Put your Relationship with God at Number 1!

Who is Your Number 1?

*When I say number 1 some people might think of Star Trek when Captain Picard refers Commander Riker as “Number One.” Yeah thats probably just me.

*Or some might think of what I’m about to describe, someone who is the most important in your life. So I want you to think about Your number 1 is the person you go to most.

*The person you always rush to when something is wrong. The one person who is always there for you whenever you need them, even when they are busy they put down whatever it is that they are doing and they help you.

Who is the person who you think about everyday, who you know will be there for you. While at the same time being the person that you want to be with the most, the person that you want to please the most. Who is the number one person in your life that you put before yourself no matter what the case.

The one person that you think about and try to be with and please them so much so to the point of almost worshiping them?

*For most people it would be a spouse, or a parent, maybe both parents. For some people it may be a close friend or boyfriend/girlfriend. For some people it may be someone that doesn’t feel the same for them, and the relationship is strained.

*Its different for everyone. It changes for everyone. For me sometimes its one or both of my parents, one or all of my sisters, some other people sometimes, but who it should be is God.

*Sometimes we get so caught up in whats going on on earth with family, friends, work, school, and everything going on that in out human minds we forget that there is God up in heaven wanting a relation ship with us.

*We should never forget that God is there helping us every step of the way. We should never let anything get in the way of our time with our creator, and absolutely never grow complacent.

*God is the ultimate creator, and should be our “number 1.” Being complacent is being comfortable and if we are being honest we should never be comfortable in our faith.

*To have the faith of Moses and stand against a nation telling the ruler to let Gods people go. Or of David to go fight a Giant with a sling and a stone. To have the faith that Peter that he walked on water. We need to stay bold and not grow so comfortable that we find we are not in line with the will of God. Revelation 3:14-22 says,

Revelation 3:14–22 CSB

14 “Write to the angel of the church in Laodicea: Thus says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator of God’s creation: 15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’ and you don’t realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I advise you to buy from me gold refined in the fire so that you may be rich, white clothes so that you may be dressed and your shameful nakedness not be exposed, and ointment to spread on your eyes so that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be zealous and repent. 20 See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 “To the one who conquers I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.”

PRAY

*God should always come first in everything we say and do. Throughout our lives as christians we should always put Him first. All possessions, relationships, money, everything; it should come last. Nothing should come before Him.

*We are to be the salt and the light, but how can we be the salt and the light in public if we aren’t living that way in private. In the public eye, a lot of christians act like they have their lives all together. In reality; however, they have no idea what they are doing with their lives, they are struggling.

*They’re focusing on the wrong things. They are saying like the people of Laodicea, “I am wealthy and need nothing.” They have grown complacent and put God second.

*A lot of people will look towards family, friends, wealth, and personal skills, rather than finding comfort in the one that made them. While they may be christians, they don’t know to look for God in the struggle, instead they will sit complacent.

*being complacent in your faith is one of the worst things you can do as a christian.

*I know from my own personal experience. When covid came and hit, and we had to lock down, I didn’t know what was going to happen. No one did. But as an eighth grader I couldn’t see my friends and I had to stay at home for who knew how long.

That was scary. So during the lockdown I had these two friends that I would stay up really late playing online games with.

As an eight grader my faith was already weak, but I wasn’t reading my bible or really even making an effort at all to be near God.

And about that time I discover something on my phone that i should not have found. So I struggled with that for a while. And when I thought I had gotten it taken care of, I still didn’t make much effort for God.

I was complacent and I was longing for a relationship. A close personal relationship

Where i could be free and not have to worry about if I had to act a certain way. In the public eye I was a great pastors kid, but i was struggling and wanted a place where i could express myself and be heard as Lamar and not the pastors kid.

I had that in my two friends that I mentioned a moment ago, but there was still a hole. So I came to the conclusion that I needed a girlfriend.

I knew I was saved and that I had a good relationship with my family and friends, so I told my self I needed a relationship. I was saying “I am wealthy and need nothing.” I was longing for that “one” the person i could be myself around.

Still I was complacent in my faith, I was chasing after worldly relationships and possessions and it seemed I just kept going down into the slump.

I knew I needed to turn back to God, but in my complacency and comfortability, I procrastinated.I went back to the problem I had. and my life sucked. It was down right bad. so i came to the conclusion that i was depressed.

once again wrong. I yearned for that relationship still. Now there is more to the story, but Eventually I realized I wasn’t depressed and I didn’t need a girl to make me feel good. I started finding that relationship with God and that hole in my heart began to fill immediately.

Before I realized that though, I literally wanting a hug. I felt so bad in myself I just wanted to be hugged. There were some nights I would even fall asleep hugging my pillow. If you tell anyone that I’ll deny it.

Then when I started seeking God instead of Lamar, I felt like someone had wrapped me in a warm blanket. Just the feeling of that relationship was back. The longing for the hug was satisfied and the hole was filled. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says

2 Chronicles 7:14 CSB

14 and my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

*And thats what I felt. I found the one who should be my number one and i followed Him. I felt that my sin was forgiven and my sole was healed. In our passage tonight even in Revelation 3:18

Revelation 3:18 CSB

18 I advise you to buy from me gold refined in the fire so that you may be rich, white clothes so that you may be dressed and your shameful nakedness not be exposed, and ointment to spread on your eyes so that you may see.

*I began collecting my heavenly gold, I was clothed and could see again. I got my life straight. I went from miserably existing to living joyfully.

*I don’t tell you all that for pity or to glorify myself, but to say, we all need to find out who that one should be.

*It should be God. When you find the one who saves and satisfies you will be filled. When you start chasing Him and not you, you will be filled with Joy.

*So tonight I ask you, Do you have your one, and do you have the right one. Once you find your one in God, don’t grow complacent.

PRAY

So after getting right with God and seeking His face we also have to look at the world around us. And thats why were here tonight, to pray for the world and each other. Does any one have any prayer requests in addition to the prayer list?

Ask Dan Foster to start time of Prayer then finish when the Lord leads.