Living in the Last Days (3)

Lost that Lovin’ Feeling

Revelation 2:1-7

I. Intro

Have you ever been in a relationship or marriage where there was so much love and excitement in the beginning, but as time went on, you grew apart and lost the love you once had. This is the situation the church in Ephesus was going through. They started out on fire for God, but over time, that fire began to fade. Maybe some of you can relate to the Ephesians. There is no shame admitting that you don’t have the same fire for God you once had. In chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation, Jesus-through the Apostle John-sends messages to seven churches in Asia Minor, which is now western Turkey. As we begin this journey through the seven churches, I want you to take it seriously. I want you to really search your soul, and figure out which of the seven churches best represents you individually, and which of the seven churches best represents our church as a whole. These seven churches are significant in several ways. First, they were actual churches in the cities mentioned, but they were not the most prominent churches of their day. Only two of these seven churches are even mentioned in the NT. They are the churches at Ephesus and the church at Laodecia. Next, these churches represent seven spiritual conditions that will remain true of churches until Jesus returns. So you need to discover which of these churches is most like your church. Also, they represent seven kinds of Christians-one of which is much like you and me. The first church Jesus mentions is Ephesus. The characteristic of this church reveal what to do when you’ve lost that lovin’ feeling. Only the Head of the church, Jesus Christ, can accurately inspect each church and know its true condition, because He sees the internals, not the externals. In these special messages, the Lord gave these churches a special “X-Ray” of its condition. But He intended for every church to read and benefit from all the messages. The Lord was not only speaking to churches, but to individuals as well, this is where you and I come in. ‘He that hath an ear let him hear.’ Churches are made up of individuals, and it is individuals who determine the spiritual life of the assembly. So, while reading these messages, we must apply them personally as we examine our hearts. Finally, we must keep in mind that John was a pastor at heart, seeking to encourage these churches during a difficult time of persecution. A purified church need never fear the attacks of Satan or men. G. Campbell Morgan wrote, “It is a remarkable thing, that the church of Christ persecuted has been the church of Christ pure. The church of Christ patronized has always been the church of Christ impure.”

II. Recognize the Condition

1. The first step to solving any problem is admitting you have a problem. The Lord Jesus tells John: ‘Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write.’ As mentioned last week, the word translated ‘angel’ means messenger and probably refers to the pastor of the church. In the 1st century, Ephesus was much like New York City today. It was one of the largest and most prominent cities of the ancient world, with an estimated population of at least 250,000. Ephesus was a world-famous seaport city, making it a mecca for trade. It was also the location of the temple of Artemis (Diana), one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Ephesus was a huge, prosperous, idolatrous, and immoral city. To this church, Jesus identifies Himself: These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand.It is through the pastor that the light of God’s Word is to be delivered to the churches. Jesus says He walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. In the person of the Holy Spirit, Jesus walks among his churches, examining and evaluating them. Our Lord commends the church at Ephesus for several things: their labour (hard wok), their patience, their intolerance of those who are evil, and their identification of false apostles. They also rejected the deeds of the Nicoolaitians, who practiced idolatry and sexual immorality. False teachers were a problem in the Ephesian church, just as Paul had predicted to the Ephesian elders some 40 years earlier. Acts 20:30 “Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” The church at Ephesus looked great from the outside, but the keen, penetrating, and flaming eyes of our Lord finds fault. Therefore, He says He holds something against them. ‘Thou hast left thy first love.’ It has been about 40 years since Paul established this church, then spent about 3 years leading it. Most of the church are now second generation believers. Though they have retained their true doctrine, and have continued working hard in the church, they have left their first love- Christ. In other words, they are doing the same things, but not because of their love for Christ; it is all mechanical and habitual. Jesus describes this condition in Matthew 15:8. “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.” Sometimes it is easy to go through the motions of serving the Lord. You can go to Bible Study every week, attend worship service, every church function, choir practice, tithe, and even teach a Bible class. Yet, it may all be a religious show. Jesus gives us a warning this in Matthew 6:1 “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.” If you feel that you may have lost that lovin feeling, first recognize the condition, and then.....

III. Remember when you first believed

What is “first love”? It is the devotion to Christ that so often characterizes the new believer:fervent, personal, uninhibited, excited and openly displayed. It is the “honeymoon love” of a husband and wife. While it is true that mature married love deepens and grows richer, it is also true that it should never lose the excitement and wonder of those “ honeymoon days”. When a husband and a wife begin to take each other for granted, and life becomes routine, then the marriage is in danger. The Ephesian believers were so busy maintaining their separation, that they were neglecting adoration. Labor is no substitute for love; neither is purity a substitute for passion. The church must have both if it is to please Him. By reading Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, you will discover at least 20 references to love. But the Ephesian Church had fallen and was not living up to it’s heavenly position in Christ. It is only as we love Christ fervently that we can serve him faithfully. Our love for him must be pure. Jesus says to the Ephesian Church,”Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen.” Forgetfulness is often the cause of losing your first love. Remember when you first believed? You were so excited and passionate about your savior. Remember when your prayer time was always uplifting? Remember when you couldn’t wait to go to worship services because you were so encouraged and refreshed every time? The Lord knows how forgetful we are. That’s why Jesus gave us the Lord’s Supper. After taking the bread and praying, Jesus gives it to his disciples. As He does this He says ‘do this in remembrance of me.’ Luke 22:19 “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.” I didn’t grow up attending church. I vividly remember the first Lord’s Supper I participated in. The pastor, Adrian Jordan, did an outstanding job-as he quoted the words of Jesus before serving. I was so moved, I was trembling. I also remember a seminary class in church history in which the professor told about Martin Luther leading his first Lord’s Supper. Luther was so moved and overwhelmed he began to tremble and another priest had to step in and take over the service. What about you? Are you still moved by things in church that used to touch you? The book of Hebrews tells us to call to remembrance the former days. Hebrews 10:32 “But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions” If you have lost that lovin feeling, recognize the condition, remember when you first believed, and.....

IV. Repent and Return

Jesus says it like this, ‘repent, and do the first works.’ The word translated ‘repent’ (metanoeo) means a change of mind followed by a change of behaviour. It is a change for the better. To repent means we confess and forsake our sin of just “playing church” or mechanically serving the Lord. We must rededicate our lives to our first love-Jesus Christ-asking God to reignite our spiritual passion. We need to tell the Lord we want our “spiritual honeymoon” with Him to never end. Basically we need to pray the prayer King David recorded in Psalms 51:12 “ Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with thy free spirit.” Jesus also gives us a stern warning to those who refuse to repent of forsaking their first love. He says, “Or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of this place, except thou repent.” This means the church would cease to be a church. The church in Ephesus evidently did not heed Jesus’ warning. The city of Ephesus today is nothing but ruins, and the immediate area is uninhabited. The candlestick has been removed. The future of our individual churches, as well as the churches as a whole, depends on our being faithful to our first love, Jesus Christ.

V. Conclusion

In conclusion, our Lord says, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” In a broad sense, what the Spirit saith is what is written in the Bible. 2 Peter 1:21 “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” The Bible is the result of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. That’s why the Bible says in 2 Tim. 3:16 ‘All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.’ The Bible-all of it-is inspired by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Bible IS what the Spirit saith. Jesus concludes His words to the church at Ephesus by saying, “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 tree of life is first mentioned as being in the Garden of Eden and last referred to as a part of the New Jerusalem. It represents eternal life. ‘Him that overcometh’ refers to all true Christians. John expresses this fact in 1 John 5:4 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” One of the seven churches represents you. Is it the church at Ephesus? If so, you’ve lost that lovin feelin. Therefore, recognize the condition, remember when you first believed, then repent and return.