The Church that Lost Its Love
Rex Yancey
Revelation 2:1-5
There was a preacher that put everything on his resume. He went to an
associational meeting and it fell upon a country preacher to introduce him.
The country preacher got up and began to thumb through his resume. He went
to an associational meeting and it fell upon the country preacher to
introduce him. The country preacher got up and began to thumb through his
resume. Finally, he said, "Folks, if he is as good as this says he is,
let's get it one. If he is not, let's get it over with!"
Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples in that
you have love toward one another. This love is 'agape' love. It is God's
kind of love. It is a sacrificial, unconditional love. It is a love that
is not self serving. It is a love that seeks the welfare of others.
Without this kind of love, we are tinkling cymbals and sounding brass.
Without this kind of love, people will never take us seriously.
John received a vision and heard a voice that he was to relay to these
seven churches. In each one there is a commendation, a complaint, and a
cure for their dilemmas. This church worked hard, hated evil deeds, had
discernment, and had patience. These are needed characteristics in our
churches today. But the condemnation was that they had waxed cold in their
love.
I want to raise a few questions concerning this love that this church had
lost.
1. WHAT IS THIS LOVE?
I believe this love could have referred to one of three things.
1. Love for the lost. Had this church grown cold in its love for the
lost? In our day one can put on sandwich boards and march the streets for a
cause and still not love the lost. We have become more cause oriented than
evangelistic.
How much is a sinner worth? Athletes are making astronomical amounts of
money for very short careers. We put values on people. How much is a
factory worker worth, a secretary, a school t ...
Rex Yancey
Revelation 2:1-5
There was a preacher that put everything on his resume. He went to an
associational meeting and it fell upon a country preacher to introduce him.
The country preacher got up and began to thumb through his resume. He went
to an associational meeting and it fell upon the country preacher to
introduce him. The country preacher got up and began to thumb through his
resume. Finally, he said, "Folks, if he is as good as this says he is,
let's get it one. If he is not, let's get it over with!"
Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that you are my disciples in that
you have love toward one another. This love is 'agape' love. It is God's
kind of love. It is a sacrificial, unconditional love. It is a love that
is not self serving. It is a love that seeks the welfare of others.
Without this kind of love, we are tinkling cymbals and sounding brass.
Without this kind of love, people will never take us seriously.
John received a vision and heard a voice that he was to relay to these
seven churches. In each one there is a commendation, a complaint, and a
cure for their dilemmas. This church worked hard, hated evil deeds, had
discernment, and had patience. These are needed characteristics in our
churches today. But the condemnation was that they had waxed cold in their
love.
I want to raise a few questions concerning this love that this church had
lost.
1. WHAT IS THIS LOVE?
I believe this love could have referred to one of three things.
1. Love for the lost. Had this church grown cold in its love for the
lost? In our day one can put on sandwich boards and march the streets for a
cause and still not love the lost. We have become more cause oriented than
evangelistic.
How much is a sinner worth? Athletes are making astronomical amounts of
money for very short careers. We put values on people. How much is a
factory worker worth, a secretary, a school t ...
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