One of the sobering realities of Jesus’ letter to the church in Ephesus is that a church can appear strong on the outside while something essential is missing on the inside. The believers were commended for their hard work, perseverance, discernment, and commitment to truth. Yet Jesus looked beyond their activity and saw that their love for Him had grown cold. His words remind us that the Christian life has never been about simply doing the right things; it has always been about walking closely with the right Person.
Let’s consider these four things:
You can be doing many things right and still miss what matters most.
It is possible to serve faithfully, attend church regularly, know the Scriptures, and even defend the truth, while slowly allowing your relationship with Jesus to become secondary. Spiritual activity is never meant to replace spiritual intimacy. Before Jesus asks for our hands, He desires our hearts.
Don’t let your love for Jesus become routine.
Every relationship suffers when it becomes driven by habit instead of affection. Prayer can become a checklist. Worship can become familiar. Bible reading can become another task to complete. Jesus doesn’t want us to simply go through the motions; He invites us to enjoy His presence, hear His voice, and delight in Him each day.
Repentance means returning, not just regretting.
Jesus’ call to repentance is one of grace, not shame. Repentance is more than feeling guilty about where we’ve been—it is choosing to turn back toward the One who has never stopped loving us. He invites us to remember what first drew us to Him, to lay down the things that have distracted us, and to return to a vibrant relationship with Him.
Stay close to Jesus, and the rest will follow.
When Jesus becomes our first love, obedience becomes joyful, service becomes meaningful, and our witness becomes authentic. We don’t pursue Christ because we have everything figured out; we pursue Him because apart from Him we can do nothing. The closer we walk with Jesus, the more our lives begin to reflect His heart.
This week, I want to encourage you to do more than think about these truths—I want you to respond to them. Set aside a few quiet moments and honestly ask the Lord, “Jesus, have I become more committed to serving You than spending time with You? Have I allowed routine to replace relationship? Is there anything competing for first place in my heart?” Those questions may be uncomfortable, but they are the very questions Jesus lovingly asked the church in Ephesus.
My prayer is that we would never be known merely as a church that is busy, biblical, or successful. Those are great things, but they pail in relevance to the thing that God wants most from us. Instead, may we be known as a people who genuinely love Jesus and the people He would call us to reach. If we stay close to Him, everything else He calls us to be will follow. Remember the Love we knew at first, and keep the main thing the main thing.
I am praying for you, I love you, and I love being your pastor,
In grace and love,
Pastor Brant
