1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:05,100 Well, we continue in Gospel of Matthew. 2 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:16,300 The Sermon on the Mount. We are in Matthew chapter 6 and 3 00:00:16,300 --> 00:00:19,800 you'll notice the passage there in your bulletin, is a large 4 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:23,300 portion of chapter 6 of The Gospel of Matthew. 5 00:00:23,300 --> 00:00:27,500 I'm going to start reading in verse 25, which is a few verses 6 00:00:27,500 --> 00:00:30,700 down, from where your printed copy is, and read that portion, 7 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:36,100 which has to do with our topic for today and that is anxiety 8 00:00:36,700 --> 00:00:39,300 being anxious. So, here now, the word of the 9 00:00:39,308 --> 00:00:47,400 Lord Therefore I tell you do not be anxious about your life, what 10 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:51,000 you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what 11 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:55,500 you will put on is not life more than food and the body more than 12 00:00:55,500 --> 00:00:58,400 clothing. Look at the birds of the air, 13 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:02,500 they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into Barns and yet your 14 00:01:02,500 --> 00:01:07,200 heavenly father feeds them, are you not a more value than they 15 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,500 and which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to 16 00:01:11,500 --> 00:01:15,000 his span of life? And where are you anxious about 17 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,600 clothing? Consider the lilies of the 18 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:19,600 field. How they grow? 19 00:01:20,100 --> 00:01:24,900 They neither toil nor spin yet. I tell you even Solomon in all 20 00:01:24,900 --> 00:01:28,200 his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 21 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,800 But if God so clothes the grass of the field which today is 22 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,700 alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much 23 00:01:36,700 --> 00:01:40,300 more clothe you? Oh, you of little faith? 24 00:01:40,900 --> 00:01:44,500 Therefore, do not have not do not be anxious saying what shall 25 00:01:44,500 --> 00:01:45,900 we eat? Or what shall we drink? 26 00:01:45,900 --> 00:01:49,400 Or what shall we wear for the Gentiles seek after all these 27 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:53,400 things and your heavenly father knows that you need them all. 28 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:59,300 But seek first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness, And 29 00:01:59,300 --> 00:02:01,500 all these things will be added to you. 30 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,700 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow 31 00:02:05,700 --> 00:02:10,100 will be anxious for itself, sufficient for the day, is its 32 00:02:10,100 --> 00:02:14,900 own trouble. The word of the Lord, you may be 33 00:02:14,900 --> 00:02:28,100 seated. On Mount Sinai, Moses heard the 34 00:02:28,100 --> 00:02:33,500 word of the Lord and the Finger of God in scripture, rated the 35 00:02:33,500 --> 00:02:38,400 great Commandments. And most of them are phrased. 36 00:02:39,100 --> 00:02:42,700 Thou shalt not. Thou shalt not. 37 00:02:43,900 --> 00:02:49,000 In that same Spirit our Lord when he comes to Earth and he is 38 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:52,800 on the mount and he is delivering the word of God 39 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:57,500 himself because he is God. He stays on that same vein. 40 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:03,700 He says do not and what we have here in the gospel of Matthew 41 00:03:03,700 --> 00:03:09,700 was a whole cluster of do not do not be like the scribes because 42 00:03:09,700 --> 00:03:13,700 they set aside the word of God and the law of God for the 43 00:03:13,700 --> 00:03:17,700 traditions of men. Do not be like the Pharisees 44 00:03:17,700 --> 00:03:22,300 when they pray because they love to be seen and heard of men do 45 00:03:22,300 --> 00:03:26,000 not be like them when when they give their alms, they do it on 46 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,500 the street corners so that they can be seen of men. 47 00:03:32,700 --> 00:03:37,200 Do not be like the Gentiles were like, the nations are the 48 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:40,500 people's, the folks. Roundabout, you everyone else. 49 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:46,900 Now we know, the Lord is addressing his disciples in this 50 00:03:46,900 --> 00:03:51,700 entire sermon. And he's teaching them he's 51 00:03:51,700 --> 00:03:55,600 discipling them. In fact, he's doing to them what 52 00:03:55,600 --> 00:04:00,600 he wants them eventually to do to the nation's. 53 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:08,300 He says that he should that they should make disciples teaching 54 00:04:08,300 --> 00:04:12,400 them to observe all things that I have commanded you. 55 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,399 So the Lord is not only instructing us but he's giving 56 00:04:16,399 --> 00:04:21,300 us the pattern laying down the template that we should see. 57 00:04:21,300 --> 00:04:25,800 And follow in our disciple, make a teaching about life in its 58 00:04:26,100 --> 00:04:30,800 normality life. In its Earthly manifestation, 59 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:35,000 our Science here on Earth and how it relates to Heavenly 60 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:41,100 things Kingdom. Things Godly things and he's 61 00:04:41,100 --> 00:04:47,100 seeking to change our hearts to change our beliefs in order to 62 00:04:47,100 --> 00:04:53,100 change our Behavior to change our credenza that we might 63 00:04:53,100 --> 00:04:57,900 change our agenda. The things we believe will work 64 00:04:57,900 --> 00:05:00,000 themselves out in the things we do. 65 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:04,700 And so, using comparisons and negation, is he says, do not do 66 00:05:04,700 --> 00:05:08,800 this, do not be like that. On the other hand do this and be 67 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:11,300 like this. So that's kind of the overall 68 00:05:11,300 --> 00:05:14,600 context for all of these passages that we've looked at 69 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:16,900 here so far in the Sermon on the Mount and we're not through with 70 00:05:16,900 --> 00:05:19,300 this one, we have one more Sunday to deal with this 71 00:05:19,300 --> 00:05:22,100 particular Perico pay of scripture and we'll be looking 72 00:05:22,100 --> 00:05:24,000 at it next week. So if you say wrong, you didn't 73 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:26,500 even mention this that and the other Well, maybe I'll mention 74 00:05:26,500 --> 00:05:30,200 it next week because this is a teaching session more than 75 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:32,700 anything else. The Lord is now teaching by 76 00:05:32,700 --> 00:05:36,900 contrast, he's laid out for his disciples that which they should 77 00:05:36,900 --> 00:05:40,700 do in on this one. This do not or if we were 78 00:05:40,700 --> 00:05:46,800 crafted in Mosaic terms, Thou shalt not is about anxiety. 79 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:50,600 Lord now is getting down to some. 80 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:53,900 Brass tacks is getting down to where we live because what he's 81 00:05:53,900 --> 00:05:58,200 going to talk about are the basic necessities of life. 82 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,300 The must haves. The things we must have on our 83 00:06:02,300 --> 00:06:05,400 life, all of us. Regardless of who we are. 84 00:06:05,700 --> 00:06:09,600 We have to have these Essentials for life on Earth and he's 85 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:14,300 teaching us something about asking for our daily bread. 86 00:06:14,300 --> 00:06:19,200 We're dealing here now with matters of survival as a And 87 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:25,000 three times in this text, he says do not be anxious. 88 00:06:26,500 --> 00:06:31,700 Do not be anxious. So it's easy to see that. 89 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:36,000 He never really deviates from that particular subject for this 90 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:37,700 particular aspect of the teaching. 91 00:06:39,300 --> 00:06:41,900 So what does the Lord teach us about anxiety? 92 00:06:41,900 --> 00:06:44,000 Well 14 what thing is the choice of the word? 93 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,100 He uses. He uses this not used very many 94 00:06:46,100 --> 00:06:49,100 times in the scripture but he uses the word and it's used a 95 00:06:49,108 --> 00:06:52,000 few times in this passage. She used a couple of more times 96 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:55,700 in the New Testament and it's a word rich in meaning. 97 00:06:56,100 --> 00:07:00,200 And I think if we want to kind of understand what anxiety is 98 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:03,500 about, we need to kind of look at the different ways that this 99 00:07:03,500 --> 00:07:09,300 particular word is understood. It's a word that means to be 100 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:18,200 overtly concerned to have anxious are high expectations to 101 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:27,800 be intense in our intentions. It means to brood to fret. 102 00:07:29,100 --> 00:07:35,000 To inquire to ponder, to speculate. 103 00:07:36,100 --> 00:07:41,100 And to give consideration to what we would call cares of this 104 00:07:41,100 --> 00:07:46,800 life issues of this life and the three things, he spells out or 105 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:53,100 food, drink and clothing and he deals with them with beautiful 106 00:07:53,100 --> 00:07:56,200 imagery to tell us what he has in mind. 107 00:07:56,600 --> 00:08:03,000 He refers to the fowls of the air and the flowers of the 108 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:09,200 field. In our anxiety for food and 109 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:13,600 drink. He says, take a look. 110 00:08:14,900 --> 00:08:19,400 Look, first of all at the fowls of the air, the birds The birds 111 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:23,000 of the air. They don't have to do anything, 112 00:08:23,900 --> 00:08:27,200 they don't reap. They don't so they don't reap 113 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:28,500 and they don't gather into barns. 114 00:08:28,500 --> 00:08:30,600 In other words, they don't perform the whole range of 115 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:33,900 agricultural function from the breaking of the field of sowing 116 00:08:33,900 --> 00:08:36,000 the seed, all the way through the Gathering of the Harvest and 117 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:40,400 garnering it in the barn. Do I have to do any of that? 118 00:08:41,500 --> 00:08:45,900 They can just fly around. Scratch around, but it's 119 00:08:45,900 --> 00:08:49,300 interesting. He uses as an example, the fowls 120 00:08:49,300 --> 00:08:53,700 of the air, the birds because in scripture the birds don't have a 121 00:08:53,700 --> 00:08:57,400 very good reputation and I would, my grandsons were a 122 00:08:57,408 --> 00:09:00,300 little smaller. We had Angry Birds, you know, 123 00:09:00,300 --> 00:09:02,700 the little stuffed animals that we got. 124 00:09:02,700 --> 00:09:05,900 Well, the birds sort of have that reputation in scripture 125 00:09:05,900 --> 00:09:09,600 birds in the Old Testament, especially the birds are 126 00:09:09,700 --> 00:09:14,300 sometimes called the fowls of the air and they are Also seen 127 00:09:14,300 --> 00:09:17,600 often as that, which is filthy, in fact, it was Unthinkable that 128 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:20,200 God would use a raven to feed the Prophet. 129 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:24,900 Elijah, remember that the fowls of the air that which you're not 130 00:09:24,900 --> 00:09:30,400 too attractive and not too too, valuable either, they fly in 131 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:34,900 massive flocks. If you've ever seen a large 132 00:09:34,900 --> 00:09:39,100 group of birds flock of birds flying over, in their migration 133 00:09:39,300 --> 00:09:41,900 during the seasons. It's overwhelming. 134 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:43,400 I remember being down on my wrath. 135 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:47,900 A few years ago and there was this big black cloud that was 136 00:09:47,900 --> 00:09:51,200 coming in and I could see it. And then I realized it was 137 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:56,100 birds, and they flew around and they finally came to rest in the 138 00:09:56,300 --> 00:10:00,000 property next to mine and they covered from wingtip to wingtip. 139 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:04,100 They covered the whole acreage. I could probably look at 125 140 00:10:04,100 --> 00:10:08,300 acres of land from my vantage point, and they completely 141 00:10:08,300 --> 00:10:12,100 blacked out the entire place. And they there's a little water 142 00:10:12,100 --> 00:10:14,900 there and they were able to come To take their bath and get their 143 00:10:14,900 --> 00:10:18,000 drink and and take their rest in his eye, went on about my 144 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:21,000 business working on my place, I watched him and eventually began 145 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,900 to fly certain small portion of them went up. 146 00:10:24,100 --> 00:10:26,700 Another one sort of moved in. They flew around the others came 147 00:10:26,700 --> 00:10:30,800 into formation and you've seen it, the the massive amounts of 148 00:10:30,808 --> 00:10:36,300 the teeming masses of the fowls of the air individually the B. 149 00:10:36,300 --> 00:10:40,400 They've not only been considered filthy and scripture especially 150 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:44,500 the Condor the eagle, the vultures the Birds that are 151 00:10:44,500 --> 00:10:48,700 scavenger Birds. But they're also considered 152 00:10:48,700 --> 00:10:51,400 cheap. There's so many of them for one 153 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:55,500 thing and the most insignificant cheapest offering that you could 154 00:10:55,500 --> 00:10:57,200 bring in the Old Testament sacrificial. 155 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:03,000 System was a, was a turtledove or the offering of a bird if 156 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:09,700 something so unattractive. So plentiful and Expendable, and 157 00:11:11,100 --> 00:11:15,800 All of that, the Lord takes care of them with respect to food and 158 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:19,200 drink and provides everything they need for their survival. 159 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:21,800 What do you think? And here's a key word that used 160 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:27,700 three times in the text your heavenly father that's really 161 00:11:27,700 --> 00:11:29,400 what Jesus is trying to teach us. 162 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:30,800 It's not about how we are to live. 163 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:34,300 It's not another set of rules, it's not more do's and don'ts. 164 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:39,100 It's not just merely sitting down a pattern and saying this 165 00:11:39,100 --> 00:11:45,600 is the path walking in it. Do thou likewise know, What were 166 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:49,200 being introduced to is to care and the love of the heavenly 167 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:52,000 father, that's what Jesus wants to show us. 168 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:53,700 Not. Not the birds of the air and he 169 00:11:53,700 --> 00:11:58,300 says, aren't you more valuable than they? 170 00:12:03,100 --> 00:12:08,100 And then he looks at the flowers of the field because in the 171 00:12:08,100 --> 00:12:10,800 Lilies of the Field, it's interesting to listen to some of 172 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:13,600 the scholars talk about what particular species of flower, 173 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:16,400 that might be concerned here. But to me, that's the 174 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:20,200 bluebonnets, that's, that's how I read my Bible. 175 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:26,400 I read my Bible all the way through with the star of Texas. 176 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:34,400 You ever been to the Hill Country in the spring? 177 00:12:35,900 --> 00:12:41,000 Planes and Hills, beautifully arrayed with all those Blue 178 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:45,500 Bonnets and Indian paint brushes and the multiple wildflowers as 179 00:12:45,500 --> 00:12:50,800 far as the eye can see, do you think the Taylor's and the die 180 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:54,000 masters of Solomon's kingdom could come up with anything more 181 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:57,800 beautiful than that, spacious? Wonderful glory. 182 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:02,400 And yet, even the flower Fades and the grass withers. 183 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:05,900 You go to the Hill Country in early April you'll see the Blue 184 00:13:05,900 --> 00:13:09,200 Bonnets begin to come forth. You go in early May and they're 185 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:13,100 gone. They wither, they die. 186 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:19,200 If God. Cease after the flowers of the 187 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:22,700 field. Don't you think he'll take 188 00:13:22,700 --> 00:13:26,700 interest in you? Don't you think he notices you 189 00:13:27,500 --> 00:13:30,200 and this is really what the Lord is teaching. 190 00:13:30,900 --> 00:13:36,400 He said, don't be concerned about these basic elements of 191 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:42,500 your survival. Your food, your drink and your 192 00:13:42,500 --> 00:13:47,200 clothing. These are all Necessities. 193 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:49,300 We all see that this is these things. 194 00:13:49,300 --> 00:13:51,500 The Lord teaches is so patently obvious. 195 00:13:51,500 --> 00:13:54,800 Sometimes it's hard for us to grasp how he could be so simple 196 00:13:54,800 --> 00:13:57,900 and down-to-earth. Food. 197 00:13:57,900 --> 00:13:59,500 How long can you go without food? 198 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:04,200 Maybe a month. Drink specially water. 199 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:05,700 How long can you go without water? 200 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:09,900 Few days clothing. How long can get with us? 201 00:14:09,900 --> 00:14:15,200 Don't even imagine that. The Lord takes care of us. 202 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:18,500 Even in these most basic mundane things. 203 00:14:18,500 --> 00:14:25,500 And that's really what the Lord is trying to get us to see, is 204 00:14:25,500 --> 00:14:27,600 it? We're now we belong to the Lord. 205 00:14:29,700 --> 00:14:36,600 And he loves us and he cares for us and our heavenly father is 206 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:42,400 going to look after us, just like he closed the fields. 207 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:48,900 He's going to close us. He's going to give us what we 208 00:14:48,900 --> 00:14:55,800 need. I've always been a bit of a 209 00:14:55,808 --> 00:14:58,000 worrier. And as I read this definition of 210 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:02,000 anxiety, I found myself in almost every word and none of it 211 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:05,300 was flattering. And I get that from my mother, I 212 00:15:05,300 --> 00:15:07,800 blame it on genetics. My mother was a chronic 213 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:10,700 Perpetual Warrior. She can come up with more 214 00:15:10,700 --> 00:15:14,200 reasons, why something might not work or what you need to do. 215 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:19,300 Just in case of something all the contingencies, many of them 216 00:15:19,300 --> 00:15:23,600 - and tried to prevent them all Really in my life. 217 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:25,500 I've only worried about three days. 218 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:36,300 Yesterday today, and tomorrow. The guilt and the regrets of 219 00:15:36,300 --> 00:15:39,700 yesterday. Just eat us up, Don't Lie. 220 00:15:41,100 --> 00:15:43,800 They keep us from enjoying the moment quite often. 221 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:54,700 The cares of today. Sufficient unto the day is the 222 00:15:54,700 --> 00:15:56,500 evil thereof, and then the cares. 223 00:15:56,500 --> 00:15:58,300 And the needs that are you remember, when Jesus gave the 224 00:15:58,300 --> 00:16:01,700 parable of the soils, sometimes it's called the parable of the 225 00:16:01,700 --> 00:16:04,600 seed, but really it's the same seed, sometimes it's called the 226 00:16:04,608 --> 00:16:06,200 parable of Sword release the same. 227 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:09,300 Sore, it's really the parable of the soils because there are 228 00:16:09,308 --> 00:16:12,500 different soils. And one of the soil was such 229 00:16:12,500 --> 00:16:18,300 that there would be tears and weeds and thorns and Briars that 230 00:16:18,300 --> 00:16:21,100 would grow up and choked out of the seed. 231 00:16:21,900 --> 00:16:25,200 And that's where many of Us live our two days. 232 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:28,800 We live it with the cares of this world. 233 00:16:29,100 --> 00:16:33,900 The pleasures of this world, The Riches of this world, choking 234 00:16:33,900 --> 00:16:37,200 out, the things of God, and that's what the Lord in this 235 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:42,000 whole sermon is getting us to do, is to shift our worldview 236 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:46,100 from this plane. To the Heavenly to understand 237 00:16:46,100 --> 00:16:47,800 the kingdom of God. The things of God. 238 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:51,900 We saw it last week in the treasures that we store up in 239 00:16:51,900 --> 00:16:53,700 that we lay up in there. Set forth. 240 00:16:53,900 --> 00:16:57,800 The Lord is trying to move us away from the cares of today. 241 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:01,000 The cares of this world, the things that choke out the things 242 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:04,200 of God. And the third day, I worry about 243 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:09,800 is the, is tomorrow, the uncertainties the possibilities. 244 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:16,099 What will tomorrow be like? Do I have enough of this? 245 00:17:16,099 --> 00:17:20,700 Have I saved enough have. I worked enough have I What what 246 00:17:20,700 --> 00:17:26,500 happens if this happens. Those sorts of things can just 247 00:17:26,500 --> 00:17:29,700 destroy our soul. And by the way, in this passage, 248 00:17:29,700 --> 00:17:32,000 wherever you see the word life, like the very first verse. 249 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:35,900 Therefore, I tell you do not be anxious about life and he talks 250 00:17:35,900 --> 00:17:42,300 about how your life is affected here in this verse, the word 251 00:17:42,300 --> 00:17:45,800 that's translated life in. This verse is the word Sookie. 252 00:17:46,300 --> 00:17:49,400 It's been the word we get sold our psychology. 253 00:17:50,100 --> 00:17:54,200 It's our souls, what's it? What's at stake is our very 254 00:17:54,200 --> 00:17:55,100 soul. Soul. 255 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:03,000 And so the scriptures have a lot to tell us about what we are to 256 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,000 do. But the Lord has a rebuke In 257 00:18:05,008 --> 00:18:08,300 this passage and we always need to pay attention to rebukes 258 00:18:08,300 --> 00:18:11,200 whenever they're in scripture. The scripture, you know, is 259 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:15,400 profitable for correction for reproof for rebuke, and for 260 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:18,600 training in righteousness, according to Paul writing to 261 00:18:18,600 --> 00:18:20,900 Timothy. So we need to see that this not 262 00:18:20,900 --> 00:18:24,000 just for instruction, the scriptures, not just for 263 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:28,900 inspiration. It's also for correction, bar, 264 00:18:28,900 --> 00:18:33,500 rebuke and far reproof and there's a bit of rebuke In this 265 00:18:33,500 --> 00:18:36,700 passage, and it comes in one single word in the original 266 00:18:36,700 --> 00:18:38,900 text. It's just one word. 267 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:42,200 Now, it's translated in our text here. 268 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:45,000 Of course, it's text. It's translated. 269 00:18:45,100 --> 00:18:50,900 Oh, ye or you of little faith. It's actually a compound word. 270 00:18:50,900 --> 00:18:55,700 He says you little faith ones. You with shriveled-up. 271 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:59,500 Faith. You with anemic Faith. 272 00:18:59,500 --> 00:19:02,600 Weak Faith, short Faith. Poor faith. 273 00:19:04,500 --> 00:19:07,300 You do that have barely any faith at all. 274 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:12,100 That's who he's talking to. In other words, he's talking to 275 00:19:12,100 --> 00:19:15,400 me. He may be talking to you as 276 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:20,200 well. It is a lack of faith, it's a 277 00:19:20,208 --> 00:19:23,000 lack of belief. You do know that the word faith 278 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:25,300 and belief is the same word in the original. 279 00:19:25,300 --> 00:19:28,100 It's just translated differently in the scriptures, depending on 280 00:19:28,100 --> 00:19:31,700 whether they need a nominative, or verbal form, and context, 281 00:19:31,700 --> 00:19:33,500 Etc. But it's always the same word, 282 00:19:34,300 --> 00:19:41,600 belief, you who do not believe you, who have a weak faith, and 283 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:43,100 that's what I'm here to do this morning. 284 00:19:43,100 --> 00:19:48,200 Just To encourage you to trust the Lord. 285 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:51,800 To pray. The prayer that is prayed in the 286 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:59,000 scripture, Lord, increase. Our faith are the Cry of the man 287 00:19:59,900 --> 00:20:04,500 that said, Lord, I believe help my unbelief. 288 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,500 Are to stand in the shoes of doubting Thomas when he said, 289 00:20:08,500 --> 00:20:13,400 unless I see and verify with empirical evidence, I will not 290 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:16,700 believe. Then the Lord showed him, some 291 00:20:16,700 --> 00:20:23,500 empirical evidence and he believed You see, our faith has 292 00:20:23,500 --> 00:20:25,900 an element. I've been. 293 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:28,800 Repeating this almost every sermon. 294 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:33,200 Now for years, that that faith in scripture is loaded. 295 00:20:33,900 --> 00:20:37,600 There's several elements to our faith in order to have a full 296 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:43,400 well, orbed saving biblical faith in requires, certain 297 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:46,300 things of our whole soul. There's an element of knowledge 298 00:20:46,300 --> 00:20:48,900 in faith. We have to know, that's why the 299 00:20:48,900 --> 00:20:51,100 Lord has gone to so much trouble over the years to reveal 300 00:20:51,100 --> 00:20:56,100 himself, to make himself known, Then they will know that I am. 301 00:20:56,100 --> 00:20:59,400 The Lord is repeated over and over and over and over and over 302 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:03,300 and over in the Book of Ezekiel, the Lord wants to be known and 303 00:21:03,300 --> 00:21:06,400 we need to know the Lord, that's how we have. 304 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:10,300 Our faith increased is by learning more about him, but 305 00:21:10,300 --> 00:21:14,800 then there's also the element of obedience Our faith must have 306 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:19,800 feet Faith must produce Works. Faith must have some real 307 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:23,400 substance to it. It needs to go forth and do it. 308 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:28,200 Needs to follow and Obey. But then Faith also involves 309 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:34,100 Trust. A dependency and a confidence 310 00:21:34,700 --> 00:21:41,200 and Assurance in our Lord God. And as we mentioned in this 311 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:45,400 particular, passage the Lord is pointing us to the heavenly. 312 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:50,300 Father, he says your heavenly father feeds them in summary of 313 00:21:50,300 --> 00:21:53,000 The Birds and so forth. And then down in verse 32, he 314 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,800 says, your heavenly Father Knows. 315 00:21:56,600 --> 00:21:59,200 That you need all of these things. 316 00:22:00,600 --> 00:22:04,400 The Lord knows. The Lord cares. 317 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:09,900 And the Lord is near. Let me point you to a passage of 318 00:22:09,900 --> 00:22:13,800 scripture that has been an inspiration to me for years and 319 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:17,700 it thrilled to be the first time I saw it years ago, I just 320 00:22:18,100 --> 00:22:20,300 couldn't get over it. I kept going back to it, you 321 00:22:20,300 --> 00:22:21,600 might want to mark it in your scripture. 322 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:26,400 It's in Exodus way back in the Old Testament, Exodus chapter 2 323 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:29,000 and you know, the story there, it's the story of The Exodus and 324 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,500 it starts off telling about the children of Israel, big and 325 00:22:31,500 --> 00:22:35,300 bondage and slavery in Egypt, and God is going to deliver them 326 00:22:35,300 --> 00:22:37,500 by the hand of Moses. And you all know the story quite 327 00:22:37,500 --> 00:22:40,500 well. Listen to this, this little 328 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:43,500 phrase, it's a little portion here in Exodus. 329 00:22:43,500 --> 00:22:48,800 Chapter 2, says, during the many days, the king of Egypt died and 330 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:52,900 the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery. 331 00:22:53,300 --> 00:22:56,400 And they had been in slavery for about three hundred plus years 332 00:22:57,100 --> 00:23:00,300 and several Generations. In fact, they're the whole 333 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:04,100 dynasty of pharaohs had come and gone and they had forgotten all 334 00:23:04,100 --> 00:23:08,000 about who Joseph was and what the beginnings of God's people. 335 00:23:08,100 --> 00:23:10,300 In Egypt were all about. It was a whole different 336 00:23:10,300 --> 00:23:13,000 generation with a whole different view of things. 337 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:19,500 And so these these pharaohs had had reduced Israel to slavery 338 00:23:19,700 --> 00:23:23,600 and a wretched slavery at that and the people groaned because 339 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:27,000 of their slavery and they cried out for help. 340 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:36,500 If I were preacher, I talked about the importance of crying 341 00:23:36,500 --> 00:23:41,100 out for help. There's no shame when you find 342 00:23:41,100 --> 00:23:44,100 yourself in the Foxhole. Are you find yourself in the 343 00:23:44,100 --> 00:23:48,000 gutter are flat of your back? There is no shame in, calling 344 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:52,900 out to the Lord, in my distress, I cried to the Lord said, the 345 00:23:52,900 --> 00:23:57,500 psalmist and the Lord hears us. It expects us to do that. 346 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:01,300 Don't find yourself in any place in life, even at some of the 347 00:24:01,300 --> 00:24:06,500 most extreme points emotionally and socially and financially in 348 00:24:06,500 --> 00:24:10,900 any other way that you're in won't Cry out to God for help. 349 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:13,400 That's what Israel did in their bondage. 350 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:17,000 They cried out to the Lord, by the way, the word usually in 351 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,200 the, in the, the word that usually used in the Old 352 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:23,800 Testament, they had means to cry out audibly, to cry out, where 353 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:27,600 you can be heard physically, they cried out to the Lord, 354 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:30,000 their cry for rescue from slavery. 355 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:34,900 Came up to God. Psalmist prayed, Lord, incline, 356 00:24:34,900 --> 00:24:37,600 your ear. And here's an example of the 357 00:24:37,608 --> 00:24:44,100 Lord inclining, his ear and the cry for rescue from slavery. 358 00:24:44,700 --> 00:24:49,200 Came up to God. Many of us are enslaved, were 359 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:53,600 enslaved by various kinds of sins and disabilities. 360 00:24:56,300 --> 00:24:58,900 There's all kinds of 12 step programs. 361 00:25:00,100 --> 00:25:02,800 But I would say before you begin one step of any kind, you need 362 00:25:02,800 --> 00:25:07,000 to cry out to God, for deliverance, from whatever it 363 00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:14,300 is, that has you enthralled. And he's taking you down in this 364 00:25:14,300 --> 00:25:17,400 life and sadly in certainly in the Life to Come. 365 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:21,800 And listen to The Experts and God heard their groaning. 366 00:25:22,500 --> 00:25:28,000 God heard him, he remembered his Covenant with Abraham, Isaac, 367 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,900 and Jacob. Remember those covenants and God 368 00:25:30,900 --> 00:25:34,200 made with the Patriarchs back in the Book of Genesis God, 369 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:41,100 remembered those covenants. God saw the people of Israel and 370 00:25:41,100 --> 00:25:48,900 God knew And that's what I tell you this morning. 371 00:25:48,900 --> 00:25:52,500 God sees your heart, he sees your condition. 372 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:55,600 He sees your need, not just for Daily Bread. 373 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:58,900 Not just for food, not just for clothing, not just for drink but 374 00:25:58,900 --> 00:26:04,000 he sees your need at the human level at the natural level at 375 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:07,700 the material Level but also even more so at the spiritual level 376 00:26:08,300 --> 00:26:13,500 God sees he knows all The All-Seeing Eye. 377 00:26:13,500 --> 00:26:18,200 Detects everything. Nothing escapes. 378 00:26:18,500 --> 00:26:23,100 His surveillance system. You may feel like you're 379 00:26:23,100 --> 00:26:26,100 isolated that you're far that you're down that you remove that 380 00:26:26,100 --> 00:26:30,300 you're in darkness, but God sees it. 381 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:38,800 He saw the people of Israel. And was simple phrase and God 382 00:26:39,300 --> 00:26:45,700 knew. He knows. 383 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:50,500 He cares. He's a Heavenly Father. 384 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:56,700 He will give you what you need. He'll emphasize this several 385 00:26:56,700 --> 00:26:58,600 other ways in the sermon before he's done. 386 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:03,200 But, but here he isolates on it to encourage you words of 387 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:05,300 scripture. I think that we need to look at 388 00:27:05,300 --> 00:27:08,500 in the New Testament. They're very short. 389 00:27:09,100 --> 00:27:12,100 Dear, each one is written by a great Apostle. 390 00:27:12,100 --> 00:27:16,800 The great Apostle Peter tells us this, it talks about the mighty 391 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:21,600 hand of God and then he says, casting all your anxieties and 392 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:26,100 it's the same word that used in our Matthew text casting, all 393 00:27:26,100 --> 00:27:31,500 your anxieties upon him because he cares for you. 394 00:27:33,300 --> 00:27:37,200 The reason you can do it is because he cares, he sees he 395 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:43,300 knows he remembers his Covenant. And so, Peter just says casting. 396 00:27:44,900 --> 00:27:49,200 All your cares, your anxieties, your frets. 397 00:27:51,100 --> 00:27:55,900 Your dilemmas. Your difficulties upon him for 398 00:27:55,900 --> 00:28:02,900 he cares for you. Let's don't ever forget we have 399 00:28:02,900 --> 00:28:07,100 a wonderful Heavenly Father. Paul, the other great Apostle, 400 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:10,500 gives us a few words as well found in the book of 401 00:28:10,500 --> 00:28:14,300 Philippians. It's the same word for anxiety. 402 00:28:15,300 --> 00:28:18,700 The Lord is at hand, do not be anxious about anything but in 403 00:28:18,700 --> 00:28:21,900 everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving, 404 00:28:21,900 --> 00:28:26,000 let your requests call out, cry out, tell God what you need, be 405 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:30,200 made known to the Lord. Did you catch the two things? 406 00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:33,000 Peter assures us? That he cares. 407 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:40,700 And polishers us that the Lord is at hand He is near. 408 00:28:44,300 --> 00:28:49,400 He's a loving Heavenly Father. Jesus came to make him known. 409 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:54,300 The Bible says that Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God. 410 00:28:54,300 --> 00:28:56,500 He is the express image of God's person. 411 00:28:56,800 --> 00:29:02,500 He's a True Image, a true icon of the true God as truly man and 412 00:29:02,500 --> 00:29:05,600 truly God, he manifest he makes known our heavenly father and 413 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:08,900 that's what he's telling us in this passage his father and our 414 00:29:08,900 --> 00:29:13,600 father is near loves cares. Knows call upon him. 415 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:17,200 Now. Now.