God will Take Care Of You

Matthew 6:33 – But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

I.    Introduction.

A.     Often it is taught that God will take care of our eternity, and he will.

1.      Often it is taught that God will take care of all our spiritual needs and he will.

2.      Often it is taught that God will take care of all the needs of the church, and he will.

3.      God will also take care of all our material needs, and he cares about our material needs.

B.     Preparation for the future.

1.      When I was in high school, I did not know what I wanted to do for a living, therefore the school counselor advised me to take a test to see what I wanted to do.

2.      When I was in college, the goal was to get a good degree, a good job, so you could make a lot of money, work hard, and retire early.

3.      Many people change jobs because of more money or the promise of advancement, moving to strange places where there is no church to worship God in, then they wonder why their families are the pits.

4.      Consider Lot, who moved toward the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, leading his family into complete destruction.

a.      Genesis 13:10 – Lot lifted up his eyes and looked at the well watered plains of Sodom and Gomorrah, before it was destroyed.

b.      Genesis 13:14 – Abraham took whatever was left over, but God made him wealthy.  Abraham was not trusting his riches, rather he was trusting God.

c.      Genesis 14:23 – Abraham did not want anybody to say he had gotten wealth by taking advantage of anyone.

C.     Luke 16:1-13 – It is impossible to learn spiritual truths until you learn God will take care of all your material possessions and necessities.  (The parable of the unjust steward.)

1.      Verse 10  - Be faithful in the least (material possessions) will also be faithful in much (spiritual possessions).

2.      Verse 11 – true riches are not on this earth.

3.      Verse 12 – All things belong to the Lord, and if you are not faithful to the Lord, he will not give you your own. 

4.      Verse 13 – The modern philosophy of much religion is to mix this world with the eternal world, but that is impossible to mix.  It sounds good to the flesh, but it is rottenness to the bones.

II.    Jesus is here speaking to the disciples, not just to his church, but to all who would follow him.  Christ wants us to be so confident in him, that we will never be concerned with material possessions.

A.     The key is in these two requirements:  (1) seek the kingdom of God and (2) his righteousness.  As long as you look around at what you have, you will never seek the kingdom of God, nor his righteousness. 

B.     If all of God’s children would put their spiritual needs first, God will take care of all their material needs.  This is his promise.

1.      Matthew 6:19,20 – Every man has a treasure – either on this earth, or in the world to come.

2.      I Corinthians 4:17,18 - For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

III.    God always take care of his children. 

A.     God fed Elijah when it was necessary.

1.      I Kings 17:4 – God commanded the ravens to feed Elijah.

2.      I Kings 17:9 – God commanded a widow woman there to sustain Elijah.

B.     Mark 15:39-41 – God put on the hearts of some women to take care of the physical needs of Christ.  And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God. 40 There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; 41 (Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.

C.     Acts 18:1-3 – Paul made tents, met Priscilla and Aquila and ministered to all.  And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers. 

D.     Personally.

1.      Pastoring at Salem Baptist Church in Willow Hill and being surprised by a check that was necessary to pay bills.

2.      Driving by and seeing cattle on a hill, and asking God for one to put in the freezer. 

IV.    We must always be careful of our material possessions.

A.     Proverbs 23:4,5 – Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. 5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. 

B.     Proverbs 27:23,24 -  Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. 24 For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation? 

C.     The word “thought” of Matthew 6:25, 27, 28, and 31 means we should not be anxious, or worry about.

1.      We should not worry about retirement, or paying the bills, but we should also not spend more money than we have.

2.      It is not wrong to a retirement account, a 401K, or great riches.

3.      God does not mind his children being rich, he does not want them to trust their riches.

4.      Abraham was rich, so was Lot.