Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Matthew chapter 6. Matthew chapter 6. Going through this blessed book
and this precious sermon on the mount. Every time I consider
looking at another passage in this particular part of scripture,
I think this is the message that the Lord preached. Therefore,
I know we could do no better than to hear this sermon. Our
Lord, in chapter 6, four times from verse 25 to 31,
gave warning to His hearers concerning worrying. Verse 25, Therefore I say unto
you, take no thought, don't worry for your life, what you shall
eat, what you shall drink, nor yet for your body what you shall
put on. It is not the life more than
meat and the body than raiment. Verse 27, Which of you by taking
thought can add one cubit unto his stature, one second to his
life. That's what he's saying. Verse
28, why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field,
how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spin. And then
verse 31, therefore, take no thought, saying, what shall we
eat? What shall we drink? Or wherewithal shall we be clothed? Brother Henry wrote this down.
I've seen it written many times, but it's so good I want to read
what he wrote. He said, We have entirely too
many fears for a people to whom the Lord has said, Fear thou
not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy
God, I will strengthen thee, yea, I will uphold thee with
the right hand of my righteousness." And brother Henry said, we have
far too many doubts and fears concerning God's mercy and love
and grace for a people to whom the Lord has said, Him that cometh
to me, I will in no wise cast out. I give unto them eternal
life, they shall never perish." Then he said, we spend entirely
too much time grumbling and complaining about our trials and troubles
for a people to whom the Lord has said, in the world you shall
have tribulation. But be of good cheer, I have
overcome the world. And fourthly, he said, we have
entirely too much attachment to this world. to this present
life for people who are looking for a city whose builder and
maker is God. And then he said lastly, we have
far too much anxiety, care and fear, far too much concern for
earthly material things for a people to whom the Lord has said, your
Heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. The Lord is saying to those to
whom He preached, He is saying to us tonight, take no thought,
don't worry, don't be anxious for your life. What you shall
eat, what you shall drink, nor yet for your body what you shall
put on. Then in verse 33 and 34, which
is where I'll be tonight, But seek ye first the kingdom of
God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added
unto you. Take therefore no thought for
tomorrow, for the morrow shall take thought but the things of
itself sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Seek ye first. First with your time, first in
place, first in order, and first in importance. Seek first. the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. That is, the Kingdom of God whose
character in the Lord Jesus Christ is righteousness. The righteousness of God. What
a promise! You seek first. Let the Kingdom of God be the
priority. You seek that first. All these
other things, He said, shall be added unto you. Now, we worship the Lord God
of Heaven. And therefore, based on His Word,
you seek first. Let nothing else take a priority. Let nothing else come first.
Nothing else. Nothing else. The seeking of
the Kingdom of God first. Therefore, based on His Word,
we are to make much of that which He has revealed, that we are
to make much of His Kingdom, His righteousness. Now, His Kingdom,
the Scripture says in Matthew 13, 11, The mysteries of the
Kingdom are those things that must be revealed. Revealed. The mysteries of the
Kingdom of God. Make much of these glorious mysteries,
the mysteries of the Trinity Himself. You know we talk about
God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, one God. One God. Three persons, one God. Now you can try to make all kinds
of analogies. I've heard people try to make
them and say, you know, it's like water. Water can be liquid, water
can be vapor, water can be ice. I can understand that. I understand
that. I know what ice is, water vapor,
you know. But the Trinity, I can't explain
that. There is no comparison to it.
of the incarnation of Christ. God Himself, totally God, totally
man. And the scriptures reveal, as
He was in this world, how those two characteristics, can I say it
like that, were absolutely manifest. Here He was asleep, in the hinder
part of a ship. He was asleep. He was really
sleeping. He was tired. And his disciples
woke him up. Master, don't you care that we
perish? And he stood up and he spoke
to the waves. He spoke to the water, to the
wind. He said, be still. Perfect calm. When it said it was calm, I don't
believe for one second that there was a ripple. When He said be
still, it was still. The mystery of election. God electing a people according
to the good pleasure of His will. Redemption by the blood of Christ. Christ being made sin. He who knew no sin. Regeneration. Removal of a stony heart, a stony character. I will remove that heart of stone
and I'll give you a new heart, a new flesh, a new mind, a new
will, a new love. Justification by His imputed
righteousness. As I've told you before, justification.
Remember this, no charge. No guilt. No guilt. No record
of guilt. You talk about an amazing thing
that being justified freely by His grace, no record. That which is born of God sinneth
not. Justified before God. These precious mysteries of the
kingdom, they must be revealed. They're taught. And so the scripture
declares the Lord to have said that this kingdom, the kingdom,
seek ye first the kingdom. That kingdom that the Lord said
it's your father's good pleasure to give you, the kingdom. And it's a kingdom according
to the Word of God that's in this world, but it's not of this
world. The Lord's kingdom. James says that the kingdom of
God is according to an inheritance. Hearken, my beloved brethren,
hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith,
and heirs of the kingdom which He hath promised to them that
love Him? What is the kingdom of God? What is that? Well, it's His
people. It's His elect. It's the church. It's the bride. It's those chosen
in Christ. A kingdom is a group overruled
by a king. To have a kingdom, there's got
to be a king. And a king has got that over
which he rules. So the scriptures declare that
the Lord has a kingdom. A kingdom in this world. And
it's His kingdom. It's the kingdom of God. Seek
ye first the kingdom of God. It's one whose subjects Love
the king and seek the king. There willingly seek the king. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of your power. So we seek heartily and concerning
this kingdom, here's what the Lord says. Jeremiah, if you want
to turn to this, Jeremiah 29, 11 to 14. I'll read it if you
want to just listen. Here's what the Lord says shall
happen concerning His kingdom. Jeremiah 29 verse 11. For I know, the Lord said, the
thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord. Now listen
to this. Thoughts of peace, not evil,
to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and
ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for
me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith
the Lord, and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather
you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I've
driven you, saith the Lord. and I will bring you again into
the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive."
So, I know something. I know that the Lord has a kingdom
that He said is going to keep seeking. And He said, you're
going to find me. Now, concerning this kingdom,
I want you to, you can just Mark your place right there, but turn
to Matthew chapter 13. Matthew 13. I want to look at
a passage of scripture that's truly amazing. Matthew 13 and
verse 44. Matthew 13, 44. The kingdom of
heaven. The kingdom of God. The Lord
is teaching. He's giving up some parables
here concerning the kingdom of heaven. He says in Matthew 1344,
again, the kingdom of heaven is like one to treasure, hid
in a field, the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for
joy thereof goeth, selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that
field. I'm going to tell you this and
then I'm going to make a few comments about that passage of
scripture. That passage of scripture is talking about absolute particular
redemption. You remember that statement that
I made as I go through these explanations. That scripture
is about particular redemption. That God has a people that he's
everlastingly loved and he came into this world and he was made
sin for his kingdom, the kingdom that was given him in electing
grace before the foundation of the world. And he laid down his
life for that kingdom. He came to save that kingdom
from their sins. Now the kingdom of heaven is
like unto a treasure. Now I'm going to make some statements
show you with scripture why I'm making these statements. This
kingdom is the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. She's a kingdom
and she's referred to in this passage in 1344 as a treasure
that's hid in a field. I want you to look at Exodus
19, a treasure. The kingdom of heaven The Scripture
says, it's like unto treasure that's hid in a field. Look at
Exodus 19, verse 5 and 6. Exodus 19, 5 and 6. Now therefore, if you
will obey my voice, indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall
be a peculiar treasure unto me. of all people, for all the earth
is mine, and you shall be unto me a kingdom, a priest, a holy
nation. These are the words which thou
shalt speak unto the children of Israel." He told his people,
spiritual Israel. He said, you're my peculiar treasure. You're a treasure unto me. Look
at Psalm 135 verse 4. Psalm 135, verse 4. For the Lord has chosen Jacob
unto himself. Jacob, have I loved Jacob, a
picture of all God's elect. The Lord has chosen Jacob unto
himself, an Israel. Remember that's when the Lord
asked him, he said, what's your name? He said, my name's Jacob. Huckster, supplanter,
trickster. He said, no more. Your name is
Israel. Prince with God. The Lord has
chosen Jacob unto himself and Israel for his peculiar treasure. So the kingdom of heaven is like
unto a treasure. A peculiar treasure unto the
Lord. That treasure referred to in
Song of Solomon chapter 4 when the Lord spoke of His bride and
He said, you've ravished me, stolen my heart. With one of
your eyes, one look of faith. You talk about it and this is
a mystery to me. How the Lord can say concerning His particular,
peculiar treasure. You're my treasure, given to
me, redeemed by me, yours in regenerating grace by willful
consent, made willing in the day of God's power. You're my
treasure. So the kingdom of heaven is like
unto a treasure hid in a field. Hid in a field. What's the field? Well, look
back at verse 38 of Matthew 13. The Lord, and I'm so thankful. I read a lot of things and a
lot of people were given different commentaries. They said, well,
the field is this. The field represents this. This
is what the field means here. And I thought, what did the Lord
say the field is? Well, look at Matthew 13, 38.
The field is the world. Boy, that just settled it, didn't
it? The field is the world. So the kingdom of heaven is like
unto a treasure hid in a field. They're hidden, they're scattered
throughout the fields of this world. The field is hidden from
the world's eyes and before conversion, even from their own. Until the
Lord calls one of His elect out of darkness. Before the Lord
calls one of His elect out of darkness. Does that chosen vessel
of God's mercy know that they're one of God's elect? No. Before the Lord ever called me
out of darkness. I was in religion. I'd never
even heard of the elect. I'd heard of religion, I went
to church, but I didn't know that God had a people. I didn't
know the Lord had chosen people from before the foundation of
the world. They're hidden even from themselves, but the kingdom
of heaven is likened to a treasure that is hid in a field. Now, we want to consider something. Something's getting ready to
happen. some purchase that's going to happen. And let's see
who's doing the purchasing. The kingdom of heaven is likened
to a treasure hid in a field which when a man, when a man,
I love this, I looked it up, I want to see what that said.
Certain man, when a certain man hath found." That finding of
this treasure, the finding of that treasure was originally
and eternally found by the Lord Jesus Christ as the gift from
His Father. How long has He found How long
has He beheld her? How long has He seen her? That's
what that word find means. To see her, to perceive her,
to know her. He found her. He knew her. He's eternally known her. He found her. He promised a while
ago that we were going to seek Him. Why do we seek Him? because he
first sought us. Look at Isaiah 62, verse 12. Isaiah 62, 12. I love this passage of scripture.
Isaiah 62, verse 12. And they shall call them the
holy people. the redeemed of the Lord, and
thou shalt be called sought out. What's the name of the kingdom
of God? The kingdom of heaven. What's her name? She's called
sought out. She's found. Eternally found
in the purpose and will of Almighty God. A city not forsaken. She's found people, again, the
kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure, hid in a field. Hid from the world, hid from
her own eyes, hidden. In which when a man hath found,
he hideth. Now there's an amazing passage
of Scripture. He hideth. Many said when somebody
finds a treasure, they'll take it re-hide it. That word right there is the
same word, he hideth, same word as hid in a field. She was hid,
she was obscure, unknown to the world. Not to the Lord, but to
the world. But when a man has found, there's
a treasure, there's a treasure And it's hid in this world. Scattered. It's everywhere. But
the Lord knows where it is. And what is He going to do to
get that treasure? He's going to become like she
is. made like unto his brethren. He's known her, she's hidden
in the world, she's eternally been found as the bride and in
time he came to her to redeem her, to make himself to be hidden,
hidden to the world, hidden to her until he reveals himself
to her. He made himself of no reputation. That's what scripture says. Made
in the likeness of sinful flesh. In the likeness. He knew no sin. But here he hideth. He's found this treasure. She's
in this world. She's fallen in Adam. And she's
unknown. But he knows her. And he hideth
He comes into here, this world, there's no beauty in Him, that
we should behold Him that He was despised and rejected of
men. And the Scripture says in verse
44, He hideth and for joy thereof goeth, and selleth all that He
hath, and buyeth that field for the joy that was set before Him. For the joy of redemption. for
the joy of knowing that she's going to be with him forever.
The one that he's looked upon that just ravishes him. Again, what did he do? The scripture says, he goeth
and he sells all that he hath. He endured the cross, ignored
the shame, and He sat down at the right hand of the throne
of God. And for the joy of seeing His
people, He goeth and selleth all that He hath. What did He
do? He sacrificed everything. He
selleth all He hath. Sacrificed everything for the
redemption of his own. He made himself of no reputation.
The servant called himself a worm. But the scripture says he told
his disciples in John 15, 13, greater love had no man than
this. A man lay down his life for his
friends. He gave Himself. I lay down my life for you. What more can a man give? He said, no greater love that
a man lay down. 1 Corinthians 8 and 9, For ye
know the grace of our Lord Jesus, that though He was rich, yet
for your sakes He became poor. Now, I'm going to be honest with
you, we don't understand the depth of his poverty. We don't realize he became poor.
We have some kind of a simple thought of, you know, he just
didn't have maybe quite as much. He gave all, he sold all. What's it going to take? What
was it going to cost her? What would it cost her? If He
didn't sell all, if He didn't be made her and become her and
be made sin, what was it going to cost if He didn't do that? He made Himself poor that ye
through His poverty might be rich. He sold everything. Philippians 2, 7 and 8. He made
Himself no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, made
in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he
humbled himself." Again, we don't understand that. We have some
vague conception of humility, but we don't know. You talk about
the mysteries of the kingdom. He humbled himself, became obedient,
unto death, even the death of the cross. So he selleth all
that he hath. Here's his kingdom. It's his
people. It's his bride, his beloved.
And she's a treasure. And she's hid. She's hid in a
field. This man's found her, known her
always. And he hideth himself coming
into that field. in that world. And for joy thereof
goeth, selleth all he hath, and he buyeth that field. He bought
the field. He bought the field. He bought
the world. Now, let me be real plain here,
real quick. Not in the sense that he redeemed
every man out of the world. You know that. Not that he redeemed
all of them. I laid down my life for sheep. But what he did was he purchased
the right. He purchased this world. He made
it, it fell, was corrupted in man's fall, and he bought it. He paid the price to rule this
world that he might justly get the treasure out of it. He bought
it. He bought this field. 2 Peter 2.1. 2 Peter 2.1. I'll read this to
you. But there were false prophets
also among the people. even as there shall be false
teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable heresies,
even denying the Lord, that bought them and bring upon themselves
swift destruction." Now let me ask you something. When Almighty
God came into this field and bought the field, He bought with
His own precious blood. the right. He's a just God. He bought it. He said, can I
not do with my own as I will? Do I not have the right? Listen
to Romans 14, 9. For to this end Christ both died
and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead
and the living. The world is His by creation,
and it's His by purchase of blood. He bought it. And it's His by
gift from the Father. The earth is the Lord's and the
fullness thereof. By His obedient death at Calvary,
again, He owns the right. Do as He will with whomsoever
He will. He bought the field. He bought the field that He might
justly get the treasure, His treasure, out of it. It's His. He said in Ezekiel 18, Behold,
all souls are Mine. As the soul of the Father, So
also the soul of the son is mine, and the soul that sinneth, it
shall die. He bought the field because the
treasure was in the field. That's his field. That's his
field. And he's going to get her. She's
hidden. And when he has gotten all of
his treasure out of the field, you know what he's going to do
with the rest of it? He's going to burn it up. Why? It's His. No one will accuse Him of doing
something with something that wasn't His. The earth is the
Lord's. He owns the right to show mercy
to whom He'll show mercy. Look at Romans 9, 21. Romans
9, 21. Boy, I tell you, I think of the book of Romans,
I mean, chapter 9, Book of Romans, you talk about the sovereignty
of God. Go back and read Romans 9. 9.21. Hath not the potter power
over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor
and another unto dishonor? The scripture says, John 17 in
his high priestly prayer, the Lord praying, this is what He
said. This is the right that He has. I told you He made it.
It's His. He bought it with His own blood.
And it was given to Him of the Father. It's His. It's His. This earth, this field is the
Lord's. As Thou has given Him power,
over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given Him. It all belongs to Him. So knowing
that which is precious to Him, this is His kingdom. Now back
in Matthew chapter 6, and I'll wrap this up. Knowing that which
is precious, that which He has sought, that which He has bought,
that which He has found eternally, and has hid He hideth, comes
into this world, He's going to get her, He's going to get His
bride. He said, you seek first the Kingdom of God. That's what
He did. That's what He did. He came into
this world, listen to this scripture, when the Lord gave His disciples,
Mark chapter 16. Mark 16, verse 15-16. Here's the commission that the
Lord gave His disciples. He said unto them, go ye into
all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved. He that believeth not shall be
damned. What are we to be doing? We seek
first the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the Lord's Kingdom. We seek first the calling out
of His Kingdom through the preaching of the Gospel. This is what we
do. There is no other message. There is no other message. There's
no other message. This is the message that the
Spirit of God is going to bless to the calling out of His sheep.
This is what we've been called to do for the comfort, for the
peace of His kingdom and for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. Prefer it. You seek first. Prefer it. to our own personal
needs. Pray. That's what the Lord says
when you pray. Pray, thy kingdom come. This is what we desire. The Lord
has put us in this area right here. I pray that God call out
His people, call out His kingdom. I know this, He has come into
this world to seek her out. He came into this world because
she's hidden in here. How many are still left in this
area? I don't know. I'll tell you what He's done.
He's left us here. He's left us here. We're still
here tonight, preaching the Gospel, proclaiming that which Almighty
God is eternally purposed to do, to save His people from their
sins. Gary and I were just talking
just a moment ago before this service started about something
Brother Henry said years ago. He said, drive by this place
one day. Talked about this many times.
So I remember when the gospel used to be preached in there.
Or God allowed it to be preached. If the Lord is pleased, if He's
called all of His elect out, does He have the right to move
the candlestick? Yes, He does. Yes, He does. if He's called all of His sheep,
but that He's still allowed us to be here tonight is an encouragement
to me. Who knows? He may save one of
your kids. He may save one of mine. Who
knows? Peradventure, the Lord might
be pleased. You seek first the Kingdom of
God and His righteousness. His righteousness that He's earned
But that which is the character of His kingdom as He calls them
out of darkness and concerning all of these other things that
we get all anxious about. What are we going to eat? What
are we going to wear? What are we going to drink? He said, you seek first. You let this be your priority. What are we anxious for? Don't
be anxious for all these other things. The scripture says that
all these things shall be added unto you. You're not going to
do without. And 34, take therefore no thought
for tomorrow. Don't worry about tomorrow. For
tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Tomorrow
is not here. Tomorrow never gets here. There
never is a tomorrow. Come past it, it's 12 o'clock,
it's today, and today, and there's 12, and now it's today. Don't
worry about tomorrow. But the moral should take thought
of the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the
evil thereof. Don't carry cares concerning
later. What if? What if? What if? Proverbs
27, 1. Boast not thyself of tomorrow,
for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. We don't know if we'll even see
the light of another day. You don't know if you're going
to have any more time than what He just gave you. That's all
that we know for sure that we have. And therefore, it's faithlessness
to worry about something that may not even get here. The Lord
has promised, He said, you seek first My Kingdom. You seek first. Pray that God
call out His own. Pray that God bless His people.
I pray that God He blesses us and encourages us. We need encouragement. We all do. I pray that the Lord
bless His word to the calling out of His sheep. That He comforts
her, settles her. You seek first My Kingdom. That's
what you do first. And He said, I promise you, all
these other things will be added unto you. You'll have these things.
I pray that the Lord bless the word to our heart for Christ's
sake. Amen.