Worry Less, Trust More Matthew 6:19-21, 24-34 September 6, 2024
BIBLE READING:
Matthew 6:19-21, 24-34
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
INTRODUCTION:
Yesterday evening my wife and I were talking with our son, and in the conversation he reminded me of something I had said to him a long time ago. He still remembered it. “Some things in life are more important than money”.
Yet money seems so important to us. Money buys things. Things that we need.
So if we do not have money, we worry about what will happen. Will we have food to eat? Will we be able to get our motorbike repaired? How will we be able to pay the bills?
Money was as relevant to the Jews in Jesus day, as it is to us.
The verses we will look at today are in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), in which Jesus tells his followers about what the Christian life looks like.
We all have things that worry us—our jobs, families, health, or future.
But in Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus gives us a simple yet powerful teaching: don’t worry.
God knows what we need, and He will provide.
A young boy watched his father, a skilled carpenter, build a chair. The boy asked questions and worried about whether the chair would be strong enough. The father smiled and assured him, “I’ve done this many times before. You don’t need to worry. Trust me.” When the chair was finished, it was sturdy and beautiful. The boy learned that his father’s experience and care meant he didn’t need to be anxious.
Just like the boy worrying about the chair, we often worry about things in life that are out of our control. In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us that worrying about the future won’t change anything. Instead, He calls us to trust in God, who is always faithful and knows what we need.
Today, we’ll explore what Jesus says about worry and learn how to put our trust in God’s plan for our lives.
The purpose of this sermon is to help us see that worrying is not helpful. Instead, Jesus encourages us to trust in God, who takes care of our needs. By focusing on God, we can live with peace, knowing He will provide.
WORRY DISTRACTS US FROM WHAT REALLY MATTERS
A farmer spent so much time worrying about the rain and the condition of his crops that he neglected to plant seeds in time.
While he was focused on things he couldn’t control, he lost sight of what was important: taking care of what he could do today.
Worry often distracts us from the things that matter most.
Jesus says in Matthew 6:19-21 that we should not focus on earthly treasures or worry about things that fade away.
Instead, our hearts should be focused on God and his kingdom.
When we focus on temporary things, we lose sight of the eternal.
Matthew 6:19-21
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven."
There is nothing wrong with working for a living.
In fact God tells us we should be taking care of our families.
The point is that money should not be the focus of our life.
Colossians 3:2
"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."
Instead of having our focus on the material, physical problem, or our own possible solutions, our focus should be on our heavenly Father, and allowing him to take care of it, his way.
Philippians 4:6-7
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."
Instead of worrying or being anxious, tell God about your needs, and ask him to take care of them.
GOD KNOWS WHAT WE NEED
A mother was worried about how she would provide food for her family.
But one morning, she opened her front door to find a basket of groceries left by a friend.
She hadn’t told anyone about her worry, but God had known her need and provided.
Just like the mother in the story, we may worry about how our needs will be met.
But Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:25-26 that God takes care of the birds in the air and the flowers in the field, and we are much more valuable to Him.
If God takes care of His creation, how much more will He take care of us?
Worrying doesn’t add a single hour to our lives, but trusting God brings peace.
He knows what our needs are, and he will take care of us.
Matthew 6:25-26
"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them."
God takes care of his creation.
He cares about each of us. He loves us.
He will provide for our needs.
Psalm 55:22
"Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you."
1 Peter 5:7
"Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."
Instead of worrying about how our needs will be met, ask God to take care of them.
Then trust him, that he will take care of it.
TRUSTING GOD BRINGS PEACE
A young girl was learning to ride a bicycle. At first, she kept looking at the ground, worrying about falling. Her father gently told her, “Keep your eyes forward. Trust the bike and focus on where you’re going.” Once she followed his advice, she found her balance and enjoyed the ride.
Worry is like looking down, focusing on all the possible problems.
But when we trust God and focus on His kingdom, we find balance and peace.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33 to "seek first the kingdom of God," and when we do that, God takes care of the rest.
Worrying won’t change tomorrow, but trusting God gives us peace for today.
Matthew 6:33
"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
It may not seem sensible to trust that God will provide for our needs.
But the story of the Bible is that God does do this.
Many times in the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), Jesus says, “According to your faith be it unto you.”
If we trust that God will take care of things, he will respond to us.
And we will not be full of worry, but peace instead.
Isaiah 26:3
"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You."
Here again, we see that trusting God gives us peace.
We dont need to worry.
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."
If I trust God to take care of a need, I no longer need to worry.
Trust and faith give us peace.
I don’t need to think up elaborate schemes to take care of ourselves.
God will provide for the need
SUMMARY:
Worry distracts us from what matters most—focusing on God’s kingdom.
God knows our needs and promises to take care of us.
Trusting God brings peace and helps us focus on what is truly important.
CONCLUSION:
Remember the boy who worried about his father’s carpentry?
Just like the boy, we often worry about things that God is already handling.
Our heavenly Father is skilled and knows what He is doing.
We don’t need to worry.
Instead, we can trust God to take care of us, knowing that He is always working for our good.
Let’s live each day with faith, trusting that God has our future in His hands.
PRAYER:
“Dear Lord, thank you for your love and care for us. I believe you know our needs, actually even before we bring them to you. But you welcome our faith and trust in you, and you promise to supply what is needed. Thank you. In Jesus name, Amen."
