Anxiety-Free Living, Part 2 B

God is a priority for us. He will make provision to see that priority fulfilled. He is the one who has the privilege to determine how long we live. He prefers us because he is our father. It all works together it all things together. It's all sequential here for the first time in the discourse Jesus speaks of God as father accomplish anything more than blood pressure, but that doesn't mean you won't be tempted to do it, especially when you're facing difficult circumstances. So how do you master the skill of anxiety free living, and is a life free from anxiety regardless of circumstances. Is that truly within your reach right now.

Bring those questions to today's Grace to you broadcast as John MacArthur reveals a little more of the biblical formula for saying goodbye to your worries.

All of them once and for all.

Here is now continuing his study titled anxiety free living, let's return in our study to the 12th chapter of Luke Luke chapter 12 and we are looking at verses 22 through 34 under the title anxiety free living, in this passage our Lord unfolds this whole issue of why we are not to worry and be anxious and be afraid, either in the material of the material the physical or the spiritual, the earthly or the heavenly realms number one worry is a failure to understand God's priority.

Worry is a failure to understand God's priority verses 22 and 23, said to his disciples. For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life as to what you shall eat, nor for your body as to what you shall put on for life is more than food and the body than clothing. Here's the point here.

God didn't create you just to survive. God didn't create you just have you eat and where close so you could make it. God did not create you to fulfill some physical goal or objective or purpose or design your life is far more than eating your life is far more than clothing. God's purpose in giving you life God's purpose in giving you a body is not material, it's not physical and it's not earthly is immaterial, spiritual and heavenly. We were made for his glory. We were made to serve his glory, to serve his purpose to honor him to bring attention to him, to proclaim the gospel to live out Christ and the power of the spirit in the world and as long as that's the divine priority.

That's God's priority or purpose for us. He will sustain us to the end of his purpose.

Second, we said, worry is a failure to understand God's provision that is to say that everything you have comes from God. It may come through your work and through your savings and through your diligence and through your talents and your training and all that but in the end it really is God's pledge to you that sustains you and that leads to the third point. Worry is a failure to understand God's privilege. Worry is a failure to understand God's privilege.

Here's the point we are not the determiners of the span of our lives. This is divine privilege so you don't want to be ignorant of God's privilege is his privilege to determine where were born. To whom were born when were born and how long we're here God has given us life, they will sustain that life until our services done. Worry makes no contribution. Lord gives the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Number four. Worry is a failure to understand divine preference. Look at verse 27 here's an illustration consider the lilies how they grow, they neither toil nor spin, but I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory didn't clothe himself like one of these in the point is this if God verse 28. So arrange the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace. How much more will he clothe you omit a little faith, do you understand God's preference.

By the way, if you're wondering why it talks about throwing the grass into the fire. There's a very good reason for that. People cooked everything in those days course staple was bread but they cooked everything in a clay oven and the way that they are regulated. The temperature that clay oven was with dry grass and so they would go out into the hillside, sent, and they would collect all of the dead, dry grass, bringing together keep it in a storage place. And whenever they wanted to the fire. Hotter they put more in. And if they wanted hotter yet, they put more in. And they could regulate that the other and that way you regulate years with a little dial right you want to. 53 5450. Whatever hell they knew pretty well how much dried grass it took to raise the temperature of the fire, and so he saying look this stuff has short life, and that look how God clothes. It is made a commitment to the delicate beauty of things that perish sometimes in a day. How much more will he clothe you. This is again the typical Hebrew argument from the lesser to the greater God prefers you.

You don't really think he's going to put that kind of a garment off flour and not cover you when he wants you to accomplish his purpose in your his own beloved children if he made such lavish beauty to close plants that die in days and have no spiritual value, how much more will he take care to close the crown of his creation. The bride of his beloved son, whom he has elected and redeem. No wonder Peterson casting all your care on him, for he cares for you and if you still live in fear and doubt and worry, then you fall into the category of the end of verse 28, all men of little faith. Now he's not saying these people didn't have any faith he call them men of what little faith that they're the ones who believe in him he's directing this. It says in verse 22 to his disciples. Those who are true believers and those who are becoming true believers and he said it's possible for you. He says that to worry and fear and be anxious, but understand this, if that is the case you have a problem with trusting me as a serious problem because, would you review this. He's worthy of our trust right you can trust. So in verse 29 he says do not seek what you shall eat what you shall drink don't make that the pursuit of your life. That's what he say and don't keep worrying you. In those days and we need a day to make it every single day. They had to find a way to get food every day, every single day. It was the preoccupation of their whole life. He said stop stop. That should not be the pursuit he that he doesn't mean in a reasonable sense. Don't prepare your meals that don't work to earn your living electrolysis. If you don't work you donate he is saying.

Do not make that the pursuit of your life. That's not what you look for don't live as if there were no caring God don't live as if that God had no promises or no power or no knowledge of your situation and don't keep worrying.

If you do, you don't understand God's priority God's provision God's privilege to determine the end of your life and God's preference is personal preference for you over anything else. He's created is 1/5 principle and worry is a failure to understand God's paternity paternity is a wonderful word from Latin tartare father God's fatherhood. Don't you understand that God is your father verse 30 and 31 for all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek what you are father knows that you need these things, God has a priority for us. He will make provision to see that priority fulfilled.

He is the one who has the privilege to determine how long we live. He prefers us because he is our father. It all works together. It all hangs together.

It's all sequential here for the first time in the discourse Jesus speaks of God as father your father we know is talking to those who believe in all the way down to us who believe these apply these true those whose father is God and it's in contrast to all these things being eagerly sought by the nations of the world for all these things the nations the world eagerly seek eagerly seeks very strong verbs.

A Teto means to strive or seek at B's eight that was the words compounded the strongly strive for any hey, this is human life if you don't have God as your father whose your father the devil, John 844 okay if the devil is your father. He makes no promises provides no benefits. He's not about doing good in your life is about doing evil so you're on your own. The only good that does come into your life is basically common grace. It is God letting the rainfall on the just and the unjust is very temporary, but no unbelieving person can make any claim on God, the unbelieving world has no promises from God. No commitments from God. No pledges from God. No guarantees from God for anything so according to verse 30 eating, drinking, clothing, all these things the nations of the world strongly pursue that describes life among the un-regenerate. It's a battle for Brad. It's a battle for survival. It's a dog eat dog world. The world lives to acquire material things they're all about survival why they're dead to God, they're dead to spiritual life. So being spiritually dead. All there is is the physical world not being children of God having a father the devil, who provides no good thing ever. They are therefore left to themselves only to sort of reap what little they can from the common grace of God being ignorant of God, ignorant of God's provision and being unable to lay any claim on God's promise or God's power.

They live to survive those people in spiritual darkness without the life of God may create religion and they may create a God that they you hope will help them but the deities that they create are only a reflection of evil men and demons.

That's why the gods of the world are wicked, devious, selfish, violent, untrustworthy, indifferent, capricious, evil and merciless so people are left to to the gods that they believe in only in the sense that they not that they think those God's them a benefit them but that they just hope those gods won't harm them their little benefits you know that they think those gods deliver like when they get a good harvest and they think the moon god of the mountain, God or whatever, but they're just really reaping common grace that God is built into the world their God's don't help them because their gods or demons impersonating the gods they think they worship there on their own. Unbelievers feel the full weight of survival, but verse 30 says your father. In contrast, knows that you need these things. He knows that you need them is not a question of power, not a question of resources, not a question of love. It's not a question of compassion, not a question of sympathy is not a question of mercy.

It's just the question of knowledge. If God knows that you needed.

That's the big issue is that you could say will God has the power to give you those things, but that still leaves you with the I do. I wonder if he knows I need, but we know he has the power and the resources so the most comforting reality is that he has the knowledge, your father, in contrast to all the lifeless gods of the pagans is your father, and he acts as a father acts in a father is a provider and a protector and your father knows what you need all that you need is available to you from God when you worry about what you Freda what are you anxious about how do you tap into how can I be assured that I'm going to get all my father has for me. Verse 31.

Here is the key, very important principle but seek for his kingdom, and these things shall be added to you. You want these things you want food, drink, clothing, one of the full life want to be free from worry free from anxiety free from fear.

Don't focus on those things don't focus on food.

Don't focus on the body. Don't focus on drink. Don't focus on health. Don't focus on those things. Focus on this. The kingdom of God and you seek his kingdom and believe me, these things will be added to you.

And in Matthew six verse 33 Jesus put it this way but seek ye first his kingdom that the kingdom of God and his righteousness, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you that are worrying about your bank accounts that are worrying about your length of life that are worry about your food, worry about your close instead of focusing on all that. Let the dominant enterprise of your life. Unlike the world the dominant enterprise of the world is food, clothing, money, the future health.

That's there that's all they have, that's all they have to live for and there on their own, but the dominant enterprise of my life in your life is the kingdom of God.

The sphere of salvation. The gospel of Christ. The focus of our life is to worship and to serve and to proclaim Christ and to live obediently to the word of God to pursue truth and holiness and love, Colossians chapter 3 says it in straightforward language. If then, verse one. You have been raised up with Christ and you have could be red since you've been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above stop seeking the things here, seek the things above, live your life for the kingdom, and all the others will be added and God may have a lot more than you need.

In many cases, certainly has in most of our lives. You can take whatever God gives. If you're seeking his kingdom with all your heart, then, be a good steward of it but he says keep seeking the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, seek Christ honor Christ's exaltation, Christ's glory seek to proclaim Christ as Lord and Savior king and ruler submit to his will submit to his word submit to his authority. Verse two he says it this way. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth, for you have died to this life and your life is hidden with Christ in God your whole life has to be directed at the kingdom at the sphere of salvation, the sphere where God rules as king and Lord. Everything you do is for his honor and his glory.

First, the first seeking is to seek to enter the kingdom and no Luke 1616 entering the kingdom is described as seizing the kingdom. It says that everyone is forcing his way into it.

That's the first thing you have to do is you have to come to the kingdom and understand that it's difficult it's hard because it requires repentance, self-denial, self-sacrifice, ability, meekness, morning hunger and thirst, start by entering the kingdom.

Start by believing the gospel start by self-denial and embracing Jesus Christ and hungering after righteousness and turning from sin start that we enter the kingdom. Once you've come in seek only those things that exalt Christ and honor Christ. Give your life for salvation for righteousness, for obedience for truth for service for worship for witness back to that parable of the duet of parables in Matthew 13 sell all by the pearl cell all divide a treasure hidden in the field it's self abandonment. Give yourself away to the kingdom, live only to honor Christ only to exalt Christ to advance his name advances gospel be devoted to what is eternal, not what is temporal by the way, this is not an isolated principle. I mean, Jesus says here if you do this, everything else is going to be added and everything else means you can live out the full years of your life you can have enough food and drink to survive and be clothed in all that if you just seek the kingdom and that's not new to these Jewish people listening to that. Emotionally, they would know this because they would know the sums very well. Psalm 34. For example, and in Psalm 34 there are a number of verses will start in verse eight, Psalm 34 Saito taste and see that the Lord is good. How blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. How blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Verse 90 fear the Lord, you his saints for to those who fear him who worship him to honor him.

There is no want verse 10 the young lions do lack and suffer hunger, but they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing. That's that's what the psalmist says from God. Verse 15 the eyes of the Lord are for the righteous and his ears are open to their cry. God knows God hears verse 19 many are the afflictions of the righteous. The Lord delivers him out of them all. God takes care of his own.

Psalm 37 is very similar. This is great evildoers.

What happens to the world. What happens to the nations of the world while they wither quickly like grass verse two.

They fade like the green plant but on the other hand, what about God's children trust in the Lord, do good, dwell in the land cultivate faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

You delight in him and he'll take care of all the rest verse five, commit your way to the Lord, trust also in him. Just trust him and he'll deliver. He'll do it. Verse seven. Rest in the Lord wait patiently for him and he will provide. In fact, verse nine says evildoers will be cut off those who wait for the Lord will inherit the land. Verse 11 says the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity. In other words, the psalmist again understands the provision of God. If he is honored and trusted. He provides and then down to verse 25 will skip a few.

The others I have been young, says David. And now I'm old yet.

I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendents baking bread.

God takes care of the righteous seek the kingdom. Seek righteousness, and everything else comes from God. Isaiah 33 is another Old Testament text on this verse 14 talks about sinners being terrified and trembling and it talks about the consuming fire of God's judgment and the continual burning of his judgment and the question is asked who can survive this. Who can survive God's judgment sinners in Zion are terrified, you know God's gonna come to bring a judgment. Isaiah was predicting the judgment, which ultimately was the Babylonian captivity and they're all wondering who's going to survive. In verse 15 he who walks righteously speaks with sincerity rejects unjust gain shakes his hand so that they hold no bribe you stops his ear from hearing about bloodshed, shuts his eyes looking funny but other words, righteous people. He will dwell on the heights you will escape this refuge will be the impregnable rock is bread will be given him his water will be sure other many others, but that you get the picture. This is an old principal same promise. God takes care of those who belong to him and are faithful to him.

Seek the kingdom. His kingdom, and all that that means the whole of the rule of Christ and let him take care of everything else. You know what he will not supply in a meager way, you'll inherit the land, you'll have an abundance. God will give you more than enough in many cases because he knows you can be trusted to be a faithful steward of it because you are rich toward God and you see treasure in heaven and that's where you'll invest what he gives you. Don't be a part of that association in verse 28. The little faith association.

Don't get involved in the sin of doubt, fear, or worry God's priority God's provision God's privilege, God's preference God's paternity as our father indicates that we do not need to worry. And as long as we passionately pursue the kingdom he promises that he will sustain us to the very end of his plan, and I don't know about you but I don't want to be here one day. Beyond that, that's his promise.

There's one more point.

Worry is a failure to understand divine pleasure.

Pleasure.

Love this verse 32.

Don't be afraid, little flock, for your father has chosen. What's the next word gladly gladly in the NAS to give you the kingdom.

It's not as if God's reluctant. This is his delight. What delights God same thing at delights of father to provide for the children he loves. This is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us. John is our pastor, author and Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary is focus today helping you experience anxiety free living, John a question about this matter of anxiety. Of course we want to be understanding with people when they're worried about something, but for believers, as we've seen in this study Scripture actually commands us not to be anxious. So let's say you're trying to help a fellow Christian who seems to worry constantly at what point should gentle encouragement give way to a much more pointed call to obedience. Yeah, I think that would come on two levels. Number one that would come at the point where you recognize that these doubts are related to a misunderstanding of salvation. At that point you have to stop them and say wait a minute you're not understanding salvation correctly or you're not understanding the each analogy of salvation you're not understanding the character of God.

You're not understanding the promises of God. For example, the obvious one is that God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus, so that if if you're anxious about things and you're essentially saying God doesn't keep his word or he can't keep his word. He's working at a but it's not working very well so any any constant anxiety for a believer essentially distrusts the promise and the word of God.

At that point you need to be pretty direct with someone. The second thing that I would say would cause you to be equally direct would be to say to someone. The reason that you are so anxious is because you have allowed sin into your life and sin. There is a pattern of sin I think of that person might not even be eager to recognize that pattern of sin, you know, we have the sins that easily beset us the familiar sins, and when a person gets into a pattern of tolerating those sins and allowing those sins and repeating those sins. Anxiety's inevitable result of that, because you cannot enjoy assurance the Lord wouldn't provide that for you if you're walking in a sinful pattern so we want you to know how to live in your Christian life joyfully in a fulfilled way and not be anxious and it comes down to sound doctrine sound understanding of God and the word of God and the promises of God, and it comes down to godly holy living. The mess we've been trying to say. Through this series on anxiety free living God does care about your condition, your state of mind.

Your response to circumstances that would tempt you to worry.

So we been looking at God's love and provision in his promises and trying to show you how you can live a life that's free from anxiety.

We want to arm you with encouraging truth that you can share with someone else. You can download the series called anxiety free living to MP3s. Great for reviewing again. The transcripts also are available to enrich your study time and a reminder. Also about the book we mentioned earlier in the week called anxious for nothing that provides practical biblical help for dealing with your most difficult trials to get a copy of anxious for nothing for yourself. Maybe someone else as well.

Who needs guidance in handling the struggles that they're facing and it's affordably priced. As always, from Grace to you right friend. You certainly don't have to look far to find something to worry about these days but no matter the news of the day and whatever setbacks you may be facing right now. You really can be content.

John's book anxious for nothing will show you just that. Order your copy today.

You can reach our customer service team at 855 grace or go to our website Jide TY.org when people tell us they battle with fear and worry, we point them to this book anxious for nothing, it unpacks some of God's most powerful promises on why his children never have to be afraid. Our number one more time.

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I'm Phil Johnson with an important question for you and you lose your salvation.

John answers that tomorrow in a lesson he calls the song of security.

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