Seek ye first the kingdom of God

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 20 MARCH 2022

MATTHEW 6 VERSES 25 – 34

We began last week on this subject of worrying about tomorrow.  Not one of us know what a day will bring forth.  We are thankful that there is one holds tomorrow in his hand.  We began to look at our lives in the light of all we have to face.  We thought of the widow woman of Zarephath who Elijah was sent to.  Here was a woman who had little.  She had got to the stage in her life where living was impossible.  All she had in her home was one meal to feed her and her son.  Afterwards she had no clue what would happen ext.  That woman put God first.  We need to get to that place again where God is first.  From this incident in the lives of the disciples we learn a tremendous lesson.  It challenges us how we live.  In the days the disciples were living in they walked with Christ daily.  They were by his side, talking with him, being guided by him, instructed by him, they were prayed for by Jesus, but they began to worry.  Jesus took them aside.  They were worried about everyday concerns.  They had left all to follow Christ.  Peter bore testimony to this fact when he said he had left his boats, his livelihood.  They had clothes for this day and food to eat but what about tomorrow.  We don’t know anything about tomorrow.  Jesus said, “take no thought for tomorrow, I have it all worked out, it is in the palm of my hand.”  Jesus told them they couldn’t add one cubit to their stature so why worry about these things?  “Seek ye first the kingdom of God.”  You and I are on higher plane today.  We can touch the throne room of heavenly grace.  The Psalmist could say “my words are coming into the ears of the living God.” (Psalm 5 verse 1).  Jesus directed his disciples to go to God in the day of trouble.   “In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.”  Last week we looked at the word “seek”.  It is a strong word in the original Greek.  It is a command.  He was not asking the disciples to do this but commanding them to do it.  He commands you and I to “seek first the kingdom of God.”  We are to seek him daily.  It is a continuous process.  It is to be done firstly, fervently, and faithfully.

The sovereignty of the kingdom of God.  If you are saved by God’s sovereign grace, you are in a different world.  In John 17 Jesus prayed that we might be kept in the world.  You and I are in a different kingdom today.  Colossians talks about us “being translated from the power of darkness into the kingdom of his dear Son.” (Colossians 1 verse 13)  How did we get there?  By the good works we do?  By the church we attend?  By sitting at the communion table?  No.  God sent his son Jesus into the world, he was rejected, spat on, ridiculed.  He had one purpose and plan – to die on the cross of Calvary outside Jerusalem.  He died there for you.  TO lift us out of the family we were born into, the family of the devil.  Born in sin and shapen in iniquity.  The only price that could be paid was the death of Christ.  The moment we realise we were born in sin and bow before God we are lifted out of the family of the devil.  It is all of grace from beginning to end.  No merit of our own.  We are to seek for greater things because of the sovereignty of the kingdom.  God is overall and above all.  He rules from on high.  Jesus one day came out of the city and standing before his disciples was taken up in the clouds.  An angel came down and asked them “why stand ye gazing up, this same Jesus shall come in like manner.”  Mark 16 verse 19 he was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God.  We are asked to seek for his sovereign kingdom.  For anyone to sit on a throne it a great privilege and honour.  He was sovereign over nature.  When he was in the boat one day the winds and waves rose up.  Jesus got up and spoke “be still”.  The very winds ceased from blowing and the waves became calm.  The Lord spoke the word to the centurion one day whose servant was sick.  The centurion told the Lord that he was not worthy for him to come into his house.  Jesus spoke the word and the servant was healed that day.  He is sovereign over life and death.  He spoke to Lazarus in the tomb and raised him to life once more.  This is the one who commands us to seek his sovereign kingdom.  A leper came to Jesus one day and said, “if thou wilt thou canst make me clean.”  He believed he was speaking to the sovereign Lord.  Whatever Jesus said would be done.  We are coming to the sovereign one who is able to heal.  To the thief on the cross who asked to be remembered when Jesus came into his kingdom, he said “today thou shalt be with me in paradise”.  The Hebrew Christians were going through trial and tribulation. The writer told them to look at the cloud of witnesses, those who had gone before and won the battle, victory was theirs now.  “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.”

The supremacy of the kingdom.  There is no other kingdom like this kingdom.  That is what we are to seek after.  In Daniel Nebuchadnezzar had a dream one night.  The dream was of a great image standing in his room.  It startled him so much that he called in all his advisers and counsellors.  Not one could tell him the dream nor interpret it.  Daniel was called for and he was able to not only tell the dream but interpret it.  He told him of the image that represented various kingdoms.  The head was represented by Nebuchadnezzar’s own kingdom.  Chapter 2 verse 37 “for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power and strength and glory.”  The very breath we breathe today is from God himself.  The very next breath you hope to have is in the hand of God.  Your wealth is in the hand of God.  Your health is in the hand of God.  Chapter 2 verse 38 “Thou art this head of gold.”  The golden head was a kingdom – Nebuchadnezzar’s own.  Daniel went on to give the meaning of every part of the body and who they represented – the Persians, Greek, Romans and finally the anti-Christ.  Verse 44 “and in those days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed.”  You and I are asked to seek.  When this world is wearing out we have to remember there is one kingdom still to rise.  The toes were made partly of iron and clay.  Kings will one day give power to Satan – the antichrist himself.  The bible says that in those 7 years of tribulation God will come and set up his own kingdom on the earth.  We are to seek for the sovereign kingdom today.  We are to seek for the supreme kingdom today. 

It is also a sufficient kingdom.  We also see the simplicity of the kingdom.  We are commanded to seek first God’s kingdom today.