D.I.Y. Disaster

Well, we're going to begin our worship by singing to God's praise.

We're going to sing in Psalm 1 in the Scottish Psalter.

Psalm 1, page 200 of the psalm books.

We're seeing the whole of this psalm.

The tune is Amazing Grace.

That man of perfect blessedness who walketh not astray

in counsel of ungodly men nor stands in sinners' way.

We'll sing the whole of this psalm to God's praise.

That man of perfect blessedness who walketh not astray

in counsel of ungodly men.

Nor stands in sinners' way.

Nor sits a thin the sorrows' chair,

but grace and grace delight upon God's long and majesties.

On heaven, all day and night.

We shall be like a king that rose,

near-founded by our river.

And all he does shall prosper.

And all he does shall prosper.

We shall prosper.

We shall prosper.

We shall prosper.

We shall prosper.

We shall prosper.

We shall prosper.

We shall prosper.

We shall prosper.

We shall prosper.

We shall prosper.

I am not so, but like they are unto the child,

which when I do am low, and God,

and therefore shall not stand such as a God.

I am not so, but like they are,

and therefore shall not stand such as a God.

Let's bow our heads in a word of prayer. Let us pray.

Amen.

Our Father in heaven, we do thank you for this, your day.

We thank you for the great privilege and joy it is to come and gather together in worship.

Lord, we pray that you will bless us and watch over us today in all our different needs.

We thank you for everyone who has come out here and also everyone who is tuning in as well.

And wherever we are today, Lord, we pray that you will surround us with your grace,

with your mercy, with your peace.

We do thank you for all our young people here today.

We thank you for our Sunday school, the creche, the tweenies, the Bible class.

We thank you for the great encouragement that there is in seeing young people coming.

And just together we will know your blessing on us.

That as they learn today from your word of the wonderful way that you are able to help people.

As we think of that passage that we'll be studying today about Bartimaeus,

we thank you for the way that he cried out to you.

A reminder to us all that that is what we need to do today as well.

That we would call upon you and cry out,

Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.

And that you would help us to see you through every one of us, Lord.

That we would come to see you and to know you more and more.

And to love you with all our hearts and follow you all the days of our lives.

So continue with us, watch over us, Lord.

Hear our prayers and pardon us.

And that's all we ask.

We ask in Jesus' precious name.

Amen.

But before the young people,

I just want to mention the passage that you're going to be looking at today

in Sunday school and Bible class and tweenies.

And it's a wonderful, it's actually one of my favorite passages

about a man called Bartimaeus.

And you're going to learn about him and how Jesus helped him today.

And there's a number of different reasons why I love this story.

Bartimaeus was someone who just was ignored by many people.

And they looked at him and just thought he was just not to be spoken to even.

They told him to be quiet.

But Jesus was passing by.

And that's what was important for him.

He cried out as he heard that Jesus was passing by.

He said, Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me.

And it's a reminder to us of what Jesus can do for all of us.

But Jesus had a question for him.

As he came to Jesus, Jesus asked him a question.

And it's there in verse 51 of Mark 10.

And it says, what do you want me to do for you?

Jesus is asking, what do you want me to do for you?

What would you say to that question if Jesus asked you?

What do you want me to do for you?

There might be many different things that come to mind.

Maybe you're wanting something new.

You want a new bike.

You're saying to himself, Jesus, can you help me?

Can you get me a new bike or just a new toy or a new friend?

We might ask for many different things if Jesus gives us that question.

But aren't there good things to ask?

I want to ask for these things of Jesus in prayer.

But that question is a special question.

What do you want me to do for you?

Because it's asking, what's the greatest thing I could do for you?

And what's interesting about Bartimaeus is that just before Jesus met Bartimaeus,

he'd actually asked this question of two of his disciples, James and John.

They'd come to Jesus making demands.

And Jesus had said, what do you want me to do for you?

And that answer was, we want one of us to sit on your right and one on your left in glory.

They were looking for something special, something special for themselves, glory for themselves.

And Jesus said, that's not what's important.

That's not what you should really be asking for.

And what we learn then is as he comes to meet with Bartimaeus,

Bartimaeus' reply is what is important.

Jesus said to him, what do you want me to do for you?

And Bartimaeus said, Rabbi, that's teacher.

He said, let me recover my sight.

Let me see.

And that's the greatest thing we can ask Jesus for.

Lord, Jesus, let me see you.

Let me know you in that way.

Let me love you with all my heart.

So there's many things that we could ask of Jesus.

If he was to ask us that question, what do you want me to do for you?

But the greatest response we could give is what Bartimaeus says.

Lord, let me see.

Let me see you.

And as he sees Jesus, what does he do?

He follows him on the way.

So today that that would be our cry to Jesus.

Let us see.

Let us see Jesus.

We're going to say the Lord's Prayer together now.

Amen.

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.

Amen.

We're going to sing again to God's praise.

And the young ones go out.

During the singing through the door to my left here, we're going to sing in Psalm 25.

In the sing-sign portion, page 29 of the psalm books.

Psalm 25.

We're going to sing from verse 9.

Down to verse 9, and the tune is Herongate.

And here, David in this psalm asks the Lord for help to direct him in all the ways that he should go.

To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

I trust in you continually.

Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my foes gloat over me.

We stand to sing verse 1 to 9 to God's praise.

Amen.

To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

I trust in you continually.

Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my foes gloat over me.

No one who sends his hope in you will ever suffer such as grace.

But those who act with treachery

Your maliancy shame will face

O Lord, be built to me your way

And all your past and all things you know

Thy elect and guide me in your truth

And trust me in the way to go

You are my Savior and my Lord

All day I know in you alone

Remember, Lord, your love and grace

With strong passages you have shown

Do not be of my sins of you

For my rebellious evil ways

Remember me in your grace

For you, O Lord, are good always

Because the Lord is just and true

He shows His path to all who stray

He guides the maiden waters wide

And teachers, then His holy way

We were getting a big wave from one of the wee boys going out there

I wasn't sure, was it me he was waving at?

Or was it his dad, Ali?

But it made me smile as he was going out giving a big wave

We're going to turn and read God's word together now

We're going to read in Matthew

The Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

We're going to take up our reading at verse 19

Reading down to the end of the chapter

Matthew chapter 6 and at verse 19

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

You'll find it around page 978 of the church Bibles

Matthew chapter 6

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth

Where moth and rust destroy

And where thieves break in and steal

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven

Where neither moth nor rust destroys

And where thieves do not break in and steal

But where your treasure is

There your heart will be also

The eye is the lamp of the body

So if your eye is healthy

Your whole body will be full of light

If your eye is bad

Your whole body will be full of darkness

If then the light in you is darkness

How great is the darkness

No one can serve two masters

For either he will hate the one and love the other

Or he will be devoted to one and despise the other

You cannot serve God and money

Therefore I tell you

Do not be anxious 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

Look at the birds of the air

They neither sow nor reap

Nor gather into barns

And yet your heavenly Father feeds them

Are you not of more value than they

And which of you by being anxious

Can add a single hour to his span of life

And why are you anxious about clothing

Consider the lilies of the field

How they grow

They neither toil nor spin

Yet I tell you

Even Solomon in all his glory

Was not arrayed like one of these

But if God so clothes the grass of the field

Which today is alive

And tomorrow is thrown into the oven

Will he not much more clothe you

O you of little faith

Therefore do not be anxious

Saying what shall we eat

Or what shall we drink

Or what shall we wear

For the Gentiles seek after all things

And your heavenly Father knows

That you need them all

But seek first the kingdom of God

And his righteousness

And all these things will be added to you

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow

For tomorrow will be anxious for itself

Sufficient for the day

Is its own trouble

Amen

And may God bless that reading

From his word

Again just bow our heads

In a word of prayer

Let us pray

Our gracious Father in heaven

As we continue studying your word together this day

We thank you for it

We thank you for the truths it contains

That it is not man's word

But your word to man

And we thank you that it speaks to everyone of us

Young and old alike

It reminds us of everything that we need to know for life

And especially as we read in this passage together this morning

We see Jesus' Sermon on the Mount

Where he was preaching to a large crowd

About the important things of life

And so often it's the case that what we see as important

As what we put our priorities in

Is the secondary issues

But Jesus here reminds us of what is of first importance

And that is to seek first

The kingdom of God

To seek the Lord while he may be found

To call upon him while he is near

And that in so doing then

We will see all other things added to us

We would see things in a different order

And with different eyes

And see that you are what is the most precious thing of all

You know as we think of Bartimaeus

And how he cried out as Jesus passed by

Jesus son of David have mercy on me

His need was maybe food

As he was blind and begging by the side of the road

His greatest need was help though

And Jesus showed him what he really needed help with

And we thank you for the faith

That made Bartimaeus well

Your faith has made you well

Jesus said to him

And his sight was restored

And he followed Jesus

And so we pray

That as we see what is important in life

As we see what our priorities should be

That you would open our eyes to see

And to see Jesus

And to follow him

And we pray that you will bless your word to us

As we study it together this morning

As we look at the word before us

Lord may you help us by your spirit

To understand it

To receive it

To hear it

And to do as it says

To believe it with all our hearts

And to recognize its ultimate authority

Authority for life

And for death

And for eternity

For all of these things that are before us

For we are told in your word

That there is a time to live

And so a time to die

And that is the reality

That we all have to face up to

In this world

And yet we thank you

That the gospel is still good news

In a world that perishes

To a people who are perished

That the gospel is the great news

That there is salvation in Jesus Christ

And that he has come

That we might have life

And have it for all eternity

Teach us

Teach us through your word

To number our days

And to apply our minds to wisdom

And to the wisdom of your word

And your truth

Help us then we pray

And help us in our homes

In our families

In our congregation here

Lord

That you would look down upon us

And help us

Help those who are going through

Difficult times

Of ill health

Infirmity

Of uncertainty in life

Even the anxieties

That we have read of in this passage

We can all have anxious hearts

And yet we pray Lord

That you will come

And help us

To be still in your presence

To know

That you are God

And that you are there for us

Help those who go through

Times of grief

We pray Lord

That you will

Bind up the broken hearts

As your word says

And that you will help us

Even in our understanding

Of certain things

To still have faith in you

As the one who does things

Lord

There are so many aspects of life

That we find difficult and hard

Answers that we do not have

Answers that we feel so helpless

Even to give to those

Who ask these questions

But Lord

We thank you that

Through wisdom

Is found with you

That the hidden things

Belong to you

And that we can leave them with you

And that the day will come

Lord

When you unravel

The pattern of our lives

And explain to us

The reasons why

And that we can just

In this time

Lord

Know

That you are the one

Who holds us

You are the one

Who keeps us

So we pray Lord

Blessing upon

Your people

And upon the word

That goes out

Even today

Throughout

Our communities here

We thank you

For our communion season

And we pray

For those who gather

Around the Lord's table

And the sacrament

Of the Lord's supper

We pray for the congregation

In Nessus

They meet

We pray for them

In North Harris

In Scalpe

We thank you

For the preaching

Of your word

There today

And pray that there

Be a movement

Of your spirit

That there will be

Rejoicing over

Sinners being saved

That there will be

A fellowship of believers

Gathered

To encourage

One another

And build one another up

We thank you Lord

For these seasons

Of refreshing

And pray

For the services

In the week ahead

As well

God willing

As we see

The congregations

That will gather

Around your word

As well

Where ministers

Will preach

Where people

Will gather

We ask that your spirit

Will be present

In all of these days

To bless

And to show us

Lord

From heaven

With your blessing

So Lord

Hear our prayers

Continue with us

As a people

Continue with us

In a world

That seems so full

Of chaos

In so many different ways

And so many

Different parts

Of the world

With our troubles

And fears

And worries

With our war

With our natural disasters

With so many things

Going on Lord

Beyond our control

But we thank you

That the world

Belongs to the Lord

And all

That it contains

That everything

Is yours

And Lord

We pray

That you'll remember us

And that you'll have

Continue with us

Throughout the day

Refresh us

In our worship

And also in our rest

And our time

Out from the usual

Activities of the week

Lord

That you'll refresh us

In body

Mind

And soul

Hear our prayers

And as we come

We confess our sins

Anew

Seeking mercy

And forgiveness

That's all we ask

We ask in Jesus

Precious name

Amen

Before we turn back

To look at

This passage in Matthew

We're going to sing again

In Psalm 125

Psalm 125

Page 419

We sing the whole of this psalm

The tune is Huddersfield

Then the Lord

That firmly thrust

Shall be like Sion Hill

Which at no time

Can be removed

But standeth ever still

We sing the whole of this psalm

To God's praise

Amen

In the Lord

That firmly must

Shall be like Sion Hill

Which at no time

Can be removed

What standeth ever still

At found upon Jerusalem

The mountain

Stand away

That voyque

Let's walk upon the Lord, for just men shall not die, lest righteous men stretch forth their hearts unto their liquidy.

Do bow to all those that be good, I will my sword impart, and do our good to those that have a pride.

And within their hearts, but as for such a star night,

a light of love and truth that we all shall lead forth with wicked men, all is shall we shall see.

Amen.

That word's a word that maybe you use often or you hear often being used.

There's so much talk about change in our world and in our lives.

Every day we hear something about it because nothing stands still.

There's always change.

But is change something that scares you or is it something that you see a need of?

Is it something that scares you or is it something that you see a need of?

It depends how we're looking at it, of course.

There are many things that we want to keep as they are.

But there are other things that we want to change and it depends just what we're looking at.

And as we look at the gospel, we're always thinking about the gospel as a gospel that never changes.

It's the same word today, yesterday, forever.

It's the same word.

The word doesn't change.

And yet the gospel itself is all about change because it's a gospel with a power to change us, to bring us from darkness to light.

And so it does depend how we're looking at that word, change.

And as Jesus preaches here in Matthew 6, the Sermon on the Mount, as it's so often called,

is Jesus preaching to a crowd who he longs that they would be changed.

Changed in a sense of growing in their knowledge and understanding of who he is and what their greatest need in life is.

And as we look at our lives ourselves, as we look at our own days, and as we look at our days, our weeks, our months, our years,

as it quickly passes by, there are so often many things that we see change.

Things that we see change in ourselves or things that we would like to see change around us.

As we think of the world in which we live in today, we want to see change.

We want to see change in so many different ways.

Where there's war, we want that changed to peace.

Where there's people who are hungry and thirsty, suffering, we want to see them fed.

Where there's natural disasters that have caused terrible devastation, we want to see change and things rebuilt.

We look around us and we see that there's so much need for change.

We see it in lives around us, of individual lives or our own lives,

where we want to see change in terms of things being better for people.

Whether it's health, we want to see change.

Whether it's financial insecurity or loss of jobs, we want to see change so that people are more secure in so many different ways.

There's things that we want in our own lives to change too, I'm sure.

As we look at ourselves, we want things to change for us, for the better.

We often learn through experience in life that often the way that we see change coming about or the plans that we make for ourselves,

we are vulnerable to change.

And that's why it's important that we hear what Jesus is saying to us here.

And we apply our hearts to wisdom.

As one of the Psalms says, the wisdom of which Jesus is teaching us here.

about is it their own plans that are important or is it the Lord's plans?

In the book of Proverbs, chapter 16, verse 9, there we see wisdom.

Proverbs 16:9

The heart of man plans his ways, it says.

Our own hearts, we make our plans.

We have our desired plans that we might think about.

This is the change that needs to happen in my life.

But it goes on to say, but the Lord establishes his steps.

It's not just change in ourselves that we want ourselves,

but what does the Lord want for you, what does the Lord want for me?

What are our priorities in life?

So as we look at our lives, we have a sense of a need of change

in so many different ways of putting our house in order, if you like.

And we can often view it as a kind of setting priority and goals in life,

but I wanted to look at it today under a kind of DIY project.

A DIY project.

But in the sense of asking, is it a do-it-yourself plan?

Is it something you're going to sort out all by yourself?

A DIY project.

Or is it going to be a DIY disaster?

In trying to do it yourself, it's only going to end in disaster.

And where does the Lord fit into all these plans?

We often have DIY projects on the go.

I'm sure many of us like to tinker with little projects.

Perhaps it's around the house.

You go through the winter months and it's maybe an inside project.

Painting and decorating a room.

Making some changes inside.

Or as the spring comes, as the days get longer, the weather gets better.

It's the outside jobs.

You want to change things.

Improve things.

But how do they turn out?

Are you good at DIY?

Or have you ever had a DIY disaster?

Have you ever been working on a project where I just have lost my way?

I just don't know what I'm doing here.

It's time to call in the experts.

There's a program on television called DIY SOS.

And it used to be more so in the past.

There would be programs about people who have started DIY projects.

It's all gone wrong for them.

And they have to call in this DIY SOS team who come in to put things right.

Or people who have looked at projects and they're just too big.

And the DIY SOS come in to help them through it.

Well, as you see in this passage in Matthew 6,

it's very much Jesus speaking to a people who have their own DIY plans.

We're going to do it this way.

We're going to live our lives in this way.

We're going to find our way through life, through death, into eternity.

We're going to do it all by ourselves.

It's a DIY project.

But Jesus so often shows us that doing it by ourselves is only going to end in disaster.

And instead that we are to see, as he is teaching here,

that it's first to put him as the first priority in our lives.

That he is the one who has come to right our DIY disaster.

That we cannot save ourselves.

And this is closely connected to what we've been looking at in our Wednesday Bible studies.

Looking at the truths of the Reformation.

That we cannot save ourselves by our own works.

It's not a project we try and do ourselves.

By his word alone.

By grace alone.

Through faith alone.

It's all of these things.

Because if we do it apart from him, it ends in disaster.

So as you look at your own life today.

As you look at your past.

As you look at your present.

As you even look to the future.

Ask yourself, is my house in order?

Is my life, my project, this is a DIY project.

I'm going to do it all myself.

Or are you living, looking to the Lord and his help?

But we see in this passage.

An SOS.

The way the Lord comes to his people.

And we're going to look at it under that three heads.

That SOS.

And the first thing is savings.

And the second thing is observations.

And then the third thing is security.

Three things that make up SOS.

By savings, observations, and security.

And Jesus begins in the verses that we read by speaking about savings.

In the beginning of the chapter, in the previous verses, he's spoken about the Lord's prayer.

He's taught them how to pray.

And he's talked about fasting.

And from there, he moves on to possessions.

To money.

To savings.

And in many ways, it can seem like just a random jump.

Just going from one random thing to another throughout the Sermon on the Mount.

But it's actually, it's tying everything together.

It's tying our lives together in how we look at things.

If our focus is right towards God.

So we think of prayer and fasting.

That was important to the people.

If we get these things in order and get these things right.

Well then, there's a better chance of everything else flowing from rightly from that.

So that when he comes down to verse 33.

And he's sort of summarizing it there.

Seek for the kingdom of God.

It's taking us right back to prayer and fasting.

It's taking us back to putting things in that right order.

Because from there, everything falls into place.

If our focus is right towards God and towards Christ, then other things have a right focus too.

Because you see in verse 24, he makes that point follows.

He says,

No one can serve two masters.

You cannot have these two as your master.

You cannot serve God and money.

Who is your master?

That's what he's saying here.

So the first thing he speaks about here is savings.

And when you think of a DIY project, it's always going to need funding.

It's going to need input.

It's going to need money to make that project become a reality.

Jesus is saying here is, let's get that right as well.

And what he says then is in verse 19, verse 20.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,

where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.

But lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven,

where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

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

So it's about not having this divided loyalty.

Trying to serve God and money.

No, where is your treasure?

What is important in your life?

Is it God or is it money?

You cannot serve both.

And much of what we invest in putting into our homes,

into our lives in this world,

is good in so many ways.

It's important.

But what Jesus reminds us of,

if that is all the treasure that you're laying up,

then it's worthless because it's going to be destroyed.

The moth is going to eat it.

The rust is going to destroy it.

The thieves are going to break in and steal it.

It's vulnerable.

And that's what our lives are if that's what our focus is on.

Our lives are vulnerable.

But he says instead,

lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven

where nothing can touch it,

nothing can destroy it,

nothing can steal it.

You know, we can live our lives with ourselves as our priority,

our own DIY project,

where I'm going to enjoy my life.

I'm going to make the money.

I'm going to buy my car.

I'm going to do all of these things.

But ultimately, it's worthless.

It'll rust.

It'll fade away.

We can do all of these projects,

and yet we have nothing at the end of the day.

So where are you to invest?

Where are you to invest in me?

Your security is in me.

Your works, you're living your life in this way.

It's not going to help you eternally.

Christ alone is the only way to salvation.

Christ alone is the only way to save up for an eternity that is before all.

So we look to Jesus.

We see what his preaching is here.

Lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven.

How do we do this?

Well, it's not in him.

Because Jesus has a building project going on us.

That he is preparing for his people.

A place in glory.

In John 14, verse 2 and 3, it says,

John 14:2

He has a project.

He has a project.

He has a better place for us all.

That he has prepared by going to the cross for us,

and is even preparing for us now.

That, as he goes on to say,

If I go and prepare a place for you,

I will come again and will take you to myself.

That where I am, you may be also.

A place that is secure and a security for his people.

So what's your saving plan for getting your house in order?

Is it a DIY job?

You're trying to do it yourself.

It will only end in disaster.

The only security, the only saving plan you need

is that finished work of Christ.

Christ has done it.

It's finished, he said, on the cross.

And he has gone to prepare a place for his people.

So it's about our treasure in heaven.

That that is what we're to look to.

So we have our savings plan.

When we see our observations,

observations, if you're looking at DIY projects,

it's because you're observing, you're seeing,

that there is a need, that there's a project

that needs your attention.

And as Jesus goes on here,

he speaks about how we look around us

and how we see our lives

and how much anxiety it brings to us.

And in verse 25, he starts to say,

therefore, I tell you,

do not be anxious about your life,

what you will eat or what you will drink,

not about your body,

what you will put on.

And he's saying this for a reason.

He's saying this because

that is what people are troubled by,

that these are big issues

in our lives then

and as they are now in our day as well.

We are afraid.

We're anxious about so many different things.

Jesus speaks about anxiety here,

not in a way of saying,

just pull yourself together.

Come on, get on with your life.

But he does it in a way

where he's teaching us,

where he's teaching us what's important,

where he's teaching us that

he knows about our anxieties.

He knows the worries and the fears

that we have.

And life often makes us think about

these things,

the things that he speaks about,

whether it's food or clothing,

you know, what our health,

all these different things

that make us anxious,

all these different things that, again,

we can so often make a priority for ourselves.

But ultimately he's saying,

look at these things,

observe these things,

and put in it all,

see how quickly your life is passing by

and that these are not your priorities either.

What does he say in verse 27?

Each of you, by being anxious,

can add a single hour to his span of life.

Our lives go past.

A new year comes,

and here we are already into March 2025.

We think about how a birthday comes,

another milestone arrives,

or a major event comes in our lives.

They make us think about the passing of time.

So often, all the time,

we're reminded of the years going past

and how uncertain our time span here is.

We observe all of these things.

We see it all around us,

whether it's locally, nationally,

or internationally.

How quick circumstances are we?

How quickly our lives go by.

We've observed it.

Even just looking back over these last few years,

it's just about five years now

since the pandemic came.

Our lives were turned upside down.

We've not really recovered fully from it

in so many different ways.

Things that we could never see coming,

and yet all of a sudden,

it turned our lives upside down.

And we've seen natural disasters.

We've seen wars.

We've seen it going on all the time.

And these things.

Think.

Think even for ourselves,

as we look at our lives,

lives but a breath

and an eternity before us.

We cannot add a single hour

to the span of our life

by just being anxious

about all of these things.

There has to be more.

And what does it say to us?

Well, it's teaching us

that the priority

is not about food

and the body

and clothing

and all of these things.

The priority is

seek first

the kingdom of God.

Seek first

the kingdom of God

that we observe

all these things

in light of eternity,

and we seek first

the kingdom of God

because that

is what is important.

You can chase after

these things

all your days.

You can be anxious

about your clothing,

your food,

all of these things.

And there's a time

that we are

afraid and anxious

but we come to God

with it.

That's the key.

We observe

and we come to God

and seek

his kingdom.

And he says

then all these

other things

will be added to you.

They will fall

into place

for you.

Not in the sense

where we'll be

millionaires

or anything like that.

There may be still

times when we're hungry

and we don't have money

but yet we have

that assurance

in God

that the grace

of God

is with us.

The comedy show

Only Fools and Horses

I'm sure many of you

have seen it

over the years

and it's that story

of two brothers

who are always

searching after that goal.

This time next year

we're going to be

millionaires.

That's what they're

always looking at.

They're dealing with

all kinds of

different deals

and items

and trying to sell

and all of these things.

Delboy and Rodney

they're going to be

millionaires next year.

And then the day comes

where they find

a watch

in their garage

what they think

is just something

worthless.

It turns out to be

what changes

their lives

that's worth millions.

And all of a sudden

they are millionaires.

But what happens

at the end

of one of the episodes

that's then changed

is to

say this time next year

we're going to be millionaires.

Rodney,

this time next year

we're going to be

billionaires.

There's always

this searching

after more.

And that's the sad

truth in this world

where it's never

enough.

we're always

wanting more.

But as we observe

life today

is that our goal?

That we want

more of this world?

More of what the world

gives us

as happiness?

No,

it's about seeking

first

the kingdom

of God.

Observe these things

and see them

in light of

eternity

where they're

worthless

compared to the

riches

of knowing

Jesus

as Lord.

By his grace

alone

we are saved.

The grace of God

that rescues us

from a

DIY disaster

of doing it

ourselves

to instead

being relying

on the grace

of God

for our salvation.

And that leads us

to the last thing

I want us to see here.

we've had savings

we've had observations

and the last thing

S

is security.

Security.

When you're looking

at a project

a DIY project

what's the reason

for it?

It's something

that makes us

feel more secure

in life.

Maybe something

that's needed

repaired

or needed doing

for our own safety.

Maybe your car

is getting

to an old age

and you want

a newer one

to be safer.

Maybe your house

is needing

new windows

so you put them

in in order

to be warmer.

All these things

are just about

our own personal

kind of security.

But what Jesus

gets at here

ultimately

is our security

in him.

The foundation

on which

we're building.

And that's what

he comes to

as you read on

down through

this Sermon on the Mount.

We looked at it

actually at the end

we looked at it

in the Gospel

of Luke

but it comes

to the same

conclusion here

in Matthew 7.

The security

of the two

different houses

being built.

One being built

upon the sand

and one being built

upon the rock.

Everyone who hears

these words

of mine

and does them

will be like

the wise man

who built his house

on the rock.

That's at the end

of this sermon

in Matthew 7.24.

We looked at it

just a few weeks ago.

The wise man

built his house

on the rock

who hears

these words

of mine

and does them.

So think back

two weeks ago.

You heard

these words

in the Gospel

of Luke.

You heard

these words

and you heard

them before.

Are you wise?

Are you building

on the rock?

You heard them

two weeks ago

but did you do them?

Did you do

these words?

Are you building

your house

on the rock

that is Christ?

We listen

to his word.

We hear it

but do we do it?

Jesus is here

speaking to us

again.

Speaking about

what is important

in life

what our priorities

are.

Are we doing it

ourselves

or are we

listening

to him?

Two things

to say

in conclusion.

The first thing

is

God doesn't

give us

everything we want

and for that

we should be

glad

because if he gave us

everything we wanted

where would we be?

We would ask

for the wrong

things.

There was a note

that had been

written by

a confederate

soldier during

the civil war

and he wrote

these words.

He said

I asked God

for strength

that I might

achieve.

I was made

weak that I

might learn

humbly

to obey.

I asked

God for

health

that I

might do

greater

things.

I was given

infirmity

that I

might do

better

things.

I asked

for riches

that I

might be

happy.

I was given

poverty

that I

might be

wise.

I asked

for power

that I

might have

the praise

of men.

I was given

weakness

that I

feel the

need of

God.

I asked

for all

things

that I

might enjoy

life.

I was given

life

that I

might enjoy

all things.

I got

nothing

that I

asked for

but everything

I had

hoped for.

He didn't

get what he

asked

but he

realized

there was

everything

that he

needed.

It was

those words

I asked

for

things

that I

might enjoy

life.

That's the

natural

conclusion

that we

might come

to.

Give me

all these

things

that I

might enjoy

life.

But the

right way

of looking

at it

was I

was given

life

that I

might enjoy

all things.

And that's

really what

Jesus is

saying here.

It's not

about getting

all these

things that

we might

enjoy life

but that

finding that

life is

in him

that we

might enjoy

all things.

Seek

first

the kingdom

of God.

God

doesn't

always give

us what

we want

but he

does

certainly

give us

everything

that we

need.

He has

given us

everything

that we

need

that we

should

rejoice

in him

and it

never has

been more

true in

our security

that we

think of

all that

he has

given to

us

in Christ.

We have

had a

DIY

disaster.

We have

tried to

do it

ourselves

and that

has led

to sin

in our

life.

A DIY

disaster is

sin in

our life.

We could

never

sort it

but the

SOS

went out

and he

came to

save us

from our

sin.

He paid

the price

and therefore

as we seek

to put our

house in

order

as we

seek to

find the

way to

enjoy life.

How is

it going

to be?

Is it

going to

be in

your own

DIY

project?

Do it

yourself?

Or is it

to come

back and

see that

will end

in disaster

and instead

trust in

the Lord

Jesus?

Faith

alone is

the way

to live.

I asked

for all

things that

I might

enjoy life.

That's not

the way.

But Jesus

will give you

life that

you may

enjoy all

things.

May you

find that

life in

him.

Let us

pray.

Our

gracious and

eternal God,

we thank you

for your

wisdom that's

above ours,

that you do

not give us

all that we

want, but

you do give

all that we

need.

And we

thank you

for every

good and

perfect gift

that you

have given,

all that

comes from

your hand.

We thank

you for

your word.

We thank

you for

your spirit.

We thank

you for

your son.

And we

thank you

for the

salvation

that has

been bought

for us.

We thank

you for

faith and

hope.

We thank

you for

grace.

We thank

you for

us so

liberally.

And we

pray,

Lord,

that we

will see

that life

in you

is to

be able

to enjoy

all things.

So teach

us, Lord,

that we

would seek

first the

kingdom of

God.

So we

ask it in

Jesus'

name.

Amen.

We're

going to

conclude by

singing to

God's

praise in

Psalm 127

in the

Sing

Psalms.

Page

171.

We'll

sing

first two

verses,

verse 1

and 2.

Reminder to

us that

we don't

build our

own house

in that

security.

Unless the

Lord builds

the house,

its builders

toil in vain.

Unless he

keeps the

city safe,

they vainly

watch,

maintain.

We're going

to sing

verse 1

and 2

in the

tune as

Covenanters.

We sing

to God's

praise.

voy voy

voy

What maintain

They

Vainly

What maintain

They

Vainly

What maintain

Unless

He keeps

Selties

They

Vainly

What maintain

When you rise

Before the dawn

And lay

Our shady

Keep

That you may

Toil for

Food to me

He gives

Selt

One

Sleeve

He gives

Selt

One

Sleeve

That you

Toil for

Food to me

He gives

One

Sleeve

After the benediction

I'll go to the main door.

Now may grace, mercy and peace

From God, Father, Son

And Holy Spirit rest upon

And abide with you all

Now and forevermore. Amen.

Please

Please

Please

Please

Please

Please

Please

Please

Please

Please

Please

Please

!

Please

Thank you.