Don't Worry Facts for 9-13 Year Olds (Part 2)

Categories: Sermon on the Mount

• After using birds and lilies as examples of trusting in God, Jesus shows again how God stays with us.
• He basically states that God is simply not to be left out of anything.
• Jesus says, “So do not become anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’”
• “Don’t become anxious.” Stop worry before it takes hold.
• Why? Two reasons are given for not worrying.
• “For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”
• The pagans are anyone outside the community of Israel.
• They have not received God’s promises. They know nothing of God’s kingdom.
• Their religion is to acquire (get) things, like Money with a capital “M,” mammon.
• Moreover, pagans do not experience a God who loves and cares for them.
• Jesus wants his disciples to be different from all this, not just in appearance, but also in motive and deeds/acts.
• Jesus tells his followers that God already knows about their needs.
• God knows before they even ask Him.
• Worrying is, essentially, the result of not trusting God.
• Then he says, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
• The word for “seek” is written in the present.
• This seeking is something that we are to keep on doing.
• It doesn’t mean looking for something that’s not here yet; it means working to keep God’s kingdom as the center of one’s life.
• And we are to do this “first,” setting our priorities (what’s important to us), saying that God is first.
• Being in the kingdom means we’re where God’s will is being done.
• And seeking “righteousness” means doing the will of God.
• Then, these things “will be given to us.”
• God is doing the giving.
• And God doesn’t just give a tiny amount. It says “all these things” will be given.
• But these are God’s things, not ours. It is God’s righteousness, not ours. His kingdom means His rule on earth, not ours.
• They will be given as gifts.
• The text doesn’t say we don’t need these things.
• It says the Father knows, and we are to trust Him to provide them for us.
• This section ends with a warning.
• “Do not therefore become anxious for tomorrow for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.”
• So stay in the present.
• It seems ok to plan for tomorrow, but we’re not supposed to worry about tomorrow.
• “Tomorrow will be anxious for itself” means we can put off tomorrow’s worries until tomorrow.
• Just as tomorrow is always in the future, so the worries will stay in the future. In that way, disciples can be worry free.
• Worrying is a waste of time.
• “Each day has enough trouble all by itself.”
• This means that God’s blessings are consistent and sufficient (enough) for each day.
• Today is the moment that is present and today is our focus. It fits well with the idea of “stop worrying.”
• Deal with today.