A Disciple's Compass: Seeking the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness

Intro

Two weeks ago (April 7), Jeannette reminded us of several things.

(1) You are the new Abraham of the New Covenant. Remember how we experienced Jesus declaring the New Covenant during the Last Supper, the Passover Seder meal when he broke the bread and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And after supper, he took the cup and said, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:26-29)

(2) You are called to be priests representing the Kingdom of God. Remember the scene at Mt. Sinai, after God delivered the descendants of Abraham from slavery in Egypt, God declared that his people were going to be a kingdom of priests representing God to the world, AND interceding on behalf of the world before God (Exodus 19:6). Remember how at that last Passover Seder meal Jesus washed the feet of the disciples indicating that they were the priests of the New Covenant, and he was preparing them for service (John 13).

(3) Jeannette also reminded us that your name is in the next chapter of the story of the Kingdom of God. As we partner with the Holy Spirit, we are writing new chapters in the story of the Kingdom of God that include our names, our actions, and God’s miraculous work in our times.

Last week (April 14), Dr. Jeff Frymire reminded us that the Kingdom of God is Good News of God’s Grace extended to all people – even the “other guy.” There are no irredeemable people; there are simply people who don’t know that God intentionally designed them to be His representatives in this world. Which brings us to today.

Many of you know that I just completed a Master of Arts degree in Biblical Studies at Redemption Seminary. Today, I am going to share the first part of my final project on discipleship. Discipleship is the most important missing piece in the life of the church today – and THAT becomes a puzzle.

When you look at the church (any congregation), our mission is clear – make disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples. We have embraced the mission and given it a special name – the Great Commission. Christ has given us authority (Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 10:19; Genesis 1:26-28) and power (Acts 1:8) to accomplish the mission. Piece of cake, right?

On the other hand, many Christians today assume that it is possible to be a Christian without ever becoming a disciple. In practice, discipleship has become an optional add-on for “extra credit” in our pursuit of Christ. So why is there this disconnect?

I’m convinced, the disconnect results from a series of slight misunderstandings of key biblical concepts, including the Great Commission. These small misunderstandings may seem insignificant. They only throw us off course in very slight ways. But a one-degree error in real-life can, over time, be disastrous.

Fortunately, we have found a way to avoid disaster in long-distance travel by making minor, real-time, course corrections at locations along the way called waypoints. On a long journey by plane, there are “waypoints” that mark critical locations along a flight path. In the early 1900s, these waypoints were determined by landmarks or geographic features. You would fly over a bend in the river or fly by a unique building or a mountain and you could see if you were off course and by how much. At each of these waypoints, pilots could then, using a compass, make slight course corrections to keep the plane headed in the right direction. Today, thanks to modern technology, the waypoints are designated by GPS coordinates and course corrections are typically made by computers.

On a long journey, say across a continent or ocean, a one-degree error could result in being miles from your intended destination. In about a year and a half, the United States will be sending astronauts around the moon, and one year after that we will land men and women on the surface of the moon – 52 years after our last lunar landing.

If the Artemis II crew, that will be traveling to the moon, is just one degree off course, it would be deadly. By the time they got to where they thought the moon would be, they would be off course by about 4,000 miles – a distance of about twice the diameter of the moon. If we were traveling to the sun but were off course by just one degree, when we got to where we thought we should be we would be about 1.5 million miles away from where we needed to be.

Considering the current course of the North American church, if discipleship is the church’s moonshot, we are headed for deep space and a cold, dark future.

Fortunately, making a series of minor course corrections along the way could put us back on the path toward our intended destination of a church that makes disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples.

Now GPS works great for making course corrections on Earth, but how can the church stay on course as we pursue discipleship? As a disciple of Christ, what should our compass be for navigating the Christian life?

Jesus gave us the perfect compass, and it’s found in Matthew 6:33 (ESV): “Seek first the kingdom of God …”

Imagine a congregation where every believer was focused on seeking the Kingdom of God before anything else. Picture a united group of believers that all pull in the same direction. What could happen in a community where every congregation asked the same question before they made any ministry decision – “Will this decision help the Kingdom of God grow in our community?”

It’s very possible that this congregation could become a discipleship engine if we allow our compass to guide us on the journey ahead. Let’s explore what that means.

The Compass

What does it mean to “seek first the Kingdom?” How do you SEEK the kingdom? What does it look like? What does the Kingdom of God do? Will I know it when I find it? These are some of the first questions that pop up when we explore the idea of seeking the kingdom of God first.

How will finding the Kingdom of God impact me? What happens to me, or in me, when I come in contact with the Kingdom of God? How will I be changed by the Kingdom of God? How will I benefit from being in the midst of the Kingdom of God?

These questions are understandable because we are told that when we seek the Kingdom of God first, we will receive “all these things.” What are “all these things?” If we seek the Kingdom of God what kind of “stuff” will we get?

When we teach this – “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” – it is only natural to approach it with a self-centered perspective. How will this impact me?

Have you ever met someone who thinks the whole world revolves around them? Annoying right? Maybe we’re a little more subtle, but we almost always read scripture this way. What is this scripture saying about me? What is Jesus saying about me? When Jesus died on the cross, how did that impact me? When Jesus rose from the grave, what did that accomplish for me? We never read other books that way, but we naturally read scripture through a self-centered lens – how does this affect me?

But consider this question: What would happen if we read scripture from a different perspective? One that’s NOT self-centered? How might that change the way we view this scripture?

Another way we read scripture is we microdose. Have you heard about microdosing? When you microdose medication, you take it in very small amounts to test its positive effects while minimizing any negative side effects. Frequently, we microdose scripture.

We consume scripture in very small amounts, sometimes not even a complete verse or sentence. We memorize or quote bumper-sticker-sized fragments of scripture, assuming we understand what scripture is trying to communicate. We’ve been trained to read scripture this way too.

Do you remember the “DaySpring Our Daily Bread Promise Boxes?” We had these growing up and it was a unique way of memorizing short biblical promises. Every day you would pull out one card and read one side (there were two promises on each card – front and back), and then you would put the card in the back of the stack. And you would think about that verse all day long. The next day you would pick the next card – rinse and repeat. There are 120 cards in a pack (240 promises), so if you did this once a day this little loaf of “daily bread” would take you through 240 days – or eight months.

The problem is that each of these promises is read out of context. Sometimes you don’t know who said it; you don’t know who it was said to; you don’t even know what the circumstances surrounding the promise were when it was first given. Jeff reminded us last week that we must read scripture within the context in which we find it. As my professor, Michael Heiser, always stated, “Context is king!”[1]

And because these Daily Bread passages were marketed as “promises” from the “promise box,” we got used to reading longer passages of scripture in the same way. We were trained to read scripture searching for promises, given by God to us, that we could apply to our lives no matter the season or context of our life.

So, let’s go back to the text and ask this question, “In Matthew 6 what was Jesus talking about when he said these things?” When we study this section of the Sermon on the Mount, we often start with Matthew 6:25. But what is the first word of Matthew 6:25? Almost every English translation starts with this word – therefore. And you know what you’re supposed to do when you see the word “therefore?” Go back and find out what it’s … there for. The key is Matthew 6:24. If you forget verse 24, or you chop it off and start with verse 25, you will read this passage from a self-centered perspective.

Seek First the Kingdom of God

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and [Mammon].

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious 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? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:24–33 ESV)

The questions in Jesus’s mind that prompt this illustration are “Who are you serving? Who are you working for? What are you focused on? What is your priority?” And all of this is within the larger context of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). The thrust of this sermon (these three chapters) is: I have called my twelve disciples, I’m officially launching my earthly ministry, and here is what I expect from you as my disciples.

In other words, Jesus is saying, “We are focused on proclaiming the good news (the gospel) of the kingdom of God. But you will have a strong urge to first find your security in wealth so that you can provide for your daily needs and the needs of your family.”

Language is funny. The English language is like all languages – it’s always changing, morphing. In the language of today’s youth, Jesus might say, “No Cap!” – “You cannot serve both God and Mammon.”

Mammon is a unique Aramaic word. In the whole New Testament, Jesus is the only one who uses this word – Mammon. It means money or wealth, so your version of the Bible may translate it that way. However, some of our English translations do the same thing that the Greek translators did – they leave the word untranslated and present the word in its original form – “mammon.”

I really think this is the best way to present the word “mammon” because Jesus wasn’t just talking about money or wealth. Jesus uses the word Mammon to personify wealth. He describes Mammon as an enslaving force as if it were a “lower-case” god that people serve; a power that people are enslaved by.[2]

When you seek to provide for yourself, you are serving yourself. When you seek security in money, you become a slave to it – you are putting your trust in the false belief that money can protect you, provide for you, and make you safe. At that point, money (Mammon) becomes a spiritual force that can control every decision you make.

Jesus is emphasizing that you can’t serve both Yahweh God and this other supernatural power – Mammon. And when you spend your time trying to get more money so that you can provide for your own needs, you are either serving the god of money, or you are serving yourself. You become focused on providing for yourself. But Jesus says, in the kingdom of God, you serve the One True God, Yahweh God. And when you seek to expand his kingdom, he will provide everything you need. You won't become enslaved. You won’t be chasing money for the rest of your life.

As you champion his kingdom, God wants to empower you and provide for you, If you are consistently seeking the kingdom of God first, you become free from the desire to provide for yourself. You don’t become enslaved to the things you need; they become incredible, unbelievable blessings, freely provided by a loving God!

Being “kingdom-minded” is liberating! You are free to be a transformative presence in the world when you rely on God’s protection and provision.

Seek the Righteousness of God

But let's go back and look at verse 33 again. Jesus challenges us to not only seek the kingdom of God (knowing that God will provide for our needs) but he also challenges us to seek God’s righteousness.

Remember that this illustration, this warning by Jesus, is in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. In these three chapters in Matthew, Jesus talks about how the Kingdom of God functions, how ministry is conducted, how disciples behave, and how they can advance the Kingdom of God. The whole sermon (Matthew 5-7) focuses on describing the Kingdom of God AND the righteousness of God. This brings us to another word that we have unfortunately misunderstood.

Since the Reformation in the early 1500s when reformers in the church sought to correct the errors and excesses of the established church, we have been trained to equate righteousness with justification. At that point in the life of the church, people thought that they had to go to a priest to have their sins absolved and to receive forgiveness. The Reformation was a much-needed correction. You can go straight to God to have your sins forgiven – there is no human intervention needed. What Jesus, our High Priest, accomplished on the cross, purchased your salvation and deliverance from sin.

However, if we are not careful, we will crawl out of the ditch on the right side of the road only to fall into the ditch on the left side! We’ve been taught by well-meaning people that righteousness is a condition, or “standing” that we are granted because of Christ’s work on the cross. We’ve been taught to seek the “state” (or condition) of being in right-standing with God.

Because of what Christ did on the cross we can now stand before a holy God, justified and free from sin. But seeking “God’s righteousness” is not the same thing as “seeking the justification” that comes from Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Righteousness does not equal justification. These are 25-dollar, churchy words that we throw around but don’t really understand. Righteousness, justification, propitiation, substitution. We’ve got a handle on some words like salvation, forgiveness, faith, sin, and redemption, but even those get fuzzy sometimes.

Righteousness is a word that describes how God acts. God’s acts are righteous. All of his ways are righteous (Psalm 145:17). Righteousness is a “way” of acting. Righteousness is acting in the same way that God acts. And when we act the way God would act, our actions are righteous, and we are walking in the way of righteousness.

To help explain this, let’s look at another story Jesus told. As he was teaching in the Temple, the chief priests and the elders confront him, and after some sharp words Jesus says,

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him. (Matthew 21:28-32)

One son says, “No, I’m not going to work in the field.” But later he reconsiders and goes to work in the field. The other son says, “Sure, I’ll go work in the field.” But later he reconsiders and thinks – I’ve got better things to do than work in the field. He doesn’t go to work in the field. Which of these two did the will of his father?

Then Jesus sets the hook. “Tax collectors and prostitutes have entered into the kingdom of God, but not you. John came in “the way of righteousness” – his actions aligned with the way God would act in the world. You didn’t walk in “the way of righteousness” but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. “Even when you saw it …” – saw what? Even when you saw “the worst of the worst” kind of people acting, or walking, in the way of righteousness – you didn’t pursue righteousness – you didn’t seek righteousness.

The chief priests and elders didn’t even say, “I’m sorry” when confronted by John the Baptizer, and that isn’t what God was looking for. Repentance is NOT about changing your mind and saying, “I’m sorry.” Repentance means to turn around and walk in the way of Christ. In the same way, righteousness is not something you receive when you repent; righteousness is the path that you walk once you have been transformed by Christ. Righteousness is about serving the King of kings as you advance his kingdom.

You know, Bob Dylan got it right sometimes.

Gotta Serve Somebody – Bob Dylan

You may be an ambassador to England or France

You may like to gamble, you might like to dance

You may be the heavyweight champion of the world

You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls

But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes

Indeed you're gonna have to serve somebody

Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord

But you're gonna have to serve somebody[3]

When we repent, when we turn to Christ, we begin to walk in the way of righteousness. Our discipleship compass reminds us to first – before anything else – seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

How do you seek the kingdom of God? By living in the way of righteousness. By acting the way God would act in the world. As you go through your day, you will see brokenness. You will see situations where God’s kingdom could make a difference. Steward his creation the way God would steward it. Look for, pursue, and seek the kingdom of God. Act in ways that advance the kingdom of God. Look for how God is expanding the kingdom of God. Partner with him in advancing the kingdom of God by acting the way he would act.

Conclusion

This begs the question, how are we even capable of seeking the kingdom of God first and living in the way of righteousness? It’s because of what Jesus did.

In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul tells us that Christ died so that we might no longer live for ourselves but instead, we live for him (v. 15). Paul says that for our sake God made Jesus (who was sinless) to be sin, so that through him we might become the righteousness of God. This is poetic language. Think about it. You don’t become sin – you act in sinful ways. Christ took our just punishment – the punishment that we owed because of our sinful ways – so that we could be empowered to walk and act in the way of righteousness – the way Christ would act in the world.

In James 1, the half-brother of Jesus reminds us that anger does not result in the righteousness of God (v. 20). But if we apply the Word of God to our lives, and do what it says, we will be blessed – we will provide for of the orphans and widows (vs. 25 & 27).

Peter tells us in 1 Peter chapter 2 that Christ himself carried our sins to the cross so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness (v. 24).

Hebrews 11 (the Hall of Faith) reminds us over and over again that the people of God, throughout time, have been compelled by their faith in God to act on behalf of the kingdom by living in the way of righteousness.

A true disciple of Christ seeks the kingdom of God first – before anything else – before seeking to provide for his or her own needs. Not irresponsibly. This disciple is not acting foolishly. The true disciple of Christ KNOWS that God loves us and that he knows exactly what we need. And if God dresses the lilies of the field with so much beauty – won’t he also give us everything we need to advance the kingdom of God? If God is for us who will be against us? Oh, Have Faith! (Romans 8:31-32; Matthew 6:28-30)

Seek first the kingdom of God! And the way to seek the kingdom of God first is to walk in the way of righteousness. And that “WAY” isn’t about doing good things, it’s about doing God’s things.

The way of righteousness is acting as representatives of God in the world. Being his hands and feet. Finding the not good and making it good. Finding the chaos and bringing the kind of order that only God can provide. Finding the barren places, the fruitless lives, the dry parched communities, and bringing them to life and fruitfulness, flowing with living water from the heart of God.

If we are going to be true disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples, we MUST allow the compass that Jesus gave his disciples to guide our lives. Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.

What are you looking for? What are you seeking? How do you make decisions? Are you serving yourself, unsure of whether or not God will provide what you need? Are you bowing down to the God of wealth (to Mammon), hoping that he will provide what you need?

Every moment of every day we must choose between serving God or serving ourselves; serving the One True God or serving the god of wealth. Jesus has given us a compass to help us make good choices. It’s easy to memorize – it’s only nine words long. Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness.

I have a gift for you today as you leave. I hope it reminds you to choose well. Practice seeking the kingdom of God every day – in each decision. Practice acting the way God would act if he were in your situation. Use this simple compass to guide you to the New Country where discipleship flourishes. It’s not rocket science, but it can absolutely transform the world.

Seek First the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness

[1] Dr. Michael S. Heiser, BI101 Introducing Biblical Interpretation: Contexts and Resources (5 Hour Course), Revised Edition (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018), sec. 12. [2] Karel van der Toorn, Bob Becking, and Pieter W. van der Horst, eds., Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, Second Edition, Logos Research Edition (Leiden ; Boston : Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999), 542–43. [3] Copyright © 1979 by Special Rider Music