Introduction

I’d like to begin with a question. What is the ideal picture of faith? Or what do you imagine when you think of great faith? Maybe you immediately think of someone who takes a radical, dangerous step of faith—someone like Abraham, Moses, or Hezekiah.

Maybe you think of a modern figure like George Mueller who saw God answer incredible prayers for his orphanage or William Carey who stepped out into some great unknowns by taking the gospel to India. By faith, these men and many other men and women have done incredible things and God has used their stories over and over to encourage and challenge his people.

But great faith doesn’t always come with a big, exciting story. “Mountain moving faith” is not the only type of faith. Sometimes great faith is quiet and almost unnoticeable. Our text for today calls us to this undervalued but great type of faith (read).

The word that stands out in this text, is worry. It occurs 6x in vv. 25, 27, 28, 31, and twice in v. 34. Jesus repeatedly confronts us for so often being consumed with the cares of this life and as a result for being overwhelmed with worry and anxiety. So, worry is clearly the main concern of the text.

Jesus answers with several solutions, but all of them turn on the axis of faith. We must trust God’s character and see all of life with a clear vision of eternity. We must replace worry with faith. When we do, we can enjoy a quiet rest that is immune to the rise and fall of circumstance.

This kind of faith may not attract the same attention as strapping your son to an altar or standing up to the Assyrian army, but it is the foundation of a godly life, and in this text, Jesus is calling you to develop this sort of faith. Today, we are going to finish the text by looking at vv. 31–34 where Jesus challenges us to embrace 3 solutions to worry. The first and most foundational solution is…

I.  Trust God to meet your needs (vv. 31–32)

Before we get into this point, we need to review some ground we covered last week. Remember that the final statement of v. 24, “You cannot serve God and wealth” (v. 24), significantly shapes vv. 25–34. We must choose between living for the treasures of this world or the next.

As a result, vv. 25–34 confronts us for worrying about material things like food, drink, and clothing. We don’t generally think this way, but a basic assumption of this paragraph is that when I worry about material things, even legitimate material needs, I am worshipping wealth instead of God. I have prioritized earthly treasures over heavenly ones.

And Jesus continues to pound this point in vv. 31–32 as he contrasts the focus of Gentiles/pagans with the focus of a healthy disciple. On one hand…

Pagans depend on themselves. Notice again in v. 31 the heart of a pagan (read). Let’s just be honest with ourselves and acknowledge that these questions probably don’t sound all that foreign to us. We all worry at times about material things. And if you genuinely had no food, drink, or clothing and no answers as to how you would get them, most of us would probably feel the panic that is expressed in this verse.

And we don’t just worry about these kinds of essentials either. We worry about lots of things that don’t matter in the grand scheme of eternity. Yet, as v. 32 says, we “eagerly seek all these things.”

Two issues drive this worry. The first is that we think these things matter far more than they actually do. Remember Jesus’ question in v. 25, “Is not life…” We worry because we begin to believe, “No Jesus, I have to have good food, a comfortable home, this promotion, or a perfect vacation. Since we lack an eternal perspective, we worship material things and become anxious about them.

But a second issue and Jesus’ primary concern is that we believe it is all up to me to provide for my needs as well as whatever other obsessions weigh on my heart.

Notice the contrast in v. 32. The Gentiles “eagerly seek all these things,” but a disciple trusts that “Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” One seeks these things in his strength while the other rests in the character of God. Therefore, on important solution to worry is that…

Disciples rest in God’s faithfulness. It’s a good time to mention that Gentiles in this context is not about race or genetics. No, remember that Jesus is speaking during a time when the Law separated Gentiles from God. As such, Gentile describes a religious position, not a racial one.

The point is that the Gentiles did not know God, and they didn’t see the world as in the hands of a sovereign, kind, and wise Father. Yes, they worshipped gods, but they believed it was their job to manipulate the gods into giving them what they needed. Therefore, they “eagerly seek all these things.”

And Jesus says that when I worry, I am acting like a pagan. I am denying God’s sovereignty over my life and claiming sovereignty for myself. Yes, this is painful to hear, but Jesus says that my worry is pagan and arrogant.

So, what is the solution? Jesus urges us to remember, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.” This is a simple but wonderful statement of a God-centered, faith-filled vision of life. If I am going to overcome worry, I must believe that my God is not some apathetic, distant, deity. No, he is near. He cares about every detail of my life, and he is fully attuned to my entire situation. Matthew 10 says that he sees every sparrow that falls, and he knows how many hairs are on my head. And on top of it all, he is in absolute control of every detail.

There is so much rest in that reality. For example, a big part of pastoral ministry is overseeing various programs and events, some of which require lots of detailed planning. These things can be stressful. But it is a great blessing when a trustworthy person is managing those details.

Like God in this verse, this person knows everything that must happen, he is committed to managing all of it with excellence, and he has a good plan to get it all done. Therefore, I don’t have to worry about it. I can relax knowing that everything will be taken care of.

Jesus says you can trust God like that. You don’t have to stress about the things you need or worry about guarding your happiness. Instead, you can rest because, “Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”

So, vv. 31–32 call us to trust God instead of ourselves to meet our needs. Don’t try to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Don’t stay up all night wondering, “What are we to…” Learn to rest in your heavenly Father’s care. The 2^nd solution to worry is…

II.  Pursue God’s purpose (v. 33).

This is another great verse because one of our biggest reasons we worry is that we feel like we are being pulled in 50 directions all at once. We have this responsibility and that problem, and all of them are screaming for our attention. It’s overwhelming, and it’s frustrating because nothing seems to get done well. Jesus understands; therefore, he helps us by narrowing our focus to 2 fundamental goals. First…

“Seek first His kingdom.” This is a famous line that has been made into one of the most famous praise songs of our day. However, most Christians don’t know exactly what Jesus means by the kingdom.

Throughout Matthew the kingdom is fundamentally the future Millennial Kingdom of Christ. Jesus promises to come again, conquer evil, and reconcile all things to himself in a righteous, just, and compassionate kingdom that will last for 1,000 years prior to the eternal state.

Jesus already urged us in v. 10 to pray that this kingdom would come soon, and now he commands us to “seek first” this kingdom. But how exactly do we do this? Both John the Baptist and Jesus say that we prepare for the future kingdom by living a life that is consistent with the values of the kingdom.

Throughout the Sermon, Jesus has especially emphasized the social aspect of the kingdom. The Kingdom will be marked by peace and harmony; therefore, Jesus calls us to care for the poor and needy, to make our offenses right, to be peacemakers, and to love all people including our enemies. To “seek first His kingdom” is to pursue these kingdom values today.

It also surely includes reflecting the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus by calling others to repent and bear fruits of repentance. 2 Corinthians 5 says we are ambassadors for Christ, and we must urge others to “be reconciled to God” and then live as new creatures in Christ. So, seeking the Kingdom means to be actively engaged in Great Commission ministry.

Now, if you serve wealth and worry about material things, generously caring for others and investing in the Great Commission will seem useless and unnatural. You’ll think, “I need food, not disciples.” But Jesus commands us to forcefully turn our attention and energy to kingdom priorities. We must live for the kingdom of Christ, not the kingdom of this world. This spirit continues in the 2^nd goal…

“Seek first…His righteousness.” Throughout the Sermon Jesus has continually emphasized practical righteousness. We must “hunger and thirst after righteousness,” and Jesus demands a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees. He also applies practical righteousness in areas like honesty, marriage, and sincere giving, prayer, and fasting.

And v. 33 commands us to pursue this kind of righteousness. Rather than stewing over money, clothing, success, fame, and many other temporal cares, I must be zealous for love and good deeds and to take on the character of my Savior. I must aggressively seek his kingdom and righteousness.

To be clear, v. 33 is not saying that’s all I do. As if every believer must quit his job and become a missionary or to do nothing but read your Bible and work on character formation. Biblical righteousness requires working hard to fulfill responsibilities at home and at work.

Rather, v. 21 states that Jesus’ primary concern is what you treasure, where you invest your energy, and the heart passions that follow. Am I consumed with laying up treasures in heaven even in how I do my job, go to school, and fulfill other basic responsibilities? Or am I consumed with laying up treasures on earth? I must seek FIRST his kingdom and his righteousness.

Now, if you are the anxious person in v. 31, seeking the kingdom and righteousness seems pretty worthless right, right? If I’m worried about my next meal, and someone told me to seek righteousness, I’ll naturally think, “I need food a whole lot more than I need honesty.”

Jesus thought you might ask, so notice the promise that concludes v. 33, “All these things will be provided to you.” In context, “these things” is not the kingdom and righteousness. No, it is food, drink, clothing, and whatever other practical needs that we have. So, Jesus is promising that if you devote yourself to my purposes, I will take care of your needs. You will not want any good thing.

This is a pretty incredible promise isn’t it? It reminds me of what David said in Psalm 37:25–26, “I have been young and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.” Philippians 4:19 states, “My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” God promises to meet our needs as we focus on his mission.

But if this is so, you may ask, “What about those times that godly people don’t have everything they need, they die prematurely, or they are killed for their faith? What about Stephen or the apostles?” Clearly, v. 33 cannot be promising long life and prosperity to all who are godly.

But Philippians 4:19 remains true. God will supply for our every need. It’s just that God’s definition of need and ours are not always the same. We are invincible for as long as God wants us on this earth. And when our time is up, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21).

The challenge for us, as it’s been throughout this passage is to believe God. I must believe that he knows, and he will meet all my needs.

And when I trust God like this, I don’t have be yanked around by the slave master of materialism—chasing this desire and that, overwhelmed with worry about this care and that. Instead, I can leave all of that with God and focus my attention on his purpose.

I’m remind of Jesus’ rebuke of Martha. Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary” (Luke 1041–42), referring to sitting at Jesus’ feet.

Do not let the cares of this life distract you from what is most important. “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” and let God take care of the rest. The 3^rd solution to worry is…

III.  Focus on today (v. 34).

I love this verse. It is so full of wisdom and assurance, and it touches on a key quality of all strong people who thrive under intense pressure. This verse offers two basic challenges. First…

Trust the Lord with tomorrow. The first sentence of the verse says, “So do not…” There is nothing explicitly Christian about that statement, but we ought to understand it in keeping with the promise of v. 33 that God will meet our needs. Therefore, why shouldn’t we worry about tomorrow? It’s because God will “worry about tomorrow.”

Of course, God doesn’t worry like we do, because he is in absolute control; rather, the point is that God already has tomorrow fully worked out. I may not know what’s coming, but God does. He knows exactly what is coming, and he already has a perfect plan to deal with it. As a result, there is no reason for me to worry about tomorrow.

However, the fact is that we often worry a lot about tomorrow, don’t we? Sometimes, life is filled with many scary uncertainties. On Friday while I was at the conference, one of my friends who is a missionary in the Dominican Republic told me that his wife has MS. He doesn’t know what the future holds for his wife, what it means for raising their children, and how they can manage it all while serving in a foreign country.

I have another pastor friend in MI who also has young children, and they recently learned that his wife is dying of cancer. How will he manage without his wife, and what does it mean for his kids? Those big unknowns can be overwhelming, and sometimes the smaller unknowns slowly wear us raw.

What do we do? Should we worry and fret about every unknown? No, Jesus commands us, “Do not worry about tomorrow.” Why is that? “Tomorrow will worry about itself.” In other words, you may not know what tomorrow holds, but God does, and he has it all worked out.

So, what fears do you have for the future? Maybe you are really concerned about some test results that are coming soon. Maybe you worry about your kids or your parents. Maybe you lie awake worried about the future of our country? Maybe you worry about your job or finances.

Whatever it is, Jesus says, “Don’t worry! I have it all worked out. Trust that I am good, wise, and sovereign.” As a result, instead of worrying about tomorrow, the 2^nd challenge is…

Focus on God’s will for today. Jesus concludes, “Each day has enough trouble of its own.” That’s a great statement, right? I have enough problems today without worrying about tomorrow. All that worrying about tomorrow will do is distract me or discourage me from doing what I need to do today.

Therefore, a major key to thriving under pressure, is learning how to tune out the noise about the future and to focus on what I need to do right now. Ironically, I was scrolling through Twitter on Tuesday, and someone I follow had retweeted this statement from Jon Gordon, “A Navy Seal told me that most guys tying (sic) to be a Navy SEAL don’t make it through Hell week because they are dreaming for it to be over. The ones who make it just focus on making it to breakfast. Don’t worry about tomorrow. Win the moment. WIN TODAY!”

That’s so good because the pressures of life can be overwhelming and discouraging if you let yourself dwell on all of them. So, don’t do that. Have you ever wondered how anyone runs a marathon? The answer is one step at a time. So, don’t worry about Friday; worry about Sunday. Don’t worry about 5 pm; worry about 11 am. Give all your attention to what God has called you to do today.

But of course, Jesus is talking about much more than a mental strategy. Undergirding this statement is the fact that God only gives grace today for today; he doesn’t give grace today for tomorrow.

That’s important because we often look at tomorrow with dread, because we think, “I could never endure a debilitating disease, bury my spouse or my child. I don’t have the strength to make it through the 10 steps I have to take to finish school.”

And you know what? You’re right. You can’t. God has not given you the grace today for any of that, but he has given you enough grace for today. And tomorrow he will give you the grace for whatever that day holds. And he will do the same the next day and every day after that. So, serve God today, and trust him to give grace for tomorrow.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we’ve covered some vital ground these last 3 weeks. We’ve seen above all else that a clear vision of eternity must shape our vision of today. I must emphasize that this all begins with knowing Jesus as your personal Savior. If you do not know that you will be with Christ in heaven someday, you cannot think rightly about today. Understand that Christ died and secured our salvation so that you can face eternity with certainty that you will be with Christ and enjoy his eternal reward. If you have never received Christ, please be saved so that you can face eternity and face tomorrow with certainty and clear vision.

And if you are saved, replace worry with faith. Rest in the character of God and the promise of eternity. Let faith shape how you look at the things of this world, and let faith overwhelm the pressures of this life.