Have You Lost Your First Love?

Nicolas the leader had first been a ‘pagan. Some think Nicolas is the same man who appears to convert to Christianity in Acts 6:5 Pagans were of the world; they were of those who were born or Paganism which had its root in the pre-Abrahamic religions of Balaam. They taught the doctrine of Balaam. In their doctrines, they taught a mixture of the Occult, Judaism, and Christianity – all at the same time. Two major issues were related to the Nicolaitans, sexual immorality and the worship of idols.

Now the church could not bear evil, they tested and found false apostles to be liars. They hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans. Nevertheless, God told them that they had lost their first love.

While I sat there in Ephesus, I saw it. A prosperous port city, Paul trains church leaders and missionaries in this city they become a powerful church, protecting their doctrine. That is, it. The doctrine has become important. Instead of loving God and people, the institution has more value. Something like our churches today. The name of the institution or church becomes important. The sinner can bring disrepute to the brand so throw the sinner and his sin out.

Luke 15 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

What is the first commandment?

Matthew 22:34-40 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

In Luke 15 the loss of the sheep is the shepherd’s loss. He leaves the 99 to find the one. For many of us, the amount of people has become the most important. Our success is based on how large our congregation is. We must protect the masses from the damage one person can bring to the whole. There are many good arguments why? Probably one of the best is because we might suffer a loss of income if the masses accuse us of eating with the sinner. The sinner may bring disrepute to our name.

“You have lost your first love,” God says to the Ephesian church.