The lady who wrote that song
wrote that after her husband died, Jane Bonar. She was the wife of Horatius
Bonar. And at the death of her husband,
she said, Fade, fade each earthly joy. Jesus is mine. Very special. We're going to
observe the Lord's table tonight. And we're also real glad to have
Andrea Groover with us. She's Cody and Winna's daughter,
dear friend, glad she's here. And Cody is going to be here
in October, so we'll look forward to that also. My text is not
Luke chapter 10, but I think that it is an appropriate way
to introduce this message. I've entitled this message First
Things First. First things first. Now, there was a family that
was very dear to the Lord. Two sisters and a brother. Martha,
Mary and Lazarus, and John 11 tells us what made that family
special was that Jesus loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus,
and that made that family very special. And we're given a scene
where the Lord comes into Martha's house. In the town of Bethany,
can you imagine what you would feel like if the Lord Jesus Christ
was coming into your home? You would be very careful that
everything was just right. I know Lynn would. I can speak mostly about her. Mary was cumbered about with
much serving. I commend her for that. Or Martha was cumbered about
with much serving. And Mary just sat there doing
nothing, listening to the Lord. She sat at His feet. She heard
his word. She was not involved in helping
the way Martha, no doubt, thought she should have been. And I put
myself in the Martha's place. I probably would have had to
say, what's this? Why am I doing everything? She's
doing nothing. She's just sitting there contemplating her navel.
She's been helping us. And she comes up and complains
to the Lord. Lord, don't you care that my
sister isn't helping me? Bid her therefore. Give her a
commandment. Wait a minute. She's telling the Lord what to
do. Now, that's something we should never do. You know, I
made up. I've been grieving over it ever
since then. Last week, I said the Lord wouldn't do that because
it's wrong. Whenever the Lord doesn't do
something because it's wrong or right, if he does it, it is
right. You don't make statements like that. And I just thought,
oh, I wish I could retract that. Didn't mean it. She tells the
Lord, Lord, here's what you need to do. This is the right thing
to do. And this is what you need to do. And the Lord said, Martha,
Martha. I can just hear his voice, can't
you? Martha, Martha, you're careful, you're troubled about many things.
But there's one thing that's needful. What is that? It's to hear his
word. That's the one thing that's meaningful.
And Mary has chosen that good part. And that shall not be taken
from her. Now we see from that that there
are some things that are more important than others, don't
we? There are some things that take priority over other things.
You know, where I spend eternity is more important than where
I'm going to spend this afternoon, isn't it? God knowing my name is more important
than you knowing my name. Spiritual blessings are more
important than temporal blessings. I wonder how much we really believe
that. Spiritual blessings are infinitely
more important than temporal blessings. And there are some
things in the Bible that are more important than others. I
hesitate to make that judgment. I don't believe it. If God said
it, it's important. If God said it, it's important,
but Paul did say in 1 Corinthians 15 3, for I delivered unto you,
first of all. First of all, that which is of
chief importance is what that means, that which is first of
all. It's also translated cheaply.
or chief. I delivered unto you what's most
important, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures. Now what I would like for us to consider is what
the Bible says comes first. Not, I'm trying to, let's get
our priorities right. We don't know how to get our
priorities right. We really don't. I mean, any time we try to make
an attempt like that, all we do is fall into foolishness.
But what does the Bible say comes first. First things first. And I want to see what the Bible
says comes first in our attitude towards God. I want to see what
the Bible says comes first in our attitude towards ourselves.
And I want to see what the Bible says comes first in our attitude
toward each other. First things first, now turn
with me a second. Peter chapter 1. Second Peter chapter 1. Verse 19. We also have a more sure word
of prophecy, more sure than any experience that we could ever
have. And he'd been talking about that mountaintop experience where
the Lord was transfigured before them and they experienced this.
Can you imagine being there on the top of the mountain and seeing
the Lord transfigured and seeing his face shine like the sun and
his clothing glistening? Now, Peter says we've got something
better than that. You've got something right now. You've got
something better than what they had there. I've got something
better than what they had there. We also have a more sure word
of prophecy where until you do well that you take heed as unto
a light that shineth in a dark place into the day dawn and the
day star arise in your hearts knowing this first. This is what
is one of primary importance. This is what comes first. Everything's
behind this. Knowing this first, that no prophecy
of the scripture is of any private interpretation. Somebody says,
well, that's your interpretation. How many times have you heard
that? That's your interpretation. I'm not interpreting the Bible.
I just say what it says. I'm not interpreting it. No, that's your interpretation,
that's your view. Well, no scripture is any private
interpretation, for the prophecy came not in old time by the will
of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy
Ghost. Now we have to begin with the
Word. All we know of God, all we truly know of God is from
this book. And this is where we've got to
begin. The Bible is the inspired Word of God. This comes first. And if you don't have this, you
don't have anything. All you have is speculation.
All you have is my opinion. All you have is your opinion.
And what good is my opinion or your opinion? Here's what I think.
Who cares? Really? Who cares? You care what
I think? No! I want to know what God says
regarding Himself and His Word. Now, I realize that many people
really have a difficult time accepting the Bible as being
the inspired Word of God. I realize that tonight. How many
times have I wondered, is this really the inspired Word of God? I've said this several times
in the last few months. Is it hard to believe that God
created the universe? Is it hard to believe? The fact
of the matter, it's harder to believe the opposite, that somehow
life just happened. I mean, you're talking about
a stretch of imagination to believe something like that. It's not
hard to believe that God created the universe. Deep down, everybody
knows it. They may deny it, but deep down,
everybody knows it. And if he has the power to create
something from nothing, he has the power to preserve his word
inerrant. There are three things I need
to know about the Bible. First, it's inspired. inspired by God. All scripture is given by inspiration
of God. This Bible is God's inspired
word. And all we truly know about God
is from this book. Somebody prove that to me. I
can't. Don't feel the need to either.
That's glorious. I don't feel the need to. I know
it's the Word of God. I know it is. Second, mystery. Mystery. It's important for me
to know this about God's word. It reveals the mysteries of God. Now, mysteries aren't things
we don't know. Mysteries are things we know
because God has made them known in his word. We read of the mysteries
of God. It's all mystery. I can't really
much understand the mystery, but I believe it. I don't understand
how God is one God and three distinct persons, but I believe
it. I don't understand how God never had a beginning. That blows
my mind. He never... But I believe it. I mean, there's the mysteries
of the scripture. And the Bible is history. It's fact and events. It's not somebody's interpretation
of what took place. It's his story. The Bible is
the inspired word of God. And all we believe is subject
to the word of God. Act comes first. Turn to Matthew chapter 6. Verse
33. Well, let's begin. In verse 24. 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 and despise
the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life. What you should eat, or what
you should drink, or yet for your body, what you should put
on, is not the life more than meat and the body more than raiment.
Behold the fowls of the air. For they sow not, neither do
they reap, nor gather into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feedeth
them. Are you not much better than
they? Which of you, by taking thought, by worrying, by anxiety,
can add one cubit unto his stature, one minute unto his life? And why take ye thought for rain?
But consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil
not, neither do they spin, and yet I say unto you that even
Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.
Wherefore, if God so clothed the grass of the field which
today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much
more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought,
saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or whitherwithal
shall we be clothed? For after all these things do
the Gentiles seek, for your heavenly Father knoweth that you have
need of all these things. But seek ye first. Seek ye first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness. And all these things should be
added to you. You don't need to worry about
tomorrow. Tomorrow should take thought for the things of itself.
You've got enough to deal with today. Sufficient unto the day is the
evil thereof. Here's what our Lord says. Seek
ye first the kingdom of God. And note this phrase, His righteousness. Now, when you seek the kingdom
of God, here's what you're seeking. His righteousness. Now this is what I'm to seek
above all things. His righteousness. You know what
that means? That means all I want God to
see when He looks at me is His righteousness. That's it. I want
simply to be found in Christ So that all God sees when he
looks upon me is the righteousness and the merits of his dear son.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Now, there's only one righteousness,
and that is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
the only righteousness there is. Psalm 71, verse 16 says,
I've made mention of thy righteousness, even thine only. The righteousness
of God, the righteousness of Christ. Now, you seek the kingdom
of God and His righteousness. Now, there's two things Scripture
teaches regarding us and His righteousness. His righteousness
imputed to me and His righteousness imparted to me. His righteousness
imputed to me That means His perfect obedience charged to
my accounts so that all God sees is the very righteousness of
Christ. That's my righteousness before God. And I'm to seek that
with all my heart. I simply want to be found with
His righteousness. Do you have a desire for that?
This is what you seek first. Not only is his righteousness
imputed to the believer, but his righteousness is imparted
to the believer in the new birth. Seek ye first the kingdom of
God and his righteousness. I want him to give me a new nature,
a righteous nature. Seek ye first the kingdom of
God and his righteousness. Turn to Romans 1. That's what comes first. Remember,
this is our attitude toward God. First, we begin with his word.
Then we speak of his righteousness. I, my soul, I don't want to have
anything to do with my righteousness because I don't have any. The
only righteousness there is, is the righteousness of Jesus
Christ, imputed to me, imparted to me in the new birth when he
gives me a holy nature. That's what I'm to seek above
all things. Romans chapter one, verse eight. First, I thank my God through
Jesus Christ. This is what comes first in our
attitude toward God. First, I thank my God through
our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, we thank Him for who
He is, don't we? We thank Him for His sovereignty. You know,
the Lord did. He said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven
and earth, because you've hid these things from the wise and
prudent and revealed them unto babes. We thank him for his sovereignty. We thank him for his power, for
his holiness, for his providence. We thank him for who he is. We
thank him for election. Second Thessalonians 2.13. We're
bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren and beloved
of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you. to salvation through sanctification
of the Spirit. I'm so thankful for election
because if it wasn't for the fact that God elected people, nobody
would be saved. People argue with election. Listen, the only
hope you have is that God chooses you to salvation. If He doesn't
choose you, you won't choose Him. I guarantee you. I know
that so. Thank God for election. We thank God for hearing ears.
Look in 1 Thessalonians 2. 1 Thessalonians 2. Isn't it a blessing to be able
to hear the gospel of the gospel? To be able to hear with hearing
ears. Verse 13. For this cause also thank we
God without ceasing, because when you receive the Word of
God which you heard of us, you received it not as the Word of
men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which effectually
works also in you that believe. He thanked God that they were
enabled to hear the gospel. And if you and I can hear the
gospel in the power of God the Holy Spirit, we thank God for
that, don't we? Thank him for his unspeakable
gift. I love that passage of Scripture where Paul says, thanks
be unto God for his unspeakable, indescribable gift, all the gift
of salvation, the free gift. It's all given freely. I'm so
thankful for that. The Lord gives me everything
for Christ's sake. And it's an unspeakable gift, an indescribable
gift to know Christ, to be found in Him, to have His righteousness,
to have His grace, to have my sins forgiven, to have the promise
of His providence that everything is working together for my good
and His glory, to know that I'll one day be perfectly conformed
to the image of Christ. Thanks be to God. for his unspeakable
gift. Paul went so far as to say in
1 Thessalonians 5.18, in everything give thanks. In everything give thanks. What
do you mean by that? Exactly what he said. That difficult,
troubling, gut-wrenching thing that you're going through. Give
thanks. For this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus concerning you. It's for your good. Whatever
he sent your way is for your good. Give thanks for it. Only the grace of God can enable
somebody to do something like that. But in everything, give
thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning
you. Turn to 2 Corinthians 8. regarding our attitude toward
the Lord. Verse 12, For if there be first a willing
mind, a willing mind, a willing mind, that comes first. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power. If there be first a willing mind. I can't help but think about
this. When Lynn asked me to do something,
and I don't immediately obey, she generally has some kind of,
well, if you don't want to do it, don't do it, I'll do it.
You know, kind of like that's a guilt, and you need to be willing. I don't
know if that's a good example, but it came to my mind. I debated
on whether to say it, but I did. But the point is, be willing. If any man will do his will,
if that's what his desire is, to do his will. This comes first,
to be willing. I'm willing, by the grace of
God, I'm willing to be saved God's way. I'm willing to be saved by Christ. But I am willing to be saved
by Him. Whosoever will, let him take
the water of life freely. I think of what the Lord said,
Will thou be made whole? Are you willing to be made whole? Yes, I am. Let's begin there. A willing mind. Thy people shall
be willing in the day of thy power. Love is not forced, is
it? Love is willing. And that's our attitude that
is to come first toward God. What about ourselves? What about
our attitude about ourselves? Turn to 1 Timothy chapter 1. Here's where we begin with our
attitude about ourselves. Verse 15. Now, what's the first, the most
important thing for me to think about myself? Someone says, well,
we need to have a healthy self-image. We have to have self-esteem. We need to have self-confidence.
And that will be helpful to us. I understand people saying that.
But let's look at what the Bible says comes first. Verse 15. This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners, of whom I am chief." And that word chief is
the same word we've been looking at as first. It's a different,
it's the same word. Of whom I am the first. The very chief. of sinners. And that's got to come first.
You can only believe the gospel. You can only walk in true humility. You can only esteem others as
better than yourself as you believe yourself to be the very chief
of sinners. Now, do you have any problem
believing that? Do you have any problem with that? Knowing who
you are and what you are. Knowing of the sin that's in your heart.
Knowing of the sin against such love and grace and mercy that's
still in you. Do you have any problem with
the concept of being the chief of sinners? You know, when you're
the chief of sinners, it's so easy to trust Christ as your
only righteousness before God. I mean, it's simple that way. It's not an issue. You really
believe that his righteousness is the only righteousness that
you have. It's only as the chief of sinners
that I look to Christ alone. Now, understand this. If you
don't believe yourself to be the very chief of sinners right
now. This is what comes first. You
don't know anything of the grace of God. You don't know anything. How do you see yourself? But
what a blessing it is to be the chief of sinners. You know why
it's such a blessing? Because this is a faithful saying
and worthy of all acceptation that Christ came to save every
chief of sinners. And he did it. He did it. Now, the Lord said in the Sermon
on the Mount, cleanse first that which is within the cup and the
platter. I mean, Matthew 23, not the Sermon
on the Mount. Turn with me there. Matthew 23.
I forgot to write scripture down, so I'm going to have to find
it. Matthew 23. Verse 26. Verse 25. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites, for you may clean the outside of the cupboard of
the platter, but within your full of extortion excess, thou
blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup
and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Cleanse
first that which is within. Now, where do I begin? I know
exactly where to begin. I can give you some help here.
Say the same thing David said, creating me. a clean heart, O
God, and renew a right spirit within me. That's where you begin
on the inside. Cleanse first that which is within. Now turn over to Matthew chapter
7. Verse 3. The Lord asked this question.
Why do you behold the mote, the little speck that's in thy brother's
eye, that considereth not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out
of thine eye, and behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite,
first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt
thou see clearly cast out the little splinter out of your brother's
eye. First, don't look at anybody
else. Don't look at anybody else. First,
cast the beam out of your own eye. Remember what the Lord said? He that is without sin among
you, let him cast the first stone. First, in my attitude to myself,
let me first cast the beam out of my on I. Second Corinthians,
Chapter eight. Verse five. Verse five, Second Corinthians,
Chapter eight. Remember, this is about ourself. I'm first to
see myself as the chief of sinners and to cleanse that which is
within. I'm to Not look at my brother, but cast the beam out
of my own eye. In verse five, and this they
did not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the
Lord and unto us by the will of God. Now, this is the response to
what he gave for us. He gave himself. You know the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet
for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty
might be rich. And there's only one response
to that. You give yourself wholly and unreservedly to Him. I'm not my own. I'm bought with
a price, and I belong to him. I hope that I'm that bond slave. I love my master and I don't
want to be free from him. I love his family and I want
to be with him forever. I give myself to be his servant
willingly. And then in verse Timothy chapter
five, verse four, But if any widow have children
or nephews, let them learn first, learn first, learn first, to
show piety, where? At home. At home. Let him first learn to show piety
at home. Let them take care of their parents,
for that's good and acceptable before God. Now, here's where
piety, true devotion to the Lord, is to be seen first. at home. And we all look pretty
good this morning, don't we? Everybody's dressed up. Everybody
looks nice. Nobody's yakking at each other, talking hate.
I mean, everybody's on their best behavior. That's good. I'm
glad. Let's keep it that way. As a
matter of fact, you know, when you come to a worship service,
if you feel bad, fake it that you don't. Don't
bring people down. I mean, they're there to worship.
You act in a way that's somewhat unsettling to somebody. They're
thinking, what do I do to offend them? And they're not hearing
what's being said. This is one time when it's good to be a phony.
It really is. I mean, don't bring people. Come
in with an attitude to hear. You know what I'm saying. Enough
of that. Where my true devotion to the Lord must be seen is by
the people that live with me. Let your piety first be shown
at home. And that's what is real. Everything else is just an act.
That's what's real. So let that come first. Luke chapter 14. Verse 28, For which of you, intending to
build a tower, sitteth not down first? This is what comes first. And counteth the cost, whether
he hath sufficient to finish it. Now, first, count the cost. What is the cause? Look in verse
25 of the same chapter. And there went great multitudes
with him, and he turned and said unto them, If any man come to
me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children,
and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot
be my disciple, and whosoever doth not bear his cross, and
come after me, he cannot, he doesn't say he won't make a very
good one or he'll be kind of a carnal one, but no, he cannot
be my disciple. Is that a price I'm willing to
pay? Comparatively speaking, I'm to hate my nearest of kin,
yea, even my own life also. Count the cost. You know, there
are people who count that cost and say, well, I'm not willing
to pay that. OK. But you can't be his disciple. Count the cost of bearing the
reproach of the gospel. Now, what is our attitude toward
others? We talked about our attitude
toward the Lord and our attitude toward self, what comes first,
what comes first in our attitude toward others, what comes first
in my attitude toward you and your attitude toward me. We'll
turn back to Matthew chapter 5. Got a couple of scriptures
here. I like this. Verse 23. Therefore, if thou
bring thy gift to the altar, you're bringing a gift to present
to the Lord. You're giving something in gratefulness
to him. And there you remember that thy
brother hath aught against thee. You've done your brother wrong.
Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way first. Be reconciled to thy brother,
and then come and offer thy gift. Don't be bringing that gift like
everything's okay if your brother has something against you. First,
first, you'd be reconciled to your brother. You get that taken
care of. And then you bring your gift
that comes first, if you've got something against me that I've
done you wrong, I'm to take care of that. I'm straightening that
out. That comes first in my attitude toward you. Look in Matthew chapter
20. Verse 25. Here's our attitude toward each
other. But Jesus called them unto him
and said, You know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion
over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon
them. I'm the top dog. You've got to
do what I say. I'm in control here. But it shall
not be so among you. That kind of attitude is anathema.
But whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister. And whosoever will be chief,
that's the same word first, same word, whosoever will be first
among you, let him be your servant. Even as the son of man came not
to be ministered into, but to minister and to give his life
a ransom for many. My first act, my first responsibility
is to be your servant. And the way to be great in the
kingdom of heaven, the way to be first in the kingdom of heaven
is to be last and to be the servant of all. Now, one last thought
on the first and last, we're still there in Matthew chapter
20. Look what the Lord says in verse 16. So the last shall be first, and
the first last. For many be called, but few be
chosen. Now the Lord has a way of turning
things upside down, doesn't he? He says the first shall be last,
and the last shall be first. Now what led him to make this
statement? Let's look up at the beginning of this chapter. We read the first and the last
in this parable the Lord gives. For the kingdom of heaven is
like unto a man that is a householder, which went out early in the morning
to hire laborers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the
laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
These fellows went out at six o'clock in the morning for a
penny a day. And he went out about the third
hour, nine o'clock in the morning, and saw others standing idle
in the marketplace. And he said to them, go ye also
into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, I'll give you. That's
the Lord, isn't it? Whatsoever is right, he'll give.
And they went their way, verse 5, and he went out again the
6th, noon, and 3 o'clock, and did likewise at about the 11th
hour, 5 p.m., an hour before quitting time. He went out and
found others standing idle, and he saith unto them, Why stand
ye here all the day idle? They said unto him, Because no
man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also
into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, that shall you receive. You can just count on it, that's
what you're going to receive, whatever's right. So when evening
was come, the Lord of the vineyard, six o'clock, saith unto his steward,
Call the labors, and give them their hire, their pay, beginning
from the last until the first. And when they came that were
hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. They received what was right.
But when the first came, They supposed that they should have
received more. And do you understand that supposition? If you work 12 hours hard and
somebody else worked only one hour, shouldn't you get more
than them in your mind? You did more. You worked harder. You produced more. I can understand
this supposition. I would have supposed the exact
same thing. That's the way the natural man
thinks. We did more, we ought to get more. We ought to get
a higher reward in heaven. We did more. Verse 10, And they likewise received
every man a penny. They got the exact same thing
as the fellows who had only worked an hour. We did 12 times more
and we get the same thing. And look at their response. Verse
11, and when they received it, they murmured against the good
man of the house. This is not fair. This is not
right. We did more saying these that
have wrought but one hour and thou has made them equal unto
us. which have borne the burden and
the heat of the day? Now, they let us know what they
think about the service of their master. It's a burden. It's a burden. We don't really
love what we're doing. We don't like our job. It's a
burden. And we want to be over our brethren. We don't want to be equal. We
want to be over. That's the contrary to love.
So utterly contrary to love. People talk about higher rewards
in heaven. If I love you, I want to take the lowest seat. And
I'm not going to try to step on you to get higher. Try to
get in a better position. Oh, I got a better, I got a mansion,
you got a shack. That's offensive. It's offensive. But this is what these fellows
have to do. They've brought but one higher
and you've made them equal to us, which have borne the burden
and the heat of the day. But he answered one of them,
and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong. Didst thou not agree with
me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy
way. I will give unto this last, even
as unto thee. Is it not lovable for me to not
do what I will with mine own? Is thine I evil, because I am
good? Because I am generous to this fellow that worked one hour.
And give him the same thing that I gave you. Does that make me
unfair? No. I'm just generous. You're accusing me of being unfair,
but I'm just generous. That's what he's saying. Verse 16. So the last shall be
first. And the first last. Well, I want to be last, so I
can be first. And the first, they're last. For many are called, but few
are chosen. First things first. Well, once
again, if you want to be first, be last. Be last. And if you're last, you'll be
first. Let's pray together.