Stress Removal: Two Different Perspectives
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I. Introduction
A. My worry before Hanna
B. I would miss my family and forget why God called me up to SEBTS
C. I would worry I’d never get married.
D. Then one of my worst spells where I had anxiety was at one of my Jobs
E. They threatened to fire me.
F. They felt like I hadn’t done the job correctly, and to “help” me grow, they threatened to fire me despite not training me effectively.
G. I won't get into it much, but it brought much tension between Hanna and me.
H. We cried to God for an answer, and then I got an interview from the church where I serve as a Next-Generation pastor.
I. FCF: Why do we struggle with worrying?
J. Main Idea: Amid anxiety, we must focus on Christ and what He provides for us and His kingdom.
II. Review
A. Stress Relief
B. Possessions vs God
C. Treasures: materialism or God
D. What we treasure is where our Heart lies
E. Two Different Eyes
F. Good Eye: Looks at Christ and His work
G. Bad Eye: desires Material objects instead of God
H. Two different Masters
I. God vs. Materialism
J. Heart -> Eyes-> Master= Worship
III. Division A: Jesus Address Anxiety: Worrying doubts about God’s providence V.25
Matthew 6:25
“Therefore I tell you: Don’t worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing?
A. The pressing arc of society wants us to be comfortable.
B. Materialism was rampant in the pagan society of Rome.
C. This god is deadly
D. the word for anxiety or worry, μεριμνάω (merimnaō),
E. is vital to understanding what our Lord is discussing
F. This word is something more critical than just your average anxiety.
G. This word's meaning refers to anxiety that will “rob you of your sleep.”
H. Another meaning is “paralyzing anxiety.”
I. It is here that it would be of value to us to see how the disciples would have struggled
J. Disciples had low economic status.
K. Fisherman and tax-collecting were not a profitable business.
L. It depended on the catch or the time they could get it to the market.
M. They worried about Food
a. It could be that some of the disciples had struggled with this.
b. some of their ancestors might have resulted in cannibalism. (Duet. 2:53-57; 2 Kgs 6:26-29; Jer 19:9; Lam 2:20; 4:10)
c. Rain was scarce.
d. Problem of insects
e. The problem of environmental issues
f. This caused stress because of a lack of food.
N. They worried about water
a. Israel is a dry place in some areas
b. Wells were central to communities
c. In John 4:1-26, the Samaritan women see that going to the well was a part of daily life.
d. The issue of some of these wells was that they dried up quickly.
e. People relied on seasonal rain.
f. Wells dried up during the intense season of drought.
g. This caused stress.
O. They worried about clothing
a. Clothing was hard to come by.
b. Rich wore silk
c. Poor wore wool.
d. Wool was easily torn or worn out
P. They didn’t have extras
a. Most poor didn’t have 2 of anything
b. If the man was old, injured, or had a nasty illness, they could lose everything.
c. Now, do you think we have it hard here in America?
Q. Hanna and I struggled with money before we married
R. We struggled with the idea of marriage because of financial issues.
S. The best advice we got was from one of our dearest friends.
T. You will never have enough money to be married if that’s what you are worried about!
U. Jesus says the same thing!
V. Life is worth more than money.
W. Worrying Doubts God’s Providence.
IV. Division B: Jesus Exposing Anxiety: Worrying doubts about God’s sovereignty. V.26-32
Matthew 6:26-32
Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?
Can any of you add one moment to his life span by worrying?
And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread.
Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these.
If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith?
So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’
For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
A. Jesus then gives two illustrations.
B. The first is the birds and their life. Verse 26
a. This passage in Matthew is also talked about in Luke 12:22-32.
b. In Luke, the birds are identified as “ravens.”
c. In the O.T., the raven was considered an unclean animal. (Lev 11:15; Duet. 14:14).
d. Jesus told his disciples that if God can care for a ceremonially unclean animal, he can also care for you!
C. Verse 27: Can you add one moment to your life span?
a. Jesus is furthering his explanation of what worrying accomplishes.
b. God is in control.
c. Deuteronomy 32:39 demonstrates God’s sovereignty:
See now that I alone am he; there is no God but me. I bring death and I give life; I wound and I heal. No one can rescue anyone from my power.
d. “See now that I alone am he; there is no God but me. I bring death, and I give life; I wound, and I heal. No one can rescue anyone from my power.”
e. Quarles: A person’s survival rate depends on God’s sovereignty, not human anxiety.
D. Verses 28-30a: Wildflower
a. again, Jesus is bringing up clothing.
b. Jesus uses the context of how clothes are made to illustrate his point further.
c. These wildflowers on the hilltop are incredibly fragile.
d. Yet God takes care of His creation
e. These flowers ultimately end when the furnace no longer uses them.
f. Jesus illustrates that people are worth more than a flower to God.
E. 30b: Little faith
a. This is the crux of the issue.
b. The disciples have displayed little faith throughout our Lord’s ministry.
c. the violent storm when the disciples freaked and asked Jesus for help.
d. “Worry is prompted by faith too small,” Quarles
e. D.A Carson, “Anxiety is the root of unbelief.”
f. When we worry, we doubt the sovereignty of God.
F. Gentile worship
a. They worry because materialism has consumed them.
b. This is a pagan God.
c. Has it consumed you?
V. Division C: Jesus and the Main Focus of Life. Worry doubts God’s kingdom.
Matthew 6:33-34
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
A. Jesus is teaching us how God will provide for you.
B. Our primary concern in life is more than the possessions we have.
C. Christ calls us to focus on Himself and the kingdom he establishes.
D. This life was never about the “good life.”
E. I can't tell you how many times Hanna and I have looked back at our first year of marriage and wondered how much God provided for us.
F. I encourage you to do the same and see how worrying accomplished nothing, but God accomplished everything.
G. Worry doubts God’s Kingdom
VI. Conclusion
A. When we focus on Christ and His kingdom, we must remember 3 things
a. First, one aspect of doing this is giving up on our pursuit of happiness, which will cause excess stress and anxiety.
b. Second, we should focus on the fact that if we are children of God, even if we go through a season of stress, God will give us the strength to get over to the other side.
c. Third, we should remember that doubt questions God’s providence, sovereignty, and kingdom.