This Week at Hope: Light Without Heat – The Church at Ephesus
Dear brothers and sisters,
This Wednesday, prayer will be hosted at the Browns’ barn.
On Sunday, we will be looking at the Lord Jesus’ words to the church at Ephesus (Revelation 2:1-7).
With Ephesus, the Lord finds much to commend (:2-3, 6). They were the equivalent of the model, Reformed, Confessional church we all look up to – solid preaching and doctrine, and consistent, zealous activity amidst a hostile community.
But He identifies something utterly fatal – something that if left unaddressed will lead to their utter ruin and His judgment. They had abandoned their first love (:4). All light, but no heat. Far from being a trifle, the Lord shows how decay of love renders everything else useless. Unless this is rekindled, nothing else matters.
Mercifully, the Searcher of Hearts provides the urgent remedy: repentance (:5). The Good Shepherd points them to the path of life, reminding them of the promises that once captivated them: “To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” (:7).
For the Sunday afternoon teaching, Scott will be speaking on the glory of our Lord Jesus in lead up to the NCFIC conference.
The songs for this Sunday are:
Wondrous King All Glorious
Holy, Holy, Holy
He Will Hold Me Fast
Speak, O Lord
More Love to Thee, O Christ
Your brother,
—
Paul Carrington