Matthew 6:25-34
Don’t Worry: Pursue your ministry for
God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness

Tod Kennedy, December, 2005

A quick glance at Matthew 6:25-34

1. The interpretation has Christian service in mind.
2. The disciples were a little anxious about what lay ahead: anxious, 25, 27, 31, 34; little faith, 30.
3. Christian service is more important than food and clothing.
4. God values and provides for all his creation. Yet, he especially values and provides for believers who serve him.
5. God will take care of his servants. Don’t worry about necessities for life?
6. Live one day at a time.

1. Matthew 6:25, The challenge

1. Matthew 6:25 introduces Jesus’ message about service, attitude, and what is important. This is spoken in a context of heavenly investments and service to God.
2. Anxious is merimnaw to be anxious, to be unduly concerned, to worry. It is 2^nd plural present active imperative. Jesus is giving a general command for them as they go out. It does not imply that they are anxious at the time he spoke.
3. Anxious about what? Life—food, drink, clothes.

2. Matthew 6:26-30, Illustrations of lessor to greater. God greatly values His servants.

1. Birds (26). They do not plant, harvest, nor store like people do. As God takes care of them, so they live.
2. Our lifespan (27). We cannot add one day to our lives by worrying about how long we live.
3. Lilies (28). The flowers do not fret about what they wear or look like. They do not even provide their own clothes. God takes care of them and they are beautiful.
4. King Solomon (29). King Solomon had everything, and more than that. God clothed the lilies better that Solomon clothed himself.
5. Grass (30). Field grass does nothing but grow and quickly dies. God created the grass and provides for its life cycle. He will do much more for his servants. “Little faith.”

3. Matthew 6:31-32, Our Father knows

1. Jesus commands the disciples no to worry about food, drink, and clothes.
2. The construction is me + the aorist subjunctive. It expresses prohibition.
3. Jesus is simply saying “don’t worry about these things because the heavenly Father (32) is omniscient and cares for you.
4. Here again we are taken back to the character of God.

4. Matthew 6.33-34, God’s kingdom

1. Jesus sent the disciples out to preach the kingdom—the prophetic messianic kingdom. To seek God’s kingdom meant for them to do their job so people would accept the Messiah and his kingdom and the kingdom would then come to earth.
2. To seek God’s kingdom means to pursue the will of God for the ministry he has given you.
3. Seek is the verb zhtew zeteo in the present active imperative.
4. To seek, to look for, to try to obtain, to strive for
5. Today, we also can seek God’s kingdom by carrying out our God given ministries so that people will accept the king-prophet-priest-savior and become a part of God’s greater kingdom.
6. Our God given ministries (1 Peter 4:10) require at the least following God’s plan (Ephesians 2:10), spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12), and God’s love in and through us (1 Corinthians 13).
7. We in the church have spiritual gifts, ministries, and results (1 Corinthians 12:4-7), and it helps us to know where we fit in God’s plan.
8. 1 Peter 4:10-11 gives us a good practical application overview of services or ministry. Key words are gift, serving, stewards, grace, utterances, strength, God glorified through Christ.

5. Matthew 6.33-34, God’s righteousness

1. In context for the disciples, God’s righteousness was explained in Matthew 5-7. Righteousness is used 5 times (5:6, 10, 20; 6:1, 33).
2. To seek God’s righteousness means to pursue God’s kind of righteousness as Jesus explained it. This righteousness contrasts with the external religious righteousness of the Pharisees.
3. Church Scripture for practical righteousness are many. Good examples are Eph 4:24; 5:9; 6:14; Philippians 1:11; 1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22; 3:16; Titus 2:12; Hebrews 12:11; 1 Peter 1:13-15; 1 John 2:29; 3:7, 10).
4. Practical righteousness only comes through the proper application of God’s word while living by the Holy Spirit, in fellowship with God, living by faith.

6. Summary of 6:25-35

1. God is the creator and king over all creation.
2. He values believers who are in his service more than any other creation.
3. God provides for believers in his service.
4. Govern your ministry by these two principles—pursue God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness—will result in God providing “all these things” (33). All these things refer in context to food, drink, and clothing.
5. Live by faith, in the word, by the Spirit, in fellowship one day at a time.

7. Matthew 6.31-33, Questions and Applications!

1. Do I know that I have eternal life and that I am therefore in his service?
2. God values me above all his other creation. Right? Does he provide perfectly for his lesser creation? If he does that, will he provide better than that for me? Am I convinced of this?
3. God knows everything. Okay? He knows the end and the beginning and everything in between. He even knows all the possibilities. So, he knows about me and what I need in order to do what he asks of me. Am I convinced of this?
4. Do I know what God wants me to do at this time in my life? Do I know what spiritual gift he gave me? What has God accomplished through me up to today? What is God doing through me right now?
5. Am I pursuing God’s kingdom right now? If I am pursuing his will for me at this time, then I am pursuing or seeking God’s kingdom.
6. Am I pursuing God’s righteousness right now? This is a righteousness in thought and deed. This righteousness is genuine in contrast to the righteousness of the Pharisees. It is produced by the Holy Spirit and not by myself. If I walk in the Spirit, in fellowship, by faith, and in the Word, and …, then I am pursuing God’s righteousness.
7. Will I trust him to keep his promises to me and provide what is necessary for me to serve him?
8. What are my priorities in life and service? The Bible tells me that family, food, shelter, clothing are important. Where does seeking God’s kingdom and righteousness fit in my priorities?
9. Am I anxious and worried about my life? If I serve myself, I will be anxious about day to day things. If I serve God I will trust my heavenly Father for day to day needs and be free to pursue God’s ministry of God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness.
10. Given the biblical principles of planning and organization, am I taking one day at a time in my Christian life and service?