Seek Ye First

Thank you very much. Oh Jesus here we are again looking to Thee knowing that we are insufficient in ourself and that there is nothing in us save through Jesus Christ, Thee the mighty one of Israel. For Thee so loved the world that they gave to us. Thine only begotten Son, that whosoever would believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life. And we thank Thee this morning for the precious blood Jesus that you shed on the cross that we can be brought from darkness into a marvelous light giving us joy and peace and gladness and songs in the night as you've lifted us and set us upon the rock that is higher than I. We thank Thee Lord Jesus that Thou art able to save to the uttermost all that have come unto Thee that were in the white cast out. Lord send me a Scottish that can make them white as snow even though they be red like crimson they should be as wool. We thank you Jesus that Thou hast brought us thine we are we do not belong to ourself. Thou hast shed Thy blood and given Thy life on the cross to purchase each of us that we might become in Thy likeness as in 1st John 4 17 said as Jesus is so are we in this world. We pray Heavenly Father that we shall be quickened by the Holy Ghost that every soul will say I am by Thy mercies and by Thy grace willing to leave all. But they said except ye forsake all and leave all ye cannot be my disciple except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter in to the kingdom of heaven Matthew 18 3. We've been stirred through the years that so little has been emphasized concerning this tremendous giant truth. I pray that Thou will today anoint the hearers but especially this little servant is so needy. But nothing in my hands I have to bring but simply to Thy cross I cling. We know we're unworthy of such a privilege as this. But who knoweth whether Thou had come to the kingdom of God for such a time as this. Each and every person here has come to the kingdom for such a time as this as to hear and as to become. For as many as received Jesus unto them gave thee the power to become the sons of God. Unless we become after conversion as little children we shall not enter in to the kingdom of heaven. Why it isn't preached I don't know. But I know you have said it therefore we honor it and we submit ourselves unto it. Conscious of our inadequacies our limitations our nothingness as we behold thee the Lamb of God that taken away the sins of the world and has set our feet upon the solid rock. He said on this rock will I build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. The rock that thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God to build thy church that we may become one as thee God and Jesus are one as in the 17th chapter of Saint John. We thank you in Jesus name. Would you turn with me to the 17th chapter of Saint John. Jesus said sanctify them through thy truth thy word is truth the 17th chapter of Saint John 17th verse. Sanctify them through thy truth thy word is truth as thou has sent me into the world even so I've also sent them into the world and for their sakes I sanctify myself that they also might be sanctified to the truth neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word that's all of us and all that aren't here that would be willing to take up the cross to follow that they all may be one that means the entire church all churches all peoples that claim to be Christian that they all may be one that all centers upon their choice of whether they're going to deny themselves and take up their cross and follow because if we don't deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow we'll never be able to enter the kingdom of heaven according to the Word of God. He said that they all may be one as thou father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the world may be believed that thou has sent me on the glory which thou gives me have given them that they may be one again he says it that they may be one that's the body of Christ we're one in spirit one in mind one at holy harmony one in consecration one in the entire sanctification one a spirit filled people that are willing to do God's will and not their own to forsake themselves since Adam and Eve chose the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil man has decided that he thinks he can plan he can work things out we can't work anything out we in the church if we dare work something out in ourself it's our doing and he steps aside and watches us as we see that we become nothing that they all may be one as our father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that thou has sent me and the glory which thou gave us to me I have given them that they all may be one even as we are one that's tremendous I in them and thou in me that they may be perfect in one how are we going to become perfect in one the message is the text is in the sixth chapter of Matthew verse 33 I was preaching on this in 1941 at the Mount Carmel Methodist Church this same text but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you I was preaching this text well all of a sudden see I was just a young fella in my 20s all the moment that I had never discovered before I said the world and most of all churches were living in reverse we're living in reverse we're doing the planning we're arranging we're trying to work this out that isn't what he called us to do he called us to forsake all to leave all to do his will he said except you forsake all you cannot be my disciple why isn't this preached out the world it's what he said but he said seek ye first the kingdom of God this is how we become one as many as received Jesus unto them gave you the power to become the sons of God it does not yet appear what we shall be but we know that what he shall appear we shall be like him what we shall see him as he is and if we live this at home with our children our companion and with our neighbors and our friends he will help us in the time of need and I need him very much constantly and continuously but he said seek ye first the kingdom of God I look at this word seek and I'm interested in it I see in the word seek is hearing unless we hear that we have to seek we're not going to do anything but what we like to do what we like what we think is beautiful what we think it's good that isn't the question at all that isn't the call but the first element I see in this word seek is hearing and then heeding he said seek in the word seek there is instruction we're instructed to seek first the kingdom of God how are we going to seek first the kingdom of God with our whole heart with our whole being leaving all forsaking all unless we forsake all we're not going to seek the kingdom of God first we're going to seek our interest our word what we want what we like so I see the hearing and the heeding and I see the instruction and I see in this word seek something else searching the eyes of the Lord go to and fro throughout the whole earth seeking to show himself strong on the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him he's in a search he's been looking for men and women through the ages that would do God's will instead of their own it's seldom been in any age just occasionally someone would be willing to do God's will instead of their own and not seek recognition seek nothing but God's will with praises and thanksgiving to the precious blood of Jesus that made this possible through the life of our Lord Jesus Christ so I see in this word seek not only the word search but I see revelation unless you receive the revelation that we need to seek the kingdom of God first unless we have the revelation we're not going to seek it first we're going to seek what seems to be good there is a way that seemeth right in the man but the end thereof is the ways of death we must not go in that order we must have the revelation of the urgency of seek ye first the kingdom of God the kingdom of God is righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost that's the kingdom of God righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost glory glory glory when you have the joy of the Lord in your heart you have a strength you have your anointing you have the joy that you want everybody else to have hallelujah you can't work this out it's got to come from above hallelujah praise God I tell you if you've got the joy in your heart you respond you're the Son of God he said my people are people of great joy have you got the joy of God in your soul today have you got the joy of Christ within you if you have I tell you you'll have something that you want everybody else to have oh I tell you God's been seeking people we're not willing lots of times to do our do God's will we want to do our own will hallelujah praise God from whom all blessings flow that he's able to take an old sinner like me transform me and bring me into light and joy and glory and gladness hallelujah I see in this word seek not only revelation not only what do I see searching or instruction or hearing and heeding but I see vision the word seeks full of vision without the vision the people perish without the vision the people perish and that's what this world is doing our prisons are overcrowded because church people haven't been obedient to God can you feel it can you tell it in your heart listen if the peoples of the churches would obey the Holy Spirit and do God's will there wouldn't be people in prisons like there are there wouldn't be this drunkenness and all this adultery and all this fornication if we were obedient to God do you know anybody do you know people that obey God when he talks to them for as many as are led by the Holy Spirit they are the sons of God if you're not led by the Holy Spirit get right with God get your sins out of the blood if you've talked about anybody you have violated Jesus word when he said judge not any one of you or me if we talk about anybody murmur about anybody criticize anyone we are living in sin gross sin get a little water here hallelujah for the anointing without the anointing we can't do anything I sit here thinking here I'm the least one of all that's in this place and here Jesus would have have mercy on me to tell my soul I'm like my heart with the Holy Ghost because it's just a few feet from the spot it's where Jesus led me 62 years ago next month just a few feet from the spot where I'm at now that's what he gave me the first leading of the Holy Ghost hallelujah hallelujah glory to God we ought to praise him and give him the glory and let this place be filled with his presence because we're nothing so without vision the people perish this word is full of seeing seeing sight as well as vision it's full of effort it's full of applying and energy this word seek takes a lot of energy I didn't know I was going to get so excited I needed I see in this word seek is the applying of energy in this word seek is not only that but it's perseverance if we don't persevere we're never going to seek if we fail to deny ourselves we're not going to seek so this word seek is filled with love for the Word of God the revelation of God this word seek is full of prayer it's full of praise it's full of self-denial it's full of dying daily this word seek requires me dying from morning to night that's you too every person in the church of Jesus Christ and all clergy if we don't die to ourselves we'll be doing our will and God's been crowded out most of the time since the beginning this is my revelation by God's grace so by dying to self daily we'll begin to start to obey him I see in this word seek is also forsaking all when Abraham was called to go out to a land which he would have to receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whether he went he left everything he forsook all the man that didn't obey lot look at the cost of his descendants cost is high but if you do God's will the joy of the Lord it will be your strength hallelujah in this joy of the Lord praises this peace the path of understanding seek ye first the kingdom of God on his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you that's to every person that will earnestly seek first the kingdom of God Matthew 6 33 in there were in this word seeking I see a tremendous thing from the very first to the last it's filled with submission every person that seeks earnestly the kingdom of God must be submissive to God's will Jesus said not everyone that prays Lord Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven but it's he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven we can pray we could preach we can go through beautiful worship services but unless the Holy Spirit is leading it's our doing and I need him every second my family certainly say this over and over for years and years I need him every breath I need him every step that I be cleansed vessels sanctified me for Jesus use not finding fault not criticizing anyone the Lord revealed to me at the baptism of the Holy Ghost on April the 14th 1942 he revealed to me that I could never again criticize anyone to my wife or judge anyone again or to complain about anything because the Bible said that's not what we're to do and whenever we complain and we murmur and we find fault we're living in sin when we criticize people we judge people Jesus said judge not every time a person does that he has violated the Word of God he has become disobedient to the Word of Jesus Christ and so we are submissive that I want I want to bring to your attention and the word seek it's utter dependence unless we're utterly dependent upon the Lord as little children is upon the parent we're not going to seek first the kingdom of God there's a lot in this word see I can't find the end of it only a little fragment of it perhaps but the utter dependence that he calls for in us is as little children are utterly dependent upon their children on their parents and we must become utterly dependent upon him as we are here this morning praise the Lord glory to God seeking first the kingdom of God in his righteousness now there's one way that we can miss the word seek this way is by not waiting upon God that's a good way to miss the word seek first the kingdom of God is only as we wait upon him only as we wait upon him will it be revealed to our hearts the sacredness the seriousness the greatness the humility that it requires the brokenness that it requires unless we're very broken we'll not seek first the kingdom of God the president of the University was speaking some years ago and he said I was a young man of about 18 and I went into my past my father's study the pastor's study of the church and he said I want to tell you father something that I feel like I should share with you and so the president of the University went on as a young man to say to his father many years before that I've been called to preach well his father said that's not news to me I've known that a long time but son before you're able to preach you'll never be able to until you're broken until you're broken he said I never knew what that was for years and years in the ministry until one day God took a church to bring me to brokenness unless we're broken enough we'll not seek first the kingdom of God unless we are committed completely entirely to the will of God because he said that he would lead his children by the Holy Ghost as I meditated about what I should speak about this is the message Jesus said seek ye first the kingdom of God but I see here in this precious word seek that we must have an awareness of the necessity of becoming one in the word seek we must have an awareness of the urgency the necessity the expediency of becoming one body that means that we've confessed our sins we've made our restitutions if we haven't asked people to forgive us for the things we said about them we'll not seek first the kingdom of God if we don't ask our neighbors our friends to forgive us of our talking about them our criticizing them we're not going to seek first the kingdom of God that will prevent us from seeking first the kingdom of God and when we make our restitutions and we've asked Jesus to forgive us of our sins and he's come by the Holy Spirit the precious blood the power of the Holy Ghost his truth it says we're sanctified to the truth of Jesus sanctify them to the truth thy word is true until our church body is absolutely everyone committed to leaving all forsaking all doing God's will will just be a group of people talking religion and not really following not really knowing the urgency of seeking first the kingdom of God by prayer by waiting upon him by fasting as he leads by witnessing at every opportunity and they overcame the devil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony if we don't have a testimony for Jesus it's because we haven't sought first the kingdom of God if you have a testimony for Jesus it'll be your life it'll be your walk it'll be your going in and your coming before the throne of grace and before your fellowmen seek you first the kingdom of God and so we see that Abraham truly sought the kingdom of God first the demoniac when he was made whole sitting at the feet of Jesus clothes and in his right mind he wanted to go with Jesus Christ but Jesus said you go back home and you tell the people there what the Lord's done for you and he obeyed and did what Jesus told him he wanted to be with Christ more than I know because he's the first rest he had found it's the first light he had seen it's the first time he ever had joy the first time he ever had rest the first time he ever had peace why shouldn't he want to go with him he said no no you're going to deny yourself and going back home where you were a troublemaker you're an upsetter you're a disturber to the peace you're a you were a puzzle to the medical people's they didn't know what to do with you but he had to go back in the storm and witness and tell them what Jesus did for them have you been telling what Jesus has been doing for you have you been declaring that he loves everyone alike there's no difference whatsoever hallelujah praise the Lord it's a great love it's a great peace great joy seek ye first the kingdom of God and when you seek first the kingdom of God he'll set you on fire he'll send you forth as lights in the world by this shall all men know that you're my disciples if you shall have love one for another in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost thank you Jesus for your presence for your anointing your action for all these dear ones everyone and for all those that are labored to build this building all those that worked so hard and here we are so blessed this morning we kept we're sitting here thinking oh how little we were and how inadequate we are and we didn't know we had to trust you for the anointing and here you giving us this privilege this morning to cry loud and spread out and lift up our voice like a trumpet to tell thy people the transgressions the house of Jacob their sins and Isaiah as he called to the people of God we thank you for everyone that's here this morning I pray that their souls have been fed their hearts have been blessed they came to see this place I pray that they also were able to see thee see the light of the world and the hearts of little ones oh we thank you we praise you we adore thee we glorify thee we honor thee hallelujah hallelujah for the blood thank you for the Holy Ghost thank you for the work of the Holy Spirit we praise thee dear father that thou has given us great joy and great peace and love for all of our peoples everyone everywhere and we know this is the evidence when God really comes down and souls really come before thee with all their heart totally wholly depending upon thee as a little child upon its parent father we thank you for love divine all love excelling joy of heaven to earth come down fixing us thy humble dwelling round about thy sacred mercies crown a charge to keep you and me head a God to glorify I never dying soul to save and fit it for the sky to serve this present age our callings to fulfill all may at all our powers engage Lord Jesus to do thy sacred will this turn to just as I am and let's sing together just as I am without one plea all the plea we has is but the blood the precious blood the mercies of God as we sing this song when you set in your heart a pounding at a drawing come ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins of your neglect of your disobedience of the times you haven't witnessed when you should or you've talked too much ask God to blot it out so he could start leading you to the Holy Spirit and guide you and direct you for as many as are led by the Holy Ghost they are the sons of God Romans 8 and 14 on this we want to give God the praise and the glory let us all stand just as I am without one plea but that thy blood was shed for me and that's a real precious song to sing and it's a prophet this morning hallelujah we're thankful for the blood hallelujah for the Holy Spirit be obedient as we sing and without him we can do nothing but it's the Holy Spirit deals in your heart make your way to the altar if you can't just pray in the pew where you are but let him have his way with you please be obedient to the Holy Spirit let Jesus be first and as you sing when you sing the best you can for him as we sing this next I stand to please it's so wonderful that it is a