The fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of Matthew record the Sermon on the Mount. Even though this teaching of the Lord occupies a prime position in the New Testament, it is probably observed and adhered to less than we realize by the Christian world as a whole. It is very difficult to read the Sermon on the Mount without the constant realization that it is deemed absolutely impractical by the Christian world itself. Although Christians may quote a few of these verses when it is to their advantage, their overall commitment to this wonderful teaching of the Lord is missing.
We are facing the days in which a new aspect of the Kingdom of God will come forth upon the earth. With the coming of the Lord at hand, we will soon find the Kingdom of the Lord established in all the nations. The concern of the Church now must be its relationship to the Kingdom. Should we disregard it, or should we endeavor to live as children of the Kingdom? Jesus said that this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world for a witness, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14). We know that the day of the Lord will come with dark clouds and heaviness, with judgments upon the earth (Joel 2:2). It is important that there be an anointed remnant of people, walking with God, who know the difference between living for the Kingdom of God and living for themselves.
The teachings of the gifts of the Spirit and of the ministries are received by some who will never overcome the ambition of their own hearts; yet they do not realize that these gifts are the ministry of Christ in a many-membered Body.
People may come into a New Testament church seeking their place and their ministry. This God dislikes. There is no place for personal ambition in a walk with the Lord. People who insist that they must have a place are expressing a desire completely opposed to everything Jesus taught. Regardless of the gifts that have been prophesied over them, they invariably lose out in a walk with God. Personal, fleshly ambition is deadly and must be absolutely lost, or a person will drift away from a walk in the Spirit and lose it completely. Such a man will consider everything a personal affront to him and feel that everyone misunderstands and is misinterpreting everything he does, whereas the actual fact is that God has put a wall around him because that ambition of self does not belong in a spiritual walk.
The Lord speaks of this in Matthew 6: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Verses 19–21. If your heart is not truly set on seeking first the Kingdom, you will be seeking your own interests. Your heart must be set on laying up your treasures in heaven.
Any ideal breaks down in practice when men’s hearts are covetous, greedy, and ambitious. Why is the world in such a mess today? The writings of Karl Marx are very interesting and exciting, holding before the mass of people a liberation. Communism preaches an ideal that would be wonderful if it were not for the greed, cruelty, and selfishness of the Communists. Because there is so much greediness, the Communists start borrowing the incentives of capitalism. Capitalism in theory is wonderful too, with its vision of private enterprise and freedom; but because of the capitalists, it does not work either. If capitalism were permitted to run free and unrestrained, there soon would be a holding company owning everyone and putting everything in economic slavery.
All the theory in the world will not work, because it is born in the hearts of men where all corruption arises. In a walk with the Lord, we must be disciples of Jesus Christ, wholly given to Body ministry and seeking the Kingdom of God with no selfishness or personal ambition; otherwise, our walk becomes another theory, and it will fail.
When God smote down Ananias and Sapphira, and they dropped dead, it may have seemed very cruel. Why was this severe judgment necessary? For the first time, the Church had demonstrated such a great love for one another that no one spoke of anything as being his own. They ministered to one another in the breaking of bread and the apostles’ doctrine, in joy and fellowship. However, when greed entered in, judgment fell. Acts tells us that immediately after this, a great company of priests in the temple became obedient to the faith (Acts 6:7). Because they saw the reality in the early Church and because God was keeping it very pure, others were interested.
In this day of restoration, God will again require this purity in His people’s spirits and an opening of their hearts to discipleship. If any man would be Christ’s disciple, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and leave all (Mark 8:34). Do you want a place? Let God take the ambition out of you. Seek for only one thing: to do His will. The Lord will set you in the Body of Christ as it pleases Him (I Corinthians 12:18). He will give you the place. Your only concern should be that you are addicted to ministering to Him as Lord and to the servants of Jesus Christ. He that would be greatest must become the servant of all (Matthew 23:11). Get back to the real truths of the gospel.
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (riches). Matthew 6:24. A true disciple is not interested in any material possessions or property that cannot contribute to the Kingdom of God. Even though you may have money saved up, you will find that money is becoming worth less and less as the devaluation of the dollar continues. Inflation will take away a great percentage of your savings, whether you realize it or not. You have not even seen the beginning of what is going to happen. The time will come when the currency of every nation on the face of the earth will be worthless. A time of trouble and tribulation is coming upon the earth, when men will not be able to buy or sell (Revelation 13:17).
It is very important that God’s people be concerned. Do not expect the Lord to come and rapture you out of the tribulation. In the will of the Lord, the Church is scheduled to go through a great deal of this beginning of sorrows. A vision and a revelation of the Lord is directing a remnant of believers to prepare for it. What shall God’s people live for? They must live for God with all of their hearts. Everything else will go anyway. Even if a man has property, the taxes will wipe it out, and he will lose it. It is already taking place. By some strange conspiracy, this nation, though seemingly very prosperous, has many people in real need.
You cannot serve God and mammon, but you can serve God with all of your heart. Are you fearful? Throw away your fears. Are you afraid of what is going to happen in the future? Trust God. Live for Him now. Lay up your treasure in heaven where thieves cannot get it. Begin to live the Christian way of life. Do not be fearful or anxious.
“For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?’ ”
“And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit” (eighteen inches) “to his life’s span” (height)? “And why are you anxious about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. But if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more do so for you, O men of little faith?” Matthew 6:25–30.
In a walk with God, the only thing that counts is faith which worketh by love (Galatians 5:6). If you do not have faith, or if you are fearful in your heart, you will not make it, for you will constantly be put in the position where there is nothing tangible that you can trust in or rely on. Your circumstances will never give a reliable verdict. When you assess all the things around you, it will be discouraging. When you walk with God, you must be willing to ignore all the evidence of circumstances, everything that your senses perceive. Your heart must believe what God has spoken, and that must govern your life.
“Do not be anxious then, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘With what shall we clothe ourselves?’ For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” Believe in the security that you have in Christ Jesus. God will take care of you. Believe in God’s security as well as His salvation. He not only saves you, but He makes you secure in every aspect of your life. “Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:31–34. This is the way you are supposed to live. This must be your way of thinking. Do not be afraid.
Luke’s Gospel reiterates this teaching in the twelfth chapter. Christ begins by saying, “Do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on.” Verse 22b. Then He continues with the illustration of the ravens and the lilies of the field, with a conclusion that is not found in Matthew. Verse 32: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.” Do not be afraid, little flock. Afraid of what? of the devil’s cunning? of demon power? of witchcraft? of all the evils of the world? Is He speaking of being afraid of being hit by a car? No, that is not what He is talking about at all. He is saying, in effect, “Do not be afraid to let all your weight down on these promises.” He is talking about the way you commit yourself wholly to a walk in the Spirit.
Unless our thinking is changed, we will limit ourselves, just as capitalism is limited by the capitalists. Their own greed leads to a need for legislation to control them. The government sponsors labor unions to hold businesses in check and to guarantee that the worker receives his fair wage. Yet in the labor unions we find greedy men and tyrants, those who have built kingdoms there. The labor cause would be marvelous if it were not for the labor unions. Capitalism would be wonderful if it were not for the capitalists. Let it not be said that New Testament churches would be wonderful if it were not for the people in them. Let us not have the beautiful theory and ideology, while we bog down in our own spirits because we are afraid to be Christian believers, totally dedicated to live our lives without fear.
A day is coming when we are going to reap what we are sowing now. The man who lives selfishly will be the man who is in want, whereas the person who lives for the Body of Christ will find himself and his family cared for.
God is demanding total discipleship, and men are responding to it. They are closer to the fulfillment of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount than they realize. There is a remnant of believers among Christianity who are not concerned about saving money or about the plush comforts of life. They are putting their money where their hearts are. They are laying up a treasure in heaven. If you look out for yourself, you will lose. But if you seek first the Kingdom, everything else will be added to you. This really works. Be set for the Kingdom, giving of yourself, of your time, and of your energy.