21st January 2018 - You are First I am Secnd - Simon Benham

You are first, I am second (Simon Benham)

Being popular

Simon mentioned the TV series “Black Mirror” which is set in a dystopian society where each person has a popularity rating over their heads for all to see, and life revolves around increasing your rating.  It is a world driven by fame and popularity.

Our world increasingly looks like this.  We can start judging our value and worth by comparing ourselves to other people.

Confusing fruitfulness with popularity

Jesus’ plan for each of us is that we would be fruitful (Matt 25 v 14-30), and to have big dreams, but there is a danger that we confuse fruitfulness with popularity.

We see this desire for popularity throughout the human story.  God preferred Abel’s offering over Cain’s.  Cain wanted to be first, to be the most important, and was jealous of Abel and murdered him (Gen 4 v 8).  Even Jesus’s disciples argued over who was the greatest and most important (Mark 9 v 34).

Fruitfulness does not necessarily bring fame

We can think that if we really do what God wants we will be famous and popular.  God does sometimes take people from obscurity to fame, for example Gideon or Esther.  But fruitfulness does not necessarily look like that.  Fame and popularity can ruin us.  Most of us will live lives of relative obscurity, but that does not mean fruitlessness.

I am second to Jesus

Jonathan was the son of King Saul, Israel’s first king.  He was the prince, heir to the throne.  However, Jonathan realised that God had rejected Saul, and had chosen David to become king.  Jonathan did not fight this, but said to David “You shall be king over Israel, and I will be second to you” (1 Sam 23 v 17).

We need to be happy to be second to Jesus.  David is a picture of Christ, the anointed and God appointed King, and like Jonathan we must choose to be second to Him, to lay down everything we have, and make him our Lord. 

Taking risks because He is first

Knowing Jesus is first and in control frees us to be take risks for God.

Jonathan and his armour bearer chose to attack a Philistine outpost based on a ‘perhaps’.  Jonathan said “Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf” (1 Sam 14 v 6).  As a result, God broke in and the entire Philistine army was routed.

We need to act on the strength of a ‘perhaps’.  Let’s be willing to try things, as they depend on Him, not us.  Just ‘may be’ God will break in when we pray for the sick, when we speak to someone about Jesus, or when we show kindness.

I am second to others

Jonathan served David.  The most fruitful things in our lives will not be things that we do, but people’s lives that we influence for God.

We are not in competition with any other Christian. We are part of the success of others in our church.

As parents, foster parents, or adopting parents, our children have the potential to be our greatest fruit.  Similarly serving our kids or youth in church can be the most fruitful thing we do.  Giving our money to the church also enables us to touch lives.

Even Jesus put others first, by laying aside his power and majesty and choosing to serve us (Phil 2 v 3-8).  We must follow His example.

Application Questions

1.  If you use social media, what was your most ever “liked” post?  If you don’t use social media, tell others about a time you felt very popular.

2. Read 1 Sam 23 v 14-18 together.  Simon exhorted us to make Jesus our Lord, and say out loud the words of Jonathan “You shall be king … I will be second” (1 Sam 23 v 17).

Encourage each person in the group, one at a time, to say these words out loud and pray a simple but serious prayer committing to lay down their will, put Jesus first and do whatever he says.

3. Simon also said that, like Jonathan and Jesus, we must choose to be second to others.  We do this by loving and serving them.

Can you think of a time when you felt in competition with other Christians, or overlooked by a leader?  Were you able to find strength in God and choose to accept being second?

4. Simon said that knowing Jesus is in control frees us to be take risks for God, and to be like Jonathan who said “Perhaps the Lord will act on our behalf” (1 Sam 14 v 6).  What situation are you facing where you need to step out on a ‘perhaps’? Pray for each other to be bold and step out in these situations.