Looking for more sermon ideas from Andy Stanley? Visit www.andystanleysermons.org.
******
Scripture: Matthew 6:25-34
Idea: God will take care of our needs. In the meantime, we are to concern ourselves with his kingdom.
Unbelievers: One of the things that should distinguish us as believers is how we respond to uncertainty. If you have noticed a difference in a believer, today you are going to discover what makes that difference.
Introduction
1. Uncertainty, like physical pain, has the potential to drive us toward self-centeredness. In uncertain times, I worry about ME. I become consumed with today and my needs and my wants.
2. We begin to think in terms of survival and protecting what we have.
3. When we finally take time to pray, our prayers sound like a shopping list.
"Provide this, bless that, give me this, make sure such and such happens on my behalf."
4. The problem is that we become so focused on our needs/desires and our particular situations, we lose sight of the big picture-what life is really all about.
5. We miss the fact that God may be up to something and he may want us to be a part of it.
6. Uncertainty backs us into the corner of self-centeredness; an unhealthy preoccupation with "self."
7. When Jesus showed up on the scene, he was surrounded by people whose felt needs were so pronounced that they couldn’t get past them.
8. They were being taxed by an unjust government with no means of reform/protest.
9. They were being led by hypocritical religious leaders that had sold out to Rome.
10. They had their land and wealth stolen from them. There was no justice.
11. Their children were being confused with the infusion of Roman and Greek values.
12. They were poor.
13. They felt abandoned by God. No Messiah. No promise kept.
14. Jesus came to put the uncertainty of that day in proper perspective.
And so in Matthew 6:25, he has the audacity to say to this very needy group and to us . . .
I. Don’t worry about your needs (25).
A. Passage context: He has just finished encouraging them to approach life from an eternal perspective. He focused on their money. He knew if he could get them to think eternally about their money, everything else would follow. For this reason-since we are to think eternally . . .
B. "WORRY"-be anxious, fear of the future or the unknown. Don’t let these things consume your thoughts and emotions. He is not calling for irresponsibility . . .
C. He immediately sets up two categories of need we are not to be anxious about.
1. Critical needs: your life (things pertaining to survival like eating and drinking).
* Some of us are worried at the survival level-economically and physically. Will I be able to make ends meet? Will I be able to put food on the table? Will I be able to pay the rent? Will I find a job? Will I keep my job?
* Non-critical needs-your body (things pertaining to appearance)
2. Some of us are worried at the advancement/promotion level.
* We’re concerned about reputation, acquisition, move ahead, raises, or new cars.
* Will I be recognized? Will I get married? Will I get pregnant? Will I get into my first choice of colleges? Will I make the sale? Will I get the deal? Will I ever own a home? Will I ever find a dress for an event?
D. Then he asks a penetrating question: literally-"Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?" NIV adds "important."
1. What is life all about? And whatever it is, shouldn’t that be the focus of your concern?
* Is life about simply surviving and looking good in the process? Or is their something more?
* If someone were to follow you around for a week and listen in on all your conversations and have access to your checkbook and Visa statement, would he conclude that life for you is simply surviving and trying to look good in the process? Is that where your time and energy and focus are?
2. And consequently, do those two categories of things consume your worry time? Do they consume your thoughts?
While you are thinking about that . . . he offers a little perspective on our needs.
E. He gives us two illustrations to put our critical and non-critical needs in proper perspective.
1. The birds of the air (critical needs)
* They have all their critical needs met without worrying a bit.
* OUR heavenly Father feeds them. Not merely nature/instinct.
* God established the food cycle; migration patterns; etc.
* Aren’t you more important? He’s YOUR heavenly father. He is merely their creator. You don’t need to worry.
* Has worrying every contributed to anyone’s survival (27)? Has
worrying ever solved a problem or brought certainty to uncertainty?
* Has worrying ever made things worse? All the time.
* Providing food is no problem with God; God is an expert. Quit worrying.
* He is not advocating irresponsible living-just stress-free living. That is, you do what you know to do and trust God to fill the gaps.
2. The lilies of the field-non-critical needs.
* The emphasis is not survival, it is appearance.
* With no effort at all, lilies look great. Have you ever seen flowers with colors that didn’t work together?
* We are commanded to observe, so I brought one to observe. (Show live lily plant.)
God is an expert in fashion design. He is an expert at making things look good. He doesn’t need any help or suggestions. The lily did nothing.
3. We do not serve a vanilla God. He is not conservative.
* To fear that God is going to make your life boring is to demonstrate limited knowledge of God. You need a good dose of the Discovery Channel. You need to visit the butterfly exhibit at Callaway Gardens.
* Then cruise your favorite clothing store. Tell me who is into color and variety.
* The point: If God gave this much attention to detail on a plant that is going to die in a few days, what do you have to worry about?
4. You and I have no business worrying; getting stressed out over stuff.
* A dress for prom
* The right tie; car; haircut
* IMAGE stuff
5. You do the best you can and leave it at that.
* Your heavenly Father is willing and able to go beyond what is basic.
* He knows how to be extravagant.
"Oh, you of little faith." The Problem: We don’t trust him. We don’t think he is interested. We think he has overlooked us. In uncertainty, we think he has lost power or interest or something . . .
Then he repeats his command . . .
F. If we serve a God who can be trusted-and has proven it-we have no business worrying about all of that. It doesn’t even make sense.
Then he chooses a different word to drive the point home. He equates worrying with seeking. What we are anxious about becomes the object of our attention and our affection. To worry about something is evidence that you are seeking it.
1. Don’t spend all your time seeking those things. That’s what people who don’t trust in God do (32).
* Run after-NAS/eagerly seek-GK/frantically seek.
* For them this is all life is about-and who can blame them.
2. Uncertainty provides an opportunity for believers to shine.
* Whether it is personal uncertainty or national.
* Everybody knows how he/she would respond in your situation . . .
3. Besides, your heavenly father KNOWS you need these things, and as we have seen, has the power to provide you with them.
How would you live if you heard God say, "I know you need that; trust me"? I say that to my kids all the time. "Daddy, what about . . ." That’s how believers are to live in uncertainty.
Now he answers the questions posed in verse 25: What is life about? What are we to concern ourselves with?
II. We are to concern ourselves with the furtherance of the kingdom of God and the righteous standard of God.
A. Same Greek root word (seek) in verse 32, except there it has a prefix denoting a sense of panic. Seek doesn’t mean look for. It means to concern yourself with-focus on.
1. Kingdom-the values and agenda of the kingdom. Focus on what God is up to-finding those outside the kingdom and making them kingdom people.
2. Righteousness-a standard of morality; a divine code of ethics that affects all relationships-family, community, national.
* Whereas in times of uncertainty the tendency is to abandon our values and character and do whatever it takes to survive, he says no. Seek his righteousness even more.
* It is easy to be good when being good serves our purposes. Everybody does that. It is difficult when it doesn’t. That’s when righteousness shines like a light.
3. Look at the promise. All those other things God will take care of.
* We know he can. Look at nature.
* We know he will. He has in the past.
B. Jesus says, "You look after my deal and I’ll look after yours." Don’t go through life stressed over stuff that I have taken responsibility for anyway.
Besides, where do you think it all came from in the first place? The talent, opportunities, breaks, education, chance encounters. That was you?
Don’t worry about your ability to sustain my blessings. Seek my kingdom. I’ll look after yours.
C. And the whole time God is asking, "Is there anybody down there concerned about my kingdom and my righteousness?"
1. Is anybody worried about disconnected people?
2. Is anybody worried about the next generation of teenagers?
3. Is anybody worried about the children who have never heard?
4. Is anybody worried about the people in other nations who still haven’t heard?
5. Is anybody going to talk to your boss? Neighbor? Friend?
"No, I’m worried about my job, the economy, my retirement, and private school for my kids."
Conclusion
Can I let you in on a secret? The people most aware of God’s intervention in their lives are the ones whose agendas are closest to his. The people who have made the swap live with an uncanny sense of God’s presence. They are in on what he is up to.
We say, "God, where are you?" HE says, "I’m where I’ve always been. Where are you?"
Uncertainty is not evidence of God’s inactivity or a change of agenda. We cannot afford to be inactive or change agendas either.
The uncertainty we are facing has created enormous ministry opportunities. We cannot afford to miss them, especially by getting caught up in our own deal out of fear.
Here’s the promise: concern yourself with what concerns me and "all these things shall be added to you. You take care of my deal, and I’ll take care of yours."
So what do you do? Memorize vs. 27. Get up tomorrow morning and make the trade-just for the day. Say, "Today, when I begin worrying about me, I’m going to offload that on you and look for ways to further your kingdom. I’m not going to allow uncertainty to take a toll on my character."
In uncertainty, PRAY, REMEMBER, SEEK!
(c) 2009 North Point Ministries, Inc.
When the Fasten Seatbelt Sign Comes On #3
