 Hi, this is David Rosales. I'm the pastor of Calvary Chapel of the Chino Valley, California. We've just begun an in-depth study of the Book of Revelation. This upcoming Sunday morning, I'll begin looking at the letters to the seven churches that are found in chapters 2 and 3. The first church mentioned is the Church of Ephesus. The word Ephesus has been translated desired. Ephesus was desired by Jesus, but Ephesus stopped desiring him. When Jesus speaks to them, he says that they have much to be commended for. When you read Jesus' list of commendation, the church sounds like a pastor's dream church. They work tirelessly, endure pressure, live with purity, test teachers. They're faithful. The church had programs, bans, events, outreaches, missions, buildings, studies, baptisms. In spite of all of this activity, Jesus issued a warning to the church. He told them, you have left your first love. Your passion has grown cold. A slow decline has gone unchecked. You have traditions without intensity, labor, without love, light, without heat. You're active, sound in your doctrine, filled with good people, but you're drifting from your first love. The heart of Jesus' concern is that they don't love him the way they once did, so he tells them, you've left your first love. At the time of the writing of Revelation, the Ephesian church had been in existence for almost 40 years. This represents generations of believers from grandparents to parents to children. A generation can arise filling the church that does not know the works of the Lord. The Ephesian church was planted by the Apostle Paul. It had amazing leaders attending and pastoring the church. We read our Bibles. We become familiar with people like Aquila and Priscilla, Apostles. We read the letters to Timothy and realized that Timothy pastored the church. Not only that, but the Apostle John more than likely also pastored this amazing church. No one could say that the church did not have great ministers and great pastors, but Jesus speaks first to the pastor and he tells him that he has something against him and the church. In all of your activity, you've forgotten the one thing that truly matters. You've forgotten that all true ministry is built on the foundation of loving Jesus first. If all of your activity is not centered on and driven by a love for Jesus first and foremost, it's wood, hay, and stubble. Love for Jesus is the foundation of service to him. Paul made this clear in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 verse 2 when he wrote, Though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I'm nothing. It is of utmost importance to focus our attention on Jesus and who he is. Doing the right things for the wrong reasons produces Pharisees who are quick to point out how good they are and how bad everybody else is. Jesus warned this church and told them that if they didn't remember from where they had fallen, repent and return to their first works, he would remove his presence. The sad fact is they didn't do what he told them to do. And today you can go to Ephesus and you won't find a church, only ruins. Ephesus is a city now wrapped in the mantle of Islam. Are you still on fire for Jesus? Are you attending church services to be fed God's word? When you leave the services, what is it that you're motivated by and desire more of? Do you know the words of the latest worship song? Who to vote for? How important you and your church is? Or do you love Jesus more? When you walk with friends or your kids, do you talk about Jesus? What is it that they talk to you about when you speak to your adult children about the church that they attend? If your eyes are focused only on today's events with no hope for the future and you're living in frustration and anger, you need to ask yourself where all of this frustration is coming from. It may be coming from what you are being taught in church and often reveals that you haven't been meditating on God's word. Be careful. Be careful not to leave your first love. You can be very active and very empty. On Sunday, we'll take a very close look at the Church of Ephesus spoken of in Revelation chapter 2, verses 1 through 7, and I hope you can join us. This is David Rosales, pastor of Calvary Chapel of the Chino Valley, California.