going back to first love

I titled my message today, returning to first love. I would like you to go with me to Revelation chapter 2, a passage that I know many of you are familiar with, I would like to read it just to refresh you. Revelation chapter 2, last book of the New Testament bible, this is the letter, there are seven letters that are written to seven churches between chapter 2 and chapter 3, and the first letter is addressed to the church that is in Ephesus. I am going to start in verse 2, it says like this from 2 to 5: "I know your works, and your hard work, your patience, that you cannot bear the wicked, and you have tried those who say they are apostles and they did not they are, and you have found them liars, and you have suffered, and you have been patient, and you have worked hard for my name's sake and you have not fainted. But I have against you that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the first works, because if not, I will come soon to you, I will remove your candlestick from its place, if you had not repented."

What an interesting letter. The letter continues but I am going to leave it there, the central idea of what I want to share with you today. How interesting that when we see what the letter is saying, obviously this is a message from Jesus that is being communicated by the apostle John, the leaders, the pastors who are in charge of these churches. If you say verse 1 says: "Write to the angel of the church of Ephesus." That is interpreted as each of the pastors and bishops who were in charge of each of those churches. The account according to the book of Acts says that the angel of the church of Ephesus was Timothy, because Timothy was the character that Paul left in charge of the church of Ephesus. So it can be said that this letter was addressed to Timothy and the rest of the leaders who were there in the church of Ephesus.

When he says this, the one who has the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, says the following, there he is talking about Jesus, the message that Jesus is saying: "Look, I know your works", in other words, it is recognizing all the good that this person is doing, it is realizing that it is not a church that sits idly by, it is an active church that has action, that has ministries, that has projects, and they are there day after day doing the work that God commanded them to do. But in the midst of all these compliments that he's giving to the church, suddenly he brings out something that's strong, which isn't necessarily a compliment, it's not necessarily a pat on the back, it's a spanking if you will, and Let him know, I have only one thing against you, thank God it was only one thing, imagine if he had drawn a list.

When we tell someone oh, how cool you've behaved, but, and we take out a laundry list of all the things that are bad, luckily one was taken out here, you've forgotten your first love. What does that first love mean? While I was reading, many commentators say that this first love can be interpreted in many ways, on the one hand if you see the book of Acts chapter 20 that Paul is addressing there to the church of Ephesus, the church of Ephesus was a church that it showed their love for the saints in other provinces, it was a church that was in contact with other churches in the area, and they showed their love by sending offerings, supporting their ministries, that was one way they showed their love, in the book of Ephesians, in chapter 1, look how Paul addresses them saying: "For this reason, having heard of his faith in the Lord and his love for all the saints", look how interesting, the church of Ephesus it was classified as a church that demonstrated its genuine love not only for the members of that church but also for others.

So, one of the ways in which you can interpret this that you have lost your first love, is that perhaps they had lost that love that they showed to other people, to other believers or to non-believers, it had diminished a bit. . A second dimension of why that first love, or how that first love is interpreted, has to do with that more individual sense of what his devotion is, his personal passion towards the person of Jesus. And it is what is compared to the fact, like when a couple is newly married, that they are like two lovebirds and there is no one who can separate them, who can burst that bubble, and that it seems like an eternal honeymoon, and that everything is roads and castillas, and violins sound everywhere, and little angels and cupids everywhere, like that first love, that initial passion, that love is what he refers to, those first loves that it's like you talked to the person, you hook up, and five minutes later you have to call her, I miss you my love, I can't stop listening to you. That is the other type of love to which he refers that is lost there, it is like that desire to be in constant intimacy with the Lord Jesus.

Now it's interesting because it doesn't say that the church has lost all its love, if you look at verse 3 it says: "You have suffered and worked hard for my name's sake", the church had a love, there was a love that was moving the church, but the original love, the love that is the driving force for this other love that can carry out all the functions, all the strategies, all the logistics that they were doing, that essential first love was the one that had come down. How interesting my brothers. How easy for that first love to be overwhelmed by the routines of our lives. The routines of life become so charged that they can easily put out that flame of love, that in the morning you get up and you are singing and praising the Lord, you get in the car and you are singing and praising the Lord, and there is Jesus how rich life is with you, and you continue the whole day, two or three told you at work but you don't care, Lord, I don't care what they tell me, you are everything to me, come down, go and have lunch, And what's more, you read a book of meditations called a coffee with God, every day you're stuck with the Lord there at all times, work time is over, you get in the car to return home, and put the Marcos Witt CD again, and there in his presence, you go, you arrive at the house, the children are climbing walls but you don't care, you are in the presence of the Lord, the husband or wife said something to you, it is necessary milk, it's really snowing outside, and you're singing all the way and all you have on your mind is the Lord that you you're between eyebrows, you get home, you give milk to the kids, and they go to bed to sleep and you're still there praising the Lord and you can't wait for them to go to sleep so you can meditate and start writing, you daily, and oh Lord how rich life is with you, and at half past 10 you kneel next to the bed, Lord, thank you for everything, and when you go to bed you have a smile there on your face because like, oh Lord how delicious is life with you

What is required my brothers, what is required to keep that flame of love lit? I am not telling you to answer me, this is a rhetorical question for you, I know the answer, and even so it is difficult to do so. Everything I told you, that's all part of it for me to relight that fire again, what's more, I can get you a Biblical recipe there, fast twenty-one days in the style of Daniel, and you're going to see how that love ignites again. Pray 4 hours a day, lock yourself in a room without anyone hearing you and you will see how that love will light up again. When you get to the church, take the pastor out of his chair so that you sit there, and to everything he says say yes, amen, sing all the songs even if you don't know them and you'll see how that love is going to ignite. but, something more is required my brothers.

Do you know why I say it? Because we who have known that love for so long, your first obstacle will easily be up here, in your mind, your mind will begin to reason, oh why, why is it necessary, He is already with you, why are you leaving? to having to put all that stuff back together and turn on, kick up the dust again. What happens when a husband does not maintain his affections with his wife? What happens when a father, after having worked two jobs a day, his children want to jump on him to play with him but the father says no, not now, I'm tired, when he comes to see after two weeks, after two, three months, from one, two, three years, that has been the routine that has defined your life, and when you come to see, your children are rebellious and do not want anything to do with you and you wonder what happened to my children. Work was more important, you didn't make time for them, don't complain, don't complain.

We have to be intentional in re-capturing that first love, or not capturing, rather re-finding that first love. Look what it says here, see if the Lord is so good that He gives us the recipe for how to do that. Verse 5 says: "Remember therefore from where you have fallen." And this is a bit strong because it's like they told you, remember that sin where you put your legs deep inside. And no one wants to remember that. But in some way or another, if that was the lowest moment of your life and that was where the Lord reached you, then do remember that, not because of what you did or suffered, but remember that moment to remember what you It was that the Lord extended his love to you at that moment, in your life, at your lowest moment, at the moment when you thought all was lost, remember what it felt like when Jesus told you, here I am for you, I master, I have purposes with you, I can straighten your steps, if you only let me in and let me take control of your life. Remember where you have fallen from and repent.

If you have taken level 1 discipleship, what does it mean to repent, turn in one direction, if you go in one direction go back to the other. Now repent here doesn't mean oh well what do you want me to go in the direction of my sin now, no no no no no that's not what it's saying, it says change from a monotonous life to a direction of a life full of love and passion for the Lord, that is what he is saying there. And do the first works, do the first works. Very interesting. When my son was overturning the baskets trying to find his toy, I remember that on several occasions I told him don't do that, you're messing everything up, and what I was trying to do was stop him because I was messing up his whole room. You know, life is going to try to do precisely that, there are things that you have to take out to find the essence of that love, there are things that you have to get out of the way, comments that people have said about you, disappointments that you have had, too overwhelming work routines that you have to make an effort to find some time to be with the Lord, a rebellious son or daughter that is causing you a headache, for a moment you will or you will have to out of the picture so you can find that central resource. A husband, a wife who is talking to you loudly that you already have to get out of that relationship, for a moment, I underline that phrase, for a moment you are going to have to take it out or put it on stand-by, to find yourself with the resource of that essence of the love of the Lord.

And you are going to have to start doing things that you have stopped doing, because precisely these routines of life have overwhelmed you so much that they have prevented you from doing those things that you did before you were in an intense love relationship with the Lord. What did you do? Think about it, what did you do? Think, what did you do in those initial moments when you began your relationship with the Lord? I want you to intentionally do this exercise starting from today, what did you do in those moments when your love was through the roof so to speak? Did you pray more often, read the bible more often, participate in a cell, pray in prayer meetings, participate in services on Sundays, help someone in need, instead of looking at someone with a grumpy face? You looked at him with a kind, peaceful face, you inspired that person, you were walking through the field and suddenly you saw a little sparrow singing very nicely and suddenly you said wow, how cute you are Lord?, and now it's more, you don't even hear it now, the bird is out there doing what it has to do, it is out there making a mess.

What do you have to do to see the Lord in those little corners of your life? I wait my brothers, I do not want to continue talking, this is like who says the appetizer, the caviar so that you leave here thinking, reflecting and with a desire in your genuine heart, evaluate yourself now where you are, if you had a thermostat that measures your love and your passion for the Lord, is it cold down there, is it halfway, is it red hot? Ask yourself that question, ask yourself, Lord, how is your love for me? Dare to ask God that, and don't justify yourself thinking, ah, but I am being the leader of this cell, I go and visit the shriners and bring food to the children, I go and visit the children In the hospital, I go to so-and-so's house, I come here, I sing, I pray, I praise, I do all that, you know what?, nothing to see in here, how things are in there in your heart.

There in your essence, if I were to dig what is in there, what are you going to find, if you dig in my life and take out everything you have to take out, what are you going to find? I tell you my brothers, this series is going to be a challenge for me, because I firmly believe that you will not be able to find that first love unless I reflect that love, if I as one of the spiritual leaders of that church , if I don't reflect that same passion, and for the record, I know that we all reflect our passion in different ways, if I don't reflect that passion, if I don't reflect in myself that desire to experience his grace, experience his love once again , experience what it means to be there with Him and be there close, and not feel it far away, if I reflect that I know that you will enter there, now if you see me, come on brother let's sing to you, again, let's go to sing the same song, oh what inexhaustible love, incomparable fidelity, your people say thank you. Here comes the pastor with his hit again, if I don't reflect that passion I will never be able to expect you to live that passion.

I know that I am getting into deep waters, I know that the Lord is going to demand something of me. And just as I hope my brothers that we all come with that desire, Sunday comes, you get up in the morning and look at your thermostat, as it is, your passion for the Lord, your love for the Lord, I am on the way to that first love, Either I am moving away, or I am in the same place, next Wednesday, when all the dilemmas of the day have passed, and you are at the moment of deciding whether or not to go to church, look at that thermostat, how is that love for God I believe that the essence of all this is found in the essence of the Lord Jesus, that is why we want to hear words that remind us of what it means, what he did in our lives, what he will continue to do, I know that when we expose ourselves to that, it's going to spark, so my brothers I have high expectations, for me personally.

If you see that from time to time I throw myself on my knees, pray for me, there is something that I am looking for, and I hope that you also feel free to search, to search in that basket, in that coffin that you have in the attic of your house, full of dust, open it and find there what you need to rekindle that first love. Amen?. We are going to stand up and we are going to pray.

Father, I thank you for the opportunity that you grant us to expose ourselves to your word today, Lord, the most I can say is that I am anxious about how this series will unfold, and I ask you, Lord, that in the midst of the chores of our life, in the midst of all the hustle and bustle that one may have, that we can seek and dig into that essence of what it means to experience that first love again. Jesus please allow these words to cause something in us, I, my Lord, my desire is to hear testimonies of how your sons and daughters meet again with the Lord, they find that flame in their hearts again, so I ask you that this week that we are going to be reflecting on you, on your person, on your life, on your power, on your love, allow those words to reach our hearts and awaken in us a hunger and a thirst for you, to seek you, to to love you and to be loved by you. So, Lord, I leave your sons and daughters in your hands, I ask your blessing for each one of them, and I ask that when you leave here tonight that your word continues to echo in their lives, and that it be you filling them as only You can, I ask you please in Jesus name, amen and amen.