Jesus First

We ask a question that cuts through church talk and self talk: what is the most important thing in your life, really. We look at John the Baptist’s focus on Jesus and confront how comfort, screens, and even ministry “success” can quietly replace the mission. 
• testing whether Jesus is truly first or just the right answer 
• why Matthew includes John’s clothes and diet as a signal of humility 
• John’s single message: repent because the King is here 
• how distraction shows up through comfort, image, and doom scrolling 
• setting your mind on things above from Colossians 
• why metrics and programs become a trap when they replace Jesus 
• the mission stays simple: preach Christ so faith can grow 
• a practical next step: tell one person who Jesus is and what he did for you 

So download the five-day devotional, tell one person about Jesus and what he has done, how he is greater than anything we can chase after, and how he is the priority of our life.

Transcript

he Question That Exposes Priorities

Josh 0:00

Amen. Anyone else? Alright. So today we're going to kick off with our big idea, which is this. What is the most important thing in your life? And I know most of us are like, we know the answer, right? What is it?

unknown 0:19

Jesus.

ohn The Baptist Looks Wrong

hy Humility Beats Image

Josh 0:19

Yeah, that's right. It's Jesus. It's God. Okay, we're actually going to put that on trial, though, and see if that really is the case in our life, or if we just know that that's the right thing to say. And I'll be the first one to admit, this is something I wrestle with. This is something that from time to time I kind of drift away and other things pop up and other things really like just take center stage in my life. And it's easy to do that. It's called vision leak, and it happens, right? So I'm going to pray and then we're going to jump into it. Father, thank you so much for your word, and I ask and I pray, God, that as we move through your word today, that it is just that, your word. That Father, you are speaking to your people, that God, we are transformed by the renewing of our minds through your word. Father, I ask and I pray that it is not my thought, my opinion, but that God, I am just a tool you use for your glory to bring us closer to you, to make us look more like your Son. Father, I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright, so we're gonna kick off in chapter or Matthew 3, starting in verse 4, says this. Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all in the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were bap what they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now, when we really stop and think about this, right, it's a weird detail that Matthew throws in here. Mark does the same thing. Like, think through this. Why do you think Matthew would include a description of John's clothing and diet? Like, would his message have been any different if he wore Versace? Like, think through this. Like when when I'm recording and I'm ready to put up a sermon, do you think I include what I'm wearing that day? In fact, it does make me laugh because I am thinking about one video that we did last month sometime. Like one of the comments on YouTube was like, hey, you need to get some new clothes. And I was like, really? Like of everything that is being said, that's what you focus on? Like your clothes. And I was like, and it's only happened one time. But it's not like we need to include a description of what we're wearing. Because the message isn't about what I'm wearing. Would it come any different if I had shorts on? Because I'll tell you, this is a thought that I've had many times, right? Especially when I was younger. Like anybody else in here, you had to wear your Sunday best. Like we were going through photos at my mom's house not too long ago, and there's a photo of all of us in the front yard, you know, standing in front of the suburban, getting ready to go to church, and it's, you know, the button-up shirt with the tie and the khakis, and it's tucked in, and you had to look the part. And I hated it every single week, just like any young child in the history of humankind. And yet, here we are looking at this, and I'm going, well, John the Baptist didn't get dressed up. I wish when I was younger I would have paid attention a little more in children's church. I don't know if they skipped that lesson, because I think this could have been a good argument with my parents, but again, what we see is that John really only had. Apparently, mommy did not disconnect from the Bluetooth. What we see though is that John really only has one message. His message isn't dressed very nice, his message isn't look the part. His message is simple: repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. In other words, John, and in fact, when we see this in the book of John, okay, written by a different John, John, when he sees Jesus walking up as he is baptizing people, he stops everything he is doing and he says this, Behold, the Lamb of God who take us takes away the sins of the world. John recognizes who Jesus is, and because he recognizes who Jesus is, he knows that the king has shown up and he is here, and now is the time to repent and follow after the king. In fact, listen to how John describes Jesus. Okay, and in Mark 1, 7 through 8, John is talking and he's describing who is coming after him, and he says, and he preached, he there is John, and he preached, saying, After me comes one, after me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. Think about this. John is sitting here going, so far from me, so much greater than me is Jesus, that I'm not even worthy to untie his shoes. Now, here's what we have to understand when it comes to this. And later on we'll we'll get to Jesus washing the disciples' feet, right? But here's what you have to think about. I am one of those weird people, I can't stand feet. I think feet are just disgusting. Okay? Apparently, the rest of culture doesn't share my opinion if you get my drift. Like I'm not paying people to take pictures of their feet. I think that's disgusting. But back then, feet were even worse than what they are now. Because what didn't they have back then? Sanitation. Like, think about this. You have animals in the street. What are those animals doing? Those of you that have animals, you know what they do, right? I mean, they're just dropping deuces everywhere they go. They didn't have gutters and everything back then. So, where is all of this stuff getting piled up at? Right there in the street. So when you're walking to your neighbor's house, what you would have to do is walk through all of this. Well, they didn't have closed-toe shoes then. Most people didn't even have shoes. And so you're walking through all of this, your feet are getting all of this on you. That is why when you would walk into someone's house, the very first thing they would do is wash your feet at the door. Because they're going, I know what you just walk through, don't track it through the house, right? Some of you, you may be those weird people that are like, hey, uh, could you take your shoes off at the door, right? And I get it to a certain extent. Like, don't be obnoxious with it, but like I get why you do that, right? Because I don't want you tracking through my house everything that you just walk through. Now, what would happen is, is the lowest servant in the house, because it is the most disgusting job, would be the one that would have to stand at the door and wash everyone's feet. The lowest servant. And what John is just saying here about Jesus is I'm not even worthy to do that. Like I'm not even worthy to be the lowest servant in the house. Think John knows who Jesus is? Remember, he leaped. Remember last week? When Elizabeth and Mary get together while they're pregnant, and John's leaping in her womb? He knows who Jesus is. And that's why he can be so single-minded. That's why he has this one mission that he's on. And then Matthew interrupted that, like we just saw, with this description of his clothes. So why is that there? First and foremost, Matthew and Mark both include this description because they're trying to show us something. What did you say, Masali?

unknown 8:29

Humility.

Josh 8:29

Humility. Priority. Do you think John worries about what he looks like? How many of you it took you longer than a couple of minutes to get up, get ready, and get out the door? Like, just think about it. When you, just on a normal, typical day, I will tell you right now, I have to leave my house no later than 7.15 to get up here to be at work, right? To make sure someone's here when you guys come drop off your kids. Does anybody know what time I actually get out of bed to leave said house at 7.15?

unknown 9:09

7.

omfort And Distraction Steal Focus

et Your Mind Above

hen Metrics Replace The Mission

rograms Are Tools Not The Goal

Josh 9:10

7:30? 7'7. I was like, no, I can't work back. Yeah, I'm out of bed at 7.05, 7.10. I literally go in the bathroom, do my bathroom routine, get my nasty chompers brushed, and then I just throw my clothes on and let's go. Like I am normally, Debbie wakes up at like, no live, like four. Debbie will go to the gym, Debbie will go eat breakfast, Debbie, like, like Debbie's been awake for a minute, and I'm like, come on, we gotta go, we gotta go, we're we're late. Let's go, let's go, let's go. She hates it every day, but whatever, it is what it is. I've had the same haircut, honestly, since I was like in ninth grade, 14. You know why? Yeah, you don't have to brush this. Like, let's go. Like JT came in the room last night and I'm looking at him in his hair. He's trying to grow his hair out now while he has it. And um it was just like poofed out everywhere. And I was like, dude, you gotta do something with your hair, man. Like, you can't, and he's like, I'm gonna brush it tomorrow. You know what he has to do now? A whole nother step to get ready to get out of the door. See, John is sitting here going, I'm not trying to impress everyone. Just like I'm not trying to impress anyone. Because here's the deal I absolutely love my wife and I'm not looking for another one. So why do I have to look good when I go out in public? I'm already married. I don't have to get someone's attention. I'm not like trying to peacock, I'm not trying to do any of that. Why? Because I'm not here to impress people. Think about it. Like we went out turkey hunting yesterday. Have any of you ever actually seen a turkey strut? It is amazing. I mean, they puff out, the tail feathers come up, they just look the part. I'm not trying to do that because I ain't looking for new ends. And John wasn't either. And see, like when I started, I would argue this. Most of us in this room, we have the same priorities as everyone else in this room. You ready? Like if I were to go, hey, list out your priorities in life. It would probably, if I had to guess, sound something similar to this oh, there's God, then family, then everything else. And yes, that is the right answer to say. But look at our lives. Is that actually how we stack up? Are those the actual priorities of our life? And again, I'll call out myself. Here's the deal. This week, we went, as most of you know, we went to Crystal River for vacation. It was amazing. I stayed in this beautiful house that is on a canal. In other words, we got there Monday. Tuesday morning, I think it was. We went and dropped the boat off at a nearby boat ramp so I could bring the boat around so we could tie it off to the dock outside. Tuesday night, we got to go out to Fort Florida, the beach area. You guys know what happens on the west coast of Florida? The sun just sinks right into the Gulf of Mexico. And you guys can call it the Gulf of America if you want to. I'm not going to. But you just watch the sun just sink right into the Gulf. I got some amazing pictures of it. It is absolutely gorgeous. And that was only three minutes away from the house. And then when I would wake up in the morning, I would get to eat my breakfast, and then guess what? Just walk right out the back door, right down the ramp, get right on the boat, and I'm already ready to go fish. It was paradise. Paradise. Because by the time I got on the boat within 10 minutes, I'm in the Gulf of Mexico. That's some of the best fishing you've ever had. Raise your hand if you think this led to a conversation with me and Debbie. Raise your hand if at any point this week me or Debbie might went, uh-oh, how much do you make Airbnb again? Raise your hand if you were like, yeah, I've looked up house prices in Crystal River. Right on King's Bay, by the way. You know how much money we can get during manatee season? So you know how much though I went, Debbie, did you see the way Jesus just hung the sun in the air? Not much. I mean, sure, we were like, oh, that's gorgeous, but that was it. When we were sitting there snorkeling with these manatees, do you think we were sitting here, like we got done and we were like, man, God just made these like giant car-shaped things that just sit in the water like that. And they're they're like so gorgeous in their own way. No, we didn't do that either. We were just like, that was so cool. You know, the one baby manatee apparently took a liking to Kayla. I think it's why she's sick. But she doesn't share that same thing. See, because when we really stop and look at this, you know how easy it is to get distracted by life? You know how easy it is to just get like wrapped up in the day-to-day minutia of your life? And what do we lose focus of? Jesus. Family. Because it it's easy. Because I've spent a lot of time this week sitting there talking to Debbie about how to make this a reality without ever stopping and going, you know what, Jesus, thank you. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to even do this. Because that's what we do in life. Because Jesus becomes a second thought. Because he's not first and foremost in our list of priorities. And we lie, we say he is, but really he's not. I mean, even if we look to Paul, who wrote half of the New Testament. In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul is going through like, I wish everyone could be like me because he's single and he's very single-minded, and his mission always comes first. And then when you get down to verse 33, Paul says this, but the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife. And if you were married in here, you get that. Because here's what's going through your mind. If mama ain't happy, oh, see, we know it, right? Ain't no one happy. And it's true, right? Like if you were married in here and you think about your wife, and I know she's sitting next to you, mine's not. So I will speak for all the men in here. You know you were sitting here going, here we go again. Because we're worried about the worldly things. And all of you guys did the right thing when you went, it's not me. Because we're worried about the things that are here and now. We're worried about the things that affect our day-to-day. Do you think John is? Dude's wearing camel hair and eating locusts and living in the wild. And for us men in here, you're like, you know what? That doesn't sound that bad. Like, I could lean up against the tree. I'm telling you guys right now, Gabby went out hunting with us yesterday. I have never in my life heard someone snore that loud while you're trying to hunt animals that are known for how well their hearing is. And then you get to watch the sun come up and you get to hear the birds start chirping. You get to see all of this beautiful stuff, right? But how many of us we're just distracted by the glitz and the glam? Like we just sit here and we just what is it called? Doom scroll? And we just like, oh, look at that, look at that, look at that, look at that. Like, do you realize that chiropractors now have a name for neck injuries you get because we spend so much time hunched over like this looking at our phone? Like, think about that. What is so amazing? Like, like, seriously, where were we the other day? Everyone's videotaping something. They're like, oh, put your phone up so you can see this. And I'm like, I don't want to see my life through a four-inch screen. Yes, we're at the Homasasa Wildlife Refuge, and there's a bear. It's the first time I've ever seen a bear in my life. Like in real life. Obviously, I've seen them on TV. And I was like trying to get it to roar at us, but apparently, bears don't do that outside of like when you give them the commands. And like you just look, and all of these people are lined up to see this bear who was doing hilarious things. Like he was doing like what we would refer to as human things. Like he's waking up, he has his leg like moved, he's like scratching, like it was so hilarious. He he literally turned around and scratched his butt, like it was hilarious. And all you see are four-inch screens, and everyone looking at what is happening in front of them through this screen. And that's how we live life. Because we are so easily distracted. Why? Like John knows who Jesus is, and because John knows who he is, he goes, none of this other stuff matters. Like, I don't need designer clothes. Like when you compare John to the Pharisees, like the Pharisees would wear these great robes and these ephods and these amazing, fine linens. And they would like stand in front of the people at temple. And John's like, no, dude, I'm gonna get some camel hair. We're gonna go out of the Jordan. You wanna come? Let's go. I'm gonna introduce you to who Jesus is, though. He would be what we call rough around the edges. But this is why he can stay so focused. Because he's not looking at the glitz and the glam of the world. Not like we are. Like we love that, don't we? Do you know how much money advertisers spend a year to get your eyes to look at their thing? Like I go, I don't understand how they stay in business. Because they literally spend billions of dollars to research you. Because they went, we want your eyes, we want your attention. Look at us, look at us, look at us. And we do. I mean, Easter's coming up. How many of us are looking at the cross? How many of us like we we sit here and we go, you know what? None of this stuff out here matters. I'm just gonna look to Jesus. In Colossians 3, Paul would say this: set your mind on the things that are above. Why? Well, if you go all the way back to Colossians 1, he says this, for he is preeminent and before all things. He holds all things together by the power of his word. Like, if you ever stopped and went, like, how does your skin hold all your atoms together? Like, what causes those atoms to not just go in all directions? What brought order to that chaos? Well, Colossians would tell us that, right? Jesus is holding all things together. How many of us though are going, I don't need to worry about my day-to-day? Because the God I serve, the God I worship, the God I follow is holding together all things. This is how we become so singular focused. This is how we keep our attention there as we sit here and go, who is Jesus? Because all of a sudden, my problems at work aren't that big of a deal. I'll break you guys into another, like, because I have no problem calling myself out. I sat in the parking lot for like 15 minutes before I even came into the building today, just steaming with anger. Anybody want to know why? Anyone want to guess why? Let's go that route. I did not win the lotto. Oh, I did. I caught like four snook, 30-inch redfish, like fishing was phenomenal. I went, my vacation's over. Like Sunday, like Sunday marks another workday for me. That's it. Spring break's done, it's gone. Today kicks everything back off. And I went, the longer I stay in the parking lot and don't come into the building, the longer my vacation gets to be. So I got an extra 15 minutes. See, but this is what we do. And we start getting worried about all of the distractions of life. See, John doesn't care about his clothes. He's not trying to live this life of comfort and luxury. We are. Like we love. When I say we, understand I am talking about in general. I am not sitting here going, every single human being I know. But think about this. We love names, don't we? Like, oh, what are you wearing? Who are you wearing? I go, think about when you were little. Any of anyone in here know the Bobo song? You know, Bobos make your feet feel fine, bobos cost$1.99. So none of y'all, okay, y'all must have been highfalutin. Like, some of us, we had to grow up with shoes that weren't always together. You learned how to use shoe glue real fast. And did you get picked on and made fun of for it? Yes. And what'd that do with the first like real paycheck you got? You went out and got something that had like a swoosh on it, right? Because you went, I'm not gonna get made fun of anymore. Why? Why do you care? And I get it, it's easy for me to say this on this side of it. But if you talk to me at Paul's age, it was very different. Because I went, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, you don't understand. Because if I don't have this, I get made fun of. And I don't want to get made fun of. I just don't want to, like, I don't even want people to know I'm here. I just kind of want to blend into everything. Because we're so worried about the here and now. Where John is sitting here going, I don't get it, man. Like, this guy that is coming, this guy that is here now, I'm not even worthy to untie his shoes. You think I'm worried about if I'm wearing this? And because John sees Jesus for who Jesus is, verse 5 and 6 exist. See, verse 5 and 6 were so much more amazing than just what John's wearing. Because John being that single-minded focus is sitting here going, hey, because I know who Jesus is, people are going out to him to be baptized and just confessing their sin. This would be like me just like taking the boat out one day, and then people just like showing up out in Oak Hill or Edgewater. And they're like, hey, we just want to get in the water with you. We just want to be baptized by you. And I've thought about this many times. Some of you have had this conversation with me where I'm like, dude, we should just do an outdoor service every week. Like, be done with the whole like building and all of that. Like, I'm just gonna take the boat out. Like, we'll just have everybody meet me out there and we'll just preach outside. And that way we always have the water. And every actual pastor I've talked to is like, that is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. You're not gonna get people to you think you have a hard enough time getting people to show up at a building? What are you gonna do the first time it's raining? Oh, we're gonna get wet. And who's gonna go? Fair point. Yeah, we live in Florida. What's gonna happen in the summer when it's 115 degrees at 6 a.m.? And who's gonna show? And I get it. I have literally seen people leave churches because they keep it too cold. The music's too loud. The music's not loud enough. I don't like the songs that they sing. And I say here and go, I think we're missing the point of this. Because the point isn't, are you being fed? The point is who are you feeding? See, John has this one message. It's all about Jesus. Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and this causes something in others, confession and baptism. John is not giving us 15 steps to a better version of ourselves. He is sitting here going, without Jesus, don't even worry about anything else. Like if Jesus isn't your priority, if he's not your middle, if he's not your everything, none of this other stuff is gonna work out anyway, so what's the point? We don't need to sit here and talk about your struggles in your marriage. If Jesus isn't first and foremost in your life, your marriage isn't going to work. You wanna know why? Because, husbands, you are not gonna love your wife like Christ loved the church and give your life for her if you don't understand who Jesus is. Wives, you are not going to submit to your husbands as unto Christ if you don't understand who Christ is. Because then it's gonna be, I'm not listening to you. Why should I listen to you? But when we understand who Jesus is and husbands, when we are loving like Jesus, it makes it very easy for your wife to go, hey, this is something I can get behind. See, and again, as a pastor, this is an area I struggle with. Because every single thing we do, when we get done, I look back on and go, okay, did that produce fruit? Did anything come about from that? We do a barbecue. All right, did anyone show up? If not, is it worth doing another one? Is this where we should be putting our resources? We open a sharing center where we're literally sitting here going, hey, those people you know in your life that are struggling to eat, tell them to come up because we have food that we just go here, but yet when we're throwing away expired food because we couldn't get enough people to come up and eat said food, and it's not like we're getting stuff that goes bad in a week, then is that working? See, this is what I do all the time. Are people showing up? Are people confessing sin? Are people getting baptized? And the problem with viewing all of this through these metrics is this these metrics become the mission. We totally lose Jesus. Because we sit here and go, okay, but this isn't working, we gotta pivot. And no, that's not a reference to that Friends episode because I did not watch Friends. But that's what we do, right? Okay, well, maybe it's this, maybe it's this, maybe it's this, maybe it's this, maybe it's this. Maybe it's we're I'm just not preaching Jesus enough. Maybe I'm just not bold enough in my preaching. You guys see how easy it is then to get lost on all of the distractions that come from this. See how easy it is now for the devil to come in and go, hey, um, maybe if you did this, maybe if you did this. And then you just get like my dog, and you literally start chasing your tail. And then he catches it and he's like, okay, now what? Because that kind of hurt when I bit it. And that's how we do this. See, John got it. The mission's easy. Luke 19, 10 shows us, right? Seek and save what is lost. Romans 10, 17 shows us how to do it. So faith comes from hearing and hearing the word of Christ. The mission is super easy. Seek and save what is lost. Well, how do I do that? By preaching the gospel. Like if Jesus isn't coming out, how are lost people going to get saved to begin with? John knew this. John was not building a seeker-sensitive church. We're gonna get into it a lot more next week, which is Palm Sunday. But you know what happens when like the religious people show up? John calls them, you brood of vipers. Because he's sitting here going, I'm not trying to build this crowd. Jesus feeds 5,000, goes, hey, if you don't eat my flesh and drink my blood, you can have no part with me. Let he who has ears listen, and then walks off. Because crowds weren't their metric. Jesus is sitting here going, I want followers and I want converts. Think about this. How many of us know people who sit in church week after week after week after week, and yet no fruit is being produced in their life? How many of us are those people? Who we hear this week after week after week after week, and yet nothing is different in our life. And let's be honest, we make it about all these other things, like events. That's our problem, right? That's how we need to grow. We need to do more events. Anyone in here, you came here because of an event you attended here? No? Well, you know what it is? It's programs. We need programs. Like, we have to have a youth ministry, and we have to have a kids' ministry, and we have to have a men's ministry, and we have to have a women's ministry, and we have to have all of these programs. Any of you? Guys, we just sang songs today without actual people. It like it's apparent we can do these things. There are people, like, let's be honest. I just watched a whole video yesterday about uh digital churches. And when I say digital, digital church thank you, churches, I was like, it's not church, that's not a real word. The entire church is done by AI, and you just log on to a website. It wrote the songs, it sings the songs, it wrote the message, it preaches the message. The entire church.

unknown 32:36

Who isn't putting the information?

hat You Talk About Reveals You

Josh 32:38

The machine is. See, think about it. Like what we're doing, if it isn't about Jesus, who cares? If it isn't about like the things of our hearts, who cares? Because when we make it about events, when we make it about programs, and listen very carefully, I'm not saying those are bad things in themselves at all. Do I think it's important that women get together and talk to other women? Yes. You want to know why? Because there are some things you're going to experience as a woman that I am not going to experience as your pastor. You know why? Because I'm not a woman, and regardless of what society thinks, there are differences between us. I've been married long enough to know that there's some real differences between how a man views and processes things and how a woman does. And apparently, feelings are a thing that can cause arguments. It's not just a logical answer. How dare you even bring that up? And events are a good thing. I'm not saying like those are evil, bad things. What I'm saying is, is when we make it about those things and we forget that this whole thing is about Jesus, we lose every time. Because it's easy to invite someone to a barbecue, it's easy to invite someone to a youth night. It's very easy for me to go to someone and go, hey, you want to go fishing? It's very easy for you to go, hey, there's this great podcast, here's the link. Like those things are easy, but those aren't the mission. Those are things we do to get to the mission, which is to seek and save what is lost. Because if we want repentance, if we want confession, if we want people giving their lives to Jesus, it only comes from Jesus. By proclaiming the gospel of Jesus. I don't care how clever we think we are with how we can bundle it. When it really boils down to it, you will never be sold out to Josh. At least I hope not. Because if you were sold out to me, I'm telling you right now, I'm a terrible God. But you will be sold out to Jesus. When you decide, hey, you know what? If I'm gonna say Jesus is my priority in life, I need to make Jesus my priority in life. John did. John didn't even care what he was wearing. John went, there's a dead camel on the ground. I'm gonna take his fur and I'm just gonna wear it so I'm not walking around naked. And now I'm gonna go preach Jesus. I'm gonna tell people to repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand because, like we started with, what is the most important thing in your life? Like honestly, I was thinking about the other day, I was like, I bet if I run all of my sermons through AI and go, hey, can you just tell me like what are the three biggest things I talk about? It's gonna be my family, and it's gonna be fishing. And I'm supposed to be preaching Jesus. And I'm sure Jesus would make the top three. But actually, I actually might do this now this week, now that I think about it, because I do, I am curious. What do I talk about more? I say this all the time, right? But Jesus already told us that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. You want to know what's important to you? Ask those around you because they're the ones that hear you talk. Go, hey, over the past week, how many times have you heard me mention Jesus in any way, shape, or form? And see what the answers are? Like, go to someone you trust and go, hey, is Jesus my priority? Would I be sitting here going, hey, like, I'm like John the Baptist? Or am I someone who's just lost on the distractions of life? Am I someone who feels really good on Sunday morning, but come Monday afternoon, I'm just right back in the thick of it. I'm just like dredging through it. Because, oh no, something happened at work, and now my entire life is consumed with this one problem. Not realizing that one day, guess where you're not gonna be? At your job. And I'm not saying, oh, you're gonna get a new job. What I am saying is right now the death rate here in America is hovering right around 100%. So one day you are not going to be at your job, correct? But you know where you will be? Somewhere for eternity. And understand that if every other heavenly creature does nothing all day but go, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty who was and is and is to come. What makes you think we're gonna say different? And I know you're sitting here going, I don't think we're gonna say different. I think we're gonna do just that. Then why aren't we doing it now? Why are we so caught up in everything else and all distractions of our life? And if you guys pay attention, you know I say our a lot, right? Because I don't ever want this to come out like I'm trying to preach from a position of up here. Because I understand the struggle very well. Because just like everybody else in this room, my life is filled with distractions. And sometimes those distractions get me distracted. This is why you need people in your life that love you enough to go, hey, focus back up. Lock in. And I think that means something different to young people now. I hear it a lot, but I'm not 100% sure on the meaning. And I need to be careful about saying things that I hear a lot, because sometimes I have gotten the wrong meaning. But you need people in your life like that. And if you don't have anyone in your life that loves and cares about you enough to go, hey, get it back together, lock back in, get new people in your life. Because you need that. Because we are all easily distracted. We are spending our time thinking about the future, thinking about how to get the things of this world. I've said this analogy many, many times. I'm gonna say it again. Some of us in this room, we care way too much about retirement. Because you don't even know if you're gonna be able to spend your retirement. I am not saying do not plan for your retirement. But also keep in mind that there are plenty of people who hit the lottery and died the next day. It's a black fly in your Chardonnay. It's a death row pardon, two minutes too late. And those of you giggling, you're sinners, and the 90s music was way better, wasn't it?

unknown 40:07

Yes.

ell One Person About Jesus

Josh 40:08

But see, we what are we doing? What are we spending our time doing? What are you spending your talents doing? What are you spending your treasure doing? Because if it's not preaching the gospel of Jesus, understand we are just wasting our time. And listen to me very carefully because someone did text me this week. I am not telling you to go live in the wilderness. I'm also not telling you to go live in the wilderness. If that is what God is calling you to, by all means, you can go right there to Green Springs, go right past the spring. There's a little like creek area that is deep enough for baptisms, and you can preach repentance right there. If you think that's what God's calling you to, please, for the love of God though, if you are going to say that you are from mission cent, wear clothes, do not go out there and camel hair. Okay. But that's what we need to understand. That we're given this life for one reason and one reason only. To make much of Jesus, to seek and save what is lost. Solomon at the end of Ecclesiastes says this the chief end of man is what? Fear God and keep his commandments. For this is the whole duty of man. You know why? Because God loves us and he's a good, good father who went here. I want you to enjoy life. Here's the best way to enjoy it, though. And when I try to enjoy it my way, it tends to mess up on me. It tends to go sideways, it tends to get out of whack. But when I enjoy it God's way, it's beautiful. So as we close today, the challenge is easy. What is the most important thing in your life? Answer that question. That's all you have to do. But understand, don't just say Jesus because you know Jesus is the right answer. If Jesus isn't your answer. But your challenge is simple. What is the most important thing in your life? If you see Jesus for who he is and you are already sitting here going, challenge is easy, then I'm done. Jesus is the most important thing in my life. Then tell one person about it. And here's the deal: you don't have to give them a theologically driven sermon. Here's all you have to do: tell someone who Jesus is and tell them what he did for you. That's it. Are they going to ask you questions? Probably. Are you gonna be able to answer every single question? Nope. Because none of us can. Do the best you can. And if they sit here and go, I still have questions, go, hey. You know what? I know someone who knows more than me. And Sunday you can come meet them. And then after we leave, we'll take you to breakfast. And if you need money for it, let me know. I can spot you 20 to take them to a diner after breakfast. If we gotta bribe them to come. Kind of goes against everything I've been preaching, but whatever. Sounded good in the moment. So download the five-day devotional, tell one person about Jesus and what he has done, how he is greater than anything we can chase after, and how he is the priority of our life. So, Father God, I ask and I pray that as we close today, that God, we can be honest with ourselves, that we can sit. Here, Father, and go. Is Jesus the most important thing in my life? Or am I chasing idols? And Father, if there's people in here right now that are sitting here going, hey, I need to repent, that God, I ask and I pray that you give them the power within their spirit, within their heart, to go, I'm gonna repent of that, and I am going to follow Jesus. I am going to make Jesus the priority of my life, that none of these other worldly distractions matter to, because it's all about you. Father, I ask and I pray that if that is someone in this room that, Father, you stir in their heart and you sit here and go, hey, this week's going to be different. I'm going to do different. Father, I pray all of this in Jesus' name. Amen.