Matthew 6:25–34
25“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28“And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Focused Thinking:
What is the reason Jesus is referring to?
In many respects He is referring to everything in chapter six, but it is also important to look at the immediate context in Matt 6:24.
24“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
Serve the Lord and don’t worry about your life.
Serve the Lord and don’t worry about what you will eat or drink.
Serve the Lord and don’t worry about what you will wear.
What would this world be like without worry?
Our context is so distorted in America.
- We don’t worry about having food; we worry about where we will eat dinner.
- We don’t worry about having clothes; we worry about having the right clothes.
How crazy is that?
- Our concerns aren’t consistent with history.
- Our concerns aren’t consistent with the rest of the world.
Our concerns aren’t concerns; they are preferences.
- They are misunderstandings of true needs.
- If we are truly honest, they are luxuries.
Matt 6:25b
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
This is our problem; when you displace God, our life is consumption.
What an obvious question.
- It should be obvious, but it isn’t obvious when self becomes God.
- Focusing on food is a way to please self.
- Focusing on clothing is a way to please self.
How shallow is life if it isn’t more than food or clothing?
Consumerism is shallow.
Me, myself and I is shallow.
Matt 6:26
“Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?”
Jesus illustrates it:
Look at the birds of the air…
They do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns…
Yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
ARE YOU NOT WORTH MUCH MORE THAN THEY?
The illustration makes the truth obvious.
Seek first His kingdom and righteousness—Matt 6:33
Matt 6:27
“And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
Seriously, what is the benefit of your worry?
The root cause of worry is fear, and fear is the opposite of faith.
- Don’t worry; choose to believe.
- Don’t fear, have faith.
Matt 6:28–30
“And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!”
People historically and presently have legitimate clothing needs, but they still shouldn’t worry.
Practically we don’t have needs, but we still worry.
- We worry because we worry about us instead of others.
- We worry because we focus on receiving instead of giving.
- We worry because we focus on being served instead of serving.
Again, the point of the illustration is to make the truth clear and obvious.
- Lilies/Solomon
- “Will He not much more clothe you?”
“You of little faith!”
It is easy to have little faith when you are focused on you instead of God.
It is easy to have little faith when you are focused on you instead of others.
It is easy to have little faith when you are big and God is small.
Faith = Confidence
Do you have faith in you or God?
The more faith I have in me, the less faith I have in God.
The more faith I have in God, the less faith I have in me.
I’m not saying you should have confidence as an individual; I’m simply saying, “God is God and I am not.”
Matt 6:31–34
31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Verse 31 is a summary verse:
“Do not worry then, saying,”
“What will we eat?”
“What will we drink?”
“What will we wear for clothing?”
- These were major issues for them, but they aren’t major issues for us.
- The reality for them was that these were major issues.
- This truth is even more important when we realize that Jesus was telling them not to worry about major issues.
- Jesus promises to provide for our needs.
- Jesus doesn’t promise to provide for our desires, preferences or luxuries.
- We don’t realize how blessed we are.
What is the comparison with the gentiles?
“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”
Why do you worry about what the Father knows you need?
A good Father meets His children’s needs.
A good Father not only meets their needs, but also gives good gifts to His children.
What is the bottom line of this passage?
Matt 6:33
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.”
What will be added to you?
Food, drink and clothing will be added to you.
Your needs will be met.
What is our responsibility?
Our responsibility is to seek First His kingdom.
Our responsibility is to seek First His Righteousness.
- His kingdom is a kingdom of the beatitudes.
- His kingdom is a kingdom of the fruits of the Spirit.
What is the summary?
Matt 6:34
“So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Focus on first things first.
- When you seek first His kingdom you worry less.
- When you seek first His righteousness you worry less.
- When you seek first you have less to worry about.
Personal Application:
I need to simplify what it looks like to seek first His kingdom and righteousness.
I need to “Love God, Love People and Make Disciples.”
I need to “Make God Priority.”
I need to “Make Discipleship Priority.”
I need to “Make Mission Priority.”
I need to obey God and trust God with the results.
I need to focus on the relationship and not worry about the results.
Interactive Prayer: Ran out of time to pray during today’s Priority Time.
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