And His Righteousness

And His Righteousness Part 1 – Lesson 3

Our main text In Matthew 6:33 commands us to seek the Kingdom of God first, and His righteousness. I would like to talk to you in the next couple of lessons about Kingdom Righteousness. I am indebted to Dr. Wingrove Taylor and his ministerial expertise for a lot of the inspiration and information for this section of the series “The Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.”

We have talked about the Kingdom belong to God, we have talked about the Kingdom of God not coming by way of observation, or upon you, but the Kingdom of God is within you. Now that does not mean the Kingdom of God is within everyone, but it is within everyone who is born again. That is what sets them apart from everyone else. That is why they march to the beat of a different drum, because they have a different leader, a different government, a different kingdom than that of this world, and it is within them.

It is encouraging to me to think that where a kingdom is the king must be, so when the Kingdom of God is within you that means you have made God your king, sovereign of your life, you have stepped off the throne in your heart and crowned Christ King of Kings and Lord of Lords in your life. I tell you that is a wonderful experience, When the Kingdom of God is within you.

We want to look for a little while here about this Kingdom’s righteousness. When Angie and Eric were in the hospital I would go often for meals to the cafeteria as they would give me a voucher for a percentage off of my meals. On one occasion I had gone down there and Angie had asked me to get her a sprite. I got my food and two drinks a sprite and MT. Dew, and went through the checkout. The guy running the cash register looked at my food and started totaling it up. He asked if the cup, meaning sprite, was water or pop. Of course I had to tell him it was pop. He started saying oh I had you down as water, you could of gotten away with it, you know it doesn’t hurt to tell a lie every once in a while… etc. I remember leaving there feeling so sad, because I know that he is not alone in his thinking, but that is the popular philosophy of the day.

Kingdom righteousness is far different than that, it follows God’s standard, not situation ethics or popular philosophy. However I must remind you that Kingdom righteousness is not the righteousness of the law it is a superior righteousness, vastly more than just law righteousness.

Kingdom righteousness is a righteousness of love.

Romans 8:8-10 8Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

And Mark 12:29-34 28And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. 32And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: 33And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. 34And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

Kingdom righteousness at its heart and core is a radical love for God and God alone, it is a love relationship with Jesus. We do because we love, we love so we do.

Luke 18:18-23

The rich young ruler tried to substitute morality for kingdom righteousness. Nothing wrong morality but that in and of itself is not enough. Kingdom righteousness is greater than morality.

1. Kingdom righteousness is more than integrity

a. What good thing can I do to win eternal life

b. Dr. Taylor said, “The whole thing does not begin with do it begins with be. You are before you do.”

c. Surely faith without works is dead, but you do not earn the faith by your works.

d. None is good but God.

2. Kingdom righteousness is more than Consistency

a. All these things have I kept from my youth up

i. I have not committed adultery

1. It is interesting that this is the first commandment mentioned here. (Probably because it was such a prevalent sin then as it is today.) Not just divorce and remarriage, this goes beyond that. Lustful thoughts & actions the rich young ruler said from my youth up I have never done these things.

ii. I have not killed

1. I have not taken my gun after anyone

2. I don’t even use my tongue or influence as a weapon against people

iii. I do not steal

1. Or defraud others.

iv. I don’t bear false witness

1. I always go out of my way to tell the truth even when it hurts.

v. I honor my father and mother

3. Kingdom righteousness is more than Innocency

a. Mark 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

i. Beheld him and loved him. There must have been that innocent look. I’ve seen a lot of our people with that innocent look and yet they don’t have a clue as to what Kingdom Righteousness is.

4. Kingdom righteousness can only substituted with idolatry

a. Love not only of money but self (because he was very rich)