Are We Focused on the Primary or the Secondary? Part 1

If you attend a professional baseball game, you expect to see players focused on the primary tasks of baseball - hit the ball, run the bases, score runs, catch the ball, throw it hard, get the batter out. But if you attend a T-ball game for 4 and 5 year olds, what you will see are players that are often focused on secondary things. The second baseman is facing the outfield while he bends over to dig in the dirt. The batter hits the ball off the tee and runs to third base instead of first and then walks over to the pitcher to say "Hi." T-Ball is a lot of fun to watch if you are a grandparent, but it really doesn't have much resemblance to professional baseball.

Is it possible that our current presentation of Christianity as demonstrated through the lives of individual Christians and even some churches has little resemblance to what Jesus taught as being a true follower or disciple of His? Is it possible that we have strayed away from the primary principles or commandments as revealed in the Bible? Instead, have we become more involved with secondary things that appear good but without the primary things become weak and shallow?

My purpose this week is to list what I believe are the three major or primary instructions for clearly living what true Christianity is to be. Then in the next three weeks I want to focus on each of these three primary instructions one week at a time. Without these as foundational in our lives, all of our secondary activity becomes ineffective.

In Matthew 22:36 a lawyer asks Jesus what is the greatest commandment. Jesus responded in Mattew 22:37 with these words:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and

with all your soul and with all your mind."

And without being asked, Jesus stated in Matthew 22:39 that the second greatest is like it.

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Finally, following Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, He gave His disciples a third primary command or commission as found in Matthew 28:18-20.

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go

therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the

name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching

them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with

you always, to the end of the age."

Didn't Jesus teach many other things that we are to do? Yes and No. I believe that everything that we are called by God to do grows out of these three. These are primary. Without these, anything else that we do doesn't carry the same weight or make the same impact as when these three are upfront in the life of a believer and in the life of a church.

Next week I will focus only on the first or greatest commandment. I hope between now and then you will give some serious thought for what it means to you to love God with all of your being.

May your week be blessed with the love of God flowing through your life.