Keeping First Things First

Text

Matthew 6:33–34 NASB95

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Introduction

“Worry is practical atheism and an affront (insult) to God - Robert Mounce

The Stance

As Jesus continues His “Sermon on the Mount”, He gets to a very significant part of that sermon.

Reading through chap. 6 you will notice that He condemns hypocrisy and doing to gain the approval of men (Giving, Praying, and fasting)

He talks about the unhealthy attraction to wealth

Wealth is a means to have security in life

Wealth casues you to have focus on other places

This motif of “mammon” points to the CARES OF LIFE

Why does Jesus do this?

He highlights to us the need to prioritize Kingdom.

“Seek ye first”

The verb protos means can mean i. first in position ii. first in importance

The Kingdom comes first in importance

This is not to the extent to neglect the necessities of life but ensure it gets the rigt amount of focus

It needs to dominate my thoughts

It needs to dominate my efforts

It needs to dominate my focus

The Kingdom is top priority. It is, our main FOCUS

APPL. Whatever holds my focus, becomes the vehicle that drives me around

In the Church we are seeking to build a culture where we are driven by Kingdom - this was Jesus’ top priority and it needs to be ours

The Setback

The issue is that there cares of this life that come up

How do I do life and remain Kingdom Focused?

Matthew 6:25 ““For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

This is not NEGLECT

Build your business/brand, get your education, build wealth, advance your career

BUT. . . .don’t let these things drive you!

Worry- To care with great intensity - it begins to dominate your mind then your activity

Worry is a posture that seeks to assume that ‘I’ am in control of securing life [Not GOD]

Consider what Jesus says:

He uses a style of Jewish argumentation called, Qal wahomer; how much more/lesser and greater

Matthew 6:26 ““Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?”

And again. . .

Matthew 6:30 ““But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!”

Jesus removes the need for worry by taking care of your needs so that You can be Kingdom Focused

Jesus does this because the thing that causes worry (life) can’t be the solution to worry.

The command to not worry is not for:

Good health

Recipe to build wealth

IT’s so that Kingdom gets the attention it deserves

The Solution

How do I deal with worry?

I don’t always have the presence of mind to look at the birds

I’m overwhelmed by

Struggles

Brokenness of life/pockets

Grief and Heartaches

Health

Family drama

Marital drama

What do I do, when worry comes?

Worry says, “I don’t trust God”

Worry makes you look inward and not upward

Try this

1 Peter 5:6–7 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”

I show humility by “casting”

Question: How do I cast?

Philippians 4:6–7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”