(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

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