Robert T. Young - "You Have Forsaken Your First Love" (May 4, 1980)

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-	Sunday worship service, May 4th, 1980 Duke Chapel.	0:03
	(lighthearted music)	0:15
	(solemn music)	2:39
	(regal music)	5:16
	(triumphant music)	8:02
	(uplifting music)	9:49
	(calm music)	10:53
	(soaring music)	11:42
	(uplifting music)	12:40
	(quiet music)	13:51
	(suspenseful music)	16:17
-	Good morning,	18:22
	greetings to each one of you,	18:24
	in the name of the Lord of love and life.	18:26
	Oh magnify the Lord with me,	18:30
	and let us exalt his name together.	18:32
	Sing praises to God,	18:36
	Sing praises unto the Lord.	18:38
	Our praises of God must extend to the ends of the Earth.	18:41
	For God is our god, forever and ever.	18:44
	God will be our guide forever.	18:48
	Amen.	18:52
	(uplifting music)	18:55
	(chorus singing)	19:28
	We would like to look at ourselves	23:17
	and be wholly pleased with what we see.	23:19
	But, the Christian gospel calls us to be honest.	23:23
	It forces us to be realistic.	23:26
	Let us then make a bold recognition that we are not pleased	23:29
	with what we see.	23:34
	Let us confess our sins.	23:36
	Mighty God, by your power is Christ raised from death	23:48
	to rule this world with love.	23:53
	We confess that we have not believed in Him,	23:56
	but fall into doubt and fear.	24:00
	Gladness has no home in our hearts,	24:03
	and gratitude is slight.	24:06
	Forgive our dread of dying, our hopelessness.	24:09
	And set us free for joy and the victory of Jesus Christ,	24:14
	who was dead, but lives.	24:18
	And who will put down every power to hurt or destroy,	24:21
	when your promised kingdom comes.	24:26
	Amen.	24:29
	Let us confess in silence, our personal sins.	24:31
	Jesus said, neither do I condemn you	24:58
	go and do not sin again.	25:03
	Our life is given back to us with hope,	25:06
	every day is an opportunity to decide again	25:10
	that this day shall not be like the others.	25:13
	That a new person is being created at this moment,	25:15
	free from the past, with the future open.	25:19
	For we have been freed to live fully in the present,	25:23
	because our sins are forgiven.	25:26
	That is the good news of the gospel.	25:29
	Let us give thanks for God is good,	25:33
	and God's love is everlasting.	25:37
	Thanks be to God, by whose love we have been made.	25:40
	Thanks be to God, by whose grace we have been made whole.	25:45
	Thanks be to God, by whose resurrection we are promised	25:50
	life ever lasting, Amen.	25:55
	Inserted in your bulletin today,	26:01
	you will find an order for the Sacrament of Baptism,	26:03
	which will be administered this morning	26:06
	to Matthew Edwards Mossier,	26:08
	son of Anne and Earl Mossier	26:10
	and to Lynn Brooks Lassinger,	26:12
	son of Linda and Lynn Lassinger.	26:16
	Following the service, we request	26:20
	that you leave this insert in the back	26:22
	of your hymnal.	26:24
	Communion will be served today	26:27
	in the memorial chapel to my right,	26:29
	following this service.	26:31
	All of you are welcome and invited to participate.	26:33
	Our preacher for today is the Reverend Robert T. Young	26:39
	minister to the university.	26:42
	We look forward to his message.	26:44
	(pages turning)	26:47
-	Let us pray.	26:54
	Prepare our hearts, oh Lord, to accept your word.	26:58
	Silence in us any voice but your own	27:03
	that hearing we may also obey your will,	27:06
	through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.	27:10
	The new testament lesson,	27:15
	is from Acts, chapter 13 verses 44 through 52.	27:16
	The next Sabbath, almost the whole city gathered together	27:24
	to hear the word of God.	27:27
	But, when the Jews saw the multitudes they were filled	27:29
	with jealousy and contradicted what was spoken by Paul	27:32
	and reviled him, and Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly	27:36
	saying, it was necessary that the word of God	27:42
	should be spoken first to you, since you thrust it	27:46
	from you and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life.	27:50
	Behold, we turn to the Gentiles.	27:54
	For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,	27:58
	I have sent you to be a light for the Gentiles.	28:02
	That you may bring salvation to the uttermost parts	28:05
	of the earth.	28:08
	And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad	28:10
	and glorified the word of God.	28:13
	And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed	28:15
	and the word of the Lord spread throughout all the region.	28:19
	But, the Jews incited the devout women of high standing	28:23
	and the leading men of the city	28:27
	and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas	28:29
	and drove them out of their district.	28:33
	But, they shook off the dust from their feet against them	28:36
	and went to Iconium and the disciples	28:40
	were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.	28:43
	The epistle lesson is from Revelation chapter two,	28:48
	verses one through seven.	28:52
	To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:	28:55
	the words of him who holds the seven stars	28:59
	in his right hand, who walks	29:02
	among the seven golden lamp stands.	29:05
	I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance.	29:08
	And how you cannot bear evil men,	29:13
	but have tested those who call themselves apostles,	29:16
	but are not, and found them to be false.	29:19
	I know you are enduring patiently	29:23
	and bearing up for my name's sake,	29:25
	and you have not grown weary.	29:28
	But, I have this against you:	29:31
	that you have abandoned the love you had at first.	29:33
	Remember then, from what you have fallen!	29:36
	Repent and do the works you did at first.	29:40
	If not, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand	29:43
	from its place, unless you repent.	29:48
	Yet this you have, you hate the works of the Nicolaitans	29:51
	which I also hate.	29:56
	He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says	29:58
	to the churches.	30:02
	To him who conquers, I will grant to eat of the tree of life	30:04
	which is in the paradise of God.	30:10
	Will the congregation please stand	30:14
	for the reading of the gospel lesson?	30:17
	The gospel lesson is from John,	30:25
	chapter 13, verses 31 through 35.	30:28
	When he had gone out, Jesus said,	30:33
	now is the son of man glorified.	30:36
	And in him, God is glorified.	30:40
	If God is glorified in him,	30:43
	God will also glorify him in himself	30:45
	and glorify him at once.	30:51
	Little children, yet a little while I am with you.	30:54
	You will seek me, and as I said to the Jews,	30:58
	so now I say to you.	31:02
	Where I am going, you cannot come.	31:04
	A new commandment I give to you,	31:07
	that you love one another, even as I have loved you	31:10
	that you also love one another.	31:14
	By this, all men will know that you are my disciples.	31:17
	If you have love for one another.	31:21
	(solemn music)	31:27
	(chorus singing)	31:35
-	The book of Revelation	32:39
	is an absolutely fascinating book.	32:41
	One about which much has been made of late.	32:46
	For the past year and a half,	32:51
	I have studied the book a good bit,	32:53
	and have shared some of what it has come to mean	32:56
	to me with persons in different settings.	32:58
	I have found it not only a fascinating book,	33:02
	but an intriguing book and also a book	33:04
	filled with much, much meaning.	33:07
	Many people talk about how unclear it is	33:09
	and how mysterious it is, and how hard it is to understand.	33:12
	That may be true in some places;	33:16
	it is certainly not true in all places.	33:18
	For example, it is not true	33:22
	in the seven letters written specifically	33:24
	to the seven churches,	33:26
	the first of which we heard read	33:27
	as the epistle lesson this morning.	33:29
	In these seven letters, to the seven churches,	33:32
	John, as he gives a word which comes from our Lord,	33:36
	is absolutely clear.	33:40
	He is understandable, he is comprehensible,	33:42
	there is nothing mysterious about what he says.	33:45
	The words which he shares are as contemporary	33:49
	as this morning's newspaper.	33:52
	They're as personal as any words can be	33:55
	from one human being to another.	33:58
	They are quite real.	34:00
	The words come also from someone who obviously knows	34:02
	the persons to whom the words are being addressed.	34:06
	But more importantly, they come	34:09
	from someone who cares and cares very much	34:11
	about the persons to whom they are addressed.	34:14
	The church at Laodicea, described	34:17
	as being neither hot nor cold,	34:20
	but simply lukewarm, a contemporary word.	34:22
	The church at Smyrna, about which it is said	34:27
	"I know that you are poor, but really you are rich."	34:30
	The church at Sardis, about which it is said,	34:37
	"you have the reputation of being alive,	34:40
	"even though you are dead."	34:43
	And I think of many of our churches,	34:45
	and many of our church institutions	34:47
	that still have the reputation	34:48
	of being Christian, or church-related--	34:50
	they have the reputation of being alive,	34:53
	but are quite dead.	34:55
	And then the letter to Ephesus, the first	34:58
	of these seven letters,	35:01
	which includes in it, some words that go like this,	35:03
	according to different translations:	35:06
	"'you do not love me now, as you did at first,'	35:08
	says our Lord.	35:11
	"You have abandoned the love you had at first,	35:13
	"you have lost your early love,	35:15
	"you have given up loving one another as you did at first,	35:18
	"or you have forsaken your first love."	35:21
	The word for us today:	35:25
	you have forsaken your first love.	35:28
	There's a pattern to these seven letters.	35:33
	Simple, clear, logical.	35:36
	An understandable pattern to each one.	35:39
	All of them are addressed to the angel at the church	35:42
	in whatever the town is.	35:45
	The angel being simply their address to the angelus,	35:48
	the angel, the messenger in that particular church.	35:51
	All also began with a statement about the one	35:55
	whose message is being communicated,	35:57
	that is, some statement about the Christ.	35:59
	And if you read the seven letters,	36:02
	and combine these opening words in each letter,	36:04
	you get a magnificent composite picture	36:06
	of who Christ is.	36:09
	One who holds the seven starts in his hands,	36:10
	one who walks among the seven lampstands,	36:13
	one who is the first and the last,	36:16
	one who is holy and true,	36:18
	one who is the son of God.	36:20
	A third part in this pattern	36:23
	is that there then follows a word of commendation.	36:25
	A word of praise, a word of affirmation,	36:29
	a word of congratulations, perhaps John learned something	36:31
	from Paul, because you know in Paul's letters,	36:36
	he had a way of saying, I know how faithful you have been,	36:38
	I know how loving you have been,	36:41
	and then after he had said some words of commendation,	36:43
	then he lowered the boom on them.	36:46
	And so does John here.	36:49
	There is a word of commendation,	36:51
	and then after that comes the word of chastisement.	36:53
	And the word differs, according to what the situation is	36:56
	in each different location.	36:59
	And then there is the word of reproach,	37:01
	the word of instruction, the word of warning.	37:03
	After commendation and after chastisement,	37:05
	John then says, in so many words,	37:08
	"Get with it! Be faithful!	37:10
	"Recover what you have lost!	37:11
	"Stay with the word of God."	37:13
	Then, the sixth part of this pattern is	37:17
	that the messages are to be accepted.	37:20
	They have authority.	37:22
	They were or they are to be followed,	37:24
	because they come not from John, but from the Lord himself.	37:27
	And then they all end with the same words:	37:31
	"If you have ears, then listen to what	37:33
	the Spirit says to the churches."	37:38
	If you have ears, then listen to what	37:41
	the Spirit says this morning, my friends, to the churches.	37:45
	Seven letters, to seven churches,	37:48
	one letter written to all.	37:50
	This was to be an open letter	37:52
	to all of the churches in Asia,	37:54
	not private, but it was to be read in public.	37:56
	It was to be read aloud to all,	37:59
	so that all could hear, and hopefully all could understand.	38:01
	It's interesting also that each church	38:04
	would read all seven letters;	38:06
	all churches would read each of the letters.	38:08
	It was important, I think.	38:11
	Because those who were being chastised could see	38:13
	what it was in those churches that were being commended.	38:15
	And those that were being commended could see	38:19
	what the word was to those that were being chastised.	38:21
	So, if you were in that church	38:25
	where you were being commended,	38:27
	you also had a word of warning	38:29
	that if you did not remain faithful,	38:30
	the word of chastisement could follow.	38:33
	On the other hand,	38:35
	if you were in that church	38:36
	that was being chastised,	38:37
	you heard also the word of commendation.	38:38
	So that if you then became faithful,	38:41
	you know that the word of approbation would be forthcoming.	38:42
	Thus, each letter, all letters would be	38:47
	and are both a word of warning and a word of hope.	38:49
	A word of warning to the unfaithful,	38:54
	a word of hope to the faithful.	38:55
	This is the letter John writes,	38:58
	this is the letter from one who holds all the seven stars	39:00
	in his right hand.	39:04
	This is the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands.	39:06
	The one who holds and the one who walks among.	39:11
	The late doctor D. T. Niles,	39:15
	great and beloved New Testament scholar	39:18
	and preacher of India,	39:21
	paraphrases some of these opening words	39:23
	in a beautiful way, I think, as he writes:	39:25
	"I saw seven golden lamp stands,	39:31
	"representing your seven churches,	39:33
	"and through you, representing the whole church of God.	39:38
	"And in the midst of these lampstands stood	39:43
	"the Lord of the church, tending the lamps.	39:45
	"The reality of the church	39:50
	"is the reality of Christ's presence within it.	39:51
	"But not only did it seem to me	39:55
	"that Christ was in the midst of his church,	39:57
	"it also seemed that the church was in his hand.	39:59
	"He held seven stars in his right hand.	40:02
	"Each star the symbol of one of you, as you actually were.	40:06
	"And the Lord who tended the lamps,	40:11
	"was also the one who judged the stars.	40:14
	"He was the eternal one.	40:17
	"Ephesus! It was you," he writes,	40:19
	"that I remembered when I saw the bridegroom thus.	40:22
	"For you too are in a situation in which you have	40:25
	"to discern between the actual and the eternal."	40:28
	And so do we find ourselves today	40:34
	in that situation, where you and I	40:36
	have to discern between the actual and the eternal.	40:38
	Seven, a symbolic number in the book of Revelation.	40:42
	Seven, not meaning necessarily seven,	40:46
	but seven meaning all, or total, or complete.	40:49
	So, seven stars and seven lampstands:	40:52
	the stars refer to the churches,	40:54
	the lampstands refer to the churches,	40:56
	therefore these letters, this letter, these letters	40:58
	are to all of the churches.	41:01
	The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand.	41:04
	William Barclay tells us that the Greek word, kratein,	41:08
	which means "to hold," can be used	41:12
	in at least two different ways.	41:14
	One of those ways is that if one holds something	41:17
	that one just simply holds by a thumb	41:20
	and some fingers, simply holding a portion	41:23
	of that object.	41:26
	You hold it by the corner, you do not have a good grasp	41:27
	on it, except partially.	41:30
	That's one use of the word kratein.	41:32
	The other, he says, is when one takes	41:35
	an object, and holds an object not simply by the corner,	41:37
	but when one holds it completely and totally	41:42
	in the palm of one's hand.	41:45
	And that's the word that is used	41:46
	in this particular instance.	41:48
	Jesus then holds, not the church by a corner,	41:52
	but Jesus literally holds all of the churches	41:57
	in the palm of his hand.	42:00
	Jesus is also the one who walks among	42:05
	the seven lampstands,	42:07
	the seven lampstands meaning all of the churches.	42:09
	It is that risen presence of Christ,	42:12
	which not only hold all of us,	42:14
	who are in all of the churches,	42:16
	in the palm of his hand,	42:18
	but Jesus is that risen presence of Christ	42:19
	which also walks among all of the churches.	42:22
	Beautiful, tender, caring, loving, nurturing imagery,	42:26
	I think, we're held within the love and the presence	42:31
	and the care of Christ, as Christ moves among the light	42:35
	and work of us as a part of the church.	42:39
	And so when some folks talk with me or with others,	42:42
	and seem to be preoccupied with the fearful	42:45
	and the wrathful, I recall these tender, caring	42:48
	and beautiful images of our Lord.	42:53
	Commendation, I know what you have done,	42:58
	I know how hard you have worked	43:02
	and how patient you have been.	43:04
	I know that you cannot tolerate evil men,	43:05
	you are patient, you have suffered trouble for my sake,	43:08
	and you have not given up.	43:11
	Strong, positive, affirming words.	43:13
	Enough to where they really should feel quite good.	43:17
	If Christ says that much about us,	43:20
	what more can he expect?	43:23
	That's pretty good.	43:24
	As a matter of fact, that's real good.	43:26
	That's very good!	43:28
	But, there is more.	43:31
	Much more.	43:34
	Not many words, mind you,	43:35
	but an essential and an important message.	43:38
	Sometimes it doesn't take but a few words	43:42
	to tell a significant story	43:44
	or to get across an unforgettable message.	43:46
	The words are, you have forsaken your first love,	43:49
	here is what I have against you.	43:53
	I guess, in some moments, and in some experiences of life	43:57
	there are no sadder, or more painful,	44:03
	or more poignant words than the words,	44:06
	you do not love me now, as you did at first.	44:10
	Or you have forsaken your first love.	44:15
	Now, I know as well as you do,	44:21
	that there are some first loves	44:23
	that are to be forsaken, that must be abandoned	44:24
	that are to be left behind and outgrown.	44:26
	For example, one's first love about a vocation	44:30
	or a job often is outgrown	44:33
	and that first love withers and fades	44:37
	or it changes, I'm sure Jimmy Carter's love	44:39
	for the presidency is quite different now	44:41
	from what it was when he sought it four years ago.	44:43
	One's first love of some friends	44:48
	or of a friend may change with time.	44:50
	One's first love about certain foods	44:54
	or certain ways of dressing.	44:56
	One's first love about the arts	44:59
	or about entertainment may change over the years.	45:02
	One's first love in love may change.	45:05
	Or even one's first love in religion.	45:10
	Maturing, growing, learning, comprehending, understanding,	45:14
	gaining insights, all require or force us, or lead us	45:18
	to give up some first loves	45:23
	and then to move on to others.	45:25
	But, once a responsible, free,	45:27
	open, mature,	45:32
	honest, genuine, covenant or commitment of love is	45:34
	entered into, Jesus says hold fast.	45:37
	Hold on.	45:44
	Remain true.	45:46
	Remain faithful.	45:49
	Be secure.	45:51
	Keep your first love, first.	45:53
	And as I have read and reflected on these words,	45:58
	it seems to me that Jesus surely must have known	46:00
	about our time and generation and our ways.	46:03
	Because ours, it seems to me, is the generation	46:08
	of tentative commitment.	46:11
	Of qualified or conditional love.	46:13
	Christ wants total, unqualified,	46:20
	unchanging, unending	46:25
	commitment of love to him,	46:28
	and not many of us are willing to make that commitment.	46:32
	A total, unqualified, unconditional commitment of love.	46:38
	We're not willing to make that kind	46:42
	of commitment to anybody.	46:44
	Even to Christ, or to God.	46:47
	So, as I see it, Jesus could	46:52
	have been warning the church at Ephesus,	46:53
	the church at large, and indeed us as the church today.	46:55
	Of three possible ways of forsaking our first love	46:59
	when he gave John these words.	47:03
	Some believe that Jesus may have been saying	47:06
	you do not love one another as you did at first.	47:08
	If true, if they really did not love one another	47:10
	as they did at first, then they deserved a warning	47:14
	because it was said about the early church,	47:16
	behold these Christians, how they love one another	47:19
	or in the gospel lesson this morning,	47:22
	they will know you are my disciples if you love one another.	47:24
	Love of one another, as well as of other people	47:28
	has always been one hallmark	47:31
	of a faithful, loyal, obedient Christian	47:33
	and of any Christian community.	47:36
	To fall from this would be worthy of warning.	47:39
	That may be what Jesus was referring to.	47:43
	But I choose to believe that there may be two other	47:47
	perhaps even more important ways in which Jesus	47:51
	was thinking about the fact	47:54
	that the church at Ephesus and even some	47:56
	of us today may have forsaken our first love.	47:59
	I think he may have meant, and he may mean	48:03
	that someone else, something else has become	48:05
	the chief object of our devotion.	48:09
	We have allowed an other to come between.	48:14
	An other to become the most important,	48:19
	an other to become supreme,	48:22
	an other to become the one clearest and dearest	48:25
	an other to be the object	48:29
	of our devotion, our faith, our loyalty, our love.	48:31
	There is no mention here, you will note,	48:37
	of who or what or whom it is	48:40
	that may have intervened.	48:44
	It really doesn't matter.	48:46
	It doesn't matter what or who or whom	48:48
	has replaced the Christ,	48:51
	somehow or other, Christ says, for some reason or other	48:52
	in some manner or other,	48:56
	I am no longer the center of your faith,	48:58
	the primary person, the primary relationship in your life.	49:01
	That does happen to us, doesn't it?	49:07
	That has happened to some of us, anyhow, hasn't it?	49:11
	We have forsaken our first love, that is Christ,	49:15
	by allowing someone or something to become more important.	49:19
	Or at least some of us have.	49:24
	So the first way then, is that we may	49:27
	have simply allowed something or someone else	49:29
	to become the chief object, the center, of devotion	49:32
	of our lives.	49:35
	A second way, though, that I think he may have been meaning	49:38
	this particular passage is that	49:41
	that love, which we had at first,	49:43
	is not as warm or as full or as vital	49:46
	it is not as rich, it is not as meaningful as it once was.	49:51
	That love which we once had, has faded and withered.	49:54
	And that too happens to most of us, doesn't it?	50:01
	I remember the fire and the excitement of my faith,	50:06
	when first I found it, or discovered it,	50:13
	or whenever I was first found or discovered,	50:14
	by the Christ.	50:17
	There was something in my teenage years,	50:19
	about the excitement and the enthusiasm,	50:21
	the emotion, the feeling that I had in my relationship	50:24
	to Christ, which has faded.	50:27
	Well, I've gotten older.	50:31
	Perhaps none of my emotions are quite what they were then.	50:33
	I've learned some theological and philosophical terms.	50:39
	Perhaps I've become a little more sophisticated.	50:43
	But, whatever it is, there is, in some ways,	50:48
	the feeling that that fire, that feeling	50:51
	the depth of devotion and commitment,	50:54
	the warmth of that love,	50:57
	has indeed faded and withered somewhat.	50:59
	But, I have an idea that I'm not the only one	51:06
	that has happened to.	51:08
	Has there been some way, in your life,	51:12
	in which some other object, some other person	51:14
	or some other thing has replaced your primary devotion	51:17
	to Christ?	51:20
	Has there been some way in which your love for Christ	51:22
	has faded and is not as strong or as rich as it once was?	51:25
	But what Jesus says about the dangers	51:32
	and the possibilities of our relationship with him	51:34
	though, I think,	51:36
	is also a possibility for any love, faith, kind	51:38
	of relationship, friends, colleagues, partners,	51:41
	husband-wife, wife-husband,	51:44
	boyfriend-girlfriend, girlfriend-boyfriend.	51:46
	There is always the risk, the possibility, the danger	51:49
	that our first love will fade, will lose its real meaning	51:52
	will wither and eventually may die altogether.	51:56
	There is also the risk, always, I think,	52:00
	the possibility, the danger, that someone else,	52:03
	or something else, that some other power, some other thing,	52:06
	may come along and take the place of our first love	52:09
	and that love will be either partially	52:12
	or fully removed altogether.	52:15
	Christ said, and says, you have forsaken your first love.	52:18
	A word of warning and a word of judgment,	52:23
	I believe, my friends.	52:25
	But as I taught a study	52:31
	of this book of Revelation not too long ago.	52:32
	Someone came up to me and said,	52:37
	you're right.	52:39
	There is that word of warning, and that word of judgment	52:42
	that Jesus gives us in this passage.	52:45
	That we have forsaken our first love of him.	52:51
	In whatever way or ways he may have intended it.	52:54
	But this person said to me,	52:58
	that's not the last word.	53:00
	So I want to say to you this morning	53:07
	that it indeed is not the last word.	53:08
	The last word in God's word, the last word from God	53:10
	I believe, is never a word of judgment,	53:14
	but the last word is always a word of grace,	53:18
	and that word of grace says to us first, remember	53:23
	how much you loved in days gone by,	53:27
	remember what your first object of devotion was.	53:29
	Remember how that love thrilled you,	53:32
	and what it meant to you.	53:35
	And then repent.	53:37
	In whatever way or ways you need to.	53:40
	For whatever it is that has come between you	53:46
	and that first love.	53:48
	And then the third is to do what you did at first.	53:50
	Three steps, remember how it was at first,	53:57
	repent of whatever it is that has happened,	53:59
	and do in faith and love and obedience	54:02
	what you did at first.	54:05
	The last word is always a word of grace.	54:06
	If you have ears, then listen	54:09
	to those who have won the victory,	54:11
	Jesus ends this particular letter.	54:14
	To those that have won the victory,	54:17
	I will give the right to eat	54:19
	of the fruit, of the tree of life	54:21
	that grows in the garden of God.	54:23
	Grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love.	54:26
	Absolutely beautiful passage, my friends.	54:32
	Reminds me of a parable.	54:36
	A parable that I have just recently	54:39
	come to appreciate and am appreciating more and more.	54:43
	Perhaps because I need, more than ever, the message	54:48
	that it offers us.	54:51
	That's the parable of the lost sheep.	54:53
	You remember the story.	54:58
	Jesus tells a parable, how there were 99 sheep	55:00
	who were safely in the fold,	55:03
	safely where they were supposed to be.	55:05
	99 out of 100, and most of us, if we had 100 of anything,	55:07
	and we had 99 of them safe and secure and all taken care of	55:12
	we'd be quite satisfied, wouldn't we?	55:15
	But, the sheep herder,	55:20
	the one to whom not only the 99 belonged,	55:22
	but also the one to whom the one belonged, wasn't satisfied.	55:25
	And so the sheep herder left the 99	55:31
	and went out searching for the one.	55:36
	We don't know how far he went,	55:41
	or what kind of trouble he had to go through.	55:44
	But, we know that the sheep herder searched,	55:48
	and searched, and searched, and searched	55:50
	for however long, and in whatever way was necessary,	55:53
	until he found the one that was lost.	55:56
	But you know that's not the beauty of the passage.	55:59
	The beauty of the passage for me comes,	56:03
	you read it very, very carefully if you will,	56:06
	and I invite you to today.	56:08
	Read that passage,	56:11
	and when the sheep herder found that one lost sheep,	56:13
	to get that sheep back in the fold	56:17
	where the other 99 were,	56:19
	he could have done any one of many things	56:21
	to have gotten him back there, you remember?	56:23
	He could have tied a rope around its neck,	56:25
	and he could have dragged him back.	56:27
	He could have gotten behind it and kicked it	56:29
	in the behind with his foot.	56:31
	He could have taken a stick and beaten it over the behind	56:32
	to get it to go back home.	56:35
	But he didn't do any of those things, my friend.	56:36
	The word of God tells us that when he came	56:41
	and found the one that was lost,	56:44
	the sheep herder reached down and picked up	56:45
	that one sheep, tenderly, and placed him on his shoulders.	56:48
	And carried him home.	56:55
	Perhaps it's because	57:03
	there are times I feel the need of the power	57:06
	and presence of God,	57:09
	simply to pick me up, and put me on the	57:12
	shoulders of love,	57:16
	and carry me back,	57:19
	that this parable speaks to me.	57:23
	And perhaps all you and I need to do	57:27
	is to say to God,	57:31
	that we are ready	57:34
	to be picked up	57:36
	and carried back,	57:39
	to our first love.	57:42
	Amen.	57:48
	(uplifting music)	57:55
	(chorus singing)	58:43
-	Let us affirm what we believe.	1:00:38
-	We believe in God, who has created and is creating	1:00:42
	who has come in the truly human Jesus	1:00:47
	to reconcile and make new.	1:00:50
	Who works in us, and others by the spirit.	1:00:53
	We trust God, who calls us to be the church	1:00:58
	to celebrate life and its fullness,	1:01:02
	to love and serve others,	1:01:06
	to seek justice, and resist evil,	1:01:09
	to proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen,	1:01:12
	our judge and our hope,	1:01:16
	in life, in death, in life beyond death.	1:01:19
	God is with us, we are not alone.	1:01:25
	Thanks be to God.	1:01:29
	The Lord be with you.	1:01:33
	Let us pray.	1:01:36
	Gracious God, by your providence we live and work	1:01:47
	and join in families.	1:01:52
	And from your hand receive those things we need.	1:01:54
	Gift on gift, all free.	1:01:58
	We thank you for the goodness you supply.	1:02:02
	For food and shelter, for words and gestures.	1:02:05
	For all our human friendships.	1:02:10
	Above all, we praise you for your son,	1:02:14
	who came to show mercy,	1:02:17
	and who names us his own brothers and sisters.	1:02:19
	Glory to you for great kindness to us	1:02:22
	and all your children.	1:02:25
	Great God, our creator,	1:02:29
	you hear our prayers before we speak,	1:02:32
	and answer before we know our need.	1:02:35
	We find ourselves not knowing how to pray,	1:02:39
	or for what to pray,	1:02:42
	and ask only that your spirit may pray in us,	1:02:45
	drawing us to you and toward our neighbors on earth.	1:02:49
	We pray for the whole creation.	1:02:55
	May all things work together for good,	1:02:58
	until by your design, we reverence the earth	1:03:01
	and order it wisely.	1:03:04
	May the whole creation praise you, Lord and God.	1:03:07
	We pray for the church of Jesus Christ,	1:03:12
	that begun, maintained, and promoted by your spirit,	1:03:15
	it may be true, engaging, glad, active, doing your will.	1:03:20
	May the church always be faithful, Lord and God.	1:03:27
	We pray for the people who do not believe,	1:03:32
	and for the unbelief in our own hearts.	1:03:35
	Open the eyes of doubt to see beyond our broken fellowship	1:03:38
	the wonders of your love displayed in Jesus of Nazareth.	1:03:42
	May our love remain strong.	1:03:47
	Conquer our doubt with faith, Lord and God.	1:03:50
	We pray for peace in the world,	1:03:57
	disarm weapons, silence guns, and put out ancient hate	1:03:59
	that smolders still, or flames in sudden conflict.	1:04:03
	Create good will among people of every race and nation.	1:04:09
	We pray especially today for the nations	1:04:14
	of Afghanistan, Iran, San Salvadore, the USSR	1:04:16
	and the United States.	1:04:21
	Bring us to a sense of rightness and justice.	1:04:24
	Bring peace to earth, Lord and God.	1:04:28
	We pray for sick people who struggle with demons	1:04:33
	of the mind or who suffer pain,	1:04:36
	who silently cry out for healing.	1:04:38
	Heal the sick and troubled, Lord and God.	1:04:41
	We pray for those who mourn,	1:04:46
	may they know that their mourning is a part	1:04:48
	of their loving those now dead.	1:04:51
	Bring them comfort, Lord and God.	1:04:53
	And we pray today for families,	1:04:58
	for parents, for children, for sisters, for brothers,	1:05:01
	for husbands, for wives, and for those friends	1:05:05
	who become an extended family to us.	1:05:09
	As this school year draws to a close,	1:05:14
	we pray for those friends who will be separated	1:05:17
	from one another.	1:05:19
	May those bonds of friendship live beyond the bounds	1:05:21
	of time and space.	1:05:24
	May we all enjoy one another,	1:05:27
	honor freedoms and forgive as happily as we are all forgiven	1:05:30
	in your huge mercy.	1:05:34
	Keep us all in your love, Lord and God.	1:05:36
	As we believe, so may we live, so may we love.	1:05:41
	Where we walk, mighty God, may the hungry be fed,	1:05:48
	the poor clothed, the sorrowful comforted,	1:05:51
	and the wonderful deeds of God proclaimed.	1:05:54
	For we know these things are possible through Jesus Christ,	1:05:58
	who taught us to pray together.	1:06:02
	Our father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name,	1:06:05
	thy kingdom come, thy will be done,	1:06:10
	on earth as it is in Heaven.	1:06:13
	Give us this day our daily bread,	1:06:16
	and forgive us our trespasses,	1:06:19
	as we forgive those who trespass against us,	1:06:22
	and lead us not into temptation,	1:06:26
	but deliver us from evil.	1:06:28
	For thine is the kingdom,	1:06:31
	and the power and the glory, forever, Amen.	1:06:33
	Would you who are presenting your children	1:06:40
	for baptism come forward at that time,	1:06:42
	and if there are friends or members of the family	1:06:44
	who would like to come with you, we welcome them also.	1:06:46
-	Dearly beloved,	1:07:29
	baptism is an outward and visible sign	1:07:31
	of the grace of the Lord, Jesus Christ.	1:07:33
	Through which grace, we become partakers	1:07:36
	of his righteousness and heirs of life eternal.	1:07:39
	Those receiving the sacrament are thereby marked	1:07:43
	as Christian disciples, and initiated	1:07:46
	into the fellowship of Christ's holy church.	1:07:48
	Our Lord has expressly given to little children a place	1:07:52
	among the people of God,	1:07:56
	which holy privilege must not be denied them.	1:07:58
	Remember the words of the Lord Jesus Christ,	1:08:01
	how he said, let the little children come to me,	1:08:04
	do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.	1:08:09
-	Beloved, do you as parents,	1:08:16
	each of you, in presenting your son for Christian baptism,	1:08:19
	do you confirm your own faith	1:08:24
	in our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ?	1:08:26
-	We do	1:08:29
-	Do you therefore accept as your bound and duty	1:08:33
	and privilege to live before this child,	1:08:36
	a life that becomes the gospel,	1:08:39
	to exercise all Godly care,	1:08:41
	that he be brought up in the Christian faith,	1:08:44
	that he be taught the holy scriptures,	1:08:46
	and that he learned to give reverant attendance	1:08:48
	upon the private and public worship of God?	1:08:51
-	We do	1:08:54
-	Will you endeavor to keep your son	1:08:57
	under the ministry and guidance of the church,	1:08:59
	until he by the power of God,	1:09:02
	shall accept for himself,	1:09:05
	the gift of salvation,	1:09:07
	and be confirmed as a full and responsible member	1:09:09
	of Christ's holy church?	1:09:12
-	We will	1:09:15
-	Let us pray.	1:09:16
	Almighty God, we thank you for your faithfulness,	1:09:19
	promised in this sacrament.	1:09:23
	And for the hope we have in your son, Jesus.	1:09:25
	As we baptize with water, baptize us with the Holy Spirit,	1:09:29
	so that what we say may be your word,	1:09:33
	and what we do may be your work.	1:09:37
	By your power, may we be made one with Christ our Lord,	1:09:39
	in common faith and purpose, amen.	1:09:43
-	In what name do you wish him to be baptized?	1:09:58
	(whispering)	1:10:00
-	Lynn Brooks, I baptize you in the name	1:10:12
	of the Father, and of the Son	1:10:17
	and of the Holy Spirit, amen.	1:10:20
-	And what name do you give this child?	1:10:35
-	Matthew Edwards Mossier.	1:10:37
-	Matthew Edwards Mossier, I baptize you in the name	1:10:40
	of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, amen.	1:10:43
-	Let the congregation stand	1:10:52
	and respond if you will, please.	1:10:54
	Brothers and sisters of the household of faith,	1:11:01
	I command to your love and care,	1:11:04
	Matthew Edward Mossier, Lynn Brooks Lastinger the third,	1:11:08
	whom we, this day, recognize	1:11:17
	as members of the family of God.	1:11:20
	Will you endeavor to so live that Matthew	1:11:24
	and Brooks may grow in the knowledge	1:11:28
	and the love of God through our savior, Jesus, the Christ?	1:11:31
-	We will	1:11:37
-	Dear friends, this is the first service,	1:11:41
	of the sacrament of baptism	1:11:44
	we have had at the 11 o'clock hour	1:11:47
	since I have been minister to the university here.	1:11:50
	This was suggested by our worship committee.	1:11:54
	So that all of us, as a worshiping community of Christians	1:11:57
	might share in the joy of such a moment as this.	1:12:02
	So it is our privilege now to present to you	1:12:06
	these two persons whom we do recognize	1:12:09
	as members of the family of God,	1:12:12
	Lynn Brooks Lastinger, son of Lynn and Linda Lastinger.	1:12:15
	Lynn has sung faithfully in the choir	1:12:21
	for almost two years here now,	1:12:24
	and will be finishing his work at the medical center	1:12:27
	as an associate in Hematology	1:12:30
	and Linda will be finishing her residency	1:12:33
	in internal medicine at Chapel Hill.	1:12:35
	They'll leave in June to go to Galax, Virginia.	1:12:37
	It is my privilege to present Lynn Brooks the third to you.	1:12:40
	(baby cries)	1:12:45
-	And I present to you Matthew Edwards Mossier,	1:12:49
	whose parents are Anne and Earl Mossier.	1:12:52
	Anne is a nursing clinician at the medical center	1:12:55
	here at Duke University and they will continue	1:12:58
	to be a part of our fellowship.	1:13:01
	I present to you Matthew, whom you have promised to love	1:13:03
	and to nourish.	1:13:07
	(baby cries)	1:13:09
-	Let us pray	1:13:20
	Almighty God, grant that Matthew and Brooks	1:13:22
	as they grow in years, may also grow in grace	1:13:26
	and in the knowledge that the Lord Jesus Christ,	1:13:29
	and that by the restraining and renewing influence	1:13:33
	of the Holy Spirit, they may ever be free children of yours,	1:13:35
	serving faithfully all their days.	1:13:39
	So guide and uphold the parents, and godparents	1:13:43
	of these children, that by loving care, wise council,	1:13:47
	and holy example they may lead them	1:13:49
	into that life of faith whose strength is righteousness,	1:13:53
	and whose fruit is everlasting joy and peace,	1:13:57
	in Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.	1:14:00
	And now may God, our creator, God the Son,	1:14:05
	and God the Holy Spirit, bless, preserve and keep them	1:14:07
	now and forever more, amen.	1:14:11
	(baby cries)	1:14:13
	(mumbling)	1:14:15
-	Be seated.	1:14:19
	(organ music)	1:14:21
	(uplifting music)	1:19:24
	(joyful music)	1:19:59
	(chorus singing)	1:20:33
-	Oh, giver of life, behind this offering	1:21:16
	lies the busy world of our working	1:21:19
	the office, the production line, the home,	1:21:22
	the classroom, the laboratory.	1:21:25
	Save us from creating a world where wealth accumulates,	1:21:29
	and people decay, accept this offering	1:21:32
	and our lives, limited as they may be,	1:21:36
	as willing instruments for good in your world, amen.	1:21:39
	(organ music)	1:21:46
	(chorus singing)	1:23:08
-	And now may the God of steadfastness,	1:25:19
	and encouragement grant you to live	1:25:22
	in such harmony with one another,	1:25:25
	in accord with Christ Jesus,	1:25:27
	that together you may, with one voice,	1:25:29
	glorify the God and father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, amen.	1:25:32
	(organ music)	1:25:39

Item Info

Title:

Robert T. Young - "You Have Forsaken Your First Love" (May 4, 1980)

Description:

Sermon start time: 32:39. Sermon end time: 57:39.
Let us strive to our first love of Christ, but also be assured that Jesus the shepherd will find any of his lost sheep in order to carry them back to their first love. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Key quotation: "Remember what your first object of devotion was. Remember how that love thrilled you, and what it meant to you."

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4jw8733q

Date:

May 4, 1980

Speaker:

Young, Robert T., 1935-2009

Liturgical Calendar:

Easter

Biblical Book:

Chapter and Verse:

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 RR-1090
ref7392_tik
uachapelsermaud
duke:320904
dcrau001969
ark:/87924/r4jw8733q
41575ddd-654f-42a0-b375-77611199c213

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings, 1954-2005

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Language:

English

Location:

United States
North Carolina
Durham (N.C.)

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Provenance:

The Duke University Chapel Recordings were transferred to the Duke University Archives beginning in 1970.

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This material is made available for educational and non-commercial use. This recording may contain 3rd party materials, such as music or readings that are therefore not covered by the license indicated here. Copyright in this material has not been transferred to Duke University. For other reuses of this material beyond those permitted by fair use or otherwise allowed under the Copyright Act, please see our page on copyright and citations https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/research/citations-and-permissions.

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Robert T. Young - "You Have Forsaken Your First Love" (May 4, 1980)

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1. Robert T. Young - "You Have Forsaken Your First Love" (May 4, 1980)

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