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[0:00] We return with me now for a reading to Matthew chapter 6. Matthew chapter 6 and we'll go on with the study of the Sermon on the Mount by studying tonight verses 25 to the end of that chapter.

[0:13] Matthew chapter 6 from verse 25 and it's the Lord Jesus Christ who is speaking. Therefore I say unto you take no thought for your life what you shall eat or what you shall drink nor yet for your body what you shall put on.

[0:29] Is not the life more than meat and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly father feedeth them.

[0:40] Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field how they grow.

[0:53] They toil not neither do they spin. And yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of thee. Wherefore of God so clothed the grass of the field which today is and tomorrow is cast into the oven.

[1:08] Shall he not much more clothe you O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or wherewithal shall we be clothed?

[1:20] For after all these things do the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.

[1:34] Take 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. You remember that in our last study verses 19 to 25 we saw that Jesus was warning us against being governed by our own desires.

[1:56] By our own affections. By our own lusts. He warns us against being fond, too fond of earthly things. For the simple fact is that none of these things last.

[2:08] Personal appearance fades away and dies and decays. We cannot take our money with us. There are no pockets in a shroud. And yet so often earthly things tend to become our God.

[2:25] We become slaves to the very things that God has given to us for our use and our enjoyment. We are often mastered by our own appetites.

[2:37] Our own appetites given to us by God. Again for our use and for our enjoyment. We know that the appetites of man like hunger, thirst, sex, ambition are God created.

[2:55] But when we allow ourselves to be dominated by them. Then we become their slaves. We become a people worshipping at their shrine.

[3:05] And worse still at the end of our days on this earth. The one who has lived for the things of this world. Finds himself with absolutely nothing.

[3:16] What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Christ warns that we cannot serve God and mamma. We must not be fooled into thinking and believing among our religion.

[3:32] Which allows us to worship God and the things of this world. We must not compromise our loyalty. Jesus must be king of our hearts.

[3:43] Jesus must be king of our lives. Jesus must be king of our lives. And in our study this evening in the study passage. Jesus teaches us about anxiety. About worry.

[3:54] And remember that it's an ongoing teaching. Although you can take it by itself. It is an ongoing teaching following on from the warning about Christians being attacked by the love of things.

[4:07] Jesus knows the subtlety of the devil. And he knows our own weaknesses. And knows the mess Christians can get into by being overcome by anxiety and by worry.

[4:20] And he knows that worry and anxiety can attack us particularly when our loyalties are divided between the things of the world and God himself.

[4:30] That is when we become more concerned with the things of the things of God. Than we are with the things of God. Then we are very prone to be attacked by the evil one.

[4:43] And we are prone to anxiety. So his command for his people here is stop worrying. And like everything else Jesus says this has good sound spiritual sense.

[4:55] Because every one of us knows that worry doesn't do us any good whatsoever. And it certainly does us a lot of harm. Worry strangles your very life.

[5:08] It puts sand into the delicate machinery of the mind. And if unchecked if you allow worry and anxiety to take over your life. Then it changes your whole personality.

[5:19] And it drives your friends away. And makes you lonely. Worry giving itself more fertile ground in which to breathe and to grow and to expand. It's a vicious circle.

[5:31] If you allow worry to take over your life. And we see the futility of it. Because worry Jesus says can't put clothes on your back. Worrying about food.

[5:42] It won't put food into your stomach. Verse 25. And worrying about your life span or your height. Won't add anything to either. That's verse 27. So we can waste a lot of energy worrying about things which may never happen.

[5:57] Jesus reaches out to us and he wants us to constitute more of our time and energy on the things that matter. On the affairs of the kingdom of God and on obedience to his will.

[6:12] God will take care of our daily needs. He provides for the birds and the flowers. Jesus wants us to really believe and to realize that God does care about us.

[6:31] That God has a fatherly protective care for us. That God has our best interests at heart. Now in our study of the verses here.

[6:43] We notice first of all three things. We notice therefore. Three times. Verse 25. Therefore I say unto you.

[6:53] 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. That's the first there. Then verse 31. We find the second therefore.

[7:05] Therefore take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink. Or wherewithal shall we be clothed. And then the third therefore is in verse 34. Take therefore no thought for the morrow.

[7:18] Now it has been said that in your reading of the Bible. So whenever you come on the word therefore. You should not go on until you know what it is there for.

[7:29] And here as Jesus uses it. It means because of this. That is Jesus is giving a conclusion based on his own teaching.

[7:41] He is teaching and because of his teaching. He says therefore you must act in this way. Because of this. A single eye to God's glory.

[7:52] God's fatherly care for his own. Therefore don't worry. And then the second thing that we have to see is. These three words here. Take no thought.

[8:03] Now people have misunderstood this at times. And they think that to live a life of faith means. That they mustn't make any provision at all for the future. But of course that's not what is meant here at all.

[8:15] In the time when this Bible was translated as we have it here in 1611. Take no thought meant do not worry.

[8:27] It meant don't be anxious. So what Jesus is teaching here is. That we shouldn't be distracted from trusting God and serving him. And enjoying him by being over anxious about other things.

[8:41] And the original language and the context of his teaching tells us that he is not advocating a life of idleness at all. He's not telling us that we are allowed to sit back and do nothing.

[8:55] And that we are not to make any provision at all for the future. No. The very example that he chooses confirms this. That he means us to be active. Because he uses the birds of the air.

[9:06] Well the birds of the air are very busy little things. They are busy searching for food. They are busy making their nests. They are busy feeding their young. They are busy caring for their young.

[9:17] They are busy all the time. And yet God provides for them. Jesus wants us to behave responsibly. Giving God the first place in our lives.

[9:29] But still taking an active part in society as good responsible Christians should do. But we mustn't be overly anxious. Maybe consumed with worry about things.

[9:42] Over which we may not even have control. Paul puts it in another way in Philippians 4. He says be careful for nothing. But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.

[9:55] Let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding. Shall keep your heart and mind through Christ Jesus. You see that's what Paul is saying.

[10:08] That not to be over anxious about things. But to trust in the Lord. For the things that we are not able to do ourselves. And not to be overly anxious about material things.

[10:19] And he asks. Jesus goes on and asks. Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto a stature? That's the third thing that I want to look at. In order to understand this passage properly.

[10:32] Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto a stature? That's in verse 27. Well in the original language. The bit translated adding to stature. That is growing taller. Could also be translated adding to lifespan.

[10:47] So we can safely use both meanings. And both are correct. What Jesus is asking here. He's either asking. Who can add to his height. Or who can add to his lifespan.

[10:58] You see what Jesus is bringing out. No matter which one you choose to take. Is that he wants us to see the futility. Of worrying about things. Over which we have no control. These things.

[11:10] Are in the Lord's own hands. Oh yes. We must do all in our power. To help and maintain our physical well-being. And the skill of medicine. And the skill of doctors and nurses.

[11:22] That is a gift from God. And we're entitled to avail ourselves of it. But we must always bow ourselves before the sovereignty of our maker. And allow him to work out the things over which we have no control.

[11:38] So these are the three things that we must understand. Before we understand the whole passage. That is the three therefore. That Jesus means there because of this. And then the misunderstanding that sometimes arises from.

[11:51] Take no thought. Which really means do not be overly anxious about things. And then the third thing is. Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto a statue.

[12:02] That it can mean also adding to the length of your day. So what does Jesus mean by saying don't worry. Well have you ever noticed what happens when you become anxious about something.

[12:15] How it begins to grow until it dominates your life. It begins to grow until it dominates your whole thinking. And Jesus knew about worry. Because I think it seems to me that probably the disciples that were around him.

[12:29] Were often very concerned about where the very necessities of life were going to come from. Because they were going. They were traveling around Palestine all the time. They didn't have time to sow.

[12:41] And to reap. And they didn't have time to bake. They didn't have time to do all of those things that are necessary. And they had very little money in order to buy things. So the disciples many at the time would be late at night.

[12:53] Maybe wondering where tomorrow's food was going to come from. And they'd be worried about those things. So Jesus knew about this. But Jesus tells them not to worry. And he in verse 25 he assures them.

[13:06] That the God who gave life. And who gave the body. Will also give lesser things like food and clothing. Now in the Christian's life. The Christian is not indifferent at all.

[13:17] To the necessities of life. Food, drink and clothing. Are absolutely just as necessary for the Christian. As they are for anybody else. And the Christian possesses God given appetites.

[13:29] Of hunger and thirst and sex. Everything for our use and our enjoyment. But when any of these. Or all of them become our masters. Then the order of things.

[13:40] Is wrong. And we become slaves to the very things. That God gave us for our use. And for our enjoyment. And you notice as well. How the advertising world.

[13:51] Has cottoned on. To the appetites. That man has. And plays constantly. On the weakness of man. On TV. In papers. In glossy magazines.

[14:02] We are bombarded by adverts. That are very cunning. And very clever. To get at our very weakness. Adverts. Adverts. That are to do with food. And drink.

[14:12] And clothing. Adverts. That are to do with material possessions. And they are all covered. With a sexual facade. So that people are brainwashed. Into thinking that unless they.

[14:25] And their children. Are not part of this modern. Shiny existence. Then if they are not part of it. They are second class citizens. They pray. They pray.

[14:36] On our minds. And they pray. On the minds of parents. And on the minds of children. That they must be up. With things. The basic necessities. Of life.

[14:46] Have become. Our masters. From the flash outfits. And the flash gear. That is advertised. Right down to ranger strips. From fashionable restaurants.

[14:57] To the latest in kitchen units. From living together. To wholesale promiscuity. We don't need to go on. You know. And I know. How gullible we are. We are so weak.

[15:08] You see. As a nation. We are rushing madly. To worship. At the shrine. Of our own weakness. Filled with anxiety. That our children. Should have the latest gear.

[15:20] That we ourselves. Should get. Whatever is our particular desire. At that time. But Jesus teaches us. That life. Is more than food. That life.

[15:31] Is more than clothes. That the body. Is far more important. Than clothes. And he dwells. On the necessities. He doesn't go. Into the extras.

[15:42] That our modern generation. Demand. He asks us. To look around us. The birds of the air. And the flowers of the field. They demonstrate to us. The master hand of God.

[15:53] Both in design. And provision. If he so cares for those. Birds of a limited lifespan. With no immortal soul. And flowers that flourish.

[16:04] Just for a moment. And fade away. And die. How much more. Will your father in heaven. Care and provide. For you. Who has been bought. By the blood of his own.

[16:15] Dear son. You are precious. In his eyes. He sees that. And he understands. How dearly. He has bought you. Is he going to forget you. Now that he's bought you.

[16:26] Is he going to cast you. On the rubbish heap. Is he going to let you. Do your own thing. No my friends. Jesus says that. He will provide. He that spared not his own son. But delivered him up.

[16:37] For us all. How shall he not with him. Also freely. Give us. All things. My friends. Your father. Knows your needs. He loves you.

[16:49] He will supply. All you need. Let the non-believer. Worry about things. Let the non-believer. Have his brow. Creased with anxiety.

[17:00] Let the non-believer. Toss and turn. On his bed. Because. He has so much. To be worried about. He has so much. To be concerned about.

[17:11] He has reason. To worry. For none. Of those. Caring promises. Is for the heathen. None. Of those. Promises. Is for the non-Christian.

[17:22] But to the believer. Jesus says. Don't worry. For your heavenly father. Knows. That you have need. Of all these things. You see.

[17:33] It means that. You cannot be anywhere. But the Lord. Knows about you. Whether you are at home. Whether you are in hospital. Whether you are in the doctor's waiting room. Whether you are at work.

[17:44] Whether you are at school. Nothing affects you. But the Lord. Knows all about it. He knows. Your deepest thoughts. All things are naked. And open. To the eyes of him.

[17:56] With whom we have to do. All that brings responsibility. Because if he is watching us all the time. Then we have to clean up our act. But also. It brings comfort.

[18:07] Because in all the situation. That I am in. And that you are in. God is there. With us. Going through it. In health. In sickness. In bereavement.

[18:18] In sorrow. In joy. In joy. He knows every pang that affects your heart. He knows every heartache. You need never be anxious. You must never be worried.

[18:28] God is with you. He is your father. He is with his child. He is soothing. Protecting. And supplying. Doing all that you need. Whatever your circumstance.

[18:42] So what Jesus is telling us. Is don't panic. Don't rush about. As if you are on your own. Don't panic. As if you are wandering. Through this world. And that you are freely.

[18:54] Attacked by everything. That is going on. Everything is under the Lord's control. He holds you by the hand. And he will take you through. Everything that comes.

[19:04] And he will supply. All you need. You see. Jesus wants us to have. More than just little faith. He wants our faith. To be exercised. And again.

[19:15] We must point out. That faith. Is not an elastic. To be stretched. But a muscle. To be exercised. And little faith. Keeps us from believing. All the promises of God.

[19:26] Oh yes. We believe a lot of them. Ones that we can handle. But not all of them. We believe in a whole lot of things. About Jesus. And we can accept these things.

[19:37] For ourselves. But we cannot accept. All the biblical promises at all. That's what comes of having little faith. But Jesus wants us to take. Our special circumstances.

[19:48] To the word of God. And we must see. What the Bible says. And we must take the Bible. Exactly as he says it. And we must accept it.

[19:58] And say. This is the word of God. And God is speaking to me. He is speaking to me. Passionately. In my circumstance. And I must take his word. As we find it there.

[20:12] Then as we go on. We ask. What does he mean by saying. Seek ye first. The kingdom of God. Because he is speaking to Christians. This is part of the Sermon on the Mount. Which is delivered to Christians.

[20:23] And he is not telling these Christians. These disciples. And he is not telling us as well. How to make ourselves Christians. But he is telling us. How we are to behave. As Christians.

[20:36] How we are to behave. Because we are Christians. We are to earnestly. And diligently. Seek to know God better. Oh how many Christians.

[20:48] Miss. The real blessing. Because they don't seek God. Diligently. They only play. At being Christians. Oh yes they are saved. Because Jesus Christ saves them.

[21:00] But they miss out. On the great blessings. Because they relegate him. To a very small part of their life. They attend church. The minimum of time.

[21:11] They come to the prayer meetings. Just to put in an appearance. Now and again. They read their Bible. Now and again. When it is available. They give to the church. Of what is left over. They do everything.

[21:22] In a very very small. Grudging way. They are not on their knees. Often enough. You see Christ tells us. That the Christian. Is meant to be seeking.

[21:34] The face of God. The Christian. He is speaking to Christians. And he is telling the Christian. To seek ye first. The kingdom of God. To seek his glory. In everything that you do.

[21:45] Throughout each day. Whatever decision you have to make. Whatever job of work. You have to do. Whatever you have to do. To seek first. The kingdom of God. That is. What is to the glory of God. What is to the best of my spiritual life.

[21:57] What is to the good of the cause of Christ. All of those things. That is. Seek ye first. The kingdom of God. Jesus says. That we are to look. And seek the face of the Lord.

[22:09] Daily. Constantly. Diligently. We are to do it first. And he is concerned. You see. Jesus went about with his eyes open. And he is concerned. Because he saw.

[22:19] People. Who were putting other things first. But in the very model of prayer. That he gave us. What we call the Lord's Prayer. You will notice the order of things there. It is the same.

[22:30] Consistent teaching. God first. He begins. Our Father which art in heaven. He does not begin. By asking for our daily bread. He begins. Our Father which art in heaven.

[22:42] Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth. As it is in heaven. And then. Give us this day. Our daily bread. You see the order.

[22:52] The consistency of it. Jesus wants us to seek a closer walk with God. And he wants this seeking of a closer walk with God. To take absolute priority.

[23:03] Over everything else in the whole world. As Paul says. Set your affection on things above. Not on things on the earth. That's what it means. When he tells us to seek.

[23:15] First. The kingdom of God. And then he says. And there's righteousness. You see. We're not only to seek the kingdom of God. By setting our affections on things above. But we've got to strive to be better people.

[23:28] We've got to strive to be righteous. We've got to strive to be holier. We've got to get up each day and say. Lord help me today. To be a little bit better than I was yesterday.

[23:40] Be more holy. To be more like the Lord Jesus Christ. Seeking each day. And begging him to make us more like Christ. Every single day. Remember what he said back at the beginning.

[23:52] Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst of the righteousness. For they shall be filled. You see the consistency of his teaching right the way through. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst of the righteousness.

[24:03] For they shall be filled. It's a progression. It's going on all the time. What it means is that the more we seek the Lord. The more we want to be like Christ. And the more we want to be like Christ.

[24:15] The more our faith grows. And the more our faith grows. The more our assurance grows. And the more our assurance grows. The more we trust in God. And the more we trust in God.

[24:28] The more the things of the world take second place. The things of the world go dim. And because of all that sort of progression. Then the more our anxieties and worries retreat.

[24:40] And also there's something else thrown in. And the extra incentive as it were in this bargain. That there's a promise attached to it. And the promise is put God and his glory.

[24:52] Put your nearness to him. Put these things first in your life. And you have God's own word. That all other things that are necessary for your well-being in this world. Will be yours.

[25:04] All the things that are necessary will be yours. If you put God first in your life. We read there in Solomon. Solomon. About Solomon when he became the king of Israel. And God asked him what he want.

[25:17] Solomon could have asked for a great army. Because he was surrounded by enemy. Solomon could have asked for a whole host of things. But what did he ask for? He was aware of who he was.

[25:28] He was aware he was the king. But he had a vast number of people to look after. He had a vast number of people to understand. And to deal with them correctly.

[25:38] And he saw his own frailty. Who is sufficient for all these things? Lord give me wisdom. And because he thought of other people. Because he thought of what was right.

[25:49] God says yes. I'll give you wisdom. And because you didn't ask for something selfish for yourself. I'll give you everything else as well. With long life thrown in. You know when you go to the doctor.

[26:02] And the doctor asks you questions. He's carrying out a diagnosis. He wants to see what is wrong with you. And he asks you a lot of questions. Well I think that in this chapter.

[26:14] Jesus is wanting you to diagnose yourself. He wants me to diagnose myself as a Christian. And he asks three questions. He says where is your treasure?

[26:28] Where is your treasure? And then he says on what are your eyes fixed? What is your vision for yourself in this world? And then he says who is your master?

[26:42] Who is your boss? Who is your master? Who is your master? Who is your master? My friends. Life in the kingdom of God. Calls for a whole hearted allegiance.

[26:54] To the king of kings. Nothing else will do. May each one of us seek that allegiance. May we go from strength to strength. As a Christian people.

[27:05] May we know Jesus. In a way that we have never known before. And let us walk to glory. Hand in hand with that man from Nazareth. Before whom all nations of the earth will bow.

[27:19] Before whom all tongues will confess. That Jesus Christ is Lord. Amen. Let us pray. O Lord we give thee thanks for thine own teaching.

[27:34] And we ask forgiveness for any obscuration that we may have caused. But O Lord we plead with thee that thou hast applied the message to the hearts of thine own people. And that they may see and hear and know the voice of Jesus telling them how they are to behave in the kingdom of God.

[27:51] And we plead with thee for those who do not yet know thee. Lord reach out to them in love and in mercy. Why not tonight? Why not conversions tonight? Why not turn them this very evening through this very message and through the message this morning.

[28:07] Bless both messages to them O Lord God. Cover the puniness of thy servants. And reveal thyself as a God of glory. For Jesus sake.

[28:18]  Amen. Amen. Amen.