Text: Matt. 6:31-33. Jesus taught and preached the kingdom of God, and He told us clearly that seeking His kingdom and His righteousness must be our first priority. He will provide the things we need, such as food, drink, and clothing, if we seek His kingdom first. Worry gets you nothing good. Put your faith in the Word and don’t worry about your needs. Focus on and be single-minded about  what God has told you to do. He is your source, not your job. Jesus taught much more than salvation. He came for kingdom purposes. The kingdom of God is the territory and people subject to and under the rule of God. Matt. 6:9-10 tells us that God’s will is to be carried out on earth as in heaven. In Luke 1:30-33 Gabriel tells Mary about the kingdom of God. In Luke 4:5-7 Satan tempted Jesus with a shortcut to gaining the kingdoms of the world. Jesus rebuked the devil, and when He was raised from death and hell, He established His kingdom. Jesus had to proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God, because that was His purpose (Luke 4:43). Other Scriptures about the purpose of preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God are: Luke 8:1; Luke 9:1-2, 6, 11, 57, 60-62; Matt. 24. Seeking the kingdom of God must come before family. If you’re regretting what you’ve left behind for God, you’re looking back, and you’re not fit for the kingdom of God. Be kingdom-minded. It should touch everywhere you go.

Texts: Luke 12:22-32; Phil. 4:6-7. The Bible clearly tells us not to worry. It is sin, so repent of it, if necessary. Instead, we can expect God to do His Word. Casting your cares on Him will bring you peace. Focus on Jesus and don’t be led around by your needs, and besides, after one is taken care of, there will another one. When we think, “How am I going to pay this?”, we’re not being kingdom-minded. God is our King, and we are His subjects, who are to carry out His will. If something is bad or evil, it’s not from God. Good comes from God and His kingdom,  and it’s His report that we should believe. It’s blasphemy to blame God for what the devil does, and for saying that what’s from God is of the devil.  Col. 1:9-13 tells us that there are two kingdoms: the kingdom of light (God’s) and the kingdom of darkness (Satan’s). God delights to give us His kingdom. Whatever you do, ask yourself: “How will this affect the kingdom of God?” Be more kingdom-minded than earthly-minded. Is the will of God being done in my life? The kingdom of God is not food nor drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). Where do I need to make adjustments in my focus so it’s kingdom-minded? The great mountain in Daniel 2:25-45 is the kingdom of God. God’s kingdom will be forever, and He will reign forever (Rev. 11:15; 21:1-4; 22:3-5).

Offering message: Pastor Syd shared how the Lord blessed him when he was obedient to give to the Lord the only money he had.  Sermon Texts: Matt. 16:24-28; Luke 12:29-34; Luke 19:10-24. What you do for the kingdom of God will last forever. How much of your effort and time is spent on earthly things? We are to take all that God has given us and use it for the kingdom. (1 John 3:1-2) We are here for a short time, so spend your time on what matters. Looking out  for your own interest is burying what God has given you. Luke 18:18-30 tells us that we will receive many times more for what we leave behind for the kingdom of God, and we have eternal life in the world to come. Value the kingdom of God. The things we need are a by-product of seeking and serving God.

Luke 12:29-34 Don’t worry, but first seek the kingdom of God. God’s kingdom must come first in our lives, even before our families. If you can’t serve in the local church because you’re too busy, you’re putting something else before the kingdom of God. Matt. 18:1-4 tells us to become like a child to enter the kingdom of God, and 1 Cor. 14:20 tells us not to be like children in our understanding, but to be innocent as far as evil is concerned. HOW DOES THE KINGDOM OPERATE? IT OPERATES BY FAITH, NOT BY WORKS. Matt. 20:1-16 is The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard. The first workers hired had an agreement to work for a certain amount of pay. Later in the day, the landowner recruited other workers for an amount that he said would be right. When they were paid, the ones who had an agreement were upset, because the later hired workers, who accepted the offer by faith in the landowner’s word, received the same amount of pay. That’s how the kingdom of God operates. It’s not by works, but it’s by faith. Peter didn’t catch any fish, had cleaned up, put his equipment away, but at a preacher’s word (Jesus’), he let Him use his boat and did what he told him to do concerning casting his net. He was rewarded with two boatloads of fish because of his faith in Jesus’ word. What gets rewarded? It’s your faith in Jesus’ word and the Scriptures. Faith is the great equalizer. Do you spend your time doing what matters and what will last?

Luke 12:22-32 The Father knows what we need, but we still ask. Seek the kingdom and cast your cares on him. Thank Him for the harvest. It’s the doer of the Word who will enter heaven (Matt. 7:21). Matt. 21:28-32is the parable of the two sons. Do we realize it’s the Lord speaking to us, when we’re asked to do something? God talks to us by the inner witness- peace or no peace. His Spirit witnesses to our spirit. Be careful what you say: Don’t say that you can’t hear God’s voice, but say, “I hear the voice of the Lord.” Reason comes when you listen to your flesh, when it says, “That’s not God.” Later, when you pray, you get confused. If you know it’s God, obey. If you deceive yourself into believing it’s not God, and it is, then you need to repent, and do what you were told to do.  God reveals truth through the Holy Spirit. Deception’s symptoms are strife and confusion. Pastor Syd gave the example of Jonah and also of himself, when he didn’t obey God’s voice about getting on a plane to come to Lancaster the morning after God told him to do so. Both repented and obeyed, after the delay in obedience. Serving the Lord is worship. Matt. 25:1-13 is the parable of the 10 virgins. Be ready. Have additional resources (a “God account”), do the preparation, be committed and prayed up and studied-up and be healthy to do the work of the kingdom. Faith gets rewarded. Get prepared to move at a moment’s notice.

Offering message: The poor widow gave 100% of what she had, which is recorded as being more than what the rich people gave. Gal.6:7-9 gives the basic principle of the kingdom: you reap what you sow. Be moved by faith and compassion, not by need. Sermon: (Kingdom Principles) Luke 12:29-32 Seek first the kingdom. God delights to give you the kingdom. Text: Matt. 13:1-32. Everything in the kingdom operates on seedtime and harvest, sowing and reaping. The seed is the Word of God. We need to hear it, understand it, and do it, and then we can bear fruit. Every thought is a seed. To enter God’s kingdom, you must be born-again (John 3:1-8). A test of your love is your giving. We sow seeds in relationships, time, money, and all parts of our lives. There are also bad seeds – from Satan. Guard against fear, doubt, stress, strife, frustration. Weed your garden and take captive every thought to the obedience of Christ. It’s easier to root out seeds than it is a plant or tree. Don’t agree with Satan’s thoughts, but be proactive and take care of thoughts at the seed level. The seed you speak is the seed that will grow. Be kingdom and seed-minded. Sow and reap in faith and be motivated by love. Other Scriptures: Luke 8:11; 1 John 2:24; John 3:1-8; 1 John 3:1-3; Gal. 5:6.

Matt. 16:13-19 When Jesus told Peter that God revealed to him that Jesus is the Messiah, He said that Peter was a rock (like a piece of rock) and on the rock (the bedrock) He would build His Church. The bedrock is that Jesus is the Messiah. (Pastor Syd referred to Daniel 2:31-35, 44-46. God will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed.) Jesus gave us the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Keys are authority, and authority was given to Jesus and He gave it to us to go and make disciples. The keys are that we can bind and loose. In fact, it’s our responsibility to bind and to loose on earth (Matt. 16:18). Don’t pray for what you need to speak to. Jesus lived totally by faith, which is seeing things in the spiritual realm that you can’t see in the natural realm. Jesus used the keys of speaking, loosing, and binding. He did great works as a man by the anointing of God. Speak to the mountain. Declare what you need to declare, rather than asking the Father in prayer for what He has given you the authority to do. Use your authority. Operate with the keys. We are authorized to do even greater works than He did (John 14:12-13). Use His authority to do His will. Speak to your problem. Declare what should be in your body and circumstances.