Refuse To Worry Series

(adapted from Southeast Christian Church’s series Living a Life of Integrity)

SERIES: “WORDS OF WISDOM FOR KINGDOM LIVING”

TEXT: MATTHEW 6:25-34

TITLE: “REFUSE TO WORRY”

INTRODUCTION: A. One man said to his friend, “I have a mountain of credit card debt. I’ve lost my

job. My car is being repossessed and our house is in foreclosure. But I’m not worried

about it.”

His friend exclaimed, “How is it that you’re not worried?”

“Well,” he replied, “I’ve hired a professional worrier. He does all my worrying for

me and that way, I don’t have to worry about it.”

“That’s fantastic! How much does this professional worrier charge for his

services?”

“$50,000.00 a year.”

“50,000.00 a year? Where are you going to get that kind of money?”

“I don’t know. That’s his worry.”

B. Today is Mother’s Day.

1. Mom’s tend to be worried and anxious

2. One frazzled Mom devised this sign for her bathroom door:

Attention Everyone: The Bathroom Door is Closed!

Please do not stand there and talk, whine or ask questions.

Wait until I get out.

Yes, it is locked. I want it that way.

No, it is not broken; I am not trapped.

I know I have left it unlocked, and even open at times, since you were born, because

I was afraid some horrible tragedy might occur while I was in there.

But it’s been ten years, and I want some privacy.

Do not ask me how long I will be.

I will come out when I am done.

Do not bring the phone to the bathroom door.

Do not go running back to the phone yelling, “She’s in the bathroom!”

Do not begin to fight as soon as I go in.

Do not stick your little fingers under the door and wiggle them.

This was funny only when you were two.

Do not slide pennies, Legos, or notes under the door,

Even when you were two, this got a little tiresome.

If you have followed me down the hall, talking,

And are still talking as you face this closed door,

Please turn around, walk away and wait for me in another room.

I will be glad to listen to you when I am done.

Oh…and yes, I still love you. Mom

C. Jesus doesn’t want you worrying your life away.

1. What will interest rates do?

2. The melody to “Don’t Worry-Be Happy” falls on deaf ears when the doctor looks at

you and says, “It is malignant.”

3. Or your boss says, “Due to the economy we’re going to have downsize.”

D. The unusual thing is that often it is the little things that worry us more than the big

things.

1. It takes more than just saying, “I’m going to eliminate worry because Jesus tells me

to.”

2. Some things are hard to get rid of.

--Worry and anxiety certainly fall into that category.

I. THE REQUIREMENT: DON’T WORRY

--Mt. 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. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than

clothes?”

A. Notice it says, “Don’t worry.”

1. Jesus’ words here are a command: “Do not worry.”

--It’s not a request, or a helpful hint.

2. It’s an imperative statement

--Imperative means: “vital; necessary; essential; crucial”

B. Jesus gave us some things not to worry about.

--Stuart Briscoe, Now For Something Totally Different, lists five things that Jesus says we should not

worry (all begin with the letter “f”)

1. First, Jesus says: “Don’t worry about finances.”

a. Mt. 6:19 – “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where

thieves break in and steal.”

--In other words, Jesus says, “Don’t be anxious about your earthly possessions.”

b. The third most common fear among Americans is financial failure

1). What if I can’t pay off my credit cards?

2). What if the car breaks down?

3). What if my investments collapse?

4). What if I lose my job?

c. Jesus says, “Don’t waste your time with obsessive worry about financial things.”

2. Second thing Jesus says not to worry about: food

a. In Mt. 6:25, Jesus says, “Do not worry about what you will eat or drink…”

1). In the first century AD, not having enough to eat was an issue for the common people

2). It’s sad that in our nation of plenty that we have people who suffer from a lack of food

--In some cases, it’s their own fault. They’ve wasted their money on things like drugs and

alcohol. But in other cases, it’s just that people are in a bad situation and just need help.

a. Those of us who actually have plenty to eat worry about our food: