INTRODUCTION
Last Sunday, we all learned that God cares for us and He is concern for our needs. Today, we are going to find out from His words how we can experience his care.
From the passage, man’s greatest concerns are food to eat and clothes to wear. The same passage is also saying to us that God will give these needs to us. If food and clothes are our concern, God concerns are our lives and our bodies. Our life and body are the most important to God.
Reasons:
First, He is the one who gave man his body. Out of the dust of the earth, He created man. He formed every part of the body (Psalm 139:13-14). Man with his body becomes the physical representation of God. He created man in His image.
Second, He is also the God who gave man his life. God breathed into his nostril Gen. 2:7). It is God’s own life who lives in body of man.
Therefore, these are the two reasons that life is more important than food and body is more important than clothes.
And if God is able to take care of the birds and the lilies which are inferior to man in its stature as created being, THEREFORE, YOU AND I ARE MORE VALUABLE TO GOD.
We don’t need to worry about food to eat and clothes to wear (Psalm 27:25-26). What we need to focus on is how to use our body and our life as instruments of worship to God.
Jesus said,
I. SEEK NOT THE THINGS OF THIS KINGDOM FIRST, 25,26, 32
A. Nothing in this kingdom will prolong your life
“Can worry make you live longer?” (verse 27)
By worrying or seeking after them we can not add anything to how long we are going to live on earth. We can not add even a single day to our life. Instead by worrying about them, what to eat and what to wear, we are more likely to commit disobedience to God. Like…
• Not going to church
• Not supporting the church
• Not praying to God
• Not witnessing
• Not helping others
• Not giving the tithes of God
• Not using your gifts, talents and skills
• Not taking a rest
B. Nothing in this kingdom can make you look good
“But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn’t as well clothed as one of them.” (verse 29)
By worrying or seeking after them we can not add anything to what we are before God. God sees us the way we are and who we are in Jesus. We are beautiful in the sight of God because of our beautiful Savior. We are cleansed by the blood of Jesus. We are adorned with God’s grace and (shining) glory. Most important of all we are beautiful inside because of the Holy Spirit who resides in us.
Do not work hard for it! (Verse 28)
II. SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, 33-34
A. *Put God first
Seek to please God at all times and not yourselves. Know His will. Be always ready to say, “Not my will but your will be done!”
Illustration:
1. Lost and Found things that were televised are examples of putting God first over the things that will be able to give them food to eat and clothes to wear.
2. Eric Lidell’s classic example in the film “Chariots of Fire”, He chose God over gold in the Track and Field event (100m-run) that was scheduled on a Sunday. That Track and Field event is his favorite and he is almost assured of gold because of his mastery of that run. But he opted to let it go and run in an event (400m-run)which is not his forte and he won the gold. He got his GOD and gold by seeking the Kingdom of God first.
B. *Do what He wants
If we do what He wants we are always on the track of His righteousness.
+to Eric Lidell, he knew that what God wanted on that very moment and that is to worship HIM…and he did!
**Then other thing will be yours!
CONCLUSION
Worry weakens the body and dampens the spirit. God prolongs life and makes the body healthy when we don’t worry about the things of this kingdom. Remember misplaced priority will miss the mark. When you miss the mark you’ll miss the rewards, too. TO EXPERIENCE GOD’S CARE YOU NEED TO WORK HARD FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
