Matt.
6:25-34 Our desire
in this study is to understand that worry prevents us from seeking to advance
His Kingdom.
I.
Results of Worry
A. Accomplishes nothing! (except stress,
negative effect on health, strained
relationships) V. 27 What positive or
productive thing has ever been accomplished by my worries?
B. Demonstrates lack of faith because we
don’t believe what God says or we don’t trust Him. V. 30
C. Shows us acting like the world which
in turn affects our testimony to others.
V. 32. Does my conversation
reveal to others an attitude of worry or of trust?
II.
Reasons not to Worry - What is the truth in this situation? (Phil 4:8)
A. God is our provider (28-30) How has God provided for me recently?
B. God knows what we need because He is omniscient. (32)
What do you know that God doesn’t know?
C. God is righteous (33) He will give us what is right in every sense of the
word. His way is correct.
D. God is our Sovereign God, ruler, King (33).
What He decrees happens, what He decides comes to pass.
E. God is our heavenly Father who loves and cares for His
children.
Which attribute will help me most to meditate on in this
situation that has me worried?
III.
Replacement for Worry – Instead of worrying, we are to seek His kingdom and
righteousness. (33) How do we do that?
How do we seek (strive for, aim for His rule) His kingdom?
A. Submit to His rule and reign in our own
heart. I.e. instead of worrying about ________
I yield it to God’s desire and plan. Elizabeth
George emphasizes the importance of time alone with God in prayer to get his
perspective and ordering of the day. Her
summary of verses 33 is “deal with today” in order to help us win over worry. She gives 5 keys to winning over worry: Prepare, Plan, Pray, Proceed and Trust God to
Provide. She shares how she used these
steps in battle worry as she faced the possibility of her husband going oversees
in the Persian Gulf War. She has another
chapter on how these 5 keys can help in dealing with today when you face
ongoing suffering on a daily basis. (From the book, Love the Lord with All Your Mind)
B. Desire to see His rule in the lives
of others. I.e. it might be to pray for ____
to follow God’s direction. In other
situations it might be to teach and encourage a friend to follow God’s (the
King’s) way.
C. Participation in the growth of God’s
Kingdom. I.e. personal witness (share
with others how God was worthy of my trust and how He alone could meet my
needs.) Is there a way God wants me to get
involved in being part of solution instead of worrying about it.
How do we
seek His righteousness? God’s righteousness is a moral correctness of thinking,
feeling, and acting
A. Correct thinking – Phil 4:8; Finally,
brethren, whatever is true, ….dwell
on these things. Correct feeling – Heb. 1:9, “You
have loved righteousness and hated
lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions.” Correct acting – Heb. 11:33 who by faith conquered
kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained
promises, shut the mouths of lions…
B. Be trained in it through His Word –II
Tim 3:16 All Scripture
is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction,
for training in righteousness;
C.
Practice it – I John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.
Another
quote by Mrs. George: “When you being to
live out the command of Matt 6:33, Seek
first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then you begin to
realize the promise of Matthew 6:33, the promise of God’s provision of all that
you need… the truth that make it possible for you to win over worry- and all these things shall be added to you.”
Will I worry
or will I use it as an opportunity to seek the advancement His Kingdom and righteousness?
In what
situation in your life right now is God giving you that choice?
These are Pam Cook's observations from her study, also posted in Our Daily Bread. (I neglected to remind you to scroll to the very bottom of that post.)
ReplyDeleteBelow is an attempt to crystallize some encouragement God gave me in studying Mt. 6:25-33.
God's provision is to receive with thankfulness today's provision and trust Him for tomorrow's provision. Spiritually and physically, God provides what I need for TODAY. I try to store up enough of what is good and pleasing of fellowship with God (and the best of food) for tomorrow--as if God won't meet my needs tomorrow as I'd like. Isn't this MY plan, my lack of trust, my independence?
Manna literally meant "what is it?". Well, what is it that God will supply for me today? I don't know, but it is enough and it is here for me to have.
Lesson for me from Mt. 6:25-33 is that I cannot survive today on yesterday's provision--or even the promise of tomorrow's. I must go to HIM daily for what it is that he has for me. This is walking by faith.
(Reminders of Ann Voskamp's thoughts on manna surely are present.)
So many lessons to be learned from God's provision of manna for Israel!
This Bible study system is simple but effective. That works for me. I'm glad we have been reminded of this technique and that we are putting it to use by learning to apply it!
Pam
Great insight, Pam! Isn't God good to give each of us a different perspective to share with each other!
ReplyDeleteI don't have an alliterative summary statement this week (bummer!) but my summary of the passage is: Jesus teaches against unproductive worry, because God cares for all Creation.
What the Lord showed me is that anxiety and worry is really a manifestation of pride, because I worry that things won't go the way I think best, or the way I think they should, or result in an outcome that I prefer.