Return to Your First Love: Rekindling the Heart of Worship

Revelation 2:1-7

Good morning, beloved family of God! Today, we embark on a journey into a new sermon series titled “The Heart of Worship”. This series is about rediscovering what it truly means to worship God—not just with our lips, but with our lives, our hearts, and our deepest affections.

To guide us today, let’s open our Bibles to Revelation 2:1-7, where Jesus speaks to the church in Ephesus:

Stirring the Embers

A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire.

Guessing the reason for his pastor’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself comfortable but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs.

After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet fascination.

As the one lone ember’s flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and “dead as a doornail.”

Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. Just before the pastor was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.

As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said, “Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.”

1. The Ephesian Church: A Portrait of Faithfulness Without Flame

The church at Ephesus was a powerhouse of Christian faith. Their resume was impressive:

• They worked hard for the kingdom.

• They were vigilant in guarding truth, resisting false teachers.

• They persevered under pressure, holding fast to the name of Christ.

And yet, despite all their outward signs of faithfulness, Jesus—who walks among the lampstands, representing His churches—saw something deeper.

Something missing. Their outward obedience no longer flowed from the heart. They had lost their first love.

In Matthew 24:12 Jesus talks about our love growing cold because of lawlessness… He says “And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

How many of us can relate to this? We serve in ministry. We read Scripture. We show up on Sundays. We do all the “right” things, but somewhere along the way, our love for Jesus becomes routine. The fire that once consumed us becomes a flicker. Our doing for God overshadows our being with Him.

Christianity is not a religion; it’s a relationship. Jesus doesn’t want just our busyness—He wants our hearts. He wants the kind of love that overflows with joy and intimacy, like the love we first had when we encountered Him.

2. First Love: A Heart-Centered Worship

What was Ephesus’ “first love”?

Ephesians 1:15 their love for the saints…

Paul prays for them in Ephesians 3:14-19 to know the love of God

It’s that pure, passionate devotion to Jesus that comes when we realize how deeply we are loved by Him. It’s that “burning heart” experience the disciples felt on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:32), when their hearts came alive in the presence of Christ.

Worship begins with love. As John Wesley taught, true holiness is not duty-bound; it is love-driven. The kind of love we are called to is the love that recognizes who Jesus is and responds with our whole selves: mind, soul, body, and strength.

Like the brother said last Sunday, our worship should always be about Jesus!

God speaks to us through signs and symbols that draw our hearts toward His truth. The cross is the ultimate sign of love. How can we look at the cross and not feel our hearts stirred to worship? Yet, sometimes, we lose sight of that first love because of life’s distractions, disappointments, and even the monotony of religious routines.

So, the question for us today is: Have we forsaken our first love? Is our worship more about going through the motions than pouring out our hearts?

3. Rekindling the Flame: Three Steps Back to Your First Love

In Revelation 2:5, Jesus gives us a clear path to return to our first love:

1.Remember – Jesus says, “Consider how far you have fallen.” Take a moment to reflect on the love you once had for Christ. Can you recall those early days when your heart burned for Him? When you couldn’t wait to spend time in His presence? What changed?

2.Repent – Repentance is not just about turning away from sin; it’s about turning toward Jesus. Repentance is a reorientation of the heart. It’s saying, “Lord, I’m sorry for letting my love grow cold. I want You to reignite my passion for You.”

3.Return – Jesus says, “Do the things you did at first.” Go back to the simple, childlike faith that fueled your love for Him. Spend time in His Word, not out of obligation but because you’re hungry for His voice. Pray, not just to ask for things, but to delight in His presence. Worship, not just on Sundays, but with your whole life.

4. The Promise: Overcoming to Receive the Tree of Life

Jesus ends His message with a powerful promise:

“To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (Revelation 2:7)

This is the reward for those who overcome. The “tree of life” takes us back to Eden, where worship was pure, unbroken, and free of sin. It reminds us that God’s ultimate plan is to restore us to a place of eternal, intimate worship with Him. But we don’t have to wait for eternity to experience this kind of love and joy. It starts now—when we return to our first love.

Closing Illustration: Rekindling the Flame

A story is told of an older couple who sat in their car, driving down a country road. The wife looked over at her husband and said, “Remember when we used to sit close together? When I’d slide over to your side of the car and you’d put your arm around me?” The husband smiled and replied, “I haven’t moved. I’m still in the same spot.”

In the same way, God hasn’t moved. If we feel distant, it’s not because He left—it’s because we’ve drifted. But the good news is, He’s calling us back. He’s inviting us to slide back over, to rekindle the love that brought us to Him in the first place.

This week, I invite you to spend intentional time remembering your first love for Jesus. Pray for a renewed passion. Worship with abandon. Let’s move from “going through the motions” to being fully alive in Christ.

Because, church, the heart of worship is love. And Jesus is calling us back to the fire of our first love. Let’s respond. Amen.

A Short Contemporary Liturgy for Holy Communion

Pastoral Prayer

Gracious and merciful God, We come before You in awe of Your love and faithfulness. You have called us together as Your people, not because we are worthy, but because of Your abundant grace.

As we prepare to receive this holy meal, cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, and refresh our spirits. Where we are weary, give us strength. Where we are broken, bring healing. Where we have sinned, grant us Your mercy.

May this bread and this cup remind us of Christ’s great sacrifice and the deep love You have for each of us. Unite us as one body, bound together by Your Spirit, that we may go forth as Your hands and feet in the world. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, we pray. Amen.

Words of Institution

On the night in which He gave Himself up for us, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said:

“This is My body, given for you.

Do this in remembrance of Me.”

After supper, He took the cup, gave thanks, and said:

“This is My blood of the new covenant,

poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Consecration

Holy God, we ask You to pour out Your Spirit upon us and on these gifts of bread and wine.

Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be His body in the world,

redeemed by His blood and empowered by His Spirit. Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, all honor and glory is Yours, Almighty God, now and forever. Amen.

Receiving the Elements

(The pastor offers the bread and the cup to the congregation.)

The body of Christ, given for you. (Eat the bread.)

The blood of Christ, shed for you. (Drink the cup.)

Prayer After Communion

Loving God,

We thank You for this holy mystery

in which You have given Yourself to us.

Strengthen us by Your Spirit

to go into the world in love and service,

that we may reflect Christ in all we do.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Closing Blessing

May the peace of Christ go with you,

the love of God surround you,

and the power of the Holy Spirit guide you,

now and always. Amen.

This version keeps the liturgy simple and reflective while maintaining its sacred nature. Let me know if you need any adjustments!