The Heart Of Anxiety

I invite you to turn with me to Matthew 6.

We will look at verses 25-34 today.

We are walking through some key passages on marriage, on singleness, on parenting, and on children, as well as some passages addressing key issues that we all deal with in family life - both in our biological families and in our church family.

My prayer is that God would continue to make us and shape us by His grace and through His gospel into a godly church family that is made up of godly gospel shaped families.

Fourteen years ago, I was sitting at my call center desk at work trying to figure out why my chest hurt and why I couldn’t seem to draw in a full breath.

There I was, 25 years old, leaving work to drive myself to the emergency room thinking I may be having a heart attack.

At the ER, they ran a bunch of tests and said there was nothing wrong with my heart and encouraged me to just go home and get some rest.

Robin and my two kids at the time were out of the state visiting a friend, so my parents came up to be with me.

At dinner that night, my dad asked me how I was doing and how I was feeling, and I remember this big painful pit in my stomach welled up through my chest to my head and I began weeping at the dinner table in a way I had never wept before.

The next day, my dad told me a story of when he was in his medical residency and working all nighters at the VA hospital to make ends meet for us as a family, and one day as he was driving home, he had to pull off to the side of the road because of the pain in his chest and being unable to catch his breath.

He said he found out later that he had had a panic attack due to the amount of stress and anxiety he had been feeling.

Well, that resonated with me immediately.

I had always been a fearful kid.

I would never do anything crazy like jump into a pool of water or ride on a roller coaster like my crazy family members and friends did.

But this was different.

I was a full time seminary student. A full time call center employee. I had Robin, a three year old and a one year old.

We were applying with the mission board to be full time missionaries to India, a place I had never been.

We were trying to convince our families and friends that we were not insane and that God was calling us to do this.

I was serving in the four year olds class at church every Sunday morning.

I was doing prison ministry every Sunday evening.

I was leading our church small group every Tuesday night.

You could probably say I was burning the candle at both ends.

The more people I tell that story to, the more people share an experience similar.

Anxiety seems to be one of the most common problems many people face today.

And I am talking about it during a series on the family because anxiety certainly affects our relationships in our homes and in our churches.

Like last Sunday, we are returning again to Jesus’ sermon on the mount which spans Matthew chapters 5-7.

And the purpose of the Sermon on the Mount is for Jesus to teach his followers about the ethics of the kingdom of God.

If you have been saved from your sin through repentance and faith, then you have been saved out of the kingdom of darkness, and into the kingdom of light, which is the kingdom of God.

You have been saved into God’s church because the church is the outpost of the kingdom of God on earth.

So, now, here are the ethics of the kingdom, here are the standards of God that we abide by.

Not in order to be saved, for we are saved by grace through faith, but we abide by these by God’s grace making our hearts new to love God and others.

And the kingdom ethic we consider today is to not be anxious but instead trust in the Lord.

Would you follow along as I read God’s word?

Matthew 6:25–34 ESV

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.

1. God Will Supply All Your Needs

I find it instructive that ten verses of Jesus’ most famous sermon are focused on the topic of anxiety.

Another way to say it is that almost 10% of the whole sermon on the mount is focused on anxiety.

That tells us what a large part of a picture anxiety plays for us as human beings living in a fallen world.

It also shows how out of step fear and anxiety are with the reality of the Kingdom of God.

Just before these verses, Jesus has taught us not to lay up for ourselves treasures on earth, but instead, lay up treasures in heaven because where you treasure is, your heart will be also.

You cannot serve both God and money,

So, verse 25, because you cannot serve both God and money, therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life.

It is a command of Jesus to not be anxious about your life but to instead serve and worship God.

Do not be anxious about what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.

One of the most difficult aspects of dealing with anxiety is that anxiety makes so much sense to us as creatures who depend on sustenance outside of ourselves to sustain our lives.

It makes all the sense in the world to us to worry and feel anxious if we do not sense that our lives are safe, if we do not know where our next meal is coming from, if we do not know if our bodies will be well or clothed.

How can Jesus command us not to be anxious about these things?

He says next: Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Think about it: is it more incredible to give someone life and a body, or to give someone food and clothing?

It is much more incredible that you could give someone life and a body, which is exactly what the God of the universe has done.

The God of the universe has given you life and a body, which is absolutely incredible when you think about it.

If he has done the greater thing of giving you life and a body, do you not think he will also do the lesser thing: give you food and clothing in order to care for and sustain your life and your body?

Of course he will.

Verse 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?

God has set up the world in such a way that the birds get the food they need.

And, because mankind was made in the image of God, we are much more value to God than birds, for we are eternal creatures made in his image.

So, if he feeds them, he will certainly feed us whom he values more highly.

The reality Jesus is teaching here is one that I so often forget and that is the reality of just how present and involved God is in orchestrating all things, and in relating with and providing for us, His children.

I can take for granted that there is food at the store that gets to my house because I did the work to go buy it and bring it home,

Or in my case, Robin ordered it off Walmart plus and had it delivered.

But, the truth is: none of that food is there apart from the sovereign, present, and personal actions of God to make it so.

Paul writes in Colossians that God in Christ holds all things together, meaning if God so chose to personally remove himself from actively holding the universe together, we would all be destroyed in the midst of chaos in an instant.

Psalm tells us that the Lord is in the heavens doing all that He pleases, and it pleases Him to give us life and breath and all that we need.

Life is a gift from God and if he so chose, all of our existences could be erased in a moment.

Verse 27: And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Jesus now adds to the great truth that our heavenly Father provides every one of our needs a very logical argument by asking: what is it that anxiety does for you?

How does it help you?

Can it add a single hour to your life span? No.

For it is God who knows the day we will die and no amount of worry or anxiety will change that date.

Jesus’ question here also answers something that always really bugs me about passages like this one:

God, what about the times where you don’t provide?

What about the times where your missionaries get killed, and children die of starvation, and the cancer does kill a brother or sister in the Lord?

What’s the answer to that?

Well, the answer is, no anxiety or worry over those things adds anything to your life, the end of your life is already determined by the God who loves you and gave his son for you, and at the moment of their deaths, they were ushered into the presence of God where He will satisfy all their desires and meet all of their needs in abundance for eternity.

So, did He not still meet all their needs?

One time when I was pastoring in Louisiana, I was in a particularly stressful season, and this older man in the congregation comes to me right after the service one Sunday and says, “Pastor, I need to meet to talk with you this week. Let’s meet Thursday.”

Now, this man was older and well respected in the church. He would preach on occasion, and I had found him to be the more kind of opinionated and vocal types.

So, I had it in my head that he was meeting to criticize me up and down.

So, I did not have a good night sleep all week awaiting that Thursday meeting.

My stomach felt sick. I had a hard time focusing on anything else.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Thursday finally came, and the man came to my office, we sat down.

He looked me right in the eye and said to me, “Pastor, have you ever heard someone preach that after David cut off Goliath’s head, he ended up burying it in the exact spot where Jesus’ cross ended up being stuck into the earth?”

What?

I fretted and worried and dreaded for five days over a conversation about some weird Bible conspiracy theory?

It’s a lesson that I’m not quite sure I have learned: which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Even if the conversation would have been hard, my worry would have helped nothing.

Verse 28: And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither told nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 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 cloth you, O you of little faith?

It is the providence of God that covers the fields with lilies more beautiful that all of Solomon’s fancy garments.

If God clothes the fields that are so fleeting, how will he not lavish more beauty on us?

For we are His workmanship, made in his image, He cares for us as a good and loving Father.

And even in death, he provides for us life eternal.

You are so beautiful to him. You matter so deeply to Him.

And if you are ever tempted to think: well, God isn’t meeting my needs.

Consider Paul’s words:

1 Timothy 6:8 ESV

8 But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

He gives us what we need when we need it , not always what we want, then takes us to be with him in eternity and lavishes his love, grace, and glory on us for eternity.

We may be tempted to be discouraged by Jesus’ referring to his disciples as “you of little faith.”

But, I want to challenge you to see it as encouraging!

Think about it, Jesus could have just said, “Don’t fear or be anxious!”

That’s it. Moving on.

But, instead, he lovingly meets us where we are in the journey of faith and helps us take the next step closer to him in trust and the next step further from anxiety.

You of little faith tells us two wonderful things: one is that you have faith.

And saving faith has nothing to do with how much you have, it only has to do with who you place your faith in, that’s Jesus.

Faith in Jesus is saving faith no matter the quantity.

The other wonderful thing about being called you of little faith is to acknowledge that we have a lot farther to grow and to go.

It means we have hope to respond to future circumstances with less anxiety than we have todaybecause our faith begins small but God grows us over time.

It also encourages us that when we fail with anxiety, it’s because we are on a journey of faith, and while it is genuine, it will never be perfected until we see Jesus face to face.

And there is no condemnation for you in Christ no matter how much you struggle.

God will supply all your needs.

2. Seek First The Kingdom Of God And His Righteousness

Verse 31: Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

Here, Jesus uses the word “Gentiles” to mean pagan people. Any people who do not know and follow the Lord.

Those who worshipped false gods always had to wonder if they had done enough to please their God, and if their god would provide for them.

Yet, we know we have a heavenly Father who has done everything to the point of not sparing his own Son for us.

Romans 8:32 ESV

32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

The greatest need you ever had was forgiveness from sin leading to a right relationship with God in order to save you from His wrath and hell, adopt you into his family, and give you eternal life with Him,

And if God has provided in abundance for your greatest need, how will he not also provide for all your lesser needs?

So, instead of making our ultimate pursuit the making of money for food, drink, and clothing, what should our ultimate pursuit be?

Verse 33: But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

If you think about it, Jesus is still showing us what it means that we cannot serve both God and money.

If we serve money, we will be anxious about what we will eat, drink, and wear, if we have enough in the savings account and the 401k because all those things can be taken from us in an instant.

But, if you center your life on serving God while being focused on building His kingdom through His church and obeying his commands with joy, then you have chosen to center your life on the one thing that can never be taken away from you even at death.

There is no fear that his kingdom will ever fail, for He has promised us a city that cannot be shaken, where God will be our God and will dwell in the midst of us, His people.

Christ, through His resurrection, has conquered our ultimate fear which is death, for now in Christ, death is the doorway not to loss, but to receiving in full what God has promised you!

What does it mean to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness?

Jesus came proclaiming that the kingdom of God is at hand, and all who repent and believe are born again to spiritual life as we submit to the rule and reign of Jesus over all things.

So, seeking first the kingdom of God means you seek to live under the reign of Christ and you seek to spread the reign of Christ to others.

You joyfully submit to Christ in your home with your family, in your church, in your workplace, and in all of life.

You desire to pray in line with what Jesus taught us to pray: your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

You give yourself to a life of following Jesus and inviting others to follow Jesus.

You share the gospel with others and invite them to repent and believe so that they can experience the perfect rule of Christ as well.

You understand that God church is the outpost of the kingdom of God in this world, so you live life in the community of God’s church in love for God and his people.

And we as the church take it as our mission to witness of Christ to those around us.

And we persevere by the grace of God in this mission until we die or Christ returns and brings His kingdom in all its fullness.

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Jesus has already called us in the sermon on the mount to hunger and thirst for righteousness.

And to seek first his righteousness is to promote the way of living in line with God’s holiness, justice, and righteousness.

It is to love our neighbor as ourselves, to prefer others over self, to promote justice, and live a quiet life working with one’s own hands.

It is to do what is right above what is popular or expedient.

It is through faith being clothed in the righteousness of Christ in order to display His righteousness to others.

So, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

What things will be added to you?

What you will eat, what you will drink, and what you will wear.

Jesus is saying, “Do not focus on your little kingdom, serve money, and be anxious about what might happen and what you might lose.”

Instead, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and trust that your heavenly Father will provide for every one of your needs.”

It reminds me of:

Psalm 37:25 ESV

25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.

God does not promise you that you will become rich and wealthy by seeking Him first.

He might, and if he does, He has given it to you to enjoy and to be generous for His kingdom.

But with food and clothing, may we be content.

For godliness with contentment is great gain.

And just consider for a moment that in the gospel, God not only saves us from our sins, but he saves us into a church family where we provide and care for one another.

The church is in the New Testament made sure they gave so that no one was in need.

May we never allow a fellow church member to go without food, shelter, and clothing as long as we have the means to provide it.

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

Sometimes God lays it on someone’s heart to go into full time ministry or maybe even to go to the overseas mission field, and the reason we do not obey is because of our anxiety over our finances and provisions.

Listen, Jesus said very plainly, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.

Romans 8:32 ESV

32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

My God will supply all your needs.

God is glorified in you when you trust Him to provide for you.

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

3. Trust In God’s Provision For Today

Verse 34: Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

D.A. Carson writes:

Exalting Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount God Will Take Care of Our Future (Matthew 6:33–34)

It is as if Jesus recognizes that there will be some unavoidable worry today after all. But let’s limit it to the concerns of today! Our gracious God intends us to take one step at a time, no more; to be responsible today and not fret about tomorrow. “Each day has enough trouble of its own.” And if there will be new troubles tomorrow, so also will there be fresh grace.

Exalting Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount Conclusion

True faith glories in the present tense, and does not trouble itself about the future. God’s promises are in the present tense, and are quite secure enough to set our hearts at rest. Their full outworking is often in the future, but God’s word is as good as His bond and we need have no anxiety.

Consider what Jesus taught us to pray: Give us this day our daily bread.

Sometimes we will look at what someone else is going through and think, man, I couldn’t survive that, I don’t know how they are doing it.

Sometimes we hear great stories of brothers and sisters in Christ standing strong in the face of great persecution, and maybe we think, I’m not sure I could be faithful under that.

But, the reason we feel that way is that God does not give us the grace in every moment for any possible circumstance you may ever meet in life.

God gives you sufficient grace for the day that he has assigned to you.

Remember when God’s people were being fed straight from the hand of God manna in the wilderness for forty years.

God specifically commanded them to only gather enough food for that day.

And when the people tried to gather up more just in case he did not provide tomorrow, it bread worms and stank.

Why did God not allow them to gather more than that days food each day?

Because He was teaching them this lesson: do not be anxious about tomorrow.

For tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

And when you do get to tomorrow, God will be there ready to give you sufficient grace for the day.

Sometimes we get overwhelmed with thoughts like: is this ever going to change? Is this what the rest of my life is going to be like?

Notice, those are all worries about tomorrow.

God is with you in the present. He loves you right now. He is pleased with you in Christ right now.

He is sustaining you and giving you breath right now.

Nothing about today is going to surprise Him.

His all sufficient grace is ready to lead and guide you this day.

And even if the supposed worst were to happen and you die today, you will instantly be found in eternity in His presence with all your needs met and desires satisfied.

Robin and I made it to India for our first three year term, but after six months, the mission board had us do a forced medical resignation and return to the states because I was not able to get healthy from my anxiety that led to depression in that context.

And I was reading my Bible everyday and praying and trying to follow Jesus.

In that season, it certainly did not feel like God was providing what we needed.

But, God used that season to teach us that life is not first about what we can do for God, but about what God has done for us.

The gospel is not, free yourself from all fear and anxiety and God will accept you.

The gospel is that while you were dead in your sin, God in His great love and mercy sent His Son Jesus to be completely present in each moment.

Jesus perfectly trusted His Father God in his life and in his death.

And even after Jesus was crucified on the cross and it seemed all was lost,

God raised his son from the dead providing us all we need for our salvation from sin and death.

Do not despise your journey of faith.

I’m not where I want to be on the road to be free from anxiety, but by God’s grace, I’m not where I was.

God is not condemning you on your journey of you of little faith.

Your faith is secure not in its amount but in the person of Jesus Christ.

And this work He has started in you he will bring to perfect completion.

Have you repented of your sin and trusted in the Lord Jesus for salvation?

If not, you can respond to His call right now where you sit and believe on the Lord Jesus’ death and resurrection for your salvation.

Are you seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness today or are you overwhelmed by the cares of the world and what tomorrow may bring?

Are you savoring the grace God has for you to sustain you in this day, or are you trying desperately to make tomorrow okay before you ever get there?

Jesus is tenderly calling us to trust our Heavenly Father more today as He gives us all we need, then takes us to be with him for eternity.

Let’s pray.

(Communion)

(Elder at couches)