Sermon on the Mount: Don't be Anxious

Sermon on the Mount – Don’t be Anxious

Matthew 6:25-34

Matthew 6:25–34 ESV

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious 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: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

1. Introduction – the passage we come to this morning is a special one for me.

a. One of the very first sermons I ever preached was on this passage.

i. It was for my preparation and delivery of sermons class in seminary.

1. And if there’s one group of people you don’t ever want to preach in front of…it’s a group of arrogant seminary students.

a. In the class each student obviously had to prepare a sermon and preach it in front of the class. We had to grade each other…and seminary students…for the most part, are wholly ungracious.

ii. Each one sitting there ripping the others sermons apart instead of being fed from God’s word…each one sitting there thinking how they could preach the passage better.

1. I know this for a fact, because it’s exactly what I did!

b. And even though I had to preach this passage in front of my seminary preaching class – a nightmarish experience – I still love this passage.

i. It is packed full of information – packed full of insight and instruction…and is readily applicable to our lives today.

1. Worry – is there anything more stressful than worry? It can cause headaches, stomach aches, loss of sleep – it causes us to lose focus and lose our perspective.

a. Worry – what are we doing when we are worrying? We are thinking about the future in the present.

i. When we worry, we are living in a world of ‘what ifs.’

1. What if I’m rejected? What will he/she think of me?

a. What ifs – worry – is a terrible place to live in. Trust, I know, I’ve been there…as many of you have also.

c. And when we come to a passage like this – it would be really easy to stand up here and pound on the negative.

i. Don’t worry, don’t be anxious, don’t, don’t, don’t.

1. I could make us all feel really negative…make us feel really bad about ourselves.

a. But this morning, I don’t want to harp on the negatives – but look at the reasons why worry is incompatible with the Christian way of life.

ii. Instead of harping on the negative in this passage – we are going to look at Jesus’ teaching this way.

1. Jesus is teaching that the Christian is one of unwavering trust in God to provide.

a. Hear God’s Word – Matthew 6:25-34.

2. Structure – Today’s is a length passage – so before we look at what is written, first I want to show you how it is written.

a. Understanding a passage’s structure and help us better understand the content.

i. In v.25 – Jesus makes his opening statement – well, actually it’s a concluding statement, if that’s not confusing.

1. He is concluding the previous section of 2 treasures, 2 eyes, and 2 masters…

a. Because we shouldn’t be worshipping the god of Mammon, because he shouldn’t be storying up earthly treasures…we shouldn’t be worrying about tomorrow.

i. It’s the opening statement of this section, but this section as a whole concludes the previous section we studied over the past few weeks.

b. In vv.26-27, Jesus proves his point about not being anxious by using the example of birds…

i. They don’t worry about food…why should you?

1. In vv.28-31, Jesus proves his purpose statement by using the example of flowers.

a. They don’t worry about their clothing…and they have a short life span and are burned up…why should you worry about clothes?

c. And in vv.32-34, Jesus makes his concluding statement.

i. Given that we shouldn’t be consumed by food, and drink and clothing, that we shouldn’t trust material possessions or worry about there they are going to come from….

1. Jesus points us to where our focus should be…where should out trust and hope come from?

a. What should we be seeking after? Jesus says, seek God’s kingdom first…and then the necessities of life will be added to you.

i. Our response to worry should be radically counter cultural.

3. Opening Statement – Jesus’ starts off by saying “don’t worry…don’t be anxious…”

a. And he goes to list 2 necessities of life – food and clothing.

i. As God’s people, who walk in righteousness, who depend on God for our daily bread – as people who are storing up heavenly treasures, have eyes towards heaven…who serve a heavenly mater…

1. We aren’t to be anxious for anything…even the basic necessities of life.

a. V.25 is a purpose statement…a thesis statement…and the rest of this section proves this initial statement.

4. Birds – And in vv.26-27, Jesus gives his first example to prove his point…he takes on the issue of food.

a. Why be anxious about what you will eat…where your food will come from…

i. And Jesus goes on to give us an incredible example from nature.

1. When teaching about worry and anxiety, Jesus tells his followers to stop and look at the birds.

a. They are carefree, never fretting about where their next meal is going to come from.

b. Let’s think about birds for a bit.

i. Birds don’t farm…the don’t plant seeds, they don’t spray their crops, pray for rain, harvest their crop. They don’t have their own vegetable garden.

1. They don’t store food away, no cold room, no canning, no preserving, on pantry or freezers.

a. Birds, they don’t live paycheque to paycheque – they live day to day…trusting that God will provide for them.

c. Let’s keep on focus on the birds…God provides for them…God gives them food…but think about how God does that.

i. Birds don’t simply sit in their nests all day and God magically drops a buffet in there for them.

1. That’s not the way the it works – they don’t worry where their food will come from…but they still work to find it.

a. God provides for them…he provides rain so that worms come to the surface and birds can pluck them up.

i. He provides flowers and nectar so that hummingbirds can zip along and feed.

1. Bats swoop around munching up mosquitoes.

a. God provides roadkill or other dead animals so that scavengers can do their thing.

b. God provides mice and other rodents for the birds of prey to hunt.

i. There are seeds on the ground for other birds to eat.

1. So yes, God provides for the birds of air, but not by dropping food in their laps, but by provide the means for them to find their food.

d. So let’s think about this in regards to humans.

i. We are to have unwavering trust in God to provide our needs…but that doesn’t mean God is going to drop everything in your lap.

1. Could he work like this? Absolutely! Does he work he like this? Sometimes – and we need to praise when he does miraculously provide.

a. But trust doesn’t exempt us from work.

ii. Birds wouldn’t live very long if they simply sat in their nests all day – if they didn’t fly around.

1. If they didn’t soar high above looking for food…not digging for worms or picking berries…

a. Yes, birds are carefree, but they still work.

i. Birds don’t plant or harvest their own crops, but they still work.

iii. In the same manner, we are to trust God that he will provide for us – trust that God knows what he is doing.

1. But trust doesn’t exempt us from work. We put our trust in God. We don’t trust in our work or in the cheque we receive from our work.

a. We trust in the God wo provided us that job, who gave our boss the money to us.

i. We trust in the God who provided the goods in order to make the product…provided the market for that product to be sold.

e. And to close off this section about birds, Jesus says this…

i. Can you add a single hour to your life by worrying? Other translations say ‘add a cubit to your life…’

1. A cubit is a unit of measurement – meaning this…worrying about this or that won’t add time or distance to your journey here on earth.

a. Worry, Jesus says, is incompatible with life in God’s kingdom.

5. Flowers – Next, in vv28-30, Jesus turns our attention to another basic necessity of life - clothing.

a. And in order to prove his point that his people shouldn’t worry about this basic necessity, Jesus uses the example of flowers in the field.

i. Flowers in the field…they don’t sew their own clothes; they don’t knit sweaters…but flowers are arrayed in beautiful colours.

1. In fact, Jesus says that not even Solomon – the most opulent and ornate king in Israel’s history…

a. Even at the height of his power and the height of his opulence and ornateness…he didn’t even look as good as flowers do.

i. And flowers have a specific shelf life….they are here today and burned tomorrow…

1. Yet God takes care of them.

6. Lesser to Greater – Here’s what Jesus is doing with these two arguments.

a. He’s proving his point about anxiousness…don’t be anxious about what you will eat, drink or where…why???

i. Well, here’s how Jesus proves his point. He makes an argument from lesser to greater…it’s really an extended if/then statement.

1. The argument says that if God takes care of the lesser thing, how much more will he take care of humans – his most prized creation?

a. If God provides for the birds…the lesser – he will also provide for you…the greater.

i. If God clothes the flowers of the field – which die rather quickly…how much more will he clothe you and provide for you…the greater.

b. If birds have unwavering trust that God will provide…God’s people should have that same kind of trust.

7. Counter-Cultural – And Jesus drives his point home further – worrying about food, drink, clothes…that’s what pagans do.

a. That’s what those outside the family of faith. That’s what those with little faith do.

i. But those who live in the kingdom of God are to be governed by a different set of rules.

1. Our focus is to be in a different place…our cares are concerns aren’t to rule us.

b. The NLT says this – thoughts about clothes and food…dominate the thoughts of believers.

i. But as God’s people, whether we have much or whether we have plenty…

1. Whether we live paycheque to paycheque or we are well off…

a. We are to have an unwavering trust that God will provide.

i. Even when we have little, we are to be a shining example to the world around us.

2. We are to show them what unwavering trust looks like.

a. We are to show them what it looks like to serve God, to have eyes focused on heavenly things...what it looks like to store up heavenly treasure.

ii. Even when we are in want – our focus is to be on the ways of God…not on our circumstances.

8. Seek – Then Jesus goes on to say one of his most famous sayings…it’s been turned into a song…

a. Seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness. This is a radical and counter-cultural statement.

i. Think about where we’ve been. Two treasures, two eyes, two masters, two outlooks on life…worry or trust…

1. Now our world is training people…persuading Christians too, to seek their own kingdoms first.

a. Seek money first, seek fame first, seek pleasure first…seek first after earthly treasure.

ii. Everywhere we look here on earth we are told to pursue Mammon – we are to chase after success.

1. We are to serve the god of self, the god of money, the god of success – the gods of this world.

a. We are to look the same as the world around us, we are to fall in line and follow the ways of the world…and sadly, a lot of Christians have bought in to this.

i. And we look no different than the world around us.

1. We are inundated with ways to store up earthly treasure.

b. But here’s Jesus – and he says – life lived following him will look vastly different than the way the world around us lives.

i. Don’t serve Mammon, get your eyes off of earthly treasure.

1. And to sum up this section of his sermon, Jesus said, instead of earthly treasure and earthly success and earthly masters…seek God’s kingdom…and make it your top priority.

a. Not seek second, not seek third or seek God’s kingdom on Sundays or whenever your feel like it or whenever you get around to it…

i. But seek God’s kingdom first.

ii. Even when you don’t know where your next meal is going to come from…or if you are running out of clothes – we are to always seek God’s kingdom first…we are to seek his righteousness…chase after him…seek after his ways.

1. We seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness when we store up heavenly treasure – where the wear and tear from earth can’t harm it.

a. We seek God’s kingdom first by keeping a heavenly perspective and by serving God not success.

iii. We seek God’s kingdom by not worrying about food and drink and clothes…but having unwavering trust that the God who provided for his people in the past will continue to provide for his people in the present and in the future.

9. Closing – And Jesus closes out this section on worry about dropping this truth on us;

a. Don’t worry about tomorrow, tomorrow will bring its own problems…Today’s trouble is enough for today.

i. Ever notice that most of the things we worry about never actually happen? What if this??? What if that??? I’m worried that…

1. And then it never comes to fruition…and all you’ve done is worked yourself up into a tizzy over nothing.

a. Jesus tells us – leave tomorrow in the future…focus on today.

i. There are things that need to be handled and dealt with today.

1. They are conversations that need to happen today – without the distraction of worrying about the future.

a. The things of today are enough for us to handle today.

2. Let alone stressing ourselves out over the future…about things that might not and probably won’t happen anyway.

b. This really is an incredible passage.

i. Yes teaching about how to handle worry – but more than that…teaching us to have unwavering faith and trust that God will provide.

1. That if we seek God’s kingdom and righteousness first, he will…not might…but he will provide for us.

a. All these things…the necessities of life…will be given to you.

i. Deal with worry by serving and seeking after God…and the Bible promises that God will give you what you need.