Sermon Central
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Right Relationships Series
Contributed by Douglas Vincent on Jan 27, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: Worry and materialism can only be overcome by seeking first right relationships in God’s Kingdom.
Matt 6:25-34, October 19, 2003
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?
26 Look 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?
27 Who 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.
29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30 If 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?
31 So do not worry, saying, ’What shall we eat?’ or ’What shall we drink?’ or ’What shall we wear?’
32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Don’t lose hope this young man is not going to tell you not to worry. The first time I told my mother not to worry I was calmly set down and explained how it is Mommy’s job to worry about her baby. The first time I told my wife not to worry, I calmly dodged a pillow. I believe many women see worrying as a spiritual gift.
On the other side of this if you are in the car with a man and he tells you not to worry, it would be wise to get out of the car.
Another way we could go with this passage is I could lay into all of us for how concerned we are with how we look and what we are wearing. How materialism has us chained up, the sin of compulsive consumerism, but I just don’t feel that would do us any good.
What we need to focus on this morning is the BUT [Picture of an animal but]
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
The missing link for the people described in this verse is a desire for God’s kingdom. Before we can seek God’s kingdom we have to know what it looks like. Have you ever tried to describe a place to someone and they don’t get any of your points of reference (and you get the blank stare) I had not been here very long and I needed to get to the hospital. They started off it is right of 12th, oh easier it is right of mission, ok you go out to Silverton Rd. (nod head).
To get a reference point for God’s Kingdom we are going to start with what he intended for the world in Creation.
When Adam came to earth he was in intimate relationship with God, He had a peaceful dominion over the animals and the fruits of the field. He had a partnership with his wife. But he and Eve chose to BE LIKE God in the knowledge of Good and evil. This brought about the corruption of relationships. Hostility takes place between Man and animals, Man and women go from a partnership to a subordinate relationship “your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you.” And both man and women are put out of the Garden and God’s presence. This is the fate of the world. Through Adam we inherit separation from God and Death, and a sinful nature.
Now throughout Jewish history Prophets speak of God bringing about His Everlasting Kingdom.
Isaiah 9:7 He’ll put that kingdom on a firm footing and keep it going With fair dealing and right living, beginning now and lasting always.
Daniel 2:44 speaks of a Kingdom that God will establish that never fails.
Then Jesus comes with the undeniable goal of ushers in the beginning of the Kingdom of God. Almost every parable in Matthew describes the Kingdom of God and what it is like.
Paul has an understanding of salvation which describes Jesus as the Second Adam who rights the wrongs, brings us from death to life, and restores our nature that was fallen.
17For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
