Matthew 6:25-34
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ? 28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 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. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it’s own.
The Sermon on the Mount is the Constitution of the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth.
We MUST see it as our Bill of Rights.
There is no worry in Heaven.
So….we have the right to be free of worry in the Kingdom on Earth.
He gives to it more space than adultery or murder.
Matthew 6:25
1. Life is more than food and the body more than clothing.
Matthew 6:26
2 . God feeds the birds, and you are more valuable than they are.
Matthew 6:27
3. It’s pointless. It adds not one hour to your life.
Matthew 6:28-30
4. God clothes fleeting grass. He will clothe you.
Matthew 6:31
5. Unbelievers are anxious about stuff. You’re not an unbeliever!
Matthew 6:32
6. Your Father knows you need things you’re anxious about.
Matthew 6:33
7. When you prioritize staying in God’s kingdom and you prioritize personal righteousness, what you need is freely given to you.
Matthew 6:34
8. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Tomorrow’s trouble stays there.
It’s all about trying to STAY IN THE KINGDOM!!
Worry KNOCKS you out of KINGDOM LIVING.
God gives you all the strength you need.
One day at a time.
Worry is absolutely contrary to faith.
Your faith says:
God can redeem you.
Break the shackles of Satan off of you.
Take you from hell to heaven.
Put you into His kingdom.
Give you eternal life.
But you’re just not sure He can get you through the next couple of days.
What’s the Devil’s scheme by using worry?
Worrying causes us to make foolish decisions.
Foolish decisions result in painful consequences.
Painful consequences rob us of our faith.
It makes us ask, “Where is God?”
When it is actually OUR FAULT!!!
That’s called CONFUSION!!
Can we believe the Bible, and worry about God fulfilling what He says?
That’s called CONFUSION!
When we worry, we are choosing to be mastered by our circumstances.
The main goal of Satan is to steal your peace and joy.
Worry does both of those things.
Our experiences in the world teach us to worry.
God can’t take care of our problems until we give them to Him.
Jesus said, “Give me your yoke.”
Either we're going to do things our way, or God's going to do things His way.
It can’t be both.
Faith in God MUST produce a positive attitude.
Your attitude creates your thinking!!
Positive attitude. Positive thinking.
How are you going to be defeated?
Winston Churchill once said, "I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened."
What is the primary cause of anxiety?
Fear.
A tormenting emotion produced by the threat of danger whether real or imagined.
An emotion that is MANUFACTURED.
For the soul purpose of TORMENTING you.
AND it doesn’t even have to be REAL.
It can ALL be in your IMAGINATION.
This is the time to ask, “What am I THINKING??”
Worry ONLY happens in our THINKING!!
The goal is to keep us OFF BALANCE.
So we won’t make good choices!!!!
BUT, the Bible teaches us to how to have balance in all things.
Jeremiah 17:5
This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD. 6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. 7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
1. When we trust ourselves, our hearts will turn away from God.
2. We won’t see good when it happens.
3. Our choices will cause our hope to dry up; nothing will grow in our lives.
4. Trusting God means we have confidence in God.
5. When we trust God, we become firmly planted, thriving in life.
6. When the heat is on, we don’t sweat.
7. When everyone around us is running on empty, we will still bear spiritual fruit.
How can we overcome worry?
Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Do you believe that your circumstances are beyond your power?
Tell God what you need.
Then, thank Him AS IF IT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE!
Do you know how to overcome worry?
Expect victory!!!
