O you of little faith?
Matthew6:25-34
Opening:
There are so many people are struggling with worry. There are many
things seem that they are worthy to be worried. Because of worry, the
rate of depression is growing year by year. And many people kill
themselves because of depression. In fact, worry is not a good thing, but
it seems a good thing. For so many people are full of worry. If you tell
them, do not worry. They will response like this, I have to worry. We
know worry is a bad thing, why we always tend to worry? Jesus tells
us—do not worry about anything. “I have told you these things, so that
in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take
heart! I have overcome the world.”(John16:33)
So today we are going to share about worry. First we see what do we
always worry about?
We tend to worry about what we will eat or drink, or what we will
wear.
Dear brothers and sisters, these things are our needs. Do you sometimes
worry about what do you eat? What do you drink? What do you wear?
These are things that many people pursue. View the price of Beijing
today, it is growing fast day by day. These things seem to be a problem.
I remember when I just came to Beijing in 2009. I went to Disanji(the
restaurant near church) to eat, it might take me 10RMB to eat a meal,
but now, it might take me 16RMB at least. So it grows. It is just a general
restaurant. For those better restaurants, they will cost much more. Now
if you have 100RMB, and go shopping at the supermarket, you may buy
few food but the money is used up. So eating becomes a burden for
some people. These things not just happen today, it was the same in the
past.
Even further, food security and water pollution make us much more and
more worry about what we will eat or drink. So Jesus said many years
ago—therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat
or drink. Is not life more important than food? Even though life is more
important than food, we actually worry about food.
And then Jesus uses an example to teach us do not worry about what we
eat or drink. He says—Look 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? Yes, we are. The birds of the
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air are feed by our heavenly Father. Jesus uses this example to remind us
we are feed by our heavenly Father. We are much more valuable than
the birds of the air. Dear brothers and sisters, do you really believe that
you are feed by our heavenly Father? If you really trust it, you will not
worry about what you will eat or drink. For our God will supply all the
food you need. Please remember that we are created by God according
to His image. We are so valuable in God’s eyes. We must convince that
our heavenly Father will feed the food which we need.
When you go shopping, one clothes may takes 1000RMB. It is very
normal now. So for some people who are living in Beijing, wearing
becomes a burden as well. They cannot afford for those expensive
clothes. They may worry about what they will wear. But Jesus says—do
not worry about your body, what you will wear. The body is more
important than clothes. We know the body is more important than
clothes. But we still worry about what we will wear.
Then Jesus uses an example to teach us do not worry about what we
wear. He says—why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of
the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even
Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that 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.
We know King Solomon was the third king of Israel. He would get what
he wanted. He had wisdom, money, women and power. He could wear
the best clothes in his time. But Jesus describes in all his splendor was
not dressed like one of those flowers of the field. Dear brothers and
sisters, do you think you could buy very expensive clothes? Even you
could, the clothes is not like the flowers of the field. Jesus compares the
grass of the field to the clothes we wear, to remind us that we will be
clothed by our heavenly Father. So the clothes we wear is provided by
our God. Is it worthy to be worried? Not at all.
We also tend to worry about our life in this world.
View the living environment today in Beijing, it seems to be worried. Air
pollution, food security and water pollution, these all threaten our life in
this world. But Jesus tells us—who of you by worrying can add a single
hour to his life? We cannot add a single hour to our life. Even the
environment around us is good, we still cannot add a single hour to our
life. For the sovereignty of life is in God’s hand.
Because we worry about what we will eat, drink or wear, we think the
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solution is to earn more money. So we start to pursue to earn much
more money, in order to eat what we want, drink better water and wear
what we want. We think if we have enough money, and we will get a
better life, and get more ages in this world. But our ages in this world is
in God’s hand.
The reason that we tend to worry is because we only have little faith.
We don’t really trust that God is our provider. We only have little faith to
the faithful God. Jesus says—O you of little faith? Dear brothers and
sisters, do you only have little faith to our provider? Do you only have
little faith to our creator? Do you only have little faith to the ruler of life?
Sometimes I do. But I want to be transformed by the ruler of life.
How do I transform from worry?
Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness
I think seek God’s kingdom means to seek God to rule our life.
Remember that He is the king. I need to obey His Will.
Seek God’s righteousness means to build good relationship with God.
And then I could have a righteous life on earth.
And then do not worry about tomorrow
Do not worry what will happen tomorrow. For our heavenly Father
knows what we need. He will give us all these things.
Here we should discern what is our need and what is our lust. Give an
example, if you are hungry, you need a meal. This is your basic need. But
the abalone soup(鲍鱼汤) is not your basic need, it is your lust. God will
meet our basic needs as He promises, but He may not meet our lust.
Conclusion
The new year is coming. I want to challenge all of you here to overcome
your worry. Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Do not
worry about tomorrow. Have faith in God, for He cares our needs. Happy
Spring Festival.
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