First Love

Revelations 2:4

Intro: This was a strange thing to tell a church. It was growing and doing the Lords’ work. Your love for God is much more important than you think. Psalm 18:1 “I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.”

He asked Peter in John 21:15 “Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these?...”

Now we find the Lord telling the church in Ephesus “You have left your love for me.”

What was this love? Best place to look or it is in the Book of Acts

1. 2:4 ---3,000 souls added

2. 4:4 ---5,000 men and women and children saved

3. 6:7--- Adding changed to multiplying

4. 8:12--- Gospel to Samaria

5. 9:31 --- Churches multiplied

6. 9:35 --- Became a people movement (Peter witnessed to a lame man)

7. 11:31 --- Great number of Gentiles saved

8. Not one word said about buildings, budgets, singing groups, etc. Emphasis on soul winning

First love was lost --- why?

1. Affection for material things. I Timn. 6:10 “For the love of money is the root of all evil….”

   1. You say you aren’t a millionaire, neither was Judas. But for a little money, he betrayed Jesus.

   2. When Lazarus’s sister anointed Jesus’ feet with oil, Judas was angry. He wanted the money. The Bible says he was a thief. Judas is in Hell. “Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou has left the first love.”

2. Affection for Praise. John 12:43 “For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God”

   1. Some quit because they got no praise

   2. Some work only for the praise, they have their reward.

3. Affection for this world. I John 5:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. I any man love the world,, the love of the Father is not in him….”

   1. We love our organizations

   2. We forsake our church. Hebrews 10:25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is….”

4. Affection for ourselves --- II Tim. 3:2 “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blaspheming, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.”

   1. We talk about ourselves

   2. Young people don’t obey because they’ve been taught to love themselves

   3. Our testimonies are about ourselves

First love recovered

1. Repent and return. ? Sometimes you have to eliminate the temptation and replace it with something worthy:

   1. Fish for men “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men”

   2. Look at the world thru God’s eyes John 3:16

2. See the hand of God working in the world. Don’t become pessimistic

3. See your responsibility as a soul winner and reclaim your lost love

Conclusion: Have you lost your first love?