going back to first love
Omar Soto
(Audio: Spanish)
SUMMARY: The message is about returning to our first love, which is our passion and devotion to Jesus Christ. The passage from Revelation 2:2-5 talks about the church in Ephesus, which had been doing good works but had lost their first love. The first love can be interpreted in two ways: the love for other believers and non-believers, and the personal passion and devotion toward Jesus. The routine of life can easily put out the flame of love, and we need to be intentional in re-capturing it. The recipe for re-finding that first love is to remember where we have fallen from and repent, and do the first works. We may need to put some things aside for a moment to find that central resource.
The speaker discusses the importance of finding one's first love for God and how this can be achieved through repentance and turning towards a life full of love and passion for the Lord. He encourages listeners to reflect on their own love for God and to seek out the essence of that love by removing any obstacles in their lives. The speaker acknowledges that this series will be a challenge for him and hopes that his passion for God will inspire others to do the same. He ends with a prayer asking for God's guidance in helping listeners find their first love for Him again.
The speaker discusses the importance of finding one's first love for God and how this can be achieved through repentance and turning towards a life full of love and passion for the Lord. He encourages listeners to reflect on their own love for God and to seek out the essence of that love by removing any obstacles in their lives. The speaker acknowledges that this series will be a challenge for him and hopes that his passion for God will inspire others to do the same. He ends with a prayer asking for God's guidance in helping listeners find their first love for Him again.
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.
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.
