Never in my 50 years have I heard the word 'crisis" bantered around like today! Everyone from the President of the United States to the man sitting in the local neighborhood shop, even within the safety of the church building, the resounding theme of the day seems to be crisis. What in the world is going on?
The past few weeks have created an all-out spirit of fear that is gripping the hearts of the people of the world. The world is at a near fever pitch over the current perceived global financial collapse (not my words). Nearly every newspaper, magazine, periodical, television news report, and talk-radio personality has fanned the flame of fear in their audience. Even some preachers are opining about the doom and gloom of our current situation. Our own government seemingly has made a power grab at the altar of fear, promising that they [the governments of the world] can solve the problems.
Over the past couple of years, the Lord has been laying on my heart, with increasing intensity, one simple verse of scripture. That verse is Matthew 6:33, which simply says,
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." I know that the people who are around me and who listen to me and follow my preaching are tired of hearing this word of scripture. It seems however, no matter how hard I try, this verse keeps welling within my heart and coming to my lips in the midst of every circumstance. I can't help it.
The context of this verse is nearly in the middle of Jesus' great Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) in which He addresses many of the essential issues of life. Squarely situated here is His address to financial anxiety. Jesus tells us
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon 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. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Matt. 6:19-21
Jesus is clearly stating His position on treasures - either our treasures will be earthly or they will be heavenly. There is no middle ground. Listen to verse 24
"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You CANNOT serve God and mammon."Over the next ten verses Matt. 6:25-34 Jesus presents His most direct teaching on the forbidden sin of worry. That's right, SIN. Worry is certainly a serious sin. In this passage alone we learn that worry is, at its most basic level a refusal to trust God's promise to His own.
John MacArthur writes,
"Worry is a tremendous force. It can warp your personality, it can steal your joy, it can rob your peace, it can foul up your relationships, it can cripple your faith, it can harm your usefulness, and it can wreck your Christian testimony. Worry is a powerful force. It's not a trivial sin; it is a significant sin. It creates havoc in your heart and the hearts of those who are watching your life. I mean if Satan can get us to worry, and get us burdened and anxious and stressed and defeated and fearful, what kind of Christian testimony do we have? What kind of benediction and blessing are we to the people around us? What kind of usefulness do we have? And how in the world can that honor God? I mean there are some people who are so devoted to the sin of worry, that when they have nothing in the present to worry about, they look for something in the future. And the Lord forbids it; he says, "What are you doing worrying about tomorrow?"
Amen and Amen. What does Jesus say we should do with our lives?
"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." This is the positive end to his warning about the sin of worry. Why? It is because as we seek God's kingdom, as we invest in reaching others with the Gospel, as we share our faith, and we give our finances, our future is made sure because we are, as Jesus said in Matt. 6:20
"lay[ing]
up for yourself treasures in Heaven." You must choose today. Will I live by faith or will I live in fear? It's your choice and only you can make the decision. I pray that you will walk, live, think, pray, and honor God with your faith!
rdm
