Worry free Life

Worry free Life

Pray that God would help you have faith in both small and big matters.

Read Matthew 6:1–34. Reflect on Matthew 6:25–34.

Matthew 6:25-34

Matthew 6:25–34 NLT

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

In 6:25 Jesus begins a discussion on worry by pointing back (“therefore …”) to what He just said. How does Jesus’ teaching on worry relate to the accumulation of earthly treasures? God is not telling us not to plan but not to worry or be anxious. We are not to be consumed by attaining so much wealth that we literally make it our God . Jesus said the following Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

Matthew 6:24 NLT

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

Worry brings sickness

What Happens With Excessive Worrying?

Worrying is feeling uneasy or being overly concerned about a situation or problem. With excessive worrying, your mind and body go into overdrive as you constantly focus on "what might happen."

In the midst of excessive worrying, you may suffer with high anxiety -- even panic -- during waking hours. Many chronic worriers tell of feeling a sense of impending doom or unrealistic fears that only increase their worries. Ultra-sensitive to their environment and to the criticism of others, excessive worriers may see anything -- and anyone -- as a potential threat.

Sermon on the Mount

Gives us everything we need to live a victorious life.

1. Priority is necessary to set around the Kingdom of God

Are you part of God kingdom?

There are rules everywhere Matthew 6:25

2. What worries does Jesus’ mention in 6:25? What aspects of life cause you to worry?

We are not to worry about: :

1. Our life

2. What we are going to eat

3. Shelter

Necessities of life

God is faithful Matthew 6:26-27 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?

Matthew 6:26–27 NLT

Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?

Are you worried?

Look at the birds , God provides for the bird

They don’t sow or reap but God provides

You are more valuable than the birds.

A. God feeds and clothes you.

Kingdom approach -thank God for his provision

B. Jesus say if you can trust me in the small things then you know where to turn to in the large things

What causes you to worry?

Jesus uses two illustrations from nature to explain why we shouldn’t worry: Birds don’t store up their next meal, but God provides for them; lilies don’t exert any effort to grow, but God makes them beautiful. Jesus does not say we should neglect planning ahead or being diligent in our work (compare Prov 10:4–5). Instead, He says we should not be anxious or worry about these matters.

a. We Need to Distinguish Between Cares

There are literally two different types of cares the Bible gives us.

1. A care for the world.

There are cares, concerns, which come from just being alive in this world. They are very worldly in nature, not necessarily sinful, but they spring from life in this world. This is a principle you need to understand if you're going to understand this message. Where the heart is, there our concerns lie. For example, the reason Jesus commands us in Matthew 6 not to worry about what we will eat or what we will wear or even tomorrow, is because He wants us to understand our life does not depend on the things of this world but upon Him. If we grow concerned about these sometimes-necessary material things we grow dependent upon the world. Where your concerns are is where your dependency, trust and inclinations will be.

Jesus is saying don't be troubled by earthly things because if that becomes the preoccupation, your heart will be there also. If you are anxious about anything or, in our vernacular, if you stay up at night worried about things—you have a hard time falling asleep because your mind cannot stop thinking about and fretting over and trying to conceive a pathway out of the circumstance—the world has your heart.

2. A care for the Kingdom of God.

If you are not concerned with the things of the Kingdom then you lose heart for the Kingdom. In other words, there ought to be some genuine, deep concerns about Kingdom matters. God wants you to be deeply concerned about issues that involve the Kingdom of God and its advancement.

3.Is there a difference between concerns and worries?

The answer is yes and no. Yes, having a deep concern, as Paul put it, or being worried is defined very much the same. However, I want to use these words differently this morning and distinguish between a godly care and a worldly care because there is a difference. If there were no difference, then why don't we say godly worry? We don't say that because we know it's not godly to worry. So, there must be a difference.

a. There is a test to distinguish whether you are concerned about the Kingdom of God or worried about the things of this world.

However, there is a huge difference between being worried and being deeply concerned. Being worried always looks to earthly resources for help and therefore a feeling of panic and hopelessness will set in. Concern looks to God in prayer for resolution and therefore you have hope because you trust the Judge of all the earth will do right.

Care for the world is called worry because the world cannot solve those cares and concerns. Oh, there might be temporary solutions in this world, but in the end, when it comes to you being able to master every problem that comes to you because of living in this world, there will be some problems you will not be able to manage or correct. They will overcome you. That is the sense of panic and hopelessness worry brings with it. But you can be deeply concerned about the things of God, even about an electric bill being paid, and it is not worry. How is that? Because you take it to God in prayer, trusting that the Judge of all the earth will do right. There is no sense of hopelessness in that. It is very much full of hope because you have learned to take your cares into the realm of prayer and faith.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, make your requests be made known to God, with thanksgiving..."

Deep concerns, concerns that seem so close to anxiety are not when we take them to God and don’t try to resolve them on our own through thinking and plotting and strategizing, instead we literally lay them before God.

Is it easier for you to have faith in God for big concerns—things like salvation—than for everyday concerns? Explain your answer.

Many people find it easier to trust for the big things because it out of there control and only God can.

The small everyday concerns we feel we can mange it and we do not turn to God for peace and solace in those difficult and mundane problems.

Mathew 6:31 the gentile seek but your heavenly Father knows what you need.

· God is faithful

· This morning he was faithful

· Continues to be faithful

· Seek first the kingdom of God

· Don’t worry about tomorrow

· Each day brings its own problems

4. What does Jesus say we should do instead of worrying (6:32)?

32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

We are to live with that assurance that the Father in heaven has our back.

5. How do we go about seeking the kingdom (compare Matthew 5:3–12, Matthew 6:19–20)? Pray about how you can seek what is important to God’s kingdom and not worry about your own safety or security.

The B attitude is all about self-sacrifice, thinking about others.

Treasures in Heaven

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Bamboo

Once upon a time, in the heart of the Western Kingdom, lay a beautiful garden. And there, in the cool of the day, the Master of the garden was wont to walk. Of all the denizens of the garden, the most beautiful and most beloved was gracious and noble bamboo. Year after year, bamboo grew yet more noble and gracious, conscious of his Master’s love and watchful delight, but modest and gentle withal. And often when the wind came to revel in the garden, Bamboo would cast aside his grave stateliness, to dance and play right merrily, tossing and swaying and leaping and bowing in joyous abandon, leading the Great Dance of the garden, Which most delighted the Master’s heart.

Now, once upon a day, the Master himself drew near to contemplate his Bamboo with eyes of curious expectancy. And Bamboo, in a passion of adoration, bowed his great head to the ground in loving greeting.

The Master spoke: "Bamboo, Bamboo, I would use you."

Bamboo flung his head to the sky in utter delight. The day of days had come, the day for which he had been made, the day to which he had been growing hour by hour, the day in which he would find his completion and his destiny.

His voice came low: "Master, I’m ready. Use me as Thou wilt."

"Bamboo," - The Master’s voice was grave --- "I would have to take you and cut you down!"

A trembling of great horror shook Bamboo…"Cut …me… down? Me... who thou, Master, has made the most beautiful in all thy Garden…cut me down! Ah, not that. Not that. Use me for the joy, use me for the glory, oh master, but cut me not down!"

Beloved Bamboo,"-The Master’s voice grew graver still-"If I cut you not down, I cannot use you."

The garden grew still. Wind held his breath. Bamboo slowly bent his proud and glorious head. There was a whisper:

"Master, if thou cannot use me other than to cut me down... then do thy will and cut".

"Bamboo, beloved Bamboo, I would cut your leaves and branches from you also".

"Master, spare me. Cut me down and lay my beauty in the dust; but would thou also have to take from me, my leaves, and branches too?"

"Bamboo, if I cut them not away, I cannot use you."

The Sun hid his face. A listening butterfly glided fearfully away. And Bamboo shivered in terrible expectancy, whispering low: "Master, cut away"

"Bamboo, Bamboo, I would yet… split you in two and cut out your heart, for if I cut not so, I cannot use you."

Then Bamboo bowed to the ground: "Master, Master… then cut and split."So did the Master of the garden took Bamboo… and cut him down… and hacked off his branches… and stripped off his leaves… and split him in two… and cut out his heart.

And lifting him gently, carried him to where there was a spring of fresh sparkling water during his dry fields. Then putting one end of the broken Bamboo in the spring and the other end into the water channel in His field, the Master laid down gently his beloved Bamboo… And the spring sang welcome, and the clear sparkling waters raced joyously down the channel of bamboo’s torn body into the waiting fields. Then the rice was planted, and the days went by, and the shoots grew, and the harvest came.

In that day Bamboo, once so glorious in his stately beauty, was yet more glorious in his brokenness and humility. For in his beauty, he was life abundant, but in his brokenness, he became a channel of abundant life to his Master’s world.

So make yourself available and surrender all to him for his Kingdom service. And Live A Worry free life!

Let us Pray