Ten Reasons to Seek the Kingdom of God

Yes, we're on part two of these sermons, 10 Reasons to Seek the Kingdom of God First. This is a message that, ever since God started working with human beings, of course, with Adam and Eve, there were promises given to them. If they sought God with all their hearts, resisted temptation, God would reveal His plan of salvation to them. Unfortunately, they were deceived by Satan the Devil and decided to go another way.

But it was able, righteous able, the first one who truly sought the kingdom of God first. He was faithful. He died for his faith, killed by his brother Cain, and he began the righteous lineage of all these people that had faith, that wanted to seek God's kingdom first, who suffered and endured persecutions. They were sometimes discouraged. Sometimes they didn't even have a place to sleep in.

They were faithful. They looked toward that coming kingdom of God and put it first in their lives. Notice in Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11 is a good introduction to this topic. Remember, brethren, one day you're going to be teaching these same things. You're being trained to be a teacher and king and priest in God's kingdom. And so this is not just given here, you're going to give a message on why those people in the millennium should seek the kingdom of God first. In Hebrews 11 and verse 13, it says about them, talking about Noah and Abraham and Jacob, Isaac and Jacob.

He said, these all died in faith, not having received the promises. So they didn't go to heaven. They died. They're awaiting the coming of Christ, just like everybody else. But having seen them afar off, were assured of them. They believed it. These promises. Notice something God has vowed to carry out. They were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Their main goal was not here on this earth. They were looking for that coming kingdom of God. It says, verse 14, for those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.

They're seeking something bigger than just their own country or their own world. And truly, if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out of, they would have had opportunity to return. If they were just patriotic and wanted to put their country first, they would have returned. A lot of people are very patriotic. They want to live in their own country. They don't want to live in a foreign land, and they love their country. But here's something they loved more than their own country, that coming kingdom of God. Verse 16, but now they desire a better, a better country.

That is a heavenly country because it is the kingdom that is coming down from heaven. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. See, it's coming down. He's preparing. He's preparing that New Jerusalem, which is the culmination of God's plan of salvation, when God the Father comes and dwells with man. And then it goes on to say in verse 35, it says, women received their dead, raised to life again through faith. That happened. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance. They said, renounce your faith.

Recant, and you'll be spared. Your life will be spared. And they said, no, we're not gonna recant or reject God to just stay alive. Stay alive. That they might obtain a better resurrection. That's what they're looking for. The resurrection of the just, that first resurrection. They were willing to die, if necessary, to maintain their faith, not renounce their faith, their beliefs. And so here are the 10 reasons to desire entering the kingdom of God above all things. Now we're going to cover the final five, and how to apply this knowledge in our lives daily. We have to always be seeking that kingdom of God.

It's part of what we pray about. Thy kingdom come every day. That's what we are asking. We're seeking that coming kingdom. So I'd like to rehearse the first five. Number one, it says, because that kingdom is coming, and we want to be part of it when it comes. That's a promise. Not everybody's going to enter that kingdom of God.

You have to be part of that first resurrection, what the Bible calls the first fruits of mankind. That first harvest, it's a small harvest in comparison in proportion to mankind, probably less than 1% of all of mankind that will be part of that first resurrection. In other words, 99% of the people have never had that opportunity being offered to them. And yet, we are part of those that God has offered. And so we want to be part of that better resurrection.

We want to be part of it when it comes. It's the most important event in human history, because it's going to change things. When Christ came, he didn't come to rule. He came basically to give an example and sacrifice himself for the sins of mankind. But mankind continued on.

But now, with Christ's second coming, mankind is no longer going to be ruled by human beings and with Satan present. So we don't want to be like that person described in 1 John 2, verse 28. It says, when Christ comes, that person will not be transformed, and he will have to leave ashamed, because he didn't continue faithfully to the end. He didn't cross the finish line. And that's what's most important.

Secondly, the second reason is because we will be directly governed by Jesus Christ. So it's not just a matter of being part of that kingdom, but who's going to be guiding us personally? Jesus Christ. We know we can't govern ourselves properly. We still have human nature. And when Christ comes, we'll have a close relationship, like a relationship that a husband and wife should have. They should be best friends. They should love each other. They should put the other's interests before themselves. That's the way Jesus Christ is. And so he's going to put our interests first before himself and have a loving Savior guide us. And believe me, there's never been a human marriage that can compare to that relationship that we're going to have with Jesus Christ. Don't we want to have that when he returns?

Cared for by our loving Savior, our bridegroom, and have a personal relationship with Christ and God, the Father forever. That's where it starts. Because we're going to be part of the God family. We're going to be children of God the Father. Jesus Christ is our older brother. That's where it starts. Do we want to miss out on that? Because of all kinds of petty things that happen in life, disappointments, inside the church, outside the church. Is that going to separate us, as it says in Romans chapter 8? Romans chapter 8.

In verse 35.

It says, who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

It's not talking about our love for Christ. It's talking about Christ's love for us. And, of course, that includes God the Father. Child tribulation, because we go through different trials. Are we going to break that relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father? Or distress, or persecution, or famine? We've never been through a bad famine that I know of. But what if we're lacking food, and we're thirsty, and we think we're going to die, and we just say, well, I'm just going to side with the world's churches, so they can feed me, or the world's system, so they can provide for me. Or nakedness, where we don't even have anything to wear, or peril, or a sword.

It says in verse 37, Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. And again, it's not so much that we love him, but him who loved us. For I'm persuaded that neither death nor life, in other words, if death comes, I'm going to be faithful till that moment. Or, while I'm still alive, I still will be faithful. Nor angels, nothing, talking here about demons and others that try to persuade us otherwise to follow God. Nor principalities, nor powers, nothing in this world's governments can separate us, nor things present, nor things to come, or in the future. Nor height, nor death, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. So here we have the love of God the Father, which is in Jesus Christ our Lord. That takes us to the third reason that we've covered already, because we will experience the exhilarating sensation of ideal conditions. Having a spirit body, having a spirit mind. You know, ladies are no longer going to have to worry about their shape, or how they look, or having cosmetic surgery, like all of these Hollywood actresses have to go through. And no, you're not going to age. You have a perfect spirit body. You will have a perfect spirit mind. You cannot sin because you've chosen not to sin. It will be eternal. They may get out of spirit, not atoms. Atoms have an expiration date. They eventually lose power, and lose strength, and just all drop, and just fade away. But not spirit. And you'll have perfect Christ-like character. You'll have your personality, but now mixed with Christ's perfect character. You'll have impeccable emotions and empathy. So there's not going to be anybody that you're not going to like. That is a spirit being, because all those things that are unlikable are going to be purged. They're going to be cleaned. They're going to be removed. Only the pure and perfect will remain.

Is that something we really want to do? Or do you want to wait, maybe for the second resurrection, to be resurrected with the Africans and the Chinese and so many others who never had a chance and have to wait it out to that time after a thousand years? Or do you really want Christ to start working with you at the beginning of the millennium? And the fourth reason is because we will know what living on an ideal earth will be like. So it's not just our spirit, body, and mind, but it's going to be this fantastic world that Christ is going to renew and beautify. And we're going to have a part in that. Don't you want to be part of that? There won't be any poverty. There won't be any wars. There won't be anything ugly and mean.

All will be peace, beauty, harmony, and love. It's much better than a feast that we go through. The fifth reason is because we will be part of a mentoring and training program under Christ. So you can imagine how fantastic it was for those, especially the 12 apostles, to be trained during three and a half years. And even so, one of them betrayed the faith, Judas.

But they received the best knowledge and truth and the best example for three and a half years. Can you imagine having Christ's example for a thousand years? How great that is going to be, this mentoring and training program under Christ. Do you want to be part of that more than anything else? I certainly do. And the sixth, now we're going to start with the new reasons. I've given you the first five in the previous Sabbath. Now here are the last five. Number six, to experience what it will be like not to have the three great enemies of the faith affecting us. To experience what it is going to be like to not have the three great enemies, our human nature, the present evil world, and Satan. All of that will be in the past forever. You'll never be tempted. You'll never yield to any weaknesses because there won't be anything for you anymore. No temptations, no possibility of falling, no more war, diseases, exploitation. Instead, all will be sharing in cooperation.

In Galatians chapter 1 verses 1 through 3, it describes the present world. Galatians chapter 1, it says, Paul an apostle, not from men or through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead, and all the brethren who are with me. Here's another example that there's no mention of a third person where he's addressing what's up in heaven and he was made an apostle. It doesn't mention the Holy Spirit as a person at all. And all the brethren who are with me, grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil age. The word age can be world. It's talking about the present society according to the will of our God and Father. So we are living in a present evil world. Don't be mistaken. Don't be deceived.

And we have to look behind the tinsel and all the shine and all the niceties that are out there, the facades, because we know it's a corrupt and evil world.

In Galatians chapter 5, it's not only the world and its temptations that we have to face, and we need to be more in the house of sorrow than in the house of mirth or of frivolity, because we get into trouble when we're in the house of just having a good time, taking it easy, and just being with the frivolous people of the world with their ways. That's where sin is at the door. That's why if you're more sober and remember to be more in the house of mourning, of realizing, hey, this is serious. I can get myself into deep problems with the wrong type of people or wrong type of atmosphere. Galatians chapter 5 and verse 19.

It says, Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentious, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, reveries, and the like, of which I tell you beforehand, just as I told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. And it says here in verse 16, I say, then walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh, for the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you're led by the Spirit, you're not under the law, which means here under the penalty, the death penalty of the law. We know we're under grace. We got that leniency that comes from being forgiven of our sins, and we know we can slip. We can ask God for mercy. He will provide it, but we're not under, again, that condition of condemnation of death. We're not in that category. So we are not going to have these three enemies to contend with forever. It's just going to be in this lifetime that we have to face them. The seventh reason is we are going to learn to be like Christ Himself, to be as loving, serving, sharing, instructing, and edifying as Jesus Christ. So it's not just having a spirit body, yes, a certain character, but here's our model. Here's the way we should think. It says in 1 John chapter 3 verse 1. 1 John chapter 3 verse 1. It says, Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God. Yes, He already has us as part of His family, but it's only on a conditional or in a conditional way we can disqualify. But right now we are part of that family, although in a conditional way. Therefore the world does not know us because it did not know Him. In other words, if the world really knew Him, they would want to talk to us and talk to here Jerry and say, Jerry, you know God's ways. You know how to please Him. You know God's truths. Show me. I want that. I want to be that way. The world would do that, but they're not interested. And they're in a state of rebellion, whether they realize it or not, whether they're conscious of that or not. It says, Beloved, now we are children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. Talking about in the future. But we know that when He is revealed, when Christ comes back, when that first resurrection takes place, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. It'll be spirit seeing spirit. Won't that be fantastic?

Of course, the devil is tempting us. He doesn't want us to receive all of these blessings.

He's trying to disqualify us. The world is too. Our human nature, too. But in every great race, you're going to have testing. You're going to have to overcome obstacles for the great prize at the end. That takes us to the eighth reason for wanting to put the Kingdom of God first, and that is looking forward to developing the creativity, talents, and abilities to a maximum level. You will now no longer be confined to a physical, limited body and mind. We're just made up of atoms right now and the spirit in man and God's influence, if we have God's spirit. But just think about the creativity in every one of us that has never really flourished, the great potential that is there, the talents and abilities. Just think, what is the power of God? What are some of your favorite things to do? What really turns you on as far as passion that you have and something? Would you like to play like Mike Maston back there? Would you like to play with Tiger Woods and beat him by 10 strokes? Yep. Just until he says, Mike, you're too good for me. Or whatever. Or playing the guitar better. Roy has Chet Atkins in one of his pictures that he has when he has a Zoom split sermon or something. How would you like it when Chet Atkins is resurrected in that second resurrection and you're going to come and and he's going to say, you're just too good. You just blow me out of the water. Not because we want to impress, because we want Chet Atkins to get better, too, right? We'll be the mentors. We'll be teaching Beethoven how to play the piano properly and Mozart how to truly compose great music. And that's the potential that we have. We're going to be working on these wonderful things. Mastering music, mastering skills, mastering knowledge, mastering governing, serving. All of these things we're going to develop are creativity, talents, and ability. God the Father wants that. Isn't that worth it to hang in there and persevere?

And then the ninth reason is being part of beautifying the earth and preparing it for the second resurrection. So it's not just about us. It's not just about the people in the millennium that you will be governing. It won't be just the creativity, your personality, I think of Enrique Vidal, the creativity that he has painting, or someone like Karen Lewis. And just think when they are given the earth to beautify and all of the creative things. We're going to be the same way. We're going to have these creative skills, but just think about beautifying the earth and preparing it for the second resurrection. You'll probably be preparing homes for your parents when they get resurrected, and your ancestors, and your countrymen, and the rest of mankind where you're going to say, here's your dad or mom. You never knew God's way of life. Well, here's a place that I've prepared for you, and I'm going to teach you God's ways. And all of the children through time and those that perished before they even had a chance, or maybe were limited because of some genetic disease or whatever, they're going to be able to grow and develop and meet the same spiritual potential than anybody else. We want to bring everybody up to grade. There's not going to be any envy. There's not going to be any ambition there. We want to develop ourselves so we can develop others. Just think about meeting our beloved non-believing family, friends, ancestors, countrymen, and the rest of the blinded world, the ancient civilizations that will arise, and we'll have a chance to remove that blinder from their eyes, the veil, like it says in Isaiah 25 in verse 6. Isaiah 25 in verse 6, it says, And in this mountain, talking about Jerusalem, the Lord of hosts will make for all people a feast of choice pieces, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, talking about just the most delicious steaks, not talking about having fat, but just they're going to be so big, so tender, of well-refined wines on the lees, the best wines. So this is talking about the Feast of Tabernacles, and the rest of the feasts that people will come up, but in particular the Feast of Tabernacles, as it's mentioned in Zechariah 14. It says, And he will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. So that's why people say, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to learn his ways. If they knew God's ways, they didn't have to go up there, but he's going to remove the veil of deceit that Satan has blinded the world. He will swallow up death forever, because people will have a chance to be resurrected.

And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces. Talk about Jesus Christ here, because God the Father hasn't arrived yet with the New Jerusalem, but this is Christ's time to live with man. The rebuke of his people, he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.

And so we're going to have a chance to beautify the earth and prepare it for the second resurrection.

And the last reason is to build lasting bonds and friendships with everybody that accepts the way of conversion, applying hospitality and love in the growing family of God. Do we really want to have a gigantic family where everybody is going to be friends? Everybody's going to be like a brother and sister to you. It's going to be clean, wholesome, and develop deep friendships. One of my favorite songs in Spanish was written and sung by a Brazilian singer, Roberto Carlos. I bet Mercedes knows who Roberto Carlos is. He was just almost as big as Frank Sinatra here in the States. And he composed a song called I Want to Have a Million Friends. I heard it the other day just to rehearse it, but there he says I want to have a million friends so that I can be stronger and be able to love more. Well, I want to have a million friends. I haven't been able to have too many friends in this lifetime.

It's not easy to maintain good friendships, but in God's kingdom everybody's going to come up. And you're a spirit being, but they're going to come up and you're going to build a friendship with them. It's going to be a loving leadership. And yes, they will honor you, but they're going to be able to feel like you are a great friend that they can depend on.

Is that what you want to? Do you want to have a million? How about a billion? How about several billion friends? Wouldn't that be great? Everybody has their own special personality. The genius that God showed in the genetic system is that no one is exactly the same. Even identical twins have different personalities. So you're never going to have this yellow pencil. Everybody is the same type of person. No, we're going to have all kinds of people and develop the best in all of us. Just imagine, and this is for an eternity, that we're going to be able, probably God, again, just putting yourself in what the Bible talks about, God creating the universe. Maybe He created it this big because we're going to have all kinds of people that He's going to say, okay, okay, Graham, this is the time when you're going to take your people to galaxy G6. That's the one that you're going to develop, but we're going to have other people in the mix so that you can work with them and get to know them better. Isn't it when you're working together that you really get to know people better? Being able to use your creativity, solve problems together. And so it seems like if we're just confined to a very small quarters, everybody's going to be piled up and it's going to be hard to meet. But if there are all these future projects that God has prepared, then He's got plenty to mix with because they always say a leader should get to know His people as good as if they were part of His family. That He can eat together with them. He can enjoy and play with them and share life together.

Those are the 10 reasons. There are more of them, I'm sure. These are the ones I've thought up while meditating on these subjects. So I'd like to again rehearse them before I finish. Number one, because God's kingdom is coming and we want to be part of it when it comes. That's why we seek God's kingdom first. Secondly, because we want to be directly governed by Jesus Christ. We need Him in our lives. We need Him to guide us not only just through God's Spirit, but physically as a Spirit being there that we can talk with, dialogue, discuss. Because, number three, we will experience the exhilarating sensation of having a spirit body, a spirit mind. Know what eternal life will be like. The fourth is because we will enjoy so much living on an ideal earth. All peace and beauty, harmony and love. We won't have to worry about all of these excessive government programs and all this money that's just wasted in great part. The war machines that are coming up with all of these more terrible weapons and spending billions of dollars in wasteful armaments.

Number five, because we will be part of a mentoring and training program under Christ for a thousand years. Number six, experience what it's like not to have those three great enemies. Our human nature, the present evil world in Satan. We won't have to be dealing with them. Number seven, learning to be like Christ. Having his mind in us. We still will have our own personalities, but this is the attitude.

We will have eight developing creativity, talents and abilities to a maximum level. No longer will we be confined to the physical limited body and mind. Now we can truly develop everything that God wanted us and created us. The purpose for us. Number nine, being part of the beautifying the earth and preparing it for the second resurrection. It's not only looking forward to that first resurrection, but we are going to look forward to that second resurrection. How much better prepared will we be? The earth.

We won't be rookies anymore. We won't be amateurs. Like when we start in the millennium. There's a lot of learning that will take place, but at the end, after a thousand years, we'll all be veterans in God's kingdom. And finally, building lasting bonds and friendship. With everyone that accepts the way of conversion. To apply hospitality, get to know everybody. It's going to take a long time to get to know all the billions of people that have ever lived, that accepted the way of conversion at the end.

So let's think about and study and meditate on these 10 reasons that can strengthen our strength, our faith, and create perseverance so we don't give up this great prize that God has offered us. To cross the finish line, to inherit that kingdom of God. We need to pray daily over this. And of course, brethren, I have a trip coming up. Please pray as senior pastor to help the brethren there that are very isolated. It's almost been two years since I've been because of the COVID situation to encourage them with the same vision that you now have.