Helps for Daily Life 17
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BIBLE STUDY 2: HELPS FOR DAILY LIFE
A SERIES: THERE IS HOPE
LESSON 17: Matthew 6:25-34 THERE IS A SECRET TO WORRY-FREE LIVING
Matthew 6:25-34 (KJV) “25Therefore 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? 26Behold 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? 27Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”
INTRODUCTION
The Spirit of God through the inspired preaching of Jesus directs our attention to the problem of worry. The phrase in Verses 25, 27, 28, 31, and 34 could literally read, "Be not over-careful or over-anxious" or "do not worry needlessly over things." Jesus wasn't advocating a thoughtless, or a careless attitude toward life. He was speaking of the uselessness of a care-worn, worried fear which can take all the joy out of life. As you and I prayerfully look at this passage we can see that THERE IS SECRET TO WORRY-FREE LIVING.
INTERPRETATION
LET’S ANALYZE THE CAUSE OF WORRY.
Verse 25 Jesus said, "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..."
Verse 34 Jesus said, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow..."
The Lord Jesus informs us in these verses that a life of worry is evident because of natural as well as spiritual causes.
THINK ABOUT THE NATURAL CAUSES OF WORRY.
Jesus said, "...Take no thought for your life..." These words reveal that over-anxiety is generally due to very normal things in life. One study has suggested that an average person's anxiety focused on these areas: 40% about things that will never happen, 30% about things that are already past - which cannot be altered, 12% about criticism by others - mostly untrue, 10% about health - which gets worse with stress, 8% about real problems that will be faced.
What are some of these natural causes of worry?
1. THERE IS OUR FOOD.
Jesus said "...Take no thought for ...what ye shall eat..." Food has always been a cause of worry to mankind. Drought or flood areas are always concerned about food. Nations stricken by famine are especially concerned about it. Ultimately the concern comes down to the individual ... MEN AND WOMEN WORRY ABOUT FOOD! They worship it, they waste it, and they want it! Some people think of nothing but food and thus, they overindulge in it. Some go to the other extreme and over-diet. (Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.")
2. THERE IS OUR CLOTHES.
Jesus said "...Take no thought for...what ye shall put on..." These words are addressed to people who regard their clothing as part of their capital on which they have spent their labor for many weeks and months. Garments worn in the East were often made of rich materials ... so monetary wealth included clothing, furnishings, and the comforts of life. This really applies well to the hour in which we live doesn't it? If you would analyze a normal conversation you would probably hear more about furnishings, clothing, automobiles, and money than anything else.
3. THERE IS HEALTH.
Verse 27 Jesus asked, "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?" Most commentators believe that word "cubit" refers to the length of life rather than a person's height. If this is so, then it only confirms the cause of much worry and anxiety about life today. Medical science and the man on the street are obsessed with the problem of health. Just think of all the magazines and books that are published for the promotion of health. People worry about life-threatening diseases and how they can live longer. Instead of thanking God for their health they make the subject of well-being the cause of worry.
4. THERE IS OUR FUTURE.
Verse 34 Jesus said, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow..." We worry about the "tomorrows" of life don't we? We spend so much time planning, paying, and praying for the future that we sometimes fail to enjoy the present. People empty the strength of today with the sorrows of tomorrow and use up their lives nervously, feverishly, and uselessly.
The Lord Jesus informs us in these verses that a life of worry is evident because of natural as well as spiritual causes.
THINK ABOUT THE SPIRITUAL CAUSES OF WORRY.
Jesus summed them up when He said in Verse 30, "...O ye of little faith?" These words spell out the lack of trust and confidence in God that Jesus detected in His disciples. Basically, this is the cause of fear and worry.
1. THERE IS FAILURE TO TRUST GOD OF PRE-VISION.
In Verse 32 Jesus said, "...your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." The birds of the air have no rational forethought, the lilies of the field have no power to plan ahead ...yet neither of them have any wants! As long as they obey the laws of their kingdoms God will see to their needs. You and I, on the other hand, destroy ourselves with corroding cares, even though we have the same Heavenly Father. We try to predict future events and needs and invariably we go wrong because WE DO NOT TRUST THE GOD OF PRE-VISION. Our God is the God of yesterday, today and forever.
In relation to our tomorrow, He knows all about our food, our clothes, our health, and our future.
That's the reason Jesus said in Verse 34, "...Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." In Christianity Today, there was a story of a father and his small son in a land where there was war. The father holding his son by the hand ran from a building that had been struck by a bomb. In the front yard was a shell hole and seeking shelter as quickly as possible, the father jumped into the hole and held up his arms for his son to follow. Terrified, yet hearing his father's voice telling him to jump, the boy said, "I can't see you Daddy!" The father looked up against the red tinted sky and called out to the silhouette of his son and said, "But I can see you, so just jump! The little boy jumped, because he trusted his father.
The Christian faith enables us to face life or to meet death, not because we can see, but because we have a certainty that we are seen, not because we know all the answers, but because we are known!
2. THERE IS FAILURE TO TRUST THE GOD OF PROVISION.
In Verse 26, speaking of the fowls of the air, Jesus said, "...your heavenly Father feedeth them..." There are a number of Scriptures throughout the Bible that support the concept of OUR PROVIDING GOD.
The Bible says in Psalm 84:11 says, "...No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly."
The Bible says in Psalm 37:25 that David testified, "I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread."
The Bible says in Romans 8:32, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"
The Bible says in I Timothy 6:17, "...God...gives us richly all things to enjoy.”
He is the God of the birds which never sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet they are adequately fed. He is the God of the lilies that neither toil nor spin, yet they are arrayed in garments of glory and beauty. He is also the God of men and women, and by His activities of creation, preservation, and redemption He makes them the objects of His special care and providing mercies. Through lack of faith or because of little faith we don't trust God therefore we worry. It is unnecessary to worry. It is unworthy of us to worry. Yet we still worry and such worry is sinful!
EXPLANATION
WE MUST AVOID THE CURSE OF WORRY.
In verse 34, Jesus said, "...Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." What our Savior is emphasizing here is that the conflicts of any given day are enough to deal with, without anticipating the troubles of tomorrow. Worry affects the whole person - spirit, soul, and body.
WORRY DEFEATS OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE.
To those people who are affected by corroding care Jesus said in Verse 30, "...O ye of little faith". This phrase is found 5 times in our Lord's teachings throughout the Gospels. The disciples were not faithless or unbelieving, but their trust was weak. In moments of anxiety they lacked the confidence which led them to rely completely on the love and wisdom of their Father. So, when waves threatened to sink their boat on a a dark and stormy night, Jesus had to say to His disciples, in Matthew 8:26, "...Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith?" Again, when Peter began to sink in the waves, because of failing to trust the Master who had commanded him to step out of the boat, Jesus challenged him and said in Matthew 14:31, "... O ye of little faith, why do you doubt?" There was also the occasion when the disciples had forgotten to take bread. Panic set in, even in the presence of the Christ who had fed the multitudes, so He asked them in Matthew 16:8, "...O ye of little faith, why do ye reason among yourselves because ye have brought no bread?” In each case, lack of trust was followed by worry and anxiety. In other words, worry always defeats our Spiritual life and there is where the curse lies!
WORRY DISTRACTS OUR MENTAL LIFE.
Jesus began in Verse 25 by saying, "...Take no thought..." Five times this phrase is found in our reading and each time it signifies, "Be not over-careful or over-anxious." In his "Studies on the Sermon on the Mount," the late Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones points out that in the original "thought" or "worry" is the word used to indicate something which divides, separates, or distracts us. Then he goes on to say, "If you look to Luke 12:29, you will find that the expression used there is '... neither be ye of doubtful mind.' It is a mind which is divided into sections and compartments, which is not functioning as a whole."
Worry is to the mind, like a bulldog tearing a rag doll to shreds. If you can picture that in your mind it's not difficult to understand the mental distractions and breakdowns that are so alarmingly common in lives today. Just like a house that is divided against itself, which cannot stand, the mental structures of our personalities give way and collapse through worry.
WORRY DESTROYS OUR PHYSICAL LIFE.
Jesus asked in Verse 27, "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?" As we have seen already the meaning of this verse has more to do with the prolonging of life than the extending of our body height. The fact is, worry shortens life instead of prolonging it. Worry is actively injurious to us! It causes stomach ulcers and heart disease which are both many times the result of worry. His worry, which wears out the mind, also wears out the body. In spite of this, however, we still continue to sin against our spirit, our soul, and our body. Often we are defeated, distracted and destroyed by worry ...but we still worry any way! Shouldn't this exposure of the curse of worry bring us to the place where we are determined to learn to live the way of victory over this kind of corroding care? [It is a medical fact that he who laughs most lives the longest!]
APPLICATION
WE MUST APPLY THE CURE TO WORRY.
Jesus stated the cure to worry in no unmistakable terms when He said in Verse 33, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Jesus preceded these words by pointing out that the Gentiles make the object of their pursuit the very things that create worry. Then, using the same word, He declared, "...seek ye first the Kingdom of God."
In simple terms, here is the cure to worry.
WE MUST SEEK THE REIGN OF GOD IN OUR LIVES.
"...seek ye first the Kingdom of God..."
The Bible says in Romans 14:17, "the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." In other words, in a life of holiness, harmony, and happiness God is the cure for worry. This kind of kingdom cannot exist in our lives unless and until God is enthroned and God is first in every department of our beings. When God is enthroned, self is dethroned; when faith is exalted, fear is excluded; when grace has dominion, sin – with all its worry – has no more dominion over us. Are we prepared to give God first place in our spirit, soul, and body?
WE MUST SEEK THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN OUR LIVES.
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness..."
The Bible says in the Beatitudes of Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." A great deal of our worry is due to the fact that men and women are empty on the inside. They are not satisfied; there is a God-shaped void that none but God can fill. When He does fill it with His own life – which is nothing less than the resurrection life of Christ – then there is satisfaction and peace. In other words, it is the life of God residing in Christ, as revealed in the Scriptures, and realized in us by the Holy Spirit.
WE MUST SEEK THE RESOURCES OF GOD IN OUR LIVES.
"...seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
The cure for worry and anxiety will be experienced when we put first things first! Jesus tells us here, that if God's rule and requirements are accepted and acknowledged then the temporal things of life will be provided. God is no man's debtor, but the Bible says in Hebrews 11:6, He is "...a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” To honor Him is always to be honored by Him. To give Him His rightful place in our lives is to be blessed with temporal mercies and spiritual benefits – and not worry!
WHAT IS THE SECRET TO WORRY-FREE LIVING?
(It is three-fold)
ACCEPT GOD'S RULE.
ACKNOWLEDGE GOD'S REQUIREMENTS.
APPROPRIATE GOD'S RESOURCES -
Live in victory with the peace of God guarding your heart and mind through Jesus Christ
If you haven’t already, I want to invite you to receive Jesus as your Savior.
DO YOU NEED SOME HELP?
To find more help in receiving Jesus Christ as your personal Savior please go to the Bible Study Title Page “ETERNAL LIFE.” Please send me an email and let me know about any decision for Christ you make so that I may pray for you. Feel free to send me any questions, comments, or responses you may have as well. For those who are already Christians I invite you to also please let me know of any decisions you make in your Christian life for Jesus. Please send me your questions, comments, or responses and let me know if the Bible Studies are helping you.
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ALWAYS REMEMBER!
The support of your local Church ministry and the ministry of your Pastor should be the first priority of your Christian life and your service to the Lord. Be faithful to prayerfully prepare and attend Sunday School and Worship Service this Sunday and participate in worship as your Pastor preaches the Word. Do not forget to give the Lord at least your TITHE through your local church from your gross income – that is your first fruits. Any other other giving is an offering to a ministry unto the Lord. Honor the Lord in all you do and with all that you have. Always remember that everything you have and all you are belongs to the Lord. It is on loan to you – so manage it well! There will be an audit one day! Make sure the Books Balance!
All Bible Studies Are Prepared by Pastor Frank Denning And May Be Be Used By Permission.