Sermon - Do not worry

                                                                                                   6/04/2025

Pray – Dear Lord, I thank you for the opportunity to speak today. I pray that my words will be your words and that you will minister to everyone listening in person or online today. In Jesus name amen.

Do not worry

Good morning everyone, it’s great to be speaking to you today. So, the message today is “Do not worry” coming from the Matthew 6:25-34 passage that we just read.

Worry and anxiety

I don’t know how much you have had to deal with anxiety and worry throughout your life or right now, but I am sure there has been at least once where you have had to confront worry.

-In 2019, 301 million peopleworldwide had an anxiety disorder, making it the most common mental disorder. Also to recognise that this is before Covid so we can’t blame it on that.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a 25% increase in the global prevalence of anxiety and depression.

-In 2020-2022, 17.2% of Australians aged 16-85 years had a 12-month anxiety disorder.

-Almost one in three people aged 16-24 years had a 12-month anxiety disorder (31.8%).

Now I am not a trained professional to talk about the ins and outs of these statistics and disorders. However, I think recognising that this is a huge issue in our society is important and this breaks God’s heart. This is not a small problem, it sadly brings a lack of peace into our whole society.

Us humans do not like to feel worried or anxious, so we try to avoid the problem by controlling things. Now I am a teacher so my experience around this has been with children. However, this definitely relates to adults as well as children.

Control Circles

The circle of control is a visual representation of the things people can and cannot control. It is from the book “The 7 habits of highly effective people.” A good read. However there are many varieties out there, which can be adjusted depending on what situation you are facing,

So the three circles are:

Circle of concern: negative events like the pandemic, how others treat you, and the past are things that you have no power over. Focusing on them can make a person feel powerless and frequently worried, because truth be told, there’s an infinite list of things that we care about but are out of our power.

Circle of influence: As you can tell, the circle of influence includes your relationships and connections.

Circle of control: all the things that we can directly impact. It’s where we have full control, regardless of the events that transpire under the circles of concern and influence. Examples are your attitude, what you read and watch, how you respond to others, and where you put your energy.

Issues and stress can come when we try to control the areas that we can’t control or are meant to only influence. We don’t want to be controlling relationships; however, we can be influencing them or be influenced by them. We also don’t want to be trying to control the circles of concern because we can have minimal if any impact on these areas.

We should focus on the areas that we can control -not the ones we can’t.

When we are worried about something we do need to look at what we can control and what our next step is which can help. This can help us initially and there are lots of frameworks and charts and things that are out there that can help us, but I believe it will only help to a certain point unless we really look at the root, the heart and bring God into the picture.

Passage

In the passage Jesus highlights the main areas that we as humans are prone to worry about.

Your life, eating, drinking, what to wear, about your body, and the future.

Throughout each day we make so many decisions and think about so many things – there are so many opportunities to worry.

Here God commands us to not worry about any of these things. But this is easier said than done.

If you were worried about something and someone you didn’t know came up to you and said “don’t worry” it would probably not make you feel better, however if this came from a place of care and understanding from someone you knew well and trusted it would make more of a difference.

When we are worried sometimes all we need is to be close to those who love and care for us and this can make all the difference.

Trust in God - You are valuable to God and He cares for you

* Years ago, when my older sister had a young baby boy, he was about 7 months old at the time. I was looking after him so that she could celebrate her birthday with friends. It was all fine until it was bedtime and then at this point, I guess the worry had set in for him. He was screaming crying! Now I thought I will try giving him some milk, maybe sing to him, rock him, maybe he is hot or cold, maybe he needs a nappy change, etc…I tried everything. I even tried just letting him self settle but that didn’t work either… Nothing was working! The cry was an intense cry not a simple one… I tried calling my sister, but it didn’t go through. So after hours….many hours my sister came home, unaware. As soon as she walked in the door my nephew stopped crying. Just knowing that his mother was close, that was enough to settle him because he trusts her.

Even when a child grows it’s a similar thing, they can understand that when their mother leaves them at school, they are okay and not worried because they can trust her to come and collect them at the end of the day. Therefore, they don’t need to worry. That trust needs to be built over time – the first few times that they are dropped off at school it is hard, but it becomes easier as they develop a greater trust in their mother.

Trust in God - You are valuable to God and He cares for you – so He can be trusted.

Knowing that you are valuable to God can help you trust Him.

26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

- Understanding that you are valuable to God and that he cares for you – and He does keep his promises and follows through with what he says - this can help us to trust Him, and deepen our trust in Him over time when we see him comfort us, when we see how be blesses us, how He can bring good out of bad situations, how He is with us even through the painful times. We can remember – yes he is trustworthy and he can be trusted.

Worry is a Matter of Trust (Matthew 6:31-32)

Jesus says, “The pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”

Worry reveals where we put our trust. Do we believe that our God is not just all-powerful, but also all-loving and intimately involved in our lives?

When we worry, we act like those who don’t know God. But when we trust, we show that our hope is not in what we can do, but in what God has promised.

Remember God’s faithfulness

Lamentations 3:22-23 - "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

In the times of doubt the Israelites were told many times to remember all that God has done for them.

Deuteronomy 7:18 But do not be afraid of them; remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt.

Deuteronomy 8:2 - Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.

Deuteronomy 8:18- But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

Deuteronomy 15:15- Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today.

We also remember that the Israelites did not always get it right. They very easily forgot, as very often we do. We let the current situation overwhelm us and we forget all the times that God came through for us.

Focus on the Present -Take It One Day at a Time (Matthew 6:34)

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

God gives us daily grace for daily battles.

* Most of my life I have been lucky to not have to battle with much anxiety however in 2019, I had quite a hard year in all areas of my life but especially in my teaching job. This was the first and only time I would say I have experienced an anxiety attack. It was Sunday night, and I knew that the next morning I would have to get ready and go into school and face my class again. I love students and I love teaching, however this specific class had multiple children that had behavioural challenges. Most days had some sort of physical or emotional intense incident that would leave me exhausted. Now in this moment on the Sunday night I physically felt the heavy pain in my chest and the fastened breathing. I was so stressed I didn’t know what to do but I did realise this was more intense than the previous times I would feel worried about what was to come. I tried to slow my breathing and think positively “maybe tomorrow will be different”, as positive thinking can change everything – right? Wrong. Not always. When the evidence of the last months had proven that that thinking wouldn’t work anymore. I just needed calm and peace, so I lay on the floor flat and put on worship music. I was there for maybe 3 or 4 songs – just letting God calm my spirit and bring in peace. Now, I will not tell you that as soon as I put on the song, I was better and super confident about the next morning. However, as I prayed and asked God to help me, give me strength and energy He did. He calmed my breathing, helped me sleep that night and he gave me peace for the next morning when I went into the classroom. He didn’t change everything in one moment, he didn’t even change the situation – the next day was still a challenging day – but he changed me, bit by bit, day by day. Now I would say that God was calming my worries and bringing peace many, many times that year and I couldn’t have done it without Him. But even in that one moment, nothing else worked except to release control, look to God and surrender my day to him. It helped me to just focus on the next day, not the many months that were still to come. It was one day at a time.

I’m sure you have a time that you can remember where this was the case for you. Or maybe this is the case for you right now.

The great thing about God is that He doesn’t ask us to carry tomorrow’s burdens with today’s strength. Rest in His presence today. Trust Him today, and let tomorrow worry about itself.

Pursue Peace

Knowing that peace is the opposite of worry – pursuing peace should be our focus if we are wanting to avoid worry.

Close your eyes - Do not think about the elephant… you probably thought about the elephant.

What you think about grows. So, when we are thinking about worry - don’t think, I need to stop worrying – think about peace and how to bring more into the situation and into our lives

2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

God has given us peace through the Holy Spirit, it is a fruit of the Spirit which is available to all who have their faith in Jesus.

Peace can also be found in creation

There are so many benefits of nature and creation.

As you look at this next picture – let it relax you as I mention some of the benefits of nature.

Mental health benefits:

Nature can help decrease your anxiety levels and can help lessen stress and feelings of anger. Exercise can also help this, but it's even better when you're outside. Regular access to green spaces has been linked to lower risks of depression and improved concentration and attention.

Recent studies have shown that the beach can have a profound impact on our mental health. That’s right — the sound of the ocean waves, the sand between your toes and saltwater life in general have been proven to recharge our minds and provide mental and physical balance. You may find that you sleep better when you are regularly outside. Daily exposure to natural light helps regulate sleep/wake cycles. By making sure that you get outside in sunlight every day, you can improve your ability to sleep at night.

Nature can provide a mental break by allowing us to temporarily escape the demands of everyday life. It can also boost your creativity and problem-solving abilities.

Mood booster: The color blue has a calming effect on people and can put our minds in a meditative state. The ocean and its surroundings can change our brain waves to a more calm, relaxed mindset. The health benefits of sea water and ocean air also calm our brains by providing negative ions — oxygen ions with extra attached electrons. The sound of the waves crashing on the beach also contributes to the strengthening and healing of the brain.

Natural anti-depressant: The combination of sunshine and the relaxing environment of the beach can directly affect our moods. Sunshine itself has been shown to make us happier, while the connection with nature also has a positive effect on those suffering from depression and anxiety.

Physical effects: Studies also show that being in nature has a positive effect on our bodies by reducing cortisol levels, muscle tension, and demands on our cardiovascular systems (lowers heart rate and blood pressure). Being out in nature often may lead to lower rates of heart disease. The great outdoors can also help you increase your vitamin D level, which is important for your bones, blood cells, and immune system.

This is the way God created it. Peace all around us. Is it no wonder that as our lives get more surrounded by man-made things, our peace is compromised.

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”    Romans 1:20

To gain peace, We need to seek God

1 Peter 5:6-7

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

We try to control things to avoid worry/pain etc., however the peace of God is different.  “Peace is not merely the absence of conflict.” It is peace within the storm. This is the difference between the worlds view of peace and God’s.

Picture

We have peace within us through the Holy Spirit.

Dark night of the soul

I don’t know if you have heard about the Dark night of the soul, but it is when you are journeying in life with the Holy Spirit and then there comes a point of darkness. It can be characterised by

- Prayer may feel empty. -  God may seem distant or silent. -  You may question your faith or feel lost. -  There’s a longing for God but no sense of His presence.

The Holy Spirit is reorienting your desires. Your expectations may be different, and the experience of God may be less than you thought it would be. However, this is very much connected to your heart now. It’s not based on feelings.

Often, people come out of this season more grounded, humble, and in awe of God's love.

The “dark night” isn’t forever. It’s a passage, not a destination.

After the dark night comes a deeper union with God.

A love that’s not based on feelings but rooted in truth.

A faith that stands even when the emotions don’t show up.

It often leads to transformation, peace, and spiritual clarity.

So, wherever you are finding yourself at the moment, – if it is in this place or not.

“Be still and know that I am God.”

We are to remember be still and know that I am God.

We are also called to bring others into this peace.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” Matthew 5:9

We need to seek God’s perspective

25 “Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.”

The word ‘therefore’, is linking to the previous section on storing up treasures in heaven instead of on earth where they can be destroyed. Thom talked about this last week and having a heavenly perspective on our wealth and all that we have. If our perspective is heavenward, then material matters don’t seem to matter as much.

It is all about perspective.

We can so easily lose perspective. We need to step back, take time and ask God for His perspective on our situation.

It is a heart change not a situation change.

Proverbs 4:23 - Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Proverbs 27:19 - As water reflects the face, so one's life reflects the heart.

We need to take the time to really understand why we are worrying. We need to have time with ourselves and God. God doesn’t want us to pretend to be okay – remember he sees our heart. He wants us to be honest and he wants to give us the peace about the situation. Taking time to process with God to the root of the problem. God needs to change the behaviour from the heart as out of the heart flows all things.

What is it that is overwhelming you? What is God’s perspective on your situation? What is God trying to teach me in this situation?

Worry Accomplishes Nothing (Matthew 6:27)

"Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

Jesus asks a rhetorical question here—one we all know the answer to. Worry doesn't add to our lives. It actually takes away. It robs us of joy, sleep, peace, and sometimes even our health.

Worry is like a rocking chair: it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere. Jesus wants us to live fully in the present, not anxiously in the future.

As we seek God all these things will fall into place.

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Because of this we do not need to worry about the future because we know that God has it in control.

As we seek him, we know “the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.” Isaiah 32:17

Summary

- Trust in God - You are valuable to God and He cares for you

- Remember God’s faithfulness

- Focus on the Present -Take It One Day at a Time

- Pursue Peace - get out in nature and worship and connect with God

- Seek God - in all times. Seek God’s perspective

- It’s about the heart change not situation change.

- Worry accomplished nothing

And always remember—Jesus didn’t just preach this, He lived it. He faced the cross without fear, knowing His Father’s plan was good. That same Father is yours. The God who created the universe is also the God who holds you in His hands.

We are now going to worship – and look to God as we do. We are going to sing Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Song - Turn your eyes upon Jesus