The Love We Used to Have

The Love We Used to Have Revelation 2:1-7 February 14, 2021 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’ 6 Why these 7 churches? How do we interpret and apply these verses? What do we know about Ephesus? TIMELESS TRUTHS FOR OUR LIVES o Agape Love is a conscious choice we must make each day. Have you chosen to love God with all you are, today? o The actions of our lives matter and deserve our constant attention and discipline, but unless they flow from hearts that are aware of God’s great love for us responding in the same kind of love, we are simply going through the motions of a relationship. o Jesus is the Lord of the churches and He will discipline unrepentant churches by diminishing their effectiveness and witness or even causing them to cease to exist. The Lord’s discipline comes from His jealousy for His Name to be made known and glorified and His commitment to our sanctification. o Jesus’ Challenge to His People Remains: The Big Idea: Churches and the believers who fill them must daily choose to love Christ above all others and all things. We can be doctrinally sound, busy with Kingdom things, call out evil, and live good lives, yet do it all for the wrong reasons. The way back to loving God is to remember, repent, and renew. 2 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 “ ‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent , and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 4 § § § o Remember Repent Return On this Lord’s Day (and Valentine’s Day), Examine Your Heart: § Are you guarding it? Proverbs 4:23 § Have you given your heart to the Lord? Proverbs 23:26 § Are you living from a grateful heart? Psalm 9:1 § Do you daily allow God’s Word to examine your heart? Hebrews 4:12