The Beauty of Wonder. The Death of Worry.

LAST WEEK

We took a look at Fasting and Money

We looked at the word Treasure

We looked at the deep parts of our heart

We concluded that when God is our Treasure

When He is at the center of our lives, our emotions, our soul

There is nothing greater to treasure but Him

It sets in place the right motives behind every decision we make.

It gives way to Kingdom Vision here on earth

It sets our eyes on Heaven, while we participate in all God has for us here on earth.

THIS WEEK

We will look at a word that most of us practice yet never repent of

It is an action and a thought at the same time

It is something that Jesus doesn’t want for us, but something we do subconsciously.

This week is going to involve a lot of self reflection

I am praying that it causes a shift

I am praying that it frees us from the bondage of worry to the freedom of wonder

I am praying that it causes us to cherish the present more

I am praying that our focus switches from the internal capacity to an eternal dependency.

READ

The New King James Version Chapter 6

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

The New King James Version Chapter 6

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, 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, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Before we get started, we need to confirm our church’s definition of sin:

What is sin:

How many of us believe that sin is an action/thought separating us from God and contrary to God’s Word?

How many of us believe that every human, has been born with the nature to sin?

How many of us believe that the word of God has the power to change our course? Or to prevent us from habitual sin?

Sin is the natural thought/action that separates us from God, which can be changed by the power of God’s transforming work through the Holy Spirit which was given to us in light of the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

So what happens when Jesus tells us “Do not _________”

What if He said:

Do not Worry . . . .

What happens when we worry about what we will eat or drink

What happens when we worry about the clothes we have and what we wear?

If Jesus is telling us “Not to Worry”

Is it a sin to worry about these things?

Does our disobedient nature come alive when we worry?

To better help us answer this question, lets define Worry:

Actually, before we move forward, lets define worry:

Worry in the greek is the word Merinmao

It means to care for, be anxious about, meditate upon

So what is Jesus saying here:

care for, be anxious about, meditate upon

Remember He is referencing the previous text about serving God and Money

He is saying this:

If God is at the center

If Money has been dethroned by God’s position in your life

Therefore,

Do not worry about your life

For he who loses his life will find it

Do not worry about what you will eat

Whether there is an abundance or a lack

Do not worry about what you will wear

Because moths can destroy and thieves can steal your favorite outfit.

Jesus is saying:

Don’t be anxious, don’t worry about, don’t meditate upon the worldly Trinity

Life, Food, Clothes

Instead, cling to the Eternal Trinity

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

How is this fleshed out?

First we must realize that Jesus is placing a higher value on life than how the world values life

He is trying to prevent us from valuing our lives by

The Restaurants we visit

Where we shop for food

Food for Less or Costco

Ralphs or Gelsons

Where we live

Whether we own or rent

Whether its a large home or a small apartment

What we wear

Whether we shop at Nordstroms or JC Penney

Whether we clothe our kids with Gap or setlle for hand me downs

Lululemon or Champion

To Jesus, these things have no eternal value

They don’t change nor reflect your eternal citizenship

They don’t proclaim your eternal value

What your life will consist of

What you will eat or what you will drink

They don’t communicate how God values you

What you will wear

This is why we must get this right church.

In the Kingdom, these things add zero value

It will change our perspective and shift our value system from that which we can purchase to that which has purchased us.

The New King James Version Chapter 6

26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

Jesus

Look at creation

Look at the birds of the air

They neither sow nor reap

They neither work nor save food for the winter

“Yet your Heavenly Father feeds them”

If your Heavenly Father puts in place a way for the Birds of the Air

To have food in their nests

If he cares so much about the birds

Don’t you think He cares about you too?

Aren’t you of more value than they?

Don’t you have a greater worth than the birds of the air?

Actually no, why?

Because we like to define our worth by another standard

Didn’t God give us dominion over all the earth?

While all of creation is waiting to sing about where their worth comes from.

We fail to correctly define our self worth because we resort to using earthly metrics.

Church! When we get anxious about how God will provide, we must ask ourselves this question: Are you not of more value than the birds of the air?

And follow that up with, “Why are you worrying”

The Message of the Sermon on the Mount a. False or Secular Ambition: Our Own Material Security

Said the robin to the sparrow:

‘I should really like to know

Why these anxious human beings

Rush about and worry so.’

Said the sparrow to the robin:

‘Friend, I think that it must be

That they have no heavenly Father,

Such as cares for you and me.’

Friends, while creation sings the praises of its creator

And follow that up with, “Why are you worrying”

We worry about future troubles

We forget we have a Heavenly Father who cares, loves, and knows our need

So then God’s children are promised freedom neither from work, nor from responsibility, nor from trouble, but only from worry. Worry is forbidden us: it is incompatible with Christian faith.

You think “Worry” will increase your stature

We forget our value

Lastly

We believe that worry will add to our stature

How can worry positively grow your spiritual or physical stature?

Whether its

How can you add 18 inches to your height or your closeness to Jesus?

Jesus transitions from the internal to the external

The New King James Version Chapter 6

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Again, why are we worrying about clothing?

Confession Session:

Next to what/how I’m going to teach on Sunday

I worry about what I am going to wear

I worry about wearing the same thing two weeks in a row

I worry about my hair which is why im booked every two weeks at my barber

Which is conservative in light of my weekly hair cut in high school.

Maybe because we have yet to consider the beauty of the Lillies

Maybe because we have yet to define our beauty with the plain and simple truth that we have been created in God’s Image

The Imago Dei is not enough.

Now, its the Imago Dei + ALL THINGS KARDASHIAN

It’s Imago Dei + THAT PURSE + THEM J’s + THOSE JEANS

We tell God

God, thank you for creating me in your image

But let me help you out a bit

Thats not where we stop either

Your accenting or accesorizing yourself isn’t the bad thing

It’s worrying about where those accents and those accesories will come from

When those new shoes drop

When that new purse gets delivered

When you will have enough money to go shopping again

Jesus says, “Please Stop”

Look at the beauty of the Lillies

They don’t have to work for their beauty

Consider how they grow

How they neither toil nor spin

Even Solomon, the richest man to ever live

In all his glory and all his majesty

Didn’t even come close to the natural beauty found in the lillies of the fields.

Now, if money can’t correctly adorn you

If riches cant add to your worth

By what standard is your beauty defined?

If God creates and adorns the lillies of the field

And whom which have a shelf life

How much more is God willing to adorn you with the things that matter?

How much more is God willing to clothe you with His righteousness in Christ Jesus?

How much more is God willing to clothe you with Eternal Accessories that reflect who you are in Him?

Church, if we are worrying about our earthly attire, the lilies have a message for you.

The Message of the Sermon on the Mount a. False or Secular Ambition: Our Own Material Security

‘Lovely lilies, how ye rebuke our foolish nervousness!’

Let’s take a look at what is really happening here:

Jesus is talking to a group of people who had not yet believed:

A people who had yet to see the Crucified and Risen Christ

A people who didn’t have much faith

A people who didn’t have a church to fall back on

Jesus proclaims that this crowd has very little faith

And, actually equates their behaviors to those of gentile background.

The New King James Version Chapter 6

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Jesus is calling out the entire crowd to forsake the Gentile Nature

The Godless Nature

The New King James Version. (1982). (Mt 6:31–34). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

The Faithless Nature

Stop seeking what the world is seeking

Instead, come to grips with these truths

Combat the temptation to cling to the Earthly Trinity

By depending on the Characteristics of the Eternal Trinity

Come to grips with the truth that:

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Your Heavenly Father knows your need

The New King James Version. (1982). (Mt 6:31–34). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

The New King James Version. (1982). (Mt 6:31–34). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

In fact, do you remember a few weeks ago in Pt 1 when Jesus taught us how to pray correctly:

The New King James Version Chapter 6

8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

The New King James Version Chapter 6

8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Once you’ve come to grips with that truth

Here is something that you should be actively doing

Seek 1st the Kingdom of God & His Righteousness

That everything you once worried about

Everything that once brought you anxiety

What you were going to eat?

What your life would be like?

What you would wear?

Would be provided supernaturally by your Father in Heaven

Because of these truths

We must let tomorrow have its own worry

Instead of worrying about tomorrow

Lets focus on being present and faithful today

Lets seek God’s Kingdom and His Righteousness today

Lets seek to increase our trust and faith in Christ

Church, this involves practice

This requires work

This demands our participation

The Message of the Sermon on the Mount a. False or Secular Ambition: Our Own Material Security

So then God’s children are promised freedom neither from work, nor from responsibility, nor from trouble, but only from worry. Worry is forbidden us: it is incompatible with Christian faith.

Stott, J. R. W., & Stott, J. R. W. (1985). The message of the Sermon on the mount (): Christian counter-culture (p. 168). Leicester; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Liddell, H. G., Scott, R., Jones, H. S., & McKenzie, R. (1996). A Greek-English lexicon (p. 1104). Oxford: Clarendon Press.