Text: Matt 6: 25-34
In my previous sermon we looked at a test of worldliness for the believer. Worldliness, as I mentioned last time, is as much a state of attitude as it is an action. What I mean by that is that you can go your whole life never indulging in things that would be considered “worldly” and still be in love with the world. It’s not just an over indulgence in good things, it’s a heart problem. There is a balance in all things and sometimes that balance is not easy to find. In our text this morning, Christ addresses something a direct result of worldliness: Worry. Human beings are indeed responsible for many things. I should be concerned with providing food, clothing and shelter for my family. That’s a God-given responsibility. If you don’t work, you shouldn’t eat. But, when I abuse that responsibility—when I become consumed with worry about how I’m going to pay the bills, where my next meal is going to come from—I’m now crossing the line into sin territory. That’s our default mode: self-reliance. We don’t naturally trust in God and we are accustomed to dividing life into spiritual and secular categories but there is no such division with God. It is not that some things are holy and others are not. That’s a false way of looking at things. There are some who would say that it is wrong to have more than what you need. If you only need X amount to live on but you have X+1 than you’re living in sin because someone else comes up short. That kind of thinking is silly. Wealth and possessions are not a numbers game. It’s a matter of the heart. It’s not how much you have but your view of what you have that is important. Christ made it very clear, in the previous verses, that it is the right attitude towards money and possessions that are the mark of true spirituality. It’s when those priorities are reversed, when what you have and what you make suddenly become more important than God, than you have a problem.
Verse 25: Nowhere does Christ ever magnify poverty or criticize the legitimate gathering of wealth. God made all things including food, clothing, and money. God declared that all things are made good[1] and He knows that there are requirements for daily living. Not only that but he has given us “richly all things to enjoy.”[2] Let me put it this way: It is not wrong to possess things but it is wrong for things to possess you. Do you see that difference in perspective? The sin of idolatry is as dangerous a sin as hypocrisy. When our lives become consumed by the things of this world it not only cheapens what we have, but it will also cheapen us. We start to become worried about what we don’t have rather than be thankful for what we do have and that is unnatural and unspiritual. A person who is consumed by worry is a person who thinks that the things of this world can and will fix all things. Christ called that mindset sinful. We have all felt it and we have all tried to justify it by calling it something else. Softer words like “concern” or “burden” come to mind; or that super spiritual sounding phrase “it’s my cross-to-bear.” Beloved, it’s all worry and it all ends the same. And it is not as if Jesus is telling us not to be concerned, no. Let’s stay balanced here. There is a healthy level of concern in all matters. What Christ is saying is that we shouldn’t be overly concerned. This warning is repeated three times in this passage. Literally Christ says “don’t be drawn in different directions” by these things. Worry pulls us apart. It pulls an individual apart inside, it pulls families apart, and it will always, always threaten to pull a church apart. In our text this morning Christ addresses two areas of worry: food and clothing. And while he uses these examples, the command not to worry should be applied to all things. Shelter, having a job, and especially aspects of church life: Where will the money come from to pay our bills, who will lead the music, where will we meet, who will lead us? All fair questions. Be concerned, but not overly concerned. Let’s look at these examples.
Verse 26-32: Worry about Food and clothing:
Look at the birds, He says. They don’t spend time storing up food and yet God provides for them. We may be tempted to say that everything will just fall into our laps when we read these words. The birds are provided for, says Jesus and yet He is, in no way advocating a sinful idleness, we must see that. What is forbidden here is worry, not responsible provision for one’s own and one’s family needs. God provides food for the birds, but they still have to search for it! There are some who would say that God will provide and yet they do nothing about it. God will provide the money for the bills, they say, as they sit on the couch watching TV. God will provide the food, gas, and lodging for us, they say, as they speed off down the road on a trip to the other side of the country with only $20 in their pocket. If these kinds of examples weren’t taken from real life, they would almost be comical. It’s ridiculous to think that everything will just come to you. God was very clear in the garden, you will work! It will be by the sweat of your brow will you get food.
God provides for the birds, yes, but they also fly around looking for food. The very animal instinct, says Christ, is in tune with God’s sovereign provision. They go about doing what they do, day in and day out—chirping and flying about looking for food. It never enters their mind that the day’s competition might leave them hungry. They never think to store up more than what they need for that day. This is natural to them. And look at the creation, says Jesus. God has clothed it in a manner that not even Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, rich beyond comparison, not even he had clothing that compared to what God has made for the flowers of the field. God provides for his creation. And yet people use that creation. We eat the animals and make clothing from them. We use the grass and trees as building and heating materials—humanity is higher than the rest of creation. If God provides for animals and makes such beautify out of the plant life—if he goes to that kind of trouble for the “lower creation”, doesn’t it make sense that his care for you will be even better?
Worrying is really a wasted effort. That’s why he poses the question: can you add an hour to your life by worrying about it? That’s a rhetorical question. Do you see the way Jesus is putting things into perspective? Man is little. God is Huge! And yet He relates to His people as Father. What a wonderful thought! The King of the universe, the one who made this world and everything in it, the one who holds all things together by the power of his word, this God relates to His people as a Father. He relates to you, believer, and me as our Father. And what does a father do? He protects, provides for, and loves his children. Where do you think we get ideas about an ideal father figure? Yahweh is that and infinitely more. What wonderful comfort! So why worry? It seems silly when you look at it from this point of view. My Heavenly Father runs the universe; I’ve got nothing to worry about. Even when bad things come my way, even when I don’t have enough food or my clothing is ragged, or….fill in the blank. Even then, My Father is taking care of me and I know that whatever He brings it is for the best and for His glory. Knowing this, knowing that God is your father, what cause is there really for worrying?
The basis of the believer’s confidence, in contrast with the anxiety of the pagans, lies in recognizing God as your heavenly Father. The unbelieving world has legitimate cause to worry. Literally, the gentiles have a strong desire or obsession about these things. They have no basis for assurance about their daily needs, not to mention what comes after death. It doesn’t surprise me when an atheist worries. It doesn’t surprise me when a pagan worries. But why should a Christian worry? There really is no cause for it when the God of the universe is our Father.
Verse 33-34: What a Christian Should Be Concerned About:
Contrasting with the worries of the world, Jesus gives the believer something to be concerned about: Godliness. Christ’s words here should put all things in perspective for the Christian. You want something to be concerned about? Well here it is—be concerned about the kingdom of God and the righteousness of God first. Literally He says, continually seek first the kingdom, continually seek the righteousness of God; and what? Everything else will be provided for. Do what’s important and the rest will fall into place. Now that doesn’t mean that everything you desire will be given to you. Don’t think that if you try really hard that God will give you a BMW or a million dollars. What it means is this: if you saturate yourself with a concern for the things of God, the things that God cares about will become what you care about. This isn’t a new concept. That’s what Psalm 37:4 is all about: Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. If you are truly delighting yourself in God, than your desires will be in line with His desires. I just want to point out that this is how the Christian can know God’s will beyond what is biblically stated as God’s will—Godly desires! If your desire, for example, is to go India and be a missionary and your motives are in line with Scripture, than go! That’s what God wants you to do! Isn’t it a comfort it is to know that God not only protects and provides for His people but also gives them the desire to do His will! He provides everything!
What does it look like when a Church continually seeks the Kingdom of God and the righteousness of God? Turn with me to Acts 2:42. This is what a Godly Church looks like. "They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." This is what happens; this is the natural result of being concerned about the things of God. The word here speaks to a persistent and steadfast continuation in the search for God’s Kingdom and His righteousness. It is my belief that these things are in that order: an immersion in the Scriptures which leads to true fellowship. You cannot break bread with someone if there is no real godly connection and there can be no real godly connection if the Scriptures are not being rightly preached and taught. The Christian faith is supposed to be a day-to-day reality, not a once or twice-a-week routine. Why? Because Jesus Christ is not merely a historical figure; His resurrection is a living reality and His resurrection power is at work in in the Church through the power of the Spirit.
If the Church is continually seeking God in the Scriptures than the last two activities are the natural result, and notice the link between fellowship and breaking bread. Please notice that it doesn’t say “"They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship [and] to the breaking of bread and to prayer." The omission of “and” in the text indicates that the two are inseparable. Instead of a comma we could put a colon after the word fellowship. Fellowship is: breaking bread together and praying together. These things are foundational to Christian fellowship. Why? Because it is the reminder of Christ’s work. Every time we come together for communion we demonstrate what our fellowship is rooted in. We all come from different walks of life. We have different ages; we come from different parts of the country, different cultures, and different generations. Our education levels are different. Not only does that describe this church but it describes God’s people as a whole. Every nation and every tongue, every class of people will be represented around God’s throne. So many different people and yet all of them are unified by one thing: The life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
This is the whole reason that the Christian can be free from worry. This is the whole reason that this Church can stand strong. Hard times come and go, yes but if God is your Father, you have nothing to fear. He takes care of his people from beginning to end. So like our physical needs, let’s not worry about where our spiritual food will come from: God will provide it. We should still work hard. We should still go looking for it, but don’t worry about not finding it. It will come. God is our Father and Christ is our advocate with Him. Again, this should not give you cause to ignore your responsibilities in life, but it should comfort you; because while I work hard to provide for my family, while I work hard to please God in my life, I do so relying on grace; knowing that it is God who is continually watching over me, my wife, and this Church.
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