Rev. 2:4--The church at Ephesus had left its first love

We need to SEE Jesus as He is!!

Jesus told the church at Ephesus to repent and do the first works.

Come to Jesus, sit at His feet, and learn of Him.

The church at Ephesus was a hard working church.

They hated the deeds of the Nicolaitanes. These were followers of a deacon in the church named Nicholas, who had "gone bad". He taught pleasure in self-indulgence. The followers of this deacon "spoke" that they loved God, but their deeds showed that they loved themselves. They had "great, swelling words, but were full of sin. They were puffed up--thought more highly of themselves than they ought to think.

Pastor Doyle gave four things that can dampen our love for the Lord:

1) Self-seeking and Worldliness

2) Dissention and Division in the church

3) Persecution

4) Ignorance and Weak Faith--not understanding something that happens in our life, and blaming God.

Matthew 24:12--says that in the last days iniquity will abound and the love of many will wax cold.

The first love of the church was seeing Jesus. When he went to heaven they stood gazing into heaven. And the angel told them that Jesus would come in the same manner. So the early church was always looking for His return.

II Timothy 4:8 says there will be given a crown of righteousness to those who love His appearing.

Love ENDURES!! When we have our first love, we will endure all kinds of hard- ships to be with that person.

Rev.22:14--"Blessed are they who have washed their robes that they may have RIGHT to the Tree of Life."