The chalice isn't full until it's overflowing....with love. At one of my former churches our received this word from the Lord. Like Jesus' love it is overflowing with fullness of meaning. This month I would like to address what I sense is one of the key elements I sense the Lord is revealing to us in this word. The chalice contains the wine - the blood of Jesus and represents our covenant with him. A covenant, a true covenant is a joining together of love.
In Revelation 2 Jesus addresses the Church at Ephesus. He first commends their hard work and faithfulness:
“I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance...You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary." (Revelation 2:1-3 NIV)”
But He also points out that with all their hard work and faithfulness they are lacking in something:
"Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.” (Revelation 2:4-5 RSV)
You have to wonder how the Ephesians felt upon receiving this message from the Lord. Although Jesus did have positive things to say about the Church in Ephesus, He did have this one thing “against them”. How did they respond? Did they repent and once again seek Him? One thing is for sure, there was something missing in the Ephesian Church and it seemed that the Ephesians needed a little kick in the “end zone” to wake them up.
The Ephesians had everything except their first love. They were doing everything right except for the most important thing. They had lost their edge. And because they had lost focus on the main thing they were in danger of losing the very thing that gave them life; Jesus.
“If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. “ (Revelation 2:5b ESV)
In the Book of Revelation the lampstands represent the presence of Jesus in the church.
One thing the modern Church can take from this passage is the importance of keeping Jesus first. Our first priority should be seeking Him; our first love. Seeking Him and loving Him has to be the Church's top priority. All the blessings, the growth, the power, the healing and the revival we seek is found in once again taking Jesus as our first love. Jesus is calling the Church to embrace Him with a new-found passion; a complete and total surrender to Him. Jesus is waiting for us to give ourselves to Him totally.
The love that Jesus desires from us is not a passive love, but rather an aggressive pursuit of Him. It is a love that is willing to pay any price. It is love that is willing to sell everything for that pearl of great price.
The chalice isn't full until it's overflowing....with love. I believe the Lord is saying to the Church that our chalice will be full (and overflowing) once we are filled with love for Him. Thank you Lord!
“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.” (John 15:9 NLT)