171. So we'll read from verse 25 of chapter 6.
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 than food, and the body more than clothes?
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? Can any of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the fields grow. They do not labour or spin.
Yet I tell you, that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these.
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 clothes you, you of little faith?
So do not worry, saying, what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear?
For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Thank you, Tim.
Thank you, Jonathan.
Let's just pray as we start.
Father, we need your help this morning to clearly understand your commands to us in this passage.
And not only that, but to put them into practice in our lives in this coming year.
Holy Spirit, be our helper now, we pray.
Amen.
Don't worry about your life, Jesus commands.
Now, if ever there was an impossible command to obey from Jesus.
What if I don't get the grades that I need in my exams?
What if I choose the wrong career?
Will there be enough money to pay the bills?
Will my kids stay healthy?
Will I ever get well again?
Will that relationship ever heal?
What do you worry about most when you consider the year ahead?
Well, I think one of the biggest challenges facing us in the coming year is this.
How can I not be consumed by the worries of life when I am surrounded by so many pressures?
And well, the big thing in this passage is that Jesus understands.
He sympathizes with us in our struggles against worry.
After all, he's experienced the pressures of everyday life as a human being.
And as we heard in the last verse there, Jesus acknowledges each day has enough trouble of its own.
He knows there are things in every day that we could and do worry about.
But in this text, he also shows us that we don't have to be consumed by worry.
In fact, he commands us not to worry.
And he gives us lots of reasons why.
Let's dive right in with two of the most basic ones that we see in this passage.
Jesus says, don't worry about your life because worrying distracts us from what really matters.
Look there in verse 25.
He says, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes?
Jesus is reminding us here that if we are trusting in him, we are eternal beings.
This life here on earth is temporary.
Our unending life with resurrected eternal bodies is still to come.
So, don't spend all your time worrying about how to preserve this life and this body as if it's all you have.
It's not.
You have infinitely more, Jesus says.
And don't let the worries of this temporary life distract you from seeing the glory of your best life to come in the new heavens and earth.
That's the first reason.
Here's the second reason not to worry.
Jesus says worrying is a waste of time.
Look in verse 27.
He asks, can any one of you, by worrying, add a single hour to your life?
Well, of course we can't.
Worrying doesn't change anything about your situation.
In fact, it only worsens your ability to handle it.
Modern psychologists have also discovered this, funnily enough.
And they tell us that constant worrying leads to a buildup of the stress hormone cortisol,
which leads to more stress, bad health, bad digestion, inflammation, and so on.
Jesus, as the maker of the human body, knew this before any psychologist.
And he tells us we can do something much better with our time,
which we're going to see later in this passage.
But before he tells us what to do instead of worrying,
Jesus wants us to understand where worrying comes from.
What's the heart issue that actually produces worry?
We're going to read from verse 28, and we're going to find the answer.
So verse 28.
And why do you worry about clothes?
See how the flowers of the field grow.
They do not labor or spin.
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
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 clothes you?
You of little faith.
Did you hear that last part?
The base problem lurking underneath the symptom of worry in our lives is
we have little faith in our father's care.
We don't trust our father enough to provide for our needs.
Now, a couple of summers ago, we had a big problem in our utility room.
It stunk.
And I mean it stunk like a sewer.
Now, for a day or two, we tried to ignore it.
Now, that was the denial phase.
It's not really a problem.
But it didn't go away.
So then what we did next to us, we started spraying Febreze, air freshener all over us.
You know, like this.
But obviously that did nothing.
About 20 minutes later, the smell was back.
So we were eventually driven to investigate further and discovered
the smell was coming from this unused pipe behind our big massive fridge.
And that pipe led to the foul drain underneath the path outside.
That's where the smell was coming from.
The smell in the room was a problem.
But actually there was a much bigger problem underground
which we needed to deal with first to solve the bigger problem,
the small problem inside.
Now, how does this world tell us how to deal with worry?
Well, I think the main option is to spray Febreze all over it, right?
A relaxing spa day.
A wild night out in the town.
Or maybe some mindfulness coloring.
Now, all these things may make you forget about your worries for a few hours.
But it's not dealing with the real problem, is it?
It's going to come back.
Now, Jesus says the only way to not be consumed by the worries of this life
is to place your faith over and over again
in your heavenly Father's promise to provide.
Now, the opposite of faith is unbelief in God's promises,
which leads to dependence on yourself for all of life, right?
And that's interesting because the context of this chapter here,
Jesus has just spent it warning us not to build up treasure on earth.
And in the verse just preceding this passage, he says,
don't make money your master.
You know what?
He knows us very well, doesn't he?
Because we all want to build up more and more money.
That's an innate thing inside of us because we never want to be without anything that we need.
And money can get us all the things that we need.
Now, having money is a wonderful gift from God.
And yet, we can so easily fall into the trap of trusting our money
and trusting our own resources to provide our needs
and not trusting in God.
Which in turn leads to all sorts of worry
whenever those resources and that money starts to run low
or is threatened in some way.
So, Jesus' second command in this passage is this.
Rather than placing your faith in your own resources,
have faith in your Father's care.
He will never let you down.
And now, Jesus knows, he knows,
we are not going to buy it first time.
We would much rather to be independent,
self-sufficient, trusting our own resources
rather than in his provision.
We doubt that he really can provide.
So, Jesus gives us two examples from nature
to try and show us that God has both the desire and ability
to meet all of our needs.
So, let's have a look at those in turn.
First example there is in verse 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.
And the second example in verse 28,
which we already read,
is about the flowers of the field
who can't make their own clothes,
and yet, God clothes them.
Now, in both of these examples,
there's a constant.
God delights to provide for those
who cannot provide for themselves.
And so, Jesus asks the very same question
after each example.
He says,
Are you not much more valuable than they?
If God cares for the little robins
and the daisies like this,
how much more will he provide your every need?
You are not a bird or a flower.
You are a precious son or daughter.
How much more does your father desire
to provide your needs
over those of a plant or a flower?
And listen,
when you think about it,
what good father would see his child
in need of food or clothing or money
and not delight to give it to them?
Think about that.
Now, we can struggle
to actually accept that, I think,
because part of us always thinks
that God is distant from us.
He's way up there somewhere in the clouds
and he begrudgingly gives us
what we need when we ask
and nothing more.
And like fearful children
trembling as they approach
the door of their father's study,
not wanting to disturb
and incur their father's wrath,
we sometimes have that perspective
on God our Father.
But I can't find anything in this passage
to suggest a father like that, can you?
Jesus wants us to know
that the Father is near
and is compassionate towards us
and delights to provide
our every need.
He promises to provide each need.
But what about when it looks like he doesn't?
Maybe you've been asking
and asking
and your needs are not being met
as you think best.
Maybe you've had times of wanting
in your life.
Ibrahim, like thousands of others,
has a family in Gaza
this morning who can't get food.
The aid is not getting there fast enough.
Their house is a pile of rubble.
They've moved south
and they've been sheltering
in a church
for two months now.
They're Christians.
Most waking moments
are spent in desperate prayer.
And yet,
as he looks down
at his starving child,
he wonders,
has God broken his promise
to provide for me?
Has God broken his promise
to provide for us
whenever our daily needs
are not met?
What about when God chooses
not to give the house
or heal the sickness
or provide the job in time?
What then?
Well, if we keep following this text,
we will see Jesus' answer
to one of the toughest questions
that we have
as Christians.
So let's keep going
and see.
In verse 31,
Jesus gives his third command.
So, follow with me
from verse 31.
verse 31.
And this is the climax
and summary of Jesus'
whole argument
in this passage.
So we need to listen up here.
It says this,
So do not worry,
saying,
what shall we eat?
What shall we drink?
Or what shall we wear?
For the pagans
run after all these things.
And your heavenly Father
knows that you need them.
But seek first
his kingdom
and his righteousness
and all these things
will be given to you
as well.
Jesus tells us
not to spend our time
worrying about our daily needs
in 2024.
But instead,
to spend our time
seeking first
his kingdom
and his righteousness.
First,
what does it mean
to seek first
God's kingdom?
Well,
if you look back
in chapter 6,
verse 9,
Jesus is teaching
his disciples
how to pray
and we all know this.
It says this,
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth
as it is in heaven.
So,
to seek first
God's kingdom
means to seek first
to say to God
each day
in the coming year,
not my will,
but your will be done.
It's about
his good,
loving rule
being worked out
in our lives.
And there are
big implications
of that prayer
every day
in our lives.
Because,
I'm going to be honest,
a lot of the time,
my first concern
is how to build up
my kingdom.
kingdom.
And I'm not focused
on how to build
God's kingdom.
Often,
my top priority
in life
is getting
better financial stability
for myself,
for my family.
Not a bad thing.
But,
Jesus says,
make God's kingdom
your first priority.
even if being
generous
towards church
and mission
is not the most
financially beneficial
option for you.
Maybe your top priority
is being
accepted
among your peers
or your friend group,
blending in
as much as possible.
Well,
Jesus says,
make God's kingdom
your first priority
this year,
even if you lose
the respect
of your peers
because you're
open about your faith.
Maybe for you
the top priority
is having good health.
Not a bad thing
by any means.
A gift from God.
But,
Jesus says,
make God's kingdom
your first priority,
even if serving
leaves you exhausted
on a Sunday afternoon
or a Friday night.
I challenge you,
be honest
with yourself
and write out
a list of your
top priorities
for 2024.
Things that
you spend your time
worrying about happening
in your life.
Genuinely,
do this when you get home.
I've done one for myself
and it was very revealing.
And once you've made out
your list,
bring it to God,
present it to Him
and say,
Father,
these are the things
I'm anxious for
to happen this year,
but how can I seek first
your kingdom
in 2022?
Maybe you could write
down the names
of two people
that you're going
to invest time
in praying for
and meeting.
Or,
one way that you'd like
to serve in church
where you see
there's a need.
Or,
one missionary
you'd like to support
this year,
even if it means
going without something
yourself.
Jesus promises us
that if we invest
our lives
in building
His kingdom,
then He will
provide
our daily needs.
But there's also
a second part
to this command,
isn't there?
It's to seek first
His righteousness.
And earlier
in the Sermon
on the Mount,
Jesus said
in chapter 5,
verse 6,
He said,
Blessed are those
who hunger
and thirst
for righteousness,
for they
will be filled.
So rather than
spending all our time
running after
our daily needs,
Jesus says,
hunger and thirst
after righteousness.
Which means,
invest your time
in becoming
more like Jesus.
Long for growth
in godliness.
Is that a top
priority for you
in 2024?
I cannot honestly
say it was on
my initial list
that I wrote out.
But Jesus says,
make it a priority.
So how is it
going to happen
for you?
Well,
some suggestions.
Set a daily
time with the Lord
where you will
meet with Him
to hear from
His Word
and spend time
in personal
worship of Him.
Or you can set
a target for
three or four
good Christian books
that you could read
this year.
And if you don't
know which ones
to read,
maybe have a chat
with the elders
and they could
give you some
recommendations.
Or maybe you
could ask a
brother or sister
in the body
to meet with
you regularly
for encouragement
and prayer.
Seek first
His kingdom
and His
righteousness.
And all
these things
will be given
to you as well.
Yes,
Jesus promises
to provide
all of our
needs
whenever we
are seeking
first His
kingdom
and His
righteousness.
And this
does bring us
back to the
question,
the big
question,
that we raised
earlier,
doesn't it?
What about
when our
daily needs
for food,
health,
shelter,
money,
are not met?
Does that mean
the Father
has broken
His promise
to provide?
God
will
have to
need to
ask here
is,
what do we
really most
need?
Think about it.
Because of our
fallen nature,
our bodies
naturally decay
and die.
And there's
nothing we can
do to stop
it.
So what we
ultimately need
is something
more than
food,
good health,
a good house,
a comfortable
wage,
while we're
here on
earth,
right?
These are
good things
which God
may well
graciously
provide us
for a time,
but they're
not what we
ultimately need
for eternity.
What we
actually need
is Jesus,
His presence
and His
provision
forever.
Turn with me
please to
Revelation
chapter 7
and you'll
see what I
mean.
Revelation,
the last
book in the
Bible,
chapter 7,
it's on page
1,238.
And in
John's
vision here,
we're going
to get a
glimpse of
what God's
kingdom looks
like in
its fully
realized sense
at the end
of time.
If we are
trusting in
Christ,
we are a
part of
God's
kingdom right
now.
It is
here,
and yet
Jesus also
says it's
still to
come in
its fullest
sense in
the new
heavens and
earth.
And that's
what John
sees in
his vision,
which we're
going to
read now.
We're going
to read
from verse
13.
Then one
of the
elders asked
me,
these in
white robes,
who are
they?
Where do
they come
from?
I
answered,
sir,
you know.
And he
said,
these are
they who
have come
out of
the great
tribulation.
They have
washed their
robes and
made them
white in
the blood
of the
lamb.
Therefore
they are
before the
throne of
God and
serve him
day and
night in
his temple,
and he
who sits
on the
throne will
shelter
them with
his presence.
Never
again will
they hunger,
never again
will they
thirst.
The sun
will not
beat down
on them,
nor any
scorching heat,
for the
lamb at
the center
of the
throne will
be their
shepherd.
He will
lead them to
springs of
living water,
and God
will wipe
away every
tear from
their eyes.
How amazing
is that?
Jesus can
promise all
our needs
will be
met,
because
ultimately
he himself
will meet
them in
heaven.
And that's
a promise
that we can
build our
lives on.
And that's
as true for
Ibrahim and
his family in
Gaza this
morning as
it's true
for us
in
Carragaline.
And that
releases us
from the
need to
spend our
lives worrying
about our
present needs
not being
met.
Because
we are
guaranteed
unending
years of
Jesus'
total
provision
in heaven.
You know
what?
In this
coming year
we can
ask our
good and
gracious
father to
provide our
every need
day to
day.
But
remember
when he
chooses not
to provide
for a
certain need
that we've
asked for
he has
already
prepared a
place for
you in
heaven where
you will
want and
hunger no
more or
your body
will not
get sick
or tired.
that is
your future
in Christ.
So in
conclusion
our dearly
beloved
children of
the king
don't be
consumed by
worry this
year.
Jesus has
commanded us
not to worry
and he has
promised to
provide our
every need
and he
has instructed
us to
seek first
his kingdom
and his
righteousness
above every
other
priority.
So have
faith in
your father's
care for
you in
2024
and spend
it well
seeking first
his kingdom
and his
righteousness
knowing
that he
will
provide.
Let's
pray.
Jesus
we thank
you for
your words
of comfort
to us
in our
worries.
We trust
you father
with our
every need
in this
coming year.
you know
each one.
Save us
from being
consumed
by worry
and help
us to
trust in
your care
instead.
Holy Spirit
bring to
our minds
these precious
promises
time and
time again
so that we
can live
with confidence
in our
father's
care
and seek
first
his kingdom
and his
righteousness.
it's in
Jesus name
that we
ask it.
Amen.
Well we
are going to
sing our
last song
now.