Loving God First, Then Others

Loving God First, Then Others

This evening I would like you to turn to Matthew chapter 6, Matthew chapter 6. We're going to read a couple of verses here and then we'd also like to read a few verses from Matthew 22 as well. Matthew chapter 6. If you'll turn there with me. And let's, once we arrive there, let's begin the reading in verse 28. Matthew 6, 28. And it's there that we read this. Our Lord says, And why take ye thought for raiment? 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? Wherefore, take no thought, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles see. For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

And then I'd also like to recap. from Matthew 22. If you'll look over there in Matthew 22 in verse 34, verse 34, but when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. And we'll conclude the reading there this evening.

As we have entered this new year, there are , I think about when the Lord created the earth, it was without, in the beginning, we see that it was without form and void, right? It was, there was, there was not a beauty, light and orderliness to it. There was just, it was just unfashioned, unformed. There was just, there, there, there was no day and night. There were, there were no divisions between, you know, water and land and all of those things. It just was, it was, it was, it was, it was, it was, it was, it was, it was, it was, it was, it was, it was, it was. There were no However, I am a person that I … void. And yet, he spoke and there was, and he spoke and there was, and he brought order, didn't he?

You think about the demoniac, the, the, the demon possessed man of Gadara, you know, he was out there just beating himself and, and, and a wild man and everybody feared to come around him. But when the Lord came into his heart, there was order and there was beauty in his, there was, there was direction and purpose in his life you know Zacchaeus was robbing people in an official government position but when the Lord came in he says if I've stolen from anyone I'll restore it what was it fourfold the Lord brings order he brings beauty and purpose to everything that he touches and every life that he touches

and as we come into this new year as we have come into this new year we and I think about you know our lives are always changing with children our lives are always changing and there's always that tendency to just well we just we always need to reassess where we are as a family to make sure that we are we have our priorities straight we we are keeping things in the right order in a way that will be pleasing to the Lord in our individual lives but you know as a family as a church as as individuals even but we we need well thank the Lord he he's brought purpose and order and and meaning to our lives but we are the scripture does say that we have to work out that salvation that we have in Christ right work out our own salvation not that I mean to work to achieve your salvation but the salvation that we have in Christ now we are to we are to work it out what he's worked in we might say to each and every day and that's going to come down to the need of wisdom and grace on a daily basis to apply truth to our individual situation in life Lord help me to see what you want me to do help me to help me to apply your word in a way that's pleasing like we said this morning help me to walk worthy unto all pleasing and that's why Paul prayed that you would abound in you know knowledge and wisdom and that's why we're here today and we're here today understanding all that you would abound in that so that you might walk worthy before the Lord

so if we're gonna if we're gonna please the Lord in our lives we need to have our priorities straight don't we we need to have our priorities straight we see that the devil loves chaos he loves disorder he loves confusion he works best when he keeps things stirred up I know I've said it before but I'll say it again when we were you know we we took a lot of time to think about it a little bit of uh sign language when we were children and I always remember that sign for sin and I can't remember which finger they use I think maybe the pointer finger but this is the symbol for sin it's confusion it's that it's that sign that indicates what sin brings isn't it it's confusion brings confusion but God is the God of order we certainly see that let all things be done decently in order he says um there is a proper order there's a proper order in the home there's a proper order in the way that I was listening to something recently this the the individual on the podcast I was listening to and this is not a particularly a Christian podcast per se but he was talking about time management and he said there the two big priorities in your life are are going to be the urgent things and the important things he said not all urgent things are important but important must always be kept up there's important things there there are non-negotiable priorities one of those we might say is spending time with the Lord that's that's at the you know we've got to have our time with the Lord right even sometimes in life you know as a busy mother you might not have as much time as you have when the nest is empty to spend that time but you still got to prioritize time for time for prayer time for prayer time for prayer time for for reading or maybe even it might be listening to God's word being read but somehow to spend that time with the Lord that's a priority that's an important thing sometimes there's urgent things I know I've mentioned before when when you're reading your Bible or you may bow on your knees you may stop to pray and then you have all these thoughts of what's gonna the urgent pressing things that have got to happen today well I know that I have to just stop and just write some of those things down when they come flooding into my mind because otherwise they're going to keep swirling around in your head the things that need to be done the urgent things but those urgent things can never trump the important things

and the things that are of great priority in our lives we read tonight what the and we just mentioned this recently but what do the Gentiles seek after they seek at they all they think tend to think about is the urgent things that are of great priority in our lives we read tonight what are we going to eat what we can drink what we can put on you know all the tangible material necessities of life that's that takes up a lot of thinking and God is not in all of their thoughts right God just doesn't even enter the equation it's just about is there enough money in the bank account you know to cover all the needs and we have to think about those things too don't we we have to think about I mean it would be foolish to say we're Christians and therefore we don't have to think about managing money though we need to we need to think about managing money we need to we do need to think about managing our money we've got to think about managing our health we got to think about a lot of things but first seek the kingdom of God put him before all that might be urgent some of those things might be really urgent but don't put them ahead of the Lord in your life don't don't make those the priority over the Lord you know when our children know this but when I was a child mom and dad expected us before we came to the table did you wash your hands did you wash your hands well who knows what you've had your hands in you got to make sure our hands are clean before we eat because they're going to be put that in our mouth right you've been out playing with the chickens especially with chickens and rabbits you better make sure you wash your hands before you start eating well there's a due order there's a due process there and then before after we make sure we wash our hands we're going to we're going to bow our heads and we're going to pray about this meal we're going to put the Lord it's important that we pray I'm hungry well our children don't say that to us but I'm just saying you know um that feeling of a child I just want to eat all of this right now well we're going to pray first and then we were taught um finish chewing before you start talking finish chewing what's in your mouth don't start talking after you've taken two bites and haven't swallowed yet we don't want to see what you're you know what's in your mouth there's an order to the natural life like that and there's a reason for all of that but even above that seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all all the urgent things that we are in need of there's a reason for all of that but even above that you know what are you going to eat what are you going to drink what are you going to put on didn't say is you can get a Lamborghini didn't say you're going to have a Maserati you know I don't even want one anyway but it didn't say you're going to have all those things but the Lord will add to you those things and often above and beyond what we actually really need right all of us here tonight have I mean just just look at us we got above and beyond what we actually need with the clothes we have on our back we don't just we don't just have a coat on we got clothes on don't we I mean and it's wonderful to have those things but those aren't even really necessities technically this building is not a necessity that the Lord has given us and yet we want to use it for his glory

well as we think about that I also am reminded of that other passage we looked at where the the lawyer asked the Lord this question tempting him but he said you know what is the great commandment in the law and we we know the passage so well where the Lord said to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul and with all thy mind you know this morning when we observed the Lord's Supper we said that one of the main things we've got to we've got to be conscious of in partaking of this is what are we doing we're remembering what the Lord has done for us why do we need to remember so we don't forget so we don't forget we don't fill our lives with so many things and then the Lord just the Lord just kind of takes the back seat we've got to remember what has he done for me and if we remember the Lord we're truly remembering the Lord he will take first place in our hearts and minds he will take first place in our lives

you know the things that we don't want to forget we prioritize don't we we put those things first I don't want to forget I don't want to forget you know this this thing or this person if it means something to us we won't forget we say sometimes you'll never forget that if somebody's done something great for you somebody's just going out of their way I'll never forget you and what you did for me I'll never and we just say that about relatively minor things compared to what the Lord has done for us

and we don't want to forget what he's done for us I'll never forget what you did for me oh may we never forget what the Lord has done not just forget it as far as a fact in our minds but in our hearts because if we put the Lord first and not forget him in our hearts as we go day by day then what a difference it will make in how we how we live and how we even how we treat others

well the uh the priorities let's look over if you will in first Thessalonians chapter five please first Thessalonians chapter five we talk about loving the Lord with all our heart not forgetting him putting him first all of those things he is the priority of our lives we you know we might say as as as a husband as a father my family is my priority this church is a priority to me but even before the church my family is my priority my wife my marriage my my children if I can't rule my own household well then what business do I have leading the church and and there's priorities like that in all of our lives if we don't if we're if we're not walking with the Lord as we ought to then how can we even be a blessing one to another as brothers and sisters so um in first Thessalonians chapter five uh let's turn there first Thessalonians chapter five and I'd like us to look there in verse number 16 first Thessalonians chapter five verse number 16 there's a lot of instructions given here in these verses but what does it say in verse 16 it says rejoice evermore pray without ceasing in everything give thanks why for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you this is what God has told you that he wants you to do this is what God expects of his children rejoice pray rejoice evermore pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks and in so doing what are we doing we're loving God and putting him first aren't we we're saying no matter what happens I can rejoice in the Lord no matter what hits my life no matter what comes no matter what the stock market is doing no matter what my health is like no matter what I can rejoice evermore and I will pray I'm not gonna stop praying I'm not gonna stop praying what are we seeing tonight rejoice in the Lord he makes no mistakes he knoweth you know the path that we take he knows all of that but we are to pray that that shows that we're trusting God in the midst of the difficulty to give us wisdom to give us the strength to give us help us to mount up with wings like eagles with wings like eagles and to walk and not be weary and run and not faint or however the verse goes there in Isaiah 14 but we see that we're to pray we're to pray and in everything we're to give thanks that's so often I'm reminded if I complain about something it's the Holy Spirit just brings comes knocking and says Philippians 4 6 Philippians 4 6 be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer with supplication thanksgiving right let your request be made known unto God oh thank God thank God for the chasing that he brings in our lives thank God for the conviction work of the Holy Spirit if and when we do complain if we're honest we do at times at least I do and yet give thanks this is God's will in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you and in so doing well I believe there's a reason here we have the next next verse quench not the spirit right instead walk in the spirit don't quench the spirit walk in the spirit and so we see that these are the priorities if we love God what's the great commandment to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soul with all thy mind this is the first and great commandment it's the most important thing in our lives is to love God that is always urgent and important it's the most important thing in our lives it's always a pressing priority no matter what no excuses no excuses but this is a really particularly tough situation no excuses love the Lord thy God with all thy heart seek him first and the blessings will come from the Lord

well all of that being said let's also look in Colossians 4 if you will Colossians 4 in verse 2 Colossians 4 verse 2 we notice there in verse 2 Colossians 4 verse 2 we're told here continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving with all praying also for us that God would open unto us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ for which I am also in bonds that I may make it manifest as I ought to speak if you're complaining and not praying and giving thanks how can you help somebody else how can you pray for other people how can you pray for missionaries how can you pray for your brothers really pray for them if you're regarding some iniquity in your own heart if you're harping on something that the Lord that's not the Lord's will for us that's not loving him that's not putting him first and our seeking him first it's leaning to our own understanding it's leaning on our own our emotions and our feelings about things instead of putting the Lord first but see you continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving that's important that's the priority and as you pray Paul says pray for us that God would open unto us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ so rejoice give thanks pray and then I think about that hymn we're familiar with ere you left your room this morning did you think to pray those are so important words we need to remember the Lord first thing in the morning right we need to put him first in the day I love those that love me and those that seek me early shall find me that's a paraphrase but you know the passage I love them that love me and those that seek me early shall find me the Lord says ere you left your room this morning did you think to pray in the name of Christ our Savior did you ask for a loving favor as a shield today and then listen to the chorus it says oh how praying rests the weary prayer will change the night today so when life seems dark and dreary don't forget to pray pray don't forget remember how do you not forget something well you intentionally remember it you make it a priority right if I don't do anything else I'm going to do this first this is going to be this is going to be the first thing if I you know I might forget certain things we all forget things but that's why we have to make it I think about my wife's grandmother she on her dad's side of the family she's got more and more advanced dementia but she makes it a point to remember her she wants to try to remember her grandchildren's birthdays and all those important days and so she she writes those things down in a little book I don't know how well she's keeping up with it now but she's she's done it well for a long time anyway writes them down in a little book as long as she can remember what that book is she makes a priority I've got to have these dates in here and I'm going to do this and I'm going to constantly refer to this book even though I might forget things I don't want to forget and that's the way we need to be as Christians putting the things that are important keeping them at the forefront we might say I think about Job when he was even when even when he was in the great plight that he was in he said blessed be the name of the Lord blessed be the name of the Lord we sang blessed be the name this morning didn't we and yet can we say that even when we're going through very difficult circumstances can we say with Job blessed be the name of the Lord so love to God that's the source that's the fountain that's the wellspring of love to our neighbor isn't it that's the putting God first then we can then we can show his love to one another but we've got to put him put him first to God if we seek God in the morning if we if we make it a priority of thanksgiving prayer and and rejoicing in the Lord then we will be much in a much better position to truly love to love one another to love our neighbor it'll affect it'll affect our relationships it does affect our relationships you know every one of us has a has an aroma we might say when we come into our room don't we when we walk into a room maybe you show up on the job and you you know sometimes people might shuffle in like just barely made it here you know kind of thing it's going to be a terrible day that kind of dims the mood doesn't it you know I mean we might not feel great but just drink another cup of coffee I guess and get going you know but but what a blessing it is when we when we have you know taken the time with the Lord and then we can we can encourage another soul we can show love to another even even even if we might be going through something how many times have you been blessed by someone that is going through something more difficult than you're going through and yet they have put the Lord first you can tell because they're they're they're they're striving to be a blessing even in the midst of the hard thing that you know they're going through and you think I have no room to complain I mean they're they're picking me up and they're the ones in the they're the ones that are down in the difficulty of a obviously a more difficult circumstance than I'm in what's the difference it's the Lord right it's the Lord that makes the difference in our lives when we put Him first when we when we love Him with all of our hearts we're I know I touched on this this morning with husbands but think about as husbands you know if we if we love the Lord first it will be no difficulty to love our wives it will be no difficulty to love our wives and not to be bitter against them we might say but you don't know my wife you know or you don't know how she is sometimes it doesn't matter it doesn't matter love the Lord and you'll be able to love your wife wives the same way you know to to love your husbands to to submit to them as unto the Lord I'm not saying go jump off a cliff if they tell you to jump off a cliff hopefully nobody's saying to do that but within reason obviously to follow that husband even if you may not always like you know we might not always like each other every moment right but to as unto the Lord and and children I'm sure our children don't always like us right they don't always like what we have to say they might not always think you know mom and dad are just the greatest thing ever but children obey your parents well I really wanted to do something else children obey your parents for this is well pleasing unto the Lord right I think of I think of so many so many relationships that are if God is in it if if God if God is in it if we're seeking the Lord individually he's going to be in our our words one to another let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying to edify one another to seek the Lord first in our hearts we will be able to be we will be able to be a blessing one to another there's an order there's a proper order in which we need to with which we need to treat one another and and and I think about how on this as the passage says here in Matthew 22 what did he say in Matthew 22 this little phrase he gives here at the end of what he says he says on these two on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets spiritual success in our lives we talked about that term the other week the spiritual success spiritual success spiritual success not success in the world's eyes but spiritually before God true spiritual success the formula is very simple but daily you know this week as we go forward are we going to put am I going to put the Lord first in my thoughts in the morning seeking him first am I going to say Lord you're the priority of my life we observed you know tomorrow morning when I get up thinking back to today what a good day we had in the Lord's house we took the time to remember the Lord's death for us and what all of that means but tomorrow morning when I get up I need to remember what the Lord has done for me I need to remember and give thanks and pray and seek his face and rejoice in the Lord I need to get up and do that our day will go probably not so well if we don't do that it will not go so well if we get up and we just say I got so much to do you know I've got this and that and the other thing yeah of course we always have a lot to do when don't we have a lot to do right it's always we have plenty on our plates there's plenty of urgent things but let's make sure we make the important things first let's make sure that in our lives I mean even when it comes to our budgeting and all of those things every area we can think about it every category of our lives let's put the Lord first in those things let's trust him with our finances trust him with our health trust him with our friendships trust him with our time trust him with all those things and if we put him first and don't worry about anything it's a sin to be anxious right it's a sin to be careful about these things instead we should show that we love the Lord when we say Lord you're in control I'm just going to put you first and honor your word and then make me a blessing make me a blessing as I go today help me not to be just another statistic in this world of complaining and confusion and all of that it's only by God's grace that we can shine the light of Christ to one another Lord help me to remember others if we don't love each other if we don't remember the Lord we're not going to remember others if we don't remember the Lord first then we're just going to be thinking about ourselves we're just going to be thinking about ourselves aren't we how do I know ask me well we've all I know that I have I have gotten into that wallet and that way of thinking but may the Lord help us to put him first in our lives let's pray thank you Father for these simple reminding thoughts thoughts by way of reminder tonight that we've seen from your word as we have begun this new year Lord help us to have the right priority the right to truly love you Lord with all of our heart with all of our soul mind and strength help us Lord to to start each day remembering you not forgetting what you've done for us not forgetting your word even the psalmist said that it hid your word in his heart and asked that you might not let him wander from your commandments we know that if we love you first then we do love the brethren and that love will show as we saw this morning it will show in our words but it will show in our our actions and our attitudes one toward another may we may we declare plainly that we are pilgrims and strangers we are children of God passing through this earth may the light and love of Christ be seen in our countenance may be seen in our in our spirit as we go we pray and ask these things in Jesus name Amen