Priorities In The Christian Life

Raul Ries: The scriptures are very clear. One must be born again. John chapter 3 verse 3. Jesus answered and said to him, Nicodemus, most surely I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. If you read further down, he said you cannot enter the kingdom of God. To see and to enter.
Guest (Female): I am falling in love. I am falling in love. I am falling in love. I am falling in love.
Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Rees in Diamond Bar, California. Today, Raul will show us what it looks like to completely surrender to our heavenly Father. Meditating on Jesus midnight conversation with a man named Nicodemus, Raul will urge us to leave our old ways behind and live in newness of life with our Savior. We hope you'll follow along to see why we need to choose communion with Jesus over every other worldly desire. Let's join Raul Rees for the lesson Priorities in the Christian Life.
Raul Ries: He says in Matthew 6:33, But seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. When you look at Matthew chapter 5, 6, and 7, he's speaking on the sermon on the mount. In the first 11 verses, he speaks about the beatitudes, what you're supposed to be like. In chapter 6, he speaks about praying and fasting, and then he gets into the place where he begins to speak about the kingdom of God. And what he does is he brings it down where Jesus is speaking about not only keeping the kingdom of God, but where's your position, your relationship with God. Seeking God's kingdom has to be not only our first priority in our marriage, in our singleness, in whatever we do, God has to be number one. Revelation 2:4 says this, Nevertheless, speaking to the church, I have this against you. They had everything going on, work, and I mean everything you could think of right on. He says, but you have left your first love. Remember where you have fallen, repent and do your first works or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent twice. He's asking them to repent. The seven churches, there are an amazing group of churches that Jesus spoke to because not only they were representing the church, but the first church has always spoken to my heart because he talks about leaving your first love, not losing your first love, but leaving, which means he gives you the opportunity to stay or to leave. And the reason the body of Christ are struggling is because of your position in Jesus Christ, he's not number one in your life. Everything else is number one in your life. You can have your husband, your wife, your kids, your job, I mean the gym, the beach, whatever it is, that we need to understand that if Christ is not first in my life, everything else will fall apart. God can bless you. And when he talks about being first, he wants you in your prayer life, in your reading time, in everything that you do in your life because people are watching your life. Your parents, if you're single, you live at home, your parents are watching you, your grandparents, your friends. If you're a husband and wife, your children not only watch your life. And from watching your life, they can either learn about Christ or they can turn their back on Christ. Let's look at the first point here, the need of a real born again experience. I think this is something that we can talk about, something that within the church you have to really look at your life because one of the problems among the married people and singles is a situation where do I really believe that Christ is in my life? Remember when you came to Christ, he was with you, convicting you. He came into your life, but then he comes and gives you the power to be a Christian. The power to live the Christian life. The scriptures are very clear. One must be born again. John chapter 3 verse 3. Jesus answered and said to him, Nicodemus, most surely I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. If you read further down, he said you cannot enter the kingdom of God. To see and to enter. Jesus speaking to the Pharisees. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a very wealthy Pharisee. He came by night to ask Jesus, Jesus, what must I do to be a Christian? And Jesus said, you must be born again of the Holy Spirit. You cannot inherit the kingdom of God and you cannot see the kingdom of God. He's speaking about a new life that we have. We can't live in our old life cuz then we're not born again. If we say we're born again and we're going back to our old life, you're going to turn people away from Christ. You're going to make them stumble. So when you say that I'm born again of the Holy Spirit, they have to watch your life and they will watch your life. The way you pray, the way you speak, the things that you do, watching your life to see if God has really really saved you. Second Corinthians 5:17 he says, Therefore, if anyone, male, female, young, whatever, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. All things are passed away. Behold, all things have become brand new. A new life in Christ Jesus. We have to love one another. First John 4:7 says, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. You see? The new life separates us from unbelievers. You see, I cut off every friend of mine that was an unbeliever. I made a piece of paper, put their names. When I put their names on, the date. And then as they began to get saved, I would look at how long it took for them to be saved. But never ever partook of their sin, ever. And then you my life. You have to separate yourself. Listen what Paul says. Second Corinthians 6:14, Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. In the book of Corinthians, Paul also says to the Christian, he says if a Christian is not walking with Christ, he says don't even eat lunch with them because if you do, you're associating with them. How are they going to come back to the Lord when you're supporting their sin? He goes on to say, For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Satan? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God, as God has said, I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God. They shall be my people. Therefore, what I just said, now this is what I say. Come out from among them, be you separate, saith the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean. I will receive you. I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty. Second Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Holiness of God. Not only do we grow in the life of a true believer, first Peter 2:2 says, As new born babies, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby. Peter is saying, when you become a young Christian, you get saved, the first thing you want to do is you want to learn the word of God. I went to Costa Mesa, I began to feed up on the word of God, not real milk, but as a newborn baby. And as I began to get rooted and grounded, that became where now I don't I'm not on milk anymore, but I'm on steak now. You see, I keep growing, I keep developing. But so many people stay drinking pure milk, never feed up on God's word. And that's where people fail. And that's where Satan gets a hold of your life and he keeps taking you back to the world and people are confused and you confuse other people. We are to bear fruit in the newborn again experience, he says in John 15. Jesus, I am the true vine. My father is the vine dresser. Each branch, which is us, in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that bears fruit, he prunes it that it may bear more fruit. You know, I have a lemon tree and it wasn't given lemons. So what I did, I'm not gardening either. I took the scissors and I cut some of the branches. And all of a sudden I began to see flowers. In the last 6 months, I have lemons now. But what Jesus is saying this, Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. Every branch that bears fruit, he prunes it that it brings more fruit. But you are already clean because of the word of God, which I've spoken to you. Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it's abiding in the vine, Jesus, neither can you unless you abide in me. Then he says, I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me, he is cast out as a branch that is withered. And they gather them and they throw them into the fire. Into the fire. What's the fire? Hell. And they are burned. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask whatever you desire and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit, so you will be my disciples. There has to be fruit in your life. There has to be fruit. If there is no fruit, then there's a question mark there. Are you really a believer? Do you really really believe in Jesus Christ? We need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives in order to survive, in order to do what God says in our lives. But we have to have victory over the world. First John 5:4 says, For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. We've been talking about being born again. And this is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith in Jesus Christ. We are not to love the world. First John 2:15, Do not love the world nor the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, and this not of the Father, but so the world. And the world is passing away in the lust of it. But he who does the will of God abides forever.
Guest (Male): You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Rees. Visit somebodylovesyou.com for resources to refresh your spirit and direct your steps as you journey with Christ. If you'd like Raul's insight into your Bible questions, you can email him anytime at [email protected]. Now back to more with Raul Rees.
Raul Ries: Secondly, we need to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Everybody needs the Holy Spirit in their lives. Number one, we need his anointing so he can teach us. First John 2:20, But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. First John 2:27, But the anointing, the Holy Spirit, which you have received from him abides in you. And you do not need that anyone teach you, but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and it's true. And it's not a lie. And just as has taught you, you will abide in him. Again, the word abide. He will dwell in the believer. Romans 8:11, But if the Holy Spirit is in him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you, the word in in you. He guides your life. John 16:13. However, when he, the Spirit of Truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak of his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak and he will tell you things to come. The Holy Spirit. Thirdly, we need for a life of prayer. I think that's so important. I think that this is one of the weaknesses in the whole church of the body of Jesus Christ. If the body of Christ would take time to pray and spend time with Jesus, the Lord could do so many things. The church would be different. Listen to John Knox, a Puritan. He says this in selection of his writings. Whoever wishes to pray must know and understand that prayer is an earnest and familiar talking to God. To whom we declare our mysteries, who support and help we implore and desire our adversities, in whom we bless and praise our adversities, of whom we bless and praise for the benefits which we have received. So prayer includes the recounting of our troubles, the desire for God's defense, and the parsing of his magnificent name as the Psalms of David clearly teach. The Psalms of David are prayers. You need to read them. They're prayers. The Proverbs are given to us by Solomon so that we can understand and have wisdom in our situations and our problems. So if you don't read the Psalms, then what are you learning? Nothing. When you get in trouble, who can you go to nothing but yourself? And the devil comes along and deceives you and destroys your life. Here are the requirements for prayer. Number one, we pray in the morning. Mark 1:35. In the morning, having risen a long while before day light, between 4 or 5 in the morning, Jesus went out and departed to a solitary place. And there he prayed. 4:00 in the morning he prayed. How about secondly praying in secret? Luke 5:16. So Jesus himself often withdrew into a wilderness and prayed. He got away from everybody to pray. Your phone, your kids, your wife, husband, whatever it is, man, you go to prayer. And then praying with others. You can pray with brothers and sisters or your wife or your kids. Luke 11:1. And now it came to pass that as he was praying in a certain place, when he sees, when he stopped, then one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples. See, they saw something special in John's life. And the disciples as he was teaching them to pray. Teaching them to pray so they could pray. And then we have to forgive people when we pray, or otherwise God will not answer your prayers. Matthew 6:14. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Unforgiveness is the most horrible thing in the world. Talk to an expert. The most horrible thing when you don't forgive people. God does not answer your prayers. There's a story in well actually in Matthew chapter 5. There's a young man going to the temple. He's going to be taking a sacrifice. He's going to pray. And when he gets there to the door, he says he remembers that if I have anything against anybody, if I want my prayers to be answered, he says he went and asked for forgiveness. And when he came back, he went to prayer because he had a clean heart. And God answered his prayers. How about you here this morning? Who do you have something against or who's against you? If we are not forgiving people, our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. They're not going anywhere. And so when I take the time, if they forgive me that that's their problem, but I want to make sure that I'm doing what the Bible says to ask him to forgive me for what I've done to them because of the Lord, because of Jesus Christ. Fourthly, we need to feed upon God's word so we can grow. We know that without the word of God, we will never grow spiritually. And then it's important to spend time reading and asking God to speak to your heart. As you open your Bible and you're reading all of a sudden Proverbs or Psalms or whatever book the Lord speaks to you and you stop, you say, are you speaking to me, Lord? If it brings conviction, he's speaking to you. And he might speak to so you can put it away. Maybe in the future he's going to do something that he's not doing today. But this is what he says. A lot of people we notice they don't spend time notice in the word because they're so busy with their own lives. Mary couples, single people, no time for actually reading the word of God. So many young and old married people that are backslidden have no wisdom from God because they don't read the word of God and there has no conviction in their lives. Proper attitude to have as a believer, we stand in awe of God's word. Psalm 119:161 says, But my heart stands in awe of your word, the Bible. We tremble at God's word. Isaiah 66:2, For all those things my hand has made and all those things exist, saith the Lord. But on this one I look on him who is poor and of contrite spirit and who trembles at God's word. Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word. You brethren who hate you, who cast out for my name's sake said, Let the Lord be glorified that we may see your joy. But they shall be ashamed against the word of the Lord. Fifthly and lastly, to accomplish all these things lastly is to know the way of the cross. I'm going to read scriptures. Just incredible about the cross. Matthew 16:24. Then Jesus said to his disciples, If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. Mark 8:34. When he had called the people to himself with disciples also, he said to them, Whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Mark 10:21. Then Jesus looking at him loved him and said to him, One thing you like speaking to a rich man, one thing you like. Go your way, sell whatever you have, give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come and take up your cross and follow me. Mark 15:21. And then they compel and certain men, Simon the Cyrenian and the father of Alexander and Rufus. As he was coming out of the country and passing by to bear the cross of Jesus Christ. Luke 9:23. Then he said to them all, If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily. That's what added daily and follow me. Luke 14:27. And whoever does not bear his cross and comes after me cannot be my disciple. John 19:17. And he buried his cross, Jesus. We're now to a place called the place of the skull, which is called in the Hebrew called Golgotha. If you guys have been to Israel with us, you know what I'm talking about. John 19. Now Pilate wrote a title to put on the cross. And the writing was this, Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews. They did not like that. Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews. Galatians 5:11. And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.
Guest (Male): Just like the rich young ruler, you may be feeling the struggle between pursuing your personal priorities and living selflessly for God. If that's the case, we encourage you to turn to the Lord with a faithful heart and true repentance today. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Rees. If you'd like to hear today's message titled Priorities in the Christian Life in its unedited form, we'll be happy to send a copy to you for a donation of $5 or more. Simply call us at 800-634-9165. As you renew your resolve to submit your life to the Lord Jesus, we'd like to tell you more about Raul's 10 part series called Chosen and Committed. It's available on CD or USB. Whether you've been in relationship with Jesus for many years or you're just beginning your journey, you'll learn more about what it looks like to entrust yourself to your Savior and honor him with faith-filled obedience. To order Raul's 10 message series called Chosen and Committed, call us at 800-634-9165 or visit somebodylovesyou.com. We'll send you the CD set for $22 or the flash drive for 13. The number again is 800-634-9165 or write to Somebody Loves You Radio, PO Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California 91765. This ministry with Raul Rees is fully listener supported. Thank you for your tax deductible gifts. Your partnership enables us to keep sharing the good news of Jesus with the world. Join us next time as we ask the Lord to speak to our hearts once again as we study his eternal word verse by verse. Here's Raul once again with the closing comment.
Raul Ries: Lastly, Hebrews 12:2, Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy they were set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, he has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Let me finish with a quote by Francis Felon back in the 1500s. The greatest of all crosses is self. If we die and part every day, we shall have but little to do on the last. These little daily deaths, dying every day, will destroy the power of the final dying.
Guest (Female): I am falling in love with you.
Guest (Male): This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California.