8 Sermon Illustrations on Prioritizing God

There was a story in a Rochester, Texas church bulletin about a young man who was working in a large department store, being told by his employer that he would be required to work on Sunday. It so happened that the hours assigned to him would have prevented his attending any of the worship services to which he had been accustomed to attending since childhood. The young man informed his employer that he would not be able to continue his work under these conditions, and his employer told him he would have to go. A few days later, the young man answered an ad in the paper from a bank which had advertised a vacancy for a teller. In checking the young man's previous employers, the bank president contacted the department store head and inquired as to the boy's record and whether he could recommend him. The store manager replied, "Why, yes, I will be glad to recommend him. He will make you a good man. I just fired him a few days ago." "Fired him?" the bank president exclaimed. "Why would you recommend a man whom you just recently dismissed from your service?" The store manager explained the circumstances under which the boy was released, and remarked, "I know he will make you a good man for your bank, because if he will not steal the Lord's time, he will not steal your money."

"To prefer our own ease, quiet, profit, before the glory of God, is madness. Would it not be insanity to dig for iron with mattocks of gold?" Our author means that it must always be unreasonable to make the means greater than the end. When man lives for the glory of God he spends his strength for something far beyond himself in value, and thus he acts as reasonably as when men dig for gold with mattocks of iron; but when an immortal mind spends itself upon decaying objects, such as transient gain and pleasure, it is occupied beneath itself, and is like a mattock of gold used in searching for base metal. It is a misapplication of forces for the nobler to spend itself upon the meaner. Men do not usually care to spend a pound in the hope of getting back a groat and no more, and yet, when the soul is given up for the sake of worldly gain, the loss is greater still, and not even the groat remains. Lord, arouse me from the folly of grovelling among earthly things. Make my soul reasonable, that it may devote itself to worthy pursuits; and what can be so worthy of me as thyself! Thou art above all, and infinitely better than all; to thee I devote my whole being. O help me to live alone for thy glory. Thy grace I need; let thy grace come to me with power.

"I have once and again read of one Rabbi Joseph, who, being allured by the hope of great gain, to teach Hebrew, at a place where there was no synagogue, is said to have brought forth this Scripture as his reason for refusing: 'The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.' Well done, Rabbi Joseph! We greatly fear that there are few of thy kindred who are of thy mind; for the heart of Israel seems to be set upon the precious metals. Nor can we blame Israel much, for the same is all too true concerning those who call themselves Christians. The chink of guineas is rare music even to them. The greatest worldly advantages cannot compensate for the loss of spiritual privileges, and yet we know many who scarcely take this matter into consideration in the choice of their pursuits and positions in life.

A tradesman is earning a competence, and is able to attend the house of God, and to give part of his time and talents to the service of the church; and yet he thinks it to be advisable to cumber himself with extra worldly servitude, and thereby to render himself unable either to profit the church or to be profited himself by the services of the Lord’s house. Is this the way of wisdom? Can this man say that God's words are more desired by him than gold, yea, than much fine gold? A young man is in a fair position, where he has godly surroundings, and every opportunity for spiritual progress; and yet, for the sake of a few pounds more, he puts himself into an un-Christian household, and loses every opportunity of uniting with his brethren in holy work and worship. Is this as it should be? Does not Rabbi Joseph greatly shame such a backsliding Ephraim?

If I were to choose a dwelling-house I would wish to be known as Justus was—for he was "a man that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue." I would hope to reverse the proverb, and prove that the nearer the church the nearer to God. Of course one’s calling, health, or circumstances might compel another choice; but I would ever give preference to a habitation near to a gospel ministry. If I were to choose a trade, I would select one which gave me leisure for the service of the Lord Jesus. If I had the option of my condition in life, I would rather have less earth and more heaven than more earth and less heaven.

It argues a poor state of spiritual health when the mass of Christian professors estimate their position solely and entirely by the money which it yields them. Surely they know, unless they are hypocrites ingrain, that a man’s life consists far more in the devotion which he enjoys than in the treasure which he accumulates. My God, grant me grace ever to put the first first, and the last last. Let me use Paul’s scales, which were the balances of the sanctuary, and reckon that gain to be loss which is gained by loss of communion with thee, and that profit to be unprofitable which renders me less profitable to thee.

Salmasus, one of the most consummate scholars of his time, saw cause to exclaim bitterly against himself. "Oh!" said he, "I have lost a world of time—time, the most precious thing in the world! Had I but one year more, it should be spent in perusing David's Psalms and Paul's Epistles. Oh, sirs," said he, addressing those about him, "mind the world less and God more."