THE TWO QUESTS
November 24, 2002 AM
Sermon Outline
Mt 6:31-34
INTRO: What is the great quest in your life? Maybe the word quest is not one you would use of your life, but it does describe a campaign toward an objective. So, what is it, in your life, that is a well entrenched objective toward which you are devoting significant time, energy, thought, emotion? In our lesson text the Lord seems to reduce all of life to two quests. Our quest is either primarily material ... or it is primarily spiritual.
I. LOOKING AT THE TWO QUESTS ...
A. We can devote ourselves to material things
1. Jesus recognized there is need (6:32)
2. but the issue is one of emphasis, trust
3. the questions at 6:25 tells us that were dealing with life issues ... life emphasis
4. and rich people are not alone in this kind of emphasis
5. people everywhere work for a living ... not for a life
B. We can devote ourselves to spiritual things
1. this should be our #1 quest (6:33)
2. contentment can only be found with God, godliness
3. it can never be found in materialism - Prov 23:4,5
4. multitudes are those who have sought happiness and contentment in the material ... and they have found little!
5. why? Lk 12:15
II. WE NEED ...
A. Confidence in God
1. note 6:26,30 - does, Oh ye of little faith tell our story?
2. then, Ps 103:13,14 what a great word picture
3. Lam 3:23 great is thy faithfulness
4. the faithfulness of God is basic to our confidence ... He has over and again shown His faithfulness ... why is it so hard to have confidence in Him?
B. Knowledge of God
1.perhaps a lack of knowledge is the problem for us
2. Ps 78:1-7 ...that they might set their hope in God
3. note the progression ... from knowledge to setting hope
4. this knowledge comes from a devotion to the word ... and from the fact that history keeps confirming
C. Commitment to His kingdom
1. this commitment takes us away from this world and its offer (spurious though it may be) ... His kingdom
2. His kingdom requires thinking out of this world
3. this thinking brings our being here to pilgrimage - since Im only passing through, I think of equipping myself for my ultimate ... not bogging down here
4. Heb 11:13 ... and embraced them ...: - have we?
D. Dedication to his righteousness
1. what is right? what is not? who will decide this?
2. society, culture, tradition, emotion will have various answers ... diverse answers ... mostly wrong answers
3. Ps 119:172 - Rom 1:17 - Titus 2:12 with Isa 45:19
4. His definitions will always be right and will, if embraced, enable our quest for a satisfying spiritual life
E. Observation: from Mt 6:25-34 there are ...
1. at most five references to anxiety
2. the world and the quest for the material are always anxiety producers!
3. that does not mean the spiritual quest will never face a problem ... but there is a real hope, a real prospect, a real answer in this quest! contentment (Ps 37:7)
4. the issues here are so important, so urgent ... chooseyour quest carefully
CLOSE: Be very honest with yourself ... just doing some religious things may not mean your quest is spiritual. Are you genuinely seeking contentment in God, in His kingdom, in His righteousness?
Cecil A. Hutson
24 November 2002