Seven Churches of Revelation Series. Sermon One: "The Church That Left It's First Love."

 

Introduction:

A.   How many can remember your first "puppy love?"

 

B.   It is said our first love is never forgotten because

it is our first bout with love and its pitfalls.

 

C.   A new Christian's experience with Christ is almost

Like this.

1.   When we first make a commitment, or when we are

first confirmed and say, “Yes, I want to follow

Christ,” we become aware of a love like we have

never known.

          2.   It is new; it is fresh; and it is exciting!

 

D.   We will see today that we need to mature to greater  depths but never loose that joy and zest Christ gives  us when we begin our journey.

 

                            Prayer

                          Rev. 2:1-7

 

I.   Comments about interpretation of Revelation.

A.   There are three basic methods of interpreting

Revelation. They are:

1.   Post millennial - it's all historical. (Barr)

2.   Pre millennial  - it's all prophetical. (Barr)

3.   Al-millennial view - Symbolical.  The seven churches represent seven kinds of churches that  exist in any age and any time. 

(Barr - "New Testament Story" pg. 269)

 

B.   I believe the preferred interpretation is symbolic or

Some would call it metaphoric, but it can be applied

to anytime and any age.  It is applicable to any age. 

If we view it as either Historic or Symbolic, we can

take what Jesus says to these churches and apply it to

today.

 

C.   That is what we want to do the upcoming weeks.

 

II.  Ephesus: The City and Its Background.

A.   The importance of Ephesus.

1.   Commercially.

a.   It was the home of a fine seaport which accommodated vast trading enterprises. 

(N.T., Hester pg. 297)

b.   Three great roads came and left Ephesus.

c.   A great trade center.  Sooner or later every important person in Asia came to Ephesus.

2.   Politically.

a.   Ephesus was the capital of Asia. (Hester)

b.   Also, the leading city of all Asia Minor.  (Hester)

c.   Here was the seat of the imperical proconsul and the center of the Asiarchate, the union  of the chief cities of the province.       (Hester)

3.   Religiously.

a.   Home of the goddess of fertility, Diana  (Artemis) and her temple.

b.   Which is one of the seven ancient wonders of  the world.

c.   It was the center of sexual perversion, in the name of religion.

1)   Diana was the goddess of fertility, so

They would perform sexual acts in the

temple to show her what they wanted, so

to speak.

                   2)   In the ancient world, many times these

Acts would include men with little

boys, which in Christianity has always

been condemned. In the translation of

the bible, this has sometimes been

referred to as homosexuality, but in

reality, it is more about and would

better be translated as pedophilia.

 

B.   Ephesian people were known for their evil deeds:

cheating, lying, murder, and sexual immorality.

 

III. Ephesus the Church.

A.   Commendation:  (vs. 2&3)

1.   Accomplished genuine Christian works - "he knew  their works."

 

2.   They couldn't bear that which was evil! They were  good people.

3.   They rejected false prophets.

4.   They practiced a patient endurance amongst the  evil culture.

5.   They hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans!

(def. Make believe Christians [Nelson Bible])

AThe Nicolaitans taught that Christians were free

To eat food offered to idols and to practice

fornication in the name of religion.@

(Mercer Bible Dict.)

 

B.   Reprimand:  (vs. 4)

1.   They had lost their first love!

2.   Perhaps, they had been so busy heresy hunting

that they had lost sight of love and forgiveness!

3.   Perhaps, they were so busy with doctrine and creed that they had forgotten the real value of love!  They had gotten so caught up in straightening people out that they forgotten to Love!

4.   Perhaps their enthusiasm and joy of working for Christ was gone.

 

C.   Exhortation:  (vs. 5)

1.   Remember:  What God had done and was doing for them.  Remember how it once was between you &  Christ!

2.   Repent:  Godly sorrow for their loss of their  first love.

3.   Do:  get back to a life made different by Christ's love!

 

D.   Promise:

1.   Remove lampstand if they do not repent and regain their Love.  (vs. 5)

2.   If they do repent, the tree of life and the

              paradise of God. (vs. 7)

 

IV.  Ephesus' message to Forsyth UMC.

A.   To be:

1.   Patient and enduring.

a.   Always ready to love people with the same love that God loved us: unmerited, unconditional, and steadfast.

b.   Ready to avoid discouragement. (enduring without discouragement)

2.   Always seeking the truth in love.

 

B.   To remember our first love.

1.   Never to let the warm love of Christ escape us.

2.   Do not let the negativity of the world stamp out

Our love in Christ!

          3.   To always remember the 2 great commandments: Love

God 1^st and love others as ourselves!  Let love

Prevail in spite of all!

4.   To serve each other because we really love, care,

and desire to do so.

 

C.   To beware, lest we grow bitter and worn, cold and  indifferent and our lampstand be removed!  We must

have an enduring first love to be worthy of Christ!

 

 

Conclusion:

A.   As we encounter Christ at the table this morning, if

There is anyone who has never known this first love or

Any Christian who has let that love grow cold, let's

let Christ forgive our sins and replace the guilt with

God's love.

 

B.   Let's also pray that the Spirit would help us to

always stay true to God, "Our First Love!"

 

C.   Let’s also pray that we would always be used as

conveyers of God’s unconditional love!

 

                      Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion