Podcast Summary: "Seeking the Kingdom"

Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life
Date: January 5, 2026
Speaker: Tim Keller

Overview

In this sermon, Tim Keller unpacks Jesus' famous teaching from Matthew 6:25-34 on anxiety and seeking the kingdom of God. Keller explores why Jesus commands us not to worry, the deeper roots of human anxiety, and how to practically seek God’s kingdom first. The episode offers theological and practical insights for those wrestling with fear, control, and spiritual priorities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Nature of Anxiety (04:20 - 10:45)

• Definition & Description:
  Keller describes anxiety as “the desire to control that which we can't control.” (10:00) He compares it to a lingering, unfocused sense of dread—like the bass notes of the "Jaws" theme playing throughout one’s life.
• Three Aspects:
  • Psychological: Both targeted and general unease.
  • Physical: Chronic stress manifests in the body, leading to burnout and illness.
  • Philosophical: Drawing from Heidegger’s Geworfenheit (thrown-ness), Keller emphasizes the existential fear that life is random and uncontrollable.
• Memorable Quote:
  "It's like having a constant Jaws theme, bass note line going through your life... You're looking around for the fin, you're sure something's going wrong." (06:15)

2. The Deep Source of Anxiety (10:45 - 16:50)

• Will to Control:
  Anxiety, Keller explains, arises from our resistance to the reality of our dependence on God. We want the power God has—to secure, to add time to our lives, to be truly in charge.
• The Human Condition:
  Referencing Blaise Pascal, he says, “The greatness of man is so evident that it is even proved by his wretchedness. For who is unhappy at not being a king but a deposed king?” (14:22)
• Biblical Illustration:
  Humanity was created to be stewards—“kings and queens” who depend on God—but rebelled, longing for total independence. The more we grasp for control, the more anxious and insecure we become.
• Luther’s Advice:
  "Let Philip cease to rule the world." (15:55) — Luther’s prescription for his anxious friend, highlighting that anxiety stems from "trying to be in charge."

3. Jesus’ Cure for Anxiety (18:20 - 31:00)

A. Two Causes: Wrong Thinking & Wrong Priorities

• Wrong Thinking:
  • Not pondering God’s providence and care.
  • Keller paraphrases Jesus: "Faith is not the absence of thinking. Faith is thinking. Anxiety... is the absence of thinking." (19:56)
  • Instead of listening passively to our fears, we must actively "argue with ourselves" based on what God has said.

B. The Two Arguments Jesus Gives

• Providence of God (21:08)
  • “Consider the birds of the air.” God provides for them; He is sovereign over all events, great and small.
  • Example: How a series of seemingly disconnected events (from Watergate to a professor’s travel visa) led to Keller’s church being planted in NYC, illustrating God’s intricate providence.
  • "When you take yourself out of the center of the universe, you actually become the center... in this sense, all things work together for good to them that love God." (25:40)
• Love of God (28:20)
  • “Consider the lilies...” God cares deeply—down to every hair and tear for His people.
  • Memorable self-talk: "Anxiety is essentially a daily fax to God saying, I don't think you have my best interests in mind." (29:20)
  • “If he didn’t spare his own Son, how is he going to fail to give us anything else that we need?” (29:42)
  • Faith means trusting that even hard commands (like Abraham sacrificing Isaac or Jesus facing the cross) are for our ultimate good.

C. Right Priorities: Seeking the Kingdom (30:30)

• Central Principle:
  "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
• Practical Application:
  Make Jesus—not career, relationships, or comfort—the central concern.
  • “Your fears are like the breadcrumbs. Follow them and you'll find the house of the witch.”
  • When Christ is at the center, “there will be no anxiety.” (31:10)

D. Illustrative Story

• Queen Elizabeth I:
  A man reluctant to join her voyage is told, "You mind my business and I'll mind your business." (32:48) — Similarly, Keller says, “Seek first the kingdom... and all other things will be added to you.”

4. Faith in Action (32:59 - 34:26)

• True Trust:
  Keller distinguishes between believing in Jesus and truly trusting Him with one’s daily life and decisions.
• Challenge to Listeners:
  “It’s one thing to believe in God. Lots of you believe in God, but do you believe God?” (33:19)
• Trusting God vs. Self:
  Refusing to trust God is actually an act of “absolutely blind faith” in oneself—something which flies in the face of all evidence.
• Jesus’ Example:
  Christ Himself modeled dependence, resisting the temptation for self-sufficiency: “He wouldn’t take matters into his own hands... because he was faithful, he died as a substitute... for our will to power.” (34:04)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The essence of anxiety is the desire to control that which we can't control.” — Tim Keller (10:00)
• “Faith is thinking. Anxiety... is the absence of thinking.” — Tim Keller (19:56)
• “Let Philip cease to rule the world.” — Martin Luther, via Keller (15:55)
• “Anxiety is essentially a daily fax to God saying, I don't think you have my best interests in mind.” — Tim Keller (29:20)
• “When you take yourself out of the center of the universe, you actually become the center... in this sense, all things work together for good to them that love God.” — Tim Keller (25:40)
• “It’s one thing to believe in God. Lots of you believe in God, but do you believe God?” — Tim Keller (33:19)

Important Timestamps

• 00:59 — Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:25-34
• 04:20 — What is Anxiety? Psychological, physical, and philosophical dimensions
• 10:45 — The Root of Anxiety: Human need for control and the illusion of self-sufficiency
• 18:19 — Two Problems: Wrong thinking and wrong priorities
• 21:08 — The Providence of God Reason
• 25:40 — Taking Yourself Out of the Center
• 29:20 — The Love of God Argument
• 30:30 — Right Priorities: Seeking the Kingdom
• 32:48 — Queen Elizabeth I Analogy
• 33:19 — Trusting Jesus: Beyond Intellectual Assent
• 34:04 — Christ’s Example of Trust
• 34:26 — Prayer and Benediction

Takeaways

• Anxiety arises not from circumstances but from the refusal to accept dependence on God’s providence and love.
• Faith requires active engagement—reasoning with scripture and our own hearts about God’s character and care.
• True peace comes when Christ and his kingdom are the ultimate priority, displacing lesser anxieties at the center of life.
• Trusting God means surrendering control, accepting our limits, and relying on Jesus’ perfect obedience and sacrifice.

This episode provides rich, accessible guidance for applying Jesus’ teaching on worry—highlighting the transformative power of seeking God’s kingdom first in everyday life.