Number One Priority

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This message is based on several passages of Scripture and emphasizes the primary mission of the church and all Christian believers - to glorify God. The sermon strives to show that giving praise, adoration, honor and glory to God should be highest priority before we attempt to do anything else for God. This is the first sermon in a short series of messages that examine the three main purposes or priorities of the Church.

Written Excerpts:

Romans 15:5-6 ^(NKJV) Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, ⁶ that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Introduction:

I don’t know how many others in the service this morning have had a similar experience as I have, but there have been times when I was either assembling something or else disassembling something for repairs, and before long I find myself struggling to get things to cooperate. When that happens, I may stop to consult the directions (but, sad to say, not always)! Lo and behold, when I consulted the directions, I discovered there were some very key first steps that I omitted, which if I had completed those first, I never would have run into the struggles that I experienced.

The message I felt led to bring today can be compared to this illustration. Being a Christian, living for God, and accomplishing His will in our lives can be very frustrating at times. It sometimes seems like we’re not getting anything accomplished and we’re just “spinning our wheels.” When that happens, or when we get that impression, I think it’s God’s way of letting us know that we may have left out some very important first steps and we have just launched into the middle of a project or assignment, trying to accomplish things for the kingdom of God.

Quite a few years ago I preached a short series of messages about the mission or purpose of the church. I recall that I stressed three main purposes that God has given the church and every Christian:

·     The upward purpose – to glorify God

·     The inward purpose – to love, support and nurture fellow Christians

·     The outward purpose – to impact (evangelize) the world around us

I have recently been reading a small book that I received from Rev. Howard Russell, and it highlights the three-pronged purpose of the church that I just mentioned. The book is written by Ray Ortlund (Haven of Rest radio broadcast). 

Even though I stressed the importance of the church fulfilling all three purposes that God designed for it, it seems that I approached it more from the standpoint that we just need to make sure that we’re engaged in all three. Dr. Ortlund, however, has suggested a perspective that grabbed my attention. His perspective is this:

Rather than just attempting to do all three (upward, inward, and outward) simultaneously, the church needs to make sure that the first purpose is really the top priority of the church. In other words, if we haven’t taken adequate time and given adequate effort to fulfill the first purpose/priority, then all our efforts in the 2^nd and 3^rd priorities will miserably fail.

So today I want to start by drawing our attention back to this #1 priority – the upward purpose of the church. I want to remind us of what we must focus on first and foremost as a church and as individual Christians endeavoring to live according to God’s divine purposes.

The verses that we read together earlier in the responsive scripture reading all had a similar message emphasizing believer’s responsibility to glorify and exalt our heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I.    Our first priority in life is to praise and glorify God.

Ps. 9:1-2 I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. 

Rom. 15:5-6 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Col. 1:18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. 

Ray Ortlund – “Some churches are merely evangelistic centers. All that’s done during the week and even on Sunday mornings is leading up to the altar call…. Some churches are first of all mission centers. There’s the thermometer up in front and the map on the wall, and people talk a lot about fifty-fifty budgets, and they hear a lot of missionary reports from the pulpit…. Some churches are first of all information centers. Their main purpose is to pour out biblical material, and the buzz words are teach and teacher. The people come to fill their notebooks and their heads…. Some churches are primarily program centers. They are platforms – stages, really – which seek to have one extravaganza after another. They say, “Man, if you thought this Sunday was good, just wait till next week!”…. 

“The Lord ordained the church for himself. The church’s chief function, as also the individual believer’s function, is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” (Three Priorities for a Strong Local Church)

Psalm 148:1-14 (NKJV)
¹  Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights!
²  Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts!
³  Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light!
⁴  Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens!
⁵  Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created.
⁶  He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away.
⁷  Praise the LORD from the earth, You great sea creatures and all the depths;
⁸  Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;
⁹  Mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars;
¹⁰  Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl;
¹¹  Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth;
¹²  Both young men and maidens; Old men and children.
¹³  Let them praise the name of the LORD, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven.
¹⁴  And He has exalted the horn of His people, The praise of all His saints-- Of the children of Israel, A people near to Him. Praise the LORD!

Revelation 4:11 (KJV)

¹¹  Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (KJV)
³¹  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

II.  When the upward purpose is truly our first priority, then the other priorities will be more clear.

Proverbs 3:6 (NKJV)
⁶  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 

 (Ortlund) To the extent that Priority Three becomes Priority One – or Priority Two becomes first – we will be out of kilter, out of God’s plan, and we’ll become fussing, uptight, confused and tired.

When Christ is worshiped and exalted first and foremost, then He provides clearer vision and insight regarding how best to fulfill the other priorities or purposes He has for us.

There is a story about a pilot who announced over the intercom that he had good news because of a strong tailwind they were making really good time. There was some bad news however, because the compass was broken and they had absolutely no idea where they were going!

Taking time to give honor and praise to the Lord can help orient us and direct us in all the other functions we need to perform as the body of Christ.

I read 1 Cor. 10:31 just a little while ago, which tells us “whatever you do, do all for the glory of God.”

How can we adequately do everything for the glory of God if we don’t begin everything with glory, honor and praise to Him?

III. We need to recommit ourselves individually and collectively to truly honor, exalt and worship God.

A. Our worship services must include adequate time honoring and exalting God.

B. Our individual prayer time must be a number one priority in which we intentionally spend time worshiping, praising and adoring God.

For many Christians, their prayer time consists of a brief time asking God for His blessings and His protection and for Him to solve all the problems they will be confronting that day.

But, God created us to glorify and honor Him. 

Look at the example of Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail. They had cast out a spirit of divination from a slave girl and her masters were angry. They dragged Paul and Silas before the magistrates, who order them to be stripped and beaten then cast into jail with their feet in stocks.

Acts 16:25 ^(NKJV) But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

What would have been our prayers? 

Have you ever been around people who are suffering greatly, but when you talk to them or ask them how things are doing, they only reply with praise to the Lord for all His goodness and blessings?

Whatever we do, Bible study, board meetings, etc. etc. should begin with appropriate time giving praise to the Lord.

Conclusion:

In John 17, Jesus’ prayer for His disciples, He devotes the first portion praying for the Father’s glory and the Son’s glory.

The prayer also includes the other priorities that God assigned to the church, but Jesus begins with an emphasis on glorifying the Father.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I find myself feeling pressured by the urgency of things that need to be done. Just like you, I’m tempted at times to skip or cheat the time for prayer to get started doing something. But I intend to refocus and recommit myself to making the upward purpose of worship and praise the true number one priority in my life and I hope you will as well.

Let’s close the service today by singing a prayer for God’s Spirit to empower the church and make us what He wants us to be. God of Grace and God of Glory