THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS: A Cinderella Story, THE KEY OF LOVE

SEVEN KEYS:

Living Life in Uncertain Times

Session 1: The Church at Ephesus: A Cinderella Story, The Key of Love

CONNECT In each of these seven cities were three competing religions: heathen, Jewish and Christian.  In each, we see evidences of this conflict.  The church by any human standard, should have long ago disappeared.  From without there has been paganism and persecution. From within there has often been the kiss of some Judas Iscariot.  Yet, it ever lives.

TENSION The church at Ephesus had many good qualities, but, it was a cold church.  “Nevertheless, I have something against you, because you have left your first love.”  What is first love? He is saying, “You no longer love me as you did at first.  You are decent, respectable and orthodox, but you are cold.  The honeymoon was over.  They no longer possessed the warm love which filled their hearts when first they were saved. 

SOLUTION Remember, Repent, Return

INSTRUCTION The Church at Ephesus…A Cinderella Story

John Commends:

1.     Their work and toil

Clearly Paul is saying, although we cannot do anything to be saved, our response to “such great a salvation” is to labor and work for the Lord. The church at Ephesus walked in the steps of her Master, remembering Jesus’ words from John 9, where He said, ^“I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” Their patience

2.     Their patience

They had been patient under opposition and persecution.  Paul had been loved by them and had labored with them. They had been patient with each other, “in love forbearing one another.”

3.     Their discipline

He commended their discipline.  The famous temple of Diana was located here.  Paganism was strong.  Evil was rampant.  Yet, they refused to have fellowship with open flagrant sinners.  They practiced discipline.

4.     Their doctrine

We affirm our faith in this: in the virgin birth, the sinless life, the vicarious sufferings and substitutionary death of Christ, the power of the blood, the resurrection, ascension and return of our Lord.

5.     Their Service

                  For my name’s sake you labored and did not faint.”  That is the only acceptable

                  motive.  All our labor and patience will be for naught if done for selfish reasons

                  but because we love him.

We wish the letter would end here, but it doesn’t.  It was a cold church.  “Nevertheless, I have something against you, because you have left your first love.”  What is first love? He is saying, “You no longer love me as you did at first.  You are decent, respectable and orthodox, but you are cold.  The honeymoon was over.  They no longer possessed the warm love which filled their hearts when first they were saved.  It was not that they opposed Christ.  It was that they didn’t seem to care.  Their love should have grown sweeter with the passing of the years, but it had waned.  It was the love that failed. 

John gives them a three-fold recommendation.

1.     First, “Remember” – “Remember from where you have fallen.”  To cease to love is always to fail.  How tender John is here.  He appeals to them by memories of the best that they have experienced. 

2.     Second,  “repent.” We need to honestly examine our lives and see what changed?  Was it school?  Was it a job?  Was it children? Was it new friendships? What distracted us so much that it caused our love to wane? Are we willing to change that in order to rekindle our love? I have preached before that repentance is when you are walking in one direction and you stop, do a 180 degree turn and walk in a new direction. Are we willing to do a 180 degree turn to love Him again?

3.     His final recommendation was to “return.” “Do the deeds you did at first!” In other words, act as you did at first. Returning is the outcome of your repentance.  Remember when you first got saved…you wanted to tell everyone about your experience. It was not enough for the prodigal to realize his hunger, to be homesick.  He has to take steps to get back home.  The memory of better days led him back.  Is your heart cold and indifferent?  Have lesser things occupied your time, consumed your energies?  I want you to realize, those things are not necessarily bad things or sinful things, but they have nonetheless captured your eyes, your mind and most importantly your heart. 

INSPIRATION Most of us marry thinking that life will be somewhat like a fairy tale.  We marry someone we are attracted to.  We dream of a beautiful home, lovely obedient children.  We imagine working at a job where we will be loved and respected, we will get a lot of money and we will be able to take off any time we need to or want to. But then, real life begins and it is nothing like we imagined it was going to be.  And if we don’t take action and make it a priority our marriage ends in divorce. 

·      The average length of a marriage in the United States is 8 years. 

·      The average person gets divorce before age 30. 

·      Many Christian couples separate first – they don’t try to fix things, they just separate so they can say they didn’t divorce right away! 

Are you separated from Christ?  Are you living in a different place?  Do you still spend time with Him? Or have you just basically left him?  Have you divorced the King of Kings? 

 Romans 1:4, “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”

APPLICATION One step, one decision a day to return to your first love. 

1.     Remember- What did you love the most about Christ when you first got saved.

2.     Repent – What distracted you in your walk?

3.     Return – What can you do to return?

ILLUSTRATION Cinderella: In order to become the Princess Bride you must come out of the comfortable, be willing to step forward and show that your are indeed the love of the Beloved.

HASHTAG #firstlove