Jesus' Antidote for Worry

I have said many times stated that Jesus speaks to the subject of money more than any other subject only second to the topic of the Kingdom of God. Thinking along those lines, let’s continue for a moment with some Bible trivia.

What statements or phrases does Jesus say more than any other in His own words (letters in red in the Gospels)?

“Follow Me”-20x

“Do not be afraid” 14x

“He who has an ear let him hear.” 7x

Dealing with fear is the second greatest subject Jesus addresses outside of “follow Me.” Money just happens to be one of the things that many of us can become worrisome or anxious about.

I want to begin by asking you, what are you fearful of?”

What are you afraid of? I want you to constantly think about that over the next moments, but I want you to think about it in the week ahead. I do not want you to ponder that thought during the sermon and miss the message this morning. Let me read our text and then I will pray. As I pray, you pray and address the Lord to reveal any fears you may have.

Luke 12:22-34

Luke 12:22–34 NKJV

22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. 24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? 29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. 31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. 32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Prayer

Oh Heavenly Father, Holy Spirit, Dear Jesus, this morning we are not looking at human philosophy, we are not studying this morning religious doctrine or teachings, but we are studying Your very word, life words. Lord, reveal to us our fears and help us not to worry and be anxious. Please offer us Your wisdom, Your teachings, Your truths, by Your Holy Spirit’s direction as we study this important truth today. In Jesus’ precious name we pray. Amen.

Message

This morning we are continuing our study in Luke. We know over these last weeks as we have studied Luke is that Jesus has been teaching what living a life “in Christ” is all about. Let’s think this morning in the rank and file manner in which Jesus spoke His most often stated phrases.

Firstly, “follow Me.” There is no greater importance than having a sold out life for Christ. If we want to avoid a worrisome lifestyle, we must keep our hearts, our minds, our eyes fixated on Jesus. Amen.

Secondly, “Do not be afraid.” The subject matter today is worry or anxiousness. Worry and anxiousness is a symptom of fear. We will be guided this morning against committing the sin of worry and anxiousness. And yes, worry is a sin. If the Lord tells us not to do something and we do it, it is sin. And quickly we can answer the question, why? Fear, worry, and anxiety are a testament of our faith in Jesus or lack thereof.

Let me make a disclaimer here right now. There may be some here this morning that have dealt with great tragedy or a life altering event that has brought about clinical anxiety and I am not speaking to such a situation today other than to say that there is no condemnation for such. God loves you and He offers His hands and feet through physicians who aid in such a need as you may be experiencing.

Nor do I want to confuse the word anxious in a multiple definition in our English language. The word anxious can also mean eager. I am anxious for Christmas to come for example. We are not discussing that type of anxiousness or eagerness this morning.

And lastly,"He who has ears let him hear” this morning. May we look to the Lord to guide us on this intrusion of life that plagues all of us at one time or another. The sin of worry. And for some maybe you chronically deal with worry.

Dearly beloved, these types of messages are tough to preach because I deal with the same struggles. I would not call myself a worry wart by no means. I know worry warts. I dare say some of you are worry warts. In fact, I have heard one say that “I am not happy unless I have something to worry about.”

One person came to their defense quickly when accused of worrying by their friend. The friend told them that worrying wasn’t accomplish anything. They said, “Oh yes it does, 90% of the things I worry about never happen.”

Worry can appear in many fashions. Loss of appetite. Excessive eating. Queasy stomach. Sleep deprivation. Biting of fingernails, nervous ticks to major anxiety disorders.

Worry. Am I immune? No. Do I know the one who can overcome all my fears? I do. Let’s listen to what He has to say on the subject this morning.

Our last time we studied Luke, Jesus dealt with the sin of hypocrisy. As Jesus was teaching the disciples and the greater crowd was gathered around, one from the crowd interrupted Jesus in the section of text before, the text of the Parable of the Rich Fool.

The one from the crowd asked Jesus, “Jesus, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” The question raised was a reflection of the mindset of the day of the people that surrounded Him there on the hillside. The same mindset is prevalent today and that is:

Stuff will make your life secure

I chose to pass over this text only because I have referenced this important teaching many times. Jesus addressed the false security one finds in his stuff, his assets, etc.

Everyone of us combats something that God has bestowed upon us on the asset side of our life that we’re proud of ( that I will remind was given to us by God in the first place.) We put stock in it, we trust it, we bank on it.

I knew a man at my former church that I attended with who was a fellow businessman. He had highs and lows in business many times. He had his fair share of ups and downs and tragedy as it related to his family.

He would shop for tools at my store. There was one thing he retained a pride about in his life. I sensed he brought it up because it was the one thing I have battled all my life. He today is probably close to 80 years of age or older, probably 6’1 or 6’2 that still has probably a 34” waste and had always taken good care of himself. His communication revealed a pride that health would not be his demise.

You know the story in the prior verses about the rich fool. He was healthy, wealthy and supposedly wise, and thought he would build bigger barns for his fortune, his secure future.

Listen exactly to the words:

Luke 12:18-19 “18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’”

He thought stuff would make him secure. His answer to a worrisome spirit was to build his wealth and that would take care of his future.

Listen dearly beloved, Oh dearly beloved, salvation in Jesus makes us secure. Amen.

Luke 12:20-21 “20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ 21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.””

Do Not be Disturbed Over Common Needs VV. 22-28

Luke 12:22 “22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.”

The period we study is Palestinian Biblical times. They were worried about the basic sustenance of life.

Worry- merimnaō

to be anxious

to be troubled with cares

Worry becomes this dominant and divisiveness in your direction. And worry is destructive. It is not good for our health.

There were no McDonald’s, Hardee’s, or Chick Filet’s on every corner. There were no Old Navy’s, Gap, Walmart, or Macy’s during these times.

During Biblical times, the people of that day ate mainly the natural crops that were typical of the region.

Deuteronomy 8:8 “8 a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey;”

A typical diet diet contained few vegetables, mainly those that grew wild in the fields (garlics and wild onion). Meat was a delicacy by the privileged rich; ordinary people would have meat only at the Passover sacrifice or on particularly important occasions. Other foods of the common people included the eggs of wild fowl, milk, cheese, and butter.

We know from the story of David going to visit his brothers in battle against the Philistines.

1 Samuel 17:18 “18 And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them.””

The point: Food had to be grown, harvested, prepared and it was ongoing. If we have a bumper crop here today great, if our crop is weak, in a world market, we have other places to retrieve food. We have grain silos, we have refrigeration and freezers and the list goes on.

Coincidentally, have you ever looked into the pantry or the freezer or the canning or “putting away” of someone who lived through or was influenced by the Great Depression?

The world was smaller. They were totally reliant on the most basic of needs: food and clothing.

Our biggest struggle today is determining if we are cooking, going out, or making some quick fix meal at the house. Their clothing was limited by what they made. Our limitations are only based on how much closet space we have.

A real question for you. Has your closet become so stuffed with clothes that you find a new shirt on the rack that you did not even know you had?

Now I totally understand that there are some here that may not have it as good as the next, but in relation to the world today we are all rich. America is still the richest country in the world and we have no concept of going hungry or going without clothing.

In the most impoverished circumstances in our region, we all support ministries that provide hot meals, provide shelters, provide clothing even in the worst of situations there are some form of assistance in our region and all I can say is praise the Lord. Amen.

And, I would not put anyone on the spot or in the limelight, but I know there are those under the sound of my voice that have been the benefactor of blessings from others. And dearly beloved, those others are the angels of the Lord who are His hands and feet here. Amen. Aren’t you glad for the hands and feet of Jesus administered through his church, His people?

Luke 12:23 “23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.”

I can see Jesus standing on the hillside as He is teaching and all around Him are the object lessons that He will address.

Can you not almost sense Jesus saying, is that all your life is going to be about, meeting the basic needs of life? You live, you die, and another takes your place. Life is more than that my little children. I made you to make a difference. I did not make you just to exist. I made you to make eternal differences in your life and the life of others. Jesus is saying, is that where you are always going to reside? Just to live and exist? Or you going to live to assist Me in changing this world for Jesus?

So, He asks us the question today, why worry?

A. Life is more than existence.

B. Your life is more valuable than the essentials of this life.

Food

Luke 12:24 “24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?”

Interestingly, Jane and I went to Yellowstone National Park and I know I will use opportunities to speak to that later, but I have never seen Ravens so large in all my life as there lives in Yellowstone. That reminds me that in a place that is untainted by man and for wildlife to experience the ultimate in conservation practices, God’s plan for provision is worked out in the ideal at Yellowstone.

Have you ever seen a crow breaking ground with its beak or picking up seed and shuffling the soil back over the seed? Have you seen a crow bringing water to the soil and lastly cultivating and putting away in some shelter they have created for their food?

Lev. 11:13-15 “13 ‘And these you shall regard as an abomination among the birds; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard, 14 the kite, and the falcon after its kind; 15 every raven after its kind,”

The Lord even provides for a species on the unclean list in the Bible, do you not realize that you are more valuable than the Raven and I will take care of you.

Clothing

Luke 12:27 “27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

You’ve never seen the lilies out spinning yard, quilting or crocheting to make their covering, and Solomon in his finest did not stand a prayer in looking as good as the lilies of the field. The lilies did nothing to cause that. God caused that.

And then Jesus asks this question of us today.

What does worry accomplish?

Luke 12:25–26 “25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?”

Vs. 25 has been interpreted in two different ways. A cubit is 18”. Will worry cause you to be 18” taller? Will worry accomplish adding any days to your life. When the Lord calls us home, He calls us home. Our worry about the matter will not change those matters and how will our worry change our need for basic necessities.

Do Not be Driven by what Circumstances Dictate VV. 29-30

Luke 12:29–30 “29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. 30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.”

Seek-ζητέω zētéō, dzay-teh'-o;; to seek ; it is the idea of striving, desiring, a drive for something.

The idea of Jesus stating not to seek those things has nothing to do with having possessions. It has nothing to do with planning and stewardship of your resources and budgeting, etc. Money is not a sin, the love of money. The Zeteo of money, the drive to accumulate, the burning desire to control, to manipulate. Jesus speaks in the Proverbs about sound money management and many acts of wisdom in managing life, but He says do not let that be the catch all to your life. Do not allow the worry to consume you and drive you to live a life of mere existence.

Interesting for men, the number #1 area of worry for men is being a provider. Yet, in all the conversations men have with other men, that fear is never discussed. Women, you have a leg up on us. You are more verbal and outspoken of your needs and fears.

What do we all do?

Take our fears, our insecurities, our needs, our desires to the Lord. Why?

Look at the latter part of verse 30.

“but your Father knows you need these things.”

Be Diligent in Chasing After a Life in Jesus VV. 31-34

Luke 12:31 “31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Kingdom-βασιλεία basileía, bas-il-i'-ah; from G935; properly, royalty, i.e. (abstractly) rule, or (concretely) a realm (literally or figuratively):—kingdom, + reign.

We have heard that statement to seek the kingdom of God. Just what does that mean?

Well, remember that zeteo means that we strive, we drive, we have that burning desire to render over our lives to Jesus. We give ourselves over to His royalty, His realm, His dominion, His control, His power, His care, His influence, His answers, His desire for our lives.

Do you want to quit worrying today? Let down and give over. Say that with me. Let down and give over to Him.

What does it mean when we render over to Jesus?

Luke 1:33 “33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.””

Jesus will never run out on you. Are you worried about losing someone? Are you worried because of the amount of time you are at doctors these days? Jesus authority, rule and dominion, love and care will never go without ending. He will never run out on His care & love for you.

Matthew 16:28 “28 Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.””

Dearly beloved, the Kingdom of God means that if we seek His rule, His dominion, His guidance, his care, His concerns, His love and will for our lives, He will take care of all the rest.

Do you want to overcome the sin of worry this morning? Lay it at Jesus’ feet.

Listen to what Jesus Himself says:

Matthew 11:29 “29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Do you need rest from worry. Place your yoke upon Him. He will take the burden for you. He took our sin to Calvary and toted the cross upon Golgotha’s Hill.

Luke 12:32 “32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

When Jesus says, “little flock”, that is us, His children. Jesus good pleasure is give His world benefits over to you and for that we can celebrate today. Amen.

Let’s pray.