PUTTING FIRST THINGS FIRST

Text - Mark 9:33-35

Mark 9:33-35 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?"   34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.   35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." (NIV)

Introduction

This morning our text is found in Mark 9:33-35 and the title of my message is, "Putting First Things First".

Today, in this age in which we live, many people's priorities are placed on the wrong things.  This also includes many of God's people.  For instance, some people have put their jobs first in their lives.  Others have put their health first in their life.  And many have put their families or their own materialistic gains first in their lives.

Here in chapter 9 we find in verses 1-13 Jesus, Peter, James and John going up to a high mountain where Jesus transfigured himself before them.  In verses 14-29 we find Jesus after he and his disciples came down off the mount of transfiguration, casting a demon out of a demon possessed boy.

After Jesus performed this miracle we are told in verse 30 that they began to go through the region called galilee.  As Jesus and his disciples went through this region we find in our text that they came to the city of Capernaum which was located on the North West side of the Sea of Galilee.

Along the way, the disciples that were with Jesus began to discuss with one another which one of them was the greatest.  Today, many of God's people are just like this in that they too want to be first.

When Jesus asked them what they had been talking about we are told that they didn't answer him and kept silent.  Yet, in verse 35 Jesus told the 12 that, "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all".  As God's people, we may not discuss among ourselves that we are first yet many times through our actions we show that we want to be first.

A man and woman are standing at the altar, about to be married, when the bride-to-be looks at her prospective groom and sees that he has a set of golf clubs with him.

"What on earth are you doing with those golf clubs in church on our wedding day?" she whispers.

"Well," he says, "this isn't going to take all afternoon, is it?”

Jesus said that if we want to be first we must put ourselves last.  Those who have put themselves first will be last in the eyes of God, but those who have put themselves last will be first in the eyes of God.

Mark 10:31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first. (NIV)

Let's look now at what the Bible says we need to put first in our lives before we do anything else.