Ten Reasons to Seek the Kingdom of God

As you know, brethren, we're back here now on a regular Sabbath day, but the Feast of Tabernacles is over. And of course, there they highlighted what it is, that coming kingdom of God, which God has promised He will bring to this earth. And now it's up to us during the rest of this year to daily pray, Thy kingdom come. Part of Christ's model prayer tells us that we should never forget about seeking that kingdom of God. And that got me wondering, and I had a question that came up, which is, Why is it so important to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? What exactly is it that makes it so important? We can certainly think in a general way, oh, the kingdom is coming. But as far as our own lives, and also our desire for that kingdom to come, can we make it more concrete, more tangible, not just wishing and desiring for the kingdom of God to come?

Let's look at that verse in Matthew 6, verse 33, where Jesus Christ mentioned this very key verse. Matthew 6, verse 33, He said, But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things, He's talking about physical things, shall be added to you. So I'd like to look at that verse and take it apart, examine it a little more closely. I've never mentioned a sermon like this before, but I thought it would be very useful for us to really break it down, analyze it carefully. What does it mean to seek? Now, it's important to realize sometimes the translators will use the term, but it's not exactly the equivalent in the Greek original. The word-study dictionary says about this word in the Greek, it's zetaiō, z-e-t-e-o, and this is what this Greek word-study dictionary says. It means to seek in the sense of to endeavor, to try to gain, to strive after with the idea of earnestness and anxiety. For instance, it's the same word about the merchant that went out and he was seeking the pearl of great price. He had spent a lot of time seeking it. It was a concerted effort he was making. It goes on to say, it also means to turn to him, to strive humbly and sincerely to follow and obey him. So it's not just seeking him as far as to look for him. It's seeking to strive to follow and obey him.

It means to establish a lasting relationship. Sometimes a man can say, well, I'm seeking a wife. And that's what his attention is on. And so it's not a matter of just wishful thinking, but he wants to establish a lasting relationship with a person. And so it's a long-term relationship that we are seeking that kingdom of God and righteousness. And then it says that should be the priority. It says, seek first. The word in Greek is the same word that we use in atoms, the proton, which means the first, the most important. Above all things, it means to set as a priority.

In the Good News Bible, it says about this verse, Matthew 6, 33, Instead, be concerned above everything else with the kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things. He'll provide, make sure that we have the physical things that we need. So I thought, let's break it down even further. I want to give you ten reasons for why it's so important to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness first in our lives. And this is such a large topic. I can't cover it all in the time frame that I have. So this is part one. We're going to cover the first five reasons why it's so important to seek that kingdom of God and his righteousness. Really break it down and analyze each part and how this can apply in our lives. So it's not just seeking the kingdom because we've had people that come to church, and for a while they did establish a priority. They sought the kingdom of God and his righteousness, but somewhere along the line they quit seeking it first. They put other things first in their lives. Some quit attending. Some quit believing. And that can happen if we don't have real concrete reasons why this is so important. I know in my life, as a young teenager of 17, boy, when I saw this verse, it changed my life. Was I going to set it as a priority or not? Because I had a lot of things that I was going to have to give up.

I don't want to go into all the things that I had to give up, but I had to count the cost. There was a lot that I was going to lose because I was the only one being called at that time. I basically had a hostile environment in my home. I had a hostile environment with my friends.

And so to put this first is something that is going to cost sacrifice and dedication. And here, over 50 years later, I'm still seeking God's kingdom first, trying to put that first in my life, in whatever we do. And so here's the first reason why it's so important.

Because it is coming, and we want to be part of it when it comes.

That kingdom of God is coming, whether we believe it or not, whether we want it or not. It's like a train. It's coming to the station, and nothing can stop it. Just a matter of time. We don't know how long, but it's coming. And the question is, do we want to be a part of it, or are we just going to say, oh, I'm going to forget about it. It'll come when it comes. I'll just distract myself with other things, put other things as my main priority.

And that kingdom of God is going to come to every one of our lives in two possible ways. The first is, after we die, and we have that sleep of death, we sink into unconsciousness. The next moment, we are going to wake up when Christ comes. So it's just going to seem like an instant to us.

So that's the first time when we are breathing our last, and just realizing the next conscious moment, we are going to, if we are faithful, be resurrected when Jesus Christ comes back. We're not going to know how long it took. Years, decades, we don't know, or just a short time before. The second way is that we will be physically present at the time Christ comes, and then we will be transformed. In that sense, you're not going to see death as others have seen it. It's going to be a transformation. In an instant, it says, and again, if we are there, lucky enough to be alive at that moment, your body will just be transformed into a spirit body. Notice in 1 Corinthians 15, 1 Corinthians 15, and verse 51.

1 Corinthians 15, verses 51 and 52, it says, Behold, I tell you a mystery. This is something that is being revealed by God. It was something that was hidden before, and now it's revealed in the Scriptures. This truth, we shall not all sleep. See, not everybody's going to die and sink into unconsciousness. But we shall all be changed, either those that are dead or those who are alive when Christ returns, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible. See, these are not people that are still alive with immortal souls that are conscious. No, these are the dead. Will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed, those that are alive. Paul thought maybe he would be alive when Christ came back. So those are the two groups, those that died and those who are alive. Another Bible translation, the Bible in basic English, puts it this way, 1 Corinthians 15, 51 and 52, to see, I am giving you the revelation of a secret. We will not all come to the sleep of death, but we will all be changed. So in the Bible, when you die, it's a sleep of death. You just sink into unconsciousness. And another version, the literal translation version, it says, behold, I speak a mystery to you. We shall not all fall asleep, but we shall all be changed. So here's another way to describe it. You fall asleep. We do that just about every night, and then you wake up later, and so death is just falling asleep, going into an unconscious state until that person is woken up. So my question is, don't you want to be part of that kingdom when it comes? Shouldn't that be a priority? Can you think of anything more important than that? It's the most important event in human history. It will eventually transform everything. And we don't want to end up being like the person being described in 1 John 2, verse 28. Go to 1 John 2, verse 28. Do we want to end up this way? Christ returns, and this poor individual, it says in 1 John 2, verse 28, And now little children, John talking to the members, abide in him, remain in him, that when he appears, talking about his coming, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. Is that a time when people will be transformed and we'll stay alive and realize we lost the opportunity to be part of that first resurrection? To be ashamed? To be embarrassed? To hide? Because we left the faith? We didn't have the persistence and faith to continue on.

So that's the first reason. It's coming. Do we want to get aboard or are we going to stay in the train station? Never boarding that train. Here's the second reason. Because we will be directly governed by Jesus Christ. One thing we learn in this life is we're not very good at governing ourselves, are we? Sort of make a mess of things because we are not perfect. We have human nature. But when Christ comes back and we're transformed, then we're not going to have this human nature. We're going to have a divine nature. We'll be guided and cared for by a loving Savior and also who is our bridegroom. So do you want to be at that wedding feast when Christ comes back and celebrates? Notice in Revelation chapter 19, Revelation chapter 19, verse 6-9, it talks about that coming wedding feast. This is talking about when Christ is going to resurrect His own or transform, if they were still alive at that time, there's going to be a great wedding feast. It says here in verse 6, And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Now this is all through Christ and His grace and forgiveness that He will dress everyone up in this way. Of course, at that time, they'll be all resurrected. They'll be part of the saints. And so we won't have to worry about messing up our lives and making wrong decisions and being led astray. The second reason why we should seek God's kingdom is so we'll be changed and experience what it is to be under Jesus Christ directly as our bridegroom, as our loving Savior who's going to guide us. He will never abandon us. Just like a good, loving couple. They're together. They're faithful. That's the relationship. That's described in Ephesians 5, verse 25. Ephesians 5, verse 25. Paul mentions, husbands love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her. That's what He has done up in heaven. He loves the church. He loves all the people that are coming into the knowledge of the truth, who are submitting to Him, following Him. It says that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the water by the Word. So there's a process that we're going through, being washed by the water of God's Word, purified. We're changing our lives. That He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having a spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves Himself because He can get along well and appreciate and work together. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. So it says here that Christ nourishes and cherishes it. He's there for us. He's there to help us out in the difficult moments. And so it's not just a matter that the kingdom is coming, but that kingdom is going to bring the bridegroom, the Savior, the ruler. And how wonderful to be under Him, where He's going to develop us into an image of Himself. We're going to learn how to do things God's way perfectly at that time.

And then the third reason is because we're going to experience the exhilarating sensation of an ideal condition. We're all going to experience a transformation that is not just from one body to something else. No, it is going to be so mind-boggling when we radiate that power and that light in those spirit bodies. We'll never have aches and pains anymore. We won't have that human nature as is brought out.

But don't you want that to start when Christ comes back? Or do you want to wait another thousand years? Or maybe never and just end up in the period of judgment? We can avoid that if we're ready for the time when Christ comes back. Notice in Daniel 12 and 3 it describes the transformation. Daniel 12 and 3. It says here, We won't have these weak bodies anymore.

It will be a transformation that is incomprehensible right now. But that's what God promises if we seek His kingdom first. Notice another scripture in Matthew 13 and 43. Basically the same thing that Daniel said, but now in the New Testament it's repeated. Matthew 13, verse 43. It says, Then the righteous will shine forth as the Son in the kingdom of their Father. The Son in the kingdom. Yes, we are going to be filled with self-perpetuating power and light. And we won't have to ever worry about all of our aches and pains and difficulties in this life.

Because this next stage is so great. It's like comparing an ant with a human being. Just think of this tiny little ant and how they flitter around and do things and try to find food and go to their little place. And then it looks up to this human being. Just enormously more powerful and great. Well, our human bodies are like a little ant compared to what we are going to become greater than a human being.

It's incomparable. In 1 John 3, verse 1, it describes what we will end up being. In 1 John 3, verse 1, It says, Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God. What an honor to be part of God's family. Some people don't think God is a family. Well, here he calls them children of God. God is called the Father. Christ is the brother, the elder brother, and we are part of that family. He goes on to say, Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know him. He doesn't recognize. A lot of the world is completely ignorant of this knowledge. Others believe God is a Trinity, that is a closed system, that you can't ever be part of that family, because it's already a closed system of 3 in 1 and 1 in 3.

That's not the case at all. It's a father, the son, and many children, as we see here. It goes on to say, Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know him. Beloved, now we are children of God. Once baptism takes place, receiving of God's Spirit, we become part of God's family. But, in an embryonic way, we start toward that kingdom, but we're just like little children.

We need to be fed with the milk of the word, and then we eventually develop and mature, but we're still in an infancy in comparison to God's kingdom. It goes on to say, But we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. We shall be like him. That's so mind-boggling for a human being to realize that is the great potential to be with a divine nature. Notice in 2 Peter, chapter 1, it says here, verse 2, Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord, as his divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

So we have to be overcomers, but we are going to partake of that divine nature that is in God the Father and Jesus Christ. And so we come to the fourth reason why we should seek God's kingdom above all things, is because we will know what living on an ideal earth, where everything will be peace and beauty and harmony and love, what all of that is about. Wouldn't you like to be there when Christ inaugurates the kingdom? And he's going to put down all evil powers, and he will inaugurate a kingdom of peace, of love, of joy, all the fruits of God's Spirit.

Do we want to be part of that, or do we want to wait for the next train to come? A thousand years later.

In Isaiah 11, it describes what that ideal earth is all about. Isaiah 11. Let's go to verse 4.

It says, talking about Jesus Christ when he returns, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his loins, and faithfulness the belt of his waist. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb. The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. We've read many times during the feast about those ideal conditions. But that's one of the reasons. Don't you want people to end all of this miserable existence and all the difficulties? And so many people are still, they say, the fourth of the earth still lives with less than one dollar a day to get through.

And there's just so much wrong, and we know it's going to be ended. And so Satan will also be gone at that time. We won't have to worry about him and his influences on people. Notice in Revelation.

Chapter 20 and verse 1. Revelation 20, verse 1.

After Christ has the wedding feast, and he comes after that war of Armageddon, where it says here, verse 19, And there are armies gathered together to make war against him, who sat on the horse and against his army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet. And verse 21. And the rest were killed with the sword, which proceeded from the mouth of him, who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh. This is that battle of Armageddon that's going to take place right there around Jerusalem. And it's going to go all the way to these valleys. The blood is going to be run rampant. And then, verse 1 of chapter 20. I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit, which means a pit that you can't see the bottom of, and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the devil, and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should not deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years were finished. And so, during this thousand year period, Satan is not going to be involved, as he is now deceiving the world, creating such havoc, and pain, and suffering. That's all going to be gone. And the last reason, the fifth that I'm going to be covering, this is part one. Next week, God willing, we'll cover the last five, is because we will be part of the mentoring and training program under Christ. Not as the disciples that only had three and a half years of teaching. We're going to have a thousand years of training and teaching by Christ. And so, do we want to be trained? Do we want to use up the time wisely, those thousand years? Or are they going to go to waste, because we didn't seek God's kingdom first, and lose that glorious opportunity to reign under Christ, as it says here in Revelation 20, continuing on, once Satan is removed. It says in verse 4, And I saw thrones. Why? Because Satan has been removed, and he was in charge of the earth until he was put in that bottomless pit. And all his influence and all these things, they're gone. All of these governments that were put in power by Satan and his influence, they're all going to be booted out. And so you need now new positions of authority. And that's what thrones are. And these are the resurrected of the first resurrection. And they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. So now they have righteous character. They are spirit beings. And so now they're going to govern under Christ, righteously. Then I saw, and here's identifying them as those who maintain the faith. Through thick and thin, throughout the centuries and millennia. It says, I saw the souls, which means the persons of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the Word of God, who had not worshipped the beast, and he didn't follow false religion or teachings, or his image. He didn't follow his system of government, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. See, that's the way it was kind of like an identity card. These people, they refused to follow false teachings. They didn't keep the Sunday. That's one of the marks. They didn't keep all of these pagan holidays. That's another one of the marks. And it says here, And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

So they didn't do it on their own. They reigned with Christ.

And then it goes on to say in verse 6, Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. There's a blessing that accompanies being part of that resurrection. Over such the second death has no power. They'll never suffer pain, suffering, or death.

But they shall be priests of God. They will be teachers of religion and of Christ. And they shall reign, so they will also be rulers with him a thousand years, beautifying the earth.

So, brethren, here are five reasons why we should seek God's kingdom first. Put it in our lives. Have faith. God will work out the rest of the things if our heart is right, if our minds are right, if our will is right. God will take care of the rest.

And so we've seen the five reasons to seek daily God's kingdom above everything else.