Christ First
Theodore Roosevelt once said, quote—“There has never yet been a man who led a life of ease, whose name is worth remembering.” end quote.
Certainly when the Lord calls us to be His disciples, He does not call us to a life of ease.
Christ must be first. First in Love, Life, Loyalty
I. First in Love
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
II. First in Life
39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good;
So shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the LORD;
And he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the LORD;
Trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass
Philippians 3:10
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
2 Corinthians 1:5
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
Matthew 16:26
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
If to escape from death he gives up Christ, and so finds a continuance of this poor mortal life; by that very act he loses true life. He gains the temporal at the expense of the eternal. On the other hand, he who loses life for Christ’s sake does in the highest sense find life, life eternal, life infinitely blessed. He makes the wisest choice who lays down his life for Jesus, and finds life in Jesus.