“Jesus Teaches About Priorities”
Matthew 6:33
INTRODUCTION: We CONTINUE in our SERIES on “Lessons Jesus Taught”. We have seen what Jesus taught about: the Holy Spirit, Prayer, the Tongue, Thanksgiving, Repentance. This morning, we will see what Jesus teaches about “Priorities”.
Everybody needs a GUIDE to live by. At one point, in the lives of God’s people, there was no God-appointed man to GUIDE His people. Judges 17:6 – “In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Everybody set up their own laws … determined for themselves what was right/wrong … good/bad. What an awful, chaotic world it would be, if there was no GUIDE … no LAWS … no RULES.
We have LAWS in this country to regulate our standard of conduct. We have RULES and REGULATIONS to guide us … IRS … school policies … safety regulations … speed limits. We have DIRECTIONS to help us put things together. We have the BIBLE to guide us morally, ethically & spiritually.
The BIBLE is our STANDARD. If we lived by it, there wouldn’t be a need for the 1000’s of volumes of laws that we now have. There would be no back-logs in the courts. There would be no crowded jails. If CHRISTIANS lived by the Bible, our Christian life would be so much easier.
BUT … the Bible is so VAST … 30,442 verses … 845,000 words. Have you MEMORIZED it yet? You’ve memorized your Social Security number … maybe your tag … or D.L. number. What about the BIBLE?
I don’t expect you to memorize the whole Bible. BUT … IF you had just 1 VERSE that you could use to GUIDE you through every situation, it might help you to set your PRIORITIES in life … to determine right from wrong … to solve our tendency to stray away from God.
I think I’ve found the verse. THOUGH … there are probably others you might choose.
1 Cor. 10:31 – “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 - “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. [6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Philip. 1:21 – “For to me to live is Christ,”
The verse I have chosen today is a verse to live by. You don’t have to know the WHOLE Bible. If we would just concentrate on this 1 VERSE, we would find the help we need to GUIDE us through life.
This verse is found in Matthew 6:33 – all turn
Most of our problems in life comes from our not setting PRIORITIES. We need a GUIDE … a GOAL … a PURPOSE. We find it in this 1 VERSE. ABOVE ALL ELSE, we are to seek FIRST the Kingdom of God.
Let’s take a closer look at this 1 VERSE.
“seek” = ‘to search for … strive for … strongly desire’.
ABOVE ALL ELSE in our life, Jesus says that this is to be #1 … top priority … our main goal … what we are to strive for every day. EVERYTHING we do is to relate to this goal. Every DECISION we make: WHERE I go … WHAT I do … HOW I do it … WHEN I do it … WHY I do what I do. ALL THESE THINGS are to be FILTERED through this 1 VERSE.
I. THE PRIORITY – “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God”
“Kingdom of God” – What is it that we are “seeking” for? The “Kingdom of God” is not tangible … not physical … it has no borders. It’s not something you can see on a map … or physically travel through. There are no speed limits or gas stations or Cracker Barrel’s there.
Romans 14:17 – “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” It isn’t visible or verbal … it’s SPIRITUAL in nature. 1 Cor. 4:20 – “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.”
SO … we are to “seek” something that we can’t see, hear, or feel … something intangible & invisible. SO … what does the “Kingdom of God” mean? PLAIN & SIMPLE … it is GOD’S RULE over your life. If you choose to live in God’s Kingdom, you must live under the authority of the KING.
Not everybody can enter into the “Kingdom of God”. Nicodemus found this out – John 3:1-6 – all turn.
If you are Born-Again, the KING has a rightful authority over your life. He purchased you with His blood. Acts 20:28 - “the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” The moment that you trusted Jesus as your Savior, you became a citizen of the “Kingdom of God”. That gave Him the right to rule & reign over your life.
Matthew 6:33 – “But” – This indicates that there are SOME who aren’t seeking FIRST the “Kingdom of God and His righteousness”. WHAT are THEY seeking? See 6:32.
“Gentiles” = those who are trying to serve 2 masters – 6:24a.
What are “these things” that they’re seeking after? Let’s look closer at 6:24.
You can’t serve God … AND money. He’s not saying that it’s wrong to MAKE money … or to HAVE money. It’s NOT a sin to be rich. BUT … it’s a sin to SERVE money. WHY? BECAUSE … IF you’re in the “Kingdom of God”, you are to SERVE the KING. “Seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of God …”
CORRIE TEN BOOM – Listen to what she said, after she was persecuted, and lost everything to the Nazi’s. “I’ve learned that we must hold everything loosely, because when I grip it tightly, it hurts when the Father pries my fingers loose and takes it from me.”
Recently, hundreds of people lost their homes in the California fires. They lost just about everything they owned. Several of them were interviewed on TV. SOME were totally devastated … their life was in ruins … they didn’t know how they were going to survive. I ADMIT … it’s a tragedy. I wouldn’t want to think of it happening to me.
BUT … there was 1 lady who was interviewed. She said that she felt the loss. BUT … she knew that God wouldn’t let this tragic experience go to waste. She knew that God had something else in store. She didn’t know what … BUT … she held “things” loosely … AND … it didn’t hurt as much.
Is there anything that you’re gripping so tightly, that God would have to pry your fingers loose to take it away from you? You brought nothing into this world … you can take nothing out. HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED that when a baby is born, they’re born with a clenched fist. BUT … when you die, your hands are open?
If you have a hard time letting it go … it’s probably a PRIORITY to you. AND … God says … “Seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of God”. You can’t be a SLAVE of “things” … AND … at the same time … be a SERVANT in the Kingdom of God.
II. THE PROMISE – “all these things shall be added unto you”.
WHAT HAPPENS when we seek FIRST the “Kingdom of God”? 6:33 – “all THESE THINGS shall be added unto you.”
WHAT THINGS? These things that the “Gentiles” (world) are seeking after … God will GIVE YOU if you will just live under His authority and rule. See 6:31.
God (the King) may not give you EVERYTHING you ASK FOR … BUT … He’ll give you everything you NEED. If you don’t HAVE it … it’s probably because you don’t really NEED it. It would just make your life more COMFORTABLE. We aren’t to make these things our PRIORITY.
We need to transfer our allegiance FROM the “kingdom of this world” … TO … the “Kingdom of God”. HOW DO WE DO THIS? By looking to the One who has already done it for us.
Colossians 1:13-14 – all turn
What does this NEW ALLEGIANCE mean? 1:18
Does Christ have “pre-eminence” in your life? He will … IF … you “Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God”.
Jesus addressed the question of PRE-EMINENCE, and told a story about guests at a meal. Everyone wanted the place of prominence … to sit up front … at the head table.
Luke 14:15 – all turn.
Jesus is telling them that there is something MORE IMPORTANT than have prominence in this EARTHLY kingdom. It’s giving the “Kingdom of God” prominence in your life.
Jesus then tells a story about what “Kingdom living” is all about.
14:16-17 – Jesus (the King) offers you to come and eat at His table in His Kingdom. He has prepared dishes of peace … love … joy … goodness & mercy … hope …
Who wouldn’t want to come? In our EARTHLY kingdom in which we live, we’re surrounded by the enemy. Satan is a roaring lion … enticing you to sin … serving up grief, pain, sorrow, heartache.
AND … in the midst of all this, King Jesus is inviting you to come and dine with Him … fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, baked beans … SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING, Jesus is serving up: peace instead of turmoil … love instead of hate … blessings instead of cursings … joy instead of pain & sorrow … hope instead of hopelessness. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want this?
14:18 – He wanted to check up on his investment. Did he buy it without first seeing it? MAYBE he was so in love with it, he wanted to go and see it AGAIN … his “dream house”. His PRIORITIES were wrong. His fingers were clenched around “things” … and he couldn’t turn loose. NOW … he’s going to miss out on “Kingdom living” … God’s BEST. He had other places to GO … other things to SEE … PRIORITIES!
14:19 – Have you ever bought a new car … brought it home … parked it in the driveway … and couldn’t sleep that first night? This man’s PRIORITIES were all wrong. He’s going to miss out on God’s BEST … Kingdom living! He had other things to DO.
14:20 – “I’m still on my honeymoon … I’ve got a RELATIONSHIP to tend to.” He had other things to ENJOY. Something is wrong when we enjoy EARTHLY kingdom living MORE THAN living in the Kingdom of God.
“Seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of God … and all these things will be added to you.” NOW … there’s NOTHING WRONG with any of these things … buying land/house … getting new oxen (car) … getting married. They’re all GOOD. BUT … they had their PRIORITIES all mixed up. WHY? BECAUSE … they took 1st PLACE in their life.
SO …what happened? 14:23-24.
They missed out on all the blessings BECAUSE they didn’t “Seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of God”.
CONCLUSION:
Turn again to Mt. 6:33.
Everybody needs a guide to live by … something to CLING to when the Devil attacks … a rule for living the Christian life. Jesus wraps it up in this 1 VERSE. MEMORIZE it … live by it.
We make CHOICES every day … as to which KINGDOM we are going to live for. Each one has a PROMISE.
KINGDOM OF THIS WORLD – Do what is right in your own eyes. Make the things of this world your top priority. AND … you are on your own … you will pay the price.
KINGDOM OF GOD – Live under the authority of King Jesus. Try to please Him in everything you DO … SAY … THINK … GO … ENJOY. Make King Jesus your TOP PRIORITY … #1 … FIRST PLACE … AND … “all these things will be added unto you.”
Whatever you DO … wherever you GO … however you ACT … SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM.
STAND – PRAY
HYMN - #325 – “Footsteps Of Jesus”
OUTLINE FOR HANDOUT:
“Jesus Teaches About Priorities”
Matthew 6:33
INTRODUCTION: Everybody needs a guide to live by.
- Without a standard, there would be chaos – Judges 17:6
Jesus gives us 1 VERSE as a good guide to live by.
- There are others – 1 Corinthians 10:31, Proverbs 3:5-6
Matthew 6:33 – “seek” = ‘to search for, strive for, strongly desire’
- Everything we do, should relate to this goal, should be filtered through this 1 VERSE.
I. THE PRIORITY – “Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God”
What is the “Kingdom of God”? Romans 14:17
- It is God’s rule over your life … living under the authority of King Jesus.
• John 3:1-6 - Not everybody is in the “Kingdom of God”.
“But” – Not everyone is seeking His Kingdom FIRST – 6:32
- Some are trying to serve 2 masters – God and money – 6:24
- You are to serve the King … not money.
Don’t grip anything so tightly that God has to pry your fingers loose from it … it HURTS!
II. THE PROMISE – “all these things shall be added unto you.”
The King will give you everything you NEED – 6:31
• Colossians 1:13-14 – Jesus makes it all possible.
- 1:18 – Christ must have “pre-eminence”.
• Luke 14:15 – Jesus tells what Kingdom living is all about.
- 14:16-17 – King Jesus serves up a better plate than the ruler of this world.
- 14:18 – He had other places to go … his PRIORITIES were wrong.
- 14:19 – He had other things to do … PRIORITIES!
- 14:20 – He had other things to enjoy … PRIORITIES!
- All these things are GOOD … but they shouldn’t be our PRIORITY and take 1st place in our life.
- 14:23-24 – They missed out on the BEST King Jesus had.
CONCLUSION: Matthew 6:33
- We choose every day which kingdom we will live for.
- Seek His Kingdom FIRST … and King Jesus will take care of you, your life, your needs … PRIORITIES!
PRISCILLA BAPTIST CHURCH – Ray Scott, Pastor
