Returning to Our First Love for Christ
Summary
### Summary
Today, we explored the importance of maintaining our first love for Jesus Christ. As we kick off our fall schedule, we are reminded that our giving is an extension of our worship, and today is Kingdom Builders Sunday. We celebrated the impact of our giving, particularly through the scholarships that allowed many young people to attend summer camps, resulting in numerous decisions for Christ and other spiritual milestones.
We then transitioned into our new series, "Seven," which will delve into the first three chapters of the Book of Revelation. These chapters contain specific messages from Jesus to seven churches, and today we focused on the church in Ephesus. Jesus commended the Ephesians for their hard work, perseverance, and discernment in identifying false teachers. However, He also had a significant critique: they had forsaken their first love.
This message is a call to remember the passion and zeal we had when we first came to Christ. It's a reminder to repent and return to that initial fervor. Jesus wants to be our first priority, above all other blessings and responsibilities in our lives. We must continually evaluate our lives to ensure that nothing, even good things, takes precedence over our relationship with Him.
We concluded with a time of reflection, asking the Holy Spirit to speak to us individually. We were challenged to listen to what God is saying to us and to make the necessary changes to ensure that Jesus remains our first love.
### Key Takeaways
1. Giving as Worship: Our financial giving is an extension of our worship and praise to God. It's not just about singing songs but also about expressing our gratitude and commitment through our resources. This act of giving supports missions and changes lives, as evidenced by the impact of Kingdom Builders. [34:23]
2. Maintaining Our First Love: Jesus commended the church in Ephesus for their hard work and perseverance but criticized them for forsaking their first love. This serves as a reminder to us to keep our relationship with Jesus as our top priority, above all other commitments and blessings. [58:40]
3. The Importance of Repentance: When we realize that we have drifted away from our first love, Jesus calls us to remember, repent, and return. Repentance involves a complete turnaround, not just acknowledging our shortcomings but actively changing our direction to align with God's will. [01:03:17]
4. Hearing the Spirit's Voice: Jesus repeatedly emphasizes the importance of listening to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. We must cultivate a habit of tuning into God's voice, amidst the noise and distractions of life, to receive His guidance and correction. [01:05:52]
5. God's Unchanging Love: God loves us enough to accept us as we are but also loves us too much to leave us in our current state. He continually calls us to grow and change, becoming more like Him. This process of sanctification is ongoing and requires our active participation. [01:19:30]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[34:23] - Offering and Kingdom Builders
[35:41] - Impact of Summer Camps
[39:38] - Introduction to the Series "Seven"
[42:16] - Overview of Revelation Chapters 1-3
[43:03] - Blessings of Reading Revelation
[44:52] - Jesus' Messages to the Seven Churches
[46:08] - Explanation of Angels and Lampstands
[50:16] - Message to the Church in Ephesus
[51:42] - Commendation for Hard Work and Perseverance
[55:48] - Critique: Forsaking the First Love
[58:40] - Call to Remember, Repent, and Return
[01:05:52] - Encouragement and Final Exhortation
[01:07:01] - Personal Reflection and Prayer
[01:14:57] - Closing Worship and Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Revelation 2:1-7 (Message to the Church in Ephesus)
2. Zechariah 1:3
3. James 4:8
#### Observation Questions
1. What commendations did Jesus give to the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:2-3? [51:42]
2. What critique did Jesus have for the church in Ephesus, and what did He ask them to do in response? [57:55]
3. According to the sermon, what are some examples of good things that can take priority over our relationship with Jesus? [01:00:21]
4. What does Jesus promise to those who are victorious in Revelation 2:7? [01:05:52]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is it significant that Jesus commended the Ephesians for their hard work and perseverance before critiquing them? [51:42]
2. What does it mean to forsake your first love, and how can this happen even with good intentions? [57:55]
3. How does the process of repentance, as described in the sermon, involve more than just feeling sorry for our actions? [01:03:17]
4. What does it mean to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches, and how can we cultivate this in our daily lives? [01:05:52]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current priorities. Are there any good things in your life that might be taking precedence over your relationship with Jesus? How can you re-prioritize to ensure Jesus remains your first love? [01:00:21]
2. Think about a time when you felt particularly close to Jesus. What were you doing differently then compared to now? How can you return to those practices? [59:28]
3. Repentance involves a complete turnaround. Is there an area in your life where you need to make a significant change to align with God's will? What steps will you take this week to start that process? [01:03:17]
4. How can you better tune into the Holy Spirit's voice amidst the noise and distractions of life? What practical steps can you take to create space for listening to God? [49:43]
5. Jesus wants to be our first priority. What specific actions can you take this week to demonstrate that Jesus is your first love? [58:40]
6. The sermon mentioned the importance of giving as an extension of worship. How can you incorporate this principle into your financial decisions and overall lifestyle? [34:23]
7. Reflect on the idea that God loves us enough to accept us as we are but also loves us too much to leave us in our current state. How does this understanding impact your view of personal growth and sanctification? [57:21]
Devotional
Day 1: Giving as an Act of Worship
Our financial giving is an extension of our worship and praise to God. It's not just about singing songs but also about expressing our gratitude and commitment through our resources. This act of giving supports missions and changes lives, as evidenced by the impact of Kingdom Builders. [34:23]
2 Corinthians 9:7-8 (ESV): "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work."
Reflection: How can you make your financial giving a more intentional act of worship this week? Consider setting aside time to pray over your giving and ask God to use it for His glory.
Day 2: Keeping Jesus as Our First Love
Jesus commended the church in Ephesus for their hard work and perseverance but criticized them for forsaking their first love. This serves as a reminder to us to keep our relationship with Jesus as our top priority, above all other commitments and blessings. [58:40]
Revelation 2:4-5 (ESV): "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent."
Reflection: Reflect on your current relationship with Jesus. Is He truly your first love? What steps can you take today to rekindle that initial passion and zeal you had for Him?
Day 3: The Importance of Repentance
When we realize that we have drifted away from our first love, Jesus calls us to remember, repent, and return. Repentance involves a complete turnaround, not just acknowledging our shortcomings but actively changing our direction to align with God's will. [01:03:17]
Acts 3:19-20 (ESV): "Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus."
Reflection: Is there an area in your life where you need to repent and turn back to God? What practical steps can you take today to make that change and align yourself with His will?
Day 4: Hearing the Spirit's Voice
Jesus repeatedly emphasizes the importance of listening to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. We must cultivate a habit of tuning into God's voice, amidst the noise and distractions of life, to receive His guidance and correction. [01:05:52]
John 10:27 (ESV): "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."
Reflection: How can you create space in your daily routine to listen to the Holy Spirit? Consider setting aside a specific time each day for quiet reflection and prayer, asking God to speak to you.
Day 5: God's Unchanging Love
God loves us enough to accept us as we are but also loves us too much to leave us in our current state. He continually calls us to grow and change, becoming more like Him. This process of sanctification is ongoing and requires our active participation. [01:19:30]
Philippians 1:6 (ESV): "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."
Reflection: In what ways is God calling you to grow and change? Identify one specific area where you can actively participate in His sanctifying work in your life this week.
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "I love that you are cheerful givers. That's what God's word instructs us to be, cheerful givers. And we understand it's an extension of our worship and our praise. It's one thing for us to stand and to sing all these songs. It's another for us to give as an expression of our praise and worship back to God." [34:23] (17 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "When you give to Kingdom Builders and we are then able to scholarship students to go, lives are being changed. Eternities are being changed. We had 267 students that were filled with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We had 2,000, look at this, 2,281 students shared a testimony of how God had touched them and healed their bodies. Either physically, spiritually, emotionally." [36:29] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "I believe the Holy Spirit is always speaking. The problem is we're not always listening. We're too busy. We've got too much going on. We're running here and there. We've got all this distraction in our world. And we rarely take time to stop to pray. And when we do take time to stop and pray, it's all about, I need this and this and this. Thanks. I'll see you later. And then we're off. And we never take time to listen to the voice of the Spirit. He's speaking." [50:16] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "When you surrender your life to Jesus Christ. You ask him to forgive you of your sins. If you're sincere in that, then you don't go back to those same sins. But you allow the Lord to begin a process of changing you. And it's a process that we are all in. It's called the process of sanctification. It's a big word. It just means that he's changing you. And you are being transformed every day to be a little bit more like him." [55:10] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "I want you to know something. If you're in this room and you've never asked Jesus to be your Savior, you've never asked him to come into your heart or your life to be your Savior and Lord and forgive you of your sins, in just a moment, we're going to say a prayer together. And I would love to invite you to be a part of that. You can ask Jesus to forgive you of every sin that you've ever committed." [01:10:47] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "I want you to see and understand that when you're sowing, when you're investing in Kingdom Builders, lives are being changed. It's making a difference. And so let me give you some updates from youth camps. Okay? So all total, I think the information will be up on the screens here. All total, there were seven camps. And 2,467 students were able to go to camp. All right? From all across the state of Arizona. First time campers, 671. Decisions for Christ. Look at this. 746 young people gave their lives to Jesus. For that's what it's all about." [35:41] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "He says, remember the height. Remember where you used to be. Remember what it used to be like when you first gave your life to Jesus. And then he says this. Repent. Don't just remember and go, oh, yeah. Yeah, I did a lot better job with my devotions and with prayer and my church attendance and my giving and my calendar. I was serving more. But I don't have time anymore. Yeah. Don't just remember. He says, repent. Repent. Repent." [01:03:17] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "I want you to hear what it says. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy. And blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it. Because the time is near. The time is near. I really believe that the time is near. And I love what it says. Blessed is the one who reads it aloud. So I'm going to be blessed because I'm sharing it with you. But then it also says blessed are those that hear it, but not just hear it, but apply it. Learn from it." [43:03] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "He says, I see all the good that you're doing. I see all the good. But you're doing all the good in not pursuing me. And, again, I'm not saying don't serve. I'm saying we've got to reestablish some priorities in our lives. Because he says, you've forsaken me. Your first love. So he says, remember the height. Remember where you used to be. Remember what it used to be like when you first gave your life to Jesus." [01:02:43] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "I want you to ask that question. Holy Spirit, what are you speaking to me? To me, right? What are you speaking to me? Jesus, are you my first love? Or have I allowed other things, other circumstances, other situations? Chasing after all the stuff that the world says I need to have. And that's become my priority versus my relationship with you. Is he your first love?" [01:08:09] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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