Let's Go Back To Our First Love

Revelation 2:1-7

“1 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. 6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’”

Introduction

Our adversary, the devil, has caused a lot of church families to be ineffective or close it’s doors. Some of our churches have become worldly, preaching messages that don’t convict it’s sinning members, and allowing strange doctrines to come in.

Some of the churches in our day have become entertainment and social clubs instead of the anointing flowing to heal the sick, cast out demons and bring people out of the darkness of sin into the marvelous light of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

There are seven letters written to seven churches. These letters are written by John of Patmos as Christ told him what to write to these seven churches to warn and encourage the people of these churches. So these letters are from Christ Himself.

These letters are not just for the church of Ephesus (the loveless church), the church of Smyrna (the persecuted church), the church of Pergamos (the compromising church), the church of Thyatira (the corrupt church), the church of Sardis (the dead church), the church of Philadelphia (the faithful church), and the church of Laodecians (the lukewarm church).

These letters were written to the angels of the seven churches (1:20) and this could mean an angel of each church or it can mean a spiritual spokesperson for each church. These letters are for the pastors and the churches today!

At the end of these letters, Jesus gives a promise to those who remain faithful until the end.

Time won’t allow me to talk to you about all seven of these churches in Revelation chapter two today. So I want us to focus on the church of Ephesus.

This letter to this church is very important because it deals with the love a church should have for Jesus, who is the head of the church. This is very important because we’re about to see how love is an action word and some of us have gotten away from it.

Verses 1

“These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:”

Before we start, let’s go back to Revelation 1, starting at the 9th verse. John begins to tell about what happened on the Lord’s day, on the island of Patmos, when he heard a loud voice behind him saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, and, What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Syrna, to Pargamos, to Thytaria, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodecia.”

John said he turned to see the voice that spoke to him and he saw seven lampstands and in the midst of the lampstands he saw One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to his feet and girded with a golden band. His hair was white like wool and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like fine brass and HIs voice was like the sound of many waters.

Each lampstand represents the seven churches. This shows us that back then, Christ walked among the churches and He is still walking among the churches today.

He’s not just walking among us, He is also watching what we’re doing as His church. The late Bishop Leggett used to say; “He’s looking and He’s booking.”

I’m reminded of the Lamb’s book of life where the names of those who will have eternal life are written, and if one’s name isn’t in this book, they will perish. (Revelation 21:27) “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”

Verses 2, 3

Jesus begins to talk to the church of Ephesus in the second verse; “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.

Jesus knows their works...

Paul wrote letters to the Ephesians when the church of Ephesus was started, and now Jesus is writing to them.

Jesus noticed their labor. He noticed how hard they worked to maintain the church Paul started. It takes movement and activity to maintain a church to operate the way Christ intends. I can see from reading the book of Acts that the early church did a lot of moving about, taking the love of Christ to people and preaching the gospel.

We must come out of a stagnant mindset so we can be a part of advancing God’s Kingdom.

Jesus noticed their patience...

It takes patience because God doesn’t always move suddenly. One of the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5 is (longsuffering, which is patence).

James 1:2-3 says; “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”

We have to have patience. All of us are waiting for God to do something in our church and in our personal lives. We must have patience to be able to endure until God moves in our situations. We don’t want to move without God because He has to be in front of us at all times.

The church of Ephesus didn’t tolerate people who were evil. They tested the ones who said they were apostles and found them to be liars.

We have to be careful of the tables we eat from. We can’t be to eager to hear a word or a prophecy from someone because everybody that comes to you, or you go to isn’t sent from God.

A lot of churches have allowed false prophets and apostles to come in and minister the doctrine of devils and the result has been catastrophic - souls have been lost, communities have crumbled.

The church of Ephesus persevered. To persevere means to be persistent in doing what God instructs us to do no matter how hard it gets or no matter how many delays we experience. (The sermon series on Apathy a couple years ago)

There are too many Christians who don’t have endurance. The minute a difficulty comes up, some of us want to abandon the assignment.

After reading these passages of scripture we should know that Jesus is watching how we persevere even though the going gets a little rough some time.

He is watching what we do for His name sakes. There is power in in His name Jesus, and the world needs to know this before He returns.

I know it gets tough some time but let us remember what we’re told in...

Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”

Hebrews 12:3 “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”

Verses 4, 5

4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.

The Ephesians did a lot of things right and it pleased the Lord but they missed one important thing - Love.

They had did a lot of good works but they forgot their first Love.

Jesus noticed the love and the joy they had before, when they first started had started fading away.

Let’s always remember what we’re instructed to do in:

Mark 12:30-31 “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.””

And then we need to see what’s written in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”

If you’re love for Jesus and others have grown cold Revelation 2:5 tells us to remember where we fell, repent and do the first works.

Conclusion

If you have fallen from your first love in Christ, repent as it says in the 5th verse.

There is a starting point of our fall from our first love. There had to be a slip or a trip to cause the fall. (demonstration)

Maybe the trip was sin. Maybe the slip was selfishness. Maybe the trip was a lust for the things in this world. Did the fall come after you decided you have already given enough, or you all ready know enough?

Some of us don’t pray like we used to. Some of us don’t fast like we used to. Some of us don’t have a heart for other people like we used to. Some of us don’t want to sacrifice like we used to. What happened?!!!

Whatever caused the fall from our first love, we need to:

Look back to what tripped us up...

Repent...

And love Jesus the way we used to do.

Jesus went through a lot for us. He saved us and filled us with His precious Holy Ghost. We owe love to Him because He loved us first!

In the seventh verse Jesus has issued a promise to us. In Revelation 2:7 Jesus says: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’”

Jesus has given a promise to those who overcomes this world and the temptation to pull back on the love we used to have. So lets repent and go back to our first love starting today…!