R878 When Spiritual Priorities Are Set

God has an encouraging word for you and me today. The Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton and a message on spiritual priorities as we dive into God's word today were opening concept of setting priorities, not just setting priorities with spiritual priorities and that's the topic for today in Colossians chapter with Dr. Don Wilton we open God's word.

You need to know the phone numbers open as well. Always ready to take your call is Dr. Don Wilton I happy to be one of your 2 AM friends at 866899 word 866-899-6730 we can connect online as well. A TW online.org that's TE W online.org a great place to discover about our new series on Daniel man of courage as well. All the details for that's coming up in just a moment. Now Dr. Don Wilton around the thing about about the Lord Jesus Christ. Your life begins to train. You cannot coming to the presence of the Lord and be the same again.

You know that's been my experience in modern life. You know you look at me today and you say well you know that's the preacher up there and he looks all right in song.

What have you but I tell you my life is being dramatically changed because I ran into the Lord Jesus Christ. And when you experience God, God begins to speak to you and has what he does.

He changes your life. And then he invites you to come and join him. He says come on over here. Most of us look at God and we so you know God is someone that we talk about introduction we read about in the book you know God is is so great and he's so incredible, and he allows us to experience him and to know more about him and when he does invites a soba to come and sit at his table, but in order to do that we the ones to go to, make an adjustment we going to move in our lives and we go to establish priorities gone, speaks to us and he establishes priorities. All the years that I've sparked watch Viking football. I'm telling you there's nothing like it in the country. There's nothing like it here in Spartanburg. These rivalries that go on between the different high schools in the spirit in the span. One of the things that I've loved about these men in these individuals.

Play is that they order their priorities. You want to play on the Viking football team, you better have your priorities in order. You become a part of a winning tradition and insight will I think I'll walk up at practice. When I feel like any of you try to do then you while coach I think you know it's Thursday today I just don't feel like it and I draw the go get some to eat. I'll see you guys tomorrow. I tell you exactly what happened you want to be on the team. In other words to to strive for excellence to be everything that you know you need to be on a winning team means that you go to order your priorities. You gotta decide what's important you go to establish that I can take you and show you successful businesses you show me a successful business and I'll show you a business in which they reported their priorities. I think one of the things that I pray about. In America, folks. I'm serious as mustard, one of the problems we are facing the values we no longer understand what our priorities are getting caught up in a quagmire goal wants and needs and desires and affiliations. We no longer have priorities I want to speak to you today about when you priorities are set and I'm not just talking about ordinary priorities.

I'm talking about your spiritual priorities in the conclusion to my book totally secure.

I wrote about three priorities I say there are three things that are more important than anything else in life and that's a pretty radical statement to make because there's a lot of important stuff in life and what were the three things that I singled out my one faith.

I'm not just talking about any faith. I mean all religions have faith that someone came to me one time and say listen, man. I'm religious will. I want to tell you something.

I'm not religious.

There's a difference between being religious and having faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. And when I talk about faith. I'm talking about prioritizing my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ was God's son, who came and who died upon the cross just for me. He came with that express purpose in mind to forgive me for my sins to make me radically brand-new and to write my name in God's book in heaven. Faith I believe is the number one priority this and you can go and play for the NFL, but if you don't know Jesus Christ you never take a whole if I am with you. You can make a multimillions of dollars if you don't know Jesus Christ got nothing, so faith is number one. The second one is family.

I believe families number two priority in life because families are important gods blessed us with our families, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, you name it we bought family and we need to prioritize our family.

I've had people say to me many times, watch out your kids going to grow up before you know it, folks. I'm now at that point where I'm saying that other people because family is so important you go to prioritize family and that relationship with one or the top one priority number one faith in Jesus Christ.

Number two family relationships together. Number three. This physical well-being.

I just told my wife lost not.

I looked in the eye and I said to her man. I got to do something.

My fitness is gone down the tubes you know folks in the loss for five weeks.

I haven't run will I haven't said Bovard kiss my foot. All I've done is feed my soul. Let's alumna RJR told my wife lost not to sit. I'm just too busy.

Haven't had time to go walk around the neighborhood going get on a treadmill gone, do something, and I'm starting to feel from frumpy and look like a write up.

I said to her, guess what I'm going to do. I order my priorities. Any questions, but a matter of options as we tell you a couple of things.

All renal priorities will do for you. Number one, it will help you focus. We as a people we struggle with our focus. Number two.

It'll motivate your actions when you set your priorities in order.

It'll motivate your actions. What you do understand. Then tell me what a fine football player you walking on your priorities. You want to focus and you most certainly one of any action you want to show me what you can do get on the ball field and show me what you can do, but you've done that, not because you rolled out of bed that morning you did it because you ordered your priorities. Number three. When you order your spiritual priorities and facilitate your strategy. Now what is strategy strategy is your network at your game plan. It's when you sit there before the game is begun, and you devise your strategy, you devise a strategy based upon the opposition you analyzed intricately, intricately, that the minutest details of that which comes against you and you strategize. But if you don't already ties what you doing you never going to facilitate that strategy number full sitting spiritual priorities will direct your intentions and tensions, all great things. I met a lot of people, including myself, have all kinds of intentions. You know my favorite saying. Sometimes I six and thanks. Other times I just sits folks. The people who pull up accounts and all they do is just sits up. People who have good intentions, but they don't translate into actions because I have no priorities that is taking place setting your priorities in your spiritual priorities is critical. Number five, it will enhance your vision by the way, vision, spiritual vision is the ability that God gives to people to see tomorrow. Even though you cannot see it. God invites you to back into a place that only God can go. So how do you enhance your vision by prioritizing your spiritual prioritize. You've got to set in place your packing of behavior and number six when you prioritize like this and you sent them in place. It's going to nullify your weaknesses.

All of us about weaknesses.

Every one of us, all of us struggle by if I had time right now.

Once I get out a payment type or write down your weaknesses. Now what you do. Do you play to your strengths or do you develop your weaknesses. I tell you what you do you play to your strengths by nullifying the weaknesses, which means you've got to address your weaknesses. You don't address your weaknesses, your weaknesses overcome your strengths. You might be a great running back and have a capacity to run with the bull and make incredible yardage, but you always fumbling the bull might be holding up too high to low. Maybe you're not switching hands enough might be a marketing you've got some kind of weakness nullify the weakness but bring your proper authorities work on it and watch what happens if you ran for 100 yards yesterday.

You gonna run for hundred and 50 yards today and you because you nullified your weakness.

Now watch this. Folks here in the book of Colossians. I want you to turn to Colossians chapter 4) the Bible and you can turn to page 1144 1144, page 1144 and you be right there where I'm going to read to you from God's word today.

Now Colossians is a letter that God wrote to a group of people just like ourselves and apply school colossi and pulled in the first three chapters told these people a lot of stuff, you know it's like when you gather and you develop all that game plan now comes down to where the water hits the wheel. This is where Paul puts the smack on everybody. He says it's game time and I'm going to show you how to order your priorities. I'm going to tell you what to put in place.

Your so that you can be more effective in the way you function.

Now we gonna talk about spiritual priorities may read to you what pulled CJ in Colossians chapter 4 verse two he said devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful and pray for us, to the God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I'm ensuring pray that I may proclaim it clearly as I should bother that little word there as I should, is definitive. It's a mandate that the word they say is because I absolutely have to have you ever gone to somebody and said you know I just go to do. I told my wife I love to walk and exercise in boys kind of kept up a basic regimen with the loss for five weeks. Folks have just let it go. So I went to my wife and I just say to us that man I have get out. Start exercising again formed. In other words, what he saying everything is important to tell you something, folks, I don't have time to exercise. I don't have time to eat properly because I love it all and have time to put the time into the practice to play the game but if I'm to play the game and win the game.

I've got to do what I got a new ticket and pool here is saying is pray that I may proclaim it clearly as I have got to do. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace. Season with salt. Don't you like that, so that you may know how to answer everybody pool here sits down full major priorities. Number one is the priority of pray. I'm sensing as we experience God together.

I knew initiative concerning pray, but when Paul says in verse two, devote yourselves to prayer, and pray for us to and he talks about the popularity of pray he puts it in the context of three challenges that identify with number one is the challenge to be devoted. I look at that word in verse three says devote yourself. I love football, I'm I'm just gonna confess, I apologize to everybody who does not love college football in high school football you want me to show you devotion you go watch some of these young men. The work ethic. I got I'm telling you I've seen even field-goal kick is get out there and kick and kick and kick until your little ones to follow and then you wonder why they make that 50 yard field goal with three seconds left on the clock and everybody says wanted to go but I don't seem to devotion that went behind taking boxes for challenge number one is not in and of itself. It's the single-minded purpose with which you make a determination say we not devoted to pray as we forgive the eruption will be back with the rest of today's message when spiritual priorities are set by Dr. Don Wilton that challenged that were not devoted to prayer is something that perhaps we could help each other with a wonderful resource called the daily Encouraging Word Bible helps launch our day. Lunch is my quiet time every day. You can sign up for email wise on our website@twonline.org that's TE WR Margie and 866-899-WORD 866-899-9673 asked for the date now back today's message with Dr. but there was a second challenge that Paul wrote about.

He talks about a project it's not just the challenge to be devoted. It's the challenge to be watchful by the way, that word watchful.

In verse two is interesting because it will not pray. Watchful means about, walk around my eyes open.

Not is he trying to say when I drive down the road in my emoticon. I'm trying a bit to be watchful in case I have a Rick that's not what he's talking about open your eyes when you praying going down the road you emoticon what he's talking about what he's talking about is that my devotion to the priority of pray is a company by a spiritual openness with my heart, a spiritual sensitivity, whereby I allow ending the spirit of the living God.

My soul and give me meaning in the context of pray there's 1/3 thing he says the food challenges. The challenge to be thankful. It's hard to teach that to the millennial generation are young children who'd coming on the scene because we live in a world today in America where we've got everything while behind. I tell you young guys around your your biggest challenges man. Which one do I choose which restaurant to go to how much do I eat what I my what am I prepared to pay for it. I'm going to get it. I'm going to get it now. Why be thankful. By the way you noticed how more and more people go to more more places given more and more things but nobody wants to say thank you. Sometimes you guys you principles and had monsters and hidden coaches and assistant coaches and you folks are spinning to the salt of the earth and year-round our young people year after year after year after year going through all the kind of stuff that I'm gonna tell you right now.

Thank you. I had the privilege of talking to Lieut. Andrew Condit. I just happened to be standing together with his father and he's gold from Iraq on a satellite photo needs a company commander over the he's in a combat area. None of us knew what was going on but he cold and I had about 30 seconds just to say a word to Lieut. kind and I didn't want to take away from the time his father would have with them but I sent him and I'm thankful I'm thankful that I am watching the old times and enjoying what I'm putting a lot on the line to you alright this is priority number one the priority of pray number two the priority proclamation. He says right there in verse three, he says, so that we may proclaim this for he says, so that I may proclaim by the way, the word proclaim means to speak out. I had the privilege of traveling down to Charleston. I was invited to speak at Charleston Southern University credible campus rightly as you come in the North Charleston I say to myself man which students gonna want to go to church on Wednesday morning in a I walked into that place was packed out with students I mean it was rocking. Not only that they were having some kind of election day election for this election for that trying to decide parading all the queens of the homecoming, whatever that is. I mean everybody was up there in the band was playing and people were cheering groups were standing up and going on and on and I'm sitting there saying all man felt just insignificant folks coming here I am on a college campus sitting on the front row it looked like a dried prunes dressed up in a suit. I go to get up in front of all the students say Lord help me the power of God came down on the place amongst the things I said was man I appreciate these groups are menu guys label you can cheer to you go to a football game watch people stand up and shout and cheer. You guys know that soundman when you running that winning touchdown. The span goes berserk. Nothing like it. I mean the place smelling people get up. I mean maternal side that's keeping getting down with it. I said let's a man to get on with it in the wrong place in the rock the house and get up in the best vessel but I want to ask you a question they want to view man willing to stand up and rock the house like you do. Right now the name of the football game. Is there anyone of you willing to stand up and do the same thing for Jesus Christ. I think this is what Paul had in mind when he talked about the priority proclamation. He was talking about what we know and what we believe to be true about God and Jesus Christ and that we prioritize because about conviction that yes we going to be amongst the best of them. Regardless of the proposed stands of the wound.

We got about all the fried chicken in the universe we gonna rock with everybody else and we got to get down the landing with the gravel when it comes to Jesus Christ that somebody in America's greatness inside me and my house one side of the Lord somebody say amen yesterday 20 priority proclamation has three ingredients according to this passage. There are three things that make up that priority number one is the work of God. He said that God may open the door. That's the work of God that the content about proclamation number to the ministry of Christ in the second part of verse three which Paul was in chains. I don't understand. But Jesus said if I want to follow him to take up the cross. I got to be willing to become Amalgamated in the suffering of Jesus Christ in the third ingredient is the communication of man. He said that I might say what I say in a manner that is clearly spelled out so that all people can understand any of you ever been to church and said you know it sounded good and look good before the world was he saying you see, relevancy is the name of the game folks I can study and Michael the right moves and roll the rock plans, but until I execute that play on the field unable when the ballgame and Jesus Christ as our head coach. He's got the plan he said audio priorities. Priority number one is the priority of pray priority number two is the priority proclamation.

Now let's put that into the life of the church like this. If in fact we determined that those with two about foremost priorities. That means, as of this moment. The two things that are more important than anything else.

Talking to God and sharing his word. Any questions if in fact we thought that those were priorities.

Number three is the priority of opportunity in verse five he says I want to make the most of every opportunity, the priority of opportunity. You know that being here together today is special because this is the opportunity God is given to us. You bow your heads with me this morning. I'm just going to ask you today.

What kind of opportunity is this for you. I wonder perhaps if someone came here today you thought well I'm coming. For this reason I'm coming for that reason I but I'm coming there.

I am what is church. Mimi, but let's just forget about church who is God to you.

You know the Lord Jesus.

Is he your Savior. Have you trusted him. Given your life to him you willing to surrender all to him I just want to pray for you right now, Lord, thank you for this time here together today all day people in other parts of the world and in Africa where I grew up in places like India places in South America and Asia father. I'm sure even places in America where people just cannot meet like this and this is the day the Lord is made. This is our opportunity you've given us this opportunity we prioritize this opportunity because it's a God opportunity in Lord I pray right now that if there's anybody here in this place needs to give their heart and life to Jesus Christ. They do it right now, Lord, I pray I don't want anybody to misunderstand me because no Kraken can save anybody.

Lord, you know, the people, praying all kinds of prayers all over the place and praying doesn't mean anything unless it comes from the heart mold these somebody here today who want to pray this prayer to get saved to be forgiven to become a new person to never be the same again because I know this is they priority so I'm gonna pray this prayer Lord in your life and maybe the someone he ought to date. Pray this prayer off baby in the quietness of their own heart, and you listening because you God you love us so much. So somebody Lord my pray this prayer you and dear God, I know that Jesus loves me, and I believe that Jesus died on the cross just for me. I want to repent of my sin is on Emerson of Mr. everybody's may stop but because Jesus Christ died on the cross. I can sit free and I can give. I believe that God raised up Jesus from the dead.

That means Jesus is alive is not dead anymore, and I accept Jesus into my heart Lord I pray this prayer prayed from Maine to Jesus name I pray past to give your life to Jesus Christ.

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