Sermonette: The Revelation 2:4 - You Have Left Your First Love
#1862s
James C. Stoertz
Given 07-Mar-26; 14 minutes
description: Have we abandoned our "first love" as warned in Revelation 2:4? We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind, as stated in the Great Commandment. While we may be zealous in our works and doctrinal vigilance, we can accidentally drift away from love through weariness, distraction, or complacency, allowing our zeal to become detached from our primary devotion to God. Love God above all else, mirroring the examples of David, Abraham and Ruth.
transcript:
In preparation for the Passover, we are all doing some self-examination as we are admonished to do in I Corinthians 11:28. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat the bread and drink of the cup. We may examine ourselves and find ourselves guilty of some things. But that does not necessarily preclude taking the Passover. Think of this. We cannot make ourselves worthy. Instead, if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. As it says in the same paragraph just 3 verses later. 11:31. However, examining ourselves also gives us the opportunity to make changes without a trial, something I prefer, and I believe God prefers it too. Uh, with self-examination in mind, let's do a deep dive on Revelation 2:4. We need to return to our first love. But first, I'll start with a little background and circle in. Many of these things, we all know it's good for review. The Revelation was written very close to the end of the 1st century. Historical sources indicate that there were at least 40 Christian communities in the Roman district of Asia and 100 AD. Far from destroying Christianity, the Roman persecution under Emperor Domitian bolstered it in Asia Minor and well beyond. However, it may be that there are only 7 churches in Asia that are still holding fast to the truth. This is indicated in the opening chapter of the Revelation in which it uses the definite article the to address the seven churches in the province of Asia, Revelation 1:4. John the Apostle is the author of the Revelation, and he tells us that these letters were shown to him by Jesus Christ. We are not vicariously eavesdropping. Blessed is He who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it, for the time is near. Revelation 1:3. These seven letters contain specific faults and instructions, each one for repentance addressed to the seven churches. The letters can be understood as messages to the first century churches. They can be seen as sequential church eras from the time of Christ until now, and they can be seen as coexisting attitudes at the time before Christ's imminent return. The way to understand these letters that's the most beneficial to us is to assume that each letter contains personal instruction for us. Let's dig into the first letter to the Ephesians. In the Revelation 2:17, we in the Church of God know a lot about Ephesians. They're, they are mentioned in our sermons and writings more than the other six churches combined. The apostle Paul spent 3 years in Ephesus. Paul also wrote the epistle to the Ephesians, and there is no epistle written specifically to any of the other 6 churches. In the 2nd and 3rd chapters of the Book of Revelation, the letter to Ephesus is 1st. And John Reitenbaugh has said, I believe that is no accident. The love is the subject of its correction. Paul summarized the importance of love, writing, and you all know this, and now abide faith, hope, love, these three, but the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13:13. Our journey toward Christ begins with faith. We're stirred up by hope, but our whole aim is love. If we lose sight of that, we lose everything. Uh, so turn with me and we will see what Paul warns the Ephesians about in Acts 20. This is about, he warns the Ephesians elders about the coming crisis and falling away that will happen at Ephesus. That's mentioned in Revelation 2:3. So Acts 20:29-31. I'll read it. For I know this, that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also, from among yourselves, men will rise up, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore, watch and remember that for 3 years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. So, with that background in mind, let's turn back to Revelation 2:4 if you haven't already, since I did mention that earlier. And we will read my main subject. Revelation 2:4. Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. So what does that mean to us? Let's look at the original Greek as we are wont to do. Left, that's Aia Strong's 863. It carries the sense of abandon in the original Greek. First, Protos ves Strong's 44:13. This is the key word I want to draw attention to. It means foremost, beginning, best, chief. First of all, every Bible translation I could find translates the word in this phrase as first, except the amplified, which adds an explanation. We know of the importance of the first use of any concept in the Bible. God's first use is the primary, most important. You can trust his first use as the best or defining use. While this word protos is translated as first, it more significantly means most important. And then love, that strong's 26, agape. We all know that word well. Love to the point of sacrifice. You have abandoned your most important love. This first love is our highest duty to God, as summarized by Jesus Christ. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment, and the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. While I'm going to talk about primarily the first one, the second one shows you how to do it. So everything else, even every thought, act, sacrifice, and bit of zeal cascades from this primary love. If we lose sight of this, we lose everything. If the Ephesians remained in their current state. They will lose Christ's presence and their status as a recognized church when He says, I will remove your lampstand. Revelation 2:5. The church at Ephesus had many good qualities, so I do not need to throw them completely under the bus, including exemplary works. They labored tirelessly for Christ's name and did not grow weary. That's Revelation 2:2-3. They had doctrinal vigilance. They could not bear those who were evil. They tested false apostles, and they hated the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. That's Revelation 2:2 and 2:6, all in the same letter. They had dramatic repentance, which is not mentioned in that letter, but if you look at Acts 19, you do not have to turn there. But Acts 19, many converts burned their costly books of occult practices valued at 50,000 pieces of silver. This demonstrated immense zeal. At one time, the church at Ephesus had other good qualities that seem to be missing now faith and love. Paul had spent significant time in Ephesus. And performed many miracles indicating the faith of the Ephesians. Paul also writes that he has heard of their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love for the saints. Ephesians 1:15. This love for all the saints was a visible, noteworthy mark of their early Christian life. But that love had been abandoned because they received this devastating warning 34 years later in Revelation. They had left their first love. So what happened to the Ephesians can happen to us. And it's worth a self-evaluation. We can accidentally drift away. Through weariness. The passing of time causes enthusiasm to wane. When Moses was getting the law from God on Mount Sinai, the children of Israel grew impatient. Aaron built an idol, a golden calf. Through distraction and narrow perspective. We lose sight of the whole, which is God, focusing too much on the parts, maybe the work, maybe the doctrine, or maybe what's in, right in front of our nose. This is the idiom he can't see the forest for the trees. Christ warned. The scribes and Pharisees of this when they meticulously tithed on the herbs but neglected the weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy and faith. Jesus also told them, these you ought to have done without leaving the others undone. Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes actually had completely drifted and could no longer see the forest for the trees during the intertestamental period, 430 odd years. Throughout the Gospels they were a target of criticism by Jesus Christ. That is the reason they did not know who he was. And then through complacency were commanded not to remember the feeling of love, but the object and action of love. The Ephesians and the Pharisees too were still zealous, but not for the right thing. Not for the love of God. In 722 BC, not to jump around too much, but Israel went into captivity for a number of reasons, and complacency was a big one. The prophet Amos warned about it in 4040 years before it happened and when they were taken captivity. Amos 6 tells us, Woe to you who are at ease in Zion. And then Amos 5, though you offer me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them. He also told them how to fix it. Seek me and live, says the Lord. Amos 5:4. Another troubling example of complacency is in the last letter to the churches. To the Laodiceans, the Laodiceans say, I am rich. I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing, and they do not realize that they are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. Revelation 2:5 right after this admonition to the Ephesians is the solution. The Ephesians and we are commanded to remember and repent. What does that look like? First love can be pictured as young love, a zealous, single-minded focus, and that's traditionally the way we have shown a metaphor. But first love is also pictured as something of the whole church or the whole nation. First love is pictured in the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32. The words are like a father's loving testament to his children, reminding them that they are the apple of God's eye. When the Lord alone led them and there was no foreign God with them, this is first love. God remembers the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothal, when you went after me in the wilderness in a land not sown. That's Jeremiah 2:2. This is the passionate love that Jesus Christ is seeking. We must strive to maintain this young love, but also to develop it into something deeper. The analogy of an older couple who are complacent in their love must be transformed into the beauty of an older couple who have grown together. A more mature love, full of perspective, richness of experience, patience, remembrance, support, and joy. Loving our spouse deeply is one of the best ways to display our love for God and Jesus Christ and is a mirror of Christ's love for the church, as it says in Ephesians 5:2233. To develop a love for God first. I can show you some good examples. Use our zeal to reclaim our desire to please our Father in heaven. The Bible provides numerous inspiring examples of individuals who prioritized loving God and Christ over relying on their own resources. To name just three, King David, he was called a man after God's own heart. David's deep love for God is evident in his Psalms, as we've been hearing about in the sermons. Oh God, you Psalm 63 1 through 3. Oh God, you are my God. Early will I seek you. My soul thirsts for you because your loving kindness is better than life. Or Abraham in our Bible studies actually, his love for God shone through his willingness to leave everything familiar and trust God's promises even when they seem impossible. And another one, you, you could pick hundreds, but Ruth, her famous declaration to Naomi in Ruth 1:16, your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. These stories consistently show that loving God is the first love for many of our spiritual ancestors. The message of Revelation 2:45 is a personal call to every individual. We are individually responsible for our relationship with God, and we should seek to improve it. The command is simple. Remember our most important love and repent by returning our passionate focus to God through action. You should love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
JCS/aws+/