Rediscovering Your First Love by Robert Massey

Revelation 2:1-7
Rev. 2:1-7
Can a person be too busy doing Gods 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 drivers 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, Im in a new world since the Lord
saved me. 3rd: I cant explain the way I feel, Theres not a doubt I know its real, theres glory in my soul, the
hallelujahs roll. Tho earthly friends may turn me down, Ill still retain the peace I found, Im 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 fathers
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 loves 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 wasnt 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. Thats 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 ones 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 doesnt 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 doesnt 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 Johns 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. Gods rule or reign is Gods 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 Gods 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. Gods
plan for the church is that it would be an influence for Him, a city set upon a hill, showing the praises of God,
thats Gods plan for your life this morning, that you can be an influence for Him, theres no greater calling nor
no greater challenge than being a light for Christ. I dont 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, thats all thats left, is just ruins of what once might have been.
Altar: How about you? Are you still in passionate love with Jesus? If not, its time to pray.