THE BIBLE DOESN'T SAY THAT
(The Cure for Anxiety - June 12, 2022)
Series Big Idea: "This series compares what the Bible says verses what it doesn't say"
Sermon Big Idea: "Jesus encourages us to focus on opportunities to expand His Kingdom in our lives and the world"
Key Scripture (Matthew 6:25-34)
Tragically, certain false ideas about God and Christianity have made their way into present church culture. These trendy statements or methods of thinking are totally opposite to what the Bible teaches. That is why I thought it important and informative to start a new series of sermons that compare what the Bible says versus what it doesn't say. Over the next several weeks we will focus on some popular phrases people in our culture like to use in everyday conversation.
The first phrase is “God helps those who help themselves.” We hear people saying this all the time. But is this true? Will God only help those who show Him they can do everything on their own! If this is true, does He care about the broken-hearted? Is life just about us learning self-sufficiency? According to our culture, it seems so. Let’s see what Jesus thinks about this statement.
(Matthew 6:25-34)
“This is why I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? 27 Can any of you add a single cubit to his height by worrying? 28 And why do you worry about clothes? Learn how the wildflowers of the field grow: they don’t labor or spin thread. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these! 30 If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t He do much more for you—you of little faith? 31 So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 For the idolaters eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you. 34 Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
So, what makes it so hard for Christians to live worry-free in their relationship with Christ?
1. Self-Sufficiency is idolized in today’s culture
The culture in which we live idolizes self-sufficiency. It tends to only look out for number one. Everywhere we look there is do-it-yourself everything! We are building more warehouses all the time that are supposed to help us become more self-sufficient. Let’s just be honest, most people think if they can do it themselves why do they need God? Did Jesus say in these verses that God only helps those who help themselves? No!
By the way, this is the most famous sermon Jesus ever preached. We call it the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). In this passage, the word worry or worrying is found six times. The words “this is why,” also help us to understand what Jesus is saying about our relationship with Him. You see, in the previous verses in chapter six, He explained why He deserves and demands full devotion. In these verses, He explains why, if we enter into this total commitment relationship with Him, He will take care of us. This is part of the covenant relationship we have with Him as Christians.
Jesus' climax was based on the foundation of (verses 31-33), which demonstrated and reinforced his topic. Two further statements concerning anxiety were given in verse 32. First and foremost, it was pagan; the concern was the attitude of people who did not belong to God's kingdom. Second, worrying about what to eat, drink, or wear was completely unnecessary since your heavenly Father is aware of your needs. So, what should we be concerned with if we are not to be worried about basic needs?
2. God’s Kingdom is a Christian's first priority
His kingdom and righteousness are the answers. Those two words are virtually interchangeable. God's kingdom refers to his absolute authority in heaven and on earth, specifically in and through the life of a believer. Seeking his kingdom involves ensuring that his justice is carried out in heaven, on earth, and, most importantly, in and through our lives.
First and foremost, we are to pursue God's kingdom and righteousness. This is where it all begins. This is going to be our top focus. As a result, it's critical to remind ourselves of certain basic kingdom facts. How can anyone discover God's righteousness, which is the essence of his kingdom? Jesus began his sermon by stressing our spiritual bankruptcy. We don't have any self-righteousness. Even the most positive attitudes and actions cannot guarantee it. Grace through faith brings righteousness as a compassionate gift (Ephesians 2:4–10). The New Testament makes it clear that the righteousness of God comes through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22-24). This is the only way we enter God’s kingdom (John 3:3). We can’t seek His Kingdom unless we are born again.
Conclusion:
So, it all starts with our desire to pursue his kingdom and righteousness. Therefore, we must continue to seek God's kingdom and righteousness. But we are not to search in the sense of seeking something concealed. Rather, we are to seek out every chance to further his already established rule in our lives and in the world, in preparation for the day when Christians will reign with him (Matthew 19:27–29; Romans 8:17; 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 2:26–27; 3:21), when he completely establishes his kingdom on this planet.
The phrase “all these things” appears three times in verses 32 and 33. We might think that Jesus used it in a derogatory manner. This was not meant to minimize the importance of basic necessities, but rather to push them to the back of his disciples' minds, far behind his kingdom and righteousness. The pagans (and the Pharisees) rushed for "all these goods." The Father is well aware of "all these things." When we put God's kingdom and righteousness in their correct places and serve the kingdom's interests, "all these things" will fall into place.
Pastor Beaver's thoughts and ideas are inspired by:
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