TEXT TO REFLECT ON
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.
“‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
REVELATIONS 2:1-7
REFLECT
The church in Ephesus was facing a slew of false teachers who claimed to be apostles or messengers of God, but were in fact leading the people astray. The Spirit of Jesus described them as evil persons. It must have been challenging discerning who the false teachers were, from the number of teachers of this new found faith, who were coming and going from among the congregation. Yet the church leaders persevered, becoming the gate that protected the flock from false teachers. They must have done such a commendable job to be noticed and applauded for what they had done.
On the other hand, the church had become lacking in their love for God, and had ‘abandoned the love you had at first”. One of the things that the Apostle John emphasized repeatedly was that love for God was reflected in how Christians loved their brethren. One example is John in his letter where he emphasized, “Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” 1 John 2:10-11. Reading the tone of his critique of the church in Ephesus, I suspect that the problem that the church had gotten into was that they no longer loved one another the way they once did. One might surmise then that in the quest to rid the church of false teachers, the leaders might have become harsh and judgmental. They could not “bear with those who are evil”, and possibly had driven them from the church, in order to protect the flock. In so doing, they may have become hypervigilant in guarding the flock and harsh in their judgment of those who perhaps differed from them in doctrine or practice.
RELATE
I have always found it most difficult to strike a balance between being hospitable and being discerning. And often, I swing from one extreme to the other like a pendulum. Our churches are very porous. For one, those who join our fellowship come with a diversity of doctrinal understanding and practices. Not everyone comes purely to learn. Most come to both learn as well as to contribute to the fellowship what they understand of God. For another, everyone has access to diverse teachings from everywhere in the world. With internet, our connectivity with the world is almost without limit. We can glean the best of Christianity from anywhere in the world. Conversely, we also have access to the most damaging lies practiced anywhere. Daily we are bombarded with “Christian propaganda” from both the right as well as the left. Sometimes we laugh at how ridiculous some of the teachings are. But I have also seen the tragic results of this proliferation of false teachings. Just a few days ago, a few long time members of Agape were recounting the former members who had left our church to join cults and questionable sects. Hearing their stories, I have every reason to hate the evil doers who have misled them. At the same time, I am reminded that I need to be hospitable to all, and to correct the errant with gentleness and humility. It is indeed a daunting task.
In the four years that I have served at Agape, one of the things I consider as most important for the congregation is the ministry of teaching and preaching. With the constant influx of teachings from limitless sources, it sometimes feels as if we can afford to teach and preach less. But the opposite is true. In order to protect our congregation from false teachings, we need to keep on teaching and preaching right doctrine. That is why I started the daily podcasts four years ago. I was so affected by the false and prideful teachings from the west that was absolutely unchristian yet masqueraded as evangelical truths, that I felt the need to feed my flock with what was of Christ. And after that we had two years of bible reading introduced by Pastor Jason that got the congregation to read the Bible, cover to cover. Though it was very hard work, I am grateful that we did this.
We need to continue the habit of feeding on the Word of God. It is the only way we can keep to the truth while ensuring that we remain humble and loving towards each other and those who join us.
REST
Thy Word
Thy Word
Is a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path
When I feel afraid
Think I've lost my way
Still You're there
Right beside me
Nothing will I fear
As long as You are near
Please be near me to the end
I will not forget
Your love for me and yet
My heart forever is wandering
Jesus be my guide
And hold me to Your side
And I will love You to the end
Nothing will I fear
As long as You are near
Please be near me to the end
THY WORD by Amy Grant
Chiu Ming Li
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