Seeking for the help of the Lord,
I direct your prayer for attention to Matthew chapter 6 and reading
from our text, verse 33. But seek ye first the kingdom
of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be
added unto you. Matthew 6 and verse 33. It may be as we enter upon another
year that we have many things that we carry over from the previous
year, and many things that we can be very anxious or concerned
about. necessary for us, our clothing,
our food, what we shall eat, what we shall drink, those things. No doubt there's, though we may
not be anxious about those things, we may have many other things. We may be like Martha, even in
the presence of the Lord, even in the house of the Lord. Martha,
Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things, but
one thing is needful. Resorted, I would have you without
carefulness, that is, anxious, burdensome care. And as we then enter upon another
year, I feel we need the exhortation in our text, and to have our
priorities right, and a right balance between the things of
this earth, the things for our bodies, and the things for our
souls. Very often, passing from one
year to the next, It is a time when we do consider things that
maybe need adjusting or changing in our lives. Many in the world
will make New Year resolutions of things that they want to do
or achieve in that year. But there are things in the Word
of God that are set before us, not just for a set season in
the year, but as often as they are, brought before us in the
ministry, as often as we stand in need of them, they are set
before us. But we have then this evening
this word of our Lord Jesus Christ. But seek ye first the kingdom
of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be
added unto you. I want to then speak on three
points. Firstly, a priority. Seek ye fast. And then secondly, a direction. To seek the kingdom of God and
his righteousness fast. And then lastly, there is a promise. And all these things shall be
added unto you. But firstly, a priority. I'm sure in our lives there are
many things that we have to make priority. Putting
something first, something above others. Very often we have to
do that. If we are studying at work, we
may have those things that must be done in a set order, a set
priority. There's many things that would
influence that. And there's many factors that
that priority would be evidenced in. And so when we have here,
seek ye first, the Lord is saying there's something above the concern
of the thoughts of the morrow and the thoughts of the body
that there needs to be a priority over those things. And so in looking at what is
before us in this chapter, it's not even saying, well, put the
kingdom of God and his righteousness on the same level as the other
things. is saying, make that a priority. Put that first. Put that on the
top of the list. So, how would we, how would we
look at that? Well, we could begin with the
anxiousness. Our Lord pictures here about
being anxious of temporal things. And then he says, but seek ye
first. So we think in our lives of what
we are anxious about. And then we would say, right,
what we put first is how anxious we are about our souls, about
our eternal welfare, about our standing in Christ. We'll be
more anxious over that than we will be about filling our order
book, or about decorating the house, or about feeding our bodies,
or this or that, those things that we may lay awake thinking
of and being very concerned and burdened with. Do we make that priority? Do we have our anxiousness, as
it were, the matters of our soul to outweigh
and to be first above those temporal things. But then what about time? Sometimes we might put a priority
on something because we realize that It will only take a few
minutes to do. And as soon as we've done that,
the benefit of it is there, and then we can get on with other
things. And we measure in time that priority. So time will have something to
do with it. The time that we spend on temporal
things the time that we spend on eternal things, on seeking
the kingdom of God. But our true seeking, in one
sense, cannot be measured in time, but really in quality. But there is a time aspect to
it, and we may mention that a bit later. But what about earnestness as
well? A priority in that way. Some
things we may be very lax about. Other things, very earnest about. It's all in proportion as to
how much we really value a thing. If we know how much hangs upon
it. If we're studying to get into
university, or get a right grade to be able to get a certain job,
then we'll be much more earnest and diligent over it. If we're
tendering for a job and we really want it, we realize how much
work, how much income will be through that job. We'll take
a lot more care over that than perhaps a job that we think,
well, we're not likely to get it anyway. And it doesn't pay
very well. And so we, in proportion to how
we see the value and how it will affect us, will affect how earnest
we are and how diligent we are in attending to that particular
thing. And so when we are to set priorities,
we do do a comparison. Comparison with those temporal,
worldly things and the things of God. There's many opportunities,
as it were, to try the state and condition of our soul and
to gauge whether we really have got our priorities right or whether
we are not walking in a way that is set before us here. You think
of the illustration in Proverbs about the wisdom that tells those
that are chopping wood to spend that little bit of time sharpening
the axe, then how much quicker they'll end up cutting the wood. There are many things that, in
a natural sense, just a little bit of time spent will make then
the work so much easier. Sharpening knives or repairing
in a way that then will affect all that goes on afterwards. And so it may be in the things
of God as well. Maybe not a lot of time, but
a time, time in prayer, time seeking the Lord that makes a
great difference to all that follows. And so there's this
thought on priority, and may that remain with us and go with
us through the years. When we think of time, we can
also add the time in the day. They that seek me early shall
find me. And that applies to early in
years, in youth, but it also applies in the day. And whenever
we read something great to be done, whether it be Moses or
whether it be Abraham going up to Mount Moriah, whether it be
Joshua to go over the Jordan, they always began early. They
rose early with that work that was before them. And so, may
we, in a day, early, seek the Lord, seek Him first. How often there, can come other
things that take over and crowd in, and very soon that time with
the Lord is gone, and the sweet savour and help of the day is
not realised. A priority then, but seek ye
first. Secondly is a direction, a direction
what to seek. but seek ye first the kingdom
of God and his righteousness." Really what is said for us here
is the actual gospel, and we can best describe it as it were
in the words of scripture. In the 21st chapter of Matthew,
we have in verse 43, The Lord's saying of the Jews,
therefore say unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you
and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. They had rejected the Lord. The
stone which the builders rejected, the same has become the head
of the corner. Well, when the kingdom of God
is taken from the Jews and given then to the Gentiles. What is
set before them is that the Gospel shall be taken away from them. We have other pictures of the
Kingdom of God that are given, scattered throughout the Word
of God. We think of that in the Colossians
in the first chapter. We have this, that there is that
thanks that is given to God who hath delivered us from the power
of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear
son. in whom we have redemption through
his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. It's speaking of the
new birth. It's speaking of that new creature
in Christ being put amongst the children of God, brought as a
believer, brought as one that was sheltering under the blessed
truths of the gospel redeemed with the precious blood of Christ
and the sins forgiven. In Romans, the apostle Paul speaks of the kingdom of God. In chapter 14, it says in verse
17, and peace and joy in the Holy
Ghost. Now he's speaking of those things
that, as it were, are not important in salvation. Those things where
a brother might be grieved with their mate, and there's differences
of opinion, as it were. He says, for me, destroy not
the work of God. Let us therefore follow after
the things which make for peace, and things whereof one may edify
another. And how easy it is to mistake
us seeking the kingdom of God as it were, in outward things. As if, well, to be right with
God you must do this or that, or wear this or that, and there's
an outward thing instead of the kingdom of God cometh not with
observation, it is within you. And it is a hard work, it is
within. In Matthew 13, we read of the
Lord telling several parables, and he tells them, describing
what the kingdom of God is like, and he uses it, the kingdom of
heaven, kingdom of heaven, kingdom of God, often in the word, they're
spoken of as interchangeable. He says, again, the kingdom of
heaven, is like unto treasure hid in a field, the which when
a man hath found he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth
all that he hath, and buyeth that field. You see again the
priority, he sees the worth, the value of eternal things,
the value of the Lord. And all that he has, he goes,
he sells that, that he might buy that field. And you see the
worth that is placed upon the kingdom of God, the kingdom of
heaven. And in verse 45, again, the kingdom
of heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly bells. who, when he had found one pearl
of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. And then we have another. Again
the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into
the sea, gathered of every kind, which when it was full they drew
to the shore, and sat down and gathered the good into vessels,
but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of
the world, The angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from
among the just. How solemn that is. The wicked
among the just. And then it shall be separated. We think of our Lord speaking
of the parable of the tares and the wheat growing together until
the end. Outwardly they all seem the same,
but inwardly There was a difference. And what the Lord says here to
seek is that which is real. It's that which is the true grace
of God, the saving grace of God. We might say, well, how do we
seek? We think of the things that we said of time and earnestness
and priority. And though these things I'm going
to mention They are not the kingdom of God, but they are necessary. If there are those that may be
listening online and as yet you live your life not seeking anything
of the things of God, what we'd say in the way of seeking, read
the word of God, pray, through the Lord Jesus over the Word
of God. Come to the house of God. Hear
the Word of God preached. Spend the Lord's Day amongst
the Lord's people and where the Word of God is set forth in the
house of God. Make it not just one day a week,
but every day to seek the Lord, as the Lord has said here, not
outwardly giving alms before men or giving charitable gifts
so that men see how good you are, or even making prayers so
everyone knows that You're praying that the Lord in the earlier
part of this chapter is pointing to a closet religion. We naturally
are very proud and we always like to have the praise of men.
We secretly do. We like to have some approval,
someone to take notice of us. But this, the kingdom of God,
the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. That is what is satisfied with
the Lord in secret. It would carry on whether we're
in company or not. It would be the priority of our
souls. And so part of this seeking is
tangible outward things, but that in itself is not seeking. We have many that would do those
things that are not actually seeking for their own souls. Especially we can be brought
up in traditions or have habits, and they're good habits, to have
been taught by our parents, to have regular times of reading
or searching in the Lord's house, and that's very good, but it
can be done with no real seeking for profit or seeking for one's
own soul. We're looking for the power of
God, looking for the blessing of the Lord. We're looking for
His light to shine upon the word and into our hearts. looking
for the Lord to bring that new birth, the faith of God that
cometh by hearing, hearing by the word of God. There must have
been so many millions of the Jews over the years who offered
their sacrifices and they never saw past the actual that were
slain. And those ceremonial rites and
the things that were done never looked past to see the promised
Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. They never fared upon the word.
Man shall not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God. We read the Bereans, they were
true seekers. They heard the word preached
by the apostle Paul, and they searched the word daily, whether
these things were so. Searched the scriptures, the
Old Testament scriptures. Was Paul preaching according
to them? Or when he set these things forth,
they wanted to see for themselves where it was in the word of God. The clean beast in the word,
they chewed the cud, They went over what they heard. They meditated
on those things. They fed upon the Word of God. And so when we seek the Kingdom
of God, there is an aim in view. If we seek anything, there is
an aim in view. Should not the aim be to be found
in Him, found in Christ? not having our own righteousness
which is of the law, but that which is of faith in Christ. Is it not to have a real assurance
of our interest in Christ, to know our sins forgiven and pardoned,
to know that the lions have fallen to us in pleasant places, we
have a goodly heritage, or like the Apostle Paul, For me to live
is Christ, to die is gain, absent from the body, present with the
Lord. Those things that we may have
read or heard of many of the Lord's people having, have we
ever coveted earnestly the best gifts and desired those things
for ourselves? Many that have sought in this
way have seen others possessed of these blessings, and they've
longed that they might have them. And the day then has come, as
they've sought them, that they've suddenly realized that the Lord
has given them to them, that which they saw so commendable,
so to be desired in Others are the Lord's people. The Lord has
given it to them as well. In our text, it just doesn't
say to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Our righteousnesses are as filthy
rags. That is, our good works are all
stained by sin. The Apostle Paul in Romans 10
emphasizes the vital need, not of just any zeal, because he
says of his countrymen, they had a zeal for God, but not according
to knowledge. And the zeal that was needed,
it was to trust in the righteousness of Christ, in Christ's obedience,
clothe, and wash me in his blood. Holy in His work. And as we feel
and know our own sins day by day, the more we will feel that
only Christ and His righteousness can ever save our soul. That
shall be a comfort on a dying bed, not what we have done, but
what Christ has done. And it's seeking for that faith
in full assurance to lay hold upon the hope set before us in
the Gospel. Seek ye first the Kingdom of
God and His righteousness. In one sense, all of God's people
will be seeking that all of their days. In another sense, our souls, puts us amongst his
children. As a spirit bears witness with
our spirit that we are the children of God, there's a sense of finding,
obtaining that pearl of great price or the treasure in the
field. But at this side of the grave,
there's still a haven in view. There's still a heavenly Canaan.
There's still an end in view. The end is not just to be blessed
here, but it's to endure unto the end and to be found at last
with Christ. All of those in Hebrews 11, they
walked, they died in faith, and they died with the belief that
Christ would die and put away their sin and that they would
be with him in heaven. So then there is a direction,
a direction. Seek ye first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness. Then we have lastly a promise. The promise is, and all these
things shall be added unto you. Those things that anxious and
troubled and burdened about, I felt what would be the most
profitable is just to think of where this promise is rehearsed
in the scriptures elsewhere, especially in the Psalms. In Psalm 34, which is a beautiful
psalm, prophetic of our Lord Jesus Christ, this poor man, And we have in verses 9 and 10,
O fear the Lord, ye his saints, for there is no want to them
that fear him. The young lions do lack and suffer
hunger, but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good
thing. What a beautiful promise that
is, an encouragement to Seek the Lord and to seek the Lord
first. And this is followed in Psalm
37, a psalm of David again. We have in verse 3, Trust in
the Lord and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily
thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord,
and he shall give thee the desires writing first, within said our
desires to be right desires. And verse 25 of that same psalm,
I have been young and now am old, yet have I not seen the
righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful
and lendeth, and his seed is blessed. And these promises,
these blessings, are set before us in the Word. We have in Psalm
84 these words in verse 11 and 12. For the Lord God is a sun
and shield. The Lord will give grace and
glory. No good thing will he withhold
from them that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the
man that trusteth in Thee." You might say, why is it that there
needs to be so much encouragement in the Word that we would trust
in the Lord, that we would put the priority to seek Him? How
many encouragements there are. to help us to lay aside every
weight and the sin that does so easily beset us and run the
race that is set before us looking unto Jesus. In Matthew 19 we
have the Lord's own promise everyone, that hath forsaken
houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife,
or children, or lands for my name's sake, shall receive an
hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that
are first shall be last, and last shall be first. The Lord then encourages us to
go out unto Him, the Old Testament words, unto Him without the cap,
bearing His reproach, to seek Him first. And those many things may be
the fear of man that brings a snare, many things and obstacles and
excuses and hindrances. and say to those anxious souls,
there's one thing needful, and to seek first the Kingdom of
God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added
unto you. So as we begin this year, the
First Lord's Day of the Year, may this word be a help to us
and remain with us through the year. It may be there are those
that especially need this at this time to set in a right priority
those things that are a burden, concern at this present time. So may the Lord bless the Word
and help us to our text. Amen.