Notes - Thou hast left thy first love

Revelation 2:4 - Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

One first step toward leaving your first love: Hebrews 12:3b, being wearied and fainting in your mind.  Not fainting in your performance, but in your mind.  The Ephesians who left their first love still maintained their good works but not the right heart.

Cross reference Revelation 2:4 with Matthew 15:8, the ultimate result in the progression of good works without the proper heart: "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me."

NOTE: They didn't slip away from their first love, or fall away from their first love, they actively left their first love.  Same Greek verb for "divorce."

These notes taken during a Bible study led by  Pastor Edward R. Mast

Ruth chapter 1 notes

Ruth 1:1a - Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land.

In the days when "every man did that which was right in his own eyes," Judges 17:6 and Judges 21:25. Why wouldn't there be a famine, according to the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 28?

A FAMINE IN THE LAND (Sermon Outline)
Ruth 1:1-5
I. A NATIONAL SIN (v. 1a)
A. The Time of the Book of Ruth
B. The Character of the Time
C. God’s Judgment on the Nation
D. A Warning for America
E. What can you do?
II. A PERSONAL SIN (vv. 1b-5)
A. The Nature of the Sin
1. A look at Elimelech
2. What was Elimelech supposed to do? (Deuteronomy 1:8, II Chronicles 7:14, etc)
3. Why did Elimelech disobey?
a) "The grass is always greener..."
b) Living for the moment.
c) Walking by sight and not by faith.
4. A Warning for Christians
B. The Results of the Sin
1. God’s Personal Judgment
2. Negative Influence on Others
3. Negative Effect on Others
4. Loss of Legacy & Heritage

THREE ON THE ROAD (Sermon Outline)
Ruth 1:6-22
NAOMI: A GRAND RETURN
A Reception (v. 6)
A Recognition (vv. 13, 20, 21)
A Reunion (vv. 19-20)
ORPAH: A GOOD RUN
A Good Start (v. 7)
A Brief Endurance (vv. 8-10)
A Failure of Faith (vv. 11-14)
A Return to the Former Life (v. 15)
RUTH: A GENUINE REGENERATION
A Cleaving (v. 14)
A Leaving (vv. 15-16)
A New Life (vv. 16-17)
-Accepting a New God
-Joining a New People
-Making a Lifelong Commitment
A Testimony (v. 18)

Judges chapter 20 note

Note at Judges chapter 20: Compare Hosea 10:9-10.

Cross Refs in 81st Psalm

Psalm 81:2 - Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

Psalm = a psalm to be sung.

Psaltery = a stringed instrument for melody.

Harp = a stringed instrument for spiritual songs, such as the songs to drive away the evil spirit from Saul, I Samuel 16:23.

All the elements here of Colossians 3:16, Ephesians 5:19: psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, singing, with emphasis on melody.

Psalm 81:12 - So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

Compare Romans 1:24, 26; II Thessalonians 2:11-12.

VM

Unbelieving Disciples in John chapter 6

John 6:26 - Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

"They 'believed' on Him not as their Lord and Saviour, but as a wordly messiah to supply their needs and defeat their enemies." - D. Cloud.

These depart, John 6:66.

John 6:66 - From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

This type of disciple is explained in John 2:23-25; John 6:15; John 6:26; I Corinthians 15:2b; I John 2:19.

VM