What should be the priorities in the life of a christian? Give God the first part of each day. Give God the first day of each week. Give God the first portion of your pay. Give God the first consideration in every decision. Give God the first place in your heart.
2. Matthew 6:31-34 Therefore do not worry,
saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What
shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
(32) For after all these things the Gentiles
seek. For your heavenly Father knows
that you need all these things. (33) But
seek first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these things shall
be added to you. (34) Therefore do not
worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will
worry about its own things. Sufficient for
the day is its own trouble.
3. FIRST AND FOREMOST
A.The word “first” pinpoints priority.
B.The “first things” in life declare what’s
most important.
C.What are the most importance things
to a Christian; what should come first?
4. I. GIVE GOD THE FIRST PART OF
EACH DAY.
A.SEEK HIM - Psalm 63:1 O God, You are my God; Early
will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs
for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no
water.
B.DELIGHT IN HIS WORD - Psalm 1:1-2 Blessed is the
man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor
stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the
scornful; (2) But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
C.PRAY TO HIM - 1 Timothy 2:1-4 Therefore I exhort first
of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and
giving of thanks be made for all men, (2) for kings and
all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. (3) For
this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior, (4) who desires all men to be saved and to come
to the knowledge of the truth.
5. II. GIVE GOD THE FIRST DAY OF
EACH WEEK.
A. JESUS ROSE ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE
WEEK – John 20:1 Now on the first day of the
week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early,
while it was still dark, and saw that the stone
had been taken away from the tomb.
B. WE ASSEMBLE ON THE FIRST DAY OF THEE
WEEK - Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider
one another in order to stir up love and good
works, (25) not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as is the manner of some,
but exhorting one another, and so much the
more as you see the Day approaching.
6. II. GIVE GOD THE FIRST DAY OF
EACH WEEK.
C. WE PARTAKE OF THE LORD’S SUPPER ON
THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK - Acts 20:7
Now on the first day of the week, when the
disciples came together to break bread, Paul,
ready to depart the next day, spoke to them
and continued his message until midnight.
D. WE GIVE ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK -
1 Corinthians 16:2 On the first day of the
week let each one of you lay something
aside, storing up as he may prosper, that
there be no collections when I come.
7. III. GIVE GOD THE FIRST
PORTION OF YOUR PAY
A. EVERY BLESSING, PHYSICAL OR
SPIRITUAL, IS FROM GOD - James 1:17 Every
good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
and comes down from the Father of lights,
with whom there is no variation or shadow of
turning.
B. HONOR THE LORD WITH YOUR
POSSESSIONS - Proverbs 3:9-10 Proverbs
3:9-10 Honor the LORD with your
possessions, And with the firstfruits of all
your increase; (10) So your barns will be filled
with plenty, And your vats will overflow with
new wine.
8. III. GIVE GOD THE FIRST
PORTION OF YOUR PAY.
C. GIVE AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU - Luke 6:38 Give,
and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed
down, shaken together, and running over will be put
into your bosom. For with the same measure that you
use, it will be measured back to you."
D. IF WE SOW SPARINGINGLY WE WILL REAP
SPARINGINGLY - 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 But this I say: He
who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he
who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. (7) So
let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not
grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful
giver. (8) And God is able to make all grace abound
toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in
all things, may have an abundance for every good
work.
9. IV. GIVE GOD THE FIRST
CONSIDERATION IN EVERY DECISION.
A. ALWAYS ASK, “WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?”
B. ASK IF IT IS THE LORD’S WILL - James 4:13-
15 Come now, you who say, "Today or
tomorrow we will go to such and such a city,
spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a
profit"; (14) whereas you do not know what
will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It
is even a vapor that appears for a little time
and then vanishes away. (15) Instead you
ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live
and do this or that."
10. IV. GIVE GOD THE FIRST
CONSIDERATION IN EVERY DECISION.
C.DO ALL IN HIS NAME - Colossians 3:17
And whatever you do in word or deed, do
all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God the Father through Him.
D.DO NOT LEAN ON YOUR OWN
UNDERSTANDING - Proverbs 3:5-6 (5)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And
lean not on your own understanding; (6) In
all your ways acknowledge Him, And He
shall direct your paths.
11. V. GIVE GOD THE FIRST PLACE
IN YOUR HEART.
A. IF WE WANT TO BE IN GOD’S HEART WE MUST HAVE
HIM IN OUR HEART - Acts 13:21-22 And afterward they
asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish,
a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. (22) And
when He had removed him, He raised up for them David
as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I
have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own
heart, who will do all My will.'
B. WE MUST LOVE GOD WITH ALL OUR HEART - Mark
12:30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all
your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and
with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.
C. JESUS WILL NOT ACCEPT SECOND PLACE IN OUR
HEART - Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to Me and does
not hate his father and mother, wife and children,
brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he
cannot be My disciple.
12. V. GIVE GOD THE FIRST PLACE
IN YOUR HEART.
D. OUR HEART MUST BE FOCUSED ON THINGS ABOVE
- Colossians 3:1-4 If then you were raised with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ is,
sitting at the right hand of God. (2) Set your mind on
things above, not on things on the earth. (3) For you
died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (4)
When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will
appear with Him in glory.
E. OUR HEART AND TREASURE MUST BE FOCUSED ON
HEAVEN - Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not lay up for
yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust
destroy and where thieves break in and steal; (20) but
lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do
not break in and steal. (21) For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.
13. WHAT IS FIRST AND FOREMOST
IN YOUR LIFE.
A.Do you give the Lord the first part of
your day?
B.Do you give the Lord the first day of
your week?
C.Do you give the Lord the first portion
of your pay?
D.Do you give the Lord the first
consideration in your decisions?
E. Do you give the Lord the first place in
your heart?