3 World Changing Life Lessons from Matthew

When Jesus came, everything changed. Matthew records his revolutionary life along with the many lessons he taught and still teaches. It has long been one of my favorite books in the New Testament. The three lessons I will share with you today carry the potential to change your life and change the world.

The Great Priority

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

When we get the priority of the kingdom of God first in our lives, God promises that we will have the things we need in life (“all these things”). However, if we seek after all these things not only do we miss the kingdom we frequently miss the things we seek as well.

When we get this priority right, worry is banished from our lives. Here’s what happens. As we seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, we find all of God’s promises to be true. We find purpose and fulfillment in life. God’s gift to us is discernment and wisdom. He helps us to manage our lives so we can always know that our needs are being supplied.

The Great Commandment

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Matthew 22:37–40 (ESV)

There is a destructive absence of love in the world. It is no wonder that Jesus called this the greatest commandment.

We are to love God with our whole being. We express this love not only with words but with obedience, worship, adoration and trust. When we truly love God, it changes the way we think and talk and act. It infects our whole being with a transformational power that changes us from the inside out. Our love for God is powered by his very Spirit that dwells in us.

We are to love each other as well. That means we treat others as we would like to be treated. So we respect, listen, honor, encourage and cherish each other. We are patient and kind and forgiving. We love those who are like us and we love those who are unlike us. There are no exceptions to this love.

The Great Commission

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV)

These verses have been the impetus for every great missionary movement of the church. There are four key takeaways from these words.

1. Authority. We live under Christ’s authority. He has all authority and when we engage in this commission, we do so with the authority of Jesus. That authority is greater than any earthly authority so we need never fear.
2. Lifestyle. Our lifestyle is one of making disciples. That means we are discipling not just in formal settings like classrooms and small groups but in our daily conversations and the examples we set in our daily conduct. As we follow Jesus, we bring others along with us.
3. Teaching. Jesus told us to teach everything he taught. In this age of grace, we are sometimes guilty of ignoring some of the things he taught us. But following Jesus is a life of not just faith but also of obedience. Paul described this life as the obedience of faith (Romans 1:5, 16:26). Everything Jesus taught is relevant for us today and completely consistent with both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
4. Presence. He promised that he would always be with us. We can rely on that promise. He will never fail us or forsake us. He has given us his Holy Spirit to be with us and in us!

Get Serious

Jesus changed the world. Through his life and teaching the world can be changed again. It starts with each of us as we live out the things he taught us. So, let’s do it! Let’s change the world.

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