Matthew 6:25-34 (Do not Be Anxious)

INTRODUCTION:

What’s your favorite movie? (mine is Miracle on Ice — the hockey movie) I’m especially attracted to true, inspirational stories. I like to imagine myself making the winning play, or being the hero of the battle, etc. I generally enjoy realistic movies. Movies that could actually happen. Hot take: Star Wars is not that good…

One of the most relatable and realistic (in part) movies I’ve watched in a while was… Inside Out 2. Anyone seen that movie? One of the new emotions that Riley develops in her teen years is ANXIETY.

Can anyone define anxiety for us? What do you think anxiety is? Have you ever heard of the word anxiety? It’s similar to worry and contains a little fear.

Anxiety — a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.

This was Riley. Anxiety led her to overthink, worry, be emotionally unstable, lose friends, paralyzed concerning decisions, isolated, fearful, angry, etc.

This animated cartoon movie illustrates for us what happens in so many of our minds and bodies. To be clear, anxiety is not only an emotion that teenagers face (32% of teenagers face anxiety on a regular basis). It is introduced in the teen years and develops into adulthood.

As we look at Jesus’s words in Matthew 6 tonight, here’s what I want from you.

Be honest about your fears.

Be hopeful about bringing your fears to God.

Be resilient in dealing with anxiety throughout your life.

Let’s begin with one verse that exposes the overall principle for disciples of Christ. Then we’ll see Jesus’s words for us concerning dealing with anxiety.

Matthew 6:25 KJV 1900

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Where do you see anxiety in this verse? (take no thought) It literally means: do not be anxious, don’t worry, don’t have anxiety.

Here’s what Jesus is instructing his disciples — DO NOT WORRY!

Now, for me personally, this feels like an impossibility. There are so many things I can and do worry about!

Think with me for a moment. What are you worried about right now? What are some things that consistently and constantly worry about? What’s something important in your life that causes you to worry?

Is it your schooling or future well-fare, your grades, GPA, and college acceptance letters? Is it you reputation or how you look? Maybe it’s your friendships or family relationships?

Adult, maybe it’s the financial pressures you face, decision fatigue, or choosing/finding the right career?

For all of us, anxiety revolves mostly around one thing — the fear of the unknown.

Our passage tonight is not meant to condemn you for feeling anxious, but it serves as an invitation to grow in your trust for God and to cast your cares, worries, and anxieties on him. He cares for you!

Proverbs 12:25 — Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad!

Let’s listen to Jesus’s words tonight as we pursue a non-anxious heart.

A NON-ANXIOUS HEART RESTS IN THE FATHER (vs.26-29)

Jesus begins with an earthly illustration that’s meant to convict and encourage his hearers.

Matthew 6:26–29 KJV 1900

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

EARTHLY ILLUSTRATION with a SPIRITUAL SOLUTION

Birds and beautiful flowers. There’s two things they have in common that Jesus wants us to recognize. First, have you ever seen a bird or a flower worry about what they’re going to eat, drink, or where they’re going to live?

DON’T WORRY — YOU ARE GOD’S CHILD

These creatures don’t have a care in the world. They belong to God.

But look what Jesus points out in vs. 26. “Are ye not much better than they?” If the birds and flowers don’t worry because they were created by God, how much more should be not worry because we are God’s children?

We’ll see later on in the passage this same truth — Believers are God’s children and rest totally under the protection and provision of their Heavenly Father.

If this is the case, then Jesus invites us to rest.

DON’T WORK — YOU AREN’T IN CONTROL

The birds and flowers, they sow not nor toil. They don’t increase their goods or store up their labors. No, they rest in the provision of their Father.

Jesus goes on to say in vs. 27, “Which of you by taking thought (worrying) can add one cubit unto his stature (can increase his height)?” What’s the answer? No one. We are not in control.

You are not in control.

What does this mean for us? If you worry about being financially stable, you work for a larger paycheck, you trust in money to provide for your family, create a better life, or ease burdens… You’re going to constantly be anxious about the number in your bank account, the mounting bills, and the financial pressures of life. Guess what — you’ll learn the hard lesson that you’re not in control of your finances.

If you worry about what you look life, you will constantly be criticizing yourself in the mirror for the ever-fluctuating weight loss/gain, the ever-changing styles and trends. You will constantly worry about what people think of you and your social status. Guess what — you’ll learn the hard lesson that you’re not in control of what you look like and what people think of you.

Whatever it is, If you look to anything other than God to ease your worries, your worries will only grow.

Jesus implores his followers to rest in him and his care.

Each time you see a bird flitting about, be reminded that they don’t have any cares or worries, and that’s the way it should be. If they don’t worry, how much more should we rest in the Father’s care for us.

Jesus will circle back to this truth later in Matthew 11.

Matthew 11:28–30 KJV 1900

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

What would it mean for you to rest in the Father?

A non-anxious heart rests in the Father.

A NON-ANXIOUS HEART TRUSTS THE FATHER (vs.30-32)

Matthew 6:30–32 KJV 1900

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

“Worry is incompatible with Christian faith.” — John Stott

We call ourselves believers yet demonstrate through our anxiety that we don’t actually believe. We trust God to eternally save us, yet worry about our next meal, paycheck, or friendship. Come on, that doesn’t add up.

Jesus asks a pointed question in vs. 30 — “O ye of little faith?”

WORRY = LACK OF TRUST

Worry/Anxiety demonstrates a lack of trust concerning our Father’s provision and protection of his children.

“If you’re worrying, you’re not trusting. If you’re trusting, you’re not worrying.”

I’m going to name an attribute and you think of someone that fits that attribute.

Funny, Kind, Scary, Safe, Weird.

When I think of my earthly father, I think of the following things (I recognize this may not be the case for some): Provides for my needs even as an adult, encourages me when I feel defeated, protects me when I’m scared, eases my fears when they consume me. I trust my father immensely.

And this is my earthly father… How much more should I trust my heavenly Father?

When I worry about making a sports team, I’m demonstrating to God that I doubt he has my best interests in mind.

When I get anxious over a relationship, whether a boy or girl likes me or not, I’m demonstrating to God that I’m consumed with this boy or girl instead of Him.

When I get anxious about the future or get paralyzed by making the right decision, I’m demonstrating that I don’t trust that God is in control of the future.

Our heavenly Father is worthy of all of our trust because he alone is sovereign over all things past, present, and future.

When you don’t know what’s going to happen. He knows. When you get scared over the pressures of this life. He protects. When everything is your power is falling apart. He puts it back together. But even better.

There’s freedom from anxiety found in the arms of our Savior. All he asks for is for us to trust him.

Worry not only reveals our lack of trust in the Father. Worry also reveals an unbeliever’s mindset.

WORRY = UNBELIEVER’S MINDSET

What does vs. 32 say about those who worry? “For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:”

Jesus exposes the root of our worry. We care too much about the things of this world. We’ll see this in full in our last point, but, this points us back to last week’s lesson — Our Treasure Divides.

Often we worry because we prioritize comfort, security, happiness, popularity, etc over God. Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount points us to be distinct as followers of Christ. Believers are to be a reflection of their Father. What causes us to worry exposes what we prioritize.

What do you habitually worry about? How does the root of your worry expose your desire to belong to this world, or reveal that you prioritize the things of this world?

Believers then are to prioritize the things concerning their Father.

What you worry about is revealing about you. Jesus is calling us to trust the Father.

A non-anxious heart rests in the Father. A non-anxious heart trusts the Father. Finally, a non-anxious heart seeks the Father’s kingdom.

A NON-ANXIOUS HEART SEEKS THE FATHER’S KINGDOM (vs.33-34)

Matthew 6:33–34 KJV 1900

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

So far we’ve seen a non-anxious heart is actively fighting off anxiety through different actions — Rests, Trusts, and Seeks. In your battle (it is a battle) against anxiety, you must be actively pursuing peace from God. And here in these last verses of our passage, Jesus calls us to seek the things of God as an antidote to anxiety. Why?

When we pursue God and the things of God, Jesus promises that our needs will be taken care of. Pursuing things above provides peace here below.

J.M. Boice writes, “Make it your business to seek God’s interests and follow His way and see if all your physical needs do not come to you effortlessly and without any necessity on your part of being anxious about them.”

Think back to last week. I asked you why you thought Jesus connected worry/anxiety with treasure. Here’s the answer: What we treasure provides either peace or anxiety. Remember, you get to choose who/what you serve.

If you pursue worldly treasure, you will experience worry and anxiety, and ultimately that treasure will fade away. If you pursue God and his kingdom, you will experience peace, and will lay up treasure in heaven that is incorruptible and lasts for eternity.

This ultimately is the purpose of man: The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks the question, What is the Chief End of Man? A: To glorify God and enjoy Him for ever. If that is an accurate description of our Christian service, then it is evident that we cannot be serving God by glorifying Him if we are constantly filled with doubt about His ability to care for us.

VERSE 1 Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings Yet not welcome any pain? Shall I thank You for days of sunshine Yet grumble in days of rain? Shall I love You in times of plenty Then leave You in days of drought? Shall I trust when I reap a harvest But when winter winds blow, then doubt?

CHORUS Oh let Your will be done in me In Your love I will abide Oh I long for nothing else as long As You are glorified

VERSE 2 Are You good only when I prosper And true only when I’m filled? Are You King only when I’m carefree And God only when I’m well? You are good when I’m poor and needy You are true when I’m parched and dry You still reign in the deepest valley You’re still God in the darkest night

BRIDGE So quiet my restless heart Quiet my restless heart Quiet my restless heart in You

Glorifying God is choosing to invest in Bible reading and memorization over social media and Youtube. Glorifying God is choosing to invest in real, authentic Christian relationships and community over superficial popularity that comes from wearing the right clothes or starting on the football team. Glorifying God is choosing to invest in others by witnessing, praying for those around you, and demonstrating Christ-like love over working towards what makes you happy, or impressing a boy or girl. Glorifying God is choosing to invest in honest spirituality over hypocrisy that fools your parents. Glorifying God is choosing to invest in giving to the church and others instead of pursuing financial security, possessions, or a big/picture-perfect house.

What you pursue today is setting habits for the future. Habits that produce either anxiety or peace. You get to choose. Serve God or mammon?

CONCLUSION:

A non-anxious heart rests, trusts, and seeks all things concerning the Father. For the last couple of minutes I want to offer some practical help to dealing with anxiety and they come in the form of 4 Rs.

RELEASE

Release your thoughts, feelings, and anxieties to God.

Psalm 55:22 KJV 1900

22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

1 Peter 5:7 KJV 1900

7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Practical ways to do this — Prayer and Journaling.

*talk about what I do / show my journal. There will be a verse sheet.

ROOT

Root yourself in God’s Word. It tells us what is true. It reminds us of who God is. It encourages us with the promises of God to his children.

The greatest way to battle anxieties is to claim the promises of God.

Use a daily devotional. If you would like a daily devotional either for anxiety or just in general, please ask me.

Hear me, Your emotions change, but God never does. Your emotions will always change, but Scripture never will. We must root ourselves in Scripture.

RECEIVE

Psalm 46:10 KJV 1900

10 Be still, and know that I am God:

Be still and listen for God. Sit in quiet. Reflect on God. Meditate on his promises. Go for a walk to pray and listen to God.

REPEAT

The battle against anxiety will never end. We must continually Release, Root, and Receive.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Why do you think Jesus connects treasure with worry in Matthew 6:19-34?

Anxiety often starts with something specific. Take a moment to write down or name one or two things that cause you the most worry right now. Why do you think those things carry so much weight for you?

When you face those worries, what are you most tempted to turn to for comfort or control? (Friends, entertainment, success, approval, etc.) How might trusting or “resting in the Father” look different in those same moments?

PRAYER PROMPTS:

Rest in the Father — “Father, help us release our worries to You instead of carrying them ourselves.” Pray that each person would learn to rest in God’s care . Stop striving for control and experience peace knowing God provides and sustains.

Trust the Father — “Lord, grow our faith when we’re tempted to doubt Your goodness.” Ask God to increase your trust when anxiety feels overwhelming. Pray for hearts that believe He truly knows and meets every need.

Seek the Father’s Kingdom — “God, shift our focus from what the world values to what You value.” Pray that your group would seek God first. That your priorities, decisions, and desires would reflect His kingdom rather than your own comfort or control.