The God Who Cares

FULL SERVICE: See SERMON ONLY below

SERMON ONLY:

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QUESTIONS: THE GOD WHO CARES

1. The preacher of Ecclesiastes, has a marvelous conclusion to his book, “fear God and keep His commandments (12:13), but his introduction is anything but encouraging! “Vanity of Vanities! All is Vanity, and a chasing after wind! (1:2, 14) Talk about a totally fruitless pointless life! Have you ever thought of your life from the perspective of ultimate meaning and purpose? And if someone asked you that question, what would you say?
2. I am going to develop two central reason why the disciple is not to be anxious, (1) The Command of Jesus (Read Matthew 6:25, 31, 33), and (2) The God who Cares (Read Matthew 6:26-30, 32-34). The first is based on Christ’s Sovereign authority over us, the second is based on the Sovereign grace and love of God for us. Which immediately appealed to you at first glance? Why?
3. In that first reason, the command of Jesus, we saw that it had three related elements (His imperative not to worry, to seek His kingdom, and to seek His righteousness). If that is the passion of the heart of the disciple, what would it look like?
4. Put those three things in reverse: Righteousness, Kingdom, Anxiety. If His righteousness is first a gift through the Cross where our sins are forgiven and His righteousness is accredited to our account; and the Kingdom is His rule and reign in our daily lives; why would we be anxious at all if we no longer sought our security in things or money?
5. In the second reason, we saw Christ’s appeal for us not to worry on the basis of who our loving Father is. We said, we cannot massage anxiety away by therapy of aromatherapy bath-bubbles, or modify our practices, to reduce anxiety. In fact, the only way for anxiety to get relegated back into normal proportions, is actually to replace it with the heart parked on the knowledge of who God actually is towards us. Looking at the verses from question 2, how does Jesus describe the Father towards us?
6. It seems to say that just by seeing Him in this way, radically changes us. How does that happen?
7. Philippians 4:6-7 says, that His peace surpasses all (human) comprehension. Why is it beyond our mental capacity?
8. Prayer, supplication and thanksgiving are the three essential elements in applying in practice what Jesus is saying in Matthew’s gospel. The first is essentially our coming dependently upon His grace, the second is actually asking Him to act on our behalf, and thanksgiving, well, that is about the heart’s attitude, isn’t it? What things today will you bring before Him?
9. Is it possible to bring our hearts concerns, without first, having the desire to obey Jesus and know the Father’s grace?
10. 1 Peter 5:7 has this wonderful word-picture: casting. What did this picture bring to your mind? Would you say that most of our worry comes when we don’t?
11. Lastly, what is Peter’s reason for us all to do so in 5:7?