Daily Devotional For Monday, October 14, 2024

Well, good old Marvelous Monday is back. Can you believe the Fall has finally arrived? When it is getting down in the 40s at night, you better not walk outside without a jacket or sweater. As we are making our way through Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount, specifically now, The Lord’s Prayer, we come to the next line in this prayer: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10, NASB),

When we hear or read the word “kingdom,” we often think of a geographical boundary such as the United Kingdom – England. But this Greek New Testament word translated as “kingdom” – [βασιλεία, basileia], can be also translated as “rule, reign.” This probably would be more compatible with the words “They will.” In this spirit, we might read this as, “They rule/reign be done, They will be done . . . “ This probably seems to convey more of the intent of Jesus in these words. 

If we were honest, we would admit that we tend to be selfish, self-centered, and self-focused on what we want rather than on what God wants. We all have the tendency to throw out or make God aware, as He needs it, what we want. When we pray, “Thy kingdom come,” we are also praying that more and more people come to Christ or enter into God’s kingdom as we pray “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This is why Jesus taught us this in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (NASB). The Greek New Testament word Jesus used for “seek” is [ζητέω, zeteo]. 

The conjugation of this verb is better translated as “keep seeking.” Keep seeking what? God’s rule, reign and will in your life. What is evidence of God’s rule, reign and will in our lives? One item that gives evidence is when we obey Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (NASB). 

Jesus said this in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (NASB). This is similar to what Jesus said in Matthew 9:13b, “For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (NASB). We are most like Jesus when we reach out to the lost with the Gospel. Peter reminds us in 2 Peter 3:9 this, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (NASB).Jesus does not want people dying and going to hell. 

When we say we love our heavenly “Abba,’ Father, then we will have the same love for what and who He loves – the lost. This means Matthew 28:19-20 will be evident in our lives as proof we are obeying Matthew 6:33. There are many misguided church members who feel Matthew 28:19-20 is only for pastors and ministers. They are wrong and really do not care if people are dying and going to hell. These were Jesus’s last words to His followers just before He ascended back to heaven – around 120 (see Acts 1:15). Luke does not use the word “disciples” to describe this group of 120, but the word followers. This would include the 11 original disciples plus 109 other followers – just regular church members so to speak. 

Any member of a church who will not share the Gospel for whatever reason is probably not saved. Every day nearly 9,000 people die in America – every day. Most of them die without Christ. Do we even care as Jesus cares for their souls and eternal destination?

As I said above, one of the best ways we prove “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done” is by doing Matthew 6:33 and Matthew 28:19-20. Jesus did not die on the cross to make us good church members or good Christians. Jesus died on the cross to make us godly disciples. Let me prove this simply by numbers. The word Christian is only used 3 times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; & 1 Peter 4:16). The word “disciple” is used 269 times. So, you tell me. This means that Christ did not come to make Christians. He came to make disciples. 

Question To Answer

1. Would you say that you consistently keep seeking God’s rule, reign and will in your life? Why or why not?
2. In which areas of your life do you need to be fulfilling and obeying Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:33? Why?
3. Would you say that God’s reign, rule and will is visible to others in your life by being like Jesus’ in Luke 19:10, Matthew 9:13b and Matthew 28:19-20? Why or why not?
4. One of the last words of Jesus to His followers, the 11 remaining disciples and the 109 other followers, was Matthew 28:19-20. This command was not just to pastors or ministers, but to all followers and believers. What difference does this make and why?
5. What difference does it make in your own life that the word “Christian” is used only 3 times in the New Testament and the word “disciple” is used 269 times? 

Scripture To Meditate On: Matthew 6:33, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (NASB). 

Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, I want to be a person who has Your reign, rule and will done in my life. I want to be a person who has a heart for the lost as You do. Lord give me a heart for making a dent in some of those 9,000 who are around me that need You. I know that one of the best ways to touch Your heart is for You to use me to touch their hearts. I love You Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly