The problem with worrying
Matthew 6:25-7:8
Introduction-
This morning I want us to look at worry- if some of you are awake this morning, you’d say pastor, we looked at that a couple of weeks ago when you talked about anxiety and I said amen and I took some notes. I thought we would move on.
The Lord wouldn’t let me end it there-
Someone this morning is about to be blessed with answered prayer.
Is that you this morning? Do you want it to be you this morning?
Look aside of you and say I want to be blessed!
Someone or a group of someone’s came to church this morning and believed that God would show up and do something!
Matthew 6:25-34- Read from Bible
Prayer-
Heavenly Father, we come this morning with a heart that is worrying about something- our jobs, our kids, our health, our relationships, the future, the country, money, wither the Baptist will beat us to the restaurant - we worry about something. Help us this morning to put them in proper prospective- help us to leave here today with a heart full of praise instead of a heart full of worry.
When worry comes knocking on our door, may we allow Jesus to answer the door. May the peace of God replace worry and we accomplish all that God has for us in Jesus name. Amen.
Questions to ask yourself-
Does worry help the situation? (Look out) over 85% of what you worry about does not happen.
The things you cannot control- who put you in charge of them? Did you appoint yourself? (Again look out)
Where does faith begin and talents and knowledge stop?
Our scripture are the words of Jesus Christ in one of the best sermon series ever- “The sermon on the mount.”
Jesus dealing with a whole lot of issues going on in a whole lot of people’s lives- Anybody interested?
How to pray and what to be praying for-
Importance of fasting-
Storing up treasures in the right place Those for another time-
And the three I am centering on this morning- Worry, Judging others, and seeking and finding God.
What is common on these three that I would lump them together? They can happen at the same time in our life and mess us up if we are not careful and be intentional on how we handle them.
You would think if Jesus himself was telling you and I not to worry, that that would be enough.
Do not worry about what you eat and what you wear because I will supply. That is what Jesus tells us- the birds don’t worry about their needs and I met them. How much more do I care about each one of you?
2 weeks ago, we looked at anxiety- worrying about things that never happen.
Worrying about things that are out of your control-
Stressing Out! Never disconnecting- is their more to this? Is there another element that we have to find to be less worrisome and more productive? Yes!
To say stop worrying never caused anyone to stop worrying.
Is God first in your life? If you answer No? He needs to be. That is as simple as I know.
If you answered yes, do you believe that God has your back as much as he has the back of His birds?
Is God everything that you need or do you have to say that I need God and…
Girlfriend/boyfriend
Money
Material stuff
Different job
If you say God and… anything, (32) Jesus Himself says that the pagans run after all these things.
(33) “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.”
I don’t know about you but that brings me comfort and encouragement-
That God cares for my needs and will supply all our needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus.
That He would say “I will never leave you or forsake you” There may be some bumps in the road but I will be there with you. You will not do it alone.
I love me my birds, but you are a child of mine- I will take care of you!
Worrying is for the birds- somebody say amen!
If we were as unconcerned about tomorrow as a bird is about his food, we would be getting our praise on!
We would be trusting God more and worrying less!
The other element to worrying and anxiety we need to get to is where you fix your focus when things are happening!
Are you putting your energy on the situation or the promise?
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it only empties today of its strength.” Corry Ten Boom
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all of these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Stop worrying about things you cannot change- The Russian invasion on the internet is someone else’s headache.
You are not in charge of the economy, just be a good steward of what God gave you.
You will sleep better at night not carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.
Trusting your God to supply all your needs and you seeking his guidance and His love rather than be tore down by the worries of this life. THAT IS FOR SOMEBODY
The opposite of worry is faith- Come on now!
Def/ Worry is being overwhelmed by a situation or circumstance.
Def/ Faith- “Now faith is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 12:1
Faith is believing in God and worry is believing in yourself.
God is looking for some to have faith and stop worrying so that He can do what needs to happen.
This crazy preacher is still waiting on God to accomplish what he showed me when I got here 14 years- it is hard but I am believing God more and worrying less. I have not got it down pat yet, I have my moments, “but I want to see God do it more than I want to worry that he won’t.”
Let me say it again, someone might grab it for themselves- I want to see God do it more than I want to worry that He won’t. (Pastor Tony)
We need to stay focused on God and not on our circumstances and situations.
When we lose focus, we are overwhelmed by what could happen and we can miss what God is doing.
What may be crazy now may be an act of faith later- Todd White in one of his sermons describes Noah and the building of the ark.
That was crazy!
Noah told by God to build an ark in a place that has never seen rain!
He recruited his whole family in crazy. He invested all he had in crazy. Because he knew it was God.
He goes on to say- make sure it is God- make sure you are hearing the Lord. Before you give up that job, move to a new place, make sure it is God because you will learn about a whole new weight lost program, it is called hungry!
Listen to me-
It is only crazy until it happens-
Noah and the flood, it was crazy until it happen!
It only crazy until the town drunk finds Jesus and sets this community on fire for God!
It is crazy that this church in 1987 had two plots of land a few blocks away where they were going to build a church and a parsonage right on top of each other.
Then this corner lot we now called home became available after another church deal fell through. It was crazy until we got it!
God works good with crazy- He gave you a crazy pastor with some crazy leaders, but we are believing God to do some crazy things!
I think worry carries over to where Jesus talks about Judging others and how we are quick to use the H word “hypocrite”
I don’t think there should be a chapter break here-
Matthew 7:1-7:5- Read from Bible-
Don’t miss this- If we do not have focus in our life, worry can cause us to Judge others-
When our lives are not right, we begin finding fault with others instead of ourselves.
We become more critical and less forgiving.
(Take out the magnifying glass and begin walking around with it)
Let me get that speck out of your eye
Let me start looking into your past and forgetting that I have a past
Through my magnifying glass I see your not perfect! I see some pimples in your life.
Jesus words… not mine “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brothers eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
“First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brothers eye.”
You know how you do that? (Pick up the mirror)
Put down the magnifying glass and pick up a mirror!
When you stay focused on Christ- you will not be worrying about everybody else’s specks, you will make sure you stay focused and you will not compare yourself to someone else, but desire to keep the faith and be real with Christ.
Come on now! Wow! Could we make an impact in this community? Would we live more productive and purposeful lives? Would it be easier to stay on track with our walk with God?
Worry less, judge less, and see God do amazing things! Sounds like a sermon to me!
Put down that magnifying glass, pick up the mirror and be open and honest with God and trust Him to make your heart and your life right.
You will do a whole lot less worrying, and get your praise on!
You will turn your bad attitude into a heart of gratitude
Asking and seeking God
Matthew 7:7-8 Read from Bible
Close-
Illustration-
I’ll Use PD (Pastor's Dog) my Westie as an illustration again-
He is a dog, and he acts like a dog. I expect him to act like a dog because that is what he is. He is one breed that has a powerful sniffer- He is in glory when he is outside and can lift his head up to the air or down to the ground and picks up more smells than I can imagine. He will walk through the yard and pick up every scent of every animal that was in the yard- he will sniff every blade of grass if I would let him.
When I don’t let him be a dog, he is out of sorts, I pull him and cut him off from his mission, he is beside himself-why? Because he is a dog- he was created that way. He uses what God gave him.
I am just crazy enough to believe God wants to do something amazing in our lives. I believe that he gives each one of us, everyone of us a gift and a talent to use for the glory of God-
WORRYING IS NOT A GIFT THAT GOD GAVE YOU- NO ONE HAS THE GIFT OF WORRYING, THOUGH SOME OF YOU HAS GOT PRETTY GOOD AT IT.
THINK ABOUT THIS AS WE WIND DOWN-
When we enter his presence with praise and not worry, He enters our circumstance with power!
When nothing makes sense- he is still God, he is still in control.
We all like to be inspectors of the sawdust in someone else but not many want the planks to be removed from their own eye first. It all goes together, we worry, we judge others and not look into our own actions and life, and we forget God or at least forget to have a relationship with Him on a daily basis because there are things in our life that the Lord wants to work on-
Amen. Close appropriately
