God Provides

City Harbor Church – Hampden, Baltimore, MD

Matthew 6:25-34

Jesus teaches that Father God is a Provider. (return to Sermon on the Mount context)

“So I tell you, don’t worry about the food or drink you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it.” – Matthew 6:25-27 NCV

“And why do you worry about clothes? Look at how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t work or make clothes for themselves. But I tell you that even Solomon with his riches was not dressed as beautifully as one of these flowers. God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today but tomorrow is thrown into the fire. So you can be even more sure that God will clothe you. Don’t have so little faith! Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ The people who don’t know God keep trying to get these things, and your Father in heaven knows you need them.” – Matthew 6:28-32 NCV

Supporting Passages:

1. God is seen as the Giver of life, love, and purpose. The Provider of all that Adam & Eve needed, in Genesis 1-3. Note: fruit and vegetables were ready-made-meals that required effort.

2. “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and my own ability have gained this wealth for me,’ but remember that the LORD your God gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm his covenant he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.” – Deuteronomy 8:17-18 CSB

3. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones. Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce; So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine.” – Proverbs 3:5-10

4. “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. (from Greek translation of Proverbs 22:8)’ And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, ‘They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever. (Psalms 112:9)’ For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God.” – 2 Corinthians 9:6-12 NLT

5. “Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7 RSV “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19 RSV

“Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well. So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” – Matthew 6:33-34 NCV

“But seek his kingdom, and these things will be provided for you. Don’t be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Make money-bags for yourselves that won’t grow old, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Luke 12:31-34 CSB (Luke 12:22-24 same teaching as Matthew 6:25-34)

“When he said that the one is to be sought first, Jesus clearly intimates that the other is to be sought later—not that it is to be sought at a later time but that it is to be sought as a thing of secondary importance. He showed that the one is to be sought as our good, that the other is to be sought as something needful for us, but that the needful is to be sought for the sake of the good.” Augustine – Sermon on the Mount 2.16.53

What do we learn?

1. God is a Provider, a Giver of more than enough.

2. God’s purpose includes a loving committed relationship with us.

3. God’s provision brings us peace and reduces anxiety.

4. God’s Kingdom is or greater importance than our basic needs.

What should we do?

1. Read our selections from Jesus’ teaching.

2. Reflect on the truth that God provides for our needs.

3. Consider our values. What do we care about?

4. Evaluate our priorities. What matters most?

What is God’s perspective on our circle of influence?