I spent time with Nate up in Minnesota. I've known him for about 10 years. And I don't understand sometimes why the Lord does things and why things happen. I think we can all agree that many things that take place in people's lives, we don't understand. That's where you just get the God of the glory anyway. You know? because it's, our life belongs to him, you know? And it just was such a sudden thing. I mean, within a month and a half, he finds out he has cancer and then now he's gone. It's just, I was a bit overwhelmed last night when I found out and, you know, but God gets all the glory no matter what. Nate had a great testimony of salvation. I spent time with him. We went street preaching together. I spent some time in a car ride with him one time. He came to visit our church in Tennessee. Just a lot of things that that I remember about him had a great testimony, good testimony on salvation. Unfortunately, I can't say that for everybody. In fact, most people I can't say that about because everybody goes to heaven nowadays. There's no such thing as hell according to most people's testimony. I can tell you Nate had great testimony. And so, yeah, just keep his wife Cassie in prayer and their kids especially. All right, Matthew chapter number 6, we're going to start in verse number 24. And the Bible says, No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other, ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor yet for your body what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are you not much better than they? Which of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spin. And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothed the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek, for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 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 the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Now, I know we have all heard this passage read many times, and I'm sure that we can pretty much quote this passage in Matthew 6, verse 33, just from hearing it quoted many times. I want to take the time to break down Matthew 6, verse 33 to help us all understand what's being said by our Lord Jesus. Many Christians can read a passage of Scripture, memorize it, and yet not truly grasp the meaning of the Scripture passage that God intends for the Christian to understand. It's happened to me many times. The Bible is our sole standard for faith and truth. Without the scriptures as our light, we walk in darkness and in a dark world. Now my question for each of us today is this, do we desire the scriptures to take full effect in our lives? That's the question I have today to think about. Do we desire the scriptures to take full effect in our lives? If the answer to that question is a resounding yes, then understanding the importance of this verse and what Jesus is saying can have a significant effect on how we live and handle our lives for the Lord Jesus Christ. So let's begin looking closely at Matthew 6, verse 33. The first question I want to ask today is what is the Kingdom of God? What is the Kingdom of God? We find the phrase itself mentioned 69 times in the New Testament. I believe, based on the Scriptures, that the Kingdom of God is both present and future. It is a present reality and a future reality as well. Jesus said His Kingdom is at hand. The Bible says in Mark 1, verse 13, And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan, and was with the wild beasts and the angels ministering to him. Now after that John was put in prison. Jesus came unto Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time was fulfilled. And right here, look, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent ye and believe the gospel. Now the Greek term of at hand means to make near, that is, approach. Be at hand, come near, be nigh, it is here. That's what Jesus was saying. Comparatively, We see the phrase at hand when Paul mentions His execution in 2 Timothy 4, verse 6. Paul says His death is near. It's here. We find a similar verse of Jesus' words about the Kingdom being at hand in Matthew 4, verse 17. The Bible says, Now I do believe that the Bible teaches that the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are the same. Alright? Now we also see that the Kingdom of God is a future reality. The Kingdom of God is a future reality. Not only is it a present reality, it is a future reality. The Bible says in Mark 14, verse 24, And he said unto them, This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many. Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine until the day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God." So we see a future tense there. Of course, those of us who are born again will enjoy this wonderful celebration in heaven with our Lord Jesus and all the saints one day when we are glorified with Christ. This event is a future reality and blessing that the wicked will have no part in. Looking forward to that day by the way. So we see that the scriptures show us that the Kingdom of God in Matthew chapter 6 verse 33 is both a present reality and a future reality. I want to mention also that this Kingdom of God the Lord Jesus speaks of here in Matthew chapter 6 verse 33 has a gospel. If we look back at Mark 1, verse 14, the Bible says, Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. You see there, the gospel of the kingdom of God. This kingdom that God has, has a gospel. We also see this gospel of the kingdom mentioned in Matthew 4, verse 23, 9, verse 35, and 24, verse 14. Now if the kingdom is present on earth, where is it located? If we have a king whose name is Jesus, where is His kingdom? He has a written decree that we must keep. The Bible says in Luke 17, verse 20, And when he was demanded of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, the kingdom of God cometh not with observation, neither shall they say, lo here, or lo there, for behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Now, a lot of folks misunderstand this verse, but I believe Jesus here is speaking to the unbelieving Pharisees, which did not possess the kingdom, nor the Holy Ghost. When Jesus says that the kingdom of God is within you, Some may say that the kingdom is within their hearts, but again, that wouldn't make sense as they were hypocrites of their day. Jesus was saying that the kingdom is in your midst. It's among you. It's present. So, we see here what the kingdom of God is. Now, the second question I have today, and I'm going a little quick. What does it mean to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness first? What does that mean? If the kingdom is future as well as present, and we are all in the Lord's kingdom, how do we seek it? We can say that seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness is to seek the righteous God of the Kingdom. Seeking the God of the Kingdom is to be permanent in every single thing we do. In Matthew 6, verses 19-20, the Bible says, "...lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal." but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Here we see the Lord Jesus mentions laying up for ourselves treasures, not on earth, but in heaven. He mentions also that wherever our treasure is, our heart will be there as well. He mentions also that wherever our treasure is, our heart will be there. When we are walking in obedience to God's will, we are not only laying up treasures in heaven, but also seeking the kingdom of God. It's not difficult to understand that the heart's desires will ultimately manifest its true desires outwardly. If we treasure the things of God and the will of God and the blessings of God, our heart will be there also. If we treasure worldly riches and worldly affections, our heart will be there also. To seek the righteous God of the kingdom is to be righteous as it is revealed in the gospel. The Bible says in Hebrews 13, verse 20, Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will. working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. To seek the righteous God of the kingdom is to seek his will above our own will, even as the Lord Jesus sought the will of God above his own during the days of his flesh, fulfilling his ministry. To be more specific though, and in context to the latter part of Matthew 6, to seek the righteous God of the Kingdom first is to seek to obey His Word. The forgiven saint has nothing to offer God that will be satisfactory or well-pleasing to God. Our righteousness are as filthy rags, even as just men. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7, verse 20, there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not. All we have to offer God, as justified saints of God, is our obedience to Him. So, everything in our life must revolve around obedience to His will. Now, like what David said concerning seeking the kingdom of God in Psalm chapter 27, verse 4, one thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. What is the house of the Lord, and what is the temple that we may inquire today? The Lord's New Testament Church. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 3, verse 16, Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? We, church, are the temple of God. Now a question for all of us is, do we seek to serve and to obey in the kingdom of God? When Jesus says to seek ye first the kingdom of God, it is a command and not a suggestion, by the way. It is a command that is worked out practically in our lives every day. And every day, the God of the kingdom must be sought after first in every single aspect. The last point I want to make here is God provides for those who seek Him first. God provides for those who seek Him first. I'm going to read Matthew 6, verse 19, starting in verse 19. The Bible says, "...lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal." For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness." Let's talk about that for a minute. Let's take a look at verses 19 through 20. Where is your treasure? Where is your treasure? Are your treasures what the world provides you or what God has in store for you? Let me say that again. Are your treasures are what the world provides you or what God has in store for you? Jesus provides us a comparison between temporal treasures in earth and eternal treasures in heaven. Now notice here that the treasures upon earth ultimately end up in corruption. So which is better, the temporal things or the eternal things? I would absolutely say the latter. Is it better to gain the whole world with its temporal gratification or lay up in store eternal things with greater reward? What are we invested in? That's a good question. I personally have lived on earth for about 38 years and in 38 years I have seen the riches of this world that it has to offer. And since the world highly exalts the rich and famous, we can look at some of them as examples. Let me ask you this, with the abundance of increase and the fame that the rich in this world have, do any of them get to take those riches and fame with them after they die? No. What happens to their houses when they die? What happens to the wealth they have? What happens to all of their possessions? Everything they have that they gain in this life are passed along to the next generation to use and to consume. Everything you have in your house, in your possessions, one day will belong to someone else. Psalm 49, verse 16, the Bible says, Be not thou afraid when the one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased? For when he dieth, he shall carry nothing away. His glory shall not descend after him. Though while he lived, he blessed his soul, and men will praise thee when thou doest well to thyself. He shall go to the generation of his fathers, they shall never see light. Man that is in honor and understandeth not is like the beasts that perish. Everything you possess here on earth will remain long after you're gone. Your houses, your cars, your hobbies, your investments will all become rusted, fall through, trashed, and wasted. All you have in your eternal possessions is your soul, which is the most precious thing you have. Are you laying up heavenly rewards for yourself? Why go after the treasure of corruptible things when God promises incorruptible things? So, let's continue reading Matthew 6, verse 22-23. The Bible says, "...the light of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, Thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! The Bible says that the light of our body is our eye. When we see clearly, our body is full of light. When our vision is obscure, however, our body is full of darkness. Spiritually speaking, men walk in darkness because they have no light in them. Their eyes are full of the lust of their flesh and the vanities of this world. Their way is as darkness. The Bible says, Proverbs 4, 19, the way of the wicked is as darkness. They know not of what they stumble. The wicked do not have spiritual eyes to see through life, as they do not have God as their light. The same is true even for a Christian at times if we do not have a clear vision of God's will for our life. We'll stumble over unnecessary obstacles that will hinder us from fulfilling God's will for us. At times I have not sought after the Lord perfectly and become distracted with the things of the world and my walk with God suffered, ultimately bringing grievous consequences. I can speak from experience. If the light in our eye is darkness, we walk in darkness also. The only way to have true light and life perfected before God is by daily consumption and digestion of the bread of life, the Bible. Jesus is the bread of life, may I say. And I like this passage where Jesus met with the disciples after his resurrection, very important. The Bible says in Luke 24, verse 30, and it came to pass as he sat at meat with them, he took bread and blessed it and break and gave to them. Now watch what happens here. And their eyes were opened. and they knew Him, and He vanished out of their sight. This passage has a spiritual lesson for all of us, that eating our daily bread with the Lord gives us a clearer vision to see Jesus and His work, and to do His work in our life. You know, after His resurrection, when He was alive for walking around for 40 days, they didn't know Him at first, you know? Their eyes were obscured by what had happened, and they'd forgotten what He had said, that He would rise on the third day. And what's so great about this is that the Lord Jesus restores our vision through the Word of God, and He helps us to understand what's going on when we sometimes get lost in our Christian walk. So, I'm going to continue reading Matthew 6, verse 24, verse 27. The Bible says, No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink. Nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on, is not the life more than meat, and the body more than raiment. Behold the fowls of the air, how they sowed not, neither did they reap, nor gather into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" Now look at in verse 24, Jesus says, we cannot serve God and yet also seek after mammon and give it all we have. We either are serving God or we're serving mammon. Either we will serve God with all of our hearts or serve this world's riches with all of our hearts. We are servants to either one or the other. However, Jesus is not saying we cannot seek wealth and the necessary things. But we seek God first, and the wealth is determined by Him. This is why Jesus then says, therefore take no thought for your life. The word thought means the same thing as careful in Philippians 4, 6. Take no thought for your life, and be careful for nothing, meaning that we are commanded not to be anxious and full of care for how we are to get provisions from God. That's God's office and duty, by the way. After all, God gives us the power to get wealth. I've talked about that in a message in time past. Of course, this does not negate personal responsibility or taking initiative to take care of ourselves and our family. But to be worried and anxious about if God will provide for us in the process is contrary to the will of God. Not only is anxiety and worry not the will of God for us, but it is the direct opposite of living by faith. The Bible says in Hebrews 10, chapter 10, verse 38, Now the just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Now, all of you know my personal testimony of the past decade and my endeavors to seek to be in the will of God by being faithful to the local church. I believe 100% in the local church. Some scoff and call me obsessed with the idea that the local church is so important for the born-again Christian to be a part of. I'm sure some of you have had the same experience with some that don't care about the importance of being in a local church. so much apostasy and worldliness that inundates most churches in the United States, I saw it necessary to find one that was sound in doctrine and in truth several years ago, which you all know that they are very rare to find, these local churches that are doctrinal. I saw it necessary to move to one out of state and out of my comfort zone, and that's what's required for us a lot, is when we want to be obedient to the will of God, a lot of times it requires us to get out of our comfort zone. Through several failed attempts and bad experiences in seeking a church, I landed here in Ocala two years ago today. I promise you that moving three different states is not easy. Minnesota was not easy. Tennessee was not easy. Florida was not easy. Moving is a life-altering endeavor, as many of you I'm sure know, and I personally hate moving, okay? I hate it. If you ever have to move, don't call me, okay? I'm not gonna help you. I'm just kidding. I hate moving. I'll help you if you pay for my dinner or something. Just kidding. No, I wouldn't do that either. I'll help you. In all seriousness, Even though it was difficult, the blessings reaped from having fellowship with like-minded believers who actually live by faith and action, and not in word only, far exceeds the burdens attributed with the process to move. Far exceeds it. I've experienced some times of anxiety, some times of worry in the process, times of want. There were times, sweetheart, right? We didn't have enough money, but we made it, and the Lord was gracious to us. And so, it's not an easy thing, but I believe that if you know the truth about what a church must preach and teach, and you can't find one in your area, I would highly encourage you to find one that is scriptural and be a part of it, even if it means you have to move. And I can only say that because I've done it, and it's not easy, but it's worth it. Acts 20, verse 28. Why do I believe that the church is important? This is the verse that I used for my purpose and my motivation to find a local church and to be a part of it. This verse right here. You want to ask Peter Alexander, why do you think it's very important to be a part of a local church? Go to this verse right here, Acts chapter 20, verse 28. Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the church of God. which he hath purchased with his own blood." I cannot stress enough the importance to submit to a church at whatever cost necessary. To be truthful, it's a light burden compared to what our brethren in time past suffered for their faith. Being beaten, shot, molested, tortured, and executed for their desire to serve God is a testimony of how they were not living anxious or afraid for their Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus purchased the church with His own blood. Perfect blood, by the way. A question I have for you is this. What is the value of sinless blood? The answer is eternal life. Let me ask you this as a follow-up. Is eternal life for your soul valuable? Of course it is. Did you know that Jesus pities His people when they are scattered and have no shepherd? If you recall in Matthew 9, verse 35, the Bible says, But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them. Why? Why was Jesus moved with compassion on his people? Because they fainted and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd. It is not the Lord's interest to see his people scattered about the world with no fellowship and no pastor to lead them. For those who say, I have Jesus as my pastor, you know, you've heard that he's the shepherd and bishop of my soul. That's all I need. I don't need a church. It is evident you do not know the scriptures. If Jesus purchased the church with His infinitely valuable blood, what does that say about His church? It's extremely valuable. I was more anxious and worried about not having a local assembly to fellowship with for this very reason among other reasons. Now I'm going to circle back to Matthew 6, verse 25, and I'm going to read through verse 32. The Bible says, Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor yet for your body what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not so much better than they? The Bible says, which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spin. They don't labor like you and I do, by the way. That's what it's saying there. And yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall not he much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." Jesus here makes a strong case for trusting God for all of our needs. He says to consider the birds. They do not sow, nor do they reap. They don't plant food, and they don't harvest food. Their provisions are strictly provided by God without any labor to generate food. Then Jesus asked the question, are we not much better than birds? If God can provide for birds, why on earth would we ever ponder or question whether or not God can provide for His own people? After all, that was a big problem with Israel. They had a big problem with trusting God for their provisions. They questioned God's ability to provide for them. Not only is that foolish to question God's ability to provide, but it is also a sin to doubt God in this area. Why do you think Israel was destroyed in the wilderness? It's because they did not trust God. All they could think about was how much better their bondage was in Egypt. The Bible says in Numbers 11 verse 4, And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting, and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? You see here, they didn't trust God. We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely, the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our soul is dried away. There is nothing at all beside this manna. before our eyes. They were not satisfied with the provisions that God gave them. How did God handle this complaining and murmuring, by the way? He burned them up. That's what He did. That's how He handles things sometimes. We find that in Numbers 11, verse 1. He just burns them right up. They fell a lusting. So, Jesus here reminds His people that God is able to provide. And the Lord Jesus showed many infallible proofs of this when He fed the multitudes with five loaves and two fishes. We find in John 6, verse 5, When Jesus then lifted up His eyes and saw a great company coming to Him, He saith unto Philip, When shall we buy bread that these may eat? So the Lord Jesus is testing His disciples here. He's trying them to see what their answer is going to be. The first thing He does is ask Philip, Where are we going to buy bread, Philip? And this He said to prove Him, for He Himself knew what He would do." By the way, God already knows what He's going to do with us every day. You just need to trust Him and obey. By the way, trust and obey, that's where that comes in. We sang that song earlier. The Bible says in verse 6, And this He said to prove Him, for He Himself knew what He would do. Philip answered Him, 200 penny worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. Sorry, Philip, you failed the test. He failed, Philip. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here which hath five barley loaves and two small fishes, but what are they among so many? Wrong, Andrew. He failed as well. The Bible says, And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place, so the men sat down and numbered about 5,000. And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were sent down. And likewise of the fishes, as many as they would, the Lord Jesus was there. Their provider was right there. Is not the Lord our provider, and is He not with us today? Again, Jesus here proving He is our provider, demonstrating to us that we must trust in Him for all of our provisions and necessities. Now, I'm going to go back to Matthew 6. Jesus poses another question here. He says in Matthew 6, verse 27, Which of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit unto his stature? Are you capable, folks, of adding height to your stature by simply worrying yourself over it? Can you increase your height by simply thinking about it? Absolutely not. Not a single one of us can supernaturally make ourselves taller. I wish we could supernaturally make ourselves thinner. That's another story. So why worry about your height? Why interrupt your entire life over the things that you have no control over? That's the point. Jesus says, why are you taking thought for all of these things when your Heavenly Father already knows the things that you need? Matthew 6, verse 31, the Bible says, Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? Now look at this. For after all these things do the Gentiles seek. The unbelievers seek after these things. That's their concern because they don't have God to lead them. They don't have God as their Father. They don't believe in God. They're unbelievers. Gentiles here are the unregenerate that Jesus is speaking of. Don't you know that unbelievers seek these things? They put a lot of care and concern after what are we going to do about paying the bills and putting on clothes and taking care of ourselves because they don't have God to lead them. That is the point Jesus is making here. But then He gives a solution to avoid all the trouble and anxiety of worry. Matthew 6, verse 33, which is our text. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and what? And all these things shall be added unto you. Those who seek God or the kingdom and desire to be righteous with Him first have all they need. The statement, all these things shall be added unto you, is the result of obedience first. Bible says in Proverbs 3, verse 5, trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths. Verse nine says, honor the Lord with thy substance and with the firstfruits of all thine inquiries, so shall thy barns be filled with plenty. You see, the obedience comes and then the blessing. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. You see the condition for the blessing is obedience. Are you honoring the Lord, church, with what He's given you? I want to ask a few questions today to get you thinking. If God's given you good health, are you honoring God with your body? If He's given you the ability to speak, are you telling people about the gospel? Men, if God has given you a good wife, are you honoring her? Are you leading her? Are you loving her as Christ loved his church and gave himself for it? Are you providing for her? Are you protecting her? Are you ensuring to listen to her, cherish her, and guide her in daily devotions? Speaking to PG Alexander here, by the way. My wife knows very well I struggle in some areas I need help with. Wives, did God give you a strong husband to provide for you and to lead you? Are you honoring God with what He's given you? Are you helping your husband? Are you serving him? Do you love him and desire to see his success in whatever he does for the benefit of you and for your family? Are you taking care of the chores in the house for him while he makes money for you? Are you feeding him and seeing to it that he is healthy so he can keep food on the table? Has God given you children? Are you honoring God with how you raise your children? Are you taking time to teach your children the truth? Hey children, young folks in here today, God's given you life and the blessing of having a mom and dad. Are you honoring God by obeying your mother and father? Did you know that God promises a long and peaceful life for you if you honor your father and mother? First verse I ever memorized in my life as a young kid was Ephesians 6, verse 1. Surprisingly, as rebellious as I was, the Bible says, if children obey your parents and the Lord for this is right, honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise, that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. You want to get a child to obey? Tell him that if you don't obey, you're not going to live long. So anyway, are you honoring God by what's been given you? Millions of children don't have a loving home like you do. Some don't even have parents that love them. Has God blessed you with the ability to pay your bills? Are you giving a portion of your increase to the Lord? Are you seeking the Lord first in that area? Has God given you a house, a car? Do you use them to bring honor to God? Has God given you legs and feet? Do you use them to go to your neighbor and preach Christ to them? Has God given you a watch to know what time it is? Do you desire to be on time to meet with God on Sundays or does keeping track of time only apply to your workplace so you can make money and not get fired? Has God given you time? What are you doing with it? Are you honoring God with the time that you have? Are you seeking the things above and not the things of this world? Are you honoring God with the firstfruits? Did you know that Jesus was the absolute best that God gave Himself for our sin? He was the absolute best God gave us. God gave Himself for His people. God permitted His Son to be cursed for us that we shouldn't be cursed. God suffered His Son to be tormented and slain for us, and we repay Him with our leftovers? Something that we all oftentimes forget to remember is that the blessings and provisions from God are conditional to our obedience to His will. Why do we expect God to bless us when we want the blessing before the obedience? People will follow their will and expect God to revolve around what they want. Christians will seek to better their career, their status, or whatever it is they want to increase, and then they seek the kingdom of God second. It's just an afterthought. They will move for a better job and figure out how to find a church later. They'll plan a two-week vacation and one year in advance but won't plan one day a month or in months or more to go out and evangelize with the church. They'll have perfect attendance at their employer and find it difficult to be a church to hear what God has for them. They'll save money for something they want but can't stomach the thought of giving to the Lord. They'll drive three hours or even fly across the country for a four-hour football game in the snow and ice, but complain when the weather is wet to make a commute one hour to church. I know these things are extreme examples, but you get my point, I'm hoping. The concept of reaping blessings before obedience completely contradicts the reality of life in general. Wanting reward without effort is exactly the mindset of what America has become, easy Christianity. You know, the Bible says in James, Chapter 4, verse 2, you lust and you have not, you kill and desire to have and cannot obtain, you fight and war, yet you have not because you ask not, you ask and receive not because you ask amiss that you may consume it upon your lusts. James says, you ask and receive not because you ask amiss. Your lusts are getting in the way of the blessing that God has for you. Many of you have family members that are lost, as I do. Are you seeking the kingdom of God first? Your family, by the way, knows whether or not your testimony is real and if you truly seek Christ first in how you live. Your family can see your behaviors. The provisions and blessings come when we seek the Lord above all else. And the last thing I want to say here is remember what happened to Solomon. The Bible says in 1 Kings 3, in Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night. And God said, Ask what I shall give thee. And Solomon said, Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father. great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee. And thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father. And I am but a little child, I know not how to go out or come in, And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude." Listen to what Solomon said here. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad. For who is able to judge this thy so great a people? And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast thou asked riches for thyself, nor hast thou asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment. Behold, I have done according to thy words. Lo, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart, so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. Notice that Solomon sought after God's heart there, just like David his father. Solomon sought the kingdom of God first, above anything else. Now look at the response that God does. and I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. You see there, Solomon sought after God's will first. And God gave not only what Solomon asked, but he gave him more and above than he asked. Seeking the kingdom of God first means knowing God's will and centering every decision, big or small, every motivation, every thought, and every action around the truth and fulfilling God's will. And this is where true peace rules in the heart and life of a believer.