God is the first priority of the church.Not people.
Not ministry.
Not growth.
Not success.
Not buildings.
God alone must hold absolute priority in the church.
In your church.
In my church.
But, I wonder, is that true? Will that be true today as we gather today for worship in the four-walled buildings we call a church building? Or, will other things garner first place in what we do? Will the focus be on the pastor? On music? On candles, stained glass, organs, pianos? On projection screens, bands, choirs, hymnals? Our small group class? Our friends? Our family?
Unfortunately, the standard found in the Bible, of God being the priority in worship, doesn’t always receive much attention in our people-centered, growth-dominated, success-oriented American church today.
From our preaching, our meeting together, our writing, our lifestyle, our conversations, and everything else we do, it often appears that today’s church is preoccupied with other matters. Unfortunately, God doesn’t always hold priority for us nor our church.
How shameful is that!
The priority of God is not an option in Scripture. The priority of God cannot be anything but the very heart of a Christ follower and today’s church. If our church expects to be all that it is intended to be, God must be first. If our church is to accomplish its great mission in the world, God must be priority. If our church is to be salt and light, it must recover the priority of God.
Listen. The greatest need we have today is not to do what we’ve always done in worship. Nor is the greatest need to create something that has never been tried before. Our church’s greatest need today is to make God priority of our worship and our entire life.
So, where does the priority of God rank for you? Your church? Your friends?
