What is an Ephesus church?  I’m glad you asked.

In the latter half of the first century, a Christian community was founded in Ephesus. The apostle Paul lived in Ephesus for three years, working with the congregation and organizing missionary activity.  It is also where the Apostle Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians.  A letter that highlighted the church’s grounding in the essential truth and fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his divine lordship over all peoples.  Perhaps it was the people of Ephesus who inspired him to write such words to the Corinthians, because the church of Ephesus appeared to be a well-guided congregation. Later, Timothy pastored the church at Ephesus, and then they had the great apostle John.

It sounds to me like the church in Ephesus had a firm grounding in the Apostles and early disciples of Christ.  But they also had a congregation that was ready and willing to do the work entrusted to them by Christ’s commands.  We know this because Christ references the church in Ephesus in Revelation Chapter 2, stating about them, “I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot bear with those who are evil, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, you also have not grown weary.”

So not only do you have a church with a long line of strong and dedicated preachers, but also a congregation that has not grown weary of remaining steadfast in the Gospel message, toiling and persevering through trials of all kinds to the greater glory of God’s love.

Does any of this sound familiar, my friends?  Can your imagination make any subtle connections to this humble community of Ephesus and our humble community of Fairfield?  We must be a community of collective churches that have declared themselves a place of unity amongst believers, if not so in all aspects of our personal lives, then in the fact that we are all pursuing Christ!

When Paul writes in Ephesians chapter 4, it is as if he is also writing to us sitting here today!  “I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

We must be churches that have decided that, for the sake of the Gospel, we will “bear with one another in love,” we will “maintain a unity of the Spirit,” and we will cultivate bonds of peace.  We know that we are indeed the Body of Christ, united by the blood of Jesus and grounded on his living word.  We seek one Lord, and embrace each other’s baptism in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  This may not be a community of like-minded people, but may we be a community of united-soul people!

Just look at who we are today: we are filled with people who started their faith journey in Baptist, Episcopal, Pentecostal, Church of Christ, Assembly of God, Lutheran, Non-Denominational, Catholic, and Presbyterian churches.

Here we all are striving together, and may we strive in the unity of the Holy Spirit.  May we not forsake each other for mere petty disagreements, but instead embrace one another as fellow servants of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

It is what the Apostle Paul has commanded us to do, and more importantly, it is what Christ commanded us to do.  He gave his whole church a uniting mission: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Let us all be Ephesus churches.

Amen and Amen.

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Pastor Mike McVey
Minister – First United Methodist Church, Fairfield, TX
ACS Chaplain – United States Coast Guard, Station Galveston, TX
Cell:  919-935-2513
Email:  pastormike@fumcfairfield.org