So the name of the the title of the sermon tonight is first things first
first things first and I felt like this is an important topic to preach on and I
almost didn't because quite frankly there's a lot of things that we're gonna
go overnight that are very basic very basic simple truths that make up the
Christian life and it's something I feel like I've touched on even recently but
it's these simple things these basic things that need to be driven home that
we have to make sure we're making a part of our Christian life if we're going to
succeed if we're going to make it in the long run and it seems like whenever
things get hectic whenever there's big big blow up or there's a you know and a
lot of drama more than even usual people tend to get very frazzled people tend to
get very distracted and it's always good at times like that to just regain our
focus look at what really matters in the Christian life and make sure that we're
doing what we need to do day by day if we're going to succeed and make it
through these tough times. So what I'm preaching about tonight is the fact that
spiritual priorities must come first spiritual priorities in our life are
what come first and they come before physical priorities if you know that
notice there in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 24 he said no man can serve two
masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold
to the one despise the other you cannot serve God and mammon and today so many
people they want it both ways they want to serve God but they also want to spend
a lot of time making money and he's saying here look you can't have it that
way it's one or the other you can't become you know and of course people can
work hard to be diligent and and do things right and God can bless them and
they can come into wealth that way but if we make our life all about making
money we're gonna be out of balance and we're gonna find ourselves serving
mammon and rather than God he says there in verse 25 therefore I say to you take
no thought for your life what you shall eat or where you shall drink nor yet for
your body what you shall put on is not the life more than meat in the body more
than raiment and of course we know the passage here taught telling us we can't
add one cubit to our stature that we can't we shouldn't worry about clothing
and food and all these things and look what he says here in verse 31 he says
therefore take no thought what you shall eat or what you shall drink or wherewith
you shall be closed for after all these things do the Gentiles seek for your
Heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of these things but our spiritual
priorities are what need to come first in the Christian life not our physical
and people should not become overly concerned with their earthly needs
that's really what he's teaching here is he's saying look don't don't worry so
much about your food don't worry so much about what you're gonna put on don't
worry about all these things that the Gentiles tell you to worry about don't
worry about making sure you have every type of insurance don't make sure you
have an abundance of wealth in the bank don't make sure that you have some great
retirement fund waiting for you now of course there's wisdom in that that we
should always be thinking ahead and preparing and be ready for that I
understand that there's a certain level of preparedness that we should have
financially I get that that we should foresee the evil that's pretend that
could potentially come our way and be prepared but people today they seem like
that's all they want to do they want to build up some great treasure here on
earth so that when they retire they'll never have to work another day in their
life and they'll be just sitting on easy Street or they want to you know make
sure that they have a ton of insurance insurance for this insurance for that so
if anything possibly remotely goes wrong that they're covered and Jesus is saying
here you don't you know carefully you know don't get distracted by those
things take no thought for your life he's saying what you shall eat he's
saying or what you shall drink nor yet for your body what you shall put on and
we get so worried sometimes just about what we're going to do you know for food
and Raymond and he's saying look these earthly needs that we have come second
to our spiritual needs our spiritual priorities come first so we should not
be overly concerned with earthly needs I'm not saying be careless I'm not
saying disregard them I'm just saying don't become overly concerned and really
this is difficult for those who have little faith people who really struggle
with this it's a lack of faith at the end of the day I mean that's that's what
he said there he said oh he loved little faith right verse 30 wherefore of
God so clothed the grass of the field which is today and tomorrow is cast in
the oven Shelley not much more clothed you oh ye of little faith and that's
really where people struggle when they say that's really where the rubber
meets the road in the Christian life sometimes we actually get into these
these situations the positions where we don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow
maybe we're not gonna have the food and clothing maybe we really have to start
relying on God and people struggle and it's because they don't have the faith
if you would go over to Matthew chapter 13 Matthew chapter 13 I mean this is a
promise in the Word of God that God is going to provide everything that we need
day by day you might not we might not know what he's going to provide ten
years from now but we know that if we just are faithful to him and we put
first things first that he's going to provide for us day by day but people
don't like that because that requires us having to walk by faith having to
actually trust the Word of God trust the promises of God the Bible says in Psalm
37 I have been young and now I'm old yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
nor his seed begging bread that's another precious promise the Word of God
that if we're faithful that if we're if we live a righteous life God's not going
to forsake us even if some great famine were to take over our land and the
grocery stores are emptied of all their food if we're living for God if we if
we're right with God we're not going to be forsaken I mean you think about
Elijah when he was told to go hide in the you know hide out the river that was
during a famine and he took care of him when that wasn't doing you know Elijah
wasn't just some backslitting guy you know he sent he was faithful and he sent
him the Ravens he sent him the meat day by day and he fed him and then he sent
when that Brook dried up he said well now go to the widow and he worked
miracles I firmly I honestly believe that if ever came to that if we're right
with God God will provide for us miraculously because that's promise but
that requires us having to walk by faith you know it's easy to say that when I'm
up here all fat and sassy you know and I just went help myself to some nachos and
a coke you know but what if what what happens when the famine actually does it
when the bank account dries up when all the bags of rice are gone then we have
to stop and ask ourselves do we really believe the Word of God do we can we
really walk by faith at that point and the people that are probably gonna have
the hardest time with that are those that you know aren't right with God but
those of us that are living for the Lord you know keeping our sin account short
keeping you know our sins confessed and living for the Lord and doing its right
living righteously I think we can have these promises for ourselves he said in
Philippians 4 my God shall supply all your need according to his riches and
glory by Christ Jesus and so often we'd like to apply that to you know our you
know our spiritual need our emotional needs we like to think about how he's
going to comfort us and aid us and guide us you know in our you know in our
inward man but this applies just as much to the outward man as well God so shall
supply all our needs according to his riches and these are great promises here
at Matthew 6 and Psalms and Philippians but they all must be taken by faith they
all must be taken by faith our spiritual priority priorities should come before
our physical priorities our physical needs let me say this should and our
physical needs and wants should not make us barren spiritually and this is what
happens to people even Christians even well-intentioned people they get so
caught up in the physical world they get so caught up in their jobs and their
houses and their lands and their wealth and just all the physical needs of this
life that it makes them barren spiritually become they become focused
on the physical rather than on the spiritual and it robs them and you know
and they might end this life very comfortable physically but then they're
going to heaven and they're gonna be beggars in heaven they're gonna have no
rewards they're gonna have nothing they might have had it really good here but
if they let their physical needs take precedence over their spiritual needs
you know they're gonna be they're gonna be wanting in heaven unfortunately so
don't let our physical needs come before our spiritual needs don't let your
physical priorities come before your spiritual priorities otherwise your
physical needs and wants will make you barren spiritually look there in Matthew
chapter 13 verse 22 he also that receives seed among the thorns is he
that here at the word and the care of this world what does he mean by care he
doesn't mean you know this is even talking about an environmentalist you
know the caring for the world going out and you know planting grass on some
riverbank to prevent erosion or something or trying to eradicate some
invasive species or something no the care of this world is what he's talking
about is the worry the care the concerning ourselves with the things of
this world he said the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches
choke the word and he become if unfruitful if we get too wrapped up in
this world this physical present world we're gonna become unfruitful
spiritually speaking and you know what's gonna happen is we're gonna get to
heaven and we're gonna see the guy who maybe didn't have the biggest house and
drive the newest car and have all the nicest clothes maybe didn't take all the
vacations that everybody else took didn't get to do all the fun things
that everybody did but you know what he's gonna have if he lived for God and
to spend his time investing in the things of the Lord as he's gonna have
rewards eternal rewards where moth and rust doth not corrupt where thieves
don't break through or still steal he said in verse 33 if I should have had
you keep something Matthew 6 I'll just read it for you but he said we were
already read it earlier seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness
and all these things shall be added unto you we're very familiar with that verse
that's a very popular verse but I wonder how often we really apply that to our
life how often we can really step back and say well that's exactly what I'm
gonna do I'm gonna seek thing the kingdom of God first I'm gonna make sure
I'm right with God above anything else before you know because you know when it
comes into consideration of where I'm gonna live or what job I'm gonna have or
how big my house is or how many kids I'm gonna have or how whatever how I'm
gonna spend my time before I before I decide that I'm going to make sure that
it's I'm gonna seek God's kingdom first I'm gonna put his righteousness first
and I'm gonna let him sort all these other things out for me and it's
important I think to be reminded of all this and we're gonna go and this is kind
of just you know introduction because we ought to have some spiritual priorities
in our life and there's some real basic things that and it's always the most
basic things that people struggle with and so many of our problems in life and
so many things reason that and the reason why we struggle with so many
things in the Christian life is because we never nail down the basics and the
basics make up everything if the foundations be destroyed what can the
righteous do so I'm just starting out tonight kind of telling you about you
know making the point that look your spiritual priorities are important they
come before your physical priorities and we're living in a day to day where you
know just there's just all the modern distractions that we have which just
compound this this danger of you know mis-prioritizing spiritual needs we get
things so out of whack especially in this modern age with all the
entertainment all the leisure time that we have other all the downtime
distractions that come into our life it's a lot easier to just do that fun
thing rather than actually do the hard thing or the spiritual thing you know I
think it's in particular of you know social media and I think this is
something that needs to really be preached about is social media
regardless of the content good or bad you know even even if you're using it
well and wisely and it's it's it's a good thing you know you're not you're
not using it to do bad things it could still be it's a huge distraction today
and it's a phenomenon that I don't think a lot of us stop to think about the fact
that just overnight we all we all found ourselves on social media or living in a
world that just operates through social media nobody asked for it and all of a
sudden now we're clicking like and making emojis and everything else and
nobody asked for this it just it just happened and it's completely changed
society and nobody really was looking for it and that's really probably a
whole nother sermon in and of itself but I'm just making the point right now
that there's so many distractions in this modern life that we live that if
we're not careful our priorities will get out of whack we'll get distracted
we'll get caught up with the cares of this world and it'll rob us I'll make us
some Baron so what are some spiritual priorities go to Luke chapter 18 what
are some spiritual priorities you know and this is this is the kind of stuff
that a lot of people aren't gonna want to hear because it's not this isn't the
fun exciting stuff that of the Christian life but this is the building blocks of
the Christian life if we don't get this stuff down we're gonna suffer
spiritually how about prayer as a spiritual priority I mean I'll be honest
this is something I I've always struggled my Christian life I mean I
have to make sure that I take time to make it happen or it's just not gonna
happen and we like to think sometimes well you know I just pray throughout the
day and that's true we do but you know we really ought to make a point of
actually praying actually getting on our knees to make sure we're addressing God
taking some time and I'm not saying you have to spend an entire hour although if
you wanted that's great but we find time for so many other things in our life so
many other distractions but we do we make time for prayer and I'm telling you
it's a spiritual priority it's not just something that well you take it or leave
it no it is one of the building blocks the foundations of the Christian life is
prayer and if we get distracted our prayer will be lacking look at Luke at
Luke 18 Luke 18 verse 1 and he spake a parable unto this end that men are
always to pray and not to faint saying there was in a city a judge which feared
not God excuse me neither regarded man and there was a widow in that city and
she came unto him saying avenge me of mine adversary and he would not for a
while but afterward he said within himself though I fear not God nor
regard man yet because this widow troubleth me I will avenge her lest by
her continual coming she weary me she's being a pain in his neck you know she's
being annoying she's being persistent and it's a it's a picture of prayer that
we ought to go to the judge the Lord who and and bug him for the things that we
need and not and not that we would be a nuisance to him but he's using this as
an example look even an unjust judge is going to answer the widow's prayer if
she keeps bugging him how much more so is God going to answer his own children
if either me being evil not to give good gifts to your children how much
more sure your Heavenly Father give gifts unto them that ask him that's the
point he's making here and he says in verse 6 and the Lord said here with us
the hear what the unjust judge saith and shall not God avenge his own elect which
cried night and day unto him day and night unto him though he bear long with
them I mean do we not pray because we don't believe God actually hears us I
mean if we really believe that God in heaven hears us would we not pray again
it goes back to this question of faith oh ye live of little faith why don't we
pray is it a lack of faith or do we really believe that God in heaven hears
us and that he really answers prayer he said in verse 8 I tell you that he will
avenge them speedily nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh shall he find
faith on the earth now that last phrase there he says when the Son of Man
cometh shall he find faith on the earth and a lot of times we think about that
verse and I've always kind of interpreted it talked to other people
about it I feel like they had the same take on this verse is that you know when
Jesus comes back will he even find Christianity but is that really what
he's saying here in the context of this passage or is he talking about the fact
that when he comes or there'll be anybody praying well there'll be anybody
actually has the faith to cry out to God day and night to avenge them or will we
even the people that know the Lord even the people that are saved have got that
point just been so it becomes so faithless that they don't even bother to
pray anymore and here's the thing say well I don't I don't really have time
for spiritual priorities you know I don't know when I could pray I'm so
such a busy person look you'd be more effective at what you do if you prayed
you'd be more effective with less time if you prayed if you took 10 15 more
minutes in the morning made that part of your routine to just pray to God you
know and there's that model prayer in Matthew chapter 6 that's a great place
to start our Father who art in heaven give God some glory give him the praise
hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come think about the things that are coming
you know that'll help us straighten out our priorities real quick if we if we
lived every day in the light of the fact that Christ is going to return thy
kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our
daily bread I mean this is just the model prayer we don't repeat these words
but we could use this as a prayer you know give us our daily bread what do you
need today from God did you ask him for it what do you have need of right now
what's important to you did you ask God for it have you taken the time to make
that a priority in your life to tell God what you need even if it was bread even
though it's just some physical need I need a new pair of shoes I need you know
I need some milk for the fridge whatever it is Lord give me the strength to go
out and make the money that I need to make to provide for my family what do
you have need of today are you asking God for it you know lead us not into
temptation but deliver us from evil are we struggling with some sin in our life
are we getting tired of it well let me ask you have you prayed about it have we
take it made it a priority to get up in the morning to ask God deliver me from
this evil today help me not to commit this sin today whatever it is the reason
why people don't get what they need the reason why people don't get the victory
over their sins is because they don't make prayer a spiritual priority in
their life he says in James 1 if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that
giveth to all men liberally I mean God's just in heaven with all the riches and
wisdom and knowledge and all he's all-powerful there's nothing he can't do
and he's wanting to do it to prove himself strong on the behalf of his
children but he won't but the question is will he find the faith this is is it
just crickets up there in heaven or are we actually praying the Lord and telling
him what we need are we making prayer a spiritual priority you see well if
there's all these promises why don't people pray why isn't prayer more of a
spiritual priority for people well maybe people avoid prayer because they
might not like what they find when they draw night of God you know we start that
when we actually take the time to get quiet and pray and start to reflect on
things and start to think about things and meditate on the Word of God you go
over to James chapter 4 James chapter 4 you know you're kind of drawing nigh to
God in prayer you're stopping you're taking time out of your name to focus on
God on the Lord when you do that I think some the reason some people avoid
it maybe perhaps is because they might not like what they find they might not
like what the Holy Spirit brings to their to their remembrance so I'd love
to help you with this but did you remember that you're still doing this
and you still have this problem you still haven't gotten this right you're
still harboring this and you're still angry about that people might not like
what they find it says in James chapter 4 verse 7 submit yourselves therefore to
God resist the devil and he will flee from you look at verse 8 draw nigh to
God and he will dry not eat and draw an eye to you you think it's any
coincidence the following words cleanse your hand you sinners and purify your
hearts you double-minded be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be
turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness humble yourselves the sight of
Lord and he shall lift you up but drawing nigh to God can be a very
humbling experience you know we're not just gonna bring God a grocery grocery
list and just you know rattle off all the things we have that day that all the
things that we need that day what might happen is when we actually take time to
get alone with the Lord is he might you know I'm not saying audibly I'm not
saying you know that voice in your head is God that's not how it works that's
another sermon but things might come to remembrance he might bring things to
your mind and you know what you might have to say well I got to cleanse my
hands you know I have to purify my heart I'm a little double-minded here
maybe I need to be afflicted maybe I need to mourn maybe I need to get
humbled that's what happens when people draw nigh to God it's a very it can be a
very humbling experience but go through it you know that's the heart is made
better it's it's better to go through those things you know people don't pray
be either because they're faithless they're too proud or both that's why
people don't make prayer spiritual priority or it's just laziness or it's
all of these things but you know prayer is a spiritual priority that needs to be
a part of our life it needs to be a huge part of our life it needs to be just a
staple just something that we do without even thinking about it along with all
the other things that we do when we get up in the morning or at least we should
be doing right taking a shower getting ready brushing our teeth combing our
hair blah blah blah all the things that we do eat breakfast whatever it is that
we do prayer ought to be a part of that routine where we pray to the Lord but
that's not the only spiritual priority and again I know this isn't the most
exciting sermon but this is the stuff that's gonna make or break people that
if we don't get these things nailed down life's gonna be harder than it needs to
be how about the spiritual priority of Bible reading I mean this is one of the
things I think is just lacking the most in churches today I mean probably other
than prayer probably I mean Bible reading is just I mean how do you else
do you explain all the false doctrine that's out there that just goes
unchecked all the false doctrine it just gets preached across pulpits Sunday
after Sunday after Sunday after Sunday and nobody says a thing about it all
just the stupid dumb things that get said and nobody is there you just tell
me nobody cares nobody ever I mean maybe people pipe up but why is it even
getting preached in the first place it's because the guy behind the pulpit
doesn't even reading his Bible like you out of he doesn't even understand
doctrine he's just repeating what he heard in some Bible college I'm telling
you Bible reading is a spiritual priority that must be a part of our life
go over to Matthew chapter 7
I mean how could you live the Christian life without knowing what's expected of
you who's gonna tell you look I can only I've only got your attention
hopefully for 45 minutes at a time maybe an hour and a half a week a week if you
make it to all three services do you really think I'm gonna be able to tell
you everything you need to know that week an hour and a half tell you how to
live the Christian life even a year's worth of preaching you think I mean so
many things have to be repeated because they just go right over our heads the
first time we hear them or we didn't catch it whatever that's why God's given
this big book that needs to be read date and every single day we got to be in
this book as much as we're as possible because we need to know what's expected
of us we need to know what it takes to live the Christian life and it's all
right there but the question is are we taking the time to actually read it
Jesus said if you love me keep my commandments I love Jesus well do you
keep his commandments well what are they I don't know why not because I have
never read it well you need to read it you know find out what the commandments
are and then do them otherwise you just saying I love Jesus you know doesn't it
kind of sounds empty it kind of sounds hollow if you really love the Lord you're
gonna want to know what it is that's expected of you and you'll read his word
look at Matthew chapter 7 verse 24 therefore whosoever hearth these sayings
of mine and doeth them look you can't do them without hearing them can't hear
him without reading them he says whosoever hearth these sayings of mine
and doeth them I will like it unto a wise man which built his house upon a
rock no Bible reading so boring oh it's such a short look it's building your
house upon a rock it's gaining wisdom and knowledge and understanding that the
world does not have and cannot offer I mean yes there's some things we can
learn from the world but none of it can compare to the wisdom that's found in
this book this book will tell you how to live your life and then when you so that
when you come to the end of it you won't you'll have very few regrets it have a
great deal of blessings along the way it won't all be easy I mean he says look he
looks there he says in verse 25 the rains descended the floods came the
winds blew both of these guys that built the house here this passage they both
suffered the same storm the question is do you want to go through the storms of
life with the wisdom of God or not do you want to take the world's way and try
to do things the way the world does it and have your house just fall apart have
this have it fall and have it to be grateful great was the fall of it or do
you want to just take the time to read the Word of God line upon line precept
a precept here here a little there a little and find out what God actually
expects of us implement in our life make it a part of our life and build our
house upon a rock so when that same storm comes that's coming regardless of
whether you're prepared or not the storms of life that come to all of us so
that when it comes your house stands you're not just gonna fall apart into a
thousand pieces you got to make Bible reading a spiritual priority in your
life because you can't you can't do what's expected of you if you don't know
you can't do what you don't know I didn't know I was supposed to do that
well did you read it well no well no wonder you didn't know and you can't
just rely on the preacher to tell you everything you got to get in there and
find out for yourself you know you got to get in there would be reminded and
over and over again these things it's kind of like a guy you know this is
something I had a lot of experience with being a dad you know assembling
children's furniture you know and you know I learned real quick and our first
child is read the instructions you know be one of these guys need that it's just
a crib what could possibly go wrong you know well first of all you should have
read page one where it says build the crib inside the room you intend to use
it because it won't fit through the door and I learned that the hard way but if I
just read the instructions I would have known I would have they thought of
something that I didn't think about I'm all proud of myself you know after I get
this crib built and it's like oh take half of it apart and then put it back in
the room read the instructions right when it could read the read the
instructions for your life or it's gonna get assembled wrong you're gonna end up
at the end of your life with these extra pieces you know what what are these go
to I don't know and then something there's gonna be some weakness in that
structure you know people they don't make Bible reading a priority for the
same reason they don't pray these priorities all go by the wayside for the
same reasons and if you would go to Deuteronomy chapter 17 I guess I should
say this if you fail to make Bible reading a priority you will end up a
proud person it's just a fact you've shown me a proud man you show me an
arrogant person and I'll show you a person who doesn't read their Bible you
show me some loudmouth blowhard and I'll show you a guy who doesn't read his
Bible look at Deuteronomy chapter 17 verse 18 and it shall be when he sitteth
upon the throne of his kingdom that he shall write him a copy of this law in a
book out of the witches before the priests and elite the Levites and it
shall be with him and he shall read therein all the days of his life that
he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all his words all the words of this
law and these statutes to do them that his heart be not lifted up above his
brethren look reading your Bible will make you
humble person we'll read things in the Bible and it'll convict us we'll read
about some character who got into some sin or had some kind of an attitude go
well that reminds me a lot of myself I need to fix that or we'll read the Bible
and we'll realize that you know not nobody's perfect that everybody has
flaws we'll read the Bible and we'll read about having to forgive and and
and forget and and letting people live things down and not to exact you know
we'll read all these things and we'll become humble people and you show me the
proud man and I'll show you a guy who doesn't read his Bible you show me the
guy who has no fear of the Lord show me a guy who's just willing to just you
know just go out there and and you know attack the man of God and that's another
sermon that needs to get preached a man is not just afraid to just rail on God's
people rail on God's man and attack people and I'll show you a guy doesn't
read his Bible guaranteed because this is why God told the Kings to read the
Bible he said let him let him you know he shall keep it with him all the Davis
and he shall read there in all the days of his life why they may learn to fear
the Lord is God and that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren those
are the two reasons that God gave there and that he turned not aside from the
commandment that's why Bible reading ought to be a priority in our life
unless you want to end up proud people who have no fear of God you showed me
proud vengeful people who claim to be Christians I'll show you Christians
don't read the Bible period so what are we talking about tonight we're talking
about the fact that we have to have spiritual priorities in our life they
have to be there they have to come before physical priorities which are
also very important but these have to be their prayer Bible reading these are
just basic things but these are the things that people struggle with the
most how about this spiritual priority Church Church is Church really a
priority it should be absolutely go over to Ephesians chapter 5 I mean it was a
priority for Jesus I'd say if the Lord made the church important we probably
should do that's pretty important to him he said in Luke 4 you're going to
Ephesians 5 and he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up and as his
custom was he went into the synagogue on a Sabbath day and stood up for to read
that was his custom then the Sabbath day he went to church he went in the
synagogue and he read he was there for the preaching was a priority to him it
says that was his custom as his custom was it was a priority for Jesus look at
Ephesians chapter 5 verse 25 husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved
the church and gave himself for it sounds to me like church is a priority
to the Lord when he's giving himself for it when he's laying down his life and
purchasing the church with his own blood you better believe it's important look
at verse 27 that he might present him to himself a glorious church having not
had not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but it should be holy and
without blemish it's an important thing and look at Ephesians chapter 3 Ephesians
chapter 3 verse 21 unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout
all ages world without end amen how are we gonna glorify how is God going to be
glorified throughout all ages world without end in the church through the
church that's how he's gonna be glorified forever is through the church
the congregation of the believers that's our boy it's gonna bring God glory I'd
say that's important I'd say we should probably make that a priority in her
life I mean whatever it is we have to do reschedule our you know move our
schedule around I would even tell people chain get a different job if I had a
church or if I had a job that kept me on a church you know I do I'd go get a
different job say well you're the deacon we you know what I've been the deacon for
a year and a half I've been a Christian a lot longer than that and don't think I
haven't quit jobs for church or turn jobs down for church or got jobs and
said I don't I don't work on Sundays and not get hired I made it a spiritual
priority because it was important I mean I'm reading my Bible here look sounds
like it's pretty important to God and I think people should be willing even to
change jobs if necessary for church because our spiritual needs come before
physical we should seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and
people get all worried well if I switch jobs if you know it's what's gonna
happen why don't you just trust God why don't you have a little bit of faith and
just trust God and see what happens when you put him first he says all these
things shall be added unto you and probably even more so and it was a
priority for Jesus and it should be it was a priority for the first believers
look it over at Acts chapter 14 Acts chapter 14 Acts chapter 14 I'll begin
reading in verse 19 and there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and
Iconium who persuaded the people and having stoned Paul drew him out of the
city supposing he had been dead how be it as the disciples stood round about
him he rose up and came into the city and the next day he departed with
Barnabas to Derby and when he had preached the gospel to that city and
taught many they returned again to Lystra to Iconium and to Antioch and
look he wasn't on just a pleasure cruise he wasn't sightseeing he was in verse 22
confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the
faith that we through much tribulation must enter into the kingdom of God and
when they had a deigned elder them elders in every church where is he going
when he go to all these places he's going to churches he's ordaining elders
I mean he's getting stoned one day and then picking himself up dusting himself
up and the next day going on well let's go visit the churches let's go ordain
elders let's continue tell people to continue in the faith I mean it was a
priority for him and it says in verse 24 and after they had passed through
Pisidia they came to a Pamphylia and when they had preached the word in Pergar
they went down to Atalia and then sailed to Antioch and from thence they had they
had been recommended the grace of God for the work which they fulfill I mean
just going everywhere establishing churches and when they were come and had
gathered the church together they rehearsed all that God had done with
them and how he had opened the door of the faith of faith unto the Gentiles and
there he abode long time with the disciples I mean church should be a
priority in our life we need to make it one I think it should even dictate where
we live I'll be perfectly honest about it I mean it did for me I mean when
things went bad in my old church I said well it's time to go we got to leave I
said well there's a church you know an hour whatever halfway and it was it
would have been okay we could have done it but you know we were also in Northern
Michigan and if you've ever been in the winter it was kind of we saw it as kind
of a window of opportunity you know getting a great church like faithful
word get out of the snow once and for all get a fresh start out in Phoenix
leave all this old life behind all the baggage and the memories and everything
that goes along with it just leave that all behind and go start a fresh but we
didn't just go wherever we wanted we didn't just pick a spot on the map and
say well you know such-and-such place they got nice weather there I mean they
got nice weather here most of the time today it was a little bit makes you
wonder why we live here in that heat but we didn't just go anywhere you know we
chose a place that had a good we knew the church was good that the preaching
was solid that they were doing the work of the Lord and that was a priority for
us and I think people ought to do that or they should make the best of it where
they are I'm not saying they have to that wherever they are they should get
in church look there's people out there that aren't even willing to move a half
hour one direction to make it close to get closer to church they'll they'll
complain all that church is an hour away why don't you just move a half hour well
that church is two hours well why don't you just get closer or why don't you
just make the drive why don't you just make church priority you know why they
don't because it's not to them it's not a priority and I'm telling you they're
gonna suffer for it but being in church is important you know cuz and here's the
thing you know church just isn't some social gathering I mean it is it's great
that we get together we socialize and talk and have friendships but look at
Hebrews chapter 12 Hebrews chapter 12 I'll begin reading in verse 22 he said
but year come unto Mount Sion under the city of the living God the heavenly
Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of angels to the General Assembly a
congregation right and the church of the firstborn which are written in heaven
look we're not just getting together with a bunch of just people that you
know make us feel good people that we like to just talk to you with friends
now I get it we're friends that's great that should be there but when we're
gathering together in church you're gathering together with people whose
names are written in heaven people that you're gonna spend all eternity with the
church of the firstborn it's important you where else are you gonna find that
at work probably not unless you got a brother there or sister you're not gonna
find it you're not gonna find it in the public schools you're not gonna find it
in some dance hall you're not gonna find it in some bar some club you're not
gonna find the firstborn there at least you shouldn't you're not gonna make that
kind of relationship in a casino you're not gonna make it anywhere you're not
gonna make it you know in some club or some little league or some you know
whatever whatever worldly thing sinful or not you're not gonna be gathering
together with people whose names are written in heaven with the church of the
firstborn where are you gonna do that you're gonna do it here you're gonna do
it in God's house so don't take it for granted it's not just a social gathering
it's important it was a priority for the early church is a priority for Paul it
was a priority for the Lord himself to lay down his life for the church and yet
people Christians still struggle with getting their carcass in church and look
you know I appreciate everyone's here but is it really that hard to get to
church is are you guys struggling out there right now to just that chair like
just straining to keep you held up right now is it are you are you feel is it
difficult to just sit there and at least feign like you're paying attention
probably not I sat out there for a long time you know it's that's the you know
I'm doing the work tonight can you just show up you just make it a priority to
hear though preaching the Word of God and I know I'm preaching the choir right
now but we should keep that in mind going forward don't take it for granted
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some
is people get in the habit of not making church priority and it and they suffer
for it what's another spiritual priority the spiritual priority of prayer the
spiritual priority of Bible reading the spiritual priority of going to church
how about the spiritual priority of soul winning this needs to be a priority go
over to go over to Revelation Revelation chapter 2 look I get it you know
there's a lot of other things that we have to take care of in this life we
have school we have work we have families we have all these other things
these obligations that we have to attend to in life but we should make soul
winning a priority in our life I mean really it should be our life's work
everything else is just kind of there because it has to be but soul winning
should be something that we're passionate about something that we're
dedicated to something that moves us it should be a priority because what is
soul winning is it just knocking on a door I mean yeah that's part of it right
knocking on the door talking to the person but what are you trying to do
when you're soul winning you're trying to save somebody from hell I mean tell
me what's more important than that name one thing in life that's more important
than saving somebody from hell I can't think of anything I mean it ought to be
a priority I'm not saying we have to be out there every single day eight 24
hours a day but I'm saying we should at least can we carve out an hour and again
I know I'm preaching the choir tonight but can we carve out an hour of our time
to go out and go so many once a week at the minimum to save somebody from hell
you know we shouldn't lose our first love and I'm you know we'll skip
Revelation chapter 2 just for the sake of time here but again you know if we
love Christ you know we're gonna share his burden and he had a burden for the
lost if we love the things of the Lord we love the Lord we're gonna love the
things of the Lord if we're gonna if we're gonna love God we're gonna love
God we're gonna make things a priority that he made a priority he made Church a
priority he made the Word of God a priority and he made souls a priority in
his life he said in Luke 19 the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that
which was lost that's what he said he was here for he came to seek and save
sinners he said I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance
that's why I even came that's why I left heaven it came down here and and and
and you know condescended to men of low estate and took on the form of a servant
that's why I humbled myself to the death of the cross is to save sinners to call
sinners to repentance and the Lord said he said go out in the highways and the
hedges and compel them to come in that my house may be filled I mean just so
many scriptures about it and of course you know mark 16 which is you know a
very familiar verse he said of them going to all the world and preach the
gospel to every creature that was a priority to him that's why he came here
but is it a priority for us tonight if it is are we gonna make sure we keep it
a priority for us for the rest of our lives or is it something that maybe
we'll just get bored with is it just something we're doing as a hobby just
something to pass the time or is it our life's work is it a priority to us look
there's a lot these are just you know and I here's a I've said this before I
I really don't think there's a lot to the Christian life other than these
things these things are probably very important things and I understand of
course there's other things to the Christian life of course but by and
large you know this is the yoke that Jesus acts asks us to put on this is
this is what he wants to take on he says my yoke is easy easy my burden is light
and this is not a heavy yoke I mean it's all it's a priority but at the end of
the day really it's a privilege it's a privilege to be able to pray it's a
privilege to be able to read your Bible it's a privilege to be able to come to
church it's a privilege to be able to go out and save a soul but they are also
priorities and there's a lot of things in this life there's a lot of things in
this world that can take the place of spiritual priorities that can distract
us that can pull us away that can cause us to lose our focus on what really
matters in this life so that's why we need to learn what our spiritual
priorities are and to put them first we need to learn to put first things first
let's go ahead and pray