Focus On Today
Fear Not • Sermon • Submitted
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· 19 viewsYou don’t have to be consumed with what might happen tomorrow, or next month, or when the kids go off to college. You’re too valuable and your time on earth is too precious to be lost to future fear that truly, you don’t have control of anyhow
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good evening and welcome back!
As we start tonight, I want to read two verses out of the Old Testament.
The first out of Isaiah 41, verse 10 that says . . .
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
And the second, Isaiah 43, verse 1 . . .
But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
And without any explanation or background I ask one question, do we believe it?
Do we actually believe these verses?
Do we believe that God is with us, that God strengthens us, that God upholds us?
Do we believe that God has redeemed and summoned us?
Do we believe that we are God’s?
And I ask that because that is the foundation of this entire series we have been going through regarding the subject of “Fear Not.”
Because if we do not believe these central truths, I can stand up here all day long and preach about having no fear, but we will never realize what that is like.
We will never understand how freeing it is to not have to manage our entire future all at once.
We will never know what it is like to be concerned with one day at a time.
So, until we are settled and centered on these things, all we have talked about so far regarding healthy and unhealthy fear.
All we have learned about placing fear in it’s proper place and trusting God.
None of it really matters.
So, tonight before we even get the message, I want us to stop and consider where we stand on this.
And what I would like is for us to just bow our heads and assume a posture of prayer.
A place where we can slow down and listen to the Lord.
And once we have resolved these central things, then we will go on.
STOP FOR PRAYER
Now, doesn’t that feel better?
I think that was necessary so that we can center ourselves and focus on what we are going to be talking about tonight.
Because tonight we are going to be in Matthew 6, verses 25-34, discussing a passage that I have been dancing around for two weeks already.
And the central aspect of the passage for tonight is to focus on today.
To remember that life is more important than the food you eat, the clothes you wear, the vacation you might take next month, the size of your retirement account, your zip code, or most anything else you might currently be concerned with.
In fact, God believes you are of so much value that He sent His one and only son to die and suffer in your place so that you might spend eternity with Him.
The Father doesn’t want you wasting one second of this precious life paralyzed by unhealthy fear, worry, anxiety or doubt. He’s willing to take it all on inf we can trust him.
Remember what we talked about last week in Philippians . . .
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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.
Which is a direct echo of what Jesus has told us, which is what we are talking about tonight.
So, if you have found Matthew 6 you can follow along or follow along on the projector.
Matthew records Jesus saying this . . .
Scripture Focus
Scripture Focus
“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 important than food, and the body more important 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? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour 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, O 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. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Passage Explained
Passage Explained
Now, this passage is found right in the middle of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, and right after Jesus teaching us how to pray in what we know as the “Lord’s Prayer.”
And what Jesus is trying to do here is to get these people and disciples into a place where they understand what it really means to put their faith and trust in Him.
He has challenged many of the Jewish ways and traditions and has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way already.
He has established that faith in Him is going to run counter to the popular culture of the day.
Which is also true for today.
To truly follow and trust in Jesus Christ, runs counter to most of what our culture teaches us about what should be important to us.
Which are the very things that cause us anxiety, worry, and fear.
But Jesus and others tell us to “Fear Not!”
And Jesus explains to us why. Matthew starts our passage out this way . . .
“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 important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
And what Jesus is wanting us so desperately to understand is that there is so much more to life than the things and the stuff that we spend countless hours, days, months, and years trying to accumulate and amass.
Life is about experiencing God and experiencing eternity and outside of accepting and following Jesus Christ and being obedient to Him, much of the things of this life are small in comparison to eternity.
But we have a bad tendency to become distracted by the things we chase after, which of course takes our focus off of God.
We often talk about how things have changed over the years and the Church has really lost importance and influence in people’s everyday lives.
Well, part of the reason is because people have shifted their priorities away from God and away from eternity and toward the temporary treasures and things of this life.
They have replaced the eternal with the temporal.
Even to the extent that people will refuse God’s calling because it is not financially going to help them “get rich.”
There are many people who we plan their whole future out at age 18, 19, 20 and they don’t even know yet what they want to do in life.
Our schools, even as early as High School push kids to make decisions and tell them that these decisions are going to determine their whole life.
Those that go to college then are told they have to pick a major and that better be something that’s going to make them some money when they graduate.
And then they have to get a certain job, live in a certain neighborhood, drive a certain type of car, and on and on and on.
Never slowing down to think about what they really need and unable to separate the wants from the needs.
And in our nation in particular, people think they are deprived if they don’t have the latest and greatest wants, and look down on those people who don’t have those things.
We live in a shallow and consumer society that is disconnected from trusting in God for our needs.
And we worry ourselves to death over things.
And I am talking about Christians, who are supposed to believe the Bible and trust the words of Jesus and trust in Jesus, who tells us again . . .
“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 important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
And then Jesus goes on to give us examples of why we shouldn’t worry . . .
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?
Do we place more value in ourselves than the animal—the birds of the air?
Now some out there who try to give animals human qualities, human emotions, and human rights will say that they are just as important as we are.
But they are not.
In God’s eyes we, human beings, are the most important of all of His creation.
Now, that doesn’t mean that we can mistreat and abuse everything else that God has created.
In fact, God has told us that we are to be the caretakers of creation.
That is our job.
But we, humans, are the pinnacle of creation and are special to God.
And we can witness firsthand how God takes care of all other creation.
Why would we think that God’s just going to leave us to take care of ourselves?
Why would we think that God would not take care of His Children?
The simple fact is, He would not do that.
Then Jesus goes on . . .
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
And that is really the question of the hour.
All of the worrying that we do about things that we can’t control, how has that helped us?
Think about the things just this past week that you have been worried about—how many have come to pass?
And the the things that have, what could you have done about it anyway?
Nothing.
And like I said last week, we have a tendency to build up things in our mind about how things are “going to be.”
How because of some circumstance today or tomorrow is going to be a “bad day.”
Before it has even come yet. Well, how do we know?
Now, the day may be a challenging day, but our attitude determines whether it is a good or bad day.
And I am preaching to myself, because I do this too.
Something happens that frustrates me or I know that something is going to be difficult and it just sours my mood and I grumble and complain about everything else, all day long.
Well, I need to examine my attitude about it.
And also, worrying does not add anything to our lives—in fact, it takes precious days, weeks, and years away.
Both in ruined opportunity and the stress and worry actually shortens our lifespan.
But it is really up to us to choose how we live our lives.
And let me be clear about this—I am not talking about anxiety and depression caused by a chemical imbalance.
That is a medical issue due to a biological factor in your body.
And if that is the case, then you need to see a doctor and be treated for that.
However, along the same lines, don’t use that as an excuse either.
Follow your doctor’s orders AND take the truths found in the Bible together.
They are not separate, they compliment one another.
But Jesus continues . . .
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour 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, O 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.
Altar/Challenge
Altar/Challenge
And the alternative to this.
The way to avoid this pitfall.
Jesus tells us . . .
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
And in a nutshell, Jesus is really telling us to keep the main thing the main thing.
To keep things in perspective.
Focus on what is really important, which is God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness.
If we can do that, then all the things that we need—not necessarily that we want— will be provided for us.
God knows what we need.
And God will give us what we need.
Do we believe that?
And if you are going to say “Yes, I believe it,” then do you practice what you preach?
And I will admit, some days I do and some days I don’t.
And I think if we were honest then we would all probably say that.
Which means the challenge is first, being honest with ourselves and being honest with God about where we stand.
And then asking God to help us, to increase our faith.
And then, when the doubt, fear, and worry creep in, remember God’s Word and remember to trust in God.
And over time with practice, I believe will will get better.
And above all else, remember this . . .
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Let’s pray . . .