The entire message of Bible is about “a King and a Kingdom”. When you understand what the Kingdom is, you will live a life with priorities and you will know where to put your time, your energy, your talent, your strength and you will not waste your time.
But many, even though they are Christians, do not have the understanding of what the Kingdom of God is.
“Jesus replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them” Matthew 13:11 NIV
Jesus said to his disciples: to you who abandoned everything to follow me, left your boats, your families and put my kingdom first, you were given the Knowledge of the Secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven!
Some people receive the “Knowledge of the Kingdom”, but others do not.
What I am sharing with you, these “Secrets of the Kingdom”, is key for you to live a life that pleases God. Also, as a consequence of this knowledge and revelation you will come to experience the supernatural of God every day!
In Hosea 4 God makes a warning – not to unbelievers, but to his own people.
“My People is being destroyed because they lack knowledge” Hosea 4:6
Nothing is yours until you have this knowledge!
Nothing is yours until you understand it!
Nothing is yours until you have revelation!
I can give you many teachings but it will not be truly yours until you understand it.
God will not show you what you don’t want to see.
God will never tell you what you don’t want to know.
God will never take you where you don’t want to go.
Example :
God could not save the people from Egypt because they didn’t want to go from where they were.
God sent Moses to convince them about a place, their own property, a land that flows milk and honey and still it took years for Moses to convince them.
Then God said: Now I will save you from slavery.
You’ll never get what you don’t understand! Nothing is yours until you have a revelation!
The work of the Cross was complete, it was perfect but only those who respond to the calling will experience what God has for them.
Example: Jesus died for all humanity, right? He died so all our sins would be forgiven!
But who is forgiven from their sins and receives salvation?
Only those who respond to God and repent of their sins!
Another Example: Jesus suffered on that cross, not only to forgive you, but to heal all diseases (Isaiah 53:4, Matthew 8:17, 1 Peter 2:24)
Who are the healed ones? Only those who respond to God with Faith! Those who believe, receive this revelation and go after their healing.
Jesus said that everyone who believes will speak in new tongues (Mark 16:17)
But many people do not believe, and only those who believe and seek, receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit and receive the benefit of speaking in tongues.
You may be a saved believer, but you may also not have the full revelation of the secrets of the Kingdom.
You can be a believer baptised in the waters, but not experience everything God has for you.
In the last message, I mentioned the parable of the sower, where Jesus said that many did NOT receive the understanding of the Kingdom, because they did not internalise the seed that was sown so came satan to steal the seed that is the Word of the Kingdom.
Jesus says that the Kingdom of God is like a seed, that the preacher, the pastor is sowing!
Jesus says that the seed is the word of the Kingdom. The seed is sown for everyone, but only a small group receives it. Everyone could receive, but because of hardened hearts, because of pride, the seed does not germinate and never fruits!
“Jesus replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.” Matthew 13:11 NIV
Jesus said that you can be a Christian without revelation! But nothing will be yours until you have revelation!
He didn’t say you won’t be saved, or that you’re going to hell, but he said you won’t bear fruits!
The lack of understanding of the Kingdom makes many lose the benefits of being Citizens of the Kingdom of God.
You only get what you understand!
The enemy will do everything so that you do not have the understanding of the message of the Kingdom. Let’s see what Jesus taught us about the message of the Kingdom.
“The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.” – Matthew 13:19
Please pay attention to this verse!
WHAT IS THE SEED? THE SEED IS THE MESSAGE ABOUT THE KINGDOM!
WHAT HAPPENS RIGHT AFTER THE SOWER SOWS OR PREACHES THE MESSAGE ABOUT THE KINGDOM?
Satan himself comes to snatch the seed that is being sown!
The sad news is that Jesus said that only 25% of those who receive the message of the Kingdom will understand the mysteries of the Kingdom and will bear fruit!
Jesus says: When the word OF THE KINGDOM enters your heart and the seed is met with a heart of good earth, a broken heart, it says that the seed begins to germinate instantly and the seed begins to grow as you hear the message.
What is the evidence that the message has entered your heart?
The Fruits in your life is the evidence that you understood the Message of the Kingdom!
You must decide what kind of soil you’re going to be!
If you do not have the understanding, the revelation of the Kingdom, you will be a Christian who does not fulfil their calling, and you will live a frustrating life for lack of understanding!
The key for you to have God’s priority is to understand the Kingdom.
What is Kingdom?
What are the characteristics of the Kingdom?
All kingdoms have these characteristics
Number 1: A kingdom consists of “a King” that is sovereign.
Number 2: A Territory – Every kingdom must have a territory, a kingdom is a country.
Number 3: Citizens – Every kingdom must have citizens, not religious people, but citizens.
Number 4: A Constitution and Laws.
Number 5: Every kingdom’s must have a government and administration that operates and has dominion over said territory.
Number 6: Every kingdom has privileges that means, citizens have rights in the kingdom.
Number 7: Every kingdom has an Army – An army protects the citizens.
The greatest message delivered by Jesus was about the Kingdom of God. That’s the only message Jesus preached.
The greatest need of mankind is to belong to a kingdom. That means man needs a new government.
If we look to all governments in the World, we see that they cannot fully protect their people from terrorism, economies are collapsing and they don’t know what to do.
The goal of God was and still is to extend His heavenly Kingdom on earth. His purpose is to extend His Kingdom on earth and to have His family, His children rule this territory for Him.
Unfortunately, many Christians do not have a vision of the Kingdom, and because they do not have a vision of the Kingdom, they are not bearing fruit.
“But SEEK FIRST His KINGDOM and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 NIV
SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM!
“Seek First” – Both words are very important.
What should we seek first? The KINGDOM OF GOD!
It’s not your kingdom, not your religion, not what you believe, not your traditions.
Some people are seeking their kingdom, they create a kingdom for them: “God, himself and his family!”
“But SEEK FIRST His KINGDOM and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you!”
God is telling you: You do NOT need to look for many things, just look for one thing! But look first!
SEEK FIRST means that there are other things you could look for, there are many other things competing for your attention, your energy, your talents, your gifts, your passion and your strength and these things are trying to consume you!
God is saying: Put all your energy, vision and passion into one thing: MY KINGDOM.
Remember that seeking the Kingdom first is a Divine command. It’s not a choice if you’re His disciple.
What is God’s priority? Kingdom First!
The first word I want to focus on is the word SEEK. I want to give you some definitions of the Greek word Seek:
Number 1 – The word SEEK means TO PURSUE.
That means you can’t casually stumble upon the secrets of the kingdom of God. You can’t get it by accident. You have to pursue it.
Number 2: SEEK means TO STUDY.
You can’t just come here once a week when I am teaching and get the all the secrets. My job is to make you hungry, to make you thirsty so you can go during the week and study about the kingdom yourself.
Number 3: SEEK means TO EXPLORE.
When you go seeking for something, it means you are exploring. God said: Explore First the Kingdom of God. Take yourself on an adventure. Study its mountains, its valleys, its rivers, its forests.
Learn everything about the government of God, explore the kingdom’s legislation, explore the kingdom’s culture, its laws and relationships.
What is God’s priority? The Kingdom First!
Number 4: SEEK means TO UNDERSTAND.
Devil’s greatest fear is number four! He doesn’t mind if you pursue, study, or explore as long as you don’t understand. Do you know why?
NOTHING IS YOURS UNTIL YOU UNDERSTAND IT – You have to understand. (Have a revelation)
Number 5: SEEK means TO LEARN
You have to learn the secrets of the kingdom.
Number 6: SEEK means TO CONSIDER. To ponder, to think about, to meditate on. You can’t just pick the Kingdom up once a week in the church service. To consider means to desire to know the Kingdom of God.
Pursue First the Kingdom, Study First the Kingdom, Explore First the Kingdom, Understand First the Kingdom of God, Learn First the Kingdom of God, Consider First the Kingdom of God, Desire to know the Kingdom First AND EVERYTHING ELSE YOU NEED WILL COME TO YOU!
The word Seek means to have a passion for.
Have a passion to know the Kingdom of God, and everything else you need shall be added unto you!
Number 7: The Greek Word SEEK MEANS TO BE DILIGENT.
To diligently dedicate yourself to something means to seek.
God is saying: If you desire it enough, I will tell you the secrets. I dedicate myself to know what the devil doesn’t want me to know.
Does the devil know the kingdom? Yes! He knows it well and that is why he doesn’t want you to!
He used to live in heaven; he got all the blueprints! He was there when God was designing the whole thing, but he got fired later.
You need to go after whatever the devil doesn’t want you to know.
This is his number one goal. Jesus says that when your pastor is preaching, he comes himself to steal it away from you.
You need to seek the Kingdom first to have a revelation of its secrets so that when the Kingdom is revealed to you, its blessings will overtake you!
Are you ready to enter a new season where blessings will follow you?
The devil is trying to discourage you from pursuing the kingdom. The devil does not want you to go any further; he wants you to stop right now.
The most important trait you must know about the devil is that he is a liar. That means if the devil ever tells you that you can’t do something, that is a lie, that is only proof that you can actually do it! Because he cannot speak the truth.
Jesus said: He is a liar, the father of lies, and there is no truth in him. That means if he tells you that you are not going to get healed, that means your healing is on the way. Whatever he tells you is a lie! If the devil says that you can’t, then you can. If he says that you will not have a good future, a good marriage, that we are a small church that will never have a great and big building, then we will, because he is a liar.
The devil doesn’t want you to “understand” the secrets of the kingdom because the moment you begin to get it, he will lose all control over your life.
To seek means to preoccupy yourself with something. All I can think about is the kingdom!
When I’m going to work, I think about how I can bring the kingdom into it.
When I’m getting dressed, I consider how might someone from the kingdom dress.
When you think about getting married, you consider what a marriage blessed by the kingdom look like.
Everything is the kingdom! That means I’m preoccupied with the Kingdom!
Preoccupation with what? The Kingdom! That’s what it means to seek.
That’s how you keep your life in order! The kingdom first!
I tell you, my beloved ones:
If you do what Jesus says, He will do what He promised!
You seek and He will add!
You seek and He adds.
First means priority! Pursue the first thing first!
First means what comes before all others!
Seek first means that this is the most important! First means the highest value placed on something!
Seek first means the most important value to your life, which is the kingdom of God!
You seek and He adds! You make Him a priority; He makes you a priority!
God bless you and see you next week with third message about The Kingdom.