Part 6: Encountering God Is Pursuing the Kingdom

Sunday August 27, 2017 want to be our own king. We are still Encounters With God BUILDING our own kingdom. Part 6: Encountering God Is Pursuing The Kingdom b. Rom. 14:17 - The kingdom is not RELIGIOUS Key Scripture: Matthew 6:25-33 (NKJV) activity!

3 Common Mistakes We Make When It Comes To The b.i. The evidence of The Kingdom of God, or Kingdom That Keep Us In Trivial Pursuits. God governing someone, is not religious activity. The evidence of the Kingdom of 1. Don’t CONFUSE The Kingdom With Works. God in you is Righteousness, Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost COMING out of you. a. Romans 14:17 - for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace . God didn’t design anything outside and joy in the Holy Spirit. of Himself to bring you FULFILLMENT because outside of a.i. The singular focus of Jesus’ life and Him ruling your life you can’t find message was The Kingdom of God. He righteousness, peace or joy. PREACHED about it more than anything else. 2. Don’t REPLACE The Kingdom with Things

. The word Kingdom is a word derived a. Mt. 6:25-33 Jesus addresses this common from two words. KING – a Lord mistake by giving us two instructions - Don’t (owner, master, ruler) DOMAIN: a WORRY territory that is under the control, governance, rule or dominion of a.i. WORRYING is a sign that you’re replacing the Kingdom. someone. . Do not worry about your life… that is  The KINGDOM of God, exactly what we do and that’s therefore, is the territory exactly why we pursue the wrong where God is ruling; where He things. We PURSUE things we think is in charge, in control. are the source of our happiness.

a.ii. Some of us are in the kingdom because we  We can never be fulfilled when are born again but we haven’t ALLOWED we are not CONNECTED to the king to have dominion over us. God.

a.ii. We look to ourselves or someone else or . That’s the reason why we are still pursuing the wrong things. We still something else to SUSTAIN us. We look to things or other people to make us happy. He is your Source. a. Mt. 6:33 - Divine MANDATE – Seek: Pursue . God never DESIGNED anything With Passion | Divine PRIORITY- First: First in outside of Himself to meet your order and first in rank. deepest needs. a.i. Make this pursuit the priority of your life. b. Don’t be a PAGAN. Above all else seek for God to be the MASTER of your life. Make this your b.i. Matthew 6:32 For the pagans run after all number one priority. these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. . Seek His INFLUENCE to be extended over our private life, . According to Jesus, being business life, marriage life, and all PREOCCUPIED with and pursuing dimensions of our life. material things is the activity of pagans.  His will becomes our will, His ways become our ways, His  Pagans are idolaters. They culture becomes our culture, WORSHIP things made with His interests become our hands. They put things before interests. God. b. See if you can sense the passion in these scriptures b.ii. Pagans are people who find something other than God to be their SOURCE of b.i. Ps. 63:1 O God, You are my God; Early will I happiness, joy, peace, significance, seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh identity… longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. . When you think something can give you what only God can give you, you . Ps. 42:1-2 As the deer pants for the are behaving like a pagan. And it will water brooks, So pants my soul for always DISAPPOINT you because it You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. is a false god.  Psalm 84:2  It is time for us to stop thinking like Pagans. There is no LASTING joy outside of seeking first the Kingdom of God.

3. Don’t PURSUE The Kingdom With Calm