A Daily Walk

John Randall: What do you say we begin with some good news here on A Daily Walk. Friend, listen, God knows what you're going through today. He's aware of it. And listen, the thoughts that God thinks toward you, the good thoughts that God is thinking about you this morning, they're more than the sand on every seashore in every place.

Next time you doubt whether or not God loves you, think about that. Remember that. Go down to the ocean, pick up a handful of sand, and try to count the grains that are falling through your hands. And just know this, that's the good thoughts that God thinks toward you today. He loves you.

Guest (Male): Glad to have you with us for A Daily Walk with Pastor John Randall. Today, John continues his series in Revelation. Now today, we begin a look at the first of seven letters Jesus gave to seven different first-century churches.

But as you'll soon discover, it has great relevance to us today. In his letter to Ephesus, the keywords are found in Chapter 2, Verse 4: "You have left your first love." Whether an entire church body or an individual Christian, leaving the love relationship we have with Jesus is something to be avoided. But what do you do if it happens? Here's Pastor John on how to return to your first love.

John Randall: We just started a brand new study in the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, and we find ourselves in Chapter 2 this morning with a message entitled "Returning to Your First Love." Revelation Chapter 2, beginning in Verse 1, if you'd follow along with me as I read from the Scriptures.

"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: I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you've tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and you've found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love.'"

In Revelation Chapter 1, Verse 19, the Apostle John was instructed by the Lord to write the things which he had seen and the things which are and the things that would take place after this. Revelation Chapter 1, Verse 19 is actually a divine outline for the Book of Revelation. It was in Chapter 1 that John recorded the things which he had seen, namely the vision of the resurrected, glorified Savior, Jesus Christ. But then as you move into Chapters 2 and 3, John records the things which are, that is, the things that relate to the seven churches.

And within his transcription, John was instructed back in Chapter 1, Verse 11, that what he saw he was to write in a book, and he was to send it to seven churches that were located there in Asia. Now, the seven churches that are addressed in these chapters were actually existing churches at the time that John wrote these letters. When studying the letters to the seven churches, many have asked the question, "Why these seven churches? Why not send a letter to Corinth or Colossae or Galatia or Jerusalem, perhaps, or some other churches that were well known during these days?"

Well, some have pointed out the reason why these seven churches were selected was because of their geographic location. If you were to look at the location of these churches on a map, you would notice that they form a gentle arc located with a circular road connecting them to other populated areas. Beginning with Ephesus and then moving north to Smyrna, then further north to Pergamum, then east to Thyatira, then south to Sardis, east to Philadelphia, and then southeast to Laodicea. Having letters sent to these specific churches would allow others on this major travel route to access these letters for their churches as well.

In addition to looking at the geographic location of these seven churches, there are other scholars and Bible teachers that will emphasize the historic significance of these seven churches. They suggest that the spiritual condition of the seven churches and the issues that Jesus will address in these letters represent a chronological development of the history of the church. For example, the first church that He writes to is Ephesus, and it represents, they say, the powerful early church of the apostles. And then the church in Smyrna represents the time of martyrdom in church history, where the church was severely persecuted under the Roman Empire.

The third letter, written to Pergamum, they suggest represents the corruption that came into the church during the time of Constantine, which made Christianity the official religion, uniting church and state. And then the church of Thyatira represented the Dark Ages of the church from the 6th century to the 15th century. And then Sardis describes the rise and development and finally the corruption of Protestantism; how that the Reformation, although powerful in its beginning, did not take long to begin to deteriorate. And then the last two letters to Philadelphia and Laodicea, scholars suggest that those two letters represent the two types of churches that will be on the earth prior to the Rapture of the church. There will be a lukewarm church like Laodicea, and there will be an on-fire church like Philadelphia.

Now, although there are similarities found historically within these churches, we're going to find that these letters that were written from Jesus speak to the church in every age. Finally, in considering these seven churches, you'll also discover that there is a spiritual application. Each church that was addressed needed the message that they were given from Jesus. The problems that were facing each one of these churches varied considerably. Ephesus had neglected priorities, Smyrna satanic opposition, Pergamum religious compromise, Thyatira immoral practices, Sardis spiritual apathy, Philadelphia missed some opportunities, Laodicea carnality and material prosperity.

And therefore, when you consider all of the letters put together, you realize that the spiritual problems they were having in the first century are the same problems that the church is having today. And folks, listen, the church, obviously, it's not a building. It's people. And therefore, these letters can be addressed to every church in every age. Each one of these letters, when you read through them in Chapters 2 and 3, you'll find that there is a similar format in the letter itself. For example, it begins with an address to the leader of the congregation, and then there is an introduction from Jesus with one of His characteristics listed.

Then there's a statement regarding the condition and the assessment of the church, and then there is a verdict and correction that is given to the church, and then there is a promise of reward. The first church that Jesus addresses in these seven letters is the church of Ephesus. Now, if you have read and studied through the Book of Acts as we did out here in the parking lot, you will remember the history of the church of Ephesus and how it began. It was there in Acts Chapter 19 that the Apostle Paul traveled to Ephesus on his second missionary journey.

And Ephesus as a city was an amazing place for several reasons. Economically, it was the metropolis of Asia with a major seaport and trade. It became the capital province and the largest city in Asia Minor. At one time it was estimated to have 500,000 people living there in the city of Ephesus. Now, although Ephesus was economically prosperous, it was also desperately wicked. Located there in Ephesus was one of the seven known wonders of the world.

By the way, let me just pause and say, it was estimated that it had there in Ephesus no less than 500,000 people with a Roman amphitheater—and I've actually been there—that seats 25,000 people. It was an amazing place. But it also held one of the seven known wonders of the world, which was the temple that was dedicated to the false goddess Diana. Tourists would travel from every direction; sailors would make a pilgrimage to come to this place in Ephesus that was located up on a hill. And the worship of Diana consisted of relationships with temple prostitutes. It was a dark place, it was a sinful location.

But in the midst of that darkness, there was a great awakening as the Apostle Paul went into the synagogue, he began to preach the Word of God, and then he was kicked out of the synagogue, so he went right next door and he rented a school. And for three years, he did not cease teaching and preaching the Word of God. And the Bible tells us that as a result, there was a revival that began to break out. The Lord allowed unusual miracles to follow the work of the Apostle Paul. Many people were converted, so much so that people stopped attending the Temple of Diana. They stopped going.

And not only did they stop going, but the silversmiths who made their money off of creating little figurines, little statues of Diana that you could take home as a souvenir and put on your mantle, they were going out of business. No one was going to the temple to worship and no one was buying their figurines. And so you had a revival and at the same time, you had a riot. A riot broke out. People brought all of their magical books, occultic books that they would use to cast incantations, they brought them into the middle of the city and they burned their books. They were turning away from idols, they were turning away from darkness, and they were turning to God. Revival was breaking out.

And folks, that's what we're praying for here. We're praying for revival to break out. That as we continue to teach and preach unapologetically the Word of God, that people would come to faith in Christ, that people would turn away from sin and darkness, and that this land, this community, this county, this state, this country, this world would be turned over to Jesus Christ. This church in Ephesus started out on a solid foundation, rooted and grounded in God's Word and God's love. Paul had started the church, but his assistant Timothy came later and began to minister in the church.

The Apostle John, who wrote the Book of Revelation, he also had ministered there in the church in Ephesus. Things were amazing when they began. But listen carefully: it had been 30 years, 30 years since Paul wrote his epistle to the Ephesians from a prison cell. And now Jesus was writing the church a letter. I wonder what kind of letter He'd write to Calvary Chapel today? What kind of letter would we receive from Jesus? We find as Jesus writes to this church, He highlights many of the things that they were doing right. He commends them. But notice the author and the recipient of the letter.

Verse 1: "To the angel of the church of Ephesus write: 'These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, and He walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands.'" First of all, the letter is addressed to the angel of the church of Ephesus. We've talked about this before: the word "angel" means "messenger." And it probably is—the letter is addressed to the pastor of the church, the leader of the congregation, not an actual angelic being, but the actual pastor, the messenger, the overseer, the elder within that church who is going to be called upon to make changes within the congregation and repent. And so the letter is addressed to the pastor, most likely.

And the letter came from none other than Jesus. How do you say—how do you know it came from Jesus? Because it says "He who holds the seven stars in His right hand and He walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands." Remember last week we talked about this: Revelation Chapter 1, Verse 20 tells us what the seven stars represent and tells us what the golden lampstands symbolize. The seven lampstands represent the seven churches. The stars represent the messengers. And where are they? They're in the hands of Jesus. And where is Jesus? He's walking in the midst of the churches. He hears what's going on, He sees what the church is doing, He sees what doors are open and He sees what doors are closed.

He's walking in the midst of the church even at the present time. And what is He observing? Jesus is there, and He begins in Verse 2 by commending the church, but notice what it says: "I know your works, your labor, your patience, that you can't bear with those who are evil, and you've tested those that say they are apostles and they're not, and you've found them to be liars." As the Great Physician, Jesus begins to examine the health of the church of Ephesus, He begins to give His diagnosis. And He starts out by saying—and notice these two words, He says this—"I know. I know."

Often we wonder, "Does God really know? Does God know what's going on in my life? Is He aware of what's happening to me? Because it seems like maybe He doesn't know. I've told Him, but it doesn't seem like things are changing. I wonder if He knows." Friend, can I tell you today, God knows. He knows and He sees. He's aware of your condition today. He knows what you're going through. He knows the things that you don't understand and that you can't comprehend. He knows. The Bible tells us in Psalm 139, David said this: "You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thoughts afar off." And then he went on to say, "How precious also are Your thoughts toward me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; and when I awake, I am still with You."

Friend, listen, God knows what you're going through today. He's aware of it. And listen, the thoughts that God thinks toward you, the good thoughts that God is thinking about you this morning, they're more than the sand on every seashore in every place. Next time you doubt whether or not God loves you, think about that. Remember that. Go down to the ocean, pick up a handful of sand, and try to count the grains that are falling through your hands. And just know this, that's the good thoughts that God thinks toward you today. He loves you. He knows you.

Now notice what Jesus said about this church. First of all, if you're taking notes, they were an active church. It says here: "I know your works and your labor." The word "labor" means "toil." They were busy about the business of the kingdom of God. The church in Ephesus could never be accused of being idle. They were active. Ministry was a priority to them. They had opportunities to serve in various ways. Missionaries were being sent out, communities were being evangelized. They worked, they labored there in the church in Ephesus. And the work that they did, it was a byproduct of their faith.

They weren't working to earn salvation; they were saved and that's why they were working. It was a byproduct. Folks, listen, the Bible tells us in Ephesians Chapter 2, Verse 10, that we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. There are certain things that God has called you to do, certain things that God has put in front of you—good works—that are evidence of your faith that the world needs to see. The Bible says that faith apart from works, it's dead. I do believe there is the need for the church of Jesus Christ today to be active.

Jesus said, "Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest field because the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few." We need to be praying for that. Being a laborer in the harvest field, it implies, well, labor. There's work to be done. And those believers in Ephesus, they weren't just hearers of the Word. Hey, this church, they were doers of the Word. They were active for the kingdom of God. Folks, listen, there is a danger—there is a danger of growing apathetic and no longer serving the Lord, to only look at your service for the Lord in the past tense as something I used to do.

And I can't tell you over the years, I've had a lot of people come to me and say, "You know, I back in the day, I was really active. I used to..." and it's always "I used to." "You know, when I was... you know, I was so... wow, you should have... woo! Evangelism, I was... mhm." And all the things you used to do, as if you did your 30 years and now you've got a gold-plated Bible. There's no retirement. You don't retire until you go home to be with Jesus. That's when you retire. And it's a great retirement plan. Government can't touch it. So what about you? What about me? How are we serving the Lord today? Are you serving in your church? Are you an active part of the body, or are you an atrophied part of the body? Are you somebody that just takes in and takes in and takes in and takes in, but you never give out?

Listen, faith apart from works is dead. Allow the works that you do to be a byproduct of your faith and let the world see. Jesus said that we are to do our good works in such a way that the world would glorify our Father who is in heaven. And so it's important to be active. But this church, they were not only active. Secondly, we notice they were a persevering church. It says here in Verse 2: "I know your works, I know your labor, and..." this word right here, "...your patience." The word "patience," it's the Greek word that means "steadfast endurance."

It implies bearing up underneath a load to persevere with unswerving constancy and steady determination. It wasn't easy to be a light in a dark city like Ephesus. Temptations were all around. You had to be steadfast to survive. You had to do all to stand and you had to stand, clothed with the armor of God. And this church, they kept at it. They didn't quit, even in the face of opposition or temptation. Friends, today the Bible tells us in Hebrews Chapter 10 concerning the Christian life, that we have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

Again, the writer of Hebrews, this time in Chapter 12, says: "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, we lay aside every weight which so easily ensnares us, and let us run our race with endurance, looking unto Jesus who is the author and the finisher of our faith." James tells us in his epistle: "Let patience, let perseverance have its perfect work within you." How many of you today know that there is the need for endurance and perseverance in the Christian life? Do you know that? We've got to endure, guys. We've got to persevere.

Listen, I've got great news for you today. If you're a Christian, this is the most of hell you're ever going to see. So persevere, man. There's a brighter day coming. Keep going. Don't stop. Don't give up. Remember Jesus told the parable of the sower, Mark's Gospel Chapter 4, and He told about the sower that had the seed, which was the Word of God, and He began to throw the seed out and it landed on different types of soil. And one of the soils that it landed on was among the rocks. And when the seed of the Word of God hit that heart, that soil, immediately it grew up.

It flourished, it came up. But the Bible says it had no root within it. And so, when temptation or trial came, it withered away. And it says in Mark's Gospel Chapter 4, it only endured for a time. Listen, in order to endure, in order to persevere, you've got to sink your roots in deep to the Word of God. You've got to sink your roots in deep to the love of God. That's how you endure. That's how you persevere. You don't want to just sprout up and then wither away when temptation or hardship or trial comes. No, there is the need to persevere. The Bible says in 2 Timothy Chapter 2, Verse 3: "You must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." And so we persevere. In Ephesus they didn't quit. They endured.

Guest (Male): Well, the church in Ephesus had a lot going for it, and Jesus was quick to commend them. But as we'll see next time on A Daily Walk, they had left their first love. Have you done the same? Oh, it's easy to do, but it's also a simple move to restore your relationship with Jesus Christ. And we'll learn how to do that on our next program with Pastor John Randall.

As we close, we want to remind you that you can hear our programs online at adailywalk.org or oneplace.com. It's also available on most podcast platforms. We sure love to connect with you and we appreciate your prayers. Here's our email address where you can send your comments and your prayer requests: adailywalk@gmail.com. That's adailywalk@gmail.com.

Maybe you're looking for a devotional to go through here in 2026. We've picked out a good one from Oswald Chambers called My Utmost for His Highest. This is the updated language gift edition, offering you a wonderful daily devotional for each day of the year. It's available through our e-store for the cost of $18. Head over to adailywalk.org or call us at 877-242-0828. Again, that's 877-242-0828.

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Our series in Revelation resumes next time on A Daily Walk with John Randall. Come back next time when we'll have another look at the letter to the church at Ephesus. This program is brought to you by Calvary South OC and made possible through your generosity.