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The Benefits of Putting God First

How will making God a priority in your life bring you success? While materialism might be #1 for some, why are spirituality and contentment more important?

TRANSCRIPT

The Benefits of Putting God First

Brother Richie Juatco: Do you ever feel like there’s not enough time in the day to accomplish all that needs to get done? You should know that this is not an uncommon feeling. Now as people mature and gain responsibility, they realize that they’re not often able to give every task the same amount of attention; and because of this, we learn the need to prioritize and rank different things in life in terms of their level of importance or value. This is in order to know how to maximize our focus, time, and effort. So what—or Who—should top our priority lists? This is what we’ll be studying today on The Message.

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BROTHER

RICHIE JUATCO

MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL

Brother Richie: Hello, I’m Brother Richie Juatco and with me here in our San Francisco, Bay Area Studios is Brother Bernard Daos. Hey Brother Bernard, always good to have you on the program!

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BROTHER

BERNARD DAOS

MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL

Brother Bernard Daos: Thank you Brother Richie, it’s good to be with you today.

Now having our priorities established will give us the guidance and the structure that is needed to consistently succeed in reaching our goals.

Brother Bernard: And that’s why during conflicts of interest, a priority list is important to help us make that right decision based on what is most important to us.

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THE MESSAGE

THE BENEFITS OF PUTTING GOD FIRST

Brother Bernard: So for the Christians, what priority will lead to success?

Brother Richie: Well as Christians, we follow the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. So how does He tell us how to properly set our priorities? Well in Matthew 6:31-33, He gives us this instruction:

Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.

[Matthew 6:31-33 Contemporary English Version]

Brother Richie: Here the Lord Jesus Christ makes clear what the top priority of His followers should be. He said, “put God’s work first.”

Brother Bernard: But Brother Richie, what does that mean to put God first? Just how important is God’s work amongst all the other work that we need to get to?

Brother Richie: Well our Lord Jesus Christ said, it’s “more than anything else”. Now some may think, “How about [the] basic necessities that we need to live? We need to survive; we need to provide for our families.” What reassurance is our Lord Jesus Christ giving us? He said, “Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these.” Now that’s why our Lord Jesus Christ [gave] us an instruction. What’s His instruction? He said “Don’t worry and ask yourselves, ‘Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?’” Why does He not want us to worry so much about these things? Well, He’s the one that said, “Only people who don’t know God are always worried about such things.”

Making God a priority in your life

Now what will happen if we follow His instruction and put God’s work first? Well, He said, “Then the other things will be yours as well.” So making God the top priority in our life is the key to success. What does it mean to put God first? Our Lord Jesus Christ said, “do what God wants.”

Now we know there might be some that they feel, they’re already doing what God wants. But we know it should not be based on a feeling, it should be based on God’s words written in the Bible. So what does God want? What does He want for all of us? Brother Bernard, What is God’s purpose for all of us?

Brother Bernard: Well Brother Richie, for that answer let’s turn to the Bible once again here in the book of Ephesians 1:9-10, please listen:

God did what he had purposed, and made known to us the secret plan he had already decided to complete by means of Christ. This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head.

[Ephesians 1:9-10 Good News Translation]

Brother Bernard: Here Apostle Paul specifies what God wants or as we read, what “God had already decided to complete by means of the Lord Jesus Christ.” So what is God’s purpose or plan for everyone? God’s plan “is to bring all creation together… with our Lord Jesus Christ as head.” So take note, our top priority should be to do this first more than anything else. We should all be brought together with our Lord Jesus Christ as head.

Brother Richie: Brother Bernard, where is it that we should be brought together with Christ as head? I mean, what is Christ the head of?

Brother Bernard: Well again Brother Richie, let’s turn to the holy scriptures now in the book of Ephesians 5:23, this is what we can learn: 

For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

[Ephesians 5:23 New International Version]

Brother Bernard: According to what we have read, “Christ is the head of the church”. So please take notice that our Lord Jesus Christ is not the head of many churches but rather the head of only one singular Church. So what is the significance of the genuine Church, which is headed by the Lord Jesus Christ, when it’s [contrasted] or compared to one of the other various churches that are not His Church or that are not His body? The Bible clarified, “Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.”

So since our Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior of the church, which is His body, that means salvation is dependent on whether or not one is in the right Church. The genuine biblical Church is where we should all be brought into, because remember, this is God’s plan, this is what God wants.

Brother Richie: So what Church does God want all of us to be brought together in?

Brother Bernard: Well, again Brother Richie, we get the answer from the Holy Scriptures, not opinion, not theory. So here’s what’s recorded in the book of Acts 20:28:

Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.

[Acts 20:28 George M Lamsa’s Translation]

Brother Bernard: Here the Bible clearly teaches us that the Church, the Church that Jesus Christ is the head of, is the Church Of Christ. So for people who want to follow the instruction of the Lord Jesus Christ to be true Christians, to make God their priority in their life, they need to make sure that they are part of the Church Of Christ before anything else because remember, this is God’s plan, this is what God wants.

Brother Richie: Now for those that are already members of the true Church Of Christ, what we must continue to maintain as our top priority, remember Christ’s instruction: more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what He wants.

Brother Bernard: But wait a second Brother Richie, what if one is already a member of the true Church Of Christ, then haven’t they already done what God wants?

Brother Richie: That’s true Brother Bernard, but that’s not the only thing that God wants. Although being a member of the true Church is a major part of God’s purpose or plan for all people, there is a whole Bible, we [need to] understand, a whole Bible of instructions that God wants His people to work on, which should always take priority.

What about the stresses of life?

Brother Bernard: And now that we know that should top our priority lists, what about everything else, what about the stress that comes when maintaining our lives? How can we keep ourselves from not worrying about—we heard earlier—those things that we need?

Brother Richie: Well the Apostles give us this instruction. We’ll read here in Hebrews 13:5, listen to the answer that is recorded. This is what we can read:

Don’t be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,”…

[Hebrews 13:5 The Message]

Brother Richie: Here we receive more guidance as to how to set our priorities properly. What is the instruction so we don’t worry so much about what clothes to wear, what we’re going to eat, [and] what we’re going to drink? Well here we are taught, “Don’t be obsessed with getting more material things.” 

Therefore having a materialistic mindset is actually bad for us. We should find contentment with having enough. The Bible says, “Be relaxed with what you have.” Now why should we be relaxed? Because God assures us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,”

So like we learned in the first verse that we read earlier, God will provide us with the material things we need if we prioritize His work.

Brother Bernard: So take note, the Bible is providing us a clear list of priorities that we should, we must apply in our lives:

  1. Put God’s work first above anything else.
  2. We do what God wants first, which is to be part of the biblical Church Of Christ that will be saved, remember that’s God’s plan and purpose.
  3. Spiritual things are more important than material things, so we need to know what’s really important. 
  4. Be relaxed or be satisfied with what you have and don’t obsess over material things.

You see, what would be the harm of not following these instructions? Many people in this world do not have God as their priority and the majority are not yet part of the true Church Of Christ. So instead, most are focusing on attaining material wealth and having succeeded in doing so. 

There might also be some members of the Church Of Christ that have prioritized accomplishing goals and prospering materially in this world, rather than God’s work. So again, let’s ask what would be the harm of adjusting the priorities that the Lord Jesus Christ instructed us?

Brother Richie: That’s a good question, Brother Bernard. What would be the harm? We can read the harm that it would bring here in Matthew 16:26, and our Lord Jesus Christ actually makes it clear to us. He says:

“Because what good would it do you even if you gained all the wealth and power and all the flesh-fulfilling experiences in all the world, but then found yourself barred from Heaven and sent to your judgment in Hell? Or look at it this way: If you suddenly found yourself in awful suffering in Hell, how much would you then be willing to give of yourself to God in order to gain His forgiveness and eternal life?

[Matthew 16:26 The Last Days Bible]

Brother Richie: Our Lord Jesus Christ—He’s the one that asks us. What is it that He’s asking? He said, ”What good would it do even if you gained all the wealth and power and all the flesh-fulfilling experiences in this world”—now let’s pause briefly. Gaining all the wealth and power in the world is actually the goal of many people. Why is it that our Lord Jesus Christ, He’s mentioning it as though it’s worthless? Because He said, What good would it do you if… if you then found yourself barred from Heaven and sent to your judgment in Hell?

Now let’s remember that Jesus Christ is the Savior of His Church, accurately named Church Of Christ. So those who did not prioritize doing what God wanted and entering the Church Of Christ will not be saved. How is our Lord Jesus Christ helping us realize what our top priority should be? Well He’s the one that said, “Look at it this way: If you suddenly found yourself in awful suffering in Hell, how much would you then be willing to give of yourself to God in order to gain His forgiveness and eternal life?” 

Brother Richie: Now we see why our Lord Jesus Christ is instructing us to put God’s work first above anything else.

Brother Bernard: Now Brother Richie, since we are not yet in heaven or hell because Judgment Day has not yet come we have the opportunity to put our priorities in order if we have not yet done so. This is the main reason why we here inside the Church Of Christ, produce programs like these so that we can share with you the biblical message of salvation. And now to all the brethren or to our fellow members of the Church Of Christ, let’s protect the spiritual gifts that we received.

 

How bad would it be to already have the spiritual blessing of being in the Church Of Christ, but then lose our membership because of prioritizing material things over spiritual things, how bad would that be?

Brother Richie: Brother Bernard this is how bad it would be, we can actually read that here in Hebrews 12:16-17, here it says:

Let no one become immoral or unspiritual like Esau, who for a single meal sold his rights as the older son. Afterward, you know, he wanted to receive his father’s blessing; but he was turned back, because he could not find any way to change what he had done, even though in tears he looked for it.

[Hebrews 12:16-17 Good News Bible]

Brother Richie: So the Apostles have an instruction to those who have been given a spiritual blessing. What’s the instruction? They’re the ones that teach, “Let no one become immoral or unspiritual like Esau,” Now wait a second, we have to understand Brother Bernard, Who is Esau?

Brother Bernard: He was one of the sons of Isaac and the older twin brother of Jacob. Now because Esau was the older son, he had a God-given right to receive a spiritual blessing from his father. But how did Esau prioritize his God-given right when he started to experience, for example, hunger?

Brother Richie: Well here we read, it says that, “for a single meal sold his rights as the older son.” Now how did he feel when the blessing was being given not to him, but to someone else? The Bible says that, “he wanted to receive his father’s blessing; but he was turned back.” Why? It says, “because he could not find any way to change what he had done, even though in tears he looked for it.” Therefore it was too late to correct what he had done. This is what the Apostles are warning us not to do.

For those brought inside the Church Of Christ, it has been taught to us that the ultimate God-given blessing is the promise of salvation that will be given on the day of Judgment. Therefore let’s not become immoral or unspiritual. Let’s make sure that we prioritize God’s will and the spiritual things He wants us to do more than anything else. If we do this, then everything else will be added to us also.

Brother Bernard: So on behalf of all of us here at The Message, we would like to thank you for joining us today in our study of God’s message.

Brother Richie: But before we do, please join us for a short prayer.

Brother Bernard: Our loving God, our merciful Father in heaven, we thank You for the important message that we received today. With all of the needs and worries of people in our lives, we know now to put Your work first and to fulfill Your plan or purpose, which is to become a part of the true Church Of Christ. Thank You, dear God, because through programs like this, we are able to share this message with those who we love and care for so much, because we pray that before the day of Judgement will come, before it is too late, all of us will be able to receive this great spiritual blessing.

We also thank you for, as members of the Church Of Christ, You’ve already given unto us this great blessing, oh our humble prayers, please help us to safeguard, to protect it dear God, so that come what may, whatever we experience in our life, we will never lose the greatest blessing You have given unto us.

Our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ, Lord thank You so much. We know that You are the Savior of Your Church, of Your body, and that Church is the true Church Of Christ. Lord Jesus please ask the Father to remember all of our loved ones, all of our friends who are dear to us, to call them to be a part of Your Church, to receive also the blessing of Your salvation.

Almighty God as we return to You in our prayer, we thank You for the Administration of the Church Of Christ, who continues to guide us in programs just like this, so that more people will come to the knowledge of Your salvation, more people will receive the blessings that can only come from You. Please forgive us for our sins and our mistakes, continue to guide us every step of our life, until we reach the greatest blessing of all, to be with You there in that Holy City. All these things we humbly pray in the name of our Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

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The Benefits of Putting God First