OUR ONLY PRIORITY

0:01 How we doing, Fellowship Church? Isn't it good to be in church to start 2026? Well, I got to ask you this question. How many followers do you have? Like on social media? I'm sure some in this room have a lot. A thousand, maybe 10,000, maybe hundreds of thousands of followers. And I'm sure some in this room probably have very little. That's a big question in this day and age because followers means status. Followers means legitimacy. Followers can even mean money in your pocket if you play your cards right. And that's why people will go to great lengths to get followers. They'll even buy fake followers to follow their accounts. Did you know that?

0:54 They'll buy these bots that will follow, like, comment, engage with their content so that when you go to their page, you see, well, a lot of people are following them, so they must be worth following. And once someone has built their following, they'll do just about anything to keep it. They'll maybe bend their convictions just a little bit. They'll avoid harsh truths and hard realities. They'll even go along with what the crowd is saying because they don't want to lose the crowd's approval. Because the worst thing that could happen would be to lose followers.

1:37 Well, can I just let you know that Jesus wasn't that way at all? Jesus was not afraid to lose followers. Jesus had a lot of followers before it was cool. before the age of social media. And he could have built crowds like this world has never seen if he had just told people what they wanted to hear. But instead he told them what they needed to hear. He told them the truth because he loved them too much to lie to them. And Jesus would make people choose, am I really truly following Jesus or am I just following the crowd? And that's where we find ourselves in Luke chapter 14. Verse 25 tells us that a large crowd was following Jesus. And we know that many of these people were following Jesus for all of the wrong reasons. Some were following Jesus because they just wanted to see a miracle. They wanted to see something happen.

2:44 some were following Jesus because they heard there was free food any fish and bread what's on the menu Jesus some were following Jesus because they heard he was going to start a revolution he was going to overthrow the Roman government and establish his own kingdom these people were ready to fight and with all of these competing priorities Jesus sets them straight real quick in verse 26 when he says, if anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, even their own life, such a person cannot be my disciple. Hate. Who said anything about hate? Like now's a good time to turn to your family if you're sitting with them and tell them you hate them.

3:45 No, I'm just kidding. Don't do that. Some of the brothers and sisters are like, let's hear him out. Let's hear him out. but the reality is he's not using hate the same way we would use hate. What he's saying is if you want to follow me, you have to love me so much that everything else in this life, even the way you value your own life resembles hate. He's saying, I'm here. Everything else is down here.

4:22 And he continues in verse 27. He says, and whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. How's that for a crowd pleaser? I can see the people filing out as he says these words, because if you didn't know the cross was the ancient torture tool, Jesus would eventually die on. And the Roman government would make you carry your cross to your own execution. and so Jesus is literally saying you have to walk the road to your own death in order to follow me and not only that the cross was reserved for the worst of the worst offenders in their society it was a symbol of shame a symbol of pain and a symbol of death and so Jesus is saying are you willing to go to the lengths that I am going to go for you? Jesus can call us to this level of commitment because Jesus actually walked out this level of commitment for you and for me on the cross.

5:34 And so he's asking us, will you carry your cross? Will you love me so much that everything else resembles hate? He said, I'm not just competing to be your priority. He says, I am your priority. We have to understand that Jesus, he's not just our top priority. He's our only priority. he's our only priority. A lot of times we say, God first. I'm gonna put God first in my life. The problem is, it's almost as if to say that there's a close second. And Jesus is saying, no, no, no, no, no. It's not even a competition.

6:25 I am your only priority. Everything else, it doesn't even come close. and isn't it interesting that he goes straight for the most vital, most crucial, most important relationships that we have in this life, our own flesh and blood. I mean, it's no question that these are important relationships. They're important to our development, to who we are, to who we become. But Jesus is saying, I'm even more important. I'm your priority. And it's not that we don't love our family, but it's that as Jesus is my priority, how can I love my family in a way that honors God? And so if it's true for our family, if it's true for even our own lives, how much more true is it for everything else competing for priority in this day and age? our career, our wealth, our sports teams, our own reputation, our friends, the way we see ourselves in this life, our kids' sports teams.

7:47 My gosh. He's saying, I'm ahead of all of it. This stuff, it doesn't even compare. It's not even a competition. What are we talking about? and so what's that thing for you? Maybe it is, you know, career. You say, I love God, but then we put our head down and we bury our head in our career and climbing the corporate ladder or building the business, and we don't even lift our head up for air, and our relationship with the Lord falls by the wayside. maybe you've noticed we have a lot of people in this church that have had success in their career. They've built incredible businesses. They've done well for themselves. And what many of these people have taught me is that when Jesus is your priority, the two don't have to compete. In fact, God can use what he's blessed you with for his purpose and for his kingdom. When you show up to work, you can reach people for Jesus. When you make money, you can make money for Jesus. When you live out your purpose, your purpose can be his purpose because Jesus is the priority.

8:59 maybe that thing for you is sports you're chasing the dream or maybe your kid you love them so much you see that they have some ability and you want to resource them because no one was really there to resource you when you were coming up and you just love them so much and I get it and one of the things I've noticed is that we've had a lot of kids here at fellowship that have had success on the athletic field. They've gone D1. They've played ball at a high level. And oftentimes, not all the time, but oftentimes, those are the kids who are most involved in the mix, our youth ministry. And they're using the influence God has given them to reach their teammates, bringing truckloads of teammates here to come and receive Jesus. And we're seeing campuses changed and altered forever because these kids are being used by God.

9:58 And what they've taught me is that if you will give that thing, whether it's sports or money or whatever it is in your life, if you will give that thing and you will submit it to the Lord, then he will use you in ways you could have never asked dreamed or imagined he will do things that you never saw coming if you will turn it over to him you see following Jesus it's the greatest thing you could ever do in life he'll call you to do things you could have never imagined he'll put you places you never thought you would be you'll see miracles happen you'll you'll see times in your life. You're like, I don't know how God's going to do it, but he just does it. And your faith will be strengthened. And you have never experienced a love like Jesus can give. You've never experienced forgiveness like Jesus can give. It's the greatest. But we have to consider the cost of what it's going to take to be his disciple, what it's going to take to follow Jesus. And if Jesus is going to be our priority.

11:10 We have to understand I'm not the main character. I'm not the main character. When I was growing up, I thought I was the main character of life. I thought I was the protagonist of the world. Partly because every Disney movie told me to follow my heart and chase my dreams. And so I did. My mom even had this phrase that played into this. Anytime I had an athletic competition or a musical performance, she'd say, you just stand out. And I believed it to my core.

11:52 It'd be like my sophomore year of high school, four quarters of football were played. I didn't touch the field one time and I'd make it to my mom. She'd say, Brad, you just stood out. I'm like, mom, my uniform didn't even get dirty. What are we talking about?

12:14 You just stood out. Thank you. I'd be like one person in a hundred person choir, third row, 17th in from the left, just out there singing my heart out, no solo. Fa la la la la, la la la la. She'd say, you just stood out. What are you talking about? You can't even see me. I'm just another tux up there.

12:40 You did. And that's like, that's cool for your self-esteem. It's just hard when you get to Luke 14 and Jesus is like, you have to hate your own life and pick up your cross and follow me. And you're like, but Lord, my mom said that I stood out. that doesn't work with God. We have to understand I'm not the main character. He is everything that I do is unto him. Every tool at my disposal is to make him famous. Everything that I have is to bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ, because he is my priority. it's why we exist And he goes on in verse 28.

13:37 He says, suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Once you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it. For if you lay the foundation and you're not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying this person began to build and wasn't able to finish. You see, I fear that we have a lot of unfinished towers in our world today. A lot of people who maybe had a moment with Jesus, but they never truly considered the cost of following him. And so when things got hard, they just stopped building. They never truly considered the cost that it was going to take everything that they had. Their hopes, their dreams, their plans, their purpose, who they were going to marry, their family, their finance.

14:41 They didn't count the cost. And so they gave up when things got hard. but I'm thankful that Jesus doesn't have any hidden fees. He, he, he lays it all out there and he tells us, I mean, my family and I, we just traveled to Michigan to see extended family. And I'm amazed by the hidden fees that airlines can tack on. It's like you go online, they show you a price. And then as soon as you check bags there, the airlines like surprised that you're checking bags. Like, oh, you're bringing luggage? Like, what'd you think? My family and I were backpacking through Detroit? and then if you want to change your seat on the flight, that's going to cost extra. Like, sorry, we don't want to sit next to the lavatory, and then some airlines will even charge you for bringing a carry-on.

15:36 It's like, what are we doing here? And then by the end of it, they're like, that was pretty convenient, huh? And you're like, yeah, and they're like, for your convenience, here's a convenience fee. And you're like, make it stop. there's no hidden fees with Jesus. He puts it all out there. He makes it crystal clear what it means to follow him. He tells you the truth because he loves you too much to lie to you. And he says, it's going to take everything. And if Jesus is our priority, we have to understand that the cost is my life. He continues in verse 31. Suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won't he first sit down and consider whether he's able with 10,000 men to oppose the one coming against him with 20,000?

16:30 If he's not able, he'll send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciple. You know, who knows how many times I've read that parable as a follower of Jesus. But every time I've read it, I thought that I was the king. I'm the wise strategist moving my players around the battlefield to see if we're fit for battle. until I read this theologian in preparation for this message. And he said something that shook me. He said, you're not the king. You're just one of the troops.

17:24 you're not considering your army, and if they're ready for battle, Jesus is considering if you're ready for battle. and I've got to ask you this. This is a tough question, so brace yourself. What good is a soldier that isn't willing to die? What good is a soldier that isn't willing to lay it all on the line for his brothers in battle? What good is the soldier that anytime he encounters the enemy, he runs away in fear?

18:06 We can't win like that. We can't take ground for the kingdom like that. And Jesus is looking for soldiers that can carry weight. Jesus is looking for soldiers that he can use. I'm reminded of a missionary named Jim Elliott. Jim felt called by God to reach the Harani people in the Amazon jungle. These were people that were literally regarded as savages. They were known to be antagonistic to anyone that made contact. They would kill outsiders. But God put it on Jim's heart to reach them for the gospel of Jesus Christ, that they might know him and come into a saving faith in him. And so Jim had this plan.

19:02 He started learning the language. He started learning the culture. And it was a good plan. They started making contact from a distance. They would circle a plane over the village and drop gifts for the people. And they saw positive engagement. The people, when they would drop the gifts, would smile and wave after a while. They started to send gifts back up to them. Even one Harani man got in the plane with them and they gave him a ride around. Things were going well.

19:36 And so they set up a camp outside of the Harani village. But what they didn't know is that there was intense dispute within the Harani people about their relationship with these outsiders. And one night, some Harani warriors attacked the missionaries camp and Jim and all of his fellow missionaries became martyrs that night. It was even found that they had weapons. They were armed. They could have defended themselves. They had already made the decision that they would not take the lives of people who do not know Jesus. in Jim's journal, a quote was found. And he said, when the time comes to die, just make sure all you have to do is die.

20:37 You see, Jim lived a life where Jesus was his priority. Knowing Jesus, following Jesus, sharing Jesus. That was what he lived for. It exuded from everything that he did. And when he got to the end of his road, he had no regrets. He didn't have to go ask for forgiveness. He didn't even have any famous last words. he just knew that when the time came to die all he had to do was offer his life as a sacrifice to the Lord and if I Brad Hughes could ever hope to hold a candle to Jim Elliott and the impact and the influence that he has and what he did and the life of devotion he had to Jesus if I could ever even hope or dream to do anything similar, then I must maintain my salt.

21:45 Jesus closes this passage by saying, salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It's fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It's thrown out. Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear. You see, ancient salt had a variety of uses, extremely useful, cooking, cleaning, antiseptic, clean out a wound. Because of that, it was included in a soldier's pay. That's where we get the term, he's not worth his salt.

22:22 But the problem was, once this ancient salt lost its flavor, it was gone forever. You could never get it back. And Jesus is likening us to this salt. And hear this. I know it's hard to hear, but he's saying, if you're a believer and you've lost your flavor, then I don't have a purpose for you right now. then I don't have a use for you right now. have you lost your salt? Have you lost your flavor? Have you lost the desire to follow Jesus with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Have you lost the desire to love your neighbor as yourself? Have you lost the desire to live a life that is pleasing and honorable to the Lord?

23:22 Have you lost your flavor? Maybe you're here and you're like, this was not the message I was planning on hearing for the first Sunday of January, I want you to know the good news is, unlike that ancient salt, you can get your flavor back. We serve a God who makes dead things come alive. We serve a God who can put a fire in your soul like you've never had before. We serve a God who can breathe life into you on this very day. And I don't care if you're 70 years old, God can do more with the rest of your life than he has previously because God can do anything. And all we have to do is we have to come to the Lord. We have to say, God, give me my flavor back. Give me my salt back. Help me, Lord, to be used by you.

24:20 And use me, Jesus. I make you my priority. maybe you're here and this is your first time hearing any of this. Let me tell you, if you can make it through this message, you can make it through just about any message you're going to hear. but I'll tell you again, following Jesus, man, it's the best.

24:45 It's the best, but we have to know what we're getting ourselves into. and I remember that quote from Jim Elliott. He said, when the time comes to die, just make sure all you have to do is die. I've heard Pastor Ed say, you're not ready to live until you're ready to die.

25:06 And so God forbid if that were to happen, on a scale of one to 10, how sure are you that you would go to heaven? I asked that question to a young man a few weeks ago. And he said, I'm a four. And I said, that's not very good. and then I asked him, so like if you were standing before God and he asked you, why should I let you in, what would your answer be? He thought long and hard. I mean, he was really putting some work into it, and he said, because I've been good to the people that he sent to take care of me, and listen closely because a lot of us would have a similar answer. I've been a good person I've tried to do the right thing I did the best that I could but just like I told him I'll tell you none of those answers are good enough the only answer the only reason that God would let you into heaven is because you know Jesus because you lived a life with Jesus, because you surrendered your life with Jesus, because you accepted his salvation.

26:32 Please understand this. It's not about anything you've done. It's not about the fact that you went to the soup kitchen every Thursday night. It's not about the fact that you gave away all your money. It's not about anything you could ever hope to have achieved. It's only about what Jesus has done. He lived the perfect life you could never live. He died sacrificially and he rose again. And because of that, he offers salvation to you and to me.

27:08 And so all you have to do to receive that salvation is simply admit, I'm a sinner in need of a savior. You believe that Jesus was who he said he was, that he did what he said he did. And you believe that his words are true, that the word of God is true.

27:31 And then lastly, you commit. You commit your life to him. You commit everything to him. You hold nothing back. And please understand, this does not mean you're going to be perfect. but it just means that when you fall, you're going to get back up and you're gonna keep chasing after Jesus. If you can commit to that, you're ready to make a decision for him. Will you bow your heads and close your eyes? Dear Jesus, we admit that we've sinned and fallen short of your perfect plan, but we believe that you lived, died, and rose again, and we believe that your word, your way of life is true. and so we commit our lives to you. We give you everything we have. You're our priority, Lord.

28:23 and we ask that you would come into our lives and save us and help us to live a life that honors you. I pray for every believer in this room, God, that this would be the moment, January 4th, 2026, that we got our salt back. We got our flavor back. We got our fire back, and God, that you would do something in our lives like you never have before, and you would do amazing things in and through us. Lord, we love you. It's in your name we pray.