First Things, First.

Proper 8- Luke 9:51-62

Luke 9:51 begins with a turn. Jesus sets His face toward Jerusalem. That one phrase carries the weight of the entire Gospel. From this moment on, Jesus is not just wandering through towns teaching and healing. He is marching with resolve toward the place of sacrifice, the place of obedience, the place of glory. The cross is now before Him, and He is headed home—home to the Father. Everything changes here. Jesus isn’t drifting. He’s deliberate. His face is set.

And with that setting of His face, Jesus invites others to follow Him—but on His terms, not theirs. Luke records three interactions. Three potential disciples. Three hard words. But all of them, if you look closely, teach one powerful lesson: put first things first.

The first man says, “I’ll follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus replies, “Foxes have holes, birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Translation? If you follow me, get ready to feel like you don’t belong here anymore. The comforts of this world, the security of this life, even the sense of having a place to rest—it all takes a backseat. Jesus isn’t promising an easy path. He’s promising a meaningful one. And He’s saying: The Kingdom must come first—even if that makes you feel homeless in the world.

The second man is invited directly by Jesus: “Follow me.” But he says, “First let me bury my father.” Sounds reasonable. Honorable, even. But Jesus’ answer is striking: “Let the dead bury their own dead. You go and proclaim the kingdom.” Harsh? Not when you understand what He’s really saying. Jesus isn’t dismissing the love of family—He’s emphasizing that life only comes through the proclamation of the Kingdom. Spiritual death is real, and the only hope is found in the words of life. So, He says, Put first things first. Don’t go back to bury the dead. Go forward and proclaim resurrection life.

Then there’s the third man—the one who just wants to go say goodbye. But Jesus tells him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” That hits deep, doesn’t it? Because that’s all of us. We say, Just give me a moment. Let me wrap this up. Let me take care of this first. But Jesus is clear: You don’t look back. This is a forward-facing Kingdom. This is a city of everlasting hellos—not goodbyes. And if you keep turning your head toward what was, you’ll never step fully into what could be.

See, these three scenes give us a picture of what Jesus is doing—not just in their lives, but in ours. He’s teaching us how to follow. He’s showing us what it means to build a life around the Kingdom. And He’s challenging us to turn our face where He has turned His—toward Jerusalem, toward obedience, toward glory.

This isn’t theoretical. This is practical discipleship. Jesus is saying that everything—your comfort, your family obligations, your ties to your past—must bow to the first thing. And the first thing is the Kingdom of God.

That’s what I’m trying to build here at Fairview. That’s why we ring the bell. That’s why we light the candles. That’s why we kneel in confession, speak the call to worship, follow the calendar of Christ’s life. Because we are shaping a culture. A city. A real, tangible City of God. Not in concept. But in practice. We live, worship, and serve in the rhythm of heaven. And when we do that here, week after week, we’re being formed into something that lasts.

Church used to shape the culture of towns. The doors were open, and the whole city revolved around them. Now, the world dictates our calendars. Sports schedules override youth group. Entertainment overrides liturgy. And the next generation is watching. If we don't prioritize the City of God, why should they?

So, what do we do? We put first things first. We come here not to be entertained, but to be formed. We teach the language of the City to our children—not just on Sundays, but in our homes. We build a culture that celebrates the rhythms of heaven. And we don’t look back.

That means if you’ve got estranged family members, or broken homes, or relational fractures that make you want to turn around and fix them before you follow—hear this: Jesus isn’t saying ignore them. He’s saying, build the Kingdom now so that when they’re ready, there’s a home for them to walk into where goodbyes are gone and hellos last forever.

We build the City of God here and now. That’s the call. We follow Jesus not into what is easy, but into what is eternal. We set our face toward the Kingdom. And we don’t flinch. We plow forward. We don’t wait for perfect conditions. We don’t cater to preference. We proclaim the Kingdom. We sing. We feast. We teach. We gather. We shine.

So—put first things first. Seek the Kingdom. Build the City of God. Right here. Right now. That’s the lesson of Luke 9:51–62. That’s the call of Jesus. And that’s the invitation we must take seriously if we’re going to follow the One who turned His face toward Jerusalem and never looked back.

Welcome to the City of God.

Would you help me build it?

Watch the full Sermon HERE. Listen to Sermon HERE.

Peace Be With You,

Pastor Bruce