WEBVTT 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:22.640 Colossians, chapter number one, verse 15. 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:29.039 This week is the talking about Jesus being preeminent. 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:30.239 And we'll get into that. 00:00:30.320 --> 00:00:32.479 But Jesus being preeminent. 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:39.679 Verse 15 of chapter 1 of Colossians is also up on the screen if you don't have your Bible. 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:43.280 This is the ESV, so yours may be a little different if you have a different version. 00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:45.759 So Colossians chapter 1, verse 15. 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:53.439 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:57.840 So before I go any further, the He is Jesus. 00:00:58.159 --> 00:01:01.759 Very important that we understand that the He is Jesus. 00:01:01.920 --> 00:01:02.240 Okay? 00:01:02.960 --> 00:01:06.480 He is the image of the invisible God. 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:12.239 That's why Jesus kind of like, you know, they asked the disciples asked him to show us the Father. 00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:16.879 And he said, What do you mean, show me the Father? 00:01:16.959 --> 00:01:18.560 Have I been with you this long? 00:01:20.799 --> 00:01:24.480 And you're asking me to show you the Father? 00:01:24.640 --> 00:01:27.280 If you've seen me, you've seen the Father. 00:01:28.239 --> 00:01:28.879 Amen. 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:34.239 So he is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:44.879 For by him all things were created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him. 00:01:45.280 --> 00:01:47.519 And look at this last three words. 00:01:48.079 --> 00:01:49.680 And for him. 00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:55.120 You ever thought about you were made for God? 00:01:56.480 --> 00:01:59.920 That it's by him, through him, and for him? 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:01.359 Yeah. 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:03.359 You thought your mom and daddy was all about that. 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:03.760 No. 00:02:04.319 --> 00:02:06.159 You hear because God wants you to hear it. 00:02:07.280 --> 00:02:09.759 And he is before all things. 00:02:11.039 --> 00:02:13.280 And in him all things what? 00:02:14.080 --> 00:02:15.520 Hold together. 00:02:17.439 --> 00:02:19.280 And he is the head of the body. 00:02:19.439 --> 00:02:20.159 What body? 00:02:20.240 --> 00:02:20.800 He tells you. 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:22.159 The church. 00:02:23.919 --> 00:02:28.479 He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead. 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:31.520 That in everything. 00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:34.319 Look at your neighbor and say everything. 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:35.120 Everything. 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:36.479 Say with some feeling in it. 00:02:36.560 --> 00:02:37.439 Say everything. 00:02:37.759 --> 00:02:38.400 There you go. 00:02:38.639 --> 00:02:39.599 Everything. 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:43.439 He might be preeminent. 00:02:44.639 --> 00:02:46.080 Preeminent. 00:02:46.719 --> 00:02:53.520 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. 00:02:54.560 --> 00:03:01.680 And through him, I mean this is some, I mean, we could spend weeks on just these verses here, okay? 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:12.240 And through him, through him, not through Buddha, not through Krishna, not through, you know, just being a good old boy or a good old girl, uh-huh. 00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:26.639 Through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 00:03:28.159 --> 00:03:29.520 How's peace made? 00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:31.840 How are we made at peace with God? 00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:33.280 He tells us. 00:03:33.680 --> 00:03:36.800 By the blood of the cross. 00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:40.319 For the wages of sin is death. 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:43.919 And your sins had to be paid for. 00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:50.479 And if your sins wasn't paid for, you couldn't go to heaven. 00:03:52.319 --> 00:03:53.759 So Jesus died. 00:03:53.919 --> 00:03:56.159 He who knew no sin became sin. 00:03:56.479 --> 00:03:59.199 So that we might be called the righteous of God. 00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:01.520 Amen. 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:03.280 It's important. 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:07.120 I know I'm going a little here, a little there, but we've got the gravity. 00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:07.840 Amen. 00:04:07.919 --> 00:04:10.479 That that's why he's preeminent. 00:04:10.879 --> 00:04:12.879 He is preeminent over all things. 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:18.240 We're going to get into this word some more now because we read the scripture and we're going to get back in it. 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:20.879 He is preeminent in everything. 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:23.360 Verse 18, and he is the head of the body of the church. 00:04:23.439 --> 00:04:29.839 He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 00:04:30.639 --> 00:04:36.000 That word, and I'm going to try to say some Greek words, but hey, they're not going to be pronounced just exactly right. 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:39.759 You can look them up and sound them out perfectly if you want to. 00:04:39.920 --> 00:04:41.360 But it's proto-eel. 00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:43.839 P-R-O-T-E-U-O. 00:04:44.480 --> 00:04:44.800 Okay? 00:04:45.759 --> 00:04:51.519 One word used once in all of Scripture about one person. 00:04:53.279 --> 00:04:59.279 That word is used nowhere else in Scripture about any other situation or person. 00:05:01.120 --> 00:05:02.240 Not one time. 00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:03.759 It's only here. 00:05:05.360 --> 00:05:06.800 That's interesting, isn't it? 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:10.480 It should be because he's making a point. 00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:17.120 God, the Holy Spirit, inspired Paul to put it here for a purpose. 00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:23.600 In all of Scripture, this is used only about Jesus. 00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:26.399 Now think about this. 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:29.600 Paul here, amen. 00:05:33.600 --> 00:05:35.519 He's the firstborn of the dead. 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:40.879 In this verse, he says, so that in all things he might have preeminence or be preeminent. 00:05:41.360 --> 00:05:42.959 That is a verb. 00:05:43.600 --> 00:05:43.920 Okay? 00:05:44.399 --> 00:05:49.920 The verb behind that have preeminence is what I just tried to pronounce, that proto-eo. 00:05:50.079 --> 00:05:53.279 But directly on the root of that is protos. 00:05:53.680 --> 00:05:56.000 It's the original Greek word for first. 00:05:56.399 --> 00:05:57.360 Hear me now. 00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:01.920 It means to hold first place, to rank first, to be chief. 00:06:02.079 --> 00:06:05.040 Not just in order, but first. 00:06:07.680 --> 00:06:11.040 Not just in origin, is what I mean to say. 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:14.319 Not just in an origin sense, but in rank. 00:06:17.600 --> 00:06:18.560 In rank. 00:06:20.480 --> 00:06:25.920 There's over 5,000 or roughly 5,400 Greek words in the New Testament. 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:26.959 Did you know that? 00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:29.680 That's a lot. 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:32.000 To me, it's a lot. 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:33.920 It's a lot of words. 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:36.800 And this is the only time this one shows up. 00:06:40.639 --> 00:06:42.399 And it's about Jesus. 00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:47.920 And what's interesting here is that it is a verb, it's not an adjective. 00:06:48.319 --> 00:06:51.920 Because a lot of times English wants to turn this into a title. 00:06:53.040 --> 00:06:53.680 Right? 00:06:54.319 --> 00:06:56.240 He is preeminent. 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:02.079 But the Greek here keeps it active. 00:07:02.639 --> 00:07:04.319 He holds first place. 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:11.360 Preeminence is something Christ actively occupies, not a compliment that I put on him. 00:07:13.839 --> 00:07:19.040 It's not like I'm just saying, okay, God, I come, you know, you're preeminent, you know, you're awesome. 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:20.639 No, he is first. 00:07:22.720 --> 00:07:28.079 It's not something that I ascribe, it's just something I agree with or deny. 00:07:29.120 --> 00:07:31.680 It's true whether I agree with it or not. 00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:34.319 Amen. 00:07:34.720 --> 00:07:41.199 But if I agree with him, amen, then I understand who he is and his position. 00:07:45.040 --> 00:07:48.720 Prominent means noticeable. 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:54.720 Preeminent means nothing rivals Jesus. 00:07:55.279 --> 00:07:56.079 Think about that. 00:07:56.399 --> 00:07:59.199 Prominent means something you notice. 00:07:59.839 --> 00:08:01.680 Jesus ain't just prominent. 00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:06.319 He's preeminent, which means nothing rivals him. 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:12.319 I said, okay. 00:08:13.759 --> 00:08:15.040 That's great to know. 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:17.680 No, but do we live that way? 00:08:19.199 --> 00:08:25.199 Do we live the way that Jesus is preeminent in everything? 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:26.879 First things first, right? 00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:30.079 Is he preeminent in everything? 00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:34.399 Last week we talked about giving him our time, our talents, our energies. 00:08:35.919 --> 00:08:37.600 Giving it to him first. 00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:43.360 Well, the reason why he deserves our first is because he's first. 00:08:44.159 --> 00:08:45.600 Or supposed to be. 00:08:45.840 --> 00:08:47.759 What do you mean by supposed to be? 00:08:47.919 --> 00:08:51.440 Well, it doesn't mean that he isn't. 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:54.879 It means that we may not have him in the correct position. 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:58.480 Have you ever gotten anything out of the correct position? 00:08:58.639 --> 00:09:09.759 We talked a little bit about this last week on the floor, but have you ever had, maybe you were in school or something, and and you know, if you've if you know anything about sports, you know, positions matter. 00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:23.679 The Southern prep that we've, you know, we try to support the church and different ones in the church, and Brother Ryan and them works there and does a great job, and we're we're proud to have those young people come when they can. 00:09:23.919 --> 00:09:28.240 You know, they they they play football, Realtown does, all these places do, right? 00:09:28.559 --> 00:09:30.399 It matters what position you're in. 00:09:30.480 --> 00:09:36.960 If if they if the center lines up in the quarterback position, how many of you think it's gonna go very well? 00:09:38.399 --> 00:09:40.159 It's not gonna go very well. 00:09:40.879 --> 00:09:50.159 If the punter decides he's gonna be a lineman, typically speaking, a punter is not gonna be a very good lineman. 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:53.759 I mean, I'm not meaning it mean, I'm just saying, right? 00:09:54.480 --> 00:09:56.639 And a lineman ain't gonna be a very good punter. 00:09:56.720 --> 00:09:57.360 Can you imagine? 00:09:57.519 --> 00:10:03.279 Big, you know, whatever, 250, 260 out there, you know. 00:10:03.600 --> 00:10:05.919 No, it's not gonna work too well, right? 00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:08.559 The position matters. 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:13.360 You say, well, that's just in football, that's just in sports. 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:14.240 No, no, no. 00:10:14.399 --> 00:10:17.440 It's true in anything that you do, amen. 00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:22.879 If it gets out of order or in the wrong position, it's not gonna work real right. 00:10:23.039 --> 00:10:32.399 And when our lives are not in the order that Christ is preeminent in everything, amen, we are out of order in anything out of order, as we said last week. 00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:38.480 Amen is chaos, is is awkward, is not where it should be. 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:39.360 Amen. 00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:49.840 If we look at it, it says, where he himself, amen, he himself might be the firstborn, right? 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:52.559 That he is the beginning, he is the firstborn of the dead. 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:53.120 Amen. 00:10:53.600 --> 00:11:12.000 He is not just firstborn, he's not firstborn talking about where it is, you know, it's in rank, not origin, because a lot of times when people think about firstborn, they think, well, like in the natural sense of us, that that, okay, well, my brother Kevin is firstborn, he was the first son, you know, and that's what he's talking about. 00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:13.600 No, no, no, no, that's not what he's talking about. 00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:18.879 When he talks about Jesus, he's talking about rank, his priority, his preeminence. 00:11:25.840 --> 00:11:50.879 So, how do I put God first, put Jesus in the primary, permanent place in my life at all times and always, amen, so that I bring him glory and I submit under his authority, amen, so that I might be used in a way that brings him the pleasure and the and the and the priority, amen, that he wants in my life, that people might see him. 00:11:51.120 --> 00:11:51.919 How do I do that? 00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:54.559 How do I practically do that? 00:11:57.360 --> 00:11:59.679 Well, Paul said he died daily. 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:06.559 He says it's no longer me that lives, but it is Christ that lives in me. 00:12:06.639 --> 00:12:11.519 And the life I now live, I live by faith, the Son of God who died for me and loved me and gave himself for me. 00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:15.919 He understood that it was not about him. 00:12:18.559 --> 00:12:25.759 And the first thing that we got to make sure if we're going to make him preeminent is that we don't think of ourselves first, but him. 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:29.919 What do I mean by that? 00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:46.960 Well, one would, you know, we hear the saying, and I know it's come and gone and come and gone, and I don't mean this as a theological statement, but truly we need to think on what would Jesus have us to do in every situation, but not only do, but who he is. 00:12:47.120 --> 00:12:58.720 You see, my direction from God is not merely directional, amen, in the sense that I look to him for only direction, but I look to him because he's worthy to be looked upon and to be worshipped and to be adored. 00:12:58.879 --> 00:13:09.360 I heard it said recently, uh a brother was letting me watch a video the other day, amen, and a woman was saying that uh she was talking to another man and she was saying, you know, I love to worship Jesus. 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:13.279 And she said, No, he said, Oh, you like worshiping? 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:16.000 She said, No, I I don't just I don't just like it. 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:17.360 She says, I love it. 00:13:17.519 --> 00:13:19.440 It is the reason I'm here. 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:24.960 She said, I just can't make it without it. 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:27.679 I just can't make it without spending time with him. 00:13:28.080 --> 00:13:34.480 I just can't make it without making him, you know, all that I can, just worship him and spending time with him. 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:38.320 I'm not we're I'm not wording it all perfectly because of the story. 00:13:38.399 --> 00:13:39.840 My memory's not the great on that. 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:47.120 But what I wanted to bring out of it was this at the end of that, the man was touched, he was blessed, and then the man found out, guess what? 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:48.960 She had stage four cancer. 00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:54.639 She had all these other issues going on, and you would have never known it if you'd have talked to her. 00:13:54.720 --> 00:13:54.960 Why? 00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:57.360 Because all she talked about was Jesus. 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:03.039 She talked about Jesus, how she wanted to worship Jesus, how she loved Jesus, how he was everything to her. 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:06.799 Everything she talked about was Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:09.360 You want to know how to make him preeminent? 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:11.440 That means he's your focus. 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:13.039 That means that he's first. 00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:15.360 That means you don't think about what you get out of it. 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:18.159 You think about what you can do to bring glory to him. 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:25.360 You see, if I live a life, amen, that is about me, then it's not going to glorify him. 00:14:25.519 --> 00:14:32.879 But if I live a life that is about him and deny me, amen, then he will receive the glory, amen, and I will be blessed. 00:14:33.840 --> 00:14:37.039 That ain't why we do it, it's just a reason that it will happen. 00:14:37.200 --> 00:14:37.679 Amen. 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:42.960 Because when I bless him, when I glorify him, he will always bless you and me. 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:44.159 Why? 00:14:44.320 --> 00:14:45.759 Because it's an order. 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:48.080 It's an order. 00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:52.480 I got all kinds of papers and stuff up here. 00:14:56.639 --> 00:15:08.000 So why should we constantly and consistently make sure that Christ is preeminent in our lives? 00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:15.919 Because as humans and as those that are yet to make heaven our home, our flesh and the enemy is always trying to put him anywhere but first. 00:15:23.759 --> 00:15:26.159 You say, Well, if I'm a Christian, I don't have to worry about the flesh. 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:28.159 Well, you're you're better than Paul then. 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:34.639 Paul said, What I would do, I I don't do and what I don't want to do. 00:15:34.720 --> 00:15:39.200 That's what I do, and and and who's going to be able to deliver me from this body of death? 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:42.320 And I love, I saw a note on this. 00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:46.240 I've shared this before, but uh, this is what some said. 00:15:46.399 --> 00:16:06.320 Take it, leave it, I don't know, but they said this body of death was referencing back in that time when kings would take over other kings, that they would take a dead corpse of the of the one of the soldiers and they would tie it on the back of that other king and wrap it around so that the weight of that dead body would slowly weigh them down and kill them. 00:16:07.519 --> 00:16:15.120 And that was the imagery that Paul was using that who's gonna be able to deliver me from this body of death, from this sin that destroys and kills. 00:16:15.279 --> 00:16:18.080 Thank God He didn't put a He didn't put a period there. 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:22.639 He said, Thanks be unto God through Jesus Christ. 00:16:23.600 --> 00:16:36.960 That's why he's preeminent, because he deserves it, because he came and died, because he lived the life I couldn't live, he died the death that I should have died, and he raised up through the resurrection, victorious over death, hell, and the grave. 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:40.000 He is preeminent because he deserves it. 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:52.159 You say, Well, I know you just said my my flesh and the enemy and all that, so how how do how do I get above? 00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:53.279 How do I get ahead of that? 00:16:53.360 --> 00:16:56.879 He said, Well, walk in the spirit, walk in the spirit, and you will what? 00:16:57.039 --> 00:16:59.360 Not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:06.319 If I walk in the spirit and with the spirit, he's never gonna lead me to sin. 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:12.720 Why do you think the Lord's prayer lead me not into temptation? 00:17:13.519 --> 00:17:14.160 But what? 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:17.680 Deliver me from evil. 00:17:17.920 --> 00:17:18.319 Amen. 00:17:18.559 --> 00:17:19.759 For thy, amen. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:21.440 We forget, amen. 00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:22.640 God will help us. 00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:25.759 He said that he wouldn't ever put nothing upon us but that which we could bear. 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:27.519 And with the temptation, what? 00:17:29.359 --> 00:17:31.279 He provided a way of escape. 00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:33.599 Amen. 00:17:34.079 --> 00:17:36.559 That's who we worship, that's who we adore. 00:17:36.640 --> 00:17:36.960 Why? 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:38.160 Because he deserves it. 00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:38.720 Amen. 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:43.839 When we think of deserves, that means he is worthy of what we give him. 00:17:44.079 --> 00:17:48.000 And not only is he worthy of what I give him, he is worthy of much more. 00:17:48.160 --> 00:17:50.480 He's worthy more than I could ever give him. 00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:59.200 So why is it that some people are willing to leave their homes as our missionary friends do and sell everything? 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:00.799 Because if you didn't know, they have to sell everything. 00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:02.079 They can't, you know. 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:07.759 They may correct me after church, but the other missionaries I've talked to, they basically got rid of everything. 00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:16.799 You know, take your kids, all this stuff, and hope and pray that the churches and the district and the offices will support like they say they will. 00:18:16.960 --> 00:18:22.319 And, you know, and then you got to deal with all the other stuff over there in the other countries and all the other challenges and everything. 00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:27.920 And you know, they don't, I, you know, they can correct me after church, but I'm sure there's places they go that don't have air conditioning. 00:18:29.920 --> 00:18:32.559 He's smiling, she's smiling, so it must be true. 00:18:32.720 --> 00:18:38.160 And they probably got them big old insects over there in some of them jungles that we don't have around here, huh? 00:18:40.079 --> 00:18:44.079 And it could be real easy to say, Lord, Lord, Lord, why am I him? 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:54.319 But I know that they ain't been there nine years if it wasn't for them knowing that Jesus is first. 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:09.359 Jesus is first, he's preeminent, he is first in rank and deserves all of our praise. 00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:23.440 When we ever just fall and say, God, whatever you want, wherever you want, whenever you want, God will use you. 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:25.920 We'll say it again. 00:19:26.079 --> 00:19:32.880 When we fall and say, God, whatever you want, wherever you want, however you want, whenever you want, God will use you. 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:39.119 There's a little girl at the church, and I'm I'm getting somewhere, but not here. 00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:42.559 It's another church I heard this story, but it's true because they use it all the time. 00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:52.000 And this little, they was the preacher had been preaching on, you know, giving, you know, putting your, you know, saying yes to God and being obedient to God and and everything, which is great. 00:19:53.119 --> 00:19:56.160 And so this little, I think they said she was nine years old at the time. 00:19:56.240 --> 00:19:59.519 She she came down and she prayed, she got back up and went back. 00:19:59.599 --> 00:20:07.200 And I don't know if it's the pastor or parents, whoever it was, that asked her and said, Well, you know, what did you what did God tell you to do? 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:09.359 She said, Well, I don't know yet. 00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:12.880 She said, but I just went up there and put my yes on the table. 00:20:16.079 --> 00:20:16.720 Come on. 00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:21.519 She's like, I don't know yet, but I'm just going ahead and telling him yes. 00:20:22.079 --> 00:20:23.359 Whatever it is. 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:24.720 There you go. 00:20:25.440 --> 00:20:25.920 Huh? 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:26.880 Because why? 00:20:27.039 --> 00:20:28.640 He's preeminent in her life. 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:32.880 He should be preeminent in all of our life, and that his he is the priority. 00:20:33.039 --> 00:20:36.400 He is first in rank and in value, he is the reason. 00:20:36.559 --> 00:20:36.880 Amen. 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:44.400 Paul said we we forget so many so many times that it's in him that I live and move and have my being. 00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:46.480 I would be lost without him. 00:20:51.599 --> 00:20:56.240 So I want to ask you this morning: is Jesus Christ preeminent in your life? 00:20:56.720 --> 00:20:58.160 Is he the first? 00:20:58.960 --> 00:21:00.400 Is he most important? 00:21:01.119 --> 00:21:06.880 Is he the one you look to in every area first and foremost, with everything of yourself? 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:08.799 Do you have your yes at the table? 00:21:08.960 --> 00:21:11.680 Do you say, God, whenever, whatever, however? 00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:14.400 In every way, God, it's up to you. 00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:18.400 I will say, be careful when you say it. 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:24.319 Not in a not in a just not in a bad way, but he's gonna do something and he's gonna tell you something. 00:21:26.559 --> 00:21:30.160 Well, I, you know, I just don't know if it's time. 00:21:30.720 --> 00:21:34.319 But Jesus said, don't say four more months until the harvest. 00:21:35.599 --> 00:21:38.240 For the fields are already ripe under harvest. 00:21:38.960 --> 00:21:44.240 I pray that the Lord of the harvest will send laborers into his labor field. 00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:46.240 I mean to his harvest field, excuse me. 00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:47.279 Amen. 00:21:48.160 --> 00:21:50.640 So many times people say, Well, I just need God to direct me. 00:21:50.799 --> 00:21:51.599 Let me tell you something. 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:58.400 I understand we need the Spirit of God to direct us, but so many times we use that as an excuse for not being obedient and doing what he's already told us to do. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:01.599 We already know he told us. 00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:02.559 Jesus said it. 00:22:02.720 --> 00:22:04.880 Go out to the highways and the byways and what? 00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:06.799 Compel them to come in. 00:22:07.359 --> 00:22:10.480 We don't have to have the Holy Spirit to tell us again. 00:22:11.359 --> 00:22:20.079 Now, how we do it, the words we use, the moment that we say it, maybe there's a lot of times there are strategic things that he leads us in. 00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:20.880 But amen. 00:22:20.960 --> 00:22:26.319 But if we have to wait for a five-step program of the Holy Spirit to share Jesus Christ, we got problems. 00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:30.240 We got problems. 00:22:30.400 --> 00:22:34.160 If he's preeminent in your life, you want to tell people. 00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:39.440 I guarantee you, Nelson and Bree are so proud of their babies, and the one they just had, all three of them. 00:22:40.079 --> 00:22:52.000 I mean, we didn't have to ask them, would y'all mind, you know, letting everybody see the baby or giving us showing some pictures or if we stop by, you know, we didn't have to beg them. 00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:53.759 Yeah, come on by, they said, come on by. 00:22:53.839 --> 00:22:54.079 Why? 00:22:54.240 --> 00:22:56.799 They were happy to share their children. 00:22:57.519 --> 00:22:58.079 Right? 00:22:58.400 --> 00:22:59.599 Sometimes more than others, right? 00:22:59.839 --> 00:23:00.640 You don't help us out. 00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:00.880 No. 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:02.799 But they were happy. 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:03.839 Sister Amy. 00:23:03.920 --> 00:23:07.039 I mean, she's proud of all them babies she brings up here. 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:08.960 She don't mind help either, y'all. 00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:10.160 Is that right to say? 00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:11.359 Help you in church. 00:23:13.200 --> 00:23:14.640 She's proud of them. 00:23:14.880 --> 00:23:21.440 When you're proud of something, when you love someone, when you love somebody, you're not having to push somebody to show off. 00:23:21.680 --> 00:23:22.799 You want to show them. 00:23:23.279 --> 00:23:24.559 You want to tell about them. 00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:26.240 You go on Facebook, you'll see people here. 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:27.119 Look at my grandbabies. 00:23:27.279 --> 00:23:28.079 Ain't nothing wrong with it. 00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:30.160 Look at my grandbabies, look at my babies, look at my child. 00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:31.839 Look at their dog. 00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:36.880 I mean, I got my dog, I like my dog, but look at my dog. 00:23:36.960 --> 00:23:37.759 Ain't she pretty? 00:23:37.839 --> 00:23:38.559 Okay, great. 00:23:38.720 --> 00:23:42.480 But are we that excited about sharing Jesus Christ? 00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:45.440 Do you wait for the Holy Ghost to tell you to share your dog? 00:23:47.839 --> 00:23:48.160 No. 00:23:49.519 --> 00:23:52.160 You share them because you're happy to share of them. 00:23:52.319 --> 00:23:55.680 You're happy because you love them, or you want to tell people about them. 00:23:55.839 --> 00:23:58.799 I love Jesus because he first loved me. 00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:03.440 And I'm going to tell people because he first loved me before I ever loved him. 00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:06.160 And he is first in my life. 00:24:06.559 --> 00:24:12.319 There's not a single gift, a single blessing, a single anything that I have that didn't come from Jesus Christ. 00:24:13.599 --> 00:24:18.640 It's the very least I can do is put him first in everything. 00:24:19.519 --> 00:24:22.559 Because he loves you and me. 00:24:23.519 --> 00:24:25.119 He is pre-eminent. 00:24:26.400 --> 00:24:32.480 I want to ask you and challenge you today to let the Holy Spirit show you if he is or if he isn't. 00:24:33.039 --> 00:24:35.519 Please don't help your neighbor out with this. 00:24:36.000 --> 00:24:38.960 Don't lean over and say he's not with you. 00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:40.960 Don't do that. 00:24:41.200 --> 00:24:42.400 Let God do that. 00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:44.640 Even if you write, it ain't your place. 00:24:45.759 --> 00:24:54.880 Unless the Lord specifically tells you to do that, and it better be Jesus, not your, you know, well, I know you ain't praying God in prayer, but remember yesterday? 00:24:55.039 --> 00:24:55.359 No. 00:24:55.759 --> 00:24:57.039 Right, okay. 00:24:58.000 --> 00:24:59.759 But we want to put him first. 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:00.799 What happens? 00:25:00.960 --> 00:25:03.119 What happens when he is first? 00:25:03.519 --> 00:25:20.720 God does amazing things, but I think that's what I'm saying.