Peter Tan-Chi - Don't Worry, God Will Take Care of You
What was the message last Sunday? Serve God. Remember you cannot serve two masters, you have to serve God. Okay, today we continue to talk about Chapter 6 of Matthew. It's about worry. Don't worry. Let's say I did a study. on Google. What are people worried about? Do you want to know what people around the world, from the United States to the Philippines, are worried about? Here are the things we all worry about. Do you want to take a guess? Maybe you are worried about these things too. First, money: how do I pay my bills, how do I pay off my debts? Are you worried about these too? OK! Next, they worry about their health. They worry about their family's health, everything from cancer to a variety of illnesses. They worry about their careers and the future... Single people worry about getting married.
Will I have a lifelong partner? And those who don't know Jesus worry about how to get out of marriage. For those of us who believe, thank God we are married and happily married. But the truth is: the number one worry is death. They are afraid of death. Are you afraid of death? You know, Jesus is amazing, the more I read the Bible, the more I marvel at His transcendent wisdom. One of the reasons I believe in the Bible is what we're going to study today. See what Jesus said to us? What's the message today? Let's read together: Don't worry, God will take care of you. Tell the person next to you not to worry, God will take care of you. There is a huge difference between worry and concern. Concern is not a sin. In fact, concern will encourage you to cheer up and take preventive measures. Concern is reasonable.
The Bible talks about concern, and Jesus tells us, "Which of you, who wants to build a building, a tower, doesn't first sit down and calculate the cost"? So it's okay to think ahead and be concerned, the apostle Paul said, I'm concerned about the welfare of the church, So it's okay to be concerned. But when does concern turn to worry? Concern is when you do something, you do it to the best of your ability and then leave it to the Lord. That's okay, that's concern. This motivates you to take precautions, which is good. What is worry? Worry is that you are not only concerned, but you are always thinking about it, morning, noon, night... You can't sleep, you can't surrender, you have fear and anxiety, so it becomes a burden in your mind, and you lose it. Your vitality, you're so scared, it turns from concern to worry.
Worry is when you don't leave your affairs in God's hands. Worry is when you take things into your own control, but the truth is that you can't control everything. Concern is when you control what you can control and leave the rest to God; worry is when you control what you can't control. If you try to control what you can't control, you start to worry. Therefore I tell you: Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn't life more than food? Is not the body more valuable than clothes? Do you know that any king, any head of state, any government, any president has ever issued a law making it illegal to worry? Do you have? Do you know if any religious leaders tell people that worrying is a sin?
I don't know, only in Christ. Only God tells us not to worry. Do you understand the grammar of this verse? If you study Greek, the grammar is very emphatic. It says, therefore, I tell you not to worry. Don't worry, it can be translated as follows: Hello! Stop worrying. To stop worrying means that you are already worrying, just like you, just like me. God is saying, stop worrying. This is not a suggestion, this is a command, and I discovered something about God. When He issues a command, it is always for our good. Let me repeat, when God gives a command, it is not to cause misfortune to happen to you. It's not to restrict you, it's for your own benefit. Some people have found that worrying is bad for your health.
Have you heard of Dr. Charles Mayo and the famous Mayo Clinic? According to research by Dr. Charles Mayo, people don't die from working too much or being overworked; they don't die. They died because of excessive worry. The solution is this: Learn to meditate on God more and worry less. We think of many kinds of pills and we take many medicines to overcome our worries. Medicines are not antidotes. Meditation is, you have to think correctly. So how to think correctly? Everyone, read this passage again: Therefore I say to you: Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn't life more than food? Is not the body more valuable than clothes? OK, every time you see the word "so," what must you do? There must be a reason. There must be a reason. You must read the previous verse.
What is the previous verse? Let's read together: No one can serve two masters. Either you hate this and love that, or you are loyal to this and despise that. You cannot serve both God and wealth. Jesus is saying that no one can serve two masters. He is not saying that it is difficult to do so. He is not saying that it is difficult to do so. He was saying it was impossible. You cannot serve two masters. Because you can't serve two masters, you should choose one. He is telling us that you must choose the right master and you must serve God. If you don't serve God, you don't feel safe and you start to worry. So he said, because you cannot serve two masters, but one. So which Lord is it? Jesus. God, not money. You cannot serve God and wealth at the same time. Another translation says, mammon.
The word mammon is the name of a foreign god, a Syrian god, and means money and wealth. You cannot serve money or anything else without worry. Why? Because money cannot guarantee your safety. Money cannot bring you security. Only God can give you security. My friend told me what his friend went through. His friend flew to the Philippines from the United States. Why come? To get the inheritance, to get dividends worth more than 300 million pesos. This guy came over from America to collect the money, and a week later, before he could collect the money, he went to the hospital, and he died, before he could collect the money. My friend, money cannot give you security. I heard my son tell about another friend of his. He made a very successful business venture. Earned more than 500 million U.S. dollars, not pesos, but U.S. dollars. He told his partners to protect the money and keep it carefully.
His partners wired the money to the Middle East because their business was in the Middle East. Soon after, he discovered that the country he was sending money to was blacklisted by other Arab countries. He couldn't touch the money. The money is frozen. Well, what I'm saying is, if you serve something else, you're going to be filled with worry. Think about this truth, you will not find a sense of security. This is why Jesus tells us that no one can serve two masters. So, read this together: Therefore, I say to you, do not be anxious. Do you understand the connection? If you don't serve God and you serve something else, you will have cause for worry. So there is only one Bible teacher, there is only one scholar, there is only one Savior, there is only one God, there is only one Leader, and as far as I know, the only one who condemns worry as a sin is Jesus.
So, my friend, are you worried? Tell those around you not to worry, Heavenly Father will take care of you. You know, it's one thing to tell people not to worry. The question is, how can you stop worrying? So He gives you reasons why you shouldn't worry. The first reason he tells you is: Look at the birds in the sky...you can learn something by looking at them. What can you learn? The birds neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you much more valuable than birds? Do you know what Jesus is saying? Look at the birds in the sky. I take care of them. Don't worry, Heavenly Father will take care of you. Do you know why? Because God is our Father. I never understood the power of this truth: God is your Father, and therefore He will take care of you until I become a father myself.
Later, I served in CCF, and I saw that many young people, whether single or married, all had problems, not all of them. Many of them had problems with their parents, especially their fathers. The problem is, they can't relate to this verse. Don't worry, your Heavenly Father will take care of you. Do you know why? I find that many fathers are irresponsible. I find that many fathers have no sense of responsibility. Because of your past, it may be difficult not to worry. So Jesus is saying, don't worry, Heavenly Father will take care of you. Do you know why? God is your heavenly Father. Can you tell the person next to you, don't worry, God will take care of you.
Now, if you're having trouble understanding this, he tells you, look at the birds in the sky. Ask everyone, how many of you have never seen a flying bird? Please raise your hand. do you know? I keep asking Jesus, why did you choose this picture of birds? I discovered something. Did you know that birds are always singing? After heavy rain or typhoon, what do you hear? What will happen to the birds? singing. Have you ever seen a bird worrying, What shall I eat? No. I praise God that I have a friend, Raymond, who gave me these pictures. These are Philippine birds, many of which can only be found in the Philippines. Look at these birds, he took these photos himself. Look, do you know what kind of bird this is? Blue-capped emerald. When I say native bird, many times this bird can only be found in the Philippines, that's why it is called a native bird. What kind of bird is this? Green-breasted thrush. Birds are not lazy. They get up early and work.
So when the Bible says, don't worry, the Bible isn't saying be lazy. Birds don't open their beaks and say, "Give me worms to eat". They don't do that. My friend, if you are lazy, you should worry. Be like a bird, work hard, but trust in God. Let me ask you, how many of you are worried? Raise your hand if you are worried about at least one or two things. Now, those of you who are raising your hands, I want to remind you that you are committing a sin. Haha This is the most common sin among Christians. We give excuse after excuse. We don't realize that God commands us not to be anxious about anything and tells us not to worry. Why? Because worry is a very serious sin. Because you are telling God, I don't believe you. You are telling God that I don't trust you. You are telling God that I don't believe you are good. You are telling God that I doubt you.
So don't think that worrying is a small sin. It is very serious. So, it's good to listen to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. A true Christian understands that God is his Father and God is our Father. So, the Bible tells us, look at the birds. By the way, is there another bird you want to see? Well, this bird is called the Olive Backed Flower Pecker. How amazing! In the Philippines, some of you can't see this bird, do you know why? Because we live in Manila. What kind of birds can you see in Manila? sparrow. We have several verses talking about sparrows. Let's see what the Bible says: Aren't five sparrows sold for two cents of silver? Sparrows are everywhere and they are cheap, five sparrows cost 2 cents of silver. In other words, each bird is less than 1 cent of silver. Do you understand it?
It's so cheap, but what Jesus said, look at this verse But before God, forget not one, God will take care of the little bird. I tell you the truth, even the very hairs of your head are numbered. Ladies, how much hair do you have? How does it compare to men? Does God love you more because of this? Every hair on your head has been numbered. Now, what about men who are bald? God still loves you, no problem. But the important thing is, don't worry, don't be afraid. You are more valuable than many sparrows. God is saying, if I can take care of these birds, why are you always worried? Think about this, God is telling you today, why should you worry? Look at these birds. So, I'm telling you, if you start worrying about the future, about your job, about your career, Jesus said, don't worry, I'm going to take care of you.
If you don't believe him, look at the birds in the sky. Then he told us that you are more precious and valuable. This is what you call seeing the big from the small. If God is willing to take care of sparrows, such cheap and common sparrows, would n't He be willing to take care of you? You are his child. You are a child of God and you are precious. Look what the Bible says. Let's read together: Romans 8:32 For He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not also, with Jesus, freely given us all things? Friend, do you truly believe that God loves you? He loves you so much that he gave you Jesus. If God gave Jesus to you, and Jesus died for you, why can't you trust Him in other little things? If you are willing to entrust your eternal soul to God, why can't you entrust your temporary body to His care?
My friend, many Christians fail to trust God. That's our fundamental problem, we have no joy, we have no peace. We are always fighting. Why? Because we always want to control things, because you don't trust God the Father. When I became a father, I began to understand how much God loves me. I have 5 children and I love them all. If I love my children, and I am a sinner, and I love my five wonderful children, how much more will God, my heavenly Father, be the perfect Father, how much more will He take care of you and me? Friends, think about this, there are earthly fathers who love their children, but they don't have the money to take care of their children, but God doesn't do that. There are earthly fathers who love their children, but they are incapable because they have physical illnesses. They have all kinds of limitations, but God has no limitations.
So, God is telling us, don't worry, God will take care of you. Have you ever sung that song, "Jesus' Friendship Song"? Do you like these words? Sing with me, everyone: The robin said to the sparrow, I really wonder why those anxious people are so anxious and worried? Singing together, the sparrow said to the robin: I think it must be so. They don't have a heavenly father, like the one who watches over you and me... That's why I can't be the cantor. Do you understand? I write my own songs in my own way, writing them as I go along. If you were worried, would you sing this song? I have another song for you in a little while. What is today's sermon message? What is the theme? Don't worry, Heavenly Father will take care of you.
You know, some people do the exact opposite. Why pray when you can worry? Don't worry, Heavenly Father will take care of you. You know, there was once a bishop who was full of worries. this is a true story. There was a bishop who was always worried that he would be sick, for worry is universal. He feared he would become paralyzed. So he started mumbling to himself. Do you know what paralysis is? It's just that you are unconscious. He began to mutter. Oh, no, oh, no, I'm unconscious, I can't feel it. And then the lady sitting next to him said, "Dear Bishop, you're pinching my leg". If you don't get the joke, there's something wrong with you. This is not a joke, but a true story. "I'm unconscious, I'm unconscious". He didn't pinch his own leg, he pinched the lady's leg. Of course he couldn't feel it. Wake up, wake up, okay? Some of you are constantly worrying, worrying, worrying, and the Bible says, "Which of you can add one moment to your life by worrying"? In other words, worrying is useless.
Tell the person next to you that worrying is useless. Not only is it useless, it's also harmful to you. Why? Some people have found that when you worry, your cortisol levels rise. When cortisol levels rise, it affects your immune system. It can also affect your digestive system, such as ulcers, and increase blood pressure. That's why more people die, not because of problems, but because of worries. So, when God says not to worry, it is for our own good. So, what God is saying is this: How many of you can prolong your life by worrying? you can not. Worrying is completely useless. Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere. Some of you like to worry. You know you like to worry because you worry about not worrying. Ha ha! Am I right? Don't worry, stop worrying. OK?
Why do you worry about clothes? Look at the lily. The word lily in Greek means flower that grows in the field. They neither toil nor spin. God is saying, look at those birds, look at these flowers. They are not as precious as you. I take care of them all. Look at the birds, look at the flowers. Are they good-looking? Wow, did you know? Jesus said this, I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these flowers. God is saying, if I look after these lilies, if you think Solomon is rich, these lilies are better dressed than Solomon. Then God said: If God gives the grass of the field these clothes if it is there today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will He give it to you? You people of little faith. Do you know what God is talking about? You are much more valuable than birds, you are much more precious than flowers. They are all temporary. They grow today and are useless tomorrow except for fuel. You are more precious. Why should you be anxious? God's heart says, why don't you trust me?
So He tells you: Our problem is this, doesn't He care more about you? O you of little faith? You who have little faith, Jesus quoted this statement four times. Every time it is used, it talks about not worrying about death, not worrying about life. I remember that time the disciples were on a boat and encountered bad weather. They were afraid, and Jesus said, "Why are you afraid? Oh, you of little faith". When Peter was about to be overwhelmed, he was afraid, and Jesus said, Oh, you of little faith. I will watch over you. When the disciples were arguing about food, who would give us the bread? Where are we going to eat? Where are we going to eat? Jesus said to you, you of little faith. Do you know why? Faith is the key to solving the problem of worry.
Next, I'm going to tell you that the root cause of worry is not always faith. The root cause of worry, yes, is a lack of faith, but the reason you lack faith is because you don't know the Lord. Therefore, the root cause of worry is that you do not know the Lord. Think about this, you tell people to believe in God, I tell you to believe in God. If you don't know him, why should you trust him? I tell you today, believe in Jesus. Why should you believe in Jesus if you don't know Him? There is a difference between true Christians and false Christians. True followers of Jesus know the Lord. He knows He is faithful, He knows He is love, My friend, do you know the Lord? If you don't know him, you won't trust him. It 's normal to be afraid, but when you're afraid, it's a trigger that says, boom, I have to trust Him.
So, when you worry, boom, it's a trigger. It tells you that you are wrong and the person you trust is wrong. You are trusting the environment, you are trusting people, and you are trusting your company. Trust nothing else but God. The psalmist puts it this way, the psalmist says, when I worry... notice, every now and then he starts to be afraid... It's not a sin, but you have to deal with it. What must you do? I will put my faith into it. Do you know what I'm talking about? When you are afraid, it is a trigger. Why should you be afraid? Ah, I'm concentrating on the problem. I want to trust Him. I praise God's Word…please, stay grounded in God's Word. I trust God's Word and I am not afraid. Did you notice the grammatical subtleties? Trust, fear. If I fear, I trust. This solves the problem of fear. If I trust, I will not be afraid. In other words, fear and trust cannot coexist in your heart today. Nor can you have worry and trust at the same time. If you worry, it means you don't trust. If you trust God, you will not worry.
Are you worried? If you worry, the solution is that you deal with it. I will shift my focus away from the situation, or the problem. For example, do you know what single people worry about most? Single person? Singles, please wave to me and say hi. Do you know what you are worried about? Worried about the future, will you get married? Let me tell you how blessed you are to be single. Do you know why? Yes, praise the Lord, praise the Lord. Of course you don't know what you're missing. I am happily married. But some people... I 'd better be careful what I say. I've been warned. I don't want you to think that marriage is bad, but the truth is, without Christ, people are worrying about how to get out of marriage. People want to get out. People who are not married, want to get in. It's really a headache. My friend, don't worry, Heavenly Father will take care of you, amen.
So, what do you have to do? What must you do when you are afraid? Trust. When you trust, you never have to be afraid. Ask, how do you grow in your faith? How can you trust? How to do it? There are no shortcuts. Faith comes from hearing the word, and hearing comes from the word of Christ. In other words, there are no shortcuts. Do you want your confidence to grow? What must you do? Attention everyone! Read the Bible. How many of you have read the entire Bible? Please raise your hand, raise it higher, raise it higher. Raise your hands high. Put your hands up, because I see some people don't have their hands up. Now, young people here, why don't you decide to read the entire Bible in the next year? If you commit to reading the entire Bible next year, you will see us register your name. I'll give you a gift, seriously.
Last week, two weeks ago, someone came to me in our Bible study group. "Peter, I finally read the entire Bible". We all applauded. You know why? When you read the Bible, you get to know Jesus better and you get to know God better. What makes you think it is possible to grow spiritually without reading the Bible? What are you thinking, why do you think you can know God without reading the Bible? Is that what you're thinking? Can you know God just by coming here on Sunday and not reading the Bible? That is impossible. I read the Bible diligently, and I read the Bible once a year. Now I have read the last part. I read as much of the Bible as I can every day. Sometimes I miss it, but I read the Bible almost every day. I meditate on the words of the Bible. Every year, I read the Bible. Why? I want to know Him.
Jesus loves you. I want to love Him. How do I love him? Read the Bible. How do I know what He wants me to do? Read the Bible. Again, I want you to invest your energy in reading the Bible. If you want to be a healthy Christian, if you want to please God, you have to read the Bible. Coming here once a week is not enough. Do you understand? What's the message today? Don't worry, Heavenly Father will take care of you. Let's read: So do not worry, saying, What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear? He tells us other reasons why you shouldn't worry. This is what the Gentiles want, Gentiles, unbelievers, they are after money, food and houses. Your heavenly Father knows that you need these things. He is saying, don't imitate the unbelievers. Why? They have no Father in heaven. You have a Father in heaven, so don't be like them.
Don't be a Christian atheist, who is a Christian atheist? You claim to know Jesus, but you act as if He doesn't exist. You have no joy, you have no peace. Why? You are a Christian atheist. Who are Christian Atheists? They claim to believe in God, they claim to believe in Jesus, but you act as if He doesn't exist. He said, don't be like the Gentiles. Why can you and I trust God? Why, why can we trust Him? He is our Father. Whose responsibility is it to look after the children? Father's responsibility. Have you ever seen a baby worried? Mom, dad, woo woo, I'm going to be hungry. Do babies worry? Will it? you ask yourself. When did you start worrying? At what age did you start worrying? do you know? I have discovered that worry is a learned thing. The day you start seeing your parents worry, the day you start seeing your classmates worry, you start worrying.
You see, when you were born into this world, you had the faith of a child. You trust someone to look out for you. But as you get older, as you experience the reality of life in some way, you start to worry. My friends, I want you to return to your childlike faith. Don't worry, Heavenly Father will take care of you. Say it with me, don't worry, your Heavenly Father will take care of you. Amen? So, he tells us not to worry. Look at God's promises and read them together. My God will provide...what does it say? Some, some? My God will provide much, much? No, my God will provide almost? No. My God will provide (say it loudly)... God will provide all your needs, all according to His riches, according to His riches, not yours, but His. Let me illustrate how God provides all our needs according to His riches. Do you remember our sharer? Her name is Aika. Her father had problems before. Her father had cancer, she also had cancer, and her boyfriend of five years passed away. Yet she survived wonderfully. Why? She trusted in God. He will provide all your needs.
Notice, let's read it again: My God will supply everything you need, not everything you want. See the difference? Need, not want. If God knew you needed a car, would He give you one? Yeah, but don't insist on a Mercedes, got it? God knows you need a house? Yes, but don't insist on a palace. But does God have the power to give you a palace? Of course He can, and if He wants to do it, our God will provide it. Are you familiar with the story of Elijah? There was a famine and God called Elijah. Elijah, the word of the Lord came to Elijah. Get up and go to Zarephath in Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow there to provide for you. God told Elijah that there would be a famine. There will be no water and no food. You are going to a foreign country called Sidon, and there is a widow there, a poor widow, and she will take care of you.
Elijah was probably thinking, God has a sense of humor, why would He go to a widow? God said she would take care of you. So, he went, and then he saw this woman, this widow, and he asked, can you give me something to eat? Why a widow? Let me tell you why. The widow in the Bible was the poorest of the poor. They don't have social security, they don't have a government funding system. A widow is alone without a husband. So who will take care of her? That's her dilemma. God told Elijah to go see the widow, and Elijah did so. Elijah told her, give me some food, give me some water. You know what the widow said? The widow said, sorry sir, I have nothing to eat. I'm out of water. In fact, what she said was this: She said, I am going to find two sticks of firewood and go home to make cakes for me and my son. If we eat it, let us die!
You see, she said, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the altar, and a little oil in the jar. She's saying, I'm so poor, I don't have anything to give you. Do you understand her situation? Must she be worried? Yes, she was worried about her son. Who would watch over him? Who will watch over us? Where can we find something to eat? That's the problem she faces. Now there is another problem. Elijah said, Feed me. Look at the predicament she's in. Elijah said, Don't be afraid. You can do as you say! But first make me a little cake and bring it to me, and then make a cake for you and your son. In other words, Elijah said, I know you have bread. I don't know if you have enough flour, but make me a pie first. In Tagalog, how would you describe Elijah? This guy, you guy, you are still so arrogant in such a difficult time.
You know, God was teaching Elijah something. When I ask you to do something, you do it. God is also teaching this widow something, you have to trust... Do you know what this widow did? Before she did this, Elijah gave her the word of God. for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel. (Read this together) The meal in the altar will not diminish, nor the oil in the jar will be short, until the day when the LORD sends rain on the earth. In other words, the Lord is telling this woman, listen, the flour in your altar and the oil in your jar will never be exhausted. Trust Me and do what I tell you to do. Now, if you were that woman, what would you do? You look at the flour jar and say to yourself, this is really a problem. Only enough for one person. You look at the oil bottle and see there is no oil left. what will you do? My God will provide for everything you need. You know what she did? Remember, faith comes by hearing the word of God.
Okay, let's take a look. She did as Elijah said. She and her household and Elijah ate for many days. Let's all read together. The meal on the altar did not diminish, nor did the oil in the jar fail, just as the LORD had spoken through Elijah. My friend, this woman, this family will never experience the sufficiency of God, until they rise up and obey by faith. There are things in your life that you never know what God is capable of doing until you obey Him. Yet many of us do not know God. Do you know why? You know Him mentally, but you never know Him experientially. Why? What's the missing link? This is the missing link, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. You see, God has given you a condition. To experience God's sufficiency, here are God's conditional promises, ask first.
The word "seek first" is a command. The second point is in the present tense, which means to continue to put God first. Seek first His kingdom. What does His kingdom mean? His kingdom simply means the sovereignty, the dominion of Jesus. In any kingdom, there are kings and subjects. There are kings and followers. Without a king and followers, there is no kingdom, understand? So the Kingdom of God is spoken of 150 times in the New Testament. It is spoken by Jesus over 130 times in the Gospels. Simply put, what Jesus talked about is: the kingdom of God. The kingdom of heaven is when Jesus becomes the king of your heart and the king of your life. This is why the Kingdom of God is expressed in two ways. One is in your heart, and the other will come in the future. This will really be the case when Jesus returns and reigns. But the Kingdom of God is not about geography, it is not about territory, it is about His sovereignty. Question, is Jesus your King? If He is your King, that is His Kingdom. He is my King. Is Jesus the King of your family? Is Jesus the King of your business? Is Jesus the King of your entire life?
That's the point. Seek first His kingdom. Jesus has become my King, so my daily routine is, "Lord, what is your will"? because my job is to obey the King. Seek first His kingdom. You care about His agenda, and that agenda is to tell people and get them to acknowledge Him as King. You see, many people go to church in the Philippines today, but Jesus is not their King. They have religion. They may think of Jesus as their Savior, but they have never surrendered their lives to the Lordship of Jesus. The Kingdom of God simply means recognizing Jesus as your King. And my job is to tell people that Jesus is King. Surrender your life to Him. Just this week I had the opportunity to sit next to someone on a plane. I just came back from Taipei on Friday night. I shared it with the person sitting next to me. I say, God loves you very much. I said it was no accident that we sat together. I said, God loves you so much that He told me to give you a message, and I shared the gospel.
My friends, seek first His kingdom. That's my job. What is God's job? Provide all my needs. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. What is His righteousness and what does it mean? Seek first His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. What is His righteousness? His righteousness is how He wants you to live. The righteousness of God has been given to us and we are acquitted. Are we clear? We were acquitted. Righteousness has to do with your relationship with God. You live a life that pleases God, His righteousness, and He is pleased with your life. Positionally, when you come to Christ, all your sins are forgiven, but experientially, you need to live it out. You need to practice, you need to seek His righteousness. Meaning, you need to do what He wants you to do in your life. That's what this promise means.
Seek first His kingdom, His agenda, and His righteousness. You must live a life of integrity. Living according to His will is putting Him first and that's what we do. You won't believe it, but this week I took a group of people with me and we had a Bible study in Taipei. We were in this hotel, and we asked for a room, and they gave us a room downstairs, and we had a Bible study. Do you understand? We set up all the chairs. But when we set up all the chairs, someone came and told us, "Sorry, you can't party here, you have to go back upstairs". Now you have to remember, we just came down from upstairs to find someone to check. The manager just told me to go downstairs. After setting up the chairs downstairs, they told us, "Sorry, you need to go back upstairs". And I was like, "What the hell is this guy doing"? But then I remembered, we represent Jesus. How can a Bible teacher be angry? So we all remind ourselves that we are ambassadors for Christ, we are representatives of Christ. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, so we all smile. OK... But my heart is muttering, muttering, but OK.
What's my point? Put God first in everything you do, including in your home. What is His promise? All these things will be added to you. I can tell you that in my own life, many years ago, my religion was money. You need to know our past. I come from a family where my confidence is in money. My father owned the largest textile company in the Philippines at that time. We have 5000 workers. My confidence is in business. Then God did something. You know what God did? I got kicked out of my own company. Our company was taken over because of martial law. I was thinking, how could this happen? I was telling God what to do. I gave God 3 choices, understand? Lord, want me to glorify Your name so that I can teach the Bible effectively. Option 1, Option 2, Option 3. God, do you understand?
You know, God didn't answer any of my prayers. He took them all away. Then I found out why. I've found that when God takes something away, it 's because He wants to free my hands for something better. God took those things away because He wanted to give me something better. Honestly, when I look back, the best thing that ever happened to me and my family was when God gave us another career when I lost my job. Have you ever realized that you can never be more than, or better than, God? Do you realize that there are many pastors in CCF today who are as self-reliant as I am? We don't get a penny from CCF. But do you know why God has blessed so many of us?
My favorite scripture, Matthew 6:33. Let's read it together. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. What are these things? Food, clothing, and shelter. Is God good? Yes, of course, God is good. Question, how do you know God will provide? You will never know until you surrender to Him 100%. Most of us take shortcuts, most of us cheat. You cannot experience the fullness of God. You know why? Because you're afraid to trust Him, you're always worried, you're always trying to take shortcuts. I tell you today, God's word, once He makes a promise, He will keep it, because God is faithful, Amen. So my friend, is God telling you what to do today? Some of you, you need to give up whatever you are doing, some of you, you need to surrender. You are always worried.
Let me tell you something, and as I wrap up, let's read this verse together. Don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. One day's difficulty is enough. Don't worry about tomorrow. As you all know, there are two days that you should never worry about. First, don't worry about tomorrow. Second, don't worry about yesterday. Go worry about yesterday and try it. Come on, give it a try. Can you change yesterday? I've made all the stupid mistakes, I've made them and can't change them. Tomorrow, can I control tomorrow? Cannot. Today is my time to walk with the Lord, amen. So don't worry. Do you know why? God is in control. How many of you have heard of JC Penney? JC Penney, have you ever heard of JC Penney? His father is a pastor.
Let me end with this wonderful story. He opened a store called the Golden Rule Store. God made him prosperous. He kept opening branches. JC Penny originally came from a poor family and became so successful. In the 1920s he had about 500 JC Penney stores, and then the big crash came. There is a financial crisis in the United States. He started to worry, he started to get sick. They rushed him to the hospital. Do you know why? He is dying. There was no cure, and doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with him. Until he heard a song, a song I want you to hear too. This song healed him. "Heavenly Father Will Watch Over You" Heavenly Father Will Watch Over You He heard this song. He will hide you under his wings. The Father will watch over you. Let us sing together. Heavenly Father will watch over you. God will watch over you. God will watch over you. God will watch over you.
Now I want you to sing the next verse. Are you ready? No matter what trials you go through, the Father will take care of you. Even if you are weak and lean on His breast, the Father will take care of you. The Father will take care of you. He will take care of you. He will take care of you. The Father will take care of you. JC Penney in the hospital chapel When he heard this song, God spoke to him. God said, why are you always worried? I will watch over you. When he heard the song, miraculously he was healed. J.C. Penney began doing wonderful works of charity for the Lord because he knew God was his Father.
Friends, some of you are worried today, and I don't know what you are worried about. I have a message for you, don't worry, Heavenly Father will take care of you. The Bible tells us that we should not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Some of you are always worried. God tells us not to be anxious but to pray in all things with thanksgiving. Have you given your worries to the Lord? We come to bow our heads and pray, we come to speak to the Lord. If you are worried today, why don't you cast your burdens on the Lord? tell him. Come and talk to the Lord. You say, Lord, I'm anxious about this, I'm anxious about that, whatever that is.
What are you worried about? Is it money? Is it a family member? Is it your health? Leave it to Jesus. Tell Jesus, Lord I thank you! Thank Him for the problem and thank Him in advance for the solution. Thank Him in everything. When you put your head down, some of you, maybe some of you, are saying, Peter, I'm not sure if God is my father, I'm religious, I know there is a God, but I don't To really know if He is my Father, I don't know if He really loves me, and today I want to experience His love, If you want to experience the love of God today, if you want to experience God as your Father, raise your hand, I will Pray for you, lift up, if that's your desire, lift up, I want to pray this prayer with you, if you want to experience God as your Father, you need to pray humbly, lift your hands up, pray like this:
Lord Jesus, I have never entrusted my life to you. I always wanted to control it myself. I really don't know if God is my father, but I know there is a God. I just don't Knowing that He is my Father, Today, Lord Jesus, I accept you, Surrender my life to you by faith I accept your gift of forgiveness, I accept your gift of eternal life. Come into my heart and be my Savior, be my Savior. Thank you. for dying on the cross for my sins. Now, Lord Jesus, I give you all my worries, all my anxieties, I leave them to you, Lord Jesus, in the name of the Lord, amen, amen!