Put God's Kingdom First

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 Theme of the month: Preserving Our Eternal Heritage

Topic: Put God's Kingdom First
Main Text: Matthew 6:33; John 20: 1-18

Teacher: Pastor Michael Arokoyu


Matthew 6:33 (KJV): But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

 

1. INTRODUCTION 
Life is filled with competing priorities. People pursue education, careers, financial security, relationships, recognition, comfort and personal success. None of these things is necessarily wrong. The problem begins when good things take the place that belongs to God. Jesus gives us a divine order in Matthew 6:33: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness. Notice that Jesus did not say, Seek the kingdom when everything else is settled. He said: Seek ye FIRST. The word first speaks of priority, importance and position. God does not merely want a place in our lives. He wants first place. Connection to Our theme is Preserving Our Eternal Heritage. One of the most important ways to preserve our eternal heritage is to maintain the correct spiritual priority. When God's kingdom is first: our values remain aligned with God; our decisions are guided by His Word; our faith is strengthened; our children see an example of godliness; our resources serve God's purposes; our lives become useful for His kingdom.

 

2. UNDERSTANDING GOD'S KINGDOM

  • The kingdom is God's rule and reign -Psalm 103:19 It means saying: Lord, You are King, and I want Your will to govern my life.

  • The kingdom is about God's will - Matthew 6:10
    Seeking God's kingdom means desiring that God's will be done in our lives.
    The question changes from: What do I want? to: Lord, what do You want?

  • The kingdom is spiritual - Romans 14:17 . The kingdom cannot be reduced to material possessions. It involves: righteousness; peace; joy; obedience; holiness; faith; love; service to God.

3. WHAT DOES SEEK FIRST MEAN?

  • Jesus used two important ideas: Seek and first. A. Seek means to pursue intentionally. Seeking requires effort. - Jeremiah 29:13 Seeking God means deliberately pursuing His presence; His Word; His will; His righteousness;

  • First means priority; God must not simply be one of our priorities. He must be our highest priority. Consider a person's daily schedule. What receives the best: time? attention? energy? resources? commitment? These often reveal what is truly first. Important question:
    If someone examined my daily life, would they conclude that God's kingdom is first? JOHN 20:1-18.

 

4. WHY MUST WE PUT GOD'S KINGDOM FIRST?

  • Because everything else is temporary. Matthew 6:19 20; Earthly possessions are temporary. Positions change. Money comes and goes. Human recognition fades. But eternal things endure. 2 Corinthians 4:18. Therefore, kingdom-first living gives our lives an eternal perspective.

  • Because God knows what we need -  Matthew 6:32. This is important. Putting God first does not mean ignoring legitimate responsibilities. Rather, it means trusting God while fulfilling our responsibilities according to His will. Then Jesus says: And all these things shall be added unto you.

5. HOW TO PRACTICALLY PUT GOD'S KINGDOM FIRST

  • Put God first in your time. Begin and organise your day around God. Psalm 5:3:
    Develop consistent habits of: prayer; Bible reading; worship; meditation on God's Word.

  • Put God first in your decisions. Before making major decisions, ask: What does God's Word say? Will this decision honour God? Does this move me closer to God's purpose? Proverbs 3:5-6.

  • Put God first in your finances. Recognise that everything belongs to God. Proverbs 3:9: Our resources should support God's purposes and help others.

  • Put God first in your relationships. Choose relationships that encourage your walk with Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:33. Our relationships can either strengthen or weaken our spiritual priorities.

  • Put God first in your work. Colossians 3:23. Whether in school, business, ministry or employment, work should be done with integrity. Our workplace should become another place where God's character is demonstrated.

CONCLUSION: Matthew 6:33 is not merely a verse about receiving blessings. It is primarily a verse about proper priorities. Jesus is teaching us: Kingdom before possessions. - Righteousness before recognition. God's will before personal preference. - Eternity before temporary pleasure. Faithfulness before worldly success. The promise is: Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Our generation has a responsibility to preserve the eternal heritage entrusted to us. We must not allow the pursuit of temporary things to cause us to neglect eternal things. Final charge- Put God first in your heart. -Put God first in your home. -Put God first in your decisions. -Put God first in your resources. -Put God first in your service. -Put God first in your future. And as we do so, we will not only preserve our eternal heritage we will also transfer that heritage faithfully to the generation coming after us.

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