Intro: Who is the greatest
preacher you have ever heard? Jesus, the greatest preacher that has ever been
on this earth, is going to preach to us and we would be wise to listen and heed
His words. If we heed Jesus’ words, we will surely be victorious in this coming
year!
Matthew 6:24
(NKJV) "No one can
serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else
he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
mammon.
There are only two
treasures: the earth and its treasures or God and His treasures, physical and
material things or spiritual and eternal things. One of these is the master-owner of your life. A Slave has no free time of his own,but is
controlled by the master.
Mammon- Aramaic for Money,
wealth or any material thing that has value to a person. This means property,
possessions, money, stocks, bonds, precious metals or jewels. You can’t serve yourself
with things and God at the same time! The wealth or the things of this world
will never bring you real joy, peace, or fulfillment. That only comes from
within!
Matthew 6:25 (NKJV) "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
point is clear and striking: a person's life and body are of more value—much
more value—than the food he eats and the clothes he puts on. Why then should a
person allow these things, secondary things, to consume and dominate his life? Be
sure God is your master and you won’t have to worry about anything else. Remember Your master owns you! Matthew
6:26 (NKJV) 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?
Go bird watching! Look at
them and study them. Use your eyes and learn thoroughly—learn from what you see
around you. The providence of God takes care of the birds. Learn that God will
likewise take care of the believer who really trusts Him. Jesus is saying; Man
is a higher being, on a much higher level of creation, than animals. He is more
noble and excellent, a spiritual being made in the image of God and capable of
a personal relationship with God. Man is the crowning creation of God.
Matthew 6:27
(NKJV) Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
The
point is striking. Worry is sin, senseless—just as senseless as trying to add
to one's height or lengthen a minute to one's life span (when it is time for
one to die).
Matthew 6:28 (NKJV) So why do you worry about clothing?
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
Lilies grow from a deep
root. The roots are where they belong, deep in the soil to receive nourishment.
The roots of believers are not to be in the material things of this earth. In
order to receive their nourishment and fulfill their purpose on earth,
believers are to put their roots where they belong, deep in God and His
righteousness.
Matthew 6:29
(NKJV) and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not
arrayed like one of these.
Lilies
do not toil or spin at spinning wheels to adorn themselves with beauty. Their beauty
comes naturally as they go about their purpose in the world. So
our beauty comes from fulfilling God’s purpose for us in this world.
Matthew 6:30 (NKJV) 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?
Man is as
the lilies of the field: here today and gone tomorrow. There is so little time;
he does not have time to become entangled with worldly affairs. To worry
about your clothes, food, money and things shows little faith in God’s
ability to supply. Is He in control of all things? Is He able to take care of
us? “Is God really who He says He is and will He do what He said He would do?
Heb. 11:6 Says “Without faith it is
impossible to please God.”
2 Corinthians
5:7 (NKJV) For
we walk by faith, not by sight. Feed your faith and fear, worry,
and doubt will starve to death. ⇒ Matthew 6:31-32 (NKJV) 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.
All unsaved people seek
after these things. They worry constantly about them. Christians Do not spend energy
fretting over having enough food or drink or clothing. Worry has no
place in the lives of Jesus’ disciples because their heavenly Father already
knows all their needs.
Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) But seek first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Jesus now
tells us the solution to worry.
We must be seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We are
to focus our minds and hearts on seeking the Kingdom of God and His
righteousness. The kingdom of God right now is in believers on earth. We should
be focused on how much of the kingdom of God is being lived in me. I am to be
concerned about living righteously. Strangely enough, when you get your priorities
right, Jesus promised that God will give you all you need from day to day if
you live for him. When Jesus’ followers seek (go in search of)
his Kingdom first, God takes care of all their needs. That’s His promise to us
and by faith we receive it.
Matthew 6:34
(NKJV) Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about
its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Because God cares for his people’s needs, Jesus says, “Don’t
worry (fear, or be anxious) about tomorrow.” In an appeal to common sense,
Jesus explained that what we worry about happening tomorrow may never happen, and
we may not live another day, so we will have wasted time and energy worrying.
We need to reserve that energy because today’s trouble is enough for today.
We only add to today’s burdens when we worry about the future. All the
anxieties about tomorrow will not change the outcome, for tomorrow will
bring its own worries. The burdens of today are enough, so let God take
care of them. We must trust God for
today without worrying about tomorrow. Tomorrow we will trust God for that day.
We are to have A calm
God-centered and trusting attitude. A person goes about living and working
ever so diligently and calmly, trusting God to take care of all. He does all he
can about the necessities of life, both for himself and for others, but he
seeks God and His righteousness first. This will make for the greatest year
yet.
Invitation: If you have
never asked Jesus to forgive your sins against God, all you can do is worry. Only
the forgiveness of Christ can give you a worry free life here on this earth and
for an eternity. The destination for the unsaved is Hell. You do not want to go
there and you don’t have to. Call on Jesus right now to save you and if you are
serious about it, He will save you and come into your life by His Spirit and
live in you. He will bring you worry free living.