“The Loveless Christian”

What Kind of Christian Are You? Sermon Series

“The Loveless Christian” (Part #6)

KEY PASSAGE: Revelation 2:1–7 (NASB)

Dear God, our heavenly Father, this morning, we come to You with humble hearts, seeking more of Your presence as we continue our worship service. Please help us and remind us to recognize Your presence because Your presence commits us to do Your will and obey Your Word faithfully. For that, we give You the glory, honor, and praise as You give us Your grace and mercy in this New Year. In the name of Jesus, we pray. And everyone says Amen. You may be seated.

The Lord’s Supper: Is A Celebration of God‘s Gift [And every first Sunday we serve you Communion]

The Lord’s Supper reminds us to be thankful for God’s [free] gift of eternal life. In First Corinthians 11:24, Paul describes this gift of the sacrifice of Jesus when he says, “This is my body which was broken for you.” Paul shows us three things: He identifies Christ’s sacrifice, describes Christ’s suffering, and gives us a picture of Christ’s ultimate service. Jesus paid the price for our salvation, and Paul invites us to remember that sacrifice, suffering, and service. And so, as we partake of the Lord’s Supper on this first Sunday of 2025, I want you to remember the life of Jesus. The Lord’s Supper is a time of celebration and the celebration of God’s gift of life. Jesus gives His life; Jesus offers a new way; Jesus offers a new life; and Jesus offers a new beginning. We celebrate the life of Jesus, a life given and a life granted.

Let us pray.

Gracious Father, we have so little to say in comparison to Your great sacrifice. The only thing left is “Thank You.” Remind us how hard it was to give Your Son for us. Remind us of the pain He suffered on the cross, and remind us of Your love. Remind us of our hope in You and refresh our souls with the joy of our salvation. Bless this loaf, Lord, as a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice and the unity of this body, and bless the cup as a sharing in the death of Christ, as we die to ourselves to live for You. Thank You for Your love and forgiveness. We pray all this in Christ’s name. And everyone says Amen.

We will pass around the communion element, and our worship team will lead us with a worship song.

TITHE and OFFERING

As we give to God today, I want to remind us that Sunday is the first day of every week, and giving is a part of worship [Service]. Paul taught us that giving is never dependent on the size of one’s budget but on the conviction of one’s heart. In this church, we never pressure you to give to God, but we look to God to encourage you to give. And so, let’s give our gifts to God with a cheerful heart. We will call on the ushers to pass around the plates. Please follow the instructions on the screen on how to give to the church. The worship team will lead us with a song as we collect our tithes and offerings.

WELCOME

Please stand up, greet some folks around you, and welcome them to worship. We welcome you [all] again to our Sunday Worship Service and are glad to have you in God’s house. Our first-time visitors, please stand so we can see you. We also welcome all who join us online.

ANNOUNCEMENT

• Wednesday Night [Remember] is our Bible Study Connect at 7:00 p.m. Please join us on Wednesday night to STUDY [and NAVIGATE] THE WORD OF GOD. We will start the Book of First Corinthians this Wednesday in the New Year. We look forward to seeing you all at Bible Study.

• All the weekly activities for the church are posted online on the church’s website.

• I won't be in church next Sunday because my son, Elisha, is having a medical procedure. Please keep Elisha in your prayers. Ivery Johnson will be the preacher next Sunday.

Let us pray.

We bow before You, our [Father], in a troubled and uneasy world. There is a growing sense of uneasiness, but we want You to know our Almighty God – it is well with our souls. We are surrounded by those who lack a sense of peace. Not knowing what the future holds as we begin this New Year is [very difficult] for those without roots to understand how there can be stability [in the midst of] what is apparently – chaos. Uncertainty – but having come to know that there is a relationship with You, our [Father], through Your dear Son because of Your grace. It has become a comfort to know that You are sovereign, that nothing is out of control, and that nothing touches us that does not first pass through [the permissible hands and fingers of our God]. And so, it is well with our souls. We thank you for those who do good work today in shadowy places, in obscure places within the walls of hospitals and homes of care where the medical profession and the nurses, for those who do assist work in counseling, ministering, and encouraging, and yes, confronting. We thank You for their courage, insight, and faithfulness. Thank You for using them to help those who stand alone side children clinging to life and loved ones sick, afflicted, and discouraged. I pray that You minister through these [very capable] professionals – these servants of Yours who minister to us and our needs. For those who wear the uniform of this nation [the United States of America] and for those of our allies, we pray today that it may be well with their souls. May they be given courage beyond their years and determination, even beyond their [own] emotional makeup. Watch over them; watch over their parents, who anxiously stand back and release them to their courageous deeds. Hold us all close, our Father, during this tender time. Minister through this church and any other like this one that loves Your Word and stands for the truth. Let Your blessing rest upon this church. May this church be unto us as the gate of heaven; may weary souls recover their strength and tone. May desponding hearts be revived and comforted with the consolation of God. May we be prepared for the future, having our hearts cleansed by the precious blood of Christ. We depend upon Your Holy Spirit; we will not look unto our [Own] resources except as they present themselves as the gifts of God. We will rely upon Your power and cry mightily unto our God. And You will hear our prayers, and [You] will redeem our weary souls from all fear; You will inspire us with eternal hope; and You will clothe this church with adequate power. I pray that You will show us, more and more, the meaning of the mystery of the Cross. May we find all that is [deepest] and authentic in our life symbolized in the Cross? May it be the answer to our sin, the remedy of our diseases, the one hope of our wondering and anxious souls. Encourage those who serve You this day in places unknown to us, far-reaching and lonely places, hard places, and persecuted places. May their souls be at peace, and [may it] be well with them. [Now] Our Father, we have the pleasure of all things of giving to You. What a privilege it is to [give to] Your church. We have the assurance that You will superintend these monies for Your purposes and [Your] will. As that unfolds in this New Year, I pray that You will remind us [over and over] that You are blessing the work of our hands. You are using this ministry effectively. And our Father, we pray where our hearts will be prepared as we prepare ourselves [for the sowing] of the seed of the good Word of God in the name of the Lord Jesus, who makes it all well with us, [we pray]. And everyone said Amen.

DECLARATION of FAITH in GOD

Let us stand and say the Declaration of Faith in God together.

SERMON INTRODUCTION

As we begin this New Year, I want to talk to you personally and pastorally about the Loveless Christian. We are just about halfway through our sermon series titled “What Kind of Christian Are You?” The Christian life is a life of loving Jesus Christ. I know that sounds pretty basic, [Pretty simple], and indeed it is, but this simple statement has been lost.[Lost in the church; and lost in the life of a Christian]. [The] Christian life is best defined as an ongoing love relationship between the believer and Christ. We don’t need to talk about [The love of Jesus for us.] Because it is obvious. The issue and question before all of us is our love for Christ. From my viewpoint, I believe that the church in our day [In our dispensation] is completely losing this simple perspective. The Christian life is about loving Christ. It is about loving Jesus sacrificially. It is about loving Jesus in obedience. It is about loving Jesus worshipfully. It is about loving Jesus in terms of service. It is about loving Jesus Christ. That is what it means to be a Christian. That is what it means to be a believer.

[Let’s talk about the Old Testament for a moment]. If you understand the Old Testament, the great commandment was to love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is the sum of all that God requires, and your neighbor as yourself. But it starts with loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, which is just a way of saying loving God [Watch This] comprehensively, totally, and completely.

God also wants us to love the Lord Jesus Christ with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Being a Christian is about loving Christ so much that you want to know Him, so much that you want to exalt Him, so much that you want to please Him, so much that you want to serve Him, so much that you want to be with Him, so much that you want to tell others about Jesus.

So, when you talk about people’s spiritual growth, condition, or life situation, the real question [We should be asking them] is, “How much do you love Jesus Christ?” Are you growing in your love for Christ? Do you desire Jesus more now than you did in the past? [And so], the Christian life is an ongoing love relationship between a Christian and Jesus Christ.

One of the [great] challenges today is the challenge of relationships.… [In the area of marriage, to be specific] … where so many are struggling in this [area of] relationship.… One woman said, “I was looking for the ideal. Instead, it became an ordeal, and now I want a new deal.” Another woman said, “Marriage has become a three-ring circus [sur-kuhs]: engagement ring, wedding ring, and suffering!”

[And so] It is possible to be in the same house and not enjoy much of a home. It is like the husband and wife who have not spoken to each other for a long time. The husband wrote a note and put the note on the side of his wife’s bed. The note said, “Wake me up at 5 o’clock [so I can] catch my flight.” The husband woke up at 9:00 a.m. and missed his flight. He was furious [He was upset] that his wife did not wake him [up] when the alarm clock went off, and he looked on the other side of the bed; he saw a note from his wife that said, “It is 5 o’clock! Time to wake up.”

You know the relationship [is going] sour [Going bad] when the compliments and [praises] become criticisms. [And so], relationship breakdowns come in all shapes and sizes. But God in heaven, too, is concerned about the breakdown of our relationship with Him [and His Son Jesus]. And that is what this passage written to the church at Ephesus is all about. It is part of a letter to the seven churches written in the Book of Revelation to share [the heart of Jesus] about His relationship to each [one] of these churches.

SERMON EXPOSITION

And so, the question before us is a heart question. Do you love the Lord, Jesus Christ, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength? The first church that Jesus addresses is the church at Ephesus. Ephesus was the New York City of Asia Minor. It was the place to be because many things were happening at Ephesus. It was a place for commerce, economics, cultural expression, and religious activity, with the temple of Diana as the centerpiece of the culture. Ephesus was the place to go!

The Ephesian church also enjoyed outstanding leadership through Paul, Timothy, and the Apostle John, who wrote the Book of Revelation. A church had been birthed there through the work and ministry of the Apostle Paul, and they were on fire for God. They brought out their charms, magic books, and everything that was part of the old life and set them on fire because they were … ON fire for God.

Verse 1 of the church in Ephesus reads, “To the Angel.” The letter is written to the angels, and the Greek word for angel is Angelos, which means messenger or spokesperson, or, as we would say today, “The Pastor, the one who was to speak to the church on God’s behalf.”

“About the One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks among the golden lampstand says this …” He speaks of Jesus Christ walking up and down the [aisles of the church]. I hope you know that Jesus [is walking] up and down every aisle in this church. In other words, Jesus is in the house. [Watch This], He says in verse 1, “The one who walks among you, who is in the worship service, unseen, but very much there” … had something to say to the worship service today, and in every church, including this church.

Jesus starts [off] with commendation and approval. He applauds them for all the good things that they are doing. He says, “I know your deeds.” They were a serving church … they were spiritually busy bumble bees. [The Ephesian Christians enjoy doing [a lot of] things and always keep themselves busy.] Everybody was in a ministry, [everybody was doing something for God], and these were not lazy Christians; they were active Christians. Jesus said, “I know your deeds … I am aware you sing in the choir or serve with the ushers. Or work with the sick, or teach one of the classes at the church, or help the poor …” or whatever the deeds were. Whatever the doings were, Jesus says, “I have not missed that, and I applaud you for it.”

He says, “I walk up and down the [aisles of the church], I know your hard work.” The Ephesian church was a serving church, busy doing God’s works. It was also a sacrificing church, for the word labor in verse 2 means “toil to the point of exhaustion.” They were working for God to the point of sweating. They were going above and beyond the call of duty! And Jesus says, “I am walking up and down the church’s aisles, and I see a sweat.”

Jesus goes on, and He says, “I know your perseverance …” They were not only serving and sacrificing church, but they were also steadfast; they did not quit. Perseverance means that they kept going when the going was tough—they did not say, “I am going to throw in the towel because I don’t like this, and I don’t like that.” And so, Jesus compliments them [by saying], “I know your perseverance …”

SERMON EXPLANATION 1

He says, “And that you cannot tolerate evil men …” Not only were they serving, sacrificing, and steadfast, but they were also separated. In other words, they called it like it was. If it was wrong, it was [wrong]; if it was right, it was right, and you do not accept, you do not tolerate those who would seek to bring evil into the house of God … or evil among the family of God. You don’t let that go unaddressed. Jesus said I [am aware] that you separated yourself from what is not accepted by Me. I know you have standards.

Jesus goes on, and He says in verses 2 and 3, “And that you put those to the test who call themselves apostles and are not, and you found them to be false;” “And you have perseverance and have endured for My sake, and have not grown weary.” Even when suffering, they did not throw in the towel. These believers kept going when the going was tough. If you lived in Ephesus, you would most likely be a member of the Ephesus Church of Jesus Christ. This is the perfect church because they have it all.

Because that was the church, that was the church that had the programs; it had the staff, [it had the commitment], it had ministry opportunity, it had a doctrinal standard and statement by which things were measured. It had all the ingredients of a great church. [Watch This] And Jesus says, “I walk up and down the aisles, and I am aware that you are … that kind of church.”

SERMON EXPLANATION 2

But, in verse 4, Jesus [makes a transition] from a commendation to a condemnation, from a compliment to a criticism. He says, “I have this against you.” I have one problem with the church. Just one: I have a lot of compliments; you have done a lot of good stuff. But I have got one MAJOR criticism of this assembly of believers. “You have left your first love.” You have left … your first love.

Jesus says, “I must commend you because you have a lot of things going right, but you have one thing going wrong: You have left your first love.” Now, let’s examine what Jesus said in verse 4. This means that [you could be serving] in the local church and not have your first love. This means you could be sacrificing [Giving your best in the church] and not having your first love. You could be steadfast, separated, and suffering and not have your first love. [Apparently], something was missing. Don’t misread what He says. Jesus did not say, ‘You don’t love Me!… He said, ‘You have left your first love.’

SERMON EXPLANATION 3

What is love? The word love gets thrown around [all over the place]—I love chocolate cake, I love ice cream, [I love donuts]—you know, the word love can be thrown around. The Bible’s definition of love is ‘Agápē.’ It has to do with righteously seeking the well-being of another.

Agápē, “For God so loved the world …” in John 3:16. Agápē … focuses on the other person. You are utilizing God’s standard. Agápē says that I am seeking based on God’s standard. Jesus says, “You have left your first love …” He is concerned that they have left the love they had at first.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION

So, what Is the difference between love and first love? First love always includes something that general love may not— [And that is] passion. [First love] always involves passion. I want you to think back, way back [when] you FIRST fell in love. When you FIRST FELT IT, there was fire. There was a burn; you could not get off the phone, and when you got off [the phone], you wished you were still on [the phone] because it was first love.

First love involves FIRE. What was missing was not the program; they had [the program] without the fire. One wife said of her husband as they went to marriage counseling, “He never tells me he loves me.” The husband told the marriage counselor, “When we got married fifteen years ago, I told my wife that I loved her … if I changed my mind, I will let her know.” The problem we face in this passage regarding Jesus is that duty has replaced devotion. They were doing their duty … Jesus gives the church compliment after compliment [after compliment]. They were doing their duty without devotion. The fire was gone. The burn was gone. The flame was gone. They had degenerated into religion at the expense of relationships. [The First concern of Jesus] with you and me is our devotion. The second concern of Jesus [is our duty].

SERMON EXPLANATION 3

Jesus is speaking to a church and [the Christians] in the church. We must be equally diligent as a church with different ministries that keep us engaged, busy, active, and around the clock. We must be diligent not to let the program here at the church cause us to lose the Person of Jesus and not to let the duty kill the devotion. Because Jesus says, “You have left your first love.”

You can look like a church, [you can look serious], [you can] program like you are The Bomb, and it will not be authentic. Jesus says, “You have left your first love” because … the relationship is no longer your focus; you are carrying on the program. In verse 5, Jesus exhorts them to fix the problem. The good news is that lost love can be regained. Love lost can be reclaimed [Recovered] because Jesus tells them they left their first love even though they were a [serving] church, [a sacrificing church], and their weekly schedule was filled with activities and programs.

But He says three things must happen before the fire can be revived, regenerated, and restored. The flame can be regained, but three things must happen for the fire to reawaken. They had a lot of programs at the church, but they lost their first love. He says, “First of all, “Remember” from where you have fallen” in verse 5. Remember is the first thing that needs to happen. Remember, go back in time! When you didn’t have money in your bank account, you lived in an apartment with only one car.

“Remember when you talked on the phone endlessly, when you were dating, [when you fantasized], and dreamed about each other. Jesus says, I want you to push ‘pause’ [‘Pause’ for a moment], and I want you to GO BACK AND REMEMBER! I want you to take a trip in time (if you will), and in this case, when you were first saved. You may not even remember what church was for [You] because you had Me—go back and remember when you first got saved!” Go back and remember how excited you were when you heard your sins were forgiven, your sins were paid for, eternal life was a [free] gift, and you had a relationship with the Living God, and you could not even quote John 3:16. Go back! You didn’t have much to show when you got saved, but you knew you were born again! But now you have too much information and less fire, less love for Jesus—go back and remember!

Jesus said this about Communion: “Do this in remembrance of Me!” Remember … because if you ever forget the Cross and the price Jesus paid for your sins, you will lose the love! If our church forgets about Calvary … and we forget about the thorns on the head of Jesus. If we forget about the Blood streaming down, and the spear in His side and the nails in His hand and through His feet—If we ever forget—if we don’t remember the price that Jesus paid for our sins, we will lose our first love. Jesus says, “Remember! Go back in time.” “Go back in history!”

He says the second thing is: “And repent.” Now, the last time I checked, there is only one thing you repent of in the Bible [and that is sin]. Sin is the only thing you are ever told to repent of … So, guess what? Leaving your first love is a sin. It is not just a circumstance. Jesus says it is a sin that needs to be repented, and repentance means going in the opposite direction; it means turning around. He says, “You must repent. You must speak where the sin was, where the error was, where the departure was.” He says, “Remember, Repent, and then [He] gives the final one. He says, “And do the deeds you did at first …” I want you to repeat what you did first. Remember, Repent, and Repeat.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION

Most couples don’t date after they get married. You know, the kids … you know, all the different demands, the busy schedules. The American form of dating is not in the Bible. [The American form of dating is]: [You] Date, [You] get to know the person, and [Then You] get married. In the Bible, you don’t find dating to marry; what you find is marrying date. That is the opposite of the American form of dating. Many marriages in the Bible were arranged; the parents decided who you married. It was almost like falling in love after you [got] married. And you know … Why? Because the understanding was that marriage was supposed to build the relationship, not kill [The relationship]. Jesus says, “Do your first works over again. Do the things [that you did at first] that were relationship-driven and not programmatically driven.”

FAITH APPEAL, CALL to ACTION and ALTAR CALL

God saved us for a relationship … We must not allow the church program and activity to get in the way. Jesus says, “I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand [out of its] place—unless you repent.” In other words, “Jesus is not coming to your church.” I hope you know there are churches Jesus doesn’t go to because He doesn’t want to come to see our programs and activities. Jesus wants to see folks who want to be with Him [Folks who love Him]… a relationship, not just a performance and program.

Relationships are powerful. In business, a relationship is powerful because it is who you know. If a relationship is powerful among men, how much more [powerful] with God? God says He wants a relationship, not just the church’s programs and activities. And I like what Jesus says at the end of verse 7. He says, [Watch This] “To him who overcomes …” “To the one who overcomes,” He says, “I have something special for you.” We can talk and be more intimate, and you will hear from Jesus because while other churches are doing programs and activities, you and Jesus [Will] have an intimate fellowship and relationship!”

And so, as we close this message, I will leave you with these questions: What kind of Christian Are You? Are you coming to church on Sunday because it is Sunday, or are you coming to church to meet with other folks who are meeting with Jesus, our Lord and Savior? God bless you.

Many [A lot of] people can listen to Christian messages and never have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who is the center of that message. You and I are sinners, and we cannot save ourselves. So, God [came up with] a plan to provide salvation for us for free. God sent Jesus Christ, His Son, to die on the cross as our substitute, validating His purpose by raising Jesus from the dead. And so, all you must do right now is to come to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and the gift of eternal life, and He will give it to you for free. God will give it to you if you come to Jesus believing in Him to forgive your sins because God has already made provision through the death and resurrection of Christ. You have to accept this provision personally, and when you do, you are born again and get to start life all over again. So, I encourage you to respond by receiving Christ into your life. If you are here today and need prayer because you are going through a lot [maybe you are dealing with a difficult situation that is weighing you down], please come forward so we can pray for you. Let’s stand on our feet, everyone.

BENEDICTION [CLOSING PRAYER]

Let us pray.

Thank you, Father, for the power of Your Word that is full of truth. We thank you for the letter to the church, to our church, to us, that reminds us of the fire, the flames of love for Christ. May we be a church lost in wonder, love, praise, and service to our Christ Jesus. And now, Lord, we ask that You grant us grace in this New Year to be the people and [Church] You want us to be. The Spirit shines bright in our hearts and is the source of that love we must produce. I pray that You cultivate that love in us so that we might, instead of leaving our first love, find that first love constantly increasing into a maximum love for our Christ Jesus. Lord, make us faithful to love for Christ’s sake. In His name, we pray. And everyone says, “Amen.”

God bless you. We will see you next week at 10:30 a.m.