RETURN TO SYLLABUS
THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #11
THE PARABLE OF BIRDS AND LILIES (MAT 6:25-34)

• MEMORY VERSE: MAT 6:33

• READ MAT 6:19-34 FOR BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT.
• IMPORTANT CONCEPTS OR PRINCIPLES IN MAT 6:25-34.
• =1= DON’T BE UNNECESSARILY CONCERNED ABOUT DAILY PROVISION (25)
• =2= GOD CONSIDERS US AS VERY VALUABLE (26) (30)
• =3= DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE THINGS YOU CANNOT CHANGE (27)
• =4= GOD CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF PROVIDING FOR YOU THAN YOU CAN (29)
• =5= DON’T PUT YOUR WORRIES INTO WORDS (31)
• =6= BE SINGLE MINDED, SERVING GOD FIRST, AND HE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU (33)
• THE CONTEXT IS ONE OF CHOICES:
• WE ARE TO LAY UP FOR OURSELVES TREASURES IN HEAVEN (6:20)
• WE ARE TO HAVE A SINGLE FOCUS TO OUR LIFE (6:22)
• WE CAN’T SERVE TWO MASTERS (6:24)
• =7= DON’T HAVE ANXIETIES ABOUT TOMORROW.
• ANXIETIES ARE WHAT YOU THINK MIGHT HAPPEN BUT USUALLY NEVER OCCUR.
• THE WORD, "ANXIOUS", MEANS = ABUNDANT CONCERN, DISTRACTING CARE
• WORRY INVOLVES FEAR AND FEAR IS THE OPPOSITE OF FAITH
• READ JAM 1:6-8
• READ HEB 11:6
• THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE (25-30):
• IF I PUT GOD AS MY TOP PRIORITY FOCUS AND SPEND MY ENERGIES SERVING HIM, HE WILL PROVIDE EVERYTHING I NEED. BECAUSE I BELONG TO HIM, I AM VERY VALUABLE TO HIM. THEREFORE, I WILL NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE.
• WHAT IS MEANT BY THE CORRELATION BETWEEN FOOD AND CLOTHING AND THE BIRDS OF THE AIR (25-26)?
• BIRDS DO NOT WORRY ABOUT WHERE THEY WILL GET THEIR NEXT MEAL OR ABOUT WHAT COVERS THEIR BODIES.
• GOD KNOWS THAT FOOD AND CLOTHING ARE BASIC NECESSITIES OF LIFE.
• IF GOD TAKES CARE OF THE BIRDS THAT ARE A PART OF HIS CREATION, HOW MUCH MORE HE WILL CARE FOR YOU. WHY?
• THE SOUL OF MAN IS MORE VALUABLE TO GOD THAN ANY ANIMAL.
• BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST HAVE MADE A SPECIFIC DECISION TO SERVE GOD OUT OF LOVE. ANIMALS DO NOT HAVE THAT CHOICE.
• SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF BIRDS AND HOW THEY RELATE TO THE PARABLE:
• EVERY BIRD MIRACULOUSLY HATCHES FROM AN EGG.
• THE NEW BIRTH OF THE BELIEVER IS A MIRACULOUS EVENT, AS WELL.
• EVERY BIRD IS CLOTHED WITH FEATHERS.
• THE BELIEVER IS CLOTHED WITH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST.
• PROVISION IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO BIRDS, BUT THEY HAVE TO WORK FOR IT.
• PROVISION IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO BELIEVERS, AND THOUGH WE SHOULD WORK, GOD’S ABUNDANCE EXCEEDS OUR EFFORTS.
• BIRDS DON’T STORE FOOD THINKING THAT NONE WILL BE AVAILABLE THE NEXT DAY.
• BELIEVERS SHOULD NOT BE CONCERNED ABOUT OR FOCUSED ON THE NEXT DAY’S PROVISION THINKING THAT MAYBE GOD WILL FAIL TO PROVIDE.
• BIRDS DON’T WORRY OR GET ULCERS.
• BELIEVERS ARE TOLD TO WALK BY FAITH. THAT MEANS THERE IS NO PLACE IN THE BELIEVER’S LIFE FOR WORRY.
• BIRDS HAVE A HIGH, LOFTY VIEW OF THINGS.
• BELIEVERS SHOULD HAVE A HEAVENLY PERSPECTIVE OF THIS LIFE AND THE WORLD.
• BIRDS ARE IMPORTANT TO THE FARMER BECAUSE THEY EAT THE SEEDS OF WEEDS AND THE INSECT PESTS.
• THE BELIEVER IS IMPORTANT TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD BECAUSE HE RESTRAINS EVIL AND HOLDS BACK THE DARKNESS IN THE WORLD.
• SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF LILIES AND HOW THEY RELATE TO THE PARABLE:
• THE huleh LILY OF CANAAN IS KNOWN FOR ITS BRILLIANT COLORS FROM SCARLET DEEP PURPLE.
• THE BELIEVER IS CLOTHED WITH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST, WASHED IN THE SCARLET BLOOD OF THE LAMB.
• THE BLOOM OF THE LILY HAS A SHORT LIFE.
• IN THE SCHEME OF THE AGES, A PERSON’S LIFE ON EARTH IS VERY SHORT BY COMPARISON.
• LILIES ARE ELEGANT AND BEAUTIFUL.
• GOD CONSIDERS THE BELIEVER TO BE MORE BEAUTIFUL.
• LILIES THRIVE IN THE LIGHT.
• BELIEVERS LIVE AND GROW IN THE LIGHT OF GOD’S TRUTH IN THE BIBLE.
• WHEN LILIES ARE DEAD, THEY ARE BURNED AND FORGOTTEN.
• WHEN THE BELIEVER IS DEAD, HE IS NEITHER FORGOTTEN NOR WILL HE BURN IN THE ETERNAL LAKE OF FIRE.
• READ PHI 4:4-13, 19-20
• DISCUSSION: HOW DO THESE VERSES IN PHI 4 RELATE TO THE PARABLE?
• SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
• THE INTEGRATION OF THIS PARABLE WITH THAT OF MAT 6:19 AND MAT 6:22 AND MAT 6:24:
• THE PREVIOUSLY STUDIED PARABLES ALL RELATE ONE TO THE OTHER IN THAT THEY ALL TELL US WHAT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE SHOULD BE LIKE:

• IF WE MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES, GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF ALL OF OUR NEEDS BECAUSE WE HAVE PLACED OUR WHOLE FAITH IN HIM.
• SINCE HE IS SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO GIVE US IMPERISHABLE, ETERNAL LIFE, HOW MUCH MORE WILL HE SUPPLY THE LESSER, TEMPORAL, PERISHABLE THINGS THAT WE NEED IN THIS LIFE.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF BIRDS AND LILIES (MAT 6:25-34)
• EVALUATE YOUR LIFE IN REGARDS TO:
• WHAT DO YOU VALUE MOST IN LIFE?

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF YOUR LIFE?

• WHICH GOD DO YOU SERVE?

• WHAT CHANGES SHOULD YOU MAKE IN THE NEXT MONTH?
• SPECIFICALLY, HOW WILL YOU MAKE THESE CHANGES?

• MAKE A LIST OF YOUR GREATEST WORRIES AND ANXIETIES:

• IN PRAYER LAY THEM AT THE FEET OF JESUS. DETERMINE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO TRUST HIM FOR THESE THINGS.

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE MOTE AND THE BEAM (MAT 7:1-5) AND THE PARABLE OF DOGS AND SWINE (MAT 7:6):
• REMEMBER THAT THESE PARABLES ARE STILL PART OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AND ARE SPOKEN TO THE DISCIPLES.
• READ MAT 6:34-7:8 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THESE PARABLES
• MAKE A LIST OF IMPORTANT CONCEPTS OR PRINCIPLES IN THESE VERSES.

• THE PARABLE OF THE MOTE AND THE BEAM (MAT 7:1-5):
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?
• WHAT DOES THE MOTE AND BEAM REPRESENT?

• WHY DO YOU THINK JESUS USED THIS ANALOGY?

• WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DISCERNMENT AND JUDGING?

• THE PARABLE OF DOGS AND SWINE (MAT 7:6)
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THIS PARABLE?

• WHAT IS "THAT WHICH IS HOLY"?

• WHAT DO THE "DOGS" REPRESENT?

• WHAT DOES THE "PEARLS" REPRESENT?

• WHAT IS MEANT BY "TRAMPLE UNDER FEET"?

• MEMORY VERSE: MAT 7:1-2