First Things First

Sermon Transcript

Before I start, I just want to say thank you to Pastor Stucky for this opportunity to preach this morning, and I would like to thank him also for planting this church, Soulwinning Baptist Church Melbourne. This is our first official service, and it is an answer to prayer. We have been praying for this and we are just really grateful. Since it is our first service, I thought it best to preach a sermon entitled "First Things First."

A little background to how I came to this sermon title: one morning I was really pressed for time. I needed to get things ready and I thought, okay, what is the most important thing I need to do first, and then I can think about the other things. I was anxious and thinking, how can I be most effective? And that thought came to mind — first things first. I think it is something we should remind ourselves about: what is needful, what is most important. We tend to fail at this in our lives. We tend to put first the things that should not come first — it is like putting the cart before the horse. We get distracted in life, but this slogan is really helpful. "First things first" is a common idiom that means to deal with the most important things before anything else. It is about prioritising things in order of importance. Does the Bible support this concept? We are going to look at that today through this sermon.

We are in Matthew chapter 6, starting in verse 19.

Point 1: First His Kingdom

Matthew 6:19: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal." We see Jesus giving us an alternative to what the world is doing. He is saying, do not do this — do this instead. And the Bible tells us that our heart is going to follow these decisions. If our treasure is on earth, our heart is going to be after those things. Ecclesiastes 5:12 says, "The sleep of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep." Sometimes having treasure on earth and having your heart tied to it can actually hinder your sleep. And it could be gone at any moment — that is why it is so terrifying for people sometimes. The more abundance one seeks, the bigger a target one can become.

There is great wisdom in what Jesus is telling us here, and since we believe Jesus Christ for our salvation, we should also believe him for the other things he has told us. Otherwise, we could have regrets when we get to heaven. The regret in heaven could be that you simply did not store up enough treasures there while you were on this earth — those potential eternal rewards that were lost.

Verse 21: "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." It is not saying first store up treasures in heaven and then also store them on earth. It is actually saying do not store it here at all. Verse 24: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." There are things in this life that you simply cannot do at the same time. You will see the results one day when you have missed out on that eternal reward. Jesus says you cannot. Some people might think they can be the exception, but Jesus says you cannot serve God and mammon.

Verse 25: "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?" And verse 32: "For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." Jesus knows that you need these things. God the Father knows you need them, and he is saying you do not have to seek them the way the Gentiles do. Then comes the very important call — and that is why the sermon is "First Things First." Verse 33: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

God actually wants us to be seeking the kingdom of God first. That is why I want to keep this in our focus and look at what the word of God is communicating. Be a first things first Christian. Think about those things in your life that you are putting off. We are to seek first the kingdom of God, the eternal things. Now, this is speaking to the saved. But to the unsaved, first things first means getting saved — that is what they need to do first. So many people are trusting in their works for salvation. I grew up as a Pentecostal for 25 years, really trying to get to heaven by the works of the law, trying to keep the commandments, knowing I was not sufficient. People in our community would die and I would think, I am not going to make it. I praise the Lord that someone eventually showed me in the word that it is actually just a free gift. It is putting the cart before the horse when it comes to salvation — people want to put the works before the salvation. But according to the Bible, first things first: you get saved, and then the works can follow. Get saved first, and then we are to seek his righteousness.

Point 2: First His Righteousness

Romans 10:1: "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." Do you know anyone that has a zeal of God but not according to knowledge? It is not our righteousness that is important in the sight of God the Father — it is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. It is about us submitting to that righteousness. Our own righteousness is the cart — that is putting the cart before the horse. What has to come first is the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and then you can go on to establish your own.

So many people are ignorant of God's righteousness today, and Paul desires that they would be saved. These unbelieving Jews were not yet saved — that is why he says, "My heart's desire is that they might be saved." The Bible says we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. If you are trusting in the works of Jesus Christ — what he did, his death, burial, and resurrection, his shed blood for your sins — that is what shows you are actually trusting what he did. It is his righteousness, not your own. First things first: get saved, and then you can do the works.

We are saved people. We are not against doing works — that is why we are here, that is why we are gathering, that is why we are preaching the gospel. We are just against people trusting in their works to get them to heaven. Our righteousness earns us eternal rewards, but salvation is a free gift. Ephesians 2:8 clearly describes this: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." It is not about our works or our righteousness. It is his righteousness. We have to submit ourselves to his righteousness in order to be saved. If we were establishing our own righteousness, we would always have something to boast about — but we are to submit ourselves to his righteousness. First things first: get saved, and then you can do the works.

Point 3: First Step of Obedience

After salvation, what is the first step of obedience? We see throughout the Bible examples of people doing something after they were saved — the first thing they are encouraged to do. Let us look at Acts 8:26, the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch.

"And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him." He is asking, can someone show me how to be saved? We ask this same thing when we go out to the door or talk to people at the mall or in the park — would you like me to show you? And they say yes. And then verse 35: "Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus." We do the same thing when we open our mouth at the door or in the park or at the mall. We are just preaching Jesus. As Paul said, we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus crucified. It is not our message — it is his. The Bible says, how shall they hear without a preacher?

We gather from this story that Philip also told the man about baptism. That is why we call it the first step of obedience — it is baptism. Verse 36: "And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." When can you be baptized? It is after salvation. What hinders you from being baptized? Believing with all thine heart — that is the prerequisite.

I was baptised in 2013 in my old church as an unbeliever, fully thinking my works were going to get me to heaven. I did not understand the gospel. Someone opened their mouth and preached the gospel to me, I was saved, and then I was baptised in 2023 by Pastor Stucky. And we see here that it happened right away after salvation. He believed with his heart, received the gospel, and was then baptised. Verse 38: "And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him." What I love about this story is that the only hindrance stopping this man was whether he believed. The hindrance was not the pastor or people organising a special occasion — it was simply whether he was a believer. If you have a desire to be baptised, you can be baptised.

Philip did not start making excuses. You can imagine him getting into that water in his clothes, away from home, with no spare change — but as a minister of God, as soon as someone wanted to get baptised, he made it happen. It was not some big event. They both walked into the water, and he baptised him. And baptism is by immersion — it is not sprinkling. That is what we see in the Bible.

The modern versions actually remove the part where Philip says, "If thou believest with all thine heart." They just go straight to "and he baptized him." And you can see why there are infant baptisms and all manner of things — that prerequisite has been taken out of the Bible. This is why it is important for us to be a King James Bible-believing church. A little missing translation can change a great deal. People think words are not that significant, but here they have completely removed that part of the Bible.

Baptism is a picture of what Jesus Christ has already done to the soul. He has already saved us. We are dead, buried in the likeness of his death, and raised to walk in newness of life. It just pictures what has already happened on the inside — that new man that has been born. It is an easy command to obey. As long as you believe, you can be baptised.

Matthew 3:13: "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him." We know Jesus was completely righteous, but we are just walking in his steps. He said follow me — and he is the one who got baptised. We just follow him. Jesus begins his ministry after his baptism, and it is certainly that picture of newness of life where you make a commitment before witnesses, saying, I want to take this Christian life seriously. It is not a difficult command, but it is a command that pleases God.

Verse 16: "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." It pleases God when we obey what he wants us to do.

A second example is in Acts 16 — the Macedonian jailer from the city of Philippi. Acts 16:30: "And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house." They heard the gospel. And what happened next? Verse 33: "And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway." It does not take time. It does not require special preparation. It says the same hour, right away. And verse 34: "And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house." It happens after salvation, and it can happen straight away. A pastor or minister should not hinder somebody from being baptised.

In Acts 2 we see a multitude getting baptised after salvation. There have even been baptisms in Poland where 63 believers were baptised in one occasion. It is just something that can happen right away. I mention this point because Pastor Stucky is organising baptisms when he arrives on 2nd August. I would like to encourage you, if you have not yet been baptised, to consider it. I want to provoke you to love and to good works. The sermon is "First Things First," so for newly saved believers, baptism should be something they do as soon as possible.

Point 4: First Help Yourself

You know when you are on a plane and the flight attendant tells you — first put on your own oxygen mask, then you can help other people. There is no point trying to help others if you cannot breathe yourself. Helping yourself is actually what enables you to help other people. Imagine an eye surgeon trying to operate on people's eyes while wearing dirty glasses — he might do more damage than good. That is why point number four is first help yourself. Clean those dirty glasses and then you can see clearly.

Matthew 7:3: "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." First things first — take care of yourself first. Help yourself first. And then it says you will see clearly to cast out the mote out of your brother's eye. Do not be a hypocrite about this. Yes, as believers we should be helping one another in the church, but it is important, as Jesus said, to deal with the beam first. You could have major issues while caring about someone else's minor issues. Clean your own glasses off, and then you can help other people.

Point 5: First Works

You probably know of First Works Baptist Church with Pastor Bruce Mejia. "First works" is a reference to the Bible where in the book of Revelation we see a church that had departed from the first works, and Jesus actually tells them to repent — to change their mind and realise that this is the most important thing. Point number five is first works. First things first: go out soul-winning.

You do not need to be sinless to preach the gospel. You do not have to have everything together. And the great thing is you do not even need to be a talker — you can come out as a silent partner, we will pair you up, and you can just listen to how we give the gospel and learn.

John 4:7: "There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink." Verse 9: "Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water." I love this example. I like to use it when soul-winning to show people that if you actually understand a gift, you just have to ask for it. We are not trying to make something very elaborate of the sinner's prayer. It is just — you know the gift, would you like to ask him? Repentance is that change of mind when you have understood that salvation is just a gift. And believing is when you have actually asked Jesus Christ to save you. "If thou knewest the gift of God, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water."

The woman asks about the well and Jacob, and Jesus says in verse 13: "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." Verse 25: "The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he." Once she understands that Jesus is the Christ, verse 28: "The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? And they went out of the city, and came unto him."

You can be newly saved and already start bringing people to Jesus Christ. She had just received the gift of eternal life, and she was already telling people about Jesus. It is something you do not have to delay. Verse 35: "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together."

And look at this verse, verse 39: "And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did." This woman had five husbands and the one she was with was not her husband — it was not a great life she was living. It was not about her first cleaning up her life and then telling people about Jesus. But it says many believed because of her sayings. Many people can believe because of our sayings, because of the things we say, because of how we testify and open our mouth to preach Jesus Christ.

We are saved. We ought to do the first works. Our church is called Soulwinning Baptist Church, and here we intend to put those first works first. We have great examples of people like Pastor Matthew Stucky in the Philippines. I lived there for over a year with my wife, and he was someone who was always sending us out to do the first works first.

Romans 10:15: "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" Praise God for people like Pastor Stucky who actually sends people out. The churches in the Philippines have targets to reach a thousand people even in their slower months, and you see people rallying together and doing a great work. You can check that out at soulwinningbaptist.com and see all the salvations and all the work being done there.

The reason we preached so much of the gospel — my wife and I — is because we had a pastor that was constantly sending us out. Pastor Stucky was sent from America to the Philippines. He was doing the work and he was sending us. And I have that same desire to send believers here in Melbourne so we can reach the city with the gospel. Melbourne is actually far more receptive than I expected. Going to Chadstone yesterday and seeing four people get saved — numbers like that are just remarkable. We are seeing four and five people a week trusting Christ. People genuinely want to know how they can get to heaven, and we show them.

John 20:21: "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." Pastor Stucky was sent, and then he sent us out. He expects this of the churches he has planted — he expects us to be doing the work and to be sending people out. And how shall they preach except they be sent? I do not blame people for not preaching the gospel if they have not had a pastor regularly sending them out.

One of the first things Jesus said to his disciples was, "Follow me," and what will happen when you follow him? You are going to become a fisher of men. Matthew 4:18: "And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him." They took that opportunity. It took sacrifice — they had to leave their nets, leave behind what was bringing them income. But they left their nets and caught men instead.

I can see that it takes sacrifice to make soul-winning a priority. But if you do, you realise it is actually very doable. Saturday mornings you go out, and then you have the rest of the time with the family — and it is a great way to spend a Saturday. If you cannot make Saturday, we are also planning to go out Sunday afternoons. For those working on Saturdays, we will try to prioritise Saturday afternoons as well.

Verse 21: "And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him." Jesus is even calling people away from their families. It says very specifically what they were leaving — not just the ship, but also their father. Sometimes it takes you away from your family for a time, but it is a sacrifice you should be willing to make for the Lord. It is about seeking the first things first.

We do not schedule soul-winning during the week because in Australia people are generally not home at midday — over half of women work — so we are not expecting to find people home then. There is a lot of time for family, but there is also a time when you need to make that sacrifice and just get out there and preach the gospel for an hour, an hour and a half. You are putting the first things first.

Point 6: First Fruits

God wants our time first, but he also wants our money. Point number six is first fruits. Proverbs 3:9: "Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase." First things first. When we receive our pay cheque, the first thing we should think about is honouring God with the first fruits of our increase. Does Jesus want us to tithe? Yes — we find this in the Bible. The Pharisees were tithing on even the smallest things and Jesus said these things "ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." They should have been caring about the weightier matters of the law — judgment, mercy, and faith. But he also said these smaller things, like the tithe, ought also to be done. Jesus was for the tithe. What do we have that we have not received? God has blessed us with health, with income, and he is simply asking for that tenth.

And there are tithes and there are also offerings. Offerings are something you can give additionally, but the tithe is something Jesus said should not be left undone. It is all about showing faith in God — it is a step of faith.

Genesis 28:20: "And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God: and this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God's house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee." Whatever comes in, whatever increase he has, he is going to give a tenth. Jacob knew that whatever he had was from the Lord. God gives you little, you tithe on the little. God gives you much, you tithe on the much. It is just 10% of what you have.

Deuteronomy 12:1: "These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the Lord God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth." He tells them he expects this to happen all the days of their life. Verse 5: "But unto the place which the Lord your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put his name there, even unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come." God wants them to seek the house of God, his habitation — and this is the same place where he wants them to bring the tithe. Verse 6: "And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks." Verse 7: "And there ye shall eat before the Lord your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the Lord thy God hath blessed thee."

It was such a blessing tithing in the Philippines, and then seeing the church community enjoying those things together — eating after soul-winning, the church paying for the rent and administration. It is just a blessing we get to enjoy together as a church when we are tithing. And verse 8 says, "Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes." While we are in this fleshly body, we should not be doing what is right in our own eyes — we should look at what the Bible says about our time and our money.

Deuteronomy 26:10: "And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O Lord, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God: and thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you." The tithe benefits you, your household, and also the Levite and the stranger among you. And verse 12: "When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled."

We see that widows are going to be taken care of because of the tithe. The tithe is on your increase — if God has not increased you, you are not expected to tithe. Sometimes you might not increase for a year or two, and God just wants us to bring the tithes of our increase when it comes. And it is something you are going to enjoy, something your family is going to enjoy, something widows are going to enjoy, and something the Levite — the pastor — is going to benefit from.

1 Corinthians 9:11: "If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?" That covers the Levite and the pastor. And 1 Timothy 5:9 speaks about widows being helped: "Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work." This is a woman who is past 60, a widow, who has brought up children — which is very commendable, a real work. She is hospitable, having lodged strangers. She is sacrificial, having washed the saints' feet. She is caring and considerate, having relieved the afflicted. And she has diligently followed every good work. But the verse also says that if she has believing family, the church should not be charged — let the believing family take care of her. The fact that the church could potentially be charged proves that the church had the tithes coming in to cover such needs.

1 Timothy 5:17: "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward." The labourers who are working and putting in the work deserve their reward. You should not muzzle them. As Paul says, does God care for oxen? That was obviously a picture of those who labour — those who put in the work should be recompensed if they choose to be.

The reason I am speaking about the first fruits is because I believe we will forfeit a great deal if we are not thinking about this, and we will neglect many of the promises of God. Malachi 3:10: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts." God is saying: if you give him that 10%, he is going to take care of you. Prosperity preachers may pervert this and use it to fleece the flock, but that should not stop us from recognising it as a genuine commandment from God. He is actually saying — try me. Prove me. Put God to the test on this and see what he will do.

I speak from experience. I personally tithe on all of my increase. I have done so since the Philippines, and with every church I have attended since returning to Australia, I give 10% of what I earn before taxes — off the top. And I have seen that God is faithful to take care. I just want to encourage others to take that step of faith as well. There are promises attached to this command, and also a caution — he says he could withhold the rebuking of the devourer. There could be things happening in your life where you feel like you are losing more than that 10% you would have given to God. So make the first things first — give the first fruits to God.

Point 7: First Put on the New Man

My last point is point number seven: first put on the new man. Every day is a new day. Paul said, "I die daily." You cannot just expect to have been in the spirit on Sunday and then come Monday care about nothing, and expect to have a good week. We have a battle with our flesh. There is a battle between our flesh and our spirit, between the old man and the new man, and it is going to be like this until we die. So first things first, every day: put on the new man. Just as we have habits of brushing our teeth or making a coffee in the morning, we have to make a habit of putting the first things first — putting on the new man first.

We are meant to start our day with prayer. Psalm 5:3: "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up." He is saying, you are going to hear my voice. Let God hear your voice in the mornings as you wake up, as you get out of bed. First things first — put on that new man. We are to start our day with prayer. Think of the Lord's prayer: "Give us this day our daily bread." You do not want to pray that at the end of the day when you have already come home from work. And "lead us not into temptation" — you do not want to pray that after you have already fallen into temptation. Pray it at the beginning of the day. God wants us to do the first things first.

God also wants us to meditate on the word of God first. Psalm 119:147: "I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word." The psalmist is already thinking about God's word before the morning has even dawned. First things first — he thought about the word of God. And Job said, I esteem the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. He is saying: first things first, I want to get in the spirit. I want to put on the new man. Pray, read your Bible, start your day like that. Do not leave it to the end of the day to get into the new man, because you are going to face temptations and trials every day and you need to already be in the spirit.

Proverbs 8:17: "I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me." We are seeking God first, seeking his word first, seeking prayer first, early in the morning. Luke 10:38: "Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me." We have one woman desiring to read her Bible and hear the word of God, and another trying to pull her away saying, "I need help, I need to do other things." Was Martha doing the first things first? No — she was already starting her day with her everyday earthly needs.

Verse 41: "And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." First things first, Martha. One thing is needful — that good part. Just sitting at the feet of Jesus. Hearing his word. How do we hear from Jesus Christ? When we open the Bible. That is the word of God. That is what Job did — he esteemed the words of God's mouth, he cared about what God says. You get to decide this throughout your life — what you are going to be careful about, what you are going to be troubled about. Are you going to be troubled about many earthly things, or are you going to put the first things first and listen to the word of God?

Luke 9:57: "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. 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. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father." This man is not wanting to do the first things first. He is saying, let me do what I want to do first. It sounds like a very reasonable request — burying his father. But look at what Jesus said: "Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God." You can see how much Jesus cares about us preaching the gospel. It seems like such a substantial excuse — a really good reason not to go soul-winning — and he says let that alone. Even though you want to do that first, you should do the first things first. You should be caring about preaching the kingdom of God.

Conclusion

We all want to do many things, but I pray that Soulwinning Baptist Church Melbourne is going to be known as a group that puts the first works first. People that actually prioritise — realising that even Jesus told this man to sacrifice something so significant to him. You can see where Jesus's heart is, and why he suffered on the cross to save people out of an eternal hell — he just wants us to go and take that message. I just hope that we all choose that good part that is not going to be taken away from us: those eternal rewards, those things that are going to be eternal.

To quickly recap the seven points: first things first, get saved. Seek first his kingdom and store up treasures in heaven. First things first, submit to his righteousness and not your own. After salvation, get baptised as soon as possible. First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to help others. Do the first works — go out soul-winning. Be faithful with the first fruits of all your increase. And every morning, first put on the new man.

Father God, I just want to thank you for your word, and I want to thank you for all these commands that you have given to us as your children. I pray, Lord God, that you would bless this service, this start of Soulwinning Baptist Church Melbourne. Bless our pastor, Pastor Stucky, and bless all the believers that were able to make it today. I pray, Lord God, that you would always help us to remember to keep the first things first. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.