Igniting Spiritual Fervor: Unpacking the Messages to Ephesus for Today's Believers

Ever wondered how the ancient messages to the church of Ephesus can ignite a fire in today's spiritual landscape? Join me, Michael Weedman, as we unpack the stirring admonitions and commendations addressed to the Ephesians in the Book of Revelation. With an eye for both their commendable resilience against false prophets and their concerning loss of initial zeal, we dissect the pressing need for modern believers to sustain passion in their faith journey. This episode promises an enlightening exploration of early Christian challenges that mirror our own, urging a revival of fervent devotion in our spiritual practices.

Our conversation doesn't stop at historical analysis; it heralds a clarion call for the Five Fold Ministry's presence in contemporary worship. As your host, I underscore the critical importance of apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, and evangelists in nurturing and maintaining the core doctrines upon which our faith stands. Witness the revival of these timeless tenets within the church's fabric as we assess their indispensable role in shaping a robust Christian community. Tune in for profound insights and a heartfelt reminder to regularly connect with us here on the Five Fold Podcast, where we continually delve into the significance of enduring ministry models for today's church.

Chapters

• 0:00 Five Fold Ministry in Revelation Study
• 16:01 Importance of Five Fold Ministry Today

Transcript

Michael Weedman: 0:00

What is happening everybody, welcome to tonight's episode of the five fold podcast. I'm your host, Michael Weedman, and I'm excited for tonight. We're going to go back into our study on revelation. Hang right there, we'll be right back. Hey, good evening and welcome to this episode of the five fold podcast. I'm your host, Michael Weedman, and I would like to say thank you for taking the time and joining us tonight on the podcast. The five fold podcast focuses on the five fold ministry and the importance of that ministry in today's society. We believe that there is still a need for apostles, for prophets, for pastors, for teachers, for evangelists. They haven't ceased. There's still an operation today and necessary for the success of today's church. So join with us as we dive into this episode of the five fold podcast. All right, and welcome to tonight's episode. Let's get into this.

Michael Weedman: 1:21

So a few weeks ago or I guess it'd been about a month or so now I did a small introduction to revelation and then talked about how I was writing in a commentary at this time on the book of revelation, a study on the book of revelation, just kind of something that I felt like the Lord was directing me to do, and we went through the first chapter of revelation I want to take for the next few episodes. I'm going to try to do this week by week. I'm going to. If something happens and I get in between here and I start talking about something else, I'll do my best to get back on track. I have a hard time sometimes staying on track. I don't know if you've noticed that my brain works a little bit different than most other people's, but that's okay. So I want to talk about the first church that is in the minor minor, asia, in Asia, the Asian minors. I'll get that out here in a minute. The Asian minors, the first church. No, I want to bring up something real quick. The first church that we talk about whenever we're talking about the churches of the book of revelation, the seven churches. Remember that one of the things that Jesus told John to write to at the beginning of the or at the end of the first chapter of the book of revelation was to the churches, the seven churches that are in Asia and a lot of what he saw. Remember, he saw the seven golden candlesticks and he saw that when Jesus was standing there he had seven stars in his right hand and those were represented by the seven churches that were in Asia. One of those churches, I'm going to start with the first one. I'm going to try to do a small episode on the first one and then I will go on to another one after that. I want to bring up a map real quick. Let me give me one second to pull this up. If I can figure out how to pull this up, I will do so. There we go. If you can see this, down towards the bottom left, the arrow that's pointing up from the bottom towards the left is the Church of Ephesus.

Michael Weedman: 3:39

Now we read of the Church of Ephesus here, in the first part of Revelation, chapter two. This is what Jesus says to John. He says unto the angel of the Church of Ephesus right, these things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. I know thy works and thy labor and thy patience and how thou canst not bear them, which are evil, and thou hast tried them, which say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars and hast borne and hast patience and, for my name's sake, hast labored and hast not fainted. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. But this thou hast that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches. To him that over cometh, will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God".

Michael Weedman: 5:05

Now, the Church of Ephesus was founded somewhere around 54 to 56 AD by the Apostle Paul in his second missionary trip to the Asian minors. According to Scripture, paul spent around two years and three months ministering to the people at Ephesus, and you can find that in the book of Acts, chapter 19, verses 8 through 10. Ephesus was in what is modern day Selkuk, turkey. I probably mispronounced that name, but it's Selkuk S-E-L-C-U-K. Turkey. It was the home of many pagan practices and religions, and the most significant of which was addressed by Paul in Acts, chapter 19. Ephesus was home of the great temple dedicated to the Greek goddess Diana. As a matter of fact, one of the biggest fights that Paul had was from a man named Demetrius, who became angered when the ministry of Paul and the conversion of the people at Ephesus began to affect his silversmithing business. What he did is he made trinkets for the Greek pagan worship to the Greek goddess Diana.

Michael Weedman: 6:21

Let me first point out some of the positive attributes that are pointed out in this message to the Church of Ephesus. Jesus said I know thy works, thy labors, thy patience. Ephesus had remained a church amid the pagan worship and the pagan practices and traditions of their culture. They had kept the doors open as a matter of speaking. They had remained faithful even in the middle of pagan worship and traditions. He said thou canst not bear them, which are evil. Ephesus did not tolerate evil. Just as Job was a man who turned from evil, the Church of Ephesus had obtained the same testimony that they did not entertain evil. He said thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars.

Michael Weedman: 7:15

The Church at Ephesus did not believe every individual that came and said they were apostles of God. They were established by the apostle Paul and they knew that many men would come claiming to be of God and they put those men to the test. Now, commercial break here for one second. You cannot believe every individual who comes to you and says that they are of God. You have to try the spirits to see that they are of God. You have to test the spirits to see that they are of God. Every individual that comes to you and says they're an apostle isn't an apostle. Every individual that comes to you and says that they're a prophet, they're not all prophets. Every individual that comes to you and says that they are a believer in Jesus may not be a believer of Jesus. This Church at Ephesus had realized that and they had known that they were established by Paul himself. Paul was not a fly by night. Saint Paul wasn't an in when it's good and out when it's bad. Saint Paul would eventually lay his life down for the gospel.

Michael Weedman: 8:16

Paul is the reason we have multiple books of the New Testament. One third of the New Testament or two thirds, I'm sorry, of the New Testament was written by the apostle Paul. So he's not just some has happened saint that just comes church on Sunday and does what he wants Now. He was a man of God. He walked in the authority of the Holy Ghost and this church at Ephesus had been established by him for two, over two years, they had been taught by him, so they knew what a real man of God was. So they tested those who said they were apostles and found out they weren't. They found them liars.

Michael Weedman: 8:53

And there was one more thing that Jesus adds on. He said thou hate the deeds of the Nicolaotans, which I hate. Now, when God says he hates something, I think we better be sure that we hate that too. So what? What was the doctrine of the Nicolaitans? Maybe and there's another, the next church actually, or maybe it's not the next church, it's still one of the one of the next churches actually he brings up the doctor of the Nicolaitans, the deeds of the Nicolaitans as well. What? Maybe I'll do a study on just this, on what the, the, the doctrine of the Nicolaitans and the deeds of Nicolaitan was.

Michael Weedman: 9:29

But just as a cap, a small, small Example, I guess, is what I'm trying to say, a little taste of what the doctrine of the Nicolaitans were. From all of my study that I have found, it seems to me that the deeds and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans was that of you can. You can do whatever you want to do, but as long as you say you have faith in Jesus, then you're fine, you, you don't have to change. You can come in, you can, you can say this prayer and you never have to change. The doctrine and the deeds of the Nicolaitans were no change and it's a version of the gospel that did not require them to do anything in their own hearts or anything in their own lives. So, with all that positive that that Jesus points out, he still says nevertheless, I have somewhat against the because thou hast left thy first love.

Michael Weedman: 10:29

The church at Ephesus wasn't falling into idolatry. They weren't falling into immorality, they weren't lying to people, they weren't preaching a false doctrine. They had left their first love. So what was their first love now? Now, verse 5 tells us this remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the First works, or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place. Except that, repent, I remember the candlestick represents the church. So what, what? The? What the, the warning to the church at Ephesus was is Repent and go back to your first works, otherwise what's going to happen is I'm going to remove you from your place. That church Will no longer exist, will no longer be there. What? What sticks out to most, the most in this phrase is Repent and do the first works.

Michael Weedman: 11:27

Remember, jesus said nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee because thou has left thy first love. And he goes on to say repent and do the first works. What this is. The question we got to ask is what are the first works? I believe the answer to this question can be found, and Further explained, through the writer of Hebrews when he said in Hebrews 6 and 1 through 3 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, of principles, the principles are the foundation. Right, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of what? Of repentance from dead works, of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms plural and the laying on of hands and resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. This will be do if God permits. So God is giving a message to the angel or the pastor of the first church at Ephesus, right that that church of Ephesus. The message is clear. He says repent, go back to your first works.

Michael Weedman: 12:26

See, it is possible that the church of Ephesus had quit preaching repentance. Is it possible that the church first the church at Ephesus, had quit preaching faith toward God? Is it possible that the church had stopped preaching the doctrine of baptisms, the doctrines of laying out of hands, of Resurrection of the dead. Is it possible that they had quit doing the first, the foundational works of the gospel? And it is possible and it's very probable. To be honest, the writer of Hebrews did not tell us to forsake the foundation, to walk away from the foundation, but he tells us to go forward, to build upon, to go unto perfection, not laying again. Not, we're not. We're not putting another foundation down. We're building on top of what was already late, our first works.

Michael Weedman: 13:19

We can never stop preaching repentance. You can never stop preaching repentance. You can have all the nice buildings, you can have all the great music you want, you can have all the programs you want, you can have the best Sunday school program you want to have, but you can never stop preaching repentance from dead works. That is your first works, that are foundational truths. You can never stop preaching faith towards God. You can never stop telling people that they need to have faith in the one almighty God. You can never get away from preaching that. That is foundational, it is, it is our first works. We can never get away from the doctrine of baptisms water baptism and spiritual fire, baptism. We can never get away from preaching about baptisms. We can never get away from the laying out of hands. It's foundational.

Michael Weedman: 14:13

We can never get away from teaching of the resurrection of the dead. I know I've heard people say it. Oh, I'm tired of hearing about the rapture. I'm tired of hearing about this. I'm tired of hearing about how great it's going to be when we get over into heaven. I want to hear about how good it is now and how good God is now.

Michael Weedman: 14:29

No, resurrection from the dead is one of the foundational works that we can never get away from. We can never stop preaching because it gives us Paul. Whenever he was talking about the in second Thessalonians, he said we don't. We don't act like those who have no hope. We know that there is a hope, that if that same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, it will one day quicken your mortal body and you shall rise up. We can never get away from that. It is a foundational truth, foundations of our doctrine. They're established by Jesus Christ and preached to us through the words of the apostles.

Michael Weedman: 15:09

The warning is very clear to the church at Ephesus Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and we will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except you repent. The message to the church at Ephesus ends with the phrase that you'll hear more on throughout the other churches as well. He that have an ear, let him hear what the spirit say to the churches. This phrase means that this, this, this letter is not just intended for the church at Ephesus and no further. That even today, in 2024, we need to hear and we need to understand what the spirit is saying to the church, because this spirit is in a lot of churches even today, especially across America, churches that have gone away from preaching about repentance, churches you can go to if you look.

Michael Weedman: 16:01

If you go to a church right now and you can't tell me the last time you're preacher preached about repentance, you probably need to look for another church. I hate to say that you can't tell me. The last time your pastor preached about faith towards God, then you probably need to find another church. If you can't tell me the last time your pastor taught you about what baptisms are, then you need to find another church. You can't tell me when the last time you saw your pastor laying hands on somebody, you probably need to find another church. You can't tell me when your pastor last gave you hope and the fact that there's a resurrection from the dead and eternal judgment gave you a warning of eternal judgment, then you probably need to find another church.

Michael Weedman: 16:43

This message is for all of us. Message is just as relevant today as it has ever been. Just because we have matured in the spirit doesn't mean we leave the foundation behind. We build on what the apostles and the prophets, and Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, have already established. Hey, I want to say thank you for joining us tonight on the Five Fold Podcast. I pray that you've been blessed and that you have enjoyed what you have heard. Join us every week as we release new content concerning the Five Fold Ministry and their place in today's church. You don't want to miss this the Five Fold Podcast. Thank you and God bless.