Trust Over Worry
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Before the Message
Verse of the Day:
Matthew 6:33 “33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Kids Takeaway: Trust God…
Trust God: Good Morning! How is everyone doing this morning? I have a question. When was a time that you needed to trust God?
A time I needed
Prayer
Father would you be worshipped rightly in the way that we listen and respond to your living Word. Would you transform our hearts to seek first your kingdom and your righteousness. Prepare us to lay down our worries and anxieties at your feet. You are king and we are not. We serve you. We trust you. Teach us to trust you.
Introduction:
Illustration / example: Your family has taken a summer trip and you have gone somewhere warmer than here, Arizona. But hey, its a dry heat. You made this long trip to see the grand canyon. This
You look down at your phone to find a text that says those four ominous words, “We need to talk.”
Summer is over and your child is going back to school. You welcome the break, but you realize it may not be as easy as you thought at first. Your
Its late your eyes are open. You roll over to look at the clock to see that its the wee hours of the morning. That conflict you’ve been wrestling with eats at the back of your mind like termites feasting. Rest isn’t easy. How could it be?
Tomorrow is the big day you’ve waited for. How is it going to go? You’ve been waiting so long for this. Maybe it won’t go just like you hoped it would.
You look at the pictures at the wall to see your family photos. You realize that the years of your parents may be drawing to a close. Yes, they are getting up in years, but it still doesn’t feel real
Its 95 degrees outside and quickly it seems to be getting hotter inside. You check the thermostat to find its a cool 87. You look to find to your A/C isn’t working. The timing works well because you were just cleaning the house to welcome your spouse’s extended family?
There have layoffs at work. You look at your email to see that your boss wants to meet with you. No more information is provided.
You open the fridge to eat some food. Its fool of food but between the half that’s molded in the lower draws and the
You get in the car to come home from the store and with a twing the car door won’t shut. You find that the door hinge snapped. Now what?
You go to the dr. for a routine check-up to find that it is anything less than routine and the odd things you’ve been dealing with has had a clearer reason than you thought. The reason is a diagnosis that means your world is about to change.
All of these situations or ones like them have caused deep ravines of anxiety in worry in our lives. They range from the every day to the things that will change our lives forever. Anxiety disorders affect approximately 31% of americans. That means some 50 million people struggle with, “any anxiety disorders included panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, specific phobia, social anxiety disorder (social phobia), post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and separation anxiety disorder.”
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/any-anxiety-disorder
Transition: So when you encounter anxiety, worry, or are concerned. What do you do with it? Well the words of Jesus are a guide and a balm for us travelers and immigrants on this earth.
Primary Claim: Object / Complement (What and How)
Jesus’s followers are called to set aside our anxious concerns through faith in the Father’s care.
Organizational Sentence: How the primary claim will be achieved in the main points.
We will consider 3 exhortations of Jesus not to worry.
Passage
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
The Context
Passage
Matthew 6:25–34 “25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly…”
We are continuing in the book of Matthew and are currently in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus has sat down and is teaching his followers.
We have entered a section that deals with trust.
Last week we consider not storing up earthly treasures but seeking heavely treasures.
said another way, “Don’t value possessions enough to seek them”
This morning Jesus will tell us, “Don’t value possessions enough to worry about them”
Main Points:
Examples from creation
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Do not be anxious/worried/care/concerned about your life
what you will eat
what you will drink
what you will wear
it is helpful to remember that Jesus is speaking to an audience that is likely spending most of their waking hours trying to procure these basic necessities
So when we consider this from contexts of excess, this is not what the original hearers would have had. They had little and the command not to worry
What anxiety (Μεριμνάω) is being referred to here?
The word used here can also be translated worry, concern, or care. Certainly there are far more barbs and baggage with the term anxiety than these alternatives. Whatever our notions for this word, it is best to let the surrounding context determine how we interpret it.
It can refer to a legitimate and good concern for, “the Lord’s work (1 Cor. 7:32) or someone’s welfare (Phil. 2:20)”[1]
appropriate concern about things in our life will often lead us to appropriate action. When the concern is proportionate to the object of concern, the depth of our emotions, and the scope of action taking it can be a helpful.
However, this concern is not always positive. At others times it can be proof of a lack of faith. It is also used to refer to concern about persecution and any manner of daily issues.
Matthew 10:19 “19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.”
Luke 10:41 “41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,”
It is also the same word used for the cares that choke the 3rd seed in the parable of the sower
Mark 4:18–19 “18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”
there is likewise a connection between riches and their anxieties crowding out the word of God
So it not helpful to say all anxiety, concern, worry, or care is the same. At times it can be the evidence of active faith and at other time it can display a lack of faith.
Look at God’s care for his creation
Look at the birds
they are arial scavengers who simply live from one day to the next
They are marvels of creative engineering.
But look at the grace of God to provide for them.
Have you met a bird with a 401k, a pension, or any kind of bank account for that matter? Do they track their hours or measure their productivity? Do they consider the breadth of life or does the God of creation simply provide for them?
Aren’t you more valuable than they are??? (Luke 12:24, Matt 10:29–31, Ps 8:4–8, Gen 1:26-27)
Whatever you are facing this morning. You are more valuable than the birds and God takes care of them. He cares for you and will meet your needs. He has not abandoned you.
Does our anxiety add more time to the day?
of course it doesn’t. No amount of worry could add more time to the day
But we do it any way. Rather than appropriately address what causes our anxieties and handing them to God so often we clutch them tighter until there is not much of us left except that which is trying to expel the anxiety from our lives.
Consider the wildflowers
they don’t have any seamstresses and still they are clothed in resplendent beauty
Our heavenly father who cares for them in the
The question is who are we trusting as our provider? God or worry?
often by obsessing over things we cannot control we are more trust in our ability to worry than in presenting our needs to our father who hears us.
Transition:
Don’t be like those who worship other gods
Matthew 6:31–33 “31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
they don’t know what their worship will amount to or if their gods care
We know that our heavenly father is deeply aware and cares for us and our needs
Transition:
Worries about the future v. 34
Matthew 6:34 “34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Point
Warren Wiersbe “It is often said that we are continually being crucified between two thieves—the regrets of yesterday and the worries about tomorrow.”[1]
We cannot control tomorrow today. in fact today is the tomorrow you were worrying about yesterday.” unknown
Transition:
Application (give as specific examples as possible)
3 Diagnostic Questions to ask when you’re feeling anxious. Is my worry…
(1) Is my worry dominating my concerns in life and leading fear?
(2) Is my worry destroying my perspective on life and causing me to forget that God exists and cares?
(3) Is my worry causing me to drift into an attitude of constant worry and concern over a future that I cannot control?
3 More questions to move towards health
How can I entrust my worries to God?
In what ways am I pursuing the kingdom of God and his righteousness?
What can I thank God for in my life?
Conclusion:
Recap/Summary:
Illustration / example:
Closing Prayer
Benediction
1 Peter 5:7 “7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
Small Group Questions
How would you describe the trinity? Is it a mere fact about God or something more? Hint: It is who he is, nothing less.
Where in Scripture are some places that come to mind which display God is triune? Hint: (Matt. 3:16-17, 28:18-20; 2 Cor. 13:14)
What were the boundaries discussed for the doctrine of the trinity? Hint: 1) That each of the persons of the trinity is distinct thus it can be stated: “The Father is not the Son is not the Holy Spirit.” 2) Yet, all are God in unity 3) and divinity.
Why is the doctrine of the trinity integral to the Christian faith? Hint: It is who God is and as he has revealed himself.
What does God being triune tell us about who he is? Hint: He has been loving from eternity past. His love for the Son in the love of the Holy Spirit, before any created thing, is the background for creation and the Gospel.
What are some dangers of using analogies to explain the trinity? Hint: They reduce God to an aspect of observed creation and leave him little more than the object from which it is derived. They also tend to focus on one or two aspects of the triangle while leaving out the third. This results in a faulty and ultimately incorrect perspective of God as trinity.
[1]Michael J. Wilkins, Matthew, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2004), 296–297.
[2]Ibid. 305.
