Don’t Worry!

Opening

Good morning!

What if I told you major changes are coming? And it’s going to effect you and your family. It’s going to shake up your daily routine. It’ll impact your finances. Possibly even your safety. . . BUT don’t worry!

What are the chances that you won’t worry at all?

Before you actually worry, let me set you at ease and say that I am not aware of any immediate changes coming, especially any that will negatively effect you.

But when life is uncertain, isn’t it easy to worry? Or is it just me?

I was worried you wouldn’t answer me!

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We worry!

When we watch breaking news, we worry.

When we hear a diagnosis, we worry.

When it’s election season, we worry.

When we’re starting something we’ve never done before, we worry.

When Jeff is preaching, we . . . I hope not!

But what does Jesus say about worrying? Don’t!

Bibles

I want to invite you to open your Bible to Matthew 6

If you need a Bible an usher will bring you one

We are on page 832 in the church Bibles

We will have it on the screen, as well.

Series and Topic

We have been going through the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ longest and most famous sermon recorded in Scripture

Last week, Pastor Josue taught us how we need to avoid becoming slaves to our possessions and instead store up treasures in heaven. Our focus should be on the things that are eternal. Jesus said, “no one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). We can’t “serve both God and Money”

This ties right into worry, because in a similar way, if we focus on our worries, it too will become a master in our lives.

The Oxford Dictionary says that worry means to give way to anxiety and unease, to allow our mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles

Colossians 3:16 tells us we should dwell on . . . the word of Christ!

As Jesus continues preaching His sermon on the Mount, He helps us reorient our hearts and minds back to the Kingdom of God

And Jesus tells us why we shouldn’t worry.

1. Worrying does NOT remove the problem

Matthew 6:25–27 NIV

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 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? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

Jesus is talking about practical things. Food, clothing, and health. God knows we need those things.

Note what Jesus does not say.

He doesn’t say “Don’t care”

He doesn’t say “Don’t work hard”

He doesn’t say “Don’t prepare”

He says “Don’t worry”

Several places in Scripture encourage hard work and thoughtful planning. Not obsession, rather thoughtful preparation.

Proverbs 24:27 NIV

Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.

We are encouraged to do things wisely. The farmer should plant their field before they build the house so that they will have their livelihood - food to eat and food to sell for an income so they can pay for the very house they built. That takes some forethought.

Isaiah 32:8 NIV

But the noble make noble plans,

Even Jesus prepares - in John 14:2-3 he says twice that He is going to Prepare a place for us

Church, we should work appropriately to make sure we will have food on the table, clothes for each season, and healthy bodies . . . and then after doing our best we can say “God, we trust you to provide for our needs.” Wherever there are gaps, we know you are able to fill it.

I know sometimes that is easier said than done, but we are called to trust Jesus

There is a story in the Gospels where Jesus feeds a crowd of 5,000 (Matthew 14:13-21). Probably much bigger when you factor in women and children. Before the miracle, Jesus’ disciples were worried that they did not have enough food. 5 Loaves of bread and two fish could cover a dozen of his disciples, but not an arena-sized crowd. The disciples urged Jesus to send the crowds away. Jesus said, “you feed them” and the disciples seemed to worry even more. But then Jesus took what they had and multiplied it to cover everyone present and everyone ate until they were full.

Jesus simply asked his disciples to give what they had.

Apply:

Worrying did NOT remove the problem

God resolved the problem.

What did the disciples do right? They used the resources they had and then passed it off to Jesus.

I guess they could have said to each other, “we better eat what we have before the crowd takes our food. Quick gobble it up!”

Or they could have focused on their worries and let their imaginations go wild with worst-case scenarios. If the people don’t eat, some will pass out and never want to come hear Jesus speak again. Some will get hangry and turn on us. They might even get violent.”

Instead, they trusted Jesus!

That is what we are called to do. Give God what we have. Sometimes our concerns are all we have.

I have a friend who is a good example in this area. He just had a biopsy and is awaiting results. It could be cancer and if that’s the case his life could look quite different in the coming months. He is a strong believer in Jesus. Does he have concerns? Yes. Does his wife? Absolutely. And I do too. I don’t know if it is possible to avoid worrisome thoughts altogether. But we can choose not to let things fester and instead call upon God to help us.

That’s what my friends are doing. They are praying and inviting others to pray. They are staying rooted in the truth of Scripture - the truth that God loves them, that He has not abandoned them, that He is able to work miracles, and that He is the Prince of Peace who is present regardless of how things play out.

Worrying does not remove the problem. So invest the time you spend worrying doing something better.

Another reason Jesus tells us why we shouldn’t worry . . .

2. Worrying does NOT put His Kingdom First

Matthew 6:28–33 NIV

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

That last line is key: Seek First His Kingdom and His Righteousness!

Put God first in everything! There are a lot of contenders trying to take the top spot in our life, including worry. But God must be first.

Remember the Greatest Commandment: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37)

In other words, love God first with everything we’ve got.

Anything taking our heart, mind, and soul away from Him is a problem.

Jesus mentioned Solomon. He was the wisest king of Israel and started out great, but then he put other things ahead of God - exorbitant wealth, multiple wives, and acceptance of idolatry. 1 Kings 11:6 says “he did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely as his father David had done.”

No king was as wealthy as Solomon. He dressed in splendor that he himself produced. And Jesus says that what God provides for the flowers is better than anything Solomon provided for himself. How much more will God provide for the ones He loves? You and me!

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I believe that worry left unchecked can become an idol in our life.

Now let me clarify, I don’t think worry itself is a sin. It is a distraction that can lead to sin and certainly lead us away from Kingdom priorities

Worry is deceptive because it often leaves us feeling vulnerable, feeling weak; but it may actually have a closer connection to pride than we think. Here’s why: We often respond by trying to take things into our own hands, instead of trusting God.

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This reminds me of the first king of Israel - Saul. He worried all the time and it led to his downfall.

At first, he was a very likable man. He was charming, a good warrior, and seemed to be humble. He started out following God, but then he began doing things on his own and grew increasingly paranoid. He tried to have his successor, King David, killed several times - Even though David was extremely loyal.

Saul’s worry replaced His trust in God. He failed to put the Kingdom of God first. And it led him down a very dark road where his final act was taking his own life.

King David, on the contrary turned to God every time he was afraid. Even when He realized his own sin brought him to that place. He constantly turned to God for help.

One of my favorite lines from David is in Psalm 23 when he says “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff they comfort me.”

Apply:

Contrasting Saul and David . . .

Worrying did not put his kingdom first

Turning to God, in spite of circumstances . . . THAT put His kingdom first

Here is what we can do . . . Instead of giving into worry - give in to time with God. Talk to Him, read His word, worship Him, and talk about Him with others

And if you know God is calling you to do something, do it. He is with you!

I want to confess that there have been times in my life that I failed to put God first because of my worries.

Before I was a pastor here, I long had a desire to go to seminary and get a Bible degree, but without consulting God in prayer, I decided on my own that it wouldn’t be a very good ROI - Return on Investment. I was worried about the cost and time commitment. I didn’t think I’d ever actually be a full-time pastor, so I put it off. I said no to something great because of worry.

Fast forward a couple years and God in His grace gave me another opportunity and I finally got my act together. I was still worried. I had a newborn baby at home and it was expensive, but I knew that it was where God was calling me. It helped that my wife, Carrie, was a saint for supporting me going back to school even though it would be a sacrifice for our family.

But for me, putting His Kingdom first in that season was saying yes to something I knew God wanted me to do. And that was one of the steps that led me to where I am today and I love being a pastor at Centerpoint.

Instead of worrying, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness

Here is one more reason Jesus tells us not to worry . . .

3. Worrying does NOT make today any better

Matthew 6:34 NIV

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

I’ve got plenty of concerns for one day. How about you? I don’t think any of us would like to have more troubles added to our day. If you do, then well now I’m worried about you. Add one to my list.

More often than not, we have to just take things one day at a time.

The reality is we have no certainty of what tomorrow will hold, let alone what will happen today.

We’ve all lived long enough to know that life has many interruptions. Life can change in an instant.

Similar to what I talked about earlier, it is wise to plan for the future. Save money, set goals, take care of yourself . . . Just don’t worry about it!

Worrying does NOT make today any better. If anything, it makes it worse because the stress is wearing us down and we become ineffective.

A Psychology Today Article shared a study that concluded that 91% of worries did not come true and of the remaining 9% about a third had better than respected results.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/think-act-be/201907/how-often-do-your-worries-actually-come-true#:~:text=The%20result?,nearly%20always%20a%20false%20alarm.

The late Billy Graham once said, “Some people spend so much time worrying about what might happen that they never enjoy what is happening now . . . Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday”

Again, not making today any better!

There was a great prophet of the Lord named Elijah. And one of the coolest events was when he went up to Mount Carmel (not as delicious as it sounds) and he challenged 450 prophets of a false god named Baal to stand against the true God, Yahweh. The prophets of Baal chanted and tried to call down fire from heaven and of course nothing happened. Meanwhile Elijah poked fun - “maybe he can’t hear you.” But then . . .

Elijah called upon God to ignite His altar and God delivered! There were great flames. The false prophets were killed and God was glorified. Awesome moment. (1 Kings 18-19)

Then Elijah prophesied that rain was finally coming after a long drought. And God brought rain. We would expect that Elijah would be very confident by this time.

But then Elijah got word that the evil queen Jezebel wanted to kill him and we’re told that Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. His worry hit him so bad that he went and prayed that the Lord would take his life before Jezebel got to him.

Elijah was worried about tomorrow, even though he just saw God show up in a mighty way and that same God would always be with him.

Maybe you can relate. You’ve seen God move. He saved you before. He blessed you. He brought you through trials. But then you faced a new challenge and instead of remembering our awesome God, all you can think about is the threat.

If that’s you today, can I challenge you to take a step back. You’re standing too close to the problem and it is blinding you from seeing that God is surrounding the whole situation.

It is probably also distracting you from tending to all the things God has for you today. Opportunities to rest in the Lord’s presence and worship Him, opportunities to stop and minister to others and be ministered to yourself.

Apply:

Worrying is not making today any better

But Refocusing on God will make it a beautiful day

With the time and energy that you normally give to worrying - take a break and be present with God and with His people

Make today better!

We still have a little more time in this service and an opportunity to connect with someone before you head home today

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Our church staff meets and prays for each other several times throughout the week. As we’ve shared prayer requests it seems there have been an increase of challenges among our staff and volunteers this season - car issues, health concerns, inconvenient injuries, unplanned expenses, major concerns about our loved ones. A lot of our people are in a valley right now. And maybe you are too.

Can I ask you to pray for us? Not just the pastors, but children’s workers, our maintenance and cleaning staff, our welcome team and others.

It may be normal to worry, but according to Jesus, it’s not good.

So how about instead we give it to God!

Philippians 4:6–7 NIV

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

If you’re worried pray to the God who can do something about it. Petition Him and Thank Him and see if He’ll give you a peace that doesn’t make sense. He’s done it for me time and time again. And I believe He’ll do it for you if you pursue Him.

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I don’t mean to minimize the hardships that you are facing. The challenges in our life can be overwhelming. But we are here to help. We have all kinds of groups and classes to strengthen you through whatever season you are in. Establish relationships with sisters and brothers in Christ so when worries come you have a family who will walk with you through the battle.

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Can I encourage you with a reminder that Jesus overcame worry? There’s no doubt that He was dreading the cross when he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane before his arrest.

Luke 22:42–44 NIV

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

Jesus could have let worry be the thing that stopped his surrender to the Father and his death by crucifixion that was so crucial for the forgiveness of our sins.

He knew that worry would not remove the problem, but dying on the cross would.

Worrying would not put the Kingdom first, but His obedience to the will of the Father would.

And worrying would not make today any better, but dying on the cross would truly make it a “Good” Friday.

If He was overtaken by worry during His greatest trial, none of us would have hope for overcoming this world today. Jesus pressed on, He died and rose again so that we can live!

Next time you feel an urge to worry, I want to invite you to look to Jesus. Imagine that between you and your problem is the cross of Christ and you don’t need to hang there because Jesus already did that and it was sufficient to break the power of every stronghold in your life - including worry itself.

I’ll close with this prayer for you today from 1 Thessalonians 5:23

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 NIV

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.