Live the Kingdom Way (2)

July 2, 2017

Scripture Text: Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Introduction:

Today, I’d like to share some insights with you about worry and how to tackle it God’s Way. Worry is something that everyone faces from one time to another and the Scriptures indicate that God’s solution to worry is to Live the Kingdom Way, as summarized in Matthew 6:33.

Our passage comes closer to Jesus’ conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, wherein Jesus provides both moral and ethical teaching about the Kingdom of God, much of which we’re going to highlight today. We’re going to be all over Matthew 5 and 6 this morning so, in some instances, I’m only going to reference a verse and give explanation; it’s up to you to read the verse either today or sometime this week.

This is not instruction against planning. Our God is a planner Who planned salvation before the world began. Elsewhere in the NT, Paul encourages the Corinthian church to plan ahead to set aside funds to deliver to the Jerusalem church undergoing some struggles. The Scriptures are not against planning. However, the Scriptures do help us to understand that …

We face numerous temptations to worry and not Live the Kingdom Way.

Worry or anxiety, as defined here in Matthew 6:25-34, is a self-focused concern that consumes your thoughts.

This concern can center on material things. (Matthew 6:25)

This concern can center on personal circumstances. (Matthew 6:27)

In reality, we worry over things we, ultimately, have no control over. (Matthew 6:27)

We have no control over the future.

Only God is in control of all things and thus exhorts us to trust Him all the more!

When we turn to worry, we turn away from trusting God and to trusting in ourselves. (Matthew 6:31)

In noting the mental deliberations one has over worrying about what they don't have, God is no where mentioned, rather it’s about trusting in themselves.

What normally results when we trust in ourselves? - sin.

Jeremiah the prophet warns us about trusting in another person as it takes him away from the Lord. (Jeremiah 17:5)

We can compound our sin of worrying with other sins as a sinful means of seeking either resolution or escape from our worry. (I find it very interesting that in this same sermon, Jesus addresses sins common to all, especially when people are worried)

Consider Jesus’ instruction about anger. (Matthew 5:20-22)

When people worry are they generally the nicest, friendliest people around or the most irritable? - the most irritable!

In the heat of anger, we’re all tempted to both do and say, as Christ notes here, regrettable things to others.

Why is this such a problem? - consider this passage in conjunction with James 3:8-10.

When you say terrible things to others or call them names, you are ‘cursing’ the image of God.

I hope that we will all echo with James, these things ought not so to be, even when we’re so distressed by circumstances that we worry.

Consider also Jesus’ instruction against immorality. (Matthew 5:27-32)

When people worry, they generally want resolution to their problem.

The quickest, momentary resolution is some form of escape.

At its core, immorality is about seeking pleasure and even momentary pleasure can help one forget their troubles at that moment.

This sort of escapism fails on three counts: 1) Turns us from God’s solution to seeking our resolution and 2) to a method of pleasure-seeking outrightly condemned in the Scriptures and 3) it does not resolve the problem over which one is worried about.

Last, consider as well Jesus’ instruction about oaths.

Jesus’ core instruction here is about telling the truth.

Is lying a problem for people who are worried about something? - of course.

I would challenge you to read through the rest of Matthew 5 to determine what other sinful reactions folks might engage subsequent to their worry.

To Live the Kingdom Way, we must adopt Kingdom Attitudes and Actions.

Christians have no option; we must seek God’s Kingdom/pursue Kingdom Attitudes.

In the original Greek, Jesus’ statement is phrased as a command, leaving us no option for obedience.

Moreover, Jesus’ use of the word ‘first’ emphasizes that both God’s Kingdom and pursuing His Righteousness are the Christian’s passionate priority pursuit.

‘First’ denotes primarily priority, thus establishing the Christian’s goal.

‘First’ also denotes the eagerness that should characterize our pursuit.

Consider, how hard athletes train with the goal of achieving a win for their sport.

As a Christian, pursuit of God’s Kingdom and His righteousness should consume our lives that everyone knows, no matter what activity we’re engaged in - God’s Kingdom and His righteousness engulfs everything we do and leaves an impression everywhere we go and on everything we touch.

Furthermore, Christ uses what is effectively “y’all”, a plural form of ‘you’ denoting that this command is for all of His disciples, present and future. (Being born in the South Himself, Jesus would fit in well with us.)

Adopt the Kingdom Attitude of Absolute Trust in God. (Matthew 5:3)

Being spiritually poor, we have absolutely no spiritual merit before God and no means of developing spiritual merit before Him.

Being destitute or poor, highlights one having absolutely nothing and being dependent on the kindness of others.

In the summer of 2008, I encountered a man sleeping on a bench at night and decided that I’d buy him something to eat and use this as an opportunity to share the Gospel with him.

Unfortunately, he wanted to sleep more than he wanted to take the meal I purchased, evidencing that he wasn’t really destitute, or, if he was, then he was ignorant of his need.

We are totally dependent on God’s kindness.

When we fail to recognize our destitution before God, we fail!

Such trust focuses us on the greatness of our God and His hatred for sin, producing in us the attitude of Brokenness over Sin. (Matthew 5:4)

This is way more than being sorry.

Rather, we recognize we’ve offended the most powerful and important Person that exists.

Yet, He promises to comfort us when we, in our brokenness over sin, confess that sin to Him. (1 John 1:9)

Such trust also enables us to respond in Gentleness rather than anger when we’re tempted to be overwhelmed by our circumstances. (Matthew 5:5)

Adopt the Kingdom Action of Eager Obedience to God’s Word. (Matthew 5:6)

No other righteousness qualifies as even the righteousness of the most religious does not satisfy. (Matthew 5:20)

Adopt the Kingdom Action of Mercy. (Matthew 5:7)

Mercy concerns acts of compassion towards those in misery (PW, 46).

Helping to relieve the distress of those who are in misery through circumstances.

Extending forgiveness towards others who, to some extent by reason of living in a sin-cursed world, are in misery from one level to another.

Adopt the Kingdom Action of Purity. (Matthew 5:8)

Purity of heart and mind (Matthew 5:27-28)

Absolute marital fidelity (Matthew 5:31-32)

Adopt the Kingdom Action of Peacemaking. (Matthew 5:9)

Jesus’ illustration emphasizes the priority of peacemaking as soon as feasibly possible.

Holding onto hurts helps no one but, rather, only produces bitterness in your life and sours your outlook. (Heb. 12:15)

If you’ve been seriously hurt by someone and have not sought to make peace with that individual, consider the teachings of Christ that follow our present verse about resolving your own sin with God first before gently seeking peaceful resolution to the conflict with the other. (Matthew 7:1-5)

If worry is the result of conflict, then the most obvious action is to find the one you’re in conflict with and make peace.

Adopt the Kingdom Action of Prizing Heaven Above All. (Matthew 5:10)

People treasure a lot of different things and evidence such a value for that thing or person through the way they treat it and even what they might be willing to endure to protect it.

In essence, Christ calls attention to the fact that we value God’s kingdom so highly that not even the threat of force through persecution deters us from our relationship with God or from obeying His Word.

Practically speaking, we don’t necessarily need to go through persecution to show that we’re valuing God’s Kingdom; rather, we can show that we value His Kingdom above all daily through evidencing both the attitudes just described and taking action by obeying God’s Word.

Adopt the Kingdom Action of Responsible Service to the Lord. (Matthew 5:13-19)

As salt, light and a city set on a hill all have their appropriate uses, so Christians have a responsibility to serve the Lord.

As identified in Matthew 5:19, we have a responsibility to share what we’ve learned today.

Conclusion: As you have probably already noticed, this message isn’t so much about avoiding worry as it is living the way that God wants us to as Christians. The unfortunate reality is that, when we fail to live the way God intended and wants us to, we tend to resort to sinful reactions, such as worry. Is your life characterized by worry and anxiety? Christ invites you to come to Him and adopt a new way of living!