It’s sad, but true: it takes longer for some of us to get to a place where we are open, and I mean really ‘open’ to not only hearing from God...but surrendering to doing things...His way. I speak from personal experience here. Why I even have a few ‘scars’ to prove it, as do many of us.

In the early part of 1980, I was a young, single, ‘pot-head’ who was spending a season in life working as a ‘factory-rat’ out in Arizona. It was then and there that God began to do a work in me, and draw me as He started to open my eyes to the truth found woven in His word. By the summer of that same year, I had experienced a true conversion and found my heart burning with a desire to serve Him with everything thing in me; and was even ready to travel across oceans and live in jungles if that was indeed His will for my life.

I had, over the course of those six months seen and experienced the incredible display of His love and power and grace in ways that I could never, ever deny. And by the early start of 1981, I was newly married, and loaded up with a small trailer and all our earthly possessions headed to San Antonio to attend a Bible College.   

If there was one particular Bible verse or ‘promise’ that I was ready to ‘hang my hat on’ (which I would never advise anyone to do), it was the promise made in Matthew 6 where Jesus was teaching the multitudes about the kingdom of God and how the whole world was more worried and pre-occupied with what they were going to eat, drink, and wear. He wanted us to know that our heavenly Father knew...we have need of these things and then said:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (33)

As a newly married man launching off into this new life and journey of faith, I really held on strongly to that promise, wanting nothing more than to pursue God and His kingdom. And not to rehash my whole story here today, I do want to point out one small detail that somehow escaped my attention in that verse I had put so much stock in. In hindsight, it is clear to me now how this idea of seeking first the ‘kingdom of God’ can be rather wide open to interpretation as we ‘seek it first’. But it was that other little detail that seemed to take a back seat and it was the point about seeking “His...righteousness” as well.

That really does not get the same amount of attention given to it as this idea of seeking the ‘kingdom’ first. If we are not careful, we can easily get wrapped up and entangled in equating God’s kingdom with our local church work, for example. You want to be more diligent in seeking God’s kingdom?...then be ‘more faithful’ to church...be there every time the doors are open...volunteer for anything and everything...give as much money as you can to support this ‘kingdom’... and rest assured, God will provide for you.
If you know....you know.

But what does it mean to seek ‘His righteousness’? That question can often produce the ‘deer in the headlight-look when asked. May I just tell you upfront what it does NOT mean? One does not become ‘righteous’ simply because they ‘say they believe Jesus is the Son of God’. Nor does one ‘become righteous’ because they keep a bunch of commandments either. But more on this later.

Writing to the Romans, Paul expresses his heart’s desire to see all of Israel ‘saved’. He acknowledges that they do indeed ‘have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge’. (Rom. 10:1) (This is no small footnote!)

He then points out that they were ‘ignorant of God’s righteousness and then sought to establish their own righteousness...and had not submitted to the righteousness of God.” (2-3). I cannot underscore enough how significant and important this is to understand.

What he is in a sense saying to all of us, is there is a danger of rejecting God’s way of doing things (or seeking first His kingdom and righteousness) and coming up with our own version or model to do this. Or as I heard someone say years ago...”we can be sincere, and yet sincerely wrong”. It is reminiscent of those we read about in Genesis 11 who wanted to build a tower into heaven their way. How often do we do that today...by dismissing so many verses in the bible and simply tell folks that if they do ‘such and such’ (according to our church doctrine) that they can go to heaven. Friends...this happens all the time.

This sort of reminds me of an experience that I bet others have had as well...where as a young child who grew up loving to mix Nestle-Quick into a cold glass of milk on Saturday mornings before watching cartoons, I discovered one time we had run out of that magical chocolate powder. Not to worry...there on the shelf was another container that said “Hershey’s Cocoa Baking Powder”. How different could that possibly be? And to think that God mentions in one place where He was ready to ‘spew us out of His mouth’. (Rev. 3:16). But once again, I digress.

God also has brought to my mind another time, early on, a passage that He was wanting to shed light on for me in those early years of my faith walk. In fact, it was just months before we would learn that our first child was on the way that I was starting to become concerned with bills and expenses and working to pay for all those cares that our Father knows we need. And I found myself camped out in John 15 and this invitation to ‘abide in Him’. He was trying to teach me a vital lesson in those days...but somewhere, somehow...I ‘missed a turn’ and took ‘another exit’ and ended up traveling a ‘wider road’ that was heavily populated. (“Safety in numbers”, Right?) Now, fast-forward some 40+ years later and I’m back to those two passages again learning, for the first time it would seem, what it means to ‘abide in Him’ and seek first...His righteousness’. Needless to say, He has had my near-undivided attention these past three years since He 'brought me back from the dead’.

I can also tell you that the words Jesus shared with Peter at the very end of John 21 hold special meaning to me as well...where He told Peter to ‘feed His sheep’...reminding him that when he was younger, he dressed himself and walked where he wanted to walk. But when he is old, there will be a surrendering to Him as he holds out his hands and is led by another. (vs. 18). That was followed up by the words He first spoke to Peter when they first met and He invited him to ‘Follow Me’. (John 21:19;Matt. 4:19)

That is what it means to ‘follow Jesus’...you abide in Him. He becomes Lord and you actually ‘do the things He says’. This is where the power of grace and transformation begin to take place. (Luke 6:46; John 2:5). You are going to do things...His way.

That is kind of what it means when we talk about ‘God’s righteousness’...it’s doing what is right in His eyes as opposed to the way we think or believe it should be.

Jesus said “be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect’. (Matt. 5:48). We are quick to say that cannot happen.

Jesus said to ‘go and sin no more’ (Matt. 5:14; John 8:11) and we say that is impossible and to suggest otherwise is dangerous deception.

So instead of submitting to His Lordship, we have a better idea and way of ‘seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness’ and we get busy ‘working for God and building things for Him’. And yet, we hear Him once again...saying “not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say in that day...did we not do such and such in your Name?” (Matt. 7:21-23)

This week, I have waded in further to this discussion as to what it really means to ‘abide in Christ’ and also, I want to address just how He cultivates the fruit of His ‘agape love’ in us. As mentioned previously, having this kind of ‘fruit/love’ manifesting in our lives is no small matter.... given what happens if we are lacking this fruit in our lives. (Matt. 3:10; 7:19; Gal. 5:21)

I want to close out today with another illustration that I came across many years ago. Actually it was brought to my attention in the early months of pastoring my very first church and I remember something within me...not being too keen on this thought. It was an article I read that had to do with a king who was wanting or needing a new horse or stallion to ride. There were many horses to choose from but they were all wild and ‘unbroken’. Finally one horse was selected and can you guess what the order of things that needed to be done took place first was? It sure did not have to do with any adorning of robes and ribbons, or glitter, not to mention fancy leather saddles.

The first thing that needed to be done...IF...this horse would be of any use to the king...was it needed to be taken into custody by a trained expert who would begin the process of ‘breaking’ the horse. I know very little about horses...and yet, I understand exactly what this premise involves. And with that...I believe the Holy Spirit can shed some more light for you as well.

There is an interesting verse found in Hebrews 5 that says mentions Jesus: “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered...and having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” (8-9)

When Jesus was first baptized at the age of 30, following this significant moment in Matt. 3:13-17, we read where He was then led into the wilderness to be tested for forty days. (Matt. 4:1; Mark 1:12; Luke 4:1). For one reason or another, somewhere along the way we wrote that out of the ‘process of being conformed to His image’. (Rom. 8:29). Instead...we get folks baptized and before they are dry we want to ‘get them busy for God’ serving in our local church. And therein lies that ‘exit’ off the straight and narrow. But more on that...tomorrow.