Matthew 6 19-34 What is really first? Some probing questions

If I asked each person here to raise their hand if they put Jesus first in their life.

Of course they do. Or do they? Do I?

The answer is not in the words. It is in the life lived.

The theme verse of the youth camp was Matthew 6:33.

33 But seek first the kingdom of Godand His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Do you seek Him first? What is really first?

Let’s take a minute and look at these passages a bit more in depth this morning.

In your life – What is really first?

Let’s ask some probing questions and let the Holy Spirit be at work to reveal in our lives the true answer.

I. What’s really first? What does your heart pursue?

How do you measure your success in life? By things you have? What are you pursuing

Jesus declares earthly things are fleeting

A. Earthly things fade away Matthew 6:19

(NKJV) Matthew 6 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;

a. Some of the items that measured the wealth of the ancient man

1) Clothes – few had a closet full of clothes. Most only a couple of changes. But now if you had a lot clothes, or some fancy change of clothes – you were really doing well.

a) But Jesus points out that even then they will deteriorates over time – moths / wear and tear / washing – stuff has a tendency to wear away – be eaten – become worthless. Everything is eaten up

2) Ancient money - Everything decays/rusts – literally is consumed 3) Or is taken away – stolen or just lost

b. Earthly treasure can’t be preserved

1) Vehicles breakdown. Stocks decline or are spent. Houses deteriorate

Jesus contrasts these decaying earthly things with heavenly things

B. Heavenly things endure Matthew 6:20

(NKJV) Matthew 6 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroysand where thieves do not break in and steal.

a. Accumulated in heaven by your focus here on earth

b. Secure -safe from earthly decay- unable to be stolen – last into eternity

Jesus states the clear truth

C. Pursuits reflect the heart Matthew 6:21

(NKJV) Matthew 6 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

a. What you desire is where your heart is

b. What you pursue is the mark of where your heart is

c. Is our focus on the earthly or the heavenly?

Jesus makes it clear one must make a choice between the two

D. Only one pursuit is possible – Which is it? Matthew 6:24

(NKJV) Matthew 6 24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

1. Can’t have both

2. God is exclusive – you seek Him as a priority or something else

II. What’s really first? Where is your trust?

Jesus declares worry about earthly things is a matter of trust.

A. Life is more than this world Matthew 6:25

(NKJV) Matthew 6 25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

1. Life is more than just what you do / what happens to you here

2. More than just making ends meet

How futile is that worry anyway? Jesus declares the obvious

B. God offers to provide Matthew 6:26

(NKJV) Matthew 6 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

1. Example: consider the birds flying around

2. God feeds them even though they are not dedicating their lives to cultivation

3. A question of provision: Doesn’t God provide?

4. A question of value: Are you not of more value than them?

Same with clothing – flowers growing around them

(NKJV) Matthew 6 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Now if God so clothes the grassof the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

5. Consider the wild flowers

6. They don’t go through great effort to cloth themselves

7. Yet they are magnificently clothed by God

8. They die quickly, yet God takes extraordinary effort to magnificently provide for them

9. Are you not of more value to them

Jesus then raises a question of impact: Can your worry accomplish anything anyway?

C. Your frantic effort/worry is worthless Matthew 6:27

(NKJV) Matthew 6 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

a. Strange statement: Can you add 18 inches to your life span – add to your height or more probable add a small amount to the length of your life span

2. Adds nothing / beyond your control / worry assume that I can control things – and you can’t

Consider the way the Father established creation. He provides for it. Look around as Jesus likely points to the birds above the crowd.

D. Trust God Matthew 6:31

(NKJV) Matthew 6 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

1. Conclusion: don’t worry

2. Trust the Father who knows your needs

3. The ungodly worry and fret over these things because they don’t know the Father ---- you shouldn’t imitate their faithlessness

So where is your faith?

Jesus now come to the main point. Where is the focus of you life? What do you pursue? What drives you day by day?

III. What’s really first? What do you seek?

A. Seek Him and His kingdom Matthew 6:33a

(NKJV) Matthew 6 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

1. A question of priority – first place

2. Things of the kingdom

B. Seek His righteousness Matthew 6:33b

(NKJV) Matthew 6 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

1. A righteousness that comes only by faith in Christ

2. A practical righteousness that then becomes more and more real in our life as we pursue it

3. Righteousness – life for Him

C. Find full satisfaction Matthew 6:33c-34

(NKJV) Matthew 6 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

1. Seek Him and

2. Trust Him daily

3. Don’t get caught up consuming your life over things in the earthly future – it only leads to worry and anxiety and dissatisfaction

4. He will provide what you need when you need it

5. The priority of life is Him