The Birds of The Air& the Lilies of the Field

The Birds of The Air& the Lilies of the Field                                                                               Pg.1

Scripture: Matthew 6:24-34
 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon. 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more  value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O  men of little  faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' 32 For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. 34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day.
Why study this parable? Anxiety in today’s world. We are a nation of people who strive always for more and better whatever it is. What does God want us to know about our disordered world? This parable is a good example of the world as it should be. Putting God first is a must.
Jos 24:16  Then the people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods!
1Jn_4:17  By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.
 Jesus did not worry, He did pray a lot, and  meditate, and he was tempted. Just as we are. But he was never of two minds. His was but a single purpose, and that to accomplish the will of God in his life, death, and resurrection. To provide a way of salvation for all of mankind. This all started in the garden of Eden, where God had to shed the blood of an animal to serve as a covering for the sin of the first human beings.

Meditation:  The root word for "anxiety" literally means "being of two minds".  An anxious person is often "tossed to and fro" and paralyzed by indecision. Fear of some bad outcome usually cripples those afflicted with anxiety.  It's also the case with someone who wants to submit to God but also live according to the world's standards of success and fulfillment.  Who is the master in charge of your life?  Our "master" is that which governs our thought-life, shapes our ideals, controls the desires of the heart and the values we choose to live by.  We can be ruled by many different things -- the love of money or possessions, the power of position, the desire for wealth and prestige, the driving force of unruly passions and addictions. Ultimately the choice boils down to two: God and "mammon".  What is mammon?  "Mammon" equates to "material wealth or possessions" or whatever tends to "control our appetites and desires".  There is one Master alone who has the power to set us free from the slavery of sin and fear.  That Master is the Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus uses the illustration of nature — the birds and the flowers — to show how God provides for them in the natural order of his creation. How much more can we, as his children, rely upon God's providential care? God is utterly reliable. The best antidote for anxiety is frequent meditation upon God’s goodness, power and sufficiency. When the saint can confidently realize “The Lord is My Shepherd,” he must draw the conclusion, “I shall not want.





                                                                                                                                                          Pg.2

                                                              Verse by Verse Study_________________________________
1. The future falls under the cognizance of” Know that the LORD is God” Do you, agree?
Closing Prayer
24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon.
Where your treasure is there will your heart be also. A man cannot be in perfect indifference between two objects which are incompatible: He is inclined to despise and hate whatever he does not love supremely, when the necessity of a choice presents itself. Just as at a fork in the road, one is forced to choose
1.                  What did Jesus mean, serve?   We serve those whom we love, Is loyalty a one way emotion              
2.                  What is the mammon of our day and time? Money of course, but is it the things it can get for us?

 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? There are eight reasons to shed our anxiety The first is, the experience of greater benefits already received.
1,  Life, health, peace of mind,  contentment, a vocation, A value to our life. What else?
2.  What are the 7 desires of every heart.? to be heard, to be affirmed, to be blessed, to be secure,                              to be touched, chosen, and included.  Be careful of what you desire, you may get it.
3.                  what about the seven faults of every heart? Fear, prejudice, apathy, resentment, despair, jealousy, and greed
4.                   Psa 37:4  Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
      Psa 37:5  Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. What are these two Psalms telling us

26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more  value than they? The second reason why we should not be anxious is the example of the animals,
1.                  Do you feel God has provided for the animals adequately? Food, shelter, habitat, skills.
2.                   Are we not the greatest of all God’s creations? We have been given dominion over the whole of his creation, does that tell us what God thinks?
3.                  Are we then to rely upon providence and never use the very powers and faculties with which God has endowed us?

 27 And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? The third reason we should not be aqnxious  is the time and effort we spend worrying can even shorten our life.
1. What can our uneasiness do but render us still more unworthy of the Divine care?
1.                  If anxiety could add to our life span, would we worship it?  God gives us life eternal why not worship God?
2.                  Shouldn’t we depend as fully upon God for the preservation of his gifts as for the gifts themselves?

28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; The fourth reason against such inquietudes is the example of the herbs and flowers of the field.
1.                  Are not their  nourishment, exquisite flavors, and beautiful hues from God himself.
2.                  Does not God adorn us with our blessings, of all types, our personal industry, intelligence, the ability to reason? Are we not his best work, How will he then not care for our welfare?
                                                                                                                               


                                                                                                                                                             Pg.3
                       
29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
1.                  Would it be possible to capture or exceed the Majesty and greatness of his creation?
2.                  Yet do we not try to glorify ourselves?

30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O  men of little  faith?
1.                  Are there better things than our own Glory?
2.                  What purpose was served by the building of the pyramids?
                                                                                                                                                     
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear? The fifth reason against solicitude about the future is - that to concern ourselves about these wants anxiously, as if there was no such thing as the providence of God; Is to deny God
1.                  We should then include in our anxiety, whether or not the day will dawn, or will the sky fall?
2.                  If God can do these wonders in creation, can he not allow us to live in his world without worry ?

'32 For the Pagans seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them
The sixth reason against this anxiety about the future is - because God, our heavenly Father, is infinite in wisdom, and knows all our wants.
1.                  Are we like the pagans of that day?
2.                   Do we seek all these things today?
3.                  What is of grave concern to you today?

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. The seventh reason against these worldly cares and fears is - because the business of our salvation ought to engross us entirely
1.                  Do you find life is simpler when one does that?
2.                  Have you ever experienced the opposite?
3.                  Do we keep a list of worries? Which is the greatest?

 34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day. The eighth and last reason, against this preposterous conduct, is - that anxiety and worry is not only useless in itself, but renders us miserable and unhealthy.
2. It is he who made us and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Do we really trust in him?
4.                   Are there times when we are given no other choice?






                                                                                                                                                Pg.4

In the Lord's Prayer we are reminded that God is our provider when we pray: Give us this day our daily bread.  What is bread, but the very staple of life and symbol of all that we need to live and grow.  Anxiety is neither helpful nor necessary. It robs us of faith and confidence in God's help and it saps our energy for doing good. Jesus admonishes his followers to put away anxiety and preoccupation with material things and instead to seek first the things of God — his kingdom and righteousness.  Anxiety robs the heart of trust in the mercy and goodness of God and in his loving care for us.  God knows our needs even before we ask and he gives generously to those who trust in him.

Questions
1.What are the Christians main concerns? Do they match our daily anxieties?
2.How does one give in to anxiety and worry? How does one bear the worries of day to day living?
3.Why can we not serve two masters? lots of people have two jobs, why? What is there about “Keeping up with the Joneses” that is destructive? Did Jesus concern himself with dress or position? Why ?
4.Is it normal to be concerned for our welfare? How then can we not be worried or anxious?
5.What is there about our security that is cause for concern?
6.How does our daily news affect our security? Are you concerned for your safety?
7.Are you fashion conscious? Do you want to be clothes conscious?
8.What is God trying to tell us in this parable?
9.Can one properly serve God while having all these daily anxieties?
10.Jesus did not have a job, wealth, a wife, or children, How does one reconcile that difference in our lifestyle?
 11. Bipolar disorder, Depression with psychotic or catatonic features, Panic disorder, Obsessive compulsive disorder, Schizophrenia or any other psychotic disorder, Mental retardation, delirium, dementia, amnesia, or any cognitive disorders, Borderline personality disorder or antisocial personality disorder,
12. There are so many anxieties that we now have special names for them, Why is that?



"Lord, free us from needless worries and help us to put our trust in you.  Make our first concern your kingdom and your righteousness.  Help us to live each day with trust and gratitude for your providential care” lead us in paths of righteousness and help us to lead lives that are worthy of your calling  In Jesus holy name AMEN.