 Stop it. Stop worrying. Take no thought about these things. Now ladies, this does not mean that I don't put some thought into what I'm going to cook for dinner. Okay, that's not what Jesus is saying. And it doesn't mean that I don't make up a grocery menu. I usually make my menu on Sunday afternoon and Monday morning after my walk. I go buy groceries for my husband and I for the week. Because otherwise that would negate my Proverbs 31 responsibility, right? To look well as to the my ways of my household. So Jesus is not saying, don't even think about food, don't think about water. But I'm not to worry about it. And may I say, in my humble opinion, we as women spend way too much time browsing recipes, clothes catalogs and the internet for all this stuff. Do you know the biblical world would think that we are ridiculous? The biblical world would think we're ridiculous with all the time we spend wasting on that stuff. In fact, back home in Oklahoma, we just had a six week little summer study at our church where we studied six older Godly women. Francis Havergale, Fanny Crosby, Catherine Vambora, Susanna Spurgeon and we did some autobiographical sketches. And I thought it was fascinating. One of the ladies, I think it was Amy Carmichael right before she went to India for 53 years. Her mother wanted to buy her a new dress. And Amy said, why do I need that? I have to. I don't need a new dress. That's worldly stuff. And I was sitting there as the lady of my church was teaching and I thought, wow, we've come a long way, right? But not in a good sense. I mean, who among us in this group does not have more than two dresses? Ladies, wouldn't it be great if we have would have this type of obsession for God and serving others in the gospel? Instead of worrying and being obsessed with clothes and food and those type of things. One man said this, yet taking care of the body has always been a common obsession with men. Even when we're not starving or thirsty or naked, we still give an inordinate amount of tension to our bodies. We pamper our body. We decorate it. We exercise it. We protect it from disease and pain. We build it up. We slender it down. We drape it with jewelry. We keep it warm. We keep it cool. We train it to work and play. We help it to get sleep and a hundred other things to serve and satisfy our bodies. End of quote. Now, since Jesus is going to condemn worry, we need to define it, right? Worry means to be pulled apart in different directions, pulled apart in different directions. In fact, we get our English word strangle from this Greek word worry. And ladies, that's a great parallel. If you have ever worried, you know, it does strangle you. Have you ever noticed what happens to you when you become anxious? If you look down at your hands, they're probably like this. And, you know, it begins to dominate your thinking and you see everything in light of your worry, everything in light of your anxiety. You can't see past that. Ladies, when we worry about any of these things Jesus mentioned or any other thing, even terrorist activity, it takes away our thoughts from God and onto whatever we're worrying about, right? So the first reason you should not worry is this, because life is more than earthly concerns. Life is more than earthly concerns. We also would do well to put on worship instead for the same reason, because life involves heavenly concerns. So put off worry because life is more than earthly concerns. Put on worship because life involves heavenly concerns. In fact, one day when John Wesley was away from home preaching, someone came up to him and he said, John Wesley, your house has burned down. He said, no, it hadn't. I don't own a house. And he said, the one I've been living in belongs to the Lord. And if it's burned down, well, it's one less responsibility for me to worry about. He had a great attitude, didn't he? About his possessions. Well, Jesus now gives him a live illustration in verse 26 as to why they shouldn't worry. Look at the birds of the air. Look at them. They don't sow or reap or gather into barns yet your heavenly father feeds them. Interesting because about at this time in the land of Palestine, they say there are about 20 species of birds. And more than likely, you know, Jesus is not on a huge mountain. I didn't have time to get into the background of the Sermon on a mount, but like a big slope. And I'm sure he's saying, look at the birds. You know, look at the birds. He says they don't sow or reap. They don't plant seeds. They don't harvest. They don't gather their food and put it into barns. Now, ladies, let me be very clear. Jesus is not condoning laziness. Birds do work. I've watched him. I watched him on my back porch. I was watching Robin the other day. I was in my backyard studying and Robin was going to gather some stuff out of my flower bed. He was taking it off to a tree over here to build a nest. I watched the hummingbirds. They work. Birds work. They build nests. They watch over their young. They go out and feed them after the babies are born. They don't just fly around the sky and open their mouth hoping, you know, something will fall into it. They work. They work, but they don't worry. I watch those Robins. I watch my hymns. They're not worried. They don't worry. Ladies, we should also work, but we should not worry. God cares about the birds. In fact, the psalmist reminds us of this in Psalm 145-15. He says, the eyes of all looked expectant to lead to you and you give them their food in due season. You open your hands and satisfy the desire of every living thing. You know, it's funny Jesus mentions that they don't store up food in their barns because he's just mentioned, as we'll see tomorrow afternoon, about those who store up all their stuff, you know. He's saying birds don't even do that. In fact, I think it's kind of comical these days. I've ran into some Christian women who are collecting all this food for whenever, you know, the end of the world's coming. And I go, you know, so what are you going to do with that? I mean, somebody's going to come in your house and kill you for it. And eventually all that food's going to run out and you're going to starve to death anyway. So why are you storing all that stuff up? You know, what is the point of all that? It's going to expire, right? So Jesus says, since it's true that God feeds the birds which have no eternal soul, then the conclusion is what? Are you not much more valuable than they? Yes, you are. I was talking to my daughter this last year. She's going through a very difficult trial. And she said, Mom, I was looking out the window and I saw a bird and I was reminded if God cares about that bird, he cares about what's going on in my life. Ladies, you are a human soul. A bird does not have a soul. They're an animal. You are more important than they are and yet God feeds them. So why are you worrying? Why are you worrying? How ridiculous is that? A cute poem I found in my studies was this. Said the robin to the sparrow. I would really like to know why these anxious human beings rush about and worry so. Said the sparrow to the robin. Friend, I think it must be they have no heavenly father such as cares for you and me. So dear one, do not worry because number two, God cares for the animal life. Do not worry because God cares for the animal life. But do worship because God cares for you more than the animal life. He cares for you more than the animal life. Now, Jesus presents a second question in verse 27. Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his statue? Now, you might have read that question and wondered, what is Jesus saying? Well, first of all, we need to define a cubit. A cubit in the biblical world was about 22 inches. It goes from the elbow up to about the wrist there. So 22 inches. However, the Greek means length or duration of life. So Jesus obviously is not saying that you can not add inches. He's talking about you can't add any years to your life when you worry. Ladies, when you worry, you don't add years to your life. But you know what you do, do, do? You take away years from your life. Do you know that? Do you know that the medical profession has proven that worry affects your whole body? It affects your heart, your nervous system, your appetite, your sleep. It weakens your immune system. It causes acid reflux, bowel issues, digestive problems, backache, headache, and even skin problems. Now, ladies, that's reason enough to put off worry, right? In fact, one of my brothers was in the hospital recently with some heart issues and I went to go see him. And when I was there, the cardiologist came in. And my brother said, yeah, he builds houses and stuff and he's almost 70. And he said, you know, I probably shouldn't have been under that house. That was really stupid of me to do that. And I'm too old to be doing this physical work. And the cardiologist said, it's not the physical work that will kill you, it's stress. And then my brother readily admitted that he had been under a lot of stress at work. And so that was probably the reason for his heart issues. Ladies, think very carefully. According to Psalm 139.16, do you know your days were written before you were ever born? Do you know each of us in this room has an appointed day to die? God has already made that appointment. So when you worry, you can't add anything to your life. You can't add any more years to your life. Every one of us in this room has an expiration date that is given to us from the father. So we can't add or take away from it by worry. So reason number three, why not to worry? Don't worry because you can't add any years to your life. Don't worry because you can't add any years to your life. But do worship because God has already numbered your days. Do worship because God has numbered your days. Ladies, I hope you know when each one of us are taken out of this world, that we are, when we're taken out, we're worshiping and not worrying. You know? Well, Jesus now gives another illustration regarding the sin of worry in verse 28. Notice what he says. Why do you worry about your clothes? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil or spin. Jesus says, consider the lilies of the field. And again, there was probably lilies there, there on that slope, that little mountain. And most lilies in the biblical world were either purple or white. It was a very familiar flower in the biblical world. In fact, in the song of Solomon, we have a reference to this where it says, I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valley, like a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. And Jesus says lilies don't grow. It means they don't enlarge. They do grow, but they don't toil or spin. Now, what's he talking about? Well, the toiling here would indicate they don't feel fatigued. Lillies grow, but they don't feel fatigued. They don't get tired. And the spinning here was a reference to something that the women did in the biblical world. Proverbs 31-19 talks about the virtuous woman. She stretches out her hand to the disc staff, and her hands hold the spindle, and the spindle and the disc staff were instruments which were used for spinning or making thread, and then the women would take that thread, and they would make clothes out of the thread that they'd made. Jesus is saying lilies grow, but they're not tired, they're not fatigued, and they don't spin. And he goes on to say what? And yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. You know what Jesus is saying? Even Solomon, who was the king, and was likely arrayed in purple or white because that's what kings wore. Even Solomon wasn't as beautiful and brilliant as one of these fine lilies. So what's the conclusion? Verse 30, if God clothes the grass of the field, which today and tomorrow is cast into the oven, will he not clothe you? O you of little faith. Will he not? Ladies, if God clothes the grass of the field, if he makes lilies more brilliant than Solomon's robe, and yet that amazing lily is beautiful today and cast into an oven tomorrow, will he not clothe you? In fact, in biblical times what the women would do, they would go out and collect those lilies that had died and faded away and any other flowers or herbs or tree limbs or whatever, and they would take all that stuff and put it in their makeshift oven and use it to light their little fire so that they could bake bread and cook. And Jesus says, if God cares about the lilies who have no soul that are here today and tomorrow the ladies gather them and throw them into oven to bake their bread, does he not care more for you who have an eternal soul? Doesn't he care for you? So ladies, reason number four why you shouldn't worry. Don't worry about having enough clothes or anything else because God clothes and cares for the plant life. Don't worry about having enough clothes because God clothes and cares for the plant life. But do worship. Same reason because God clothes and cares for you more than the plant life. He cares for you more. In fact, before he ends that verse, notice what he says. He rebukes their worry. He says, oh you of little faith. You who are lacking confidence. In fact, the Greek translation is little faith ones. Oh you little faith ones. Ladies, listen very carefully. Worry is contrary to our faith. It's contrary to what we say we believe. The just shall live by what? Worry? No. We live by faith. So reason number five stop worrying because worry indicates you have little faith. Oh you of little faith. Stop worrying because worrying indicates you have little faith. Instead worship. Because worship shows you have great faith. So stop worrying because it indicates you have little faith. Start worshiping because it shows you have great faith. Well, after giving two wonderful illustrations of how futile worry is from the plant life and the animal life, Jesus reminds them again in verse 31, stop worrying. Therefore don't worry saying what am I going to eat? What am I going to drink? What am I going to wear? Therefore Jesus says because of what I've just said because I care for the birds, I care for the flowers none of these things have souls. Then don't worry. What a gracious Lord to remind his audience for the second time. Don't worry. Stop it. In fact, it's interesting we don't have time to get there but in Matthew 6 when he goes through the prayer the model prayer, you know one of the things that we are to pray, give us this day are what? Daily bread. So instead of worrying about that I'm to what? Pray about it. Isn't that what Paul says in Ephesians? Be anxious for nothing but in everything by what? Prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God and the peace of God will guard your heart and mind through Christ Jesus. Paul say that in Philippians 4. So instead of worrying I am to pray. Instead of worrying about our needs we pray about our needs. Now ladies obviously we need to eat, we need to drink, and we need to put clothes on and I'm thankful you all have clothes on and I know you're thankful I have clothes on you do not want to see this 60 year old body without it. And there's nothing in the text that prohibits us having food and clothing and water but we're not to worry about it. And again the biblical world would think our world was obsessive with so many varieties of food, clothing, water. I remember one time when I went to Honduras and one of the missionaries there told me she said it's so overwhelming when I come back to the states I'm furlough and I go shopping and she said I go down the cereal aisle and it's like there's aisles you know two aisles of you know it's not just Cheerios anymore we got Honey Nut Cheerios Peanut Butter Cheerios Chocolate Covered Cheerios and she said here in Honduras we're lucky if we get a box or two of anything cereal. Ladies we have so much and we complain so much don't we? We would do well to remind ourselves of what our brother Paul says in 1st Timothy we brought nothing in this world and it is certain we will carry nothing out therefore what? With food and raiment be content right? And if you're hungry right now there's food over there you can slip out and get some and I see all of your clothes so that is great. Well Jesus gives us another reason in verse 32 why we shouldn't worry and this one should disturb you just as it did Jesus's audience look what he says for after all these things the Gentiles seek Jesus says don't worry about all this stuff because this is what Gentiles do now you might say why should that disturb me Susan? Because a Gentile was a reference to a pagan who was an unbeliever listen to 1st Thessalonians 4-5 not in passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God and Jesus says stop seeking after this stuff in fact the word seek here is different than the one we're going to see in just a minute it means to intensively crave for something they were seeking that stuff ladies this behooves us to examine ourselves in light of what Jesus is saying if worry is your mantra your belief in a sovereign God is in question if that if I were to ask your husband or your children does your wife worry does your and they would say yeah yeah yeah my mom is characterized by worry my wife is then your belief in a sovereign God is in question what Jesus would be suspect about your conversion worry is a respectable sin among believers but it is not respectable to our heavenly father he says to put it off ladies the Gentiles do this but kingdom citizens do not in fact we must keep in mind throughout the whole sermon on the mount that is what Jesus is doing he's contrasting genuine kingdom citizens with those who are Pharisees hypocrites that's what he's doing he's contrasting those two God's children don't worry hypocrites do worry and again this leaves us to examine ourselves in light of this respectable sin and may I say this as a pastor's wife and even as your sister in Christ unbelievers are watching you they're watching your life they're watching you as you go through trials in life and so if you are going around biting your fingernails and worrying about everything you are making the doctrine of God unattractable and attractive you're not adorning the doctrine of God and making it attractive and you're no different than they are ladies we need to show them that Christ gives peace right isn't that the promise, peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you and Jesus says don't worry about these things because your father knows you need them ladies God knows what you need and he's promised to supply your needs in fact I like what Elizabeth Elliott says if you needed it you'd have it right so if you don't have it you didn't need it you just think you needed it right so dear one you do not want to be a warrior because number six unbelievers are characterized by worry don't worry you don't want to be a warrior because unbelievers are characterized by worry but you do want to worship why because God knows you have needs worship because God knows you have needs well instead of seeking these earthly worries like the Gentiles do kingdom citizens seek something else look at verse 33 seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you Jesus says in contrast to all this earthly stuff seek the kingdom of God and interesting the Greek word here is a little bit different the word seek here means to worship that's why I've contrasted worry with worship instead of worrying I am to worship now ladies put on your biblical thinking caps for just a minute think of Job I mean a righteous man lost all ten of his children lost everything had a wife who told him to curse God and die broke out with all these boils on his arm and took a piece of pottery and scraped it and you know what the Bible says in Job 112 after all he heard all this horrible news he fell down to the ground and worshipped he worshipped Job did not worry now my friend I have two children seven grandchildren that would be a test wouldn't it to have them all wiped out on the same day the same moment Job fell down to the ground and worshipped or how about Mary and Martha remember that story Jesus had come to the house and you know Martha came to him and said hey hey hey hey hey you know my sister you know she's not helping me Jesus said Martha Martha you're worried and troubled about many things but Mary's chosen what the better thing to sit at my feet in what worship learn learn or even first Peter think biblically there because we may be facing that soon the persecuted church many of them being set to light leap Nero's gardens at night being rolled up in tar and pitch and set to fire many of them being thrown out in the arena pulled apart from limb to limb by wild animals and Peter says cast all instead of worry cast all your care upon him why he cares for you instead of being worried whether you're going to be eaten by the lions tonight or if you're going to be rolled up in tar and pitch and be set to fire for Nero's garden instead of worry Peter says worship cast your care upon him throw it there he cares for you ladies Jesus says seek first his kingdom what does that mean well the first thing means that this is the most important thing I do and ladies if I'm doing that throughout my day if I'm going through the day seeking first his kingdom and his righteousness I don't have time to worry I'm too busy right who has time to worry to seek his kingdom would mean seek expanding his kingdom not our kingdom we share the gospel truth we live the truth and if we spend our time doing that then the lesser things like food and clothing and what I'm going to eat what I'm going to drink what I'm going to wear it doesn't matter does it doesn't matter when we seek his kingdom we're more concerned about the souls of others and where they're going to spend eternity then what I'm going to eat what I'm going to drink what I'm going to wear anything else in life we should know where we're going and so who cares who cares if I don't have enough food enough water enough clothes who cares if a terrorist comes in and shoots a assault what does it matter if my life isn't going exactly the way I want or all the relationships I have are not perfect what does it matter really ladies why are we so obsessed with material things when others are lost and dying and going to a crisis eternity well secondly we seek his righteousness what would that mean seeking would indicate a strenuous effort a pursuit of his righteousness his holiness his purity of life and contrary to what is being taught today we are to seek purity of life we are to seek holiness the whole sermon on the mount is about living righteously living holy lives living separated lives in fact Jesus says that true genuine kingdom citizen seek and hunger and thirst for all the righteousness that there is that's what they do they want that so we should be seeking those things and when we start living right and seeking his righteousness and all this other stuff who cares it seems insignificant right who cares in fact you know Jesus wasn't concerned about this stuff he wasn't concerned about food or clothing he didn't even have a place to lay his head right he was born in a stable and buried in a borrowed tomb when hungry and tempted by the devil what did he say remember what he said says after this that's we will not live by bread alone but what by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God you know even the psalmist didn't worry about food Psalm 3725 says I've been young and now I'm old that should be my verse I've been young now I'm old and yet I've not seen the righteous forsaken nor his descendants begging bread so ladies the seventh reason you shouldn't worry because there are greater things to be concerned about right his kingdom his righteousness but do worship because as you see heavenly things first all of this other stuff will be taken care of but do worship because as you see heavenly things first all of this stuff will be taken care of in fact Jesus says here it will be added to you which means it will be placed additionally unto you and ladies I've seen this happen so many times in my life this friend back home that I walk with and she says you know we've always Michael's always put ministry first and she says as he does that we just see God take care of everything else takes care of it all these things will be added to you well Jesus concludes his thoughts about sinful worry in verse 34 and gives another reason why we shouldn't worry therefore don't worry about tomorrow for tomorrow about its own things sufficient for the days its own trouble therefore because of what I've said to you Jesus says don't worry ladies do you know he's mentioned the sin of worry now five times don't worry don't worry about tomorrow why shouldn't I worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will worry about its own things and it's interesting the words that Jesus uses here because if tomorrow will worry about its own things and guess what when tomorrow gets here we don't have to worry because there's always it's always tomorrow right so when tomorrow comes you're like well it's not tomorrow anymore the next day is tomorrow that's the whole idea it's always the next day so no need to worry period in fact when you consider lamentations 322 and 23 we should be encouraged about all of our tomorrows through the Lord's mercies we're not consumed because his compassion is fail not they are new every morning great is your faithfulness right Jesus goes on to say sufficient for the days its own trouble today has enough trouble of its own ladies today has enough concerns right and even those concerns that have come to you today you should rid yourself of and not worry because they're in the hands of a loving father so reason number eight why not to worry because he has all the tomorrows in his hands do not worry because he has all the tomorrows in his hands but do worship because he has all the tomorrows in his hands right don't worry but do worship John MacArthur said this worry is not a trivial sin because it strikes a blow both at God's love and at God's integrity worry declares our heavenly father to be untrustworthy in his word and his promises to avow belief in the inerrancy of scripture and in the next moment to express worry is to speak out of both sides of our mouths worry shows that we are mastered by our circumstances and by our own fine perspectives and understanding rather than by God's word worry is therefore not only debilitating and destructive but it maligns and impunes God end of quote ladies we need to seriously evaluate our lives in light of what Jesus is saying worry is a serious sin and we should not take it lightly in fact I remember after I became a believer over 30 years ago that one of the ladies that discipled me I struggled with a lot of fear a lot of worry and she gave me an assignment of studying word study on every passage in the word of God that had to do with fear and do you know what I discovered back there when I was 30 years old I'm not to fear anything but God that's it there was one reference to fearing one's parents that's it ladies we are not to worry we're not to be afraid we're not to be anxious so what's got you worried this evening is it the possible terrorist attacks from our enemies is it a situation or a person that's causing you to be worried my friend if we're truly seeking the glory of God in our daily living then we must put off worry and put on worship let's pray father thank you for this time in your word thank you for the reminder that we must worship and stop worrying Lord help us to know the God of the Bible help us Lord to understand your wonderful attributes and that you are sovereign you are all knowing and that you care for us more than you care for the birds of the field and the lilies Lord give us grace to put off this sin that really is a slap in your face of who you are and so father give us the grace that we need I pray for the Savior's sake amen