Pastor Rick Jackson
I. THE POSITIVE POINTS OF A NEGATIVE – “Be careful for
nothing but in everything”
1. It is Positive in Its Uniqueness – relinquish worry
2. It is Positive in Its Universality – really exclusive [Mt.
6:25-33, Rm. 8:31-39]
-Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life,
what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall
put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the
fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into
barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take
ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they
toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in
all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe
the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven,
shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no
thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal
shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for
your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye
first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be
added unto you.
- If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared
not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him
also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's
elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that
died, yea rather , that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God,
who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written , For thy sake we are killed
all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all
these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am
persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in
Christ Jesus our Lord.
3. It is Positive in Its Underlying Grace – realize
Omnipotence – it is inclusive here – everything [3:20-21, 4:4-7, 13, 19, 23]
II. THE PARTS OF A WHOLE – “by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving”
1. Prayer – emphasizes devotion- be trusting who He is
2. Supplication – emphasizes details- be thorough – should
we bring God small or big problems? Clue- there are no big problems to Him
3. Thanksgiving – emphasizes dedication- be trusting what He
does is right
III. THE PROFOUNDNESS OF ITS SIMPLICITY – “let your
requests be made known unto God”
1. Its Demand of Getting Personal – you must pray, you must
decide, you must ask, you must seek
2. Its Demonstration of God’s Power – to God, your Creator, your
Heavenly Father
3. Its Destruction of Grand Pettiness – pity parties vs.
grace, mercy & love
