You Have Left Your First Love

You Have Left Your First Love

 

Jesus appeared in a glorious vision to his beloved disciple, John, (Revelation 1:9-20) and gave John letters to give to seven of the early Christian churches of Asia Minor. The year was approximately 95 A.D. and these messages to the churches are recorded in the book of Revelations in our Bible These seven churches were actual churches of John’s day.  But they represent types and conditions of churches in all generations.

 

Jesus’ first message was given to the church in the city of Ephesus.  Ephesus was (and still is) on the Mediterranean Sea.  And in 95 A.D. Ephesus was a large bustling commercial city and a major intersection for trade between the ancient nations. One of the seven wonders of the ancient world was (and still is) in Ephesus – that is the magnificent Temple of Artemis. 

 

  In 95 A.D. the people who lived in Ephesus, the Ephesians, worshipped the goddess, Artemis.  She was the goddess of the hunt, the moon, and chastity.  She was the protector of children and the goddess of childbirth.  Statues and idols of Artemis were sold in shops and stores all over Ephesus. It was a big money-making business – making statues of Artemis - since most of the city worshipped this idol.

 

 Paul had started the little church in Ephesus a few years earlier and these new Christians were surrounded by a hotbed of false teaching and idol worship. (1 Timothy 1:3-11, 4:1-9, 6:3-10) It must have been challenging to be part of the church in Ephesus where everyone there was worshipping and sacrificing to the goddess, Artemis. Ephesus the was “Sin-City” of Asia minor.  The new Christians in the church at Ephesus burned all of their idols and books that had to do with Artemis, in order to follow Christ.

 

This is the letter that Jesus gave to John to give to the church in Ephesus: “ To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. (The “golden lampstands” represent the churches and Jesus is there walking in their midst.)  I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil.  And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not and have found them liars:  and you have persevered and have patience and have labored for My Name’s sake and have not become weary. 

 

Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  Remember therefore from where you have fallen. Repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent.

 

But this you have that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”  (Revelation 2:1-7)

 

This was Jesus’ message or letter to the Ephesian Christians - the church in Ephesus. Jesus starts out by praising them for examining and rejecting false teachers.  And for their patience and for all their hard work. For all that they had given up to follow Him.  Jesus sees all that the church in Ephesus had done for His Name’s sake. And He is pleased. He praises them.  

 

 The fact that they hated the Nicolaitans and ran away from evil when they saw it, was something Christ gave them credit for.  The Nicolaitans were people who pretended to be God fearing but they were rebels and brought sexual sin into the church.  They were proud of their sexual misconduct and attended sexual orgies and idol worship and committed fornication and bragged about it. Jesus says He hates that.    The church in Ephesus stood firm against the Nicolaitans and against false teachers and evil.  And Jesus was pleased with them for that.

 

But still something was lacking!  An unloving attitude permeated the Ephesian church, perhaps as an outgrowth of their zeal to defend Truth.  It hadn’t always been that way.  The church in Ephesus had loved their Savior, their Jesus, with their whole hearts when they first believed!  But gradually they had drifted away from loving Him.  So much work, and so much evil to stand against.  Instead of worshipping the Great “I Am”, they were busy with the great “to do”.  They were up against so much evil that they didn’t take time to come apart and be with the One who overcomes evil – and the One who loves them so.

 

 Their lack of love was inconsistent with Christianity and it was deadly.   Scripture says: “Whoever does not love abides in death.” (1 John 3:14) The church of Ephesus had lost their first love and Jesus missed that so much. Is it possible in the Christian life to do everything right and still get it wrong?  When they worked so hard that they didn’t have time for Jesus, they were getting it wrong. Jesus calls them back to Himself. If they don’t have time for all of their good deeds when they take time to worship and love Christ, then they should put worshiping Christ first. 

 

Another time we read in Scripture of Jesus expressing His desire for His followers to take time to sit at His feet and love Him, even if they don’t get as much work done. Loving Him was more important than extra work. This is what He was expressing to the church in Ephesus! And He also expresses that same feeling to His dear friends, Mary and Martha.  Taking time to sit at His feet and love Him is all important.   

 

 One day, when Mary and Martha were preparing dinner for Jesus and His disciples, Martha complained to Jesus that she had many chores to perform in cooking and serving their dinner and Mary wasn’t helping her enough.  Instead Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to Him and loving Him.  Martha wanted Jesus to tell Mary to get up and go help out in the kitchen. And Jesus answered that Mary had chosen the best part and He wouldn’t take that away from her.  (Luke 10:38-42) Are we like Martha or like Mary?  Have we chosen the best part- sitting at Jesus’ feet?

 

The message Jesus is giving to the church in Ephesus is timeless – it is also a message for us today. Jesus wants to be our first love. He wants us to take time to listen to Him and to sit at His feet.  Perhaps set a time apart each day to be with Him. He wants to hear our simple words of adoration and He wants us to spill out our love for Him.  He wants our head and our hands and our hearts.  He wants us to want Him and to wait for Him. To be alone with Him.  And He also wants us to be more about our love for one another. To love with a sacrificial love as He does. He calls us to walk in love. – for Him and for others.   

 

Let’s answer Christ’s call.  Be intentional in loving Jesus.  Love Him first, afresh every day.  Take time. Love is a choice.  Let’s choose the best part. Let’s choose to love Him.