First Love

 

First Love

What is “First Love” to you?

You might say your First Love is your mother or your father

They were the first to hold you and give you security

You might say your first love was a pet or a cuddly teddy bear

Or, maybe your First Love began with your first kiss

In Revelation 2, we find a letter to the Church in Ephesus

This is a church of remarkable accomplishment

Yet, the Lord has something against them

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Revelation 2:4

The Lord is not talking about “First” as in timing like your first kiss

The word “First” in place or order

First Love is a priority

 

 First Love

 

What is “First Love” to you?

 

You might say your First Love

is your mother or your father.

 

They were the first to hold

you and give you security.

 

You might say your first love

was a pet or a cuddly teddy bear.

 

Or, maybe your First Love

began with your first kiss.

 

In Revelation 2, we find a

letter to the Church in Ephesus.

 

This is a church of remarkable accomplishment…

 

Deeds, Hard work, Perseverance.

 

Don’t tolerate wicked people and test the

validity and hold leadership accountable.

 

Endured hardship and do not grow weary.

 

These are great qualities.

 

Yet, the Lord has something against them.

 

Yet I hold this against you:

 You have forsaken your first love.

Revelation 2:4

 

The Lord is not talking about

“First” as in timing like your first kiss.

 

The word “First” in place or order.

 

Remember when Jesus,

 after He arose from the dead,

 saw the disciples fishing.

 

John pointed out to Peter that is Jesus on shore.

 

Peter jumps off the boat and swam to see Jesus.

 

Jesus has a fire going and says

bring some of the fish you caught.

 

Peter runs to the boat to get the fish.

 

In this third time, Jesus appeared to His

disciples after He arose from the dead,

He singles Peter out.

 

Three times Jesus asked Peter,

the one who denied Jesus

at his trial three times…

 

“Do you truly love me?”

 

Peter had the goods like the Church in Ephesus…

 

Deeds, Hard work, Perseverance.

 

Don’t tolerate wicked people and test the

validity and hold leadership accountable.

 

Endured hardship and do not grow weary.

 

Yet, he struggled, like all of us, with

giving our love for Christ first place.

 

When we watch runners take their

rewards, we many times see them on steps.

 

First place is the highest step.

 

The second step is for second and third place.

 

Lots of athletes work hard

and get second place and third.

 

                                            Too often we are in the race, but                     

we forget the reason we are running.

 

We have forgotten our First Love.

 

Jesus questioning Peter was not to embarrass

him or give him feelings of rejection.

 

Jesus wanted to make sure Peter

saw what first place was all about.

 

It is all about love…

 

Do you love me?

 John 21

 

 Jesus tells Peter…

 

 “If you love me feed my sheep.”

 

Express your love for me to others.

 

The letter to the Ephesian Church says…

 

Remember the height from which you have fallen!

Repent and do the things you did at first.

Revelation 2:5

 

Remember, what does first place look like?

 

Is our love for God at a distance from first place?

 

Has some how our love fallen

to a second or third place?

 

If so, the advice is to repent, to turn back

to the things you did when Christ was first.

 

Peter’s heart was broken to think his

love was nothing less for God than first.

 

The greatest command we find

in the Old Testament and New is…

 

Love the Lord your God with all

your heart, soul, mind and strength.

 

Second is very close to first and is a part of first.

 

Love your neighbor as yourself.

 

Your love for yourself and

others is important, but not first.

 

The only way you can love

yourself and others is to love God first.

 

It is out of that love for God we

can properly love others and ourself.

 

First love is priority love.

 

 

Scripture Reading

 

Revelation 2:1-7 NIV

 

2:1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

 

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.