NEEDS
KEY TEXTS
Matthew 6:25-34 (NKJV)
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)
19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Psalm 23:1 (NKJV) – The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not [a]want.
INTRODUCTION
- The Sloppiest Word
- Background of our Key Text -Matthew 6
- Title
“NEEDS”
The outline:
- The Contrast
- The Comfort
- The Confrontation
- The Causes
- The Cure
MAIN POINTS
(I) THE CONTRAST BETWEEN ‘NEEDS’ AND ‘WANTS”
What are “needs”?
- BASIC NECESSITIES: food, water, shelter, clothing, strength for the day, grace for the moment.
- SPIRITUAL NEEDS: forgiveness, salvation, guidance, peace
What are “wants”?
- DESIRES that may or may not align with God’s will.
- Often based on emotions, culture or comparison with others.
(II) THE COMFORT FROM MATTHEW 6
We put far too many things into our “need” category.
That is why Jesus REMINDS us in Matthew 6 that we have a Heavenly Father who knows what we need. Embedded in this reminder are both a comfort and a confrontation.
The Comfort
The comfort is that there is One who once created and now controls everything that is, and who has unleashed His awesome power so that you and I may receive from His hand every good thing we need to be what we were designed to be and to do what we have been called to do.
No need has been unmet by His gracious hands.
What are the five comforting truths from Matthew 6 concerning our needs?
- God Cares About Your Needs
Matthew 6:25,32 – “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?……. For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
Here, Jesus identifies the REAL STRUGGLES like our need for food, clothing and shelter.
Jesus doesn’t dismiss them.
“Don’t worry, because God knows.”
Worry is a symptom of forgetting who God is.
When we worry, it means we have trust issues in God. Worry replaces trust.
Worry says, “I don’t believe God will come through.” But
Faith says, “Even if I don’t see it yet, I know He’s working.”
- God Meets Needs Through Relationship
Matthew 6:33 – But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Needs are met in the right order.
God is not a vending machine for blessings.
He calls us to seek Him first, and in that relationship, He provides.
WHEN GOD IS FIRST, OUR PERSPECTIVE CHANGES.
“On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none.” (Exodus 16:27)
- God Supplies Our Needs Abundantly
Philippians 4:19-And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
God supplies our needs not according to OUR LIMITS BUT HIS RICHES.
God’s provision isn’t based on your bank account, your boss or the economy.
It is based on HIS RICHES IN CHRIST, WHICH NEVER RUN DRY.
God provides more than just physical needs.
But He also supplies peace, strength, joy, purpose, and grace – spiritual needs that money can’t buy.
The Shepherd Knows What His Sheep Need
Psalm 23:1 -The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
A sheep trusts the shepherd.
Sheep don’t worry about where the next pasture is.
They trust the shepherd to guide and provide.
When the Lord is your Shepherd, you will have what you need.
You might not have luxury, but you will have enough.
God often gives just enough to teach us to TRUST HIM EVERY DAY.
“The Lord is my Shepherd;I shall not want ….” (NKJV)
- I have all that I need (NLT)
- I have everything that I need (Easy)
- I always have more than enough (Passion)
- I don’t need a thing (Message)
- God’s Provision Often Comes Through People
He uses the Church (Acts 4:34-35).
He uses unexpected channels (1 Kings 17:6; John 6).
Don’t limit God to familiar sources – He provides in surprising ways.
(III) THE CONFRONTATION FROM MATTHEW 6
Matthew 6– AHUMBLING REBUKE – A CONFRONTATION.
Jesus CONFRONTS us with this truth:
WE NEED A HEAVENLY FATHER WHO KNOWS WHAT WE NEED BECAUSE WE DON’T.
We get NEED and WANT confused all the time.
We live in a world that blurs the line between needs and wants.
Advertisers, social media and even our own hearts often convince us WHAT WE WANT IS WHAT WE NEED.
Development of Need-Driven Slavery
- Desire (“I want……”)
It all starts with desire (“I want…..”).
There is nothing evil about DESIRE.
God created us with the capacity to desire.
Everything we say and do is the product of desire.
Yet it is very hard for sinners to hold desire with an open hand.
It doesn’t take long for our desires to morph into DEMANDS.
- Demands (“I must…..”)
The thing that was once a desire is now taking hold of us.
We are less willing to live without it.
Then demand morphs into NEED.
- Need (“I will……”)
Now with great resolve and surety, we are convinced that we cannot live without it.
This thing that was once an open-handed DESIRE has been christened a NEED.
We are fully convinced that it could be impossible to live without it.
It is now in control of our hearts.
We think about it all the time.
We are fearful when we are without it.
We plot how to keep it in our lives.
Need forms EXPECTATION.
- Expectation (“You should……..”)
You see, if you are convinced it is a NEED, you will think you are ENTITLED to it.
You will be convinced that you have the RIGHT TO DEMAND IT, and you will judge God’s love by His willingness to deliver it.
Expectation then leads to DISAPPOINTMENT.
- Disappointment (“You didn’t……..”)
Expectation leads to disappointment if God doesn’t deliver.
We can’t believe that God would say that He loves us yet not meet this “need”.
The fact is, God has been faithful to all He has promised us, but this DESIRE that morphed into a NEED is not something He’s promised to give us.
So, disappointment leads us to some kind of ANGER.
- Anger (“Because you didn’t, I will………”)
Because we now judge God as unfaithful, we quit trusting Him as we should and we let go of good habits of faith like prayer, bible reading and church attendance.
The confrontation in a nutshell:
YOU ONCE DESIRED IT, BUT NOW YOU ARE PERSUADED THAT YOU NEED IT. ONCE YOU’VE NAMED IT A NEED, IT HAS YOU.
→ Your need enslaves you.
→ Your need possesses you.
SLAVISH NEEDS
- a type of intense dependency or desire that is submissive, excessive and often self- degrading.
- It’s when someone feels that they must have something or someone, often to the point that they lose their autonomy, self-respect and judgment.
(IV) THE CAUSES OF SLAVISH NEEDS
Let’s examine the root cause of this slavish need.
It starts with a wrong want.
Wrong want = wrong desire
Wrong desire = misplaced desire
Misplaced desire = Greed
Greed = Idolatry (idolatrous desires)
IDOTRATROUS DESIRE IS WHEN WE ELEVATE CREATED THINGS SUCH AS APPROVAL, SEX, SECURITY, SIGNIFICANCE, POWER AND CONTROL ABOVE GOD.
These DESIRES often mask a deeper longing for love, purpose or belonging that only Christ can fully fulfill.
GREED
What is GREED?
- Is DISORDERED DESIRE for GAIN
- Elevates material wealth above spiritual treasure and often reflects a deep distrust in God’s provision.
- Greed is not just wanting more – it is THE INSATIABLE CRAVING FOR MORE, often at the expense of others or one’s own values.
Root cause of greed:
- Fear of lack (security mindset)
“If I don’t take more, I might lose out.”
Greed often comes from FEAR – fear of poverty, irrelevance, or being left behind.
It reflects a LACK OF TRUST in provision by God, others or life.
- Discontentment
“What I have isn’t enough.”
Greed grows in the soil of CONSTANT DISSATISFACTION.
No matter how much is acquired, there is always a desire for MORE – money, status, possession, control.
- Pride and Ego
“I deserve more than others.”
Greed can stem from a SELF-CENTERED WORLDVIEW that places personal gain above fairness, compassion or justice.
It is a way to elevate SELF-WORTH through POSSESSIONS OR POWER.
- Identity Crisis
“What I own defines who I am.”
If someone bases their identity on WEALTH, SUCCESS, OR APPEARANCE, greed becomes a way to PROTECT OR ENHANCE that identity.
It is a false self-built on ACCUMULATION, not authenticity.
- Spiritual emptiness
“Stuff will fill the void.”
Geed is a SPIRITUAL HUNGER MISDIRECTED TOWARDS MATERIAL THINGS.
It is trying to satisfy SOUL-LEVEL NEEDS (like love, worth, peace) with EXTERNAL REWARDS.
It is a deep-seated INNER EMPTINESS – a belief that “I don’t have enough” or “I am not enough”, which drives a person to accumulate more in hopes of feeling secure, significant or satisfied.
(V) THE GOSPEL CURE
Christ as the True Treasure
- Jesus calls us to treasure Himself above All. (Matthew 6)
- In 2 Cor 8:9, Paul writes “ Through He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.”
- Christ gave up heavenly riches to make us spiritually wealthy – HE IS THE ANTIDOTE TO GREED
CHRIST’S SUFFECIENCY VS GREED’S INSUFFICIENCY
- Greed says, “I never have enough.”
- Christ says, “ I am enough” (John 6:35 – I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger….”
Gospel Cure:
- The gospel liberates us from greed by giving us a NEW IDENTITY: not as consumers but as beloved Children who are already rich in Christ.
- As we see Christ’s generosity, we are moved to give, not hoard.
- g – the young rich ruler ( Mark 10:17-22)
- GREED IS OVERCOME NOT BY GUILT BUT SEEING CHRIST AS THE GREATER TREASURE – ONE WHO FREELY GIVES, FULLY SATISFIED AND NEVER RUNS OUT.
Why should we treasure Jesus as the true treasure?
Matthew 6 tells us that the lilies of the field are arrayed in a more glorious clothing than Solomon’s rich and glorious apparel.
Jesus is that More Glorious Lilies, arrayed in the glory of deity, alive at one time in Heaven but was thrown into the oven of God’s judgment on the cross so that He can take away the curse of inglorious poverty and lack – adding not just one cubit of life but eternal life and rich and unlimited provision to your life’s needs now as His redeemed, clothing you with His daily divine care and faithfulness.
He became not only our One True Shepherd who knows our need but became the LAMB OF GOD, offered as a sin offering for all our fallen, misplaced and disordered desire so that today when you receive Him and return to Him as your only TRUE TREASURE AND TRUE SHEPHERD, you don’t have to worry anymore, or run after cheap substitutes for identity, love, control and material things because He is ablesupply all your need according to His riches in glory.
As you cherish Him as the ULTIMATE TRUE TREASURE OF YOUR LIFE, you will put Him first.
And out of this cherished and prioritized relationship will flow the unfailing provision for all your real needs.
Your perspective and worldview for the things in this world will change as you love Him more and more.
Your desires, trust and love will all be re-ordered to only be in Him and for Him only.
Others are secondary and expendable.
CONCLUSION
Let’s reevaluate your needs today.
Is it a real need or a slavish need stemming from a disordered heart; misplaced trust; or a misplaced desire?
How to tell the difference between a want and a need?
- Will this draw me closer to God or distract me from Him?
- Is this desire rooted in gratitude or greed?
- If I never get this, could I still praise God?
- Is this for my purpose or His purpose?
With Christ and the cross in view – let the Holy Spirit convict you and teach you to reorder your desires; priorities and above all – to rededicate your heart’s love to Jesus.
Put Him first in your life and then all these real needs will be met; not the slavish needs that your fallen self wants you to believe.
GOD ONLY MEETS OUR NEED AND NOT OUR GREED.
End
