Rev. 2:1-5- Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;
2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
The Lord commends the church at Ephesus for her stand for the truth and her good works. He then reveals that somewhere along the way while she was labouring for Him, she lost her first love. We too many times in our efforts to be “right” we fail to spend intimate time with the Lord.
When Your Sizzle Begins to Fizzle!
Jer. 2:2– Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.
1. recognize your Coldness!
*you’ll notice that your…
-Compassion turns into a Chore
-Contentment turns to Criticism
-Convictions turn into what’s Convenient
2. Close the gap!
3. address your Cuts!
*wounds need attention or they will never heal!
**some wounds come from…
-the Fight
-in the Faith
-Family
-Friends
-a Fall
4. Consider Him!
Heb. 12:3– For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
*then give Him your…
-Load
Matt. 11:28-30– Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
-Love
-Life
5. get back to Calvary!
6. Count your blessings!
7. Cast your eyes toward Heaven!
Heb. 12:2– Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The key to remaining a healthy spiritual life is to realize when complacency takes root and run back to the Saviour. Apathy takes hold when we fail to act once we realize our need. Don’t let your sizzle fizzle! If it has, don’t get comfortable where you are, get back to where you once were… at His feet! –Pastor Doug Foster
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