First Love Christianity

Introduction

In the book of Revelation we find several direct commendations and condemnations of various local churches and their works and attitudes.

The problems and successes that are found in these scriptures are still prevalent in churches today and though these statements are addressed to a historic church they are still often seen in modern churches.

Today we will look at the portion which was addressed to the church at Ephesus. The writing first offers several commendations, but then also makes a direct accusation and then provides instruction for a course correction.

The same problem that is pointedly addressed in this writing to the believers in the church at Ephesus is still a serious problem today among many congregations.

Let us first consider...

The Commendations (Vs. 1-3)

On the surface this church was the model church there was much to be commended about their attitude and behavior in the midst of the lost world around them.

They are first commended for their works, there was no lack of activity in the church at Ephesus. They were not idle but were actively involved in serving the Lord.

They were also commended for their labour, they were striving with all their might even to the point of exhausting themselves in service to the Lord. There was no lack of effort and exertion in the church at Ephesus.

They were commended for their patience, this has to do with their steadfast endurance in the work of the Lord. The believers in the church at Ephesus would not quit and were willing to endure hardship and difficulty in service to the Lord.

They were commended for their discernment, they would not bear those who were evil. They were willing to separate themselves from those who were evil.

The believers in the church at Ephesus would try (undoubtedly by the scriptures and the teachings they had received) those who professed themselves to be messengers from God and found many to be liars.

1 John 4:1 KJV 1900

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Finally they were commended for the fact that they had not fainted, the believers in the church at Ephesus may have at times grown weary but they would not faint from the work.

Galatians 6:9 KJV 1900

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

If we concluded our reading here we would certainly assume that the Ephesian church should be lifted up as the model example for all other churches to follow.

Yet we must go on and in the very next verse we find...

The Accusation (Vs. 4)

The Ephesian church seemed to be doing everything right and was certainly a church of bustling activity and a strong doctrinal stand and yet they were not without fault.

They were doing the right things but not from the right motivation. This is an all too common problem in the lives of many believers.

So many today are doing all the right things with the right attitude, but unfortunately with the wrong motive.

The Lord says that the problem with the Ephesian church was not a doctrinal or practical error but the fact that they had left their first love.

The word left here literally means to depart from or to abandon. So the problem in the Ephesian church was that they had abandoned or departed from their first love.

The works which had at first sprang from a sincere love for Jesus Christ had now become empty and hollow as the believers in the church at Ephesus were basically now only “going through the motions” of serving Jesus Christ.

They had not ceased to do right, they were still actively serving and laboring for the Lord but their labor was no longer born out of love.

“MOTIVATION MATTERS!”

It is important what we do but it is also of the utmost importance why we do what we do.

I Corinthians 3:11-15- one day all of our works shall be tried and some will burn while some will remain

If we are honest we will readily admit that at times our service to the Lord becomes a drudgery and a burden simply because we too have left our first love.

Consider the excitement, the passion, the zeal that you had for the Lord in the days following your salvation. So often this passion fades and we begin to slip into this same pattern of work and service not motivated by love for the Lord.

How many of us today did the right thing by coming to church, but we are simply doing what is expected of us?

How many taught their class or carried out their ministry, but faced it almost as a duty rather than a privilege?

How many of us pray and read our Bible and dress right, talk right, and live right but all the while the love and passion that was once there has long since faded?

So now we have identified the problem but we must now ask “What is...

The Solution (Vs. 5)

The first instruction given is to remember what it used to be like to serve God with love and passion.

Do you remember what it was like the first time you had the opportunity to serve the Lord. Do you remember how excited you were?

Do you remember how much time and energy you put into it and yet you counted it a joy to do so?

Do you remember how the love that Christ had shown for you motivated you to give your all for Him?

The next part of the solution is repentance. Repentance is simply a turning or a changing of the mind.

Once we recognize that we have slipped into this dangerous pattern, what can we do? We must repent and turn back unto that which we have abandoned and departed from.

The final part of the solution is to return.

We must renew our love and devotion to Christ and again allow this love to be our motivation for service. When our work is borne of our love for the Lord, it will never be a drudgery but rather it will be a joy to serve Jesus.

If, when you think about Sunday, you are filled with dread and not delight it is time to repent and return to your first love!

2 Corinthians 5:14 KJV 1900

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

May it be that the love of Christ would again constrain us and that all that we do would be because of our love for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 3:17-21- rooted and grounded in love

Paul challenged the believers in Ephesus to be rooted and grounded in love just before he spoke to them of the power of God which was at work within them.

Let us repent and return to our first love if we have departed from it.

Conclusion

It is obviously not enough to simply have right attitudes and exhibit right behavior. The motivation that undergirds these things is extremely important.

If we today find ourselves simply “going through the motion”, may we repent and return to our first love.

1 John 4:19 KJV 1900

We love him, because he first loved us.

The fact is God loved us first, so much so that He was willing to send His only begotten Son to die in our place to redeem us to Himself.

Have you received the precious gift of salvation. God loves you and has done all that is necessary to secure your salvation, and now He awaits your response to His love. Will you receive His offer of salvation today or will you reject it and turn and walk away.