Blessed Hope Bible-Presbyterian Church
500 Upper Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 678106
In the Holy Mount The Apostle Peter encouraged the persecuted believers scattered all over Asia Minor to persevere in the faith with these last words in 2 Peter 1:16-18, “16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made …
Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. …
Revelation 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. God’s fear continues to abide in this church for they hated that which …
Revelation 2:5 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 candlestick refers to the …
Hymns: RHC 355 Day by Day, 108 I’ve a Friend, 358 What a Friend We Have in Jesus Job 16:6-22 6Though I speak, my grief is not asswaged: and though I forbear, what am I eased? 7But now he hath made me weary: …
Revelation 2:4-5 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.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.
In the early church at Jerusalem, when Pentecost came, the Spirit of God came mightily to save many and a description of that first love is given to us in Acts 2:41-47.
Acts 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto themabout three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
This is the church that is living in her first love. Brotherly love was an authentic proof of faith in Christ. They shared their resources. Brotherly love cannot be separated or substituted from love for Christ, but it is a proof of that 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 treatment that Christ would prescribe to the church in Ephesus consists of three commands in given verse 5 – Remember, Repent, Do – Repent, Return to the first works. The first command “remember” has the sense of the continuous tense means “to keep remembering”. To think back in time at what point in their lives that the service of God became mechanical, to recall how God had saved them from spiritual darkness and how by God’s almighty power that bondage was broken and how jubilant we were.
Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Remember the story of the lost coin that our Lord gave in Luke 15. The coin in the house but lost in the house of God. There yet not there! Unlike the lose sheep where the shepherd has to go out of the way to the wilderness to bring the sheep back. This lost coin was there in the House of God, yet lost.
Luke 15:8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? 9And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and herneighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
Our Lord is saying the members of the church at Ephesus – you may have been Christians for a long time, you have experienced what is called revived. Where has that fire gone?
Christ Entered Into Heaven
Hebrews 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
God’s command for Israel to build the Tabernacle in the wilderness in Sinai and later the Temple in Jerusalem provided a picture of the presence of God with His people. It is a signification of the ultimate destination of the people of God in the presence of God in heaven.
The final revelation of God to His people was to send His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to enter human history. Jesus is the exact representation of God, He was the express image of the Person of God (Hebrews 1:2). The purpose of Jesus’ first coming was to bring salvation to all mankind who will turn to Him for the forgiveness of their sins.
The writer of Hebrews explained well in Hebrews 9:26-28 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Jesus warns us that the world, ruled by Satan is always on the prowl to win our affections – Mark 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
These are the (1) cares of the world (2) deceitfulness of riches and (3) lust of other things. The repeated use (4 times) of the conjunction “and” in Mark 4:19 emphasizes the constant bombardment of these ungodly pursuits that prevent the hearer from receiving the Word of God and bearing fruit.
These are literally the worries, anxieties and distractions of this present life that hold captive the hearts and minds of the hearers to the extent that there is no room for God in their lives; no room to consider, ponder, receive and give priority to things eternal. We see here the weariness from the energy-sapping effect of the cares of the world. They drain the heart of strength so much so that it cannot find true hope and life. To these, Jesus says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).