Seek First the Kingdom - Part 2: What You Seek

Grace Reformation Bible Church

Subscribe

Download

Share

00

00:00

This morning we we press on with verse 33 here at the end of Matthew chapter 6 and we've begun since last week this turn now to verse 33 and the whole emphasis of being holy and as I mentioned we began last week with what it is we are to seek and we considered again this central motif of the kingdom of God not only significant for Matthew but just for the whole storyline the whole revelation and history of Scripture but then within that this turn with verse 33 that being holy also means that we seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness and of course holding the kingdom of God and his righteousness together not dividing those things nor dividing the gospel from the kingdom as we said and so we want to hold all things think these things together remembering in the larger context of verses 25 to 32 as well as where we'll be after I think two weeks out with verse 34 is this larger focus again of not needing to worry because our

01:10

Father knows the things that we need and we're not called to fend for ourselves but we are called to seek first his kingdom and trust that as we do so and as we work and labor and plan and and save and all the other things that are coming out of that order nevertheless it will be his hand that provides all that we need we can truly trust his provision it's meant to free us and enable us to seek his kingdom first so the big banner we said we need our father's care for our king's mission and again even as we look at verse 33 this morning as well as next week will end the chapter by returning to you can trust

01:49

God again Jesus won't leave us just with verse 33 he circles back to this matter of not worrying so we could almost say it's don't worry be holy don't worry all right a little a little sandwich well

02:04

Matthew 6 33 what are we to seek we're to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness

02:12

I emphasized last week the significance of righteousness this ethical dimension of our faith what sets religion really apart in the ancient world that we've been learning about on Sunday evenings that it didn't have a place at least in the

02:28

Greco -Roman sense didn't have as much of a place in religion proper for ethics but for Christianity our religion our faith is comprehensive to all of life there's an ethical dimension to being a

02:40

Christian and this is a significance of the righteousness that we seek Matthew 520 said that righteousness need to it needs to exceed the righteousness that is born externally the righteousness that loves to trump its achievements on the corners that loves the greetings in the marketplaces in the best seats in the synagogue with ever righteousness that's better better than being diligent to tithe on mint leaves and cumin with to have an exceeding righteousness over against these scribes and the

03:09

Pharisees which are clearly shown to be a rather hollow whitewashed kind of righteousness and Jesus says if you don't have the real

03:17

McCoy you'll never enter the kingdom of heaven and so in chapter 6 he distinguished a righteousness that's done before the eyes of men versus the righteousness that God desires a righteousness that he grants to his people by his own spirit a righteousness that is animated by them by his very grace through faith as they keep in step with the

03:39

Spirit this is a kingdom righteousness and it bears out toward a certain end this is the kind of righteousness that will inherit the kingdom of God so Jesus on the one hand confirms and shows forth the need for this kingdom oriented righteousness this kingdom wrought righteousness and against it he condemns a pharisaical righteousness in square and scare quotes a sort of self -wrought self -produced selfish form of righteousness that's the great contrast that we saw up through the beginning of chapter 6 we remember holding chapter 5 in chapter 6 together means the righteous deeds the kingdom righteousness that glorifies the

04:21

Father looks like salt and light in this world the righteousness that were called to exhibit the righteousness that will actually inherit the kingdom is a righteousness that looks like salt and light it looks like loving your enemies it looks like blessing those who curse you it looks like giving not just your tunic but your cloak it looks like going the extra mile it looks like praying for those who spitefully use you blessing those who persecute you and then we ended chapter 5 with you will be perfect you will be mature you will be complete in this way because that's what your father in heaven is like and if you want to enter into that kingdom you must recognize your calling you have been called to these very things we looked at first Peter to briefly toward the end last week a chosen generation a royal priesthood a holy nation his own special people that's the calling toward what end to proclaim the praises of him when he called you out of darkness into his marvelous light and why what's that what's the missional dimension within that so that the

05:28

Gentiles in other words those on the outside those around you may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven so we said calling right the election the calling and then the ethics the righteousness the good works that are evident and then what's the end it's its mission that the

05:48

Gentiles will glorify God that sounds a lot like Matthew 5 you're the light of the world a city on a hill can't be hidden you don't put a lot a lamp under a basket you put it on a lampstand it gives light to all let your light shine in such a way that they can see your good works and glorify your father in heaven exactly the same thing and you find this pattern again and again and again throughout scripture this is of course the very mission that we we looked at last week as far as Israel's calling we saw it with Abram in Genesis 18 this is why

06:23

I've called Abram this is why I've elected him this is why I've chosen him and given him my name given him my will so that he'll walk in all the things that I give to him all of my statutes and decrees so that I can fulfill all that I've promised

06:36

Abram so we saw the calling we see the ethics to walk in this way that's ordered by God's will to what end to fulfill the promises that he would become a father of many nations that his offspring would outnumber the stars of the sky and the sand grains of the seabed and we also remember that this vocation of of Israel transcended

07:00

Abram it was actually given to Israel proper as God gave them his laws he the elect people of God meant to shine a light to the nations that they would become a blessing to the nations and as a people they would bring people into the worship of God and so overcome the curse as God brought about all that he had promised of course this promise finds its yes and amen in Christ the

07:23

Messiah the point that we made is simply this and we're pressing now in a practical way this morning as Christopher Wright said there is no biblical mission without biblical ethics there is no mission for Abram if Abram does not walk in the righteousness of his

07:38

God there is no mission for Israel if Israel does not walk in the light that God had called her to walk in and there's no sense that we can be the chosen generation the kingdom of priests in that first Peter 2 sense if we don't have good works by which

07:56

Gentiles come to glorify God there's no sense in which we can separate ethics from mission

08:02

Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount doesn't let us separate good works from glorifying your father in heaven and so we said it thinking in this way understanding this larger vocation this larger kingdom orientation means

08:19

I don't ask what kind of mission does God have for my life what kind of calling might be out there for me yet to discover it rather flips the emphasis in the other direction what kind of me does

08:32

God want for his calling what kind of me does he need for his mission it's his work his kingdom his calling and so it puts all the emphasis then on on how we are walking in sanctification on the very things that we've been taught in Matthew 5 as well as Matthew 6 what kind of people are we what kind of salt and light do we have what's our character what do we exhibit how does this actually play a part in God's kingdom how does this actually correspond to seeking the kingdom first and so that's what we're looking at now last week was what are we seeking his kingdom his righteousness this morning how do you seek the kingdom of God how do you and I mean you individually next week we'll ask the same thing how do you seek the kingdom of God but we'll do that in a corporate sense which is how do we seek the kingdom of God as a church as a corporate people so this morning is more you thinking of you as an individual believer and all of your various responsibilities and roles how do you seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness first the next week how do we do that together as one body the through the three stool legs of the kingdom of God as I said last week our election ethics and mission these things all correspond this is a pattern you see throughout

09:55

Scripture doesn't matter whether you zoom in to Genesis 18 or get a 10 ,000 foot view of Israel's vocation this is the pattern and that pattern has not changed as we'll see in a moment let me just give you another synonym for each of those words so we have election ethics mission another way to look at that calling righteousness seeking the kingdom election is calling ethics is righteousness mission is seeking the kingdom bringing the kingdom about so all of these things cohere together we begin with calling when when

10:33

Scripture speaks of calling it often speaks in the sense of what we've been called to or how to walk worthy of that calling think of Peter when he writes he who called you is holy so you also be holy in your conduct he's he's tying together election or calling and ethics righteousness he called you and he's holy and so you have a holy calling your calling is a holy calling because he said be holy for I am holy he reminds believers that they're called to this holiness he does it in 2 9 you've been called out of darkness into his marvelous light so as John would say in 1st

11:15

John if we say we have fellowship with him in the light but walk in darkness what does that reveal what does that show we have not known him we do not have fellowship with him nor with one another we must walk in the light as he is in the light that's simply another way of saying the one who called us is holy he called us out of our darkness into his light or Jesus saying you are the light of the world you are the salt of the earth you need to walk in these ways election ethics mission calling righteousness seeking the kingdom second

11:51

Peter he says God has called us by his own glory and excellence and so we're to make our calling an election sure what what is involved in making your calling an election sure righteousness it's inspecting the rails so to speak it's walking around the vessel and kicking the wood making sure it's seaworthy make your calling an election sure it's simply what

12:23

James to was asking you to do actually take a step back look in the mirror don't forget what you saw does your profession of faith line up with your ethics with your character with a display case of salt and light and so Paul can say in Ephesians 4

12:41

I beseech you brethren to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called what what what does walking worthy involve ethics righteousness walk in such a manner have such a behavior conduct yourself in such a way that you show yourself to have this holy calling upon you in your life you see all of this comes together we have been called and the calling drives our conduct where ethics or God's righteousness intersects with our own flesh with the world around us there arises the opportunity for mission that is a central thesis that I want to put before you this morning let me say it again where ethics

13:24

God's righteousness intersects with our own flesh or the world around us there arises the opportunity for salt and light it's very important we grasp this as I said our calling corresponds to ethics or righteousness which conducts itself toward mission or seeking the kingdom and what seeking the kingdom looks like is the intersection between God's righteousness and your flesh and a dark world around you at that intersection is where the opportunity to be salt and light arises in other words mission will develop at that intersection where you're calling in God's righteousness goes against your flesh in the world around you that's that's the issue that's the thing we must grasp now this thesis is essentially found in almost every ethical exhortation in scripture let me just gallop quickly through Titus just to show you we won't always have the words or the labels like calling or righteousness or mission but we'll have all the synonyms that fit that bill election might simply be a description of what

14:42

God has done in electing us he's given us grace ethics or righteousness might just mean the way that we are to walk or not to walk it might just be saying the the very good works that God has given us to walk in its ethical language and then mission is the so that it's the end of that God would be glorified that others would be drawn in that that God's name would not be blasphemed that others would be reached you'll find these three revolving things in almost every ethical exhortation so here's

15:14

Titus to see if you pick up on it for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust we should live soberly righteously godly in this present age looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great

15:36

God and Savior Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people zealous for good works speak these things exhorts rebuke with all authority let no one despise you

15:53

Titus 3 11 sorry Titus 3 1 and following remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities to obey to be ready for every good work to speak evil of no one to be peaceable gentle showing all humility to all men remember that we ourselves were once foolish disobedient serving various lusts and pleasures living in malice envy hateful hate hating one another but when the kindness and love of God our

16:19

Savior appeared toward men not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us through the washing of regeneration the renewal of the

16:29

Holy Spirit whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior and having been justified by his grace that we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life this is a faithful saying and these things

16:41

I want you to affirm constantly that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable to men look at 314 as he comes to the close and let our people also learn to maintain good works to meet urgent needs that they may not be unfruitful did you pick up those dynamics just in that little gallop across Titus two and three the calling the gospel call the election that makes us his own special people is contained in phrases and sentences like the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared and it's taught us something or we're looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great

17:26

God and Savior who gave himself for us his own people his own possession because of his election because of his calling remember that we ourselves were once disobedient deceived but when the kindness and love of God our

17:43

Savior toward man appeared he saved us this is all language of calling and election and in so many elaborations but notice also the ethics that he might redeem us from every lawless deed that we would be zealous for good works that we would be ready for every good work that we would speak no evil but be peaceable and gentle that we were once disobedient and deceived and serving lusts and pleasures living in malice but now that God has saved us what is he done he's renewed us with the washing of a generation in the

18:22

Holy Spirit which is given us abundantly he's justified justified us by his grace and then again notice this ethical pattern those who believe in God must be careful to maintain good works do you see that's all toward mission why should they be subject to rulers and authorities to obey why be zealous for good work why careful to maintain every good work because that calling that redemption that election intersecting with God's righteousness the the ethics of that calling mean there's a mission now you must live in this way that is the pattern behind every exhortation to ethics in Scripture so so this in my mind is what it looks like practically to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness

19:11

I want to do that in three points this morning again this is for individuals you could take this and apply it in the specifics of your season of your circumstance of your role and responsibility maybe as a husband and father maybe as a son maybe as a widow or a grandmother or a wife or a young single one seeking such things or a child whatever that role or responsibility might be

19:39

I would say here are three things that seeking the kingdom ought to look like for us the first is this if you want to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness seek your influence that's the first thing seek your influence

19:58

I don't mean be become an influencer in that social media sense

20:05

God forbid I think it's very annoying like no one wants to go to a restaurant when you have a bunch of lights surrounding some table and a bunch of you know on -the -spot commentary so so I'm not saying become a social media influencer but I'm saying seek your influence part of that seeking means you need to weigh out the influence you have and then wield it weighing it out means you'll recognize you have both a propensity for good or bad influence and if you're careful to examine you'll find that indeed you have both those effects but you need to weigh it so that you can understand the rightful influence you do have the influence you ought to have and then wield yourself wield your salt and light in that way so if you want to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness seek your influence well what is influence a dictionary definition would be to affect or alter the conduct thought or character of another

21:04

I like this language of affecting or altering not just the the reaction but even the thought even the conduct even the character of the one that you are influencing what does salt do it affects and it alters what does light do it affects and it alters a dark room is altered by light a recipe is affected by salt you need to weigh and wield the influence you have if you would seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness part of that is recognizing

21:44

God has so sown us in as as human beings in all of the communal ways that we operate being an image bearer of God means you are helplessly social

21:54

God exists eternally in his triunity so God himself exists within perfect community and therefore as image bearers as Paul says in Romans 14 7 none of us lives to himself like truly no one's able just to live to himself you all came from someone you're all related to and moving past and dependent on others no man truly lives to himself in a day of social media influencers we need to acknowledge that we all for better or worse are always engaged in affecting or altering the thought conduct and behavior or character of another we're always doing that if you're a parent at home you see this all the time you don't even realize some of the sayings or some of the mannerisms you have until you see it in your children you're like I say that I sound like that I do that you didn't even pick up on the influence it was so subtle and easy to miss but you have that constant influence it's hard to subtract the influence you do have it takes quite a bit of thought to exercise and discern what is the weight of my influence how can

23:13

I how I ought to wield it it takes some time some prayerful discernment usually some help from others that know you well to help you understand and discern these things about you but we all from the least to the greatest of us we all bear a certain influence the question is what is that influence what is the weight of it how is it being wielded seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness means you know the weight your example you know the the weight your conduct you know the weight your character has and you seek ways to wield it profitably you seek ways to use it to inch the kingdom forward in the sphere of influence that God has given you which is any relationship any responsibility you have in front of you this is going to connect to the second point in an important way

24:04

God of course speaks of this influence becoming a sort of pattern Paul weighs his influence and how does he wield it he wields it in a pattern and so he'll say to the church at Thessalonica as a father does his own children

24:19

I've charged and exhorted and comfort to every one of you that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into his kingdom and glory

24:26

I hope I hope the familiarity bells are ringing what does that sound like it sounds like calling the

24:34

God who calls you it sounds like mission that you would walk worthy and that's ethics and Paul says

24:42

I did this to you I wielded my influence upon you like a father does to his children

24:47

I know the weight it has I know how to wield it and now I would remind you like a father this is what

24:54

I've done toward this end I've wielded my influence for you to walk worthy of the God who calls you into his kingdom and glory or in 1st

25:03

Corinthians he says for this reason I've sent chapter 4 I've sent Timothy to you who is my beloved and faithful son in the

25:10

Lord who will remind you of my ways in Christ as I teach everywhere in church in other words

25:18

I have taught a certain way Timothy has become my son in learning and imitating that and he'll go now and teach you there's an influence that Paul expects his life to have

25:29

Timothy has saturated that and now he sends Timothy and says Timothy way and wield your influence for the kingdom of God at corn we've all had examples and influences that have shaped us how many of us have have come to the

25:48

Lord and a large part of our walk in the Lord is actually straining out in overcoming so many of those negative sinful influences that shaped our life outside of Christ in other words we we come to Christ and the burden of our guilt and sin is it rolls off of our back but what we slog forward on the path of sanctification with is not a burden of guilt and sin it's just the baggage of having lived in darkness for a long time so we weigh that kind of influence in that difficult pathway of sanctification we understand now we have new influences new salt new light that's meant to transform our way of walking this happened in Paul's life and so he can say confidently imitate me you have a pattern yeah

26:42

I came out of darkness into God's light I know the Savior who forgave me who gave himself for me and now

26:48

I've had to overcome all of these things it took Paul quite some time he didn't want launch you know he didn't receive conversion on Monday and launch into apostolic mystery on Friday we have years in Arabia that we have no idea what was going on in his life he was working at this calling upon his life understanding the scriptures growing in these paths of sanctification we've all had examples examples that have shaped us outside of Christ we can see the impact that has made there was a weight that was wielded in our lives it brought about a certain impact in effect seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness is just acknowledging this and saying if the world of flesh and the devil can have that kind of weight and wield that kind of influence so can salt and light so can the ethics in the mission of God that's all we're saying and of course positively praise

27:47

God we have been shaped and encouraged we have found patterns to imitate we have been spurred on by the faithfulness of our brothers and sisters that's gonna lean into next week how do we seek the kingdom of God corporately so we have this influence the question is do we really weigh it

28:06

I really know the influence I have do I really understand the influence

28:13

I have not the influence I hope to have not the influence I want to have but just the influence that I have so I actually weigh that rightly do

28:26

I know how to wield it profitably that's the issue so I recognize that my pattern the way that seeking

28:36

God's kingdom in terms of my calling to walk worthy God's righteousness being wrought out by the

28:42

Spirit in this life of sanctification toward the end of mission toward the end of God's glorification that my example in the midst of that my influence might be someone's reason to press on or by the same token it might be someone's reason to pull back it might be someone's reason to look up to that heavenly hope that Paul speaks about in Titus 2 or it might be someone's reason to give up do

29:11

I know the weight of my influence and as we move on to the second point let me say I think it takes a

29:19

Christian quite some time to understand the impact of their influence usually you only do it in retrospect you can see this if you're if you're a parent and you have kids that are a sort of a range of ages you can see with your oldest ones boy

29:35

I wish I knew how to wield my influence as a parent better I just didn't press the things

29:40

I I should have pressed I could have pressed I wish I'd pressed with my first with my second and now

29:47

I've learned I've learned along the way there's a lot of things that I was really anxious about and I just learned those are the wrong things to be anxious about there's a lot of things that I thought were big that were small a lot of things

29:57

I thought were small they were actually big you actually don't know how to wield your influence unless you're looking backwards so I say for a

30:04

Christian takes a lot of wisdom and self -examination in retrospect to weigh and wield your influence but that is part of seeking the kingdom of God first secondly and this is connected vitally connected if you want to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness seek your build -up seek your build -up

30:29

I like this word build -up I don't say edify but I say build -up

30:36

I can think of of building up in some people's minds as sort of just this he's really great substantial layers you're just gonna keep being build -up from strength to strength

30:50

I don't quite mean that what I mean is something so gradual that it's almost functioning at a subconscious level and the idea is as the people of God having this calling of God seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness ethics intersecting intersecting with mission there's going to be a hundred opportunities every single day for you to build up your character your attitude your thought life your reactions and your decisions in light of the calling the righteousness of God and the mission and that's the real key here is

31:27

I want you to understand when you weigh you wield your influence what you're weighing is generally the sum of a hundred decisions you make throughout the week that's what you're weighing do you want to know what kingdom righteousness looks like it looks like a hundred decisions you make throughout the week almost unwittingly a hundred reactions a hundred opportunities because of things that are going on within you or around you that's what the kingdom of God calls you to I'm gonna spend some time elaborating this point because I think it's so easily missed and I and I label it build -up because I want you to see that this whole idea of seeking the kingdom first is not something you do in one great jump you should not conceive of seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness as if you're on the cliff of immaturity the cliff of worldliness and somehow you've got to just work up the courage to jump across the canyon to the other side of perfection and maturity that's an entirely wrong image

32:36

I go to the Hubbardstown rec field every now and then I've seen people mosey around the field

32:42

I've seen people walk around the field I've seen people power walk around the field but I've never seen anyone take

32:49

Olympic long hurdle strides around the field that's not how you move around the

32:56

Christian life is not taking these massive galloping strides toward maturity in fact people who think the kingdom of God or his righteousness looks like that usually are just stalled and paralyzed and they think well in about 13 and a half years

33:13

I'm gonna make that big jump and then everything will be right yeah not right now I mean

33:19

I got to work all this stuff out everything's sort of imploding but you know what one of these days

33:25

I'm gonna take that big stride and kind of clear the canvas and get going and those people will never actually advance into the kingdom of God they'll never actually walk forward in this path of righteousness that's why

33:38

I'm using this language of build up it's so gradual it's so consistent it's so finely orchestrated to your days and your weeks and your seasons that you have to have this mindset just to understand that the intersection of your flesh and the world around you is where seeking the kingdom of God is going to arrive it's where salt and light is going to arise

34:04

Michael Goheen a missiologist he's just so so helpful in giving

34:09

I think certain labels and in terms that help us understand some things here's a really helpful label and I want to drive this salt is a contrast of element light is a contrast of element these are the things that affect an altar

34:23

Michael Goheen says mission is first of all listen to this the life of a contrast people that's

34:35

Michael Goheen mission is first of all the life of a contrast people now just in that sentence you see what he's getting he uses this this term this phrase a contrast people called out of darkness into light that's a contrast you are the salt of the earth that's a contrast

34:57

I have chosen you to be my own special possession that's a contrast you're a contrast people if you're a follower of Jesus if you belong to his people you're a contrast people what does that contrast arise in what does it show up in what does

35:14

Goheen say all of life all of life you're not a contrast people because of what you do on a

35:22

Sunday morning you're not a contrast people because of the description you have on your

35:28

Facebook bio you're not a contrast people because of the the window decal or the bumper sticker you're contrast people in all of your life all of your life that's what being a contrast people looks like that contrast is a build -up constantly being built up listen to this mission is first of all the life of a contrast people the radiant demonstration of God's creational design for human life and the goal of God's purpose as his people stand against cultural idolatry and for one another in the

36:09

Lord so a contrast people stand against something cultural idolatry and for something one another in the

36:15

Lord in that mission of the Lord what comprises their life everything that God intends human life to be from the blades of the grass to the birds of the air to the clothes on your back and the food on your table all of life whether you eat or drink is to be done to the glory of God so a contrast people has an understanding that the salt and light corresponds to every aspect of God's creational design for humanity and where that creational design intersects with the flesh in the darkness of a lost world of a fallen race then you're walking in God's redemptive purpose here's the whole point it is the build -up of your life from day to day week to week season to season it's the build -up that comprises the life of a contrast person it's the build -up it's not the stride it's not the cliff jump it's not breaking the sound barrier for one year and then coasting for the next eight it's the gradual build -up that is the life of a contrast people it is a build -up of hundreds of seemingly insignificant decisions it is the build -up of hundreds of almost subconscious efforts it is what flows out of a daily reaction to many situations and decisions that's the build -up that corresponds to seeking the kingdom and his righteousness first we talked about last week our society today emphasizes achievement over character we said again unsubstantiated statement but generally obituaries or tombstones of the past unless you were a noble or a noteworthy would contain what kind of person you were rather than the things that you achieved with your life now we don't really care at all about you the virtues you possess we just want to know where you worked for us that's what your life amounted to we couldn't be more off the wrong trail in that regard as a society but there's a way in light of that that even if you recognize that character matters to God this is the the gradual build -up that looks like salt and light even if you recognize that there's still a way that you might think the achievement is still what's big the character is still relatively small you know that character matters in a society that says character doesn't matter achievement is achievement is everything in fact you could be a weasel you'd be a scoundrel you could have no one in your life that actually thinks well of you you could have everyone that actually despises you as David Gibson says in a certain book you could have enough achievement to buy the whole restaurant and no one wants to eat with you just gonna eat alone now our society says well yeah it's pretty good though I mean you bought the restaurant that's where our society is the achievement at the expense of character who cares about character it's a dog -eat -dog world well

39:19

Christians go no no character doesn't matter but yes achievement is still the big thing achievement is the big thing and then character is important to God I know that now as a

39:29

Christian what I'm saying is the things that are big for the Christian the things that are so big that they correspond to seeking the kingdom first are actually a hundred small things seeking the kingdom is not a few major achievements with your life seeking the kingdom is a thousand small steps that's the point it's a thousand small steps it's my flesh wants to think this but I repent and I'm going to think that it's

40:01

I have the occasion and opportunity to do this and it could almost be okay but in my conscience it doesn't sit right so I refuse to do that it's a thousand of those things that corresponds to seeking the kingdom first in his righteousness if you think you can seek

40:15

God's righteousness in three big leaps you're diluting yourself it's a thousand little habits the ancients understood this this is of course a an ethical theory that we call virtue ethics today and the idea is that the the practice of virtue virtues that are identified and then applied or sought or practice with the life end up imbuing the moral code of a person in such a way that it actually becomes their character so the character of a person is not their belief as if they were a brain in the glass jar but the character of a person is that which they have practiced and trained and applied again and again and again and again what is an honest person someone who's had an opportunity to lie a hundred times but has not lied that has a that has an impact on that character to such a degree that because they've been honest a hundred times they're now an honest person so what

41:16

I'm saying is seeking the kingdom of God and its righteousness seeking kingdom values kingdom ethics looks like this gradual build -up do you want to seek first the kingdom of God seek the build -up you're not only weighing your influence to understand how to wield it but your understanding within that the weight of my influence is comprised of all of these daily decisions all of these daily reactions how do

41:43

I react when a car cuts me off I when I was walking across the crosswalk this morning on the way here

41:51

I was just at the sidewalk and an SUV pulled up and it had the windows down he just went right over so he was like halfway across it

41:59

I didn't think anything of it I just kept on walking I was ready to go behind him and I don't know this guy's used to driving through Boston or Worcester but he's like I'm so sorry

42:07

I'm so sorry he was expecting just this verbal assault on him you know watch where you're going pal

42:13

I've got the right -of -way I wouldn't it doesn't even occur to me I'm just glad I didn't get run over that's the main thing but it's a hundred little reactions how do you react when a car cuts you off how do you react when you get the wrong order how do you react when something is twice as hard as it should have been how do you think or regard even if you can react well with some sort of semblance of self -control what's your thought life like how do you regard where do you let your mind go astray you see this is what it looks like to have the build -up that corresponds to the kingdom righteousness this is where our morality becomes imbued into character your reactions will leak out into your character your thought life the things that you think will come out of your mouth and reveal your heart there's just no way around this is how

43:06

God has made us it's how he's made his world and so it's the hardly noticed actions and patterns and efforts moms you realize this you realize this and in all the things you have to react to with your little ones the difference that a consistent patient and kind and gracious reaction makes a hundred times over in a day when you keep having to do it and it seems like it doesn't make a difference but you know in the long run you're actually training the character of your children to be patient and gracious and kind as well and the degree that you can't react or think or hold yourself in that way you're also wielding your weight and influence in that way upon your children it's not just in the home we do this everywhere in the workplace with our neighbors if you if you had a cargo plane a big c -130 and you had pallets of steel plates that weighed several tons and you just dropped it onto a dry rocky plateau it would make a thud it would have a loud clashing impact it might throw off some rubble and then nothing else would happen all that weight all at once big impact beyond that nothing but take a raindrop take rainfall take those raindrops moving like streams and allow that to go for centuries and centuries at a time and that rocky plateau will be carved down to the depths of the earth and all that that's carved down by is simply raindrops raindrops one raindrop on a plateaus not even noticeable but that kind of build up over time is how you get the

44:51

Grand Canyon so it doesn't happen with all the way all at once the weight is the buildup seeking the kingdom is the hundred small decisions and reactions that's what

45:02

God's righteousness looks like no wonder the righteousness of the Pharisees and the scribes won't do they settle for the big stuff the obvious stuff the superficial stuff for a

45:14

Christian that's maturing in the Lord you realize the external is only it may be fierce when you're a young Christian or a new

45:21

Christian but you get older in the life of faith and you realize the fiercest battle is within it's within your own thoughts and the intentions and motivations of your heart that's the fiercest warfare between the spirit and the flesh when you recognize that seeking the righteousness wielding the weight bringing about the mission in light of the calling looks like the cumulative effect of a thousand small decisions through your week then you'll recognize that it touches every aspect of your life every habit every hope every heart flutter every glancing sight every passing fancy everything everything corresponds so seek your buildup and then thirdly and lastly let me say as a preface to that seeking the kingdom in terms of seeking your influence weighing it wielding it seeking the kingdom in terms of seeking the buildup recognizing this all corresponds to every little thing that you interact with within yourself and around you those are things that are largely in your control largely you can in some ways with the power of the

46:37

Spirit and the grace of God you can begin to assess and redirect your influence you can begin to assess and redirect your reactions the small decisions that you make and so forth at least you can control that but then thirdly you need to seek your turnout seek your turnout and this is something you you can't control you can't control but you can still seek it let me explain what

47:05

I mean if you want to seek the kingdom of God first and his righteousness seek your turnout and I take that as a phrase from what

47:15

Paul wrote to the Philippians when he was literally bound up in chains Paul had a calling

47:21

Paul had righteousness this ethical standard that he taught

47:27

Timothy and taught Timothy to teach others this pattern that others were to imitate walk as I'm walking

47:33

Paul had the calling Paul had the ethics Paul had the mission but here he is writing a letter to the

47:42

Philippians and he's bound up in chains so much for that mission so much for what

47:48

I thought I was called to do so much for I thought where this was all going I thought I had it figured out and now what

47:54

I'm in chains this wasn't on my plan this wasn't part of the agenda this wasn't on my dry erase board hanging in my kitchen what do

48:01

I do now this is what Paul writes I want you to know brethren the things which have happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel

48:12

I didn't want this to happen I didn't think this was going to happen

48:17

I had no idea this was going to happen but brothers I want you to know the things that happened they've actually turned out to further the gospel you want to seek the kingdom of God first in his righteousness seek that kind of turnout of course

48:31

Jesus promises that in this world we're going to have trouble obstacles are going to come you say Lord I know my calling

48:37

I'm walking in these paths of sanctification I'm addressing every small aspect of my thought life and actions and attitude because I know it's shaping my character

48:46

I want to be fit zealous every ready for every good work because of this mission because of this desire to in gather

48:53

Gentiles and glorify your name and so I was not expecting this obstacle to come I didn't know this trouble was gonna be here

49:02

I didn't think this would explode I didn't know this was gonna happen I never thought I'd be struggling like this

49:08

I never thought I'd have to face these things and that's where Paul's at when he's unchanged but he says yeah but it's actually turning out to do the very thing

49:19

I was doing I was just seeking the kingdom I was just furthering the gospel and I didn't think this was going to be a part of that this seems like the biggest obstacle to that but actually this is one of the ways that that is happening now

49:29

I want you to know the very thing that seems to obstruct the furtherance is the thing that's furthering

49:34

I want you to know the very way I thought I can now no longer seek the kingdom is actually the way

49:40

I'm able to seek the kingdom it's the turnout Paul wants to show this the things which have happened to me have actually turned out he he recognizes

49:52

God has allowed these things to happen not because his desire his calling his standard his mission has changed but because he knows better than I he has a wisdom that is perfect his profitances is exactly what it needs to be for my calling and his desire for his own mission again what does that sound like God what kind of me do you want for your calling what kind of me do you want for your mission what kind of small decision steps do

50:25

I need to take tomorrow and the rest of this week when a co -workers near me and I can allow things to slide rather than be salt and light

50:35

I can turn a blind eye rather than testify when

50:40

I face things in the home and it's easier just to pretend a blowout or some outbursts of wrath didn't happen and just carry on while the family walks on eggshells or it's it's all of these things not being an obstacle but in fact the very way you'll seek the kingdom first when you recognize this is not what's preventing you but this is now the way you're going to seek the kingdom and his righteousness how you deal with that how you respond to it how you react to it it will actually turn out it won't prevent you it will actually turn out if you seek it in that way and this is true of even the darkest the deepest sorrows in our lives as believers whatever comes whatever tragedy comes whatever torment whatever shattering disappointment you can look above and beyond it with this kind of kingdom oriented

51:32

Christ like mind and say this too can actually turn out for the furtherance of the gospel and the advance of the kingdom

51:40

I don't see how I couldn't have orchestrated in this way but this too can turn out for the kingdom of God and that will change entirely what you're seeking first and it will change entirely the way you're seeking that thing you won't be like the

51:55

Gentiles God's always putting things as we've said all the way up to this point

52:03

God is always teaching his people something the only question is are we learning we're receiving are we hearing

52:10

I can venture to say for the vast majority of us sitting here this morning there's something in your life

52:17

I'll just go and say all unless you're a blissfully unaware five -year -old the great things about being five is like you just have no trouble in life it's just toys and meals and like everything's great and one of the responsibilities a parent has is to very gently say life gets tricky but well let's just enjoy this while you can

52:33

I'll hold your hand while you start to come into the fullness of life but I'll venture to say for everyone else but the blissful five -year -old there's something in your life that is an obstacle something that is wrong something you want to fix something you didn't see coming and if God gave you a sort of opportunity he says you know my servant you've been so faithful I'm gonna allow you to remove any one thing in your life remove it entirely whatever comes into your mind as I say

53:07

I know exactly what I want to move I know exactly what I'd want to change maybe that's a work thing maybe that's a marriage thing maybe that's a health thing maybe that's a parenting thing maybe that's a church thing

53:17

I know exactly what I want to change so how are you going to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness if that's true you need to seek the turnout a wise

53:31

Christian if God were to say I'll remove any anything anything from your life if you ask me a wise

53:37

Christian a mature Christian would say no Lord if you brought it into my life it's here for a good purpose

53:43

I don't want you to change anything I just want you to keep doing all that you've ordained to do that's the only safe ground that's the only short path in my flesh in my reaction

53:53

I may not want it to be this way but when I seek the turnout I'm actually recognizing there's a way that I am to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness through this

54:02

I can't remember if I've shared this before if I did it was so long ago that I don't remember sharing it but it's so powerful and stirring to me as an example of what we're talking about there's a great

54:17

New Testament scholar still still alive though he's up there in age Peter T O 'Brien it's written a number of commentaries very very helpful

54:25

Australian scholar evangelical and and he was sharing a little bit about his testimony in the interview and this is what he said the interviewer that was giving sort of a biographical statement about him okay when he was a youth neither of O 'Brien's parents were

54:43

Christians but his mother became greatly impacted please note became greatly impacted what were we talking about the weight and wielding of influence his mother became greatly impacted by the faithful witness of a neighbor salt and lime this neighbor was a simple lady with sincere faith in Christ who unfortunately lived with an incurable disease and she suffered day after day every single day faced her with the possibility of how will

55:19

I react how will I conduct myself how will I view this am

55:24

I going to seek the opportunity of the build -up am I going to seek the turnout or not the neighbor was a simple lady with sincere faith in Christ who unfortunately lived with an incurable disease and suffered day after day but she never complained her attitude and witness made a tremendous impact on O 'Brien's mother and she eventually trusted in Christ as her

55:49

Savior humanly speaking it was because of the simple lady's faith that O 'Brien's mother became a

55:55

Christian and humanly speaking it was because of that that O 'Brien himself came to believe and then went on to seminary and on to a doctorate and then on to India where he was a missionary for many years and then on to Australia to teach and write and bless other churches now listen to this suppose you had told that simple suffering woman here's the deal if you glorify

56:20

Christ with your suffering as a consequence native aboriginals will be converted pastors will be trained throughout the world to teach the

56:30

Bible better countless thousands of sermons if not hundreds of thousands of sermons will be more accurately expressed to the

56:37

Word of God if you're willing to suffer faithfully every day I'm sure she would have said yes now

56:45

I can endure for all of these reasons now I know where this troubles going why this suffering has come but she didn't know she didn't know why she was suffering every day she didn't know what her weight and influence would amount to she didn't realize why every

57:07

Christian instinct of reacting to a hundred pains and needs and torments and lacks was actually

57:14

God's plan for her to seek first his kingdom and righteousness so that the kingdom of God would be advanced she didn't know why

57:26

God had brought it but she did know all that she needed to know God is faithful God has allowed it

57:33

God has a purpose in it that corresponds to the build -up of every day of my life how I react to everything that I feel an encounter

57:39

I don't know why it's this way but God does and that's enough for me so whatever that thing is that in your immaturity or lack of wisdom you say

57:50

God take it away if God could just show you how he's using it and what the fruit of it would be it would be all you need to know to say

57:57

Lord never take it from me I bless you for it I pray I'd be more faithful to it

58:03

I pray I'd be more earnest with it I pray I'd really wield that kind of influence that gradual build -up

58:09

I pray Lord yet you'd help me to seek that kind of turnout that's why

58:16

Paul says in the same chains that he was in remember that Jesus Christ of the seat of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel for which

58:26

I suffer trouble as an evildoer even to the point of these chains but the Word of God is not chained

58:31

I don't I don't see how I can complete my mission like this everyone's departed me

58:39

Timothy Demas has departed me no one stood for me I'm chained how am

58:46

I gonna complete the mission now I don't know but I know this the Word of God has never changed that's seeking the turnout you may not do it on the grand scale of an apostle who's seeking to bring the the faith of Jesus Christ to the farthest reaches of the

59:05

Roman Empire but you do it in the gradual build -up your day -to -day life you do it in those hundred small decisions you make in your workplace about whether you're going to be honest and virtuous and have integrity and be sincere whether you're going to be faithful as a witness whether you're going to commit yourself to prayer you do it in the home you do it in your marriage you do it in all of these ways you can trust that it will turn out to the advance of the kingdom seek your influence brothers and sisters weigh and wield it seek that build -up every day we'll have interaction and we'll take the

59:44

Lord's supper and we'll close and already just this afternoon at lunch fellowship there will be the opportunity for the build -up already you will start making decisions about how to think how to speak how to regard what to do a

01:00:00

Christian who's seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness knows how to seek his influence and seek the daily and seasonal build -up and seek the turnout for the furtherance of the gospel amen seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness all these things will be added to you let's pray father we thank you for your word we thank you

01:00:32

Lord for this holy calling for what you intend to do with it Lord it's beyond what we can understand or fathom and yet as we're told he who calls you is faithful and will also do it you will bring every good thing you intend to pass what a marvel

01:00:49

Lord that you don't call for us to understand or strategize or have some grand battle plan that gets us from a point a to point

01:00:58

Z you simply call us to be faithful to you every day wherever and whenever the dark world around us or the flesh at war within us contrasts and goes against your will your calling your mission help us

01:01:14

Lord to take these things to heart help us Lord this this day and moving forward from this day to understand what this means for each of us

01:01:24

Lord we each have burdens and obstacles show us what it looks like to seek that turnout we each have different situations and relationships that we struggle with help us

01:01:35

Lord to understand a righteousness that calls us to react and regard and respond rightly that we might be your salt and light that you might fulfill your good and holy calling in and through us and Lord as we do that this week as individuals may you prepare us and help us to think through how to do that corporately as your body in all these ways

01:01:56

Lord we see how needy and helpless we are and Lord if there's one here present who has not been called into your kingdom who has not been shown a righteousness that they do not possess a righteousness that is freely given that they might become righteous that they might put to death all these lawless deeds and walk in the freedom and liberty and righteousness of the

01:02:15

Savior I pray that you would give them that holy calling even this day give them the washing of our generation the renewal of the

01:02:22

Holy Spirit bless us in all these ways as a church body we pray in Jesus name, Amen.