Putting God First
A church becomes what its people allow it to become.
Putting God First
I once had someone ask me what my favorite moment in church was. I had to do some real soul-searching over that question.
I’ve experienced a lot of beautiful church moments and I don’t think I can sort through them that way. I was baptized in a church, married in a church and I worship in one. Those are all wonderful things. (And if my wife is reading this, the wedding definitely stands out—just saying).
I’ve sung songs, preached sermons, taught the Bible, learned hard lessons, prayed prayers, made mistakes, led revivals, witnessed healing, comforted parents, performed weddings and funerals, rebuked demons, thanked angels, sat in silence before God, read His Holy Word aloud, shared communion, listened to the Holy Spirit, knelt before God, rejoiced with His people, wept with them, hugged complete strangers and watched the children of God praise and worship Him.
How do I choose one of those over another?
A church becomes what its people allow it to become. Some churches are political platforms or personal stages. Some are social clubs while others are as spiritually lifeless as dead logs. But, then there are churches where the Word of God is powerful and life-altering.
I’ve heard sermons that should be burned in the fires of hell and I’ve heard preaching that ushered me straight into God’s presence.
Through all of it, I’ve learned this: the church must always be about the glory of God. Whatever a church is doing, it must first and foremost be about pleasing Him.
When we put our own agendas ahead of God’s, the church gets out of balance and begins to fall apart. But when we truly honor Him — putting Him first in all we do and say — we build a lifetime of those “God moments”.
Isaiah wrote about true worship when he recorded this promise from God:
Isaiah 1:19
“If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land.”
He was writing about us when he wrote that. Put God first and you will have a church that you will love because the Holy Spirit is working and moving there. That’s the key to doing church right; keeping Christ on the throne and keeping ourselves off of it.
