I Ain’t Got No Worries

No Worries.

In the year of 1994 there was a movie that hit the scene. The movie that came out was called The Lion King. In this film the Lion King Simba the main character runs away from home after being blamed by his uncle for the death of his father. In the midst of him running away he ends up in the jungle. While he was there he runs into a wild hog by the name of pumbaa and a meerkat by the name of Timon. In this interaction they became friends. Timon and pumbaa teach the Simba a lesson on how to forget the past. They teach simba on how to move forward and forget about the worries that he had in this life. My brother and sisters they teach him this by using one phrase and this phrase was Hakuna Matata which means No Worries. They taught through this song to leave what’s behind and live in the Now. I don’t know about you but I know some of us can use that message that life has lifed at times but even when life has been lifeing I’ve learned how to say Hakuna Matata and leave the past behind me and press toward what is next. Paul would say it like this. Forgetting those things which are behind but I Press toward the mark of the high calling which is in Christ Jesus.

In this life we got to learn how to forget our past and move on. Look at your neighbor and tell them I know it hurt you but Hakuna Matata it’s time to move forward. Don’t let it hold you down or keep you bound up but move on and press forward. The late Bishop Hutchins would say Looking up and Moving Forward. I’m looking up because I realize that’s where my help comes from cause the Bible says look to the hills from whence cometh your help and I’m moving forward because I’m headed into what God has for me. Looking up and Moving Forward.

However brothers and sisters we live in a day and age now where worry has taken over. Yes we know the world and those who are not believers are worrying , but may I submit to you today that we have saints worrying. Let’s be honest saints we all have had time in our lives when we have worried. Some of us even today may be worrying about somethings that are going on in your life. We live in a worrisome world. We got saints worried about this upcoming election. What’s gone happen if Trump wins what’s gone happen if Kamala wins, worried. We worried about the bills being paid we are worried about having no food. Worried about work, worried about our relationships, worried about friends, worried about family…..

We live in a world where we are worried about everything.

Brothers and sisters all of these worries around us and we as Christians have fallen into it and now worries have taken over our life. And we as believers got to realize the worrying should not be priority in our lives. It’s an issue when we see the church worrying more than the World. We got to stop our worrying and turn are worrying into worship. We are worrying more than we worship and that’s that issue. Because we were not created to worry but we were created to worship. So I know you been trying to figure out what’s next in your life and you been worried about how you gone make but I come to encourage you today to stop your worrying and turn it into worship. If you worship God he will see you through. Stop trying to figure it out cause God has already worked it out all we got to do is trust him and worship him.

Change your posture. Too many of us got our hands in things trying to fix it ourselves but take your hands off and lift them up and Let God Take Control. Trust in the Lord with all Thine heart and Lean not to your own understanding.

We must stop our worrying. Before we get you the meat of our text we see here that Paul is writing this letter here to the Philippian Church. He has been encouraging them all throughout this letter from chapter 1 all the way to chapter 4. Paul was encouraging the church to be joyful and rejoice. He was trying to condition the peoples mindset to be joyful through it all. So we get here to the 4th chapter and Paul is encouraging the believers once again to have joy. This time he puts it like this Rejoice in the the Lord always and again I say rejoice. Paul here is encouraging the believers to always rejoice in the Lord.

This is what paul is saying. I Just came to tell you No matter what it looks like in your life, no matter what you are going through always rejoice in the Lord. Paul knew what it was like first hand to be going through somethings and he still had to rejoice. My brothers and sisters many times today we are letting our worries and conflict of this world overide the Joy that we have. We got to learn how to Rejoice at all the times. Worry can’t override your praise but you got to rejoice.

Paul was locked down in prison but he still found a way to write and encourage the believers to rejoice in the Lord always. Thats all I came by to tell you today is that you got to Rejoice in all circumstances of Life. When your money in funny and change is strange you still got to rejoice. When it seems like all hell is breaking loose in your life you Got to still Rejoice. No matter what you are going through you have to always rejoice and keep your Joy.

They older saints would simply sing a song This joy that I have the World didn’t give it to me and the World can’t take it away. Nothing can take away the Joy I have for HIM. For the Joy of the Lord is my strength. Nothing Can steal and Nothing can block my Joy. For its the Joy of the Lord that lets me sit in the midst of my circumstance and not be moved about what is going on because my focus is on Rejoicing in the Lord. I’m going to rejoice I’m not going to let what I am going through cause me not to rejoice. For you can’t have my Joy. I know you lied on me but you can’t have my Joy, I know you talked about me but you can’t have my Joy, I know you scandalized my name but you can’t have my Joy. I will continue to Rejoice in Lord. I will be like David and say. I will Bless the Lord At all times…….. and his Praises shall continually be in my mouth…… Is there anybody here That can say I will continue to Rejoice!!!!!!

My brothers and Sisters a set of Questions came to me while reading this text. The set of question was. What should be do instead of worrying? , Why shouldn’t be worrying? and Finally Why we don’t have to worry?

So that brings me to my first Question and point. What we should be doing instead of worrying is Praying. Its right there in the text if you have your bibles still open. The text says first don’t worry about anything, instead Pray about everything. Prayer is essential Prayer is how we communicate with God. When we prayer it is a direct line of communication from us to the Father. I’ve come to realize in this life many people are in situations because they don’t have a prayer life. We find ourselves full of worries and worrying because we are not in communication with God through Prayer.

When you are full of worries it probably means your prayer life is Low but When you have a life Full of Prayer your won’t be worried. This is why we should be praying because in our prayers we can make our petition on what it is we are facing. He already knows but we have to come to him and make a petition on our behalf. Its in the text it says Pray about everything and tell him what you need. So we must learn to be specific in our prayers and tell God what we need. Whatever it is your our facing Pray and let God know what it is.

You been talking to everybody else and trying to get help from everybody else but we got to learn how to pray and ask God for help. For when we pray God hears us and after we pray we just have to leave it alone and Trust him. The song writer puts it like this I turned it over to the Lord and he worked it out. Church While you are trying to figure it out the Lord has already worked it out…….

Just a little talk with Jesus Will make everything alright. For prayer Changes things. Do I have a witness that can say Prayer changes things. I Just need 5 people and I’ll make 6 that can give God praise because they know that Prayer Changes things. Look at your neighbor and tell them don’t stop praying.

I know its been hard but keep on praying. Pray in the morning Pray in the evening Pray in the Good, Pray in the Bad. Whatever you do Don’t stop Praying. Prayer will ease the pain, Prayer will lift the Burdens. Pray Pray Pray. Pray until something happens even when you don’t have the Words the bible says the Holy Spirit will intercede for us through our groaning and moaning. The old saints didn’t always have the words but they understood how to pray without ceasing and the would mhmmmmmmmm….. They Knew Prayer Changed things and that they couldn’t be worrying but they needed to be Praying.

Not only that but to Answer my second question and that brings me to point 2: We shouldn’t be worrying because we should be Praising. The text tells us to pray and make our request known unto God, but the text continues to say something while we are praying and making our request we can’t end the Prayer right there we have to do something else. We must thank him which simply means we got to give him praise and acknowledge him. For God Deserves all the praise. Paul is encouraging the church here. They were going through some unity issues and were experiencing some suffering, so worry could’ve have taken over Paul but Paul stops and realizes that I been through somethings in my life but It was the Prayers and the Praise that Got me through. I didn’t have all the answers but I still Thanked God in advance for the things he was going to do. Is that anyones testimony today. I continue to thank him even in the midst of my mess. I can’t stop praising him, I have made up in my mind that I will Praise him through it all. He May not do it in my timing but I’m so Glad that he will show up on time.

We have to be mindful to always thank him and give God Praise when we pray. For a prayer without thanking God is basically turning off the power in the Prayer. Without thanksgiving prayer simply becomes a way of complaining to God about all the bad things we might be facing. So we must learn to Thank God in the prayer and after. Because when we thank him we invite God in to our problems and when we thank him we Are simply saying that we trust him and have faith in him despite what we may see or be facing in our lives at the time.

I don’t know about you but I have learned to Thank him in my circumstance. Praise will always be my weapon. Like the Song writer says I will praise him in advance. I do this because even if it’s not fix when I want it to be I am reminded of the Word that says Many are the afflictions of the Righteous but The Lord will Deliver out of them all. I’m reminded of though he slay me yet will I Trust him. Im Reminded of Be not weary in well doing for in due season you will reap if you faint not. I am reminded of And we know that all things work together for them Who Love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. I’m reminded of You meant it for my evil but God turned it for my Good. I’m reminded of No weapon that is Formed against me shall Prosper So I will Praise him Instead of worrying.

Finally Why we shouldn’t be worrying, Because he will give us peace. The text goes on to tell us that we will experience peace. Peace that exceeds anything we can understand. I don’t know about you but I want to experience the peace that God has for me. Paul here is telling the church when you experience this peace it will give you calmness in the midst of your chaos. You have prayed your prayer and God has heard you but you may find yourself still in that situation, but I got good news for you today that you will Experience Peace even in the midst of your storm.

You may still be in the Storm but The Peace of God is there with you so even in your storm you can make it cause you have the peace of God that exceeds what we understand. I Don’t know who I’m preaching to today but that might be someone testimony that you are in your storm right now and don’t understand how you are making it but I came to tell you that it is the Peace of God.

And thats all i come to tell you this morning . People are about to ask you how you been making it when they see you in a storm and all you have to tell them is that’s the peace of God. And the Peace of God will Explain things when you can’t . Just look at somebody and tell them take a Good look at me. I don’t look like what I’m Facing right now because that's the peace of God. I thank Him for his Peace. When I should've been crazy he gave me peace. When I wanted to give in and throw in the towel he Gave me Peace. And He will keep in perfect peace those who’s mind is stayed on Thee. Thats why I don’t have any worries because I have the Peace of God. The Peace of God will guard your hearts and mind. So Don’t worry but be happy because God will take care of you.

I Got to leave you now but church we got to stop our worrying Because God is on our Side. If God Before us than Who can be against us.