DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY
A STUDY ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: PART XXIII (WORRY)
BIBLE VERSE: Matthew 6:25-27
6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing? 6:26 Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they are? 6:27 And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life?
1. WORRYING IS A WASTE OF TIME BECAUSE OF OUR FUTURE
Stress:
“This interesting tale portrays so well the fact that half of all the people in America’s hospital beds are constant worriers.
43% of all adults suffer health effects due to worry and stress.
75% - 90% of all visits to primary care physicians are stress-related complaints or disorders.
Worry has been linked to all the leading causes of death including heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis and suicide.
An estimated 1 million workers are absent on an average workday because of stress related complaints. Stress is said to be responsible for more than half of the 550 million workdays lost annually because of absenteeism.
43% of all employee turnover is related to job stress.
Mental distress can even lead to death. Add to the list the mental fatigue of nights without sleep and days without peace, and we get a glimpse of the havoc worry plays in destroying the quality and quantity of life.”
STRESS IS KILLING US, IT’S KILLING OUR NATION, IT’S KILLING OUR FUTURE…AND IT’S NOT OK!
BIBLE VERSE: Luke 8:14
8:14 As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
Choking Example: We should find a clever way to demonstrate choking, not making it too light and funny, but showing how deadly it can be (I plan to allow a kid to fake choke me, then fall down and act weird or something like that). Just for interest, I might show a security move or two that I learned years ago.
But the point is clear, worrying, like choking, is killing us, and killing our future.
French Invasion:
During the 1800s, the French General George Muller Massena who took orders from Napoleon, arrived at a quaint and militarily important Austrian town. His 18,000 soldiers were gearing up for their invasion, as the stunned Austrian citizens were lifeless and terrified. Knowing they were about to beaten, killed, sold into slavery, or worse, they laid down plans for the counter attack.
What did they do? Since it was Easter Sunday and their upcoming deaths were imminent regardless of their defensive positionings, they went to church. Figuring their only defense was direct intervention from their Maker, they rang the church bells, put on their Sunday’s best, and worshipped the Lord.
When services ended, the Austrian prayer warriors opened the church doors to find the entire French battalion had vacated. It turns out that the French General Massena incorrectly confused the ringing of the church bells for Easter service with what he thought was the announcement of the arrival of the entire Austrian army. The city was saved, and Christ was glorified.
2. WORRYING IS A WASTE OF TIME BECAUSE OF OUR FAITH
Faith Example: Though I have done this before, in fact done this multiple times, I will do it again. Grab a chair and a student helper, and have the student sit down in the chair. Seriously, have them stand in front of the group and slowly watch them to sit down. After their done, ask the student what they were thinking about when they sat down. Ask them, “where you thinking if the chair would hold you?” No? Why not? Do you know who made the chair? Do you know it was probably purchased by the lowest bidder?
FOLKS, WE HAVE FAITH, JUST NOT ALWAYS IN CHRIST!
Take a look at the scripture again:
BIBLE VERSE: Matthew 6:25-27
6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing? 6:26 Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they are? 6:27 And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life?
In these verses, there are 2 critical needs expressed that God says we should no longer worry about:
Critical Need #1: Your Life
Survival things like eating and drinking.
Will I get a job?
Will I make it to college?
Will I pay for car?
Critical Need #2: Your Body
Things like our appearance.
What do people think of my new dress?
Am I overweight?
Will my acne clear up?
Then Christ asks a Question: Is Not Life More Than Food and the Body More Than Clothing?
Silversmiths Example: While at Super Summer, our leaders were told of a time when dozens of a town’s silversmiths all came to know Christ as their savior (a silver smith is a person who makes things, specifically idols in this case). They were torn, because to continue to make idols would be sin, but failure to make money would lead their families to starvation. So they brought their request to their spiritual authority. The said, “if we don’t make idols we’ll die.” Their pastor’s response was “MUST YOU LIVE?”
Wow!
The Josh Rickard Example: As all of us know, our Middle School pastor Josh Rickard has been trying hard to find a job. I find it unbelievable that nobody has hired him yet. Then a job came open at Family Video just up the road, a management position paying probably $40K. His heart wrestled about it, but decided not to apply for the porn that Family Video sells. He essentially said to his heart,
“If I have to sell porn, sell adultery, to make a living, MUST I LIVE?” And he chose the greater path.
3. WORRYING IS A WASTE OF TIME BECAUSE OF OUR FATHER
The Background: Sennacherib (pronounced just as you would expect it), is evil, foreign, and is marching for a complete takeover of the Jewish people. He has a mighty army, is requiring what you and I would call “protection money” or “extortion.” But regardless of whether he gets it or not, he is going to attack.
BIBLE VERSE: 1 Kings 18:13-19
18:13 In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, King Sennacherib of Assyria marched up against all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. 18:14 King Hezekiah of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria, who was at Lachish, “I have violated our treaty. If you leave, I will do whatever you demand.” So the king of Assyria demanded that King Hezekiah of Judah pay three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 18:15 Hezekiah gave him all the silver in the LORD’s temple and in the treasuries of the royal palace. 18:16 At that time King Hezekiah of Judah stripped the metal overlays from the doors of the LORD’s temple and from the posts which he had plated and gave them to the king of Assyria.
18:17 The king of Assyria sent his commanding general, the chief eunuch, and the chief adviser from Lachish to King Hezekiah in Jerusalem, along with a large army. They went up and arrived at Jerusalem. They went and stood at the conduit of the upper pool which is located on the road to the field where they wash and dry cloth. 18:18 They summoned the king, so Eliakim son of Hilkiah, the palace supervisor, accompanied by Shebna the scribe and Joah son of Asaph, the secretary, went out to meet them.
18:19 The chief adviser said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: “What is your source of confidence?
BIBLE VERSE: 1 Kings 19:1
19:1 When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the LORD’s temple.
Fasting: The key words are sackcloth & ripped clothes…what is he doing here? Good answer, he is fasting, something we talked about last week. Faith and Fasting are pairs and work together.
Now that Hezekiah Has Fasted…Here Comes the Prayer:
BIBLE VERSE: 1 Kings 19:19-20
19:19 Now, O LORD our God, rescue us from his power, so that all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you, LORD, are the only God.”
19:20 Isaiah son of Amoz sent this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the LORD God of Israel says: ‘I have heard your prayer concerning King Sennacherib of Assyria.
What is the Result (Hold onto your Seats)?
BIBLE VERSE: 1 Kings 19:32-35
19:32 So this is what the LORD says about the king of Assyria:
“He will not enter this city,
nor will he shoot an arrow here.
He will not attack it with his shield-carrying warriors,
nor will he build siege works against it.
19:33 He will go back the way he came.
He will not enter this city,” says the LORD.
19:34 I will shield this city and rescue it for the sake of my reputation and because of my promise to David my servant.’”
19:35 That very night the LORD’s messenger went out and killed 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp. When they got up early the next morning, there were all the corpses. 19:36 So King Sennacherib of Assyria broke camp and went on his way. He went home and stayed in Nineveh. 19:37 One day, as he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword. They escaped to the land of Ararat; his son Esarhaddon replaced him as king.
CLOSE: Sennacherib wakes up, sees every one of his 185,000 men killed. By who? A Messenger, that means One. God send One Angel and wiped an army off of the face of the planet. Listen folks, if we have little faith, it is not because God isn’t that big. He is Giant! God can do whatever he wants to do, and to doubt him or doubt that things will turn out according to his will is foolishness. Amen.
Sources:
Anselmi, Jeffrey. Wasting Time on Worrying. First Christian Church; Arizona, August 2009.
Britt, Tony. World Champion or Chump. New Life Fellowship Church; Ohio. July 2001.
Stanley, Andy. Part Three: Seek. North Point Community Church; Georgia, February 2009.
NAME: __________________________
DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY
A STUDY ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: PART XXIII (WORRY)
BIBLE VERSE: Matthew 6:25-27
6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your ________________________, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the _______________ than clothing? 6:26 Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you more valuable than they are? 6:27 And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his ____________________________________________?
1. WORRYING IS A WASTE OF TIME BECAUSE OF OUR _____________________________________
Stress Stats:
_________________________________ of all adults suffer health effects due to worry and stress.
_____________________ of all visits to primary care physicians are stress-related complaints or disorders.
_______________ has been linked to heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis and suicide.
An estimated _______________ workers are absent on an average workday because of stress complaints.
Stress is said to be responsible for more than half of the _____________________ annually lost work days.
_____________________________ of all employee turnover is related to job stress.
BIBLE VERSE: Luke 8:14
8:14 As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are ___________________ by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
Choking Example:
French Invasion:
2. WORRYING IS A WASTE OF TIME BECAUSE OF OUR ___________________________________.
BIBLE VERSE: Matthew 6:25-27
Critical Need #1:
Critical Need #2:
Silversmiths Example: __________________________________________________________________
3. WORRYING IS A WASTE OF TIME BECAUSE OF OUR ___________________________________.
BIBLE VERSE: 1 Kings 18:13-19
Bad King’s Name: _________________________ Good King’s Name: _______________________
BIBLE VERSE: 1 Kings 19:1
What is the King doing here? __________________
BIBLE VERSE: 1 Kings 19:32-35