Reviving Our First Love for Christ

Today’s passage from Revelation 2 invites a deep, honest look beneath the surface of our spiritual lives and our church. Just as an MRI reveals what’s hidden inside the body, Jesus walks among His churches, searching hearts and motives, not just outward activity. The church at Ephesus was a model of hard work, perseverance, and doctrinal faithfulness. They stood strong against false teaching and endured in a culture that was hostile to the gospel. Yet, Jesus’ spiritual scan uncovered a critical problem: they had abandoned their first love. Their activity for Christ was no longer fueled by a passionate love for Him, but had become routine, even mechanical.

This is a sobering warning. It’s possible to be busy for God, to serve, to sacrifice, to stand for truth, and yet to drift from the very love that once set our hearts on fire. Jesus cares not only about what we do, but why we do it. He desires that our service, our endurance, and our discernment all flow from a heart that loves Him above all else. When love for Christ is replaced by duty, habit, or even pride, the light of the church begins to fade.

Jesus offers a threefold remedy: remember, repent, and return. Remember the joy and gratitude of your first encounter with Christ—the wonder of the cross and the grace that saved you. Repent of letting anything take first place in your heart. Return to the works you did at first, not out of obligation, but out of love. The greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. When that love is central, everything else falls into place.

If the light in your life or in our church feels dim, it’s time to get back under the light of Christ. He promises revival to those who return to Him. May we be a people and a church where Jesus is always first, where our love for Him fuels our service, and where our light shines bright for the world to see.

---

Key Takeaways

• 1. Jesus Sees Beyond Outward Activity Christ’s evaluation of His church goes far deeper than what is visible to human eyes. He examines the motives and affections of our hearts, not just our busyness or doctrinal correctness. It is possible to appear vibrant and faithful on the outside, yet be spiritually ill if our love for Him has grown cold. [31:57]
• 2. The Cost and Danger of Service Without Love Serving Christ will always cost us—our time, our comfort, our resources—but when service becomes disconnected from love, it becomes empty and even dangerous. The Ephesian church worked hard and stood for truth, but their labor had become detached from the love that once motivated it. True Christian service must always flow from a heart captivated by Christ. [36:43]
• 3. Discernment and Doctrinal Purity Are Essential, But Not Sufficient The Ephesians were commended for their discernment and refusal to tolerate false teaching. Yet, even the most doctrinally sound church can lose its way if love for Christ is not central. Truth and love must walk hand in hand; one without the other leads to either compromise or coldness. [37:44]
• 4. Losing Your First Love Is a Gradual Drift, Not a Sudden Loss Jesus does not say we “lose” our first love, but that we “leave” it. This is a gradual process, an erosion that happens when we let other things take priority over Christ. The remedy is to remember the joy of our salvation, repent of misplaced affections, and return to the passionate love that once defined our walk with Him. [46:09]
• 5. Revival Comes Through Remembering, Repenting, and Returning Jesus’ counsel is practical and hopeful: remember where you started, repent of letting anything come before Him, and return to the works and love you had at first. When we do this, He promises to revive us and restore our light. A church or a life fueled by love for Christ will shine brightly and bear lasting fruit. [54:10]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [27:32] - Introduction: The Spiritual MRI
• [28:28] - Jesus Walks Among the Churches
• [29:51] - The Commendation of Ephesus
• [31:57] - The Hidden Problem Revealed
• [36:43] - The Cost of Serving Christ
• [37:44] - Discernment and Doctrinal Purity
• [43:28] - Perseverance Amidst a Hostile Culture
• [45:24] - Jesus’ Confrontation: Abandoning First Love
• [46:09] - The Gradual Drift from Love
• [48:49] - Motives for Service: Love or Duty?
• [51:01] - The Danger of Busyness
• [53:09] - Martha and Mary: Worship vs. Work
• [54:10] - Jesus’ Threefold Remedy: Remember, Repent, Return
• [56:54] - The Centrality of the Cross
• [59:41] - Prayer, Care, and Share: Rekindling Love
• [61:36] - The Light Fades Without Love
• [63:43] - Prayer for Revival and Invitation
• [71:06] - Celebration: Grace’s Salvation

Bible Reading

Revelation 2:1-7 (ESV) —
> 1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.
2 “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.
3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.
4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.
5 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.
6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’”

Observation Questions

1. What are the specific things Jesus commends the church in Ephesus for in verses 2-3?
2. According to verse 4, what is the main issue Jesus has with the church at Ephesus?
3. What three actions does Jesus command the church to take in response to their problem (verse 5)?
4. In the sermon, what modern examples did the pastor give of how a church can be busy and doctrinally sound, yet still have a hidden spiritual problem? ([31:57])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Jesus care not only about what the church does, but also about the motives behind their actions? How does this challenge our usual way of evaluating a “healthy” church? ([31:57])
2. The pastor said, “Jesus does not say, you have lost your first love. He says, you have left it.” What is the difference between losing and leaving your first love, and why does that matter? ([46:09])
3. How can serving God out of duty, habit, or pride become dangerous for a church or a believer? ([36:43])
4. What does it look like for a church or a Christian to “remember, repent, and return” in practical terms? ([54:10])

Application Questions

1. The sermon compared Jesus’ evaluation of the church to a spiritual MRI that looks beneath the surface. If Jesus did a “spiritual scan” of your life right now, what might He find? Are there areas where your love for Him has grown cold? ([31:57])
2. The Ephesians were busy and persevered in a tough culture, but their love for Jesus faded. Have you ever found yourself serving God out of routine or obligation instead of love? What did that look like for you? ([48:49])
3. The pastor said, “Your life does not lie, friend. When you look at your calendar and your checkbook, that’s going to tell you where Jesus ranks in your heart.” What do your time and money say about your priorities? Is there something you want to change? ([51:01])
4. Jesus’ remedy is to “remember, repent, and return.” What is one way you can remember the joy of your first encounter with Christ this week? Is there a specific memory or practice you can revisit? ([54:10])
5. Repentance means turning away from anything that has taken first place in your heart. Is there something (a habit, relationship, pursuit, or distraction) that you need to repent of because it’s come before Jesus? ([58:06])
6. Returning means doing the “works you did at first” out of love. What is one practical step you can take this week to rekindle your love for Jesus—maybe through prayer, worship, serving, or sharing your faith? ([59:41])
7. The pastor warned that when love fades, the light of the church fades too. How can our small group help each other keep Jesus first and our love for Him strong? ([01:01:36])