Being A Focused Christian Series

Being a focused Christian

Thinking, Acting, Being like Jesus

Matthew chapter 6:33

Introduction

We are still in the series Thinking, Acting, Being like Jesus.

Last week you remember we looked at the principal and relationship of prayer.

We agreed that prayer works, and I asked that we do more than keep it on our refrigerator, but embed it in our hearts, that we would allow prayer and our relationship with God to change our lives.

There are principals of our faith that must be worked out in our lives

Our relationship with God in prayer.

Reading and knowing God’s Word…..and applying it to our lives properly.

Getting in church to hear God’s Word.

Fellowshipping with people of like minded faith.

These are all designed by God to help us journey through this life and help us with our walk with God.

One of the main reasons people cannot walk their faith is because they have no discipline in these areas.

I’ve titled the sermon “Being a focused Christian” but really it is about being single-minded. Focused on the one thing that matters most and that is our walk with God and our relationship with Him.

Because of our sin nature and our self centeredness,

We often get a mind set of what we want rather than what God wants.

We ask God to bless what we are doing rather than doing what God desires.

This world is focused on themselves rather than on God’s will.

Text- Matthew chapter 6:33

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Familiar verse, but not often lived out.

The heart of the matter is “kingdom” God’s kingdom or your kingdom. Your righteousness or God’s righteousness.

Stuck right here in Matthew is red letter words of Jesus.

Right between not worrying, finding peace, storing of our treasures, and not judging others is….Seeking His kingdom and Is righteousness.

“And all these things will be given to you as well”

What are all these things?

They are peace of mind.

Not allowing worry to control you.

It is not storing up all your treasures here and sending some ahead of you.

These things are not the focus because the focus for a believer has to be about God’s kingdom.

Jesus is letting us know that He is aware of what we need. (repeat)

We are to depend on Him to provide. Doing all that we know to do, but trusting him to provide.

This takes away the excuse of doing nothing and wondering why nothing is happening.

Give you another verse

“Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

There are some people that worry about today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, 20 years from now, retirement, economy, jobs, where they will live. If that is not enough, some worry about other people in all those areas.

They just worry about everything!

Where does faith come in? At what point do you stop worrying and start living?

Focused believers, single minded people will live each day yielded to God’s will and directions.

Do what they know to do.

Prepare as much as they can, but trust God to take care of the things that they do not control.

Ever hear the term, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too”

I think that is the most ridiculous phrase ever! Of course you can have it- if it is your cake, you eat it when you want too.

Concerning spiritual things, when you surrender your life to God, you receive not only abundant life here but also the gift of eternal life in the future.

You can have your cake and eat it too! If fact, I encourage it!

The Bible is full of verses that tell us we can have our cake and eat it too.

Verses in the Bible galore that tells us to be focused on God first and that He provides.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for your selves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

“No man 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.

The verse we read about worrying-

We need stuff, but stuff cannot have us.

You need money, but money can’t be your treasure.

You need to take care of things, but you cannot worry about the things that you cannot change.