Return to Your First Love – Thoughts on our upcoming night of worship
“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.” — Revelation 2:4
Although the church in Ephesus was diligent in their work and labor for God, Jesus corrected them for losing their holy love, passion, and zeal for the Lord.
Do you remember when you first encountered the love of God? Or do you remember a moment in your walk with him that stirred up a passionate love for Jesus inside of you? I think back to my time in youth group, where I learned about God and was desperate for a touch from him and an encounter in his presence. It seemed like all I wanted to do was encounter that love again and again and again and again.
I must admit that over the years, I allowed myself to become slightly jaded in his presence, and the work I did for him was more important than my intimacy with him. Can you relate to the church in Ephesus as I can?
In our worship ministry, a passion for excellence and almost perfection (yikes) has been replaced with a passion for embracing God’s presence, ministering to his heart, and leading others in doing the same. Talent will fill a room, but anointing will lead people to Jesus, and we want to be a worship team that values Jesus above all else. The Apostle Paul said, “Follow me, as I follow Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). Holiness matters, the pursuit of knowledge and understanding matters, and embracing the emotion that comes with re-encountering your first Love matters.
I am sensing an eagerness, boldness, and passion for Jesus’s presence in our corporate settings. I am so excited to provide more opportunities for people to gather and encounter him.
Let’s keep it simple as we gather on September 25. Let’s minister to the heart of God and see what he does as we abandon our opinions and ambitions, sit at the feet of Jesus, and pour out our love and affection. Right now, I really love the lyrics of this song that describe my desire for our corporate times of worship and personal intimacy with Jesus.
“No more mixture
Give me the God of scripture
No more idols
Or lesser lovers
No substitute will ever do
There’s nothing more
I’ll ever pursue
Oh, I want Jesus
Oh, I want Him
Oh, only Jesus
Take this world and give me Him.”