Seek first the Kingdom of God

His resurrection, what does He talk about?... for 40 days!

Acts 1;3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

He speaks about the kingdom- and the power of the Holy Spirit is linked with… given for… this. God’s will being done on earth as in heaven.

Illustr: BBC Programme on Genghis Kahn first shown on BBC1 on 25 April 2005. Genghis had the largest empire ever: twice the size of the Roman Empire. He felt God wanted him to be ruler of the whole world. His early 13C empire stretched over Mongolia, China and through the Urals into Europe. It was stopped short of advancing into Poland by sheer fortune and his death.
He enquired of monks as to the secret of eternal youth, as he felt he was to rule forever.
On his deathbed he stated that he had failed in his task of world domination. He charged his son to continue his work and ’take the world’. They doubled the Mongol empire but on the death of his son the empire started to fragment.
Thought: ALL human empires are limited and come to an end. Jesus’ kingdom is one that will have no end and will never cease to increase. If you think about it- this is SO true. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.

He promises that if we seek this first- He’ll look after everything else
- even the church
- WE are to seek first the kingdom. He says ’I will build my church’
o He takes full responsibility for it
o And how wrong is our focus, so often? (basically because the church is run by professionals who are salaried by it… and because we find security in it)
" All our focus is on the church!
" But we are to be a ’church without walls’ a kingdom church

Now this doesn’t mean the church doesn’t matter. That’s taken by inference. We are to be committed to it, and it’s clear in the NT that there is no church-less Christian!
- but people who seek first the KOG will naturally be part of the church as that’s where they
o share their news! Get encouragement and equipping. Go out FROM
- Illustr: I have to say (humbly!) that there are many churches and they are dying because that (church) is where the emphasis is. " we must grow this. DO this. Press this button"
o Truth is you don’t necc DO anything. You seek first the reign of the king and stuff the church!
o In fact- I’d love it if 60% of you weren’t here! (go away will you!). No, seriously- I’d love it if this almost couldn’t function because so many of you were- witnessing at car boot sales, going to Africa, running alpha courses, being with non-Christian friends. (not sitting on your backsides avoiding ’stress’ and watching TV)

(side issue: because I simply know your lives would be healed and this place would be the best place to be in the world!
- Illustr: healing rate at Feast. Yet to be verified- but seemed remarkable!
- "GO- and surely I am with you always……")

Can I digress? Please?
- I am centred around a few things: Jesus, word, trinity, creedal things, church (member?!), kingdom.