First Love

I was recently listening to a whole composition of different sermons from very influential Christians. It was called "the Revival Hymn" and, I have to tell you, it was absolutely amazing.

There were quite a few different preachers (though I do have to apologize because I am not sure of their names), and they all spoke on revival (hence the title). There was so much I could have taken from that presentation, and when I was watching it, I felt like I was being hit in the gut.

Statement after statement after statement came at me, and all I could do was listen. There was not really time to sit and contemplate each thing that was being said, but I simply had to listen. Just listen. What I heard moved me in my soul and made me cry.

The most influential statement came from a man that had, at one point in his life, went to Africa do do missions work. He went to tell un-knowing, naive little tribespeople (as he thought them) that there was a wonderful savior that wanted to make their life so much better. Upon arriving and living with the people, he found that they weren't naive. They weren't waiting for some person to come and tell them about Jesus. They knew they were sinning, and they liked it. They indulged in their flesh, they lived for pleasure. And they did not want God.

Now, the man was in great turmoil in his soul and he wanted to leave that place. He wanted to let the people live in their sin because they wanted nothing to do with God. He thought, "Let them live in their sin! They don't want to clean up their lives, so why should I make them?" That's when God got a hold of him.

What He said sounded something like this, "Do I not deserve the ones I suffered for?"

"But, God, they don't want anything to do with you! They like their sin. They want to live in it. They don't deserve to go to heaven."

"Do I not deserve the ones I suffered for?"

"God, I cannot speak to these people when they refuse to hear me."

"DO I NOT DESERVE THE ONES I SUFFERED FOR!?"

Silence.

"I died an agonizing death! I went down to depths of hell! I defeated death! I rose to life. I paid for those African souls with my flesh, my blood, my life, and you won't speak to them because they won't hear. What does this have to do with them wanting me? What does this have to do with you? Do not I DESERVE the ones I suffered for?"

"Yes, Lord."

"Go."

It may have not gone like that. It may have not even been a conversation. But what I know is that God set something straight in that preacher. Do I not deserve the ones I suffered for. Have you ever thought of missions that way? Have you ever thought that you're not going there for the Africans. You're not going there because you have any power. You're going there for Him. Christ paid for the lost with his blood. They did not ask Him to do it. He did it because HE loved them... because HE wanted them.

We love Him because He first loved us.