THE ESSENCE OF REVIVAL: RETURNING TO YOUR FIRST LOVE
"Nevertheless I have
somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." -
Revelation 2:4
At
first glance, the church at Ephesus was a great church. When you read the opening verses of Revelation
chapter 2, you find that this church was known for its works, patience, and
discernment. Most churches in America
are not faithful in these areas. At
first glance, this church appears to be head and shoulders above the average
church here in our country. Yet the
Lord finds fault with the church. Jesus
said, "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou has left
thy first love."
Could
the same accusation be made of you? I'm
convinced that the reason we need revival in America is because too many
Christians have left their first love.
Revival is all about returning to your first love, Jesus Christ.
In
Matthew chapter 22, Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was. In response, Jesus said, "Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy mind. This is the first and great
commandment," (verses 37-38).
Notice that Jesus said that we should love God, in three ways: heart, soul and mind. We should love Him passionately (with
heart), emotionally (with soul) and intellectually (with mind). Furthermore, our love is to be supreme. Jesus said to love God, "with ALL thy
heart, and with ALL thy soul, and with ALL thy mind," (emphasis
added). I think if we're honest, such
love for God is rare these days.
The
Bible teaches us that the church at Ephesus had left their first love. No, they didn't lose Him --- instead they
left Him. If you are not as close to
God as you once was, know this: God is
not the One who moved.
Do
you love Jesus, right now, more than ever?
Can you honestly state that you love Him more than anything or
anyone? Does your actions reflect that
you love Jesus?
It
is possible to be active in church, busy in religious matters, and still be far
from God. In fact, many love ministry
more than they love the Master. It is
possible to love your church more than Christ.
The
church at Ephesus had all the signs of spiritual vitality, yet they had left
their first love. If God sent you a
letter, just like He did the church at Ephesus, what would He write? Would He rebuke you for leaving your first
love?
If
you have left your first love, is it possible to return? Obviously, the Lord knew it was possible for
the church at Ephesus to return. In
fact, the Lord gave the church a three-step challenge. It would be wise for many to take these same
steps today.
1. REMEMBER
The
church at Ephesus was told, "Remember therefore from whence thou art
fallen." Do you remember how you
used to love Jesus? Do you recall the
sweetness that once existed in your walk with the Lord? Remember these things. As you think about the bliss you once
enjoyed, also look at how far you are away from the Lord right now. There are many things we should never
forget. Never forget how the Lord saved
you.
2. REPENT
Secondly,
the church at Ephesus was told to repent.
Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change in behavior. Repentance is more than just confessing sin
--- it also includes forsaking sin.
Perhaps you've not fallen into some public sin, but your distance from
God is a reflection of sin in your life.
Repent. Repentance is the
quickest way for a person to get his or her life turned around.
3. RETURN
Finally,
the church at Ephesus was instructed to, "... do the first works." In other words, get back to things you used
to do. Get back to prayer. Get back to reading your Bible. Get back to having a quiet time daily with
the Lord. Get back in church. Get back to sharing your faith. Do the first works. Return today.
Revival
is a personal matter because returning to your first love is a personal
matter. No one else can do it for
you. Perhaps you think you've let too
much time slip by or it may be you think you've drifted too far. It could be that God has divinely led you to
read these words so He may beckon you to return.
No comments:
Post a Comment