Don't pray to him last. Pray to him first. Don't go to his word last, go to his word first. Dr. Tony Evans talks about making the Lord our first love instead of our last resort.
Take God off of the second shelf. Let's make him. First. This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans.
The old saying goes, first things first. Seems obvious, right?
Well, today Dr. Evans talks about why many people ignore that obvious piece of advice when it comes to their relationship with God and what it costs them when they do. Let's listen. Unfortunately, today, we live in a world where most people, particularly in Western culture, acknowledge God, but not necessarily first. And when you search the Bible, you will see.
where God regularly demands To be First. The word first pops up a lot. in scripture in relationship to God. And God literally Audits his position in your life. Cause he doesn't take your word for it.
Just because you say he's first, he doesn't buy it. He audits it to see if he is first. God cannot Be second. God regularly complains in the Bible when he is not. visibly and functionally.
In first. place. Remember The definition of kingdom stewardship: a kingdom steward. is a faithful manager. Who is responsible to oversee the protection and the expansion of that which God has placed?
in their lives to oversee on his behalf. A steward is not an owner of Anything. They are a manager of everything the owner has placed in their disposal in three categories: time, talents, and treasures. The moment you think you're an owner and act like you're an owner, you're in conflict with the owner. And just like the owner of a business or the owner of a A property.
They don't want you doing your thing with their ownership. They want you to do What the owner's thing is with what they own as you oversee it. for their benefit. I hope thus far in the series, if you've been tracking with us, you've gotten out of your mind that you own anything because you own nothing. Everything is on temporary loan.
So, God regularly complains when he sees his managers acting like owners, and one of his complaints is that he's not first. He complains in Malachi chapter 1, for example. In verses 6 through 9, he says, you treat your governor better than you treat me. Because you give me your leftovers. God says, I'm insulted as the owner, creator, that I get leftovers from you.
Given who I am. And my position. In fact, he goes on in that chapter and says, because I'm a great king. He says in Haggai chapter one, complaining about the people, he says, You're building your house. Why my house lays in waste.
And so today I want to drive home to me, you and us. The priority of this role as a kingdom steward, that is. The prioritization of God. That's why Colossians chapter 1 Verses 15 to 19 is so critical. It says, Jesus is in the image of God.
And watch this. And therefore. Since he is creator of all things. He is to have, watch this. First place in Anything.
Everything. That is, there is to be no category of your life. Where he is not. First. He says, in everything, because he made everything.
It goes back to ownership. He owns everything. He made everything. He owns you. He says, in every compartment of your life, I want to be first.
I want to be consulted first. I want you to get my viewpoint first. I want you to think how I feel about it first. I want to be first. in everything and If he wants to be first in everything, that means everything else is second.
To your relationship and your commitment. to Jesus Christ, first place in everything. Tie closely to that. is he says i want you to pray First. 1 Timothy chapter 2, verse 1 says that First of all, Pray.
Don't pray after you have made a mess. Don't pray after you toe up from the flow up. Don't pray just to help you get out of a crisis. Pray to me. First.
Talk to me first. In that particular passage, he's speaking to the men. because the men are supposed to lead out spiritually. He says, I want men to lift their healthy hands up before God, and I want the men to consult me. First.
So every man should be first to lead in prayer. Your wife shouldn't be asking you, are we gonna pray? You are supposed to do it first.
So he says, pray for First, God wants to be first. First, he wants to be on the front end of communication.
So my challenge to you and me today. is to let's take God off of the second shelf. Let's make him. First. First in our affections, first in our consideration.
First in our consultation. Because he demands and deserves. To be first not to have leftovers. And then the area that most people have struggles with. And difficulty with.
He says, I want to be. First in your treasures. He says, that's an issue of honor. In the scripture we read in Proverbs 3, 9, and 10, he says, honor the Lord. with the first of your produce.
So it's a matter of: do you honor me? Do you have regard for me? When it comes to treasures, that's why God established The tithe. The tithe was that which God gave his people all throughout biblical history. As a tangible way to demonstrate, you recognize he is your source.
And he is your supply. In Deuteronomy 14, 23. It says, you give the tithe that you might learn to fear the Lord. To fear God means to take him seriously.
So the reason he established the tenth, the word tithe means tenth. Was a way to tangibly demonstrate, because he doesn't just believe it because you say it, to tangibly demonstrate that you believe God is your source.
Now you can say, God is my source all day long. But God doesn't believe it because you say it. He believes it because he sees it. There is a act of faith. Demonstrated not just by the amount tithe, but by whether it's given first.
That's why Deuteronomy 26, the whole chapter talks about first, first, first fruits, this, first fruits, that. Deuteronomy 26 talks about it. Deuteronomy 29 talks about it. In chapter 26, it's verse 2, verse 10, verse 12. He goes on and on and on.
He says, Make me first, make me first, give the tithe, give the first fruits, and see what I do. See, a lot of Christians don't understand the connection of the spiritual to the economic. See, a lot of people don't understand that. In Leviticus, he talks about the fact that there is a direct connection between the two. In verses 14 to 20 of Leviticus 26, he says, You're complaining about your produce, you're complaining about your trees, you're complaining about stuff not working.
While you dishonor me. With the tithe. He says, you dishonor me and wonder why the crops aren't working. Why the rain didn't fall in? Why the things aren't growing.
It's because you treat me like a dog. We're all familiar with Malachi. But I want to give you a good perspective on this. Because I've got to teach the whole counsel of God, and I know that it has been misused. I know that.
I know ministries and ministers have misused this to rip people off and to. to conjole or pressure them or guilt them. We're not gonna do any of that because the Bible tells us not to do any of that. God loves a cheerful giver. I'm dealing with the principle of honoring God.
I'm just applying it to this area. But he says in Malachi, He raises a very interesting question and he states it, show a me a man. Rob, a great god? Shell, a man, don't you know who you are? You a man.
Okay, so that's the spirit of it. Shall a man, a mere man, rob God? He says, You rob me with tithes and offerings, and you're cursed with a curse, and you're robbing me. Any of you like me, your kids still have a key to your house? If they ever rob me.
I'm going to confiscate the key. Because you don't give keys to a thief. Even if they're your child. You don't give keys to a thief. All these Christians will want God to unlock the windows of heaven.
While they steal from him. They rob him, but they'll say, open the windows of heaven and let the floodgates come. While they love God. He says, you robbed me, you're cursed with a curse. Bring all the tithes to the storehouse that may be food in my house.
And then I love this. He says, why don't you put me to the test? Try me. Don't even take my word for it, God says. Try me.
And see who you're dealing with. He says, see, well, if I not pour out a blessing. And will I not rebuke the devourer? A devourer is anybody who rips you off from your blessing. A devour is anybody who steals what God had in store for you.
See, a lot of us are not getting what God legitimately has in store for us because He would have to give it to a thief. Could be some people here, you're wearing stolen clothes. You may have driven here in a stolen car. and you may be living in a stolen house. Because you had to rip God off to buy those clothes, to drive that car, and to get that house.
And when you have to steal from God, Then you're stealing. From the very one you're looking to bless you and who wants to bless a thief? Dr. Evans will return with more of our message in just a moment. First, though, I want to tell you about a powerful resource that builds on what Tony's been teaching today.
His book, Kingdom Stewardship, takes an in-depth look at how God wants us to manage everything He's entrusted to us. and the freedom and confidence that come from doing that. When you make a contribution to support the alternative ministry, We'll send you this book, along with a comprehensive Kingdom Stewardship Resource Bundle. It includes all twelve full-length messages from the current two-volume teaching series, plus a study guide and a leader's kit with downloadable video teaching sessions, perfect for personal growth or for leading a small group through the stewardship principles together. You can get all the details at tonyevans.org or call our resource center anytime at 1-800-800-3222.
Again, that's one eight hundred eight hundred three two two two. to take advantage of the special Kingdom Stewardship Package offer. I'll repeat our contact information for you after the second part of today's lesson. Here's Tony. In Genesis 14, Verses 17 to 24, Abraham is coming back from a battle.
And Abraham is coming back from a battle that God gave him victory in.
So he's coming back from the battle, and he runs into a priest named Melchizedek. Who's also a king? He's a king priest. Melchizedek is the priest. Abraham comes into him.
And then he takes bread and wine, communion.
Okay? And he gives Melchizedek a tithe, a tenth.
Okay, so So he's celebrating the victory. Coming off of victory to the priest Melchizedek with bread and wine, communion, and it gives him a tithe. After that, Abraham runs into The king of Sodom, and the king of Sodom tries to trick him. But the king of Sodom can't trick him because Abraham. has gotten spiritual guidance and refreshing.
From Melchizedek.
So watch this. He comes from one battle. And it's getting ready to go to another battle. In between battle number one and battle number two, He takes communion, bread and wine, and he gives the tithe before he goes to battle number two. Point.
You just came out of one week. And I'm sure many of you came out of some battles from last week. that God brought you through. But you're gonna have some new battles this week. Because there are things that you're going to run into you don't even see yet.
Okay, in between battle number one and battle number two, week number one and week number two. That was communion. and the opportunity to honor the Lord. What's this got to do with the priest?
Well, the Bible says in all of Hebrews chapter 8, Jesus is after the order of Melchizedek.
So Melchizedek was the priest in Genesis 14. But Jesus is the priesthood of Melchizedek continued.
Well, what does that priesthood mean to you and me today?
Well, according to Hebrews chapter 7, verse 25. The Bible says Jesus ever lives to make intercession for us.
So right now, Jesus has a full-time job. His full-time job, seated on the right hand of the Father, is to interfere in your affairs. To intercede in your circumstances, to place himself in the middle of your mess. The full-time job of Jesus for believers today is to intercede on your behalf.
So Melchizedek met Abraham. Coming out of one victory, leading them into another victory. Abraham paid homage through communion and the giving of the tithe, which covered him on both sides of the battle. I wonder if there's anybody here who needs to be covered by Jesus on both sides of the battle. Jesus ever lives, but guess what?
He's a priest after the order of Melchizedek.
So the same communion Abraham had with Melchizedek, we have with Jesus. The same tithe that Abraham gave to Melchizedek, we give to Jesus. In fact, Hebrews chapter 7, verse 8 says, even in the New Testament, they kept giving their tithes because there was the recognition they still needed a high priest.
So if you still need a high priest to interfere in your affairs, then you want to pay homage to the resurrected Christ. That's what we do around communion. And you want to let him know you trust him in the affairs of this world through the giving of the tithe. And all of that says Jesus, your great high priest, wants to interfere in your earthly affairs. And Lord knows I need him to interfere in mine.
The offering, the offering. was what you gave over and above the tithe.
So people say they give the offering. If you haven't given your tithe, you haven't given your offering. The offering was over and above the tithe. The offering was always free will. That's why it's called free will all through the Bible.
In other words, you didn't have to do an offering. The offering was simply because you appreciated something.
So in 1 Chronicles 29, they just wanted to show their gratitude. And they just said they just gave an offering out of their gratitude so that my house may be filled.
Now let me tell you something you don't give to. You don't put good seed in bad soil. Because that means that seed's not gonna grow. You give to that which is feeding you. Or which is feeding the ministry that God has given you.
You don't put good seed in bad soil. But he says, but the principle is when you rob God, you rob you. Psalm 50, verse 14 and 15 says, God responds to being honored. When he sees that you honor him with your time, your talents, and your treasures, it says he feels that honor. and responds to that honor.
In Proverbs chapter 11, verse 24 and 25, it says: if you're stingy with God, God is stingy with you. Says because you are dishonoring him. This is for you to see more of God. to put him first. Don't pray to him last, pray to him first.
Don't go to his word last, go to his word first. Don't love him last, love him first. That's why David says, I get up early in the morning, all through the Psalms. He would say, I get up early when I'm fresh. And I want to talk to God when I'm fresh.
Because I want God to have my undivided attention, and I want God not only to know He's first, I want Him to feel it. Come on, because we all like a love we can feel. And God, what you need to know is God is real emotional. He feels, he gets angry, he gets glad, he gets jealous. All those words are used of God.
God is a feeling kind of God, and he wants to feel your love, not just hear you talk your love.
Okay? He wants to feel it. And so when you put him first.
Now, putting him first takes faith. Because you're putting in before you see second, third, fourth and fifth.
So you may not even be sure second, third, fourth, and fifth is even coming, but you trust that he's got your back because he feels honored by you. In relationship, in time, in talents, in treasures, because you value that relationship with God. I challenge you to take them off the back burner. in all these categories. Do what he says in Malachi, test me.
Don't don't don't he said, Don't even believe it because I'm saying it, so to speak. Put me to the test. And see whether when you put me first. how I intervene in your affairs. When you put me first.
with what I have required. Of time and talents and treasure. Don't just give me your leftover energy. Don't just give me your leftover time. Don't just give me your leftover treasure.
A few years ago, I brought out 10 apples. I brought out ten apples, nine red and one green. And I said, now, these apples, these apples, I had them here on the stage, these apples you only have because of God. Because the guy have apple, you have to have apple tree. have an apple tree you got to have you got to have the seed you got to have the land you got to have the sun you got to have the rain so no god no apples okay so i had 10 apples all because of god okay So I had none red, one green.
And I'm red, I said, now look. You Can use the red, they're your apples. Any way you want to use the red, you want to make apple pie, you want to make cobla, you know, you use the red apples.
Okay, this green apple. God says that's his apple. Of the 10, that's a tenth, but so this is his apple.
Okay, this is his apple. Here's what we do. We take the nine. And we do our thing with the nine. Then we look at this green one.
Dodd, I need to go on a vacation. All right. God, I need a new car. God, I need some new clothes. God, I got this bill I haven't paid.
And we bite on that apple, the green one.
So when we finish biting on the green one. There's just The core of the Apple left. I had a cross on the stage. At the cross After I finished with the green apple I tossed the core. to the bottom of the cross.
Here, Jesus. This is what's left for you. I didn't already enjoy the nine. I didn't eaten up the green. And then I'm going to throw you what's left over.
And you ought to be happy because I didn't have to give you the core. That is the way a lot of people treat God. with time, talents, and treasures. God I'm going to pray to you when I'm too tired to talk. I'm going to serve you when I'm too tired with my energy.
I'm going to give to you if I happen to have it left over. And God says, you have insulted me. Because I own it all. He owns a cattle on a thousand hills. And if you only knew who you have.
then you wouldn't have to Take from him thinking you saved for you when he can do so much more. And it's not just money. This is not name it, claim it, prosperity, theology. We're not talking about that, but we are talking about getting all that God has for you. And not losing anything that he has determined for you.
And so you want to make sure that you're getting the joy out of life he wants you to have, the peace out of life he wants you to have, the stability in life he wants you to have, because all of those are blessings that come from God. Because there's some things you need, money can't buy. And you better be looking to God for those things as well. Dr. Tony Evans.
With encouraging insights about some of the ways God responds when we put Him first. Stay with us. What if you could step off a plane and step into history? Living history, where stories you've heard for years come to life and take on new meaning because you're right there where they happened. Instead of telling your children about the resurrection, imagine standing with them in the empty tomb.
Picture yourself on the Mount of Olives, in the Garden of Gethsemane, or exploring the old city of Jerusalem. You can do all this and more on the vacation of a lifetime and do it with Tony Evans when he hosts his Israel tour. You'll enjoy world-class accommodations and delicious meals as you tour the most beloved sites in the Holy Land. There'll be teaching sessions with Tony where you'll learn about the history and significance of the places you visit, plus great music and worship. Best of all, you'll share an unforgettable experience that'll change the way you understand scripture.
Now's the time to make plans since space is limited. Check out the complete itinerary at tonyevans.org and make your reservation before it's too late. That's tonyevans.org. Oh. As we've been hearing today, kingdom stewardship isn't about what you own.
It's about how you use what God's placed in your hands for His purposes. That's the focus of doctor Evans's book, Kingdom Stewardship. It'll help you see how your time, talents, and treasures fit into God's greater kingdom agenda. We'd love to send you this book, along with the Complete Kingdom Stewardship Resource Bundle, a package that contains all 12 full-length audio messages from this series, an in-depth study guide, and a leader's kit with downloadable video teaching sessions designed to help you lead a small group through these life-shaping principles. This entire package is yours with our thanks when you make a donation to help keep these broadcasts coming your way.
To take advantage of this limited time offer, get the details at tonyevans.org or call our 24-hour resource center at 1-800-800-3222. where one of our friendly team members is ready to help with your request. Again, that's 1-800-800-3222-1. or online at tonyevans.org.
Well, tomorrow, Dr. Evans will tell us about God's incentive program. and how we all can qualify for Kingdom Stewardship Rewards. I hope he'll join us.
