Chalk Revival Week 5: Return to My First Love

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Chalk Revival • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

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Lord, revive me - start a revival within this circle I draw, and revive me...

7 Prayers for personal revival!

I need a revitalization of my spiritual life

I need repentance of my sin and to forgive those who have sinned against me

I need a restoration of Your Word in my life

I need a release of your Holy Spirit in me

5. “I NEED A RETURN TO MY FIRST LOVE, AND AN INCREASED LOVE FOR MY FAMILY AND OTHERS

Revelation 2:2–5 NLT

“I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.

There is a growing problem in America - love has been based purely on romantic notions, conditions and feelings!

Think about that:

--- physical attraction

---- if you meet the conditions of my needs

---- how I am feeling about it at the moment

We have lost sight of God’s agape or unconditional love that is demonstrated through commitment and perseverance and that persists through all things.

In losing sight we fall out of love quickly with God and become disillusioned when something does not go our way or we become distracted

AND

and

We fail to love others as Christ loved us!

The truth is GOD DESIRES OUR PASSION FOR HIM!

1. Love God First

We all have passions - things that we love and it shows.

Anyone who knows me knows I love coffee and in paticular espresso. It was not always this way, but it has become a hobby and passion.

I have gone from seeking out the shops, learning some of the lingo, coming to understand the nuances and tastes, roasting my own beans, and drawing my own espresso at home.

I have even recently taught myself to drink it black so I don’t have to give it up on a nutrition plan I am following.

In the book of Revelation, a warning goes out to the church at Ephesus to not lose their first love.

This church was amongst a wicked culture, much like the culture of America today with sexual immorality, greed, materialism and a lifestyle contradicting God’s Word.

This church withstood temptation to become like the society around them AND they fought off false teachers that would tell them it was ok to embrace the sinfulness of the world around them.

WOW - if the current church in America could only do those things...

In the midst of that process they lost their motive for why! They became confident in their actions, but lost the motive which was a thankful heart for the forgiveness God had granted them.

They served God, but were not passionate in their service.

You can be passionate and zealous for God and fail to live right displaying Christian behavior in your actions

AND

You can be faithful in Christian behavior and actions and fail to be passionate and zealous for God.

HOW ABOUT BOTH!!!!

Jesus addressed this in:

Luke 10:38–41 NLT

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!

Martha was busy serving, but forgot the relationship side with Jesus.

Have we maybe taken this thought of just being in relationship with Jesus to an extreme?

All we care about is a relationship that many of us never tend to and have let go of any aspect of service in addition --- which means our heart may not really be in this thing.

How can you tell what you love the most ?

The reason I ask this is that Jesus wants to be our FIRST LOVE — a better expression is that which receives our love the most!!!!

Ways we can tell what we love the most...

— What gets most of your time?

— What gets most of your money?

— What gets most of your attention?

— What do you fight to protect or defend the most?

— What do you offer your service to freely the most?

Take a moment and think about these questions!

(REPEAT THEM)

Now ask yourself is Jesus the answer to all of these?

OUCH!

Sometimes we need to examine our hearts and see if we need to get our focus back on Jesus in our lives!

Matthew 13:18–23 NLT

“Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Matthew 18:

Just like in our human relationships we can find our attention waning by distractions in life and stresses in life --- the root causes of all failed marriages.

When these things occur, both spouses need to begin changing where they focus attention to improve the relationship and allow love to flourish again.

Remember, love is a commitment not just a feeling!

Pursuit of money, people, things, fun, etc can easily distract us from our Jesus who calls us to LOVE HIM FIRST --- just like HE LOVED US when HE died for us.

(RECKLESS LOVE)

Trials, problems, suffering, pain are also things that cause people to follow away from a passion for the Lord --- that is called conditional love - God you did not take care of this the way I wanted - so we are finished

Sometimes we aggressively reject that first love, and sometimes we unknowingly become passive aggressive in rejecting God — He disappointed us, we begin disappoint Him --- we begin doing some things but never following through with Him...

WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY NEXT THOUGHT...

2. Love God With All That Is Within You

Matthew 27:37–39 NLT

A sign was fastened above Jesus’ head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery.

Matthew 22:37–39 NLT

Jesus replied, “ ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

mATTHEW 27

37-39

Heart, Soul and Mind

HEART - our affections and desires, to love with our heart is something that progresses and grows, something we feel - something we are drawn too.

If we love with our heart alone our feelings can digress and it can die down ---

SOUL - our very breath of life - the soul denotes OUR WILL! The side of us that commits or holds fast to a commitment. When the going gets rough type of things.

If we love only with our will, we become dead to feeling.

MIND - our thoughts and intellect - our UNDERSTANDING - our reasoning. What we choose to know is right and real.

If we love with only our mind we may choose to believe something that is not truth or right because we could reason it away

This is why we have to love with ALL 3!

Do we love God FIRST and with all our heart, soul, and mind - above any other or any thing? This is HIS DESIRE FOR US!

People love cheaply these days ---

“Love ya man”

They type hearts and emojis on their text messages and facebook and instagram.

I HEART YOU!

When will we realize WORDS mean nothing if it is not backed up with commitment, passion, and faithfulness. Love is complex, you cannot just SAY IT - YOU NEED TO DISPLAY IT!

3. Love for My Family and Others

Something that we see in both Revelation and Matthew

Revelation 2:4 NLT

“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!

Rev 2.

Matthew 27:39 NLT

The people passing by shouted abuse, shaking their heads in mockery.

Matthew 22:39 NLT

A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 NLT

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

1 John 4:20–21 NLT

If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.

1 Corinthians 13:1–4 NLT

1 John 4:20 NLT

If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?

1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

1 cor

1 john 4.20-22

Paul writes that we can do all sorts of things for God, but if we have not love we are nothing, and love is the greatest of things that is eternal!

In addition John writes that if we say we love God but do not have love for our brother than we do not truly belong to God.

Do we love our fellow Christian? Do we seek to be a part of our fellow believers’ lives, to be there for them, to pray for them, to support them?

Do we love the lost enough to sacrifice time and resource to help them come into the Kingdom?

Do we treat each other with the unconditional love that God showed us?

------

An important part of Loving others, is the importance giving love to our families!

1 Peter 3:7–12 NLT

In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered. Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”

1 Peter 3:7 NLT

Many a man has neglected his family - you cannot grow in the Kingdom of God and do this.

I this passage in Peter goes on to say ...

I conclude with this passage in Peter...

1 Peter 3:8–12 NLT

Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing. For the Scriptures say, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.”

CONCLUSION

If we want to have a personal revival, we need to look at the condition of

Our Love for God

Our Love for our family and each other

When Jesus is our first love, the rest falls into place.

Lord, RESTORE our first love for you!!!

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