“Recapturing the Church’s First Love”
By
District Elder M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
SCRIPTURES: Revelation 2:1-7 “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; 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: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 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. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 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”.
We understand that the Book of Revelation is the book of (7) sevens. The numbers 7 is mentioned in Revelation more than any other book in the Bible and because of this it is the most mentioned number in the Bible. The number 7 we call God’s number it represents perfection.
OPENING:- I heard a story about a preacher and one of his counseling sessions. This preacher received a call from a lady he never met before and she wanted to set up a counseling session with him. The preacher thought about it and agreed to speak with the lady. On the day of the counseling session this lady walked into his office and said "Preacher, you’ll be shocked by my story." He assured her that he wouldn’t be because after 25 years of preaching and counseling, he thought he had heard almost everything.
She started the session by saying with such dire emotion, I hate my husband. I hate the way he looks. He has gotten fat, doesn’t take care of himself. I hate the way he sounds. He slurps his food, drags the fork across his teeth, and chews with his mouth open. I hate the way he brushes his teeth. He squeezes the tooth paste from the top of the tube instead of the bottom. He snores at night, pulls all the covers off of me, makes all kinds of noises and even sucks his teeth. I just don’t love him anymore! She went on with a long list of other reasons why she hated her husband so emphatically for quite sometime.
The preacher was shocked. He had heard it all before, but never quite as bluntly and with such sincerity as she was putting it. The preacher caringly asked the lady Has it always been that way? After a moment of silence there came a little glimmer in her eyes and a trace of a smile on her face. She then looked at the preacher and said No, It hasn’t always been this way. He used to be kind, gentle, and sensitive. I can remember how romantic he was when we were dating opening the car door everytime I go in or out. I remember the intimate conversations, the soft music the candlelight dinners. I remember walks in the park on cool crisp nights. I remember a wonderful wedding and an awesome honeymoon. I remember those early years when we were struggling together raising children trying to find enough money to pay our bills. She looked at the preacher smiled and said there were some good times. There was a time when we were very much in love.
The preacher smiled and looked at the lady and said ma’am you don’t hate your husband although you don’t like some of the things he does; however, your problem is simple you’ve lost your first love. He gave the lady this advice Recapture your first Love and I guarantee you that you will fall in love all over again.
GOOD ADVICE - HOWEVER
Sadly modern society and this new age of thinking tells us that we ought to be happy and if you’re not happy, then just walk away from whatever is making you unhappy. Therefore we have the highest divorce rate in history because now we simply have thousands of people walking away from their marriages because they’re not as happy as they think that they ought to be and it’s easier to walk from then it is to work for.
The same is true of our jobs. Most of us began our jobs with high ideals, great enthusiasm, expectations, tenacity, and vigor. However, somewhere during our time on the job the work began to be mundane, we began to find fault with those we worked with and the job became just something we do to get a paycheck. The wonderful feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment was gone and all the excitement was faded away just like a child’s Christmas toy a few weeks after Christmas. What has happened is we simply lost the love we had for the job at first.
The saddest example of lost love is when an individual or church loses their love for God. We find in our text letters written to the seven churches in Asia.
We must understand that these letters are direct letters from God to the churches by way of the Apostle John. We understand that these (7) letters to these seven (7) churches deal with the seven (7) ages of the church. Starting with the Apostolic church or 1st first church (NOT DENOMINATION) to the Apostate church the last church the Laodicean Church, which is the age of the church we are in today.
We understand the number 7 is God’s number and represents perfection, so here God is perfectly speaking to the church and He gives a perfect warning – he that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit sayeth unto the church.
We must understand people of God that these (7) seven letters have a 3 fold meaning.
1. They have a contemporary meaning – meaning they dealt with the church of that day. These are actual churches that were around in that day and time.
2. They have a composite meaning – meaning they represent all churches of all the church ages.
3. They have a chronological meaning – they give a vision of how the church was and how is has declined from it’s inception up to the point it is today.
Let’s take a look at this very tragic and sad condition that the church has fallen into. We are not going to deal with all of them today, but we will look at the first (7) seven verses. These first seven (7) verses describe a church that once was alive and enthusiastic about the things of God. It was the Apostolic church – the first church – not a denomination or organization, but the organism built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone];.
TEXT: - The Bible says Revelation 2:1-3 “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus (talking about the pastor); write These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks (this is Jesus Christ Himself); 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: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted” WATCH THIS:- Jesus first gives commendation before He gives condemnation. After identifying Himself to the Ephesians, Jesus begins His letter by informing the church that He knew their works, both collectively and individually. He knew their attitudes, thoughts, desires, and goals. He knows everything about them. He knew their hearts better than they did, just as He knows yours and mine today. He tells them He was aware of everything they had gone through how they had endured much persecution, suffering and agony because of apostasy and prejudice. He knew of their determination in standing for the truth and what a labor it was to endure, though they never gave in to weariness. He then mentions how they had rejected false leaders and their deceptions. They would not listen to those who tried to pervert the truth and change doctrine, and they stood fast in opposing them that they found to be liars. He knew how hard they tried to keep the laws and principles of the truth that the true apostles had taught them. I guess you can say this was a dynamic church. This church was a devoted church. This church was a determined church. This church was a disciplined church. This church believed in holiness, so you could call this a holiness church. They were not an anything goes church they cared about wholesomeness in the pulpit and unadulterated Biblical doctrine. For all of these things, Christ commended them.
YET in verse 4 Jesus says “Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love”, in other words, I got a problem with you, you no longer have your first love, the desire that you first had has gone, the flame has gone out. O Zion what’s the matter now. God said tell them I have this against them they have left their first love. If man says he has something against you we normally just shake it off, but when God Himself says He holds something against you watch out you better take heed.
Somebody might say what was going on – well - Some one once said that familiarity breeds contempt. If it is not contempt, often that which becomes familiar to us, we take for granted. This can be harmful in relationships when the passion is lost and then the relationship is basically taken for granted. This is exactly what happened with the lady in the beginning of this message. Her and her husband had become so familiar with each other that they took each other for granted and because of this taking for granted contemptment set in.
Well the church of Ephesus got familiar with its relationship with God and contempt set in. God said to the church of Ephesus you used to do all these things and I love that about you, but I got to tell you that lately you have just been taking me for granted you don’t do the things you used to do. You don’t have the desire that you used to have. You have lost your first love. Sure you are going through the motions but your heart just isn’t in it anymore.
Someone may ask the question why is first love so important. Well understand people of God that First love is the purest kind of spiritual love we as humans can demonstrate. It is a love that truly shows one’s heart is completely given to God and that we have in fact surrendered all. First love is a special kind of love. First love is a life changing love. When you loose the first love yet you go through the motion you simply become a sounding brass and tinkling cymbal.
1st Corinthians 13:1 says “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity (which is LOVE), I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal’. In other words they went through the motion, but the love was not deep down in their hearts. Many of people have ended up in abusive relationships or worse because they lost that first love that simply changed their lives and they just went through the motions trying to replace what they lost with this or that only to end up a shell of what they once were.
Today many of the church are in the same condition. Outwardly, things look well, but inwardly, the heart no longer is filled with love for Jesus. They may go through the motion trying to act like everything is alright, trying to replace that which they have lost with ritualistic emotionalism, trying live the so-called Christian life without being filled with love for Jesus will soon cause you to wind up empty and just a shell of what God intends for you to have and be. O Zion what’s the matter now. You don’t pray like you use to pray, what’s the matter now. You don’t sing like you used to sing, what’s the matter now. You can’t get folks out to service on Wednesday night for Bible class because they say they are to busy and have too much going on. Can’t get folks to come to Prayer meeting saying I just don’t have the time. Pastor calls a shut-in people began to mumble and complain what in the world are they trying to do trying to make us stay in church all night long, I gotta get my sleep. Don’t have to go to work the next day or anything like that, but just don’t want to do it. They want the church to grow, but don’t have the love to invest in people and see the kingdom grow. They have become so familiar with church that they just go through the motion. They show up for church on Sunday morning because they’re used to it, but their heart is not in it. How can you say that preacher you don’t know what’s in their heart, but I can tell the love is not there because service starts at 11:00 and they come strolling in at 12:15 talking about I got the love of Jesus – GIVE ME A BREAK - O Zion what’s the matter know.
When we first got saved it was just like dating in the beginning. We expressed our first love by diligently obeying all we learned. We may not have understood it all but we did it because I was in love. There were rules that had nothing to do with salvation and when we look back upon them today we understand that they were just traditions and rudiments of men, but because we had the love, that first love, deep down in our hearts we did it. If the church said don’t drink coffee even though coffee has nothing to do with salvation because I had the first love I didn’t drink coffee.
But now we can’t even get people to stand together if they come to church at all and read the Bible collectively. O Zion what’s the matter now. When we first got saved we took great strides to study, fast, pray and meditate regularly, giving up valuable time we had once used for our recreation to do whatever we wanted to do, but now O Zion we have time for everything else but God.
When we first got save we would take our Bible to work or school and dare anyone to say a word against it. We fought to have Christmas and Easter off and celebrated with respect and dignity, but now the work place doesn’t even know you go to church more-less that you are saved – O Zion what’s the matter now.
When we first got saved we tithed regularly, but now we want to complain and say I don’t know why I have to give that man my hard earned money. See we became familiar with our relationship with God and pushed to the back of our minds God’s word when He said will a man rob God and bring your tithes that the storehouse may be full.
When we first fell in love we hungered for God’s Word and could never get enough of the Bible we would have small Bible groups and prayer groups on days that we didn’t have church, but now your Bible sits in the rack on the back of the pew in front of you until next Sunday – that way you always know right where it’s at O Zion what’s the matter now.
When we first fell in love we had love for and faith in the ministers God sent to us, seeing them as helpers of our joy and helping us grow in grace – but now we think if the preacher doesn’t say what makes me feel good or shows me how to make a million dollars or if he preaches a message and in that message a word of rebuke or correction hits you, we want to say he is just some jack-legged preacher.
When we first fell in love we did everything we could to overcome every little sin we found, not wanting to disappoint the church or God in the least matter – but now if we disappoint the church we say they’re not my parents and disappointing God we simply say Lord You Know.
When we first fell in love we had pure faith in God’s purpose, both for mankind as a whole and for us as individuals – but now if someone is different in any aspect as we are, if they don’t baptize in Jesus name like we do, but baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost we don’t want to fellowship with them and have nerve to say that they don’t have anything – O Zion what’s the matter now. When we first fell in love we were very serious about our calling we told everyone we came in contact with “How great is our God” – but now we hardly ever mention the name of Jesus outside the church walls.
Our first love was a wonderful thing to behold—true devotion and dedication to God, manifested by a zeal like no other, we strived with every fiber of our being to conform to God’s will.
When we first fell in love we would be the first to come to church and the last to leave making sure every fan was picked up, the tambourines were placed on the back bench, and every piece of paper was off the floor. We outwardly loved God and trusted Him. He was always in our thoughts and we expressed it in our actions. But O Zion what’s the matter now.
We have lost our first love. I remember a song we used to sing we don’t sing it anymore, but the words of the song were “Take me back take me back dear Lord to the place were I first received you Take me back Take me back dear Lord Where I first believed - Renew my strength, restore my joy”. In other words Lord help me to recapture my first love.
WATCH THIS: - WHAT A MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE: - After the first love was lost God yet in still gives us guidance on how to recapture what we have lost.
Verse 5 – The number 5 represents God’s Grace – verse 5 says “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”. The number 3 represents fullness and completeness – Father, Son, Holy Ghost – Death, Burial, Resurrection, Spirit, Soul, Body. Well here is God’s Grace Completely.
God told them 3 things they had to do in order not to be taken out of their place.
I. REMEMBER FROM WHERE YOU HAVE FALLEN. In other words remember what your relationship was like when you first fell in Love. Remember how you would express your love for me. Remember how you talked about me and the gleam in your eyes. Remember how just a touch of my hand would make you feel deep down on the inside. Remember when we would talk all night long. Remember how it all began. Remember that you were lost and dying in your sin. But God reached down picked you up, turned you around place your feet on solid ground. Remember when He placed a running in your feet and a clapping in your hands. Remember when you fell in love with me. Do you Remember? I heard a saying one time that Remembrance is a paradise no one can expel you from. Remember from whence you have fallen. That’s what the preacher did to the lady in the story in the beginning when he asked her had it always been this way. He wanted her to remember what it was like before and when she got to thinking about it she remembered the love. That’s what God is saying here just remember the Love that we used to have. Remember the day you fell in Love with Jesus. Remember the day you received the Holy Ghost. Remember the day your life was changed. Do you remember?
II. REPENT. Understand people of God, He wasn’t talking here to the sinner, but to the church and He said repent. Some people think the church does not have to repent, but He said in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land”. That is to the church folk Repent. People of God remember, this church of Ephesus was an Apostolic church – not denomination – it was a dynamic church alive and on fire for God, it was a church dedicated to the truth, a church determined to make heaven their home, a church disciplined not standing for anything church, it was a hand clapping, tongue talking, fire baptized church of the living God - church. This church didn’t get caught up in some scandal, the pastor didn’t have an affair with the organ player there was no embezzlement of the churches money, and the true doctrine was not compromised. There was nothing according to man that constituted a sin. All they had done was lost their first love and that is extremely dangerous. Because to have lost your first love is to have backslidden in your heart. If you loose that first love and you try going through the motions soon that will become mundane in your life and instead of having joy unspeakable and full of glory it becomes an undertaking that we just don’t want to do. Now we have no spiritual enjoyment anymore like we did when we first fell in love. We now begin to look else where trying to find something that will replace that which we don’t feel anymore. (THAT’S HOW AFFAIRS HAPPEN) Now we begin trying to fulfill that void and the devil sends all kinds of worldly amusements to attempt to fill the vacuum of the love that is lost. Soon we become critical of everything that goes on in the church saying I don’t think we need to do that or I think he preaches to long, or I don’t think I need to come to Bible class I have other things I could be doing. I’m trying to fill the void of lost Love. So God says repent, become godly sorry and turn from your wicked ways. Jesus looked at this church and said it needed to repent because going through the motions will never be enough to please God. If we are not burning with the passion of Christ we need to repent change our attitude toward Christ and fall in Love with Jesus all over again. The song said Revive us again.
III. DO THE FIRST WORKS. Jesus called for action upon the part of the church. Understand people of God love is more than just a feeling or an erotic emotions, Love demands commitment.
A marriage counselor will often tell couples who have lost the feelings of love, to do acts of kindness toward each other just like when they were first dating. They will tell them to give compliments to each other more often. They tell them to buy flowers just because you love them and you want to make them smile. WATCH THIS:- Ladies men like flowers too. Turn the television off and just go on a walk holding hands like you use to do. See the marriage counselors have figured out that couples who are willing to do the acts of first love, are often able to recapture the magic and emotions of the first love.
Jesus told this church to do the first works in-order to recapture that love that they lost. Now what could He be talking about? We got to go back as the song use to say “Let’s go way back in God”. We need to do like we use to do when we first fell in Love. We need to become faithful again. We need to rededicate ourselves again. We need to hunger to see souls saved again. We need to place God first in our lives again. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all thing things will be added unto you. We need to make church, church again and not some social club. We need preachers to preach hell, fire, and brimstone again and not just prosperity and popularity. We need to call wrong, wrong and right, right. We need to Go and tell the world that Jesus loves them. We need to come into His gates with Thanksgiving and into His court with Praise. We need to read the Word more. We need to talk to Him more. We need to think about Him more like David said meditate day and night. We need to bless the Lord at all times and keep His praise continually in our mouths. We need to make a joyful noise unto the Lord. We need to fast and pray again. We need to go back to the old land mark. We need to realize that falling in Love with Jesus was the best thing we ever done. We need to understand that in His arms we are protected and in His arms we are never disconnected. We need to stand and proclaim the name of Jesus to this untoward generation. We need to stir up the gift which is in us. We need to say like David said in Psalms 51:12 “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me [with thy] free spirit”.
O ZION WHAT’S THE MATTER NOW.
Jesus goes on to tell the church - get right or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
WATCH THIS: - the candlestick is a source of light and unless the church falls in love with Jesus all over again He will come and take the source of light out of its place. The purpose of the church is to be an influence in the community it is to be a beacon to the lost souls traveling on the sea of sin. Understand that the church building is not the church, that’s just the place we come together and worship, but the church is made up of the members you, you, you, and me. And if we don’t listen to what the Word of God is saying to the church – US – He will take us out of our place.
WATCH THIS IN CLOSING - Ephesus in this day and time was a very beautiful place. Some of the best architecture ever was found in Ephesus. The temple of Diana, which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was in Ephesus. Four white marble columns were at the entrance of this city dedicated to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, were in Ephesus. It was a place that was rich and beautiful, a metropolis of metropolisis. Yet today all that remains are ruins of what once was because they lost their first love. You don’t want the church – you, you, you, and me to be remembered as ruins of once was.
He that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit saith to the church – to you, you, you, and me.
If you fall in Love with Jesus all over again then He said you will overcome the adversary and to those that overcome - will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Is there anybody that wants to eat of the tree of life in the midst of the paradise of God then let’s Recapture the Church’s First Love.
District Elder M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
Southern Ohio
1st Assistant Pastor
O.G.C.
