STUDY SUNDAY: PUT GOD AS YOUR PRIORITY

Being a disciple of Christ means to: PUT GOD AS YOUR PRIORITY

I heard a pastor say one time, “there is no such thing as priorities, there’s only priority”. And that is so true. Priority according to the dictionary means a thing regarded as more important than others. So, not THINGS as in plural. But a THING as in singular. You can only put one thing or person first or above others.

Which leads me on to write, when we say God is my priority, that means there is no one and nothing else that sits on the throne of your heart. He isn’t sitting on a sofa. He doesn’t share the throne with anything or anyone else. 

Hence, in today’s Study Sunday I will be using Abram as an example to show us what it looks like and does not look like to be a follower of God, when pursuing the purpose He has called you to, which requires you to put Him first.

I will be using the ‘SOAP’ method to study today’s scriptures. If you don’t know what this method is, have a look at our ‘Resources’ tab where you can find a template of the SOAP method to use in this and our future Study Sundays.

GENESIS 11:31-32 [NIV] and GENESIS 12:1-7 [NIV]

S. SCRIPTURES

Abram’s Family Genesis 11:31-32

“³¹ Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there. ³² Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Harran.”

The Call of Abraham – Genesis 12:1-7

“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

² “I will make you into a great nation,
    and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
    and you will be a blessing.
³ I will bless those who bless you,
    and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
    will be blessed through you.”

⁴ So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. ⁵ He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there. ⁶ Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. ⁷ The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.”

O. OBSERVATION

Definition

• “Terah” = who is Abram’s father, his name means “wanderer” and “delay” in Hebrew. 
• “Ur of the Chaldeans” = This was the city where Abram and his family were born in. This city worshiped the “moon god” which Abram and his family worshiped.
• “Harran” = The name of the city means in Acadian charana “a road”. This city also worshiped the “moon god”. But their temple for the moon god was more famous than the one in Ur of the Chaldeans. 
• “Lot” = who is Abram’s nephew, his name means “covering” and “veil”.
• “Abram” = who was called by God to follow Him to go from a “exalted Father” (which is what his name means) to the “Father of many nations” (which is what his meaning of his name got changed to, Abraham) into the Promise Land, Canaan. 

Context and Symbolism

Terah, Abram’s father, took his family to leave Ur to go to Canaan. But along their way to Canaan they came to Harran and he decided to settle there with his family. 

They settled there for that long, that he got comfortable living there and he ended up dying in Harran at the age of 205. 

Terah died in a city where he wandered in sin because Harran was the city famous for worshiping the moon god. 

He might have gotten comfortable settling in Harran although he was headed to Canaan, because the people of that city worshiped the same god, the moon-god. 

Yet, Harran was only supposed to be a road to Canaan. It was not meant to be a destination point.

See, when you get comfortable in familiarity it prevents you to take risks and to take steps of faith that require you to get out of your comfort zone into the promise, purpose, plan and will of God.

Know that when God calls you to a place or to do something, it may be very uncomfortable, and it may terrify you. But having faith and trust in God requires you to take risks even when it doesn’t feel comfortable, even when you are not 100% sure on what you are doing, even when it sounds crazy.

But surprise! 

Following God is full of surprises, mysteries, risks and uncertainties. But I can assure you when you are fixed on Jesus first and foremost, you will begin to understand that there is nothing for you to worry about, because He has everything taken care of (Matthew 6:25 -34). All you need to do is obey Him and take the actions necessary.

However, because Terah was not a follower of God, he was not aware that the very same place where God was going to call Abram to; Canaan (the promise land), was the same place he was heading to with his family. 

But because he did not have a relationship with God and therefore could not hear the voice of God to obey Him, he delayed the journey for his family to enter Canaan.

Terah shows us that you could be going in the very place which God has manifested His promise there but because you are not a follower of God you will be misguided. You will wander in your sin; you will delay in the purpose and promise which God has for you and your family. 

And you will miss out; he ended up dying in Harran; on what God has in store because you do not have a relationship with God. Therefore, you cannot be guided by Him, you do not have the instructions and wisdom to fulfil His calling upon your life.

So, it occurred to me that why it was important for God to mention to Abram when He called him to leave his father household, his people and that city (Genesis 12:1-5). Because they were corrupted by sin and did not worship the one and true living God, which will delay and misguide Abram into following God and the calling upon his life, to fulfil God’s promise.

And the very thing happened due to Abram’s disobedience. 

See, partial obedience is still disobedience. 

Abram did leave the city Harran and his father’s household, so he obeyed God on that part of the calling. However, he didn’t leave his family and the people behind. Instead he brought his nephew Lot and the people of Harran with him.

Notice this, when you are a disciple of God, He has to be your priority. Everything and everyone come after. You should love them less than God, they should be secondary to God (Luke 14:26). 

This is because, they can be the very people who can hinder you on your pursuit in fulfilling God’s call upon your life.

Their ways, attitudes, views can dilute or even corrupt your perception of your purpose, view and faith in Jesus, leading you along the wrong path (1 Corinthians 15:33).

See, Lot also grew up worshiping the moon-god. Hence, being around a company of people who are not building you towards God can have a negative effect on you, especially as a new believer which Abram was.

Abram never worshiped the true God but by faith He (somewhat) obeyed God (Hebrews 11:8). But it wasn’t until the LORD appeared to him that it may have caused a revelation or confirmation to him that Yahweh was the true living God, whom he should follow. And therefore, in respect and honour “he built an altar there to the LORD” (Genesis 12:7).

As a result, God created a circumstance where Lot and Abram had to separate. 

God wanted to do more for Abram. He wanted Abram to go from an exalted Father to the Father of many nations as he journeys and enters the Promise Land, Canaan.

But He wouldn’t be able to do that with company around you that will only cover and veil the promises God has for you, who will only taint the way you need to go. 

If you recognise any other observations within these scriptures feel free to add them and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to you the truth to come to an understanding of the scriptures.

So, I will end the observation with this, as a disciple of Christ, where does your priority lie? Who are the company you have around you? And are they bringing you closer to Jesus? Are you obeying God or only partially obeying Him? Do you stay in your comfort zone more than you step out of faith and take risks on God’s call upon your life?

A. APPLICATION

Learning from what we have studied in the scriptures, here is a Do’s and Do Not’s list, with practical things to do as a disciple of Christ to apply in your life.

DO	DO NOT
Obey God	Disobey God
Put God first	Put others before God
Have good company around you	Have bad company around you
Step out of faith	Stay in your comfort zone
Worship only Jesus	Worship other gods
Listen and take risks on God’s call on your life	Delay God’s call on your life

P. PRAYER 

Here is a prayer that you can pray to end this Study Sunday on what it means to be a disciple of Christ by putting God first. 

“Father in heaven, I pray that you help me to remove anything and anyone that I have put before you and that has replaced you sitting on the throne of my heart. May they become second to you. I pray Father, that you unveil my eyes to see those who are not good for me, who have been or who will hinder my relationship with you. May you then help me to separate myself from them but bring those in my life who will build me closer to you. I pray Jesus, that you give me the courage to take risks and step out of faith and not get stuck in my comfort zone. So that I can be a faithful disciple of you, obeying your instructions and the call upon my life, and to make you pleased with me. In Jesus name, I pray and say, Amen.”

Stay Blessed, 

Divine L.