Jacob Jackson
July 25, 2021
Note: The transcript below is automatically generated and will contain errors.
Transcript:
Be turning to Hebrews chapter 6. Our first verse will be coming from there in just a moment.
Hebrews chapter 6
it’s good to see everyone here this morning, especially our visitors which make up about half of our number of this morning. We have a lot of people out for various reasons, and we certainly appreciate that that you are here to encourage us and I hope that we are an encouragement to you as well.
The lesson this morning is title. God is a god of order and I think this is important because we’ve been studying on Wednesday night’s about God’s authority and authority over the church and over Christians and how that he has a plan and he has communicated that plan through his word and because he has Authority because Christ is a king then we obey that plan and we obey what he has in mind for his church and for the Chris
In life and so thinking about that I thinking about the fact that God in the Bible the god of the Bible is a god of order. He has set everything out to be orderly and he has set a purpose and a way for to please him and to demonstrate our love for him. And so as we look around about us in the world today, we see that for most religious bodies.
And including probably Al the majority of churches who put Church of Christ on their sign out front. It’s basically a free for all and people think we’ll the Bible the Bible doesn’t say not to do it. So I’m going to so we think it would be a good work when I’m not thinking about the fact that if it were a good work because God gives us everything that pertains to life and godliness that he would have taught us how to do that. So rather than rather,
And just being chaos where these people do what seems right in their eyes and these people do what seems right in their eyes and everyone’s just everyone’s just just fulfilling the desires that they would like to to to scratch here on this Earth. We have a plan for us in the Bible. So we’re not going to talk about that plan. That’s what we’re doing on Wednesday nights. But what I want to make a point is that throughout the Bible from the beginning all the
The way to the times that we live in today that God is a god of order. And so when we look around us and we see chaos it’s not because God made it that way from the very beginning God created light the word is or and that’s exactly where we get our word order from the very beginning God in tided us and intended for us to have order through him not through ourselves. Not through what we think is good and not through what the devil would tell us as good but
through him so he is a god of order his church is a place of order.
And so will learn will learn hopefully about that this morning. So beginning in Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 1 it says therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ. Let us go on unto Perfection not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of Faith toward God and he goes on to say more but what I want to get out of that is right there at the very beginning of this chapter leaving the principles.
And some some translations use the word first things or something along that nature. Let us go on to Perfection not laying again the foundation. So again the principal things so I have another talk that I give it’s called first things first. It’s very similar to this one, but it’s for a different purpose. And that is we have this phrase in English. It says first things first. That is the most important things the things that should go first. We put first the first thing the things that are principal the things that are most
It’s important the things that are that are foundational they go first and then we build everything on top of that. So you wouldn’t build you wouldn’t build. In fact, it would be impossible to build this building by constructing the roof first, you have to start with the foundation and then you put the frame and the walls up and then finally you put the roof whenever it’s all done and the structure can bear the weight.
This is a principle that we find here in the Bible. You make the foundation first and then you can build up and you can build on the things that are more challenging the things that are higher the things that are the things that are more complicated, but you have to start at the beginning and so God has created a world of order for us and even in our Salvation we see this threat of order start with the foundational things and build up first.
things first, why is this turn with me to Matthew chapter 6 and let’s read verse 33
Matthew chapter 6 and verse 33 whenever you’re talking about this idea of order the concept of prioritization should come to mind if I have to put things into order then I have to have some classification scheme. I have to have some some way some reason to put things into this seriatim why are things at the top versus things at the bottom? If it’s random then it’s chaos. Well God never intended it to feed to me.
This way we have to have a priority verse 33 a Matthew chapter 6 he says but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and these things shall be added unto you again the principle of thinking about the principal things at first the foundational things and then everything else will go on top of that instead of worrying and having fear about our life about whether or not we’re going to live or whether or not we’re going to have food.
Or clothing or a roof over our heads we should turn to God and seek him and his righteousness and we will be amazed at how he will take care of us. If this is not the lesson over the past year and a half. I don’t know. What is whenever you look around at the churches who are so worried about the physical things.
Instead of seeking first the kingdom of God the church the assembly.
And his righteousness his righteousness comes through a to us through his word and learning his word and provoking one another to love and to good works. And so we need to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Nothing else. Nothing else matters until you do that. And so God is a god of order and he gives us that order if you want your food and your clothing if you want to be comfortable.
All physically seek Him First and all of those things will be added because he loves for you. So God always claims the first for himself, he wants the first born he wants the firstfruits. And so it’s this is something that is very consistent throughout throughout the throughout the Bible. He intends to have the first
in James chapter 1 and 18. We see we see something very similar. And in fact a lot of other passages where he wants the first he sets up his people to be the first James chapter 1 and 18 of his own will begat he us with the reward of truth that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. He doesn’t want the leftovers of his creatures. He wants the first fruits and those who obey him will certainly be a first fruits turn with me to Genesis chapter 4 and verse 4. We see this principle all the
Way back at the very beginning as I mentioned a moment ago at the very beginning. This was the way it was set up those who would seek to worship. God have to put him first.
And give the first to him.
And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof and the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering if you want the Lord to take care of you. If you want the Lord to have respect for your service give him the firstfruits. There’s an order a hierarchy that God has set up.
It’s been that way from the beginning and we exist within that order and that hierarchy today as long as we are obeying him. If we’re not then we’re not going to see that.
over to Romans chapter 1 and verse 16
the word of God came in an orderly fashion
Romans 1:16 for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek at the foundation of the world God knew that he was going to send his son Jesus Christ as the word for our Salvation so that we might have the Forgiveness of our sins from the very beginning. This was the case, but he had an orderly way to do this.
He didn’t do it. Haphazardly. It had to be done in the right way. And so he did this He sent Jesus Christ to teach us the gospel because it is the very power of God the word of God the very power of God to everyone that believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek, so he said the word he sent he made his salvation known first to the Jews.
He prepared them with the law of Moses.
again, laying the foundations and the finally building upon that the best things to the Jew first and also to the Greek
And so we live in this blessed time where we get to take advantage of that foundation and the gospel of Christ that has been delivered and and we live we have the opportunity to to look back and see the entire thing the entire structure that God built with his salvation if we had been a if we had been a Hebrew under the Old Law, then we would be looking forward to Christ. Wondering what that would look like as the Hebrews writer.
Talks about searching for Christ longing for salvation. We get to see the entire thing that was planned out with the architecture from the beginning and finally built Through the Ages with the culmination of Jesus Christ and the foundation and the institution of his church his bride. So we get to we get to enjoy that and we get to look back and see that logical orderly procession. God is
an orderly God and he sent salvation and the word of God in orderly fashion.
This is also reiterated in Acts chapter 26 and verse 20.
After the word came it began to be disseminated in the same fashion as he talks about there in Romans chapter 1 and verse 16. We see a described here in Acts chapter 26 and verse 20, but showed first unto them of Damascus.
This is talking about Paul and his ministry. He showed first to them at Damascus and at Jerusalem and throughout all the coasts of Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God and do Works meet for repentance. So again to the Jew first and then finally to the Greeks as the ministry and the word spread out from from Jerusalem.
Matthew chapter 7 and verse 3 through 5
We look around about us and we see there’s a lot of problems in the world.
There’s a lot of people doing bad things giving into to Satan. And in fact, even in the church, we encounter people who who are not entirely following the word of God. And so these people we try to teach them we want to teach them so they can understand what is true and what isn’t and so they can understand how they ought to behave but sometimes sometimes we need a little bit of self-awareness we
Needs to be done in the right order. So in correcting someone we don’t want to give them an opportunity to to to blow that off or to turn it back on us. We want to we want to be able to show the example of God and of Christ so that we are B so that we will be able to convict others who need who need the help of the word of God. And so there’s an orderly way to do this beginning in
Matthew chapter 7 here in verse 3 through 5 and he says 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 from that one from 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.
So whenever we’re doing the whenever we’re doing the work of God, and we’re trying to convince others. We don’t want to hinder that by doing it out of order. We want to make sure that we’re doing the right thing first and then we can help others Matthew chapter 23.
verses 25 and 26
woe unto you scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for you make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter but within they are full of exhortation and excess Thou blind Pharisee cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter that the outside of them may be clean. Also if you want the outside to be clean
Talking about ourselves if we want the outside to be clean then we need to make sure that the inside is clean first. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to get the outside clean. In other words. In other words. We’re not going to have behaviors that exhibit The Life of Christ. If we don’t get our heart right first we want to do you cannot have it the backwards way.
You cannot have it backwards. You need to take care of the inside.
And then you won’t have to worry about dirty getting on the outside.
As you’re using that cup the cup on the outside will be clean in the process of cleaning the inside.
and finally First Corinthians 14
I’ll take two passages from here and then the lesson will be yours this morning.
First Corinthians 14 whenever I started talking about at the beginning about God being a god of order surely this passage popped into your mind.
First Corinthians 14 and verse 33 says for God is not the author of confusion. But of Peace as in all churches of the Saints the church should be a place of Peace a place of order not a place of confusion. The church should be a place where people go to get away from the world not experience the same things that they experience in the world arguing backbiting sin.
selfishness
discouragement instead the church should be a place that we go to get a break from all of those things.
The world shouldn’t someone from the world should be able to step in here and know that something is different know that we’re not under the influence of Satan causing chaos disorder Disobedience ugliness.
and Corruption
Instead This is a place where you can relax where you can be with other people of like and precious faith.
Where you can be encouraged lift it up.
So that you can withstand those things and finally in verse 40 says let all things be done decently in order and that’s what we’ve been studying on Wednesday nights. Let all things be done decently. And in order, how are we going to behave ourselves in the church? What is the work of the church? What should the church be doing to accomplish the things of God?
He has given us a plan. He has given us an order of the for these things. He has told us how to do it. He has told us how he wants us to do it.
And we can do it that way and indeed if we do it that way if we follow his order we will have his peace. We will have his righteousness. We will have the ability to convince others and to further the borders of the Kingdom.
God has a plan. He has revealed it to us in his word.
I think that’s one of the big lessons that were studying. He has told us what his word is he has shown us what his word is
and it’s not that challenging. It’s quite easy. It’s quite peaceful and it is enjoyable his is yoke is easy and his burden is light. So as we go about the rest of our week, let’s look for order in the things that God has given us to do and the ways that he would have us to be let us look for order. Let us look to him for order in our lives if things feel like they’re out of control at home things feel like they are out of control at work.
The what can we do to show the order of God in these things whether it be the hierarchy that he has designed in the family or in the church, or or it be just simply turning to him.
And putting the first things first.
The church the family and in fact all aspects of Our Lives will become easier and more enjoyable and more orderly. This is one of the keys for all this to add this on and then the lesson will be yours is one of the keys for raising children.
Children push boundaries because they want to know where the boundaries are.
And so you have to show them firmly consistently.
Because it brings them comfort.
And it enables them to do the right thing. We are God’s children and he has done that for us. He is a god of order and of peace and so we have his word to give that to us this morning. If you need the prayers of the church, we pray that you would make that known and still that we can help you in any way that that we can while we stand and sing the song that has been selected.