Fulfillment

Matthew 6:25–34 CSB

“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Introduction: There is a famous Reggae song that comes to mind when reading this passage. It was written by Bobby McFerrin and it goes something like this:

Here's a little song I wrote You might want to sing it note for note Don't worry, be happy In every life we have some trouble But when you worry, you make it double Don't worry, be happy Don't worry, be happy now...

It’s a catchy tune too.

For most of us, it takes a whole lot more to keep us from worrying than a Reggae song.

Corrie Ten Boom said, “Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

The passage today deals with anxiety, worry, and the key to overcoming those issues.

A Life of Faith (vv. 30-32)

The context of these two verses talk about the propensity of humans to be anxious and to worry.

Illus - Max Lucado: “How can a person deal with anxiety? You might try what one fellow did. He worried so much that he decided to hire someone to do his worrying for him. He found a man who agreed to be his hired worrier for a salary of $200,000 per year. After the man accepted the job, his first question to his boss was, "Where are you going to get $200,000 per year?" To which the man responded, "That's your worry.”

Here is a question that you might have thought of before: “Is worry a sin?” I’m going to say yes and no. Does the Bible ever say worry is a sin? No. However, can we see why it could considered be sinful? Yes.

Worry demonstrates a lack of trust in God’s Providential care for us.

God is the perfect father. He is most unlike any earthly father. Your earthy father was not perfect. He likely let you down at some point because he was/is human. Some of us were deeply wounded by our fathers.

While your earthly father may have worked hard and sacrificed to provide for your needs, your Heavenly Father doesn’t even break a sweat!

Consider the examples that Jesus shares in vv. 25-29

“The birds of the sky”

Have any of you ever seen a bird out farming? They build nests but have you ever seen one build a barn? No, our heavenly father provides their food. Then Jesus asks the question, “Aren’t you worth more than they are?” Well, aren’t you?

Matthew 6:27 (CSB)

Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying?

NO YO CAN NOT

Psalm 139:16 CSB

Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began.

“The Wildflowers of the Field”

How many wildflowers have you seen shopping at Wal-Mart? They don’t need a Singer sewing machine. God clothes them. Consider the grass of the field. It sprouts and grows and then tomorrow someone comes along on a riding lawnmower and cuts it down.

But even King Solomon in all of his splendor was never clothed like one of those Wildflowers. OK, we might have a hard time relating to that example.

What about this…the Celebrity award shows…where these entertainers come together and congratulate themselves for providing entertainment to the masses…when they walk out onto the red carpet, people are “ooohing and ahhhing” at the designer dresses that the people wear. None of that ever compared to the beauty of the wildflower.

Jesus said that if you are overly concerned by your temporal needs, then you are of little faith.

The counter agent for anxiety and worry is to live a life of Faith.

Faith is not wishful thinking or pipe dreams…it’s confidence in the living God.

Hebrews 11:1 CSB

Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 LSB

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

The word used for reality or assurance is the word hupostasis and comes from huphistemi, what stands under anything (a building, a contract, a promise) (A foundation.) It could also be a legal term for a title-deed. (Faith is the title-deed of things hoped for.”)

Living a life of faith is a life of trust regardless of whatever life throws at you.

Jesus also mentions how the Gentiles (Unbelievers) worry about all these things. We are not to live as they do. They have every reason to worry because their gods are impotent. But our God is all powerful. He is fully capable of supplying all our needs in His timing.

A Life of Proper Focus (v. 33)

What is most important to you in this life?

Is it your job? Is it the accumulation of wealth? Is it your education and academic accomplishments? Is it pleasure? Is it your family? None of these things are evil in and of themselves. You have to have a job. You need money. Education is important. Pleasure, so long as it doesn’t violate the clear teaching of scripture, is fine. Your family is a gift from God.

“Your heavenly Father knows you need these things.”

It is when you allow these things to be most important to you when they become a hinderance to faith. They can become idols. An idol is anything that replaces God in your life.

For the believer, our top priority is to seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. Seek means to actively pursue or to go after. It is in the present tense so it is a continual pursuit of His kingdom. This is more than just receive Christ as savior and wait for heaven. It is a daily pursuit of Christ.

In order to pursue the Kingdom, you must first know the King. The idea of the Kingdom here means the rule and reign of the King in your heart and life. Who is in control? Who calls the shots? Who directs your life decisions?

And we are told that the Kingdom should be our first pursuit. God doesn’t say to us, just follow me when you get around to it. He doesn’t say come visit me when you are free. You don’t put God in a box and shelve him until you are ready for him. No, he must be first.

First in the original language is used in two senses. 1) In the sense of being at the top of your list. 2) In the sense of chiefly or most prominent. We might say, the best.

Putting God first requires us to reject and renounce all rival Kingdoms and competition to that of King Jesus.

James 4:6–10 CSB

But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Illus. I had a professor in college illustrate it this way. He asked us whether we agreed or disagreed with the following statement: “All you need to make your life complete is Jesus.” How would you answer? Believe it our not, that is a false statement. Why? Because it implies that Jesus is just another thing you add to your life. And if you never get around to jesus, then you’ll be just fine.

If the Kingdom of God is first in your life, then the King will direct the activity of your life. That means that all that you do in life will relate to Christ. There won’t be a debate about whether or not you get out of bed on Sunday morning to be in church. You won’t wrestle with whether you go the God’s house or the ball field on Wednesday. The offering plate will not be an optional part of the service when you come to Christ. The nominating committee won’t have to beg to get you to serve in church.

Illus. Pastor Terry Trivette said, “Living in the United States, it is difficult for us to really grasp the principles of a kingdom. We elect our leaders, and expect them to enact our wishes. In a kingdom, or an absolute monarchy, the king is completely in charge of what goes on in his kingdom. The people that live in his kingdom are completely subject to his commands and instructions for their lives. They don't get a voice, a vote, or a veto. They are simply expected to obey the king.”

When was the last time you evaluated your walk with Christ based on Matthew 6:33?

A Life of Fulfillment (vv. 33-34)

Jesus said to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE PROVIDED FOR YOU.

Psalm 37:25 CSB

I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned or his children begging for bread.

Christ is talking about our material needs here. If he is first and foremost in your life, God will take care of you and provide the fulfillment you desire in life.

Is God a liar?

Did Jesus mean what he said?

You can trust God when it comes to the promises of salvation through Christ but you can’t trust him to provide your most basic needs? Something don’t add up.

Matthew 6:34 CSB

Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

More importantly though is the fulfillment that we find when we put the Kingdom of God in first place in our lives. Nothing satisfies the heart of a believer more than following the will of God for their lives.

Illus. Henry Martyn, a distinguished scholar and Cambridge University student, was honored at only 20 years of age for his achievements in mathematics. In fact, he was given the highest recognition possible in that field. And yet he felt an emptiness inside. He said that instead of finding fulfillment in his achievements, he had “only grasped a shadow.” After evaluating his life’s goals, Martyn sailed to India as a missionary at the age of 24. When he arrived, he prayed, “Lord, let me burn out for You.” In the next 7 years that preceded his death, he translated the New Testament into three difficult Eastern languages. These notable achievements were certainly not passing “shadows.”