Matthew 5:23–24 KJV 1900

Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Matthew 5:23-24

THE THINGS WHICH MUST BE FIRST

Heart-Touching Sermon Outlines 10. The Things Which Must Be First (Matthew 5:23, 24)

Four times our Lord referred to things that should be done first of all. All are found in Matthew’s Gospel.

Four times our Lord referred to things that should be done first of all. All are found in Matthew’s Gospel.

Illustration:

A group of friends went deer hunting and paired off in twos for the day. That night one of the hunters returned alone, staggering under an eight-point buck.

"Where's Harry?" he was asked.

"Harry had a stroke of some kind. He's a couple of miles back up the trail."

"You left Harry laying there, and carried the deer back?"

"Well," said the hunter, "I figured no one was going to steal Harry."

FIRST BE RECONCILED WITH A BROTHER

A. Our Lord emphasized that the forgiveness of a brother is the condition of forgiveness by the Heavenly Father; , .

Mark 11:25–26 KJV 1900

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

B. Under grace and according to the revelation of Christianity, the believer is to forgive because he has been forgiven of God; .

C. Under grace and according to the revelation of Christianity, the believer is to forgive because he has been forgiven of God; ; , .

Ephesians 4:32 KJV 1900

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

D. Christian forgiveness is the fruit of divine love and grace known and ruling in the heart.

C. Christian forgiveness is the fruit of divine love and grace known and ruling in the heart.

D. The man who hates his brother neither knows nor loves God; , .

1 John 4:20–21 KJV 1900

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

FIRST SEEK THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS

Matthew 6:33 KJV 1900

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

MATT

Heart-Touching Sermon Outlines 10. The Things Which Must Be First (Matthew 5:23, 24)

A. The kingdom of God is the kingdom over all, in which all intelligences, whether angelic or human, willingly subject themselves to God, and which always existed and always will exist.

B. “Seeking” the kingdom and His righteousness is pursuing a right relation with God, living and doing right, and getting others to be right with God and to live and do right.

C. The spiritual application of this great statement by our Lord is that God’s people should put spiritual things before temporal; Phil. 1:21; 2 Cor. 5:15.

A. The kingdom of God is the kingdom over all, in which all intelligences, whether angelic or human, willingly subject themselves to God, and which always existed and always will exist.

B. “Seeking” the kingdom and His righteousness is pursuing a right relation with God, living and doing right, and getting others to be right with God and to live and do right.

C. The spiritual application of this great statement by our Lord is that God’s people should put spiritual things before temporal; ; .

Philippians 1:21 KJV 1900

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

PHIL. 1:21

2 Corinthians 5:15 KJV 1900

And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

FIRST CAST THE BEAM OUT OF ONE’S OWN EYE

Matthew 7:5 KJV 1900

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

mATTHEW 7:

A. This statement is part of our Lord’s teaching about judging.

B. The church, as well as the individual believer, has a right and is responsible to judge actions and evil conduct.

C. The Christian should never forget that he will be dealt with as he deals with others.

FIRST CLEANSE THE INSIDE THAT THE OUTSIDE MAY BE CLEAN

Hottel, W. S. (1974). The Things Which Must Be First. In Heart-Touching Sermon Outlines (p. 29). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book

Matthew 23:25–26 KJV 1900

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

A. The Scribes and Pharisees were careful about keeping clean on the outside, while on the inside they were full of corruption and death. .

Hottel, W. S. (1974). The Things Which Must Be First. In Heart-Touching Sermon Outlines (p. 28). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

Luke 11:39 KJV 1900

And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

B. The New Testament teaches that nothing avails for the sinner but a new birth which produces a new creation; ; .

Galatians 6:15 KJV 1900

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

John 3:7 KJV 1900

Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Illustration:

Over the triple doorways of the cathedral of Milan there are three inscriptions spanning the splendid arches. Over one is carved a beautiful wreath of roses, and underneath it is the legend, "All that which pleases is but for a moment."

Over the other is sculptured a cross, and there are the words, "All that which troubles us is but for a moment."

But underneath the great central entrance to the main aisle is the inscription, "That only is important which is eternal."

If we always realize these three truths, we will not let trifles trouble us, not be interested so much in the passing pleasures of the hour. We should live for the permanent and the eternal.