No Worry

Savior and Teacher-A Study of Matthew: PART 18
Rev. John Lin
10 June 2012

Matthew 6:25-34
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28"And why do you worry about clothes?  See how the lilies of the field grow.  They do not labor or spin.  29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow, will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Christianity begins with a Savior and then provides the guidelines.
Ethical change begins with a change of heart.
Do not worry means to have a character of contentment.

REALITY of WORRY
--Comes from an irrational fear of the undefnied.
--Things that we worry about should not be all consuming.

CAUSE of WORRY
--Axiety arises when you try to exert control over the uncontrollable.
--Exerting control is similar to trying to take the place of God.

CURE
--Understand and believe that we will be taken care of.
--Give up our need for power and control.
--Jesus gave up his power and control for us.

Reorient priorities--Aim at heaven and the rest will come.
Reframe work--Work to seek is kingdom and to make the world flourish.
Relinquish control.

Treasures

Savior and Teacher: A Study of Matthew PART 17
Rev Leo Schuster
03 June 2012

Matthew 6:19-24
19" Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in a steal.  21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22"The eye is the lamp of the body.  If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.  23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24"No one can serve two msters.  Either he will hate one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money.

--Role of money is tied into our spiritual lives.
--Don't store treasuers for yourself on earth because there is another more important kingdom.
--We don't own anything--Only God does. 
--The world will be gone--all our tresures will be gone--including our selves.
--Money is the personification of human desire--Don't let it control you.
--Giving money away is empowering.
--Puring is refreshing; just let it go.
--Jesus gave up his rich and noble life for us and our empty bank accounts.