INTRODUCTION
We only have one life to live, and we can either waste it or we can invest it. You cannot do both; you are either going to waste your life or invest your life, but you cannot do a little of each. Jesus tells us that in His Sermon on the Mount. He says: you cannot serve two masters. So, which life are you going to live by in 2022- another year of wasting your life; or this year you are going to choose to invest your life in the things of God?
If you want to invest your life for God, that journey must begin with a question. Who or what is the most important person or thing in my life at this present moment? For some of us, the most important thing in our life is a who- it is our family. For others, the most important thing in their life is a what- their job. There are people who truly love their jobs; and it means everything to them. If they didn’t have that job, they would be so lost. But God says the most important who or what in your life must be Him. Listen to what Jesus says once again in Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Jesus says without a doubt I must be first. He even told us again that He must be first when He said: the first and greatest commandment is that you love the Lord, your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.
So, how do I go about making God first? We hope to answer that today by going back to an Old Testament prophet and seeing what God said through him and what we can learn when God spoke through Jeremiah. So, if you have your Bible or if you prefer to read the Scripture from one of our screens, please stand for the reading of God’s Holy Word. Jeremiah 9:23-24.
BIBLE VERSE
Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NKJV)
23 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.
1 ONE
TO MAKE GOD FIRST, I MUST AVOID THE OBSTACLES THAT GET IN THE WAY. IN OTHER WORDS, GOD WARNS US THAT THERE ARE MANY ROADBLOCKS THAT PREVENT US FROM MAKING HIM FIRST.
Jeremiah 9:23 (NKJV)
23 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
Do you realize that in your day to day walk with Jesus, there are obstacles that get in the way that prevent you from getting as close to Jesus as He desires you to be? In our verse that I just read, the Lord Himself mentioned three obstacles. They are the wisdom of this world, our strength to handle things on our own (that is called self-sufficiency), and our wealth that we possess. And that list is by no means the only obstacles that keep us from making God first.
Off the top of my head, let me name a couple of more obstacles that I have witnessed. How about bitterness because God did not do what you wanted Him to do. Or how about spiritual neglect- you have not taken care of your spiritual business in the past for whatever reason, and you have drifted away from God, and it is hard to get back to making Him first in your life.
So, in this room here there are people with varying degrees of making God first in their life. There are some that are working hard in making God first in their life. There are some others that are one or two obstacles away from making God first in their life. And there are others that are multiple obstacles away from making God first in your life.
It is God desire that in each one of our lives that all those obstacles be removed, and you make God first in your life. And He promises that He will do what He needs to do to remove those obstacles in your life. Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)
6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
But the sticking point is this. I have a free will and I may desire my obstacle more than I desire making God first in my life. Let me give you a Biblical example. The rich young ruler came to Jesus wanting to make Jesus first in his life. Jesus pointed out to him an obstacle that stood in the way. In this case, he was controlled by his riches. Riches in themselves are not bad; (Abraham was a rich man but he dd not allow his riches to become an obstacle in his relationship with God); riches become bad when they control you. And Jesus knew this man’s riches controlled him. So, Jesus told him that he must remove the obstacle, but he could not do it.
So, we need to ask ourselves some questions this morning. Are there obstacles between me and God? How many obstacles are there? And do I want to remove those obstacles? And let’s be honest, there are people who are not going to want to remove those obstacles!
2 TWO
TO MAKE GOD FIRST, I NEED TO WORK ON BUILDING A VERY PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. AS GOD SAYS: I NEED TO KNOW HIM.
Jeremiah 9:24 (NKJV)
24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me…
Let me ask you married men a question. The day you got married to your wife, do you think you knew and understood everything about her? And let me ask you ladies the same question, the day you married your husband, do you think you knew and understood everything about him? The right answer whether you are the husband or you are the wife is I hadn’t even touched the surface of knowing and understanding my spouse on my wedding day. A successful marriage is a lifelong study of your spouse to better know and understand him or her. And I must be honest, I have been married 48 years and there are times that Anne surprises me. I think she is going to answer something I asked her one way, and she comes up with a completely different answer. There are times that I think Anne is going to do something one way and she does it a completely different way. And then I have to remind myself more study and understanding is needed. It is a lifelong task.
And then the same thing applies to our relationship with God. The day I got saved, the day I gave my heart to Jesus, I only knew the basics about God. I knew that He got on the cross for my sins and that He rose from the grave so that I could go to heaven if I accepted His free gift of salvation. It has taken a lifetime after my salvation to know Him the way that I know Him today.
Now, God desire is that each one of us know Him and understand Him. He knows and understands us. And we know that relationships have substance when we both know and understand each other. And so that is God’s desire- a relationship with me that has substance to it. But I got to tell you what separates those who know and understand Him from those who don’t is the work you put in to know and understand Him. 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
So, I am left with the question, am I going to put in the work to know God better? It is the only way to know and understand Him.
3 THREE
TO MAKE GOD FIRST, I NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW HE WORKS IN THE WORLD SO THAT I CAN DISTINGUISH HIS WORKS IN THE WORLD FROM THE DEVIL'S WORKS.
Jeremiah 9:24 (NKJV)
24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.
Not only does knowing and understanding God give substance to my relationship with Him, but it also keeps me out of harm’s way. As I build up my relationship with God, I learn how works in this world. And that is really important because this world gives credit to God for things that He didn’t do. And it refuses to give credit to God for things that He did do.
Let me give you a couple of examples. A person goes on a shooting spree, and he is captured by the authorities. When asked in interrogation why did you do that, the person says that God told me to do it. God did not tell him to do it; the world is giving credit to God for something He did not do.
A person goes to the doctor and the tests reveal cancer throughout his or her body. They take chemo and radiation and the follow- up tests reveal no more cancer. The doctor gives credit to the meds working. I know it was God working; but the world refuses to give Him credit.
Let me give you a big caution flag, you can get really messed up if you don’t know and understand Him because you will be giving credit to God for things that He didn’t do and not acknowledging Him for the things that He does just like the world.
APPLICATION
IF GOD HAS BEEN MADE FIRST IN MY LIFE, I OUGHT TO NOTICE IT IN MY CONVERSATIONS.
I am going to read verse 24 from the NIV this time. Jeremiah 9:24 (NIV)
24 but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD.
Knowing how important making God first is after studying these two verses, how do I know that I have made God first? I need to check my conversations. How often is God the focal point of my conversations or do I more often than not mention Him in passing.
Why do I need to check my conversations? Matthew 15:18 (NKJV)
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart…
Our conversations will reveal if we have made God first.
Let us pray!
