Returning to Our First Love
The Big Idea: A healthy church has spiritual vitality that shows vital signs of life as it gets back to authentic Christianity with a passionate love for Jesus.
We begin the New Year in God’s Word with a four-week series on Vital Signs of Life.Like the physical body, a healthy church has certain “vital signs” of life which can be observed, measured and monitored. This will enable the assessment of the level at which the church is functioning. Normal ranges of measurements of vital signs change with age and health condition of the church.
When patients are brought into a hospital emergency room, they are immediately checked for “vital signs.” of life. We could do the same check on the body of Christ. If we are not manifesting the same signs of life in our lives that Jesus did, our world will never see him as they should. Vital Signs or signs of life, in relation to our physical bodies indicate that a person is alive. Vital signs include the following objective measures for a person: heart beat (pulse), body temperature, and blood pressure. When these values are not zero, they indicate that a person is alive. All of these vital signs can be observed, measured, and monitored. This will enable the assessment of the level at which an individual is functioning. Normal ranges of measurements of vital signs change with age and medical condition. So what is true for the physical body relates as well to the spiritual body.
A healthy church will change their worlds for Christ. Church growth is a result, not a goal. Many Jesus-followers want their church to grow. But true church growth is the result of the church’s being a healthy body of Christ living in obedience to him. A healthy church will reach people for Christ and grow.
Vital Signs of Life is designed to be a catalyst for Christ First Baptist church to develop our own strategy for being the church and reaching the Covina Valley and beyond for Christ. Vital Signs of Life show how exalting, equipping and evangelizing help the church, and how worship, study, fellowship and service fit into the missional purpose of the healthy church.
We will explore together in our first message the importance of returning to our first love. A question we need to consider is: Do we still have our first love? It is crucial that we monitor the health level of Christ First before we outline a plan for continuing growth in the church. A church may be at one of three growth stages. It may be at the growing, plateaued, or declining stage. A church that is growing today may eventually begin to plateau. Every church is moving toward plateau and eventual decline unless it comes to grips with making the necessary adjustments to grow again.
I remember my first love. I was attending elementary school in Palo Alto, California as a third-grader. During the first-week of school my eyes were riveted and my heart pulsated for a girl with long blond hair and big blue eyes. Her name was Mary. Mary was a very common name in the early 50’s, but according to my observation she was anything but common. My love for Mary increased as the school year moved on. But what does an eight-year-old boy who is very bashful do when it comes to expressing his fondness for a beautiful classmate? I kept my love for Mary a secret and just looked at her from across the room. It satisfied my desires just to see her in school each day. I never really entered into a conversation with Mary. My first love was a splendor love across a crowded classroom.
Enter college. I was attending Biola College (now University) in the early 60’s. I met another blond hair, blue eye girl named Sue. Again, a very common name, but an extraordinary woman. However, this new “love” was different. Not only did we talk, but we dated. In fact for three years we dated off and on. We shared some great times together during those three years. Then we were engaged to be married. To make a long love story short, we married almost 40 years ago. As I look over the loves of my life, there is a startling contrast. You see, my “first love” Mary was not really a first love. It might be called a first “crush.” It was a fondness and feeling but without any substance in relationship. My true “first love” Sue was a “commitment”. There is a big difference between a crush and a commitment. A commitment demands time and energy in a relationship. It involves two people who are willing to walk together in the same direction with the same values and purposes for living.
In the Book of Revelation, chapters 2 and 3, God comments on the spiritual condition of seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. These churches were on a common mail route and each congregation is mentioned in the order in which the letter was to be delivered. The first church on this route was the congregation at Ephesus.
Paul’s planting of the church at Ephesus in Acts 19 is an intriguing story. Paul came to Ephesus and preached Christ at the Jewish synagogue for three months. “Some believed, but others were obstinate and publicly ‘maligned the Way.’”Paul left the synagogue and went to downtown Ephesus to the school of Tyrannus. There he had daily dialogue with the residents of the town as he shared the gospel. As far as we know, he did not leave the city for two years. Yet Acts 19:10 says, “This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.”
How did this happen? The answer is: Paul implemented the strategy of Jesus of total penetration of the area through total participation of the believers. He led people to Christ, equipping them, and they led others to Christ. Thus, within two years, the gospel penetrated all Asia. The church of Ephesus was filled with the power of God and experienced remarkable growth.
However, within a few short years, by the end of the century, we hear Jesus saying to John in Revelation 2 that the church had left their first work of getting the gospel to every person and their first love was gone. Jesus counseled them to remember, repent and return to their first love. So plateau and decline is not unusual. Here, one of the greatest churches in all of history had come to the point of plateau and was in danger of decline.
The Ephesian church persevered in the faith and was thoroughly grounded doctrinally. Christ’s commendation reflects the stage of growth in Revelation 2:1-3…
1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
These positive and encouraging observations could lead some to conclude that the brothers and sisters at Ephesus were spiritually sound; however, they had a serious spiritual deficiency. Christ, the spiritual head of this congregation, actually threatens to remove his lampstand from their presence if they did not repent.
Christ’s condemnation reflects the stages of plateau and decline in Revelation 2:4-5, 7…
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far 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… 7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Even though they were doing a lot of right things, many lost sight as to who they were called into a relationship with. While struggling to defend against doctrinal corruption, they lost sight of the most important aspect of their Christianity—Jesus Christ Himself. While it is essential to remain faithful to the teaching once delivered (Jude 3), Jesus-followers must remember their relationship with Christ is paramount. In fact, to remain faithful to our profession of faith requires that we keep our relationship with God as a first priority, while not neglecting the other.
Many within the church at Ephesus had forgotten this truth. No wonder John was inspired to write, “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Sadly, many in the 21st-century church have succumbed to the same problem. The warning contained in this verse spans the centuries, reminding us to guard against forgetting the relationship we should have with our loving Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ cautioned them to consider the magnitude of their problem. What did they fall away from? What lessons can we learn at Christ First from this ancient congregation?
Overcoming the Ephesus Tendency
Churches today, as did Ephesus in New Testament Times, tend to plateau and decline after they have grown to strength and affluence. Our nation is full of formerly growing churches—churches that are experiencing the Ephesus Tendency.
The stages of the Ephesus Tendency can be charted on the bell curve as follows:
Struggle, as the church is planted and begins its ministry.
Surrender, as the church is driven by its struggle to depend on the Lord and obey him in its life and mission. It is characterized by vitality.
Strength, as the church becomes fruitful and grows in maturity and in number.
Significance, as the church makes it mark upon the culture in which it lives.
Satisfaction, as the church enjoys the blessing of growth and vitality.
Self-centeredness, as the church turns its attention inward instead of keeping its mission primary and continuing to focus on loving Jesus and reaching people. They like what has been happening and attempt to reinforce it to keep things as they are.
Stagnation, as the church continues to focus on its own comfort and turns the ministry inward instead of outward. Plateau has begun.
Stress, as the church loses it vitality and faces the stress of no vision and disobedience. The stress sets the stage for blame, cliques, and disrupted fellowship.
A continued atmosphere of self-centeredness, stagnation, and stress result in the down-side of the bell curve of decline, dissension, deterioration, defeat, and deadness. Every church faces the reality of the Ephesus Tendency.
“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” We must open our ears and hear what the Spirit is saying to us—to diagnose in what stage Christ First is presently living.
Rising Above the Plateau
The defining question is, “Can vitality be restored?” Yes, it can! It could then and it can now. Jesus’ counsel indicates that the Ephesus Tendency can be overcome.The New American Standard Version renders Jesus’ words as follows…“Remember therefore from where you have fallen and repent and do the deeds you did at first…” (Revelation 2:5).
How can we restore our first love?
1. Remember. “Remember therefore from where you have fallen…”It involves the church in diagnosing its current status. Dissatisfaction with the present situation is essential for the church to take the action steps necessary for recovering spiritual vitality and beginning to grow again. Godly dissatisfaction gives a basis for repentance.
2. Repent. “Repent…” It means more than an emotional response of sorrow and regret for the church’s condition. It means “to change.” The church that reinforces its current status and resists change will continue in plateau and eventual decline.
3. Return. “Do the deeds you did at first…” It signifies that we will do the things we did at first. The deeds Ephesus did at first were sharing Christ with every person, “dialoguing” with them about Jesus, and equipping them to reach others. The reason the church started was to spread the good news about Jesus. When the church gets back to the first work, the first love returns. They work hand in hand. Spiritual vitality will return when we get back to the vision of Jesus and his mission of reaching lost people.
So change is essential. It is true with the signs of physical growth. As a baby grows, its diet and manner of dress change. The adult does not eat strained spinach and wear diapers unless there is a serious developmental problem. As the church grows, its must also make adjustments. It will need to change procedurally to take care of the needs of people as the number grows. If it refuses, the number will stop growing.
In the next three messages of our series we will be discovering the essential vital signs for a church to experience spiritual vitality:
v A spirit of revival power (pulse) — “Prompting a Movement of Renewal”
v A strategy for reaching people (temperature) — “ Living in the Zone”
v A structure for renewing and reaching priorities (blood pressure) — “Ministering with a Purpose”
Every church must have these three vital signs which are essential to spiritual vitality working, not so much sequentially but simultaneously.
So Jesus made this point: the continued blessing of God on a given body of Christ is not guaranteed. Unless they continue in or return to “first love attitudes” and “first deed acts,” they are in danger of Christ “darkening” the life of the church. “If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”How can we tell if a church has lost its Lampstand?
In his book entitled, The Power of Loving Your Church, David Hansen brings three criteria to mind. A “church” without the Lampstand:
- Lacks the capacity to accept pastoral ministry that keeps the lamp burning;
- Is indifferent to prayer;
- Has a long history of raising its hand against God’s anointed (and therefore can no longer bear the presence of the Spirit that anoints pastor and church for ministry.)
As with any relationship, our personal bond with God the Father and Jesus Christ must be nourished if it is to grow. When we first became Jesus-followers, we desired to spend time with God in prayer, Bible study and meditation. We hungered for fellowship with others who shared the same beliefs and convictions. Our zeal was evident to others, and perhaps, even inspired others to review their relationship with God.
The apostle Paul understood this dynamic when he spoke of his longing to visit the brethren in Romans 1:11-12… For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
Jesus Christ came to introduce a new way of living motivated by a unique relationship between God and the believer. That relationship, when properly understood would radically alter the way people respond to each other and the world.
“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).
There was once an old stone monastery tucked away in the middle of a picturesque forest. For many years people would make the significant detour required to seek out this monastery. The peaceful spirit of the place was healing for the soul. In recent years however fewer and fewer people were making their way to the monastery. The monks had grown jealous and petty in their relationships with one another, and the animosity was felt by those who visited. The Abbot of the monastery was distressed by what was happening, and poured out his heart to his good friend Jeremiah. Jeremiah was a wise old Jewish rabbi. Having heard the Abbot’s tale of woe he asked if he could offer a suggestion. “Please do” responded the Abbot. “Anything you can offer.” Jeremiah said that he had received a vision, an important vision, and the vision was this: the messiah was among the ranks of the monks. The Abbot was flabbergasted. One among his own was the Messiah! Who could it be? He knew it wasn’t himself, but who? He raced back to the monastery and shared his exciting news with his fellow monks. The monks grew silent as they looked into each other’s faces. Was this one the Messiah? From that day on the mood in the monastery changed. Joseph and Ivan started talking again, neither wanting to be guilty of slighting the Messiah. Philip and Nathaniel left behind their frosty anger and sought out each other’s forgiveness. The monks began serving each other, looking out for opportunities to assist, seeking healing and forgiveness where offence had been given. As one traveler, then another found their way to the monastery word soon spread about the remarkable spirit of the place. People once again took the journey to the monastery and found themselves renewed and transformed. All because those monks knew the Messiah was among them.
When we return to our first love, only then is Jesus Christ among us. This unique relationship can restore love, fellowship and servanthood. So when we as Jesus-followers come to the Table of the Lord today, we experience remembrance, repentance and renewal to our first love as we receive the sacrament of Holy Communion. It links us with God and one another.
The message to the church at Ephesus remains relevant after two millennia. It warns God’s people against losing sight of the importance of having a proper relationship with him. The message warns us to return and to cling to our first love, and to truly understand what our love for Jesus Christ must entail. “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Amen.
