First Love
“But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
I just want to say to you that we need to be so careful that we never lose our first love for Jesus Christ.
Revelation 2: 4 is quite a startling message from God. Starting with verse 3:
“…and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”
Never, ever lose your first love for Jesus Christ.
I remember, like yesterday, standing in the vestry at the back of the little Methodist Church in Greytown, where I started preaching. I had only known the Lord for about three months, I was surrounded by elders and leaders. They were laying their hands on me and praying for me. I think they were quite nervous as well, not knowing what this raw farmer was going to preach about. I was quite startled when an old lay preacher came up to me and he said, "Go in there and preach because I have done my bit." We can never do our bit for Jesus because He did everything for us.
There is nothing nicer for me than to see a brand-new Christian with all the zeal, excitement, innocence and the wanting to tell folk the good news - the excitement about what God is about to do next. Never, ever lose your first love. And that is why I think the Lord said many who are first will be last, and the last ones will be first.
You know sometimes a young Christian is like a bull in a china shop. Well, they said about me that they thought I needed to be locked up for six months, first before I was let out but I want to tell you it is the zeal and the love - the passion of Christ that the Lord requires from us.
You see, He doesn’t need us - He can do anything He wants. He can even use a donkey to be His spokesman but He wants to have fellowship with us. He wants us to commune with Him daily.
William Carey was a cobbler, not even a shoemaker, just a repairer of shoes. He got so excited, he said: "I believe the Lord wants me to go to India and preach the Gospel." One of the long white beards said: "If God wants to save India, He doesn’t need you." So William Carey went out on his own, that is right, him and his wife and children. For the first six years, he never lead a soul to Christ but he never lost his first love. He then found what his ministry was - translating the Bible from English into Sanskrit, Hindustani and other very, very difficult languages. He started a Bible College and even a university. He said: "Attempt great things for God and expect great things from God."
Have a wonderful day and God bless you as you remain excited for Jesus.