Seek First The Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) - Tim Conway

[Music] we'll pick up reading in verse 25. 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 closed the grass of the field which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven will he not much more clothe you owe you of little faith therefore do not be anxious saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear for the gentiles seek after 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 last week we dealt with anxiety not being anxious after the lord in verses 19 through 24 tells us not to lay up treasure on earth lay it up in heaven after he told us that we can't serve god and money he then says you don't have to be anxious about the thought of giving your money away why because your heavenly father knows what you need and is going to care for you and when i say give money away i mean truly laying up treasure in heaven giving in the ways that actually accomplishes that and there's no question you can't get around this caring for the needy that is so stressed in scripture so here we are today i want to look specifically at verses 31 through 34. and i want you to notice right off let's let's just look at these verses 31 32 33 34 we got four verses here therefore do not be anxious saying what shall we eat what shall we drink what shall we wear now i just want to point out right there eating drinking wearing they go to the very basics i know we have houses we have cars we have furniture we have other things jesus is going to the basic elements of survival and he says at the most basic level you do not have to be anxious if you basically give your money as so as to lay up treasure in heaven you see the three things eat drink where for the gentiles okay now hold your finger right here because i do want you to see this hold your finger right here in matthew 6 and just very quickly look over at first thessalonians 4. first thessalonians 4. you basically have galatians ephesians philippians colossians 1 thessalonians chapter 4 and if you look very carefully here it says verse 3 this is the will of god your sanctification what sort of sanctification does he specifically have in mind that you abstain from sexual immorality that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor now watch this not in the passion of lust like the gentiles who do not know god now lay that down right there when scripture there are times we could go to ephesians chapter 2 and i could show you where people like us are called gentiles according to the flesh listen we have to distinguish sometimes in the new testament gentile is used concerning our native birth were we born a jew or were we born not a jew and if not a jew we're physically gentiles however new testament also speaks in spiritual terms do you know we are spiritually jews if we're christians we're true jews true jew is one inwardly but there is also a spiritual gentile let me tell you this to be called a gentile this was basically the idea that was held when you know why the jews were or the the jews held gentiles in such derision is because basically that is what characterized the gentiles they were people that did not know their god the whole old testament was like that but that's here in the new testament you see the apostle paul is basically boiling this down to this reality spiritually speaking a gentile is somebody who does not know god that's okay now back to the sermon on the mount back to matthew chapter six like this is important so in matthew 6 when we get this for the verse 32 for the gentiles seek after all these things well you can you can just plug it in right there what he is saying is this you want to know how the non-christian that's what a gentile is somebody that doesn't know god is somebody in the simplest form that is not a christian they may talk about god they may have ideas about god they may read their bible but if somebody's not a christian they don't know god and if they don't know god they're a gentile that's what gentiles are people that don't know god what jesus is basically saying right here is you want to know how non-christians live he he says in one simple stroke of the brush jesus paints a picture of every single non-christian everyone in the world every color every tribe every tongue every nationality there they are the entirety of this world's spiritual gentiles who don't know god you know what they do they spend them times their whole time in their life seeking this stuff the stuff of this life now i want you to see this the word seek because that's our that's our word today that's where we're really going with the message today seek you see it two times here verse 32 the gentiles seek verse 33 but seek first well obviously the first one deals with gentiles the second one deals with christians what jesus is doing is he's he's using the same word twice now the first time it's used look at it there verse 32 indicative mood in the greek you basically take your verbs verbs have tenses verbs also have mood the mood of this verb is indicative that means it indicates you recognize that what jesus is doing is he's indicating what's true the gentiles seek after all these things what things well the basic necessities of life that's what they occupy themselves jesus isn't commanding gentiles in verse 32 to spend their lives seeking food and clothing and houses and vacations and gardens and tvs and cars and furniture and all that stuff he's simply indicating that's what they do and that's what you did i mean when you were lost that's basically what you did he's he's giving us a picture here indicating thus the indicative verb but when our lord turns his attention in verse 33 to the christian christians seek too but jesus is no longer indicating now it's an imperative that's the mood here imperative behind the first seek you have jesus wisdom his observation of how things are behind the second seek you have jesus authority and he's looking at us and he's demanding something of his followers that's what's happening here so you know what jesus tells us one of the most fundamental realities about man in these verses man's a seeker you know what that's we were we were down on the streets in city center yesterday evangelizing i can tell you this you look around at that crowd there were a lot of people i've never seen that many people down there as i saw yesterday but i can tell you this about every single person in that crowd they're seeking something they're after something there's a longing for something and you know what you know what typically happens it's somewhat of what we heard in the testimonies but what happens is in that longing god produces an emptiness in people and suddenly all the things that they used to seek they don't satisfy any more and they start looking somewhere else that's typically how god draws people to christ but man is a seeker and we're all searching for some man is searching man has an ache and he avoid he is searching and we christians you know what's being said here we christians should not be found seeking first what the gentiles seek first that's that's the point why because notice notice the reasoning here if we occupy ourselves seeking what the lord directs us to seek what's going to happen the promise here is that our heavenly father is going to give us what the gentiles seek without having to seek it they have to they're seeking it but we don't have to seek it because if we seek what he wants us to seek he's going to give all those things to us that's what it says and it's a promise it's a conditional promise you know what a conditional promise is if you seek first the kingdom of god and his righteousness then it's an if then that's that's the kind of conditional promise if you do this then god does this that that's what we have then god will give you all those things that gentiles relentlessly spend themselves pursuing that's the gist so the question of the hour really is this what does it mean to seek first the kingdom of god and his righteousness and perhaps i think rather than just trying to explain it you know the bible tells us it gives us examples of these things and so i want to look at i want to look at a couple examples you know this you know the new testament tells us that all those accounts in the old testament were given to us and preserved for us for our instruction and we want to be instructed by here's the first one i want you to turn to haggai you probably don't turn there very often haggai chapter one i just i'll tell you this it's in the minor prophets and you don't have to go that far back into your old testament to get to it haggai is one of two prophets along with zechariah who god was speaking to after israel had returned out of babylon back to jerusalem in the days when the temple was being reconstructed now look at this haggai 1 and verse 2. now this has everything to do with what we're talking about notice notice this thus says the lord of hosts these people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the lord and you remember what happened when when the babylonians came and they destroyed the the first temp solomon's temple and so what's happening here is the temple is being restored zerubbabel verse 3 then the word of the lord came by the hand of haggai the prophet is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins so you see they're living in their own houses but they're not taking care of god's house now therefore thus says the lord of hosts consider your ways now you're gonna get this three you're gonna get these three words twice consider your ways this is for our instruction this is why this has been preserved for us you and i can learn from this you have sown much and harvested little now here's what i would have you notice right at this point the exact three things that jesus says that the gentiles seek after he's now going to list the exact three things you eat but you never have enough you drink but you never have your fill you clothe yourselves but no one is warm you see the three things that he said the gentiles seek that's what they're seeking and they're not seeking what he wants them to seek namely the reconstruction of the temple they're giving themselves to their own things they're not giving themselves to god's things that's the point here he who earns wages does so to put them in a bag with holes now you have to recognize what's being said here back in matthew don't turn back to matthew stay right here listen to me the promise is this seek first the kingdom of god and his righteousness and god will add all those things unto you and see what can happen as christians if we simply think well it's going to happen either way i mean i'm going to god's children he's going to take care of me that's to miss the promise that jesus is giving jesus is not saying that whether you seek the kingdom first or not is irrelevant that's not the promise that would be to totally miss the opposite is true if you seek the wrong things you know what god has the ability to do god is very much in the business of destroying our idols do you know one of the promises of the new covenant is going to cleanse us from our idols and you begin to give yourself too much to things he knows how to send cancer to your idol a canker a worm to eat that thing he knows how to do it and see these are his people right here and notice he says verse 7 thus says the lord of hosts consider your ways there it is again consider your ways go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house that i may take pleasure in it and that i may be glorified you want to notice that you see what he's saying here my people i want you involved with the things that bring me pleasure and bring me glory he says verse 9 you looked for much behold it came to little when you bought it or brought it home it blew away why declares the lord of hosts because of my house that lies in ruins while each of you busies himself with his own house therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew the earth has withheld its produce and i have called for a drought on the land and the hills on the grain the new wine the oil and what the ground brings forth on man and beast and on all their labors what were god's people seeking first here [Music] what are they seeking [Music] they're seeking their their own stuff their own comfort their own houses their own food their own drink their own clothing and what are they not seeking first obviously they're not seeking god's kingdom they're not seeking what pleases god they're they're concerning themselves with rebuilding their own houses but not rebuilding god's house and god's house by the way is his temple they weren't concerned with god's kingdom and what's important to god with promoting his worship with promoting his glory that's what the temple was about in the old testament it was about that was the place of his worship they they were living their lives with all about their own thing listen this this is exactly the kind of thing that jesus is talking about he is saying that if you are going to follow him you need to totally come off that old gentile way of life and that's what he's listen there's a promise that if you will give yourself to the things that he wants you to give yourself to he is promising your heavenly father has you covered he's watching you he knows your needs and he'll take care of you and what he's saying there is if you get off track here and and that's we can see it by this kind of example we can wonder why doesn't that work or why doesn't why does it feel like god's blessing isn't on this well you see the thing they saw there was never enough never filled never warm bags with holes heaven and earth withhold their abundance drought notice carefully what the lord said there again in verse 8 go up to the hills bring wood and build the house that i may take pleasure in it and that i may be glorified says the lord i would just say this seeking the kingdom of god first is nothing other than seeking the very things that god takes pleasure in and is glorified in that's that's the reality he's pleased and glorified when we give ourselves to the temple and listen when you come to the new testament is there still a temple yes yes who's the temple where's the temple the church of the temple listen to this in haggai before you leave this little prophet he says this he says the latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former you know what's very interesting solomon's temple was glorious it's destroyed zerubbabel's temple is not so glorious remember the old timers that saw the first one god himself said it says nothing in your eyes but he says this the latter glory is going to be greater and i tell you the true significance of the temple is that god's dwelling place is with man god's dwelling place is in the church listen to this so then you're no longer strangers and aliens he's saying this to gentiles physical gentiles like us not the spiritual ones like jesus but listen to this so then you're no longer strangers and aliens your fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of god built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets christ jesus himself being the cornerstone in whom the whole structure being joined together grows into a holy temple in the lord in him you also are built being built together into a dwelling place for god by the spirit let me tell you something do you know what he wants us to give ourselves to today he wants us to give ourselves to the true temple he wants us to give ourselves to building that temple that is to be built in this time brethren you know what our commission is our commission is to make disciples but you've got to go to do it you go and make disciples of all the nations this is how his church is built in this day and taking care of that temple taking care of the church taking care of the people of god jesus says in the end i was hungry and you fed me i was thirsty i was naked you clothed me as much as you did it unto one of the least of these my brothers you did it to me you see what the issue is brethren seek first the kingdom seek first the thing thy kingdom come thy will be done we want to see his kingdom spread what is the kingdom about it is about a king the king of kings we have a king and the dominion king dominion kingdom his dominion going forth in the world how do people come under the dominion of christ because they're confronted we're ambassadors of the king we go to people we tell them our king tells you to lay down your weapons of warfare stop fighting against him he sent us to tell you he will have mercy surrender to his mercy that is the message that is what we must tell the world that is what we have to go to the nations and say that is our obligation we go to them and we tell them we're only ambassadors we don't create the gospel we don't create these these this message that's coming to you he has told you he is going to destroy you if you continue to fight against him but right now and immediately he offers you terms of peace but the terms full surrender submit to his mercy you see this this is when we seek first the kingdom this is what we're seeking we're seeking his kingdom we're seeking the well-being of that kingdom we're seeking for his kingdom to come we're seeking for the for those things that please him those things that he would have us to be involved with the church the welfare of the church the expansion of the church going and making disciples of the nations and his righteousness brethren righteousness is what's right and well we're gonna we're gonna continue in this but brethren i want you to look at another example this one is elijah and the widow first kings 17 first kings 17. now this this is interesting as well old testament story you can kind of read across this and feel like well this is this is neat but it's it's another example now you know what as you're turning to first kings i just want you to think think with me what god told zerubbabel and jeshua that high priest what he said is if you'll give yourself to this then i'll stop putting holes in the bags you see that that was the issue seek first and i'll take care of my blessing on all these things okay we go to the elijah and the widow first kings 17 verse 10. first kings 17 10 elijah arose and went to zarephath when he came to the gate of the city a widow was there gathering sticks he calls to her bring me a little water as she was going he called to her bring me a morsel of bread she said as the lord your god lives i have nothing baked only a handful of flour in a jar little oil and a jug now i'm gathering a couple of sticks that i may go and prepare it for myself and my son that we may eat it and die elijah said to her do not fear go and do as you have said but first you see there it's first means priority seek first first again we have what we have is a story where you have a woman that was concerning herself about these things food for herself and her son he says seek first do something first okay what make me don't concern yourself first with yourself concern yourself first with the prophet of god make me a little cake bring it to me afterward make something for yourself and your son for thus says the lord the god of israel the jar of flowers shall not be spent the jug of oil shall not be empty until the day that the lord sends rain upon the earth and she went and did as elijah said and she and he and her household ate for many days the jar of flower was not spent neither did the jug of oil become empty according to the word of the lord that he spoke by elijah again this woman gave herself to the kingdom of god first and she took care of god's prophet first and god added all these things unto her i can remember just months before we started the church in san antonio paul washer came to san antonio he said i have never seen a church that supports foreign missions abandoned by god i'll tell you this you give yourself first to taking care of god's servants especially those that are out on the foreign mission field and i believe paul is all together right i did not need to be convinced of that but i heard him say it i've never forgotten that i'm absolutely convinced it's true brethren we want to seek first and you know what happens when we're seeking first the kingdom of god it's not just you're considering about how to take care of the guy who fills the pulpit here it's you're looking out there and you're taking care of those men who are out there in hard places seeking to spread the gospel into into dark places around the face of this earth and i'll tell you i'll tell you what i have seen 22 decades worth of the church in san antonio doing that and god has never failed us not once brethren and i expect that that'll be that'll be the pattern here that'll be the testimony of this church as well god is faithful to these things he will take care of us we need to give ourselves first brethren first there has to be priority there has to be now turn to leviticus chapter 25 leviticus 25 18. now i'm taking you here for one reason because something is said here by god himself that i want you to read it with your own eyes leviticus 25 verse 18. therefore you shall do my statutes and keep my rules and perform them and then you will dwell in the land securely now you know what one of the things god wanted in the commands that he gave to old testament israel is he wanted them to leave their land lie dormant every seven years basically a sabbath for the land that's that i didn't quote to you expressly the scripture that deals with that but you'll see it's here the land will yield its fruit verse 19 and you will eat your fill and dwell in it securely if you say what shall we eat in the seventh year if we may not sow or gather see it's being supposed there that god had commanded that and god recognizes that the people are going to wonder hey if i don't devote myself to sowing to planting to reaping to the usual harvest if i don't give myself to that in the seventh year isn't my family gonna go hungry and see we can have the same kind of questions right if i don't seek first food and drink and clothing what if my what's gonna happen to my family oh but i love these words notice what he says verse 21 i will command my blessing on you in the sixth year so that it will produce a crop sufficient for three years now the only reason i had us go there is for this reason does anybody else like those words i will command my blessing on you do you recognize that is exactly what jesus is saying in matthew 6 he is saying you don't have to seek first what the gentiles seek first because if you seek first the kingdom god will command his blessing on you and provide every single thing that the gentiles spend all their time seeking after you don't have to do it that's what's being taught brethren again it's all conditional do you see that god is saying to them do this and i will command my blessing on you that's what jesus is saying seek first do that and god will command his blessing on you brethren do you not see this all over the scriptures i just think of the different psalms that are very conditional fear the lord you his saints for those who fear him have no lack seek that seek first the fear of god fear i mean here seek first the kingdom of god seek to fear the god of that kingdom and you'll have no lack psalm 34 10 the young lions suffer want and hunger those who seek the lord lack no good thing you can't seek the kingdom of god without seeking the lord i mean that's where it starts that means this when you wake up monday morning this isn't about going to work getting money so that you can fill the refrigerator if you're going to seek first the kingdom of god you've got to seek first the lord you rise up monday morning first thoughts in your head should be even as you go off to sleep at night on sunday night i'm going to wake up early enough so that i can seek the lord first because i need him first i need his help first i need to be in his word first i need to be cleansed how can somebody think they're seeking first the kingdom of god in his righteousness if they're not seeking him in prayer seeking him in the word first that needs to be a priority in life people get up and they're so ready to run off to work and to do their thing why so they can earn money why can i tell you brother sister if you're doing that and you just run right past your bible you run past the time of getting with the lord and you just run out there to make money so that you can take care of yourself and your family you're acting just like a gentile that's that's what he's saying now listen look in matthew chapter 6 again verse 34 chapter 6 matthew 6 34 back to our passage notice this therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow for tomorrow will be anxious for itself sufficient for the day what day well obviously today today that's this day that's the day sufficient for the day any given day we only live today nobody lives tomorrow we live today sufficient for this day today is its own trouble that's what certainly jesus isn't saying it's okay to be anxious today just don't be anxious about tomorrow he's already told us we don't need to be anxious today or tomorrow about all the things that the gentiles are anxious about jesus point is this so many people run around and they're so worried about tomorrow you know what he's saying live life today be concerned about today that's the idea here you couple this with the last verse verse 33 to think about what he's really saying seek first the kingdom of god that's verse 33 and do it today concern yourself with it today that's verse 34. concern yourself about this day walk because tomorrow hasn't come tomorrow never comes for as soon as it does it's today i mean brethren i would just encourage you this seek first the kingdom seek first the righteousness and do it today don't oh christians who procrastinate are christians that end up getting to the end of their life and they've done very little the christian who is always going to they're always going to praying fast tomorrow they're always going to give more next week they're always going to do something they've got these plans but they never come to fruition because it's always tomorrow brethren live today i mean really live today you know what jesus said we must work the works of him who sent me while it's day night is coming when no one can work you remember when nehemiah was rebuilding the wall at jerusalem his enemies tried to hinder him listen sam balot and geshem sent to me this is nehemiah come let us meet together at hackafurum in the plane of ono but they intended to do me harm i sent messengers to them saying i'm doing a great work and i cannot come down why should the work stop while i leave and come down to you brethren i love that i'm doing a great work i cannot come down brethren when food it you know what happens the more stuff you buy the more clothes you buy the more shoes you buy you ever notice you buy a new pair of shoes i can't speak for women on how this goes i've never seen women shining their shoes i guess you just get rid of them right buy new ones or is that not right i've never seen you shine your shoes men shine their shoes but here's the thing you buy more things and they're constantly calling to you i need your attention come the guy has six pair of shoes you look at it it's got scuffs on it well you need to shine me the more stuff you have the more it calls to you i need to be fixed i need to be cleaned i need your time you need her to learn how to use me you put that new thing on your computer everything everything is calling out it's brethren you get food clothing houses stuff and it's all calling to you it's barking at its orders it's threats pitifully come give me your attention and you know what you can just say i'm doing a great work and i can't come down brethren i'm serious here there's a time when you have to say the kingdom of god is what matters and it's spread and his kingdom coming is what matters and you look over at that thing and yeah it's over there and it's broken it's not but there's a time to go and or just get rid of it then it has no claim on you at all and in fact jesus said that go sell your possessions you have money bags in heaven he said that kind of thing brethren we need to live a day at a time don't be anxious for tomorrow and we need to really live while we live brethren the lord jesus christ is telling us to seek something first and to seek it today this means priorities you know if you prioritize something in life you're intentional you actually do things deliberately you think you strategize you actually evaluate your life you make decisions you make choices based on that that's the thing jesus is telling us prioritize people who live for tomorrow never do anything well we must be proactive we've we've got to be intentional today work while it's actually day listen to scripture i remind you of this i brought these verses up on wednesday i said that i would probably rehearse them but repeatedly in titus remind them to be ready for every good work well i want to remind you be ready for every good work you know what you can get to where you become so distracted and sidetracked with all sorts of stuff in life are you giving yourselves to good works i mean christian this is what you've been saved for this is what he gave himself up for a people of his own possession who are zealous of good works you want to be multiplying good works and you want to seek that first and they need to be good works that have everything to do with the kingdom of god and his righteousness and you need to be living for that and that needs to be first first prioritize titus 3 8 i want you to insist on these things so that those who have believed in god may be careful to devote themselves to good works are you careful to devote yourselves careful that means you give care to it you're no longer like the gentiles where all your care is just about where are we gonna eat next what restaurant are we gonna go to how are we gonna get those clothing and those shoes and that stuff and what about our house and what about this and what about that and constantly caring mainly no you need to be careful to devote yourself to good works that means you need to be strategizing how can you use the spiritual gifts and whatever god has given to you the time he's given to you the resources he's given to you to actually do and accomplish good in this world at this time and do it today tomorrow that's it'll suffice for itself you need to work while it's day you need to work today and you need to give priority to this titus 3 14 let our people learn to devote themselves to good works so as to help cases of urgent need and not be unfruitful one of the things i was bringing up on wednesday is this brethren we got into we got into a pattern where when something major came up in the news i'm talking about back in san antonio when something major came up in the news some kind of catastrophe in the world some type of storm some type of earthquake something happened building blows up in lebanon or something even like what's happening in afghanistan you know what often times what the first response was to us is not just to turn a blind eye or whether that's in a far-off place a far away country we could never do anything usually the first mindset was this there's some good we can do there and we put together a team and we'd send them there in fact right now as i brought up on wednesday we're actually i'm working right now with the brother that's in the middle east and we're trying to figure out ways that we can possibly help the afghanis especially afghani christians and there's actually a man on the ground right now over in the area and he is seeking he is seeking in one of the middle eastern countries to find afghan refugee camps and he's trying to find out among these camps how they got into the country what paperwork they were needed to get into the country we're actually looking at possibilities of smuggling people out i have made i have made it known that i will go over there if i actually think that i could actually do anything it takes manpower to do these things and one of one of the things i've learned is this when you have a god like we have you never want to say we won't be able to do anything i have found that is absolutely not the case ever that if you'll go trusting the lord we need to ask god for these kinds of open doors brethren i want you to think big i want you to be i want you to be creative in these things hebrews 10 24 let us consider how to stir up one another love and good works you know one of the primary reasons that the author of hebrews gives us as to why we don't want to forsake assembling together stir up each other you know this is one of the things about not being involved in the church you kind of isolate yourself you don't get stirred up like people who come around each other that's the kind of church you want to i want to be in a church where we stir up each other to love and good works greater manifestations of love christ loved and he came and he made the ultimate sacrifice but he he came and he poured himself out brethren this is practical this is this seek first these things you say well i'm i'm a working man i go off to work each day labor at what god has called me to do okay brother but are you seeking first the kingdom of god when you do that you see we need to be intentional okay i've got to say it i've got a job i go off to this workplace do you full well know that the vast majority of men in this place that don't work at home that have to go off to an actual workplace the truth is you likely are the only christian in that workplace christians are not a dime a dozen they don't just pop up everywhere i know you you can actually work somewhere where there could be two or five christians that can happen but i'm just telling you this typically when god saves somebody we walk through life we have situations in family we have situations in the workplace we have situations where we shop we have situations where we go we have situations in the city in which we live among our neighbors where you very well are the only christian and the only christian light that the people in your immediate proximity are being exposed to that is often the case you need to be intentional about that god did not put you in that place for you to be silent zip your lip and basically deny christ by your silence he did not save you for that you need to be seeking first these things i would say this if you're going to seek first the kingdom then you want to be on your knees before you or however you pray before you go into that workplace you want to wash your mind before you get out into this world you want to wash yourself in the water of the word and then you go out there you want to be a witness and i recognize you look you don't want to be preaching the gospel while you're on the clock that is stealing your employer's time not saying to do that but pray for opportunities pray for open doors pray to get alone with that guy you're working with and be able to share the gospel with him look for opportunities and scripture says this if if you're going to walk as a son of light then you need to expose the deeds of darkness and you know what that's what jesus did and he called out sin and i know it's uncomfortable you got foul mouth guys around you at work say young you ought not to blaspheme the name of your creator you can say something like that you say well i might not be liked no you might not be but you know one of the things that you're called to do in this world is you're called to expose the darkness and god uses that god will use that to save people god yes people may not like it people didn't like jesus doing that they put him to death and he specifically said they hated him they hated him because he exposed their sin he exposed their self-righteousness people are very lost and they're very self-righteous and you start exposing their self-righteousness you put your finger right on their pride and they don't like that but that's what jesus did and that's listen we have to be honest with people you're not good the reality is if you die you're gonna perish that's the most loving thing you can do you see somebody with cancer you want to tell them i see it i see all the signs of it on you here there's a remedy over here flee to it brethren this is just being practical can i tell you something that sometimes we just noticing something like this paul said in ephesians you remember this ephesians chapter 4 where where paul is describing what the new man is like he says this let the thief no longer steal you know a lot of people's christianity stops right there well i don't kill i don't steal anymore i don't do this i don't do that a lot of christians it's that negatory kind of christianity it's all about what i don't do well i don't go to x-rated movies anymore and i don't do this and i don't do that and i don't do the other but you know what paul says he says let the thief no longer steal but he doesn't stop there let him work with his hands well that's great that's good this is you you can have a lot of gentiles that simply may not steal and they work with their hands but they're very selfish you know there's a lot of hard-working people in the world and they can just amass all the more food and all the more drink and all the more clothing you know it doesn't stop there it's not just it's not just don't be lazy [Music] it's so that you may have something to share with those that are in need you see what he's saying thief okay yes that's a given you're no longer a thief two it's given you're gonna be a hard worker three you're not just a hard worker so that you can concern yourself with your family just like the gentiles do no it goes into the category of good works so that you have something to give to those in need see you go off to the workplace you need to be strategic with the money that you're making brethren we need to really strive as a church you can give individually there's no doubt but collectively we need to be really be looking for needs in the world where where can we give where can we help can you grasp what god saved you for how can you seek first the kingdom of god unless you seek first this this i mean the things that please god the things that that he's calling us to brethren you got to be intentional you've look we only have one life to live and you need to work while this day because the night's coming when you can't work and you need there's certain things that you need to be seeking first in your life and brethren men women you with children look you ought to be thinking first that in their lives the lives of your children you've told fathers bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the lord you don't want to first and foremost just let your children play let them watch stuff on on the internet or watch stuff on t you know what you primarily need to be showing them who christ is you need to be showing them all about this kingdom you need to i mean you've been given these children and you have a responsibility clearly you shall love the lord your god with all your heart with all your soul with all your might these words that i command you today shall be on your heart you shall teach them diligently to your children you shall talk of them when you sit in your house when you walk by the way when you lie down when you rise sometimes seeking first the kingdom of god may mean this now listen this is gonna this does not set well with many mindsets concerning seeking first the kingdom but listen carefully to this [Music] luke 18 verse 29 he said to them [Music] truly i say to you there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children listen to this for the sake of the kingdom of god who will not receive many times more in this time and in the age to come eternal life here's the thing oftentimes seeking first the kingdom this is what jesus said jesus says people leave their house i left my house back in san antonio people will leave their houses that's not your primary thing that is not seeking first just a lot of people in this oh it is very gentilian just seek your house seek your garden seek to modify it seek to tweak it seek to make it heaven on this earth as though you're to live there forever that's very gentile like there are people who leave house leave wife leave brother leave parents leave children for the sake of the kingdom of god now the thing is again god has you covered when you seek first these things he says i'm going to command a blessing and what's going to happen you'll receive a hundredfold is what matthew's account of that says you'll receive many times more in this time and the age to come eternal life now listen obviously seeking the kingdom first and seeking it first today it means that oftentimes we look past family and past houses because we're talking priority do you know what somebody think with me here what has to be going through somebody's mind for them to walk away from their house or perhaps their children or even a spouse hudson taylor left his wife for a long time ct stud left his wife for years ribby and i we left our four children back in the u.s i'll tell you this if you're going to seek first the kingdom it is not simply well i've got my family i've got my house this is all my life and it just everything rotates around that it's not that ladies you too i mean seek first the kingdom children any children that are professing to know the lord what are you what are you seeking first just here at the end i want to encourage this i'm not saying listen a husband needs to love his wife like christ loves a church am i saying a husband should just walk away from his wife for the kingdom of god's sake i would say this hudson taylor did it for a season but they waited out prayerfully you know the brother andy has said if you've heard him that oftentimes he's away from rebecca for two or three weeks out of a month there's a price to pay when we seek first this kingdom brethren i want to encourage creativity we've got sisters in here with no children some single young men seek first the kingdom of god and think outside the box be creative i love spurgeon had 66 ministries that he was over brethren i can tell you this i it chafes at me now i know i haven't been here that long but it chafes at me that [Music] we have so few ministries in this church but i recognize this is a rebuilding time and we're we're new here we're asking the lord to open doors and i believe that in the course of time he will spurgeon had 66 ministries he was over he had a pastor's school they had a fund for needy pregnant women they had sunday schools they had oh there was all manner of funds for the poor book distribution track society mission bible school spurgeon's wife you may know full well she she raised money to have books libraries supplied to poor pastors i would just say this what can you do see god has given you spiritual gifts and god has given you certain resources and god has given you time what can you do how should you be living brethren what we want is this we we want to get to the end of our life and we want is a church collectively but each one of us individually we want to have we want to leave a wake behind us you know a boat goes through the water leaves that way we want to wake behind us of good works anybody remember dorcas or tabitha you remember what happened when she died what happened anybody remember she she was she was missed you know why because she ministered to people and those that were dependent on her those that reaped from her ministry they were weeping they were sorrowing i just ask you this to what degree are you impacting people and the lives of people so that when you're gone you would be missed like her brethren i'll tell you this that doesn't happen by accident you've got to be seeking something you've got to be seeking first something you've got to be giving yourself brethren this is a priority question you got to seek certain things first and let it be god's kingdom you remember jesus our lord he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil for god was with him how can we bring healing to our poor diseased and distressed especially our city manchester how can we do that what can we do brethren i just want i want i want us thinking because you know what nothing will happen unless we first think and strategize and contemplate but i'll tell you this with the god we have you never want to say we can't do that don't say that god can turn the world upside down with just a handful of people god can take the mountain with the philistines at the top with one jonathan and one armor bearer do not underestimate what god can do listen we're weak in ourselves utter weakness but we're not by ourselves we have this god with us that jesus is saying your heavenly father to supply all these things and i'll tell you i've seen crazy people do crazy things and god comes through over and over and over again so here it is what can we do what good can we go about doing i just say this brethren live live well while you have life live live well while you live really live while you're alive and seek it first seek living well and doing these good things for the kingdom of god and god will command his blessing on you so that you will not lack the things that the gentiles seek after trust them with your life amen and so ends matthew chapter six next chapter seven father i pray oh lord i pray please give us open doors lord i'm not asking you right now for 66 ministries like spurgeonhand we don't we're not where they were don't have the gifts he had but lord please please open doors for us i pray one after another we would see you open doors for us to be able to to be doers of good to seek first the kingdom to seek first the things that are most pleasing to you lord i pray that the brethren would be stirred that the brethren would strategize that the brethren would arise to this call of the lord jesus christ and pray this in his name amen you are dismissed

Channel: I'll Be Honest

Views: 5,914

Rating: 4.909091 out of 5

Keywords: Tim Conway, Matthew 6:33, seek, kingdom, God, righteousness

Id: dsAjySVXdGA

Length: 62min 52sec (3772 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 02 2021