The fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of Matthew record the Sermon on the Mount. Although 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 whole Christian world.
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 they may quote a few verses when it’s to their advantage, the overall commitment to that wonderful teaching of the Lord is missing.
We are facing the days of the Kingdom 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. Our concern now is our relationship to it. Should we disregard it, or should we endeavor to live as children of the Kingdom? This gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world for a witness and then the end will come.
We know the day of the Lord will come with dark clouds and heaviness, with judgments upon the earth. It’s 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.
It is exasperating to see that the message of the gifts of the Spirit and of the ministries are still taken occasionally by some who will never overcome the ambition of their own heart, not realizing that this is the ministry of Christ in a many-membered Body. They come complaining, “Give me my place and my ministry.” This is what God hates. There is no place for personal ambition in this walk. Saying, “I need a place; I want this and I want that” is completely opposed to everything Christ taught. Regardless of the gifts that have been prophesied over them, these people invariably are lost to this walk. The deadliness of personal, fleshly ambition must be absolutely lost or you’ll find yourself drifting out of the walk and lost to it. You will consider everything as a personal affront to you, and feel that everyone else is misunderstanding and misinterpreting everything you do; whereas the actual fact is that God has put a wall around you because that ambition of self does not belong in this walk.
The Lord speaks of this in the sixth chapter of Matthew. 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. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. If your heart is not really set on seeking first the Kingdom, you’ll be seeking your own interests. Your heart must be set on laying up your treasure in heaven.
Any ideal breaks down in practice when men’s hearts are covetous, greedy, and ambitious. Why is the whole world in 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 weren’t for the Communists with their greed, cruelty, and selfishness. Because there’s 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 doesn’t work either. If capitalism were permitted to run free and unrestrained there soon would be a holding company owning everyone and everything in economic slavery. Our economy works better because we borrow from Communism and have social legislation, creating laws of socialism. All the theory in the world won’t work because it’s down in the hearts of men that the corruption arises. Likewise in this walk you must be disciples of Jesus Christ, wholly given to Body ministry and seeking the Kingdom of God with no selfishness or personal ambition, or the whole thing will fail.
When God smote down Ananias and Sapphira and they dropped dead, it looked like a cruel thing. For the first time the church had demonstrated such a great love that no one spoke of anything as being his own. They ministered to each other in the breaking of bread and the apostles’ doctrine, in joy and fellowship. However, when greed entered in, judgment fell. Immediately the great company of priests in the temple became obedient to the faith. Everyone is looking for something with reality, and if God was going to keep something as pure as that, they all wanted it.
In this day of restoration God will again require this same purity in our spirits, that once more we open our hearts to discipleship and purity of the walk with the Lord. If any man would be Christ’s disciple he denies himself, takes up his cross and leaves all. 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 as it pleases Him. He will give you the place. Be addicted only to ministering to Him as Lord and to the servants of Jesus Christ. He that would be greatest must become the servant of all. Get back to the truths of the gospel that are real.
Verse 24: 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). I am not interested in any possession or property that cannot contribute to the Kingdom of God. Pray for God to make His provision for you, for though you may have money saved up, you will find that money 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. We haven’t even seen the beginning of what is going to happen. The time will come that the currency of every nation of the face of the earth will be worthless. We’ll face a time of troubles and tribulation upon the earth, when you won’t be able to buy or sell.
It’s very important that God’s people be concerned. Don’t expect the Lord to come and rapture you out of the tribulation. You’re scheduled in the will of the Lord to go through a great deal of this beginning of sorrows. A vision and revelation of the Lord is directing us to prepare for it. What shall we live for? Live for God with all your heart. Everything else will go anyway. Even if you have property the taxes will wipe you out and you will lose it. It’s taking place already. By some strange conspiracy, this nation, seemingly very prosperous, has many people in real need.
I know I can’t serve God and Mammon, but I can serve God with all my heart. That you can do, too. What are you living for? 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 your treasure up in heaven where thieves can’t get it.
Begin to live the Christian way of life, not 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 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? Verses 25–30.
In this walk the only thing that counts is faith, which worketh by love (Galatians 5:6). If you don’t have faith, or you’re fearful in your heart, you can’t make it in this walk. This is a walk of faith. You are constantly 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 round about you it will be discouraging. What is it that makes this such a vigorous move of God? It’s a walk with God and you are willing to ignore all the evidence of circumstances, everything your senses perceive. Your heart believes what God has spoken and that’s what governs your life.
Verses 31–34. 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. I believe in the security the believer has in Christ Jesus. God will take care of him. I believe in God’s security as well as His salvation. He not only saves me, but He makes me secure in every aspect of my life. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. This is the way we’re supposed to live. This must be our way of thinking. Do you do it? Don’t be afraid, little flock.
Luke’s gospel reiterates this instruction in chapter 12:22–31, Do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. 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. “Don’t be afraid, little flock.” Afraid of what? Of the devil’s cunning, the demon power, witchcraft and all the evils of the world? “I might get hit by a car; O God, protect me; Lord, I’m scared.” That’s not what he’s talking about at all. He’s saying in effect, “Don’t be afraid, little flock, to let all your weight down on these promises.” He’s talking about the way you commit yourself wholly to this walk in the Spirit.
Unless our thinking is changed, this walk will be limited by the people in it, just as capitalism is limited by the capitalists. Their own greed leads to a need for legislation to control it. The government sponsors labor unions to hold businesses in check and guarantee that the worker gets his fair wage. Yet in the labor unions we find greed and tyrants, men who have built kingdoms there. The labor cause would be marvelous if it weren’t for the labor unions. Capitalism would be wonderful if it weren’t for the capitalists. Let’s not have it said of us that the New Testament churches would be wonderful if it weren’t for the people in them. Let’s not have the beautiful theory and ideology, while we bog down in our own spirits because we’re afraid to be Christian believers totally dedicated to live our lives without fear.
This walk is doing this to us already. You’ve never been in a church where God moves on your heart to give so much money, so much of your time. A day is coming when we will reap what we are sowing now; and the man who lives selfishly will be the man who is in want, while the person who lives for the Body of Christ, will find himself and his family cared for. God will find a way to do it.
God is demanding total discipleship of us in this walk and we’re responding to it. We’re further toward the fulfillment of this sermon than you realize. The greater percentage of the congregation is addicted to this way of life. They’re not concerned about saving money or the plush comfort of life. They’re putting their money where their heart is. They’re laying up a treasure in heaven. If you look out for yourself you’ll lose. But seek first the Kingdom and everything else is added to you. This really works. Let’s be set for the Kingdom, giving ourselves, our time and energy.
Satan is always standing behind you, saying, “It isn’t practical. You know it will never work. It’s good for everyone else but you know you can’t live that way.” But he’s a lie and the father of it. It will work, if we believe, if we have no ambition or greed in our hearts. It will work!