First Things First

Rev. John Goertz

I’m hoping this morning that by God’s grace that we’ll stumble over the truth but not pick ourselves up and hurry back off into our daily lives as if nothing has happened.  But that God will touch us, speak to us, mold us, shape us and help us to live out His word in our lives.  I want to invite you to turn to the scripture reading in Mark chapter 1, the gospel of Mark chapter 1, it will be verses 35-39 and I hope that you will keep your bible open because I will be referring back to it throughout the message.  As you are turning let me give you a little bit of the context.  This is early in Mark’s gospel.  Mark had introduced Jesus as the Son of God.  Then he tells about John the Baptist and fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.  He tells about the baptism of Jesus and then His being lead forth for a time of temptation.  Then he records how Jesus began His ministry.  He proclaimed the good news.  He called the first disciples.  He taught in the synagogue in Capernaum.  He delivered people from demon possession.  He healed the sick.  All of that in just 34 verses.  Now talk about a quick overview.  And then we come to our scripture reading and the question for me is how in the world did He keep perspective?  How did He keep His focus?  I believe the scripture tells us.  Would you follow along in this reading from God’s word?

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up.  He left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.  Simon and his companions went to look for Him, and when they found Him, they explained: “Everyone is looking for you!”  Jesus replied “Let us go somewhere else to the nearby villages so that I can preach there also.  That is why I have come.”  So He traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

I have had the outline put in the bulletin.  You’ll find it on the back of the worship folder. It’s a kind of a technique that’s called a telescoping outline.  You know the old fashioned kind that you hold up and then you stretch out another section, then another, and another until you have the whole telescope stretched out.  We are going to be following that, each of the phrases building on the other and I invite you to make notes if you so feel prompted in order to remember what God is saying to you.

The first section of the telescope is this.  Followers of Jesus Christ need to live out their faith commitment.  You may have heard the story about a guest lecturer at a college class for over-achiever business types.  He brought in a gallon jar and placed it on the desk that he used to lecture behind and along with it a dozen fist sized rocks.  He began his lesson by saying “We’re going to have a little quiz here.”  So he took the rocks and carefully placed them inside that glass jar for everyone to see.  When the rocks had reached the top, he asked the students “Is this jar full?”  And they gave a resounding “Yes!”  “Really” he asked and he reached down and picked up a bucket of coarse gravel which he preceded to pour into the gallon jar, allowing that coarse gravel to work its way around the rocks.  And when the gravel was at the top of the jar, he again asked, “Is this jar full?”  Well the students were a little more hesitant that time and finally one timid student said “Probably not.”  And the lecturer said “Right.”  So he reached down and pulled up another bucket which was filled with fine sand which he proceeded to pour into the jar so that it sifted down among the rocks and coarse gravel and that fine sand reached the top of the jar.  Once again the lecturer asked the students “Is this jar full?”  And they caught on and they said “No.”  So he reached down and pulled up a pitcher of water and he proceeded to pour that into the jar until the jar was filled with water.  Well he asked the students “What’s the point of this anyway?”  They pondered a bit and then one of them offered this: “I think it teaches us that no matter how busy your schedule is you can always find time to fit one more thing into it.”  And the lecturer said, “No, not really.  What I had in mind was unless you put the big rocks in first, you’ll never have room for them.”  How like our lives.  Unless we put the important things in first there is a way that they will get crowded out.  You start by filling the jar with water or sand there’s no way you’ll get that jar filled with big rocks.  Jesus was aware of that reality.  He had a strong sense of what was important in His mission.  He knew why He had come and He intentionally lived it.  And so verse 35 tells us that very early in the morning while it was still dark He got up.  Now there was no alarm clock to wake Him in those days.  But keep in mind that the night before He had been up late doing ministry.  If you read the verses before verse 35 you see that He was at the home of Simon and Andrew after healing their mother, it says virtually that the whole town came and gathered at the door and Jesus healed many of their diseases; he drove out many demons.  This kind of ministry obviously took a while.  He must have been exhausted both spiritually and emotionally but he was aware of His relationship with God and knew that he needed a recharge.  He needed perspective.  He needed strength.  He needed what time with God only would give.  So, just as Jesus needed a renewing quiet time before it was crowed out of His day by other things, no matter how important they seemed, you and I as followers of Jesus Christ need to get that perspective too in order to live out our faith commitment.  We need quiet times for a healthy spiritual life and that’s not just sitting mindlessly but engaged in spiritual life.  Christian music artist, Sarah Groves, you’ve probably heard do her song on KTIS, or maybe you have a recording, “First Song That I Sing”, it opens with these lyrics:

In the morning when I rise, help me prioritize

all the thoughts that fill my mind. 

Before my schedule tells me that my day is full,

before I’m off and on my way,

I want to praise you.  I need to praise you.

Let the first song that I sing be praises to my God and King.

Second section of the telescope is, by regularly getting away from whatever distracts them.  Followers of Jesus Christ need to live out their faith commitment by regularly getting away from whatever distracts them.  Notice in verse 35 we read “Left the house and went off”.  Why was that important?  The house as I mentioned earlier was the home of Simon and Andrew.  In those days most houses were multi-generational, and likely that, probably at least ten if not as many of twenty people, inhabited, slept in that house that night.  Where would there be a way, and how would Jesus have an opportunity to be alone with God?  Jesus knew there were simply going to be too many distractions for Him to remain there.  Besides verse 36 tells us that when the disciples found Him they told Him “Everyone is looking for you!”  In light of what had happened the night before, the crowd gathering around eager to see what Jesus would do and to know His touch; word would have traveled and, no doubt, that morning a deluge of folks would have come again seeking Jesus.  Jesus needed to get away.  He understands how easily we can become distracted and He set an example by taking the kind of steps that are needed in our lives.  He did it early.  He did it first thing.  I wonder as you think about your life, what is it that competes for your attention?  What do you find that distracts you from those quality times of relationship with God?  For some of you it’s the kids, isn’t it?  Just “those kids seem to get up and stay up and how in the world do you find time to be alone with God”?  Maybe for some of us it’s we are just so task oriented regardless of where we are it seems like we see things that have to be done and “boy, I’m going to get at it right now.”  Maybe it’s the T.V. that gets turned on and occupies our thoughts and gets us thinking.  Entertains us.  Maybe it’s the snooze alarm.  “Just nine more minutes, please!”  Maybe it’s the newspaper and the headlines.  Maybe it’s internet and e-mail.  Could it perhaps even be Christian radio?  As wonderful as that may be in inspiring us could it be that at times keeps us from really having time that’s quiet?  I wonder if you would admit with me this morning that there are things in your life that you find distracting you from quiet time with God.  Anybody? Yah.  We’re in this together, aren’t we?  I wonder if you can name it.  Can you say in your own heart and mind what it is?  I’m guessing this morning whatever is coming to mind for you, you are not alone there are others in this room who would say “I can identify with that”.  Question that needs to follow up is, what would it take to get away from it?  What changes of dynamics in my life, what might I do that helps me to get away from this distraction when I need it?  You can be creative.  You can be very specific, right?  There is someway that you can handle that to change the dynamics that compel you.  Now in order to make this really practical, and also to give you come prayer support, I am going to ask that you do a little neighbor nudge, which means turn to the person next to you and go ahead and say “you know the thing that I find most difficult, one of the things that I find most difficult, for me that pulls me away from this quiet time is” and share with them, o.k.  So we will give you a few moments here for a little buzz, just to talk to one another to tell each other what is it that you find pulls you away from quiet time.  (time for sharing.)  O.K. Thanks for sharing with one another.  Isn’t confession good for the soul?  Now rather than just kind of letting that thought pass through your mind that someone has shared with you, I’d like to encourage you throughout this week as the Spirit of God prompts you, to remember to pray for that person that shared with you.  Not to talk with somebody else, but to talk with God and say “Know that person I was worshipping with on Sunday struggles to keep from being distracted by this, Lord give them wisdom, strength, guidance for how to deal with that so they can really focus on you.”  And they will be praying for you as well - a way to support and uphold one another.

Well, that brings us to the third section of the telescope, pulling it out further, getting a better vision.  In order to spend time alone in relationship with God, remember followers of Jesus Christ need to live out their faith commitment by regularly getting away from whatever distracts them in order to spend time alone in a relationship with God.  Verse 35 continues that Jesus “went off to a solitary place, where He prayed”.  It didn’t tell us where He went.  I suspect as I think about Capernaum a couple things may have been options.  One is He may have gone down by the seashore and the Sea of Galilee and sat down on a rock and waited for the sun to rise and had that time of quiet.  Or He may have gone up in the hills waiting for the sun to first point and show the snow-capped peak of Mount Herman.  I don’t know where, but somewhere to a solitary place where He prayed.  Know the gospels don’t record often but they do give us glimpses of Jesus being alone in relationship with His Father.  Yes, Jesus is God, second person of the Trinity, a unique relationship with His heavenly Father, the God man.  But you and I also have a heavenly Father; one that we know through Jesus Christ.  The time Jesus spent alone in prayer it was in relationship with His Father; the time that you and I need to spend alone is also in relationship with God. 

Now it’s true that we need times with other Christians, such as when we are gathered here together for worship corporately, it works so well together.  And times of small group growth and education and interaction, those are vitally important.  But that’s just one side of the coin; the other is that we also need these times alone in relationship with God.  Now prayer can defined as conversation with God. That means it’s much more than getting out our prayer list, quickly going through it, “there you’ve got it God.  Please answer.  Amen. I’m outta here”.  Conversation with God is a two-way thing.  It’s not a monologue, it’s a dialog.  It not only means sharing it means listening.  And if you’re like me, that is the harder part, to take time to listen.  Behind this is a wonderful truth that is so important to let permeate our souls, and that is this.  God desires a relationship with you.  God desires a relationship with you.  John 15:15, when Jesus was talking with His disciples, He said “You’re my friends”.  Can we think of ourselves as being a friend of God?  He wants us to come.  He wants us to take that time of sharing heart to heart, of getting to know one another better, of just enjoying being in His presence. 

Now last Saturday my wife, Emily, and I took a few hours to go over to Como Zoo and Conservatory.  Now we had been there before with our family, with some of our kids, and had a great time.  But this time was very different because it was just the two of us.  We were kind of alone in the crowd but it was fun not only to look at the animals and the plants and marvel at the complexities and the wonder of God’s creation; it was good just to be together, to have time to express our thoughts, to listen to one another, to enjoy being together.  God wants us to enjoy being together with Him, unhurried, not busy doing, but just relating.  Think about us in relationship with our heavenly Father.  It helps me to consider the fact that I as a father enjoy having time with my kids.  I think for instance of the last week of July that Emily and I had the opportunity to take some time to go to Colorado and travel in the mountains and camp, and hike, see the beauty of God’s creation.  It was really neat not only to see and do those things but the thing that probably stands out in my mind as much as anything is the fact that my two oldest kids, my older kids, the twenty- somethings, wanted to go with us.  So we had this mom and dad and the two older of the four kids together for a week doing all these things and one of the neatest things about it was just being together, knowing that they cared enough to spend the time. 

God also, I believe, as our heavenly Father, is thrilled that we would care to spend the time with Him.  God has emotions, feels sense of loneliness and some sense of loss the times that we just get so busy and distracted and forget.  Prayer involves a relationship, one that we share with God time and thoughts and we ask God, what do you want me to know?  What do you want me to do?  What are you doing in my life?  How are you shaping and rearranging and forming me in your image?  I’m listening.  It takes some time to develop that hearing ability; to discern the gentle whispers when God is speaking; to notice the nudges and the promptings; and to be able to say that’s God, He’s telling me something and I need to pay attention, need to take it to heart.  One of the ways that we know God speaks to us is through the scriptures.  It is important for us as part of this quiet time to be in prayer, yes but also to listen and to listen to what God has to say in His word.  Reading it, studying it, memorizing it, singing it, meditating on it.  Do you know what it means to ruminate?  That’s what a cow does.  I understand giraffes and deer do it also, which means they enjoy their food more than once.  You know, they eat it, swallow it, and at some point bring it back up to chew it up again.  Kind of crude and gross in a way, but not really, it’s the way their made.  Can we think about ruminating on the scriptures?  Digesting it and then bringing it back to mind and pondering it, chewing on it some more and thinking about what it says and what it means to us.  That could really deepen our understanding and our experience of God.  And again it’s not knowledge and understanding for understanding and knowledge sake but for relationship, knowing that the scripture is not just trying to increase our head knowledge but rather to increase our heart knowledge and our awareness in our walk with God. 

Some of you may be thinking, I wonder how long Jesus spent out there.  You know I don’t know, it doesn’t say.  We know He was there until the disciples came and said everybody’s looking for you and He was interrupted.  How long is long enough for this quiet time?   I can’t say for you.  If you’ve not had a chance to establish this as part of your life on a regular basis, start with five minutes.  It may seem like a long time at first but I guarantee that as you grow in experiencing that and enjoying that, that that will seem extremely short and that you will lengthen it to ten or twenty.  And you’ll find that you have to look at the clock and realize, oh no, I have to get to work or I have these other things I’ve got to do rather than finding yourself challenged to get away for this you find yourself challenged to stop in order to proceed with the other things of the day.  An appetite that is developed with practice.  So again let’s get practical about this.  Where can you go to get away and when can you do it in your daily life?  Jesus did it first thing in the morning.  That’s a great time to do it.  But I think God understands that some of us simply are not wired very well for early morning things.  You know, you just have to get up and somehow get your body going and drink the coffee and do the things that are needed to get those eyelids really opened and your mind engaged; and I think it’s o.k. to find another time in the day that works for you but, when is it and where is it?  As you think about your life some of you may say, well I can pick any room in the house; others of you, I don’t know where I can find this place.  But again, be creative.  There’s some opportunity if by maybe turning off the TV or the radio or putting something aside that you really can be alone.  Do you have a time and place in mind that maybe something that’s working for you now or maybe an idea that God is prompting you to say, I’d like to try that to see if that won’t work better in my schedule in my life.  Again I’m going to give you a moment to do just a brief neighbor nudge.  O.K.  Share with the person or persons you were with before, just tell them briefly, I think this is what works in my life.  O.K.  Chatter, again, O.K.  What will work for you?  (time for sharing)  O.K.  Thank you for sharing with one another once again.  I’d like to apply the same bit of instructions I did for you previously and that is don’t talk to someone else about that, but talk to God about that.  And when you’re thinking about the things that distract your friend in Christ, think about the ways in which they can find a place and a time for that relationship with God and pray for them that God would hallow that, set it apart, make it possible and that they’d be able to do what’s necessary to have it happen.

Stretch the telescope out to the last section to give us the final view here so they can fulfill God’s call in their lives.  Remember, followers of Jesus Christ need to live out their faith commitment by regularly getting away from whatever distracts them in order to spend time alone in relationship with God, so they can fulfill God’s call in their lives.  Verse 38 tells us that after the disciples found Jesus and told Him that everybody was looking for Him, Jesus said “Let’s go somewhere else so I can preach there too”.  You see Jesus gained clarity in His time with God that gave Him the perspective He needed to know what He needed to do.  He knew what His mission was.  How did He live that out?  The word was “go somewhere else”.  And then Jesus said “That’s why I have come”.  He needed to fulfill His purpose and He acknowledged that in His actions.  Verse 39 tells us that He traveled then throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons, doing the message and the ministry of the kingdom, carrying it out as God had commissioned Him to.  Our times of quiet in relationship with God are also times for getting clarity about life.  Sometimes the things that puzzle us the most in trying to figure out how do I juggle this, how do I make that decision, how do I figure out how to relate to this problem, how do I resolve this issue in my life, how do I grow?  It’s in those quiet times that God has a way of speaking to us.  And suddenly, “that’s it.  I know”.  We have a sense of clarity that wasn’t there before.  We find ourselves strengthened to follow through in that commitment to take the steps that it calls for.  One of the key things in this, and why we need that time with God, is that we get so much input from people.  In our quiet time with God we can distinguish between what people are urging us to do and what God is calling us to do.  To be able to say, “You know, Yah, I’m getting this invitation and this encouragement and this advice and this prompting and whatever push from people around me but deep inside when I listen to the Lord I know this is what God is asking me to do.  Sometimes they’re the same but sometimes they’re not.  What does God want is the primary question.  Jesus had this rich time of time with God it gave Him perspective and clarity and soon the crowds came again.  The end of chapter 1 in Mark 45 tells us that “the people came to Him from everywhere”.  Beginning of chapter 2, verse 2, says “so many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the house”.  He was suddenly plunged back into it; but he had this respite, this time away, this opportunity to fellowship with God and to receive what He needed to continue His ministry.  If Jesus needed that, how much more do you and I?

Would you please take your bulletin, if you have the outline in front of you, and read with me this whole outline together as a summary of what we talked about.  Are you ready?

Followers of Jesus Christ need to live out their faith commitment by regularly getting away from whatever distracts them in order to spend time alone in relationship with God so they can fulfill God’s call in their lives. 

The quiet times won’t accomplish what they could if they’re hit and miss.  If it’s a sporadic thing, once every few weeks, just isn’t going to do what doing this regularly, hopefully daily, most days.  See the maximum benefit is received from the cumulative effort and cumulative impact of having this kind of practice in our lives.  Sort of like physical health, trying to get in shape physically.  Jogging or running once in a while isn’t going to do a whole lot.  Develop a regular practice it begins to impact and condition us so that we’re in better shape.  It refines and develops us so that we are better able to handle whatever comes our way in life and able to do with strength and joy.  Are there a lot of folks that feel like failures when it comes to physical exercise?  I suspect that some of us here today feel like that’s me spiritually.  Don’t do it very regularly even though I wish I could.  I want to offer you a word of hope.  Remember the truth that we stumble over, we get ourselves up and dust ourselves off as if  nothing happened or do we even take one thing that God is prompting us and say you know this is something that I can begin to practice.  God is eager to have you come to Him.  How are you doing?  Is there a need to raise this as a priority in you life that will not get pushed aside by other things?  Is there a step that you can take to deal with the distractions that keep you from doing this? Is there a time and a place that you can set aside in order to be alone with God?  Is there a way in which God will speak to you through that that will help you discern His call and direction for you?  I believe there is and I would invite you to take what God is saying with you and live it by God’s grace.

Would you pray with me?  Lord God what a blessing it is to have your word and its applications to our lives.  Thank you that you want a relationship with us.  We want to respond, Lord, in that way to all of your grace and love for us.  Help us to receive what you would say to us that we might not let the little things fill the jar but that the important things, Lord, would take priority for us and that we would be enriched and blessed and building your kingdom not only in our lives but in our world as you’ve called us.  We pray in Jesus name.  Amen