Sermon on the Mount -07- What, Me Worry?

Reading: Matthew 6:25-34
31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:31-33 (NIV)

I.   Don’t Worry about it!

     A.  Therefore, don’t worry (v.25a)

           1.  Since, you’re decided about serving God and not money, don’t worry about the things money can buy.

           2.  Since you’ve already decided where your priorities are — what your life is really about, don’t be driven to distraction by incidentals.

           3.  Since you are convinced that by putting your treasure in heaven you’ll have much more than you’ll ever need, don’t repeat your old patterns of treasuring what can be robbed or destroyed.

     B.  Life is more than Basic needs (v.25b)

           1.  Isn’t life more than food?

                 a.  Isn’t life more than just staying alive?

                 b.  Isn’t life more than taking input?

           2.  Aren’t you more significant than what you wear?

                 a.  Fancy duds don’t make you a better person.

     C.  Life is more than Frills

           1.  If all you have is rice and beans, or cull potatoes and turkey hamburger, or just bread and peanut butter, is that something to spend energy worrying about?

           2.  If you can’t afford the “right” kind of pants, or shoes, or dress, or food, or games, or books, or TV, etc. So What?

                 a.  Those things are extras. (Not bad, just not central.)

                 b.  We pray: Give us this day our daily bread not Give us this day our daily Filet Mignon.

           3.  Keep the main thing the main thing: live for God.

II.  The Futility of Worry

     A.  Worry won’t help you live Longer

           1.  Who by worrying can add a single hour to his life?(v.27) or ...single cubit to his height.

                 a.  In fact medicine tells us that enough worry/stress can shorten your life span.

           2.  Worry-warts believe that all of their attention and energy devoted to meeting their needs will actually help them meet their needs.

           3.  We easily forget that meeting our needs is mostly in God’s hands.

     B.  Worry won’t help you live Better

           1.  But we’re also talking the assumption that those with the most ambition, provide for themselves best.

                 a.  Ambition is a bad word in Spanish

                 b.  The distance between ambition and anxiety isn’t all that great.

           2.  Don’t worry about tomorrow (the future), you’ve got enough to deal with today.

     C.  Worry betrays a lack of Trust

           1.  Do we believe that God is in charge, or not?

                 a.  Do we trust God to come through when it counts?

           2.  Where there is trust, worry subsides. Contentment is a spiritual value.

III. The Father’s Competence

     A.  God cares for the Little things.

           1.  God cares for the birds and flowers without any help from people like you — how are they doing?

                 a.  Birds don’t worry about tomorrow or plan for retirement, but they always have enough.

                 b.  Flowers don’t gussy themselves up, or get into debt up to their eyeballs to have $50 tennis shoes or the latest designs from Gucci - yet in their own simple way their more beautiful than anything.

           2.  Don’t you see, if birds don’t need to worry about the future, and flowers about how they look, why should we?

           3.  Birds and flowers don’t have a lot of real value, yet God takes good care of them, what makes you think He won’t take care of you - the crown of His creation?

     B.  God knows our Needs (v.32)

           1.  We need food and we need clothing and this is not news to God.

           2.  Believing as we do that God is loving and all-powerful, why should we suppose that He wouldn’t give us everything we need to do all that he asks?

     C.  God promises to Meet our needs

           1.  Here’s the promise: Live for His Kingdom and by His righteousness and God will certainly give you all you need to do that.

                 a.  Notice: this isn’t some sort of formula to get rich — if that’s what you’re after you’re not after God’s Kingdom.

                 b.  In fact elsewhere the Bible tells us that we can expect trouble because we’re Christians, and sometimes in spite of it. God doesn’t promise us a cushy life — just a good life.

                 c.  Yet it is a promise. God always keeps His promises.

           2.  Rom.8:28 says in all things God works for the good of those who love him. We know that’s true.

                 a.  Even when the evidence seems to point in the other direction.

           3.  Psalm 23 also reflects on God’s care and provision:

     1The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

              3 he restores my soul.

     He guides me in paths of righteousness

           for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the valley of the

                 shadow of death,

           I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

           your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

       5 You prepare a table before me

           in the presence of my enemies.

     You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

       6 Surely goodness and love will follow me

           all the days of my life,

     and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 23 (NIV)

The Bottom Line:

 .