Kingdom Focus

Intro

Recap the series, recap the book of MAtthew

have them read chapter 6

Kingdom Focus

So last week we looked at the beatitudes, right? yall remember that? we talked about how Jesus is calling us to live counter culturally to the world. Be peacemakers instead of aggressors, be meek instead of a show off, be poor in spirit instead of trying to build up riches - this ring a bell? So Jesus opens up the sermon on the mount with a challenge for us to live differently than the word. And the rest of chapter 5, we didnt read it but he starts to give us some examples and some challeges of how we are to walk in the world.

And then we turn to chapter 6 I think what were gonna see are some warnings of things that might derail us as we are trying to live for Jesus, as we try to walk out the kingdom. So I want us to look at chapter 6 tonight and see 3 things that Jesus will warn us about as we try to follow him.

the first is this - what I am gonna call:

“Look at me” Christianity

Matt 6:1 ““Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”

the first thing Jesus is going to warn us about as we try to follow Him is just trying to look good in front of other people

and Jesus gives us three examples of what this looks like, but its not just limited to these things and i’ll relate it back to us in a second, but lets look at these three first.

Matt 6:2-4 ““Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

so first we have giving - dont sound a trumpet, dont make a youtube video, just do it because God will know

Matt 6: 5-8 ““And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Matt 6:16-18 ““And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

If you’re doing this Christian thing, for any other reason than love for Jesus and closeness with God - you’re doing it wrong

use being nice to people in front of others, posting your bible and coffee on your instagram , instead of just actually reading your bible

Misaligned Priorities

do ball illistration

we all want to focus on God - but if we arent careful sometimes he can get lost in the shuffle of life.

Matt 6:19-24 ““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Don’t focus so much on this life that you forget about the next one

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! “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 money.”

There can only be one thing ruling your life. What is it for you?

Anxiety

Matthew 6:25–31 ESV

“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? 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? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 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? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

Matthew 6:32–34 ESV

For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

this truth

Put God first in you life, and everything else will work itself out