REVIEW
FLIP CHART: SOM’S KEY VERSE, GOAL, MOTTO
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness ….” (Mt. 6:33a).
The law sends us to Christ for justification; Christ sends us back to the law for sanctification.
FLIP CHART: Show new “Perfect Righteousness” chart explaining steps to coming to Christ (As a worm, mourning, meek, spiritual hunger/thirst with the result of legal righteousness). Explain: moral righteousness, immediate moral change at conversion, gradual change through life’s challenges and speeding up moral change via CCRC (Concentration, Choice, Reflection and Confession/Thanksgiving). Key verse, “By one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” (Heb. 10:14).
FLIP CHART: John Stott’s outline of SOM.
25″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 important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look 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? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28″And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was not dressed like one of these. 30If 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 clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
INTRODUCTION
Theme of 6:18-34 is “A Christian’s Ambition.” Here Jesus warns us to renounce materialism, the value system of the pagan.
Vss. 32-33: The pagans focus on material wealth, we are to focus on God’s Kingdom and righteousness.
FLIP-CHART – Vs. 33: But seek (zeteo) ye first the kingdom of God …. The same root word. So we could translate Mt. 6:33 as follows: We should have our thoughts dominated by and diligently, eagerly seek the extension of God’s Kingdom and His righteousness
REVIEW:
(1) The Bible supports Private Property
(2) Our Private Property is Not Our Own
(3) We can discern the true state of our heart by discovering our treasure. Where our treasure is, there is our heart.
FLIP CHART: Five questions that help us track our treasures and discover the state of our heart.
a. What are my idle thoughts, day dreams?
b. What do I worry about most?
c. What would I most dread losing?
d. What do I measure others by? Clothing? Education? Home? Athleticism? Business success?
e. What can’t I be happy without?
(4) We are not to be materialists treasuring up treasure on earth.
Flip Chart: [Materialism is the theory or attitude that physical well-being and worldly possessions constitute the greatest good and the highest value in life.]
(5) Wealth is insignificant in the light of eternity.
(6) We are to store up material wealth (money) in heaven.
(7) Our Father wants us to be generous.
(8) We reject materialism as our worldview.
(9) God, being El-Kanno, the Jealous God, will brook no rivals nor accept a split allegiance between Himself and Materialism. Giving partial allegiance to God and partial allegiance to Materialism is unacceptable.
The big question for us: Do I have an unhealthy pre-occupation with things? Am I focused on laying up treasures on earth? Do I own a generous or a stingy eye? I have a worldview. Is it materialistic? Partially materialistic? Am I more American than I am Christian?
OUTLINE FOR TODAY:
1. What is “therefore” in vs. 25 there fore?
2. Defining “Worry” As Used in 6:25-34
3. Worry is Sin
4. Worry that is not Sin
WHAT’S THEREFORE THEREFORE?
I. WHAT “THEREFORE” IN VS 25 IS THERE FOR
“You cannot serve both God and Money. Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life ….” (Mt. 6:24-25)
John Stott writes, “It is a pity that this passage is often read on its own in church, isolated from what has gone before. Then the significance of the introductory “Therefore I tell you” is missed. So we must begin by relating this ‘therefore,’ this conclusion of Jesus, to the teaching which has led up to it. He calls us to thought before he calls us to action.” (Stott, 159)
The question is how far back does ‘therefore’ refer. To the previous verse about God and Money? Or to the whole section 19-24 about materialism?
The following verses, 25-34, focus on the matter of anxiety, worry. In fact ‘worry’ is listed 6 times in 9 verses.
TABLE QUESTION: Why is “therefore” there? How do the two sections, 19-24 and 25-34 relate to each other? What is the connection?
FLIP-CHART: Go over the definition of materialism.
If we focus on storing up treasures on earth we are guilty of materialism.
If we are miserly and not generous we are guilty of materialism.
If materialism is our worldview, we are living in great darkness.
If we give partial allegiance to materialism we offend God.
Vs. 25-31 – Don’t worry
If we focus on FDC / materialism we are adopting a pagan worldview.
We are to focus on God’s Kingdom / righteousness.
He knows and will provide our ‘material’ needs.
If we see ‘materialism’ as the theme of 19-34 we can see that the Lord Jesus is teaching that worrying about FDC means we are focusing on FDC instead of focusing on the Kingdom of God and thus embracing a materialistic life-style!!!
If we are focusing on (worrying about) FDC (material needs) we are serving Mammon, not God, we are embracing a pagan worldview, we are storing up treasures on earth.
“Therefore” thus means that if you are serving God and not Mammon you will not be focusing on and anxious about material needs.
Although the overriding theme of 6:25-34 is materialism the sub-theme in 6:25-31 and 34 is certainly worry.
II. DEFINING “WORRY” AS USED IN 6:25-34.
The Greek word for ‘worry’ is merimnao. Merimnao is used for ‘worry’ or ‘be anxious’ in all these verses.
Merimnao comes from two Greek words: divided and mind. One person feels that worry means to be pulled in many directions.
Strong’s Lexicon: To be anxious, to be troubled with cares. Vine: To have distracting care.
Merimna: To be distracted, full of cares, anxiety. The deep meaning of merimnao is to be divided or drawn in different directions by preoccupying thoughts which affect the mind, body and emotions.
Arthur Roche wrote: Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged it cuts a channel into which all our thoughts are drained.”
It is interesting that the English word worry comes from the Old High German word wurgen which means to strangle or choke. Webster says that in “dialect British” worry means to “choke” or to “strangle.” (MacArthur, 419 & Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. 10th ed. Springfield, Mass) Worry is mental and emotional strangulation.
So maybe instead of saying that you are worrying about something you should say I am choking and being strangled.
“In a papyrus letter (during the Roman Empire) a wife writes to her absent husband: “I cannot sleep at night or by day, because of the worry (merimna) I have about your welfare.” A mother, on hearing of her son’s good health and prosperity writes back: “That is all my prayer and all my anxiety (merimna).” Anacreon, the poet writes: “When I drink wine, my worries (merimna) go to sleep.” (Barclay, 255)
III. WORRY IS SIN
As mentioned, worry is listed six times in nine verses and three times we are told not to worry (25, 31, 34)
Believers are promised freedom from worry and commanded not to worry. Worry is incompatible with the Christian faith (Stott, 168)
We are commanded not to worry and this has the force of a moral command in the Bible. Thus worrying is a sinful act.
When teaching on the end of the age the Lord Jesus lists worry along with dissipation (indulgence in sensual pleasure) and drunkenness. “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.” (Luke 21:34)
QUESTION: Why is worry so wrong? Why should it be classed is the same list with dissipation and drunkenness?
One Bible students wrote: Anxiety/worry is a sin for two reasons: It shows a lack of trust in God. It shows a lack of acceptance of God’s sovereignty and of his providence in our lives. (Web)
According to the Lord Jesus, a worrier exercises very little faith (“O you of little faith” vs. 30)
Maybe a third reason: A worrier in being anxious about FDC is focusing on the material world, is at heart a materialist.
READING: “Friends, we need to realize that in the context of where we find worry, the subject and the theme, in the Sermon on the Mount would lead us to believe that worry can be the beginning of serving Mammon. Worry can be the seed of following another god that is giving the Almighty God competition. You may think that to serve Mammon is just to be rich, perhaps you think that a successful businessman is in danger of serving Mammon – but the fact is, the Lord is saying it can start from this anxiousness over the smallest things in our life, basic things like eating and drinking and what we’re going to put on. That’s the first thing, and probably the most fundamental thing, that I want to leave with you today: our Lord is teaching us the wickedness of worry.” (Jim Hammond, Web)
Paul wrote: Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (Col. 3:2)
When giving the parable of the four soils the Lord Jesus said, “The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries (merimna), riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.” (Luke8:14)
The Lord Jesus corrects Martha because she was worried and upset about many things (Luke 10:41).
The Lord Jesus challenged the disciples not to worry about what they were to say when arrested and brought before government leaders. He said that the Spirit of God would speak through them. (Matthew 10:19-21)
QUESTION: What are you saying about the character of God when you worry?
“Undue care is an intrusion into God’s arena. It makes us the Father of the Household instead of being a child.” (Pastor David Guzik)
IV. WORRY THAT IS NOT SIN
In this matter of “Don’t worry” we need some balance. Mr. Maxwell at PBI drilled into our hearts and minds his personal motto: Keep Balanced.
It seems from the Scripture that there is such a thing as positive merimnao or positive worry.
QUESTION: What is the difference between merimnao in the following verses and the merimnao referred to in Matthew 6:25-34?
I Cor. 7:32-34 – An unmarried man Is concerned (merimnao) about the Lord’s affairs – how he can please the Lord. But a married man is (merimnao) about the affairs of this world – how he can please his wife – and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or a virgin is (merimnao) about the Lord’s affairs; Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in body and spirit. But a married woman is (merimnao) about the affairs of the world – – how she can please her husband.
I Cor. 12:24-25 – But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern (merimnao) for each other.
II Cor. 11:28 – Besides everything else, I face daily pressure of my concern (merimna) for all the churches.
Philippians 2:20 – I have no one else like him, who takes a general interest (merimnao) in your welfare.
“I do not believe Christ’s intent here is to foster in us a detached ‘who cares’ attitude. There is a type of good worry (or perhaps I should say good concern) that all healthy Christians have. For example, Luther says we are to be anxious about the spiritual well-being of others and points to Paul as an example.
So although the Lord forbids us to be anxious and worry about having adequate material goods we are to be deeply concerned for the physical and spiritual well-being of others.
In the Scriptures we are not promised freedom from work, from responsibility, from trouble but only from worry about our physical needs. Hopefully we will be concerned and anxious about the well being of others and the extension of God’s kingdom and manifestation of His righteousness. These are the things that should keep us awake at night.
FLIP CHART: Note the theme verse (Mt. 6:33) of this text: But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.
We should have our thoughts dominated by God’s Kingdom and righteousness. We must be deeply concerned with, eagerly, diligently seek and aim our life at the extension of God’s Kingdom and growth in His righteousness. (Paraphrase)
Note the connection between “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” “You cannot serve both God and Money” and “But seek first his kingdom ….”
FLIP CHART: Five questions that help us track our treasures and discover the state of our heart.
a. What are my idle thoughts, day dreams?
(Do I spend lots of time thinking about and worrying about my retirement or, instead, is my major concern at night before I go to sleep the spiritual well-being of my family, the growth of God’s kingdom, the honor of the name of the Triune God throughout the world?)
b. What do I worry about most?
(Do I worry most about money, the appearance of my house, my personal appearance or does the ministry of the church get my anxious concern?)
c. What would I most dread losing?
(My car, my house, my jewelry? Or do I most dread losing a brother or sister to worldly pursuits or the darkness of sin or false teaching? Do these matters concern me”
d. Do I measure others by: Clothing? Education? Home? Athleticism? Business success?
(Are these the things that impress me or am I more impressed with the needs of others, more concerned with the needs of the poor?)
READING: We share our planet with one billion people that live in a condition called absolute poverty. Absolute poverty isn’t quite starvation, but it isn’t quite subsistence either. Absolute poverty means earning less than $370 per year. Half of all children in this population will not survive to their fifth birthday . . . Of the one billion people living in absolute poverty, David Barrett estimates that fully 200 million of these people are fellow believers in Jesus Christ. Something is desperately wrong in the international body of Christ when some of us live palatially, and other can’t keep their kids fed. (Tom Sine, “The Demographic Revolution and Whole-Life Stewardship,” Faces of Poverty and Population [Monrovia, CA, World Vision, 1992], 18)
Do we worry about this? Is this of a concern to us? Worrying about this problem of poverty is perfectly acceptable!!!
e. What can’t I be happy without?
(What would follow the words, “I would die if …..”? Would it be if a missionary was not successful in their ministry? If someone fell away from the Lord? If the church had to cut back on missionary support of various national and international workers?)
SO WHAT???
1. Materialism has always been a major challenge to the Christian. It is not a small matter. It provokes God to jealousy. It is a sin Christians are to avoid. It is the major sin of Christians in our country.
2. Worry is anxious care concerning our material needs that ends up choking and strangling us.
3. Worry is sin and is incompatible with Christian faith.
4. There is such a thing as positive worry, or concern, for the physical and spiritual well-being of others that is praiseworthy.
5. We must not worry or be anxious about our spiritual needs but we must be deeply concerned about the extension of God’s kingdom and the well-being of His people.