Dont Leave The Same Way You Came

Prayer

Search me o’God. And make my heart still. We’ve come up to the preaching moment. Hide me behind the cross, and keep me there. Speak through o God and speak for me. Thou art the potter and I am the clay use me for your service God have your way in this place. And we’ll be the better because of it. Amen

It’s such a blessing to gather in the house of the Lord today. I believe God has something specific for each one of us today. He woke you up, started you on your way, allowed you to put one foot in front of the other, and granted us the opportunity to make it to the church house one more time. You came here for a reason. Some of us came for hope to endure. Some of us came prepared to leave our burdens on the altar. Some came looking to God for an answer to a prayer. Some came up and some came down. But here’s the challenge: Will you leave this place the same way you came in, or will you allow God to work a change in your heart? I want to talk about something we all experience: burdens. Some of us walked into this sanctuary carrying heavy loads—fear, doubt, worry, and guilt. But here’s the good news: you don’t have to leave the same way you came. There’s a promise in 1 Peter 5:7 that offers hope and healing for every heart weighed down by life’s troubles.Some of us entered with burdens we’ve carried for weeks, months, or even years. They weigh us down and steal our joy. I want to remind you of the invitation God extends to us in 1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your cares upon Him because He careth for you.”

This is more than just a comforting verse—it’s a call to action. God doesn’t want you to carry your burdens alone. He wants you to lay them down and leave them with Him. So today, we’re going to explore how you can walk out of here lighter, freer, and transformed by God’s power. I wish I had about 5 of you (and I’ll make 6) this morning that will testify that we carry heavy loads that are sometimes too much for you to bare, and sometimes it’s beyond our scope of practice. I want you to know that God sent a bald headed 35 year old man to let you know that there comes a time when gotta throw up both hands and shout help me God, this is too heavy. Cause when it's all said and done I just dont want you to leave here the same way you came. Sometimes family is too heavy, physical infirmities too heavy, financial woes too heavy. It is possible to (listen carefully) to show up to worship on Sunday morning, sit through the whole service and still be heavy. Can I go head and give you a hint? You know something is weighing down on you when the choir has sang and blessed us, and we been clapping the whole time and you aint clapped once. It’s not that service is bad, you're heavy. It’s hard to clap with hands thats weighted down. But here is my argument, why come to church heavy and leave the same way you were when you came. Tell a neighbor. “I’m not leaving the same way I came.”

Come with me ladies and gentlemen to the epistle of 1st Peter. Peter is my favorite disciple because he is a man with rugged edges. Can I park there for 30 seconds? I don't know where we got this idea that God likes soft men. I dont know where we borrowed the thought that Jesus was some passive man. He was not. He was a man's man and loved to be around other men with ragged edges. Thats why he picked Peter to preach on Pentecost. Because when the Lord wanted to do the grand opening for the church he picked the raggediest, ruggedest man he could find and said “Peter stand right here and tell them about me, because when you get through talking they cant help but be convinced that I am real because you have been redeemed.”

In chapter 1 Peter argued that we have been kept by the power of God. Can I throw this in right quick? If you are over 60 years of age in this sanctuary or viewing by the world wide web, this is your first shout of the morning because God has been keeping you all of your life. He kept you when you were in your 20s, he kept you when you were in your 30s, he kept you when you were in your 40s, he kept you in yo 50, he’s gone keep you when you in your 60’s, and if you get to be 80 with one good hip, and one bad eye he gone keep you then. Look at you neighbor and tell them “He’s been keeping me all of my life.” In chapter 2 he tells us we are lively stones, in chapter 3 he makes it clear that our relationship with him ought to be reflected in how we treat each other. In chapter number 4 he tells us don't be worried when trials and tribulations come your way, but you have to learn how to rejoice when you're going through it because the same God who brought you out the last time is the same God who’s gonna bring you out this time. Anybody going through some stuff this morning, and came into the church house declaring “I’m not gonna leave the same way that I came?” Well can I tell you why we ought to be the noisiest group in the church, because if he did it the last time (Angie B) he’s gone fix it this time. I don't know who this is for but I feel like some of yall gone get stress relief. If He fixed it the last time, he’s gone do it again. In chapter 5 beginning in verse 1, he says if you have a good pastor and he feeds your flock, you take care of that Pastor. Oh I think I better put a plug in for my friend. Mount Hermon let’s continue to support and take care of our pastor, let's continue to love on him. When you see his faults remember his favor and tell God “Lord keep on blessing my pastor.” He says and the more the pastor is blessed the more he can bless the flock with the word of the living God. He says and wait, be careful don't try to exalt yourself. Cause if you humble yourself before God, He will exalt you in due season. Can I just park there for 10 seconds? Have you ever seen God promote you to places you know it only took God to do? Hold up, if you never seen him do this aint yo clap. But if you seen God put you in some spots you know only He could do, tell your neighbor “he will promote you in due season.” He will do it. But with new levels, come new devils so here is what he says “Casting all your cares upon him, for he careth for you.”

It’s killed more than 350 million for the last 30 plus years. The CDC is so concerned with COVID, that we’ve missed the real horrors of stress. Listen some stuff we’ve got to just “let go and let God.” You know I really wish people would stop saying “He’ll never put more on me than I can bare.” He will. God knows when it’s becoming too much but we get stubborn and act like we can handle when we know we can’t. He’ll make it heavy. Because when it’s too much for you..... It’s just right for him. Right then you’ve got to release it and let it go. What I learned in this text is that God does not take partial worry or anxiety payments. Either you give it all to God, or you keep it all to yourself.

So how do we do it? I mean that sounds nice and all but how do I not leave the same way I came. I think we have a few hints from the text that ought to help us.

1. Acknowledge Your Burden

“Cast all your care upon Him…” The first step in not leaving the same way you came is acknowledging that you have a burden. Too often, we come into church with a smile on our faces but a storm raging in our hearts. Many of us are so used to carrying stress, worry, and fear that we don’t even recognize it anymore. We try to look strong for others, but inside, we’re barely holding on.

But let me tell you something: God can’t heal what you won’t reveal. When Peter says to “cast all your anxiety,” he’s telling us to bring everything—our worries, fears, doubts, and stress—into the open. The Bible doesn’t say to pretend your burdens don’t exist; it says to cast them.

The Greek word for "cast" here means to throw or hurl. This isn’t a casual placing of your cares—it’s a deliberate action. Imagine a fisherman throwing a net into the sea. He doesn’t hold onto one end; he lets it go completely. Think about the people in Scripture who acknowledged their burdens:

The woman with the issue of blood didn’t stay in the crowd; she reached out to touch Jesus.

Blind Bartimaeus didn’t stay silent; he cried out, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

Even King David, in the Psalms, poured out his heart to God, saying, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?” (Psalm 42:11).

Church, what burdens are you holding onto today? Anxiety about the future? Family struggles? Financial problems? Or maybe it’s a secret sin you’ve been struggling with. Whatever it is, don’t hide it from God. He already knows, and He’s ready to help you. Acknowledge them. Name them. Because if you don’t face them, you can’t release them.

2. Trust God’s Care

“…because He cares for you.” It’s one thing to cast your burdens; it’s another to trust that God cares enough to handle them. Sometimes we hold onto our problems because we think, What if God doesn’t come through? But let me remind you of something today: God cares deeply for you. It’s not enough to acknowledge your burdens; you have to believe that God is able and willing to carry them. Sometimes, we hesitate to give our problems to God because we’re not sure if He’ll come through for us. Let me remind you of the God we serve:

He is the Creator of heaven and earth. If He can hold the universe in place, surely He can hold your life together.

He is the Good Shepherd who leaves the 99 to find the one lost sheep. That’s how much He cares about you.

He is the Savior who carried the weight of your sin on the cross. If He bore that burden, what makes you think He can’t handle your anxiety?

The same God who created the universe cares about your sleepless nights. The same God who parted the Red Sea is interested in the details of your life. Jesus Himself said in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Trusting God means believing that His shoulders are big enough to carry what’s crushing you. You don’t have to understand how He’ll work it out; you just need to trust that He will. Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Know this, God is not just able; He is willing. He cares for you personally, intimately, and unconditionally. Whatever is weighing you down, He’s saying, “Give it to Me. I can handle it.”

3. The Act of Casting

If you want to leave differently than you came, you have to let go completely. Some of us are guilty of bringing our problems to God, praying about them, and then picking them back up as we leave. Notice that Peter uses the word “cast.” This isn’t a passive action; it’s intentional and deliberate. To cast something means to throw it away from yourself. It means you’re letting go completely.

But here’s the problem: some of us cast our burdens onto God, but then we reel them back in. We say, “Lord, I trust You,” but then we keep worrying and trying to solve things in our own strength.

Let me give you a visual: Imagine you’re carrying a heavy backpack filled with rocks. Each rock represents a burden—your worries about your health, your children, your finances, your job. Now imagine Jesus standing before you, arms outstretched, saying, “Give it to Me.”

You take off the backpack and hand it to Him. But as you walk away, you start thinking, What if He doesn’t hold onto it? What if He drops it? So you turn around, grab the backpack, and put it back on. This is not what God wants for you. Philippians 4:6-7 says, Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus

When you cast your burdens on the Lord, don’t keep a backup plan in your pocket. Surrender means total release. When you cast your burdens on the Lord, leave them there. Don’t pick them back up.

4. Walk in Freedom

Once you’ve left your burdens with God, don’t look back. In John 8:36, Jesus said, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Walking in freedom means refusing to pick up old burdens or let new ones stick to you. It means replacing worry with worship and fear with faith. The enemy will try to remind you of your problems, but you can remind him of God’s promises.Walking in freedom means letting God’s promises replace your worries. Instead of dwelling on your problems, dwell on His Word:

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1)

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.” (Romans 8:28)

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

Freedom doesn’t mean you won’t face challenges. It means you face them with the confidence that God is with you, fighting for you, and working all things together for your good.

Let me share a story to illustrate this truth. There was a woman who came to church one Sunday carrying the weight of years of guilt and shame. During the altar call, she finally broke down and poured out her heart to God. She left her burdens at the altar and walked out of that sanctuary with a joy she hadn’t felt in decades.

When someone asked her what had changed, she said, “I realized that I don’t have to carry my burdens anymore. Jesus carried them for me.” And that’s literally all Peter is saying. “When it’s too much you, it’s just right for him.

As we prepare to close, I want to ask you: What are you carrying today? What weight have you been dragging around that God is asking you to release? As you sit here today, I don’t know what burdens you walked in with, but I do know this: you don’t have to leave the same way you came. The invitation from 1 Peter 5:7 is clear—God is ready to take your anxieties and give you peace. If you’re tired of carrying your burdens, lay them down at the feet of Jesus. Don’t just pray about them—leave them here. Let God exchange your anxiety for His peace, your fear for His faith, and your sorrow for His joy. Don’t leave the same way you came.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, thank You for Your invitation to cast all our cares on You. Today, we bring every burden, every worry, and every fear to You. Help us to trust You completely and to leave this place with hearts that are lighter and lives that are transformed. May we walk in Your peace and freedom, knowing that You care for us deeply. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.