Matthew 6:33 

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;

   Absolutely nothing in the Bible should be ignored, not even the lineages which are quite lengthy. Acts 20:27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. (I thought about using “The Whole Enchilada” as the subject or maybe “The Whole Nine Yards.”) Paul was very thorough in his writing. II Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

   I have spared no expense in buying everything I thought I needed so I would be thoroughly equipped in the ministry of the Word. II Timothy 3:16 leaves absolutely nothing out. NOTHING!!! Now, with all the books and things that I have acquired I am just about down to one thing and that is the inspired scriptures for they are all I ever really needed. I have the King James which is all sufficient. FIRST THINGS, FIRST! We absolutely need what “is written” because “above all” things after salvation and baptism we need to be indoctrinated for life.

   Everything in the Bible is profitable for us, our families, our church, our nation, and this world. So open up your Bible and become well equipped for living the Christian life! Read it and fully accept all of it from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21. It is all good for you, even the liver and onions.

   It’s the “Book of Life” and if you want to live life the Christian life accept all of it! That includes the negative as well as the positive. Never, ever allow yourself to be only negative or just positive. Be balanced, not unbalanced! Just be sure you are scriptural. An old time preacher published a message entitled, The Positive Power of Negative Preaching. Forget “old school” and “new school” and concern yourself with the ancient and eternal unchanging scriptures for only they are “profitable.”

   One hundred years ago many Baptists were too negative and today most Baptists are so positive that they are barely Baptists. We have gone from one extreme to the other extreme. The promotion of positive preaching has created the present day mess in Baptist churches. Some things in the Bible are positive and some are negative.

   Many have become evangelicals and their next step will be nondenominationalists who have rejected much of the Bible, especially local church truth which presents the church as the very bride of Christ. Don’t ever say the marriage of the Lamb is not important!

   Jude was a converted evangelical. Jude 1:3 ¶ Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Oh how needful it is to earnestly contend for the faith, today. Jude wanted to write about salvation but God stopped him and inspired him to write about defending the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. In many religious circles more needs to be said about “the faith” so churches will be well grounded and doctrinally sound. Jude got God’s message and he wrote a great book with only 25 verses about “the faith” instead of salvation “by grace.”

   Forget the heretical foolishness about essentials and non-essentials. There ain’t no such thing as a non-essential in the inspired Word of God! Only man talks to hear his head rattle, not God! Man’s ideal of Bible non-essentials is the only thing that is non-essential.

   Church truth is important because it is the doctrinally sound churches who have preserved the important evangelical truths of salvation through the years. So don’t fuss about the Landmark schism because it is approved of by the inspired book of Jude, as well as many others. The worst schism is the opposition to Landmarkism! I am writing about eternal truth upon which time has no effect and which refutes these “Johnny come lately ideas,” such as the invisible church theory and the open communion heresy.

   I Timothy 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. Had it not been for the lineage of true churches through the centuries you and I never would have heard the greatest message of all which is Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved… Acts 16:31

   Everything in the Bible is of utmost importance because the Bible not only is the Word of God but it is the very words of God and not just the thoughts of God! It is not the words of Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, nor Paul. Each word in the Bible is the very Word of our creator. Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure:...This includes both the negative and positive.

   Ezekiel 1:3 The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, The Word of God was overwhelming. It is almost impossible to count the number of times we find, “Thus saith the Lord...” in the Bible. When looking up this phrase in my computer Bible, it asked if I wanted to refine my search to the first two hundred times it was found. Psalms 68:11 The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it. {company: Hebrew army} The Bible is a gift to humanity from God through inspired men.

   We all have our favorite subjects in the Bible. When I was a young man in the ministry, a preacher friend woke me up when he told me, “Keenan, the church is not the only subject in the Bible.” We sometimes ride our hobby horses into the ground and leave out other important things. Some need to be told, Brother so and so, the new birth is not the only subject in the Bible. The virgin birth of Christ is more important because without it there would be no new birth.

   Don’t be like Ephraim who was like a pancake which was burnt on one side and raw on the other. Hosea 7:8 Ephraim is a cake not turned. Get flipped over before it’s too late.

   Of course the church is a very important subject in the Bible, but before you get to church truth you need to be saved. How many have joined a church and later realized they were not saved. Joining a church is useless if you do not put FIRST THINGS, FIRST! The biggest problem that I have had in the ministry was a hell bound church member.

   Baptism is important. There are many commandments in the Word of God which tell us to be baptized. But: FIRST THINGS, FIRST, one must repent of sin before he is baptized. Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, {1} Repent, and {2} be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,... It is certainly not be baptized and repent. Get washed in the blood before you are washed in the water.

   Some things have the priority over others. One of the first series of sermons that I heard in seminary was entitled, The Priority of the Kingdom of God. The illustration that was used was that during World War II many things were rationed to the public because the military had the priority. Today the kingdom of God has the priority over everything! But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;…

   The queen of England sent one of her men to a foreign country. Before leaving he asked her, who is going to take care of my business while I’m gone? She told him, you take care of my business and I’ll take care of yours. Is that not what the LORD is saying to us? Put FIRST THINGS, FIRST and ...all these things shall be added unto you. In spite of the high cost of the ministry, I have no regrets. The high cost of the Christian ministry and the Christian life is a bargain at any price. It is the very best way to live and the greatest way to die. The business of the kingdom of God is always more important than our business!

   God is a god of order; therefore He expects us to always put things in their proper order. I Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order Therefore: EVERY NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH HAS THREE IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITIES WHICH MUST BE IN THEIR PROPER ORDER Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and {1} teach all nations, {2} baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 {3} Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

   PUTTING FIRST THINGS, FIRST — First, the lost are to be taught how to be saved. Immediately after salvation they are to be baptized. Thirdly, they are to be taught to do all the commandments of Jesus, not just learn what they are.

   THE PASTOR IS TO PUT FIRST THINGS, FIRST. The first and most important thing for a preacher to do is to fully preach the word. This doesn’t mean part of it nor half of it, but absolutely all of it. Colossians 1:25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; {to fulfill: or, fully to preach the word} II Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. If God calls a man to preach the number one thing in his life is to preach. First of all Timothy was told to “rebuke.” This is certainly just the opposite of most modern preaching. I once knew a preacher who was only interested in promoting missions and missionaries. Yes, missions are of utmost importance but they do not have priority over the ministry of the Word. In a round about way he admitted that studying in order to preach sermons was too much work and his preaching showed it. Ecclesiastes 12:12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. I have had all kinds of schooling and I never liked it because studying is hard work. I had rather work with my hands because it is easier. But when it came time for me to preach I learned to study hard and long. God deserved it and, secondly, God’s people deserved it. It’s a crying shame when someone who is called to preach is too lazy to study the Word of God in order to edify the Lord’s blood brought church.

   Everyone who is called to preach knows what his first responsibility is and that is to “Preach the word” and that means all of it! That doesn’t mean to give a little talk nor tell a story nor spend an hour talking. Don’t say the same things over and over again every time you get in the pulpit. Your Bible has over 1,400 pages in it. A friend once complained that a certain pastor only had two messages; one for the saved and one for the lost. So I went to hear him and that Sunday morning he preached both of them from an unrelated text. Always have something fresh. So, Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15 Dig deep, don’t be a shallow nor top water preacher. I Corinthians 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. Be more than just a nice person, a “good ole boy,” a smile in a suit, or in today’s fashion, or a black tee-shirt. Today the people of God need something that will give them the spiritual strength to face life. Don’t let’m leave like they came in. Give them something that will make them say, it was good to be in the house of the LORD. Don’t you dare let anyone leave bored stiff. Brother, the truth, the Word of God ain’t boring. But you may be boring if you are unprepared. FEED’EM UNTIL THEY ARE SATISFIED!

   Put FIRST THINGS, FIRST. One of the three necessities of life is food. One of the basic necessities of spiritual life is spiritual nourishment. This means that the things of God are to be given to the people and that certainly means more than just the milk of the Word. Today it seems that the biggest problem is usually in the pulpit. Are you starving your flock to death? Do you still have them on the bottle? Are you still on the bottle? Are you giving them the protein they need by giving them the meat of the Word? Today there are teachers who won’t teach, deacons who won’t deac and worse of all-way too many preachers who won’t preach.

    Jesus got serious with Peter about feeding His people. John 21:12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine... 13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 15 ¶ So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, {1} Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, {2} Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, {3} Feed my sheep. 

   Can you say, “Come and dine...” every time you get in the pulpit? Do you serve a good nutritious meal? Peter must have gotten the point because of the great sermon he preached on Pentecost.

   Here Jesus emphasizes the importance of feeding His flock. Sometimes the pastors who talk the most about love are the ones who starve the flock. Peter wasn’t using the real word for love. He was using the word “fond of.” But Jesus was using the real word for love. Forget “sloppy agapa.” Do you really love the LORD or do you just like Him? If you really love Him you will preach the entire Word!!! Jesus didn’t say if you love me spend your time ministering to people in other ways but He said, Feed my lambs, feed my sheep, and feed my sheep!

   A woman’s first duty is to feed her family. My mother had rather play the piano or the organ than cook. She always fed us, but not without a fuss. A mother once criticized her daughter who took care of others instead of cooking for her family. Song of Solomon 1:6: ...my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept. Pastor, take care of your own vineyard, which is all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, ...feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. Before you hit the road, study so they leave the church house with their bellies full of spiritual nourishment! Don’t pet’em nor spoil’em nor flatter’em nor baby’em; but feed’em and feed’em good!

   Pastor, have you put your church to work so you can continually spend your time praying and studying as the Bible teaches. Acts 6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. This is God’s Word. It is just the opposite of man’s idea of making the pastor do all the work and run himself so ragged that he is too tired to prepare good sermons. It is the pastor’s job to put the church to work.

   So, FIRST THINGS, FIRST—CHURCH—GO TO WORK SO YOUR PASTOR CAN FEED YOU! Also be sure you take good care of his physical needs so he can take care of your spiritual needs. The Bible says of the true minister of the Word, Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. I Timothy 5:17 Oh, where, oh where, are the old time doctrinal preachers who once fed the flock? The preacher of the entire Word is worth more than an evangelical preacher. Of course, evangelism is important, since it is a big part of the Bible, but it isn’t the only thing that is important.

   Evangelism is the first third of the commission. The second third is baptism and the last third is indoctrination. Matthew 28:19-20 It takes all three thirds to do a complete job and build a solid church.

   In Acts 6:7 we find God’s solution for present day church problems. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. When the preaching was on the increase the results were on the increase! Of course the people must respond. Sometimes there is no food for the soul and other times there is no soul for the food. Sometimes, truth drives people off, but so does bad preaching.

   The apostles were spending their time trying to take care of the widows’ physical needs instead of preparing messages. Apparently, the church chose the first deacons to take care of this situation so the apostles could pray and study. And what happened? ...the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly. Church work is basically spiritual work which requires spiritual methods for spiritual results as well as outward results! The old method that religious “big shots” think is out of date is still God’s way of getting spiritual results and it will be until Jesus returns. Biblical principles have no expiration date! The King James Bible has not expired!

   Only the Word of God works in the spiritual realm and especially in the hearts of people. Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that  which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. The Word of God saves souls (FIRST THINGS, FIRST), it builds solid churches, it makes the devil flee, it makes the weak strong, it makes cowards brave, it builds great families, it breaks down walls, it moves mountains etc., etc., etc. Oh, the productive power of the inspired Word!

   Take care of your own business instead of someone else’s. Pastors who try to care for everything instead of putting others in charge of those things which are of less importance usually are the biggest failures in the pulpit. The popular thing today, which I do not understand, is that of pastors leading singing, especially when they have good song leaders. Pastors: FIRST THINGS, FIRST. Don’t be a crowing hen!

   The saddest thing in the Baptist world is weak pulpits because there are too many pastors who are CEO’s instead of real preachers. “above all things,” the Baptist world needs a large multitude of old time foot stomping, fire eating Baptist “sons of thunder” who will raise their voices against the awful rebellion in Baptist ranks. Pulpit wimps, stand aside while we hammer away at sinful religion and don’t say we are too loud! We have to be heard above your foolishness and wrong doings. Besides it is not our hollering that bothers you; it is what we are hollering about that upsets you. You need to be upset until you get right

   Today, many at best are mere ministers of the Word instead of preachers of the Word. Don’t just talk about the Bible preach it! And that takes study. When I was a young preacher sometimes it took forty hours or more just to prepare one message.

   JESUS ALWAYS EMPHASIZED PUTTING FIRST THINGS, FIRST. Luke 9:59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. Preaching the Word of God is so important that it should take the very first place in a preacher’s life. My brother and I have a farm which has been in our family for at least 175 years. It is our heritage which is close to the old Baptist church in which we were raised. None of the family has lived on it since my grandparents. While I was growing up I wanted to live on it, but God called me to preach as well as my brother. Most of our lives we have pastored churches a long way from the farm. So we have practically forsaken it in order to preach the kingdom of God somewhere else. Is that not what the Bible clearly teaches. I’m sure that is what my grandparents would have wanted as well as my great grandparents. Nothing is to stand in the way if one is called to preach the kingdom of God. The most rewarding thing that I have done was to leave that old farm, the Baptist community I was raised in, my family, my cousins, and my lifetime buddies, and put the kingdom of God first.

FIRST THINGS, FIRST, PREACHER!!!!!!!