Thanksgiving
Eve
26
November 2014
Matthew
6:24-34
Four
Timely Admonitions
God’s
Word indeed teaches and instructs us. In this materialistic, worrying world, we
need four timely admonitions for direction and guidance. As we approach yet
another national Thanksgiving let us take heed to what God would say to us this
night.
I.
It is impossible to serve God and money. “No
one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the others, or
he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God
and Money.” (Vs. 24)
A.
Ananias
and Sapphira tried…and died!
B.
The rich
young ruler went away…sorrowful.
C.
Christians
need to heed God’s clear word. ”But godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it. But if
we have food and clothing, we will be content with that…
People
who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and
harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction…
For
the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money
have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you,
man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith,
love endurance and gentleness…
Command
these who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their
hope in wealth, which is so uncertain but to put their hope in God, who richly
provides us with everything for our enjoyment…
Command
them to do good, to be right in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to
share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm
foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is
truly life.” {1 Timothy 6:6-11; 17-19}
II.
Minimum faith produces maximum anxiety. “Therefore I tell you do not worry
about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will
wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than
clothes?
Look
at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Who
of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry
about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow…
They
do not labor or spin? Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor
was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the
field which is here today and tomorrow in thrown into the fire, will He not
much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Vv.25-30)
A.
Does God
provide for birds? Our heavenly Father feeds them!
B.
Does God
provide for flowers? Solomon in all his
splendor was not dressed like one of these!
C.
Won’t He
provide for you? Of course, He will! He can do no other!
D.
Learn to
trust God. “We do not want you to be uniformed brothers, about the hardships we
endured in Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure
so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence
of death.
‘But
this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the
dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril and He will deliver us. Upon
Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us.” {1 Corinthians
1:8-10}
III.
Worry is worldly. “So do not worry, saying ‘What will
we eat?’ or “What shall we drink” or “what shall we wear?’’ For the pagans run
after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”
(Vv.31, 32)
A.
“Do not
be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving present your requests to God” {Philippians 4:6}
B.
“Do not
fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong” {Psalm 37:1}
IV.
Put God first and He will take care of
your needs. “But
seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be
given to you as well.” (V.33)
A.
God’s
promises are sure and true. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that
there may be food in My house. Test Me in this, says the Lord Almighty and see
if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much
blessings that you will not have room enough for it.” {Malachi 3:10}
B.
“I was
young and now I am old yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their
children begging bread” {Psalm 37:25}
Truly,
these are timeless truths by which to live. May the Lord so lead us to be thankful
throughout our lives.
Words –
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