"How To Recover A Lost Love" Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr. (Revelation 2:1-7)

has anybody here ever been in love some of y'all line some of y'all line all right to downtown since I see I'm dealing with a bunch of liars up in here I want to talk about how to recover a lost love how to recover a lost love now before you get excited because I saw some women getting really excited I don't want to talk about recovering your boyfriend who left you on earth should open your Bibles to the Book of Revelations very last book in the Bible chapter 2 and I want to read these first seven verses of chapter 2 of The Book of Revelations beginning in verse 1 it says so the Angel of the Church of Ephesus write these things says he who holds the seven stars in his right hand who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands I know your works your Labor's your patience and that you cannot bear those who are evil and you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not and it found them liars you have persevered and have patience and have labored for my name's sake and have not become weary nevertheless I have this against you that you have left your first love remember therefore from where you have fallen you have fallen repent and do the first works or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent but this you have that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans which i also hate he who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches to him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God everybody say Amen this is about recovering or restoring a lost love I want to spend some time talking about this because I want to start off by talking about love being in love if I guess if I were to ask you how can you tell if a person is in love what would you say I ask y'all a question I'm asking a question if I were to ask you how would you know that a person is in love what you say let me talk to these brothers back here they have to show it it's an action word you can tell the person in love about what they do all right anything else spending time together and people in love day together all the time I always want to be in each other's company can't get can't stay away all right what else want to know I'm better you go here girl want to know I'm better what else I actually don't know why I'm talking to the men because y'all for I don't know nothing about love and firstly it's a glow you see a glow like a like lights coming out from him something like that the expression on their face they share huh they took from you oh oh they cook for you let me leave them alone up there yeah they ought to be some evidences that somebody loves you ought to be some evidences in this they do spend time together they make sacrifices when you think you in love but somebody make sacrifices you give your enduring conveniences stuff that you wouldn't tolerate before maybe with somebody you didn't love you tolerate them with somebody that you you say you love you don't have to beg them to do anything they don't have to be persuaded they proudly walk with you and they would you they they love in which you proudly they not hide it or you stand over there don't let them I see with me that's not love they hold hands they do things that our demonstration of love I wanted to talk about this today because Jesus sins let me give the background of this particular text Jesus sends seven letters to seven churches in Asia Minor these seven churches represent stages that all churches will go through at some point in their history but one of the churches he highlights here is a church at Ephesus he talks about the Church of Ephesus and I want to just dissect these seven verses if you just give me a few moments because this church matter of fact if I had if I had the opportunity to pass any kind of Church the Church of Ephesus would be one of those kind of churches so he begins to give them some dialogue and discussion he writes these seven letters to the seven churches and the Church of Ephesus is one of those churches he begins matter of fact there are three movements in this passage that's when I focus on these three movements he starts off by acknowledging or rec somebody say recognition he recognizes some things that they have done that he applauds he says in verse two I know your works your labor your patience and that you cannot bear those who are evil and you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not and I found and have found them liars and you have persevered and their patience and have labored for my name's sake and have not become weary he spends those two verses recognizing what they have done allow me to look at what he said they've done he says in verse two I know your work somebody works now the rest of y'all say works works the word works means tasks it means fulfilling a responsibility it means Jesus says I watched you Church of Ephesus and what I've discovered is if you say you're going to do something you do what you said you were going to do he said if you said you was going to sing in the choir you were at rehearsals and there when the choir sang you said you're going to be a sure you was at the Usher station but at the appropriate time whatever you whatever it is you said you were going to do you a faithful we're doing it he acknowledges and that's why we want to be a pastor of a church like this they did what they said they were going to do they worked he says he says I know your works and your labor somebody say labor that means to toil until weary that's what labor means it means I'm going to do what I have to do until I don't have the strength to do it anymore and that's an important thing too because people today don't have labor they don't they don't toil - they're weary they quit people don't work they don't keep jobs and on staying marriages they don't stand relationships so my talk about me quit they go to church so my hurt your feeling you don't go back to that church people hop from job to job the job you don't have 15 jobs in 10 years all the jobs ain't the problem come on look at your neighbor said all the jobs are not the problem you have no steady relationship slow steady friendships you don't have any friends and you can go back and say I we've been friends for 15 years people don't today people don't know how to get along why can't we just get along people don't know how to get along because they don't know how to labor they don't know have to don't know how to hang in there until this until you're tired not just because somebody upset made you mad that's what Jesus says you're labourers you're toiling you're enduring he says you work your laborers then he says your patience right here you're patient people that's what we're lacking in our culture today patience I'm going somewhere hanging for just few moments patience means to abide with God even while you're in the middle of a storm it means you stick with God you love God even though all hell has broken loose it's easy to walk away from God when nothing's going right it's easy it's easy to stick with God why things are going right but yet so many people walk away from God when things are not going right patience means I hang in there with God walk with God love God don't quit God don't quit church even though things that I go on the way in life I want them to go that's what patience means in order that patience got to go through some trials or some tribulations you got to go through some hell people don't want to go through any hell today because they don't they don't have any endurance they don't have it and so Jesus says about this church you are a good Church you you work you labor you patience and here's what he says and you cannot bear those who are evil I'm right here the text I'll see that in the Bible right here verse number 2 in other words they say when they see somebody doing something evil they they they don't tolerate evil we live in a culture where they want you to tolerate wickedness they want you to endorse it they want you to say it's okay they want you to say it's alright but Jesus says about this church you are a people who cannot and will not tolerate evil and he says you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not and have found them liars Wow now several things strike me about that session script the first thing is to word liars when I was growing up my mother wouldn't let us use the word lying we couldn't say lying I was a he's all Oh farts okay raise your hand he's old fart young people they you know they use that word but when I was growing up I couldn't we that was a cuss word my mother would smack us for using the word liar we had to say you a storyteller there's all Mahe telling a story oh that's a story you know you telling a story you know that he did true the story but when I found the word lie in the Bible I got freed I got freed up I got freed up you can call somebody a liar the Bible calls you a liar here's what he says they listen to what preachers taught and said and if what they taught and said didn't line up with this they called the preachers liars got a lot we've got a lot of line preachers out there today just because somebody got a rubber in front of their name bishop apostle pope whatever name isn't put in front of it Reverend doctor if you don't line up with this this church is you lying we woulda had a lot of we didn't had a lot of liars come by they had a lot of liars a lot of preaching false Liars come by and people cleaned it up people send me letters sometimes either I'm quitting your church I'm now a member of kingdom's Hall of Joel's witness now they've gone to that Church in that church of that so I did not even the church they went to that organization and that organization has taught them on truths that they have embraced his truth would you talk about past so why are you picking on them I picking on them because they're leading a lot of people to hell you know what they're like because they say here's what that judge here's what the JW saying there is no hell I sure as hell don't want to die find out that there is a hell come on look at your name and say I sure as hell don't want to die and find out that there is a hell they said in know hell here's some milk they say only 144,000 people go into heaven why would I join a church not only 144,000 people won't ever and they told me I wasn't one of the 144,000 people I read in the Bible where the man looked out and say I see so many people going to heaven a great a number greater than knocking up I read in my Bible whosoever will come on top of you for just a second whosoever will I read whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life that's what my Bible says so JW say Jesus is not God I don't know I read in my Bible John 1:1 in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God John 1:14 says and the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory has other only Gloria the only begotten Son of God I'm telling you Jesus is God wrapped up in human form Liars would tell you that he's not he says we tested what the preachers taught some people teach that you got to work your way to heaven that's a lie you can't work your way you can't pay your way you can't sing your way shout your way we get that we get to heaven by our faith and trust in Jesus Christ and his death burial and resurrection alone that's what gets us to heaven not how many times you come to church now how many services you attend you come to every church service we have all for every week that ain't gonna get you any closer to heaven you get to heaven by believing that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins and look at your neighbor saying you as a sinner go ahead tell no no say you is a sinner which you'll nasty self go ahead and tell them you nasty tell them tell them look out and tell them you're a sinner and you're nasty tell your sinner you are jacked up said we all sinners we've all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God we all deserve hell we all should die and go to hell but taste me to God Jesus took our place on the cross and died and rose from the dead and when you believe that Jesus says I'll save you and wash your sins away that's the gospel but then some churches think you got to work your way you got to pay your way you got to sing you away you got to join a particular church to go to heaven no that's not what the Bible teaches and this church listen to what people taught and if they didn't teach right they call them liars somebody said they call them liars verse three says and you have persevered you see you took a licking and kept on ticking and they have patience and have labored for my name's sake and have not become weary they kept pushing even when they didn't get even when they got tired they made up in their my I gotta keep going that's a powerful church this kind of church I want to pass it he he he recognizes them but but what he does with all of these other churches he does it with this church - he does what every Church would one but in this church the next thing he does he rebukes them somebody say there's a rebuke this is the gist of my message today is just rebuke he rebuked him in verse 4 and here's what here's what he says nevertheless in spite of all that I've just said good about you in spite of the fact that your workers and your laborers and your patient and you evaluate preachers you don't like evil in spite of all of that nevertheless I have this thing against you you have left your first love you have forsaken loving me jesus' and then did talk to you all about that for a few moments because what he says is what Jesus says is applicable to a lot of people today he says you've left your first love that were in love is a the Greek word therefore the first love that we're loved is a Greek word agape and it's the highest level of love it is it is a love that gives with nothing in expectation for return a cop a cop a has now the you know the Greeks are three there are four different words that define different levels of love let me talk about three of them today the Taiwan is agape the lowest one is eros eros is a sexual sensual love what can I get out of it somebody over here when I asked what love is he said they stopped cooking for me that's eros right there that's the arrows flow what can I get out of the deal agape says I'm not looking for anything out of the deal I want you to be happy I want you to win I want you to succeed that's agape arrow says what can I get out of the deal at Christmas time let me take out the middle one there's a middle one called phileo which is friendship brotherly love it is a exchange kind of love I'm gonna do for you if you do for me I'll do XY and Z as long as you do a B and C yeah okay all right go ahead look straight ahead and act like I don't know what I'm talking about at Christmastime agape says I bought you this because I know you needed and I wanted you to have it at Christmastime eros says what did you get me for Christmas at Christmastime phileo says I got you this what did you get me I paid seventy nine ninety nine by the way for the thing I bought you those are the three different levels Jesus says you've left the agape love there was a time that you served me because of what you could do to advance his kingdom but he says I'm having a problem because you've fallen from a love and this is where the church is today I tell you this is where the church is today is tragic there used to be a time that we serve God just because we were so grateful for what he had already done for there was a time when you loved him and and nobody had to beg you to serve Him you worshiped him and nobody had to ask you to put your hands together there you couldn't wait to get in the church devil the time you rush to get the praise and worship but now you came remember the last time you've been in the praise and worship here there was a time you gave not you gave because you wanted to advance his kingdom you wanted to obey Him you gave your tithes and your offers now you rested with tithes and offers Arling hear what I'm saying you today there was a time that you gave no not UK because you wanted to advance his kingdom not because you needed a tax rate on car Holland talkback at a brother if you don't my look at me and say free pass there was a time there was a time that you served his kingdom whether you got your name called out whether you got to be a deacon or digging us or a preacher or a minister whether anybody patted you on the back whether you got mentioned in the church magazine it didn't matter you serve because you wounded - you found joy in it you found the light you wanted to do it but you left that he says the passion is no longer there the energy is not there the desire you're just doing the you're just going out of the room you're a robot now you're just doing it because that's what you're supposed to do you're just going through the roof cheese I wish I could dance if I could dance I would try to do it you're just going through the routine your heart's not in it he says I'm grateful for what you're doing but you're doing it and your heart is not there I wonder how many descendants of the Church of Ephesus do we have in our midst today you here because your mom and daddy made you come you came because you you want to make your wife happy and your husband happy not because you want to please God not because you have deep gratitude for what our Savior has done for you the doors he's open the blessings not because you want to give him praise you used to worship because you enjoyed just giving because you know that's what he wanted and you wanted to please him so you came and you freely waved your hands and sang the songs now you can't wait for church to be over you know what I discovered about y'all can I tell you I ask y'all question do you all know what I discovered about y'all if I say something about somebody that you know y'all say breathe faster but when I say some about you I'm talking about you something around your heart has become corrupted and corroded you still going through the motions you still come to church you're still singing in the choir your bit you're still inertia you're still dropping the money in the plate but your heart's not there what God wants more than anything else yes he wants your heart if he could have your heart if you could give him your heart but he has to compete with so many other things so many other things that have called your attention and grabbed you and and pulled you away so many other things has distracted you and he's rebuking you who says you don't love me like you used I don't know we all are but I'm guilty I have to be honest in some days I'm only here because I am to pass to the First Baptist Church about I wish I could tell you I know y'all don't like for the pastor to be honest but I've always tried to be transparent with y'all be honest with char cuz ya'll know church folk can get on your nerves see how see y'all said Amy right dear you can go off see how y'all did that yeah I get that I'm talking about you yeah y'all you say Amen I'm talk about you I wish I could tell you that I've always been madly in love with the Lord but they've been seasons and times of my life and I've fallen off the back of the boat and my heart is straight and Jesus came back and smacked me across my face with this passage cuz my heart wasn't there but the thing that I loved about him is not only did he recognize and not only did he rebuke but he gives a remedy did y'all notice the are say go ahead pastor with our he gives a remedy or a recovery or a way to be restored and maybe I should say that restored and here's what he tells us to do is all right here one verse verse five he tells us what to do he's talk remember therefore from where you have fallen yes the first thing he tells us to do is remember somebody say remember here's how you get back to your first love is you got to remember you have to remember you have to remember where he bought you from look at your neighbor say remember way but your friend remember when he opened the door remember when he answered your prayer remember when He healed you when you were sick remember how he how he gave you a job when you didn't have a job remember how he fix stuff that you could not fix remember remember from whence you have fallen remember where you were remember when you loved him go back to the day when you loved him with all your heart and all your passion was all of your energy you went to church whether anybody than a family would to church a lot you made it your way there remember when you got up every day and open up that word and read that word remember when you prayed and talked to God all day long and cast all your cares upon him remember when you memorize the scripture remember when you told all your friends about Jesus and what he meant to you remember from whence you have fallen remember and then he says repent that's in the text that's what keeps you and I from being everything God wants us to become our unwillingness to repent our unwillingness to take our hands off of the things we don't have a have any business having our hands on our unwillingness to let go of the things that are that are corroding our hearts unwillingness to subscribe to the subscriptions that we are subscribing to our unwillingness to let the relationships go our unwillingness to stop reading the stuff that we shouldn't be reading darling professor ginger Xango say nothing bridge Oh unwillingness to repent is what keeps you from having your love restored he says repent and the word repent does not mean a 360 this is a 360 you back where you started repentance of 120 or 180 means you go back in the opposite direction the way you were traveling you get off the road you on and get on a different Road and I got a word for somebody today you need to repent your life will never change it you keep going down the road you're going keep doing the things you're doing keep hanging with the people you're hanging with keep reading what you're reading keep walking the way you're walking your life will never change his word is repent that's a curse word and I'll coach I'm almost finished I bring in my plane in for landing y'all don't like this kind of preacher reap it is a voice crying out of the Willing is telling you to let that stuff go just pull you down repent what do you need to repent from in your life that's corroding your heart from the love of God like you used to have remember repent and can I give you one last thing it says right here in verse 5 return repent and do the first works go back to what you used to do you hear me for a second I'm closing it's 10:59 I promise I'll be done when I'm finished here's what amazes me about this passage he says repent and do the first works here's what blessed me about that because I wanted I said to the Lord I want to give back I want my I want my love back I want my first love back how do I get it back you know we want to see some magical thing that we go somebody lay their hands on us or some special magical happens no no he says just go back to do what you used to do and somehow if you go back doing what you used to do God says I'll take care of fixing your wounded and broken heart like all 17 of y'all I appreciate that rousing affirmation he says go back and I want to challenge each of you to go back to where to what it used to what you used to do go back to the early days of your salvation when you were passionate on fire for the things of God and you there were some things you did then that you ain't done since Booth shot Lincoln decades decades back then when you didn't you didn't want to get recognized it didn't matter to you you just and you got joy out of it you loved it go back to how you used to worship I but you are cute now can't mess up your hair you're too sophisticated go back to how you used to worship him and then he says this here's the motivation he says and I'm finish here or else I will come to you quickly and remove your candlestick your lampstand from its place unless you repent what does that mean the lamp stand represents illumination the lamp stand represents God opening your eyes to see and here's what he's saying you say if you don't repent if you don't return I'll come and remove the opportunity for you to be able to to see see the greatest thing in life is when you can see y'all excuse me you know my grandmother was blind but she could see I'm saying some of y'all got sight but you can't see it he said I'll take the lamp stand when you got the lamp stand bright you can pick up this Bible and open it up and turn the places that you've read a thousand times and all of a sudden something will leap off the pages that you've never seen anybody know what I'm talking about when when passages you've read a hundred times but yet all of a sudden you see something that you ain't never seen before that's the lamb staying work and he says I'll take that away I'll take the insight for your life I'll take the answers for your solutions that you need in life when you got the lampstand blue bright lit God will order your steps and show you what path to take to get to where you're trying to go he says I'll take that out of your life so my question is today a my challenge to you today with everything that's in me here's what I'm excited about here's what I want to say to you we serve a God who's a god of another chance anybody glad we serve a God that gives you another chance he's a God that will give you another opportunity yes you've fallen yes you mr. mark yes you have fallen yes you you lost your first love but he's a God he'll give you an opportunity to get your first love back now I don't know who I'm talking to today but I know you're here I know your life is lost I know you've never made a commitment or maybe you have but you drifted away from the Lord maybe you need a church home today God wants to restore your love he can help you get your love recovered and if that's you today the best thing you do is get about your seat right now and say you know what that's me I need to get right with Jesus I need to give him my heart I need to rededicate make your way down here right now he died he will wash away and forgive you of your sins no matter what you've done he will wipe your slate clean he'll make you whole don't be embarrassed don't be ashamed but get on up and make your way down here and get it right with the Lord Jesus he loves you amen he wants you to have life in heaven more abundant that's right come come that's right come you

Channel: Inside FBCG

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Keywords: FBCG, Pastor, John K. Jenkins Sr., First Baptist Church of Glenarden, Lord, God, Jesus, Christ, Sermon, Word, Bible, Study, Baptist, Church, Gospel, Preaching, Praise, Salvation, Revival, Black, Preacher, Preachers, Lost Love, Love, Recover Love, How to, Ministry, Holy, Spirit, Ministries, Christianity, Baptists

Id: ud5JrzWPHJc

Length: 31min 48sec (1908 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 05 2015