Kingdom Priority

INTRODUCTION: THE QUESTION OF PRIORITIES

We have walked the Kingdom Pathway step by step. In Kingdom Pursuit, we saw Jesus’ personal call to follow Him. In Kingdom Perspective, we learned to see life through His eyes. In Kingdom Peace, we discovered freedom from worry by trusting the Father’s care. In Kingdom Provision, we were reminded that our Father knows our needs and delights to provide.

But we’ve already talked about why we struggle with worry… now Jesus is showing us what it actually looks like to live differently.

Now we come to the final step: Kingdom Priority.

Listen—this is where everything comes together.

Every sermon, every image, and every command in the Sermon on the Mount has been building to this moment. Jesus is not giving random advice; He is calling for a reordering of your entire life.

Every person lives with priorities. The question is not do you have priorities? but what actually comes first?

And most of us would say God is first… but if we’re honest, our lives don’t always reflect that. When pressure hits, when decisions have to be made, when time and money and attention are on the line—something else often takes His place.

So here’s the question you have to answer today:

What actually comes first in your life?

Jesus tells us plainly in Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you.”

This is not just one verse—it is the heartbeat of everything Jesus has been teaching. And it demands a response.

So here’s where we’re going.

We’re going to see what it means to seek the Kingdom first, what God promises when we do, and why this changes how you live every single day.

And by the end, you’re going to have to decide what comes first in your life.

1. THE COMMAND TO SEEK FIRST

Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you."

Before we look at the promise, notice the command. The word Jesus uses for “seek” (zēteite) is in the present imperative tense. In other words, this is not a suggestion or a one-time choice, but an ongoing command: keep on seeking. Jesus is commanding His disciples to make the Kingdom their continuous, daily, and lifelong aim.

So let me ask you—if this is a command, not a suggestion… is it actually the aim of your life?

A. Seeking is Active. To seek is to pursue, to hunger, to long for. The Kingdom is not found by accident—it is pursued on purpose. This connects to what Jesus says later: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). Seeking is not passive—it is intentional pursuit of God Himself. This is not one priority among many—this is the priority everything else answers to.

So let me ask you—are you actually seeking the Kingdom… or just saying you do?

Because the way you know what you’re really seeking… is by looking at what comes first in your life.

B. First Means First. Jesus does not say seek the Kingdom after your needs are met, but before. This is not about putting God at the top of a list—it is about making Him the center that everything else revolves around. When the Kingdom comes first, everything else falls into place. But when it does not, everything begins to feel out of order.

Whatever comes first in your life is what you trust most. If He’s just first on a list, He can still be pushed down—but if He’s the center, everything else answers to Him.

C. His Righteousness. We are not only to seek His Kingdom but His righteousness. This is not just about what you want from God—but what God is forming in you. This connects directly back to what Jesus said earlier: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)

This is what Jesus has been building toward the entire time.

So let me ask you—do you want God to change your situation or do you want Him to change you?

Because if we’re honest, that’s where the tension really is. We want God first—but we still wonder if we can trust Him to take care of us. And that’s exactly why Jesus doesn’t stop with the command… He gives us a promise.

2. THE PROMISE THAT FOLLOWS

Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be given to you."

A. God Provides What We Need. “All these things shall be given to you.” The Father knows our needs better than we do. His provision is not random but intentional, flowing from His love. We often think of provision as only material, but God promises to supply spiritual strength, wisdom, and grace as well. You see this all throughout Scripture. For example, Psalm 34:8–9: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints; for the ones who fear Him will not be in need.” But let's be real here, you wanto to believe that God really will provide but —you feel the tension of this every time you wonder, “Am I going to have enough?” God’s goodness is experienced when His people take refuge in Him, and His provision flows from that trust.

And that leads us to something even deeper—how God ties His provision to our priorities.

B. Provision Is Attached to Priority. The order matters: first the Kingdom, then provision. That’s not accidental—that’s intentional. Jesus is not promising riches or a trouble‑free life—He is calling you to trust Him enough to put Him first. The issue isn’t whether God provides—the issue is whether you trust Him enough to put Him first. “God actually delights in exalting our inability, because it provides the perfect opportunity for Him to demonstrate His ability. Over and over again in Scripture, God intentionally puts His people in positions where they cannot provide for themselves, so that they are forced to depend on Him—and in that dependence, He powerfully demonstrates His ability to provide everything His people need. ~ David Platt The promise is not of luxury but of sufficiency to live faithfully in the Kingdom.

And that’s where we see this played out in a real, tangible way.

C. Illustration. Think of Israel in the wilderness. When they sought God first, manna fell. They could not store it up, control it, or manufacture it—God gave them exactly what they needed, day by day. We don’t like that kind of dependence. We want security we can control, provision we can see ahead of time, and answers before we have to trust. But God teaches His people to live differently—to depend on Him daily. This is the prayer Jesus taught: “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Provision flows from trust. And trust is revealed by what you put first.

So let me ask you—if God really does provide… why do we still worry?

And that’s exactly where Jesus goes next. He doesn’t just promise provision—He teaches us how to live in peace.

3. THE PEACE OF TRUSTING THE GOD OF TOMORROW

Matthew 6:34 "Therefore, take no thought about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take thought about the things of itself. Sufficient to the day is the trouble thereof."

Jesus closes this section by shifting our attention from what we need today to what we worry about tomorrow. He knows that our hearts are prone to anxiously rushing ahead into tomorrow’s unknowns. But here He assures us that peace is found in trusting God day by day.

A. Tomorrow Has Its Own Burdens. Worrying today about tomorrow doesn’t solve anything—it just multiplies anxiety. Jesus reminds us that tomorrow will have its own challenges, but they are not yours to carry yet. You’re not just dealing with today—you’re carrying tomorrow on your back before you even get there. God calls you to face today with His help and leave tomorrow in His hands. Scripture warns us in Proverbs 27:1: “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.” And Corrie Ten Boom wisely said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” Both remind us that God has called us to trust Him for today and let Him hold tomorrow.

And that’s why you need grace for today, not control over tomorrow.

B. Grace for Today. God gives strength one day at a time—and only one day at a time. You cannot store up grace for tomorrow, but you can rely on His supply for today. The reason you feel overwhelmed is because you’re trying to live tomorrow on today’s grace. His mercies are new every morning—exactly what you need, exactly when you need it.

And that leads to what you do with what you’re carrying right now.

C. Application. When you trust God with tomorrow, it frees you to actually live faithfully today. Kingdom people live in daily dependence—trusting God for today and refusing to let tomorrow steal their obedience.

So what are you going to keep carrying and what are you finally ready to hand over to God?

GOSPEL CALL

Before you can seek the Kingdom… you have to know the King.

To seek first the Kingdom is to seek Christ—the One who died and rose again to bring you into God’s family. Your greatest need is not food, clothing, or tomorrow’s plans—it is forgiveness and righteousness that only He can provide.

Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

At the cross, Jesus bore your sin and purchased your salvation. Through repentance and faith, you are brought into the Kingdom—where God is no longer just Creator, but Father.

The greatest provision God has ever given is not bread for today—but life forever in His Son.

And if He has already taken care of your eternity…

Why are you still trying to carry today on your own?

CONCLUSION: LIVING WITH KINGDOM PRIORITY

Jesus has been exposing our lives through this entire series—and today He has brought it all into the light. He’s shown us what we seek, what we trust, and what we’ve been carrying. And if we’re honest, He’s put His finger on some real things in our lives.

We say God is first… but our lives don’t always reflect it. We say we trust Him… but we still hold on tightly. We say He provides… but we still worry about tomorrow.

And that’s the tension, isn’t it?

But right in the middle of that tension, Jesus doesn’t leave us guessing—He calls us to something clear:

Seek first the Kingdom.

Not add Him to your life. Not fit Him into your schedule. But reorder everything around Him.

Because the same God who provided for your eternity… is the same God you’re struggling to trust with today.

So now the question isn’t where we’re going… it’s what you’re going to do with what you’ve seen.

Are you going to keep living with divided priorities? Or are you ready to put God back where He belongs—at the center of everything?

Not next week. Not when life slows down. But right here, right now.

Because at some point, you have to decide what comes first.

And if you’re ready to stop carrying what you were never meant to carry… If you’re ready to stop trying to control what only God can handle… If you’re ready to finally trust Him fully…

Then this is your moment to respond.