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SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM:

(A message by Anthony Delaney)

Back to the Beginning

We have to start in Genesis 1, because if you don’t know where you came from, or where it all went wrong, you’ll never know where you’re going.

There we read the record of the almighty, sovereign God creating the universe. He created everything from nothing – and He liked what He created, because the chapter ends:

“And God saw all that He had made, and it was very good.”

The invisible, perfect God made a very good visible world – He planned it all for the display of His glory. Earth was designed as an outpost, a colony (if you can still use that word in a positive sense), of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The whole Bible is about a King and His Kingdom, from beginning to end: God’s kingdom of heaven, and His kingdom on earth.

A Royal Family With a Royal Mission

The Royal Family of the Kingdom of Heaven – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – granted real authority over creation to certain creatures. Not slaves. Not servants. But to sinless sons and daughters, made in His image, commissioned to rule on His behalf.

Genesis says God gave humanity dominion over everything. The Hebrew word is MAMLAKAH — which can also be translated kingdom.

The LORD gave them the kingdom. He made Adam and Eve kings and queens to extend His sovereignty on the earth.

This was the first mandate God ever gave humans:
KINGDOM.

It was the central message Jesus preached over and over:
KINGDOM.

And it’s what God will fully restore at the end, when Heaven reunites with Earth. Jesus said:

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)

This thought is right at the heart of what I want to talk about tonight.

Because the Father wants to give us the Kingdom — but the church doesn’t “get” the Kingdom. So it talks about religion instead.

We make religious people who go to church, instead of priests and kings who receive the kingdom and reign in life.

Jesus’ first sermon? A royal proclamation:

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 4:17)

Time after time He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like…”

Like what, Jesus?

A pearl of great price.
Worth trading anything for.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3)

The kingdom is God’s priority.

Is it yours?

PRIORITIES: What Comes First Shapes What Comes Next

This morning I talked about praying and planning around priorities, because if not, you’ll end up living according to pressures.

What are your priorities in life?

If we objectively looked at your week, your spending, your time, your decisions — we’d see what they actually are. Whatever we say or sing in church, our lives reveal what we really seek first.

A priority is what comes before everything else.
Your priorities determine your direction. And your direction determines your destiny.

That’s why the greatest tragedy in life is not death, but succeeding at the wrong things. Running harder ans faster after prizes that don’t matter.

Maslow or Messiah?

In 1943, Abraham Maslow created his “Hierarchy of Needs.” A triangle starting with physical needs at the bottom and climbing up toward spiritual needs at the top. He argued you must satisfy the basics first. Food. Water. Shelter.Then, when life is comfortable, you can deal with meaning and spirituality. It shapes how most people live.

But Maslow built his theory on humanism and atheism.
And Jesus taught something radically different.

Jesus flipped the triangle upside-down! Because when God Himself came to tell us what life is really about, He didn’t say, “Sort out your basic needs first.”

He said, ‘Don’t worry about that!’ –

“Seek first the kingdom.”

Jesus’ Command About Worry (That Most Christians Ignore)

In Matthew 6 – this is where Jesus taught us to pray:

“Our Father in heaven… your kingdom come…”

Then He says something shocking:

“Do not worry about your life.”
What you will eat.
What you will drink.
What you will wear.

He repeats it three times:

Verse 25 – Do not be anxious
Verse 31 – Do not be anxious
Verse 34 – Do not be anxious

Pretty clear! Not optional!

Jesus says ‘Don’t even think about these things. Certainly don’t make them your primary concern.’

We say, “That’s unrealistic!” Jesus says, “No — that’s discipleship.”

He tells ALL people to become birdwatchers. Look at the birds. BILLIONS of them! ‘Careless in the care of God.’

He says: “If your Father feeds birds… won’t He feed you?”

Then: “Can any of you add a moment to your lifespan by worrying?” (v27)

Of course not. You actually shorten it.

Pagans Run After Things. Princes Don’t.

Jesus says the world runs after these things. The Greek there means “seek with all your might.”

When I didn’t know Jesus, that was my life. Consumed by consuming.
Never satisfied. Drinking seawater. Craziness!

But Jesus says: “Your heavenly Father knows you need them.”

Do you know He knows?
Do you know He cares?

Or do you have “little faith” — in His goodness?

Because worry always assumes one of three lies:

God doesn’t know
God doesn’t care
God can’t provide

Do you believe any of those lies about your Father?

The Priority of Your Life: Seek First the Kingdom

Then comes Matthew 6:33 — the heart of everything:

“But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

FIRST = PROTOS = pre-eminent, above all, no contest.

So the question is simple:

Am I ordering my life according to Maslow or Messiah?

Do I live like someone who has a Father?
Or like someone who doesn’t?

Like a pagan — or a prince?
Like an orphan — or an heir?

Romans 5:17 says:

“Those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life through Jesus Christ.”

If you’ve received Christ, you’re royalty.
You reign — not by fear, but by faith.

Fear Lies. The Father Provides.

Fear tells you tomorrow is something to panic about.
Fear whispers that God won’t come through.

But Jesus says: “Do not be afraid, little flock.”
“It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

That means:

Nothing you face tomorrow surprises Him
Nothing comes without grace attached
No trial lacks the provision to overcome it
No need will find Him unprepared

You don’t have to beg for crumbs – when your Father sets the feast.

Stop Worrying About Tomorrow

Jesus ends with:

“Do not worry about tomorrow—for tomorrow will worry about itself.” (v34)

My own Dad used to say this was his favourite verse.

Maybe tonight it needs to become yours.

If you came in worrying — big or small — the Lord Jesus says to you:

“Do not worry. Do not fear.”

Don’t let anxiety steal your joy, poison your relationships, wreck your faith, or sabotage your testimony.

One Thing To Do: SEEK FIRST

Everything so far has been:

Don’t worry.
Don’t fear.
Don’t stress.

Now comes the “do”:

“Seek first the Kingdom.”

This is why we’re here at ivy church.org
This is why I preach about the Kingdom so much.

Because you have to seek it.
Dig for it.
Press into it.
Reorder your whole life around it.

The kingdom is not an add-on.
It is the organising centre.

A Prayer of Re-Prioritisation

“Lord, we are here to put the kingdom first.
Show us what it means to make the kingdom our top priority — ABOVE everything else. No contest.”

Set Your Affection Above

Paul wrote:

“Set your affections on things above, not on things on earth… for your life is hidden with Christ in God.”(Colossians 3:2–3)

In other words:

Get your priorities right.
Seek first the Kingdom.
Live this life for the next life.
Pursue righteousness.

And everything else… will be added.