Mt. 6:25-34 • Do not be worried about your life…but seek first His

kingdom and His righteousness

– Four arguments against worrying about your life

– If food and clothing, then “extras.”

1. 25b, Is not life more than…

– If God gave life, He’ll give the food necessary to sustain the life

2. 26, Look at the birds of the air…

– Birds do not work yet they eat

• This is not license to laziness, If anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either (2 Thess. 3:10)

• The point: God has the power to provide even when you cannot!

3. 27, And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

– The answer: Nobody!

– An argument from futility

4. 32-33, For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things… But [You] seek first His kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.

4. An argument from infidelity

4. The Gentiles do not believe in Jehovah God

5. But… You people of faith, act differently!

6. Your Heavenly Father knows…, to worry about food and clothing is to question God’s power and care! Lack of trust!

• Embalmed in this lesson about trust in God is a lesson about priorities

– But seek first His kingdom

– Make His kingdom your main concern

Our eternal outcome will reflect what our priorities were

• Mt. 19:16…24, Wealth The kingdom of satan!

• Lk. 9:59-62, Family The kingdom of satan!

• Mk. 14:3-9, Imprudent behavior

Sometimes, having Christ as your first priority will cause you temporary refrain from doing the good but ordinary

– Here, the right priority led to reward

A Christian’s priorities

1.1. Help ourselves:Help ourselves: Hb. 5:11-14

– Solid food is for the mature

• The priority of maturing, you ought

• The process of maturing, because of practice

Building knowledge:

– You ought to be teachers

– God wants Bible scholars!

Trusting God:

– Because of practice

• This implies discomfort and difficulty!

• God will help you if you really try!

– Mt. 6:26, Are you not worth much more than they?

Changing a bad habit or personality trait: Phlp. 3:12-15

– Not that I have already obtained it Praying better: Ps. 148:1-5

– How did this man come to say a prayer like this? Wanting to be with other Christians: Ps. 122:1

– I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

– How did this maturity come?

2.2. Help Christians:Help Christians: Hb. 10:24-25

– Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good works…encouraging one another

– How can I give them a boost?

Encouraging Thoughts: Rv. 2:8…11

– I know your tribulation and poverty…I will give you the crown of life!

– “You are going a good job. Keep up the good work!”

– Phone calls and emails work, too.

Encouraging Hospitality: 1 Pe. 4:9

– Be hospitable to each other without complaint

– “Hospitable,” welcoming to strangers and guests Oxford American Dictionary; fond of guests Strongs

– Don’t have a house? Ac. 2:42…

Encouraging Gifts:

Hand crafts: Dorcas, Ac. 9:36…39

• The widows stood beside him, weeping and showing….

Money: The Philippians, Phlp. 4:15-18

• 10, I rejoiced in the Lord greatly!

• The gift only needs to be big enough to show them you care.

Encouraging Visits: Onesiphorus, 2 Tm. 1: 16-17

– He often refreshed me…searched eagerly for me.

– And this while Paul was in jail!

• Searched Inconvenient!

• Prison Dirty!

• Nero Risky!

• Ja. 1:27

3.3. Help non-Christians:Help non-Christians: 2 Co. 5:10

– We must all appear before the judgment seat, so that each may be recompensed for his deeds