The Priority of Relationship - Part 1

Welcome to the intensified Catholic turnout for Thursday, September 1 is a little chaotic right now juggling work, family and social activities kind of demanding schedule can lead you to neglect time alone with God today, we learn more about the priority of relationship you have a lot of houses talk about the doers of the word about your result user, we hear that we say that's exactly why people should just sit around list of the word of God they'll be doing some and so most of the emphasis is on doing these things, and of course the memo Paul said in Ephesians chapter 2 that we were created on the good works that is for the glory of God. He's created us for the purpose of good works, which were glorified on a hill and so usually our emphasis is on serving the Lord and doing the things he wants us to do, 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 and so I want you, in 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 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 of Ephesus, and in these first seven verses there is a very specific message that is just as applicable to you and me today as it was 2000 years ago.

It fits perfectly. This whole issue of the subtle trap that so many of us fall into and oftentimes stay there a long time before we realize what's happening, then we ask ourselves the question I want to what's happening on a wide feel what I feel, acting Noel back well John in the revelation having received this message through the Lord Jesus Christ is angel gives is the key to what's happened now I want us to read this chapter, but before we do.

I want you to go back to acts chapter 19 for a moment the medial background you recall, in the 19th chapter of acts.

Paul is in Ephesus and he's been these days that three years to preach and teach. This is the church they were talking about in Revelation and Rome bake the sin of the world. It appeared in those days send around Rome. Emphasis is on the road to roll is also on the road to the east and so this is a very key church is in this church. For example, that Paul was preaching so effectively.

It is said in verse 10, and this took place for two years so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks and God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul and so tremendous ministry goes on here.

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 to date, we could not afford to miss it so I want you to begin with me in verse one. 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 it 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 nickel ocean 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. So now God is given to this church in Ephesus, a very strong message that I'm here to tell you is just as applicable for us today individually and as a church, as it was in those days because here's what he says in this passage, he says four things that I want us to remember very important to remember first of all, it's very evident from this passage that Jesus commands good works. God is not opposed to good works, he says, for example by grace you saved through faith that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast. But we are created in Christ Jesus for the purpose of good works that we should walk in them.

So, good deeds, good works is a part of the Christian life. In fact, he says we do not get to heaven we going to be rewarded for every deed that we have done in his name. God is going to reward those of us who believers the sins things that have been done with the wrong motive and the wrong purpose, and so forth. We can lose reward for all of that, but we will be rewarded for those good dates of good deeds is a part of the Christian life.

He rewards them here. He says he commends them for five things.

First of all, he commends them for their service.

He says I know your deeds with these people were active for the Lord.

They were hard workers, and so in that church probably of course.

Meeting the needs of many people and proclaiming the gospel. He says I have seen your works, and he said you get in a good deeds. The second thing he said is I have seen your sacrifice when he uses the word toil here is the Greek word which means to work until you sweat.

I mean you give it all that you've got. I mean you just pour it out and he says these people were willing to work and labor diligently and hard for the Lord when they saw a work that needed to be done. They didn't back off. But he says I know your deeds, and he says I know your toil that is they were willing to labor for the Lord till they were exhausted. A lot of people have the odds are that if you serve the Lord, you know, he just give you everything you need.

Every time you needed and therefore you never get tired, never get weary yes you do the impossible call was over, he became weary. Oftentimes, in fact he says in second Corinthians in listing all the things that were going on in his life, he said, above all, he bore the burden of the churches he was a weary man oftentimes overwhelmed sometimes in the awesome burden of going place at the place and traveling all the time in establishing these churches and knowingly went back to be those people who were trying to destroy but God commends this Ephesian church for their willingness to work in the labor and willingness to sacrifice. They work hard at then he says here, I know your deeds and your toil and your perseverance. That is, they were steadfast when they saw challenges come they didn't just bow down relevance I would just give up, but they stood before him in the Scripture says they were steadfast. They persevered, that is, no matter what they were willing to hang in there somebody has said that suffering in life and troubles and trials, life will they don't color light gray or black unless we allow them to but suffering and pain and hardship should color life gloriously, that is, we should be learning and growing. Amidst these things will that's what they did they turn these difficulties and hardships in the time of growth and so they were steadfast they stuck to it. You could tell the kind of stuff they were made up then he says if you'll notice they also recommended for the fact that they could not endure evil man. They put them to the test those who call themselves apostles, and found that they were not, and the family to be false. One of the things he commends them for was not for the diligent labor their service and their sacrifice and their steadfastness in it, but he also commended them for their willingness to be pure in doctrine. That is, he says he commended them for their separateness, that is, they were willing to test those. There are many people who came during those days, for example, because they were at the crossroads of the world where they were people who came through for example of those who were the Jews who were trying to come in Ephesian church and Senate listen to be saved. You got on the keep what the apostle Paul said, but you gotta keep the law they were Judaizers and there were those who came through who had the idea that now that you are free in Christ that you can so they would you please and don't worry about it and that then he says, for example, there were those who were the beggars who came through just to hang his own who wanted something for nothing, and those kind of people are having to deal with than if you notice down if you will, in verse six he says, yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the new Galatians, which I also hate the new Galatians. This difference of opinion about exactly what they taught. But one of the things they probably thought was this and that is they they would come of the church and they say that what we will destroy the church, but we will not modernize the church. We want to get it up to date and therefore, because the freedom we have in Christ dental rules and regulations in a more because the no rules and regulations, we are free to live the kind of life we want to live that is you can do what you please. Because you've been saved by the grace of God and so they taught all kinds of immorality loose living and so that all kind of the preachers come in during those days teaching all kind of false doctrine, so one of things that Paul had to deal with back over and ask chapter 20, look there for a moment. Ask chapter 20 he is warning them even then in establishing these churches in the 28th and 29th versus is what he said to he said in verse 27 Rod did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. But listen the own guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, the ship of the church of God which he purchased with his own blood. I know Paul says that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them therefore will be on the alert, remembering that night and they prepared three years in the nuts. I did not cease to admonish each one of you with tears now so one of the things that God is commending this church for is that Dr. let their pure they put up under the false teaching they put up within a false doctrine.

That is if you were to the church at Ephesus mean to tell you if you hear the straight truth.

So he says I'm commending you up for your service. I'm commending you for your sacrifice commending you for your steadfastness commending you for your separateness, and he says I commend you for your suffering. Look, if you will back in chapter 2. Again, he says, verse three and you have perseverance and have endured for my name's sake and have not grown weary. That is when they face the burdens and heartaches of life.

They didn't just give in but he says you persevered. You been sent as you been doing you've been patient for these things and he says not grown weary will be wonderful if we can stop right there. That's not what that passage stops that the reason I give all the emphasis that is this you think that the Lord Jesus Christ thought you were doing that well he dispatch of the back said well I'll just keep up the good work but doesn't say that. Listen to me those people from the same trap we fall into the day and 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 division 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. So first of all, he commends us for good works, but the second thing that happens in he says in verse four, but I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Not all about you, but the Lord could've said that lots of ways.

But if God says I've got something against her. He got my attention. A man he's got your tens reasons. I've got something against you. I love you unconditionally. Your name is written in the Lamb's book of life. You going to heaven, will answer prayer. When the provider list, but I've got something against you, now is will you notice it's real difficult for us to spot what he had against them in our own selves. It's almost like somebody else has the pointed out to us. He said I have somewhat against you, and he says I have something specific, I guess you have this against you, what is this what I have against you.

He says, is that you have left you have departed from your first love is there will know what when the world is that the wealth that were left there needs can be want to let things either. First of all, they deliberately will flit walked away.

It was a determination on their part. All they began to drift on ignorance.

They began to follow and notice what he says. He says in verse five remember therefore from where you have fallen, so the implication here is probably not so much that they deliberately decided this was going on that I don't believe is a deliberate thing on their part. I think it was something that happened over a period of time. There was a gradual thing that took place because they had certainly had the truth, and even though they had a lot of false preachers and teachers coming through. If you read the book of Ephesians the first three chapters of the book of Ephesians tells us who we are in Christ. The next three chapters.

The book of Ephesians tells us how we can live as a result of being who we are. Those six chapters revolutionize anybody's life and set you free. If you will take them to heart and be willing to live by the will. The apostle Paul instructed these people. But here's what happened. Listen carefully now because this when this is being written is about 30 years later. So here's a whole new generation of Christians that have come into the church and now many of these people didn't hear the apostle Paul and these people I did not hear Timothy and so what's happened is over a period of time to graduate something is happening. The Bible says they left their first love. Now they either lifted by deliberate will play some of them probably, but most of them gradually something happened 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 listen. 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 up to 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 are got this against you.

You've left you falling away. You've drifted you.

You've walked away. Something is happened, something is wrong. He says you've left your first love. What was he referring to he was referring to what happened to them when they were saved. What happened them personally and think about something with you for a moment you member when you trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior and and you understood the Jesus Christ that forgiven you of your sin.

What happened you were excited. Your sins were forgiven.

Depending upon your age and what is going in your life. Maybe it would determine how excited you were to work but you are excited that your sins are forgiven that God loves you enough to reach them and forgive you of your sins, you are excited about the fact that that you been saved by the grace of God that your name is written in the Lamb's book of life that you were going to happen and what happened.

You were so excited about the word of God. You just want to read it what you want somebody give you some instruction and then you just couldn't print up is want to talk to God.

You want to learn how to pray and that you know exactly how to praise and get the Bible and find some a passage that was a prayer and then you try to read that. Are you read the Lord's prayer and so you want to learn how to pray, and you begin to pray, and you begin to pray for the people, and God begin answer prayer you excited about what was going on there because you couldn't keep the second is had to tell us about it and so you excited about telling people what Jesus Christ was doing in your life and how he was answering prayer that you will talk to him about how to get saved and you are you a bold and courageous on you to care what anybody thought of me uniting Santa restaurant, you bet your head and pray you never done that before.

It involved you but what because you are fervently in love the Lord Jesus Christ you want to be bad because nobody can kept you out of the water. You couldn't shut up about Jesus. You had a talk about if you want to read is where you will the book you want to go to seminar you want to go to church you want to go to worship nobody keep you waiting church given the God town is that almost again. I mean, you were excited about God, let me ask a question what happened, why have you allowed your fervor and devotion and commitment and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ to cool off after all these years. If God hasn't changed nothing he's done change you. Not so quiet why we cool down why we so to settle down for settle down faith what's happened or fervency.

How in the world has a body of Christ so cool off. What in the world hasn't dampened out fervor and our desire and our yearning in our hunger and thirst for the word of God. Whatever happened to thanks. That's what he's talking about when he says you've left your first love. You know what Jesus is saying in this passage. Watch this this this is also these is what I'm interested in is your personal relationship with me, not what you do for me. Thank you for listening to the priority and release and send.

If you like to know more about Charles Stanley for intense ministry intense.org podcast is the presentation of intense ministry in Atlanta, Georgia