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We are looking at the subject on money and possessions, money and possessions are important things in life and I want to be clear, there's nothing wrong with money and possessions in and of themselves, they are not evil, they are not wicked but Jesus, the Bible does tell us that there are dangers associated with money and possessions.

Two dangers, in particular, number one, the danger of being worldly in a sense, you may love treasures, you may covet them, you may be greedy for them and you may idolize them. So the first danger is that you may be worldly, but the second danger is that you may worry. You worry you don't have enough of it, you are stressed and anxious and that's what Jesus is going to address this morning or we are going to look at this morning in Matthew chapter 6.

You see, earlier on, Jesus mentioned about how we are not to serve money but serve God. He tells us not to lay up treasures on earth because they will go away. So some of you may be thinking, well, if Jesus tells us not to lay up treasures on earth, if Jesus tells us today not to serve money but to serve God, then who's going to give me money? How am I going to survive? As a Chinese saying goes, “钱不是万能，但是没有钱却是万万不能“ 【Qian2 Bu4 Shi4 Wan4 Neng2, Dan4 shi4 Mei2 you3 Qian2 que4 shi4 wan4 wan4 bu4 neng4 】 What does that mean? It means money is not all important, but I can't survive if I have no money. So when Jesus says don't serve money, serve God, don't lay-up treasures on earth, lay up treasures in heaven, there will be some who say，“then who is going to feed me?”

So here, He's going to tell us about what it means to not worry. Now, I think all of us are familiar with worry, it's not an emotion that you are unfamiliar with and in today's context, we can worry a lot about physical things, financial things. We can worry about the rising costs in our country. Singapore is not a cheap country to live in, of course and maybe after you see the budget 2018 you are even more scared because in the few years’ time, GST is going to rise and so on, so you worry about rising costs, you worry that your chicken rice is going to be $10 one day, not four dollars or three dollars and so there are concerns. You are maybe worried today about medical needs, it's getting more and more expensive.

I have been out of medicine for some years and then I realized, wow, things have really gone up, prices have gone up, doctor’s pay has gone up, so how do you fund all that rising costs? You're worried about housing, not just for yourself but even maybe for your kids, where they are going to stay? You're worried today about children's education, can I afford? What if they don't study well? I have to send them overseas, how? And you are worried for retirement funds and so on.

So people today get stressed, they work really hard, they are uptight, they are anxious, they have bills to pay. They might go to alcohol, to pills, to tranquilizers to psychiatrist because there is a lot of things to worry about. So today, in Matthew 6, I'm going to speak about what it means to not worry, but be holy.

Not don't worry, be happy ah, that one, not so godly, ah so to be more godly, you change it alright, don't worry, be holy, but it's not just a change for the sake of changing it is really what Jesus is going to speak about in Matthew six, so let's look at what it means- not to worry, but to pursue a holy life.

He says in verse 25, therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body what you will put on. So there are three things mentioned here -  what you eat, what you drink, what you wear, summarizes the necessities for physical life and Jesus says don't be anxious about these things.

He repeats this again in verse 31, therefore do not be anxious, saying, what shall we eat, what shall we drink or what shall we wear and then He says in verse 34 again, do not be anxious about tomorrow, so I think it is very clear that versus 25 to 34 is dealing with anxiety or worries.

I want to be also very clear, does it mean, “pastor, are you saying that we cannot think about tomorrow because in some Bible versions, it is read, take no thought for tomorrow? So some of you may say, “ah, that means Christian living cannot include thinking and planning and preparing for tomorrow, is that so?” No! There are many verses in the Bible that tells us we need to be wise to prepare for tomorrow even to lay up, nothing wrong with thinking, planning and working. Jesus is not forbidding these necessary things like thinking, planning and working, but He's forbidding anxiety.

There's a difference between thinking and being anxious. You say, “what's the difference? Well the word, ‘anxious’ is from this Greek word - merimnao, which is derived from another Greek word, ‘merizo’ which means to divide. So the fundamental root word or root meaning of anxiety or worry is to be divided.

So, if I may put it this way, anxiety is being distracted, that we lose focus on what we are supposed to do, nothing wrong with preparing for the future, nothing wrong in working hard, but worry comes when you are distracted from what your current responsibilities should be, you neglect it, you don't function well in it.

So when someone is stressed, he's always worried about this and that, he's thinking about what happens in the future. So much so, he’s paralyzed and not able to function properly today, that becomes pathological, right? He becomes bad, he becomes sick and becomes not healthy. So, anxiety is losing focus, neglecting what you're supposed to do right now, you're distracted.

So Jesus says, ”do not be distracted from what you're supposed to do by thinking excessively, drawn away distracted by what you'll eat drink or put on.” Now some of you then say, “but I can't help it, I'm like Mr. Worry, everything I'm worried, I just can't help it, I feel better after I worry, I think things get better after I worry.”

Well, if you're some worry wart, then Jesus here goes on to reason with you. He's going to like very patiently, just nudge you in the right way and He nudges you in the right way, not just by telling you what to do but He asks all of us some very good questions.

The first question He asked is: now, is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Try to follow the reasoning here, Jesus is asking: which is more complex? Which is more difficult? Which is harder to provide? Life or food, your life or food? Which one is harder? Life! This life is complex, it's difficult.

Let me ask you, what is more complex or difficult to provide - body or clothing? Body. So Jesus is taking this position, He's asking some is the argument from greater to lesser. If God has given you life, and He's given you this body, is it so hard for Him to give you food and clothing, of course not! So the line of reason is this, is not life more than food and body more than clothing, He's asking, “can't God provide?”

Some of us, we worry, “oh, my economical situation is really bad, pastor, you don't understand how difficult my finances are, you don't know this, you don't know that.”

But Jesus is asking you, hey, just look at yourself, He gave you life, right? He gave you body, right? Is it so hard for Him to provide you food and clothing? That's the question He asks and the question you need to ask yourself.

Then He goes on to ask a second question, actually these are rhetorical questions, rhetorical means a question that the answer is very obvious, alright? And the second question is developed this way, He says, “look at the birds of the air,” so I can imagine, He was speaking to the disciples and then a, a flock of birds flew by, He raises His hand, sweeps it across the sky and says, “guys, look at the birds, look at the birds of the air, how they neither sow nor reap nor gather into the barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.”

He's saying, “look at the birds, have you ever seen any birds go to see a psychiatrist? Have you seen any bird stressed-out, drinking alcohol?  Aiyah, jin kang koh.”[means feeling depressed or facing difficulties] Huh, have you seen birds like, no birds just happily fly from place to place, hop from grass patch to grass patch eating, feasting and being provided for! They don't have to work, they don't have to do agriculture and the question is yet your heavenly Father feeds them, are you not of more value than they? That's the question Jesus asked, “don't you think you are more precious than these birds, are you more precious than birds? “

When I was younger, my mom when she's angry with me, when I do something wrong, she will say, “I rather give birth to char siew [means barbeque pork] than to you, at least char siew got some use.  Well! I always say that right? And so but to God, all of you who are God's children, you are a follower believer of Jesus Christ, you are of an infinite value, great value! He loves you in Christ.

So if you see nature and how God provides for birds, hey, won't He provide for you? Doesn't make sense, if He doesn't provide for you. He is your heavenly Father. He did not say God is the birds’ heavenly Father, He's your Father! Your Father provides for the birds, how come your Father won't provide for you! For you to doubt that is absolutely absurd!

Supposed today, I have a limited amount of money and I've to feed my kids but instead of feeding Shawn and Matthias, I take the money, I buy food and I give it to the birds, you say, “wow, what kind of father are you, you are ridiculous!” You're right, I'm ridiculous because amongst all, I should feed my children. So if God can feed the birds who actually are not His children in the sense of the same relationship, won't your God provide for you? Why are you worried about your food? Doesn't make sense and then He develops further, why are you anxious about clothing?

Now in those days, clothing are not fashion statements, they are necessities. It's cold at night and they need clothing, otherwise, it's unbearable.  So, clothing is a necessity and clothing is not cheap. So people can be anxious about clothing, but Jesus says, “hey wait, wait, wait, wait, why are you anxious about what you can put on?
I bring you to a second illustration from nature, look at the lilies of the field, look at the wildflowers there, how they grow they don't toil, they don't spin, they don't have to weave for themselves any clothing, yet I tell you, even Solomon, King Solomon in all His glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

Take a microscope, have a good look at the structure of any flower and you will be amazed how immaculate it is, how beautiful it is. So if God can so clothe the grass of the field, beautify the grass of the field with beautiful flowers, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven. These things are plucked up, thrown into the oven as fuel to burn, so that you may bake your bread, these things are so temporal so, so short-lived and yet God clothes them, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

The logic doesn't gel if God can so care for the flowers, won't He care for His children? So when He asked this question, “are you not of more value than they, He's asking essentially won't God provide, will He not? Do you really think He's unwilling to? Of course not! you're such value, if He can provide for the birds He can provide for the flowers, He will provide for his children.

The third question Jesus asked then shifts to the focus on worry. So, God is able, God is willing, then you say, “but I still want to worry.” Okay, then let me ask you, “which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Anyone of you can do that? By sitting there and being worried, “aiyoh, am I going to die, am I going to die, you'll live longer, anyone successfully done that? None!

Worry can't change your longevity. Well actually it can, you can shorten your life because you get stressed, heart disease, hypertension and stroke, whatever related to stress, but no one lives longer by worrying about his life.

Jesus is saying it is pointless, it's useless, someone said, “worries is like a rocking chair, it will give you something to do, but it won't get you anywhere.” Rock, rock, rock, rock, rock, but you're right where you started.

Now I just want to help those again who use a different Bible version. You might read in your Bible, which one of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his stature, you might have verses like this.  What do you, what, what do you mean by add a single cubit to his stature? Well, cubit is a form of measurement, it's approximately from where your elbow is to the tip of your middle finger, someone says it's 18 inches or so, so this is a cubit so he's so the translator say which one of you by being anxious can add one cubit length to your height, now I don't suggest that is really the right idea, because how many of you want to grow 18 inches overnight, maybe I do, I'm a bit short but those who are not so short, why would anyone want to do that or why would you be anxious to do that?

So that's probably not what it should be because cubit, this form of measurement can refer to an addition in terms of length or it can actually be applied to time. So most appropriately, it is adding time to your life. So I think this translation probably works well, how many of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Basically no!

So the question is -  can worry provide? You say, “I'm worry wart.” Then, let me ask you why?  Can worry really help you in anything?” So Jesus gives a trilogy of rhetorical questions:-

Number one, can't God provide?
Number one, can't God provide? You really think He can't do that, look at your life, look at your body, isn't it more complex than food and clothing, He's more than able to do that.

Number two, won’t God provide?
Number two, won't God provide? look at the birds, look at the flowers, if He so clothe them and feeds them, won't He do that for you? His dear child whom He has sent His Son to die for, of course He will do that!

Number three, does worry even help?
And then does worry even help in the first place, why would you want to worry?

So blow-by-blow, He exposes the issue and I think now, He after telling or asking this question, He exposes the heart of the problem, the heart of the problem about worry and anxiety is not always a logical one in a sense but it is a spiritual one because He says the root cause is that you have little faith. The root cause is that you have little faith, it is not primarily an economical financial problem, it is not primarily a psychological problem, it is primarily a spiritual problem, a theological problem.

You will still continue to worry even if you're very rich because that's your problem, little faith! You don't trust God and even you have a lot, you will still not think it is enough. So when a man worries, it shows he has no faith. When a man has faith in God, he doesn't worry, worry and faith are opposites.

A story is told of Martin Luther, Luther once, I made he's a great man of God, used of God in many ways, you can read up on him but there was a time when he was said he was depressed and worried.

So after some time his wife, one day came down the stairs wearing some dark mourning clothes, clothes that you wear when someone dies. So she wore some mourning clothes and Luther saw her and say, “what happened to you, why do you wear this,”
His wife: well, this is mourning clothes
Luther: why? someone has died, who?
His wife: God has died
Luther: what! don't you know your theology, God doesn't die!
His wife: Well, from the way you behave, it sure looks like God has died!

Worry is practical atheism, you say, God is alive, but you don't believe God is alive and you live and you act as if God is dead. Worry is because we don't believe in God.

So we feel that we, we have to control everything. So we feel like if we are not in charge of tomorrow, everything is going to collapse because I don't have a God I can trust in, that's what Gentiles do. Gentiles, here represent unbelievers, people who do not know God. Gentiles who don't believe in God, they better seek after these things because who is going to provide for them, they will think to themselves, but if you are a child of God, you don't live like this, you believe God, then you should repent of your unbelief.

The way to deal with worry and anxiety today is not to work harder to get more money, it just perpetuates self-centeredness. You say, “how do you deal with worry?”  Understand it's a spiritual theological problem and what you need to do is to repent of your unbelief, that's where it begins.  Understand the root is a problem of the heart, that's what Jesus says.

Now let me come back, I said anxiety is a distraction from what we need to do, right? You are so focused on these needs of life that you're distracted from the ultimate thing we are to be about. So, what is it that you and I must be about? What is that thing that you and I must be about, so, so that we can focus on it, so that we're not distracted by searching for food and clothing and things like that?

What is that one thing?  Die lah, like that, I talk so long, almost like you're not following me at all. I'm actually going through, almost verse by verse you know that, so what is that one thing you should be about?

Wah, thank you, alright, so this is where it leads to, don't be distracted, but be focused on this and what is this, verse 32 says this, verse 33 tells us but instead of being distracted but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.

A radical thought for many of us, we think that when we are worried we should see a psychiatrist, take some pills, earn more money so that when we have more, I will be fine, no!  The cure - repent of your unbelief, re-focus yourself on seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

In other words, serve God, you're worried because you're serving yourself, you're worried because you are finding things to satisfy yourself but no, God has called you to serve Him and then you serve Him and you can trust Him to provide.

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, what does it mean to seek first the kingdom? Well, it means that you see more people to submit to the rule and reign of God in their lives, you are praying that more will come into God's kingdom, more will surrendered to God through belief in Jesus His Son, that's what it means to seek the kingdom of God that His rule and reign would expand and grow deeper in all our hearts.

What does it mean to pursue righteousness? Righteousness is the way of life that flows from a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. So this is a life of holiness, of obedience, of Christ likeness. Focused on being a good Christian, we focused on being a good citizen of the kingdom of God. What should Christianity be all about ? Really this is it, that more would come to know Jesus more will submit to the obedience and Lordship of God that we will no more be rebels and that God would have greater say and sway in my life. I will live out that life of holiness and purity, that is what you and I need to be focused on.

Actually, this theme of serving God begins right there in verse 25, verse 25 is where we started. I waited to now to review that, it says, “therefore” [key], therefore, what do you mean ‘therefore’? It's linked to what happened before that, is linked to what he was saying before that. What was Jesus saying before that? He's saying, “don't serve money, serve God, serve God, serve God, serve God.”

Therefore, if you're serving God, don't be anxious, if you're serving God, you don't need not be anxious, that's the whole idea, you are anxious if you're not serving God, practical atheism, but you can discover joy and freedom from anxiety when you know you are serving God and when you're actually serving Him.

So seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things, all your needs will be added unto you.

Now I grew up in a relative, relatively comfortable home, so I never had to fear for my next meal, I was provided for and I lived my life pretty much for myself, I was living every day for my own happiness, for my own future, for my studies, for my grades, I was living for myself until I was 18 years old, I was called up to go to a resort island called Pulau Tekong and so the government gave me an all-expenses-paid trip to the resort island of Pulau Tekong. For those who are not familiar, Pulau Tekong, is our Army training camp, alright? So, this is where I was conscripted, I was called up by the Army, by the government to serve the Singapore Armed Forces. My life changed after I go to the Singapore Armed Forces because I realized I had to have a radical change of mind set.

I used to be living all for myself, but in the Army you can't, you go to live in a sense, you got to do everything for the nation. I have to do my little part to defend this country, I have to do my little part for my nation and the beautiful thing, OK, I hated army to be fair but, but the beautiful thing about being in the Army is that all you need to do is to focus on, is to focus on the training and everything is provided for.

They provide for you, food, not very nice sometimes but they still provide you food. They provide you clothing, they provide you lodging, they provide you medical needs, they provide you vaccinations, they provide you your travel, you have a lovely cruise boat that brings you from Changi to Pulau Tekong, the resort island every time. So everything is what, provided for, all you need to do is to train.

So in a sense, seek first the kingdom of Singapore and all these things will be added to you, right? I don't think there's any soldier who needs in the middle of the training says, “eh, Sergeant, got food or not?” I mean you don't do that, you don't train half way, enemy, enemies, say, “eh, pah toh yeow, [means hungry] I got to go look for food and you go and shoot wild boars, you don’t do that, it's an insult to your country, you don't have to say, “eh my clothes, I don't have any clothes or I'm sick, I do not know where to go.” It's an insult to the SAF, it's an insult to your government, if you think so.

But so many Christians don't realize that, we have been called out of the world to serve our King. All you need to do is to focus on serving your King. All you need to do is to focus on training, study the Scriptures, grow in the Word, be matured and equipped, that's all you need to be focused upon and trust your King to provide.

It's an insult if you say, “oh I, I can't focus on Your Kingdom, I can't focus on spiritual growth, I need to make ends meet. Sorry God, you're just not reliable.”
What kind of a God is this in your estimation?

Trust Him, He provides! Now, please don't get me wrong, I'm not saying, “wah pastor, you are telling all of us to quit our jobs and be full-time in Gospel Light.” No, of course not, working in where you're working is not anti-biblical, it is biblical for you to work, the issue is why and how. Do you have that restedness that as you pursue God's kingdom and His righteousness, you can be provided for?

Well, someone said this, “we are not called to make a living, we are called to make a difference.” Too many of us, we are seeking what we eat, what we drink, what we wear, we are, we think we are called to make a living. Maybe you will not admit that but that's how you have lived your past 10 years, 20 years and maybe that's the way you will live your next three decades.

I tell you would have wasted your life because God did not call you to make a living. If all I do in the Singapore Armed Forces is hunt for wild boars,’qui xua di’[it means looking for wild boar]. I would have wasted my time in Army. What am I supposed to do? Train and if called upon, fight! Not to hunt wild boars.

Many Christians today are hunting wild boars, so we are not called to make a different err, we are not called to make a living, we're called to make a difference for the kingdom's sake.

Now let me ask you, how would you want to live your life? How would you want to be remembered for your life? Oh, he really lived it up, he had great food, he had all the nice delicacies all around the world, he had nice clothes, he had nice cars, is that what you want to be known for? Or would it be - he made a difference in my office? He made a difference in that town? We made a difference in Punggol, we made a difference in this world? That's what it means to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Someone prayed on Wednesday night, he said; “we are not called to, to a luxury cruise ship, we are called to a life-saving boat.” Sometimes we forget which vessel we are on, we think being a Christian is getting on Royal Caribbean, wah, shiok man, this church aircon, nice car park, nice food. Christianity is so nice, you signed up for the wrong boat, folks! Wrong boat, we signed up following Jesus by saying we are here on a mission.

You know God could call anyone of us home straightaway if there's no work to do, but the fact is that we are here because there is work to do, there are souls to rescue, there are souls to save, there are people who need to come into the kingdom.  What are you going to do about it? This is a matter of priority, He didn't just say seek because many of us, we would say we do, problem is that it is at the bottom.

Let me first build my career, let me first earn enough so that I can retire comfortably, let me first be sure my kids are provided for, then I can serve God, now that is the thinking, which is what Jesus is addressing here.

I'm not saying be irresponsible and don't prepare for your kids’ education or so on, no, no, no, no, no. But it's all about priority, so let me ask you questions alright, there's no right or wrong answer that can be standardized and different people have different ways to apply this in their lives, but these are questions I, I want to ask myself, and these are questions you have to ask yourself.

1.    In your life, is it about serving people or building your career? Is it about making a living or is it making a difference in lives? Ask yourself, I want to ask myself.
2.    In your life, is it about meeting in care groups to serve one another or is it meeting clients to get more money? Sorry, no time for spiritual things, no time for Bible studies.
3.    No time for community because these things not so important, let me, let me earn my money first. When my life is okay, then I come for spiritual things, this one this one, you know Maslow's hierarchy of needs ah, let me go for basic first. Doesn't work that way, seek first the kingdom of God. Let me make sure my kids go for tuition, no time for Bible study because I need to send them for tuition.  I'm not saying your kids don't need tuition, some really need tuition, but again priorities, alright.
4.    And number four, do I give or do I save? What's my mental model when it comes to finances? These questions reveal to you and to me our priorities.

So seek first and the Greek there is to keep on seeking first, is not something you sought last time, or when I was 20 years old, I gave my life to Jesus today, no because I did it once, been there done that, doesn't work that way. This is a continual posture and attitude.

And so Jesus went on to say, “do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Be concerned about what you need to do on a day-to-day basis. Nothing wrong with planning, nothing wrong with preparing but focus on what you need to do today, right now as Spurgeon would say, “our anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow but only empties today of its strengths.”

Alright, so if you're worried, it doesn't help tomorrow, but it doesn't help today. It's counterproductive for what you need to do today. Now, I know you have some questions and so I put, I'm not going to ask you but I'm going to put these questions up and hopefully in a Q&A way it can be helpful for you.

1.    So first question about anxiety for material things. “Pastor, is it wrong, then to work or to save? Just to be clear, 2nd Thessalonians teaches us the need to work, Proverbs 6 teaches the wisdom to lay up, so there's nothing wrong in and of itself, like money, money is not wrong, money is not wicked, work is not wrong, work is not wicked, saving is not wrong, saving is not wicked. Question is not whether you do it, but how you do it and why you do it, okay, I think that's question number one.

2.    Question number two: will I get all my want when I serve God, will I get all I want when I serve God? Let me ask you, how many will say. I will get all I want when I serve God? No one, I preach so long, you don't believe? How many of you think I will get all I want when I serve God, can I see? 123456 okay, how many say no, more hands, but the rest of you. I don't know what, I do not know what I want. Okay, I think that this is a little bit tricky, but it's not actually tricky, but the key is the word, ‘want’ lah, alright.

So I think God will give all I need, but not all I want, alright? So this passage does not promise abalone and sharks fin and bird's nest, it doesn't promise you Ferragamo, Gucci clothing, it just promises you food and clothing. So this passage promises necessities not the luxuries, you won't get all you want okay, but you'll definitely get all you need to serve Him.

So this does not guarantee a nice condo, a nice car, “pastor does this guarantee a roof over our head?” Actually no. “I thought I serve God, I'll at least have a HDB flat,” I, I, I don't have that in the Bible, serve God and He will give you a HDB flat, clothing yes. Giordano can, maybe not even Giordano, I don't know, but necessities will be provided for, food will be provided for.

3.    Okay question number three, if God provides, do I still give to my brethren? How many of you say yes, if God provides, do I still give to my brethren? How many say yes, how many of you say no? This one nobody dare to raise hand.

Well if God provides, He can give to people without you, right, not a problem for God, every day, He provided for Israel 40 years, manna from heaven. Nobody needs to do anything, but we have to understand that even if God is the Provider, it is our privilege and joy that He would do it through us. It is our joy, now ,if you are not a Christian today, say, “wah, why should I give, don't want lah, if He provides, He provides, this is mine.” But if you're really a child of God, who believes God, then you would see in a different light, you say it's a wonderful privilege for me to be able to share because God gave this to me so that I have the privilege to give to him. You don't look at the money as yours, you see as God's and it's your privilege to be a wise steward distributing to brothers and sisters, alright?

4.    Question number four, does Jesus say God will provide for all people? How many of you say yes, can I see by a show of hands?

Okay more hands, how many of you think God will not provide for all people? I'll offend someone here, for sure. Well, the key thing is all people, what is all people? All people means all people, it's very obvious, but all people means all people and it's really all people, not, not some people, What do you mean? It means I think God does not provide for, does not promise to provide for all people. God provides rain and sunshine for all, Matthew 5:45, to the just and the unjust. But the promises here in Matthew 6 are for His children, the Gentiles seek these things but, your heavenly Father provides these things for you, okay?

5.    Question number five is the hardest, does this mean Christians will never hunger, be exposed or be without shelter? I find this a great question because I was asked this question, how many of you think that being Christians mean I will never hunger, be exposed or be without shelter, I will never hunger? Now, now this hunger not because you fast ah, not because you want to lose weight and you wah, I hunger, God said I'll never hunger but I fast, I hunger, well, that one, not counted. This hunger is enforced type as in not that you want, it's involuntary.

Okay, how many of you say Christians may starve, ah, why do you all say Christians may starve? I don't understand because Matthew 6 tells me He provides, so how can it be that you starve? Sorry Hebrews okay, you're saying Hebrews 11 mentions people who suffer and so on so forth, but are you saying then that God is not faithful to the people in Hebrews 11, that's a problem right? So we do read of people who starve. Paul for example was a hungred many times, how do you, how do you square this up, is Jesus saying something that is not true?

I think Christians will hunger, fact of the matter is, there are Christians who do suffer that, for example, you read of the Hebrews 11 heroes of the faith, apostle Paul himself as I've mentioned.

But I think this does not contradict God's faithfulness to provide, why? Because God's provision to provide is in the context of us being in service in the kingdom of God, so God will provide these things as far as it is His will for you to serve Him here on earth, and if it is His will for you to expire, to die as a result of it, so that you are, you get back your pink IC right, don't need to serve Army anymore, you exit, if that's the way He wants you to exit, so be it. But it is not because He was unable to provide or unwilling to provide but He says that's it, times up, come back home but He was faithful to provide all the days as far as it was necessary for you to serve Him.

So someone said it this way, “you are immortal till God's work is done.” And when you're done, that's it, come back home. So God does promise to provide, He provides for those who serve Him. He provides for those who are called out of the world to serve in the kingdom of God, He provides, but there are times when God says you don't have to serve any more, come back home and one of the ways by which you die or you leave is maybe through hunger, probable. So it's not that God is unfaithful or God is unwilling, I think that's probably my attempt at explaining this.

So the point is this - we all can be rest assured that if we are focused on training and serving, all these things will be added unto us, we don't have to fear we don't have to be distracted, we need to be locked on to the mission and you can be sure He's going to provide for you because look at the Gospel, didn't He give you His Son, look at His love demonstrated on the cross, didn't He give you Jesus! What is harder giving you Jesus or giving you a million dollars? Well, if He gave you Jesus how will He not also with Him graciously give you all things?

So today, as you serve God as you're labouring, you can cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you and I think that's the reasoning of Jesus Christ. So today, don't worry, be holy, be set apart for the Lord's work, be focused on the kingdom and on living that Christian life that glorifies Him, all these things will be added to you.

Let's bow for a word of prayer together. Some of you today are struggling in life because you are worried, concerned about your future, maybe about cost of living, about financial needs. I'm not trying and the Scripture does not minimize those difficulties but the Scriptures give you a high view of God that He who gave you life, who gave you body, is more than able to provide these things for you, that He who cares for the birds and for the flowers, cares much more for you and He's telling you today, repent from your unbelief.

Your issue is not an economical issue, your issue is not a financial issue, your issue is not a psychological issue, your issue is a spiritual theological issue. Repent of your unbelief, re-focus yourself in serving the kingdom of God. That is clarity!

Some of you are searching for clarity in your life. What should I do, what should I do? I tell it's very confusing if you want to serve yourself but it's very clear, when you settle in your heart, this is what I'm here for, serve God, I'm on a lifeboat not a cruise ship and when you do that and day by day cast your anxieties upon Him, knowing He cares for you, you're free to really serve God.  You are not distracted, you're not pulled in different directions, half wanting to serve Him, half bothered and worried about your needs. This is life, making a difference for the kingdom of heaven.

So maybe this morning folks, there may be something you need to repent of. Maybe there's a rededication that is needed in life, perhaps you can do that right here, right now. You know Jesus has been telling us treasures on earth do not last, treasures in heaven are forever, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also, it follows and the terrible thing about it is that earthly treasures can blind you and earthly treasures can bind you. But serve God, serve Him and you'll find that freedom and you will realize and see how all these things will be added unto you and He's saying all these necessities will be added unto you.

Perhaps today you say, “I want to live a life of luxury, I don't want to just have necessities, I, I want more, then I say God never promises you luxuries and if you want to live a life of luxury then go ahead, live that life but know this, all these things will pass away, but he that do who does the will of God abides forever. I say to you, you have a choice to make, what life, what legacy, what destiny, would you want this life to be all about?

Perhaps this morning you're here, I want to say to you this is God's amazing love. He has freely given you life and more than that, He has freely given Jesus Christ His Son. Christ was sacrificed on the cross while you were yet sinners and while we now today are still sinners, but He gave Christ, so that whoever repents and believes in Him might be reconciled with God. I urge you today, repent of your sin, believe in Jesus.

Day by day, we can trust God. May this be true for you. Father, thank You for Your Word, bless Your people this morning, draws us nearer to Your heart, may we rejoice in the Gospel, may we break free from the entangling sin of worry and anxiety. May we walk in freedom of true service to Your name, we ask this now in Jesus Name.

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