Jump Start # 293

Revelation 2:4-5 “But I have this against you that you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds  you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.”

  The seven churches of Revelation are an interesting study. Our passage today comes from what is said about Ephesus, the first of those seven. Doctrinally, Ephesus was strong. They would not tolerate error. They exposed those who claimed to be apostles but were fakes. Good teaching makes a church strong. But in the midst of the strength, they lost something and forget something, their heart. They had left their first love—which has to be Jesus Christ. The church was this way because the members were this way.

  Many things to mention here. First, when we read about the seven churches of Asia it is easy to identify which ones that we would not want to be a part of. One was called dead. Ladociea was lukewarm. But the reality is we rarely get to pick the best of seven churches. Often, because of jobs or location, we find ourselves a member of a congregation that is already established and possibly already dead or lukewarm. That’s hard. Options are few. But work can be done. God tells these congregations that they can repent and sometimes that move comes from someone like you.

  Ephesus had lost it’s first love. That happens. It happens in marriage. It happens in discipleship. We are not told why. God rarely does that. He identifies the problem and leads us to fix it. We want to explore the “whys.” Did they take things for granted? Did they get so busy that they allowed the spark to die out? Did they think being doctrinally sound was all that mattered? Why do marriages lose their love? Many reasons.

  God does give a bit on insight as to what happened and it is that insight that is the solution. He tells Ephesus twice to repent—which means change. God never gives up. He always believes that we can make it better. Don’t give up on the marriage. Don’t give up on the Lord. In telling Ephesus to repent, the Lord added this expression, “do the deeds you did at first.” Did you see that? That’s both the problem and the answer. That’s what we need to do.

  Obviously, Ephesus had moved in their faith and emotions from God. They no longer were doing what they did at first. They had settled in somewhere else and that caused their love to die. Do what you did at first. Those are the same words that help a dying marriage. Couples forget that at one time they loved each other and could talk about nothing for hours. Doors were opened, notes were left, flowers purchased and they enjoyed each others company. But a few years after the marriage, ESPN has replaced spending time with each other. Demanding jobs drain energy and they find themselves stuck and tired and acting more like roommates than a married couple. Thoughts begin to creep in about unhappiness and being unfulfilled and the thought of leaving becomes more of a reality. How sad to see a relationship sink like that. Is there any hope? Marriage counseling is what most of us would urge. Be careful with that, for some counselors would say, ‘You need to be happy and you’re not. Leave.’ That’s not God’s words. He says, ‘Do what you did at first.’

  We can get struck in our relationship with the Lord. Sunday and Sunday, same stuff, same people. We’d never put up with changing God’s message—don’t even suggest fake apostles—that isn’t going to happen. But what Ephesus expressed is what happens to many Christians. Their faith no longer is the central part of their life. Without the love of Christ their faith doesn’t help them much. Christ becomes more of a Sunday habit than a living anchor of their soul. Prayer life, reading God’s word and just being passionate about the Lord don’t exit. They’ll show up on Sunday but there is no life in their eyes. No hope. No excitement. Just stuck until one day the thought of leaving enters their mind. Some do.

  Jesus says, do the deeds you did at first. Let me share with you a story about a young disciple I know. This person had the “Ephesian problem,” the passion was gone. Through emails we talked. Then we met. Suggestions offered—no rocket science, just little things here and there. This person tried some of them. A fire was kindled in the heart. Life was back in the eyes. Excitement and love for the Lord returned. This person started reaching out to others. Amazing things started taking place. People noticed. It was incredible. What were the suggestions—nothing that anyone else couldn’t think of. What they did was bring the person back to their first love.

  It can happen to any of us. It starts with repentance—change. Change is hard. It’s risky and scary, but it’s so worth it. God believes in you and want you to love Him with All of your heart and all of your soul and all of your mind. Ephesus had gotten away from that. We do the same. Get it back and do it quickly before you get to the point that leaving seems to be the best option.

  Do what you did at first…remember what you did? Do it better because you are older, wiser and know what those simply things mean.

Roger