A Sermon on Matthew 6:33
Right Priorities
Originally preached May 5, 1963
Scripture
33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Sermon Description
In this age of anxiety, does the Christian gospel offer a distinct message? Is the Christian life a different way of looking at the world? In this sermon on Matthew 6:33 titled “Right Priorities,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues that humanity’s trouble in life is due to a false view of the world. In this way, the Lord Jesus Christ offers Christians an entirely different way of understanding the world around them. The Christian does not think like the Gentiles do. Instead, they have different priorities. The Lord teaches that while food, drink, and clothing are essential to being human, these things are not the priority in the Christian life. Rather than having fear, worry, and anxiety about such things, the Christian life is marked by their relationship to God and His kingdom. The Christian seeks after the kingdom of God and His righteousness rather than material goods. But how does one obtain the righteousness of God? How do they become heirs of God’s kingdom? Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones lifts the mind to consider the right priorities in life and how sinners can actually obtain such eternal joy.
Sermon Breakdown
- Christianity is utterly different and unique from all other religions and philosophies. It comes as a challenge to our natural assumptions and beliefs.
- The root cause of all human troubles and problems is that people have a false view of life and wrong priorities. They live as if they were merely physical beings.
- People's chief needs are to gain the right view of life and priorities. We must see ourselves as spiritual beings made in God's image, and live in light of our relationship with and dependence on God.
- The right priorities are the kingdom of God and his righteousness. This means recognizing God as creator and ruler, and his coming judgment of the world in righteousness.
- These right priorities are obtained by seeking them urgently and diligently. But we will find we cannot achieve them in our own strength. We must come to Christ, who alone can give us his righteousness.
- Those who seek first God's kingdom and righteousness will find soul rest, peace with God, assurance of salvation, and adoption into God's family. Material blessings will be added as well, though with a new perspective.
- Life in this world becomes a pilgrimage, with heaven as our true home. We live as strangers and sojourners, finding our satisfaction in God alone.
Sermon Q&A
What is the Kingdom of God According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in his sermon on Matthew 6:33, the Kingdom of God refers to the rule and reign of God in our lives and in the world. Here's how he explains it:
"The kingdom of God... means the rule of God. This means the reign of God. This means that God, after all, is not only the maker of this world and its controller, but he is its governor. And the sooner the better we begin to discover something about his rule and his reign."
Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that the Kingdom of God is characterized by righteousness and that it represents God's perfect plan for the world which has "gone wrong" but which God is in the process of setting right through Christ.
Why Should We Seek First the Kingdom of God?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides several reasons why seeking God's Kingdom should be our priority:
- It addresses our deepest nature as beings created in God's image, not merely animals
- It aligns us with ultimate reality - God as creator and sustainer
- It frees us from slavery to material things (money, food, clothing)
- It relieves anxiety and worry that come from wrong priorities
- It prepares us for eternity rather than just temporal existence
As he explains: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness... Put everything else on one side. Don't read another book until you're certain of this. Don't look at another film until you're certain of this. Don't do anything until you're certain of this."
How Does Dr. Lloyd-Jones Explain Man's False View of Life?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that mankind's troubles stem from a false view of life with wrong priorities:
"According to our Lord, the trouble with mankind is that it puts the wrong things first. Man thinks he knows what he needs. That's why the world is not Christian tonight."
He identifies these false priorities as:
- Money - "laying up for themselves treasures upon earth"
- Food and drink - "what shall we eat? what shall we drink?"
- Clothing - "wherewithal shall we be clothed?"
- Extension of physical life - trying merely to prolong existence
These priorities, according to Lloyd-Jones, lead to slavery and anxiety rather than true fulfillment.
What Does "His Righteousness" Mean in Matthew 6:33?
In his sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "his righteousness" refers to God's holy and just nature:
"God is just and holy. God is righteous. God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. God is perfect in all his ways."
He emphasizes that we cannot achieve this righteousness on our own, no matter how hard we try. Instead, Christ provides it for us:
"I came into the world from heaven in order to give you the righteousness that you can never achieve for yourself... I've come to give you righteousness. I've come into the world and I've lived the law for you. I've satisfied every demand of God's holy law for you."
The righteousness we seek is thus both God's own perfect nature and the righteousness imputed to believers through Christ.
What Does "All These Things Shall Be Added Unto You" Promise?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that this promise doesn't necessarily mean material prosperity, but rather:
- A changed perspective on material things
- Receiving what we truly need (not excessive wants)
- Contentment regardless of circumstances
- Freedom from anxiety about material concerns
As he puts it: "You see that now you've got a very different view of them. Before, you lived to eat and to drink and to dress. And now, oh, you still eat and you drink and you still dress, but you don't live for them. You do it just because they're essential to life and no more."
The promise is not that seeking God's Kingdom will make us wealthy, but that it will place material concerns in their proper perspective.
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.