Seeking - Matthew 6:33, Luke 11:9, John 1:35-38

by Rohn Sun Sep 08, 2013 1:55 am

SEEKING

Matthew 6:33, Luke 11:9, John 1:35-38

(Matthew 6:33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (KJV)

(Luke 11:9) And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. (KJV)

(John 1:35-38) Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? … (KJV)

Our text is the words of Jesus in John 1:38 “What seek ye?”

I. THE ADMONITIONS IN THE BIBLE ARE TO SEEK THE LORD OR TO SEEK GOD, AND TO SEEK RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The promise is “all these things shall be added unto you.”
What do people seek?
We were born seeking. The baby cries when it is hungry. It is seeking for that which would satisfy. We never get over the instinct to have to seek. Later in life this instinct shows up for other things rather than just for food.
People seek material things. They seek love. They seek adventure. They seek recognition. And many other things.

There were two boys that were born into the same family. They were about one year apart in age and grew together. They were inseparable and even went to college together and graduated just a year apart. The one, David went into the business world and was highly successful. He advanced and made money.
The other, Michael took seasonal jobs at dude ranches, parks and resorts. He loved the west and settled in Wyoming.

David would send Michael letters with pictures of his new sound system, his new automobiles, his new boat, and may other things telling him how good he was doing and trying to persuade him to come back east and get into business and make big money. One day David received a letter from Michael.

In it was a breath taking view of Wyoming Grand Teton Nation Park. On the back was written, “My back yard.”
Here were two men that seemingly sought different things in life, but, really, they were both seeking the same thing. They were seeking what would bring satisfaction and happiness.

Someone has said, “Happiness isn’t in things.” Another man hearing that statement said, “I’d like to try things anyway.”
We all know that it takes more than things to bring happiness. I could name you many people today that have everything but happiness.

(Matthew 6:33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (KJV)

There are many people that are channeling their seeking in the wrong direction to find satisfaction.
They get wrapped up in the pursuit of power, pleasure and possessions, and are left empty as far as their soul is concerned; and that is the part that needs satisfaction and love and security the most.

II. IN ALL OF OUR SEEKING WE NEED TO SEEK GOD AND HIS WILL IN OUR LIVES ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE.
Notice places where the Psalmist mentions seeking:

1. (PSALMS 14:2) (PSALM 53:2) THE LORD LOOKED DOWN FROM HEAVEN UPON THE CHILDREN OF MEN, TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY THAT DID UNDERSTAND, AND SEEK GOD. (KJV)

The reason here that God looked down on the children of men to see if there were any that understood and sought God was that they were denying even the existence of God. God looked and said, “There is none that doeth good.”

People seek in the wrong direction, oftentimes, because they fail to understand why they should seek God and His righteousness.

It isn’t for God’s good it is for our good that we should seek Him. We think we know what satisfies so we seek those things only to see what a mess we’ve made of things.

(Matthew 6:31-32) Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. (KJV)

What did Jesus mean here? He didn’t mean we shouldn’t think about providing the legitimate things of life, but He did mean that we are not to depend on these to fill the void in our soul.; We are not to place these things in the place of or before God. These temporal things will not save you. They won’t prepare you for eternity. They won’t even prepare you to live an adequate life here.

There are some things that are necessary but they still can’t take the place of righteous living or living for God. God should always have forest place in our lives.

We know and God knows that we need the necessary things in life but He also knows that the heart and soul are important above these.

Many times people don’t seem to understand this. They put things in a wrong perspective and wonder why all the turmoil and all the mess. Instead of life being a banquet for most people it is a mess.

But, Jesus has a table spread, where the saints of God are fed, He invites His chosen people come and dine.

When we get our understanding straightened out we seek the right. We seek God and righteousness. Then He creates a hunger in us that keeps us seeking Him.

Jesus said that when you seek aright “all these things will be added unto you”. Your worries are over as far as satisfaction is concerned you are in God’s hands.

What is tomorrow going to bring? I don’t know but I’m in the care of One who does know and He has control of the tomorrows.

Seek God today and leave the tomorrows in His care. Do your duty today and trust God for the tomorrows.

2. (PSALM 27:4) ONE THING I HAVE DESIRED OF THE LORD, THAT WILL I SEEK AFTER; THAT I MAY DWELL IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE, TO BEHOLD THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD, AND TO INQUIRE IN HIS HOLY TEMPLE. (KJV)

Someone has said, “Holy desires lead to resolute actions.” The psalmist didn’t only desire but He sought after.

Paul said, (Philippians 3:14) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (KJV)

I think this is something of what the psalmist had in mind here.

I seek after – I desire – I put my desire in action.

He wanted fellowship with God to behold the beauty of the Lord.

What is the beauty of the Lord? God is a spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. What is the beauty of the Lord? His holiness – His purity. We can’t separate seeing God and seeing His righteousness. We see God in what He is morally and righteously.

The more the psalmist sought after God the clearer view he had of what God is. The clearer vision he had of what God meant him to be.

(1 Peter 1:16) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. (KJV)

Without seeing God we do not know what holiness is.

We read the law but that doesn’t change the heart. It doesn’t give us a clear view. When we fellowship with God and He talks to us we get a view of what He is and what He wants us to be. If our heart is right we seek after Him and seek to be what He wants us to be.

You might ask, “Do you ever get to the place where you no longer have to seek? Where you excel? No. You can get saved and know that God has forgiven you of your sins but you still have ground to gain.

(Philippians 3:13-14) Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (KJV)

Paul was saying, “I still seek after more of God. I still seek to be more like Him.”

This seeking is from the heart. O to be like Jesus!

3. (PSALMS 34:14) DEPART FROM EVIL, AND DO GOOD; SEEK PEACE, AND PURSUE IT. (KJV)

It has been said that the most desirable thing is not the easiest to obtain. To seek peace it must be pursued. Sought after – desired.
(Hebrews 12:14) Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: (KJV)

Peace has to come from a heart of peace.

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and peace will be added unto you.”

Four things about the man of peace:

(1) We are to be peacemakers – that takes seeking.
(2) The peacemaker takes care not to give offense when needled and when it can be spared.
(3) The peacemaker is not to take offense easily.
(4) If any needless offense has been either given or taken we must endeavor to put a stop to it as soon as we can. If a difference is already began, stifle it at birth, and suffer it not to proceed further.

Good advice.

But the verse says, “Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”
The only way we can rightly seek peace and pursue it is to do right and to be right in our hearts.
That is why it is necessary to continually seek God and keep Him ever before us.

4. WHY AND WHAT SHOULD WE SEEK AFTER. (PSALMS 63:1) O GOD, THOU ART MY GOD; EARLY WILL I SEEK THEE: MY SOUL THIRSTETH FOR THEE, MY FLESH LONGETH FOR THEE IN A DRY AND THIRSTY LAND, WHERE NO WATER IS; (KJV)

We live in a dry and thirsty land as far as spiritual things are concerned. There is nothing there to bring lasting satisfaction. In fact, what is there will rob you of the satisfying portion is you fail to seek and keep seeking after God.

Where the psalmist says, “My soul thirsteth for thee – my flesh longeth for thee – means my whole being is effected in the pursuit after thee. And the more you realize what the world is doing to people these days the more you should desire to seek after God. Look at the wrecks in humanity today because of a failure to seek after God and because people are seeking after the things of this world instead.

When I look around I thank God over and over for His grace in my heart and life. I want to seek more of Him.

The words of a little chorus are:
I want more of Jesus – More and more and more.
I want more of Jesus than I ever had before
I want more of His great love so rich, so full, so free
I want more of Jesus, so I’ll give Him more of me.

And the more you seek Him the more you want Him.

Think of the woman at the well. Jesus gave her water that was not in the well. This was life changing water. It was satisfying water, but read the account and you will discover that she sought this water.

(John 4:15) The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw. (KJV)

He gave her truth – The Bible says she went and told the men, “Come and see a man which told me all things that ever I did: is this not the Christ.”
As we seek we find – we receive.

5. (PSALMS 69:32) THE HUMBLE SHALL SEE THIS, AND BE GLAD: AND YOUR HEART SHALL LIVE THAT SEEK GOD. (KJV)

They shall see what God can do. They will see those who sought and found God, praising Him. “And be glad.”

Seeking God gives us life eternal. Lifer eternal right not in our heart. Life in God, within you.

People seek to live in the world. They say, “This is living.” “This is what life is all about.”

But they don’t know what the life we are talking about this morning really is. Jesus said, He came that we could “have life and have it more abundantly.”

To talk to others who know the Lord and see how He is working in their lives and to know He is working things out for me. To have His presence with me, to enjoy His Word, to just praise Him – That is life!

That’s what seeking God does.

6. (PSALMS 70:4) LET ALL THOSE THAT SEEK THEE REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN THEE: AND LET SUCH AS LOVE THY SALVATION SAY CONTINUALLY, LET GOD BE MAGNIFIED. )KJV)

Seeking God brings to our minds our salvation. What God had done for me and what He is to us.

One man said, “All men are lovers as well as seekers, for all men love.” Some love money more than God, some love pleasure more than God, strange as it may seem some love sin more than God and salvation, some love bustle and business more than God’s salvation.

But those who’s sins have been forgiven and who are walking with God, love Him first and foremost above all else.
What seek ye? Do you seek satisfaction where there is no satisfaction? Or do you understand that true satisfaction and life come as we seek the Lord?

I believe in Luke 11:9 we find the solution to our life and the directions for seeking.

(Luke 11:9) And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. (KJV)

I believe this is true seeking.
We need to seek now and not wait until it is too late.

(Luke 13:24) Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. (KJV)
What are you seeking?