We've been talking about first and we're in a series and this is the last message in this series talking about first.

We've talked about the heart of first. We've talked about the principal of first and we've talked about the secret of first.

Today I want to talk to you about the action of first.

In other words, if we really put God first in our life, what is our corresponding action to that?

Now let me give you a little background on 2 Corinthians,

chapter 8, so you understand, because I'm just going to read you one verse.

2nd Corinthians 8,, is encouraging or exhorting the Corinthian Church to finish their financial commitment.

It would be similar to us with our one life commitment. We've got three months left until the end of March or two and a half months here.

And we've made a commitment. Let's finish this commitment. That's what he's doing and he's using the church at Macedonia to encourage the church at Corret and he's saying to them,

listen, the church at Macedonia was in a recession when they made their commitment and the recession

got worse.

But they not only fulfilled their commitment as we had hoped, but they even did more than

what they had committed.

And so that's the background of what he's, of the Second Corinthians later, right?

So look at Second Corinthians, chapter 8, verse 5.

He says, and not only as we had hoped, talking about their financial commitment, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and then to us by the will of God.

And notice that phrase, they first gave themselves to the Lord.

What does it mean to give yourself to God?

And how do you give yourself to God?

Well, I think that the answer to that is found in one of the longest sentences in the Bible,

and that's in Ephesians 4.

So flip over to Ephesians 4 and in Ephesians 4 it is a passage that lists the gifts of Jesus.

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