Different: Following Jesus in a World That Isn't | Sermon 5 | Pastor Derek Berry

We started looking weeks ago.

If you missed them, you could catch back up online and see where we've uh over the last four weeks.

But we've been thinking on this thought of different.

Following Jesus in a world that is not.

Different.

And what I love when we open the word and see some truth, we're going to look in Matthew chapter number six in a moment.

And last week we saw many truths in the first part of that chapter.

And today we're going to look in starting in verse number 19 here in a moment.

And we're going to look at a different thought.

This is going to be on a different trust.

And as we think about the word trust, what do we put our trust in?

What are we trusting in to get us through the next day or through a situation that is coming?

And so Jesus, remember the context here as he's preaching to the disciples on the Sermon on the Mount, he pulls them aside and says, Man, y'all got to sit down for a moment.

He begins to just preach in chapter 5, verse number 1 that we know.

And he begins to preach this sermon and lays it out for them.

Last week we saw about a lot of the motives internally make on the outside what it is, and it's a heart thing.

We saw that very clearly.

And today we're going to look at a little bit different when we look in verse number 19.

And before we do, I want to just kind of make a statement that I want to just get our minds to thank for just a moment.

You and I, we can trust our Father in heaven to keep us safe.

You and I can trust our Father in heaven to provide what it is that you and I might need.

We can also trust our Father in heaven to provide for us for the future.

So those a statement that is true and accurate.

And I know that on a Sunday morning church service, we can all say, yes, of course, we can trust him for our needs today and our future needs for tomorrow.

But the question that I want to ask you to let your minds begin to think is what do you have your security in?

What is it that you secure yourself with?

I'm not talking about an alarm system at home.

I'm not talking about the shotguns that you keep by your bed at night, fully loaded, right?

We're in Paulding County.

Y'all probably got one in the chamber.

I get it, okay?

You're waiting for somebody to kick the front door in.

I know.

I'm not talking about that kind of security.

What is it that you put your security in?

Now I know on Sunday morning I can say, man, my Father in heaven can provide for me.

He can take care of me for this need and for the future needs.

But the question is, is what makes you feel secure?

To some of us, we might think, man, my making sure that I have more money in the count than I need makes me feel secure.

Or it could be a steady job that you've had that you don't feel like it's in jeopardy.

That may help you feel secure.

It could be the retirement that you have, or even some level of insurance to take care of any kind of needs.

And listen, there is nothing wrong with those things.

We ought to work, we ought to save, we ought to be to plan.

We ought to be wise with what God has provided.

But there's a big difference between having something and trusting something.

I can have it, but what's my trust in?

So think about it for a moment.

I'll read the verses.

You know how I am.

I gotta set the stage and then we'll read the verses.

But having something is far different than trusting something.

Uh uh something that was once a tool God had provided for you and I, if we're not careful, that tool now can control us to the point that we trust it more so than we trust our Father in heaven.

And I can also tell that because if I'm trusting into my treasures or to my account or to having enough money at the end of the, if the if I'm trusting in that instead of him, when things don't look good, I'll worry.

When it doesn't look like I'm gonna make ends meet, I'll worry.

When it doesn't look like I'm gonna be able to take care of things, I'll worry.

When I start looking at tomorrow and wondering, am I gonna have enough to make it?

And we begin to worry, that's what Jesus is speaking about in Matthew chapter number six.

And when he starts in verse number 19 and goes to the end of the chapter, there's gonna be several verses that he uses in that as we read them in a moment, I'm gonna start thinking, man, is this connected, or is it like four little mini-sermons within a sermon?

And I'm gonna show you at the end how they're all connected, okay?

Last week, if you remember, it was all about motives.

What was the motives?

Giving and praying and fasting.

But this week's a little bit different.

He's gonna take us a step further into those moments.

And as we look at it, I'm gonna say it's one thing for me to know that my father loves me, but it's far different to know that my father is gonna take care of me.

Now I can say if my father loves me.

But if I'm worrying, I'm not saying that my father is going to take care of me.

Because it's funny to me, and I wrote this down as I was studying, I can trust my father in heaven for eternity, but sometimes I worry if he's gonna get me through tomorrow.

Isn't it funny that I know that God in heaven is gonna keep me safe and secure the moment I take my last breath here on earth and I'll be in eternity with him forever and ever.

I know that without a shadow of a doubt.

But why is it that I struggle with the day-to-day thinking about can he provide this?

Can he do that?

Will he help me in this area?

And I think it just allows our minds to begin to change if we realize I've got to trust differently.

I know you found your place, so we'll read a few verses here, starting in verse number 19.

Jesus is preaching now.

See, these are his words, and look what he says.

Do not lay up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thiefs break in and steal.

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thiefs do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

And then he goes in the verse number twenty-two and begins talking about a lamp.

And I'm gonna show you in the end how it's connected.

The lamp of the body is the eye.

Okay, and then you go on down into verse twenty-two, and he begins talking about serving two masters and how it's impossible.

And I'll I'll preach all these verses.

I'm just gonna give you some highlights as I set the stage for you.

And then he talks about you can't serve two masters in verse number twenty-four, and then you get to verse twenty-five, and he says, Therefore, because of all of that, I say to you, verse twenty-five, do not worry about your life, what you'll eat, or what you'll drink, nor about your body or uh what you will put on.

Is not your life more than food and the body more than clothing?

And then he goes in the last two verses of our of our scripture that we'll read in thirty-three and thirty-four, but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all the things shall be added to you.

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own self.

Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

So these verses, from verse 19 to verse number 34, they're all pointing to the same truth.

Essentially, at the very end, what we'll get to is this the word trust.

What are we trusting in?

Earlier I asked you, what do you sh what keeps you safe?

What what are you trusting to keep you secure?

So obviously, all of this points to trust, but let's see how it all works together.

Now we'll look at the first few verses a little bit more slower.

And look at what what look what he I got four things for you this morning, not three, but four.

Here's the first thing we're gonna see in the first few verses is this choose the right treasure.

Choose the right treasure.

Here's what's interesting to me.

We have choice every day.

You and I chose to get up today and come to church at this time.

It's a choice that you made.

You didn't have to, but you did.

I'm thankful that you did.

But if you notice, throughout life is full of choices.

You can take choice all the way back to the Garden of Eden when they chose not to listen to God and to be deceived and sin and cause sin to come into the entire world.

So there's been choice from the very beginning of time, just like there's choice in this moment that you and I live in.

And so in these few verses that we begin with, verses 19 through verse 21, you're gonna see that there was a choice to be made.

Notice the text in these verses, it says, Do not lay up your treasure on earth.

Verse 20 says, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.

Now that's interesting, and to see what it is that he's Jesus is speaking about here.

Jesus is not saying that it's wrong to have things or possessions.

We all have things, right?

Who has more things than they need?

Right?

My wife just said, Amen.

Y'all didn't even hear, right?

She knows I like stuff.

I can't help it, okay?

And listen to me, uh, we all have more things than we actually need.

Sometimes we have a hard time getting rid of certain things, but there's nothing wrong with possessions.

Jesus is not telling the disciples and you and I that it's wrong to save money.

That's not what he's saying.

He's not saying that it's wrong to prepare for your future and to save for retirement.

That's not what he's saying at all.

He's actually, throughout scripture, has told us time and time again that it's smart to be wise with what God has entrusted within you.

So the issue isn't, do you have treasure?

To me, the issue is where are you putting your treasure?

That's why he says in verse 19, don't lay up for yourselves on earth in verse number 20, but lay up for yourselves in heaven.

So he uses these two verses to paint a contrast to make us think.

So the issue isn't treasure, the issue is where are you placing the treasure?

And then as we break these verses down even more, we realize that earthly treasure will never give you and I lasting security.

We know that because he paints three pictures in these verses.

He uses moths, he uses rust, and he uses thieves.

Now, I don't know about you, but I start thinking about those things.

We y'all have moths.

So me, I only have them at night.

When the inside light's on and it's dark outside, they fly in.

And the girls get super scared of this moth or whatever, and I'm thinking it's just it's a moth, just let it go outside.

But in my life, I've never had a moth eat my clothes, just to be honest with you.

I don't know, y'all may have.

Now, Dad always had mothballs, but not for what you would think.

He didn't put them in the dresser drawers.

You know where he put them?

In the shed.

And he said, Dad, it keeps the ants away.

So mothballs keep ants away.

If y'all are curious on how to get ants out of your shed, put them, put mothballs in your shed.

It'll keep them away.

I've never personally had issues with moths.

Now, of course, with rush, yes, it decays things and messes things up.

And of course, we have to deal with thieves at times.

So he's painting these three pictures, and the pictures essentially point this, point us in this direction.

Earthly treasures will never give you and I lasting security.

Why is that?

Because things break, things fall apart.

So you gotta realize in that generation or that time when Jesus is preaching this, they didn't have banking systems like you and I do to put things up and safe, and they didn't have, you know, 401s to put monies in for the future.

So oftentimes they would accumulate their wealth and put up, they would buy fine clothes or garments.

They would put things in, uh, they would store up food and grain for the future.

Uh, they would have metals and gold and silver and precious metals of that sort.

And so as Jesus is painting the picture to these uh individuals, they totally resonated what he was saying because a moth could eat up their fine clothes and garments that they had stored up.

Rust would essentially destroy anything that they were trying to save.

And a thief, of course, could uh steal anything that they tried to accumulate to have here on earth.

So you have to realize what he is saying is that everything that you and I accumulate on earth is vulnerable to fall apart.

And how does that work for you and I?

I mean, in in the last 20 years of my adult life, markets have changed and therefore it changes stuff.

That we've had ups and downs in the economy of our nation.

People have lost jobs, and there's been a time where people couldn't, uh there were so many available jobs they couldn't fill them.

So essentially that would be the same way to compare.

We've had down markets and upmarkets.

You and I can look at what's our biggest investment, most people would be their home.

And I don't know about you, but my home seems to have things that go wrong at times.

I wish that I could build one that doesn't break, but at times wood rots and things have to be replaced.

Things change over time.

And so as you start resonating, if I put my trust and safety net into the things that can fall apart, essentially you and I are going to begin to worry that they will fall apart.

Notice how he connects treasures and worry, not different sermons, he's preaching the same truth.

Here's a nugget I'll give you.

Don't expect temporary things to give you permanent security.

Don't ever expect temporary things to give you permanent security.

It will not happen.

Look with me with verse 21.

Jesus says a verse here that's quoted a lot, that we hear a lot, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

What's he talking about?

It's a very quoted verse.

Essentially, what Jesus is saying is that your heart always follows your treasures.

Your heart always follows your treasure.

What you continually to go after or to pursue or to run for, essentially that's what's capturing your heart.

That's what gets your heart.

What what what begins, what treasures begins to shape your mind and there it changes your life.

That's why I said, what are you putting your security in?

Things, things break, things fall apart.

His never does.

Based on, here's this: based on what God has entrusted and given you, based on everything that the Lord has given you or entrusted in you, what would it say that you treasure the most?

Things on earth are things in heaven.

Where is your treasure?

That's a good thing to ask.

Is it investment in life or is it an investment in the kingdom work?

And if you notice in the text, in verse 20, it says, but lay up for yourself treasures in heaven.

The question I might ask you is, how do you do that?

Now I can go up to the bank and deposit a check.

And honestly, this day and age, we live in, you can take a picture of it and put it on the app and it shows up in your bank account the next day.

Interesting, right?

I can figure out how to lay up treasures here on earth.

I can open an investment account.

I can save money, I can open this and do that.

I mean, the the the the the the the figure that out is very simple.

But verse number 20, it says, but lay up for yourself treasures in heaven, where's that at?

Where's the bank of heaven that I can go deposit a few dollars in?

Well, where where do I deposit something to be in heaven and not on earth?

And if you really think about it, here's what he's saying.

He's talking about investment.

You and I are temporary lives to invest them into something that has eternal value.

God's kingdom, people.

Sometimes pulling somebody to the side and just pouring life into them helps them.

That's eternal.

That's eternal value.

You and I, as temporary beings, that's eternal value.

It's it's sending resources to the mission field so that the gospel can be spread, not just in our neighborhood, but in entire nations.

That's investing in eternal things.

That's laying up treasures in heaven because I personally cannot do it all, but I can partner with people that can help push the word all through the nation.

So when the question is, is how do I deposit things in heaven?

It is you and I as temporary lives, it is putting things up in eternal value, kingdom work, investing in people, generosity and obedience following the Lord.

There's nothing wrong with enjoying what God has given us.

The danger comes.

You ready for it?

When the gift becomes more important than the giver.

Yeah.

The giver.

When my gifts that I receive are vastly more important than the giver that provides them, that's when mindsets begin to change.

That's why we have to say, what am I trusting in?

If I'm trusting in this, that's not gonna be good.

I gotta trust in him alone.

Look at this quote that I'll give you, and then we'll move to the next verses.

Don't build your security around something you can't keep.

Because one day we ain't gonna be able to take it with us anyhow.

Don't build your security around something you can't keep.

Look at verse 22 and 23 as we go a little deeper.

Notice this.

He begins to tell you and I in this text to keep the right perspective.

He goes in verse 22 and 23 and begins talking about a lamp and an eye.

Now I'm gonna show you how they all connect together because he goes from treasure.

So now verse 22.

The lamp of the body is the eye.

If therefore your eye is good, that word good means clear and healthy, your whole body will be full of light.

But if your eye is bad, that word bad would be evil and unhealthy.

So if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.

If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness?

So he began speaking about treasures to now conversating about light.

Why?

To how are those connected?

These verses, if you're not too careful, we browse through them.

It's almost like Jesus, did you chase a rabbit in that message?

I'm not sure how the connection is, but they they connect because it's letting you and I understand and see perspective.

The eye sees things.

And so as I keep the right perspective, I can understand what he's talking about.

So Jesus is talking about treasures.

So why does he suddenly bring up eyes and sight?

Because Jesus is dealing with how you and I relate to what we have.

You and I can ask, I can ask you all questions.

And guess what?

You all have different answers, even on the same subject.

Yesterday, after the football game, the the the kids are beginning to leave and all the coaches began to gather.

And they said, What went wrong today and what went right?

And guess what?

Out of five coaches, there were five different perspectives.

Because everyone saw it from a different vantage point, and they saw and thought through it differently.

So you understand perspective.

And so how you and I see things is what matters.

So if you realize in Scripture, all throughout Scripture, and a lot of times in Proverbs, you'll see a note about I, and a good eye was always associated with generosity.

I'll give you, I don't have it for you on the screen, but I'll give you Proverbs 22 and verse number nine, when the Bible says, He who has a generous eye will be blessed.

So oftentimes the word I is used, a good eye is used for generosity.

And so Jesus is dealing with two perspectives here.

Here's, here, let me give you two perspectives.

One person could look at their treasures that we're talking about, and that person can say, This treasure is mine.

I have to figure out how to protect my treasure.

I've got to figure out how I can keep everything that I have.

The other perspective on somebody having a treasures is God has entrusted me with this.

How can I use this treasure for God's purpose?

You see the difference, two perspectives based upon treasures.

It's different, but it's important that you see it in the right context.

It's how I see it, is what I have, is what Jesus is talking about in these two verses.

How do you see what you have?

Are you a steward of what God has entrusted you?

Or do you try to accumulate more?

Because I think our perspective will also direct our lives.

Because if I'm looking at my things and I realize that it changes me and my trust is in my things, guess what?

I want more.

I want to hold it longer.

I want more of it.

I'll keep it.

I want it to grow and I want to continue to just store it up and store it up and store it up.

And that's not what he has designed us to do.

We're supposed to proclaim the gospel.

We're supposed to further it with all that we have.

Eventually, if I'm not careful, instead of me having possessions, possessions will have me.

And that's what Jesus is trying to get our minds to see.

It's almost like this: I'm not an owner, I'm a steward.

When I realize I'm a steward of things, oh years and years ago, I was probably a teenager.

An older man took me aside and was trying to pour life into me.

And he said, son, if you would realize that everything God ever gives you is not yours, he's just entrusted you to be a good steward of it, you'll see life differently for the rest of your life.

And I'm glad I listened to that as a teenager because it changed the trajectory of my life.

It let me realize it's not mine to hold and to be greedy with.

No, it is God's that he's allowed me to have it.

I want to use it for his goodness and for his greatness.

I want to be a steward of what he's provided.

If I'm not careful, things become my master rather than me being a steward.

And that's what leads us to our next verse, verse 24.

Verse 24 is our third thought, and he shows you and I to serve the right master.

So he goes from talking about treasures to talking about how we see treasures, perspective, to now, verse 24, he says, serve the right master.

Verse number 24 lets you and I know that.

We cannot serve two masters.

Look at 24.

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and mamma.

He's saying you cannot serve God and your treasures and your riches.

Now, what's interesting about those, that particular verse, verse number 24, Jesus doesn't say that you should not serve God and treasures.

He actually says that you cannot serve God and treasures.

So he's not telling us we shouldn't do it.

He's telling us that it's humanly impossible to do it.

And it's important for me to get that.

I want to hear what Christ is saying, but I want to apply it to my life.

That word serve is a super interesting word.

Because if you look at that word serve in verse number 24, you no one can serve two masters.

That word serve, if you look at it, as it was originally written in the Greek, he was saying it like this.

Serve means being a slave to it.

Just like the second I got saved, I'm no longer mine, I'm his.

I am a slave to him, not to self.

That's what changes the perspective and to realize I'm not on earth for Derek's perspective and for Derek's uh opinions.

I'm on earth to further the gospel of Jesus Christ the second I got saved.

So if you look at the word serve here in verse number 24, he's saying serve in a way that I am a slave unto.

And so that's important to grasp because he is saying, you cannot be a slave unto two masters.

You'll only have loyalty to one.

And which one is it going to be?

Essentially, is what he's saying.

You cannot serve God in money.

Why is that?

It's impossible as two masters.

Now, is evil, is money evil?

I would say not.

You know how I know that money's not evil?

Because I use money to buy groceries for my family this week.

You know how I know that money's not evil?

Is because not only did I use money to buy groceries, I also use money to provide for their needs.

You should see when they went back to school, they had a list that just keeps growing.

I got to buy so many markers and pencils and all this junk.

I'm thinking, what are y'all doing with all these pencils?

Y'all eating them?

I can't figure out what they're doing with them.

But I have to buy them.

Why?

Money bought those.

Money evil?

Of course not.

I've used it to provide for my family.

I use it to pay my mortgage.

I use money to advance the gospel whenever I sent money to a missionary.

So money's not evil.

I used it to help them buy items that were needed, the Bibles and the languages that they were speaking in.

So of course we've used money for the advancement of the gospel.

So what's he talking about?

If I can't serve two masters, is he saying one's evil?

No, what he's saying is the problem begins with something that God used intended to be a tool, which was money, a tool to spread the gospel, to help, to provide.

When that tool becomes my master, that's when it changes.

The tool becomes my master.

He's saying, if you allow the treasures that you have to control you, therein lies your issue.

You should let Father in heaven control you, not the tools he gives you to continue on.

And this honestly leads me to the biggest thought.

The thought behind this entire section of scripture goes to this the big battle is trust.

One word, trust.

I asked from the beginning, what are we trusting in?

What is our security?

I want to think about that word.

The real issue, I think, the real battle is trust.

And here's a question that I might ask you as we think.

Why is money such a powerful competitor to our hearts?

Why does it want to control us?

Why does it want to compete with my alliance to who I have, which is my father?

Because I think money gives us some sense of security.

I know that because it's like if I have enough, I'm good.

If I don't, I'm worried.

If I make enough, I'm good.

If I don't, I'm worried.

So the question is, what am I trusting?

Because if I can only find security and when I have enough at the end of the month after everything is paid, then my security might be in money and remember that is temporary.

He is eternal.

That's the difference.

But whatever threatens my money, I begin to not have peace.

Oh, I'm worried to death.

I don't know if this is gonna make it this.

No, my trust can't be in those things because those are temporary.

My trust has to be in him and him alone.

Notice with me in verse 25.

He starts off with the word therefore, which is very important to understand that.

Because he goes from talking about treasures lying up in heaven and on earth to perspective in 22 and 23, to how we you and I can't serve two masters, to now saying therefore.

Therefore, let me know that Jesus is not changing subjects, he's connecting the thoughts.

Therefore, is there for a reason to look at and realize that he is connecting what he's been preaching about to what he is about to say.

When we worry about money, it's because we connect it to our needs.

We have to eat, we have to drink, we have to buy clothes.

And after Jesus said in verse 24, you cannot serve God and mamma, he follows up immediately in verse 25 with the word, therefore, don't worry.

You can't serve two masters, therefore, don't worry.

You can't serve God and riches, therefore, don't worry.

Why did he do that?

Why?

I think because money isn't my master, the money isn't my provider, God is.

God is my provider.

My trust isn't in the provision, my trust should always be in the provider.

Use money as a tool, but never trust it as your source.

Let me give you my final thought.

We're gonna look at verse 25 through 34.

They all go together.

And they're pointing to the trust.

Here it is.

Trust the right provider.

Trust the right provider.

Look at these verses together.

25 says, Therefore, remember, it started all it started out at the end of 24 by by saying you can't serve two masters.

Then you get to verse 25.

Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink, nor about your body what you will put on.

Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

Let uh look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap, neither gather into barns, yet your heavenly father feeds them.

Are you not of more value than they are?

Verse 27 says, Which of you by worrying can add one cubic to his statute?

I mean, some of us would be giants at this point if it was if we could grow from worrying, that's what Jesus says.

Verse 28 says, So why do you worry about clothing?

Consider the lilies of the field and how they grow.

They neither toil nor spin.

And yet I say to you that even Solomon, in all of his glory, was not arrayed, dressed like one of these.

Now, if God so close the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Circle that, we'll come back to it.

Verse 31, therefore do not worry, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, for or what shall we wear?

For after all these things the Gentiles seek, for your heavenly Father knows.

What comfort that is.

Underline that in your scripture.

For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

But but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.

Trust the right provider.

Jesus gets in verse number 24 and says, You can't trust, you can't serve God and riches.

You can't serve God and mamma.

Then he follows up in verse 22.

Therefore, do not worry.

Because Jesus knows the question that immediately pops into our minds and probably the disciples' minds as well as he was preaching.

If money is not my security, then what's going to take care of me when I have a need that arises?

Jesus already knew that.

And he went ahead and answered the question.

And you know what it was?

Your Father.

He points them unto God in heaven as the provider of all of their needs.

Now, notice with me, we'll break these verses down before I close this in a word of prayer.

In verse 25, 26, and even 27, it lets you and I know that worry cannot provide what we need.

He says very clearly that you and I can't grow from worrying.

Worrying doesn't provide anything.

I mean, notice what these people in the passage was worried about, anyhow.

In verse 25, they were worried about eating and drinking and clothes.

Now that sounds a lot like my kids, to be honest with you.

Every day, what are we gonna eat?

But, Dad, I'm thirsty.

Can I get something to drink?

Oh, my kids, can I get a new shirt?

Dad, I've done growing.

I need a bigger shirt.

This sounds like kids.

They're thinking about what's the next meal and what are we gonna have to drink with it and what my new clothes are.

No, you know what this is?

These are not luxuries, these are needs, basic necessities.

Drinking and eating to provide life and clothing to cover us up.

So Jesus is saying, essentially, you don't have to carry the burden for providing the basic needs of life like you don't have a father in heaven that's gonna take care of you.

That's what he's saying.

You don't have to be burdened by taking care of all basic necessities as if you don't have a father in heaven that knows what you need.

That's essentially what he's saying.

And then he follows up in verse 26 by telling them to look at the birds of the air.

He's saying, look at the birds of the air, man.

They do not harvest their food and store it in a bar, but yet I provide their ever needs.

Now, I know you and I see birds flying around, and sometimes if we hadn't read this verse in a while, we don't think much of it.

But I read this verse and I realize, man, how many birds are in the sky, but yet God provides their ever need.

And why is that?

Because he's letting us know that, man, if I can provide for the birds of the air, surely I'm gonna provide for you.

Now, what is Jesus is not telling you not to be lazy.

That's not life.

Laziness will get you nowhere.

No, why?

Because the birds, they work.

They build a nest, they go out and get food and get things and store it up in certain spots, and they'll go on about their day and they'll and they'll eat for the day, and then guess what?

Tomorrow they'll they'll wake up out of their nest.

You can hear them at five, six o'clock in the morning singing away, and they'll go fly around and eat for that day.

But they don't have a storage bar on your property waiting to get it all.

Listen to me.

They are provided for day by day.

So birds aren't lazy.

They get out of their nest and they go look for food.

What's the lesson in this text right here?

The lesson is not do not work.

No, the lesson is work without worrying.

The birds don't have to worry about what God's gonna provide.

They're gonna provide it.

You know what God's saying in this text?

You can plan without panicking.

He's letting you and I know you can prepare without believing that everything depends on you because you got a Father in heaven that is a provider of your basic needs.

So Jesus follows that up in verse number 26 that says, Are you not more valuable than the birds of the air?

And of course we are.

Jesus died on the cross for our sins.

Of course we're more valuable than the birds of the sky.

You've got to think about it when Jesus came to earth.

Now listen to me.

As all the things that fell apart on this earth, Jesus was never a plan B.

We got to remember that.

He was always part of the plan.

He steps out of heaven and takes away the full luxuries of what it what it was like in heaven, with all the safety net and all these things, steps out of heaven and comes to earth and is born.

And the moment that he's born, he is born into a rotten world, but a man that knew no sin had to become sin for you.

And I lived on this world and he he faced all temptations that you and I face.

He felt the need to hunger.

We know that he cried.

We know that he was tired.

We know all these things because we've studied his life.

And the second that he realized in the garden when he's praying and blood began to fall down, he knew that ultimately he had to follow him all the way up Calvary's hill.

And he did it all the way for you and I.

Listen to me, that's why Jesus can say, Aren't you more valuable than the birds of the sky?

Because Jesus knew that one day when he spoke this, that in the coming days he would go up the hill of Calvary and give his life for you and I, not because he just felt like it, but because he loves you individually, intimately, more so than you could ever comprehend or fathom.

And he's falling it up.

If I could provide for the birds of the sky, certainly I could provide for your every need.

How does your father do that?

Look at verse 27.

Look, look what which of you by worrying can grow?

How does your father care for you?

It's not for you and I worrying.

Wow, what does worry do?

Worrying will steal our peace of today.

Oh, worrying can keep me awake at night and make me not rest well.

Worrying can consume my thoughts and allow me not to be what I need to be for Jesus while I'm on earth.

Worrying can control your tomorrow.

We sometimes treat worry as though we're accomplishing something we are not.

Verse 27 clearly tells us that.

How do I know that?

Because he followed up in verse 28 and lays out, your father knows what you need.

Man, a father in heaven knows my needs.

Verse 30 shows me that it's all about faith.

Look at verse 30.

Now, if God so clothed the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown away, which means it's just gone, will he not much more clothe you?

And then he follows up, oh you of little faith.

Now I love this.

He's speaking to believers here.

They had to have some level of faith to follow him and to trust into him.

You and I the same way.

And he's telling us, oh, you of little faith.

He's not saying, oh you with no faith.

He's saying, oh you with little faith.

You know how to make your faith grow?

The Bible clearly tells us in Romans, faith comes by hearing by the word of God.

If I need my faith to grow, the greatest thing that I can ever do is open a Bible and begin to read it because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

As I read the word of God, my faith will begin to grow.

He is speaking to disciples, he's speaking to believers, he's speaking to you and I that follow him.

And yes, he is recognizing the fact that we may struggle.

He's reminded us, man, you can trust God for all of eternity, but you may struggle when your bills come in next month.

Don't do that.

Trust him with all the things, the small things of life and the large things of life.

We can believe he's taking us to heaven, but I might panic about what next week might bring me.

That's not how it was intended.

Look at verse 32.

He knows.

I love this.

Verse 32, for after all these things the Gentiles seek, for your heavenly Father knows, I'm strongly encouraging to underline that in your scripture, that you need all these things.

Notice Jesus in verse number, he didn't say, man, just just a quick word about it.

Listen, know that your Father knows your needs.

He knows what you need, not your wants, but your needs.

Look at these next couple verses, 33 and 34.

Follows up, but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Therefore, do not worry.

Seek the kingdom and trust God with tomorrow.

So notice this: he says, seek the kingdom.

He didn't just end with, do not worry and move on.

He says, seek the kingdom.

It's super important for me to get that because when I look at the word seek, I look at the word pursue.

And everybody's a little different when we have a lot on our mind.

We all sort of process it differently.

Some of us go outside and work.

I might go cut my grass.

I mean, one time I was cutting my grass and I was just, man, I had a lot of my mind.

I was praying, just thinking about the day.

And man, I looked at my neighbor, man, I was like, man, your grass ain't been cut though.

I'm gonna go over and cut.

I'd cut his too, you know?

And I'm just like, you know, I'm just gonna cut some grass.

You know, and he he appreciated it, I'm sure.

And I'm thinking, I just need to stay outside and just think.

Sometimes it's working on something with my hands.

Sometimes it's cutting the grass.

Sometimes, man, I might wash all the cars and clean them all out.

Why?

Because my mind is thinking about something and I need to distract it.

So visualize what I'm saying here and now follow what he's telling you and I.

We have to follow the Lord.

He is telling us in verse number 33 to pursue something.

Look what he says in verse 33.

But seek first the kingdom of God, but pursue first the kingdom of God.

Jesus is saying, man, don't just sit around and worry.

No, trust him.

But while you're trusting him, pursue, because when my mind is focused on pursuing something, I don't have time to sit there and think and worry about what tomorrow may come because I'm pursuing him and his kingdom.

How can I put first tomorrow?

He tells us in the text, in the latter part of verse number 33, and all these things shall be added to you.

What things he's speaking about?

Every desire I've ever had?

Man, I can give you a list of some stuff.

I've been having some cars I've been wanting, man, a little antiques, okay?

I can tell you this and that.

No, look at the context.

The context of what Christ is talking about is your basic necessities, food and drink and clothing.

So, yes, when he says in 33, all these things can be added to you.

What things?

The basic needs of life.

The necessities that he's already been discussing over the last 10 verses.

Not wants, that's a difference.

Now look how Christ ends it all, verse 34.

Therefore, because of everything that I've just laid out, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.

I love how realistic and real Jesus is at times.

He doesn't just say, don't worry about tomorrow because tomorrow ain't gonna have no problems.

No, tomorrow's gonna have some problems.

It's life.

Life serves struggles.

What is he talking about?

Some of us exhaust ourselves worried about what may or may not happen tomorrow.

And that we all know who we are.

Worriers.

One of these things.

What if this might happen tomorrow?

And guess what?

That's gonna make my mind begin to forget about today.

And I start thinking, I've done convinced myself of something that might happen tomorrow or might not.

Well, what if this doesn't work out or that doesn't work out?

That's my mind thinking about tomorrow, and tomorrow ain't got here yet.

What does he say?

Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.

What if I don't have enough to make ends meet?

That's tomorrow.

What if something goes wrong?

That's tomorrow.

And you're living through problems that ain't even happened yet.

When we start making our mind like that, don't borrow tomorrow's troubles, what he's saying.

God has given you today.

So today, what should I do?

Today I gotta be faithful.

Today I've got to trust him.

Today I've got to obey him.

Today, according to these verses, I've got to pursue him and the kingdom first.

And when tomorrow comes, I get to trust him all over again.

Stop worrying about what ain't here and trust him in this moment.

Put that on the screen for me, brother.

Do what God has given you to do today and trust your Father with tomorrow.

As I get ready to close in just a moment, Jesus has uncovered a lot of verses.

And sometimes I like to cover a lot of verses to hope highlight some of them to make you want to go dig deeper a little bit into them.

He's covered a lot of verses.

He's covered treasures and perspectives and money and worry and our needs for today and also for tomorrow.

But underneath all the verses that he covered today, here's the question: you ready?

What are you trusting?

What are you trusting?

Because what we trust always determines how you and I live.

If I trust earthly treasures, then I'll spend my life accumulating earthly treasures.

If money's my master, I'll never feel like I have enough.

If I believe everything depends on me, I'm gonna worry myself to death if I can't control it.

But if I trust my Father, I'm gonna live differently and have different trust.

Would you pray as I do?

God, I come to you this morning thankful for the hearts and ears that are here.

And God, my prayer is clearly for you to speak right to somebody's heart during this time of invitation.

Lord, I beg you in the name of Jesus to be clear.

Cast away any distractions that might be there.

And God, I pray in the name above all names that you be lifted up.

I pray that if there's one here that doesn't know you as Lord and as Savior, God, I pray that you would clearly speak and draw them unto you.

And I pray for those that do know you as Lord and as Savior.

Lord, maybe just maybe you're speaking to hearts about our trust and what we're putting our trust in.

God, I pray in the name of Jesus as you speak to us that we would be obedient and do what it is that you are telling us, pushing us, nudging us to do.

I beg all of this in the name of Jesus.

I do pray.

Amen.