In the Father's Arms
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 24:31
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When I was a child, our family went on a vacation camping in Wisconsin. We were walking across the park, and came across this bridge over a river. Of course it probably was only a small creek, but you know. A little child sees a creek and thinks a river. Anyway, I was frozen in fear because I thought the bridge would give out under me. Nevermind the fact that my Dad, twice my height at the time, and three times the weight (did I mention this was a very long time ago) had already crossed it safetly. I was convinced that the bridge was going to break under me, and that I was going to fall. I just stood there and started to cry. My Dad, bless his heart, just rolled his eyes, and walked back, and picked me up and carried me over the bridge. We still laugh about it sometimes. But you know, as soon as my Dad picked me up, I felt safe again. Why do you think I’m telling you this story? It’s not to make my Dad feel awkward at the other end of this stream. It’s to help illustrate a truth about fear. We experience fear differently within loving relationships.
My objective today is not to calm all your fears. Only God can do that. My hope is that I can help lead you into embracing God as the Father that you can trust. A father who is strong enough to carry you, and who never leaves your side.
We all are afraid sometimes, and its not about whether the bridge that we are crossing is going to hold up.
We are afraid of the “What if”s of life.
We are afraid, whether we’ll be able to make ends meet, and what will happen if we can’t. We are afraid for our children, over what their future may be, and sometimes over the decisions they make right now. We are afraid of what will happen when the political party we identify with loses power. We are afraid o
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.
Do not trust your feelings. All that matters is truth.
Myth: I need to be in control.
Truth: You never had any control.
Fear tells you that you are alone.
God says he is with you.
6 Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”
I can trust God with my future, because he’s my Father.
Whatever happens with my future, whether I’m married or single, alone or in company, free or oppressed, stable or poor, I know I can trust God with it all because he’s my Father, and I’m his son. He loves me. You know, the Bible doesn’t address every fear we have because we are experts at inventing new ones. There will always be more to fear. What the Bible does offer us, is a God that has our backs, and a community that has our backs.
God has your back, and we do too.