Rev. 2:1-7
Can a person be too busy doing God’s work that they are too busy for God. I believe that the answer to that question is yes, you can. There are many people who are always busy with church work, but somewhere their relationship with God is being neglected. After a while, people just begin going through the motions, without really being involved. I remember from one of my psychology courses in college, that an individual, after performing a task for over a certain period of time, becomes habituated to it. It becomes a habit, without the senses being involved. Imagine just for a moment, what you went through this morning when you got behind the wheel of your car. You opened the door, sat down in the driver’s seat, inserted the key and turned on the ignition. You then placed the car in gear and began to drive to church. You accelerated once you got on the highway and began to drive somewhere between 45-55 mph. During this time, you are watching for obstacles in the road, increasing or decreasing speed according to the road conditions. You brake for the stop signs and red lights, speed up and slow down with traffic, all the time carrying on a conversation with some one else in the car, or listening to the radio. There are many different activities and actions that went into you driving to church this morning, however, most of you gave very little thought to what was going on around you and all the activity your mind was engaged in to make it here this morning. You become so familiar with driving, that you now give it little thought.
Some one once said that familiarity breeds contempt. As in every proverb, there is often an element of truth. 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 especially so in the most important relationship that a Christian has, the relationship with Christ. The church at Ephesus had fallen to this level in their relationship with Christ. This was not what we would classify as a "bad" church. Christ had several commendations for this church. First, He knew their works, this was a dynamic, active church. The Greek word ergon, from which we get energy, is used for works. There were things going on in this church. I am sure that all the proper actions were going on, there were prayer meetings, Bible studies, acts of benelevance, and communion was offered. Second, this is what we would call a dedicated church. The word labor is used, referring to burdens and troubles which this church had suffered, but they were dedicated to continuing on. Third, this was a determined church. Christ commended them for their patience. Patience is used here with the idea of enduring whatever obstacles were before them. No doubt persecution had been thrown at them, but they endured. Fourth, they were commended for being a disciplined church, they could not tolerate evil, they believed in holiness, so you could call this a holiness church. Christ commended this church for hating deeds of the Nicolaitans. This group believed that Christ had given them such liberty, that they could continue to sin, without retribution. Last, Christ commended them for being a discerning church. They were not an "anything goes" church, they cared about purity in the pulpit and proper Biblical doctrine. For all of these things, Christ commended them.
However, in verse 4, He levies a serious charge against this church. Yes, it was a dynamic church, yes, it was a dedicated church, yes, it was a determined church, yes, it was a disciplined church and yes it was a discerning church. Yet, in spite of all these positives, Jesus knew that something was seriously wrong with this church. He said, Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. In other words, "I hold this against you, you no longer have your first love." To hold something against a friend or family member is a serious thing, but when the Lord of the Universe holds something against the church, it is time to tremble. The Lord Jesus is able to look beyond all the flurries of activity and look straight to the heart.
We would think that this must be a great church. I mean, to find all of this going on would lead us to think this must be the perfect church. I can just imagine what we might think, this church has a great youth program, they are involved in their community, they have a great choir, this has got to be the place. However, Jesus looks beyond the outward appearance and goes to the heart of the matter. Despite all of their good deeds, this church had a major heart problem, and a church that does not have a healthy heart will not last long. This church no longer loved Christ as it once had. Their relationship with Christ was no longer vibrant, but now stale and taken for granted. They were going through all the right motions, but giving little thought to their relationship with Christ.
It bothers me today, for there are still many who are in the same condition. Outwardly, things look well, but inwardly, the heart no longer is filled with love for Jesus. Trying to live the Christian life without being filled with love for Him will soon cause you to wind up empty and just a shell of what Christ intends for you to have and be.
Here in this passage of scripture, Jesus gives three steps for renewing your love affair with Him. Love for Christ should grow, not diminish. If we find ourselves loosing the passion of our love affair with Christ, we need to follow these three steps.
I. REMEMBER FROM WHERE YOU HAVE FALLEN.
1. This church, in spite of all it had going for it, had fallen. They had fallen away, or fell from their position.
2. Jesus told this church to remember from where they had fallen. In other words, to remember what their relationship once was like.
3. Do you remember the day that the Lord saved you? Do you remember the thrill, the joy, and the peace of mind that you received the moment you said yes to Christ?
I remember the day that I said yes to Christ. I remember sitting in the pew, burdened, I remember going to the altar and praying, and weeping for God to save me, and I remember the joy that I felt once I came up from that altar. The whole world seemed brighter and more colorful. The burden was gone. Just like the old song, "The Lord has been so good to me, He set my captive spirit free, old things are passed away, all things are new today, He gave me light for paths so dim, O how I changed since I found Him, I’m in a new world since the Lord saved me. 3rd: I can’t explain the way I feel, There’s not a doubt I know its real, there’s glory in my soul, the hallelujahs roll. Tho’ earthly friends may turn me down, I’ll still retain the peace I found, I’m in a new world, since the Lord saved me."
4. One tendency that humans seem to share is the tendency to forget. This can be seen especially in children. Have you ever noticed the twinkle in the eyes of a child on Christmas morning when their Christmas presents are opened? They are mesmerized and filled with wonder. Yet in just a couple of days, the new toys are often left shoved under the bed, or placed in the toy box, with the novelty worn off.
5. We should never allow that to happen with our relationship with Christ.
6. Memory can be very powerful. Memories can stir up powerful emotions. Peter wrote to the early church and said, "Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;" (2 Pet 1:13). He uses the Greek word "diegeiro" (di-eg-ei-ro) which means to agitate, to arouse, to awaken or stir. Christ knew if the church could just remember the joy and freshness of that 1st love, as they walked with Him, that it would stir up old desires and awaken a new hunger for fellowship with Him.
7. Have you ever noticed, that we take action toward those things we desire? When we truly want something, we take action toward getting what we want. Some times it means extra work, sometimes it means doing without some things so we can get what we want. When we begin to remember the joy of our first love with Christ, there is a longing in our hearts that begins to move us toward home.
8. In Luke 15, we have the story of the prodigal son, who left home, spent all that he had, and eventually ended up feeding hogs. Luke 15:17, And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! When he was there with the hogs, he began to remember, he remembered home and the abundance associated with it. He remembered the goodness of the Father and how that the servants were even well treated. And then what happened, he got up and headed home.
9. Oh that God would help us to remember that joy when we first received Christ. He was the most important person in the world, more important than jobs, careers, or money. Out of that first love’s joy was a hunger that wanted more and more of Jesus, so that you sought Him until He filled you with the Holy Spirit. Remember how that you were nobodies, and God made a somebody out of you. Remember that you were lost, but God found you. Remember that you were on your way to hell, but God saved you and gave you a place with Him.
II. REPENT.
1. I want to make sure that you understand this, He wasn’t talking to the lost, He was talking to His church. He did not use a different word, He did not use a milder word that meant something less. As a matter of fact, this is a form of the same word used to describe what John came preaching and the same word used to describe what Jesus preached in His day. It was used by Peter to address the mob that crucified Jesus, when he told them to repent and believe.
2. There are some who have a hard time believing that the church ever needs to repent. But Jesus spoke to this church and told them to repent. Now remember, this was a dynamic, dedicated, determined, disciplined, and discerning church. All that they had done was just lost a little of the passion that they once had for Christ.
3. That’s just how Satan wants us to view this, as just some little petty something without any real dire consequences, but Jesus knows the danger and Jesus knows the importance of maintaining a heart full of love for Him. It is a dangerous and perilous situation to love one’s first love for Christ for to do so is sin.
4. Charles Finney once preached a message called the Backslidden in Heart. In this message he describes those who are backslidden in heart as 1) loosing their consecration to God, 2) leaving the first love, 3) and withdrawing themselves from that state of entire and total surrender to God and coming again under the control of a self-pleasing spirit.
5. Even though we may go through all the right motions, when we leave the first love, it doesn’t take long until all that we do becomes a drudgery and a task, instead of a joy. Listen to some of the points Finney said in this message. There becomes a lost of spiritual enjoyment. "We always love saying and doing those things that please the one we love most." There is an outward formality in religious exercises that is emotionless and cold. A desire for worldly amusements to attempt to fill the vacuum. It doesn’t take long to become critical and self indulgent. Where is the passion for Christ?
6. 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 had better look and see what is wrong.
7. Christ said to this church "repent". They needed to change their attitude toward Christ and resume their first love. Renew themselves again in His presence.
III. REDO THE FIRST WORKS.
1. Notice that Christ called for action upon the part of the church. You see, love is more than just a feel good type of emotion, it is a commitment.
2. Marriage counselors will often tell couples who have lost the feelings of love, to do acts of kindness toward each other, much like when they were first dating. Maybe like giving each other a compliment upon greeting each other, or buying some flowers or candy for the other.(Wives, can I get an amen?) Because what counselors have discovered is that couples who are willing to redo the acts of first love, are often able to recapture the magic and emotions of the first love.
3. Jesus told this church to redo the first works. Now what could He be talking about? To truly understand this, we need to look at the origin of this church.
4. Go to Acts 19:1-20. The first works require:
a. 1st, placing an emphasis on being filled with the Spirit. Acts 19:1-7 - the story of John’s disciples at Ephesus. Paul prayed that they would be filled with the Holy Ghost. We must not be ashamed of being Pentecostal. I hunger to see people filled with the Holy Spirit. If you are not filled with the Holy Spirit, you are living below your privilege as a child of God. Paul wrote to this very Ephesian church and said in Eph 5:18, And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;. The Greek would render this as to be continually filled with the Spirit. We need that hunger every day for the Lord to anoint us with fresh oil.
b. 2nd, an emphasis through preaching and teaching on the Kingdom of God. Note verse 8, And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. There was an emphasis on the Kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is where God reigns or rules. We can look at this two fold. First, we ought to encourage one another that this world is not our home, God has something better. God’s rule or reign is God’s will. Jesus said in
Matt 6:33, But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. This is God’s rule for your life. This means placing God first and foremost in your life, above any and all things. We need to emphasis this.
c. 3rd, an emphasis on divine intervention in the life of the church. Note verses 11-12. Special miracles were wrought by the hand of Paul, handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from Paul and people were healed. Authority was being taken over the devil and demonic spirits were cast out. God was working in His church and it was being emphasized. We can talk about programs and weather, but lets talk about what God is doing.
d. 4th, an emphasis was placed on reverencing the Lord and praising Him. Note verse 17, And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. This occurred after certain ones took it upon themselves to attempt to cast out an evil spirit while being in the flesh. The counterfeit will not suffice, the demon attacked them and glory was given to God for the church was already doing this, but in the power of the Spirit. The name of the Lord was magnified or praised. Do we reverence the Lord and do we come together to truly praise His name? Let us remember what the Psalmist said,
Ps 48:1, Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.
Ps 96:4, For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods.
Ps 145:3, Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
5. Christ concludes this letter by saying that if the church does not follow His admonition, He will come quickly and remove their candlestick from its place.
6. Now what does a candlestick or candle do, it gives light, it influences the darkness around it with light. God’s plan for the church is that it would be an influence for Him, a city set upon a hill, showing the praises of God, that’s God’s plan for your life this morning, that you can be an influence for Him, there’s no greater calling nor no greater challenge than being a light for Christ. I don’t want my light removed but I want to give glory to God. I wish I could say that Ephesus repented, but apparently they did not, for the city soon lost its influence and today is nothing more than just ruins.
7. When we loose our first love, that’s all that’s left, is just ruins of what once might have been.
Altar: How about you? Are you still in passionate love with Jesus? If not, it’s time to pray.
