Leeroy Jenkins

Introduction

Packing bags

How many are over-packers?

Ever get home and put away unworn clothes?

Ever get there overflowing but still forgot your toothbrush?

Starting a new series - Game Over

About the games we play - and why we need them to end

Think about the mentality of an over-packer:

If I don’t have this, I will regret it!

And then you lug that thing around!

Boy Scout backpacking trip

I packed WAY too much!

Didn’t use half the stuff

Some of us go through life carrying around intense burdens

And we miss out on so much!!

When your bag is heavy:

You’re in a bad mood so you don’t enjoy

You’re focused on work so you miss the scenery

You can’t store memories because you’re out of space

Again, you fill your bag so you won’t regret not having it

Then you regret bringing all the things you didn’t need

It’s a GAME!

It’s a game dictated by worry and anxiety

And a misunderstanding of what’s important

All fixed by one thing - prioritizing!

YouVersion: Leeroy Jenkins

We’re in Matthew 6:25-34

This is why it’s called Leeroy Jenkins:

Play video

Recap: They made a detailed plan

Leeroy shouts and gets everyone killed

He ignored all the priorities and paid the price

Matthew 6:25–30 ESV

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?

Let’s talk about the problems first

Anyone struggle with anxiety/worry?

Most common mental disorder in US (40 million)

62% of people deal with some degree

Social anxiety, PTSD, panic disorders...

Our mind and body reacting negatively to the world!

Four Truths About Worry/Anxiety

1. Worry/anxiety: is not the same thing as responsibility

How many of us are responsible people?

Often, worry disguises itself as responsibility

I’m not anxious, I’m just responsible!

We lie to ourselves: if I don’t worry I don’t care!

Ana Monnar: “Whatever is going to happen will happen, whether we worry or not.”

Serenity prayer:

God grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference.

What do you do with things you can’t change? ACCEPT

We don’t say, to worry endlessly about the things I can’t change!

Things you can’t change are NOT your responsibility!

They CAN’T be by definition!

Think of it this way

Not responsIBLE, but responsABLE!

You are responsible if you are ABLE to do something

This pops it’s head up with God all the time

(Stop at “COULD NOT DO”)

Romans 8:1–3 ESV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,

It’s okay to be free in Christ!

You don’t have to worry about not being saved

Worry you’re not doing enough

This verse literally tells us YOU CAN’T DO IT!

So be thankful and live in freedom

Not in anxiety!

2. Worry/anxiety: is sinful

We think worry is only our personal issue

FF Bruce: “You can be as unfaithful to God through care as well as through covetousness.”

Jesus says look at nature

God takes care of everything!

And you are way more special to Him!

It’s a trust issue

Jeremiah 17:7–8 ESV

7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. 8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

If you are worrying, your trust is somewhere else!

If your trust is not in God, you end up putting other things before God

Trust in God is great, but I need money!

But I need a girlfriend

But I need alcohol

That’s idolatry!

I get it, trusting can be hard!

I see this in marriage all the time

Man should be the Spiritual head of the family

Woman says, “I’ll follow, if he does what I want him to do!”

Then you’re not okay with him leading!

But he won’t do it right so I can’t TRUST him...

See, some of us men are not trustworthy...

Not all, but many

Many women are forced to be spiritual leaders beacuse they’re waiting for the man to step up

Nagging, complaining, worrying, fine, I’ll do it myself!

No wonder women are 2x likely to have anxiety!

But God is NOT untrustworthy

And yet we play the same game with Him

I’m waiting God to have my way

Fine, I’ll do it myself!

I’d rather just have control than wait on God

That’s SIN

Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

What happens when we lean on ourselves?

Reminds me of children...

Last May, a 5 year old asked his mom for a Lambo

She said no, so he stole his mom’s car to drive to California

Was pulled over 2 miles away with $3

He said, “You won’t buy me a Lambo?

I’ll do it myself!

We do the same thing with God!

Just like the 5-YO, we can’t do it ourselves

And our plans look just as ridiculous

Since know we can’t do God’s job, we just worry

Brings up next point -

3. Worry/anxiety: is pointless

That doesn’t mean it’s not real...

It just doesn’t serve a purpose

Jesus asks who can add an hour to their life by worrying?

When my brother was young, he did some drugs

I worried quite a bit

Now he’s a worship pastor!

Good thing my worrying made him get clean!

Of course, it wasn’t me, it was GOD!

A person who is worried may enact a change

But it’s ACTION that makes the change, not WORRY

Eckhart Tolle: “Worry pretends to be necessary but serves no useful purpose.”

Rob and his dad

He would check his breathing

One day, he passed away

Rob’s worry didn’t keep his dad alive - it couldn’t

Worry/anxiety won’t help you, but there is something it will do

4. Worry/anxiety: makes life miserable

Think about Betty

What if he never comes home!

She cries, tries to sneak out the door, shakes...

But her worry doesn’t change the fact she can’t go to Kroger!

I wish I could reason with her, but I can’t

And so she worries, and it does NOTHING

She ends up starving herself and staring out the window miserably!

Corrie Ten Boom: “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

Nobody says, “You wanna make your life better? Start worrying!”

Because worry only makes you feel worse...

So, what do we do about it?

Setting Your Priorities

Anxiety/worry is a reflection of a game we play with our priorities

Priority Illustration: not enough time for God

No wonder we have anxiety/worry!

Look at what Jesus says:

Matthew 6:31–34 ESV

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.

Wait, seeking God first will change all these things?

Priority illustration: plenty of time for God

What should our priorities be?

Coworker used to say

God

Family

Work

Our job was hard because they expected the flip

We can break that down a little more

God

Family

Spouse

Kids

Work

Job

Money

Other

May be more, but this is general

Priority isn’t an absolute thing, they overlap

God is 1, spouse is 2

Doesn’t mean you skip your wife’s graduation to get to worship practice

You don’t get fired for missing a mandatory work meeting to see your kids soccer game

Holistically though, these should be your priorities

For the rest of our series, we’re going to be talking about these things

Next week is about the games we play in marriage

Then games in parenting

Then games in the church

Then games with the world

Money, power, popularity...

Before we get there, we need to get this (priorities)

The biggest thing is that we need to get that God is FIRST

Jesus says all the stuff we’re worried about...

Put God first and everything else is good!

God isn’t meant to be someone we insert when we have time

He is over everything!

But more than that, He is IN everything

It’s not GOD, ok done - on to the next topic

God should be the priority of all the others too

God is the focus of my marriage

God is the focus of my parenting

God is the focus of my money

Don’t just stop worrying, replace worry with seeking God!

And seeking Him FIRST!

Philippians 4:6–7 ESV

6 do not be anxious about anything, 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I don’t know about you, but I could use some peace in my life

Can I get an amen? If not, you’re probably too busy worrying about something!

Illustration: Bill Lopez in the lab

Left for $15,600 annually

God said not to look for a job

What do you think?

You’re an f***in’ idiot

Not even worried about your family

I’m worried about trusting God

That’s crazy - wish you the best

Offered extra income

Elders doubled salary - if you step out in faith we will too

Tasha got sick and paid for ER - if you’re obedient to God then I will be too

Am I telling you to quit? No!

But I am telling you this:

God is faithful

God is a promise-keeper

God will never fail you

If you know Him and trust Him, there’s nothing to worry about!

Is that hard for you? Are you worried about stuff?

You can make a decision today

Not to just hand over your worries so you can make more...

Leave your suitcase behind, and let God take care of you

If you don’t know God, he wants you to

He already knows everything about you

He’s the expert on your life

Let Him take control

Surrender to this world, and cling to Him!

Make God your top priority

And PLEASE don’t be a Leeroy Jenkins!

Prayer