Our Love

Introduction: Love is the biggest aspect of every human life. It starts when we are born, and we had that parent or person in our life who gave us unconditional love for us a newborn baby. Love grows for that child as he cleaves to his parent and strives to be like his father. Love is what allows us to say, “til death do us part” to that one special person. Love is in so many songs, books, and films. 60% of songs in the past 10 years have been labeled love songs. Romance novels make up almost 20% of all profits on every book published in the world. Love. Is. Everywhere!

What is Love?

God is Love

- Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Love is Everlasting

- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

God cannot Negate his Love

- My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Love, although it’s amazing, has been perverted to what God created it for. The Love that God had to form the world and to breathe life into man is completely different from what the world would view it as. That perversion of love has crept into every aspect of our life. Whether is the workplace, television, schools, and even sometimes in the church, love is not what is once was. Christians here today, how is our Love?

Talk about

Read

Revelation 2:1–7 KJV 1900

1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.2-3

Here in the beginning of , Jesus decides to talk to John about the church of Ephesus first! Why is this? I believe it has to do with the subject of why he was addressing this church first.

Here in the beginning of , Jesus decides to talk to John about the church of Ephesus first! Why is this? I believe it has to do with the subject of why he was addressing this church first.

Here in the beginning of , Jesus decides to talk to John about the church of Ephesus first!

Church of Ephesus had

Church of Ephesus had lost their first love. This love is referring to the wonder and admiration for the Lord when they were first saved. They no longer had this as their motivation for their service to God.

We love to use Bible stories to show how awful those people were back then; but we must understand we struggle with the same things today.

Maybe you are here, and you realize you have lost your first love.

Leaving our First Love Makes us Apathetic Towards the Things of God

Apathy is

Towards the Things of God

- Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

We know what we’re supposed to do as Christians, but we fail to do it because we just don’t care enough to do it.

- But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

We had faith to believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, but today we do not have faith in him to answer our simple prayers if we even asked to begin with.

Life happens. You get busy with work, with kids, with bills, and all these other things. We lose sight of the reason why we are here.

Those of you who were recently saved: Maybe your starting to feel that monotony of life that now overshadows the joy you once had coming here after you were recently saved. What was it that did this? You were so excited about being saved, yous tarted to come to church faithfully, and know a few years have passed, and it seems: Is this it? Just coming to church and being involved in a few things throughout the year and then living life until we go to Heaven.

Towards other people

It may seem that way, but we must realize that the Christian life is a marathon, not a sprint.

We often focus on the Justification aspect of our Christian life more than we do the Sanctification.

Justification is amazing! It allowed Jesus to become the receiver of my sins and because of his perfect sacrifice I am now viewed as perfect in the eyes of God to enter Heaven. But that was a one time occurence.

Sanctification is amazing as well!. It’s the process of becoming holy, and that is definitely not a short goal. It is a constant process that takes years! If we focus on sanctification, it hones in on every aspect of our life.

Leaving our First Love Changes our way of Thinking

We begin to let ourselves deteriorate: Physically, emotionally, spiritually

- I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

We see that Christian service is our reasonable service, meaning: That’s the least we should do!

We begin to look at Christianity as a whole like a religion instead of a relationship

The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

We begin to look at Christianity as a whole like a religion instead of a relationship

Marriage example: I’m not married, but I have seen many married couples. And if you’ve known them long enough, things begin to be different then how it first started out.

You see, we use to come to church to learn from God and to fellowship with others

Now it seems we come so nobody talks gossip about us never coming to church even though we really do not want to

We used to do bus ministry to see souls saved and help them grow in Christ

Now we do it because we don’t want anyone calling us a failure for not going or letting our section die

We used to do Sunday School to try and instill Biblical knowledge to whoever we were teaching to

Now it’s something we’re thinking of last minute as we head to our class wondering how to keep the kids attention for 45 minutes.

There are times when it does become duty

There are times when it does become duty

For my life, it has and I think that eventually it will again

For my life, it has and I think that eventually it will again

There were times even while writing this sermon I thought, “I have to do this a minimum of 3 times a week for the rest of my life.” That doesn’t even include the other things pastors do the entire rest of the week like visiting people and taking care of problems.

There were times even while writing this sermon I thought, “I have to do this a minimum of 3 times a week for the rest of my life.” That doesn’t even include the other things pastors do the entire rest of the week like visiting people and taking care of problems.

Having a dutiful mindset happens, but don’t let it linger

The church of Ephesus was faithful in everything they did. They had the right doctrine

Leaving our First Love Makes us Lose Sight of the Goal

What is the goal of the Christian life?

- Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

The Great Commission

We become uncaring of others

We become uncaring of others and their misfortune

There have been many people with great salvation testimonies of a life full of sin and heartache, and to see them come to Christ is amazing.

Leaving our First Love Makes us Lose Sight of the Goal

Our church today: What is our goal as a church