Remember Your First Love | Revelation 2:1-5

We can do good works, but if we have forgotten the reason behind these good works, then perhaps we have lost our first love. It is all about Christ. 

When you think about homecomings, you probably think of gathering with people who have been very much a part of your life: friends, teachers, etc. But when you think of a church homecoming, you don’t just think about your Sunday school teachers, youth pastor, pastor and people who have invested in your life – you think about the people who are a part of your family.

Revelation 2:1-5 are Jesus’ words for John to write to the church in Ephesus. He recognizes how good and faithful the church in Ephesus has been, but they had forgotten their first love. And there’s a possibility that if they don’t realize this and do something about it, it could cause a separation between them and Christ.

The Church: the Family of God

There was a great relationship of love between the apostle Paul and the church, not just the one in Ephesus (Phil. 1:3-8; 1 Thess. 1:2-3; Eph. 1:15-16). But this isn’t just to be unique to the early church – this is supposed to be a characteristic of the church today. Do we have such a love for one another that we embrace each other with love and with accountability? Are we diligent in praying for each other, not just when someone’s name appears on the prayer requests list?

We must not discount or take for granted what we have received as part of the family of God. Yet sometimes we forget, stumbling through the week thinking about no one other than ourselves. This relationship is so precious. When we call each other “brothers and sisters in Christ,” it means we are accountable to them as a family member.

Our passage today is a love-letter from Jesus to a church among all churches. The words of Christ written by John are both commending and condemning. The church was commended for several things:

“‘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. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. – vv. 2-3

But the church in Ephesus had lost something: the love they had at first (v. 4). According to Barclay, this could mean that they had lost the first passion and energy they had for the faith. It could also refer to them losing the reason behind their good works.

We can do good works, but if we have forgotten the reason behind these good works, then perhaps we have lost our first love. It is all about Christ. The church is more than a collection of people who want to do good – it’s a gathering of God’s people to do the work of Christ for the sake of the gospel.

Everything Is for Christ

In the second part of this section, Jesus suggests three things that we need to do if we’ve lost not the enthusiasm or the purpose, but the person: Christ. This is what He says in verse five:

1. Remember. Memory sometimes helps us to look back and see where we were when we were doing good works for Christ. We need to remember when we were engaged in Christ’s work and evaluate where we are now.
2. Repent. Repentance often comes about through remembrance. It’s turning back from where we are now and going to where we once were.
3. Respond. How should we respond? Christ’s answer is simple and direct: “do the works you did at first.”

Everything we do is for Christ. Everything is for Him and for Him alone. If we take our eyes off Christ, all that is important will be forfeited. Only as we love Christ will Dulin’s Grove Church or any church be blessed by Him.

Guest Speaker: Ron Thomas

Discussion Starters

1. How would you describe your relationship with your church family?
2. What are the implications of the church being the “family of God”?
3. Do you feel an accountability for the people in your church?
4. Are you constant in prayer for your brothers and sisters in Christ?
5. How might the church do good works, but not for the sake of Christ?
6. How might you be doing good works for the wrong reasons?
7. What are some ways you can tell if your good works are not centered around Christ?
8. What should we do if we find ourselves in this situation?