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Revelation 2:1-5:
Unto
the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the
seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden
candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou
canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are
apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast
patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first
love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do
the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy
candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
The church of Ephesus about which John the
Revelator was writing was a thriving church that was right in the middle of
idolatry and false worship. In the book of Ephesians, we read of the
church of Ephesus in Paul's letter to the church; so we know it was an actual
historic church during the time of John's writing.
Let me clarify some things for you -- the word
"angel" does not always mean the angelic being of the heavenly host. I am
thinking that the word "angel" as it is used in Rev.1:1 refers to the human
leadership of the church. Not that they are as "Heavenly angels", but that
they are "messengers." For man to stand before people and proclaim the
truth of God, they are simply God's messengers.
To the messengers of Ephesus these things are
written: These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right
hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven candlesticks. "Okay,
Preacher, I understand who the angel is, but who is the one holding the seven
stars and walking in the midst of the seven candlesticks?" The answer to
that question is found in Revelation 1:10-18: I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and
heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega,
the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto
the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto
Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto
Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being
turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven
candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the
foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs
were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice
as the sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand seven stars: and
out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the
sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as
dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the
first and the last: I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive
for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. The
Alpha and Omega, the first and the last -- Jesus Christ.
What are the seven stars in the midst of the
seven candlesticks? These represent the seven churches which John writes
of in Revelation 1:11. This is John's way of identifying the message of
Jesus Christ to the seven present time churches.
Revelation 2:2-3: Jesus is speaking through
John and says: "I know thy works, thy labor, and thy patience, and for my
namesake thou has fainted not." My goodness! This sounds like an
"on-fire-for-God" kind of church, the kind of church you want to become involved
in. Well, not true! You do not want to be a part of this church.
Just because a church is busy during the week with many programs listed, does
not mean they are necessarily of God.
What is the first love? Matthew
22:37: The lawyer asked
Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, 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 greatest commandment. It
is my responsibility - and your responsibility- and the responsibility of this
church to love God more than anything or anyone, first and foremost. If we
love God the way we should, the work will be done. Can you be Christian
and not have God first in your life? Do not confuse your physical activity
with spiritual responsibility. Everything we do for God must be because we
love God. Just going through the motion does not do anything for serving
God and doing His work. Matthew
23:5: But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their
phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments.
A church that God loves is a church that loves
God. We do the things we do because we have an abiding love for the Lord
Jesus Christ. If we only do things that look good in the community, we
have accomplished nothing. Giving a lot of money to a project or doing
community service is not what it's all about. I have seen churches try to
bring in the crowds with a gas card to be used as a door prize. Some
churches even give new cars away. If they think that's the way to do it,
God bless them; but I'm not going to do it. I believe that the love of God
is what should bring people to the House of God. Let those seeking God
come to our house because they feel the warmth and love flowing from the people
who are within. Let God's love work through us. In all honesty, I've
had people make the statement to me how loved they feel from our church, and
that's how it should be. A church should shine from God in the community
in which it stands.
John says, "You need to repent if you have
fallen from your position of seeking his love first." If other things have
taken over your first love, you need to repent before God. No matter how
religious we may seem, if there is not the love of God prompting us, all is
wasted energy. We should do all things through Christ that strengthens us;
and we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us if we allow it.
When a church falls away from their first responsibility of loving God first,
the love of man will follow.
In Galatians 5:22 the first characteristic that
describes a connected Christian is "Love". In an earlier sermon I told you
how we are the branches and are connected to the vine. The branch can do
nothing by itself. Love is the very first and most important
characteristic of the connected life with Christ. What happens when love
for God begins to fade? Is there something interfering with the love for
God that you once knew? One thing that hinders us is sin in our lives.
If I should ask you the question "Is there a time when you loved God more than
you love Him today?", how would you answer? If you answer with a "Yes",
something is hindering you. John the Revelator says, "You need to repent."
Revelation 2:4-5: Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou has
left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and
repent, and do the first works; or else I will come quickly and remove thy
candlestick out of its place, except thou repent.
My thoughts on this -- what is the purpose of a
candle but to give off light? Your purpose, Child of God, is to give off
light. We Christians are the light of a city set on a hill, the light of
the world. We are to let our light so shine that others may see our good
works and glorify our Father which is in heaven. A Christian that loses
their love, loses their light. Without repentance, your light will be
damaged and will be of no effect for the kingdom.
After my first responsibility of life is my
responsibility is to shine my light for Christ. We need to say as the
little children, "This is my light and I'm gonna' let it shine." Don't
tell me how busy you are serving the Lord; don't tell me how many times you've
come to church this month. If you don't have the love of God prompting you
along, you have nothing. Read the Love Chapter -- 1 Corinthians 13.
[1 Corinthians 13 in the New
Living Translation
If I could
speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would
only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if
I understood all of God's secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had
such faith that I could move mountains, but didn't love others, I would be
nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I
could boast about it;* but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing.
Love is
patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does
not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being
wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth
wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures
through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and
special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! 9 Now our
knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only
part of the whole picture! But when full understanding comes, these partial
things will become useless.
When I was a
child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put
away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but
then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is
partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God
now knows me completely.
Three things will last
forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.]
Folks, have we forgotten our first
love? Do we wake up every Sunday morning and in a hum-ho attitude say,
"Come on, family, get up. We've got to put on our best clothes and go to
church and be holy today." With that attitude, what have you really
accomplished? If your love of God begins to fade, the love for your family
will begin to fade. If the love of your family begins to fade, the love
for everything else will begin to fade. Ask yourself these questions:
If the answer to those questions
is "Yes", then it is time to repent and get back your first love.
Pastor Earnest Fields, Jr.
October 19, 2008
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