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Seeking First the Kingdom

Seeking First the Kingdom. Making God’s Interests Your Priority. Seeking First the Kingdom Some Preliminaries:. Matt.6:33 begins with the contrasting conjunction “But” - which means a contrast is being drawn.

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Seeking First the Kingdom

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  1. Seeking First the Kingdom Making God’s Interests Your Priority

  2. Seeking First the KingdomSome Preliminaries: • Matt.6:33begins with the contrasting conjunction “But”- which means a contrast is being drawn. • The contrast being emphasized, in vv.25-33, is between being overly anxious about thephysical things of life that we can’t control, and the spiritual things of life that we’re supposed to control. • Notice also that v.33doesn’t say to “seek first God,” but instead says to “seek first Hiskingdomand His righteousness…” So, what’s the difference? • Godis spiritually infiniteand somewhat abstract(though real); His kingdom (rule/interests)andrighteous (activities)are spirituallyfiniteandtangible,cf. John 4:20-24; 1John 4:20. We prioritize and serve God by prioritizing and serving His interests- His kingdomand righteousness.

  3. So, How Do WeSeek First God’s Kingdom and Righteousness? Jesus tells us in the context: • Put your heartin the right place, vv.19-21 Byvaluing the right things- God’s kingdom and righteousness! • Clear your eyes, vv.22-23 By focusing them clearly on the right things- God’s kingdom and righteousness!

  4. So, How Do WeSeek First God’s Kingdom and Righteousness? Jesus tells us in the context: • Put your backinto it, v.24 By putting all of your strength intoservingthe right things- God’s kingdom and righteousness! • Get your mindright, vv.25-32,34 By controlling the spiritual things you can instead of worrying about the physical things you can’t- God’s kingdom and righteousness!

  5. So, How Do WeSeek First God’s Kingdom and Righteousness? Practical suggestions (1“take-home” point): • Cut Back and Simplify, 1Thess.4:9-12 At the end of life, no one says, “I wish I had worked more, or provided more things, and spent less time with God’s word, God’s people, and God’s service.” In my judgment, whatever it’s worth, the greatest impediment to our spiritual commitment of putting God and His interests first in our lives is simply overcrowded schedules- we’re just too busy. So… Our involvement with spiritual priorities is reduced to an hour or two per week because we’ve filled every waking moment with work and other activities.

  6. So, How Do WeSeek First God’s Kingdom and Righteousness? Practical suggestions (1“take-home” point): • Cut Back and Simplify, 1Thess.4:9-12 At the end of life, no one says, “I wish I had worked more, or provided more things for, and spent less time with my family- my spouse, children, grandchildren, grandparents, siblings, aunts/uncles, cousins, etc. We spend so much time providing a living for them we forget to live with and provide a life for them, 1Pet.3:7. Even our time “with” our children is spent spectating (and recording!) the activities we provide instead of simply teaching them about God and life by living it with them. Vacation and “leisure time” and money is spent rushing from one activity to another and we return exhausted.

  7. So, How Do WeSeek First God’s Kingdom and Righteousness? Practical suggestions (1“take-home” point): • Cut Back and Simplify, 1Thess.4:9-12 In large measure, we fail to “seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness” for ourselves and our families because we simply don’t have time for it. No one, including God, is going to put more time into our days, weeks, months, or years. We can’t just carve out an hour or two a week and think we’re seeking first the kingdom and righteousness- it must take priority and precedence over everything else. But if we will make this commitment, everything else will take care of itself- Jesus promised! Matt.6:30-34

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