Matthew 6:24-34
Life is about more than stuff says Jesus Christ, the aim and goal of life is not the abundance of the things that one can possess, the materialistic view of life is utterly bankrupt and guilt ridden. This view of life does not lead to peace nor happiness, but is slavery to money and things - material goods as the goal and purpose of life leads to nothing but worry and anxiety.
In these verses Jesus Christ commands his followers not to worry and be anxious about the future. V25 "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat and the body than raiment?" "take no thought" doesn't mean don't think about it, it means don't be anxious or worry about it. V26-30 Jesus tells us why we are not to worry about these things. V32 "(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek......) the word "Gentile" means not Jewish, or those who are unbelievers.. "seek" means "run after, pursue" This is not the Christian mind-set. If Christians grasp the teaching of this section, you will live differently than the unbelieving people and you will be a lot more happy and content and at peace than the unsaved.
Christ teaches "do not worry" an imperative command. The western culture thrives on people's worries and anxieties, and makes loads of money out of people's worries and anxieties. There is not a man that can give peace of mind and not a man that can take it away from the Christian. The powers that be want you to worry, they want to keep you worrying and anxious. Throw off the shackles of worry and listen to the teaching of Jesus Christ in these verses as he demolishes utterly the foolishness and stupidity of worrying. Do you know that worrying is irrational and illogical?
In 1961 an article was published about guilt and anxiety. It said that the breakdown of faith in God in the 19th century and the breakdown of faith and reason in the 20th century along with the fast pace of modern life has produced intense anxiety. Their cure was sedatives and psychotherapy but that is not the answer. The answer is change your life and the way you think. Change your life by obeying Jesus Christ. "Do not worry." Worry is a choice and it is a lack of faith in God's sovereignty. It is a way of life and it is a lack of trust in the sovereign God. When you don't believe in God controlling all things and then when you lose confidence in human reason, then people believe in nothing. Neither God nor man. Don't trust in either and because they believe in nothing there is uncertainty and no absolutes and no right or wrong. What is that going to lead to? Anxiety and worry, it couldn't lead to anything else. Once you remove God nothing is certain except worry and anxiety. These people believe in nothing but themselves and their own personal feelings for security. No wonder worry is epidemic.
Christian have you followed the world?
1. Don't worry - V25 "take no thought" don't get in a fuss about what you are going eat, drink or wear. The verse says the Christian is not to worry about these things. To do so is sinful and against Christ's commands to not worry.
2. Is life not more than that? Life is more than meat, drink or clothes. Life is breathing and living, this is more excellent. Jesus is saying in V25 that it is a fact that your life is worth more than food, drink and clothes. A Christian way of life is very different from the unsaved way of life which is superficial and materialistic.
3. Belief in God negates worry. Trust in God negates worry. V26 "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" "Behold" means consider, look with your mind. Start to reason and think properly. It's a command, Jesus is commanding Christians to think. Are you not much better (of more value) than birds? The teaching is this: Christ is using a kind of logical form of argument to convince people that if God so cares for little birds, how much more does he care for you and look after you? Why then would you worry and be anxious. Don't you trust God as your father? The Father who so loved every believer that he sent his only begotten son of God to shed his blood and die for you. If you get that, if you trust in God, you won't worry at all. You can be confident in God. If you do worry, then Jesus says that you are not trusting in God as you should. Worry is a choice. Trust God in life, not theoretically. That is why Christ says to stop worrying.
Don't make excuses, it is called sin. Use your mind instead of your feelings, use your brain, trust in God and your worry will vanish. In the book of Daniel, Shadrach, Mechach and Abednego trusted God and they did not perish in the furnace of fire. Daniel did not perish in the den of lions. "our God whom we serve is well able to deliver us." Trust in God in all times whether it is sunshine or sorrow.
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The above notes were made by myself from the sermon by Paul Dowling of Whiteabbey Congregational (Reformed) at Sermon Audio
http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=3271618124410
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