REVELATION 2:1-5
FIRST LOVE
INTRO:
A. John had been banished to the Island of Patmos and while there he was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit while worshiping God.
a. Being overshadowed by the Holy Spirit he was shown things which must shortly take place.
b. I do not have time to elaborate on those things but only mention them in the beginning of this message as John mentions them in the beginning of his.
c. Before showing John the things which must shortly take place he saw a vision of the risen Lord.
d. In that vision he saw seven golden candle sticks which represents the seven ages or dispensations of the church age.
e. John was then given a message to each of these seven churches.
f. It is to the first message that I called your attention too and especially verse 4 where the risen Lord told the church of Ephesus that He had something against them because, “you have left your first love.”
B. I am not going to speak to you about leaving anything but call your attention to two words from that charge against this church.
a. Those two words are first love.
b. Love is defined as a deep affection for someone or something.
1. It also carries the thought of being attached to and devoted to that person or something.
c. The situation before us it is love to and from God that the Risen Savior is talking about.
d. It is a love that no human love can compare with.
e. I want to note with you some things about first love.
I. What is first love?
A. To understand this we need to look at the word first.
a. First means, preceding all others, ranking before and above all others, foremost, before any other person or thing.
b. Thus the word first carries the thought of nothing before.
B. In Genesis 1:1 we read these words, “In the beginning God.
a. This suggests that God is first that there is nothing or anyone before Him.
b. Then in I John 4:8 we read where John says God is love.
c. Now if there is no one or anything before God and God is love then love is first.
d. Thus John is talking about God’s love as first.
C. This means God loved us first and that these people at one time loved God first that is more than anyone or anything.
1. First love comes from God for it is He who loved us first.
a. In one of the old hymn books is a song that talks about:
b. The grandest theme thro’ the ages sung the
grandest theme for a mortal tongue tis the
grandest thing that the world e’er sung.
b. I say to you the grandest theme in God’s entire domain is His unfathomable, indescribable, un-matchless love.
c. This is the love John calls first love.
D. But what John is really talking about is the leaving of the love they had for God through Jesus Christ.
a. This love came when one created a relationship with Jesus through repentance of sin.
b. At first there was nothing to compare with the love they had with this creation.
c. But something happened and love faded into the background thus the first love was gone.
d. Maintaining anything is important, for to neglect anything it will soon fade away.
e. Our love for God and His love for us is the most important thing we have and should be maintained at all cost.
E. Notice John said they had, “left their first love”
a. Now whether the leaving of first love was intentional or unintentional they left it and consequently lost it.
b. They could have gotten so involved in church work doing the things that are right and just drifted away no one knows.
c. The point I am trying to make is that we need to be careful lest we become too busy that we leave our first love which is God’s love for us and our love to Him.
II. LOVE IS A RELATIONSHIP
A. It is not just a relationship but real love in an intimate relationship.
a. The word intimate carries the thought of close deep and private relationship.
b. It is a personal relationship that no one or nothing else shares or has any part in or of.
c. This intimate relationship I am talking about becomes deeper and more precious as time goes by.
B. God wants to have and share an intimate relationship with you and me.
a. The kind of relationship God wants with each of us is suggested to us in Revelation 3:20 where He tells the church at Laodicea that He stands at the door and knocks and promises that if anyone would open the door He would come in and dine with them and they could dine with Him.
b. What He is actually saying is He will partake of their love and then share His love with them.
c. Oh what a blessed opportunity is offered to mankind in this blessed promise.
C. But love is not just an intimate relationship it is a romantic relationship.
a. Romance is a wonderful thing that is really shared between two people.
b. God wants to have a romantic relationship with us.
c. The Song of Solomon is actually a book of romantic lyrics about God’s romantic love for us.
d. Read it and think of it in terms of God’s romantic words to you describing the kind of relationship He wants to have with you.
e. For my friend you are God’s beloved.
f. The word beloved is mentioned 111 times in the Bible with 31 of them in the Song of Solomon.
1. An often marriage fall apart and ends in divorce because the romance was lost amidst all the hustle and bustle of live.
a. Of all things that are of most important our romantic relationship with God must be kept alive and throbbing with passion.
b. It is a sad event when the romance between two people is lost, but even more so when one’s romance with God has been lost.
c. Beloved at all cost do not lose you romantic relationship with God.
D. Love is a relationship of service
a. Service is the giving of your-self to others but most importantly to God.
b. With first love intact one becomes a love servant for God.
c. Things are done for God because as Paul said in II Corinthians 5:14, “The love of Christ constrains me.”
d. That is Christ love for me and my love for Him draws us tight and holds close.
e. It is like holding a husband, wife or child close to the bosom.
f. When that is done the possibility of leaving, thus losing one’s first love is lessoned.
g. The possibility is there but the probability is not too likely.
III. FIRST LOVE IS VULNERABLE
A. It needs to be protected reinforced.
a. Paul in Romans 12:1-2 gives us some hints as to how this first love can be both protected and reinforced.
b. Notice he says, “I beseech,” (beg plead with you)brethren that you:
1. First present (that is hand over your lives to God)
a. This is simply committing ourselves to God’s care the handing over of the reins of our life to God and allowing Him to direct it.
2. Second do not be conformed to this world
a. The word conform carries the thought of being controlled by something.
b. The Holy Spirit through the pen of Paul pleads with us to not be conformed to the things of this world.
c. In other words do not let the things of this world be the controlling factor of your life but rather be more Godly minded than pleasure minded.
d. He tells us in the next phrase to be:
3. Transformed by the renewing of your mind.
a. That is to convert in such a way that the change is noted by everyone we come in contact with.
b. Paul goes on and gives the reason for his plea to not be conformed to this world, but be transformed that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
c. Another reason we need a new mind set is that we will be able to detect anything that would endeavor to draw us away from Christ and cause us to pull back thus leave our first love.
d. Let’s resolve, that is purpose in our heart to not be moved from our first love.
B. What about your first love, where does it lay?
a. Do you love God, Jesus and the things of God as much or more than when you first fell in love with Him?
b. If not why?
c. Do you still get excited when it’s time to come to church and worship with God’s wonderful people?
d. If not why?
