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I. Reading of Scripture
This is God’s Word, Amen.
Pray
Matthew 6:19-7:11 | "His Kingdom and Righteousness"
II.
Introduction
A. Introduction to Theme
The title of this message highlights the two central themes of The Sermon on the Mount: “His Kingdom and Righteousness.”
Both of these words, kingdom and righteousness seem very familiar to us, in that we hear them, and read them, and speak them, and sing them often as we encounter God’s Word and gather with the saints for worship.
But if we are honest, we would have to admit that while these words seem very familiar, they are really very foreign to us, practically and theologically.
Practically, we are not accustomed to living under the rule of an earthly king.
Our forefathers in the United States of America, fought and gained freedom from kingly rule.
They shrunk the boundaries of a kingdom.
Generations of men and women since then have fought and sacrificed to keep us free.
We don’t bow before anyone, much less an earthly king.
The word “Kingdom” is foreign to us.
A “kingdom” is something that belongs “over there” — to another time and another place and another people.
Until someone walks into the man cave, or the “she-shed’” the “office” or the “kitchen,” the “garage” or the “gym” and touches something, or moves something out of place.
And then we realize that the concept of kingdom is something we all relate to and know selfishly well.
We all have an innate desire to mark off a territory and call it “mine.”
“I am the king, I am the queen of this domain.
All who enter in, will abide by my rules.
So let it be written, so let it be done.”
We are inclined publicly to rebel against kings, while privately making ourselves kings and making for ourselves kingdoms, to rule and reign over whatever we please.
And we do a good job of that.
We understand kingdom better than we think.
The word “Righteousness” is also foreign to us.
Practically, it is a big word, and one seldom used used outside of an ecclesial context (outside of Church).
But as with “Kingdom,” we understand the concept of righteousness better than we think.
For at the core of "righteousness” is “answering like with like” (BDAG).
When someone gives us a gift for Christmas, we are compelled to give them a like gift in return.
If someone shoves us, we want to shove them back with no less force.
When someone tells us “I love you,” not many people respond by saying “I know.”
But we say in return, “I love you too.”
Answering like with like.
We understand righteousness better than we think.
But theologically, the word “kingdom” and “righteousness” are words that belong to God and not to us.
For the kingdom of heaven is spoken of by Jesus as something that draws near.
It is not created by us or sustained by us or ruled by us.
It is outside of us, and even far from us, that Jesus brings near to us.
It is that which is foreign, that Jesus alone makes familiar.
Righteousness is like this too.
For the Scriptures declare in multiple places: “None is righteous, no, not one” (Rom 3:10…).
And so we write righteousness off as unattainable , we set it aside, we compartmentalize it, and we don’t care to understand what it is and what it means so much.
Because it too, is not created by us, or sustained by us or represented by us within ourselves.
The righteousness of God is outside of us, and even far from us, so that Jesus must bring it near.
Both “kingdom” and “righteousness,” when properly sourced, are found not within US, but within our Heavenly Father.
It is HIS kingdom and righteousness that we are to seek after.
Jesus teaches, and even commands, that we are to seek — that is, “to devote serious effort to obtain” (BDAG) God’s kingdom and righteousness.
This is what we are to be preoccupied with as followers of Jesus.
We are not only to seek after these things, but we are also to prioritize them.
“Seek first his kingdom and righteousness.”
Jesus is going to help us prioritize what we are to be preoccupied with.
And he’s going to do it by teaching us what we are to spend less time and effort upon.
We should spend LESS time and effort:
treasuring up for ourselves treasures on earth (6:19-24)
being anxious for our life (6:25-34)
judging (7:1-5)
giving dogs what is holy and throwing pearls before pigs (7:6)
We should spend MORE time and effort:
Asking and receiving
seeking and finding
knocking and doors being opened (7:7-11)
B. Introduction to Text
Our focus today is this first section, chapter 6:19-34.
III.
Exposition
A. 6:19-34 | His Kingdom
The first set of verses, 6:19-34, may be grouped under a general heading of “His Kingdom.”
For the things that Jesus teaches here have the result of expounding for us what it means for God to be king, and for us to be part of His Kingdom.
And this will be all-encompassing to who we are.
Jesus will speak of heart, body, and soul.
1. 6:19-24 | Do not treasure up for yourselves treasures on earth.
Verses 19 and 20 are identical verses, with only minor alterations.
Verse 19 is a prohibition.
Do NOT do this —
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth.”
Verse 20 grants permission.
“Do THIS — “
“Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.”
The action here, to “lay up” or “store up” is a word that derives itself from the word “treasure.”
Jesus is speaking about “treasuring up” “treasure” for ourselves.
“Treasure” is something that is valuable and guarded.
It is kept safe (LN, BDAG).
The action of “treasuring up treasure for ourselves” is not what is good or bad.
It is the location where we are treasuring that makes what we are doing good or bad.
The only difference in these two verses is the location:
“upon the earth” (v.19) and “in heaven” (v.20).
Think of it as a safety deposit box.
Where is your safety deposit box, if you have one?
Answer: In a bank somewhere.
Your treasure is stored on earth.
But does anything in that safety deposit box represent something that is being stored up in heaven?
In a way, we could think of “safety deposit boxes” as “spiritual deposit boxes.”
Something that is material, that we can touch, but that is stored up for a spiritual purpose.
Did you hear about the man from San Francisco?
Who acquired 7,000 Bitcoins (a cryptocurrency) back in 2012.
The only way to access a Bitcoin is with a password the user sets for himself.
And this man, Stefan Thomas, lost his password to the hard drive with his 7,000 Bitcoins.
You have only 10 tries to enter the right password before all the data is erased, and I think he’s used 8 attempts.
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