Following Jesus: Part 1

Welcome/Prayer/Intro

Good Morning Church! How is everyone doing this morning? I was blessed to have breakfast with everyone this morning! I hope the women of the congregation feel blessed and appreciated

We are continuing our series called “Serious Conversations with Jesus” where we look at what Jesus said and did and ask, did Jesus really mean that? What does that mean for my life?

Prayer- King Jesus, you are the righteous one. You are the reason we are here this morning because you desire to have relationship with us. Living God be among us this morning. Work in us this morning. Change us this morning. Holy Spirit revive us this morning. May we encounter the risen King of the universe this morning, may we be forever transformed by you Jesus. I pray father that my words may glorify you this morning Lord.

Intro: Jesus tells us quite plainly, “Dont worry” but I WORRY!

I worry about timing mostly

will I get this sermon done on time

Will I get this thing done on time so I can move onto another

Do we really have time to be doing this other thing or meeting in our week when we know we have something else

Worry about people and their reactions to me

Will church like what I am doing?

I havent talked to this person in a few weeks will they be upset with me?

Do people believe me when I say Im busy?

What do worry about Church? Shout them out please?

is there anything we worry about that we feel is okay for us to worry about?

I know Jesus says dont worry, but “God you have to understand this is worth worrying about” - anything thats worth worrying about?

I think when we read this passage we tend to simplify it- We say Jesus is saying dont worry, so why worry as if its just some simple truth we can easily accept

Or we down play what Jesus is saying, like we shouldnt worry about drinking our star-bucks coffee, or eating fancy foods or even wearing certain brands as if Jesus is saying dont worry about living a lavish life, but Jesus is not saying something simple or commenting on our brand choices.

Transition: if we look at our text what Jesus is saying its serious and radical: Dont worry about eating, drinking or what you will wear. What makes this so serious? because who Jesus is talking to!

Walking Through the Text: Dont Worry

Context:

Who is Jesus talking to?

Poor, Destitute, starving people, who literally have nothing! The day workers, beggars and lowest of society.

Dont worry about Food- these people go meal to meal. In any given day they eat mostly bread, fruits, nuts, and vegitables if they are lucky. The average person would have a meger meal.

Dont worry about Drink- these people didnt have running water, would often have to go to a well for water or depend on weather.

Clothes- Depending on where you lived in israel it could be 80 during the day and 40 at night. (you can die in 40 degree weather)

Maslov’s Hierarchy (Slide)

In Psychology, there is something called Maslov’s hierarchy of needs its a concept where people need to have certain needs met before they can properly function

Chart- Jesus is saying dont worry about your basic physiological needs.

Are we starting to see how radical this really is church?

Trust in God’s providence

Look at the birds, you are more valuable and yet God takes care of you.

Look at the lillies they are more beautiful than any article of clothing, but they are burned like grass

Jesus is saying dont get fixated on these things like the pagan’s do,

This doesnt mean we shouldnt care about where we get our clothes, food, and water right?

We should move from a fear/ worry focus to a faith focus.

What does Jesus say we should do instead of worry? Answer: Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and all of these things will be given to you.

Does this mean? if we seek God diligently and pray really hard he will provide food, clothes, and drink? sometimes, but I dont think this is what Jesus means here.

Lets first break this down into two parts:

Seeking His Kingdom and what That means

Upack what it means to Seek God’s righteousness

Talk about these two things when we actuatly done will not only meet our basic needs, but the needs of everyone else.

Seek First His Kingdom

Seek- Zeteo means to seek or desire its what your heart wants.

Who’s Kingdom?

How would you describe God’s Kingdom Church?

Description: God’s Kingdom is where Jesus is King, the true King.

Where God’s reign is supreme.

Where everyone is cared for and loved.

NO INJUSTICE

NO VIOLENCE

NO WAR, FAMINE, OR DROUGHT

GOD LIVES AMONG HIS PEOPLE AND WE ARE HIS AND HE IS OURS

Summary: Kingdom is a community without sin and brokenness. Where peace and Justice exists for everyone and love is what binds us all together under Yahweh’s reign as King of the universe. ;

Does that sound like the world we live in today? NO!

This is where Two Kingdom Theology comes into play

Kingdom of this world: Rulers and Leaders change the world through power, money, and legislation

Kingdom of God: Change comes through relationship with the King.

Jesus is saying , “Seek God’s Kingdom” - too often we have tried to do this by the ways of the kingdom of the world and it has failed.

Take Away: Question for us is how can week Seek God’s Kingdom First Everyday?

Seek His Righteousness- What is righteousness?

Definition: its conforming to the expectations of what it means to have upright relationship with others. or having right relationship with others

Righteousness is often thought of as something personal but it is actually interpersonal!

Look at how Job defines it in Job 29:

Read Job 29:12 -17

How you relate to injustice in your community and particularly how you relate to the vulnerable

Matthew uses Righteousness 7 times in the whole book

its used 5 times in the sermon on the mount - almost always used to describe how people or God relates to others.

Righteousness is the extent to which you have wholistic and right relationship with others.

When we talk about God’s righteousness its always refers to how God cares for, provides for, protects, delivers, redeems.

Jesus is the perfect example of righteousness in so many ways!

Provided the basic needs for people

Established right relationship with God through the cross by overcoming power of sin

Set up a community that would live in righteousness.

Application: What does this Change?

How does seeking First the Kingdom and God’s righteousness, not only eliminate our need to worry about basic needs, but provide for them?

If we are seeking where God is working and seeking to have right relationship with everyone = everyones needs are met!

Righteousness doesn't mean we are on good terms with people, but people are cared for.

Example: you might be best friends with someone, but if they are starving and you have food to share, are you really in right relationship?

Jesus is saying, if we seek to bring God’s Kingdom and Will on Earth as it is in heaven, than its God that will provide for his community, through his community.

Church, this is how we radically change our lives. We see following Jesus as building his Kingdom and seeking to have this right relationship with everyone.

Imagine:

if we continued to do this in our church: if we met the needs of our church family just by seeking to have right relationships

Expanded this mindset to our community, where we sought what God was doing and joined in?

Imagine what our world would look like if each and every one of us commited to “Seek First the Kingdom and God’s Righteousness”?

Reflection Questions:

What do you worry about and why?

Where is God’s Kingdom bursting forth in our community?

What does righteousness mean to you? How can we work to have “right relationships” with people this week?

How can we commit to seeking the Kingdom first this week?