May 21

Day 68: Not At All Like Ephesus

As we ease our way back into society, I'm finding myself in conversations that harken back to those of 2 months ago.

"How can the church be better?"

Church leaders across North America (if not the world) are initiating on-site gatherings of some variety this week or next. I, too, am trying to figure out how that can work for us. This is not a bad thing; It's a good thing.

The present focus, however, does not answer the question above. Re-establishing gatherings is good and vital, for sure. But it reflects a "How to return to us?" question, rather than "How to be a better us?"

To better respond to the "Better" question, perhaps a gap study is in order.

In the recent past, we have been strong in living out our "family" identity. We've been strong and growing in our "servant" identity as well.

I will propose, however, that we have not been as strong in living out our "missionary" identity.

The hunker down at home restrictions have not helped, for sure. The same has resulted in many of us restricting our focus to our own needs, our own frustrations, our own individual desires.

It may be that many of us have forgotten what it means to live a life on mission. Or we've built up a wall of reasons, restrictions, even excuses for why we self-disqualify ourselves from living an observable gospel life and sharing a gospel witness.

More likely, we've never given our missionary purpose any thought at all. We're happy to leave mission to the professionals.

Revelation 2:1-7 is God's letter to the church in Ephesus. He commends them for faithfully bearing their hardships, and for exposing false teachers. But there's a scary warning that follows...

v4, "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first."

What love did they abandon?

v5, "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and (emphasis mine) REMOVE YOUR LAMPSTAND FROM ITS PLACE, unless you repent."

What were the works they had done at first?

Living and loving in community...as a picture of the gospel. In previous times, they had been full-on devoted to share the gospel of Jesus in word and deed. They saw that as their purpose, their reason for existing.

But, over time, they forgot; they deemphasized; then ignored the mission Jesus had assigned to them. They grew comfortable liking their church just the way it was. Outsiders need not apply.

They were no longer living out, nor even caring about their redeemed identity as missionaries.

So Jesus says, repent. Or...He would remove their lampstand...and put it somewhere else.

Back to the original question: "How can the church be better?"

Realize we still have a lampstand. An opportunity.

Even today, each of us can begin by praying for the unsaved people in our lives - the people, by name, who were we to see their lives transformed by Jesus, would thrill our hearts.

Even that little and very doable first step could help our church re-emerge...and not be at all like Ephesus.

-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church | Juneau

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