Seek first, and what gets in the way

Pastor Devon Ortiz preached from Matthew 6:25-34 with one question: if we agree that we should seek first the kingdom of God, what is distracting us from that priority? Most of the time, he said, our distractions are simple, close to home, and often ourselves. He pointed out that Jesus' very first message, the Sermon on the Mount, is built around putting the kingdom of God above man, and he traced that theme through the chapters leading up to the text.

The whole sermon points to the kingdom

In Matthew 5 the Beatitudes begin with "theirs is the kingdom of heaven" for the poor in spirit, and the pure in heart are the ones who see God. Our character and actions show our priority for Christ, and as salt and light (5:13-16) our lives point to the One who gave us eternal life. In Matthew 6 Jesus warns against hypocrisy in giving and praying, and the model prayer begins with the Father's holiness and the coming of His kingdom and ends with "thine is the kingdom." Then comes the call to lay up treasure in heaven, because where your treasure is, there your heart will be (verses 19 to 21).

Pastor Ortiz said this is not simply about giving money to the church. Giving is to God, and the reason many people care little about spiritual things is that what they love is invested somewhere else. He noted how much detail and passion people bring when they talk about their jobs, and asked whether we have that much passion to talk about Christ.

Take no thought

In verses 25 to 34 Jesus says not to be anxious about food, drink, or clothing. The birds do not sow or reap and the Father feeds them, and the lilies are dressed better than Solomon. Worry cannot add a cubit to anyone's height. He joked that his wife would be eighteen inches taller if it could. Jesus is not saying life does not matter or that we should not buy groceries, Pastor Ortiz said. He is saying to stop being distracted by what we already know God will provide.

The word "seek" means to make something a priority, to pursue it with intensity, to make it your aim. His question was whether we seek the kingdom of God first with intensity, or whether we do it because it is what we have always done. Our best, he said, usually goes to whatever we actually love, and that is why distraction takes over.

Martha and Mary

In Luke 10:38-42 Martha is busy serving Jesus in her home while Mary sits at His feet and hears His word. Pastor Ortiz said Martha was not doing wrong, but she was missing the priority. Wanting a clean house, working hard, and taking a vacation are all fine, but when they get in the way of Christ they become a problem. If we are doing less for Christ today than when we were first convicted, he said, we should ask what our excuse is.

When priorities are off, we start looking at others and asking "do You not care?" He warned that this is how people burn out in ministry, and said he would rather have babies in the room than burn out the few who serve. He also named ordinary distractions: scrolling, staying up late and then being too tired for God, and coming to church only when it is convenient or there is a potluck.

One priority, not a list

Philippians 3:13 says "this one thing I do," and Hebrews 12:1 separates sin from "weight," things that may not be wrong but pull us back from our priority. Pastor Ortiz said we do not need a list of ten priorities (God first, family second, and so on). We need one, and it takes care of the rest. He compared it to a train, which has one lead car and everything else follows without trying. He also quoted Spurgeon: to know God's purpose, you must know His word.

What gets added

Verse 33 says to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and "all these things shall be added unto you." Pastor Ortiz said this is not a promise of wealth or health, and that anyone who tells you so is lying. It means that when the priority is right, the rest lines up. He does not have to make family a priority, because following Christ the right way makes family the right priority. He does not have to find time for his Bible, because a desire for the kingdom brings a desire for God's righteousness and relationship. And he does not have to try to be in church, because he gets to be.

Verse 34 says not to worry about tomorrow, and "sufficient unto the day" means enough. When we stop living in "try harder" mode and intensely pursue Christ, he said, we live less distracted and less anxious, trusting that God will take care of it.

The invitation

He closed by asking those who realized they had been distracted from their priority to raise a hand, and invited anyone who was not certain of their salvation to do the same. The altar was opened for people to come and settle it with God.