ESTABLISHING PRIORITIES – “PRIORITIES WITH THE CHURCH”
Phil 3:13 “13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead”
INTRO: Establishing Priorities has been my subject during this month. I ministered in the importance in Establishing priorities with: God, Self, Family. In preparing this message, I have gone to these main points and surrounded this theme with them. Let us see why we need to establish priorities with the church in having our relationship with God stronger this New Year.
I. PRIORITIES WITH GOD – THROUGH THE CHURCH
1. We, the believers are the church
1) Eph 5:28, 29
(1) There is a need for God and with God
2. Closeness to God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
3. We need to give unto God what is His
1) Tithes
(1) “18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.”
(a) This was before Moses and the 10 Commandments
(2) Bring it to His house
(a) Mal. 3:10 “10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”
(3) It is:
(a) Realizing that what is His is his
(b) We can’t keep what is not ours
(i) Mal 3:9 “6 “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed. 7 Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you,” says the LORD Almighty. “But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’ 8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings.”
2) Offering
(1) Gn. 4:3, 4 “3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering”
(a) Why the difference?
(i) The thanksgiving and it’s results
1. Cain brought from “some of the fruit”
2. Abel brought “the fat portions from some of the firstborn”
II. PRIORITIES WITH SELF – THROUGH THE CHURCH
1. We need to spend time with other believers for Christ to be with us
1) Jesus said, Mat. 18:20 “20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”
2. We need to make it a personal habit in having fellowship with the church
1) Heb 10:25 “25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
3. We need the church to be able to get rid of old habits
1) 2 Cor 15:33” “33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
III. PRIORITIES WITH FAMILY – THROUGH THE CHURCH
1. They can learn to have faith in God
1) 2 Tim 1:5 “5 I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”
2. They learn the Bible for salvation
1) 2 Tim 3:15 “15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
3. They learn to be among people, love, share and be joyful
1) Acts 2:46 “46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
CONCLUSION:
