Take No Thought For Your Life

In the passage I just read in Matthew chapter six, five times, the Lord says, take no thought for your life. That's a command. Take no thought for your life. Now I'd like to begin this message by looking at a passage of scripture in Luke chapter 10, if you'll turn with me there. Luke chapter 10, verse 38. Now it came to pass as they went, Luke chapter 10, verse 38. Now it came to pass as they went that he entered into a certain village and a certain woman named Martha. received him into her house.

And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. I love to think about that. She sat at his feet, and we don't hear of her saying anything. She listened. You know what the Lord has to say to me is a lot more important than what I got to say to him. She listened, sitting at his feet. I love to imagine what she must have looked like sitting at his feet.

And she had a sister named Martha. Martha and Mary, and both of these women were loved by the Lord. John 11 5 says, now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. These were people who were loved by the Lord. I've got a question. If you're loved of the Lord, is there any room for anxious care, worry about anything? I don't care if it's material or spiritual. If you're loved by the Lord, Is there any reason for any anxious care about anything, whether material or spiritual? Now, let's go on reading in this passage of Scripture, verse 40. Remember, these are both believers. They're both loved by Christ. They both love Christ. They've been born of the Spirit. These are both believers. Verse 40, but Martha was cumbered, hindered, weighted down about much serving. Now, if the Lord came into your house, would you not want everything to be perfect? I know you would. Well, that's how Martha felt.

And her motive is good, as far as I can tell. She wants to serve the Lord. And she's going about with much serving, and I guarantee you, every time she stops and looks at her sister, sitting there, listening, doing nothing. She's doing everything. Martha's doing nothing.

I remember my sister Susan telling me about a teacher calling her about a letter that her son Edward had written. She said, or he said, mom does everything, dad does nothing. I wonder where she heard that. And I watch Clayton. I'm the babysitter around here. Well, that's pretty much the way Martha felt she's doing everything.

Her sister Mary is doing nothing but sitting there, listening to the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then Martha says, Lord, verse 40, does not thou care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. That's something we should never do. under any circumstance is tell the Lord what to do. She did though. This is not fair. Bid her that she help me. And look at the Lord's answer. And I probably would have been right there with her. Matter of fact, I know it would have been. Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha.

You know, every time the Lord repeated someone's name twice, it was somebody he loved dearly. He loved this woman dearly. Saul, Saul. Why persecutest thou me? Abraham, Abraham. I think there's seven different times in the scripture where someone's name is repeated. And here he repeats her name in love. This is the repetition of love.

Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things. And she was. But one thing is needful. Not two, not three, One thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. Now, these were both women that the Lord loved. Both women were saved. Which one of these women describes you? Careful, troubled. about many things. Which woman do you want to describe you? Oh, you want to be Mary, sitting at his feet, hearing his word. Now that same word, careful and troubled about many things, is found five times in our text in Matthew chapter 26. Take no thought. Same word. Take no thought. You're taking thought and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful.

Now go back to Matthew chapter six. Verse 25, therefore, I say unto you, I love the way Henry Mahan always said, if you see it therefore, see what it's there for. And that's wise when you look at the scripture, what's it there for? Well, he said in verse 24, we considered this a couple of weeks ago.

No man can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other. You can't love them both. or else he'll hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and Mammon. Mammon means that which is trusted. You can't trust Christ and Mammon. You can't serve God and Mammon. You either trust the Lord or you trust Mammon, there's no room for trust and worry if you trust the Lord.

Ain't that so? Now you're saying, well, I do worry. I do become anxious. Well, that being said, there's still no reason for worry in trusting the Lord. You can't trust the Lord and worry at the same time. When you're worrying, anxious, you're not trusting the Lord. When you're trusting the Lord, you're not worried. You're not anxious.

Now, I realize I could also say this. You can be trusting and worrying at the same time in the sense that that man in Mark chapter nine said, I believe, help thou mine unbelief. He believed and he was well aware of his unbelief. So I don't want to be discouraging and say, well, if you trust, you have no doubts. You will, but you shouldn't. I shouldn't. There's never a reason to worry about anything. Can a believer worry? Well, can a believer sin? Yeah. Can a believer worry? Yeah. Should a believer worry? Never. Because a believer has no grounds of worrying. Not about the things of salvation.

Now listen to this scripture. This is to every believer. Listen real carefully. Colossians chapter 2 verse 10 says, you are what? Complete. You're plumb full. Nothing can be added to you. Nothing can be taken from you. You are complete in Him. There's nothing to worry about with regard to your salvation because you're complete in Him. All God requires of you, you have. He looks at you as beautiful, as lovely, as without fault. without sin.

That's how he views every single believer. Somebody says, but I'm conscious of my sin. I know you are, but he put them away. They're gone. And all that God requires of you, you have, and it can't be taken away. You are complete in him. Now, what is there to worry about your salvation if you're complete in him? There's nothing to worry about.

And let's talk about material things. Romans 8, 28 says, all things. Does that mean all things? Yeah. All things work together. They don't work separately. I know there are many painful things you're going to experience, but all things work together for good. Oh, the glorious God makes all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. And he brings good out of evil. He always brings good out of evil.

Is there anything to worry about materially? No. No. Verse 25, therefore I say unto you, take no thought Don't worry, don't be careful for your life. What you shall eat or what you shall drink or yet for your body, what you shall put on is not the life. Now don't miss that. He doesn't say it's not life more than food and raiment. He says it is not the life.

Oh, if you're a believer, you have the life, the life of which Christ said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, the life of the Lord Jesus Christ is your life. That's why I'm looking forward to judgment day. The life of Christ is my life. That's what I'm gonna be judged by.

His life, His perfect life, all the lives It's a whole lot more than food and clothing, isn't it? And the body is more than raiment. This is talking about eternal life. This is eternal life. This is life eternal that they might know thee. the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast seen." What a glorious thing.

Every believer knows God. Now, we don't feel that we know Him anywhere near as well as we should. I realize that. And my hope is not my knowledge of Him, but His knowledge of me. But every believer knows God, and this is eternal life, to know the only living and true God in Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. And this is infinitely more than food and clothing. Now, verse 26.

Behold the fowls of the air. You know, I look at birds every day at some point, flying around. Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are you not much better than they? Now first, this is not an injunction against sowing and reaping and gathering into barns, but birds don't do it, and they don't worry. Let me repeat that, birds do not do it, and they don't worry, and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are you not much better than they?

Now, we're called upon to sow and to reap and to gather in the barns. You know, when the Lord brought manna down from the ground, it didn't land at their front porch. It didn't land in the pot they were gonna cook it in. They had to go out and gather it. And work is good in that sense. We're expected to work, but we're expected to not worry. Yes, go out and get it.

Do I say, well, I'm gonna trust God. I'm not gonna plant a garden. I'm not gonna do any work. I'm not gonna go to work. I'm just gonna trust God to take care of me. That's not faith, that's laziness. There's nothing real about that. We know that we have to reap and sow and gather into barns. That's part of life. but we're not to worry about it. That's what he's saying. The fowls of the air, they don't reap, they don't sow, they don't gather into barns, but your Heavenly Father feeded them. Are you not much better than they? Verse 27.

Which of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit unto a stature? Now, taking thought is worrying. Which of you, by worrying, can add one minute to your life? You can't. You know, this is comforting to me. The day of my life, the day of my death has already been determined by God. And I can't change that. Now, do I want to know when it is? No. Do I want to know how I'm going to die? No. Because I don't want to suffer. I don't want to be in pain. I'd rather, you know, die quick and sweet and have no pain, but I'm glad I don't know what's ahead, but the time of my death has already been appointed by my Heavenly Father.

I can't add one minute to my life, and I like what Luke's account says. He says, if you not be able to do that which is least, why take ye thought? Why do you worry for the rest? Why would we worry about anything? Now, here's the fact of the matter. We can't change anything. We have no control. I feel sorry for control freaks because you don't have any control. None. Zero. Nada.

And yet, we worry as if we can do something about it. Worrying is made of these three things. Number one, unbelief. Number two, sin. And number three, stupidity. It's really dumb to worry. I do it. I'm calling my own self stupid. But it's really dumb to worry because God controls everything. And everything that happens to me, he brings it my way for my good and his glory. And to worry about something just doesn't make good sense, does it?

Yet it's something every one of us are guilty of doing. And that's what our Lord is addressing at this time. It's sinful distrust of your heavenly Father. Then he goes on to say in verse 28, And why take ye thought for raiment? There's the worrying. Why take ye thought? Why do you worry for raiment?

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin, yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore if God so clothed the grass of the field which today is and tomorrow's cast in the oven, shall he not much more? Clothe ye, O ye of little faith. Now why do you worry about clothing?

And this has both a physical and a spiritual application. Not only with a, Lord provide what we need physically for clothing, but he robes us with a fine linen clean and white, the robe of his righteousness. You wanna talk about a set of clothes. I got a set of clothes that is the very righteousness of the saints, made by the Lord Jesus Christ. What a garment, my wedding garment. I don't need to worry about how I'm going to appear in judgment day, because I know how I'm gonna appear. In fine linen, clean and white, the righteousness of the saints.

And the Lord's gonna take care of me in every way, as far as my needs. He promises that. Now, when I'm worrying, I'm questioning that promise. That's what I'm doing. But the Lord says, do not do that. How do the lilies grow? Well, not by toil or spinning. You know, a flower is so beautiful. No man-made clothing is as beautiful as a flower. The Lord made that.

Wherefore, verse 30, if God so clothed the grass of the field which today is and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more, notice that much more, clothe you, O ye of little faith? Now every time the Lord uses the word little faith, and he uses it a lot, O ye of little faith, where is your faith? Every time he uses that word, it is a rebuke to his disciples. Oh ye of little faith. Now, little faith saves. Faith is a grain of mustard seed saves, because it's not the faith that saves, it's the object of the faith, the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the one who saves. There's little faith, there's great faith.

Remember when he said to that woman, oh woman, great is thy faith. Be it unto thee even as thou wilt. What I love about that woman is the Lord didn't answer. Lord, have mercy on me. My daughter's grievously vexed with the devil. He answered her, not a word. Now, what we would do, or what I would do, I would conclude he's not gonna answer me then. I'd just turn around in despair. Not this woman.

She kept Asking the disciples said turn away she cries after us. Well, she wasn't crying after him She was crying after him. They had a inflated view of themselves as we all always do and Then the Lord said I'm not to see it but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. I'm only sin for the elect That's the only people I came to say Scripture says then came she and worshiped him and said Lord Help me if you don't help me I won't be helped. That's how much I need your mercy and your grace and your favor toward me. If you don't help me, I won't be helped.

And he said, it's not right to take the children's bread and to throw it to dogs. Now, what's he saying? You're a dog. That's what he's telling his woman. If the Lord said to you, you're a dog. Yeah. You know, dogs in the scripture weren't like the dogs we have today that are pets. Everybody liked some lap dogs and stuff like that. They were vile creatures. False prophets were called dumb dogs, greedy dogs. One of the men, when Elisha told him what he was going to do, he said, am I a dog that I should do such things?

Do you think that of me? And how did the woman reply? That's the truth, Lord. Yeah, Lord, that's the truth if I ever heard it. But the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from the master's table. I'm not claiming a place setting. I'm just gonna stay under the table as a dog, but I'd be awful grateful for any crumbs that fell my way.

And the Lord said, oh woman, great is thy faith. Be it unto thee. even as thou wilt. That's great faith, but there's also small faith and little faith. But you know, there's something wrong with little faith. It fails to trust completely him who's completely trustworthy. That's what little faith does. It fails to trust completely him who is completely trustworthy. And that, my dear friends, is sinful, to not have a great faith because he's such a great Savior. Little faith dishonors him. Now, little faith is saving faith, but we ought to have great faith, shouldn't we, in this great Savior.

Now, let's go on reading. Verse 31. Therefore, take no thought. That's a command. Quit worrying about anything. That's what he's saying. Oh, I want to do that, don't you? Just be carefree. Not worrying about anything, because my Heavenly Father's on the throne. He's in absolute control. I'm in His hand. What is there to worry about?

Nothing, nothing. Therefore, take no thought, saying, what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or whitherwithal shall we be closed? Now, we need these things. I need to eat. I need to drink. I need to be clothed. These are things we all need. But he said, take no thought for it. Don't worry about it. Verse 32, for after all these things do the Gentiles seek. This is what the world seeks. That's all they care about. And look what the Lord says next.

He says, for your heavenly father knoweth that you have need of all these things. The Lord knows what you need. He knows what I need. You know, I find such comfort in that because I don't know what I need. He does. I know I need Christ. And I know I need his grace. I know I need his favor. I know I need his compassion and his kindness. And I know I need him to keep me. I know I need his forgiveness. I need the Lord Jesus Christ.

But as far as what all I need, I don't know what all I need, but the Father knows that you have need of all these things. He knows exactly what you need. But, verse 33, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these needs will be added to you. Now, this is your heavenly Father's promise. Trust him for all you need he will provide. But I love the way he says, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. Now, what is it to seek the kingdom of God? Well, number one, I wanna say this, nobody's seeking the kingdom of God who isn't seeking his righteousness, to be saved by his righteousness.

All your religion is unreal, it's not true, it's not genuine, if you're not seeking to have his righteousness as your righteousness before God. Now that's something that is very real to me. I've got to have his righteousness as my personal righteousness before God. And if that's not, Uppermost in my mind, I'm not seeking the kingdom of God. I might be religious, but it's not seeking the kingdom of God. Because if you're seeking the kingdom of God, you're seeking His righteousness.

Their righteousness, Isaiah said, or the Lord said through the prophet Isaiah, is of me. Oh, that I may win Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness. I don't want to have anything to do with standing in my own righteousness because I know, I'm sure of this, that my righteousness is as filthy rags. I know that and I must have His righteousness and I glory in His righteousness.

So in this seeking the kingdom of God, you're seeking His Righteousness, is that real with you? Where you only want to be found in him, having his righteousness so that all God sees when he looks upon you is the righteousness and merits of Jesus Christ. Now that's seeking the Lord. But I love the way he said, seek ye first the kingdom of God. Now, there's several translations that translate that, seek ye the reign of God.

The kingdom of God is his sovereign reign. God's sovereignty is God being God. When Eric was praying, he said, we thank you for your sovereignty. I thought, I thank him for his sovereignty. I'm glad he's sovereign. If you worship a God that's not absolutely sovereign, you worship a God that doesn't exist. This is the only God, the living God, the sovereign God. God's sovereign is God being God. Where's your God, David?

He's in the heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. That's where he is. He's where he's always been. He doeth according to his will in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. And none can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? He's God.

Seek ye the reign, the kingdom of God. Don't you love being in the kingdom where he really is king? He's the king of kings and the Lord of lords. And I love that scripture in Revelation chapter 17, verse 14, where it says he's king of kings and Lord of lords.

And then we're given this description of every believer. See where you fit in. They that are with him. There's where I want to be. I'm with Him. That's my only hope is being with Him. They that are with Him are called, called by the irresistible grace of God. And here's why they're called. They with Him are chosen. That's why they were called. They were chosen before time began to be His. And here's the evidence that they've been called. The reason they were called is because they were freely chosen by His grace. The evidence that they're called, they're faithful. They believe. They believe. That's what every believer does. He believes. And he can be believed. He's honest before God. They that are with Him are called chosen and faithful.

Now, there are two kinds of people in this world. Those who love His kingdom and those who hate His kingdom. Every unbeliever hates His reign. We will not have this man reign over us. The carnal mind is enmity against God. That's the way I was born into this world. It's not subject to the law of God. Neither indeed can be so whom they that are in the flesh cannot please God. And every believer loves his reign. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And then we have this promise. All these things shall be added unto you. What you need to eat, what you need to drink, what you need to wear, where you need to live, how you're gonna live. Here's the promise, all these things shall be added to you.

You seek first the kingdom of God. That doesn't mean you're indifferent about your job. That doesn't mean you're indifferent about your responsibilities as a parent. You want to give your best at everything you do, but seek ye first the kingdom of God, His righteousness. You know when you'll do that? When you're convinced you have none of your own. When you really believe that you have none of your own, you're gonna seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then we have this promise, all these things shall be added to you.

Verse 34, take therefore no thought. Don't worry, be carefree. Oh, wouldn't it be a blessing to go to bed tonight and put my head on my pillow? Totally care. Not a care in the world. Because my Savior reigns and rules and is in absolute control. Take therefore no thought for the morrow. Don't worry about tomorrow. For the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. You got enough to deal with today, don't you? Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Now, child of God, Do not worry about tomorrow. Five times he says, take no thought. Now let me close by giving you four or five scriptures.

I've already quoted this, but Romans 8, 28. And we know. I love the power of that statement, we know. We know. Somebody says, I don't know that. Paul says, I know. I know, I'm dead sure that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.

Here's another scripture. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 24, it says, faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it. Now, he gave them all kinds of things to do in that fifth chapter of 1 Thessalonians. You can read it. It's a glorious chapter that's giving thanks and everything, and rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, and every thing give thanks. All these different things he was saying in that fifth chapter.

And then he says, faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it. You know the reason you're going to do it? Because he's going to do it. He's going to do it. in you, he's going to enable you to do it. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

Romans 8.32 says, he that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not freely give us all things? What could possibly prevent him from giving you all things? Because he spared not his own son. I'm amazed that he spared not his own son, but he didn't. He didn't spare his own son. How shall I know what will possibly prevent him from freely giving you all things?

I'd like you to turn to Philippians chapter four. Paul says in verse six, be careful for nothing. Do not worry about anything. But in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Now, everything includes everything. Be careful for nothing, but in everything, by prayer, and supplication with thanksgiving.

There are things that trouble you. There's no question about that. There's things that trouble me. What am I to do? I'm to bring them before the Lord. I'm not to tell him what to do about it, but I'm to make these requests and supplications with thanksgiving. Don't miss that. If I'm not doing it with thanksgiving, I'm not doing it at all. By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And look at this promise.

Verse seven, and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Now what came to me when I was trying to think about that? The peace of God that passes all understanding shall keep your minds and hearts by Christ Jesus. Here's the verse that came to me that I thought about. Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the heathen. Last scripture, 1 Peter chapter five. Verse 5.

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility. For God resists the proud. and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. Now here's what people do when they humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, casting all your care upon him. For he careth for you. You know, there's a hymn entitled, Does Jesus Care? Yes, he does. Cast all your care upon him. And when I do that, I don't have it. It's on him.

May the Lord enable us to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and know that all these things will be added to us, and we really have nothing to worry about. Let's pray. Lord, we are so weak in our faith, we're so quick to worry, to distrust. We ask for forgiveness and cleansing because Lord, we confess we have no reason for that whatsoever. No excuse. Lord, give us this.

Give us faith. Give us this great faith. The faith of that woman so many years ago. May that describe us. May we be people who simply rest in thy Son completely and are carefree. Bless us and enable us to be that way for your glory. In Christ's name we pray, amen.

Take No Thought For Your Life

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Take No Thought For Your Life

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