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Matthew 6:1-34
Matthew 6 was the scripture that God used to capture Dr. Sam Jordan’s attention. His natural desire was to have the material things referred to in the latter part of Matthew 6:33: “All these things” or material goods.
It’s virtually impossible to defeat anyone who has a clear sense of purpose (Psalm 1:2-3: “But whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”)
Matthew 6:1-8 converges on the most common human motivation—to be seen and admired by other people. Jesus is saying that if being admired is our motive for religious activity, God will not bless the effort.
If we want God’s help in life, we must search out what pleases Him and adjust our thinking to please Him.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 describes an attitude that we should have toward God:
Our love for and devotion to Him should not be affected positively or negatively by anything we encounter in life.
His Righteousness
We are told to make the kingdom of God our priority, both in our own personal life and to further the development of God’s kingdom on earth. The second part tells us how it must be done—through His righteousness; it must be done God’s way.
Regardless of how hard we try to please God, we fail in our efforts, unless Jesus Christ is the center of our activity.
One of the things the Holy Spirit will do for us is to show us what Jesus Christ wants us to do in building the kingdom of God (John 16:14-15 – He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.)
The Holy Spirit is key in asking God, because He knows the will of God.
A faith preacher of days gone by, Smith Wigglesworth, said, “I may pray for a whole year on a matter, in order to get the Will of God, but when I have the Will of God on the subject, I will only pray a short time and it is granted, or rejected.”
Matthew 5:6 says, “Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (See “The Fourth Beatitude” from my summary of Arthur Pink’s The Beatitudes.)
How do we receive a deep hunger for God’s righteousness?
If we really want to be filled, we must ask, knock, and seek. This approach certainly indicates more than a passing fancy; it means an ongoing process.
These Things Shall Be Added
Ecclesiastes 12:13 describes the purpose for which God made us:
When our first concern is God’s kingdom, beautiful things happen in our lives.Every believer has been given a measure of faith and a gift to be used to further the Kingdom of God (Romans 12:3-16).
Supernaturally Natural
Most of our prayers are built around our desires. Many times we try to manipulate God’s Word to fit our request. Only God knows the future. Therefore, most of our requests miss the perfect will of God as a result of our human limitations.
We ask and then leave the results in the hands of God. God works out the results in due season (Galatians 6:9 – Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.)
Little by little our soul is trained (our emotions, our will, our intellects—our desires) to put Christ and His kingdom first. This is the Matthew 6:33 principle.
The Law of Reciprocity
Our primary attitude is to have faith in God, to believe that He loves us and will work out the details of our life, if we ask Him and trust in Him. We must learn to have patience and refrain from trying to force God into doing our will. God has a systematic plan for life. The more we understand how God works, the better our life becomes.
When we make a decision to live God’s way, we live according to His Word, whether we see successful results or not.
It is the task of preachers, evangelists, teachers, and others to train believers for the ministry, not to make professionals out of them, but to equip them to do the work of God in everyday life (Ephesians 4:11-16).
A child of God must maintain the focus that God and God alone is our source. Material blessings are just that—blessings. Our life does not consist of these things (Luke 12:15). We must remember the reason God blesses us materially (Deuteronomy 8:18).
Born with a Purpose
The Holy Spirit prays according to the will of God (Romans 8:26-27). Praying in the Holy Spirit has so many benefits when we are seeking to approach God (Jude 20 – But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.)
Faith in God’s Word had to be embedded in Jordan’s soul. As he put it, “My faith must not be my mother’s faith or my pastor’s. My faith in God and His Word must be mine personally.”
There is a saying worth repeating: “God has no grandchildren.” Too many Christian folks depend on other people for answers from God. We should appreciate Godly associates, but our relationship with our Father is personal.
When God is responsible for the outcome of our lives, the future seems secure.
Human Traits
God made us to be peaceful, successful, and wise—to have an abundant life. We were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26).
PATIENCE
Patience is not an inborn trait. It is a learned quality, as is trust, a characteristic the Holy Spirit teaches us through experiences (James 1-4). The desire for instant gratification is part of humanity’s failures and seems to grow worse with each generation.
Having patience is a product of Godly wisdom from the Holy Spirit. We possess our soul (our emotions, our desires, and our will) in our patience (Luke 21:19 – Stand firm, and you will win life.)
When our heart and soul are under the control of patience, we shall prosper—even our health prospers (3 John 2; Proverbs 3:20-27).
Society and human nature work against patience and discipline. This could be why God has so much to say about patience and discipline. To paraphrase Jesus, good, honest, productive people bring forth fruit with their patience.
James 1:3 tells us that God will test our faith, compelling us to wait for an answer, to see if we are going to trust Him: “Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”
Technology is adding to our urge toward instant gratification. Microwave ovens, computers, instant messaging, faster transportation, nonstop music, instant meals, to name just a few things, are encouraging us to demand everything without waiting. Patience is a fast-disappearing quality, and the Bible is warning us of the consequences.
Christians, too, are becoming impatient with God. He doesn’t answer prayers quickly enough; He makes us wait for the resolution of situations that irritate us. With all our technology we feel that God is too slow for our generation.
PROCRASTINATION AND LACK OF DISCIPLINE
False pride is the basis for problems of humankind. False pride was a dominating factor in Lucifer’s downfall.
The Word of God is filled with admonition against false pride (Proverbs 16:18 – Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.)Pride keeps us from listening to advice and warnings.
Jesus Christ’s plan for our lives goes far beyond what we observe in the present. He is working things out for our future.
Any average person can have a degree of success, if he or she can overcome procrastination and gain discipline. Failure in business and ministry will generally come from those two killers; many of us fight them all of our lives. Procrastination and lack of discipline lurk in the shadows of many lives, ready to destroy if allowed to surface.
INNER MOTIVATION
Many people have very little self-motivation. They are motivated by someone telling them what to do, when to do it, and how to do it—they require a boss. Sooner or later, supervisors will notice those who give more than is asked of a worker. When motivated by the Holy Spirit, we are givers, not takers.
God promises a good life, if we put His kingdom first and seek His righteousness. Doing things God’s way will certainly be different from doing them the world’s way.
DOUBLE MINDEDNESS
Cognitive dissonance is a term used by psychologists to describe what James 1:8 calls double-minded. It means a confused mental condition resulting from simultaneously holding incongruous, often mutually contradicting beliefs.
Many folks try to have a life in Christ, but they live inconsistently with the Word of God. Both psychologists and the Bible declare these folks to be double-minded: if the condition persists, they are unstable in all their ways; active faith is not possible, and a God-inspired life escapes them (James 1:6-8).
The Subject of Money & Success
Money and possessions are in constant competition for first place with Jesus Christ. We do not want to admit this fact, but we must face the truth. Jesus addresses this matter in the sixth chapter of Matthew (verses 19-24). Money plays a vital role in all our lives.
God is not opposed to money per se; it is the love of money that is the problem (1 Timothy 6:9-10). Wealth tends to foster an attitude of power and superiority. God is then placed in a subordinate position, a position He will not tolerate.
God cannot always trust us with money (Psalm 39:6 – Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom; in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth without knowing whose it will finally be.)
When we seek God and His righteousness first, material things are added to us (Matthew 6:33). God increases our lives so that we can be better witnesses for the kingdom of God.
Jesus said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:23-24). Jesus strikes at the heart of the Matthew 6:33 principle. He declares that anyone who puts God’s kingdom first shall receive one hundred times more than what has been given up, plus eternal life.
The children of God should hold God’s interests above their own. Each of us who has an income is clearly directed to support the kingdom of God through tithing and offerings (Luke 6:38). It is our privilege and duty to support God’s kingdom with a portion of our income.
Reading Malachi 3:7-11 will motivate us to give God His portion. We cannot expect Him to bless us financially unless we obey His commands.
God’s promises show that prosperity does not come out of the blue, like winning the lottery; it comes through a process.
Mr. Johnson, the restaurant and motel pioneer, defined success as “a proper pursuit of a worthwhile ambition.” That’s a good definition.
The Kingdom of God in Contradistinction to the Kingdom of Heaven
All of Matthew 6:33 can be bunched into two meanings. First, if you accept Jesus Christ, you will have God’s righteousness. Second, you will have God’s blessings in the form of material things.
Until the thousand-year reign, the kingdom of God is in the hearts of “born-again” Christians. This is the reason Jesus answered Pilate the way He did when he stated, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:35-36).
Now, we introduce the kingdom of heaven—the physical, organized church, the community with which we gather for worship with all its traditions and religious ceremonies. Jesus calls our attention to seven parables concerning the “mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 13).
The seven parables of Matthew 13, called by Jesus “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” (verse 11), depict the organized church during the present church age. Jesus uses metaphors to show there are good and bad elements in the church body.
In studying these seven parables we understand why Jesus Christ wants us to seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) rather than the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven is the sphere of Christian profession during the church age. It is a mingled body of truth and falsity, wheat and tares, worthy and unworthy. It is hampered by hypocrisy, formalism, competition, and worldliness.
It is God’s plan to bring His chosen people under kingdom rule. He chose the small nation of Israel to display God’s sovereignty, His rule: to prove to the world that He exists and wants to be eminent on earth. That is really what the Old Testament is about.
Humankind depends mostly on what is seen, heard, or felt. Because God’s realm is spiritual, it is not easy for God to communicate with us.
The Church
Ecclesia—the called-out body (the church of the Lord Jesus Christ)—was born on the day of Pentecost (a Jewish agricultural festival that traditionally took place fifty days after the beginning of Passover), when the Holy Spirit came and took up residence in believers. This event occurred fifty days after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
On the day of Pentecost a phenomenon happened: the Holy Spirit came to earth and settled on all believers that were assembled together (Acts 2:1-4). This was the day the church was born—it was a new day in God’s plan for earth.
Now, back to God’s purpose for the church: it is the same purpose God had for Israel. To be a witness, proving to humanity that God exists.The kingdom of heaven is an earthly, physical aspect of the kingdom of God—buildings, denominations, organizations, stained glass windows, altars, and so forth. The genuine kingdom of God is in the heart of a believer. One day the husk, the organized church, and the true church, the fruit, shall be separated (Mark 4:26-29).
Three points about the church of Jesus Christ should be emphasized:
- It is our responsibility and privilege to be witnesses;
- We are to evangelize and make converts to Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20);
- We are to mature into Christlike people so that the world can see Christ-centered lives—again, we are to serve as witnesses (Ephesians 4:11-13).
Faith
Faith is the central theme of the Bible. Faith can best be described by comparing it to eyesight. Eyesight is a capacity and when it is lost, a valuable quality is gone. Eyesight observes physical objects. Faith is also a way of seeing, but one designed to observe spiritual subjects; without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Faith is the eye of the inner person.
God’s gift of faith is the Word of God.
A common mistake regarding faith comes from measuring our faith level by whether or not God answers our requests. Our faith in God should stay firm when our requests are not answered in a way we expect or desire (Habakkuk 3:17-19).
The more we fill our mind and soul with truth about God, the stronger our faith becomes. That’s the reason for absorbing the Word of God and having a prayer life. Faith must be tested to determine its validity and to ascertain its strength (1 Peter 1:3-9).
The Two Minds
Now, we focus on two minds in each person: the biological, physical brain and the inner mind, the spiritual, subliminal, subconscious mind.
Numerous times Jesus makes the statement that “if any man has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:23). Our spiritual mind belongs to the soul. Our soul contains emotions, desires, and will—elements that regulate much of our physical activity.
Until a person has a spiritual birth in his or her inner mind, that person cannot see or understand spiritual matters (John 3:3-21). Nicodemus was a very religious person, but he didn’t have a spiritual birth in his inner mind. There are many people today in the same condition as Nicodemus. They are extremely religious, follow all their churches’ doctrines, but had never had a spiritual awakening in their inner being.
The inner person, the inner mind, is where the Holy Spirit dwells and words to bring us into a way of living that God intends for us. The Bible uses two words to help us understand God’s action in our lives through which He brings us into a relationship with Him.
The first word is justification: when we receive Jesus Christ as our redeemer, by faith, then we have right standing with God our Father, as if we had never sinned.
The second word is sanctification, which comes from the same Greek word meaning holy, “to be set apart for a particular use.” A process of sanctification begins when we are born into the kingdom of God through Christ Jesus, and it continues throughout our lifetime (Romans 6:1-23).
God does not judge the quantity of our talents. He judges according to our obedience in using the talents we possess.In God’s divine wisdom, He creates each of us with certain gifts, and He expects us to use those gifts for His benefit.
What is Your Gift?
The enemy has done a superb job of confusing the ministry of Jesus Christ by defining the ministry as preachers, teachers, pastors, evangelists, and so forth. There are as many different ministries as there are Christians. God has given every born-again person a gift to be used in the work of God.
The most effective ministries happen in everyday situations, at home, on the job, in the marketplace, over a cup of coffee, in friendly visits or social gatherings, through a letter or a phone call. They are not in a church setting at all. We are the church wherever we are; we have the Holy Spirit with us every hour of every day.
The Law of Life
The word Deuteronomy literally means “the law restated” (Deuteronomy 28:1-68). God laid down laws pertaining to life, and if we understand and obey those laws, an abundant life is promised.
We are not equipped to succeed without God’s hand (Malachi 3:7-14). God promised to favor us with His blessings, providing we obey God’s laws.
Human nature has a propensity toward becoming unbalanced. Most of us are inclined toward overindulgence in some area of life, perhaps even regarding things that are considered to be good.
Our focus is on the “laws of life.” There are physical laws and there are spiritual laws. Breaking physical laws will result in a negative lifestyle.
There are spiritual laws that must be obeyed. When these are violated, consequences occur. Second Peter 1:3-10 clearly states how these laws work.
We are promised an abundant life if we are willing to find how God’s laws work. God has even promised to help us obey those laws (Romans 8:26).
The Snubbing Post
You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you. – 2 Chronicles 20:17
Jordan recalls, “My family and I lived on a 160-acre farm, raising horses and cattle. At times we would train a young horse to accept the halter. I had a short telephone pole set in concrete so that it wouldn’t move when a horse pulled away from it. The horse would strain against the rope, but the post stayed firm. Eventually, the horse learned to stop trying and accept the halter. We called the post ‘a snubbing post’ because it refused to move. God used that metaphor to teach me how to handle a rumor. Rumors are illusory.”
God stands still to see the salvation of the Lord. This is not your battle, it’s God’s fight (Exodus 14:13-14; 2 Timothy 4:18; Acts 5:38-39). If we truly desire to resolve a conflict, we must lay aside all semblances of pride and self-serving attitude.
When Jesus Christ was accused by the chief priests and elders, He did not say a word. Why didn’t He defend Himself? Everything that happened during His trial was trumped up in order to have Him crucified. It was God’s plan to bring about our redemption (Matthew 27:12-14).
The cross of Jesus Christ became a “snubbing post.”
God called David “a man after My own heart” (Acts 13:22). David was not without wrongdoing in his life; on the contrary, he did things that were despicable. Yet God called him a man after His own heart because David was quick to admit his failure and asked God for forgiveness (Psalm 51).
If we are honest with ourselves and with God, it leads to a clean heart in Christ Jesus, as well as a much healthier life.
Vessel to Honor, Vessel to Dishonor
In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. – 2 Timothy 2:20
Security
There is a fundamental conflict between God and us—because we desire to be God and be in charge of our own fate. In order to do that, we must know the future.
Lucifer (later known as Satan) entertained the same philosophy (Isaiah 14:12-17). In his determination to be greater than God (Isaiah 14:13 – You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.). Lucifer, along with one-third of the angels, waged an all-out war against God, but he was defeated and banished from God’s presence (Revelation 12:1-9). Satan became God’s arch-enemy. He could not succeed against God, so he went after God’s supreme creation—humankind.
Each believer has access to many benefits that were lost in the Garden of Eden, one of which is security. We are not given concrete information with which to make decision that affect our security, but we are given God’s Word, His assurance, that all is well with the future (Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 29:11-12).
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto us. May the Holy Spirit be your guide and your security.