공동체와 양육

Kingdom Priorities (Matt. 6:25-34)

2013.01.06Rev. Eddie Byun

Trust God with your life, because he cares for you, and seek His kingdom first, so that all your priorities are aligned with His heart. Worry reveals a lack of trust in a good God, and only when we live for Him do we gain what truly matters.

Trust God with your life, because he cares for you (25-34)

Jesus concludes his teaching by telling us not to be anxious about food, drink, or clothing. The world constantly tells us we need more, newer, and better things, and the more we get, the more anxious we become. Worry is meditation on problems, and it is a waste of the moment that should be spent trusting and worshiping God. Jesus does not say that food and clothing are unimportant, but that something more important exists. Birds and lilies show that the Father feeds and clothes what He made, and we are of much greater value than they are. Worry reveals a lack of faith in a good God, and we must trust God because He cares for us. Romans 8:32 shows the greatest display of that love in the cross.

God's love is greater than our understanding

God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours, so He often expresses His love in ways we do not yet understand. Just as a father shows love to a one-year-old who cannot yet comprehend his words, God lavishes His love on us even when we cannot see it. The gospel must be remembered every day, because we easily forget that God loves us, that He is for us, and that He is working all things for our good. In eternity we will look back and see that every moment of our lives was shaped by God's love. For that reason, we need faith not only to be saved but also for the journey home.

Seek first the kingdom of God (33-34)

Matthew 6:33-34 is the key verse for this year. Everyone seeks something, such as money, clothes, attention, or relationships, but God's people are marked by seeking more of Him. The kingdom is not something missing from our lives, since we are already citizens of it. Kingdom priority means putting God first in our hearts and filtering our lives through His character and the cross. When the speaker was a college freshman, he sensed God's call to pastoral ministry, and he trusted God to provide for his parents. Again and again God faithfully provided for his family, and the same promise has held for his own child.

Serving the community of God

A kingdom consists of people with Christ as king, so seeking the kingdom includes serving His community. Only when we are freed from the world's craving for more possessions can we care for the poor who truly lack physical things. God wants to free us from the cycle of wanting more for ourselves so that we can generously give what we have received. To do this, we need to know one another's needs and become involved in each other's lives. The best place to learn this is in small groups, where we can be known, know others, be blessed, and bless others.

Eyes fixed on God bring kingdom impact (2 Chronicles 16:9)

God searches the whole earth for the hearts that are fully committed to Him, and when His eyes meet a heart that is looking to Him, kingdom impact follows. Like a buffet where we fill our plates with lesser food and have no room for the best at the end, we waste our lives on the temporary things of this world. Everything we do, including eating, saving, working, and studying, should be for the glory of God's name. Jesus asks what good it is to gain the whole world and lose your soul. Only when we seek His kingdom first do we truly gain, and so we must put Jesus first and surrender our lives to Him.

Apply to Life

  • Let us trust God with our whole lives today and every day, because He cares for us.
  • Let us replace worry with meditation on the goodness of God and His Word.
  • Let us seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness in our time, our wallets, and our daily choices.
  • Let us get involved in a small group and share one another's needs in the community of God.
  • Let us surrender our families, jobs, and relationships to God so that all of them may be used for His glory.

This summary was made automatically from the sermon's captions and may differ from the sermon.

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