Consider what our Risen Lord had to say to the church in Ephesus. This is His first message of the seven churches:
“I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them [to be] false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My Name's sake, and have not grown weary. But I have [this] against you, that you have left your first love.” (Revelation 2:2-4)
Think it a coincidence that “left your first love” is the FIRST issue that Jesus addresses?
Consider what “first love” means: Who loved who first?
Did we first love Christ, or did He first love us?
Did we first love God, or did He first love us?
When Jesus was on the earth with His disciples, into whose love did Jesus direct his disciples to abide in as a branch that abides in the True Vine: in their love towards Him or in His love towards them?
What is Jesus’ opinion of what the top priority of the church in Ephesus (and OUR priority) should be? Is that just an “opinion”, or is it the truth?
What did He advise that church to do? Let’s read on: (verse 5) “Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place– unless you repent.”
From what height did that church fall?
Why would Jesus remove that church from their place in Ephesus if they did not repent of the direction they were heading?
Well, what do people do when they move to a new location? Start over?