Today we are going to study what it means to keep Jesus first in our lives, but first I have a few examples to help us understand what it means to be first.
At the end of a race, there are usually some kind of medals or trophies awarded to the individual who places in third, second, or first place. Obvioiusly, the person who finishes “first” finished before all the others.
Sometimes they might even have a podium for the three people to stand on, starting with the third place on one, then you have the second place slightly higher, and then finally you have the first place podium the highest of all, above all the others.
If you had a list of things to do and only a certain amount of time to do it in, which things would you start with? You would probably start with the most important tasks first, and complete them before any of the other things on your list.
Think of it like this: You wake up in the morning and look at the list of errands that you need to get done that day. Maybe you need to go to the grocery store to get food, grab a few things at a different store, and pick up your mail from the post office. So you get into your car and leave home, but you notice that your gas tank is nearly empty. What should you do? Should you continue to complete your errand list, or should you first stop and fill up your gas tank? Right then and there, you need to have fuel in your car if you want to do the other things. It becomes first and more important than every other thing on your list, because if you run out of fuel, you will not be able to get to those other destinations.
That is exactly how we need to treat the things of God. Before any action that we do, we need to put the things of God first. As Christians, God and His teachings are the most important things that need to come before anything and everything else. He needs to come first.
Which commandment did Jesus say was the first commandment?
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” Matthew 22:37-38
Before all of the other nine commandments is the commandent to love God. God is first.
The word “first” means, obviously, “before anything else” but it also means “most eminent or exalted; most excellent; chief; or highest.”
The kingdom of God and the teachings of Christ need to come before anything else in every part of our lives. They need to be put in a place of the highest importance, over all other things.
When we place God first in our life, it means that we look to Him to guide our life over anyone or anything else.
When Jesus fed the five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish, what did He do before the people ate? Jesus looked up to Heaven, and blessed the food. What should we do before we eat? We should ask the Lord to bless our meal and give thanks to Him for it, because it is He who provided all things for us to eat.
Someone who doesn’t put God first won’t thank Him before they eat, because food is more important to them than God. As Paul wrote in Philippians, their god is their belly.
“Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)” Philippians 3:19
And even far more than just when we eat a meal; whatever we do in our life, we need to ask ourselves, What would Jesus do? If we do this before every decision that we make in life, we will be putting Him first. Would Jesus help an encumbered person open a door? How would He treat someone who did wrong to Him? How would Jesus show love towards others? If someone was sorry and repentant for something they did wrong, would Jesus forgive them? (Of course He would!)
Without Christ in a person’s life, a person will do whatever they feel like doing, but as Christians, we need to do what Jesus wants us to do. Day by day, a pattern of good works, and an example to others of how we need to live.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33
What are the first six letters in the word Christian? C-H-R-I-S-T. Christ-ians-followers of Christ. He is first, and we need to keep Him first.
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 