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Memory Verse:
But seek first HIS kingdom and HIS righteousness, and
all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew
6:33
What do you spend the majority of your time doing?
Matthew 6:33 puts the pattern for living the christian
life in a nutshell. It tells us about our priorities
and it tells us about the rewards we will receive if
we do it God’s way! In our busy lives we cannot
do everything. Although we attempt to be everything
to everyone, in reality we cannot do everything. What
you choose first, over time, takes first place in your
life? Take a moment and reflect on the things which
you find yourself giving the most time and effort. Take
a close look at your calendar. Where do you spend the
majority of your time? Look at your checkbook. Where
do you spend the majority of your money? Don’t
get me wrong, the things that our family needs, food,
clothing and shelter are important. But the focus that
Jesus puts on these things is totally different than
what we put on them.
Matthew 6:26-30 Look at the birds of the air; they
do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable
than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single
hour to his life[1] ? 28"And why do you worry about
clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They
do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even
Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of
these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the
field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into
the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of
little faith? These verses teach us about the things
that we do not need to worry about. This verse teaches
about the value that our heavenly father has for us.
It is a wonderful feeling to realize how important we
really are to Jesus. God know and meets our needs! Philippians
4:19 19And my God will meet all your needs according
to HIS glorious riches in Christ Jesus. God doesn’t
just say he will meet our need, but ALL OF OUR NEEDS!!!!
Applying this concept is difficult for people. It is
hard to realize all that worry and give every concern
to God. But he promises to take care of all our needs.
When Christ really does come first our lives will change
for the better. One tool to use is scripture memorization.
Put these verses on a card and hang them on your bathroom
mirror. Repeat them every time you are in that room.
Matthew 6:33 talks about “these things”
– He was referring to what he had stated in previous
verses. God has offered us a choice:
1. worry about these things or
2. seek HIS Kingdom.
God has promised we will be taken care of. We will
have what we NEED, not necessarily what we WANT. There
is a big difference between needs and wants. So why
do we continually worry about things we have not control
over. We need to be working to gain HIS promise. Worry
is sinful. He has reminded us in these verses that HE
will take care of us. Do we let him? He has reminded
us that he knows what we need. Do we give him the credit
and allow him to take care of us? God should have control
over every event in our life. This does not mean that
we can sit back and just let God do it all. He gave
each one of us brain and the expectation is that we
will use it to the best of our ability.
What would happen to our life if we invested your emotional
energy into spiritual priorities rather than wasting
it on worrying? Would we have more time for God, prayer,
Bible study, exercise, or service? Jesus taught HIS
disciples to pray in Matthew 6:9-13, "This, then,
is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name, 10your kingdom come, your will
be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us today
our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also
have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one. Part of this prayer
focuses on the kingdom of God. How glorious it would
be to get a glimpse of God’s kingdom when HIS
will is done on earth as it is in heaven! When we pray
and give all our worries over to God we find a renewed
faith. Matthew 21:22 is a wonderful promise about providing
what we need. 22If you believe, you will receive whatever
you ask for in prayer."
Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not a matter
of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace
and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves
Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by
men. 19Let us therefore make every effort to do what
leads to peace and to mutual edification. This verse
speaks about the priorities in the kingdom of God.
1. Righteousness
2. Peace
3. Joy in the Holy Spirit
It also speaks about things that are not priorities
1. Eating
2. Drinking
Which ones focus on our physical lives and which on
our spiritual lives? The Bible doesn’t teach that
our physical life is unimportant, or that it is unnecessary
to provide for yourself and those who depend on you.
We are to take our responsibilities seriously.
2 Thessalonians 3:10 10For even when we were with you,
we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work,
he shall not eat." and 1 Timothy 5: 8 8If anyone
does not provide for his relatives, and especially for
his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is
worse than an unbeliever.
The challenge comes when we are to focus on spiritual
priorities and take care of our physical needs and the
needs of other. Attempting to live responsibly without
allowing daily pressure to consume all your time and
energy is difficult at best. When we nurture our spiritual
life, we ill have the added emotional energy we need
to live in this demanding physical world. 31So whether
you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the
glory of God. First Corinthians 10:31 gives us a guideline
for transforming the activities of everyday life into
a focused life. Whatever you do, do it all for God’s
glory.
Luke 9:23 lists three commitments we must make if we
want to make Christ our top priority. 23Then he said
to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he
must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow
me.
1. Deny self
2. Take up your cross
3. Follow Jesus
What areas do you need to deny yourself so you can
follow Christ more fully? Consider your cross as a positive
personal ministry you do for other people, what could
you do today to take up your cross? Has there been a
reluctance to follow Christ fully? Do we make excuses
continually? I’ cant do ___ because….. Luke
9:57-62 speaks about the cost of following Jesus. 57As
they were walking along the road, a man said to him,
"I will follow you wherever you go." 58Jesus
replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air
have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay HIS
head." 59He said to another man, "Follow me."
But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and
bury my father." 60Jesus said to him, "Let
the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim
the kingdom of God." 61Still another said, "I
will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and
say good bye to my family." 62Jesus replied, "No
one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is
fit for service in the kingdom of God." Jesus isn’t
talking about just following him on Sunday, or when
we feel like it, but ALL the time.
Matthew 5:16 speaks about a time when Jesus told HIS
disciples to let their lights shine so that others could
see their works and praise their Father in heaven. 16In
the same way, let your light shine before men, that
they may see your good deeds and praise your Father
in heaven. In most cases people won’t make the
connection between your good deeds and your Father in
heaven unless you help them. You will have to tell them
the reason you live as you do. The difference Christ
has made in your life will show; only when you share
that source will it glorify God.
Lets play a matching game and discover how priorities
and commitments work.
Lets play a matching game and discover how priorities
and commitments work.
a. 1 Samuel 15:22 _____1. A desire and willingness
to obey God
b. Proverbs 3:9,10 _____2. Offering yourself to God
as a living sacrifice
c. Romans 12:1 _____3. Giving to God from material possessions
d. Romans 13:8 _____ 4. Loving others on an ongoing
basis
e. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 _____ 5. An ongoing lifestyle
of prayer
Beth Moore has a book about Praying God’s Word.
I want to introduce this thought to you. We can learn
much about letting God be in control and overcoming
our own personal sin by letting God’s word work
in us. Sin demands much of our emotional and mental
energy, it strangles our opportunity at the life Christ
has promised. The process isn’t complicated: Take
a particular verse and pray that verses to God, personalizing
the words.
“Lord, help me over the sins in my life. I long
for YOU to be first. I want to seek first Your kingdom
and Your righteousness. Thank you for your promise to
give me the other things I need.” (Matthew 6:33)
But seek first HIS kingdom and HIS righteousness, and
all these things will be given to you as well
Father, when Your words come to me, help me to eat
them; make them my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I fear Your name, O Lord God Almighty
(Jeremiah 15:16) 16 When your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear
your name, O LORD God Almighty.
God, through the victories You give, may Christ’s
glory be great. (Ps. 21:5) Through the victories you
gave, HIS glory is great; you have bestowed on him splendor
and majesty.
Your mind is the control center of your being. Satan
attempts to make you believe that he is powerful and
you are powerless, he attempts to put destructive and
discouraging thoughts in our minds. We are not powerless:
we have GOD! We need to use our power to remove any
obstacle, argument, pretension that sets itself up against
the knowledge of God. You must take your thoughts captive
and be obedient to God. The journey to give God first
place in your life begins with seeking HIS righteousness
always!
Lets play a matching game and discover how priorities
and commitments work.
a. 1 Samuel 15:22 _____1. A desire and willingness
to obey God
b. Proverbs 3:9,10 _____2. Offering yourself to God
as a living sacrifice
c. Romans 12:1 _____3. Giving to God from material possessions
d. Romans 13:8 _____ 4. Loving others on an ongoing
basis
e. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 _____ 5. An ongoing lifestyle
of praye
Praying Gods Words:
“Lord, help me over the sins in my life. I long
for YOU to be first. I want to seek first Your kingdom
and Your righteousness. Thank you for your promise to
give me the other things I need.”
(Matthew 6:33) But seek first HIS kingdom and HIS righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well
Father, when Your words come to me, help me to eat
them; make them my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I fear Your name, O Lord God Almighty
(Jeremiah 15:16) 16 When your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear
your name, O LORD God Almighty.
God, through the victories You give, may Christ’s
glory be great.
(Ps. 21:5) Through the victories you gave, HIS glory
is great; you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
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