Ministry Matters, but...

The Ephesus church looked strong on the outside. Ephesians 2 says they were once dead in sin, now alive in Christ. They were far from God, now brought near by the blood of Jesus. From the outside, this church was doing well. They had solid teaching. People were serving. False teachers identified and confronted. They endured hardship. If you judged them by what you could see, you would say, “That’s a healthy church.” And in many ways, it was.

We tend to focus on what is visible or what is happening, what is growing, what seems effective. God looks deeper. He looks at what is going on inside the heart. And that is where the issue was in Ephesus.

Jesus says to this same church in Revelation 2:4, “I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” That is a strong statement, especially when you remember everything they still had going for them. They had not abandoned truth. They had not stopped serving. Ministry was still happening. But their love for Jesus was no longer what it once was and I have a feeling that this lack of love for Jesus was evident in their love for each other.

Externally, they were doing the right things, but internally they were missing the most important element of ministry...love.

That is what makes this such a needed warning. It is possible for a church to look healthy on the outside and still have something important missing on the inside. The work can continue. The activity can increase. People can stay busy. And yet, over time, the relationship with Jesus that started it all can slowly fade into the background.

This usually does not happen quickly. It happens over time. Responsibilities grow. Ministry opportunities increase. There is always something else to do. And without realizing it, time with Jesus gets replaced by work for Jesus. We stay active, but we are not as connected.

In John 21:15, after Peter had failed, Jesus did not start by asking about his ministry, his plans, or his future. He asked him a simple question: “Do you love me?” And only after that did He say, “Feed my sheep.” The order matters. Love for Jesus comes first. Ministry flows out of that love.

Before there was any ministry, there was a relationship. Before there was anything to build, there was Someone to love. That has not changed. Ministry was always meant to flow from that relationship, not replace it.

When our love for Jesus is right, ministry becomes an overflow. It is not forced or mechanical. But when that love begins to fade, we can keep doing the same things without the same heart behind them. That is what Jesus was addressing. He was not calling them to do more. He was calling them to come back to their first love.

As we pursue multiplying disciples, this matters more than we think. We can build systems, train leaders, create resources and stay busy with good things, but if our love for Jesus is not central, our ministry will be negatively impacted.

So the question is not just what is happening around us, but what is happening within us. Are we still walking closely with Jesus? Are we guarding that relationship, or assuming it will take care of itself? Are we loving each other well?

Write this down: Ministry matters, but Jesus matters more.