Don't worry

Picking up where we left off

Choice between treasures

Mt6:19-21 “19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

• Don’t do it for YOURSELF. - the things on this earth are only temporary.

• Heavenly treasures are eternal and are secure.

• Earthly treasures are not necessarily bad, but they are not of eternal value if kept for self, they can be used for eternal treasures when not stored up for self.

Commentator Morgan: “The Master does not say it is wrong to possess earthly treasure. He does say it is wrong to lay it up for self. We are to hold it as stewards.”

• We are to be are to be a giver “it is better to give than to receive (Act20:35). That is storing up treasures in heaven. It is helping those who are in need (Gal2:10)

• Jesus told a parable of the shrewd manager (Lk16:1-14) and many look at it in a wrong way, but think of it as this. 1. He knew he was going to face judgment. 2. He used what the master had entrusted to him and he went and used it for the good of others then so that it would store up good for the future.

• It was a parable to those listening that they better use the resources given now, now for they cannot take them with them. Be a giver now, be a faithful giver now. Be a cheerful giver now.

Mt6:21“21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

• There is no duality allowed, you cannot store up in two places it is either in heaven or earth. This is more than about money and you will see this as we go on in the passage, it is about loyalty.

Eye sight

Mt6:22-23Mt6:22-23 “22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

• Q: Tell me about the eye here? There is a statement and a contrast.

• Take your hands and cover your eyes, what do you see?

• Now take your hands and start to uncover your eyes, what are you starting to see as you do that? and as you take your hands away what do you see?

• Light comes into the body through the eyes.

• So if the eye is blind, we would live in a dark world. Jesus is not speaking literal, but in a figurative way since he has been speaking of treasures, being generous or being single minded toward self. Light/darkness.

• This has to do with the disciples attitude towards material things in this world.

• Jesus calls for them to be single minded. like Paul did to have the mind of Christ (Php2) it brings light to our lives to be generous. And, and we are more content when we have a generous heart and focus on the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Mt6:33“33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

• Focus on Him first and all these things- the things we need, the material things we need, God will add to us, why because we seek Him first, and we have a generous heart to serve others. His light is in us and there is no darkness at all

• Jesus is asking them that their eyes are directed on heavenly things and are filled with light or on earthly things and filled with darkness.

• Q: If you have a glass of clean water and pour mud into it what happens to the water?

• As a Christian we can still get materialistic and hoard things for ourselves and try to justify it, even though this kind of darkness effects the entire body like the mud effects the entire glass. So the wrong attitude toward material things brings darkness to the whole being.

Who are you going to Serve

Mt6:24“24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”

• Q: Tell me something that is impossible?

• It is impossible to be going in two directions at the same time

• Jesus had the master slave relationship in mind here. A slave cannot serve two masters at the same time.

• Each claims the slave as property. Each expects total dedication and devotion.

• Jesus is saying you cannot serve the master of money (mammon) and the Lord at the same time.

• You can have the money (mammon) serve the Lord and it will serve you.

• This is more than money, it is about heart, that is what Jesus is addressing here. Many claim to love and serve Jesus but in fact their service of their money shows different. They are not willing to sacrifice for Jesus. They will sacrifice for themselves for money sake to save for something they want to buy, but not for the sake of Jesus. then money is their God.

• You don’t have to be rich to be serve mammon, the poor can do it too.

• So, it’s all a matter of heart in these material things and this is what all these things we have been talking about are all about. covetousness

Cure for anxiety

After covering many things that may cause anxiety, worry, concern Jesus comes around to the solution to anxiety from everyday things. Or the cure for anxiety.

May we look at the passage together as it relates to the kingdom, kingdom citizens who live in a fallen world now with a heavenly kingdom to come.

Mt6:25-28 “25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,”

Mt6:29-32 “29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”

Mt6:33-34 “33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Q: What do you see as the overall theme or problem in this passage

Q: What do you see as the overall solution in this passage

Kingdom over Earthly riches

Your life, Your food, Your drink, Your body, Your clothing, Your worry (v.25)

Don’t get tangled up in these things, worry about these things, your life is more than these things.

Spurgeon said: You cannot say that Jesus ever troubled his head about what he should eat, or what he should drink, his meat and his drink consisted of doing his Father’s will.”

Jn4:34 “34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.”

Arguments against Worry

Mt6:26-30 “26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!”

Trust God, don’t worry and here is why.

Birds don’t worry; They are taken care of; and you are worth more then they are

Carson says: “Birds don’t worry but they do work, they don’t just sit there with mouths open expecting God to fill them, they go and get the worms or the daily provision that God provides.”

We worry so much over material things of this world that we give little thought over God and his value of us! How much He loves us and cares for us.

Our worry can add nothing, in fact can take from our lives. Stress is a contributor to disease and poor health.

Our heavenly Father knows our needs, meets our needs so why worry. So

Seek His kingdom first

Mt6:33-34 “33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Put God’s kingdom first and do not worry about your physical needs, God will take care of them.

Seek First His kingdom, His righteousness make that choice first and reinforce that decision daily and He will provide your daily bread and meet your daily need. You do your part, He will do His part. So don’t worry.