What Comes First

Matthew 6:28–34 KJV 1900

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 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.

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Introduction:

For us to understand true stewardship, we have to understand the relevancy Christ has to life and the world in which we live.

First things first…

first things are only first when we have the proper priorities

What comes first?

What came first?

in the beginning, God...

in the beginning was the Word....

1. God Comes First

Matthew 6:33 KJV 1900

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

a. In His Kingdom

i. Where God Reigns

ii. Where His will is done

our first prayer should be - “thy kingdom come, thy will be done...”

Luke 11:1–4 KJV 1900

1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. 2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

luk11.1

iii. Good stewardship of life and money shows that we put God first

b. With His Righteousness

i. The kind of righteousness God has

1 Peter 1:14–16 KJV 1900

14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

1pet1.14-16

Holy

Holy

Sanctified

Separated - you cannot be sanctified w/o being separated

you cannot love God and Mammon

you cannot love God and the world

you cannot be a

ii. the kind of righteousness that Jesus exemplified

iii. The kind of righteousness that exceeded that of the scribes and the pharisee’s

iv. The kind of righteousness that begins with motives of the heart

c. For the Eternal

Colossians 3:1–4 KJV 1900

1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

d. In Our Giving

1 Chronicles 29:14 KJV 1900

14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.

2. Seek His Kingdom - Actively Search

a. Success in any line of endeavor demands a lifetime of:

Seeking

Searching

Striving

Serving - giving of one’s self

b. We often meet with failure in laboring for worldly success, but in searching for God, we will not be disappointed

i. Many seek worldly success but do not find it

ii. Some find worldly success on to have time for enjoyment run out on them

iii. Others find worldly success only to discover hat the capacity for enjoyment is gond

iv. Good stewards will labor for His Kingdom - Put Him First

3. Things Are Added When We Put God First

a. Material things

b. God is able to prove things

i. Life is more than food

ii. Body is more than raiment - (clothing)

c. God is willing to provide things

i. Behold - lilies of the field

ii. Behold - birds of the air

d. How much does God provide?

i. To some… the stewardship of much is given

a). Not all have the same talents for ownership and management

b). Not riches but the lust for and abuse of riches is condemned

c). The answer is not in the redistribution of wealth or in the turning over of the wealth to the government, but in changed hearts through the gospel

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - seeking a 70% tax rate for wealthy -

Immorality problem

abuse problems

drug problems

greed problem

covetous problem

abortion problem

socio - economic problems… could all be solved by the Gospel!!!

JESUS CHANGES EVERYTHING!!!!

Soul-winning is the answer

Gospel is the answer

salvation is the answer....

ii. “ Give us day by day our daily bread”

Give us day by day our daily bread

a). luke 11.3

b).

c).