THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT<br> <br>

Program Air Date – 3-28-10<br> <br>





LESSON TITLE:  “EXCEEDINGLY GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES:  ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED UNTO YOU”

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WELCOME<br> <br>



	Good morning!  Let me welcome each of you to our program this morning.  It is always a privilege to have you with us to hear the Living Word of God.  We are excited that you have chosen to give this time of sacrifice to our Creator.  Won’t you take advantage of every opportunity this morning to give your own reverence to the Lord, as we together offer this time of worship to Him.  May all things be done, to God, for God and unto His glory.  Let’s begin our offering to God with a prayer!  <br> <br>

(PRAYER)<br> <br>

      

     Our first song of the morning reminds us of what God truly expects from the faithful. So, won’t you join in with the congregation at this time as we sing together, “Living By Faith.”  

<br> <br>(SONG # 1)<br> <br>



DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS<br> <br>

	At times we probably all wonder “what is it all for,” or “what is life all about!”  Well, if it weren’t for God, the answer would be pretty depressing and sad, but because of our Lord, we have great hope in this life and a life to come.  In fact, if I were to ask today, “How many of us want to go to heaven,” no doubt we all have this as an important goal in each of our lives.  Oh, what great hope we have in the promise of “laying hold on eternal life.”  <br> <br>

	But the question we might need to consider is, “what does it take to receive such a promise?”  I think Paul summed it up well in his words to Timothy which are found in 1 Timothy 6:11-12, there we read, “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”  What a power packed statement Paul gives here to Timothy as he strives to encourage him to do what it takes to have eternal life.  Let’s notice some of the things Paul encourages him with.  First, he tells Timothy to flee evil things. Next he instructs him to pursue those things which are good and godly.  And finally Paul says, suit up and do the work, “fight the good fight!”  <br> <br>

	Brethren and friends, I feel these are three areas of the utmost importance if we as well desire to “lay hold on eternal life!”  The question is, “will we measure up?”  Will we turn away from evil, turn toward Godliness, and do the work that is before us?  May I challenge you this day to accept the charge given by our Lord and to do whatever it takes to be found faithful in the end.   And why, because as the old song says, “Heaven will surely be worth it all!”        <br> <br>

     As far as our main study of the day, we will be continuing our series entitled, “Exceedingly Great And Precious Promises.”  Our specific lesson of the morning will deal with Jesus statement, “All These Things Will Be Added Unto You”. So please stay with us this morning and after our next song together, I will be leading us in our main thoughts of the day.   But for now let’s join together in our second song of the morning.  The name of this hymn, “More About Jesus.”  



<br> <br>(SONG # 2)<br> <br>







LESSON<br> <br>

By Ray Sullins

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Back in January of this year we kicked off a new series about “The Exceedingly Great and Precious Promises of God.”  You might recall that we looked there to 2 Peter chapter 1 and verse 4 which talks about “the knowledge of God being given to us,” verse 4, “by which we have been given exceedingly great and precious promises.”  And then the verse goes on to say, “As well as been made partakers of God’s divine nature.”  



<br> <br>And so what we’ve been trying to do together for months now is to look at many of those precious promises, those exceedingly great things which God has said either being through Jesus or through some of His apostles which show us truly how much He loves us, what He has done for us, and the hope that we have not only in this life, but as well in the life to come.<br> <br>



We have looked together at the concepts of the rest that God offers, the fact that we will be made free through the truth, that God will always be with us.  We’ve looked at the idea that anything that we ask from God, He will bless us with as well.  We have seen the fact that we are the light of the world that we might also imitate God as He is the light.  Therefore we must walk in the light.  We have seen the fact that we will not perish with God, rather someday we also have learned that the pure in heart will see God.  We also have learned together that someday Jesus will come again to take us home.  Then we looked at an entire lesson about the crown of life that God has prepared for the faithful in the end.  And last week we looked together at the fact that baptism does now save us.  

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And so today, we begin really the end of our series and we conclude all of the things that we have been looking at together with something that Jesus said Himself in Matthew chapter 6, a statement that certainly stands out familiar to all of us, but a statement that reminds us once again not only of how great God is, not only of how exceedingly great and wondrous His promises are, but what He has done and what He will do for us even today. The statement that we read there from the book of Matthew is this:  “And all these things shall be added unto you.”



<br> <br>When the think about the concept that Jesus presents here, we know that within the context He now is talking to those He refers to as followers.  We can back up all the way to chapter 4 and we see that great multitudes were about Him.  Innumerous individuals were there and His disciples.  In fact, in chapter 5 of Matthew and verse 1, we read that, “The multitudes and His disciples were there and He began to speak the Sermon on the Mount,” as we call it.  It is within this Sermon on the Mount that we learn probably about hundreds if not thousands of lessons that really provoke us unto being more godly and better servants for our King.  With that in mind, we then find in chapter 6 and verse 33 the fact that we will be blessed with not some things, with not maybe this or that, with not that which man can do but with all things from God.  Then I want you to notice with me the context of what He is saying.  

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If you back up with me there in verse 25 He begins by talking about the needs that we have in life as He says this.  “Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”  He is saying, why do you worry about what you will eat?  Why do you worry about the clothing you will wear on your body?  Because isn’t life much, much more than just about clothing and food?  

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Then He goes on there in verse 26 to say, “Look at the birds of the air.  Who made them?  I made them.  In the fact that I have made them, they neither sow nor reap, nor gather in the barns like men do, but your Heavenly Father (does what?) feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they?”  He is saying that just as God the Father cares for the animals of His creation and provides to them through nature, will He not much more care for you as that one created with dominion and even with an eternal soul that will someday go to be with God if found faithful?

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Then He uses the example there in verse 28.  “And so why do you worry about clothing?”  He says, “Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They receive the sun from God and the rain and the nutrients from the soil and God cares for them.”  And then He says, “I can say to you that even Solomon and all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”  



<br> <br>But now I want you to notice what He again asked.  “If God clothed the grass of the field which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, oh you of little faith?”



<br> <br>You know when you look at the context here; it is obvious what He is saying as He talks about food and clothing, as He talks about shelter.  He is trying to help them understand that they should not be worrying about these petty issues in this life for God, their God, is going to bless them beyond measure.  He has promised as their Father to provide.  Is that not what we do as earthly fathers?  Those who are worth our salt.  Do we not love our families and we care for our wife and our children and we make sure that they have what they need and we will do anything it takes to make sure that we provide as God commands.  Well our Father, God in Heaven, calls us His children and what does He do?  The very same thing.  He offers us the same promise.  He says, “I am going to care for you as My children and you’re not going to go hungry.  You’re not going to go without clothing.  I will care for you the same way that I care for the rest of my creation whether it be animals or whether it be plant life.  I provide for them that they can continue to grow.  How much more then will I care for you, oh you of little faith?”  



<br> <br>He even uses the example there in verse 32 that, “Why would you worry?” Because the Gentiles worry about such things.  Why do the Gentiles, or those outside of Christ, worry?  Because they don’t have the promise that we have.  So do you see what He is saying?  He is saying that when we worry about the food and clothing that He has promised to provide, then we have become no better than the world because the world worries about such because they do not have God and they do not know where their livelihood will come from.  Guess what!  We do!  Our Father has said, “I will provide.”  In fact, our Father has said (verse 33), “And all of these things will be added unto you.”  And so what does God do?  He provides our physical needs.  He gives us the ability to work and to accomplish the task that He has set before us. 

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But not only that, but we can turn to the book of Ephesians chapter 1 and verse 3 and we find another great blessing there of what God gives.  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has (what?) Blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Heavenly places in Christ.”



<br> <br>What do we have from God?  Not only all that we need physically, but with every spiritual blessing that we need so that we might do and have the opportunity to accomplish all things that pertain to life and godliness.  That’s what God has provided for us, everything we need.  God has done His part and He has assured us that we will be able to have what we need.  Therefore, Paul, Philippians chapter 4 verse 11, says, “I am able to be content.”  Whether I have a lot or a little bit, I know my God will provide and so therefore I make the best of today no matter what today holds.  I am content with what God gives me because God has provided, will always provide today and forever more will take care of my needs.

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Not only do we see that idea, but we also then move to our part.  We see that God says, “I am going to provide.”  The thing then that we must consider is:  What does He require of us?  

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Within the great Sermon on the Mount time and time again we see the standard being set, the bar is high, at the acquiring or achieving that which God commands in His Word and therefore being found pleasing in His sight.  Verse 33 not only ends by saying, “All things will be added unto us that God will give us all that we have need of.”  But there is something we must do.  Verse 33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.”  What is my part as a Christian?  That I seek God’s kingdom and His righteousness.

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What is the kingdom of God?  Well we see the kingdom of God being established from the very beginning.  We see the concepts of God’s kingdom in Israelite in the assembly of Israel.  But guess what the word “assembly” means.  Church or the Called Out.  Then we get into the New Testament, and guess what term we find being used still under the New Covenant.  The concept of the Called Out or the Assembly or the Church.  Therefore, in Acts chapter 2 verse 47 the day the kingdom was established there on the earth, there according to the New Law based on the blood of Jesus, the perfect covenant, the perfect kingdom, we see that they were added to the church.  Now with that in mind, we read here this same concept.  “Seek first the kingdom of God.”  The kingdom of God!  God and His kingdom!  His assembly!  That which is His gathering.  That which He has called us to that we might hear His voice, obey and do those things that He has commanded.  

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But there is a second part here.  It says, “Seek His righteousness first.”  We always read the seeking of the kingdom first and certainly they are self-encompassed in one another because God is righteous as we will see.  But at the end of the day, we find that we are to seek the kingdom and His righteousness.  You know when we find that God is righteous as is revealed to us in the book of 1 John there in chapter 2, we know then as the children of God we are also to strive to be righteous.  For instance we read there together in verse 29 of chapter 2, again the book of 1 John, the Bible says, “If you know that He is righteous (that is God), you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.”  If I want to be born of God, what must I do?  Practice righteousness.  Seek His kingdom first and His righteousness.  God is righteousness.  My desire is to be righteous as He is righteous.  Chapter 3 says the same thing.  Chapter 3 there and verse 7 says, “Little children, let no one deceive you.  He who practices righteousness is righteous just as He is righteous.”  What are we trying to be?  Like God!  God is righteous.  Striving for His righteousness, seeking His righteousness, finding it and accomplishing it, seeking that kingdom, the church, the assembly and His righteousness that which He would have of us in every action and word.  Right here in the Bible!  This is where God has revealed to us.  This is where we learn, as it goes on to say in verses 8 and 9, that “those who are born of God no longer partake of sin but they partake of righteousness, and those who are righteous want no part of darkness or that which is contrary to God.”  So therefore, we begin to understand better what it means to seek the kingdom of God first and His righteousness.

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Was it not Jesus Himself that said there in Mark chapter 9 and verse 1 that, “Some of you standing here will not taste of death until My kingdom comes.”  You see, the church was going to be established.  That kingdom that they would all be called to.  Men and women from all over the world.  Galatians chapter 3:26-29 tells.  Eventually that kingdom would be made up and making up the church that was to God’s glory not only today but forevermore.  

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And what would the church and those who strive for righteousness receive?  Go back to our main text again.  The text there says that “If we seek the kingdom of God first and His righteousness, all these things shall be added unto you.”  What things?  All of those physical things.  Food, shelter, clothing. What things?  Spiritual things that we might know God, know His righteousness, and do His righteousness, seek His kingdom and obey those things pertaining to what is a part of the church or the assembly.  

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Well the final thing I want us to notice here within our main text of Matthew 6 is the fact that we are told not to worry.  Probably one of the biggest problems that we all experience from time to time of those who are in this world is that we worry.  Well maybe the paycheck is a bit late or there is not enough money this month and we begin to worry.  We begin to worry about that food and those clothes.  We begin to worry about these petty things of life that if we died right now or an hour from now or tomorrow would no longer mean a thing to us.  What really makes a difference?  Seeking God, His kingdom, and His righteousness.  Because in those things God has promised to respond by providing and giving us what we have need of.  Has God not promised to care for us?  

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There in Philippians chapter 4 and verse 6 he says, “Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer.”  What?  Prayer?  Yes!  In fact, in 1 John chapter 5 verse 14 we learn there that if we ask anything of God, He hears us and that thing that He hears, He answers according to His Will.  

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You see our God is ever there for the righteous, those who seek righteousness.  He is ever there for the kingdom, those who seek the kingdom, those who seek Him.  And He ever hears them and wants to do what is best as a loving Father does for His children that in the end we may not have to worry knowing that He will provide all that we have and knowing that He will always care for us every step of the way.  Isn’t it great to know verse 34 of chapter 6 in Matthew that I don’t have to worry about tomorrow?  There are enough problems tomorrow. Isn’t there?  Let’s make the most of today.  Let’s focus on God today knowing that God is going to use me to His glory.  He is going to use me to His good pleasures this day if I allow Him to and that I am going to end today in a proper way because I have sought Him and His kingdom and His righteousness first knowing that not only will He provide now but forevermore.  What does that mean?  Heaven! Someday the seeking of His kingdom and righteousness will lead us to an eternal life.  Doesn’t that sound great to know that we will be immortal and never die but ever be with God?  

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So I challenge us today to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you, the things of life today and the things of life forevermore.  Will not Heaven be worth all of this?  

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(SONG # 3 - “My Jesus I Love Thee!”)



<br> <br>CLOSING COMMENTS<br> <br>

     Let me thank you again for choosing to be with us today, in this offering to God.  I hope our time together has been an encouragement and blessing to all of us.  We invite you back every Sunday morning at 7:30, as we commit ourselves to this worship to God!  <br> <br>

	But for now let me ask if you have any questions or comments about today’s lesson?  Maybe, you would like a free transcript or a cassette tape of this program?  Possibly, we could assist you with free Bible materials or correspondence courses?  No matter what your need is, please contact us at the following address:  

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Isn’t it wonderful to know that God will take care of all the needs of the faithful?  So the question is, “Will you live in such a way as to put God first and His Kingdom, so that ‘all things will be added unto you?’”

<br> <br>(Program closing)