Matthew 6: The Sermon on the Mount: Seek the Kingdom (4)

Pray Psalm 135.1-7.
Praise the LORD!
Praise Him, O you servants of the LORD!
You who stand in the house of the LORD,
In the courts of the house of our God,
Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His special treasure.
For I know that the LORD is great,
And our LORD is above all gods.
Whatever the LORD pleases He does,
In heaven and in earth,
In the seas and in all deep places.
He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain;
He brings the wind out of His treasuries.

Sing Psalm 135.1-7.
(St. Gertrude: Onward, Christian Soldiers)
Praise the Savior, praise Him, for His Name is good.
Sing, for it is pleasant, to our glorious God!
All whom He has chosen and redeemed by grace,
praise His Name together, praise Him in this holy place!
Refrain v. 1
Praise the Name of Jesus, you who serve His Word!
Raise your voice and praise our good and glorious Lord!

Great and sovereign, Jesus rules o'er all above,
doing as He pleases, sovereign in His love.
Clouds and seas obey Him, lightning, too, and rain;
He the winds brings forth in pow'r and sends them back again.
Refrain

Read Matthew 6.16-24; meditate on verse 24.

Prepare.
1. According to Jesus, what can we not do?

2. What is the consequence of trying to do that?

Meditate.
I’m convinced that, for many believers, the reason their Christian life is not more exciting, emboldening, adventurous, challenging, satisfying, and joyful is that they have never learned how to serve the Lord only. They believe in Jesus. They’re active in their church. But where is the joy? Where is the eager anticipation of seeing the Lord face to face? Where is the excitement and satisfaction that come from doing all things to the glory of God? Where is the ready witness for Christ at every opportunity?

These things are missing because we don’t think much about Jesus apart from our church activities. For the rest of our lives, we serve the god of making a living, or the god of just taking it easy, or the god of looking good to others, or the god of pursuing my own interests – all of which are just different manifestations of the one great god served by most people in our day: Me.

Me may take the form of money, as Jesus indicated. It may also take the form of fun, power, vain appearances, or any number of time-wasting self-indulgences. If we spend the bulk of our time trying to figure out how to satisfy the demands of Me, we wont’ have much room for Jesus in our lives. If your idea of a meaningful life is to serve Me with the best of your time, energy, and effort, then you will find yourself ultimately being disloyal to God.

Jesus insists that we will only find our true selves, our most fruitful and joyful selves, by being loyal to Him and serving Him in everything we do.

The inward life of righteousness is all-consuming. And it consumes us as we serve Jesus and experience the true meaning of “blessed”.

Reflect.
1. How can you tell when you’re paying more attention to Me than to Jesus?

2. What can you do to help ensure that you do everything in life unto the Lord and for His glory?

3. What can Christians do to help one another be more fully devoted to serving Jesus as Savior and Lord?

Therefore, whoever wishes to love God and to beware of offending him, let such a one cleanse the upright intention of his heart from all duplicity. In this way, he will “think of the Lord in goodness and seek him in simplicity of heart.” Augustine (354-430), Sermon on the Mount 2.14.48

Lord, show me the idols that I’m still serving in my life, and help me to…

Pray Psalm 135.13-21.
Today, commit to the Lord that you will serve Him, and only Him, in everything that is before you.

Sing Psalm 135.13-21.
Psalm 135.13-21 (St. Gertrude: Onward, Christian Soldiers)
Evermore Your Name, O Savior, shall endure!
Your renown throughout all ages is secure.
For You have compassion, vindicating all
those who serve Your Name and on Your saving mercy call.
Refrain, v. 1
Praise the Name of Jesus, you who serve His Word!
Raise your voice and praise our good and glorious Lord!

Vain the nations serve the idols of their hands.
Mouths and ears they have but cannot understand.
Every idol vain is, lacking life or breath.
All who serve them, like them, shall be lost to lasting death.
Refrain

Bless the Lord you people, all who love the Lord!
Bless Him, you who trust His sovereign, holy Word!
Bless the Lord from Zion, Him Who in it dwells.
Praise Him! Lift your voices, all His grace and glory tell!
Refrain

T. M. Moore

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006). All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).