What Comes First

C.S. Lewis once said, "when first things are put first, then second things are not suppressed but increased."   For example, in the home, if the husband and wife love God with all their heart, then their relationship is better.  When husbands and wives make their relationship a priority over their relationship with their kids, then the parent child relationship is made better.  Someone said, the best thing that a father can do for his children is love their mother.

Given that what is the first thing for the church?  Some would say missions and evangelism quoting the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20, "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."  We are called to go and make disciples of the world, therefore the priority would be going and sharing the gospel.  Others say the priority is teaching.  We are called to make disciples.

However, I believe the priority of the church must be worship.  We quote the Great Commission but leave out first 18.    And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  All authority belongs to Jesus therefore He alone is worthy to be worshipped.  If we make worship the priority then I go because I worship the one who has all authority.  I share because I worship the one who has all authority.  I baptize because I worship the one who has all authority.  I teach because I worship the one who has all authority.  I do all these things because people need to worship the one who has all authority. 

When the church gets its worship right then its evangelism, its missions, its teaching, its baptizing, its going will not be suppressed but will be enhanced.  For all of these flow from our worship rather than create our worship.  The reason I know this is because one day in heaven all the other activities will cease but worship will go on for eternity.  Think about it.