books and one day I found myself praying like this, “look at all I have done and sacrificed.”  The day I heard those words I mean really heard them I felt true shame.  That was the day I realized I fell out love with God and fell in love with myself.  Since then I have realized that it not books, or gimmicks or even people that grow churches but it is God Himself who grows the church where people are coming to glorify His name.  I’m praying that I may glorify God in all I do.  As we study the book of Ephesians we are going to learn how to glorify God, how we are to live for God and to honor God, I hope that in the next few months we are all going to grow stronger in God and see God truly glorifying Himself in our lives.