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| SERMON #153 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. MAT 6:31-33. These concluding remarks, of Chapter 6, of our Saviour are again connected with the word Therefore, i.e., for the reasons previously stated. "Take no thought...," i.e., do not be anxious about such temporal things as food, drink and clothing. Jesus is laying the foundation, showing where faith is required, then He shows us our frailty, emptiness, and absolute, total dependence upon Him. He shows us we are not able to add one moment to our life span by taking thought for it or with all of our anxiety. Then Jesus uses the word Therefore to connect His previous statements with this comparison. He has used the birds, the lily, and the grass; now He gives us the parallel with the Gentiles. Jesus is showing us that this is where the Gentiles have all of their frustration and anxiety because they have no faith, self-knowledge, or trust. They do not have a future other than the things of this life. In effect Jesus is saying that we should take notice of all that He has told us and compare it with this parallel. That is the function of the word Therefore. Jesus is now showing the contrast between those who have faith and those who live in unbelief. Those who are able to overcome every circumstance by faith looking to their heavenly Father are contrasted to those who have their faith overcome by every circumstance, because they have no faith. To unbelievers every circumstance becomes a frustration or a trial or anxiety that fills the breast. Jesus' stated reason for this admonition was, "(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek)." He is giving us an admonition not to be like the Gentiles. The Greek word which was translated here as seek, is Epizeteo which means, "A superimposition of time, to crave with intensified demand, to (inquire) or search after; seek after." The word, seek, is a very powerful word; in other words, the Gentiles put a superimposition of their time to it which means that their priorities are arranged around it; their first priority is acquiring food, drink, and clothing. They crave with an intensified demand after these things, inquiring, searching, and seeking for them. These temporal things are the first priority of the Gentiles. If we see this in the context Jesus is using, we are being taught to have just the opposite priorities. Let our priorities be to seek the kingdom of heaven first, and all these things will be added unto us. These temporal things then do not have any priorities. Do you see the total contrast between what Christ teaches and what the Gentiles do? That is what He means when He says, "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?" MAT 6:31. In other words, have no anxiety about the future, about earthly things such as bread, food, drink, and clothing. The Gentile world here speaks of the unregenerate. Those who do not have faith in God the Father as their provider crave and seek, with a superimposition of their time, for earthly treasures as if happiness, yea life itself, could be found in these things. They go after these treasures with such anxiety as though they would obtain security in those things. Christ admonishes that we have seen the birds and how He provides for them; we have seen the grass and the lilies; after this simple explanation He says, "Therefore...." Now hold it! See what the Gentiles are doing; they are destroying themselves over things that they are dependent upon their heavenly Father to provide, yet they do not see it. Jesus warned in MAT 6:19-21, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Let's look at the chronology in those verses. He did not say where your heart is, your treasure will be; He said, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." The Lord Jesus is placing the emphasis on where our heart is; we are not to have our heart set on temporal things. If the things of this earth become our treasure, our heart becomes entangled and snared. Jesus is using the Gentiles who are ensnared by the devil in their entanglement of earthly concerns to illustrate where the danger lays. It is the superimposition of their time-- where their time has priority. Our example of faith is to be a testimony to the world that we are not preoccupied over material matters. We are called to be the salt of the earth whereby we are a testimony to the world that His name is not blasphemed on our account. He tells us to take no thought, have no anxiety about all these temporal things; He will provide. Our walk of life and conversation will reveal what is in our heart. Where your heart is, there will also be your conversation. The world will detect where your heart is by your conversation. Where is our conversation? Every time we come in contact with a man, woman, or child we strike up a conversation. How common it is that the first topic of conversation is the weather. It is a common starting place, but what is the central theme of our conversation? Is it spiritual things? Does the heart beat around spiritual things? Is that where our priorities are? We are to be a testimony to the world that we are serving our heavenly Master by our demonstration of a calm, childlike trust in our Heavenly Father's knowledge of all our needs. Jesus said, "...for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." He has just told how He takes care of the birds, how He takes care of the grass, and the lilies. Then He says, "Are ye not much better than they?" MAT 6:26b. Now He comes back and says, "Therefore...for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things," MAT 6:32. So, why are we so concerned? Why can't we give it over into His hands? This childlike faith draws a clear distinction between one who serves the Lord, and one who is still walking "...according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience," EPH 2:2. This is where we all are by nature; the distinction between those who walk according to the prince of this world and those who have the childlike faith is revealed by whom they serve. One who serves the Lord has become a light to the world. See the tremendous, blessed security in the Saviour's words. In that expression, "...for your heavenly Father knoweth," holds much security for those who know by faith what David said in PSA 139:1-12, "O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. [The Lord understands every anxious thought, every thought of faith, and every thought of unbelief, and every intent of the heart. That is what Jesus is saying, `your heavenly Father knoweth...' David went on to say,] Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. [Our heavenly Father knows every need and every desire.] For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it." We must understand what Jesus means when He says our heavenly Father knoweth. When we have a question in our heart, when we have a desire or perplexity, we should immediately turn to our heavenly Father who knows all things. David could not comprehend this; he could not fathom what the Lord knew and understood about David. There is such consolation and security if we really understand what David says here. Verse 7 continues, "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee." See the tremendous sense of security there is for those whose hearts are right with the Lord! In the last portion of Matthew 6 the Lord Jesus is teaching us that our faith should be in the knowledge God has of our every need; He knows every desire of our heart. Just to know that God has such a total knowledge of us is too wonderful for me as David knew and said. The threat of an adversary never seems so severe when you can look up by faith and see you are sheltered under those crucified hands. Did you ever stop to think that no matter what threat you are facing, He knows that, too? He knows everything, and if we have an adversary which is either Satan or our own deceitful heart, the Lord knows. Those are the closest adversaries we have. Sometimes we become so frightened when we see how foolish we are in our own heart, and the Lord knows that, too. Then the most blessed consolation is to see by faith that we are under the shadow of His crucified hands. I want to share some verses from Isaiah that were a powerful comfort to me years back when I had a multitude of people trying to destroy me. The Lord used this passage of Scripture to set me in total rest. ISA 51:12-16 says, "I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?" God knew; He understood. He understands the adversary and his plan, but we need not be afraid of a man who will die. You see how He is looking at the difference between those who are resting in the shadow of His hand and those who are in the arms of flesh. See the security in ISA 51:16, "And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people." There is such security in that all-knowing God who knows my thoughts and intents, but He also knows the thoughts and intents of my adversaries. He understands these things; He places us under the shadow of His hands. "And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand..." means He wants us to speak for Him as His witness, a light to the world, and salt unto the earth. The Gentiles know nothing of the security and peace the children of God experience in knowing their Heavenly Father knows all their needs, "...for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him," MAT 6:8. When the non-believer encounters fear through circumstances, they don't have any faith. Where can they turn? To whom shall they go? This is the source of their anxiety, perplexity, and fear on every side. They have no place of security, and the Lord Jesus is showing us the contrast between them and those who walk by faith. What a contrast! The true Christians overcome the circumstances by faith and can cling to their Saviour with childlike faith when asked, "Will ye also go away?" JOH 6 67. Sometimes people may ask you, "Can you still believe in God? Are you still going to follow the Lord? Your crops are just as dry as ours; you are going through the same drought, troubles, the same problems? How can you still believe God cares?" Can you answer them with the words of our text? "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you," MAT 6:33. Jesus had just unfolded the mysteries of the true meaning of the Bread of Life, and in JOH 6:66-68 we read, "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. [They left Him because they wouldn't believe it when He said He was the Bread of Life. They were looking for material bread, clothing, and things that please the flesh. Jesus explained He was the Bread of Life, and they turned from Him.] Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? [Now see where the distinction is between those who have faith, and those who walk by sight.] Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." This is where the distinction is between the believers and non- believers. The non-believers were not able to see with their human reasoning that they would be provided bread, the things the Gentiles seek after, so they turned around and walked with Him no longer. He said He was the Bread of Life, and they were not looking for that answer. Then Jesus asked the question I must ask you, "Will ye also go away?" Do you walk by faith or by sight? Our natural father may be absent or unfeeling when we need him the most, but our heavenly Father's care was well understood by the psalmist in PSA 121:2-4, "My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." The psalmist understood which side his bread was buttered on. Have you ever heard that expression? He knew his help came from the Lord. Our earthly father may be caught off guard; he may be caught asleep. I have a family and I have been caught sleeping a few times by old Satan. I know what it is to do as Peter and go out and weep bitterly over the times Satan caught me asleep and allowed my children to become caught in his snare because of my foolishness. Our heavenly Father does not sleep or slumber, He will not be caught off guard. He is our protector, our shield, by day and by night. It is so blessed that the Lord Jesus gives us the assurance that "...your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things," MAT 6:32. He knows our every need. Our natural father, mother, or even wife and children could forsake us, but our heavenly Father will never forsake those who put their trust in Him. PSA 27:10 says, "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up." Look at the security we find in the knowledge that our heavenly Father knows, even if we do not know, and He provides. To intellectually know these truths, and to actually surrender ourselves into our heavenly Father's hands are two different things. You and I can have an intellectual knowledge of this and still not have the faith to surrender ourselves into His care. Let's examine an illustration of this in Scripture. Jacob knew the Lord had told Abraham in GEN 15:13-14, "Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance." Jacob knew this because his father, Abraham, had told his father, Isaac, and Isaac had told him. So Jacob was fully aware of the prophecy. Jacob intellectually knew these truths, but he could not surrender himself into his heavenly Father's hands as we read in GEN 42:36, "And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me." Jacob could not give himself up to the care of his heavenly Father even though he knew the history of what had happened and would happen, but he didn't have faith to see that was in fact what was taking place. He didn't have faith to believe Joseph was sitting on the throne and that Simeon was still alive. He said they are not, "all these things are against me." His faith could not grasp or surrender to the knowledge that his heavenly Father knows these things, and that it was God who was doing this, not his sons. The ways of the Lord are so much higher than our ways that the Gentiles do not understand His providing care. That is why they are filled with anxiety. They cannot surrender themselves into the care of their Creator so they give the top priority to seeking temporal things. They are filled with a tremendous, burning, laboring anxiety after these things because they do not see that the Creator of heaven and earth is in command. Therefore, they are filled with anxiety; we have to examine our own heart. How much Gentile is there in us? The Gentiles have four basic beliefs which cause their anxiety. If you or I have anxiety, we must examine our hearts to see which of these Gentile beliefs are captivating us. First, they believe in chance, not the providence of God; therefore, they see no purpose in the things that happen. Oh, how empty in a time of need! It just happened; they believe it was a coincidence or chance. Are we able to surrender our hearts to the fact that all things come to us by the hand of God? "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose," ROM 8:28. Do you believe in chance or are you truly able to surrender your heart to the providing hand of God? He provides, and He sends every difficulty. One time I was in the greatest difficulty that I had ever been through. The Lord came to me with a passage of Scripture, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword," MAT 10:34. All of a sudden I had to see that that very trial, as crucifying to my flesh as it was, was sent by the hand of the Lord. It did not come by chance. That belief in chance is the first belief of the Gentile. Secondly, they believe in fate. In a fatalistic belief there is a cold, careless attitude. They believe they have to do this and see what happens because it could go either way. Many people who teach the doctrines of the sovereignty of God get caught in Satan's trap of fatalism. Their reasoning is, "If I'm going to be saved, I'll be saved, so there is nothing I can do, we must just wait and see." This is absolutely Satanic. It is unbelief that is a characteristic of the Gentiles. Thirdly, they believe in superstition. This witchcraft is a fear of evil spirits, a fear of the unknown, a mystical fear of great evil. Missionaries have told me of coming into places where the heathen have never heard of God. They say if something comes to them from the east or west, it is an evil spirit, but if it comes from the north or south it is a good spirit. That is superstition. How much superstition is there in our own hearts? Do we refer to luck being against us, being lucky, or having good luck? Believing in luck is witchcraft and superstition. Lastly, a belief in self, humanism, one's own works and achievements, and one's own storehouses is part of the unbelief of the Gentiles. Such people believe in their own works; it is their skill, education, or experience which will see them through the problems. They are going to be successful, lucky, have a good year, store up wealth, make an empire, build an inheritance for their children. They build confidence in humanism. That is a belief of the Gentiles. How much do we find in our own heart where we want to store up today for tomorrow because we do not really trust the Lord? These are the traits and beliefs of the Gentiles. The fruit of these views is anxiety about the unknown future. We need to see through something here. If God is not the root, if the knowledge of God for our every need is not the foundation of our hope, there is not peace. ISA 26:3 says, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." Isn't that beautiful and in harmony with what the Lord Jesus is teaching us in our text? "...for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you," MAT 6:33. We have a perfect peace when we surrender everything into His hands and trust Him for it. Let's look at the illustration where Jesus was using the birds to show a contrast between these beliefs of the Gentiles and faith in MAT 6:26, "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 ye not much better than they?" Do you see there is no anxiety because the foundation of our faith is the knowledge that the heavenly Father knows what we need, and He provides it? Our text says, "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Isn't that precious? That's where our first priority should be; the prime use of our time should be seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness. I will not elaborate on that now as it is the topic of the next sermon. But we are to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the temporal needs will be added to us. The future is unknown, and the exercise of faith places its trust in our heavenly Father. This works patience in adversity, and humility in prosperity. Let's look at the application of this belief. Patience and humility are the bottom line of what Jesus is teaching us in this text. As we learn patience in adversity and humility in prosperity, we see how empty and trifling all the abundance of this world is. Patience is a virtue which is inseparable from faith. Ponder this awhile. You cannot separate patience from faith, neither can you separate patience from salvation. Few people realize this. The Lord works the trial of our faith to work patience because patience is inseparable from salvation. Who are those who are saved but those who endure unto the end? In HEB 6:11-12 we read, "And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end [Now see where patience has its place.]: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises." The Lord is teaching us that through all our struggles and trials in temporal things, patience and faith work together to inherit the promises. If we are to inherit the promises, we must become patient in adversity. We must understand that patience is an act of faith. Try to separate the two. You tell me how you can be patient in an adversity without faith to believe that the adversity came from the hand of the Lord, and that you have surrendered to it. I want you to see the trials of our faith Jesus tells us will come upon us. The Lord Jesus said in LUK 21:17-19, "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish. [Now see how He connects faith with patience.] In your patience possess ye your souls." Not even one hair on our head will perish when we are hated and persecuted. Perhaps we have never realized the importance of patience. The Lord tries our faith to teach us patience. JAM 1:2-4 says, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." It is a blessing when trials of our faith work patience because without patience we will never inherit the kingdom. Do you see the necessity of patience? That is a precious truth; see what the Lord Jesus is telling us when He compares the Gentiles and God's people. He is saying the Gentiles seek after all these temporal things, but we should not do that because our heavenly Father knows our needs. Our confidence, our trust, and our patience are centered in the assurance of faith that our heavenly Father knoweth what things we need. It is through patience that we receive the promises. "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise," HEB 10:36. How do we do the will of God? It is by enduring the trials. It is by walking through our trials by faith. Patience enables us to stand the trials of our faith and receive the promises. It is those who endure who are pronounced as happy. How do you endure the trial of your faith? It is through patience. JAM 5:11 says, "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end [purpose] of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." He was pitiful and of tender mercy toward Job which was not revealed to Job until after he had endured the trial of his faith with patience. The revelation of His love is a tremendous consolation. When we are having our patience and faith tried, after we have endured, we see the purpose of the Lord in the trial. At the time our patience is being tried, we do not see the purpose of the Lord; that comes after we have endured. That verse is precious. To grow in the knowledge of the Lord we need to walk in patience and longsuffering in the way of the cross. We cannot grow in the knowledge of the Lord without patience. COL 1:10-11 explains, "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God [How?]; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness." It is through patience that we walk pleasing to the Lord. He is trying our patience. Why does the Lord try our patience? Have you ever thought how we try the Lord's patience. Have you ever thought about how in our younger years, in the sins of our youth, in our shortcomings, we have provoked the Lord and tried His patience? Now the Lord wants us to be conformed unto the image of Christ and reconciled back unto the Lord. He is going to give us to understand patience, especially to our fellow man who sins against us! Do you know why? It will teach us how patient the Lord has been with us. We must be able to forgive our fellow man regardless of what he has done to us because it is a small debt compared to the debt we have with the Lord. He has sent His Son to pay that debt, and He is going to show us that we need patience, being brought back into that Spirit of Christ. COL 1:12-14 continues, "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." When we are able to understand but a glimpse of what patience God has had with us, then we begin to learn to have patience with our fellow man. When we are able to forgive our fellow man, we will begin to understand what the Lord did for us "...In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." The Lord Jesus Christ is the author of our patience as well as our faith. No person has really understood what the Lord Jesus Christ did in the way of faith. He endured the cross and despised the shame as an act of faith, but now I want you to try to analyze His patience. REV 1:9 says, "I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, [It is a tremendous thing when we begin to understand what it is to live by the faith of Jesus Christ, but think what it is to say we are a brother and a companion of the Lord Jesus Christ in patience! John] was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." What does it mean that he was on the Isle of Patmos? He was in exile; he was put there to die. He was sent there, dumped off, and they expected him to perish, but John was a "brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ." The Lord had brought John there for the testimony of Jesus Christ. It was on the Isle of Patmos that John wrote the Book of Revelation. We do not realize the importance of learning patience until long after the fact. Faith in our heavenly Father's knowledge, "...that ye have need of all these things," works patience in the time of adversity, and the Gentiles are strangers to this. When Gentiles have adversities, they become frustrated, bitter, filled with anxiety; they have no hope, foundation, or place to go. They blame fate, coincidence, or their inadequacies for they do not see the Lord's hand in their lives. We must learn to see that we need patience in adversity, but just as much so in prosperity. Prosperity led the wisest, i.e., King Solomon, away from the Lord, but "...the trying of your faith worketh patience," JAM 1:3. The trials under which we struggle are precious because it is through these trials that the Lord works patience. When a brother comes against us it could make us bitter or exercise our faith and work patience towards one who has transgressed against us. That is working the patience of Christ because Christ was patient with you and me; He paid the penalty of our sins. It is that patience that cannot be separated from faith. Therefore Jesus says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you," MAT 6:33. The whole thrust of this verse that Jesus is teaching us is: get your priorities straightened out, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also," MAT 6:21. We must see where our treasure is, where our priorities are. Are we going to let our time, the superimposition of our time, be given to the things of this world? Do we crave, have an intensified demand, to acquire or search after the things of this earth? That is what the Gentiles have. They seek these things. The Lord Jesus gives us the admonition that our heavenly Father knows what we stand in need of. He knows what is good for us, He knows what He wants us to have. We must get our priorities straight, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Amen. |
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