In this sermon, we are going to see that faith is shown as the foundational element in accomplishing this. Let us go back to Matthew 6 again, this time in verse 25. I hope you will never lose sight of what Jesus is doing here. He is laying down His prescription for resisting this world. If anybody knew how to resist the world, it was Him, and you can get the overall concept that by our will, by faith, by committing ourselves to this way, we turn our devotion over to God and leave the world behind.
As Jesus continues to set before us the standards of His Kingdom, what we have here is another incredibly high one. All of us are to some degree guilty of anxiety regarding material things, but who, without the clear instruction of Jesus Christ, would ever think that inordinate affection for earthly things is a sin? This is not a mere trifle. I mean, this is foundational. It is right at the beginning of His instruction. He is not dealing with trifling things in the Sermon on the Mount. They might be basic, but they are not trifling. They cannot be sloughed off as being of no consequence. To be fearful about God supplying our future needs is unbelief. I mean, it is faithlessness in action. Whatever is not of faith is sin.
Much is written during Israel's journey through the wilderness and their problems with this circumstance. If we are guilty of it, we need to confess this before God and to seek His forgiveness. You will recall - reading in Exodus and Numbers especially - that much grumbling arose from their unbelief over whether God would supply their needs.
Now what was God's reaction? It spurred His anger, because what they were doing was questioning the goodness and care of our Creator. That was manifesting a lack of faith in His wise and gracious providence. It was betraying doubt of His love for us. Such a concern and distraction is in reality the workings of covetousness. All that you parents need to do is think about your feelings when maybe your children do not trust you. It hurts. What if your mate does not trust you? How does that make you feel?
We are dealing with somebody who is absolutely perfect in His character, and if He says He will take care of us, He will take care of us. When we doubt and we fret, and we get overwrought and overanxious, it does not make Him feel too good about our relationship.
Inordinate care for the things of this life is the very tap root of covetousness. This is no small matter, and if we are going to judge the importance of this subject by the amount of time and space Jesus gives to it right at the very beginning - laying the foundation for His Kingdom - I think that you are going to see that He spent more time on this subject - faith, works - than any other single subject in the Sermon on the Mount.
In fact, one author that I researched said that he believes that this is the part that Christ was aiming for in the whole Sermon on the Mount, because it gets right to the heart of the issue of faith, and in regard to the things of this life - covetousness, and covetousness is idolatry. This one concept - take no anxious thought - is important enough, that even before this chapter is over (in fact in the last verse in the chapter) He comes right back to it as though it is the conclusion: Take no anxious thought.
You might believe that you could not possibly be in any danger because so little of this world's riches come your way that you barely have the necessities of life. But, brethren, the fear of poverty in the poor and worrying about the future can ensnare and distract you just as surely as the love of wealth ensnares and distracts the rich. Before we get confused, we have to understand that there is a balance required of us by God in regard to the things of this life. We are going to spend just a little bit of time on this so that we might see the other side of the coin.
This is what I said a little bit earlier, that it takes discipline to be consistent, to keep our vision focused in the right direction. The reason I want to come back to Matthew 6 is because Jesus tells us what is going to be the major problem causing us to lose our focus. Remember that verse that began Therefore? Here comes a little bit more detailed instruction.
Do you think that definite article the before life is in there for fun? The life I am sure refers to eternal life - and what did He point out is going to be that which causes most frequently our deflection away from pursuing the Kingdom of God single-mindedly? Making a living. Making a go of it. Just getting through this world. The common ordinary every day things of life. Nothing esoteric. It is just living life itself that we become wrapped up in. Let us read a little bit further.
