To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Lord Jesus, these are words You spoke almost 2000 years ago, but these are words You speak to us today because they are preserved for us as part of the Scripture. Give us ears to ear how Your Spirit is calling us back to You, so you might be our first Love.

Lord Jesus, many of us have worked . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have toiled . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have patiently endured . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have not borne with those who are evil . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have tested those who call themselves apostles . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us are bearing up for Your name's sake . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have not grown weary . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have hated the works of the Nicolatians . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have been so busy doing all these works . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have been so busy doing all these works . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have been so busy doing all these works . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have been so busy doing all these works . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have been so busy doing all these works . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

Lord Jesus, many of us have been so busy doing all these works . . .

Forgive us, Lord Jesus, for not loving You.

But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

Lord Jesus, You consider loving You a serious business. Often times we do not see loving You as a serious business, instead we see our work for You as a serious business. Yes, we should work for You, but first and foremost You call us to love You.

We are often deceived. What we think to be love is only a false and cheap substitute for love. Instead of having a pure passionate living love for You, we end up engaging in false religion, a religion of externals, a dead religion of obligation and duty. Forgive us for abandoning You, our first Love, and loving false, external religion more than You. Forgive us for abandoning You, our first Love, and loving our work more than You.

When we do not love You as we ought, You call us to repentance. You tell us to do the works we did at first. Your words are clear to us: we have fallen if we are not loving You as we ought. Your words are clear to us: when we do not love You as we ought we are sinning. Your words are clear to us: You tell us You will remove our lampstand unless we repent. Show us our hearts. Show us how we failed to loved You as we ought. May Your kindness lead us to repentance and godly sorrow, so we might return to our first Love.

There are also some who have been in the visible church for years and they think they have loved You. They think they know You. They have worked diligently for You for years. Yet they have not truly loved You because they have not truly known You. They do not understand what it really means to sit at Your feet and wipe them with their tears. They have known all about You but have never entered into an intimate love relationship with You through the work of Your Holy Spirit. They have never known Your indwelling Spirit of love. Open their eyes, open their hearts, open their mouths, let them taste and see You are good. Lavish them with Your love, so they might truly love You in a way they never imagined.

Shine Your light on our hearts. Show us what kind of love we have for You for it is only then we can repent and turn to You, our first Love.

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me. 41 But the Lord answered her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.

Take some time today from cease from all your work for Him. Sit down before Him, lie down before Him and do the one thing that is necessary. Ask Him to show you your heart for Him. Ask Him to show you where your love is not pure for Him. Ask Him to lead you to confession and repentance and restore you to your first Love.

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house and took his place at the table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner. 40 And Jesus answering said to him, Simon, I have something to say to you. And he answered, Say it, Teacher. 41 A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more? 43 Simon answered, The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt. And he said to him, You have judged rightly. 44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little. 48 And he said to her, Your sins are forgiven. 49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, Who is this, who even forgives sins? 50 And he said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go in peace.

O Lord God,

We are to love you with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength and all our mind.

Are breaking our alabaster flasks for You, or are we protecting them for our own use?

Are we pouring out the precious ointment for You, or are we keeping it for our own use?

Are we worshiping You unreservedly, or do we hold back?

Do we truly understand how You offered Your body to broken? You did not protect Yourself.

Do we truly understand how You poured out Your precious blood? You did not keep it for Yourself.

Do we truly understand how You worshiped unreservedly? You held nothing back.

You loved us with all Your heart, all Your soul, all Your strength and all Your mind.

We confess we often become consumed with working for you and we forget the first thing: To love You. You are looking for us to love You with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength and all our mind.

We confess we do not love You as we ought. We protect ourselves. We guard ourselves. We hold back. But You deserve all our love. You showed us Your love for us by offering Yourself a living sacrifice. You humbled Yourself and came to be a servant. You came not to do Your will but Your Father's will. You poured Yourself unto death. You willingly offered Yourself up as a burnt offering to take the place we deserved. You bore our sin and shame and guilt. You become obedient unto death, even death on the cross. You took the punishment we deserved. You loved us while we were yet sinners. You died for the ungodly. You gave us all Your love. Help us to love You as You loved us. Help us to know Your love for us so we might love You as we ought.

...according to the riches of Your glory, may You grant us to be strengthened with power through Your Spirit in our inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith—that each one of us, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know Your love that surpasses knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19, adapted.

Amen.

Reread and reflect on the story of the sinful woman's love for the Lord Jesus. Ask Him to show you have you have left your first Love, and then confess that to Him and ask Him to help you repent and return to Him, your first Love.