Amen all right we are in 1st Kings chapter 17 look down at your Bibles at
verse number 10 it says here so he arose and went to Zarepta and when he
came to the gate of the city behold the widow woman was there gathering of
sticks and he called to her and said fetch me I pray thee a little water in
a vessel that I may drink and as she was going to fetch it he called to
her and said bring me I pray thee a morsel of bread in thine hand and she
said as the Lord thy God liveth I have not a cake but a handful of meal in a
barrel and a little oil in a cruise and behold I'm gathering two sticks that I
may go in and dress it for me and my son that we may eat it and die verse 13
and Elijah said unto her fear not go and do as thou has said but make me
thereof a little cake first and bring it unto me and after make for
thee and for thy son for thus saith the Lord God of Israel the barrel of
meals shall not waste neither shall the cruise of oil fail until the day that
the Lord sent its rain upon the earth and the title of the sermon this morning is
this first things first amen first things first now here in this chapter
we have this miraculous story taking place where Elijah does this great
miracle of multiplying the meal in the barrel and the oil within the cruise
now this is a unique miracle but it's a miracle we see not very often but we
see it throughout the Bible we see Jesus Christ feeding the 5,000 we see a
similar miracle with the Elisha we see God dropping down manna from heaven
this is something that's miraculous and it's something that this woman this
widow of Zareptah got to be a part of and it's an exciting story what's
taking place here is that Elijah the Tishbite is a prophet of the Lord who
is sent unto Israel to judge it because of the wicked rulership of Ahab so
how does he do it well he sends a famine he causes the rain to cease from
heaven for three and a half years what is a famine it means there's no food
when there's no rain there's no crops there's no food there's hunger people
die of it right and we see this taking place and obviously even Elijah
himself is somewhat affected of the famine he's instructed by God to be in
a certain place to drink of the water of the brook and he commands the
ravens of the air to come feed him so they give him meat they give him bread
he eats until the water runs out of the brook and then he says hey I've
commanded a woman a widow of Zareptah to go to feed you so go to go to
her he comes to this woman and she's basically ready to die she has a
little bit of meal in a barrel a little bit of oil in the cruise he
comes to her and says hey you know can you give me something to drink can
you give me some food and she says yeah but here's the thing I only have a
little bit and I was actually just collecting sticks to go provide the last
meal for my son and I we're gonna make a cake we're gonna I'm gonna get
these sticks we're gonna bake the cake we're gonna eat it and then
we're just gonna die I mean what a miserable end right to life gives it
to her son she wants to give it to her son to herself and just die now
Elijah is not being insensitive here and he says this okay good but this is
what I want you to do first make me one and then do it and she's like well
I only have a little bit of meal in the barrel I only have a little bit of
oil in my cruise we're just gonna eat that and die and he's like make it
for me first and this woman steps out in faith and basically says all right
it's gonna work and he's like you know basically tells her God's gonna take
care of you and that required a lot of faith did it not he does look at
verse 15 he says and she went and did according to the saying of Elijah
and she and he and her house did eat many days it says in verse 16 the
barrel of meal wasted not neither did the cruise of oil fail according to the
Word of the Lord which he spake by Elijah so she was able to be a part
of this great miracle and in fact for the last couple thousand years people
view have been using this story as an example of faith instilling faith
within God's people to show that God can provide during a dark time why
because she put first things first first things first and you know why
people don't see God's hand on their lives why don't churches get to do
great works why is it that they don't see God do great and mighty things
because they're not putting first things first they're putting the first
thing last they're putting the first thing on the back burner they're putting
the first thing as the least important on the priority task list and therefore
God doesn't do anything great you know we want to be a church that puts
first things first all right and that's what we're gonna talk about this
morning hey if we're gonna succeed as a church we need to be like the
widow's retha who you might be like well if I do this I'm gonna die you
know if I join first works Baptist Church we have so many enemies we're in
the midst of Sodom and Gomorrah over in Hollywood what if people start
threatening us what if they start doing this and start threatening what
if they come with a man and then and then that and to you I say first
things first first things first well you know if I start like reading my
Bible consistently God's gonna hold me accountable to everything that I know
and I'm learning and then you know what if I like don't obey well you
know what just put that in the hands of God first things first if we want
God's hand on our lives if we want the barrel of meal to not waste the
cruise of oil to not fail we need to put first thing first what is the
barrel of meal well a barrel is a vessel and the Bible says if a man
therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honor sanctified
and meet for the Masters use you see in order for a vessel to be used you
need to dump out the contents thereof right and fill it up so you could be
meet for the Masters use well in like manner as Christians as vessels if
we purge ourself from iniquity we purge ourself from worldliness we
purge yourself from false teaching whatever it may be guess what we could
be sanctified and meet for the Masters use and prepared unto every
good work if we put first thing first you see well I want to be used
of God yeah but how's righteousness in your life are you living
righteously well I mean I'm like doing so and he said yeah but how's
your private life you know are you wearing the breastplate of
righteousness on a continual basis to protect your hearts for out of the
heart proceed evil thoughts and wickedness and all these things out of
the heart are the issues of life the Bible says you know it's important that
we put first thing first you know if we want to be vessels unto honor me
for the Masters use we need to make sure that we have our priorities
intact and in fact look the oil the cruise of oil is what the Holy
Spirit now obviously when we first get saved we get indwelled by the Holy
Spirit of God amen unto the day of redemption that is the the basically the
down payment on us that is the earnest of our inheritance the Bible says but
you know what if we want the cruise of oil to not fail and we want to
continually be filled fill that cruise of that cruise with oil with the Holy
Spirit's power guess what we need to put first thing first because we need
God's power it's not just the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that we
need in order to do great works you know what we need we need to actually
walk in the Spirit to be filled with the Spirit to not grieve the Spirit to
not quench the Spirit we need to make sure that we fill the cruise with
oil but you know what we have to do first is use that oil and read our
Bibles go soul winning go to church live righteously if we want to
succeed in this Chris if we don't want the cruise of oil to fail you're
like man so many great things have been done these last two years yeah
but if we want the cruise of oil to not fail if you want them the barrel of
meal to not waste you know I don't want to I don't want to waste my life
do you and I'm not saying look oh you know are you saying I need to be a
pastor no I'm saying serve God put the first thing first that's what our
church is gonna be about we need to make sure that we do the first works
first thing is first the Christian life is just full of priorities is it not I
mean you read the Bible is just command after command after command
after command and you know what God expects us to obey those commands but
he expects us to really do our best to do it over a lifespan go with me if
you would to Matthew chapter number six we live in a society that puts
themselves first do they not they're lovers of their own selves but the
Bible tells us to let nothing be done through strife or vainglory but in
lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves the Bible tells
us it says look not every man on his own things but every man also in the
things of others let this mind be in you which is also in Christ Jesus
this was the the motive this was the agenda of Jesus Christ when he came
he came to seek it to save that which is lost you know he came to
give his life a ransom for many he put himself out there because he put us
first the Bible tells us in Matthew 16 verse 24 then said Jesus unto his
disciples you're in chapter 6 I'm gonna reach you from Matthew 16 if any man
will come after me let him deny himself take up his cross and follow
me isn't that weird he said look if you want to follow me then you got to
die with me you have to take up your cross be crucified daily right be a
living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service
you see the difference between an animal sacrifice and us aside from the
fact that it's an animal and it's a human being is the fact that the animal
was dead and it remained it it didn't get off the altar whereas us we have
to be a living sacrifice that means sometimes we get off the altar don't we
because we want to do our own thing but the Bible tells us that we need
to take up our cross and follow him but we need to deny ourselves he says
for whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose
his life for my sake shall find it I mean that applies to the woman of
does it not Elijah's like hey if you want to save your life by eating that
then you're gonna lose it yeah that's your last meal then but if you want to
if you want to save your life then lose it give to me the meal tend to my
needs first which obviously would be a picture of God tend to what God wants
in your life serve the Lord and guess what you'll save your life the
Bible says in 2nd Corinthians 8 5 and this they did not as we hope but
first gave their own selves to the Lord unto us by the will of God look
at Matthew chapter 6 and verse 31 you know a lot of people sometimes they
don't want to serve God I don't want to put first things first because
you know a finances for whatever reason well if I if I start serving God
I got to work I can't work on Sundays yeah hey you got it you got it
you're a smart cookie you're getting it that's what it's gonna require yeah but
then how am I gonna feed my family by putting first thing first look what it
says in verse 31 therefore take no thought saying what shall we eat or
what shall we drink or wherewithal shall we be clothed for after all
these things do the Gentiles seek for your heavenly Father knoweth it he
have need of all these things all right Lord so what should I do then
verse 33 but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all
these things shall be added unto you the Bible says so he says look I know
you have need of these things this is what I want you to put it on a
priority list not your paycheck not your job not what you want to do you
know what I want I want you to seek first the kingdom of God and his
righteousness and what does it mean to seek the kingdom of God what does
that mean well to seek the kingdom of God simply means to seek those things
which are above set your affections on those things which are above right in
other words be heavenly minded make decisions based upon how it's gonna
affect you in eternity you know mind those things which are above love
those things which God loves hate those things which God hates emphasize
the things that God emphasizes that's how you seek first the kingdom of God
not the kingdom of this world the kingdom of God and he says and his
righteousness you know what that is righteous living being more like Christ
every single day the Bible tells us that we should seek first the kingdom
of God and his righteousness and then these things shall be added unto so
what's the concept there put first thing first well you know but but
sometimes no enough with that first thing is first serve God seek his
kingdom seek his righteousness and God will add well I'm gonna wait till he
adds these things first though I want to see if he'll add it first I want to
see well you know what then you're gonna go broke is what you're gonna do
that's what you're gonna do you know but when we put God first we put his
righteousness first we live for him these things shall be added unto us
look I don't want to live my life wondering like worrying about food
worrying about clothing worrying about whatever may be I'd rather just serve
God and God just kind of gives it to me as I serve him yeah but what if your
bank account is zero my bank accounts in heaven amen I got this this
spiritual debit card that belongs to the kingdom of God and I just I just
take all anything that I need and God's like hey if you keep serving
I'll provide for you you know but we live in a day and age where guess
what work money toys have you have taken the priority in some people's lives we
want to be the first words about the church the people who put first things
first let me say this go go to first Kings go back to first Kings
chapter 17
our works you know God has works for us to do right and the the reason I named
it first works Baptist Church actually got the idea from brother Perry back
there and if you ever think of the start of church just ask him for a
name he always comes up with these great ideas and he gave me that he
gave me that idea I was like man perfect and we get to keep fwpc you
know some of you are like just catching on like that's right you know the first
works obviously is solely right but you know that's not the only work that
we're gonna do that's the word that we're probably gonna be we want to be
characterized by obviously but it's not the only work God has a lot of
works for us to do okay and in fact you know we're not Calvinists but you
know what there are works that he has predestined us for us to do now look at
first Kings chapter 17 verse number 8 it says in the word of the Lord came
unto him saying arise get thee to Zareph though which belonging to his
Idon and dwell there and behold I have commanded a widow woman there to
sustain thee now that's funny because when we run into the woman
there's rep that she looked like she didn't even know what he was talking
about she's like hey I'm about to die right here but you want this shows this
shows that God predestined her to do that great work you know what if she
was just like no I'm hungry my son's hungry he's been whining all day we're
just gonna eat our last meal and just die you know she would have missed
out on a huge miracle if she did not accomplish the work that God had
predestined for her to do and what in like manner God has commanded us to do
some certain works that we don't even know about as of yet what we need to do
is take advantage of it when the opportunity presents itself and just
predetermined prior to the years to come whatever great work our church is
gonna be a part of whatever so many we're gonna do whatever any exploit
that we're planning on doing I'm all in I'm gonna do it why because I know that
God has commanded me to do it I know that that God has works for me to do
and I want to do it no matter what I'm gonna predetermine I'm gonna purpose
in my heart like Daniel that I'm just gonna do it look what the Bible
says I'm gonna reach you from Ephesians 2 verse 10 it says for we are his
workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them you know what's sad is when you see a
Christian with a lot of potential just wasted wasted potential on a good
Christian I don't want to be that Christian oh I just don't have any
potential look get off that depressing you know discouraged oh I can't do
anything for God you know what you need to get your eyes off yourself put
it on God put it on his word and just understand he has great works for you to
do in the future okay we did society today that the people that the teenagers
and the next generation they're so soft and sissy you know they're just
like I can't do it I just hate myself you know Instagram is just like no one
loves me I'm so ugly someone likes you out there you're probably right but I'm
just saying someone probably likes ugly people who cares I'm fearfully
wonderfully made that's what the Bible says forget all that this whole attitude
of just like oh you know no one loves me no one cares for me and that's why
I'm just gonna be lazy and lax and apathetic and I'm just not gonna do
anything for God because I just can look at me I'm sure look at me I'm fat
look at me I'm too skinny I don't have any must who cares
God can still use you if you put first thing first if you just do what
he tells you to do just do why because he's he's foreordained us to do
works for us to walk in them and the Calvinistic doctrine of
predestination is so stupid it's so spiritually retarded it's so garbage
it's so handicapped that they would think oh you know God chose certain
people to go to heaven God chose certain people to go to hell that's
retarded and if you're offended who cares because it's not in the Bible
you know the Bible tells us for whom he did foreknow he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son this is not
predestination of salvation this is predestination of our sanctification
what he wants us to be right doing good works being conformed to the image
of Christ but you know people still have a choice whether they want to do
that or not I want to be the one who says I'll take that path I'll take
that road and I don't want to veer off the Bible tells us in Titus 3 a this
is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that
they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works these
things are good and profitable unto men so look not only does doing good
works profit us right for the rewards but you know what it says it's
profitable unto men you know why because when you put when you start
working you start learning how to preach the gospel you profit people
who are not saved hey when you're faithful in church you
who you profit the backslider who comes back that's who you profit because
it speaks volumes when a person's been gone for so long and they come back
to church and brother Joe Blow is still there and you're like wow this
guy's stuck it out I want to be like that but you know if you're just like
in and out in and out and you're not profitable into men go with me if you
to third John third John serving God should be a priority we need to put
first thing first we need to be like the widow of Zaretha who just said you
know I'm gonna die anyways why not just serve the Prophet why not just
serve God why not just do what I was told and just leave it in the hands of
God look what it says in third John verse 9 you know there's people who
don't want to put God first and even in churches they don't want to put God
first there's churches and pastors who don't want to put God first if you
can believe that who do they put first well look what it says in third
John verse 9 I wrote into the church but diatrophes who love it to have the
preeminence among them receiveth us not wherefore if I come I will
remember his deeds which he do is priding against us with malicious words
and not content therewith neither doth he himself received the brethren and
forbid at them that would and casteth them out of the church how many we
heard about that in times past these died pastor diatrophes who has
literally cast people out of their church because they believe you know
replacement theology they believe in the post trip pre-wrath rapture you see
well you know they're putting God first no they're putting themselves
first they want to have the preeminence among them and most of these guys are
just insecure because they're afraid that their church members are knowing
more Bible than them but the reason that's true is because they're not
putting the Bible first and in fact if they were just to just follow this
principle of putting first things first they would also come to the same
conclusions that we came to because it's in the Bible but no they want to have
the preeminence among the brethren they want to keep their brethren you know
ignorant and in the darkness because it's all about them you know there's
wicked pastor over here talking about don't study the Bible only study Jesus
or don't don't don't what do you say don't study the Bible all you
have to do is know Jesus the world what he's saying is like don't read
the Bible because then you're gonna find out I'm wrong you might just find
out I'm a heretic you might find out I'm just a false prophet just follow me
not as I follow Christ because he just wants to be the preeminent one we don't
want to be those kind of Christians okay Colossians 1 18 says and he is the
head of the body the church who was the beginning the firstborn from the
dead that in all things he might have the preeminence this sermon is
about priorities is what it is and as we start off first works Baptist
Church I want to remind everybody what the priority is in our church go to
Revelation chapter number two if you would don't put God on the back burner
don't put church in the maybe pile don't put obeying God in the on the
waiting list and look we're not gonna put so winning on either one of those
categories either Sony will always be as long as I'm alive as long as I'm
kicking and breathing as long as I'm the pastor here Sony will always be
priority number one priority in this church oh why don't we do like an
evangelistic service we'll put like a like some hoochie mamas up here you
know and they can dance and it'll attract a bunch of people know so
winning but Sony's not popular it's not like that that word sounds like
to what fundamental yeah you got that right yeah but you're you're gonna
scare away a lot of 46 people that didn't get scared yesterday yeah but
where they I don't you hate when they say well where they at they're in
Inglewood yeah but where all those people at well some of them are in
Inglewood most of them are in Compton week I can take it to the
place we went to so you can meet them yeah but where they at well ones
right here from Victorville anything else any other stupid questions we want
to keep the first thing first and look we say why are you guys so much about
soul winning and and the Great Commission because that is the heart
of God and if we want our church to thrive if we want it to grow and be
vibrant and be have God's blessing we need to put it first and I'm not
saying you're gonna constantly be zealous about soul winning you're always
gonna be excited by it but as long as you just put it first in your personal
life in the life of the church we're gonna continue to grow I'm telling you
our church is going to grow in the years to come well I think I think
we'll just like stay around here I don't I think the barrel of meal
shall not waste I think the crews of oil shall not fail and I think we're
just gonna keep pulling the meal out of the barrel we're gonna keep pulling
pouring the oil out of the crews until Christ comes back until the
famine is over right first things first soul winning is not the only work we're
gonna do but it is one of the most important things that we're gonna do
look at Revelation chapter 2 in verse number 5 it says here unto the
angel of the church of Ephesus right these things saith he that holdeth the
seven stars in his right hand who walketh in the midst of the seven golden
candlesticks I know thy works and thy labor and thy patience and how thou
canst not bear them which are evil and thou hast tried them which say they
are apostles and are not and has found them liars and has borne and has
patience and for my name's sake has labored and has not fainted so I want
you to notice first and foremost that or the statement I want to make is
that sowing is not the only work we're gonna do it is one of the most
important ones but it's not the only one because we look at the example of the
church at Ephesus and it starts off in verse 2 by saying I know thy works
and he didn't say lack thereof right he says I know your works and what
works was he referring to first and foremost well he says thy labor thy
patience and how that thou canst not bear them which are evil and thou hast
tried them which say they are apostles and are not and has found them liars
so what work was the church at Ephesus doing that God was commending them on
well laboring in doctrine and contending with false prophets they
were successful at that he says I know your work I know how you can't
stand them which say they're apostles that are not you know you don't put
up with people who are evil in other words let me give you the modern way
of saying this you kick out the reprobates you don't stand for them
you preach against them hey that's a good work and look we don't only want to
be a church that just emphasizes only soul winning that's a good work but you
know it's the other work that we need to do is contend with false
prophets it's contend with false doctrine oh you know but you know
let's just put more emphasis on the soul winning and you know we don't
have to be as mean spirited hey don't call my Holy Spirit mean now if you're
saying mean in a good way like yeah that's like that's the kind of
spirit we need that amen to that but most people when they say your mean
spirit is just like oh you're so you're so rude though I be rooting speech not
getting out of knowledge and we as a church want to make sure that
throughout the next decades of our church life there were constant
constantly laboring in doctrine and exposing false prophets oh that's what
you guys are all about yeah that's right yeah we have to because there's
a bunch of them and we don't want any of our people to ever fall into some
false doctrine because of my lacks of preaching the Bible and teaching
doctrine we want to continually expose these wicked people out there and call
the names because that's what the Bible commands us to do and that is a
good work like yeah I remember when you first started the church you're
calling out Jack Rodriguez calling out Pastor Parada yeah hey you remember that
cuz you know what we're trying to establish a good work yeah but why'd
you call them out cuz they're around here that's why yeah but you know we
should just all learn to get along this isn't the Rodney King ministry I
don't get along with false prophets I don't get along with people who say
if you believe that the Jews are God's chosen people then you lose your
salvation you're a wicked devil if you say something like that okay we need to
make sure that we labor in these things and we constantly contend with
the false prophets of our day oh what if they attack you bring it on our
job is to expose these wicked people and it's gonna take work so that we're
not fooled by like the preachers of LA these wicked pastors who are greedy
a filthy lucre sleeping around with all the women in the church fooling everyone
to thinking of their righteous people they're devils you see I'm working right
now I'm working I'm putting in work to tell you that these people are
wicked okay well I don't think that's biblical he said there I know that
works and he's not talking about them in a negative manner he says you can't
bear them which are evil you've tried them to say they're apostles and
or not and it's found them liars that is the sweetest feeling ever is it not you
liar I just caught you you wicked false apostle look when this when this false
apostle from La Luz del Mundo got arrested for being a little filthy
pedophile I was rejoicing I would do a backflip but I just be out of
commission if I did I do a backflip and land like front or something like I
was happy hey when Cameron giovannelli this wicked pedophile was just arrested
I was like yeah amen you know I've just heard about some other famous
pedophile on the news who just committed suicide and there it's like
this whole controversy you know oh he didn't commit suicide I think they
killed him both are great what's what's the problem how can you say he was
involved in human sex trafficking you think I have pity for people like that
you think I care how they died no this is just makes me feel
uncomfortable you know why because you've been influenced by the culture
of this world you've been inoculated with one of two things the world or
just weak Christianity you know we hate these people because of the fact that
they hurt the innocent that's why and that's why we want to continually to
expose these wicked false problems hey now that you're starting to church now
that you're in charge are you gonna like rear bag on calling people out no
it's like I'm putting into fourth gear fourth gear baby and I and I cut the
brakes why because the world will grow wax will wax worse and worse so you
know what that means for us that we need to grow stronger and stronger
that we need to wax bold in the Lord we need to make sure that we're
calling these people out and it's not gonna stop you know oh but you know
don't you know people from back in a day who didn't get offended to hear
something like this I hope they hear before they come to save themselves
some gas yeah but don't you want yeah of course I wanted to come and come to
the knowledge of the truth amen but I you know I don't want to waste
their time and I don't want them to waste mine so if it offends you then
hey go to non offensive Baptist Church the Bible says they that forsake the
law praise the wicked but such as keep the law contend with them explain to me
that verse if you think oh you know we shouldn't fight with people that says
such as keep the law we contend with them so what is it what does it
mean what does it show when there's a church is constantly continued with
false prophets and fighting with them it shows that they're keeping the law
of God and you know what I want to love the law of the Lord I want to
keep the law of God I want to preach the Bible and therefore the result of
that is that we're going to contend with them and guess what when they come into
our church we're definitely going to contend with them I mean we learned it
over the last two years have we not these wicked people Eric Ballesteros you
know Houghton Finnehas trying to come and and and come in you know
privately to teach damnable heresy they're trying to creep in unawares
well you know they got the nine and a half boot and guess what the nine
and a half is not going anywhere over the years these people are going to continue
to creep in and guess what we're going to continue to contend with them we
need to make sure that we do this go with me if you would to 1st Timothy
chapter 5 excuse me 2nd Timothy chapter 2 2nd Timothy chapter 2 church at
Ephesus this is something good that they had they labored they they had
patience and how thou canst not bear them which are evil and now let's try
them which say they're apostles and or not and it's found them liars look I'm
all for sermons that encourage a man because we need that we need
excitation we need to be motivated to continue to go forward for God but
sometimes we just need our faces ripped off sometimes we just need to
call the names and just blow up and make a big deal about people who are
teaching false doctrine who want to harm the innocent you know what it
makes church exciting it's like wow this is a real church they like do
something like in the Bible yeah that's how it's supposed to be a man look if
I'm gonna read to you from verse 2 of Revelation 2 it says I know thy works
thy labor thy patience and thou canst not bear them which are evil and thou
has tried them which say they're apostles or not and has found them
liars but look what it says in 2nd Timothy 2 15 it says study to show
thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed
rightly dividing the word of truth this is not just for a pastor you see
I'm the shepherd here I'm the pastor here and my responsibility is to
oversee the entire church and to teach you but you know what it's your
job as individuals to learn the Bible I'll cook you up a good meal three
times a week but you know what you got to cook for yourself Monday through
Sunday well what if I started like learning stuff that maybe even you don't
know amen to that teach me show me don't don't you feel like you know
kind of like aren't you like a threatened by that no I'm not cuz
it's the Bible amen but you need to study you need to work right put in the
work to learn the Bible put in the work to study the Word of God to prove
all things hold fast that which is good the Bible continues to say in Revelation
2 verse 3 so that was a good quality they were able to just expose
false people false doctrine and just rip them a new one and you know that's
exactly what we're gonna do because we're living in perilous times these
are evil days we can't take this lying down we can't just be passive about
everything we need to make sure that we're staying on the up-and-up and we're
informed and we're learning the Bible so we can rip on these things and
expose them but now now hey they labor to stain the things for the long
haul as well go back to Revelation chapter 2 if you would revelation
chapter 2 hey so they worked hard at studying the Bible right they worked
hard at proving all things holding fast that which is good but look at
verse 3 and has born and has patience and for my name's sake has labored and
has not fainted so what does that mean well they worked hard they
labored to just stay in it for the long haul you know what that means
that endurance you know what it takes work to build up your endurance
you said what does it take it takes trials it takes difficulties and you
know I'm all for you believe in the right doctrine but if you believe the
right doctrine but you have no endurance you're worthless you're
worthless because the Bible says that sometimes they dearth for a while but
in time of persecution and tribulation they fall away and what
good is that knowledge do you have if just the slightest persecution the
slightest trial the slightest health issue just gets you out of church be
strong in the Lord and the power of his might learn how to endure you know
I'm not talking about just physically indoor but I'm talking about spiritually
mentally just be strong emotionally strong because I'm telling you the
persecution is coming the person we there's enemies out there the
persecution is coming and I like what pastor Anderson said on Friday set your
face like a flint come at me bro you don't want to have all this
knowledge and then you're just the slightest wind just knocks you over
these people were people who had patience they labored and they didn't
faint okay what do you mean what I'm what would you say what do you mean
by that well aside from just the persecutions how about just the
troubles of life how about when you lose your job how about when you find
out you have cancer how about when your family members die how about when
something happens they just affects you in an emotional way what do you do
you endure fate not plow through it and this is what you don't do you
don't get out of church well I don't feel like going to church come anyways
that's what's gonna help you get out of that stage if you get out of church
difficult things happen you're not gonna have the support of your church
family to help you to get through it we want to be like the church at
Ephesus when it comes to this that we don't faint you know we're we're
faint yet pursuing and that's only gonna make you stronger and you'll come
out of that trial with flying colors you'll come out of that trial as gold
and you say when I'm so glad I put in the work to just come to church when I
needed to come to read my Bible when I needed to come to just do what I was
supposed to do when I was supposed to when I put first things first
because now I'm stronger because of it look we want to build an
emotionally strong church not like you just get offended at the drop of a
hat you just you know the slightest trial just takes you out of church we
want you to be strong emotionally physically for the man amen but
emotionally for just all across the board I'm gonna skip some things here
go back to Revelation chapter 2 don't faint don't faint and look I think
maybe because this is the second year we are gonna be nearing the end of the
honeymoon it's true right it takes about two years two and a half maybe
three at the most but we're nearing the end we got the t-shirts you know but
you know what after watching the t-shirt after a while the letters
start coming off it looks purple is no longer blue you know I start I start
calling out your sin and then you start going through some trials and
guess what the honeymoon is over and then unfortunately yes some will fade
out I hope that's not you though I hope that's not you stay in it for the
long haul labor to stay in the fight no matter what and look let me give
you a word of advice that my old pastor gave to me and gave to his
congregation and this this will help you tremendously when you go through a
difficult time don't make a decision when your decision maker is broken what
does that mean when you're in the midst of a trial that's not a time to
think well I just need to move because you don't know what you're
talking about you're just you're emotional right now you know when you
when you're in the midst of a trial I just lost my job I gotta I gotta
move you know to the middle of nowhere I'm leaving pasture that's not a time to
make the decision just wait don't be hasty this is what you do you go to in
and out I'm not joking you get yourself a burger you you fellowship
with the men laugh it off then you go to sleep then you wait a week and
then after that week is over you like well that was dumb move this week
I'll never I'll never think that way again when you go through a difficult
time that's not a time to make a drastic decision so what is it a time
to do to put first thing first well I'm going to a tough time time to read
the book of Psalms time to sing praises time to emphasize that which
is most important time to be in church time to confess my sins see if
there's you know anything in my life that's not pleasing unto the Lord time
to do that which is right and just plow through this here's the last thing
look look at verse 4 hey Ephesus you're doing pretty well but look what it
says nevertheless I have somewhat against thee that's something you don't
want to hear God say hey you do good but I do have one thing against
you because thou hast left thy first love wait hold on a second I thought
they were like laboring I thought they were working I thought they were
fighting false prophets and keeping God's commandments and and trying people who
are say they are apostles that are not yeah but here's the thing they left
their first love though remember therefore once thou art fallen and
repent and do the first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and
remove thy candlestick out of its place except thou repent so what is he
saying look you've left your first love now what is first love well it
can be summed up with two commandments love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart soul mind and strength and love thy neighbor as thyself that's that's
the first and greatest commandment is it not so if we're to fulfill the
first and greatest commandment you know what that takes work because it
says love the Lord thy God with all thy heart soul mind and strength it
doesn't happen by osmosis it doesn't happen by accident you got to put in
the work to love the Lord and you know what the byproduct of that is
that you'll love your neighbor as yourself where does that start giving
them the gospel and then you can get back into your first love we're not
gonna call it first love Baptist Church because of the fact that in
order to get that first love we got to keep the first works so what am I
insinuating by first works Baptist Church I'm insinuating that we want to
keep the first love because as we do the first works we put so winning first
we put God first we put our neighbors first we can stay in that
love hey labor to stay in love with God amen don't let it be a drudgery
don't let his commandments be grievous don't let Church be a chore be in
love with going to church be in love let it be a delight unto you to serve
the Lord I just I just don't feel like going to church anymore cuz you're not
in love anymore how do I fix that do the first works and you'll fall in
love again man I was so excited when I first got saved and I was so
into everything and it's just like I feel like I just sizzled out because
your work sizzled out that's why if you want to stay in love you want to
stay zealous you want to stay in love with the Lord you do the first works so
you can get that first love and that's gonna take work I think this church
is one of the most exciting churches I've ever been to zealous
people smile they're excited they're loving they love serving the Lord but
you know what that can come to an end if you don't continue doing the
first works so yeah let's expose the false prophets they need it
let's labor to stay and not faint but most of all let's let's labor to stay
in love with the Lord and look we're not talking about this liberal church
you know love or just I love Jesus so much bro it's just like I just I read
the Bible oh man this is great dude I just love Jesus do you go so any what's
that dude I do I do like like evangelism with like my body bro I try to be let
my life so shine yeah let your life so shine that they may see your good
works you were not talking about like a flashlight you just like a neon sign
over your head it says you're a Christian that's a superficial lame love
that's like the the the pop music pop love or it's just like it's all words
but you know what with their lips they do honor me but their heart is
far from me type of a love we want to have a substantial love a love that
actually have substance to it a love that we can prove by keeping the first
works by keeping the first things first that's what we want so why is it first
works Baptist Church because we want to succeed all across the board in
these areas right here and obviously there's other works we can do categorize
those below that we hear the main things we want to do we want to labor
in the Word of God we want to work we want to stay faithful be
steadfast unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord and we want to
make sure that we stay in love amen sorry I want to turn to one more verse
go to numbers 14 I want to lead us into the land flowing with milk and
honey right take us into a land flowing with milk and honey where
there's success where there's God's blessing but this is how we're gonna
do it look at numbers 14 verse number 1 it says in all the congregation lifted
up their voice and cried and the people wept at night and all the
children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron and the whole
congregation said unto them would God that we had died in the land of
Egypt or would God that we had died in this wilderness and wherefore has the
Lord brought us unto this land to fall by the sword that our wives and
our children should be a prey were it not better for us to return into Egypt
and they said one to another let us make a captain let us return into Egypt
then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before they had all the assembly
of the congregation of the children of Israel and Joshua the son of Nun
and Caleb the son of Jephunneh which were of them that searched the land
rent their clothes and they spake into all the assembly of the
children of Israel saying the land which we pass through to search it is
an exceeding good land so they come in and say look the future is bright the
future is exciting there's a lot to be done that's a great land it's a
beautiful land it's a land flowing with milk and honey look what verse 8
says if the Lord delight in us he will bring us unto this land and give
it us a land which floweth with milk and honey see how could we be
successful if the Lord delights in us if the Lord delights in us we can go
there what's the one thing keeping us if the Lord delights in us how do we
make sure that he delights in us if we do these works we can keep God
delighting in us amen fire heads and have a word of prayer father we
thank you thank you so much for the last two years and thank you for the
years to come of course we're thankful for pastor Anderson and planning the
church here thank you for great people that I get to lead Lord I'm
thankful for the for the honor and the privilege but I'm really thankful for
the works that you have for ordained for us to do and I pray that you God
you'd help us help us to labor to expose false prophets to not rear back
on that help us to labor to stay faithful and not faint and help us to
labor to stay in love with you help us to work hard at loving you and loving
our neighbors ourselves that we would keep so winning on the forefront of
our minds that the the preaching of the gospel would be very important to
each individual in this church and that we work together as a team to
fulfill that Great Commission and I pray God that should help us to do so
help us to keep first things first and in Jesus name we pray amen