Those people that have so much, those people that have wealth, those people that tend to be greedy, to hang on too tightly to the treasures in this life, on this earth. But that's not just for the wealthy, because greed is not measured by what you have. Greed is measured by what you wish you had. And many people that don't have anything struggle with greed. They want the treasure that they don't have, and their life is lived that way. And Christ says, you can't live like that and be a kingdom saint and be effective in My kingdom. But that is the tendency in Western culture, particularly in America. I was very interested to find an article that's 25 years old. In 1978, Fortune magazine wrote an article that was a result of a survey that they did. They sent their editors out, their writers out, their journalists out, and they wanted to survey 25-year-old men and women, 1978, 25-year-old men and women who had begun the career track, who were on the way up, the upwardly mobile. And so, they did the survey, they compiled the information, and an article was written. The article was written by Gwen Kincaid, and I want to quote from that. Listen to this. Today's 25-year-old business beginners know what they want and they are uninhibited about demanding it. They plan to get what they want, not just want what they want. And what do they want? What is it that they seek to achieve? Simply stated, these 25-year-old men and women put their jobs above all other commitments, including their marriages and children, which some would claim they never want. Well, why is that? Why is it that 25-year-old up-and-comers 25 years ago put their job above everything else? Did they like work? Why would a whole generation sacrifice relationships and family for jobs? Well, the answer really that's given in the survey isn't that it's the relationships that they value, and it isn't that it's the jobs that they value. No, the survey indicated that what they value more than anything else is money and jobs are the principal means of attaining money. She goes on to write, they are drawn to big business. Their allure is incredible. They are drawn there for the money. And along with the money comes position and prestige and reputation. They are guided by, frankly, materialistic requirements alone. They want success and they want it now. They are confident, she writes. They are self-assured. Most of them would not believe they were fortunate or lucky in any way. No, most of them will tell you they are just good at what they do. Most of them can't wait to shove out whoever or whatever stands in their way on their rise to the top. Their ambition, she writes, is consuming. They are arrogant. They fear anonymity. They fear getting lost in the shuffle. They are very adept at the art of self-promotion. They practice tireless, sophisticated self-merchandising. She goes on to write, they have no real commitment to the companies they work for, other than the money that they can make while they're there. So they job hop as soon as something better comes along. The men and women were quoted in this article. Responses to the survey, 25-year-olds. Let me read a few of them to you. One of them said, I want what I want when I want it. Sounds like a two-year-old, doesn't it? Another one said, I will tolerate no monetary or mandatory restraints. No monetary or mandatory restraints. These 25-year-olds model for us unbridled materialism that has become the earmark, really, of the American economy. They also don't want any relationships. More quotes from the 25-year-olds. I love kids, one young man said, but I don't want any. When asked why, he responded, it's simple. I'm too selfish. A woman wrote, we'll have children. She was married. We'll have children when we are financially secure enough to provide the best child care available. She's mixed up, isn't she? about her role in the family. The writer goes on to add, quote, They are concerned, these 25 year olds, with nabbing a piece of the action and being on the lookout for themselves. They don't feel obligated to help others in any way. Few of them will devote any time to public service or volunteer work, and most of them would say that religion appears to be simply proscriptive or irrelevant in their lives. Finally, the writer summarized her article this way. Of all people, They are an extremely grabby bunch. Well, that was 25 years ago. And those young people grew up. And I want to read you some things that are more recent, because those 25 year olds are 50 plus now. Those young people, that generation that was focused on money, well, they're now the CEOs of corporate America for the most part. And in the years in between, We have watched the American economy and the average American become victim to the greed which these men and women established as their sole goal. L. Kozlowski was the former chairman and CEO of Tyco International. A little too close to home for some of us perhaps. In 2002, Kozlowski raked in $81,149,712 in total compensation. But at the same time, if you read the headlines of that year, Tyco laid off over 7,500 workers. William Clay Ford is the chairman and CEO of Ford Motor Company. In 2002, he made $21,389,952 in salary and stock options. At the same time, Ford announced their plans to lay off 35,000 workers. John Eiler, Chairman and President and CEO of Toys R Us Kids, in 2002 made $21,057,603 and Toys R Us last year closed 64 stores and cut over 1,900 jobs. The facts are that in 2002, there were over 2 million jobs cut by the Fortune 500 major companies in America. However, CEOs in that same time have seen their pay increase on the average by 6%. You say, well, that doesn't sound like much. Well, consider this. The average rose then for the CEO from $8.52 million to $10.83 million in 2002. All of this while their stockholders in the last three years have seen a loss of over $17 trillion. Those who were greedy grew up. And they run America today. And it's not personalities with names and faces that I'm concerned about. It's you and I that I'm concerned about. Because most of us, if we were honest, would say, I'd do the same thing if I had a chance. I wish I got the breaks they got. I wish I made the money they make. Greed is rampant in our country. I watched Thursday night. The Democratic debate, there were 11 of them, I think, a lot of them up there. Tough pickings for those that will participate in the Democratic, whatever, primary, I guess you call it. What was interesting, though, is that the questions were all on the economy. And I was fascinated how many of them, how often, how many of them use the word greed. Corporate greed, they said. It has to be stopped. We have to put an end to it. And they all offered the same solution in so many words. Get rid of President Bush and the greed will stop. Well, the thing is that greed is not politically aligned. Changing administrations won't solve the problem. Jesus says the only way to solve the problem is to change your heart. You've got to change where your focus is. You have to stop laying up treasures here and clinging to things and grappling for things And rather, you have to become kingdom minded. So that was the first part of our section on how to handle the things that God blesses us. But that greed, as damaging and deadly as it is, has another side effect. That greed produces anxiety. Greed, a wrong perspective on the things of life, necessarily produces anxiety, worry. And anxiety produces sickness and disease. And people are over and over again succumbing to the victim being the victim of worry in their lives. I read this week a doctor who said, I can honestly tell you I have never lost a patient to hard work. But I lose patients every day to worry. It isn't working hard that's killing us. It's why we're working so hard that's killing us. It's what we strive after. It's what we are pursuing. And our pursuit are things and stuff in this life. But many of you would say, I don't have that problem. I don't have so many things. And so Jesus says, well, let me talk to you then about the area of worry around the basics of life. We have problems in this area. Look at verse 25 of Matthew chapter 6. For this reason, Jesus says, I say to you, Do not be worried about your life. Do you see that? It's really straightforward. Do not be worried about your life. Look over in verse 31. Do not worry then. And look down in verse 34. So do not worry. Well, the theme isn't hard to pick out. This isn't a particularly difficult text to outline. It's about worry. And more than that, it's about not worrying. And we need to understand something. When from the mouth of our Lord we are given such direct admonition, when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, says, Do not do something, and you do it anyway, what is that called? It's called sin. So for the life of a believer to worry is sin. It is in direct violation to a strong admonition. This is a very brief sermon. I know it's taken us 16 months to get through it, but it's a very brief sermon from the mouth of our Lord, and He spends a lot of time here in this area. Don't worry, don't worry, don't worry, He says. But yet we do. For a Christian to worry is sin. And so Jesus says, don't do it. Now, He gives us three reasons why. It'll help you to remember this. He says you shouldn't worry, number one, because of whose you are. Secondly, He says you shouldn't worry because of what you are. And thirdly, He says you shouldn't worry because of where you're going. Got it? Whose, what, and where. And for those reasons, we shouldn't worry. First of all, because of whose we are. And really, this could be the overriding principle. Look at verse 25. For this reason, I say to you, do not be worried about your life as to what you will eat or what you will drink, nor for your body as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Is it? Is life more than that? Is life more than food? Is the body more than clothing? Well, Jesus says it is. It's a rhetorical question. He's not expecting you to answer yes or no so that he'll know. He's telling you that there's much more to life than that. And beyond that, He is saying, God, who is the giver of life, everlasting life, whom you have trusted in for eternity, surely can take care of the basics of life. Don't worry, Jesus says, because you belong to God. And He illustrates it for us. Look at verse 26. He says, look at the birds of the air. They don't sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns, But yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?" Well, the birds don't store up. Did you know that? Because there's nothing wrong with storing up to meet your needs. We've already covered that. But here we're talking about being concerned, worrying about the basics of life. And Jesus says, look at the birds. They just fly around. And they eat. When God provides the rain that raises the worms from the ground, they eat. Well, they eat the seeds or they eat whatever. They're not frustrated about it. They don't sit around and have planning sessions about it. They don't budget. They just eat what God provides. And God provides. The birds are doing well. Birds don't just sit around with their mouths open, however. It doesn't rain worms. They're busy. They're working. And as we have already learned, the principle means by which God will provide your basic needs is through work. We're to be diligent and we're to be effective and we're to go out and produce, taking advantage, knowing that all good things come from God. Birds don't sit around and get fat either. They use what they eat. They use what is provided. They're burning up their energy. The only fat bird you'll ever see is a bird in a cage. We as Christians are to look at those birds and say, who feeds them? Who feeds them? God does. And then Jesus says, Aren't you worth a lot more than they are? Aren't you? Look at the next one. And who of you, by being worried, can add a single hour to his life? I'll tell you this. Worry will not produce life, but worry will produce death. You can worry yourself into the grave. And Jesus here says, Who, by worrying, by having anxiety, by stressing over all but the basic things of life, can extend their life any? Now, the King James Version uses the word, add a cubit to their stature. A cubit is 18 inches roughly. The distance from your elbow to the tip of your finger is different for different people, but it's around 18 inches. And this idea of stature, of breadth, is really a picture of life, of longevity. I have a verse for you. I'm going to skip by a song here. I have a verse for you. There it is. Psalm 39, 5. Behold, you have made my days as what? Handbreadths. You've measured them. There's a length involved. And my lifetime as nothing in your sight. Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Now, I want you to think about that for a minute, because we live in an age where people worry a lot about this area. Yeah, they've got the basics of life covered. They eat all right and they drink all right. They're growing and they're doing all right. And the problem is we're growing too much. And so now we've become concerned about this aspect of life. We all want to live longer. And so the vitamins and the pills and the diets, I mean, it is rampant, all of us working towards what? Living longer. Now, there's nothing wrong with taking care of yourself so that you have a better quality of life here. But some of us need to be reminded that nothing you do is going to make your life any longer, for God controls the time and the season of your life. Okay? So don't get so consumed by those things. Because if you do the best, do you see that? Man at his best is just a mere breath. This life is passing, folks. And Jesus is saying to us there in verse 27, why would you worry? Because your worry isn't going to add anything to your life. Your worry isn't going to stretch things out any. Your worry really is going to have the result of what? Shortening your days in all likelihood. Now again, that's in God's control. But here, when we are disobedient to God's admonition, the reality is, and the Old Testament would tell us, you will shorten your days. Disobedience will lead to a shorter life. And I read the story of a man and a woman who died and went to heaven. But prior to that, while they were in their fifties, the wife became so motivated in this health thing. Man, she had her husband eating the nuts and the dates and the carrots. Kay, they just ate carrots. And they were at the gym three days a week and three hours a day. And then on weekends, they had to go hiking or mountain climbing. No easy chair football for these guys. And he finally embraced that. And there they were. And they stretched it out as far as they could. But ultimately, they both died. And they arrived in heaven. They were greeted there and were invited to take a tour of heaven. The first thing the man wanted to see, he asked the gentleman, is where's the health club? He'd learned so much and how vital that was in his life. He can't wait to see the health club in heaven. But he was shocked to learn that there is no health club in heaven. No, you have a glorified body now, he was told. There's no need to work and to exercise. Your body is perfect now. Oh, he was a little frustrated by that, but he went on to say, well, where's the health food store? Oh no, you wouldn't want to go to the health food store in heaven. In fact, we don't even have one, but I can take you to the banquet room." And so he did. He walked him to the banquet room and you wouldn't believe the lavish spread there. The desserts and the hot fudge sundaes and the cakes and the steaks and everything you could imagine. All the things that he had lived without for all of these years, they were just spread out there. And he looked and said, how could you call this heaven? This will destroy people. Oh no, he was told. You have a perfect body. These things will have no effect on you whatsoever. He became very disgruntled and looked at his wife and said, if I had not listened to you, I could have been here ten years earlier. And some of us are living that way. You know what it says? It says you like it here. That's what it says. But the Christian perspective, historically, the saints of God have always had a view of this life as they were strangers passing through. We don't belong here. This is not our home. We are thankful for every day that God gives us and another opportunity to bring glory to Him, but we are not to worry about another day of life. The Apostle Paul had travail in this area. Some would call it worry, but how different it was when he said, for me to die is gain. It's Christ. I don't know whether to come or to go. He wasn't trapped with an earthly perspective. No, he had a heavenly. perspective. Then Jesus gives a third example, verse 28, and why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow and they don't toil, nor do they spin. Yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all of his glory clothed himself like one of these. So why do you worry about these things, Jesus says? And we do worry in this area. Now, clothing is one of the things in view here. It's pretty clear. Some of us have a weakness in that area. Man, we're big on the stuff in our closets. We've kind of already dealt with that. But beyond clothing, in the first century, when Jesus addressed clothing, the people would have related to it instantly. He's also talking about stature. He's talking about prominence, because that was the mark of those of stature. That was the mark of distinction, was what you wore. And he's saying, why do you worry about those things? Why would you want to work in that regard? Just look out there. And remember, he's on the mountain outside the Sea of Galilee. He probably just looked across the field and said, look over there at those flowers. They're not working. They're not worrying. They're not anxious. But I promise you, there is nothing you will ever wear or has ever been worn that will match the beauty of those flowers. And he uses, as an example, Solomon, the wealthiest man who ever lived. who had the finest of clothes. You know, you could take the best fabric and put it under a microscope and, you know, magnify it, and it'll just look like sackcloth. But you can take a flower, the petal of a flower, and put it under a microscope, and the more you magnify it, the more you magnify it, the more beautiful it becomes. The intricacies, the beauty of it, the glory of it. Who did all of that, Jesus is saying? God did all of that. God does all of that for them. And you know, a red poppy doesn't get up in the morning and think, I wonder what I would look like in green today. They're satisfied with the glory that God has given them. Now look what Jesus goes on to say. But if God so clothes the grass of the field which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, now what's that about? Real quickly, that's about in the first century how women would cook. They would build a fire and they would set these big clay, pots on it, but larger than that, almost a clay oven. And the fire that was under it would heat the clay. The clay would get hot. And because of the hot clay, then the temperature inside, the ambient temperature inside, would be suitable for cooking. That's getting popular now. Everybody wants to cook on this clay stuff because it holds the heat. Well, that's the way they cooked in the first century. But sometimes it wouldn't get hot enough or the pace wouldn't be fast enough. That wouldn't be heating up fast enough. So the ladies would go to the field simply and they would pick up some dried grass or some dead flowers and they would twist it together almost like braiding it, making little small logs. They would open the oven. They already have the fire on the outside and they would throw this grass into the furnace to bring quick heat. If you've ever burnt dried grass, it doesn't take long. It's gone. And that's what Jesus is saying. That's the picture, he says. This grass is alive today and tomorrow it's thrown in the furnace. It's over with. But if he takes such particular care to produce such glorious beauty in a flower, will he not much more clothe you? Well, will he? And so for those of us who are worried about what we'll eat or what we'll drink or what we'll wear, or how long our life would be, Jesus just simply says, you need to remember something. You need to remember whose you are. Repeatedly, your father, He says. Your father, He says. Your father! How could you worry if you have a father like that? We already learned last week. He owns it all, He controls it all, He provides it all, and He delights in giving it to His children. Jesus simply says, how in the world could you worry knowing all of that and that He delights in giving it to you? You belong to Him. Now there's a phrase there at the end of verse 30. Do you see it? Ye of little faith. I think it's interesting. That phrase is used five times in the New Testament. I want to show them to you. Matthew, chapter 16, verse 8. But Jesus, aware of this, said, You men of little faith, why do you discuss among yourselves that you have no bread? Do you see that? Little faith. What are they worried about? Food. Exactly what Jesus is illustrating here for us. Then the next example, Luke chapter 12, it's really basically the same thing. If God closed the grass in the field, which is allowed today, and it's thrown into the forest tomorrow, how much more will He clothe you, you men of little faith? What's the issue? Clothing. The basics. Food and clothing. It's another example. Two more. Matthew chapter 8. And they came to Him and they woke Him saying, Save us, Lord, we're perishing. They're on the boat in the midst of the storm. What are they worried about? Their length of life? I'm worried, God, save us." And Jesus said to them, why are you afraid, you men of little faith? Same thing, Peter's out on the water, doing okay, until he starts to sink. The wind comes, he gets frightened, and he cries out, Lord, save me. I'm worried about how long my life is. And Jesus says, you of little faith. Folks, it's not insignificant when you worry about the basics of life. It's a faith issue. And God and Christ is saying to you, if you have anxiety, if you're working and accumulating for fear that you may not have anything tomorrow, by the way, this isn't just about poor people. You know, one of the principal reasons rich people work so hard and accumulate so much is because they're afraid they won't have anything tomorrow. They're hedging against some future calamity. And Jesus says it is an exhibition of an absence of faith. You simply don't believe that the God who saved you, that you're trusting in forever, can meet your needs today. Go figure that out. Well, that's what Jesus is saying to you. So whose you are matters, but what you are matters too. Look at the next part in verse 30. Do not worry then, saying, what will we eat or what will we drink or what will we wear for clothing? The same issue is at stake. But now look at this. For the Gentiles eagerly seek these things." In other words, Jesus says how you act about this is a reflection of whose you are. It's a reflection of the character of God and what you really believe about it, but it's also a reflection of your character. What Jesus is saying here is that Christians don't act like that. Pagans do. That's what He's saying. That phrase Gentile simply stands for unbelievers, for worldlings, for pagans. And he's saying, when you're anxious and you worry like maybe tomorrow or maybe tomorrow is going to be a horrible event or maybe today is just more than I can take and I just can't trust God for the basics of life, you're acting like a pagan, Jesus says. Remember chapter 6, verse 7? Look over there. It's probably on the other page in your Bible. When you're praying, don't use meaningless repetition as the pagans do, as the Gentiles do. For they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. You know what the... You remember what the issue there was? They're begging. They're begging their God. They're begging their God. They're just hoping. They're worried to death and they're begging, hoping their God might answer. And here Jesus is saying, when you, as a believer, You that is a child of God who knows your Heavenly Father owns it all, controls it all, and provides it all for you, and He gives you the example of the creation around you, and you know He loves you more than that. When you worry you're acting like a pagan, it is contrary to what you are, because what you are is a child of God. And then He says at the end of that, your Heavenly Father knows. that you need all these things. Same thing He said over there in verse 8. Don't be like them when you pray, because your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Now, I want you to get what Jesus has taught us here, because it is significant. He has taught us that we're not to lay up treasure on earth, but we're to lay up treasure in heaven. We're to keep our focus on kingdom things. on heavenly things, on eternal things. And He has taught us that the things themselves are not the issue. It's our attitude towards the things that is the issue. And our attitude has to be that we know God owns it all, God controls it all, God provides it all. And now He says, even and especially in the basics of life, don't forget God is not just some arbitrary spiritual being. He is your Father and He loves you. And He takes all this provision and all this power and all this control and He just channels it to you. So don't go around worrying and living like a pagan and living like you have no faith. What are you thinking, Jesus says. Then He adds one more thing. Look at it in verse 34. It's not just about whose we are or what we are, but it's also about where we're going. You see that? So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself." And a bunch of us struggle here. Where are we going? Well, we are all inevitably heading towards tomorrow. I mean, that's where we're going. We're on the way to the next day. And Jesus is here saying, as a Christian, on the way to the next day, you know two things for certain. Number one, the next day may not come. Right? You know that. It's not in your control whether tomorrow even arrives or not. And secondly, you know when tomorrow does come, who's in control of it. Right? I don't know who holds tomorrow, but I do know... I don't know what tomorrow holds, I should say, but I do know who holds tomorrow. This is what Jesus is saying. Why do you worry about tomorrow? Tomorrow, what might happen tomorrow? And many of you in the area of personal finance and possessions, this is your principal weakness. You justify your possessiveness and your accumulation of goods based on your concern about tomorrow. And Jesus says, that's not how you live. And God says, through the principles of how He provides, that's not how you live. There is a tremendous verse in the book of Lamentations Look at this. The Lord's loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are what? New every morning. That's not just a beautiful verse. It's a principle for life as a child of God. Everything we have, we have because of God's good grace. Don't get caught up on all those S's up there. Everything we have, we have because of God's good grace. Listen to me, folks. You can't store up grace. It's new every morning. Jesus says today has got enough problems already. And God's grace is sufficient for that. But you can't get grace today for tomorrow. You can't live your life that way. It's a dead-end road. It'll just produce anxiety and worry. You say, well, that's an interesting verse. I'm not sure that's what that says. I'm not sure that's what that means. Well, Jesus, I mean God, excuse me, in the Old Testament gives us a tremendous example of this. Most of you are familiar with it. It's in the Old Testament. The people of Israel have been delivered from Egypt. They've been disobedient. Now they're out in the wilderness, and guess what they don't have? The basics of life. They don't have food. They don't have water. Clothing, obviously, would be slim. And there they are in the wilderness. So what did God do? He provided for them what? Manna. Grace. He gave them water out of a rock. But the manna, the provision, it was for what? Daily consumption. That's the way God provides. He provides what you need for today. You are not to worry about tomorrow. You can prepare for tomorrow, but you can't worry about tomorrow. But God in that illustration said, you can go out every day and you can gather up what you want. If you have a lot of family, gather up a lot. If you have a little family, gather up a little. But what's so fascinating, let me read the verse to you. The Bible says, no matter what you gathered up, listen, when they measured it, Exodus 16, 18, when they measured it with an omer, he who had gathered much had no excess and he who had gathered little had no lack. Every man gathered as much as he should or could eat. So this stuff would fall and they would go out and gather it up. But no matter how bountiful they tried to be when they went to measure it, who was controlling it? God was. They only had enough. That's all they had. Just enough. But you know what? Having just enough is not enough protection against greed. Because here's what those people would do. They would take home what was just enough, listen, and they would do without today because they were afraid they might not have any tomorrow. So they wouldn't eat what was just enough for today because they thought they needed it tomorrow. But an interesting thing happened when they stored it up. What happened to it? It rotted. And the Bible says the worms came. What's the principle? God's grace can't be stored up. Sufficient for today is the needs thereof, and God's sufficient provision will always be there. Folks, you've got to change the way you live in this area, many of you. You need to go back and read Exodus 16. Let these principles that Christ is teaching penetrate your heart. You're holding on to things because you don't trust God. That's the principle. That's the foundation. You just don't believe that He'll do what He said He would do. It's a matter of faith. It's a matter of where your heart is. So Jesus says you can't live like that. If you try to store it up, it'll become foul. It'll rot. He's already told us it'll be robbed and stolen and the moths will get in. So let me tell you what this is all about, what God is saying to you and to me. He's saying that I want your minds and your efforts to be totally kingdom focused. But listen, He's also saying, I know how difficult that is for you because you're trapped in this flesh and this flesh has needs. And so, God is saying, I have provided for your every need. Why? So your sole focus can be on the things of God. Folks, you are not left here to accumulate things. You are not left here because God is ultimately concerned about your health and He just doesn't want you to die. You are left here to accomplish kingdom work. And that means you have to take the things that God has given you, and you have to convert them, exchange them, and invest them into kingdom work. That's why you're here. Everything else you can accomplish better in heaven. But He's left you here, and He wants you to have a soul focus, and He understands how difficult that is. And so He moves alongside and says, Oh, by the way, all these other things, all these other things, all these other things, Let me take care of them. Verse 33 says it. Seek ye first priority, sole focus, the kingdom of God. And what? I'll take care of all the rest of this. Because you can't serve two masters, he said. You'll either love the one and hate the other or you'll despise the one and whatever the case might be. The principle is money. It's an unrighteous thing. You can put it to righteous good, but only with a kingdom focus. And if you worry, if you worry, you do not have a kingdom focus. What does Jesus say? Stop worrying. Why? Because it's a sin. Because it's a sin. Would you bow your heads, please? Said the wildflower to the sparrow, I should really like to know why these anxious human beings rush about and worry so. Well, said the sparrow to the wildflower, friend, I think it must be that they have no heavenly father such as cares for you and me. But if you're a Christian this morning, you do have such a heavenly father. And He has promised to meet your every need. And if you believe that, then you must stop worrying.