1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:02,400 We'll get into our passage today. 2 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:04,960 Let me read it for you again, just the portion that we're 3 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:10,000 going to be in Matthew 625 through 30, it says, therefore, 4 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,640 I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will 5 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:16,120 eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will 6 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:18,680 put on. Is not life more than food in 7 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:21,440 the body, more than clothing. Look at the birds of the air. 8 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:24,960 They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your 9 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,440 heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than 10 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:31,000 they? And which of you, by being 11 00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:35,240 anxious, can add a single hour to his span of life? 12 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:37,240 And why are you anxious about clothing? 13 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:39,600 Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. 14 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:43,520 They neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you, even Solomon and 15 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:45,520 all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 16 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,520 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is 17 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:53,480 alive and tomorrow's thrown into the oven, will he not much more 18 00:00:53,480 --> 00:00:56,680 clothe? You owe you of little faith 19 00:00:57,120 --> 00:00:58,800 today. I've entitled the message 20 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:04,000 anxiety, the stress test of faith. 21 00:01:04,879 --> 00:01:08,640 When you hear these words, don't be anxious. 22 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:13,120 In that passage, Jesus says the word anxious or don't be anxious 23 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:18,600 6 times and you think, well, that's almost like an impossible 24 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:21,120 task. That's like you're asking me not 25 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:25,480 to breathe, right when I when, when you're asking me not to 26 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:30,080 worry. But we need to understand that 27 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:37,120 worry really robs our joy and it tests our faith to show who do 28 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:42,720 we really trust in this life in all the circumstances that come 29 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:46,040 up, especially as we come up to this busy season at the end of 30 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:49,760 the year, So many things going on, you know, things needing to 31 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:54,680 be buttoned up and who are we going to put our faith in? 32 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:57,800 And often times it's in ourselves, but yet we can't 33 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:03,000 handle the weight and the pressure and the stress of all 34 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,880 that's put on us. And so that leads to anxiety. 35 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:08,600 It leads to worry, it leads to fear. 36 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:13,880 What am I going to do? And so my, the main idea for 37 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:18,600 today is this, don't let your faith be dwarfed by anxiety or 38 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:22,240 worry. Instead, trust the big sovereign 39 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:27,760 God who cares for you. So let's get through this. 40 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:30,760 I've got I've got 4 things I want to say as we walk through 41 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:33,680 each one of these verses in the Scripture. 42 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:40,160 And the first point is this, that there's more to life than 43 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:46,840 worrying about survival. It says this therefore I tell 44 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:49,200 you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, 45 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:50,800 what you will drink, nor about your body. 46 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,960 What you will put on is not life more than food or the body more 47 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:58,120 than clothing. Now Jesus starts this with 48 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:01,080 therefore and every time there's a therefore, you got to find out 49 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:03,800 what it's there for. And it's the context of the 50 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:07,880 verses that we looked at last week, which was talking about 51 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:12,320 possessions, about money and possessions and how we put our 52 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,680 faith and trust in those things. And we try to find joy and all 53 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:20,240 the things that we own. And how that can turn into 54 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:23,600 idolatry where we we love those things. 55 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:27,840 We serve those things more than we think about love or serve 56 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,400 God. That can happen in all of our 57 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:34,160 lives where we we think about the things that we own and, and 58 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:39,920 all, all the cares of, of maintaining them and it can take 59 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:42,720 up significant amounts of time in our lives. 60 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:46,160 And Jesus is saying, don't worry about your possessions. 61 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:50,800 He said store up your treasures, not on earth, but in heaven, 62 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:54,560 because things in life are temporary, but the things in 63 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:58,000 heaven are eternal. So spend your time thinking 64 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,000 about heavenly things. And then he goes on to say, 65 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:07,440 therefore, I tell you, don't be anxious in the in the King James 66 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:10,800 version, it says, take no thought for your life. 67 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:17,200 And in this commentary it says thought or forethought for 68 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:21,880 temporal things in sense of in the sense of reflection or 69 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:26,920 consideration is required alike by Scripture and common sense. 70 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:31,240 It is that anxious solicitude, that oppressive care, which 71 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:35,640 springs from unbelieving doubts and misgivings, which alone is 72 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:38,040 here condemned. And So what he's saying is 73 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:42,760 thinking about or considering the things in life is normal. 74 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:45,800 We all have to have possessions. We all have to take care of our 75 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:48,600 our bodies. We've got to in context, we've 76 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:53,480 got to have food and drink and clothing and shelter. 77 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:56,560 It's not saying never think about these things. 78 00:04:56,560 --> 00:05:02,440 That's not what Jesus is saying. The problem is, is when it turns 79 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:09,280 into anxiety and worry about these are these are elements 80 00:05:09,280 --> 00:05:14,040 that are a part of our survival. And we we are so concerned and 81 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:17,600 worried if that we're going to get these things, not trusting 82 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,680 that the Lord's going to provide for us as he has our entire 83 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:25,120 life. We're worried about tomorrow. 84 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:27,800 We're worried about the next day, about the week that the 85 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:30,960 years to come. How will we eat? 86 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:36,400 How will we have the basic necessities of life and we're 87 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:45,040 worrying about these things almost seems not rational when 88 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:48,800 if we look at our lives and we've, we've been taking care of 89 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:51,840 our whole lives. Why at this point are we 90 00:05:51,840 --> 00:05:54,720 worrying again? And it's like this cycle of 91 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:57,560 anxiety and worry over and over again. 92 00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:01,960 And in fact, somebody once told me 90% of the things that we 93 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:05,760 worry about actually never happen or never come true. 94 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:12,400 And, and part of faith or trust in, in realizing that things are 95 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:17,160 just going to turn out well is looking back to the past, not 96 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:19,840 worrying about the future, but look back to the past and say, 97 00:06:19,840 --> 00:06:21,400 well, I was provided at this point. 98 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:25,160 And I know all of us can look back at times in our life and 99 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:28,360 say, yeah, I had a lot of anxiety there and it was 100 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:30,920 probably pointless. I shouldn't have been so worried 101 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:36,800 because everything worked out. But that word again, it's it's, 102 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:40,840 it's, it's about thinking. Anxiety comes from our thought 103 00:06:40,840 --> 00:06:44,680 life. The Greek word translated there 104 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:48,320 means to be drawn in different directions. 105 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:53,320 So our mind is thinking and being pulled apart in all kinds 106 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:56,200 of different directions. When we're worried about that 107 00:06:56,200 --> 00:07:02,640 thing that we're worried about, it starts in the mind and and 108 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:08,520 anxiety actually means to meditate on a particular issue. 109 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:12,160 And so you think about meditation and you think of 110 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:15,200 maybe some, some kind of like Eastern religion where they're 111 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:18,560 just sitting there and they empty their mind and they're, 112 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:22,880 but really meditation is not emptying your mind. 113 00:07:22,880 --> 00:07:28,360 Meditation is about thinking on one thing intensely. 114 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:33,320 And when we're thinking on that one fear or that one worry 115 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:39,720 intensely, that's what it makes the anxiety grow and the worry 116 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:45,640 grow and the fear grow. We become more disturbed by that 117 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:51,000 thing we're meditating on, and the more distracted, it robs us 118 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:55,040 of that wonderful experience with the Lord Jesus Christ. 119 00:07:55,760 --> 00:08:00,760 So what are we meditating on? We think about our needs, our 120 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:07,600 needs, the things that ultimately have been provided 121 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:11,840 for us our whole life. And yet for some reason worry 122 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:14,200 springs up. And I think a lot of that comes 123 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:18,720 from the idol of security. I think all of us want to feel 124 00:08:18,720 --> 00:08:22,040 safe and secure. And so we want to have kind of 125 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:24,960 things saved up like a, a, a nest egg. 126 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:29,080 And, and, and what Jesus was talking about last week was you 127 00:08:29,080 --> 00:08:35,000 cannot have two loves, two things that you put your trust 128 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:36,919 in, in the same place in your life. 129 00:08:36,919 --> 00:08:41,880 It's either God or money. So which one are you going to 130 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:43,159 trust in? It doesn't mean that you 131 00:08:43,159 --> 00:08:45,760 shouldn't be smart with your money, but who are you going to 132 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:48,720 trust in? And life is more than just 133 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:53,480 worrying about the basic necessities of life. 134 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:56,320 And in fact, when we're so worried about all these 135 00:08:56,320 --> 00:09:02,200 different things in life, it robs our joy in Jesus. 136 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:06,760 In John 1010, this is a famous saying he uses, but he says the 137 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:09,640 thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. 138 00:09:09,640 --> 00:09:13,800 But I came that they might have life and have it abundantly. 139 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:17,800 Someone who is riddled with anxiety cannot live an abundant 140 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:21,880 life, a life to the full. And I would argue that not only 141 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:26,240 is Satan the thief that comes to steal, kill and destroy, but all 142 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:31,440 sin is that as well. Sin is the thief. 143 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:39,360 It promises safety, it promises pleasure, but yet it only ends 144 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:44,040 up leaving us empty. And when Jesus says do not be 145 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:48,640 anxious about your life, that is a positive command. 146 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:55,360 And so in many cases, we can say that anxiety and worry are sin. 147 00:09:56,120 --> 00:10:01,560 I had a mentor in my life and, and, and he's so funny because 148 00:10:01,560 --> 00:10:04,680 he always just drills me and catches me in mid sentence when 149 00:10:04,680 --> 00:10:06,520 I'm talking. And I I'll say, I'm worried 150 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:08,440 about this or I'm worried about that. 151 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:11,200 And he'll say, hold on, wait a minute, you're sinning about 152 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:14,880 what? You're so correcting me. 153 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:17,000 Am I all right? And so every time I think about 154 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:20,840 worry, I have to go back to all right, Is this just concern? 155 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:25,640 Is this just godly concern or is this lack of faith? 156 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:29,320 I mean, because that's the difference between healthy care 157 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:37,320 or healthy anxiety versus unhealthy or sinful anxiety. 158 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:41,320 And so throughout this passage, then that was kind of the the 159 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:45,120 introduction of these verses. But throughout this passage, 160 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:49,320 then Jesus starts to ask 3 questions and I believe these 161 00:10:49,320 --> 00:10:53,240 three questions are going to challenge our anxiety about 162 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:56,320 life. And so let me let me ask the 163 00:10:56,320 --> 00:11:00,520 first one to us. And it's don't you know that you 164 00:11:00,560 --> 00:11:07,960 are valuable to God? If you knew the way God sees you 165 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:13,160 and how he values you, you probably wouldn't worry as much 166 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:17,880 because he cares for us. When you have something of 167 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:19,760 value, you take great care of it, right? 168 00:11:20,240 --> 00:11:22,800 Well, that's us to God. And so let's look at the 169 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:24,760 passage. It says, look at the birds of 170 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:28,080 the air. They neither sow nor reap nor 171 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:31,880 gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. 172 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:36,520 Are you not of more value than they? 173 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:41,400 You can imagine Jesus preaching the sermon and there are birds 174 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:44,120 circling up in the air, a Sparrow. 175 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:48,320 And he says, look up, look at these birds. 176 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:52,120 You see these in your everyday life. 177 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:59,640 They're not worried or concerned about having a stockpile, a 178 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:05,760 whole barn full of feed. No, they live trusting that 179 00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:09,360 they're going to get their food day by day because God is the 180 00:12:09,360 --> 00:12:13,560 one who created them and God is the one who takes care of them. 181 00:12:13,560 --> 00:12:15,440 And now he's using this argument. 182 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:17,440 I'm not saying that birds have faith in God. 183 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:22,000 I, I don't think that they're that smart or capable of faith. 184 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:26,640 And, and you could, you know, argue that about all animals. 185 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:29,040 The dogs go to heaven. I'm not sure, but I'm sure that 186 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:30,880 there will be animals in heaven. I know that. 187 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:35,360 But what he's doing is he's arguing from the lesser to the 188 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:39,480 greater. Again, sorry to the PITA people, 189 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:43,360 but animals are not as important as persons as human beings. 190 00:12:44,680 --> 00:12:49,040 He's saying look at these birds and in another passage he says 191 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:51,600 they're about they're worth about a penny. 192 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:55,480 He says, look at these birds that are of very little value to 193 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:58,920 me. I God takes care of them. 194 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:03,840 How much more will then he take care of you? 195 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:09,480 Are you not of more value than these birds that he created? 196 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:14,040 In fact, the Bible says we are created all human beings in 197 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:17,560 God's image, Imago day in his image and likeness, and that 198 00:13:17,560 --> 00:13:24,000 puts this this value on us. He he sees us as his special 199 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,920 creation, humans that can have a relationship with him. 200 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:33,760 Not even the angels can have the same relationship with God that 201 00:13:33,760 --> 00:13:37,720 we can. God did not send his Son to die 202 00:13:38,040 --> 00:13:41,360 for the angels. In fact the fallen angels will 203 00:13:41,360 --> 00:13:45,800 never be able to be forgiven, but human beings can. 204 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:48,240 This is amazing if you think about it. 205 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:54,040 I love Psalm 139. It says this and starting in 206 00:13:54,040 --> 00:14:00,680 verse 13 how God has cared for us from the moment of 207 00:14:00,680 --> 00:14:03,960 conception. Even it says, for you formed my 208 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:07,160 inward parts. You knitted me together in my 209 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:10,840 mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully 210 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:13,840 and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, my 211 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:17,400 soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you 212 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:21,800 when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths 213 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:24,080 of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed 214 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:27,200 substance. In your book were written every 215 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:29,600 one of them. The days that were formed for 216 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:32,280 me, when as yet there was none of them. 217 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:35,400 How precious to me are your thoughts. 218 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:37,880 Oh God, how vast is the sum of them. 219 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:42,520 If I would count them, they are more than the sand I awaken. 220 00:14:42,880 --> 00:14:47,640 I am still with you. The psalmist David there is just 221 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:52,960 praising and and considering, looking into and helping us 222 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:58,640 remember how God cares for us. His thoughts towards us are like 223 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:05,120 the sands of the sea. He's been caring for us and he 224 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:09,880 knows every one of our days even though they haven't happened for 225 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:11,800 us yet. He knows the beginning from the 226 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:15,200 end and he's taking care of us. And, and one thing in this 227 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:21,720 passage that we have to zero in on then is your heavenly Father. 228 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:26,840 He's our Father. We are not orphans. 229 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:30,840 We don't have to worry about who's going to give us shelter 230 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:37,360 or food or clothing or love over and over again. 231 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:42,200 Jesus in this gospel, especially when he got to the Sermon on the 232 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:48,600 Mount, starts talking about God as our Father over and over. 233 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:55,720 Just go back to chapter 5 all the way through Chapter 7 and 234 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:58,960 even in, in, in the Lord's Prayer when he says pray like 235 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:04,120 this, Our Father in heaven, we talked about that a few weeks 236 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:05,360 ago. What does this mean? 237 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:09,120 Well, if he's our father, he's going to take care of us. 238 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:10,760 He's the provider, He's the protector. 239 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:16,520 But when I think about how a father wants his child to see 240 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:20,640 him, I think about my own kids and and dads in the room, think 241 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:24,680 about this. You want your kid to look up at 242 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:28,000 you and just know that they're secure, right? 243 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:32,480 Like when my dad's around, nobody can mess with us, right? 244 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:36,000 When my dad's around, I know I'm not going to go hungry. 245 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,680 When my dad's around, I know that he's going to shower us 246 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:45,240 with with love and sometimes it might be even disciplinary. 247 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:48,600 He won't let me go too far down the wrong path. 248 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:53,080 He won't condemn me, but he'll come down that path after me and 249 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:56,840 he'll try to drag me back into right relationship with him. 250 00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:01,960 That's what I want my kids to know me for and I think fathers 251 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:05,480 would would, would agree with me on that. 252 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:08,760 We want our kids to look up at us and know that they are safe, 253 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:12,359 that they are taken care of. And oftentimes as earthly 254 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:16,680 fathers, we struggle at this and we're imperfect and and we even 255 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:21,160 have anxiety about playing this role in our kids lives. 256 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:27,240 But yet now think about a perfect, holy, all powerful God 257 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:30,400 who's our father who does this perfectly right? 258 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:35,320 We can look up at Him and know that we're safe. 259 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:38,160 We know that we're secure. We know that we're going to be 260 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:41,040 provided for. And yes, that takes faith, but 261 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:44,960 faith pleases God. He provides for His most 262 00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:47,720 treasured possession, as it says. 263 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:52,440 Are you not of more value? Yes, we are of infinite value to 264 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:55,840 God. In fact, He sent His Son to be 265 00:17:55,840 --> 00:18:00,840 the sacrifice to take the place for our sins so that we could be 266 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:07,880 His prized possession. I love this verse also from the 267 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:10,680 Psalm. When we think about him taking 268 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:14,200 care of us as we go into even Thanksgiving and being thankful 269 00:18:14,200 --> 00:18:20,280 about Thanksgiving, it says oh taste and see that the Lord is 270 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:22,480 good. Blessed is the man who takes 271 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:26,600 refuge in him. Oh, fear the Lord, you his 272 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:29,000 Saints, for those who fear Him have no lack. 273 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:32,320 The Young Lions suffer, want hunger, but those who seek the 274 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:38,200 Lord lack no good thing. When we're eating these meals 275 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:41,920 that we're going to sit down and probably over indulge ourselves, 276 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:47,800 we should think about not just the physical taste of how good 277 00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:53,520 that food is, but think about how good the Lord tastes to us. 278 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:59,000 The the blessing of the food, the bread of life that we take 279 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:03,840 in and nourishes our soul. In fact, when when Jesus used 280 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:07,720 the word picture to help us, something that we do regularly, 281 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:12,240 I think when we are taking in any of our sustenance. 282 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:15,840 That's why people give thanks before they eat, right? 283 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:21,160 They pray before they eat, always thanking God for a meal. 284 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:23,680 And I know that that can sometimes be, you know, 285 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:29,720 ritualistic, but at the same time, we need to have a habit of 286 00:19:30,040 --> 00:19:32,440 being thankful to God for being our provider. 287 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:36,000 And we can do that every single meal. 288 00:19:37,120 --> 00:19:39,200 Now, Mike wanted me to remind you guys. 289 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:43,280 Pastor Mike preached a sermon on fastening a couple of weeks ago 290 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:48,000 and remind you that you can still take part of trying to 291 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:51,560 fast and pray before the Lord either before or after 292 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:53,280 Thanksgiving. So try it. 293 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:58,720 Try to fast and go without the sustenance for a while, having 294 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:02,240 that discipline and, and relying on God and seeking him and all 295 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:06,360 the times that you'd be cooking and eating, get ready for that 296 00:20:06,360 --> 00:20:11,520 meal of feasting. You can do that before or after 297 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,960 Thanksgiving and many of us will be doing that as well. 298 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:16,760 So I just wanted to remind you of that. 299 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:20,080 But I want to move on to the next question. 300 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:23,960 Then we talked about, don't you know you're valuable to God? 301 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:28,440 But the next one then is this, does anxiety have any benefit? 302 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:35,160 Like does fear, worry and concern play a part of the life 303 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:37,640 or should I just be a carefree person? 304 00:20:38,320 --> 00:20:41,720 The answer is no, you shouldn't just be a carefree person. 305 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:46,000 You should be concerned about health and safety and things 306 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:50,840 that matter. In fact, Paul in the New 307 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:54,160 Testament uses the same word about anxiety when he talks 308 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:57,560 about as he was going around planting churches. 309 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:01,560 It says in Second Corinthians 11/28 and apart from other 310 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:06,160 things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for 311 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:09,520 all the churches. So is Paul sitting there? 312 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:17,240 No, he genuinely has a concern and a care for these spiritual 313 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:22,600 children that he's, he's been taken care of or helped see come 314 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:26,120 to faith, became born again. And in these churches that he, 315 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:29,200 he wants to grow up and be healthy, right. 316 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:32,640 So we have those concerns about our own family members whom we 317 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:35,520 love. And in fact, sometimes that fear 318 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:40,840 or concern can help steer away from danger or help us have the 319 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:42,840 hard conversations that we need to have. 320 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:52,240 And so in one sense, there's a a benefit to the emotions that 321 00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:55,480 lead to healthy faith and understanding. 322 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:58,600 You see, anxiety is emotion, fear is emotion and emotion 323 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:01,680 worries and emotion. And, and sometimes that keeps us 324 00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:05,640 from danger and bring safety. So we don't have to say emotions 325 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:08,360 are bad. But when it turns into that 326 00:22:08,360 --> 00:22:11,600 meditation that we're talking about, where you're fixated on 327 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:17,640 one thing that's going to be your demise possibly, and you 328 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:21,080 can't get out of it so much so that you're in this cycle of 329 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:25,160 worry, that's when it becomes sin. 330 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:29,320 And, and quite frankly, it does not add to our life. 331 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:32,880 It probably detracts from our life, maybe even kills us 332 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:35,840 quicker. But let's see what Jesus has to 333 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:42,840 say and which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to 334 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:48,600 his span of life. What's he saying here? 335 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:54,520 Now in the original Greek it's interesting the word hour there 336 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:59,800 is actually cubit and this, the word span is a measure or a 337 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:02,400 height. And so in other translations, it 338 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:09,520 will say who can add a, an inch or a measurement to his height 339 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:12,360 to his stature. Maybe you've heard that before. 340 00:23:13,360 --> 00:23:18,360 But in the context of this, either way that works. 341 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:23,400 But in this scenario, as he's looking at the birds and and 342 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:28,360 talking about their survival, it's not necessarily it doesn't 343 00:23:28,360 --> 00:23:31,400 have to be about height or adding, adding a height to 344 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:36,920 yourself or growth. In fact in Matthew 10/29 it says 345 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:39,560 it like this. Are not 2 sparrows sold for a 346 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:43,280 penny and not one of them will fall to the ground apart from 347 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:47,880 your father. So this passage I believe, is 348 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:51,840 worrying about your life all the way to the point of death, 349 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:57,280 thinking that anxiety or constantly meditating and 350 00:23:57,280 --> 00:24:01,440 obsessing over safety is actually going to bring us 351 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:05,760 health. When actually what he's saying 352 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:11,080 is, don't you know that you cannot change the course of your 353 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:16,200 life the way God has seized it in his timeline? 354 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:21,800 Being able to see all things, being omniscient being meaning 355 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:26,520 that he knows everything and there's an exact time when you 356 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:31,640 and I are not going to have this humanly life anymore. 357 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:36,440 When we pass away, God knows that time again. 358 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:38,080 He's going from the lesser to the greater. 359 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:44,760 If he knows when every single bird dies, he knows the end of 360 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:49,920 your days. That means that God is all 361 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:56,520 knowing, but yet he's also the one that is keeping us alive at 362 00:24:56,520 --> 00:25:00,720 the same time. He's not just some transcendent 363 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:04,600 being and and he's he's spun the world into motion and he said 364 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:08,080 everything and everybody's now living their lives and he's just 365 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:11,760 like, I'm going to stay out of this and see if they survive or 366 00:25:11,760 --> 00:25:14,000 not. This whole passage really is 367 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:18,800 talking about no, God is the father creator who provides he 368 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:24,080 steps into humanity. He actually did it physically, 369 00:25:24,080 --> 00:25:28,720 but even now miraculously and supernaturally comes in and 370 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:33,040 redirects so that his will will be done. 371 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:39,480 Dangerous is the man who believes that God keeps him 372 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:42,360 alive. Why is that? 373 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:45,680 Because I'm not worried about death. 374 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:48,200 I'm not worried about the next little thing that's going to 375 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:51,120 come and Take Me Out. Yes, I'm going to take care of 376 00:25:51,120 --> 00:25:54,760 my body and take be a good steward of what God has given 377 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:59,600 me, but I'm not going to be constantly worried about a 378 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:03,440 threat here or there everywhere. We're prepared. 379 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:09,120 I'm prepared. I'm not saying that I don't 380 00:26:09,120 --> 00:26:13,240 struggle with sometimes worrying or having thoughts that I 381 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:15,920 shouldn't be meditating on, but I am. 382 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:22,120 What I am saying is that if you want to be more productive in 383 00:26:22,120 --> 00:26:29,480 life then start trying to fight the anxiety with faith because 384 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:33,720 in this passage it says basically you don't have the 385 00:26:33,720 --> 00:26:41,880 power, only God has the power. That word add or can or can add 386 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:45,960 is the word dynamite which comes from the word we use dynamite 387 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:50,680 which is power. You do not have the power to add 388 00:26:50,680 --> 00:26:53,600 any other any more time to your life. 389 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:57,960 It's just not within your possibility to do so because God 390 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:06,280 is sovereign. So trust them, take risks, use 391 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:10,400 your talents and abilities. Don't hold back when you feel 392 00:27:10,400 --> 00:27:14,400 the Lord is calling you to do something by faith. 393 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:22,120 The the the Christian faith is a risky 1 and it has been for 2000 394 00:27:22,120 --> 00:27:24,080 years. We need to take risks for the. 395 00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:33,220 Lord, I love what? Philippians chapter 4 verse 5 396 00:27:33,220 --> 00:27:38,060 through 7 says if you're struggling with this anxiety, 397 00:27:38,300 --> 00:27:41,900 what do I do? How do I get out of that cycle 398 00:27:41,900 --> 00:27:47,180 of thought and meditation? Well, it says I love the 399 00:27:47,340 --> 00:27:50,300 second-half of five. It says the Lord is at hand, 400 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:55,800 meaning the Lord is close, He is very near in fact, right with 401 00:27:55,800 --> 00:27:57,760 you and right in you if you're a Christian. 402 00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:02,200 So therefore do not be anxious about anything, but in 403 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:05,880 everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving. 404 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:08,560 Let your request be made known to God, and the peace of God, 405 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:11,280 which surpasses all understanding, will guard your 406 00:28:11,280 --> 00:28:14,000 hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 407 00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:19,280 Prayer can then be the cure and the antidote for anxiety. 408 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:24,360 Prayer is placing your anxiety or the things that you are 409 00:28:24,360 --> 00:28:31,320 worried or caring about into the powerful, omniscient, omnipotent 410 00:28:31,320 --> 00:28:37,320 or all powerful God. And so that is what we need to 411 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:40,160 be doing. Prayer is simply just talking to 412 00:28:40,160 --> 00:28:43,880 God and anxiety is talking to ourselves. 413 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:46,960 If you think about it, when you are worried or anxious and 414 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:50,000 you're in those cyclical thoughts, what are you doing? 415 00:28:50,320 --> 00:28:54,080 You're saying things to yourself over and over again. 416 00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:59,200 How about we break that cycle by talking to God instead of 417 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:06,400 ourselves. And I believe the Lord's Prayer, 418 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:09,040 as we looked at a couple weeks ago, which is in this chapter, 419 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:14,000 shows us again that he is the provider of Our Daily Bread, our 420 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:18,960 needs, and even our our spiritual needs. 421 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:21,760 He forgives us. He protects us from the evil 422 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:23,040 one. These are the prayers that we 423 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:29,720 were praying, right? So next question then is this, 424 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:33,840 Don't you know that God has our lives covered? 425 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:39,040 Verse 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? 426 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:41,760 Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. 427 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:44,760 They neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you, even Solomon and 428 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:49,240 all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 429 00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:55,240 Again, we're talking about, you know, just our regular everyday 430 00:29:56,400 --> 00:30:01,960 things that we need. And he says, look, look at the 431 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:06,000 the grass. Look at this field and how it's 432 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:09,280 got little daisies and beautiful flowers popping up. 433 00:30:09,760 --> 00:30:12,800 You know, some of you might think that those are weeds, but 434 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:16,560 I heard one day somebody once told me that weeds are just 435 00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:19,360 misplaced flowers, right? So if you have them in your 436 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:23,200 garden boxes or whatever, just realize that they're natural. 437 00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:30,440 But look at it seriously, like you look at the fields or the 438 00:30:30,440 --> 00:30:36,480 mountains, all of God's creation and you see that there's beauty 439 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:38,960 in it, right? There is beauty that God is 440 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:45,560 woven into his creation, which again is of less value than his 441 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:48,800 the the human beings that he created. 442 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:57,240 It says they, they don't consider how they grow. 443 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:02,920 They in fact aren't doing any work or toil in growing. 444 00:31:03,720 --> 00:31:07,360 They just naturally come up. It's a process, a natural 445 00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:10,240 process of, of growing. That's actually what that word 446 00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:13,840 means in in the original language to increase in size by 447 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:19,920 natural process. And then the word for toil is 448 00:31:20,280 --> 00:31:23,600 labor, hard work to become weary, to lose heart. 449 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:29,600 And So what what he's saying his God takes care of the growth of 450 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:32,800 the grass and the lilies of the field. 451 00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:37,680 And here we are toiling and working and striving and 452 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:43,840 becoming weary of where we're going to get our security from. 453 00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:47,680 And then he goes on to Solomon Solomon's clothes. 454 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:51,040 If you think about this, Solomon's clothes were made by 455 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:57,000 human hands. And he says man cannot basically 456 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,480 what he's saying there is man cannot bring more beauty than 457 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:07,840 God can in all of Solomon, who has arguably the richest and 458 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:11,800 most wisest man. Whoever lived had all of these 459 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:15,920 treasured possessions and gold and rubies and everything a man 460 00:32:15,920 --> 00:32:19,160 could ever desire in his lustful flesh. 461 00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:25,800 Solomon had it all, even the the most expensive clothing. 462 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:34,160 But I heard, I heard recently from a sermon that my cousin did 463 00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:39,400 on this, he said take a microscope and 0 in on clothing 464 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:42,600 and what do you see? It's just really ugly little 465 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:45,720 strands of fiber that are woven together. 466 00:32:46,320 --> 00:32:51,000 But take a microscope and look at a flower or a Lily or 467 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:55,400 something beautiful in creation and 0 in on that and it just 468 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:58,360 never ends. The beauty that you find in 469 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:02,720 God's creation under a microscope, living organisms and 470 00:33:02,880 --> 00:33:08,400 DNA and things coming together to make this living thing or 471 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:11,080 this living plant to, to be what it is. 472 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:13,760 And think about that then in us as well. 473 00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:23,240 God cares for his creation and He makes us beautiful. 474 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:26,880 Don't you know I would ask this question another way. 475 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:29,800 Don't you know that you're already beautiful before the 476 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:36,120 Lord in this world? I know we struggle with in a, in 477 00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:40,160 an age where everybody's trying to look like, you know what, 478 00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:43,480 what the perfect body image is, you know, male or female, and 479 00:33:43,480 --> 00:33:49,360 it's plastered on billboards and commercials and YouTube shorts 480 00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:58,000 and Instagram fitness people. And so drawn after like, I, I 481 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:00,000 need to look like that. I want to look like that. 482 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,640 And you don't know all the stuff that they have to go through to 483 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:08,040 look like that. The, the, the, the, the meals 484 00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:11,400 that they don't eat, you know, the starving of themselves, The 485 00:34:11,639 --> 00:34:14,239 Who knows what their relationships are at, like at 486 00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:18,320 home, because they're trying to look a certain way. 487 00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:20,600 And God says, don't worry about that. 488 00:34:22,080 --> 00:34:23,600 Yeah, take. Care of yourself and try. 489 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:26,400 To be healthy. But don't worry about the way 490 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:29,440 that you look. You are beautiful to me already. 491 00:34:29,639 --> 00:34:39,280 I've made you that way. But pride? 492 00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:44,679 I would believe is a part of anxiety because anxiety says 493 00:34:44,679 --> 00:34:46,400 I've got to do something about this. 494 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:49,120 I've got to take it all into my own hands. 495 00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:53,159 I've got to be more successful. I've got to have more security. 496 00:34:53,159 --> 00:34:58,320 I've got to look better, have things that I can surround 497 00:34:58,320 --> 00:35:00,640 myself with that make me feel better. 498 00:35:04,480 --> 00:35:07,160 But first Peter 5-6. I love this, it says. 499 00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:12,120 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so 500 00:35:12,120 --> 00:35:16,520 at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties 501 00:35:16,520 --> 00:35:19,000 on Him, because He cares for you. 502 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:25,280 We need to humble ourselves. If we're going to accept the 503 00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:29,360 care of God otherwise, we'll be striving in our worry and our 504 00:35:29,520 --> 00:35:35,840 anxiety and living somewhat of a defeated Christian life out 505 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:38,560 there in the world. Part of. 506 00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:46,120 This passage that we're not. Getting into but in in verse. 32 507 00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:49,440 it says for. The Gentiles seek after all 508 00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:52,000 these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them. 509 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:54,120 Christian, I'm speaking to you today. 510 00:35:55,200 --> 00:36:00,160 Don't you know that people that have no faith are worried about 511 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:03,280 all this stuff? This should. 512 00:36:03,280 --> 00:36:06,320 Not and this is kind. Of the main gist of it is, if 513 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:11,440 you are a believer in Jesus, you follow Christ, you are a child 514 00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:18,280 of God that lives by faith, then why are you acting like the 515 00:36:18,280 --> 00:36:21,240 unbelievers? Why are you living like the 516 00:36:21,240 --> 00:36:25,000 unbelievers that are so worried and concerned about all these 517 00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:28,280 things? Don't you know that your Father 518 00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:32,040 takes care of you? He has your life covered. 519 00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:35,920 We'll go on in this passage, but if God so. 520 00:36:35,920 --> 00:36:38,520 Clothes the grass of the. Field, which today is alive and 521 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:41,920 tomorrow's thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe 522 00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:49,200 you, O you of little faith again, from the lesser to the 523 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:52,720 greater the the. The grass, the fields. 524 00:36:52,720 --> 00:36:55,840 Of grass are beautiful with the lilies that are in them that God 525 00:36:57,080 --> 00:37:02,720 delicately and intricately made. But I've done so much more with 526 00:37:02,720 --> 00:37:07,080 you. He says that grass gets thrown 527 00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:11,640 into the oven because what this means is that grass was a cheap 528 00:37:11,640 --> 00:37:16,320 way to to like a, a kindling and to get that initial heat of a 529 00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:20,600 fire starting and they they had to use and we often have to use 530 00:37:20,600 --> 00:37:25,520 fire a lot in this life to cook and do all kinds of things. 531 00:37:25,520 --> 00:37:29,440 And he says that's how cheap grass is. 532 00:37:29,760 --> 00:37:31,680 It's here today, it's gone tomorrow. 533 00:37:33,880 --> 00:37:37,600 But if I make. Grass that beautiful, that is, 534 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:42,360 that lasts. A lot less longer than you. 535 00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:46,320 Do. There's also something else to. 536 00:37:46,320 --> 00:37:53,000 This you know, the clothing. One thing that makes us the most 537 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:56,040 valuable to God is that he closed clothed us. 538 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:58,360 The Bible says with Jesus Christ. 539 00:37:58,360 --> 00:38:02,920 It says in Galatians 327 For as many of you as were baptized 540 00:38:02,920 --> 00:38:08,160 into Christ have put on Christ so many other. 541 00:38:08,160 --> 00:38:12,880 Passage talk about put. On Jesus or the righteousness of 542 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:17,160 Christ, we have these these holy garments. 543 00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:21,520 Now, now, don't get that wrong. That's a spiritual term doesn't 544 00:38:21,520 --> 00:38:24,560 mean we need to wear physical clothes that represent some 545 00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:26,880 spiritual term. This is it's saying that we've 546 00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:33,040 been clothed with Christ. And so remember in your anxiety 547 00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:39,600 then, to put on Christ, because he is most beautiful, and by 548 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:45,120 putting on Christ makes you most beautiful, you see, because 549 00:38:46,080 --> 00:38:52,000 Jesus is God's one and only Son, the eternal Son sent from the 550 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:55,040 Father. But God loved us so much that he 551 00:38:56,400 --> 00:38:58,040 came. Down as a human being. 552 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:03,320 Lived a sinless life, grew up, died on the cross for our sins, 553 00:39:03,320 --> 00:39:05,840 took our place for the punishment that we deserve. 554 00:39:06,080 --> 00:39:10,160 All of our lack of faith and trust in God and having idols 555 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:12,440 and trusting in other things God says. 556 00:39:12,440 --> 00:39:15,040 I'm going to take care of that because I love you so much and I 557 00:39:15,040 --> 00:39:19,320 value you and so. If you're a Christian, remember. 558 00:39:19,320 --> 00:39:25,640 That you're, you're valuable and worth a lot to the Lord because 559 00:39:25,920 --> 00:39:30,280 he died for you and. So that last piece there. 560 00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:32,640 Is kind of the key O ye of little faith. 561 00:39:33,160 --> 00:39:35,080 That's in the the Bible several times. 562 00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:39,920 Jesus says it at least four other times in in chapter 8 563 00:39:39,920 --> 00:39:43,680 verse 26, he he said, Oh you of little faith. 564 00:39:43,680 --> 00:39:47,880 After they were going across the Sea of Galilee and the wind and 565 00:39:47,880 --> 00:39:50,760 the waves had popped up and he they said, what are we going to 566 00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:52,520 do? He was asleep on the boat. 567 00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:57,200 Jesus was and the disciples was so afraid for their lives that 568 00:39:57,200 --> 00:39:58,720 they said, what are we going to do? 569 00:39:58,720 --> 00:40:03,480 We're basically going to die and he wakes up, tells the Wind. 570 00:40:03,480 --> 00:40:05,800 And the waves to calm. To be still. 571 00:40:07,720 --> 00:40:14,000 In another passage. In chapter 1431, they're on the 572 00:40:14,000 --> 00:40:18,400 same lake and Jesus is. Walking on water and he. 573 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:21,440 Tells Peter, come out, come out, walk on the water with me. 574 00:40:21,440 --> 00:40:25,440 And Peter actually miraculously is allowed to walk on water for 575 00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:28,240 a little while. But then what happens is he sees 576 00:40:28,240 --> 00:40:30,560 some waves in the weather getting bad again. 577 00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:33,920 He fears and starts sinking. And what does Jesus say? 578 00:40:33,920 --> 00:40:37,960 Why did you doubt, O you of little faith? 579 00:40:39,720 --> 00:40:42,840 Again. They're in a boat and they're 580 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:49,040 crossing over after Jesus had just fed the 5000 and they're 581 00:40:49,440 --> 00:40:52,520 they're worried because they hadn't taken any bread with them 582 00:40:52,520 --> 00:40:56,320 and, and and they said we don't have any bread. 583 00:40:56,440 --> 00:41:00,560 How are we going to survive? And Jesus says, oh, you have 584 00:41:00,560 --> 00:41:05,320 little faith. I just I just provided 585 00:41:05,480 --> 00:41:11,000 miraculously for 5000 men plus women and children and you right 586 00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:16,840 after that are doubting me. This Is Us. 587 00:41:17,920 --> 00:41:23,280 Right right after God delivers us or or teaches us some kind of 588 00:41:23,280 --> 00:41:26,400 new lesson. It's like a day later, a week 589 00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:28,240 later, we've forgotten what He did. 590 00:41:28,240 --> 00:41:30,400 We forgot to be thankful for what He did. 591 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:34,640 And now we're back to our doubt. We're toiling and striving in 592 00:41:34,640 --> 00:41:40,040 our anxiety, worried about life, and we've forgotten all that. 593 00:41:40,040 --> 00:41:46,640 God has done that. Word little or little faith. 594 00:41:46,640 --> 00:41:49,560 There is, is, is. It's really talking about a. 595 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:57,040 A lack of faith or small? Faith or a faith that doesn't 596 00:41:57,040 --> 00:42:00,120 last, right? That's what I was just talking 597 00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:02,760 about, a faith that does not last. 598 00:42:03,480 --> 00:42:06,760 When hard times come up or things that you do worry about 599 00:42:06,760 --> 00:42:13,680 come up, your faith is gone. But just remember this. 600 00:42:14,560 --> 00:42:20,760 Jesus also talks about how a mustard seed can move mountains. 601 00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:24,600 Faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. 602 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:27,240 And So what does that mean? That we don't have to have it 603 00:42:27,240 --> 00:42:29,400 all figured out. We don't have to have God all 604 00:42:29,400 --> 00:42:35,560 figured out, but if we have enough faith in God that he can 605 00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:40,720 save us from our sins, which is the the greatest need that 606 00:42:40,720 --> 00:42:44,520 humanity has, we could. There's no possible way we can 607 00:42:44,520 --> 00:42:50,120 earn our forgiveness and our righteousness by doing more good 608 00:42:50,120 --> 00:42:51,760 than we've done bad in this world. 609 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:54,920 That's not how it works. We cannot do that if God can do 610 00:42:55,160 --> 00:43:00,920 the impossible by taking a Sinner and making him a St. 611 00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:05,160 Then he can take care of all these other. 612 00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:12,360 Needs that we have because it's. Not about how big your. 613 00:43:12,360 --> 00:43:17,200 Faith is it's about how big the God is that your faith is in. 614 00:43:19,560 --> 00:43:26,400 I want to quote MacArthur, who was also quoting AW Pink can't 615 00:43:26,400 --> 00:43:28,680 figure out. He reworded it a little bit and 616 00:43:28,680 --> 00:43:33,520 so I have to quote them both. But he said this worry is 617 00:43:33,520 --> 00:43:37,240 needless because of God's bounty, senseless because of 618 00:43:37,240 --> 00:43:41,840 God's promise, useless because because of its impotence to do 619 00:43:41,840 --> 00:43:46,280 anything productive and faithless because it is the 620 00:43:46,280 --> 00:43:49,960 characteristic of unbelievers. We should not be known as a 621 00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:52,160 worrying people. And that's what Jesus is getting 622 00:43:52,160 --> 00:43:55,160 at here today. And so, closing again with the 623 00:43:55,160 --> 00:43:59,440 main, main idea, Don't let your faith be dwarfed by anxiety or 624 00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:02,840 worry. Instead, trust the big sovereign 625 00:44:02,840 --> 00:44:05,160 God who cares for you. Let's pray. 626 00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:11,880 Dear Lord, we come to you. Father, we come to you this 627 00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:16,640 morning. First acknowledging how. 628 00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:23,560 Powerful you are, how mighty you are, how loving you are, caring 629 00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:26,320 you are. Forgive. 630 00:44:26,320 --> 00:44:30,640 Us we repent for. Lacking faith, forgetting our 631 00:44:30,640 --> 00:44:32,720 faith, forgetting all the wonderful things that you've 632 00:44:32,720 --> 00:44:36,920 done or delivered us from already the the, the Providence 633 00:44:37,640 --> 00:44:40,280 that you've been a part of in our lives. 634 00:44:41,480 --> 00:44:49,480 Help us, Lord, to trust you and to fight anxiety and worry and 635 00:44:49,480 --> 00:44:51,440 Father. Just we need. 636 00:44:52,200 --> 00:44:57,640 Reminders over and over again about this and so help us Lord, 637 00:44:57,640 --> 00:45:02,440 to be drawn to your word, to be prompted to go to prayer rather 638 00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:05,400 than to get into the cycle of anxiety in our minds. 639 00:45:06,160 --> 00:45:09,000 We love you Lord, in Jesus name, Amen.