EVICTING WORRY, 2

INTRODUCTION

OPENING ARGUMENT: ANXIETY IS A CONSTANT BARRAGE OF WHAT IFS? ANXIETY IS NOT FEAR. FEAR AND ANXIETY ARE COUSINS, NOT TWINS. FEAR IS OUR EMOTIONAL RESPONSE TO A THREAT. ANXIETY IS OUR EMOTIONAL RESPONSE TO A PERCEIVED THREAT.

APPLICATIONS: FEAR IS WHAT YOU FEEL WHEN THE PLANE HITS SEVERE TURBULENCE. ANXIETY IS WHAT YOU FEEL BEFORE THE PLANE TAKES OFF. FEAR IS WHAT YOU FEEL WHEN YOU GET THE BAD DOCTORS REPORT. ANXIETY IS WHAT YOU FEEL DRIVING TO THE DOCTORS OFFICE. FEAR IS WHAT YOU FEEL WHEN YOUR BOSS TELLS YOU, YOU HAVE NOT BEEN PERFORMING WELL. ANXIETY IS WHAT YOU FEEL HEADED INTO THE MEETING WITH HER. FEAR IS OUR EMOTIONAL RESPONSE TO A THREAT. ANXIETY IS OUR EMOTIONAL RESPONSE TO A PERCEIVED THREAT.

POINT: AT ITS CORE, ANXIETY HAPPENS WHEN EARTH BECOMES BIG, AND ETERNITY BECOMES SMALL. OUR PASSAGE IS ALL ABOUT ANXIETY, NOT FEAR. IT’S THE WHAT IF GAME. WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WHEN THE FOOD RUNS OUT, OR IF I CAN’T GET THE CLOTHING OR BASIC NEEDS OF LIFE.

ATC ILLUSTRATION: LIKE AIRPLANES, THERE ARE A LOT OF THOUGHTS FLYING ACROSS THE SKY OF OUR MINDS. BUT I NEED YOU TO SEE YOURSELF AS THE ATC OF YOUR THOUGHTS. YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN GIVE YOUR THOUGHTS PERMISSION TO LAND. IF YOU ARE FILLED WITH ANXIETY IT’S BECAUSE YOU HAVE GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT FOR THE 737 OF ANXIETY TO LAND.

(I WANT TO SHOW YOU THE PLACE OF ANXIETY, THREE PROBLEMS WITH ANXIETY, AND THEN GIVE YOU THREE THINGS TO DO TO NAVIGATE ANXIETY)

THE PLACE OF ANXIETY- VERSE 34

EXPLANATION: THIS IS THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT, DESCRIBING HOW HIS FOLLOWERS ARE TO LIVE. HE’S JUST FINISHED TEACHING ON ABUNDANCE AND AFFLUENCE IN VERSES 19-24. RIGHT ON THE HEELS OF THIS HE TALKS ABOUT WORRY. NOT BY ACCIDENT. ONE OF THE THINGS HE’S SAYING IS THAT THE MORE ONE HAS THE MORE ONE TENDS TO WORRY.

HOWARD HUGHES IMAGE/ILLUSTRATION

AMERICA THE LAND OF AFFLUENCE AND RISING ANXIETY. STRESS RELATED AILMENTS COST OUR COUNTRY WELL NORTH OF 300 BILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY. WE SPEND OVER 2 BILLION DOLLARS ON ANTI ANXIETY MEDICATIONS LIKE XANAX AND VALIUM ANNUALLY AS WELL. THIS ONLY PROVES JESUS’ POINT- THE MORE ONE HAS, THE MORE ONE TENDS TO WORRY.

EXPLANATION: THIS IS WHAT JESUS MEANS BY TROUBLE IN VERSE 34. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT JESUS MEANT IN - IN THIS WORLD WE WILL HAVE TROUBLE. THERE WILL BE ANXIETY OVER FINANCES, OUR FUTURE, AND THEN DON’T ADD KIDS TO THE MIX. LIKE DANGLING OUR HEARTS IN FRONT OF US. THOUGHT THE WORRY WOULD END ONCE THEY LEFT TIL I SAW MY PARENTS WITH MY SIBLING.

POINT: WE CANNOT AVOID THE PRESENCE OF ANXIETY, BUT WE CAN AVOID THE PRISON OF ANXIETY. HOW SO? FIRSTM, JESUS SHOWS US THE PROBLEM WITH ANXIETY.

THE PROBLEM WITH ANXIETY

EXPLANATION: JESUS SHOWS US THREE PROBLEMS WITH ANXIETY: IT’S OFFENSIVE, POINTLESS AND WORLDLY. FIRST, IT’S OFFENSIVE. THREE TIMES IN OUR TEXT JESUS SAYS DO NOT BE ANXIOUS. IT’S ACTUALLY A COMMAND. AND THE FACT THAT HE SAYS IT THREE TIMES MAKES IT REALLY STRONG. THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW TIMES WE SEE JESUS IN ONE PASSAGE GIVE THREE STRONG NEGATIVE COMMANDMENTS. HIS POINT IS BEYOND CLEAR: ANXIETY IS A PROBLEM. ANXIETY IS SINFUL. IT’S OFFENSIVE. ARGUMENT FROM LESSER TO GREATER. IF GOD CAN TAKE CARE OF LESSER THINGS LIKE BIRDS AND FLOWERS, HE WILL DEFINITELY TAKE CARE OF GREATER THINGS, THINGS MADE IN HIS IMAGE LIKE YOU AND I! COUPLE THAT WITH THE WORD FOR DEITY- FATHER! TO BE ANXIOUS THEN IS TO SEND THE MESSAGE, GOD, WE AIN’T SURE!

ILLUSTRATION OF MY OLDEST SON DRIVING. GOOD DRIVER BUT I’M FILLED WITH ANXIETY, BARKING OUT COMMANDS- WATCH OUT, AND USING MY AIR BRAKES. WHY DO I HAVE ANXIETY, BECAUSE THE PERSON BEHIND THE WHEEL, WHO HAS MY LIFE IN HIS HANDS I DON’T TRUST.

APPLICATION: ANXIETY COMMUNICATES ONE MESSAGE TO GOD- I DON’T TRUST YOU. IT UNLEASHES AN ASSAULT ON THE GOODNESS OF GOD. IT’S OFFENSIVE.

EXPLANATION: IT’S POINTLESS. VERSE 27. JESUS COMES RIGHT OUT AND SAYS IT SUCCINCTLY- ANXIETY DOES NOTHING PRACTICALLY CONSTRUCTIVE TO OUR LIVES. ANXIETY WON’T MAKE THE ILLNESS GO AWAY. ANXIETY HAS NEVER GOTTEN A PERSON A JOB OR MADE A PERSON PREGNANT. ANXIETY HAS NEVER HEALED A MARRIAGE OR RESTORED A FRIENDSHIP. ANXIETY WON’T GET YOU INTO THAT SCHOOL, OR SECURE THE HOUSING. IN FACT, STUDIES SHOW THAT ANXIETY ACTUALLY MAKES THINGS WORSE. ANXIETY IS POINTLESS.

EXPLANATION: ANXIETY IS WORLDLY. VERSE 32. THE GENTILES SEEK AFTER ALL THESE THINGS. THE GREEK WORD TRANSLATED SEEK AFTER MEANS TO OBSESS. IN CONTEXT, JESUS IS SAYING THAT THE WORLD OBSESSES OVER FOOD, DRINKING AND CLOTHING. THEREFORE A MARK OF WORLDLY PEOPLE IS AN OBSESSION OVER THE TEMPORAL. AND HOW DOES JESUS KNOW THIS? IN CONTEXT TROUBLE. TROUBLE TEASES OUT WHAT IS REALLY IN OUR HEARTS, WHAT WE OBSESS OVER.

STRESS TEST ILLUSTRATION: SOME TIMES WHEN A DOCTOR NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT’S REALLY IN YOUR HEART HE’LL TAKE YOU THROUGH A STRESS TEST. HE’LL HOOK YOU UP TO SOME CARDIO MACHINE AND PUSH YOUR BODY TO THE LIMIT TO ASCERTAIN WHAT’S REALLY IN YOUR HEART.

APPLICATION: THIS IS WHY GOD ALLOWS TROUBLE TO COME OUR WAY, TO REVEAL TO US WHAT DO WE REALLY OBSESS OVER IN THIS LIFE? IF YOU FIND YOURSELF LIVING IN THE PRISON OF ANXIETY THEN YOU ARE LIVING LIKE THE WORLD. YOU’VE LOST FOCUS! YES WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED, BUT CONCERN BECOMES ANXIETY WHEN WE OBSESS.

THE PRESCRIPTION FOR ANXIETY- VERSES 33-34

EXPLANATION: SO HOW DO WE PRACTICALLY NAVIGATE ANXIETY? THE SAME WAY THE DOCTOR DID MY YOUNGEST SON. JADEN, SHOTS AND LOLLIPOPS. HE NEEDED A DISTRACTION. JESUS SAYS THE WAY YOU NAVIGATE ANXIETY HERE ON EARTH, IS TO BE DISTRACTED BY THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND ETERNITY. SEEK IS AN IMPERATIVE. IT’S A COMMAND. COMES FROM THE SAME FAMILY OF WORDS AS SEEK IN VERSE 32. BE OBSESSED WITH HEAVEN!

THE EXAMPLE OF PAUL IN . SITTING IN JAIL, BUT WAS DISTRACTED BY ETERNITY.

EXPLANATION: NOT ONLY DO YOU NEED AN ETERNAL DISTRACTION, YOU NEED TO ENTRUST YOURSELF TO A GOOD DAD. PREDOMINATE WORD USED FOR GOD HERE IS FATHER. SPEAKS OF HIS PROVISION AND HIS CARE. LINK WITH THE LORD’S PRAYER, ‘OUR FATHER.’ HE IS A DAD WHO CARES AND IS MORE THAN CAPABLE OF PROVIDING.

JUST THINK OF ALL THE HEADACHES GOD HAS DEALT WITH IN THE BIBLE TEMPTING HIS PEOPLE TO WORRY:

WHEN ABRAHAM AND SARAH WERE STRESSED OUT WITH INFERTILITY GOD SAID DON’T WORRY, HE TOOK CARE OF THAT.

WHEN ISRAEL WAS WORRIED ABOUT FOOD IN THE WILDERNESS, GOD SAID DON’T WORRY, HE TOOK CARE OF THAT.

WHEN ISRAEL HAD NO WATER...

WHEN THEY WERE BACKED UP AGAINST THE RED SEA.

WHEN THE THREE HEBREW BOYS WERE IN THE LIONS DEN.

WHEN WE WERE LOST IN OUR SINS...

7. AND HE’S COME THROUGH FOR YOU, HASN’T HE?

Those who feed their hearts on the record of what God has done in the past will never worry about the future. Worry refuses to learn the lesson of life. We are still alive and our heads are still above water; and yet if someone had told us that we would have to go through what we have actually gone through, we would have said that it was impossible. The lesson of life is that somehow we have been enabled to bear the unbearable and to do the undoable and to pass the breaking point and not to break. The lesson of life is that worry is unnecessary.1

1 Barclay, William.

BUT…IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE SEE HERE THE OTHER SIDE. WHAT MAKES A GOOD FATHER IS NOT GIVING EVERYTHING THE CHILD WANTS. THAT CAN BE ABUSIVE. SO SOMETIMES GOD ALLOWS US TO SUFFER TO GIVE US GREATER GIFTS THAN MONEY, LIKE CHARACTER, HIS GLORY. EXAMPLE OF JESUS AND THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE. YET EVEN IN THE SUFFERING, GOD SAYS, I’VE GOT YOU. - CAST ALL YOUR CARES. , COME TO ME...

AND ALL THESE THINGS…TAKE CARE OF GOD AND HE’LL TAKE CARE OF YOU...

Queen Elizabeth (not the second Queen Elizabeth, the first Queen Elizabeth) once told a man that she wanted him to go on a voyage to the New World because we needed his skills on this voyage to make it a success. The man looked at her and said, “Hey, I’m a small businessman and my business has been floundering. If I go on it, I’m sure it’s going to sink.” She looked at him. She says, “My dear friend, you mind my business and I’ll mind your business.”1