Worry

Worry

06-02-2019

Intro - I am not sure I have ever really preached on worry

I know I have mentioned it a lot but not sure we have ever really unpacked worry

So because all of you well know that is one of my big struggle in life is worry, I thought lets confront it

So worry

defined - give way to anxiety or unease; allow one's mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles

I love how it talks about allowing ones mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles

no wonder you worry you are not dwelling on the right stuff

We understand that when we are worrying we are saying that we don’t trust and or believe that God is bigger than our problem or that God will be able to handle whatever the situation is

Maybe you are here and that is the first time you have heard it put like that

Lets be honest about it and that is truth

Now most of us would not come right out and admit that we would sort of beat around the bush

But lets be honest this morning when you and I worry about whatever the situation or issue is

We are telling God and as believers we are telling our savior that we don’t trust you and we don’t think he can handle it

We do that and think like that because we are not dwelling on the right stuff

Tony Evans says we worry because first things are first

If worry is defined as allowing ones mind to dwell on the difficulty or the trouble

Then it makes sense the reason we worry is because we are dwelling on the difficulty or the trouble

So to ensure we are dwelling on the correct stuff

Romans 12:2 NASB95

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Paul has a lot to say in this simple verse

We shouldn’t look or act like the world

And We will be transformed when we renew our mind

You and I cannot as believers be thinking of worldly things

The first part of the verse says that you and I shouldn't be and we cant be conformed to the things of this world

It starts with our minds, we cant be dwelling of the things of this world

And believer you me that is difficult right because right now this is where we live

It is so tough to live in this world but not dwell on the things of this world

Do you understand the battle for worry is in the mind

Which is why Paul says that you and I will be transformed when we renew our minds

Notice he doesn’t say changed by your behaviors but be changed by the inside

When we take time each and everyday to renew our mind our days are better

Lets be honest again, your days are generally better when you have spent time with Jesus, through prayer and reading the Word of God

Church that is the renewing of your mind

To get you mind settled for the day, to get your mind focused on the right stuff, to get your mind dwelling on the right stuff

Paul also gives us more direction when it comes to worry

Philippians 4:6–8 NASB95

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Lets go through this verse by verse

vs 6

Paul plainly tells us to not be anxious

To not let our minds dwell on the problems and or issues

But

In absolutely everything go to God in prayer

Pray about everything big little, important not important

Pray about everything

Anything and everything going to God in prayer

vs 7

When we stop dwelling on the problems and start praying it changes our perspective

It changes what we dwell on and when we have done that we have peace

Not just any peace but the Peace of God that this world cannot understand

When we stop focusing on the things of this world, and start praying we start getting peace

But understand this it is not an A + B = C type thing

vs 8

But so we understand how to transform our mind and what exactly we are to dwell on Paul gives us a list

Oh how nice of Paul

you and I are to dwell on the things of God

IE they are

Truth

You and I are to dwell on the truth first and foremost

When you and I start to worry we start to dwell on the lies and not the truth

Truth is a person and His name is Jesus

When we start dwelling on truth we start to recognize the lies a lot sooner

Honorable

When you and I dwell on honorable things isn’t it obvious that we aren’t dwelling on the dishonorable things

Right

We are dwelling on the right things, and not the wrong things

We know what the wrong things are and rather then dwelling on them we are dwelling on the right things

It is not always easy

Pure

We are keeping our minds pure and focused on the truth

When we are dwelling the pure things like anything we aren’t dwelling on the unpure things

Same goes for the rest of the list Paul gives us, love, good and excellence and of course the things worthy of praise

Wouldn't you know when you and I dwell on the things worthy of praise it is tough to dwell on the problem!

Do you understand how important the battle for your mind is

Worrying isnt about an action it is about your mind

But when you and I begin to renew our minds each and everyday

and

when we have prayed about what the problem or issue is we can recieve that peace from God and that happens because we are dwelling on the truth and right things vs dwelling the problem

in case you need a reminder of how important you are to God and some truth for you to dwell on

Matthew 6:25–32 NASB95

25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to 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, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

This is solid truth that you and I can and should be dwelling on

For me this is a reminder that God is still in charge and still seated on the throne

Maybe you were here last week and you needed to hear that God loves you

God loves you so much and will take care of you

Understand though it doesn’t mean when you and I come to Jesus everything is good no that is not the case it does mean that we are taken care of by the creator of the universe

the other problem is you and I have mistaken wants and needs

We have replaced a need with a want and then we get mad when that want is met

No where is scripture does it say that God will give us what we want but it does say that we will get what we need

So we have to then look at the need and the want

But when you and I dwell on the problems and issues of this life we begin to worry

which means we are not dwelling on the truth

When we are dwelling on the truth and the good things and the things worthy of praise

We are seeking Jesus

Matthew 6:33 NASB95

33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

When we are seeking God we aren’t worried because we are dwelling on the problem we are simply dwelling on the truth and things worthy of praise

Understand I don’t want you to think this is super duper easy and it was be easy to accomplish it is a battle

But we must understand the battle

We must understand that it is a battle of the mind and not actions

We must understand that the reason we worry is because first things are first

When we seek Jesus we are doing everything we talked about this morning

We are renewing our mind, we are praying and we are dwelling on the truth

The things we are worried about will fall into place, they may or may not happen be we aren’t dwelling on them so we are aren’t worried about them

Invitation

maybe you are here and don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus

Maybe for the first time you heard this morning that Jesus loves and that Jesus will take care of you

We want to invite you to the front and there will be people down front who can open up the Bible and show you how you can begin a relationship with Jesus today

Or maybe you are here and you have a relationship with Jesus

And you are a worrier, you need to spend sometime at the altar

the altar is open