Thursday, September 19, 2013

Don't Worry! Part 24 of 31

TEXT: "Therefore, I say to you, do not worry 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, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:25-34).

IDEA: We must be sure that we keep "first things first."

PURPOSE: To help listeners really hear what Jesus says.

Do you think it is difficult to keep first things first in life? Why?

I. Isn't the assumption in Matthew 6:33 that it is easy to keep first things first?

"Seek" is in the present imperative, suggesting that this is a continual activity. We should be continually preoccupied with what advances our Father's kingdom. What might that look like in life?

Why might we put secondary things first? Have you ever done that? Why?

Are we talking about an attitude or a "life-controlling effort" and the efforts of the Gentiles (see Matthew 6:32).

Does "first" soften the command to seek God's kingdom? E.G., after you have sought the kingdom, then you are free to seek earthly security? The adverb is emphatic, not permissive.

II. Can you suggest some practical ways that we can seek Christ's kingdom?