Loving Jesus Most

We should love Jesus most. He said we ought to love him more than anything.  And if we love anything or anybody more than him we are not worthy of him. (Luke 18:18-24; Matthew 10:37).  Jesus Christ laid down his life for us (John 10:18). The Word of God lovingly admonishes us to deal with or remove anything that might interfere with our loving our Lord the most (Hebrews 12:1; Luke 10:27).

The Bible tells us the things of the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—compete for our love for Jesus (1 John 2:16). And the Holy Spirit may impress upon us the specific things that that are likely to impede each of our love for the Lord.  We ought to be open to the Spirit to help us recognize and deal with these hindrances.

The following are four things the Holy Spirit have shown to be great hindrances to many loving Jesus most—money, power, recognition, pleasure and family. However, the Holy Spirit may use the Word of God to help each of us in recognizing and dealing with particular things that could interfere with our loving Jesus Christ most. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 14:26).

 

We Should love the Lord more than money and possessions.

The Bible says the love of money is the root of all evil; and the love of money and material possessions has hindered the love of many for Jesus (1 Timothy 6:10). Nevertheless, guided by the Spirit , the Bible  gives good financial advice on not letting money and possessions impede our love for our Lord.

The Bible gives examples of money and possessions hindering love for Jesus.

• A rich ruler who met Jesus discovered that he was more attracted to money than he was to Jesus (Luke 18:18-27).
• Another man in the Bible, who was covetous of earthly possessions, was so busy accumulating these things that he forgot about heavenly things and his relationship with the Lord. Consequently, he lost his soul (Luke 12:18-21).

• According to the Scripture, the Love of money has caused many to fall into temptations, to err from the faith, and have many sorrows (1 Timothy 6:9-10).

Our cultural puts emphases on loving money and possessions.

Our culture emphasizes getting rich and acquiring possessions—morally and immorally–more than it stresses loving the Lord Jesus Christ who died for us. We are taught the following in our culture: Work hard like Horatio Algiers and you will go from rages to riches. Gambling for a good cause is not bad. A little cheating is really okay. “Greed Is Good” is the title of a popular movie. Being corrupt is clever if you don’t get caught.

We get financial advice from the Bible on loving Jesus more than money and possessions.

• Keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said “never will I leave you nor will I forsake you” (Hebrew 13:5 NIV).
• A little yeast make the whole batch of dough rise—A little love of money can take root and grow into a tree that overshadows your life (Galatians 5:9).
• Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness and all the things you need, and many things that you desire will be added to you (Matthew 6:33KJV).
• Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4).

 

Our love for Jesus should be stronger than our passions for power.

The Bible portrays how a burning passion for power may be stronger than ones’ love for the Lord. Yet the Bible advises us on loving the Lord more.

In the Bible some demonstrated a love for power more than the Lord.

• King Nebuchadnezzar failed to recognize that God had given him power. The King said: “Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?” (Daniel 4:30). Because of his failure recognize the Lord, God took his kingdom from him, and made him dwell “with the beast of the field” (Daniel 4:31-32).

• Caiaphas, the high priest of the Jews, perceiving Jesus as a treat to the priest’s high position rather than as Savior of the world, orchestrated the death of Jesus (John 11:50KJV).
•  To save his position of power as a Roman appointed ruler, Pilate choice to disregard Jesus’ innocence and delivered the Son of God over to the Jews to be crucified (John 18:28-30; 19:4-16).

We should follow an example of a person in the Bible who loved the Lord more than position.

David, whom the Lord made a King was seen by the Lord as “a man after my own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22).

Some of us may be tempted to compromise our Christian values to achieve a higher position—at school, on our job or among others.However, we should be a person after the Lord’s own heart. We should pray and seek to love our Lord with all our heart, all our minds, and all soul (Matthew 22:38).

 

We should desire the recognition of the Lord more than that of the world.

The Bible gives examples of people who desire self and world recognition more then they want to please the Lord. The Bible also talks about wanting to be recognized by the Lord.

Desire for worldly recognition in the Bible.

• Adam and Eve desired to be like the Lord more than they wanted to please Him. They lost their honored position with the Lord (Genesis, chapter 3).
• To demonstrate his pomp, King Belshazzar of Babylon let his lords drink wine from the sacred vessels of the Lord God.  He failed to recognize God, although God had previously humbled his father King Nebuchadnezzar for failing to glorify God. The Lord caused  the King Belshazzar to lose his kingdom (Daniel, chapter 5)

Desire for recognition from the Lord should be foremost.

• King David said he would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord than live among the honored people of his time (Psalms 84:10).
• King Solomon, David’s son, was recognized by many royalties of his time.  But he discovered, “the one who trusts in the Lord will be happy” (Proverbs 16:20HCSB).
• Today, there are those who seek recognition of the world more than they seek the approval of the Lord. They honor people in positions of recognition more than they glorify Jesus Christ. Some idolize musicians, actors and people of fame more than they adore the Lord Jesus. We should desire the recognition of the Lord most of all. (Matthews 6:33; Psalm 37:4).

 

 Lust and pleasure should be overcome by our longing for the Lord.

The Word of God reveals that lust and pleasure have enticed some away from the lord. But the Word shows the way to be free from these addictions.

Lust and pleasure addictions are portrayed in the Scripture.

• A prodigal son wasted his inheritance on partying and riotous living. But he was blessed to have a loving father who welcomed him back home with waiting arms (Luke (5:11-24).
• Demas was a traveling companion of the Apostle Paul. However, Demas forsook the Apostle and the ministry of the gospel because of his “having loved this present world” (2 Timothy 4:10).
• Even King David, said to be a man after God’s own heart, was temporarily lured away from the Lord by his lust for Bathsheba, another man’s wife. David committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed. However, David repented and God forgave him (2 Samuel 12:7-13).

A devastating Spirit of lust and pleasure pervades our society today. 

Overt sexuality is regularly portrayed in ads, in movies and on TV.  Lewd pictures and pornography are commonly displayed in the name of “Art”, which appeal to conscious and unconscious sexual instincts. Sex crimes like pedophilia, rape, sodomy and sexual enslavement appear often in our headlines.

A special report on drug and alcohol addictions, death, and despair appeared in the February 2017 Decisionmagazine of the Billy Evangelistic Association. It reported that Americans are dying in record numbers for what has been called “the diseases of despair”—drug addiction, alcoholism and suicide.  The report says that it reflects a culture without Christ

Christ is the way to be free from destructive addictions of the world.

• In conclusion, the report in the Decisionmagazine informs us that though finding Jesus Christ, many in despair have found healing, restoration and new life.
• Jesus said, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36),
• The Lord also said, I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6)

 

Our love for family ought not to exceed our love our Savior and Lord.

The Bible shows that excessive love for family members may hamper one loving Jesus most. The Bible teaches you should love the Lord more than your family, and you will be blessed by doing so.

Excessive Love for family is revealed in the Word.

• A man told Jesus that he wanted to wait until his father had died before he would follow Jesus.  Jesus told him, follow me–put me first, let the spiritually dead bury the dead (Matthew 8:21).
• Another person said to Jesus, let me go say farewell to them at home, then I will follow you (Luke 9:61).
• A priest of the Lord named Eli showed more respect for his sons than he showed for God.  He allowed his sons to take parts of sacrificial offerings that were to be for God only. Therefore, God caused Eli’s sons to die; and gave Eli’s priesthood to another family (1 Samuel 2:28-36).

 

We should Love the Lord most of all.

• Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac to demonstrate his greater love for the Lord. The Lord blessed Abraham and his family (Genesis, chapter 22).
• God the Father was willing to sacrifice his only begotten Son to die for us when we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). His Son Jesus was willing to lay down his life for us to bring us into a loving relationship with God (Philippians 2:6). The Lord Jesus Christ made us and gave us everything that we have (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16).  You should love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind (Luke 10:27)

 

https://youtu.be/q_V_5pEPJ-0   Seeking the Lord First—Dr. Charles Stanley