What Does It Look Like to Put God First in Your Life?

What is required to put God first in your life that's just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity why there and happy Friday Abdul Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez. This is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us right now with your question. Our phone lines will be open for the next 25 minutes or so. Here's the phone number it's 833, the court, that's 1-833-843-2673 that you can also post your question on one of our social media sites. In fact, we have a YouTube channel and you can watch a drill right now live in the studio and send him your question that way. Of course you can always email us with your question at questions at the core, Christianity.com burst up today let's go to a voicemail from one of our listeners. This is Viola Christian as literally looked like in all aspects of your life.

Thank you so much. I what does it literally look like to put God first in all aspects of your life like we were to that question.

Of course, as followers of Jesus Christ I think is what we aim for them who want to put the Lord first in our lives to follow him in all things the way you worded that question reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 6 and in the context of pursuing God not being anxious about the things of this world, that he says you know that the Gentile nations there. There always worried about you know what they're going to eat what they're going to drink what they're going to put on there there so consumed with the earthly affairs that they don't they don't focus on the Lord, they have no time for God and Jesus says to his disciples and to those who are listening to him there in his sermon on the Mount oh you of little faith, do not be anxious, saying, what shall we eat or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear for the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow or tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble and so I think I did what. Since we could say is seeking God first means putting the Lord in the things of the Lord before everything else in the sense that when were not so consumed and weighed down by the cares of the world you think also of the parable of the sower that Jesus told you know the cares of the world can sometimes choke the seed of God's word out so that it becomes unfruitful were not were not allowing the cares of the world to consume our mind. I thought that there they're not important. Not that we don't order our lives in our affairs and in the way that they should be ordered. It's it's just saying that.

Look for me.

The priority is the glory of God in all that I do in the way that I work in the way that I treat others in the way that I worship and in everything that I do even even my my diet me know what do we often times we we for to compartmentalize the spiritual life and and everything out you know that might my life for the rest of the week outside of Sunday but everything that we do really should be done whether we drink, Paul says to the glory of God, so that the decisions that we make, we should ask ourselves the question of the end of this decision is it leading me closer to Christ, to serving his people to good works, to the glory of God or or is it not as a drawing me away from the Lord, and I think is as we think about our lives in that way. And as we seek to order our lives and in that way as well were were doing exactly what what you're asking about you.

How do we put God first in everything. Well we we focus on him, in all our our ways were acknowledging him as as were told in. In the book of Proverbs in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path, and so may God help each of us to do that to to seek him daily you think of how Jesus taught us to pray, you know, every day.

Give us this day our daily bread to seek him daily and to rely upon the grace that he gives and to pursue his honor in all that we do. May God help you to do that at some really great counsel and I think a lot of it would come down to decision-making as we make decisions on a daily basis whether those being small decisions or big decisions.

We consider is this what God would have me do absolutely.

And sometimes I think we think about decision-making in the Christian life were looking for some sort of window to open in heaven.

And God is okay.

I want to do this, not this, but this really highlights. I think bill the importance of God's word. It's important for us as Christians as believers in Christ to be rooted in the Scriptures so that is worth thinking about those decisions of everyday decisions are shaped by the wisdom that God gives us in his word on the priority of faith in our relationship with Jesus Christ and so if you're going to do this if you live a life that's honoring to God in all respects, putting him first, you have to be grounded in the Scriptures, and so let me just encourage you to do that mean this is that the picture that you get of the.

The wise and righteous man in Psalm chapter 1, who meditates daily on God's law that's we need we need to meditate on the Scripture so that we might honor the Lord in all that we do. I man this is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. Our phone lines are open right now. If you have a question about the Bible Christian life doctrine theology. Maybe something that's going on in your life or your finding your Christian walk is challenging because of what's happening in our culture may be in your workplace right, your school, we would be happy to take your question as well. Here's the phone number it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. We do have a new Bible study. We want to tell you about today. It's actually one that Israel wrote along with his co-author, Josh Maloney is a 10 week Bible study on the book of Hebrews Hebrews is in the New Testament and the book of Hebrews is is a letter to a church that was being drawn away. They were drifting from Jesus from the truth of the gospel.

Actually, they were going back to the ceremonies of the Old Testament, the types and shadows of the old covenant and the other the Hebrews comes to them and he gives them these stern warnings calling them back to faith in Christ and one of the refrains in the book of Hebrews is that Christ is better. He's better than than the angels he's better than the. The Mosaic covenant in the Levitical priesthood.

He's better than all of those things that mean that's that's really one of the themes throughout the book of Hebrews and so if you want to set your eyes on Jesus for for 10 weeks studying this research do on your own or with a group of people.

I hope you can get a hold of this this Bible study. It's yours. Forget the $15 or more and I know that you'll find it to be encouraging this really is a fantastic study and would love to get it into your hands.

Here is the way to find it. Go to court, Christianity.com/studies again. Core, Christianity.com/studies look for the new Bible study on the book of Hebrews we do receive emails here at core Christianity and here's one from one of our listeners named Christie she says a pastor at a nondenominational church that I used to attend preached an entire sermon on why Calvinism was false doctrine it in part led me to leave that church as I felt as Christians were called to be unified and not create division. The church we attend now definitely has communist leanings, but I feel were being better shepherded here and they display your care and concern for their congregation that was missing at the other church. My question is, is communism false doctrine where we draw the line between being unified as Christians and calling out false doctrines. Christie, there are quite a few questions. Their ability just begin by saying I'm so grateful that you feel that you found a place where you're going to be cared for, you know, one of the marks of the church. We often say that you can determine whether a church is a good church and even a true church is is is there a care for the people there are they being shepherded and it sounds like that's precisely what you found and so God bless you.

The first mark of the church, though, is the pure preaching of the word of God that is a faithfulness to Scripture of faithfulness to the word of God.

That's the main thing were looking for when were looking for a church yet programs are important, not the main thing. Not even close. The music style you write them were drawn to one or another, maybe more, but that but the reality is the most important thing is the doctrine what is being taught and your question is you know this is Calvinism false doctrine.

Well, look, ultimately, remove we don't want to associate primarily with any individual. I think even theologians like John Calvin would've said no thanks, you're right.

I'm not try to start a movement after myself. We want to point people back to the Scriptures and so the question is you know you have theological movements like this are they faithful to the word of God and one of the things that I I'd I appreciate about Calvinism is the fact that there's a high emphasis on the sovereignty of God in the grace of God in salvation and that indeed is something that you are going to see throughout the pages of the Bible, especially the Pauline epistles about really everywhere starting in the book of Genesis all the way to the book of Revelation.

And so, as I am, and I think that's what you're what you're looking for, course, there had been Christians throughout the history of the church with disagreed on matters related to divine sovereignty and human responsibility lies.

I don't think this is something which they will somebody isn't a Calvinist or is it Calvin is with their not a Christian, there not say they don't belong to Jesus. That kind of thing that we do have debates about this, but I would say yet doctrine which maximizes the sovereignty and grace of God has a high view of sin in human depravity. That's really what we need to recover it in a society today where were often temperatures it will send.

This is no big deal.

It's a blunder it's a mistake will know that that's initiates of the Bible teaches we need to recovered the biblical vision. This is look.

Sin is terrible. It's worse than we could even imagine. But the grace of God is greater than we can even imagine as well and and that's we celebrated we celebrate the grace of God we boast in the cross of Jesus Christ and the sovereignty of God and in delivering his people and so I would just encourage men to plug into that church. It sounds like the other with their faithfully teaching the word of God. It also sounds like you're being cared for man and shepherded there and I think that's that's so important to have and so may the Lord bless you while you're there and be with you. Thanks for your email that Kristi thanks so much for being a regular list of the core Christianity. We really do appreciate you.

We do receive voicemails here at the core and you can call us 24 hours a day and leave us your voicemail.

We try to review her voicemails each day, and here's one we received from one of our listeners earlier this week. Good morning computer. I want to call Samuel 24 to 26 and they in second Samuel 1213. Sam will call. I have to stand against the lowlight but yet the Lord did not forgive him. Samuel the prophet told him the Lord is taken away your kingdom and in older and second Samuel gave it repents as well as shares I have stand against the lowlight mate in the classic tale Sam lowlight has put away that seen in Kokomo. I think he is David but he doesn't give all you start tonight on that for us. This issue yes I do system we deserve what will give us. It seems like you have two kings, Saul the first King and David came after him.

Both of them sin and both of them cement sin. Pretty serious ways grievous ways.

I mean David committed adultery and murder and Saul here right in first Samuel chapter 15 is is not obeying the commitment.

Lord God commanded him to go into kill all of the Amalekites and he doesn't listen he brings back the king of the Amalekites and Samuel's very upset because he's disobeyed the word of the Lord and so but in both situations where there is theirs you know a call to repentance if he was seems like a Saul recognizes that he sinned and yet still the kingdom was taken away from him and then with David David since in this grievous way, but the kingdom is not taken away from him once is what it's like. It's God's prerogative, but God can do whatever he wants, but what I what I will stress is that when you look at first Samuel you think about the life of King Saul.

What you seem to find is this pattern of consistent unbelief, lack of repentance turning away from the Lord further and further.

I wonder if we could even call souls repentance a true repentance. Amita seems like there's remorse remedy he thinks is really following guy, but he what he is and he's he's more upset about the fact that he's losing the kingdom and that is as time goes by.

And as David begins to lay hold of that kingdom as God promised to give to him. Eunice always just filled with rage tries to kill David at the end of that.

End of Saul's life and he's he's visiting which essentially means totally turned away from the Lord has.

I don't think that what we see in Saul is true repentance and and I would think that's one of the reasons why his life ended up the way that it did. I think sometimes people will read the story of Saul, that they go man I don't I don't want that to happen.

Amusingly, Saul lost everything through his sin. I don't want that to be me know, so there's always hope. If if you believe in Jesus Christ. If if you're sincere and repentance confessing your sins to God. God is again abandoned you, he's not gonna leave you high and dry. You can trust in his promise to forgive but if were coming to God not in true repentance.

But maybe just the sort of remorse. There's no there's no faith in turning to Christ and turning away from our sins, but were just upset that you know we got in trouble, or we got caught or that were bearing the consequences of our sinful behavior which I think is what you see over and over again with Saul more than we can expect that to experience the blessing and the goodness of God in our lives because were not actually turning to God in Christ. And so I Saul did that at this Saul for all of the sort of external. The note shows of repentance. He's continually going back to his rebellion. Turning away from the Lord in an ultimately God judges him because of it.

Whereas with David and you just read Psalm 51, for example, there is contrition there is genuine repentance.

Theirs is a real sense of I've sinned and my sins deserve death, God be merciful to me.

Don't take your spirit away from me and we come to God like that he hears our prayers and he receives us and he forgives us and so you can be confident sister that when you go to the Lord like that he hears you and he forgives he doesn't cast you away. Douglas don't be a Saul that's what I took away from that's okay your federal business core Christianity with faster Israel Sanchez would love to hear from you. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life and by the way were going to be recording a second episode of the court today after our live episode finishes, so if you still have a question were unable to get through. You can call us for the next 35 minutes or so at 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673. Feel free to call us anytime in the next 35 minutes. Let's go to Andrew from grand Island, Nebraska Andrew, what's your question for atrial honor look like our little article I came back and my mother [are backslid like really hard and drink multiple everything else I want to come back to the Lord later elect I'm not I don't feel like coming back. Current Col. Lawrence Mark Englert currently in about the branch are generally later the barn the branch they were all like that?

Her warm deformity. Their dollars anointed greater to let one thing always saying were in on that person eat rooster Lightner remember that Murray explore or search laundering.

I really wonder: currently when the contract is similarly my heart and standard to follow so you you want to come to the Lord, but are you are you afraid that you've seen so much that he's he's just going to reject you that he he won't accept you okay well you know as I said earlier in the broadcast. When we turn to the Lord in faith he receives our prayers. No matter what we've done you and we come to him confessing our sins. He forgives us, even when we've sinned and grievous ways were talking about David. The other example in in Scripture is Peter. While Jesus is being crucified three times Peter denied him cursing so I don't know the guy and you think boy Christ is probably done with him me think about that and then in Jesus's moment of need. Peter, his disciple, who'd seen him, had seen the miracles would experienced his grace walked with him. You know by the beach, denies him. Boy you're done, and yet what does Jesus do Andrew for Peter go to the end of John's Gospel and Jesus is on the beach cooking breakfast for his disciples and he invites Peter to come in and he makes him breakfast breakfast efficient for some food and he says to Peter. Peter do you love me more than these he restored Peter as crazy as is Peter when Peter denied Jesus it was, it was due to cowardice. The fear of man and that was something that Peter struggled with throughout his life, actually, and in the book of Galatians, Paul Hester rebuked Peter he says face-to-face. Why because of this, this fear of man that Peter still had hear you, there were certain Jews who didn't want to eat with the Gentiles. And so when the Gentiles come around.

Peter would Peter would would leave he would be around anymore because he he was a respecter of persons, because he was a man, fear, or if you will, and he needed to be rebuked that the reality is working to struggle with sin.

All of our lives when we recognize our sin.

We we confess that you we experience the conviction of the Holy Spirit sounds. Andrew like you've experienced that conviction.

Let me just say that's that's the grace of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Thank God that you can look at your life and say yeah no big deal arms and continue to live.

However, I want but but you know hate there's things that I'm doing that grieve the Spirit of God there are things that I'm doing that. I know art right when you recognize that I would say to you, brother, turn your eyes upon Jesus Christ turn away from those things and say Lord help me and forgive me, and when you do, he does receive.

He's not wasn't like you have that you know go independence first. Or, you know the just transformed and everything and then Jesus would subpoena you just go to God falling down on your knees and say, have mercy upon me, Jesus Christ. I'm a sinner and when you go to him in faith again. I can I can tell you as a minister the gospel the basis of God's holy word that he does indeed forgive all those who call upon his name but don't don't take that for granted too many people do they think I'm just a you know God is gracious something to do my own thing and continue to live in this way, don't do that, but because it was that the meter that's dangerous. That's turning away from him. That's what Saul did. We're talking about that earlier he turning away from the Lord being presumptuous. Don't be presumptuous you you recognize me see something words I got God. I've I've not been serving.

You are walking in the way that you call me to walk. I confess that to you.

Help and enter God will help Jesus is there for you to forgive you but you can't do it alone is let me just ask you a follow-up question Andrew, are you a part of a church to have a church community where your Peter get accountability and encouragement) travel from our work. Whatever character, merit okay well one I would say you need to prioritize church and Christian community.

It's really easy when were when were outside of that were kind of off on our own trying to do the Christian life to to slip into things that we know aren't honoring to the Lord, we don't have that accountability. We don't have that continual encouragement in the faith. So you need that I do know that if that means for you by changing your work schedule around or saying how I can travel on weekends and write better, not even if that's possible for you, but I would just say you need to prioritize Christian community and not just any community but solid Christian community where the word of God is faithfully taught in where you can be encouraged so that when you when you have a struggle with sin you can say pray for me or you can you can go to your brothers in the faith and and confess that insight Lord have mercy on me, and this is how God puts to death those sinful patterns in our lives that often times quench the Spirit of God and give us a sense of man.

I don't feel the presence of the Lord in my life. You need Christian community. You need to be rooted in the word of God and so continued to read the Scriptures, especially the promises of the Gospels to meditate upon them and and to take God at his word with his promises. You mentioned Hebrews 6 and a lot of people will go there and Sam I'm afraid that I've lost my salvation to these people who were enlightened and then they sinned and then it seems like Peter the doors are closed for them. But the problem in the book of Hebrews, Andrew, it's really important that you understand this is that these people were turning away from Christ. Altogether there were beginning to trust in their own works in their own righteousness in the sacrifices of the. The old covenant if you will to justify them before God and the other the Hebrews as if you're doing that you are hopeless or trusting in anything apart from Jesus. Yeah, you're in trouble. But here's what you can do you can lay hold of Jesus. The once for all sacrifice whose blood is sufficient to cleanse all your sins. And when you do that you can rest assured your forgiven insult lay hold of Jesus and get in the community that you need to be in brother that bless thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu or call us at 1-833-843-2673.

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