When the New Wears Off - Pastor Stacey Shiflett
- Pastor Shiflett
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
When the New Wears Off
Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Intro: Remember when you got your first car or truck? How excited you were?
Remember when you first got married?
Remember that new baby?
Remember when you got your first house?
After a while, THE NEW WEARS OFF.
· That new car sat in the rain and salt and snow and rusted out.
· That new wife or new husband became annoying and became a thorn in your side.
· That new baby grew up and got on your nerves.
· That new house now needs a coat of paint and a new roof.
It breaks my heart to think that a child of God could leave their first love.
It seems almost inconceivable that a person saved from hell could get complacent to the idea.
When we got saved, we were betrothed to Jesus Christ and are awaiting that marriage supper in Heaven.
John acknowledged in 1 John 4:19, “We love him, because he first loved us.”
That phrase in verse 4 involves several things…
A. A Denouncing …against thee because thou has – it’s not God’s fault!
B. A Departing ..because thou has left…– it was there; God was extending it…
C. A Diminishing …thy first love. It is not what it was.
The new has worn off.
What do you do to return to your first love?
What do you do WHEN THE NEW WEARS OFF?
Or how do you keep from getting to the place WHERE THE NEW WEARS OFF?
I. RELIVE the day you got it
Psalm 40
· 1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
· 2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
· 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
II. REMEMBER your life without it
1 Corinthians 6
· 9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
· 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
· 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
III. REEVALUATE your life since you got it
Psalm 23 – THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT WANT!!
God has been your all and all.
He’s been there every step of the way.
He promised to never leave you nor forsake you.
You’ve got a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
IV. REVIEW how you’ve treated it
Have you been guilty of taking the love of God for granted?
How have you stewarded the love of Christ?
· Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Hebrews 2
· 1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
· 2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
· 3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
Nothing shall separate us from the love of God.
Have we gotten used to that security? That unconditional love?
Have you let it get cold?
Have you failed to MAINTAIN that fellowship and walk with God?
· Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
V. RELATE the benefits to those without it
Acts 26
· 28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
· 29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
There’s nothing that will kindle the fire and the passion like it once was like TALKING ABOUT IT!!
Share your testimony!
Share the love of Jesus with someone still in the miry clay and in that horrible pit!
Talk it up! Brag on Jesus!
Relate to others what God has done in your life.
If you’ll do that, I promise you – it THE NEW WILL NEVER WEAR OFF!