"God First"

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

This text is an exhortation concerning priorities in our life. It is not a favorite text of those who put themselves first in life.

I. The Work Involved

“Seek”

Explanation

The word “Seek” means “to go in search or quest of”

“to seek” means we must go on a quest.

Application

The Scripture tells us we are to seek the kingdom of God!

We are on a quest for the kingdom of God

Getting your priorities right is not going to be easy.

You must do some “seeking,” which means there must be some desire, some effort and energy expended to accomplish this purpose.

Many things will beckon you and try to get your attention and efforts before you give yourself to the Lord first. Try having devotions or a prayer time and you will understand how many things would try to get your attention away from your practice of piety.

They want you to give them the priority.

But if you are going to be successful in doing what the exhortation of this text says, you must do some seeking, that is you must give diligent effort to do what is right.

Good things seldom come accidently. They come by seeking them.

Evil does not have to be sought for it does the seeking. But good has to be sought.

There must be desire, dedication, and determination or you will never obtain the good object.

Illustration

Colossians 3:23 - And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

II. The Personal Responsibility

“Ye”

Explanation

This is Jesus’ sermon on the mount

He is preaching with authority to multitudes of people.

He is preaching to a crowd but he emphasizes the responsibility of each individual.

“Ye” means a group of individuals

Application

You are as spiritual as you want to be.

It’s time to stop blaming anyone else.

Today wether you know it or not, you are making a choice to follow God or not.

No more excuses.

YOU need to be responsible.

2 Corinthians 5:10 KJV - 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Joshua 24:15 KJV - 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Illustration

After we got married, I realized that it was MY responsibility to provide for my wife...

III. The Priority

“First the kingdom of God and his righteousness.”

(First things First)

Christ states our priorities in this verse.

They are to be spiritual.

The “kingdom of God” speaks of spiritual matters.

Our soul must come first in our pursuits.

“What shall if profit a man. if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul” (Mark 8:36) also says spiritual matters much come first in our life.

Yet the world has put spiritual matters on the back burner in order to gain a hunk of the world.

But when they die, the only thing that matters is their soul and the things of the world which they have gained will be of no value in eternity.

In all your seeking, seek God first.

The priority in everything you do should be God First!

The verses which precede our text speak of our material needs, such as food and clothing. These things are not evil in themselves, but they are not to be given priority over spiritual matters.

Churches have ignored our text often in providing food and clothes for people and not supplying anything for their spiritual needs.

God is to comes first in all our seeking. Do not put anything before God, no matter how important it may seem to the world.

A. Some things must be brought down

Self, pride, lust, greed, selfishness, etc...

B. Some things must be raised up

God, soul winning, church, devotions, etc...

Illustration

John 3:30 KJV - 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. (photo of a scale?)

IV. The Reward

“all these things shall be added unto you”

How often we learn that if we have our priorities right, everything will eventually be taken care of.

When we pursue our spiritual needs first, all our other needs (not wants) will be taken care of. God promises this blessing.

Therefore, we say without hesitation, that much of the problems of poverty in our world are a result of bad priorities.

People do not put God first, and this means their other needs will not be taken care of well even though they are given top priority in their life.

Luke 6:38 KJV - 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.