Him Before Me - Advancing the Kingdom
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Him Before Me
Him Before Me
Him before me is a statement of position.
Someone once asked composer Leonard Bernstein what was the most difficult position in the orchestra to play.
His response: Second Fiddle
He explained that finding someone who would play second violin with the same fervency and enthusiasm as the person playing first violin was a very difficult task.
In these days of free agency, the transfer portal, Workers expecting to change jobs every 3 years, 50% of first marriages ending in divorce (2nd & 3rd even higher), and 8 being the average number of years before divorce, and selfies being the most taken photographs, “ME FIRST” seems to have followed most people from childhood into adulthood.
One of my favorite quarterback stories is the story of Frank Reich.
Anyone heard of him?
Yes! He’s the Panthers new coach.
He only had one starting job at quarterback at the very end of his career. He started the first 3 games for Carolina when the franchise started in 1995 before first round pick Kerry Collins was given the nod.
The biggest highlight of Reich's college career was the comeback he led against the Miami Hurricanes on November 10, 1984 at the Miami Orange Bowl. Reich came off the bench to play for Stan Gelbaugh, who had previously replaced him as the starter after Reich separated his shoulder in the fourth week of the season against Wake Forest. Quarterback Bernie Kosar had led Miami to a 31–0 halftime lead. At the start of the third quarter, Reich led the Terrapins on multiple scoring drives. Three touchdowns in the third quarter and a fourth at the start of the final quarter turned what was a blowout into a close game. With Miami leading 34–28, Reich hit Greg Hill with a 68-yard touchdown pass, which deflected off the hands of Miami safety Darrell Fullington to take the lead. Maryland scored once more to cap a 42–9 second half, and won 42–40, completing what was then the biggest comeback in NCAA history.[3]
The bulk of his career was spent in Buffalo as a backup to Jim Kelly.
Reich only had 5 starts for the Bills in his entire career.
Reich got his first start when Kelly went down with a shoulder injury in 1989. Reich led the Bills to two straight victories. He rallied the Bills in the fourth quarter by throwing two drives down the field for a 23–20 victory over the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Rams. The Bills would go to the Superbowl where their kicker would miss a routine field goal and lose the game.
During the final game of the 1992 regular season, the Houston Oilers defeated Buffalo 27–3 in Houston, where Kelly suffered strained ligaments in his knee and yielded to Reich to finish the game in his place. With Kelly out, Reich took the reins as the starter for the wild card game the following week, on January 3, 1993. The wild card game was a rematch with the Oilers, hosted in Buffalo, where they led the Bills 35–3 early in the 3rd quarter, but Reich then led the Bills on a 38–3 run en route to a 41–38 overtime victory. The rally from a 32-point deficit[5] remained the largest comeback in NFL history until the Minnesota Vikings made a 33-point comeback against the Indianapolis Colts on December 17, 2022. Reich started his second consecutive playoff game, as the Bills defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 24–3 in the divisional round. This made Reich one of a handful of quarterbacks who is undefeated as a starter in post-season play, as well as the only one with more than one start to his credit.
Despite holding the record for the greatest comebacks in both the NCAA and the NFL, Reich had only 18 starts in a 13 year career. Spending most of his time playing second fiddle to Hall of Famer Jim Kelly.
How could he do that?
Throughout Reich's NFL career, he remained a devout Christian. He is a motivational speaker utilizing the great comebacks and the importance of God as a main keynote of his speeches. He credits the song "In Christ Alone" by Michael English as his inspiration. Reich attended the Charlotte Campus of Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte[33] and he earned a Master of Divinity degree. He served as president of RTS' Charlotte campus from 2003 to 2006.[34] Reich was also a pastor at Ballantyne Presbyterian until he moved to Indianapolis.[35]
Let me say it again:
Him Before Me is a statement of position.
He is in the lead, in front, the one who gets all the accolades and all the credit. I merely step in when he needs me to help the team - the Kingdom of God - win.
It’s not about me. It’s about the Kingdom - and it’s not MY kingdom - it’s HIS!
I may think I am the king of my castle, but He is the King over kings and the Lord over lords!
David made this statement of position in Psalm 16.
Always Before Me
Always Before Me
Psalm 16:1–11 (NKJV)
1 Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.
2 O my soul, you have said to the Lord,
“You are my Lord,
My goodness is nothing apart from You.”
3 As for the saints who are on the earth,
“They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”
4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;
Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
Nor take up their names on my lips.
5 O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You maintain my lot.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.
7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
11 You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Radio Minister, Rev. Rodney Kleyn, commented on on this verse:
“First, the psalmist expresses a firm resolve. He says, “I have set the Lord always before me.” To set the Lord before him means to have a deliberate and conscious resolve to have God, front and center, in all of his life and in all of his thinking, so that the thought of God captivates all of his senses and all his activity and focus in life. Notice the psalmist says he will do this always, in every situation, whatever comes his way, in every pleasure, in every trouble. Nothing in his life will be a distraction, to take his thoughts and his mind and his eye of faith away from God. In every responsibility, in every relationship, in every temptation, in every difficulty, even in the prospect of death, he will not be distracted from the reality of God.”
16:8 “he is at my right hand” Indicating special blessing (Gen 48:17–20).
“I will not be shaken” The Hebrew word mot means “to sway” and expresses a lack of security and safety.
John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Ps 16:8.
David expressed that he was secure in the second position.
John the Baptist recognized that he was called to be in the second position as the fore-runner of Jesus Christ.
22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.
23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.
24 For John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification.
26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”
27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’
29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.
32 And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.
33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.
34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.
35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.
36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
What does ”Him Before Me” look like in a man’s life?
What does ”Him Before Me” look like in a man’s life?
27 John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
1. Recognizing Him Your Source
1. Recognizing Him Your Source
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
In this verse, two different Greek words are used for the word gift. In the first phrase, “Every good gift,” the word used for gift is dosis. This word focuses more on the act of giving than the gift itself. When people give gifts, they can have mixed motives and feelings. Some good, others bad. When God bestows gifts, His motives always stem from His perfect character. The word used for gift in the second half of the verse is the word dorema. It refers to the actual gift, which is anything God gives a person. A gift, by its nature, benefits the recipient.
So the verse could be translated: Every act of giving and every gift comes from above!
Contrast this with:
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Thus, every act of giving is from God and every act of destruction is from the enemy.
The enemy often tricks us into taking things into our own hands, by convincing us that the destructive things in our life are a result of God’s hand. He is a LIAR.
This was the deception in the Garden of Eden - God has done you wrong!
2. Finding Joy in What Brings Him Joy
2. Finding Joy in What Brings Him Joy
29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.
26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 15:3–7 (NKJV)
3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:
4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?
5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’
7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.
3. Prioritizing His Priority
3. Prioritizing His Priority
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
INCREASE:
A Greek-English Lexicon αὐξάνω
increase in power, strengthen
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
A Greek-English Lexicon αὐξάνω
bring up to manhood
15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—
16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
A Greek-English Lexicon αὐξάνω
to sacrifice
This is the mirror image of Elevation by Demotion
29 So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God,
30 who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
4. Using and Surrendering What is In your Hand
4. Using and Surrendering What is In your Hand
14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.
18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’
21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’
23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.
27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.
28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
1 Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ”
2 So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”
3 And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand),
20 Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.”
10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
Him Before Me
Advancing the Kingdom of God