More Good News For The Worry Wart Series

More Good News for the Worry Wart

Text: Jn. 14:1-6

Introduction

1. Read Jn. 14:1-6

2. Illustration: Rick Warren says, "Worry is the warning light that God is really not first in my life at this particular moment." Because worry says that God is not big enough to handle my troubles. Jesus says in Mt. 6:33: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.." And He said that at the conclusion of an entire sermon on worry. The antidote to worry? Put God first!

3. What caused Peter to begin to sink when he was walking on the water with Jesus? He took his eyes off of Jesus and put them on his problem.

4. What causes us to sink when in our life of faith? When we take our eyes off of Jesus and put them on our problems.

Proposition: Jesus wants us to take our eyes off of our problems and put them on Him.

Transition: Jesus gives us three reasons not to worry. First...

I. Because We Believe in God (1)

A. Believe In God

1. Let us first set the scene. Jesus has just told the disciples that He is going to be leaving them "Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ’Where I am going, you cannot come..." (Jn. 13:33)

a. These men had left everything to follow Jesus.

b. Now He was telling them that He was going to leave them and they could not come with Him.

c. This caused them to be very troubled.

2. The word "troubled" means "’to cause great mental distress." —Louw & Nida: NT Greek-English Lexicon

a. They were more than just a little concerned.

b. They were more than just a little bit worried.

c. They were greatly troubled.

3. But Jesus tells them "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me."

a. He is telling them, "Don’t worry, believe in God, and believe in me."

b. He is not telling them "It’s okay, you believe in God," but what he is doing is commanding them to believe in God (Morris, NICNT, 565-566).

c. What he is saying is that the way to stop worrying is simply to believe that God is able to handle your problems.

4. He urged them to maintain both their trust in God and in himself. - Expositor’s Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM

a. He is telling them, don’t doubt believe.

b. Don’t worry believe.

c. Don’t fret believe.

d. Don’t focus on your problems, believe.

5. Ps. 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.

B. Faith In God

1. Illustration: Corrie Ten Boom spoke of the unraveling effects of worry, when she said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but it empties today of it’s strength.”

2. Worry will:

a. Raise your blood pressure

b. Harden your arteries

c. Put wrinkles on you face and dark circles under your eyes

3. Worry won’t:

a. Make your problems go away

b. Help you deal with your problems

c. Make you feel better

4. Since worry is doubt it is a sin!

5. The only antidote for worry is faith.

a. Faith in God the Father

b. Faith in Jesus His Son

c. Faith in the Holy Spirit

d. Faith in His promises

Transition: Stop worrying and believe!

II. Because He Has Prepared a Place for Us (2-4)

A. I Go to Prepare a Place for You

1. Another reason that Jesus gives us not to worry is that He is going to prepare a place for us.

2. Jesus tells His disciples "In my Father’s house are many mansions..."

a. Jesus assures His disciples that the reason that He was going away was to prepare a place for them.

b. He also assures them that they would be plenty of room for them and all believers. Notice that he says there will be "many" mansions.

c. Other places in the Bible it tells us that this place will be more glorious than any place we can imagine.

d. 1 Cor. 2:9 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

3. But having a place prepared for us and getting there are two different stories. However, He assures us by saying "I go to prepare a place for you."

a. Certainly he would not go to prepare for friends unless he expected that they would finally arrive. - Expositor’s Bible Commentary, The, Pradis CD-ROM