3 PRIORITIES IN THE CHRISTIAN'S LIFE

This message is one that I have developed from an outline by Brother Tom Ward from many years ago. His thoughts were the skeleton upon which I have draped some flesh. I appreciate his insight and wisdom in the Scriptures.

During my over 15 years in the full time ministry God and God's men have shown me many things. Some of those stand out to me as absolute truths that have served to keep me in the ministry. God has shown us the Lordship of Jesus, His First Claim Principle (Luke 9:57-62), and the Exchanged Life Principle (2 Corinthians 4). Some of the other truths are that the ministry is God's ministry (Psalm 127:1-2), the church is God's church and faithfulness to the Lord Jesus and His word is of utmost importance (1 Corinthians 4).

I think that the principle that we find in this message may be the most important. This principle is found in: Hebrews 11:1-7 "3 Priorities in the Christian's Life"

Perhaps you have heard of this couple. I have given them pseudonyms as names. George and Sue. Saved, served God for a few years, then gradually they began to back out of the Christian life. Started slowly with backing out of their work at church, then they stopped giving, then missing church, and now they are part of the great crowd of "use-to-be's." Some call it "burn-out" and some call them "drop-outs."

However, in churches and in homes all over America are those who are like these folks. They really haven't left God, they haven't left church; they have just faded away to the point where they are no longer doing anything for God. They are just hiding in the pews. Why do people lose their fire and fervor for God? Why isn't serving God exciting and enjoyable like it used to be?

Note Hebrews 11:1-2. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Faith is a product of a close, and intimate, relationship with God. These three men here in the verses that we read exemplify the priorities of a Christian's life.

  1. Worship God Properly
    1. Life of Abel - Genesis 4:1-4. Abel brought the right sacrifice. He learned to worship God onGod's terms. No one will serve God long who does not learn to worship God properly. Worship means "paying God homage, divine honors, reverence in adoration prayers,confession, thanksgiving and sacrifice." God's word gives us many examples, here it just one.
    2. Moses - Exodus 33:11
      1. Face to face with God - Exodus 33:11.
      2. Intimacy with God - Exodus 33:13-18.
      3. Adoration of God - Exodus 34:5-8, 14.
      4. Confession of sin - Exodus 34:9.
      5. Sacrifice for Him - Exodus 34:12-17.
    3. Paul - Colossians 3:10. See the chart below.
      Our worship life will energize our spiritual life, and we will WALK with God.
  2. Walk with God. Hebrews 11:4 - Enoch.
    1. Enoch Walked with God. Genesis 5:24.
      To walk with God is to pursue a course of life in which God directs your footsteps daily. It is to simply allow God to be in control of your life. Enoch and God walked hand in hand, and God directed Enoch all along the way.
    2. Paul Exhorted us to walk with God. Colossians 2:6; Romans 13:13; Galatians 5:16
    3. John Exhorted us to walk in the light.1 John 1:7; 2:6
      This walk with God will give our bodies strength to work for God without burning out.
  3. Work for God. It is important.
    1. Noah worked for God. (Hebrews 1:7) It was important to do so. It saved his life and his family's life physically.
    2. If we have our priorities in order work comes naturally. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
      How? Spend time with God Daily! Develop a close relationship with Him.
      Then Let God direct your walk with Him. Work will come naturally!

Lesson prepared by Dr. Robert E. Bliss

Close Window.

Scriptures used in this lesson with the exception of whole chapters.

Genesis 4:1-4
1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:   Back

Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.  Back

Exodus 33:11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.   Back

Exodus 33:13-18
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.   Back

Exodus 34:5-8
5 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.
6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.   Back

Exodus 34:9 And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.   Back

Exodus 34:12-17
12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:
13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:
14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
15 Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;
16 And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.
17 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.   Back

Exodus 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:   Back

Psalm 127:1-2
1 <<A Song of degrees for Solomon.>> Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.
2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.   Back

Luke 9:57-62
57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.
62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.   Back

Romans 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.  Back

Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.  Back

Colossians 2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:   Back

Colossians 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:   Back

2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.  Back

Hebrews 1:7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.  Back

Hebrews 11:1-7
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.   Back

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.  Back

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.  Back

1 John 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.   Back

Close Window.