Sermon Central
-
Don't Worry, Be Happy! Series
Contributed by Jerry Shirley on Jul 20, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: It’s easy to say, "Don’t Worry," but it’s better to give someone the tools Jesus provided here to win the war over worrying. The FATHER FACTOR, the FOCUS FACTOR, and the FUTURE FACTOR. Link included to formatted text, handout, and PowerPoint Template.
Don’t Worry, Be Happy!
"Don’t worry about it."
Have you ever had those words said to you? Did it work? Probably not! Easy words to say, but hard to put into practice.
In essence that is what the Scripture says in verse 25. [read] But it goes on to tell us how not to worry. It is one thing to tell someone "Just don’t worry about it", But it is another thing to tell them how they are supposed to keep from worrying about it! I could remind you that worry causes ulcers and high blood pressure, but what would that make you do? Worry!
A good first step is confessing it as the sin that it is—Worry is not simply a weakness…it is wickedness. What a poor testimony for a Christian to display to the lost world…to have the promises of God, to be on the winning side, and still to live in the fleshly realm of worry all the time.
Be honest: we all worry, don’t we?
The ignorant worry because they don’t know enough.
The knowledgeable worry because they know too much.
The rich worry because they are afraid of losing what they have.
The poor worry because they don’t have enough.
The old worry because they are facing death.
The young worry because they are facing life.
Ill.—grandma’s worry stone. Put your thumb on it and rub away. It seems to work for me. It’s part of human nature to have worries and be worried. But we’re supposed to have a new nature now…a supernatural viewpoint!
Quotes about Worrying:
“Blessed is the man who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night.”
“A problem not worth praying about is not worth worrying about.”
“Why pray when you can worry.”
“Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.”
“The only place perpetual worry will get you ahead of time is the cemetery.”
Worry effects our total being! Therefore, “The Ways Not to Worry” involves our total being: mind, spirit, and body. We must get our mind, spirit, and body involved in certain things in order not to worry. Now let’s look at The Ways To Stop Worrying! How can we Stop Worrying?
Circumstances really don’t matter. We can worry no matter our circumstances. Happiness is a choice, but it’s hard to come to that decision. Worry is the opposite of faith [last phrase of v. 30], but even faith is hard to come by oftentimes. So, we need some help…
3 times this passage says to us, ‘Take no thought…’ That means don’t worry. But again God redirects us to channel our thoughts in another direction, replacing bad thoughts w/ good ones…
I. THINK OF HIS GREATNESS.
A. SEEN IN THE WONDER OF HIS PROVISIONS. Vs 26, 28
1. "Behold the fowls" Look searchingly!
Behold their Bounty and their Plenty! Birds are always singing in thanksgiving.
2. "Consider the lilies" Learn and observe thoroughly!
Observe their Beauty and their Prosperity!
B. SEEN IN THE WORTH OF HIS PEOPLE. Vs 26b
1."Much better than they?" To a greater extent more valuable/superior than they!
2. If God does all this for plants and animals, what will He do for us!
3. When we are worrying our Thinking isn’t right,
4. We are Superior to plants and animals!
5. If they are the Glory of His creation, have much more should we be!
II. TRUST IN HIS GRACIOUSNESS.
A. WORK OF HIS GRACE. V30-31
1. He clothes the grass of the field - today is and tomorrow cast into oven
2. It is gone after one season, a short time then never to return- We are eternal!
3. If He does all that for the grass, how much more will He do for us in magnitude and quantity!
4. It is a sign of little faith to worry about these things - Trust in the work of His Grace!
B. WISDOM OF HIS GRACE. v32
I. Life of many was consumed in pursuit of materialism! (v21, 24)
2. He says: "Don’t worry!" Because your "Heavenly Father Knows" you need all these things.
3. "Your Father" or "Heavenly Father" is repeated 12 times in this chapter!
4. Trust in His Graciousness, Recognize the Wisdom of His Grace - He knows all about it! He’s the beginning and the end, and all of this is somewhere in the middle!
III. THRUST INTO HIS GOODNESS. v33-34
A. GOODNESS OF HIS WILL. v33a
1. Don’t worry, rather "Burl" "Seek" Search after, Pursue, Desire, Strive for, Endeavor!
2. "The Kingdom of God" God’s rule, His Will done on earth as in Heaven!
3. "His Righteousness" When God rules there is Perfect Righteousness!
4. Seek, Strive for, Thrust yourself into the Goodness of His Rule or Will!
