Seek First the Kingdom

But Seek First His Kingdom

“The presence of anxiety is unavoidable, but the prison of anxiety is optional […] Don’t let anything in life leave you perpetually in angst.” – Max Lucado

What makes you anxious?

Scripture Passage – Matthew 6: 24 – 34 (ESV)

“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 money.
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, not about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 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? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 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 you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying ‘what shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Argument #1: If you choose God as your ___________

 , then you never need to be anxious.
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 money.
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, not about your body, what you will put on.

Argument #2: Don’t be anxious because your life is more ______________

 clothing. Shift your perspective to the eternal.
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Argument #3: Don’t be anxious because you are more valuable to God than the ____________

 He cares for their needs.
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?

Argument #4: Don’t be anxious because it doesn’t do you any _____________

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Argument #5: Don’t be anxious because you are ____________

 like a ray: has a beginning but doesn’t end) and God takes good care of things that last only a few months.
And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 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 you of little faith?

Argument #6: Do not be anxious because anxiety is ____________.
Therefore do not be anxious, saying ‘what shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

Argument #7: Don’t be anxious, but instead seek _____________

 God’s kingdom.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Argument #8: God’s mercies are _____________.

 for each day’s troubles.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

For Small Group Discussion:
1 Peter 5:7, Psalm 55:22, Philippians 4:6-7, Isaiah 41:10, Proverbs 3:5-6
Questions:
1. How would you define anxiety? Put it in your own words.
2. What causes you anxiety?
3. What are some of your good ways of fighting anxiety?
4. And what are some of your sinful ways of coping with anxiety? Which of the 8 arguments that Jesus gives in the Matthew 6 passage are helpful to you?
5. Read Philipians 4:6-7. Why do you think Paul added the phrase “with thanksgiving”?
6. What is it about thanksgiving that helps us fight anxiety?
7. Tell a story of a time when you were anxious, and then God worked the situation for good.
What is God calling you to do in obedience to this week’s message?

Fill-in-the-blank Answers: master, food, birds, good, eternal, worldly, first, sufficient