Mat 6:25-34; Worry Is an Earth Born Disease.

Class Outline:

September 22, 2024

 

Main Idea: The believer is to walk by faith in this dangerous world without worry because God helps him daily. 

 

Introduction: Think of the last thing you worried about? 

Now ask yourself: Were you thinking about eternal life at the same time? 

 

Worry defined in Websters: to feel of experience concern or anxiety. To move, proceed, or progress by unceasing difficult effort. 

 

One writer defines it as “a small trickle of fear that meanders through the mind until it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.” 

 

When we worry about life’s issues, everything else in life is affected by it, most importantly, your walk with God. 

 

Context: We don’t spend our lives in our prayer closets. We have to go out and walk in the world, which, fallen and in conflict, is full of danger. Jesus addresses this for us on two fronts: 1) what treasure we choose and the condition of the eye of the body (clear / singular vs. bad), 2) anxiety over the possible results of living in the world. The danger is seeking the earth’s treasures or being anxious about them. Satan does not care which one you pick, just that you pick one. 

 

MAT 6:25-34

 

God allowed His world to fall into death and He brought into it eternal life. 

 

People are still afraid of death and so they worry about food and clothing (needs and security; PSA 139:7-12; ROM 5:21). 

 

Jesus is telling us that we do not have to fear death. Life is more than being alive or surviving. It is now eternal life.

 

Eternal life came by love. God loved the world and gave His Son (EPH 5:1). People are still worried about the hate that is in the world.

 

Eternal life came by power. People are still worried about the weakness of the government, economy, leaders, and the weakness in themselves (EPH 6:7; He is your Lord and King). 

 

Eternal life came by grace (ROM 5:21). God saved us and blessed us without us doing anything. People are still worried that they do not live up to some standard (GAL 2:20-21; EPH 1:3-8). 

 

Eternal life gives hope. People are worried about what they cannot see. What if this or that? Do not worry about tomorrow (ROM 8:23-39). 

 

Eternal life opens wide the receiving area of God’s throne room. When anxiety begins to break through the soil of our soul, pray immediately (PHI 4:4-9).

 

MAT 6:19-34, two dangers: treasuring the earthly things and worrying about them. 

 

Eternal life is permanent - singular, clear eye on that.

 

Martha had the Son of God in her living room and she was worried about dinner (LUK 10:38-42; food; MAT 15:17). When the Lord begins to speak, would you want to miss a word? (for the sake of not overcooking the chicken?) 

 

You and I need to be Mary. She takes care of things, but when the Lord is speaking, her eyes are on Him to the exclusion of all else. 

 

You must singularly and clearly set the eye, the lamp of your body, on eternal life while you live life on earth. 

 

Live eternal life. Don’t just know about it. Live it and don’t worry about anything.