Lost Our First Love
ME
I love Jesus and I love being a minister of Christ. I honestly believe being a minister is the most important thing I could do on the face of the earth. I love to preach and teach God’s word and I’m glad He led me here to MVC. Honestly though, He chose a tremendously flawed person when He chose me. And he chose not particularly bright person
I probably never told you this but all through high school I never read a single book, I cheated off other people’s work and for the book reports I had to do I basically took the summary of the book usually found on the back page of the book and rewrote that as my report. I was in special ed classes for a while and went to speech therapy when I was in grade school because I had a stuttering problem.
And going to church is something that I just did not want to do. When I first started going to Sunday school classes after Maria and I were married I hated to read, because I was a bad reader. At the time I could read a paragraph and when I was done I couldn’t tell you what is just read. And I was scared to death that someone might ask me to pray.
The Bible was confusing to me. I always knew about God and Jesus because as many of you know I went to the Lutheran church when I was young and because of that I did know of God and of Jesus. I knew some Bible stories, but they weren’t anymore than that, just stories.
I remember going to confirmation classes as a Lutheran and the preacher telling us to never read the book of Revelation by yourself. That if we did he needed to be there to guide us through it. That scared me, but what scared me worse was him telling the group I was confirmed with that at least one of us would not make it and would go to hell. I thought at the time that would be me.
So why God chose me to be a preacher? Well — because I know the Bible a whole lot better now than at any other point in my life I think I know why. Listen to this Scripture —
Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 1 Cor. 1:26-30
Those verses are what tells me why God chose me and they give me hope and I need that hope. Why? Well for a few reasons. One, because I know now that God can do anything in anyone, even me, if Jesus is first in their life.
And as long as I continue with Him first in my life, even though what I may be doing is not normative in this world, and may seem foolish to the world, it’s ok, because Jesus is my leader and what may seem foolish in this world will turn out for my righteousness, holiness and redemption.
I also like these verses and they give me hope because sometimes ministry is foolish, at least from the world’s prospective. Not only that but ministry is hard, it is very tough when at times, it seems, that no matter what you do there are more failures than wins. Fortunately because of God’s work in people’s lives I know their are wins that I may never hear about.
But ministry is tough, not necessarily physically, but it is an emotional roller coaster. In the same day, sometimes in the course of just a few hours you can hear of the death of a friend, and then someone making the choice to commit their life to Christ.
You can hear from someone who just found out they have terminal cancer and then someone else who calls you and is excited because they just discovered something new in Scripture. As a minister you have to forget the sadness from one person to rejoice with another and right back to sadness for another person.
On top of these things someone is always upset at you because you didn’t look at them when they saw you at Wal-Mart, even though you never saw them. Or you looked at someone wrong when they saw you just after you found out bad news from another person. And the only reason you had that look on your face is because you are sad and emotional from what you just heard.
I’ve had people mad at me because I didn’t look at them when I preached and other people mad at me because I looked at them when I preached. One family left the church because I took the gift from their child when we were doing a white elephant gift exchange at Christmas.
But during the same Christmas season others showered me with presents, gift cards, and money along with a generous bonus from the church in general. Ministry is hard and it’s confusing, it’s a emotional roller coaster, and I’m a foolish, not so bright person and for some reason God choose me.
The reason He chose me is without a doubt, because I chose Him first. And since I chose Him — He chose to pour Himself in me as long as I continued to pour myself into Him. I still pour myself into Him everyday and He continues to grow me.
You know what? I’m still a bad reader and I honestly don’t think I pray very well. But I’m way better now than I was when I first became a Christian. Even though I’m a bad reader, now I have read book, after book, after book, and more, and I can remember the things I have read. But I’m continuing to seek to do better, because I know that God can and will continue to draw me closer to Him as long as I continue to draw close to Him.
WE
The application to this is if we put Jesus first in our lives and if we continue to strive for Him, continue to draw ourselves close to Him, He will improve us and make us more like Him everyday.
If He can take someone as foolish as me and use me and grow me He can do that with you too. Not that I’m perfect by any means. I know I have a long way to go. I’m still trying to figure things out. I still do foolish things and wish I had not done them. I still sin and ask for forgiveness.
But this is what I know because God has proved it in my life up to this point and I know He will continue to prove to me that if I put Him first in my life I will continue to get better. I will continue to grow spiritually and closer to Him. When I get to heaven I want to hear Jesus tell me well done good and faithful servant. I want to be presented to God fully mature in Christ Jesus.
The one and only way I can do that is to put Him first everyday of my life. And that is my goal for you, which is really God’s goal for you. For you to be presented fully mature in Christ Jesus. I want that because I am your preacher and your teacher. I want to be your coach and mentor and example — even in my foolishness for you to somehow grow up spiritually by what God does through me.
The only way for me to do that and to keep Jesus first in my life is to spend time with God and with Jesus everyday. I also seek to do that through reading books written by proven men of faith so I can glean from their experiences and let them soak into my life. Then I can pass them on to your life.
And these things must be passed on to and into your life, so you can pass them into other peoples lives. What we do here on Sunday morning or even in our classes, is not enough for you to grow spiritually, the way God intends. God intends for us to grow in the context of family, of relationship where we all eventually become spiritual parents by birthing new spiritual babies.
There is no way for spiritual babies and spiritual children to grow up unless they have a spiritual parent to guide them, to teach them, to admonish them, and to encourage them to strive for the next level so they can study and learn — not only from their spiritual parent, but on their own as well as a spiritual young adult.
And do you know what young adults do when they get together? They birth new life. In this context they birth new spiritual life. And when they do that they become a spiritual parent of a spiritual baby they brought into this world and now they have to grow that baby. That job cannot be left to just the preachers, teachers, and elders, but is the responsibility of every Christian.
But it seems in general we have lost the passion for Christ and His mission. I can guarantee you this about the mission if Jesus. His mission is not for us to put on a worship service every week or come to a worship service every week and then go about our lives with business as usual along with this world. He does not want us involved in the world without us doing His mission as — we — go!
Yet that is normal mode of operation of many, many people who go to church. We have to stop “going” to church, we MUST “be” the church! We have to forsake this world and the things that entice us and truly be Kingdom of God citizens snatching people from the world into the Kingdom of God.
I heard someone say fairly recently, but I’ve also heard this very same thing throughout the years from different people, some of which have been in leadership. “Oh he or she is on fire for God right now, they’ll settle now.” And I’m thinking NO NO NO keep the fire going, keep the fire lit! When the fire goes out we stop growing and when we stop growing, we start dying. Let’s read what John wrote in Rev. 2 —
GOD
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands… Rev. 2:1
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. Rev. 2:4-5
Much of the church today is described in what Jesus says here about the church in Ephesus. There just isn’t a passion or drive or fire or an excitement in so many church going people for Jesus or for His mission.
Where is our passion? Where is our excitement? I want to show you a short video of being excited. (Show dog video).
Wouldn’t it be awesome if we have that kind of excitement in the church today for Jesus and His mission! But so many people who say they are saved are just like those who are not saved. And if you looked at their life they only difference between those people is that one goes to church on Sunday and the other doesn’t.
We have such a tendency when someone comes to Christ, in that they say they believe in Jesus, they repent, they confess, they are baptize and we praise them for being saved. And the steps they make in doing those things is very good, there is no doubt. But maybe we should be like George Whitfield, a preacher from the Great Awakening from years ago.
He preached to thousands and thousands of people. He would be asked about all the people who made decisions for Christ during his revival if they were saved. He said let’s give it 6 months to a year and we’ll see.
The only true way to know a person is saved is by their fruit. Jesus said this in talking about false prophets. Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Mt. 7:17-20
He also said in John 15:4-8, Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:4-8
And Jesus not only that but let’s go back to Mt. 7 where Jesus says, Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Mt. 7:21-23
Folks, Jesus is talking about people who think they are Christian, but they are not bearing fruit because they are not doing God’s will. And you see that Jesus tells them, Away from me, you evildoers.
I think the church in America, in churches just like ours all over this country there are thousands and thousands of people who are in dire need of a wake up call. Matter of fact this church in not immune to that.
YOU
I don’t usually speak in these terms and make it personal. Most of the time I speak in broader terms, but then most, don’t apply what I’m saying to themselves. Listen I’m speaking to the MVC body of Christ. We need to wake up!
Because many of us have lost our love for Jesus and have placed it in other worldly activities that we hold more dear to our hearts than we do Jesus and His mission. And it’s a generational thing. Not only has this been pass down from our parents but as parents it being passed down to our children.
Commentator Vernon Mcgee says this — “A great many folk compare themselves among themselves, which is the reason that many people in our churches think they have arrived. They feel they are really fine, outstanding, spiritual Christians because they compare THEMSELVES WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS in their body. That is not the yardstick we are to use, my friend. This is one of the tragedies of the day.”
When we do that the level of spiritual maturity and love for Jesus in a congregation gets less and less as time goes on. Our yardstick by which we measure must be Jesus. Only then will we seek to attain to be like Him and never loose Him as our first love.
I have a great passion for Christ is because I have lived my life both with being far from Jesus and close to Jesus. And I know the problems I’ve had in my life and the sins I have committed in my life have come from me being far from Jesus and not putting Jesus first.
And I have seen what Jesus does in my life when I put Him first. He pours His heart into mine and when that happens I simply get better and become more like Jesus. I love seeing that happening in the lives of some, but it needs to happen in all of our lives. When it does the fruit that Jesus says will show we are his disciples will be all over this place.
There will be more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And there will be more people. Not because the preacher preaches great sermons or the teachers teach great lessons, but because the disciples are on fire for Jesus and His mission.
And back to the beginning of this message when I was talking about my struggles with not wanting to read because I was a bad reader and I didn’t read much because I couldn’t remember what I just read. And me being scared to death that someone would ask me to pray. Let me tell you that if you commit to Jesus as your first love and read His word everyday and pray everyday — God will improve your abilities and your comprehension.
WE
Here is my challenge with week. Make my life hard, give me problems, make me get on my knees before God and seek His wisdom. Now you are probably saying, this is a challenge I can do. Well, here are the conditions and let me add to whose lives we need to make hard.
Make me, the church staff, and the elders have to deal with the problem of too many people wanting to be in small groups, of too many people wanting to be in Sunday school, of too many people coming to worship. More than we can currently accommodate. Give us this problem so we seek God, so we seek Jesus, so we seek the Word like never before.
Those are good problems that I want to deal with, but I know the only way I will have to deal with them is if this congregation gets on fire for Jesus and His mission and He is our first love.
