The Christian’s Love Life
The Riches of God’s Grace • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Intro
Open the Word of God, Revelation 2…
I want to tell you that I am very, very excited about what God is doing at NUBC and in other churches around the world.
I read the story of a man who had heart surgery and was told that they would have to put a pacemaker in his heart to keep it working. And the doctor said, "We have several types of pacemakers. We have a very expensive pacemaker that's made in Switzerland that costs $20,000. And then," he said, "we have a very good pacemaker that's made in Japan. and it costs $10,000.” The man looked a little worried and the Dr. said, “Well, we also have a model from Walmart for $195." The man thought for a moment and said, "I think it's better to try the Walmart model."
So they put the Walmart model on him, and he went home... - some time later he had to go back for a check-up. And the doctor asked him, "How's your pacemaker working?" "Ah," he said, "wonderful. It's working very well." He asked, "Do you have any difficulties?" He said, "Not really - except when I get excited, the garage door keeps opening and closing by itself."
That's how I'm feeling, so excited that my garage door keeps going up and down, when I think about what the Lord is doing in our church and in our lives today.
Listen, there are many types of organizations in the world, but there is nothing on Earth like the local church, New Testament church. When the local church is filled with the glory of God there is nothing like it.
Nothing on Earth can equal the fellowship, the joy, the peace, the satisfaction of accomplishment that we have together in this church or any other local church when the glory of God is upon it.
A holy church is a powerful weapon in the hands of a holy God! And God wants our church to be that kind of church.
Now, in the book of Revelation, in chapters 2 and 3, the Lord sends seven messages to seven churches. These churches were literally (local) churches in Asia.
Ephesus was just one of the seven. And these were seven literal churches, but they represent, in the Book of Revelation, all the local churches of all time.
And by studying the messages to these seven churches, we can see that there is no new problem for the local church.
There is no problem that we could face today, in the year 2024 AD, in this city of Silver Spring, MD that was not in some way mentioned or spoken about in these messages to these seven churches in the Book of Revelation.
And to all of them the Lord ends by saying: "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”
The question is: Are you listening? "He who has ears, let him hear."
I want you to hear not only what the Lord Jesus Christ is saying to that church in the year 90-91 AD, but what the Lord is saying to this church today; 4/11/2024.
I want you to hear not what He is saying to people in general, or to the masses, but what He is saying to you as an individual, because our church is nothing more than the sum total of the individuals who come together in it and the degree to which they allow their lives to be filled and used by God, through God's Holy Spirit in this place.
So, "He who has ears, let him hear."
Now I want you to notice the characteristics of the church in Ephesus. You will see that it appears to be a wonderful church, but it has a fatal flaw.
I. The Church’s Program
I. The Church’s Program
Now, the first thing I want you to notice is their program. You talk about a church with a program! It had a wonderful program.
Revelation 2:2 (NIV84)
2 I know your deeds, your hard work
A. They Were a Busy Church
Jesus is speaking to this church, and He says, in verse 2: “I know your deeds, your hard work” (Revelation 2:2). Do you see that? Oh, they were a busy church!
They believed in the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, and they were very busy about doing good works.
Sometimes we preach so much that we’re saved by grace through faith and that we’re not saved by works, some people almost believe that we don’t believe in doing good works.
Our Lord takes record of all of the good works that we do, but works are not the root of salvation; they are the fruit of salvation.
Works are not the cause of salvation; works are the consequence of salvation. Works don’t get us to Heaven; works follow us to Heaven. We need to understand that.
And, while we are on this subject of works, let me just quote to you three verses that many of you know by heart—Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 through 10:
Ephesians 2:8–10 “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Now, that’s a very wonderful passage. And, there are three prepositions that I want you to get down in Ephesians chapter 2:8 through 10. And, if you’ll learn these three prepositions, you’ll keep your salvation theology clear.
I will show you the three prepositions that I am talking about. They are by, through, and to/unto. // by, through, and to/unto.
“For by grace are you saved through faith … unto good works” (Ephesians 2:8–10).
Now, get that. You’re saved by grace; you’re not saved by faith.
Ephesians 2:8 (NIV84)
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—
Faith doesn’t save; faith just brings you to grace. “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith …
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV84)
10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Just keep those three prepositions in your mind, and you’ll not get confused about salvation.
It’s not that we don’t believe in good works, but we are saved to do good works—we’re saved to do good works—not saved by doing good works. “By grace … through faith … to do good works.”
Now, do you have that? Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 through 10.
And so, our Lord looked at this church, and the first thing He said: “I know your deeds, your hard work” (Revelation 2:2).
They were a working church.
II. The Church’s Purity
II. The Church’s Purity
The Lord also knew their purity. Notice He says,
Revelation 2:2 (NIV84)
2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men,
Here was a church that held a very high standard of morality, spirituality, and purity.
They were pure in their living. And, the Bible says they could not tolerate wicked men.
That means that the immoral’s, wordly did not find themselves at home in this church.
I take this to mean that, in this church at Ephesus, these double-tongued, double-dealing moral worldly folks were not given places of leadership.
They were not the ones who set the standards. They may have been ministered to, but they did not lead; they did not control this church.
This church was a church that had a high spiritual standard. And, they refused leadership and fellowship to those who were open and flagrant sinners.
And so, our Lord knew their work. Our Lord knew their purity.
III. The Church’s Proclamation
III. The Church’s Proclamation
And also, our Lord knew their proclamation. Look again in verse 2:
Revelation 2:2 (NIV84)
2 I know …, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.
Here was a church—not only that held a high standard of morality, but here was a church that was orthodox, and doctrinally straight, and doctrinally pure.
They refused to let false teachers poison the fellowship.
Look at verse 6
Revelation 2:6 (NIV84)
6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
We have screen in our windows and doors to screen out the bugs, when the lights are on.
That’s what this church was doing—screening out those teachers who did not take a stand.
There were some who came to the church at Ephesus and said, “We’d like to teach in your Sunday School; we’d like to lead in your Church Training, I would like to preach in your church” if they had such a thing, or whatever they had. And, they said, “Well now, first of all, before we’re going to let you teach—you claim to be an apostle; that is, one sent from Heaven—before we let you teach, we’re going to examine you; we’re going to find out what you believe. And, if you’re not straight, if you’re not right, you’re not going to preach or teach in this church.
You see, false teachers and false prophets are always trying to come into some Bible-believing church like NUBC, or any other church.
And Jesus said: I know …, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.
You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
IV. The Church’s Perseverance
IV. The Church’s Perseverance
Now, here was a church—a wonderful church. We see this in their program. We see it in their purity. We see it in their proclamation. And, we also see it in their Perseverance. Look again in verse 3:
Revelation 2:3 (NIV84)
3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
For more than 30 years, the Ephesians had not grown “weary in doing what is right”
(2 Thessalonians 3:13 “ And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.”)
And, throughout opposition and persecution, they remained firm, they kept on working, even under pressure and persecution.
Paul wrote, 1 Corinthians chapter 16 concerning the work at Ephesus, when he was there, in 1 Corinthians chapter 16 and verse 9:
1 Corinthians 16:9 “9 because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.”
There were all kinds of opposition there at Ephesus.
Paul had to have that perseverance. Paul had to have that endurance, and so did these other Christians.
If you’ll read the Book of Acts, you’ll find out that Paul got into a riot there at Ephesus.
There was a man named Demetrius, who was a silversmith, and who had a union of silversmiths who were making little shrines, little idols, to the goddess Diana. And, actually, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Temple of Diana, was there at Ephesus. And, Paul came in there and preached the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and people were turning from Diana to Jesus; and, no longer did they need their silver shrines. And, it was bad for the idolatry business; and so, they drummed up some false charges against Paul, and they actually tried to put Paul in prison and do him bodily harm.
Paul knew opposition. Everywhere Paul went there was either a revival, or a riot, or both.
There was something about this man. He was a remarkable man of God.
And yet, these Ephesian Christians, who were there at Ephesus, were so true to the Lord Jesus Christ, so faithful.
When opposition, and persecution, and threats, and bodily harm came, they kept on going on working for the Lord Jesus Christ.
And, you can tell the size of a Christian by what it takes to stop him. Thank God for their perseverance.
V. Their Fatal Weakness
V. Their Fatal Weakness
Well, as you look at this, and you’d say, “Well, my goodness, what a wonderful, wonderful church!
What could possibly be wrong with this church?”
Well, I want you to notice not only their faithful works, but I want you to notice their fatal weakness—their fatal weakness. Now, over against all of this, he says in verse 4:
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.
Now, what does this mean? What was wrong with this church?
What was the fatal weakness that caused this church ultimately to disintegrate and to be destroyed?
They lost their first love. The honeymoon was over.
Now, they loved the Lord Jesus—indeed, they did—but they just did not love Him as they used to love Him.
Do you know what first love is? Do you remember when you first fell in love with your wife? Do you remember when you first fell in love with your husband?
I do! We fell in love when we were school kids, in our teens. …
First love is wonderful. First love is exciting. Oh, you think of the tenderness of first love, the romance of first love, the sweetness of first love, the excitement of first love.
I have done 100’s of wedding cerimonies… and I am always touched by “the love in the air” in those cerimonies.
Many times I had to hold my tears as I see the bride come down the aisle. I look at the groom’s face shining …
Did you know in all the weddings I officiated, I’ve never seen a bride that wasn’t beautiful? Never. … I want to tell you, they’re beautiful—they’re beautiful. And, there’s just something so exciting about that first love.
But, you know, the honeymoon doesn’t have to end. And, if you don’t love your wife a whole lot more now than when you married her, the chances are you love her a whole lot less.
You see, love is not a static thing.
That honeymoon doesn’t have to end; it can go on.
Remember when you first got married how exciting it was?
The simple things you did for one another?
I heard about one woman whose husband was the one who was neglecting her, and he just never seemed to be romantic anymore, never seemed to be tender anymore. And, a young married couple moved in next door, and they were so much in love—still on their honeymoon. And, she watched this young lady, as she would come to the door to send her husband off to work; and, before he’d go, he’d put his arms around her and give her a great big ole’ kiss and a hug.
She watched that for several mornings; then, she brought her husband to the window. She said, “I want you to watch that. You see that, over there? You see what he’s doing? Why don’t you do that?” He said, “I hardly know the woman.”
Well, dear friend, sometimes the honeymoon is over; sometimes that love that we had just grows cold and stale. And, there are a lot of men who love their wives, and there are a lot of wives who love their husbands—but you just don’t love with the love that you first had—that reckless love, that abounding love, that enthusiastic love.
Now, that was what was wrong with this church, right here. They had left their first love.
It wasn’t that they didn’t love Jesus anymore; they just didn’t love Jesus like they used to.
They were still respectable; they were still active; they were still decent; they were still orthodox; they were still growing. But, they had lost the glow, and that’s what we’re talking about today.
I wonder if you have lost the glow. I’m wondering if I’m speaking to someone here today who is orthodox;
I’m wondering if I’m speaking to someone who is active; I’m wondering, this morning, if I’m speaking to someone here today who is perseverant, someone who is a church worker, and someone who labors for the Lord Jesus Christ—but your spiritual honeymoon is over.
You don’t love Jesus like you once loved the Lord Jesus Christ.
I don’t know what caused this Ephesian church to lose the love that they first had for the Lord. But here are the prescription for their cure
VI. The Church’s Prescription
VI. The Church’s Prescription
What God said to do when the glow is gone.
What is the prescription? (Revelation 2:5). And, here are three R’s that our Lord gave to this church:
Revelation 2:5 (NIV84)
5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
A. Remember
The first is remember. Look at it again: “Remember the height from which you have fallen!” (Revelation 2:5).
I want you to think back, right now. I want you to take a trip back in your memory. I want you to take a spiritual journey in your mind through your spiritual pilgrimage. And, I want to ask you this question—
He who has an ear, let him hear —are you listening?
Was there ever a time in your life when you loved the Lord Jesus more than you do at this moment?
Was there? If there was, you, my friend, are a backslider.
Was there ever a time when you loved Jesus more?
Jesus says, “Remember.” Do you remember those first days? Oh, dear friend, if you don’t love Him now with that burning, glowing enthusiasm, you need to remember what it used to be.
Where is that blessedness—where is that blessedness—you once knew? Our Lord says, “Remember.”
B. Repent
And then, the second thing He says is, “Repent.”
Look again in verse 5: “Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent” (Revelation 2:5).
That’s the second R. You see, this lack of love for the Lord Jesus is a terrible, horrible, hateful, heinous, hurtful, sin!
I’ve said before—that the greatest commandment is to love God; and, therefore, the greatest sin is not to love the Lord Jesus.
And, when our Lord told us to repent, He meant that you can do something about it.
Don’t get the idea that it’s kind of like the love bug hit you, and you fall in love and out of love with Jesus.
You don’t fall in love with Jesus, and you don’t fall out of love with Jesus. You choose to love Jesus.
The love of God is not that sentimental. It has spiritual concrete and steel in it. If you don’t love the Lord Jesus, it’s because there’s sin in your life. And, you need to repent of it; you need to get on your face before Him and say, “God, I repent of this sin. I turn from it.”
So here is what I am proposing for our church.
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV84)
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
I want to call on the ENTIRE CHURCH for a week of Fast & Prayer for Consecration -
Starting tomorrow, March 11th, we will be fasting for 7 days to seek help from God.
How to Fast:
The Bible talks about three main types of fasting
Total fasting
Fasting with water, (Matthew 4:1-2)
Partial fasting. Partial fasting is when you eliminate just a few foods from your diet, eating more simply. Daniel fasted for three weeks before receiving a vision about the future (Daniel 10:2-3). Partial fasting can last a few weeks without harm to your health. In partial fasting, you choose what type of food you will not eat for a while. Normally, a diet just for survival, not for the pleasure of eating. If you have a health problem, partial fasting is much safer than total fasting or water fasting.
Other types of fasting. The Bible also talks about fasting from other types of things, which are not food. In his partial fast, Daniel also did not use perfume and 1 Corinthians 7:5 talks about the possibility of a couple abstaining from sexual relations to dedicate themselves more to prayer for a short period of time.
When fasting abstain from any activity or habit to have more time for God.
There are no strict rules. When you decide to fast, choose the type of fast that works best for your situation and adapt it to make the most of your time with God.
The important thing is that you realize the need to humble yourself before the Lord and pray during this period.
What to Pray When you are fasting:
Well look at the
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,”
C. Repeat
And then, not only does He tell them to remember, and to repent, but the third thing that He tells them to do is to repeat.
Look, if you will please, again, in verse 6:
Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. (Revelation 2:6)—
“do the things you did at first.”
Go back to that time where you used to be.
Now, we keep telling people, “You need to go on, and on, and on.” But here, our Lord says, “You need to go back. You need to turn back.”
We need to go back—go back to the first works, just go back to that simple childlike faith you had in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The book of Acts tell us about the beguine of the church…
Acts 2:42–47 “42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Conclusion
I want to ask you one more time: Was there ever a time—was there ever a time—when you loved Jesus more than you do right now? Have you gotten so busy doing things for Him that you just fail to love Him? Oh, the Son of God is hearing me preaching, saying to you, “Give Me your heart. Love Me. I want—more than anything else—your love.” O God, help us that we might remember, that we might repent, and that we might return and repeat the first works. Let’s bow our heads in prayer.