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LOJ #41: Worry-Faith Running on Empty Andover Baptist Church-October 11th, 2009 Opening A. Text for today is Matthew 6:25-34 and our sermon is titled ‘Worry-Faith Running on Empty’ B. Children’s Sermon (SLIDE) 1. Do you know how much Jesus loves us? 2. Well let me show you something (Collect my hair from my haircut for Children's Sermon put in a plastic baggy) a. Do you know what this is? b. I got a haircut not too long ago and I kept some of that hair. c. How many hairs do you think are in there? d. I know someone who does: Jesus…the Bible tells us that He loves you and me so much that He even knows how many hairs are on your head. 3. If Jesus knows how many hairs are on our head we shouldn't worry or be afraid should we? No because He loves us so much He will take care of us. 4. Let's pray and thank Jesus for that. C. Introduction 1. It seems to be human nature to worry about things doesn't it? 2. And most of our worries tie in with our money and how we are going to make it through life, am I not right? 3. Well Last week Jesus told us that we cannot serve two masters, both God and money and not to store up treasures on earth 4. Jesus in response to that opens our text this week with these words '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?' 5. In a nutshell Jesus is saying if God is your Master don't Sweat it' 6. But the world tells us something all together differently because it doesn't put its trust in God a. Listen to its message b. Play video (Glen Beck showing a chart about how bad the economy is, citing Financial Apocalypse) c. Whether you agree with that video or not, we can agree that if you depend on the things of this world you should worry 7. Church, Jesus tells us today that we have something greater to put stock in, that does not devalue like the dollar, it's the Love of our Heavenly Father and we should have a whole hearted trust in Him to bring us through whatever crisis that falls upon us 8. Let’s hear firsthand what Our Lord has to say Sermon READ: Matthew 6:25 (Scripture slide) "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?" A. Before we get to far into dealing with worry lets first point out what Jesus is not saying 1. This is not saying don't work: 2. This is no Jesus saying to live off the system or off family members, or the church for that matter 3. This is not an excuse for laziness (I got proof) Pr 19:15 "Laziness brings on deep sleep, and the shiftless man goes hungry." 2 Th 3:10-12 "10 For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” 11 We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat." 4. Don’t have a legitimate reason to work, well then according to God’s Word….enjoy the diet buddy! B. With that aside here is what Jesus is saying and it’s a smackdown on the world’s infatuation with worry 1. 'do not worry' a. Greek construction is that this is something that Jesus' hearers are doing at this moment b. Maybe before church this morning, or on the way, or maybe right before I said this you too were in the process of worry 1. 'How am I going to pay my bills' 2. Maybe a relationship your in is hurting, with your kids, spouse, girlfriend or boyfriend 3. Maybe your worrying about the past and what you could of done or should have done 4. ‘Am I going to get that layoff notice tomorrow?’ 5. Maybe tomorrow looms like a vulture on your shoulder and your afraid 6. Your health, or a loved one’s health 7. Does the list ever stop? 2. To this Jesus says 'Don't Do it….STOP right now' 3. Some of you may say 'Well it's easy for Jesus to say that He's perfect' and does He really understand my struggles' a. Jesus knows about all these problems b. Jesus knows what it is like not to struggle for money 1. The Gospels tell us that His family could only afford the offerings of the dove, which was only for poor people 2. Jesus was so broke one time He had to have the Father provide a coin in the mouth of a fish Peter caught to pay the simple temple tax c. Jesus knows what it's like to have relationship problems 1. The Gospels tell us that at one point His own family didn’t believe in Him 2. One of His best friends betrayed Him with a kiss 3. His other best friends deserted Him and His own children killed Him d. Jesus had tomorrow loom over Him 1. in the Garden the night before His crucifixion the knowledge of what was about to happen about killed Him 2. And He begged His Heavenly Father that if there was any other way that yours and mine sins could be paid for 3. And there was silence and He left it all in the hands of the Father e. Don't tell me Jesus didn't understand, we are the ones who don't understand what He went through for us, the moment He said these words 'Do not worry' He knew that cross was inching closer and closer and closer C. We lose sleep, we lose in our relationships with both God and people when we get stuck in the rut of worry and Jesus says STOP 1. If you’re breathing why worry? Isn't it a blessing to simply be alive? 2. Did not God give you life and the body you have? 3. Why rob yourself of living life, by worrying? 4. A life without anxiety is the aftereffect of following fully after Jesus 5. Therefore what is it that is clinging to you that you need to give to Jesus? D. Jesus point #1: You have been given the precious gift of life, why spoil it’s joys by worry? READ: Matthew 6:26 (Scripture slide) “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?” A. 'Look at the birds of the air': I'm sure there were some close by that Jesus pointed to (SLIDE of Birds) B. ‘store away’ 1. Remember last week we were told not hoard anything 2. The birds don't hoard away or devise elaborate schemes to survive 3. God provides but the birds still have to search for it 4. How silly would it be if we went out and saw little sparrows planting seeds, or little humming birds hammering away on a barn (bet they'd be really good at driving nails…bring hammer and pretend) 5. Everyone knows the birds live day by day, and so should we C. And Jesus is saying that we have a greater hope than the birds 1. Who gave both us and birds life? God 2. If God is concerned about the small birds why would He be unconcerned about your life? 3. Let us not forget that God gave us what He did not give the animals: a soul and a spiritual life 4. And let us never forget the price He paid so that we could have eternal life with Him Ro 8:32 "He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?" D. Jesus point #2: If God takes care of the animals, how much more will He care for you…the one He sent His very Son to die to redeem? READ: Matthew 6:27 (Scripture slide) “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” A. Worry is the most useless thing you can do…it never changes things, never accomplishes anything 1. That is except break your spirit 2. And beat your body (we all know the medical problems And undue stress and worry can cause) 3. Worry can never give back what it takes Lk 21:34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap." B. Think of it this way: You will be on this earth as long as the Lord allows you to be on this earth, you won't leave here until your work is done, so why worry about life C. Some of you might be thinking, 'So what I worry there are worse sins than that' and you know what you’re right, but I would like you to find one more debilitating than the one you suffer from D. Jesus Point #3: Worry is worthless READ: Matthew 6:28-30 (Scripture slide) “28 And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 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?” A. Jesus says to compare your circumstance to the lilies of the field 1. God provides more beauty in the covering of simple flowers than the world’s foremost fashion designer could do on the world’s richest person 2. SLIDE OF FLOWERS 3. That’s pretty impressive that God’s flowers are better than King Solomon’s best (cf. 2 Chr. 9:1-6) 4. What is even more impressive is that these flowers neither have to labor (i.e. work to purchase) or spin (work to make) their dressings 5. Don’t we work to spend in our society? 6. And Jesus is saying that God's provision exceeds man's improvision B. Then Jesus points out the 'grass of the field' as an example 1. Wood was sometimes scarce 2. So Jewish women would use dried grass and dead flowers were used by Jewish women to quickly heat up their clay ovens 3. PATCH of GRASS/Flowers 4. If God takes care of these plants that seem so insignificant to us don't you think He'll take care of you? 5. Our bodies house our soul and one day we will leave this body and it will decay in the ground, just as the flowers and grass of the field do a. Except for one great exception b. We will one day be reunited with these bodies and they will be changed, in the twinkling of an eye c. Fitted to live forever in eternity. d. God takes care of the plants of this earth that will shortly disappear never to come back, but you, if Jesus is your Lord….will one day live, in His presence with the body you have changed for eternity C. For you worrywarts Jesus says 'O you of little faith' 1. In four specific instances Jesus said 'O you of little faith' in the Gospels a. In Matthew chapter 8 the disciples are on a boat with Jesus and a storm comes up, afraid that they are going to die they wake Jesus up to do something: Jesus looked at them and said 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid' and then He calmed the storm b. In Matthew chapter 14 Jesus calls Peter out of a boat and to come to Him, Peter starts to sink and cries out to Jesus to save him. Jesus reaches out His hand and caught Peter and then said, 'You of little faith, why did you doubt?' c. Latter on in Matthew chapter 16 the disciples thought Jesus was upset with them for bringing no bread, forgetting Jesus had feed four and five thousand miraculously, Jesus looks at them and says 'You of little faith' d. And Here in dealing with worry was the first time Jesus used these words 2. Jesus is clear that when we are with Him doubt and worry have no place, in fact it's absolutely absurd to fear when He is our Lord, especially when He even takes care of the grass that grows in our yards 3. Maybe those words ‘O you of little faith’ are today directed at you D. Jesus Point #4: Worry isn't so much as an excess of problems as it is a deficiency of faith READ: Matthew 6:31, 32 (Scripture slide) “31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” A. Jesus saying that our basic needs: food, drink and comfort, will be provided by God (by the way this does not include basic cable) B. Jesus is also saying don’t act like a whiney pagan 1. A pagan are those who do not follow God but this world 2. Pagans chase after that which God gives His children 3. Does this mean that we are better than the pagans? Absolutely not, we have just been given the gift of eternal life, a gift that is extended to them as well if they would take it 4. But pagan or not God will not bless this type of effort Ps 127:2 "In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for He grants sleep to those He loves." 5. Why? Because worry is the outpouring of a paganistic outlook that distrusts or ignores God 6. Let me tell you something with the utmost assurance pagan behavior has no place in the believer's life C. We shouldn’t worry because 'your heavenly Father knows' your needs 1. Plus do you not remember that God hears our prayers? 2. And knowing that should free us from worry Php 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." 3. We forget sometimes that God foresees all things 4. Story of my dog Lucky a. In the car, she's just oblivious to what is ahead b. She looks all over, drooling, smudging my windows, drooling some more c. Not knowing that the car she is in is about to come to a stop or make a turn d. As the one fully in control I reach over and steady her before she tumbles into the floor board or face plants into my windshield e. I'm driving I know what's coming…so it is with God f. He knows when the brakes are going to be hit in our lives, He knows all the sharp turns….and He's there to catch us g. If we could all have the faith in God as Lucky has in her master who she knows loves her D. Jesus Point #5: Worry is for godless people who do not have a relationship with our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ READ: Matthew 6:33 (Scripture slide) “ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” A. God's kingdom is His rule and His people (serving Him and His people that is what it is all about) 1. The world and the Kingdom of God have different priorities and we are to seek the priorities of Jesus' kingdom not this world's 2. But that is a choice we must daily make 3. And if you are worrying about all these things it is hard to keep focused on the things God wants to do in your life and through your life B. When we come to Christ Jesus we are to replace the cares of this world with the cares of Jesus and His Kingdom 1. But in order to do that we need to be daily connected to Him 2. My bad habit of not fueling up until the fuel light pops on, am I going to have enough to get home? a. This is what happens in our life when we don't connect with God on a regular basis and seek His will in our lives b. When disaster strikes we just don't have a deep enough well of faith to pull out of 3. We should not fear the threats of this world, on the contrary when they come at us we need to recall the promises of God\ 2 Ch 16:9a "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him." Ps 84:11 "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." Ro 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Php 4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." 4. Hear me now people If you’re in slavery to the things of the world then you will never be free of worry 5. But if you’re busy working for God you won't have time to worry 6. I ask you now what is your perspective: temporal or eternal? C. Jesus Point #6: If you focus on Him, He will take care of the little things READ: Matthew 6:34 (Scripture slide) “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” A. Mom sings Live one day at a time (song) B. I hope none of you is worried about the time C. The majority of our worry is about things that never even befall us 1. 'Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday!' 2. Jesus tells us to pick up our cross and follow Him, but there is no reason to carry tomorrow's cross today! D. If tomorrow does bring troubles we can know that God will get us through them as well and that He will not be surprised by them 1. This is why we daily go to God 2. This is the season that many people go to those scary houses to be scarred. Why are they scary because you don't know what to expect. How scary would it be if before you went in they took your though it with the lights turned on and showed you through it. Not so scary because you know the outcome. Church don't we know our own outcome is in the hands of Jesus and that one day this world will be but a distant memory. So, why, why do we fret when we know the end of the story? E. Jesus Point #7: The Future is in His Hands, so why worry like it is in ours? Application (slide) A. If Jesus is your Lord, prove it by believing His words about worry B. And if your carrying a weight, that you need to give God, let it go, let Him take if off your shoulders 1 Pe 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you." C. Those of you who are wondering why Jesus isn't working through your lives may be too busy dealing with the cares of this world Mt 13:22 "The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful." D. If there is something in your past, give it to God, forget what is behind you for it is not near as important as what lies right in front of you now E. I’ll close with this 1. Jesus had two followers that were sisters. Mary and Martha. 2. Mary sat at Jesus feet to connect with Him 3. Martha on the other hand was so busy worrying about things of this world she forgot that in her home was Jesus, the Messiah, the answer to all her worries 4. Listen to what Jesus had to say to her Lk 10:41, 42 "41 Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” 5. Maybe those words are meant for you today: Jesus is telling you that He is in your life, and instead of worrying and fretting you just need to stop and sit down at His feet and take His peace 6. There really is no peace for those, however, that don't know Him 7. Without Jesus you have no one who can carry the worries of this world for you, and more importantly you do not have a hope for an eternity with Him 8. 'Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved' Acts 16:31 Invitation (accept Jesus, recommit, see about joining this church fellowship, or just need prayer) Let us sing our last song # , This work is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNoncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.