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September 2, 2022 12:00 am
Welcome to the intense time For tile for Friday, September 2 serving that is important that doing things for him, your relationship with him.
Today's podcast challenges us to focus our attention on the priority of relationship you have a lot of houses talk about the doers of the word about heroes on but there is another side to this whole issue of the Christian life that often times we forget. In fact, it is the most important part is the part most neglected is a subtle trap that we fall into and do not even realize it. And in fact except on unusual occasions. Probably unless somebody else points it out to others on this and reading the Scripture, God convicts us of it.
We do not even realize what happens to us, and so I want you to turn if you will to Revelation chapter 2 and I want us to read the first seven verses of this chapter and the time of this message is the priority of relationship and in this second chapter of the Revelation, here is a perfect example.
There is no more perfect example to be found in the Scripture of what we talking about we talk about the priority of relationship and you recall that this is the revelation that God gave to the Lord Jesus who gave it to his angel who gave it to John and that in the first chapter of the book we see a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ in all of his glory and following that God gives to his beloved John a message to the seven churches of Asia minor. One of these churches is the church at Ephesus. This is a tremendous church and yet in this second chapter of the Revelation in these first seven verses here is a message that is so applicable today. We could not afford to miss it so I want you to begin with me in verse one of chapter 2 to the angel of the church in Ephesus write, the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven golden candlesticks says this I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot endure evil man, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false and you have perseverance and have endured for my namesake and have not grown weary, but I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first.
Or else I'm coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place unless you repent. Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Knick Aleutians, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of God. Listen to me. Those people felt the same trap we fall into the day. I'm here to tell you they were guilty of the very same thing so many people are today churches filled with people had the very same problem. The Ephesian Christians that I'm illicit that had the apostle Paul had Timothy. They had all the great preachers coming through. Same problem. That's why I said you often things you haven't changed much spiritual they haven't changed at all. He says in verse four, but I have this against you, that you have left your first love when he says they left their first love. They began to cool and so what he says here pours about was the notices this the Jesus condemns this and he condemns the cooling off of our relationship to an innocent care. We said the title of this message is the priority of relationship.
Everything we talked about this point is what they did what they did in service in their steadfastness, no separateness defending their faith.
You know, calling out the and testing all these false prophets and being when the sacrifice the work and doing the work of God. All that is work work work DDD. Now he says in spite of all your good works got this against you.
You've left you follow the way you drifted you.
You've walked away. Something is happened, something is wrong. Every single person has enough to keep them busy that there's no time for God. I didn't say he did make it to Thomas. It really is enough to keep his business. No time for God, but will remind you that God never gave anybody on the face of this earth. A skin to all a work that was so all-encompassing that they have no time for God never got his never give an account a schedule like an organism buzzes I'll tell you I work seven is what God and give it a God gave you job for seven days a week. He gave you time to pray and read the word of God in the keep your relationship and fellowship with him intimately warm and ferment, if it is not you doing something God never intended but if priority in our life is not out warm and intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The person on telling you God is interested in anything else that's going on, and the same is true in your life in your house. He's not interested numbers these things is commendable yes, but did not a substitute and what he saying is listen.
I see all the good things you've done Blanc looking at is your heart. He says what I want you from your visions as I want you he's assessing only good works, but your good works that what my part. My priority is a relationship, intimacy, oneness. I love you and I want you to love me, not just what I gave you my just doing something for me. I just want you when we like the face of not many people have Jesus. Many people have God as their errand boy they get up in the morning they: when they needed when they donated that on: if I should ask you listen what motivates you to pray about everything else in life in there when you get hot water when things get tough. But you see the truth is Allison and my relationship to him is right. I am just as I am just is desirous to be with him in the fellowship with him and love him and adore him and be in his work when everything is right as well as when everything is wrong if my relationship to him is right. I don't have to get in trouble to use God to make me feel better.
He said I have something against what I have against you is you left your first love.
How did you do that I want to listen anything in your life in my life that drags my attention from Christ and begins to so penetrate my thinking and my feelings till I'm giving more thought, both feeling Boulevard tension Boulevard time to this than to him.
I have already started the cooling process and I cannot blame anybody on the face of this earth but myself. You cannot and the truth is that many churches like refrigerators, you all cannot mean it's cold as a cucumber. Why because the heart of the people who sit and in some kind of formality worship God there thinking about shopping there thinking about what they need to launch the thing about yesterday to think about them that the sermon comes in and out. This all goes in and out that hearing in the not hearing them on zone of the things even think of the past the little bit of attention.
The truth is that heart is not pleading for God did not listening for God.
They want that they want to be in obtained. They want to hear some man say something that it makes them feel good.
I get a target.
God speaks the truth not to make me feel good but the penetrate me in order that I may deepen my loving relationship with him if my love for him is right.
I want to hear from him. I wonder what he has to say.
But in my heart is cool because something else is gap between God and me, listen to me carefully, that they may not even be wrong. It is where it is in my life. It is the size of it in my life disable nothing as big as his God. Yes there is. There is something bigger than God in the lives of some people. What is it is that all sums something that has crowded him out so that he can't be seen because everything that can be seen that life is the thing that is become first priority in primary the pinnacle and zenith of their thinking is all wrapped up in whatever it is it can be a job and can be money can be relationships, you name it, no matter what it is he's got something against you. What I have against you is that you have cooled off in your relationship to me.
Listen, there's only one reason that happens we began to follow something else other than Christ is anybody anything ever done for you.
What Jesus is done never is idolatry. He says I've got something against you. What I got against you is you left your first love. You may have drifted you made a decision.
Some of the what was first is no longer first your fervor and allegiance and loyalty and devotion, excitement and enthusiasm and hunger and thirst and yearning for God, something hasn't dampened it and and somehow you you've cooled off.
I'm here to tell you, cooled, dampened Christians are a horrible testimony to the glory of God. He said I'm against it.
He said I have something against you, and he says you left your first love.
That's what living your first love is all about that he says here here's here's the way you correct.
Jesus says you correct this in the following fashion at three things you do listen verse five remember therefore from where you have fallen repent and do the deeds you did at first ceases that three things.
First of all, he says, remember.
Remember what remember what you like you got say you so I don't think I've ever been like what you talking about whether you missed something. If you do get excited about Jesus Christ and who he is friendless and if you not excited about him. You're missing something out.
If you've never been inside of a bit, then you really have missed some listen the long you live, the more excited you will be about what you know the most about the person you know the most about the one who's done the most for you.
Listen if you are 80 years old. You will have more enthusiasm for God and anybody who's 60 or seven. You may not be able to shut one up down the streets about listen you're excited you know what, excitement, enthusiasm and fervor does not come through the loud voice and swinging arms. It can be a quiet devotion that is penetrating it when you walk in that persons present you know you want the presence of someone who loves God, he said look back, he said. First of all remember what happened to you when you got saved.
Remember what God is been doing for your all the his and says the first thing you did.
You remember the second thing you do he says is repent now.
He says I've got something against you, and he says you need to repent of this cold heart. All I know you're active in serving me but your hearts cold toward me you so busy doing things you not in love with me. Repent is what he said and he said remember what used to be repent.
That is, he says you are to have a change of mind. You admit your fault the most difficult thing in the world for us to do is to assume responsibility will say well you know if circumstances had been different, and if he did on this and should know that there is on the other an apartment of his little yonder garden. Let he was to hear me say father I got too busy. Lord I got caught up in Lord and just assume responsibility and say father forgive me. I thank you for your forgiveness.
I I thank you for loving me I am wrong in this and I thank you God for restoring my love for you anytime got nothing upon anybody else when it comes to confession, repentance, friend. I need to turn all five of those things that cannot just borrow repentance and then he said to all this keep them all in artist that is easy. Remember, repent, and then he said do all repeat. He said do the deeds you did at first.
What were you like when you first got say when you're excited about Christ, what were you doing you are in the word of God turn on who is this guy who is describes what's he like you on your knees praying and using what we are conformity or likeness do the deeds you once did talk about Jesus give to the work of the Lord.
Give yourself in service. Be willing to take other people's criticism get in the word of God be in the worship, serving him, worshiping him, praising him adorning him making the project, give him first place. He says that simple. Because you see, if I remember what used to be like, I repent of my sins, I will repeat. I will go back and make things right if our hearts will listen. I don't know about you, not probably.
This is just absolute, universal principle once you savor the grace of God.
You absolutely cannot be happy and peaceful and contented until things right your heart the spirit against negligent or something is missing sums like sandpaper just nothing works. I mean, it is just something going on all the time something turning something sending something something something's going on until things are right what he said. He said I see what you've done. I commend you for that Bob got something against you. I want I want you I want you as a person. I want you to love me for who I am is God nothing. What I give you in all this is not a something I just want you. You have fallen from grace which you fallen from our intimate relationship, your excitement, enthusiasm, fervency, devotion, commitment you molested when I think about how perfectly holy God must feel not tell him that I got something else in mind and I walked out of his will to do my own thing. How hard God has to pay because you see he loves you and me more than we have the capacity to love anybody in the face of this earth and all the anything in my life to the tract my love and devotion fervor from him.
It has to pain the heart of God.
He's love got something against you on hurting because you don't love me the way you still love me. I feel the pain because I don't since the love then he said something else rather awesome verse five remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first listen I know about you but when God says when he uses these two words got my attention.
I've something against you, and then he says you do tenure or else you got my attention.
You do not pay or else missing this what he was saying to them is this if you don't repent of this dampen the spirit of yours and you satisfy what you doing without a relationship with me. If you don't repent of that your lights going out in Ephesus you can lose your impact and your testimony in Ephesus. What is he saying you and me if we don't keep our heart fervently excited about him. What is he do he just lets us lose our impact lose our witness lose their influence.
He listen carefully as it is a lovely you know a lot of you will witness because you have a testimony is civil.
Now you have testimony. Not excited about Jesus not reading the word for your own sake, you take your Bible church. Maybe many of you probably most of you don't think about the church and opened with a pencil and paper to take notes in the past. The sermon is not excited about it and thank you probably doubt some of things that he said because the and work in your life you have much of a testimony know happened. Lights going out. I didn't say you lost to such a light one out.
Always put it this way old kerosene lantern if you trim and wick just right. There's a bright glow, but if you turn it up to high does take but a minute, what is it is smokes up the whole glass you can't see the flame of the darkness of the smoke. You know what's happened. You allowed something in your life to dampen your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You know what when people look at your life and look at dark, smoky, ugly globe light someone ask your real personal question. Are you really excited about Jesus. Would you have to say this morning. You know I have lost my enthusiasm. I don't witness anymore. I don't just read the Bible, trying to find out something that will about him that this make me more like an I don't serving church. I could seeing I can assure can be hospitality.
I could wash dishes in the kitchen I can do it I can do lots things I don't do any of that in the me ask you this, what are you excited about what turns you own in your spirit what went right and Sheila. All I ask you my friend, is this here is the bottom line of the Christian life. Don't care what have you else you want to put is about line Almighty God is more interested in your and my personal, intimate relationship with him that a thousand lifetimes of work for him what he wants from us is loving devotion being satisfied with him on care much money you got what you position folks know you this make numbness and if any concern. What matters is you excited about him give a hunger and thirst for him you want him or have you made awful horrible mistake of settling down to settle for Christian life under one of these days you just die and go to heaven.
Tragedy tragedies the spindle of your life and miss the most important thing that is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Thank you for listening to the priority of relationship if you like to know more about her family are in touch ministries. Enhanced data lighting back after the presentation of intense ministry in Atlanta, Georgia