Left Your First Love

The Seven Churches

These churches and their problems are a picture of what a local church is today

all churches more than likely is represented by one or more of the problems of seven

some have made these seven as a prophecy of seven time periods that the church has gone through

starting with the infant church of Ephesus

ending with the apostate church of Laodicea

which is represented by the church in todays world

most of these churches had a problem that Jesus wanted them to fix and repent of

So, Jesus is telling John to write to the angel of this church

the messenger if you look at V 2 you will see that the messenger is a part of the church

V 4 Jesus has something He has against him

a heavenly angel would be a separate being than the church membership

some believe this is the pastor of the church

some believe this is the messenger that came and got the letter from John on the island

To the

Church At Ephesus

this is one of the more famous early churches

both Paul and John was there also Timothy was the pastor there at one time

Pauls epistle to the Ephesians

this city was a crossroads of trade

routs

the wonder of the world the temple to Diana was there

every church starts with a description of Jesus

we have already discussed most of these

V 2 I know your deeds

Jesus is very involved with His people and how His church is doing and functioning

V 2 Jesus giving his approval of the deeds that are done well

V 3

there are many good works that this church is known for

their theology is top notch

they can spot a false teacher at 1000 yards

you have persevered through many hardships and trials

V 4

But

remember what you was like when you were first saved

remember how you loved Me

you was giddy in love of Me

telling everyone

your praises were about me

you have left your first love

you have replaced your love for me with other great things but not as great as loving Me

love is a verb it is something that we do

love is also a feeling - we feel love for someone

doing something because of love sometimes becomes a duty

the motive for doing it has changed

V 4 you have left the love you had for Me has been replaced

you have divorced, abandoned the love you used to have

the bond we have with Jesus is a relationship

and it was turned into a duty

1 Kings 11:4 LSB

Now it happened at the time that Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

Mary and Martha

Mart was sitting at the Lords feet listening

Martha was busy serving

Our love should be Godward then to the service toward man

Philippians 1:8–10 LSB

For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in full knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and without fault until the day of Christ,

Paul wants their love to get bigger and still have knowledge and discernment

the Ephesians neglected their love for the duty of discernment and theology

Therefore

V 5

remember from where you have fallen

repent turn away and go the other direction

do Love me like you used to

the quantity of the works these people had

what was wrong was their motivation

duty or love

if not the light will be removed

you will become an organization instead of a church

you will continue to do things right but with a wrong motivation

the Light of Jesus will be put out

unless you repent

V 6

going back to something good

Nicolaitans

there is only speculation to who these people are

but Jesus hates them and so does the Ephesians

whoever they are they are satanic and wants to destroy the church

He who has an ear

V 7

this phrase has been said by Jesus multiple times

this is referring to regeneration

a non regenerated person will not hear or want to hear

this is the Holy Spirit talking to the Churches

is the Holy Spirit talking to you today

is the Spirit causing your conciense to be stirred by the teaching that Jesus is telling this church?

what is your motivation?

Jesus is speaking to the church as a whole but He is also speaking to individuals

The church as a whole was not loving the Lord as they should which as a whole needed to turn and do

but even if the church as a whole is wrong. that does not mean the individual should go along with the rest

he who has an ear - do it