INTRO: The human value is not the ultimate, but only the penultimate (the last or one before the last) value; the last, the highest value is God the Father. He alone is the cause and the measure of all things, cause and measure of all valuations, cause and measure of all love. – Karl Adam (1876-1966)
BENEFIT STATEMENT: Humans do NOT naturally recognize GOD as ongoing Source of EVERYTHING including their very breath, and Source of their ability to have thoughts and ways. EVERYTHING we may have been, and everything we CAN be is included in God’s Grace …EVEN allowing us to consider NOT putting HIM and ALL He is doing FIRST (Counter to Reality).
SPS: Our Godly Commission and Calling in this life is to Live and Example …Christ – Who IS One with the Father …examples God’s LIFE as He Our Savior leads us … Living in THE Priority.
BODY:
- SEE God as Superior to Self. God is Superior Love and Divinely Loves the sinning humans we see in this society …including US. Once any human recognizes THAT [unearned, Superior] Love God grants us, they may draw near to HIM. [He will allow this].
Luke 5:4-11 (NKJV) 4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." 5 But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
- Hold Fast to God’s Superior HOPE, confessing that WE cannot bring it about. Once we come to God and are recognizing our inferiority physically, mentally, and certainly spiritually as we “SEE” our state in God’s REAL Reality …we prioritize HIM AND His Design for His Family.
By “confessing” this reality that we are NOT in charge of life or of righteousness …We actually are confessing our hopeless self-set priorities which ”.
Hebrews 10:22-23 (NKJV) 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
We constantly HOLD FAST to this confession of our hopeless ways …compared to
Ephesians 2:1-10 (NKJV) 1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
WE are unable to bring about God’s Design for His Family Kingdom. Confess that HOPE IN Him.
- We ARE what is in our heart. Since God IS Love, we must BECOME Love too.
Luke 6:45 (NKJV) 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
HOW do we DO this?
We are to continually recognize our dependent and, without God as Guiding Priority, useless dust and ashes State of Being …by GOING to God at all times in denying self-guidance and self-reliance, instead “following” HIM.
2 Peter 1:2-9 (NKJV) 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add (by yielding to God’s Will and Design for you) to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (of course by yielding to HIM). 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted (stays self-guided in self-defined priorities), even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
CONCLUSION: God shows us HIMSELF and HIS WAYS to enable us to LIVE in the real Priority. SO, we are to DO from the Heart HE puts in us …
James 4:8-10 (NKJV) 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
- SEE God as Superior to Self [He will enable this]
- Hold Fast to God’s Superior HOPE, confessing that WE cannot bring it about. [That IS Reality]
- We ARE what is in our heart. (Do we feel like a Christian, or ACT Like Christ?)
CLOSE: Kingdom Priority is costly to our vain thoughts and ways. We are to confess that they fail.
Hebrews 10:32-33 (NKJV) 32 But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings: 33 partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated;
We May LIVE with God FIRST. His Thoughts, His Ways, HIM …since HE IS, and We are OF Him
…whether our priorities admit it or not …
Hebrews 10:35-39 (NKJV) 35 Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: 37 "For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him." [Habakkuk 2.3,4] 39 But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
NOW …Our New Life is Hidden with Christ in God!
LIVING in THE Priority
