Looking Unto Jesus
Hebrews 12:2
Looking unto Jesus is the main doctrine. It makes no difference what other doctrines a person believes. If they do not put Christ first, all is vain. Many do not understand this principle, so we must teach them this principle by living it every day.
At this point, I rehearsed before the people some of the rocky past I have, urging them to listen to my experience, so they would not have to go through what I went through.
At the beginning of my “ministry”, I had left Arkansas, and took a job with Farmers Home Administration in St. Louis, MO. It was there I met Brother Jerry Asberry, who was pastor of Landmark Baptist Church. Over time, we both had to leave the church, and Brother Jerry understood how to begin a church with proper church authority, but I did not. Independence Baptist Church was organized from the authority of Faith Baptist Church in Lynn, Arkansas.
In time, I was called to preach, and moved to Willow Hill, Illinois to pastor Salem Baptist Church. But I did not understand this text. I knew doctrines, and thought that was all I needed, but it was not. I had to undergo a nervous breakdown, or at least a partial one before I would ever understand the real truth of looking unto Jesus, not just looking at doctrines.
Loving Jesus and putting him first is the most important thing you will ever do.
Matthew 22:34 – Jesus said the first and second commandment was to love God more than anything else, and to love the brothers.
I Corinthians 13:13 – Love is the greatest over faith and hope. Love will endure into all eternity, while faith and hope will no longer be needed when we see Jesus face to face.
Revelation 2:4 – The church at Ephesus had left their first love – the love of Christ, therefore they were in danger of losing their candlestick – ceasing to be a church. They were doctrinally sound, but might not be a church if they did not return to their first love.
The purpose of a church is to worship God and put him first. It is not church growth, or reaching people. We reach people because we love God, for no other reason.
I have known churches that failed because they refused to disciple their own membership in love. They would allow sin in the membership and they would become a mockery to the entire community and lose their candlestick.
Colossians 1:18 states, And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.