Boldly Seeking The Kingdom Series

Boldness A-Z

Boldly seeking the Kingdom

Matthew 6: 25-34

We are still considering the a-z of Boldness. Last week we looked at how we should be Bold about Jesus. We talked about being bold about His Identity, who he is... We discussed who the world may say He is. We looked at what the written word said about Who he is. We saw The Living Word testify to who He is. The written word and the Living Word, Jesus agree about who Jesus is. But the world wants to know the same thing Jesus wants to know...Who do you say that He is?

This week we are going to look at Boldly seeking the Kingdom. What do I mean by seeking the kingdom? Lets consider that this morning. Please open your Bibles to Matthew 6 verses 25-34. You will notice the first word of verse 25 is "therefore" and whenever we read something that starts with "therefore" we must see what it is there for. So lets back up for a second or two and see why Jesus says Therefore. Jesus has just finished talking about greed, storing up treasures on earth and has stated that no man can serve two masters. He can not serve both God and mammon or money because he will love one and hate the other. Therefore.....

"25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. "

Are you Boldly seeking the Kingdom of God or are you seeking self or wealth ?

This attitude is described for us as a worldy attitude in 1 John 2:16 "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." Do you see it?

1. The Lust of the Flesh

Take no thought for what ye shall eat or drink.

We need food and drink to survive. More so drink than food. Man can survive several days even weeks without food but not nearly as long without water. When we read "Take no thought" sometimes we go to the extreme of interpreting that as don't even think about eating or drinking. But what Jesus is telling us is don't seek after it. Don't plan your day around your meal.

We have a fat out of shape society because we seek to feed the lust of the flesh without control. If one 1/4lb burger is good two must be better. Yeah I know I'm preaching to myself!

Buffet's

Dinner plans before Church!

Want a full church? Feed em full!

2. The Lust of the Eyes

Nor yet for your body what ye shall put on

Is clothing a necessity? Oh yeah! Again Jesus is not saying don't worry about getting dressed. He saying there are, sorry ladies, more important things than clothes!

Does any body remember the S.N.L. skit that Billy Crystal used to do Fernandos hide away. "You look Mahhhhvelous! It's not how you feel it's how you look! Although that skit was 20 years ago it still applies to our society today.

3. The Pride of Life

For after all these things do the gentiles seek (wish for or crave after)

There is nothing wrong with eating and drinking or wearing clothes. Jesus is warning us against the pursuit of these things. they are necessities that God can and will provide.