Finding contentment in a busy life Sermon (1)

Introduction

- Do you remember when you got saved or when you first encountered Jesus?

- There was nothing in the world that forced you or challenged your faith.

- You had no concerns about what life offered you. You lived from a place of assurance.

- You lived from a place where you understood that God can provide.

Today, it is easy to worry. It seems so easy and natural based on what we see in our world. The threat of war is often in front of us. Natural disasters fill the news reports each night. Politicians complain and fight over their perceived answers to problems and crises, but rarely do they fashion workable solutions that the majority can agree on. A storm of some sort is always brewing.

When we're constantly worried and on edge, our nervous system is on high alert. Mental tension translates into physical tension, which can make us feel like we really should worry because we're feeling so physically agitated. ) Seth J. Gillihan Ph.D)

Each time we worry and nothing bad happens, our mind connects worry with preventing harm: worry → nothing bad happens. And the takeaway is, "It's a good thing I worried."

Presupposition about Worry:

1. If I worry, I'll never have a bad surprise.

2. It's safer if I worry.

3. I show I care by worrying.

4. Worrying motivates me.

5. Worrying helps me solve problems.

God, though, has guaranteed this for us: His timely care and provision. He knows that what we worry about are possible future outcomes. So, to promote peace and trust, He commands us to think intently about today, observe the world around us, and see what we can learn. His desire, in the process, is to calm our troubled hearts.

Principle 1: Today, see what has value. “ aren’t you more valuable” (vv. 25-26)

It’s interesting what people treasure. Homes, cars, clothes, electronics, investment portfolios, even food—these are the things that occupy our thoughts. What we value, we protect.

Solomon, who was ironically one of the richest men who ever lived, stated that wealthy men are more prone to worry because they have more to lose.

We wonder: How are we going to provide for our families? Our employers don’t normally feel that responsibility. They value the bottom line. That’s what they protect. But who protects us? Who values us? God does.

That’s Jesus’ point. What concerns us—material needs—is small to God. But what is small to us, birds, is important enough to God for Him to take care of them even when they do nothing to take care of themselves. It would be easy to say that the reason birds don’t worry is because they’re not smart enough. But maybe, the reality is that they are too smart to worry.

God values birds, but He values you far more. Jesus died for you, not for the birds. What God values, He protects. Don’t worry.

Principle 2: Today, see what is permanent. “here today and tomorrow is tossed” (vv. 27-30)

Admit it. Much of what you worry about is transitory. Long before a happening arrives, you spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about what might happen. And then, when the happening has passed, and most of what you were concerned about went relatively well, you don’t take time to think about the foolishness of worry or be thankful for how God provided.

Instead, you’ve already moved on to planning for the next happening and have started worrying about that!

God says not to worry about what is temporary. He doesn’t say this because the temporary is unimportant. God bathes the fields in beauty with transient wildflowers to bring glory to Himself and pleasure to us. Though God is eternal, He knows the value we place on momentary pleasures.

The 16-year-old on a first date, the gathering of friends at your home, the purchase of a new car—these are mere moments in a lifetime of memories, but they unnecessarily create great anxiety.

Why? Because, as much as God wants us to focus on the eternal, He still involves Himself in the temporary. That’s where we live. And because we are eternal, God values us above anything that is here today and gone tomorrow

Principle 3: Today, see what is good. “today has enough trouble” (vv. 31-34)

It is so easy to focus our attention on that which is of little value and is facing us for this day. It seems like trouble is waiting to greet us everywhere we go.

From the highway’s traffic to the phone line filled with disgruntled customers to the writer’s blank page, to the one who is comptemplating a job, lost a love one, locked behind bars, a pending trial, each day is a struggle.

The daily troubles loom so large in front of us that they block our view from what God says should be our goal—His righteousness and His kingdom.

At first glance, it looks like Jesus just gave His crowd something new and burdensome to worry about. “God’s kingdom and His righteousness! I can’t make those happen!” That’s right, and that’s part of the point. These are not something that you can do. Rather, God is going to do them in you.

Today, instead of worrying about the events of the day, trust that God will use them to shape you more into His image (Rom. 8:28-29).

Today, instead of trying to protect or build your own kingdom, see God’s hand as He brings His rule over each situation. Take confidence in the recognition that regardless of what happens, you will be righteous, and Jesus who rules now will sit on His throne forever.

Live today knowing His kingdom will come.

Conclusion

With each principles we see that , there is a “today” focus mixed with an eternal perspective. The aim is to counsel us to think primarily about today, Jesus is NOT suggesting that we focus only on today.

Scripture, teaches the value of investing for and planning for the future.

The future is always in view, but the focus is God’s provision for today. As we see how God takes care of us in each of the “today’s” that come, then we can trust that He will also handle each of our “tomorrow’s” until we one day rest in His eternal home.

Study Questions

1. What are “these things” in Matthew 6:32–33? How can Jesus say God will give us all these things when we know Christians die without them every day?

2. Why do the Gentiles seek after “these things”? According to Matthew 6:32, why is their example a bad one to follow?

3. Read Lamentations 3:21–23 (with Matthew 6:34). In God’s care and provision, what is the relationship between today’s grace and today’s trouble? What about between today’s grace and tomorrow’s trouble?

Resources

1. Piper, J. (2014–2015). Look at the Book Labs (Mt 6:24–34). Minneapolis, MN: Desiring God.

2. LifeWay Christian Resources