This week, before winding down for the night, we have considered the importance of seeking first the kingdom of God. While there are many applications that can and should be made from our Lord’s instructions, we have applied it to the local church. Being the best member of your local church that you can be is a part of putting God’s rule and reign first in your life. As we close this week, I want us to consider three essential things we must do in order to truly seek the kingdom of God first.

• We must preach

It is essential to the local church that all its members be evangelistic in nature. It is the responsibility of every member of the body of Christ to strive to make disciples for Jesus (Matthew 28:19). Our primary purpose in preaching the gospel is to save souls; however, it is also essential for the long-term survival of the local church. Every local church loses members in four different ways: 1) Some will leave the faith, 2) some will move away, 3) some will get disgruntled and change their membership, and 4) some will die. Obviously, these members need to be replaced if the local church is going to maintain its membership.

Preaching the gospel is a natural response of true faith. Paul once quoted Psalms 116:10, which says, “I believe, and so I speak.” He then added, “…we also believe, and so we also speak” (2 Corinthians 4:13). If we really believe what the gospel teaches, we will not keep that soul-saving message to ourselves.

• We must pray

Another essential ingredient to a successful local church is prayer. As we have already seen this week, members of the church all have different talents. There is something, though, that every member of the church can do, regardless of our talent level…we can all pray. Prayer is powerful because we serve a powerful God. Having a praying membership is of great value to a local church. Sadly, most of us do not pray as often as we should. The good news is we can change that anytime we want, at least individually. Why not make up your mind that you are going to pray more often, and that a part of your prayer life will include praying for your local church? When was the last time you prayed for the growth of your local church? Do you pray for the elders who watch over your souls? What about praying for our young people? We could spend much time in prayer if we did nothing more than pray for the church.

• We must pardon

The local church is a family, and as with all families, problems arise once in a while. People make mistakes and sometimes those mistakes hurt others. In a local church, members will be offended by the actions of other members from time to time because we all have faults. The fact is, we have all been on both the giving and receiving end of some offense. In order for peace to prevail in a local church, members must be willing to forgive one another. Let us not forget, we must be willing to forgive others if we expect God to forgive us (Matthew 6:14-15).

Are you seeking first the kingdom of God? We all can, and if we expect God to watch over us with His providential care, we must (Matthew 6:33). The church is a part of God’s eternal purpose (Ephesians 3:10-11). Let us do what we can to build her up.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.