The Loveless Church

These letters are FIRST AND FOREMOST LOVE LETTERS from the Groom to His Bride….with HER BEST interests at heart/And His glory, which happen to be one and the same.

God rebukes and admonishes, yes, but he does so because of His great love for their good and for His glory.

God’s discipline and rebuke is only ever intended for good.

Let’s begin by reading Rev 2:1-7.

Revelation 2:1-7.

Revelation 2:1–7 ESV

1 “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. 2 “ ‘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. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 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. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 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.’

Body

As we consider this text….

Big Idea: Love for God is the foundation of, the motivation for, and the guide for faithful obedience and service.

Each of the seven letters has the same elements. (The alliteration is borrowed from John MacArthur)

The Correspondent

The Church

The City

The Commendation

The Concern

The Command

The Counsel

We will see that ALL but two churches will receive a word of encouragement.

All but two churches will receive a word of rebuke

All but two churches will receive a challenge to repent.

All SEVEN will receive a promise to the faithful.

Having considered this, let’s consider the first church, beginning with the one who sent it.

The Correspondent - Revelation 2:1.

Revelation 2:1 ESV

1 “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.

Rather than starting at the beginning of this verse, let’s jump to the end and begin with the one sending the letter.

Here we jump back to that vision of the Son of Man given to John.

The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

This is the Son of Man…Jesus. Him who holds the seven stars…who walks…this is the Son of Man. This is Jesus.

So, to the messenger, the ruling elder of the church of Ephesus, FROM THE SON OF MAN who holds the seven stars and walks among the golden lampstands…

This is not John’s message. This is Jesus’.

Of course, every book and letter in the text of scripture was inspired by God and men were directed by Christ to write…but none were given in the manner that Revelation has been given.

Jesus instructed John to pen what he saw, what he heard, and what Jesus said and did.

This was a more direct method of communicating the message he wanted delivered.

And He wanted it delivered the churches…this one specifically to the church at Ephesus.

The Church - Revelation 2:1.

Revelation 2:1 ESV

1 “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.

What is the church?

The ekklesia - the called out ones.

The church is made up of those who have repented, believed, and who are following Jesus as their Savior.

The Church did not begin until after Jesus’ ascension. He is not, nor ever was, part of the church.

The church is His bride, his betrothed.

The church is the body of Christ - Ephesians 5:25-27.

The Church IS NOT ISRAEL - Romans 11:1-2.

Romans 11:1–2 ESV

1 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?

God has not rejected Israel in favor of the church.

Membership into Israel is by birth; membership into the church is by new birth. Israel is a nation made up of Jews; the church is a people made up of believers. The focus of Israel is Jerusalem; the focus of the church is heaven. Israel possesses an earthly hope in the land; the church possesses a heavenly hope in eternity. Israel began with Abraham; the church began with Pentecost.

Amir Tsarfati - Revealing Revelation

Israel is ethnic

The church is spiritual

The removal of the church from this world will come at the rapture, and the salvation of Israel will come at the second coming of Christ, when all who are left as part of Israel will recognize the One whom they have pierced and will, as individuals, receive Him as their Lord and Savior.

Amir Tsarfati - Revealing Revelation

If we have been promised to Christ as His bride, then until the day of the marriage feast that we’ll read about in Revelation 19, we are in our engagement period.

The apostle Paul explains it this way (2 Corinthians 1:21–22).

2 Corinthians 1:21–22 ESV

21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

The word translated “guarantee” is the Greek word arrabon. It is a beautiful word full of meaning. Along with “guarantee,” it can have the sense of “a pledge, a down payment, an engagement.” What Paul is telling us is that the Holy Spirit, in a sense, is God’s engagement token to guarantee that He will complete what He has started.

As the Lord said to His disciples, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2–3).

Today, the Spirit inside us is our token of our engagement to our Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ. And I believe we are the generation that will not die but will live to experience the rapture of the church, when Jesus will come to take His bride to the wedding ceremony.

Amir Tsarfati - Revealing Revelation

Remember we said that Jesus presence AMONG the lampstands shows his working among them, His presence, care, and familiarity with them. He is not distant and remote from His Church, but among them caring for them.

At the same time, the seven stars (messengers) in his right hand, show that He still rightly retains control of both His church and those who are led to lead it.

This image shows a God ACTIVE and INVESTED in the life of His church. He is present. He is there. He is moving among them.

Do you understand that God cares what happens here at Hephzibah?

As much as it may seem sometimes that God has forgotten us, abandoned us, or left us to our own devices, HE HAS NOT.

The Bride, the Church is TOO precious to Him for Him to do that.

He has given SO much to obtain her, to sanctify and cleanse her, God WOULD NEVER abandon her now.

Romans 8:32 ESV

32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

This vision of God AMONGST the lampstands and the stars within his hand, is a vivid reminder that He is still very much passionately invested in the life of His church, no matter their circumstance and/or what their feelings may be saying to them about His love (or lack thereof) for them.

This portion of the image if brought back here in the letter to Ephesus because the Church has forgotten something critical about their relationship with Himself.

They, however, have lost sight of His love and care for them…of their relationship with Him.

They have lost their first love…

While God has not, the church has.

This image is intended to remind them of WHO He is and WHAT His relationship with them is.

As a literal church that existed in that day…

Geographically, Ephesus was the closest one to John on Patmos.

It was also his home church.

Some have argued that no church has a richer heritage than that of Ephesus.

The gospel was first introduced to that city by Paul’s closest friends and partners, Priscilla and Aquilla (Acts 18:18-19).

Apollos soon joined them after (Acts 18:24-26).

These three laid the groundwork for Paul who would come after.

Paul’s major involvement in the church occured on his third missionary journey, though he did stop by briefly on his second.

Paul, upon coming to city in his third missionary journey, found a group of OT saints and promptly preached the gospel to them and through their faith and repentance, baptized them, and thus his work in Ephesus had begun.

He would later teach them leadership principles and his son in Christ, Timothy, would serve as pastor of the Church (1 Tim 1:3).

Others, such as Oneisphorus (2 Tim 1:16,18) and Tychicus (2 Tim 4:12) would serve there as well.

According to the testimony of the early church, John would spend the last decades of his life there. He would write his three epistles from there.

He was likely a ruling elder there at the time of his exile to Patmos.

The Church at Ephesus had a rich history. They, like us, are the bride of Christ, awaiting the day of our marriage in heaven one day.

The city of Ephesus was also worthy of note…

The City - Revelation 2:1.

Revelation 2:1 ESV

1 “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.

Ephesus was the best of cities and it was the worst of cities.

Not the capital (Pergamum was), but it was a very important city in Asia Minor

The Roman governor resided there.

Had a theater that could seat 25,000

Self governing, within limits, and no Roman troops stationed there

Hosted athletic events that rivaled the olympics

It had an excellent harbor and marketplace. In fact, it was a primary harbor city.

The population was enormous (Population at NT times was between 250,000 and 500,000) containing many sailors who would come in to port, take some leave time, and then sail back out.

It would house one of the seven wonders of the world, the Temple of Diana, with it’s 60 foot high columns.

Worshipers came from all over the world.

However, because of this temple, it was also the worst of citifies. Diana was also known as Artemis, the goddess of fertility. Thus, much of her worship involved sexual immorality and temple prostitution.

Ephesus became a cesspool of debauchery and sin.

It would make Las Vegas look like a kids summer camp.

When Paul first went to Ephesus, he began with the Jews in the Synagogue but they would reject him and he would turn his attention to the Gentiles (Acts 18:6).

This is the context in which the Church at Ephesus existed.

The Commendation - Revelation 2:2-3, 6.

Revelation 2:2–3 ESV

2 “ ‘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. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.

He says, I know your works…

Jesus will repeat these words often to the churches

Oida refers to complete and full knowledge - as opposed to knowledge obtained through progressive revelation.

Works - That which displays itself in activity of any kind, action, deed; that which one does as regular activity, work task; that which is brought into being by work, product.

I know your works….

Understand, there is NOTHING hidden from His sight…He sees all, knows all, perfectly discerns and understands all!

He knows our works…

We are not saved BY our works, but we are saved FOR works.

Eph 2:8-10.

Ephesians 2:8–10 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Our works are the FRUIT of our faith, repentance, and salvation.

James 2:14-26.

James 2:14–26 ESV

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

And God, being God perfectly discerns our motive and intentions BEHIND our works.

Hebrews 4:12-13.

He knows, not only that we do them, but WHY we do them.

Jesus looks at the Ephesus Church and says, I know your works…I know your heart behind those works….

I see what you are doing….and I know WHY you are doing it.

I know your toil

Denotes labor to the point of sweat and exhaustion. It describes an all-out effort demanding all that a person has to give, physically, mentally, emotionally.

They were not spectators, but participants in the work of the Lord. They were laborers.

Can we say that we labor for him to the point of sweat and exhaustion?

I know your patient endurance

AKA perseverance - Denotes patience in trying circumstances.

It’s synonym - makrothumia, means patience with people

But here, hupomone, denotes patience in circumstances more than patience with people.

More so, it is not a grim, fatalistic type of patience, but a courageous acceptance of hardship, suffering, loss.

This commendation denotes that despite their difficulties, despite the rebuke they will receive, they had remained faithful the the Lord.

They did it with joy and willingness?

Can we say that we labor for him to the point of sweat and exhaustion, with willingness and joy?

This is a beautiful commendation.

BUT, what does God see? What are they doing? What are they doing well?

They stand against evil.

They are diligent, hard workers.

They are patient.

They could not and did not bear with those who are evil.

In other words, they do not tolerate them, they do not ignore, excuse, or justify them. They deal with it rightly.

They tested those who say they are apostles with the truth and have become effective at rooting out imposters due to their firm knowledge of the truth.

Can you and I say that we can spot truth from error? Are you and I easily deceived by every false teaching out there? Are you able to discern error because of how firmly rooted you are in the truth and how closely you walk with the Spirit?

They endured patiently….

They persevered, they continued

WITH JOY FOR JOY that was set before them.

They bore up FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE.

This is the motivation they needed. They bore up, they endured patiently because there was something higher than themselves worth enduring for.

CHURCH, in this life…are you weary and worn? I AM!

Are you willing to continue, will you continue FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE?

Are you willing to patiently endure?

Are you willing to labor to the point of sweat and exhaustion for the kingdom?

They have labored and not become weary.

Not become weary

To become tired, worn, weary.

The connotation and thought here is that they had not become weary to the point of giving up.

They may well have been weary, worn, tired…but not to the point that they gave up.

They kept going.

Jesus commends them….

If John was cast into prison “on account of the testimony of Jesus” and he was one of the ruler elders at Ephesus, it is safe to say that the church was enduring some hardship, even though it is not explicitly stated here.

He later adds one more commendation…

Revelation 2:6.

Revelation 2:6 ESV

6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

These Nicolaitans will also be mentioned again in the letter to Pergamum.

They cannot be positively identified, BUT, they seem to link to one Nicolas.

He was one of the seven men selected and appointed as deacon in Acts to oversee the distribution of food.

Some argue that he was a false believer who went apostate and led others with him.

Some argue that some of his followers distorted his teaching and corrupted those who came after.

Whatever it is, Nicolaitans led people in immorality and wickedness.

Which is why the Ephesians hated them. They could not endure those who did evil.

The letter to Pergamum will link the Nicolaitans teaching with Balaam, which we will consider more when we get there.

But their influence and teaching led people into sexual immorality and evil of kinds.

The Ephesian Church did not tolerate such teaching or behavior.

It has been suggested that their teaching was really an exaggerated form of Christian libertism which allowed unrestraint when it comes to sin.

We will see that the church at Pergamum has a very different response to the Nicolaitans.

But the Ephesians hated them because of flagrant sinful lifestyle.

In this, God shared their hatred and commended them for their unwillingness to tolerate them.

They stood for truth.

They endured.

They tested the prophets to make sure they were legit

They hated evil and stood against those who willingly flaunted it in the name of Christ.

For this, they were commended.

However…

Jesus did have a concern.

The Concern - Revelation 2:4.

Revelation 2:4 ESV

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

They abandoned the love they had at first…

Abandon

To dismiss or release someone or something from one’s presence.

To let go or send away.

To give up

In a legal sense…to divorce…

To release from legal or moral obligation

To move away from, separate from…

When you consider Paul’s letter to them in Ephesians 1:15-23...

Ephesians 1:15–23 ESV

15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

When you consider this, you have to ask…what happened?

Their love had once been so vibrant, real, passionate….

It is important to note that at this point, the church is in it’s second generation. The initial believers who founded it were older, perhaps dead…and a new and younger generation has come along…a generation with different experiences and circumstances…

Amir notes..

Such change often happens in the transition from the visionary and building generation to the next generation, which enjoys the fruit of all the earlier labors. The second generation doesn’t know the hardships and trials; they don’t have a chance for their faith to be challenged and to see the Lord at work. Think of the difference between King David and King Solomon. David was a warrior king who knew what it was like to stare death in the face. The kingship had cost him struggle and blood. King Solomon was a palace king who knew what it was like to stare a kingdom full of worshipful followers in the face. All the wisdom in the world couldn’t stop the second ruler in the Davidic line from taking his love from the true God and giving it to the false-idol gods of his foreign wives.

Amir Tsarfati

The current generation was maintaining the sound doctrine passed down to them, but what they lacked, was a passionate love affair with the God who had given Himself for them.

That slackened love led to dispassionate living.

That slackened love led to deed only activities, deeds performed devoid of the driving motivation for it….Love for God.

They had become a church who was faithfully holding the line of truth, righteousness, and service….

BUT it was devoid of love.

We can all name churches like the one Christ wrote to in Ephesus. Or maybe you are in an “Ephesian” church. There are Bible studies galore in the church and in homes. They have several talented worship teams that rotate from Sunday to Sunday. They hold numerous services simultaneously, maybe even on different campuses, with the sermons streamed in via video. They run training classes for Christian growth and leadership, have men’s and women’s groups, parking-lot attendants, happy greeters, food pantries, and a large missions budget. These can all be strong elements of an active church.

But sometimes Christian activities can keep believers from spending time with Christ. Churches can be so full of things to do that there is no time for the people to simply be with the Lord.

Amir Tsarfati

What the church lacked was PASSION for God. LOVE FOR HIM.

They had become so busy DOING things for God, that they abandoned God Himself.

They had come to love TRUTH more than God.

They had come to love SERVICE more than God.

They had come to love TRADITIONS/PRACTICES more than God. (Perhaps)

They had separated themselves from the love of God in their fervor for truth and righteousness.

What is so terrifying, is how easy it is to do just that….

When the truth is…we are supposed be defined and marked as Christians by a sincere and passionate love for God.

Mark 12:30-31

Mark 12:30–31 ESV

30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Matthew 10:37-38

Matthew 10:37–38 ESV

37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

John 14:21-23

John 14:21–23 ESV

21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

John 8:42; 1 Peter 1:8; 1 Cor 8:3; John 21:15-17; 2 Cor 5:14; Eph 6:24

PLEASE HEAR ME ON THIS….

When our lives are not marked by a passionate love affair with Christ, it signifies a very serious problem.

Unbelief or idolatry are the only two options available.

And both require a command to repent.

The Command - Revelation 2:5.

Revelation 2:5 ESV

5 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.

Forgetfulness is often the beginning of spiritual decline

Thus, they are told, we are told to remember

The idea being, to keep something in mind, to regularly think upon it, call it to mind.

Remember….

From where you have fallen

Remember the state you once existed in.

Remember where you were

Remember the joy and intimacy of where you once were…

Remember

If this church was in it’s second generation, than they would have been children when the church was at it’s vibrancy. They would have seen it.

Remember where you were…

Remember what your parents taught you

Remember the example you have seen

Remember

For the Ephesian Church, the first step was to remember where they had once been. To remember the joy, fellowship, and intimacy that they had once shared. This remembering serves as a marker of where they should be, a baseline of where to start…and where to grow from.

They needed to remember where they had once been in Christ, where God had enabled them to be and get back to that point as a baseline from which to keep growing.

They had moved in the wrong direction.

We need to remember….and grow forward from there.

Maybe for some, there is not point of reference to look back to, to remember. In that case, we look what could be. What God promises. And we set our sights onto the future and seek to grow towards that.

But the Ephesians at least had a point of reference to look back to, to start with.

Repent

The word describes a change of mind that results in a change of behavior.

2 Cor 7:10-11.

2 Corinthians 7:10–11 ESV

10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.

Listen ANYTHING done NOT IN FULL DEVOTION TO CHRIST is sin.

What is the greatest command again?

Mark 12:30.

Mark 12:30 ESV

30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

Big Idea: Love for God is the foundation of, and the motivation for, and the guide for faithful obedience and service.

LOVE FOR GOD is the foundation and the fountain for everything we do. (or should be)

It is all too easy for our motivation for why we do what we do, to change.

We can even be deceived ourselves as to why we are doing what we are doing.

Thus it is often necessary for us to ask the Spirit to show us, to expose our motive and heart behind why we do what we do.

Am I doing what I do for the recognition of man?

Or am I doing it for the SAKE OF YOUR NAME?

And what price am I wiling to pay in order to do that?

Do the works you did at first.

Amir alliterates this command…

Remember, repent, and redo.

This is what God is calling them to do.

IF NOT….

I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

Do not mistake this for a claim that he will remove their salvation and cast them aside.

This is not referring to that.

This is a statement that he will come and remove them from a place of safety, refuge, relationship, intimacy, and fellowship.

He walks among them, in fellowship. But if they persist in the course of action they are on, that relationship will be disrupted and they will removed from that place and their influence in the world will be greatly diminished.

Church, where is our relationship with Christ (as a whole) at?

Are we walking in fellowship and intimacy with Him? Is our love for God vibrant and passionate, burning hot?

The Counsel - Revelation 2:7.

Revelation 2:7 ESV

7 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.’

We will come back to this later….After we consider all seven churches, we will consider at one time, all seven promises to those who conquer.

Conclusion

Big Idea: Love for God is the foundation of, and the motivation for, and the guide for faithful obedience and service.

Each of the seven letters has the same elements. (The alliteration is borrowed from John MacArthur)

The Correspondent

The Church

The City

The Commendation

The Concern

The Command

The Counsel

the Bible is clear. Christians are those who are savingly united to God through Jesus Christ, those whom “God has chosen … from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth” (2 Thess. 2:13; cf. Luke 18:7; Rom. 8:33; Eph. 1:4; Col. 3:12; 1 Thess. 1:4; 2 Tim. 2:10; Titus 1:1; 1 Pet. 1:1–2; 2:10).

As a result, they have exercised saving faith in the only Savior (Acts 4:12),

the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:15–18, 36; 5:24; 6:47; Rom. 1:16; 4:5; 10:10; 1 John 5:1),

and repented of their sins (Rom. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9).

God has forgiven their sins (Acts 10:43; Eph. 1:7; 1 John 1:7, 9; Rev. 1:5),

made them His children (Rom. 8:16–17; Gal. 4:7; Eph. 1:5; 5:1, 8; Phil. 2:15; 1 John 3:2),

and transformed them into new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17)

indwelt by the Holy Spirit (John 14:17; Rom. 8:4, 9, 11, 14; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; Gal. 4:6; 2 Tim. 1:14; 1 John 3:24).11

John F. MacArthur Jr., Revelation 1–11, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 54.

This transformed life WILL result in love for God. Passionate, fervent love for God. An all consuming love that controls all.

If it does not, if this love is not evident, a very serious problem exists.

Unbelief or idolatry are the only two options.

and from this a command to repent and/or return is in order.

Church, how is your love?

How is OUR love?

Are we busy defending truth, doing things FOR God while being devoid of true intimacy with God?

If so, we are being called to Remember. To Repent. To Redo.

To do the things we once did. To return to a passionate love affair (in all the good senses) with God.

May we be a church that is FILLED and OVERFLOWING with love for God as we are ever growing together to become more like Jesus for the glory of God.

Application

In what specific areas of our lives might we have abandoned our first love for God?

How can we ensure that our love for Christ remains passionate and vibrant in our daily lives?

In what ways do our activities and commitments in life distract us from nurturing our relationship with God?

What are some signs that you may be prioritizing truth over love in your spiritual life?

How might we recognize when our service to God becomes more about duty than love?

How does the distinction between works done for God and love for God impact our spiritual growth?

What role does prayer play in helping us remember and rekindle our love for God?

How can we balance our desire to do good works with the need to cultivate a genuine relationship with God?

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