Teaching Text

Matthew 5:3-12, 6:25-34

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Sermon Recap

This Sunday, Pastor Ralph continued our FOLLOW series with a teaching on Jesus' command in Matt. 6:33 to “seek first the kingdom of God.”

He began with a simple observation. Jesus isn't separating people into seekers and non-seekers. Everyone is seeking something. The real question is what sits at the center of our lives.

From there, Pastor Ralph worked through Matthew's Gospel to show that before Jesus ever tells people to seek the Kingdom, He reveals the King. Repentance, then, is more than turning away from sin. It is a reordering of life around the arrival of Jesus and His Kingdom.

That also changes the way we read Jesus' first invitation to His disciples. Ordinary fishermen leave everything to follow Him, not because the cost is small, but because they have begun to see the worth of the One who is calling them. Quoting Thomas Chalmers, Pastor Ralph noted that “the only way to dispossess the heart of an old affection is by the expulsive power of a new one.” Lasting change comes less from trying harder than from discovering a greater love.

He returned to that idea through Jesus' parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price. First comes the treasure, then the joy, and only then the cost. The Kingdom is worth everything because the King is worth everything.

Returning to Matthew 6, Pastor Ralph suggested that anxiety often exposes what has become central in our lives. Food, clothing, success, security—even good gifts—become burdens when they become our masters. Jesus' invitation is not simply to add another priority to an already crowded life, but to allow His Kingdom to become the organizing center around which everything else finds its proper place.