What Matters Most

The context:

Jesus teaches on fasting, the right attitude about treasures and now He teaches about anxiety and how to handle it now mo matter how many times we hear it we need to hear it more don’t worry

Easy to say, hard to do

The purpose of this section is in part to highlight that what goes on in public is a by-product of what goes on in private how, you give, how you fast, how you pray, what and where your treasure is.

Jesus does not teach us to despise the pleasures of life, but he did say by implication that if we see life in this reductionist manner, we are going to have anxiety.

And frankly I believe that is where Christians’ anxiety comes from.

We say our values are above the worlds, but in fact we often believe there is little more to life than what we eat, drink, or wear.

The key to knowing whether we are Christian or religious may be revealed here

Our attitude and behavior reveals who and what we are

We are again focusing on appropriating the grace of God and the Holy Spirit

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says this section is addresses to common folk people just trying to make both ends meet

But whether rich or poor the idea is to rid yourself of distractions

So many are preoccupied with getting, some are preoccupied with keeping or holding either one can be a distraction

Sometimes the distractions are legitimate

I mean who would argue with anyone about being responsible, wanting to plan and save

Or having goals as it relates to the dream house, the dream car, or the ideal mate all of these are legitimate goals

It is the shrewd operation of the devil to cause us to become obsessed with these things

God wants undivided loyalty and devotion

It is not that we don’t have the same needs as the unbeliever we have a different approach/means of getting our needs met.

he secular world, seek material things because they overestimate their significance.

The key to understanding this pericope may be verse 32

For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

a. The unbeliever chases these things

b. Your heavenly Father knows your need

It is like a riddle/conundrum

The answer to one question will solve the riddle/conundrum

Who is your father?

I. The danger of life being reduced to tangible things

Eat –destroy

Drink –soak up

Wear - adorn

For the religious person, carnal person life is nothing more than what I can achieve, what I can have, what I can do, and where perhaps where I can go.

There is the appearance of stability

There is the appearance of having it all together

When I can’t control the things life crumbles

Look at the chapter again

1. Giving I don’t mind giving but let it be on my terms

Giving must not be merely an act of righteousness

Here is the test

Do you blow trumpets (make noise) when you give

Don’t be a hypocrite

Praying

Don’t be a hypocrite

Fasting

Don’t be a hypocrite

II. Trust the pattern and practice of our heavenly parent

A good way of knowing what a person will do is by what they have done

What has he done already?

The birds-watch birds, fix your gaze on birds

There are millions and millions of birds, and by and large they are healthy and happy.

None of them are suffering hypertension, none are suffering stress-related diseases, and certainly none of them are worrying.

God takes care of them even though, unlike us, they do not sow or reap.

And God will take care of us too. That is the obvious meaning.

Said the robin to the sparrow:

“I should really like to know

Why these anxious human beings

Rush about and worry so.”

Said the sparrow to the robin:

“Friend, I think that it must be

That they have no heavenly Father,

Such as cares for you and me.”

Well said! But the truth is even stronger because the birds do not, in fact, have a father.

Only we, his children, can call God our Father. What’s more, the birds do not bear his image, but we do! Jesus’ question, “Are you not much more valuable than they?”

The lilies

Shamefully the birds and flowers must become our teachers

*****To deny you is to deny himself

The body is a gift of God, will not the giver of the gift take care of the gift which is in this case the recipient

Will He not maintain or sustain it

“Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”

Since life itself comes directly from God, why should we worry and fret about his giving us the food and drink necessary for life? He will not go halfway.