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Seek First His Kingdom
Seek First His Kingdom Matthew 6:25-34 Key Verse: 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” People are struggling to survive in this world. They live with a lot of worries. Parents worry about their children. Young students worry about their future. It is getting harder than before for young people to marry, raise children, buy apartment, support parents and save up for their retirement. They worry, not knowing what to do and how to live. Even Christians worry about material things, money. Our Lord Jesus Christ is very interested in our happiness. He teaches us a secret of living a happy and victorious life. We, Christians, have to eat, drink, marry and work like unbelievers. But what shall we seek first? I pray that this time we listen to Jesus’ promise and accept it as our life direction. I. Do not worry (25~32) Look at v25. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” People think that they cannot live without money. They serve it like their king. In v24, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,” ‘Therefore’, this connecting word tells us that when we make a right decision in regards to whom we serve, we have no reason to worry. Jesus knew the mind of the disciples. They decided to serve God only. So they left everything to follow Jesus. However, when they did so, clouds of worries about practical needs came to them, such as: “If I serve God, who will take care of me?” Or “What will happen when I become old?” Or “I am okay, but how about my wife and my children?” When such worries came into their hearts, they would lose joy and peace. Instead of doing something for Jesus, they would just worry. So Jesus said to them in verse 25: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” Life and the body are a matter of being, that is, life. Food and clothes are possessions. Being, or life, is more valuable than possessions. Jesus said, “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world yet forfeit his soul?” (Mk 8:35) But most people value possessions more than being. In order to teach us not to worry, Jesus gave an example in verse 26: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Many people misunderstand this verse. They think that if God feeds them, they do not need to work. But when we look at the birds of the air, they are diligent and work hard to get food. There is a saying, “The early bird catches the worm.” So we have to work hard. But we don’t need to worry. Work hard, but don’t worry. In verse 27 Jesus told us that it is useless to worry. He asked, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” If we worry, our lifespan is actually reduced. We also develop all kinds of health problems, such as stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, and heart disease. We can also lose our hair. Worry divides our hearts and robs our concentration. So if we worry, we will more likely fail in our studies or careers. In verses 28-29 Jesus talks about clothes: “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even ulcer in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” The old NIV translates “flowers” as “lilies.” Lilies are wildflowers. When we look at the lilies - their design, shape, color, and scent - they are more splendid than Solomon on his best day. God’s creation is perfect and wonderful. God clothes even the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire. Then why would he not clothe his own children? God is our Father who loves us and takes care of us. He knows our needs and provides for us. So Jesus said to his disciples, “...you of little faith” (30). This verse tells us that the fundamental reason of worrying is a lack of faith. Lack of faith means to not trust God fully. In v31, Jesus said “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’” Pagans run after all these things. It is because they do not trust God. When we do not trust God, worry comes very naturally, even though we know that it is useless. People worry about their health, their employment, marriage, children's education, houses, retirement plan, and even their burial site. They manufacture worries; their head is a factory of worries. They even imagine things to worry about. Sometimes we decide that from now on we will not worry about these things anymore. Then we begin to worry about whether we can keep our decision or not. How can we overcome worry? We need to hear Jesus’ rebuking, “You of little faith.” Verses 8 and 32 repeat the same thought: our Father knows what we need. When children trust their parents, they do not worry. Likewise, when we trust our heavenly Father, we do not need to worry at all, about anything. Instead of worrying, what should we do? II. Seek First His Kingdom and His Righteousness (33~34) Let’s read verse 33. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” What does it mean ‘seek first his kingdom and his righteousness’? Seeking first God’s kingdom and his righteousness should be our life purpose and life direction. God’s kingdom means God’s reign in the world and in our hearts. The real meaning of seeking first God’s kingdom and his righteousness is to trust God fully and let him reign over our lives. In other words, we should find true security in God. God himself is our shield and our reward (Gen 15:1). If we please God by faith, God provides everything. God never disappoints anyone who lives by faith and holds this promise. God is able to give us abundantly more than we can ask or imagine (Eph 3:20). Jesus told us to seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness. Let’s think more about the meaning of this word. First, ‘Seek first God’s kingdom’ means that we have to pray that the Lord would have dominion, control and rule over all aspects of our own heart and mind. We have to pray that God’s kingdom may come into our hearts that God rule over our hearts, our thoughts, our language, our action and our lives. Paul wrote, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (Col. 3:16) When we have memorized and meditated on scripture then we will gain a richer sense of what it is to have the king reigning over all aspects of our thought and life. Leviticus 19:1~2 say “The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” We have to become holy by the word of God and prayer so that God may reside in us. Second, ‘Seek first God’s kingdom’ means that we have to praise God Almighty, Creator and Sovereign Ruler. Praise has the power to help us realize that the Lord Jesus Christ as our King is greater than any king, any problem. We have to praise the Lord as David did. I Chron. 29:10-13 say, “David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, ‘Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.’” Third, ‘Seek first God’s kingdom’ means that we have to resist and reject all rival kingdoms. Seeking first His kingdom often involves spiritual warfare. Paul wrote in Ephesian 6:12 saying, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” When we seek first God’s kingdom, Satan always interferes with our spiritual lives and tries to destroy our evangelical works. James 4:7~8 say, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” When we submit ourselves to God and humble ourselves before the Lord, he will lift us up. Fourth, ‘Seek first God’s kingdom’ means that we need to think, pray and act evangelistically in helping others to seek first God’s kingdom. We have to pray for wisdom in doing all we can to win those who are lost in their sin before it is too late. We have a responsibility for expanding God’s kingdom on earth through preaching the gospel and serving the disciple-making ministry. We are to do all that we can to help people realize that without accepting Christ as their personal Lord and Savior they are prisoners, now and eternally into the kingdom of Satan. We have to testify that Jesus has come to seek and save those who are lost. Fifth, ‘Seek first His Kingdom’ contains a prophetic element. People who are seeking first His kingdom are proclaiming that a new kingdom of Christ is coming soon. We are headed for a climax and time is running out. The kingdom will mark the conclusion to all of human history. The return of Jesus Christ is very soon and all people will one day confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God. Many times a prophet is misunderstood, hated and rejected, but he persists because this is a part of his identity, role and responsibility before God. In the meantime, we have to be watchful and spiritually prepared, and occupied with fulfilling the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations. This petition is much like the final, concluding words of the Bible: "Come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:20). Sixth, seeking first God’s kingdom involves a humbling to submit to God’s plans instead of our own. God has a wonderful plan for every individual but only when we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, He will lift us up to see it. (Jer 29:11,12) Too many people just assume that the Lord will direct their paths as they pray quickly in traffic on the way to work. Instead, the Lord wants us to meet with Him quietly and over a period of time when we give Him our entire attention and worship. Jesus got up early in the morning and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed. (Mark 1:35) Jesus did not live according to his will and plan, but prayed, seeking God’s direction and obeyed God’s will and plan, denying himself. Seventh, seeking first His kingdom reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven. We are governed by human law, but also by Biblical truth. We are loyal to our nation, but we recognize that we belong to God’s Kingdom. Nations may rise and fall, but we are part of a holy, perfect Kingdom that will last forever, whose Architect is the Lord God Almighty. We have an inheritance secured for us by the sacrifice of Christ. Eighth, seeking first His kingdom also helps us be aware that most people will continue to worry about what they eat, drink or what clothes to put on, but we are to realistically expect opposition from those who resist becoming a part of His kingdom. We can rejoice that we are in 100% of the will of God even though people misunderstand us, malign us and mistreat us. Still, seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness assures us that all these things will eventually be added to us from the hand of the mighty King who owns, controls and dispenses all good gifts to those who ask for His deliverance. Finally, ‘Seek first His righteousness’ What does it mean? God the Father has already declared believers of Jesus Christ fully legally righteous - fully legally holy - in Christ. God expects us to walk in daily righteous obedience to God's word, and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Therefore we, God’s children, have to maintain the right relationship with God and must strive to be obedient to God. God wants us putting top priority in working with. Life testimony Before I met Jesus in Spain, I worried about my future life. My heart became black because of worries. Even after I entered the Foreign Ministry, I worried about my life direction. I suffered a lot because of fear and worries. I wanted to live for my own glory and national unification. I went to Spain with my own plan: to resign from the Foreign Ministry to be a politician. However, God was waiting for me with his wonderful plan. God called me, saving me and my family from terrible car accident. After the car accident, when I suffered by spiritual thirst and prayed with morning fast, God sent me an excellent Bible teacher, M. Joseph Ahn. Through the Bible Study I repented of my sins and met Jesus, accepting him as my Lord. When I looked up to Jesus who was hung on the cross bleeding for my sins, I was freed from the bondage of sin and was filled with peace and joy in my heart. I made a decision of faith to live for God’s glory for all my life. Since then God Almighty made me a blessing and the Holy Spirit has guided me and my family to Latin America as a self-supporting lay missionary. God blessed me and my family and granted us a privilege to serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. I preached a gospel to colleague diplomats, relatives and young students among others. I testified that Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross for our sins and rose from among the dead. Matthew 6:33 is my favorite verse. When I have kept in mind Jesus’ promise and have made my efforts to seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness, God the Creator accepted my heart and blessed me and my family abundantly. Sovereign God has displayed His glory through my life of faith. God used me and my family in His campus ministry in Latin America. All my family, my wife, my daughters and sons-in-law serve God and His ministry as Jesus’ disciples. After my retirement from the Foreign Ministry in 2014, God granted me to work two jobs: visiting professor in Jeon-buk National University and working in the Diplomatic Archive. This year God lifted me up as Distinguished Professor of Korea University. I praise God who is faithful in keeping His promises. When we trust God we don’t have to worry about our daily needs, and we don’t have to worry about the future. Look at verse 34. “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” People tend to worry about the future rather than being concerned about today. They worry what will happen tomorrow, next year, in ten years, or even in twenty years. Worry produces all kinds of negative imaginations. Then people become fearful. Yet we do not know what will happen tomorrow. We really don’t know what will happen one hour from now. Conclusion: We obtain God’s Kingdom by trusting Christ as our King, by receiving Him as our Lord and repenting of our sins. Then whenever we pray the Lord’s Prayer we indicate our desire for the dominion of God and His Kingdom. We have a Kingdom worth praying for! One day, yet future, the forces of evil will be finally routed by the host of heaven. In the meantime, we continue to pray, "Thy Kingdom come." I pray that we all may seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness for all our lives. Amen! |
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