Keeping Jesus First

Introduction

Young people, have you ever said or thought these things:

“I’m sorry; I just can’t do _______ this week.”

“If only I had more time, then I could finally get around to _______.”

“Once things slow down in my life, I will do more ________.”

I enjoy having a full schedule... I enjoy feeling like I am being productive with my time. But I hat the feeling when I already have a full schedule and something else comes up and I have to say things like this... You may feel the same way. If a friend invites you to some kind of get together or just wants to hang out and you have homework to do, have a test to prepare for, or have to work at that time.

But how often is it the case for you that it is spiritual things that you don’t have time to do.

“Sorry, I don’t have time to visit the widows and encourage them spiritually this week.”

Sorry, I don’t have the time to prepare for the Bible classes.”

“If only I had more time, then I could finally get around to making it to services every Sunday and Wednesday.”

Once things slow down in my life, I will do Bible reading. Once things slow down in my life, I will spend more time praying.” Once I have more time to spare, then I will look for opportunities to spend time with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

One of the things that Satan loves to see in you, young people, is that you are busy. Of course, being “busy,” in and of itself, is NOT a bad thing… It can be good to be busy. It is a good thing to be productive with your time and to not be lazy with it. Who likes getting to the end of the day and feeling like you accomplished nothing?

Being busy can be a good thing, but just because you may be busy during the week and have a full schedule of things to do does NOT mean that you are being fruitful for the LORD, that you are growing in Christ, and that you are doing things that are productive for the kingdom of Christ (which you are a part of if you obeyed the Gospel).

Satan wants you to be busy, but he is busy trying to get you busy doing things that distract you from doing things that can strengthen you spiritually. Satan is fighting for your time. He is fighting for your loyalties. He is fighting to make it so that you have little time to do what is most important for your relationship with God.

And many of the things that Satan wants you to fill up your time with so that you become distracted are not bad things…

Time with friends?

Sports?

Hobbies?

Work?

Family time?

School work? (homework, projects, preparing for tests)

Social media?

Video games?

Etc.

These things are not wrong, in and of themselves… But what Satan wants is that you do all of these things and do them to the point that you don’t have time for what is most important. He wants you to be so busy that you make excuses as to why you don’t have time to do what God wants you to do. He wants you to make excuses regarding why you decide to fill your time with all of these things and neglect your spiritual growth and service in the kingdom.

Satan wants you to be distracted because he knows that if you are distracted, you won’t be fruitful.

This is what scripture shows us also…

This is what Jesus shows us in :

“As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who, when they have heard, go on their way and are choked with worries, riches, and pleasures of life, and produce no mature fruit” (8:14 CSB).

We have talked about this passage before. The worries, riches, and pleasures of life that Jesus talks about are not always things that are sinful. Jesus is talking about all of the things of this life that can distract us - all of the things that can keep us out of the word and away from growing in our faith and seeing things in our life that need to change.

Among other things, Jesus is talking about all of the things on your schedule and the things on my schedule. If you have so many of these things in your schedule that you are being kept away from the word and seeing the things that should be your highest priorities in life as a Christian, then you are not being fruitful for the Lord and faithful to the Lord as a young person.

It is difficult for us to look at the soil of the thorns and say, “yes, Jesus is talking about me.” But if you and I were really willing to be honest with ourselves, may it be possible that we are often this soil?

It is easy for you and I to “recite the creed.” You and I can say all day long, “Jesus is my highest priority. he is first in my life.” But if the soil of the thorns describes our lives, then we are deceiving ourselves when we say Jesus is our highest priority.

Illustration: Can I tell my wife that she is the most important person in this life to me and that I love her if:

I leave early in the morning and come home in just enough time to go to bed at night? If on the weekends, I focus on my hobbies and don’t ever stay home to help with the kids or to help around the house? If I never make time to spend time with her and to serve her? If the only time I spend with her and the kids is at worship services? If I am not working hard to get closer to her and I am not communicating with her and considering her desires?

I think we can see this in our physical relationships... I believe we can see that I would be deceiving myself by telling my wife that she is the most important person to me and that I love her if my actions show otherwise - if my actions show that everything else that I fill my time with is more important. Why are we often unwilling to see this in regards to our relationship with God and serving Him…

It is often the case that Christianity becomes a two day per week thing. Christians often think that if they only go to church 2-4 hours per week, that they will be equipped with all that they need spiritually in order to be close to Christ and to fight every temptation that comes along. If you believe this, let me tell you… This is NOT the case. If you believe you are going to survive spiritually by eating two spiritual meals per week, you won’t. If you believe that your worship here will make you close to God without spending time in prayer with God on a daily basis, it won’t. If you think getting your Bible class lesson done will make up for the lack of things you are doing each week to encourage and help your brothers and sisters in Christ, it won’t… You need more if you are going to survive spiritually and if you are going to be close to the LORD.

Winning the Battle

Let’s talk about some practical things you and I can do to win THE BATTLE AGAINST DISTRACTION in our lives… I have four I would like to mention…

FIRST, just think about this for a moment... If you are saying at this point, “I will around to doing more spiritual things when life slows down,” IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN.

Life will always be busy with things you will need to do or that you want to do. There will always be things demanding your time… If you are putting off doing the things necessary to be strengthened spiritually and to grow spiritually right now, it will more than likely be the case that you will still be doing the same in the future.

Remember that life passes by quickly and that life is uncertain and fragile. Don’t put off doing what is right today. Don’t put off seeking first the Kingdom of God - his reign in you, and doing what is right to encourage others. Make the decision now to hold yourself to a higher standard of what it means to be a Christian.

SECOND, plan your time to make sure you are being productive and growing spiritually. It is just the case that we make the time for what is important to us! Put the things that God wants you to do on your calendar. Sometimes that is the only way things get done. Put visiting a widow on your schedule. Put spending time with your Christian peers on your schedule. Put Bible reading and prayer on your schedule - and don’t let ANYTHING replace those things.

If you and I do not plan our time to do good things, we will find things to fill our time, and most of the time it will be things that are not helpful to us spiritually. The important things are what really matter.

THIRD, be willing to examine the things that you are doing now, and be willing to cut things from your schedule so you can be more productive spiritually.

Paul say as in , “Pay careful attention, then, to how you live  —  not as unwise people but as wise — 16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil.”

We must periodically take inventory of our personal and spiritual life. What’s good? What’s bad? What can I improve on? Are there activities that are not that necessary? Is there anything I’m leaving out that should be there? Are there things that are just taking up too much of my time that could be spent doing more important things for Christ?

And fourth, and this one is primarily for parents of young people…

APPLICATION: PARENTS — May it be the case that our young people have learned how to live distracted lives from us? That they are following in our steps? That the picture they have of Christianity is more based on our examples than what we see in scripture? They see us so devoted to the things of the world and only focusing on spiritual things twice per week and the little bit of time we may spend doing our Bible class lessons each week - if we prep for class ahead of time each week?

CONCLUSION

No matter what you have going on in your life right now that is keeping you busy, remember that Jesus is who you are devoted to if you have obeyed the Gospel. If you are not serving him in the things you are doing or the things in the world are distracting you from being fruitful, then these things can become idols.

You are a Christian first, before anything! Your heart and your body belongs to Him. Your time belongs to Him.