Sermon on the Mount Series

(Sermon points from Feb. 7, 2010)

Matt. 6: 25-34

“Dealing with anxiety”

Jesus comes now to the climax of what he has been teaching about the way that his followers are to deal with material possession. The word ‘therefore’ calls attention to what he about to say. And, what he is about to say is based upon the arguments he has just presented.

The arguments

There are only two directions that your life can be headed in:

1. you can focus you life around the material/physical

2. you can focus you life around the spiritual/eternal

You cannot be focused on both. To focus on one is to make the other secondary.

‘therefore’

Therefore, Jesus tells us that we are not to be anxious about the physical, but put our focus upon the spiritual/eternal, and God will provide all that we need in the way of material/physical things.

anxiety

Since all creation witnesses to the faithful providence of God toward his creation, we should be assured that God will certainly provide for our needs.

To be overly anxious is to doubt God and to question the faithfulness of God. Those who truly know God put their trust in him. (Psalm 9:10)

‘Seek first’

Jesus assures us that if we seek first the kingdom and the righteousness of God, then God will take care of the rest. God certainly knows our needs. Therefore, we are to put our trust and faith in the Lord. Worry and anxiety are indications that we don’t really trust God; that we don’t believe his promises. This is a sin against the Lord.

When our focus is upon the kingdom of heaven, the other concerns and struggles of life are covered by the faithfulness of God.

Pastor Dave