The Secret of Joy
The Secret of Joy-Living Today
July 26th and 27th, 2003
Matthew 6-The Message
“If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.
“Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
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1. EACH DAY IS A “NEW DAY”.
-I had an experience as a new Christian where I saw a sunrise like I was standing on the east coast and the sun filled the entire horizon. I heard the phrase-it’s a new day.
-I was going through a time of real soul searching, testing and questioning whether I was able to follow God or even more whether I really believed He was interested in me.
-That experience was followed a couple of days later by receiving a prophecy in which the person said, “It’s a brand new day”. She then encouraged me by what she said.
-All of us have times in our lives where we need “a new day”.
-Maybe you are exhausted or overwhelmed in your current state and it seems like you aren’t able to “break with the past”.
-God specializes in “new beginnings”.
-Everything He touches turns to good.
2 Corinthians 5 TLB
16 So we have stopped evaluating others by what the world thinks about them. Once I mistakenly thought of Christ that way, as though he were merely a human being. How differently I think about him now! 17 What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!
18 All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him.
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11 Give us today our daily bread.
-Remember in the wilderness the Israelites were told to go out and gather enough food for today. When they gather too much it turned to maggots. What was the message there? Don’t worry-trust God.
20 /Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” [3]/
-The Jews didn’t mind talking about the past or the future; just don’t talk about today.
-The only place where you contact life is today.
7 So, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion,
during the time of testing in the desert,
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13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. 14 We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. 15 As has just been said:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts
as you did in the rebellion.” b
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/Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, [6]/
-In order to experience salvation and God’s blessing tomorrow I have to experience it today.
2. RELEASE YESTERDAY INTO THE PAST
-The old saying is shouda coulda woulda.
-The bottom line of that is you can’t change the past.
-One of my grade school teachers used to drive me crazy saying no use crying over spilt milk.
-Depression is directly linked to the past.
I have a book written by two MD’s and one theologian. Here is a quote; “…depression is the past superimposed on the present”.[7]
-As Christians we sometimes become grave diggers.
-WE KEEP TRYING TO DIG UP THE DEAD.
-My only solution to my past is to believe that God has the power to cleanse it and forget it.
-You can’t change it but you can keep it from changing you.
-To forgive is to send away.
-If you can’t release others from their past, you have to hold on to yours as well.
-Our lives can be distracted by the past.
Philippians 3
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things.
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-Forget the past-God does.
17 “Behold, I will create
new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever
in what I will create,
for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight
and its people a joy.
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3. ONLY FACE TOMORROW WHEN IT BECOMES TODAY
-I DON’T MEAN WE SHOULDN’T PLAN OR PREPARE.
-The Bible admonishes us to consider how the ant prepares for cold weather.
-Anxiety is the future superimposed on the present. (Minirth, Meier, and Hawkins.)
-The word in the Bible translated as anxiety is merizo and it means distraction.
-You know what it is like to be distracted. You can’t concentrate because something in your mind presses to the forefront.
-What if…….?
Matthew 6:34
NIV
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
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NASB
/34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.[11]/
(sufficient for the day is its evils)
NRS
34 “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
/[12]/
Message
/“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.[13]/
-OK, now we have a math problem; today plus yesterday = too much, today plus tomorrow = too much.
-You are designed to address today and if you add any other days to it you have a power surge.
-It comes out in anger or sin or drinking and drugs or worry or something.
-Faith is the ability to say; tomorrow will soon be today, in the meantime I am focusing on HERE.
-Today’s answer is enough for today but it isn’t enough if you add yesterday or tomorrow to it.
-Anxiety is unbelief in disguise (Minirth, Meier, and Hawkins.)
-It is saying; ‘What if you follow you and you can’t help us?’
-Paul said the key is to replace anxiety with prayer.
-In the gospels it says to consider nature. You and I are the height of His creation and if He takes care of flowers and animals; how much more are we in His sight?
-This may seem like an oversimplification but it is worthwhile to address your problem head on.
· I’M GOING TO DIE SOMEDAY; I DON’T LIKE IT BUT IT’S THE ONLY WAY OUT OF HERE.THAT ISN’T A FAILURE ON GOD’S PART OR MY PART.
· GOD HAS THE VERY REAL ABILITY TO CLEANSE ME FROM MY PAST AND ITS EFFECTS UPON ME. HE SAVES FROM SIN AND ITS EFFECTS.
· MY FUTURE IS IN THE HANDS OF GOD. EITHER HE IS UP TO THE TASK OR NOT. HE HASN’T LET ME IN ON MOST OF IT BUT HE IS GOOD AND I TRUST HIM.
· THE ONLY WISE THING I CAN DO IS THROW MYSELF COMPLETELY INTO WHAT I AM DOING NOW AND ENJOY THE LIFE HE HAS GIVEN ME.
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[1]Peterson, Eugene H. The Message : New Testament With Psalms and Proverbs, Mt 6:1. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1995.
[2]Holy Bible : New Living Translation., 2 Co 5:15-18. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1997.
[3]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Lk 4:20-21. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
[4]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Heb 3:7-8. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
b Psalm 95:7,8
[5]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Heb 3:13-15. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
[6]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Heb 4:7. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
[7] Worry Free Living ; Minirth, Meier, and Hawkins; Nelson, 1989, 28.
[8]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Php 3:12-15. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
[9]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Is 65:17-18. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
[10]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Mt 6:34. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.
a Matt 6:25, 27, 28, 31; Luke 10:41; 12:11, 22; Phil 4:6; 1 Pet 5:7
1 Lit worry about itself
2 Lit Sufficient for the day is its evils
[11]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update, Mt 6:34. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[12]The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version, Mt 6:34. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1996, c1989.
[13]Peterson, Eugene H. The Message : New Testament With Psalms and Proverbs, Mt 6:1. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1995.