Sermon Title: Seek first the Kingdom of God
Text: Matt. 6:26, 32b, 33
26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
A personnel manager rejected a job applicant because the firm was overstaffed. But the would-be employee persisted, "Sir, You don’t have to worry about being overstaffed, because the little bit of work that I'd do won't even be noticed!"
Source Unknown.
This weekend we celebrate the work of the ladies of the LWML, better known as the Lutheran Woman’s Missionary League. You might think of them as the group with the little boxes or mites that are collected where pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters are put into mission work in our area and around the world.
You might think as well, “That little bit of money I give won’t even be noticed.” But the giving of mites and the small donations grow by the blessing of the Lord, so much so that the mission goal for the LWML this Biennium is $2,000,000. So, your paper money is appreciated too!
What does that mean … we might ask in a very Lutheran sort of way?
It means that we fear (in awe and reverence), love, and trust God above all things as he uses each one of us as his instruments of peace and service to others, in our community and around the world. It is by your donations that you are used by God in this wonderful way in his mission work to a dying world so desperately in need of God’s peace.
Seek first the Kingdom of God
This mission and sermon theme presents the order of the Christian life. By faith, we who have been chosen by God to believe, through the power of the Holy Spirit, seek God and his will. And we might ask, “What is that will?” But as Lutheran’s we know the answer … to Love God above all things and our neighbor as ourselves.
Ill.
Some of you may or may not know that this past April I was installed as the LWML pastor for the zone we are part of. I’ll be involved also at the fall rally October 17 at Holy Cross Oxford, and serve until and new zone pastor is installed in the spring of 2017. It is an honor to serve in a small way those who serve the Lord and his flock in so many and varied ways.
For instance the LWML is involved in a clean water and evangelism ministry, disaster response, cancer care packages, healthy families initiative, training teachers and leaders for service, helping hands initiative, Deaconess training, Lutheran Youth Corps, Hope for Detroit and so much more to the tune of over $1,400,000. Even St. Paul Pontiac, our own missions outreach, received a sizeable grant for continued mission work.
32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
Your heavenly Father knows your needs and also the needs throughout the world. These needs are met by God through means and one of those means that we contribute to is the LWML mites program and that money multiplied by God brings relief and service to a hurting world … not only for the needs of the body to be fulfilled but also for the needs of a world hopeless without Jesus.
President Harrison of the Luther Church Missouri Synod was so impressed with their mission goal of the LWML at their national convention that he promised that if they reach their goal of 2 million dollars this time that he’d bring his banjo to the next convention and do a Jig!
Seek first the Kingdom of God
The truth is though that we don’t seek God. As creatures of sin we seek that which satisfies our flesh and we are drawn away from God by our own sinful desires, the way of the world, and the schemes of the devil. We fall short to be sure. But while we are weak he is strong. While we trip along the way, God will as St. Luke writes in his gospel in chapter 3 that:
5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; (Luke 3:5)
Our God will make a way even through the crazy and crooked paths of this life. You need not worry. He is in control, and through the work of Jesus at the cross; the way of death is conquered and eternal life is secured by him for you and me.
26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Ill.
I have at my home a bird feeder that I made out of two 8’ 4x4 posts. The one post stands upright and the other is cut in two and sits on top with a 12” lag bolt through the two pieces into the base. I have three suet cages, two feeders with wild bird seed, a feeder with oiled sunflower seeds and nectar for hummingbirds. If I look out the window on a good day you might see 12 to 15 birds gathered on the feeder trying to get a seat at the table and a few more on the ground gathering up what falls from above. But what is more interesting is that even when the feeder is empty … the birds are fed and thrive from your heavenly father.
My little feeder gives me a glimpse of the greater work of God. What I do for a few of the many birds in the area of my home God does throughout the world never taking a day off or letting the feeder run out. So the sparrows, blue jays, cardinals, woodpeckers, finches, wrens and yes, a few squirrels show me the greater glory of him who cares for these who neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
He feeds them and then asks:
Are you not of more value than they?
Our local LWML and their mite collections are like my bird feeder. It shows just a small snapshot of God’s greater work throughout the world. He lets us help much like a child with a plastic saw and hammer sees himself helping dad build the deck or finish the basement. We go through the motions and God does the real work.
Seek first the Kingdom of God
and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
What the LWML does springs forth from what God has done in the lives of their members … his children. It is a fruit of faith, and it brings the Lord of Glory to those who are need feeding, clothing and the hope that comes only from the Gospel of Peace through the power of the holy Spirit.
Seek first the Kingdom of God for he will never stop seeking those lost sheep of his pasture.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit!
Amen
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