Return to Your First Love

Can a church do many right things yet lose its first love? In Revelation 2, Jesus speaks to the church at Ephesus—a church known for its work, endurance, discernment, and faithfulness, yet one that had abandoned its first love. This message challenges us to look beyond Christian activity and ask whether we are truly experiencing the nearness and love of Christ. – Return to Your First Love –

Greetings to all in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I consider again uh a privilege to share the word of God before the body of Christ. So for for today’s uh short meditation I would like uh anyone to read among us uh from the book of revelation chapter 2 verse uh from 2 to 5.

Before I go to the message, I want to share one story before imaginative story. How okra destroyed the family’s peace. Once upon a time there was a Tangama who was the older daughter-in-law and Chinama was the mother-in-law. Sorry if anybody has this name here sitting. There is no personal grieviances. No character in this story has any resemblance to the original person sitting here. So Chinama is the mother-in-law in the evening at 5:00. So say to daughter-in-law Tangama that tomorrow relatives from my family is going to come. So they will be there to tomorrow for the lunch and you have to prepare an excellent sambar for for them. So Tangama rose very early. So it’s a lot of guests. So Tangama arose early in the morning like 5:00 and sacrificed the beautiful time with the husband and children and then even the time of devotion also and was very laboring for the mother-in-law’s family members and then cutting the vegetables purchasing organic vegetable from Walmart because organic vegetable is very tasty. So huge price she had give to purchase this organic vegetables. Cutting very delicately perfect pieces. Okay. All the spices for proper measurement of the oil. Everything was and she was very hopeful that I will get some appreciation. And finally the sambar was made. Excellent smell was coming and it was served. Guest began to highly praise Tangama for the beautiful sambar. But mother-in-law was not satisfied. Chinama was not satisfied. The guest went afterwards. Chinama called Tangama and said that everything was good but there was a spelling mistake, small mistake. So Tangama said what is the mistake? Everybody liked the sambar? If you are not, I many times I have told you that our family is fond of okra and you have not put that. Maybe in your family in sambar you don’t put okra. But here once you are the daughter-in-law of your this house you have to put okra. Otherwise next time I will not give you any of the important task I will give to the younger daughter-in-law Sarama. Now imagine if this tangama if only first mile Christian you know first mile there are two types of Christian first mile Christians and second mile Christian if imagine if this daughter-in-law is the first mile Christian she will cry a lot curse mother-in-law in her heart and come and narrates her shares her all problem with her husband I know whatever I do for your mother is not enough. You don’t know in the morning I woke up at 5:00 and did all the labor work and I didn’t get any appreciation from your mother. Now imagine if the husband is also first male Christian. What will happen? I know how much you have sacrificed. No, you woke up early in the morning. Mother didn’t do the right thing. Now I am going to ask mother calling mother and you know what will happen? Great crisis in the family just because of bindi the god who created the beautiful vendakya (Okra) for the nutritional benefit health of the mankind. Devil has used this to cause a problem in the family. If the daughter-in-law would be the second mile Christian, then the second mile Christian would say that, “Okay, mother-in-law, next time I’ll be very careful. Sorry, I apologize.” He will go to the bedroom and at that time he will she will decide I will not talk about this matter with my husband and the husband sees her face and understood the problem. The husband is also the second mile Christians. Baby, don’t worry. It’s okay. Next time be careful. Problem solved.

The Church at Ephesus
So God says that I know your I know your I know your work. I know your toil and your patient endurance. You have critically analyzed all the apostles as you have been taught by Apostle Paul during the farewell given to Paul. The elders of the Ephesians came to meet Paul. And at that time Paul said that beware of the wolves which will come among you. Be careful about the people who come with different doctrines. Paul had reminded the people of Ephes the elders of the Ephesians be careful about the wrong people the wrong apostles. And that practice was followed by that church. For how long? The Ephesians church was buil founded approximately AD52. And when John wrote this book of revelation that was approxim approximately 95 AD 95. So 52 to 95 that means at least there is a gap of 40 years. 40 years is a is a big period. If a child is there during those born during those time then he will be like the child will be 40 years. It’s a long time. For a long time the Ephesians church were able to practice to find out who is the who are the false apostles. So God knows the work. God is very smart. By your work you cannot you cannot fool God. I will share my experience when I was not in faith properly in faith just just coming to Sunday going out no and headache to the family at that time when I was in high school my mother didn’t give me pocket money I don’t blame her because I was just like that so she didn’t give me pocket money so I decided that I will work and earn money so I and my two went to a plywood making company, a big plywood making company. So there I took the job. So my work was that standing there and there is a big chemical solution. So I have to take the solution and it’s like a machine. You might have seen how the rubber sheets are put in the machine to make it very very thin. So that type of machine was there. the layers of the plywood. No, plywood has a lot of layers. So, all the layers has to pass through this machine and I have to pour the solution. What I have to ensure the machine should be always full of solution. It should not get it has a particular measure. It does it shouldn’t come down. So, continuously I have to do it. That was my work. And there is a lunchtime. So in lunchtime we this this factory was in a near a highway and after uh after the factory there is a big uh farmland. So in the lunchtime we used to take our tiffen box and go there and eat. So while we go there we change the dress and we go there. So we have a small bag. So inside that we have lunch box. So when I go there I used to steal the things of the factory. So I took sometimes all the stationary items which is there in the factory and go there and eat. So under the tree we keep all the things and then again we come back and when when when when the hours of work is over we go there. Checking is not there but they know that we are going just with the tiffin box. Then afterwards as we go out then again we come to the farm took all the things and go back. So this I did for 15 days. Not every day I steal some if I find any precious things I used to steal that. It was very fun. No but I didn’t get any money from that. I can’t sell it but I can use it from my home. Papa was not there. Papa was very strict. Mommy couldn’t find out where I have kept all these things. So she didn’t know anything. So it was a very hard work. No, every for the whole day I have to like put the so hand was very very pain. After 15 days my target was over. I got 15 days money and even though I was a very bad guy, I decided that I will give the tithe of this money to the church. So my pastor was running a Bible school. Still I remember that I took the 80 rupees purchase Amul’s gold milk and then went to the pastor. Pastor Andy was very happy. I told that you give make tea for the Bible school students. You take all the milk. Uh it’s a tithe from me. I don’t want to give to the tithe to the church but I want to give to you. past money was gone. Then I began to think God is more smarter than me. Whatever I had to give God I gave. Rest nothing was left with me. [laughter] So God knows your work how you are doing. So that was my experience.

The Mistake: Abandoning Love
So if you see this uh no excellent qualities, no the church was very active in working for the Lord, laboring, patiently enduring for the God’s name. But still God found a mistake in them. What was the mistake? The mistake was they didn’t have the love which they should have. The question is why God has a problem? It says that you he they they abandoned the love. That means the the meaning of abandonment here means total neglection. The church had totally neglected the aspect of love. Abandoned love. And they are doing this but they are not realizing it’s a terrible mistake. and seriousness. I don’t believe in a global church or universal church. When God is telling to the churches, the seven churches are there. Seven churches exist in a specific geographical area. It has an identity. So Ephesians means it is the church of Ephesians. Some people say I don’t go to judge but I belong to the universal church. It’s there is no nothing like that and this no all the actually once in a month we should hear the sermon from about the church in the Bible you can find it is specifically this is the portion where God specifically talks about a particular church and the church is very excellent no very excellent The church is even suffering for Christ. Then why did God say that you have abandoned the first law? That is a question mark. Sometimes we think that God is absent. We take God for so granted. We just go like a routine way. You know, like coming to church, sitting there, singing songs, hearing the sermon, preaching the sermon, sharing the testimony, giving the tithe, giving the offerings. No. And we think that it’s all okay. It’s all okay. But Christ says that not okay. It it happens. As the time pass, we miss out. we miss out. Even Paul gave the give the model of himself. He was there like for two years and Paul says that you know how I was with you. I did work And you have to follow in all these things. You understand? That’s what the Paul’s farewell message to the church of Ephesians. So they were okay with Christ I think but I don’t know I when I go to heaven I will ask Christ but you know that what I want to give you an example that Jesus is more closer you can see I am I and pastor man yeah both are near but what I want to say is said Jesus is more closer to me than pastor Manu. But Manu pastor feels me more than Jesus or I feel Manu pastor closer to me than Jesus. How I can say that? Chapter 2 verse one. 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 stamps, lampstands. So Christ was when John saw the vision. Okay, how John saw the vision? Jesus was in a very powerful appearance. Blazing eyes fire full of fire. the the rope, the shash, the powerful legs and the how was the voice of the the Lord more powerful than the thunders of the waters like roaring waters. And when Jesus spoke with John, John was not able to understand it is the voice of my Lord. Because John was the one person who used to sit beside Jesus Christ. Jesus loved John more than all the disciples. And he was very close to Jesus. But when Jesus spoke, he was not able to understand. It is the voice of my Lord. Such a powerful appearance. And at that time also what John saw Jesus standing about the between the seven lampstands. The seven lampstands shows the seven churches. And how it’s not only Jesus is walking among the seven lampstands. No, he’s walking. Walking means in very close association with the church. Believers think that oh Sunday come worship and go. But it’s not like that Christ is there walking living among them. Christ was living among them. People may not be experiencing that. But I say that Jesus is right. We are wrong. We are wrong.

Experiencing Christ’s Nearness
Question is are we able to experience Christ as he is experiences experiencing us? Christ is so so near to us. That’s why he can say that I know your work. I know your toil. I know your patient endurance. I know you are able to test the apostles. I know how much you have suffered for me. I know everything because I am not sitting in the heaven. I’m not here. Maybe for the believers or for the for the lord it is not there. Now don’t say that we don’t we can’t say that we uh we we we are not in that criteria. People changes after time in situation. People change. People can change. But we don’t we fail to understand that we have lost the love. And for that God is very serious. Jesus is very serious. Jesus says you have to repent or I will take the place. I will not walk with you. Simple. I will take the lampstand means you will not be in my presence. Bible is very very true. No in Ephesians what is written in Ephesians it is you are seated on the in the heaven heavenly realms. So right now we are in the earth. Right now we are in the earth. But actually we are in heaven. We are in the kingdom of God. Kingdom of heaven. Kingdom of heaven. We are in the kingdom of heaven. There is a direct rule of God in our hearts. There should be direct rule of God in our hearts. and the and the people of the Ephesians church didn’t were not able to experience that the powerful epistle of Ephesians was written to the Ephesian church by Paul but that was not experienced during those time. I think the church has ceased to be church and the church was existing just like a club. What is the difference between a club and a church? Club is just a social gathering where there is fun, there is entertainment, everything. If the church just gives this experience, it is not a church. Why was God? Why Jesus actually what was Jesus telling? Jesus was sharing his pain because Jesus can’t walk with them. They can say in the testimony last week I was able to share gospel with 10 people. Jesus say I don’t care. Another believer say that God blessed me so much that now I am going to sponsor 10 missionaries. Jesus said I don’t care. Another believer say God gave me strength to pray for my people for last 10 days with fasting. Jesus said I don’t care. And remarkably surprising that people of God was not able to understand the pain the the the heartbreaking of Jesus Christ. Some believer might say that when I want when I began to share gospel when I began to stand for the Christ at that time I was tortured. Jesus said, “I don’t care.” This all things happened in that church. Jesus has a great compulsion. What is the compulsion? Believers should have the first love. You know that when you go to the kingdom of heaven, what is the main principle there? No. What is the most important thing and the beautiful thing there in the kingdom of heaven? It’s the love. Because Jesus is allowing you to sit you with him. And Jesus wants the Ephesians church to be a model of kingdom of heaven among the Gentiles. Hallelujah. Why we are in the church? What is the objective being existing as Bethl Christian Assembly? The Bethl Christian Assembly is the replica of the kingdom of God. When anyone comes here, they should see the kingdom of God. It’s very serious. Why it is serious? Because the Bible says it is serious. It is not because I say it is serious. Since you don’t have the first love among you, you can’t be called as a church. You there is no kingdom of heaven among you. I was shocked when I was whenever I read this actually can I can evaluate myself where I am standing. God God has no problem in rejecting the church if it doesn’t fulfill its purpose. Very strong word Jesus used because Jesus was knowing them.

Replica of the Kingdom of Heaven
It is dangerous to be get into the routines what we do every day. The same thing we do spend some time in prayer, some time in Bible reading, some time uh listening to the word of God, attending the church, coming and going. Today’s psalms, you know there is a one particular verse, very excellent verse in that psalms 119 and it is that the 119 in that 37. Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things and give me life in your ways. Hallelujah. G1 give give me give me your life in your ways vibrant no vibrant very vibrant church no when church is there system is there and system is there so we go according to system. So everything becomes robotic, autopilot and in that we forget the most important thing the life of Christ. How how a church can transform into a replica of the kingdom of heaven. You know that when each when when in each and every believer the life of Christ should flow. Hallelujah. Christ love should be reflected in each and every believers. Let me share one example from the life of Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa went to Kolkata and she took take care of she began to take care of uh the childrens of the prostitutes because children of prostitutes were running here and there on the streets without any shelter. So she began to call all the or gathering all the children in her ashram. The Catholic church initially didn’t supported her. So she wanted to feed these children. So in the evening she used to go on the roads and beg to the people and get the food. One day she knocked the door of a big business businessman. When she knocked the door of the businessman the businessman opened and she was wearing the the uniform outfit of a monk nun. The businessman asked what do you want in a very rudely way. Mother Terasa said that I want some help for my children in the in the ash. And then the man said I don’t have anything to because he had Christians. Again mother Terasa was insisting please give something please give something. She was stretching out her hands in this way. And the businesses what he did he be he spit on mother Terasa and she took that spit and then mother Terasa give an ex excellent reply. This is for me. I take it this pit but what about my children? And this answer broke his heart. And he was the owner of a biscuit making company and she he decided that he told that now from this day onwards every day I will send the biscuits to your astral. How could mother Terasa do this? The life of Christ, the love of Christ. Hallelujah. And there is no committee in heaven. No kingdom of heaven because it’s a multicultural. No people from across the nations come there. No secretary, no committee, no board members, nothing is there because when you are ruled by Christ’s love, there is no need of such things. I’m not blaming today’s just I’m telling that there should be committee there should be secretary everything but the question is are we ruled by the love of Christ the love of Christ the Ephesians church didn’t have they were doing everything tithe offering attending fasting prayer everything but life of Christ was not there now there is some symptoms why there is a abandonment of love because in the church there might be the groupism groups are very dangerous to church.

Unity vs. Groupism
There should not be any group in the church. Okay. Woman’s group, men’s group, that’s okay. Children’s group. But beside that, there should not be any group. Group means distinction, division. Some people associate only with the like-minded people. That is wrong. That is wrong. Groupism means the breaking of the wall. What did Nehemiah do? What did Nehemiah do when he found the walls of Jerusalem broken? He cried. He cried. Who? Who was he? Was he a priest? No. Was he a prophet? No. Allah. Allah. Allah. No. He was just a lay man. Was just a lay man. What burden he should have. But he had that burden. When he saw the walls broken, he began to cry. Are we able to cry in the church when we find the unity of the church is broken breaking up? Or are we doing something to build the unity of the church? It’s a very important thing. I heard one uh my one of my senior Jane Thomas he told me one day that he was speaking highly about a pastor. So he says that our pastor normally what he does when he visits any family if supports one person from that family says that that no he was something like suddenly pastor will say okay brother I am standing let us pray and go never hear anything about any believer in his ears and doesn’t allow any believers to speak against any believers. Lord, my believers has fallen in sin. I pray for his repentance that sin should not be reached in the years of my fellow believers. That should be the prayer. That is like being building the walls of Jerusalem. Hallelujah. And God doesn’t uh expect uh different things from different people. He accepts same thing from same people. If you are a rich If you are a rich believer, you should be like Nehemiah and Zakayas. If you are a poor believer, you should be like woman who gave two might the poor woman. You understand? If you are a rich believer, you should be like Nicodemus and Zakias. who was willing to give generously for God. And if you’re a poor believer, don’t cry. Become like a poor woman, that poor widow who gave her everything for God. What is the common thing? The common thing God expect is that do everything generously for God in whatever situation you are. Hallelujah. So what did God say?

Personal Reflections on Church Love
Second chance. Second chance God gave to Ephesians, the church of Ephesians 25. Remember, remember once upon a time, once upon a time, how did you farewell in God’s love? Remember that two of my life situation I can never forget. One is my church in Anand Gujarat where I was brought up and second is Manakala’s experience. These two I can never forget. It has big impact in my life. There was a Apachan uh in our church George Aachan and uh such a wise man. So we had so many kids in the church. So uh the kids used to disturb the preaching service and worship service. They had their own games playing there. At that time we used to play the Indian chocolate you know that four lines we draw and cross and zero that we used to do in the church. So some uncles are very strict they they pinch us and they show uh red eye. But this opportunity he was very good. In every Sunday school anniversary, he will come up and say that he will come with a gift and he said that I will give this gift to the child who was most disciplined, calm and quiet, active in church and this opportun would give prize to that child. So that becomes a motivation for children. And you know that who got the first prize? Who got the first prize? Not me, my my sister. And I had a terrible problem. I I know I very passionate. So I decided that every child is sharing the memory verse. So I found a way out. I don’t want to do the memory vers. I will share the testimony. At least I don’t have to read them memory vers. No, you know that. So I began to I was the uh my seniors were there, my juniors were there. So when they all began to share the memory vers I didn’t share I began to share the testimony but the problem was that when I began to share testimony I used to cry a lot seeing the people I began to cry and I crying crying I was given the testimony then one day this happened this become a pattern then one day a person called me not publicly privately That changed me and then I began to stop crying. How wisely the pachan tell me that is my church. That was a very beautiful church. I had very beautiful church. And uh when I was a backsliding at that time one day I was sitting uh in the place of one another believer very older believer friend of my papa and I was sitting in his place and he came to me and say go go go ahead go ahead. I asked him this is your permanent place. Yeah every time I sit here that okay sit here when even after Christ comes and goes you sit here only. And then he was very much upset, very much upset. So I used to give back anyone. But when I came to Christ, I know when I shared my testimony, he was the first person to come and hug me so tightly and he began to cry and I also hug him tightly. Why not? was because I was experiencing the love of Christ. When I left my church there, everyone was crying. Everyone was I was I was also so much crying because I I found the God’s love there among that church. It was not a rich church but no God will if you sit in the presence of Christ, you can love. No. And when there is love, no, you can’t speak anything against your brothers and sisters. Even they are wrong. No, don’t speak. Because just as Christ takes care of the believers, we should also take care of the believer. The same passion, the same love, the love, the same love with Christ has the same love we will have.

Conclusion and Call to Repentance
So how the criticism comes, how the groupism comes, this all things the Ephesians church missed out. No. And Christ hate that. Hate that. Whatever you do, Christ doesn’t count it. First thing, first A, then only B. Without A there is no B. Two minutes I have taken. Please forgive me in God’s law. Just analyze ourselves. Just evaluate ourselves. Christ is very serious about our calling. Very serious about our calling. He takes very serious. No, we are not sitting in the this phoenix. We are sitting in the heavens. We are sitting in the kingdom of heaven. Yeah, that’s the Bible says. That’s the Bible says. So are we so dull or our heart is so hard that we can’t experience the pain of Christ? No. That is very important for us to experience Christ. It’s very important. The Christian life is very very beautiful, very sweet if we experience Christ. Otherwise it’s it’s not good. 100 qualities may we may have but this quality should be there. This quality should be there. If you can’t preach it’s okay. If you can’t share testimony it’s okay. If you can’t pray in public it’s okay. But if you have a heart of Jesus Christ that’s the only thing we all need which makes us humble which makes us generous which makes us very very gentle to hear the voice go God’s voice. And Jesus always walks with us. May God bless us through these words.