Kingdom First Living
Matt 6:19-7:1

I.    Introduction
We are on sermon number three of a three-part series studying this passage from Matthew, and discovering God’s plan for how to manage our time, money, and priorities in way that demonstrates and expands the Kingdom of God.  If you missed any of the last two sermons, I strongly encourage you to get a copy, as you really need all three to understand the three kingdom principles revealed in this passage.  So far, we have explored the kingdom principles of (1) “Investing for Eternity,” and (2) “Worshipping an Uncontrollable God.”  This sermon will explore the kingdom principle of “Kingdom First Living.”       

II.    The Kingdom Principle of Kingdom First Living

A. What is the Kingdom?
Now before we can reprioritize our life to seek first God’s kingdom, we must first be clear as to just what is the Kingdom and what is “kingdom righteousness.”  The word "kingdom" in both Greek and Hebrew are primarily used to mean the reign of a king as opposed to the actual territory of his kingdom.  So the Kingdom of God is wherever God reigns.  

So where does God reign?  Well certainly is one respect He reigns over everyone, everywhere, throughout all time past, present, and future.  God is Sovereign!  Yet, since Adam and Eve’s rebellion until the return of Christ, we do not see the full manifestation of His reign.  Rather, we see humans living in both rebellion and in obedience to His reign.  Indeed, each of our lives display this horrific dichotomy of rebellion and reign.  Charles Ladd, a prominent kingdom theologian, explains it this way: “The Kingdom is the rule of God and the realm of His blessings.”  So the kingdom of God is wherever God reigns and thus the blessings and power of the kingdom are manifested.  

Now American evangelical theology tends to emphasis salvation only in terms of human beings converting to Christ.  This is far too small a view.  What God is up to in advancing His kingdom includes God reclaiming all creation fully back under His uncontested and uncompromised reign forever.  So advancing the kingdom of God includes not only saving individuals, but pushing back the darkness that has taken over human institutions and planet earth so that God’s justice, peace, and blessings are manifested in every possible place and sphere of life.


Kingdom Theology: Life in the “Already-But-Not-Yet”

Still another very important aspect in understanding the Kingdom of God is the question whether the Kingdom is only a past glory when Christ was physically on the earth, or only the future Kingdom when Christ’s returns, or has Christ already fully established His Kingdom through His Church and His outpoured Spirit?  On one side are those they insist that the kingdom of God is primarily a future event.  Such a theology can lead to defeatism and powerless Christianity.  On the other side of the continuum, is the theology that insists that the Kingdom has come in virtually all the fullness of its power and blessing.  Such a theology can lead to triumphilism and a version of Christianity that demands divine health and divine wealth for all believers all the time.  

All us all fall somewhere in between on this continuum.  So what is the balanced perspective?  Why the Reformed Theology one of course!  While even Reformed scholars do have some disagreement, they all present some version of an "already-but-not-yet" theology.  And indeed, this is what Christ taught.  Christ said both: Mt 12:28, "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”  But He also said at the Last Supper: Lu 22:18, “for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes."  

So, is the Kingdom of God something that has been, is now, or will be?  The answer is, “Yes!”  Charles Ladd again has a helpful definition of the Kingdom:  “The Kingdom of God involves two great moments:  fulfillment within history and consummation at the end of history.”  

The classic illustration to help us understand this tension of living in the “already-but-not-yet” is attributed to Oscar Cullmann from his book Christ and Time.  He shares a story from World War II’s D-Day and V-Day.  D-Day was June 6, 1944, a day that the result of the war was decided when the allied forces invaded the beaches of Normandy.  However, the war did not officially end until V-Day, May 7, 1945.  Between those two dates, almost a year, there were still battles fought and many allied lives lost.  In fact, the rage of Hitler’s army after the defeat on the beaches of Normandy was more intense during that year then the whole rest of the war.  

Christ’s complete victory is assured, but right now a battle still wages that has eternal consequences for human souls!  Kingdom-first living makes engagement in this battle the first priority of life!  Yes, we live in the “already-but-not-yet” kingdom of God.  But what is available to us in the “Already” is HUGE!  Just to mention some of these blessings: We have the forgiveness of our sins; and reconciliation with God.  The marred image of God being progressively restored in us, the pushing back and overcoming of the demonic; the restoration of the proper gender roles of men and women as co-rulers and helpmates, and reconciliation between people groups.  We can experience substantial physical, spiritual, emotional, and relational healing, though not always full healing, and so much more. And all this on top of having eternal life!


Kingdom Living: Life in the Spirit

So the Kingdom of God is anywhere that God--as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--is obeyed as King, and therefore the blessings and power of God’s rule are enjoyed.  And we are called to place the totality of our life under God’s complete reign.  

Our passage from Matthew comes to us in the context of what is called the “Sermon on the Mount.”  The Sermon on the Mount has been called: “ The Magna Charter of the Kingdom.”  Lloyd-Jones calls it, “The perfect picture of life in the Kingdom.”  So much of what Christ teaches in these passages were counter-cultural to the Jews hearing it then.  They were accustomed to the teachings of the Pharisees who emphasized a strict outward observance of the Law.  Yet, Christ presented an interpretation and a fulfillment, not the elimination, of the Law that demanded a “righteousness that surpasses that of the Pharisees!”  

And in our text today, Christ commands us to seek this righteousness first, or above all other things.  Christ’s teaching is as counter-cultural to us as is was to the Jews.  He calls us to a live by the values, ethics, and standards of the Kingdom that are radically different from the values, ethics, and standards of the world.  But Christ did not preach another version of pharisaical legalism.  The message of the Kingdom is the message of Life in the Holy Spirit.  You do not have the power in yourself to live the kind of life we have been examining these past three weeks.  It’s only when you invite Christ to establish His kingdom in your heart that you can then live out the kingdom in your life.  

Sinclair Fergusen, a reformed scholar says this:  “The New Testament’s call to obedience is always based on: ‘do you not know what is true of you in Christ?’  Live by the Spirit’s power in a manner that’s consistent with that!  Live now in a manner that conforms to your final destiny!”  

We don’t start from a place of alienation and imperfection and then spend our life moving toward God and holiness.  We start from the place of already being embraced in the very arms of God, sitting on His lap, and already being declared a saint, fully holy in God’s eyes.  Sanctification is all about growing in our dependence on the Holy Spirit not becoming a better person.  

The process of becoming like Christ is not a linear, ever-increasing process like becoming a better athlete or musician, or professional.  Righteousness is a vertical process of becoming closer and closer to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  It’s more about daily renewal of our inner person in Christ then growth toward a finished product.  We must become weaker in our efforts to grow and stronger in our surrender to Christ.   

The term most used in the Bible for Christian growth is not holiness, or Christlikeness, or maturity, but righteousness.  Even unregenerate non-Christians can grow in character, in integrity, in ethical behavior, even stop certain types of sin, but they can never be or practice righteousness.  Righteousness is right behavior, right thinking, right choices, right feelings, and right relationships, which all flow out of right standing and right relationship with God through faith in Christ.  

You see, it’s all about passionately pursuing a personal, intimate relationship with Christ.  The more we behold His glory--the more we reflect His glory.  Christlikeness, righteousness, is a byproduct of pursuing and participating in more and more of Christ!  We do not become more holy in our person, we participate more and more in the holiness of Christ, and that only happens as we become increasingly more broken over our absolute in ability to be holy and throw ourselves more and more upon the person of Christ!
   

Kingdom First Living

Our passage today presents a radical, counter-cultural approach to life.  In essence, this whole passage we’re focusing on today sums up what a person looks like when they’re living in the Kingdom of God with the totality of their life submitted to the reign of Christ.  

Christ paints the picture of a person who so trust in the sovereignty and goodness of God to provide and protect that he or she actually lives without worry.  Their priorities are in proper order of always putting God’s Kingdom and His righteousness first.  It is the picture of a person who has abandoned the illusion that they are in control of their life.  It is someone who has learned to live in contentment and gratitude, as opposed to self-reliance, greed, and worry.  William Barclay tells us that worry is “useless, blind and essentially irreligious.”  

It is a call to faith.  George Muller said it well, “Where anxiety begins, faith ends.  Where faith begins, anxiety ends.”  Such faith, that dispels all worry, comes for a firm hope in the future coming Kingdom of God that sets us free to live lives of sacrificial love in the Kingdom of God in the present.  It’s our hope in the future Kingdom in it’s fullness that allows us to live fully in the partial Kingdom now.

Now let me give you four practical principles for how to live “Kingdom-First Lives:”

B.    How do we live Kingdom-First lives:
    1. Keep first things as first things, and the main thing the main thing

So much of living a authentic, fruitful, God-pleasing, kingdom-advancing life requires us to continually reevaluate our lives in order to once again reprioritize and put first things first.  This is an inescapable reality for each of us: Because of the constant warfare waged against us by our sinful nature, the domain of darkness, and an ungodly worldly system, secondary and often sinful priorities and pursuits will always seek, and often attain first place priority in our life.  You can just count on this happening throughout your life.  

The only way to come against these forces is to live a “purpose-driven,” of I prefer calling it, a “kingdom-driven life.”  And the only way to do that is to take time every six months to a year at most, get away some place quite, and prayerfully reexamine your life, resubmit everything to Christ, and invite the Holy Spirit to empower you to reprioritize your life from a kingdom-first perspective.

Individually and collectively as a local congregation, we must do the same in order to keep the main thing the main thing.  This is exactly the season we are in now in this congregation.  What is the main thing?  It is not what we do at all!  The main thing is to be the gospel and out of that lifestyle, we invite others to the gospel.  The main thing is a passionate pursuit of an intimate, obedient, love relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  
This is the righteousness we are to seek first before any engagement in the work of the kingdom.  We forget this reality all the time.  We put doing ahead of being which only fosters legalism and joyless duty.  It is only out of an abiding relationship with Christ that the fruit of kingdom ministry will flow naturally.  

    2. Live life as pilgrims on earth not as permanent residents

We must constantly remind ourselves and one another that this world is not our home.  Only when we live as strangers, aliens, people just passing through, aliens from heaven on temporary assignment on planet earth, can we live the kind of life that we have been describing these past three weeks.  

    3. See life as a partnership  with the Trinity

There is no more exciting, fulfilling way to live that to see you life as a grand adventure of joining with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in accomplishing God’s missionary plans for humanity.  Nothing this world has to offer in terms of pleasure and recreation come seven close to the joy experienced when God uses you to touch another person’s life!  Become addicted to Jesus!

    4. Ask the missional question as you make every decision in life in every area of their life (relationships, budget, career, use of time and skills, recreation, etc)

“How can I do this particular activity in a manner that will be more fruitful in participating with our missionary God in rescuing the captive, restoring the wounded, and redeploying the equipped into ministry?”  This is the question to ask when you have these times of evaluating and reprioritizing your life.  Let me illustrate all these principles with a video clip of a typical American couple who were captured by a vision to live kingdom-first lives!


III.    Closing
video clip: “More Than the American Dream”

Just average people who had no intention of living sacrificial, missional lives until they completely submitted their hearts, time, possessions, goals, everything fully to Christ as Lord, and the Holy Spirit reshaped their passions and priorities to seek to live out God’s kingdom dreams instead of the American Dream.  Did they lose more than they gained both in terms of immediate joy, not to mention eternal reward?  “He is no fool to give up what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose?  Jim Elliot.  Will you today accept our missionary God’s invitation to reject the American Dream as to how you mange your time, money, and priorities in order to participate in the grand adventure of seeking first the expansion of God’s kingdom?