Living Waters Christian Fellowship - Lake Nacimiento - California

22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.

23 “Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.

24 “Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?

25 “And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

26 “If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?

27 “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

28 “If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.

30 “For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.

31 “But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.


33 “Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.

34 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


Introduction  Don’t worry, be happy.  Seek first the Kingdom, God takes care of the rest.  This is a tough subject today.  Many people are freaking out over money. The Kingdom of God is an amazing thing - so much bigger, all comprehensive, eternal to meet and surpass all of our needs.


WORRYING does not take away tomorrow's TROUBLES, it takes away today's PEACE.


22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life...”


I. Life - the meaning of life.  Alive, conscious in the natural world among other people, in the presence of God.


II. The concerns of life - the world is sometimes a hard and dangerous place to survive.  There are many things to be concerned about, even to worry.


“I’m not nervous, just incredibly alert.”


A. Physical concerns of life - for the body


Air

Water

Food

Protection from the elements - clothing or shelter, your car

Protection from predators, parasites and diseases

Exercise, work

Rest - daily and weekly

Romantic physical intimacy

Healing


B. Emotional concerns of life - for the soul


Family and friends

Love - touch, time, gifts, service, words

Respect

Understanding

Peace

Curiosity, exploration

Wonder, amazement

Aspiration

Achievement

Satisfaction

Beauty

Rest - emotional rest, relief from stress

Fun

Humor

Consistency - assurance that we can count on people, situations

Change - a Sabbath is a change of pace, scenery, environment

Correction

Forgiveness

Happiness and joy


C. Spiritual concerns of life


Spiritually alive - some are spiritually dead, unresponsive to God

In communion with God, communication with God

Filled with love for God and people

The Fruit of the Spirit

The Gifts of the Spirit

Worship, to glorify God in the sanctuary and in the world

Spiritual growth, learning, advancement


So, physically, emotionally, spiritually - these are are some of the concerns of this life in this age on this Earth.


III. Worrying about life


A. Why do we worry? 


Afraid we won’t have what we need, physically, emotionally or spiritually, or that it will be taken away (thief and moth).


Fear is the opposite of faith.  So if we are not trusting God to meet our needs, we worry.


B. Does it help to worry?


25 “And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

26 “If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?


C. What does it hurt to worry?


1. It keeps us from being generous


33 “Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.


Alms = to pity someone or have mercy on him/her.  Why do we hesitate to do this, or even refuse?  Fear we will go without.


2. It doesn’t work and causes disappointment


25 “And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

26 “If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?


3. It keeps us from trusting God, and cuts us off from God’s blessing and provision


29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.

30 “For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.

31 “But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.


Will God add all things to us and give us the Kingdom if we are not seeking first His Kingdom, not trusting Him, and being fearful?  No, these blessings are for those who ARE seeking the Kingdom first, who are not fearful, who are giving alms to help those in need, and trust God to meet their needs.


So, what does it hurt to worry? A lot, besides wearing out your carpet from pacing the floor and your palms from wringing your hands.  It takes away our peace and joy.


IV. Why should we trust God and not worry?


A. We are very valuable to Him


24 “Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?

27 “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

28 “If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?


B. He knows what we need


29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.

30 “For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.


C. He delights to give us all things and the Kingdom


31 “But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Why should we trust God and not worry?  He highly values us, knows what we need and delights, like a great dad in giving us what we need to live in this life, and even way above and beyond.  He will get a big kick out of our first day in the New Heaven and Earth. “Look at this place! What were you so worried about?”


IV. How do we live out our trust in God?  Notice the directives:


22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.

23 “Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.

24 “Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?

25 “And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

26 “If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?

27 “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

28 “If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.

30 “For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.

31 “But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

33 “Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.

34 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


Conclusion  The more we refuse to worry and trust Him, the more He can and will do in our lives.  The more we freak out, worry, refuse to trust Him, try to meet our needs in our own ways without Him, the less He can and will do for us; and the less able we will be to meet the challenges of our own needs in this life, in this world, in this age. 


But if we trust Him, we will be cared for in this life and have wonderful blessings in the New Heaven and Earth. Where is your heart?  Where is your treasure?  In this age or the age to come?


Go through the list of concerns above,

and ask the question:

Am I seeking this just on my own, worrying about it,

or trusting God?


23 “Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.

31 “But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.