Our key verses today will be found in:
Exodus 34:14
Matthew 6:33
Today’s message is titled: Leftovers.
As we go into 2023, I thought we might remind ourselves of the importance of putting God First.
BODY
Putting God first. Sounds easy enough, right?
Today’s message is loaded with scripture.
I will cover quite a bit of territory, so I’ll give the scripture, and I’ll read it, but I’d rather focus on the scripture itself, not the addresses!
I feel it important to see where, and understand why we are to put God first in our lives.
Hearing some of these points today, may make you uncomfortable. I don’t mind telling you that speaking some of these points today, makes me uncomfortable.
So let’s get uncomfortable together!
Let’s begin in Matthew 6:24
Stand with me while we honor God while reading His word.
There’s plenty for us to worry about, huh?
If we can’t find enough to worry about on our own, the devil will throw plenty in there to help us out!
While Jesus’ main focus is telling us not to worry, He is also reminding us of the First Commandment found in:
Exodus 20:1-5 (read from my bible)
These two passages are instructing us to put God first in our lives in everything we do.
Although we won’t cover EVERTHING today, I do have a few to Zoom in on.
Let’s begin by looking at:
Why we must put God first:
Exodus 34:14
This is God speaking to the Israelites about the renewed covenant with His people.
We get to v 14 and He says “for you shall worship no other god (little g), for the LORD Jehovah, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God”.
Matthew 22: 37-38
Set up the context- The Pharisees, ever trying to trap Jesus ask Him “Teacher which is the great commandment in the law”?
V37-38 Jesus says “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.”
Matthew 10:37 illustrates for us, the importance of putting God first.
“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And He who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me”.
Fairly straight forward, huh?
How about:
Colossians 1:18
And He (speaking of Jesus) is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the deat, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
All things! Preeminence
Here is the biblical meaning of preeminence:
• FIRST
• What is over and above excellence
• “In all things He might have the preeminence”, literally translates to “He, who loves to be first”
We see that God calls Himself “Jealous”.
This is a divine jealousy. He wants ALL of us, not just the leftovers!
He is jealous for the supremacy of His name in this world- as we see in Colossians 1:18.
It is a jealousy to protect a love relationship with us, the covenant with Him.
We must put God first because He calls us to do so.
We’ve looked at why we should put God first, let consider:
How we put God first?
We begin putting God first by having Him in our heart first.
Think about it like this:
• Desire leads to priorities,
• Priorities lead to choices,
• Choices lead to (have) consequences
Matthew 6:19-21.
Jesus puts it like this:
v.19“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
v.20 “but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
v.21 “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”.
How do we put God first?
We put God first by carrying Him with us in our hearts!
We’ve examined why we should put God first, and how we put God first, let’s look at:
Where we should put God first in our lives:
Colossians 1:18 tells us all things, but let’s drill it down to a few things we can take away today, and build on for 2023.
Although I put these in an intentional order, when you consider the concept of “first” it is a horizontal arrangement, not a vertical one.
First is first, right?
Where should we put God first in our lives:
IN OUR WORSHIP:
We’ve looked at Exodus 34:14 where God tells us worship only Him. Not just first, but ONLY.
The Hebrew transliteration for worship is “shaw-Kaw”
Which means:
• To prostrate in homage to royalty
• To bow down
• To fall down flat
• To act in reverence
This week I really had to ask myself, what false idols am I worshipping in my life? It’s a question we all must ask of ourselves if we truly desire to put God first in everything.
Years ago, it was an easy question to answer. I spent 3-9 hours every Sunday watching football!
But the idols in my life today, are not quite so glaring, they are there nonetheless.
When we go back and examine Exodus 20:1-5 we see this:
• God directs our thoughts toward Him v.2
• God directs our hearts toward Him v.3
• God directs our worship toward Him v4-5a
We must get our thoughts right and our hearts right before we can give Him our best in worship!
He wants the best of us, not what is leftover!
Where do we put God first?
In His word.
John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”.
I love spending time in Gods’ Word.
The more time I spend in Gods’ Word, the more time I want to spend in Gods’ Word.
The key word is time.
As mortal beings we have cocooned ourselves in the myth that there is always plenty of time!
James 4:13-15 is a sobering reminder:
“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”
v.14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
v.15 Instead you ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall ive and do this or that”.
If you haven’t read 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 in a while, that might be a good place to start in realizing our mythology of time.
Short version of 1 Thessalonians chapter 5…be ever ready for the hour of His return.
A key means of doing this is by starting our day off in Gods’ Word.
James
We experience His presence while in His Word. He speaks to us through His Word.
Have you ever read Gods Word in the morning, then have something happen that day that Gods Word had prepared you to receive that happening, that day?
Where else should we put God first?
In our prayer life.
We are creatures of habit. Last week we discussed how we respond to disruptions in our habits, or our routines.
I rarely eat breakfast. At a very early age, sleep won over eating breakfast, and that carried into my adulthood.
Fortunately, over the last few years prayer and reading and studying Gods Word have replaced sleep, but still rarely do I take time for breakfast.
There are so many rewarding things about prayer, but one of the fascinating things for me is how often prayer precedes action in scripture. They prayed, then took action.
If prayer time is a challenge for you, I want to stronger encourage you to begin a new routine in 2023.
We see so many examples of the power of prayer in the bible, that we can’t help believe and receive that power!
Matthew 6:9 Jesus teaches us how to pray.
When I was a kid, probably until I was 8 or 9 years old, here was my prayer every night as my parents put me to bed:
“Now I lay me down to sleep…” Any of you?
This week I investigated (and by investigated, I mean Googled) the origins of this prayer. Apparently, it originated in the 18th Century from a book.
Anyway,
Matthew 6:9-13 Jesus teaches how to pray the Lords Prayer. In the few verses before He teaches us how NOT to pray, as well.
Romans 8:26 Paul tells us this:
“Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
So, if you are hesitant to pray or not sure what you should pray, the bible tells us “just get over yourself”.
As Christians, THIS is our weapon!
This is also the perfect time to remind everyone that each Thursday night @ 7pm we have a prayer call and everyone is invited. If you are on the church text group, you should get a reminder every Thursday afternoon. That reminder includes the time, phone number and access number.
If you aren’t on the text group, please get with me and I’ll share that info with you.
We’d love you to join us.
Praise is another area where we should put God first
Unfortunately, we sometimes leave out praise when we have answered prayers.
Hebrews 13:15 reminds us to be continually praising God
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
Generally, overall, I consider myself an optimistic person. I will go after Moby Dick and take a barrel of tartar sauce with me, but sometimes I get my own little pity party going, and reading:
1 Corinthian 15: 10 snaps me out of it pretty quick.
“but by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not, but the grace of God which was with me”.
So many more incredible verses about praise!
We can put God first in our love and our service.
Most of you probably know the story of Mary and Martha at the time of Lazarus’ death.
It’s the story about worship and service, found in:
Luke 10:38-42.
Oftentimes I will joke that Lisa is Mary and I’m Martha.
Mary was all about relationship and Martha was all about service.
Sometimes when it is time to leave church, I’ll say something like “it’s time to go Mary”.
NLT records v42 like this:
Jesus is speaking “There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her”.
When I read that version, it gives me chill bumps!
Although Jesus is talking about putting Him first, that doesn’t mean He is discounting the importance of service to Him and others.
Check these verses out about service:
1 Samuel 12:24
“only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you”.
1 Chronicles 28:9 This is David speaking to his son Solomon
as for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.
Here are a couple from the NT serving God
1 Timothy 1:12
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do His work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve Him.
Consider the things Paul did that made him trustworthy and appointed. Is that you?
Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God which is your reasonable service.
We please God by giving Him our love and service first, and not just the leftovers!
Church, we have a mission of being a giving church!
We give by using the first fruits and tithes that you bring to God.
Let’s look at some passages that help illustrate how important this is to God.
Starting in:
Genesis 4:3-5 (read from my bible)
Here’s what I believe.
Scripture says “Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD.
v.4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock…
Catch the difference there.
God has to be first. It is His character. He doesn’t want leftovers!
When we look at Genesis 14:20, we see the first mention of tithe in the bible.
Genesis 14 starting in verse 18 (read from my bible)
Tithe is 1/10th.
Leviticus 27:30 is pretty straightforward
“and all the tithe of the land whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lords. It is holy (set apart) to the Lord.
Our God is a god of character and a God of principles.
-Something I learned on Christmas Eve-
Tithing is an act of faith
In the 11th chapter of Hebrews we see verse after verse after verse that begins with “by faith”
quote Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
Here’s another from OT
Proverbs 3:9
Honor with LORD with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase.
We oftentimes quote Malachi 3:10 where God says
“bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this” says the LORD of hosts “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessings that there will not be enough to receive it”
BUT
We can’t omit v8 “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘in what way have we robbed you’?
“In tithes and offerings.”
God requires us to put Him first in everything!
We’ve talked about why we should put God first
We’ve talked about how we should put God first
And we’ve talked about where we should put God first.
In the sales world there is an axiom:
Features
Advantages
Benefits
Features- are the characteristics of the product
Advantage- how the feature helps the user
Benefits- refer to what the user gains from using it as well as how it’s better than it’s competitors.
Benefits are the outcomes of using the features.
So the features are putting God first,
Let’s examine the benefits of putting God first
Proverbs 3:9
Honor with LORD with your possessions, and with the first fruits of all your increase.
Here’s the benefit found in v.10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.
Matthew 12:50
“for whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
Here’s another benefit:
Exodus 19:5
Now therefore if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people, for all the earth is Mine.
1 Thessalonians 2:4
But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts
Genesis 17:1
When Abram was 99 years old, the LORD appeared to him and said “I am El Shaddai-God Almighty. Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life”
Can you imagine that conversation with God?
Maybe you’ve heard this one?
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
CLOSING
Here are some questions that may have come to you in the past, or during today’s message:
Can I put God first in everything and still enjoy life?
How do I begin to put God first in those things He is not already? It may seem overwhelming or not realistic, or logical.
Can anyone help me in this journey?
I’d love to visit with you about these questions you have as well as any others.
-Call Ashley up-
Every year, people make New Years Resolutions. Sometimes they succeed other times they fail.
I’m not a big believer of NY Resolutions, but this year I finally came up with one that I believe I can live with.
I want to help as many of my friends gain 10 pounds so it’ll make me look thinner!
Seriously, I desire to make God first in everything in my life, and have an action plan ready to execute!
As you listened to and read these verses today, I hope you felt a common theme.
That theme is: Putting God first is a heart thing.
As we close with a song of worship, I’ll ask as I often do, just close your eyes and let the words wash over you as His presence covers you in His love.
