Churches Which Leave Their First Love

Transcription

1 Toney L. Smi Churches Which Leave Their First Love I will come unto ee quickly, and will remove y candlestick out of his place, except ou repent (Revelation 2:5) Toney L. Smi Introduction The eme of is lectureship is one of vital importance. Throughout e Bible we find various exhortations connected wi e wo except. This small five-letter wo carries a strong meaning. Thayer s Greek wo studies defines is wo to mean if not, unless. It carries e idea of in no oer way or based upon a certain condition. The use of is wo sets for e clear condition given by God so e church at Ephesus might be reconciled to Him. Wiout e observance of e exceptive clause men will stand in violation of His will. Our assignment, Churches Which Leave Their First Love is based upon e statement found in Revelation 2:1-5. This powerful exhortation to correct e situation wiin e church was dependent upon e except clause. About irty years prior to e Revelation letter, Paul had penned ese wos: And you ha he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked accoing to e course of is world, accoing to e prince of e power of e air, e spirit at now worke in e children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in e lusts of our flesh, fulfilling e desires of e flesh and of e mind; and were by nature e children of wra, even as oers (Ephesians 2:1-3). From ese verses we understand at ey once had lived in sin, but had been made alive by eir obedience to e gospel. Yet, now ey had returned to eir former state by leaving eir first love. This passage teaches at it is possible to be saved en to turn back to e former lifestyle (2 Peter 2:20-22). There is a need to continually examine ourselves in light of God s wo (2 Corinians 13:5; James 1:21-25). The members of e church at Ephesus needed to examine where ey had been and where ey were now! Why do people turn back? We do not know all of e answers. Some get tired; some wonder, what is e use and oers fall in love wi e world (1 John 2:15-17). For our study we will observe at it is a serious and dangerous ing to leave our first love. The First Love The wo first comes from e Greek protos ( ) and means foremost in time, place, oer or importance best or chief (Strong s number 4413). The love here referred to is love for e Lo; and e idea is, at as a church, ey had less an at which ey formerly had shown. Wi respect to is love ey were in a state of having less an was eir first state. Even ough ey still maintained and defended e teachings of Christianity, ey somehow demonstrated less love an ey had shown in e beginning. Demonstration is e only way at love can be known. The wos can be said, yet wiout demonstration love is never realized. The Faer s love was demonstrated in what was done for mankind; For God so loved e world, at he gave his only begotten Son, at whosoever Conditional Christianity 23 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 1 be be sold. For information contact e 39 Street church of Christ, East 39 Street, Independence, MO

2 Toney L. Smi believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Jesus declared at love is to be demonstrated, If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15). Therefore, we can conclude at e church in Ephesus was not being obedient to e Lo wi e same zeal and motivation which ey had shown before. Paul had given e same admonition to e church at Corin. And ough I have e gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and ough I have all fai, so at I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am noing (1Corinians 13:2). Men can go rough e motions and speak of eir religious fervor, yet unless ese ings are motivated by love it is to no avail. In Galatians 5:6, Paul penned ese wos; For in Jesus Christ neier circumcision availe anying, nor uncircumcision; but fai which worke by love. Of what value are actions if, and only if, it is done by duty? We must never dismiss e necessity of obedience. We can go rough e motions in service to God and still not be pleasing in His sight. Wherefore e Lo said, Forasmuch as is people draw near me wi eir mou, and wi eir lips do honour me, but have removed eir heart far from me, and eir fear towa me is taught by e precept of men Isaiah 29:13. All of our duties must be carried out by love. We understand at ere is a sense in which we dread and fear e awful prospect of eternal punishment and steadfastly conduct ourselves so as to avoid such. 1 John 4:16-18 illustrates e necessity of love which overcomes e dread and fear of eternal torment. The man who loves e Lo wi all of his heart will not fear Him in e day of judgment. In our present study we observe a congregation at had heart problems. The text does not say ey did not love someing. It says ey had left eir first love which was eir love for e Lo and e complete teaching of e gospel. Labor is no substitute for love. What we are doing for e Lo and for e cause of Christ is important, and yet e motivating factor is important as well. What we do for e Lo must be motivated by love; For in Jesus Christ neier circumcision availe any ing, nor uncircumcision; but fai which worke by love by love serve one anoer (Galatians 5:6, 13). Ways in Which e Departure Is Exhibited The apostle Paul wrote to e church in Galatia and warned em of a departure from e fai, I marvel at ye are so soon removed from him at called you into e grace of Christ unto anoer gospel: Which is not anoer; but ere be some at trouble you, and would pervert e gospel of Christ. But ough we, or an angel from heaven, preach any oer gospel unto you an at which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed (Galatians 1:6-8). This passage clearly shows at men are carried away by false teachings. It is also possible for men and congregations to be carried away not only by false doctrines but also by not being doers of e wo (James 1:23-25; Matew 7:21-23). Thus we can see at a departure from e fai can come at e hands of believing a false doctrine or by not carrying out all at God has commanded. The latter seems to be e case wi e Ephesian breren. Individually, how many today are going rough e motions, doing e ings required by God, yet not being motivated by love? Of course ere is no way of knowing e answer to at question. However, we can observe e halfhearted manner in which some are living eir lives and worshipping e Almighty. We would do well to remember e wos of Paul in 2 Timoy 4:2-3 Conditional Christianity 23 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 2 be be sold. For information contact e 39 Street church of Christ, East 39 Street, Independence, MO

3 Toney L. Smi Preach e wo; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort wi all longsuffering and doctrine. For e time will come when ey will not endure sound doctrine; but after eir own lusts shall ey heap to emselves teachers, having itching ears. Many in e church today never miss e assembling of e saints (Hebrews 10:25) yet never go beyond attendance. They never involve emselves in visiting ose who are sick (James 1:27), ose who are erring (Galatians 6:1-2) or ose who need encouragement (Hebrews 3:13). There are ose who have never tried to teach a lost soul e gospel. Sometimes individual Christians live eir lives when away from e eyes of e breren just as e rest of e world (1 John 2:15-17). They engage in ings which are condemned by e wo of God and ey do not shine as lights before e world (Philippians 2:15). God s wo instructs individuals to Let your light so shine before men, at ey may see your good works, and glorify your Faer which is in heaven (Matew 5:16). You see I can have an appearance before men at belies what I am in my heart. Our fai must be demonstrated by what we do which must be motivated by love. Individually, we can seem to be right while in tru we have left our first love. Congregationally, e same sad situation is true. Many are going rough e motions while at e same time ey have left eir first love. Wheer individually or congregationally, e heart of e problem is to allow worldly ings and false teachings to move us from e wo of God. Many congregations never turn away from e requirements of worship. They observe e Lo s Supper every first day of e week; ey give as ey have prospered each Lo s day; ey are teaching and admonishing one anoer in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing wi grace in your hearts to e Lo; ey teach and preach e wo of God, and ey pray just as has been prescribed. They do not add to nor take away from e requirement for worship; yet ey have lost eir zeal for service to God. They are idle in restoring erring breren and are not involved in evangelism. Some are likened to e church at Laodicia which had become lukewarm. The Seriousness of Leaving Our First Love We can never fully comprehend e extent to which God loves us. We read passages such as John 3:16; 1 John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10; Romans 5:8 and ey all declare a love which is above man s ability to comprehend. We are able to love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). It is always easier to love someone at loves us and has demonstrated at love. I am told at e most devastating ing in e life of an individual is to love someone who does not love you. Who can faom e feeling of loving someone and giving your all to make him or her happy, and en to have at person stop loving you? It really is beyond imagination. Hearts are broken, lives are shattered and years will never remove e sadness except at person return. I realize at I cannot begin to fully explain e emotional state of God, however I can know at a departure from Him causes a reaction in Heaven. Surely we can remember e statement in Genesis 6:6, And it repented e LORD at he had made man on e ear, and it grieved him at his heart. Our actions can bring joy or sadness in e portals of Glory: I beheld e transgressors, and was grieved; because ey kept not y wo (Psalm 119:158). Not only does e leaving of our first love bring displeasure in Heaven, it will cause one to be eternally lost. In our text (Revelation 2:4) we must realize at when ey left eir first love e admonition for eir return was given. The consequence is clear, else I will come unto ee quickly, and will remove y candlestick out of his place, except ou repent (Revelation 2:5). Conditional Christianity 23 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 3 be be sold. For information contact e 39 Street church of Christ, East 39 Street, Independence, MO

4 Toney L. Smi Please observe e urgency voiced in is admonition; Remember erefore from whence ou art fallen, and repent, and do e first works; or else I will come unto ee quickly, and will remove y candlestick out of his place The removal of e candlestick is to remove e light, which was to shine in e congregation and stand as a beacon of eir love and as acceptance in God s sight. Just as a Christian is to be e light shining in e world, e Lo s church is to be e light standing out in e darkness of is world. She is to be e pillar and ground of tru (1 Timoy 3:15). We may not know exactly how or when e candlestick would be removed, but we do know at it would certainly happen. The candlestick is defined as being e church itself: e seven candlesticks which ou sawest are e seven churches (Revelation 1:20). Therefore, we can conclude at e church at Ephesus would cease to exist if ey did not repent, and do e first works. In his Commentary on e book of Revelation Albert Barnes noted: There is not e least evidence at e church at Ephesus did repent, and e reatening has been most signally fulfilled. Long since e church has been utterly extinct, and for ages ere was not a single professing Christian ere. Every memorial of ere having ever been a church ere has departed and ere are no where, not even in Nineveh, Babylon, or Tyre, more affecting demonstrations of e fulfillment of ancient prophecy an in e present state of ruins of Ephesus What is affirmed here of Ephesus has often been illustrated in e history of e world, at when a church has declined in piety and love, and has been called by faiful ministers to repent, and has not done it, it has been abandoned more and more, until e last appearance of tru and piety has departed, and it has been given up to error and to ruin. (65) It was and is a sad commentary on men when e church disappears from e face of e ear. I can call to mind some congregations which no longer exist due to e indifference or outright doctrinal error of her members. When God s people leave eir first love noing but ruin can follow. Many congregations have no candlestick even ough ey still are in existence because ey have left eir first love also. We leave our first love when we abandon e tru, will not defend it (Jude 3), or will not practice it in our daily work for e Lo. Someone said; ere are some who are dead and do not realize it yet. There are congregations who have more allegiance to schools an to e Lo. There are some which have adopted e way of denominationalism by implementing Children s Bible Hour, House churches, singing groups, by having two services to accommodate e contemporary or traditional mindset and by oer innovations introduced as a means of grow. Any of ese are a departure from Bible auority and evidences e leaving of our first love. Repentence Is e Only Cure The wo except makes clear e requirement for e church at Ephesus, I will come unto ee quickly, and will remove y candlestick out of his place, except ou repent. The force of is admonition is at e only way ey would survive was to repent. They were to turn back to eir first love. It is interesting to note at e phrase I will come unto ee quickly is found in e King James Version but not in e American Standa. The American Standa omits e wo quickly. This wo is omitted in two of e oldest manuscripts. The Vulgate and Coptic versions,. yet it s presence is supported by one of e oldest manuscripts. The argument for or against its being included does not remove e urgency involved in e correction. In fact e literal translation Conditional Christianity 23 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 4 be be sold. For information contact e 39 Street church of Christ, East 39 Street, Independence, MO

5 Toney L. Smi shows e urgency in at it says, I am coming to you The real ing to be understood in I will come unto ee quickly is at eir condition would not be overlooked (2 Peter 3:9). Repentance is very often misunderstood in our world today. Some feel it means only to be sorry for a deed at is done. Oers ink at God will overlook sins which ey call weaknesses. Note our text; EXCEPT ou repent! Noing could be clearer. Those who are in sin must repent (Luke 13:3, 5). Biblical repentance requires e changing of one s mind. When ere is godly sorrow due to our sin, ere is en a change of conduct (2 Corinians 7:10). This is in marked contrast to a sorrow which does not produce a change (Matew 19:22). One man said, The sorrow of e world" is not at e sin itself, but at its penal consequences: so at e tears of pain are no sooner dried up, an e pleasures of ungodliness are renewed. Is is not what took place wi e Pharaoh in Exodus? He spoke of his sin against God and asked for a reprieve from e plagues (Exodus 9:27-28) but his sorrow was soon changed to rebellion. Notice, And when Pharaoh saw at e rain and e hail and e unders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and haened his heart, he and his servants (Exodus 9:34). Repentance also requires a remembering of our former state. In our text we read, Remember erefore from whence ou art fallen We should bring to mind what price was paid for e church (Acts 20:28) and what was done to bring about our salvation (Romans 5:8). The wo remember carries e meaning of bringing back to e mind, rehearsing over in e mind. Thus we should ever keep in mind God s love for us, and e price which was paid as a ransom for our souls (1 Timoy 2:6). Keep in mind at when we sin we affect God in an adverse manner. Repentance must be accompanied by remorse. This involves deep regret for e sin committed. Remorse is an inner hurt for ings which bring about separation (Isaiah 59:1-2). In is life when we become estranged for ose we love deeply ere should be a hollow aching down inside due to e separation from ones we love. How much more so when we realize at we are divided, separated from our heavenly Faer. David lamented in Psalm 38:10, My heart pante, my streng faile me: as for e light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me. Our hearts should be broken when sin lives wiin us and our first love is no longer by our side (Isaiah 59:1-2). Repentance is realized when we turn from and renounce and reject our sinful ways. Repentance carries e idea of putting away or putting off certain ings. A congregation cannot tolerate and allow sin to abide in her midst, for in doing so e church is hurt and hindered. In 1 Corinians 5 we realize e trufulness of is affirmation. The church at Corin had sin abiding in eir membership and ey were doing noing to protect e purity of e Lo s bride. Therefore, Paul required em to widraw from e man living in sin. The only way ey could remove e condemnation at was upon em was to put away e sinful man from eir fellowship. Notice ey were to change eir inking concerning is sin, remember what he had earlier written I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company wi fornicators (1 Corinians 5:9). They were to be Conditional Christianity 23 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 5 be be sold. For information contact e 39 Street church of Christ, East 39 Street, Independence, MO

6 Toney L. Smi remorseful over e sin ( mourn verse 2) and to renounce e sin (verse 13). This lesson is needed today just as in e early stages of church development. Conclusion In Revelation 2:1-11 e church at Ephesus was busy doing some of e ings which were noted as positive. Yet ey were not pleasing in God s sight because ey had left eir first love. It will never please God to do part of His commandments. It will never please God to do His commandments unless we are doing em from a glad heart a heart which seeks to please Him because our love for Him is deeper an our love for anying else. The Lo clearly illustrated is tru in Matew 10:37, He at love faer or moer more an me is not wory of me: and he at love son or daughter more an me is not wory of me. Clearly ere are many who have left eir first love. May we awaken to e fact at to depart from Him is to be lost and set our hearts to please Him in all ings. Be assured at He will never leave us but will uphold us wi His mighty hand (Psalm 89:13). He will never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Keep in mind e admonition Remember erefore from whence ou art fallen, and repent, and do e first works Works Cited Barnes, Albert. Barnes Notes on e New Testament, Revelation. Grand Rapids 6, MI: Baker Book House (1951). Jamison, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Revelation (E-Swo electronic version). Conditional Christianity 23 Annual Mid-West Lectures Page 6 be be sold. For information contact e 39 Street church of Christ, East 39 Street, Independence, MO