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Rediscovering Your First Love by Robert Massey
Revelation 2:1-7
Rev. 2:1-7
Can a person be too busy doing God’s work that they are too busy
or God. ! believe that the answer to that
"uestion is yes# you $an. %here are &any people who are
always busy with $hur$h work# but so&ewhere theirrelationship
with God is being negle$ted. 'ter a while# people (ust begin going
through the &otions# without
really being involved. ! re&e&ber ro& one o &y
psy$hology $ourses in $ollege# that an individual#
aterperor&ing a task or over a $ertain period o ti&e#
be$o&es habituated to it. !t be$o&es a habit# without
the
senses being involved. !&agine (ust or a &o&ent#
what you went through this &orning when you got behindthe wheel
o your $ar. )ou opened the door# sat down in the driver’s seat#
inserted the key and turned on the
ignition. )ou then pla$ed the $ar in gear and began to drive to
$hur$h. )ou a$$elerated on$e you got on thehighway and began to
drive so&ewhere between *+-++ &ph. ,uring this ti&e#
you are wat$hing or obsta$les
the road# in$reasing or de$reasing speed a$$ording to the road
$onditions. )ou brake or the stop signs and re
lights# speed up and slow down with trai$# all the ti&e
$arrying on a $onversation with so&e one else in the$ar# or
listening to the radio. %here are &any dierent a$tivities and
a$tions that went into you driving to $hur
this &orning# however# &ost o you gave very little
thought to what was going on around you and all the a$tivyour
&ind was engaged in to &ake it here this &orning. )ou
be$o&e so a&iliar with driving# that you now gi
it little thought.
o&e one on$e said that a&iliarity breeds $onte&pt.
's in every proverb# there is oten an ele&ent o truth.
it is not $onte&pt# oten that whi$h be$o&es a&iliar
to us# we take or granted. %his $an be har&ul inrelationships
when the passion is lost and then the relationship is basi$ally
taken or granted. %his is espe$iallso in the &ost i&portant
relationship that a Christian has# the relationship with Christ.
%he $hur$h at phesus
had allen to this level in their relationship with Christ. %his
was not what we would $lassiy as a /bad/ $hur$hChrist had several
$o&&endations or this $hur$h. 0irst# e knew their works#
this was a dyna&i$# a$tive
$hur$h. %he Greek word ergon# ro& whi$h we get energy# is
used or works. %here were things going on in th$hur$h. ! a&
sure that all the proper a$tions were going on# there were prayer
&eetings# ible studies# a$ts o
benelevan$e# and $o&&union was oered. e$ond# this is
what we would $all a dedi$ated $hur$h. %he wordlabor is used#
reerring to burdens and troubles whi$h this $hur$h had suered# but
they were dedi$ated to
$ontinuing on. %hird# this was a deter&ined $hur$h. Christ
$o&&ended the& or their patien$e. 3atien$e is ushere
with the idea o enduring whatever obsta$les were beore the&. 4o
doubt perse$ution had been thrown
the but they endured. 0ourth# they were $o&&ended or
being a dis$iplined $hur$h# they $ould not tolerate
evil# they believed in holiness# so you $ould $all this a
holiness $hur$h. Christ $o&&ended this $hur$h or hatideeds
o the 4i$olaitans. %his group believed that Christ had given
the& su$h liberty# that they $ould $ontinuesin# without
retribution. 5ast# Christ $o&&ended the& or being a
dis$erning $hur$h. %hey were not an
/anything goes/ $hur$h# they $ared about purity in the pulpit
and proper ibli$al do$trine. 0or all o these thinChrist
$o&&ended the&.
owever# in verse *# e levies a serious $harge against this
$hur$h. )es# it was a dyna&i$ $hur$h# yes# it was dedi$ated
$hur$h# yes# it was a deter&ined $hur$h# yes# it was a
dis$iplined $hur$h and yes it was a dis$erning
$hur$h. )et# in spite o all these positives# 6esus knew that
soðing was seriously wrong with this $hur$h. said#
4evertheless ! have so&ewhat against thee# be$ause thou hast
let thy irst love. !n other words# /! hold
this against you# you no longer have your irst love./ %o hold
soðing against a riend or a&ily &e&ber is a
serious thing# but when the 5ord o the niverse holds
soðing against the $hur$h# it is ti&e to tre&ble.
%h5ord 6esus is able to look beyond all the lurries o a$tivity and
look straight to the heart.
8e would think that this &ust be a great $hur$h. ! &ean#
to ind all o this going on would lead us to think th
&ust be the pere$t $hur$h. ! $an (ust i&agine what we
&ight think# this $hur$h has a great youth prograthey are
involved in their $o&&unity# they have a great $hoir# this
has got to be the pla$e. owever# 6esus loo
beyond the outward appearan$e and goes to the heart o the
&atter. ,espite all o their good deeds# this $huhad a &a(or
heart proble and a $hur$h that does not have a healthy heart will
not last long. %his $hur$h no
longer loved Christ as it on$e had. %heir relationship with
Christ was no longer vibrant# but now stale and takeor granted.
%hey were going through all the right &otions# but giving
little thought to their relationship with
Christ.!t bothers &e today# or there are still &any who
are in the sa&e $ondition. 9utwardly# things look well# but
inwardly# the heart no longer is illed with love or 6esus.
%rying to live the Christian lie without being illed wilove or
i& will soon $ause you to wind up e&pty and (ust a shell o
what Christ intends or you to have and
be.
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ere in this passage o s$ripture# 6esus gives three steps or
renewing your love aair with i&. 5ove or Chrishould grow# not
di&inish. ! we ind ourselves loosing the passion o our love
aair with Christ# we need to
ollow these three steps.!. RMMR 0R9M 8R )9 ' 0'554.
1. %his $hur$h# in spite o all it had going or it# had allen.
%hey had allen away# or ell ro& their position.2. 6esus told
this $hur$h to re&e&ber ro& where they had allen. !n
other words# to re&e&ber what their
relationship on$e was like.;. ,o you re&e&ber the day
that the 5ord saved you< ,o you re&e&ber the thrill# the
(oy# and the pea$e o
&ind that you re$eived the &o&ent you said yes to
Christ<! re&e&ber the day that ! said yes to Christ. !
re&e&ber sitting in the pew# burdened# ! re&e&ber
going to t
altar and praying# and weeping or God to save &e# and !
re&e&ber the (oy that ! elt on$e ! $a&e up ro&
taltar. %he whole world see&ed brighter and &ore $olorul.
%he burden was gone. 6ust like the old song# /%he
5ord has been so good to &e# e set &y $aptive spirit
ree# old things are passed away# all things are newtoday# e gave
&e light or paths so di 9 how ! $hanged sin$e ! ound i !’&
in a new world sin$e the 5o
saved &e. ;rd: ! $an’t e=plain the way ! eel# %here’s not a
doubt ! know its real# there’s glory in &y soul# thehallelu(ahs
roll. %ho’ earthly riends &ay turn &e down# !’ll still
retain the pea$e ! ound# !’& in a new world#
sin$e the 5ord saved &e./
*. 9ne tenden$y that hu&ans see& to share is the
tenden$y to orget. %his $an be seen espe$ially in $hildrenave you
ever noti$ed the twinkle in the eyes o a $hild on Christ&as
&orning when their Christ&as presents
are opened< %hey are &es&eri>ed and illed with
wonder. )et in (ust a $ouple o days# the new toys are otenlet
shoved under the bed# or pla$ed in the toy bo=# with the novelty
worn o.
+. 8e should never allow that to happen with our relationship
with Christ.
?. Me&ory $an be very powerul. Me&ories $an stir up
powerul e&otions. 3eter wrote to the early $hur$h an
said# /)ea# ! think it &eet# as long as ! a& in this
taberna$le# to stir you up by putting you in re&e&bran$e@/
3et 1:1;B. e uses the Greek word /diegeiro/ Adi-eg-ei-roB whi$h
&eans to agitate# to arouse# to awaken or sChrist knew i the
$hur$h $ould (ust re&e&ber the (oy and reshness o that 1st
love# as they walked with i&
that it would stir up old desires and awaken a new hunger or
ellowship with i&.7. ave you ever noti$ed# that we take a$tion
toward those things we desire< 8hen we truly want
soðing
we take a$tion toward getting what we want. o&e ti&es it
&eans e=tra work# so&eti&es it &eans doingwithout
so&e things so we $an get what we want. 8hen we begin to
re&e&ber the (oy o our irst love with
Christ# there is a longing in our hearts that begins to &ove
us toward ho&e.. !n 5uke 1+# we have the story o the prodigal
son# who let ho&e# spent all that he had# and eventually
end
up eeding hogs. 5uke 1+:17# 'nd when he $a&e to hi&sel#
he said# ow &any hired servants o &y ather’shave bread
enough and to spare# and ! perish with hungerD 8hen he was there
with the hogs# he began to
re&e&ber# he re&e&bered ho&e and the
abundan$e asso$iated with it. e re&e&bered the goodness o
the
0ather and how that the servants were even well treated. 'nd
then what happened# he got up and headedho&e.E. 9h that God
would help us to re&e&ber that (oy when we irst re$eived
Christ. e was the &ost i&portant
person in the world# &ore i&portant than (obs# $areers#
or &oney. 9ut o that irst love’s (oy was a hunger thwanted
&ore and &ore o 6esus# so that you sought i& until e
illed you with the oly pirit. Re&e&ber ho
that you were nobodies# and God &ade a so&ebody out o
you. Re&e&ber that you were lost# but God oundyou.
Re&e&ber that you were on your way to hell# but God saved
you and gave you a pla$e with i&.
!!. R34%.1. ! want to &ake sure that you understand this# e
wasn’t talking to the lost# e was talking to is $hur$h.
did not use a dierent word# e did not use a &ilder word that
&eant soðing less. 's a &atter o a$t# thi
is a or& o the sa&e word used to des$ribe what 6ohn
$a&e prea$hing and the sa&e word used to des$ribewhat 6esus
prea$hed in is day. !t was used by 3eter to address the &ob
that $ru$iied 6esus# when he told
the& to repent and believe.
2. %here are so&e who have a hard ti&e believing that
the $hur$h ever needs to repent. ut 6esus spoke to t$hur$h and told
the& to repent. 4ow re&e&ber# this was a dyna&i$#
dedi$ated# deter&ined# dis$iplined# and
dis$erning $hur$h. 'll that they had done was (ust lost a little
o the passion that they on$e had or Christ.;. %hat’s (ust how atan
wants us to view this# as (ust so&e little petty soðing
without any real dire
$onse"uen$es# but 6esus knows the danger and 6esus knows the
i&portan$e o &aintaining a heart ull o loveor i&. !t is
a dangerous and perilous situation to love one’s irst love or
Christ or to do so is sin.
*. Charles 0inney on$e prea$hed a &essage $alled the
a$kslidden in eart. !n this &essage he des$ribes thowho are
ba$kslidden in heart as 1B loosing their $onse$ration to God# 2B
leaving the irst love# ;B and
withdrawing the&selves ro& that state o entire and total
surrender to God and $o&ing again under the $onto a
sel-pleasing spirit.
+. ven though we &ay go through all the right &otions#
when we leave the irst love# it doesn’t take long un
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all that we do be$o&es a drudgery and a task# instead o a
(oy. 5isten to so&e o the points 0inney said in thi&essage.
%here be$o&es a lost o spiritual en(oy&ent. /8e always love
saying and doing those things that
please the one we love &ost./ %here is an outward
or&ality in religious e=er$ises that is e&otionless and
$old' desire or worldly a&use&ents to atte&pt to ill
the va$uu&. !t doesn’t take long to be$o&e $riti$al and
sel
indulgent. 8here is the passion or Christ<?. 6esus looked at
this $hur$h and said it needed to repent be$ause going through the
&otions will never be
enough to please God. ! we are not burning with the passion o
Christ# we had better look and see what iswrong.
7. Christ said to this $hur$h /repent/. %hey needed to $hange
their attitude toward Christ and resu&e their irlove. Renew
the&selves again in is presen$e.
!!!. R,9 % 0!R% 89RF.1. 4oti$e that Christ $alled or a$tion upon
the part o the $hur$h. )ou see# love is &ore than (ust a eel
good
type o e&otion# it is a $o&&it&ent.2. Marriage
$ounselors will oten tell $ouples who have lost the eelings o love#
to do a$ts o kindness toward
ea$h other# &u$h like when they were irst dating. Maybe like
giving ea$h other a $o&pli&ent upon greetingea$h other# or
buying so&e lowers or $andy or the other.A8ives# $an ! get an
a&en
