[The text below represents an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World program.]

What Is Your Top Priority? (Matthew 6:33)

What is more important to you? Your car, your hobby—perhaps golf, hunting, or fishing? For some it would appear to be their politics. Is it something more personal and substantive, such as your career? But what about family? Is there anything more important than family?

Think about it. What is the most important thing, person, or persons in your life?

While you may give a quick answer, have you considered the implications of this question?

On this Tomorrow’s World program, we’ll explore whether your professed answer is the same as indicated by your actions. And while many profess one thing, their actions tell a very different story. And consider this—is there a single correct answer?

When I was still a teenager I, along with some of my friends, really wanted to know, what is it all about? What is the purpose of life? We may not have asked the question that way, but we were looking for what it was that made for a happy and successful life.

My friend Bob one day told me, “I think what I want in life is kicks.” Now that may sound [like] a strange way of putting things, but what he meant was that he was out to have as much fun as he could. And he was—and is—hardly alone in that.

King Solomon and the Pursuit of Pleasure | Ecclesiastes 2

The pursuit of fun is a powerful pull.

An ancient king thought similarly to my friend, but in a far more calculated and sophisticated manner.

This king experimented with every pleasure a man can enjoy to find the one which would satisfy and bring lasting happiness. He pursued pleasures as if doing a scientific experiment.

Here is how he put it in the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes 2:1–3:

I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure”; but surely, this also was vanity. I said of laughter—“Madness!”; and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives (Ecclesiastes 2:1–3).

All Is Vanity | Ecclesiastes 2 Meaning

As with Solomon, wine, women, and song were the pursuits of most of my friends. My generation was that of the hippies, love-ins, marijuana, LSD, and rock and roll. And weirdly, in contrast to that, it was also the generation of “Jesus freaks,” but definitely not the Jesus found in the Bible. Many men wore long hair mimicking what they erroneously believed to be the style of Jesus. Upside-down and broken crosses in a circle—peace signs—were everywhere. What a bizarre time—mixing war protests, love, peace, drugs, sex, and Jesus. Thankfully, the real Jesus rescued me from that craziness.

Now that antiestablishment generation has grown up and become the establishment.

Many have moved to more traditional values—work, family, and hobbies. Yet many are still looking for the meaning of life.

I remember visiting a man in the hospital one time who had suffered a heart attack. He could see that his life was moving toward the inevitable, and he asked me in a very serious tone, “What’s it all about?” As I recall, he was in his mid-sixties, and he still didn’t know why he was on earth. What was the purpose of his existence?

Man’s Search for Meaning: Why Pleasure Isn’t Enough

How about you? Do you know why you are here? Does God exist? And if so, why did He create us?

Is there life after death? And if so, what can you expect when that time comes?

The late Lee Iacocca tells a joke about a famous actor in the first half of the last century.

[W.C. Fields] was a lifetime agnostic and yet he was discovered reading a Bible on his deathbed. “What are you reading that for?” someone asked him. “I’m looking for a loophole,” he replied (Talking Straight, p. 70).

Sadly, too many find themselves in the same place. They’ve lived a life, whether full or empty, but devoted little time to searching for the real meaning of life. They hope there is life after death but have little or no idea what and where they will be. Most have been taught they will go to heaven or hell when they die, but according to the Bible, neither is true.

A Different Gospel and a Different Jesus (2 Corinthians 11)

The teachings of Christ and His apostles were supplanted almost immediately, and those deceptive doctrines continue down to our day and are deeply ingrained in mainstream Christianity.

Jesus’ message—proclaimed for three-and-a-half years prior to His crucifixion and resurrection—has been virtually lost in churches claiming His name.

What is most important to you? Your family? Your career? Your local sports team? Your health? Your political party and/or your religion?

The answer is not found in what you profess, but in what you do—how you live, how you spend your time and money. The person who proclaims that he or she lives for pleasure is probably the most honest.

The person who says that he or she lives for God—though no doubt sincere and well-meaning—may very well be the least honest. Or to put it more kindly, simply self-deceived. But why is that?

Plainly stated, he may believe God exists, but God is not real to him or he would live differently. The Apostle Paul confronted the church of God at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 11:3–4.

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it (2 Corinthians 11:3–4).

In light of this, I must seriously ask: Do you get it?

Now I don’t mean to insult or demean anyone, but it’s evident that the majority of you who follow Tomorrow’s World don’t get it. Notice that Paul said the Corinthians were deceived in three ways. They were accepting:

• A different Jesus
• A different spirit
• A different gospel

To put it more bluntly, he said:

• You Corinthians don’t know the real Jesus.
• You worship Him in a manner different from the way that pleases Him.
• And you have substituted a different message from the one He brought.

Now that’s a serious problem. How could this happen?

Satan Disguises Himself as an Angel of Light

The answer is given later in this same chapter—deceiving ministers and teachers had infiltrated the Church. Notice it in verses 13–15:

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works (2 Corinthians 11:13–15).

Just how important is it to know the true Gospel of Jesus Christ? Paul twice pronounced a curse on anyone who teaches a different gospel. Here it is in Galatians 1, beginning in verse 6:

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed (Galatians 1:6–9).

Just as in Paul’s day, the Gospel of Jesus Christ—the good news that Jesus proclaimed—is not being preached today. Are we to believe, as so many seem to, that the death, burial, and resurrection—which are immensely important—somehow do away with Jesus’ three-and-a-half-year ministry? Why is it that His proclamation is not taught in mainstream Christianity?

Yes, we hear about a little Lord Jesus away in the manger, and about Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, and it truly IS good news that He came to give His life in exchange for ours. We must never de-emphasize that, but why does professing Christianity neglect Jesus’ message? After all, it’s not obscure but found repeatedly throughout the New Testament.

What Is the True Gospel Jesus Preached?

Jesus tells us that He was sent to proclaim a special message—and that message was the Kingdom of God. Notice it in Luke 4:42–43:

Now when it was day, He departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowd sought Him and came to Him, and tried to keep Him from leaving them; but He said to them, “I must preach [notice it] the kingdom of God to the other cities also, [why?] because for this purpose I have been sent” (Luke 4:42–43).

Now if He was sent to preach the Kingdom of God, why is that message neglected by His followers today? Now here’s another significant statement from our Savior—found in Matthew 24:14:

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14).

Christ’s Gospel is not what most people think. He didn’t spend more than three years talking about His crucifixion and resurrection. Yes, he did give a few references of it (vague enough that His followers didn’t get it) but the message He proclaimed—the Gospel, which means “good news”—was that of the Kingdom of God. That’s very different from telling people all they need to do is repeat the sinner’s prayer and they’ll go to heaven when they die. And no, the Kingdom of God is not a trip to heaven for retirement and eternal bliss. But I digress.

What does Mark tell us was the beginning of Jesus’ Gospel? Notice it in Mark 1:1:

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Notice that it says “the gospel of,” not “the gospel about.”

“Of” denotes possession. It is Jesus Christ’s Gospel, the good news He brought, as is clearly seen in verses 14 and 15:

Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14–15).

The Kingdom of God Defined

But what is the Kingdom of God? Do you know? The people of Jesus’ day understood that the message that He was preaching was about a very real kingdom. What they did not understand was the timing of it—when it would come. They thought Jesus had come to set up the Kingdom in their day. And as a result, He gave them what is known as the Parable of the Minas. In it, He describes Himself as a nobleman who gives His servants a unit of money to work with while He went to a far country—heaven. But He would return and call His servants to account for what they did while He was away.

Notice this in Luke 19, beginning in verse 11:

Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come’” (Luke 19:11–13).

But what is the reward He gives His servants upon His return? It’s not getting wings and floating on clouds in heaven in eternal retirement. Or as some believe, looking into the face of God for eternity in some kind of celestial drug trip—the unscriptural doctrine known as the beatific vision.

In the Parable of the Minas, notice it in verse 16:

Then came the first, saying, “Master, your mina has earned ten minas.” And he said to him, “Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.” And the second came, saying, “Master, your mina has earned five minas.” Likewise he said to him, “You also be over five cities” (Luke 19:16–19).

Note that Jesus was to go to a far country—in other words, heaven—to receive a kingdom and to return. We read of this coronation ceremony in heaven in Daniel 7:13–14:

I [that is, Daniel] was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man [a reference to Christ], coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days [that is God the Father], and they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed.

Why Jesus Said Seek First the Kingdom of God

And who will rule with Christ when He returns? The answer is revealed in verse 27:

Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him (Daniel 7:27).

Yes, the saints—a word that refers to servants who keep God’s Commandments as shown in Revelation 14:12—are to rule under Christ in His Kingdom. This is confirmed in Revelation 20:4:

And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4).

And where is that Kingdom to be set up? The song of the saints gives the answer—right here on earth (Revelation 5:9);

And they sang a new song, saying: “You [Christ] are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:9–10).

The Gospel of Jesus Christ—that is the good news that He brought to the world—is that He is going to set up a Kingdom here on earth, and those during this age whom He is calling have an opportunity to be part of that ruling family.

This is the same message Paul taught, as shown in the last two verses of the book of Acts (Acts 28:30-31):

Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.

Thy Kingdom Come—What Does It Mean?

Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. Many repeat this prayer without considering what they are saying. Do you understand these often-repeated words?

Jesus gave these instructions prior to answering their question of how to pray (Matthew 6:7–8):

And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him (Matthew 6:7–8).

Rather than a prayer to be repeated over and over again, note that He was giving them an outline or example of how to pray. And He said (in Matthew 6:9),

In this manner, therefore, pray (Matthew 6:9).

After focusing on God as our heavenly Father, we find that we are to next focus in our prayer on the Gospel He proclaimed;

Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10).

Pray Thy Kingdom Come—With Understanding

You have no doubt heard these words—probably even prayed them. But do you, dear friend, understand their significance? Is the Kingdom of God that which is most important to you? Or is it your sports team? Your job? Even your family?

It does not matter what you profess, but what you do, and in that regard, our Savior requires you to put Him first above all else. Notice it in Luke 14:26–27:

If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

Those are serious words. And does Jesus’ warning in Matthews 10 shock you? Notice it in v. 34:

Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to “set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law”; and “a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.” He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me (Matthew 10:34–37).

Put God First (Matthew 6:31-33)

Some people profess to put God first above all—including family—but how many really do? Jesus instructs us (in Matthew 6:31, 33):

Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?”…. But seek first [notice it: seek first] the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:31, 33).

Is the Kingdom of God what is most important? Or is it more important to you to keep peace with family and friends over humanly-devised religious traditions?

Think about it.