Do Not Be Anxious

Luke   •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  38:57
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Today we are looking at Jesus teaching about things of the kingdom. On one hand we must be thinking about things in this world if we want to survive. On the other hand, we must remember that it isn’t all about this world and that we need to be focused more on heaven than on this world.

Worldly Goods

What is our view of the goods we have in this world?
Do we see them as things we have earned and must be protected? Or do we see possessions as blessings from God? Tools that we can use for His glory.
Covetousness
v.15
To be filled with greediness.
Covetousness is dangerous, it is an unseen sin so it’s harder to catch.
Covetousness is the root where many other sins grow. It comes from a heart that has forsaken God and seeks to fill itself with other things in nature.
Coveting your neighbors wife= leads to lust, adultery
Coveting possessions= bitterness, jealousy, stealing
It takes our focus off of Jesus, and places it on ourselves or on others around us.
Why Paul warns:
Colossians 3:1-7
Colossians 3:1–7 ESV
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.
We are to seek the things above, the things of God.
If we are to be seeking what’s above, put to death the things of this earth.
Because of these things, the wrath of God is coming.
Abundance of Possessions
v.15
It isn’t the amount of things you have that make you who you are.
It’s easy to think, “if I had this, then I would be happy.” All it will do is leave you wanting more.
Matthew 6:24
Matthew 6:24 ESV
24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
You cannot serve God and money.
You either serve God; and money is a blessing and a tool that God has given you for His glory, OR
You serve money, you attention is either on getting it or keeping it, or buying possessions and maintaining those possessions. You will view God as the one who is trying to steal your money asking for tithe.
You Fool
v.20
It wasn’t wrong for the man to have grain, it’s not wrong to retire.
Proverbs 6:6-8
Proverbs 6:6–8 ESV
6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.
It’s wrong because #1 his focus was serving himself, not God; and #2 he gave no thought to His eternal soul.
Money wasn’t a tool that he could use to serve God, it was the means to live in luxury so he didn’t have give another thought to God.
v.21
The one who’s focus is on temporal things, things that will pass away, is not rich towards God.

God Will Take Care of His Own

This next passage gives us comfort knowing that God takes care of us.
Food, Body, Material Possessions
v.22-23
Isn’t this what we are concerned about? The things our money our time goes towards.
Food:
What will I eat, stopping by the gas station getting snacks. Spending all your money on fancy dinners. Some people it’s beer money.
We dedicate so much money and care to food.
Body:
Working out, health magazines, working out at the gym. How much money goes towards doctor bills and trying to figure out what condition we have or how to fix it.
Clothing:
What has the nicest brands of clothes, or material things, who has the newest nicest car, what about the nicest house
To some degree we will be thinking on these things. But so much time is spent worrying about the things that we have no control over.
Are these things wrong to have? No they are not, when we keep it in proper perspective. When we see that God has blessed us with these things. We praise God for His blessings, we desire to bless others who are less fortunate than us.
Are we using these things to worship God, or have they become a point of worship in your life?
Is all of our time, energy, and money going towards these things?
When they become a point of anxiety in your life, that is when we see that we are worshipping these things.
God doesn’t promise filet mignon, no sickness, and a closet of Armoni suits.
He promises to give us what we need, not want. Which sometimes is grace to endure.
But He does promise to take care of us.

Anxiety Accomplishes Nothing

v.25-26
ANXIETY ACCOMPLISHES NOTHING
You cannot add an hour to your life by worrying about it. What makes you think that worry will change the outcome of the rest of your life?
Philippians 4:6
Philippians 4:6 ESV
6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Rather than being anxious about it. Turn it over to God.
When you pray about it, if you don’t turn the burden, the results over to God, all your doing is complaining.
You must give it to Him and then stop worrying about it knowing that it is in the capable hands of God.
v.29-30
The world seeks after these things, we are to be different than the rest of the world.
Ephesians 4:17
Ephesians 4:17 ESV
17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.
The gentiles seek these things because they are futile in their thinking. They don’t know about the life after and aren’t seeking the life after, we as Christians should be different.

Focus on the Kingdom

This is how we are different, this is why we don’t walk in the futility of our minds. Why our life isn’t about gathering possessions, because we are focused on the kingdom.
v.31
When we are focused on serving God, these other things are given to us, added to us.
Serve God with your money, let it be a tool to bring God glory not the thing that your life goal is to acquire.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
2 Corinthians 4:17–18 ESV
17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
This world will pass away, what we cannot see is what is eternal. Focus on the things that are eternal.
v.34
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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