Friends, let's pray. Father, please teach
us by your Holy Spirit not to be concerned about
the things that you don't want us to be concerned
about. And may we instead focus on what pleases
you. In Jesus' name, amen. Three -pointers in
a basketball game, especially, are very popular
with the crowd. They seem to really get the crowd
going. there's something really exciting about
a three -pointer. And it's more than just worth
an extra point. And three -pointers for Jesus
also seemed quite popular. And I don't mean in
the context of basketball. I mean in the context
of his preaching. Some weeks back, I said tongue
-in -cheek that a three -point sermon is very
biblical because Jesus used three points. And
he does here in this next section of his teaching,
just like he did in the previous part of his
teaching. Yes, in Matthew 6 and 7, you could
say there are two three -point sermons that Jesus
gives us. We looked at the first three -pointer,
and now we're in the middle of the next three
-pointer. Now, each of his points in his first
three -pointer basically started with the word
when. Firstly, when you give. This is what you
shouldn't do, and this is what you should do.
Secondly, when you pray, this is what you shouldn't
do, and this is what you should do. And thirdly,
when you fast, this is what you shouldn't do,
and this is what you should do. And now each
of his points in his second three -pointer basically
start with the words, do not. Firstly, do not
stall. Do not worry. And thirdly, do not judge.
Last week we looked at do not store. That is,
do not store up for yourselves treasures here
on earth. Instead, store up for yourselves treasures
in heaven. Next week we'll be looking at do not
judge. But today we're looking at his second
point in his second three -pointer. Do not worry.
And in each of these points, including his first
three -pointer, Jesus tells us what not to do
as well as what to do. Obviously, in today's
sermon, what not to do is, well, obvious. Jesus
says not to worry. But as we look at that and
as we conclude, we'll also be looking at what
he says to do instead of worrying. Let's make
a start by opening up our Bibles to this second
point in Jesus' second three -pointer, Do Not
Worry, in Matthew 6. If you're using one of our
church -provided Bibles, we're on page 1475,
or just use your bulletin. Please look again
at verses 25 to 26 and keep your Bibles opened
here, as we will be coming back to this passage
a couple of times. Verse 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 than food and the body
more than clothes? 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? Now, I
find what Jesus says here quite fascinating.
You see, you would expect on this topic of not
worrying for Jesus to say something like, you
need to pray rather than worry. And especially
pray with thanksgiving and you will experience
God's peace. Compare Philippians 4. But no, he
doesn't. Or you might expect him to say something
like, Concerning the topic of worrying, you need
to pray with fasting. After all, he's only just
spoken about both praying and fasting. But no,
he doesn't. He doesn't even say, relax, God is
in control. Now, they're things that one would
tend to quickly jump to, as I would, as an antidote
to worry, but he doesn't even talk about them.
Each day, morning and night, I usually look at
news .com .au, well, more recently The Australian,
to keep abreast of what's going on and therefore
what's affecting you and me. Or more to the point,
what you and I are being told by the world as
to how the world thinks we should live our lives.
And there was an article on the remedy of being
anxious, of being stressed and depressed. And
it was basically an article on how not to worry.
And the four remedies listed in the article were
these. Look after your digestive system. Slow
down. Turn to herbs. And number four, actively
improve your mood. Now, I'm not saying don't
do these things, but all I'm saying is that once
again, Jesus doesn't even mention such things
here. And so what does Jesus say to do here?
Did you notice what he says as to what is the
remedy for not worrying? I'll give you a hint
with a little puzzle. What does this puzzle say?
Any takers? Yes, Jesus tells us, I think you've
worked it out, Craig. Jesus tells us not to notice
the birds. A, B, see the birds? M, no birds.
S, A, R, O, S, I see them. He says, do not worry,
look at your diet, your prayer life. No, look
at the birds of the air. As I said, I find...
What Jesus says here, quite fascinating, it is
not what I expect. 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. And it's true, isn't it? You won't see
a bird on a tractor playing in a field. You won't
see a bird operating a sugarcane harvester. And
I've never seen a bird building a storage shed.
And yet their creator, our Heavenly Father, feeds
them. They don't have the abilities that mankind,
that men and women have to sow, to harvest, to
store, to refrigerate. And yet our Father provides
for them. They just have to trust that the trees
the shrubs, the grasses, produce the nuts, the
fruits, the seeds, the blossom and the nectar,
because that's how our Father feeds them. Now,
they still have to go searching for their food.
They have to get off their recliners, their perches,
and flap their wings and do some work. But he
provides for them. Have you ever stopped and
taken the time to look at the birds? to notice
them, watch them and consider not only how beautiful
they are and all the different types that exist,
but also to consider how our Heavenly Father
provides for them, feeds them. Friends, it's
not the whole purpose as to why I like to go
bush rather than check out a city, but it's one
of them. One of them is to look at the birds
of the air. And with respect to the context here,
just marvel at how our father looks after them.
Yes, how he looks after a bird which doesn't
sow or reap or stall. On one of our trips to
the bush, I was really keen to see star finches.
which get their name star from the petite white
dots on the red of their face. They are the only
types of finches in Australia that I hadn't seen
in the wild. There are apparently some spots
in the Tablelands where you can find them, but
I haven't. And there are some spots in the Kimberley
and the Pilbara regions of Western Australia.
And so when Sue and I headed out that way, I
hoped to spot some and watch them. So when we
got to the Kimberley, we went to the area where
one can usually find star finches. But guess
what? Unfortunately, they had a massive fire
go through the region and no one knew if they
had survived or if they did where they went in
search of food. When we were in the Pilbara region,
would you believe that a whole lot of star finches
came right up to where we were camping and did
just about every morning and evening. Locals
said there seems to be an influx of them lately.
This is one of the photos we took. Besides the
fact that God was very good to me personally
and basically brought them right to our front
door, our tent. Looking back on things now, I
wonder how much our Father's hand was on this,
taking many of them to this new location where
he would feed them. Yes, look at the birds of
the air. They do not sow or reap or store away
in barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they? Well,
of course we are. We are made in the image of
God. A bird isn't. And so don't worry. He will
certainly feed you too. Elizabeth Chenney. Do
you know her? Elizabeth Chenney, an English aristocrat
who lived in the 15th century. That's why you
probably don't know her. Who lived in the 15th
century and who, by her two marriages, was also
the great -grandmother. of three of King Henry
VIII's wives, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour and Catherine
Howard, wrote this most apt poem about how strange
people can be from the perspective of the birds
of the air. And what she writes is so spot on.
Said the robin to the sparrow. I should really
like to know why these anxious human beings rush
about and worry so. Said the sparrow to the robin,
friend, I think that it must be that they have
no heavenly father such as cares for you and
me. Spot on, isn't it? Spot on. Well, let's now
take a look at the second example Jesus refers
to, to help us not to worry. And once again,
yes, once again, it surprises me because it's
not what I would think. Please look at verses
28 to 30 with me. And why do you worry about
clothes? See how the flowers of the fields grow?
They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that
not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed
like one of these. If 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, you of little faith? So
Jesus has just basically finished by saying,
do not worry, look at the birds of the air. And
now he basically says, do not worry. Look also
at the flowers of the field. So the first bit
was basically don't worry about food. Look at
the birds. And now Jesus says don't worry about
clothing. Look at the flowers. Just don't worry
about what you will eat or drink. Look at the
birds of the air. And don't worry about what
you'll wear. Look at the flowers of the field.
Have you ever taken a good look at how God clothes
the grass of the field? That is, clothes or dresses
the grass, the plants of the field with flowers,
blossom and colour. And if such flowers of the
field are here today and gone tomorrow, and they
usually are, flowers don't last very long, especially
up here in the tropics. We all live much longer
than a flower. Will he not much more clothe you
and me? And so just as I've said before that
a three -point sermon is biblical, so too is
going bush and camping. Because when you go bush,
you get to look at the birds of the air and you
get to look at the flowers of the field. And
when you then consider how our Father feeds the
birds and clothes the grasses and plants with
flowers, it should remind us of how much greater
worth we are than a bird or a flower. and therefore
how much more he will care for us. And therefore,
to worry about these things in your life shows
a lack of faith in our Father. As Jesus says,
you of little faith. Well, part of this holiday
going to bush through the Kimberley and the Pilbara
regions of Western Australia also involved coming
back. And so rather than come back on the same
road, I don't like doing that. So rather than
come back on the same road, we came back right
across the centre of Australia through the Little
Sandy Desert and the Gibson Desert on some very
remote tracks. Now, normally the Little Sandy
Desert and Gibson Desert pretty much look like
how they sound. Desert. Lots of sand. Dry clay
pans, salt deposits with the odd bit of scrub,
some dead looking grass every now and again and
clumps of spinifex. But this time, or I should
say in this particular year, the centre of Australia
had a big dump of rain. So much so that we would
have probably got stuck in a clay pan somewhere
in the middle of nowhere had we gone a few weeks
earlier. But do you know what happens in many
deserts after a dump of rain? Do you know what
happens to the dead -looking grasses and other
dead -looking plants, let alone what grows seemingly
from nothing? Well, I could show you the 1 ,341
photos that Sue took of such, but I won't. but
I'll show you a few. Have a look at these. It's
amazing how, to use Jesus' very words, God clothes
the grass of the field. Have a look at these
verses that God dresses even the desert with.
This is a Sturt's Desert Pea plant that literally
was on either side of the track we were on. The
next photo is a close -up to marvel at what God
had created for us to enjoy. What a magnificent
flower of the field. Flower of the desert. Sturt's
Desert Pea. The next photo is a purple and white
round thing. I don't know the names of these
things. And once again, they were everywhere
in the middle of the desert. The next is a close
-up of this flower of the field. Amazing stuff.
The next is a purple triangular flower. That
will do for a name. close up of it. And the next
one is a photo of my wife. She's the most beautiful
flower of them all. With long hair. And then
we came across these little dainty white flowers
everywhere and the next photo is a close up of
it. A lot of the desert consists of just rocks
and rocks and more rocks, but amongst the rocks
were these little purple flowers everywhere.
And here's a picture of a whole blanket of purple
flowers, a field of flowers in the desert. We
then came across a whole stretch of what looked
like, from a distance, paper mache. Until we
got up close. I nicknamed these clumps of white
flowers Manor from Heaven. Because that's what
it looked like. And finally, many of the sand
dunes we drove over because of the dump of rain
had transformed into a carpet of flowers and
little colourful shrubs and grasses. Have you
ever considered, have you ever looked at the
flowers of the field? These dry grasses, dry
scrubby things, many of them even look like a
stick. They can't labour and spin and dress themselves
with clothing, but with flowers, God does. And
so if that is how God clothes the grass of the
field, which is here today and tomorrow, is thrown
into the fire, which triples up in the heat of
the desert, will he much more clothe you and
me? You and me of little faith. And friends,
after each of these examples that Jesus uses
to help us to realise that we aren't to worry,
he concludes with two statements that I want
us to now look at and summarise in our sermon
outlines before we look at something else that
Jesus tells us to do rather than worry. And the
first of these two statements of Jesus sums things
up after he talks about looking at the birds
of the air. He says in verse 27, Can any one
of you by worrying add a single hour to your
life? Well, obviously none of us can. It's common
sense, isn't it? Is worrying going to help? Absolutely
not. If anything, worrying will probably subtract
an hour or two, a year or two from your life.
Rather than add to it, summing up Jesus' first
example here, I'll put it like this. Worry. denies
common sense. It really does. It won't help your
life at all. And if our father feeds the birds
of the air, he will certainly feed you and me.
Are we much more valuable than they? Of course
we are. And the second of these concluding statements
sums up both of these examples. The need to look
at the birds of the air and the need to see the
flowers of the field. Have a look at what Jesus
says in verses 31 and 32. So do not worry, verse
32, saying what shall we eat or what shall we
drink or what shall we wear? For the pagans run
after all these things and your Heavenly Father
knows that you need them. Now, a pagan refers
to someone who's not a believer. Not yet a believer.
Just like the poem said. It is expected that
they will chase after these and many other things
in life, worry about them, but not a Christian.
A Christian knows God as our Father. And one
knows exactly what his children need each day.
And so will dress us and feed us. In summing
up, I'll put this second statement of Jesus as
this. Worry therefore defines unbelievers. Believers
therefore aren't to worry. We are much more important
than a dried up piece of scrub in the desert.
And if our father feeds it with rain when needed
and clothes it with flowers when needed, he will
certainly feed and clothe his children. So to
worry about something like that is to simply
act like an... Yes, Jesus concludes these two
examples with these statements. In summing up,
he says that worry actually defies common sense,
and much more than that, worry defines an unbeliever,
as a believer is meant to have faith in a heavenly
Father providing for us. We've looked at do not
worry, and that is the first thing that Jesus
talks about. We have also spent a while looking
at it as its most detailed part of the message
here. But now to seek. Please look at verse 33
with me. The second last of Jesus' teachings
here. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness
and all these things will be given to you as
well. So basically, Verses 25 to 32 detail, do
not worry. And here in verse 33, Jesus now tells
us, but seek first his kingdom and righteousness
and all these things, what you need to eat, what
you need to drink, what you need to wear will
be given you as well. I've summed it up like
this. In trying to put it as simply as possible,
we are to seek the things that concern our Heavenly
Father. And he's concerned about his kingdom,
his rightful rule over you and me, over all people.
And so just as we should desire, therefore, to
show his rightful rule in how we live our life,
a righteous life, so too we should desire to
see other people live under his rightful rule,
and live righteous lives as well. And more than
that, as we see the world around us not living
like that, we should desire for his kingdom to
ultimately come, and therefore for Jesus to return.
Yes, that is what seeking his kingdom and righteousness
is all about, and that is all that should really
concern us. There is a little word here in this
verse that's very important. Jesus doesn't just
say, but seek his kingdom and righteousness.
No, he says, seek first his kingdom and righteousness.
And I don't think he means to compartmentalise
our life so that after we focus on him first,
we then do what second and then third and fourth
on our list. No, it means that what he's concerned
about takes priority over all concerns and therefore
shapes all other concerns. And when it does,
guess what? You won't worry. You will not worry.
I put it to you, but I also put it to me. After
all, in three weeks' time, that's not long. Soon
I will be retiring. And we don't know what we
will be doing. That if we are focused as we should
on seeking the things of our Heavenly Father,
just as we say in the Lord's Prayer, our Father
in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom
come, your will be done, what is there to really
worry about? Well, that is the really big picture
of what to seek. What I love also about God is
that he seems to continue to give his children
practical helps as well. And one of them is implied
in the last verse in verse 34. Please look at
it with me, please. In summing it all up, Jesus
says, Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow,
like in three weeks' time. For tomorrow will
worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble
of its own. Once again, so, so true, isn't it?
I'll put it like this. Seek to live one day at
a time. So many of our worries concern tomorrow.
They really do. And we are told here not to worry
about tomorrow. What's implied here, I think,
are actually two things. The first is that every
day usually has enough trouble of its own, and
so you won't be able to handle things if you
look at all the tomorrows that lie ahead. It
will stress you out, cause you to be anxious,
get depressed, worry. It's true, isn't it? And
the second thing obviously implied here is to
take one day at a time. That's what we, Sue and
I, very soon to be Brendan and Laura, have to
regularly remind ourselves to do. And especially
when Sue and I have a huge week that lies ahead.
We, you, need to take one day at a time. Just
as Jesus has taught us, give us today our daily
bread. So we are to go about our lives in a daily
manner, as each day usually has enough trouble
of its own. And do you know what the amazing
thing is? When we do seek to live one day at
a time, I found so, so often that the trouble
I was expecting tomorrow or later that week doesn't
even arise. and is dealt with before I even get
to it. Do you also find that? Dare I say, I think
you will when you seek to live one day at a time
seeking the things of our Heavenly Father. He
is that good. Amen.