Kingdom First

A few years ago, while I was pastoring in California, our church had a dream for our mission trip to Mexico: to build two homes for two families in need. We believed it was a God-given dream, but we had only enough resources to build one home (and even that was a stretch). Despite our prayerful planning, the resources for the second home seemed out of reach. 

Then something unexpected happened. A pastor from another state heard about what we were trying to accomplish. He wasn’t part of our church. He wasn’t part of our denomination. In fact, he had no obligation or benefit to help us at all. Yet he believed in the vision God had given us. His church provided the remaining funds, and because of their generosity, two families instead of one received homes. 

I have never forgotten that response because it reminded me that God’s Kingdom has always been bigger than any one church, ministry, or even denomination. 

In a world that often celebrates building our own name and platform, the words of Jesus are challenging:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” (Matt. 6:33 NKJV). 

Notice what Jesus didn’t say. He didn’t tell us to seek first our own ministries, churches, or reputations. He called us to seek first His Kingdom. And when we do, something beautiful happens. 

We begin celebrating what God is doing beyond our own walls. We stop asking, “How does this benefit us?” and instead ask, “How can we join what God is doing?” Our perspective shifts from ownership to stewardship and from building our own kingdoms to advancing His. 

I believe that this perspective shift is one of the key reasons the early church experienced such extraordinary multiplication and unity.  

Acts 2 gives us one of the clearest pictures in all of Scripture of what happens when God’s people put His Kingdom first. The chapter is, in many ways, the story of “all.” Or as I like to say, “The Power of We.”  

The result we see is twofold: they enjoyed the goodwill of all the people, and each day God added to those being saved.  

Their unity resulted in the Kingdom of God multiplying beyond what any individual could accomplish or hope for. Their unity wasn’t manufactured; it was built on seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. 

I love how Psalm 133 expresses this truth:

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity. . . For there the Lord bestows his blessing” (Psalm 133:1-3 NIV).  

When is the blessing of the Lord released? When His people prioritize unity.  

When churches work together in unity, their unity does not diminish the importance of each individual church. Quite the opposite. I deeply believe the local church is God’s plan for reaching the world. Every church matters. Every pastor matters. Every congregation has a unique calling to fulfill.  

But what is encouraging is to know that our local churches are part of something much larger. Open Bible Churches is not the Kingdom of God. Your local church is not the Kingdom of God. But together we are privileged to be part of Christ’s Church, advancing His Kingdom alongside brothers and sisters from every tribe, tongue, and nation, who all proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord. 

Imagine what could happen if every church celebrated every life changed, every church planted, every missionary sent, every leader raised, every community impacted, not because it happened through “our” ministry, but because it advanced His Kingdom. We don’t all have the same assignment, but we do share the same mission. 

I believe that’s the kind of unity Jesus prayed for. I believe that is the kind of unity we are striving for. It is the kind of unity the early church experienced, and it’s the kind of unity our world desperately needs to see today. 

Remember that pastor who helped my church build homes in Mexico? What made his contribution even more remarkable was that his own church was in the middle of a building project. They had needs of their own. They could have easily said, “Maybe another time.” Instead, they chose to invest in someone else’s Kingdom assignment while trusting God to provide for theirs. I will never forget it. He wasn’t thinking about whether it was his church’s project or what it meant for their own building campaign. He simply recognized it was God’s work and chose to be part of it. 

May that be true of us 

Perhaps that’s what Jesus had in mind when He said,
Seek first the Kingdom of God.

When His Kingdom becomes our highest priority, our own agendas begin to take their proper place. Unity becomes more than something we talk about; it becomes something we live. We celebrate what God is doing through others because we recognize that every life changed, every church strengthened, every missionary sent, every young leader raised, and every community impacted is a victory for the Kingdom. 

When God’s people seek His Kingdom first, I believe He still does what He has always done. He pours out His blessing and advances His Kingdom through a united church. 

About the Author

Michael Nortune serves as president of Open Bible Churches. He has ministered in the local church faithfully for over thirty-five years. From his start as a janitor and groundskeeper to church planter and lead pastor of Life Church in Concord, California, Michael has had the opportunity to gain experience in every capacity within the church throughout his ministry. Not only does he have hands-on experience on the local level, but Michael has also led at the district, regional, and national levels within Open Bible Churches. Michael and his wife, Julie, currently reside in Colorado and love living near four of their six children and their spouses.  They also treasure the time they spend with their five grandsons (and counting) whenever possible!