Living The Worry-Free Life Series

LIVING THE WORRY-FREE LIFE

MATTHEW 6:25–34 “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? 26LOOK AT THE BIRDS OF THE AIR; THEY DO NOT SOW OR REAP OR STORE AWAY IN BARNS, AND YET YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER FEEDS THEM. ARE YOU NOT MUCH MORE VALUABLE THAN THEY? 27WHO OF YOU BY WORRYING CAN ADD A SINGLE HOUR TO HIS LIFE? 28“AND WHY DO YOU WORRY ABOUT CLOTHES? SEE HOW THE LILIES OF THE FIELD GROW. THEY DO NOT LABOR OR SPIN. 29YET I TELL YOU THAT NOT EVEN SOLOMON IN ALL HIS SPLENDOR WAS DRESSED LIKE ONE OF THESE. 30IF THAT IS HOW GOD CLOTHES THE GRASS OF THE FIELD, WHICH IS HERE TODAY AND TOMORROW IS THROWN INTO THE FIRE, WILL HE NOT MUCH MORE CLOTHE YOU, O YOU OF LITTLE FAITH? 31SO DO NOT WORRY, SAYING, ‘WHAT SHALL WE EAT?’ OR ‘WHAT SHALL WE DRINK?’ OR ‘WHAT SHALL WE WEAR?’ 32FOR THE PAGANS RUN AFTER ALL THESE THINGS, AND YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER KNOWS THAT YOU NEED THEM. 33BUT SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU AS WELL. 34THEREFORE DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW, FOR TOMORROW WILL WORRY ABOUT ITSELF. EACH DAY HAS ENOUGH TROUBLE OF ITS OWN.

INTRODUCTION: CHRISTIAN AUTHOR AND SPEAKER JILL BRISCOE SAID: WE CAN WORRY OR WE CAN WORSHIP. STRANGELY ENOUGH, BUSY PEOPLE FIND IT A WHOLE LOT EASIER TO WORRY THAN TO WORSHIP.

ONE MIGHT ASK, “WHY IS IT EASY FOR US TO WORRY AND DIFFICULT FOR US TO WORSHIP?” I THINK THE ANSWER IS SIMPLY AND EXPLAINED BY UNDERSTANDING THE “TYRANNY OF THE URGENT.” URGENT THINGS ARE NOT NECESSARILY IMPORTANT THINGS. THEY MIGHT BE, YET OFTEN ARE NOT. WHAT URGENT THINGS ARE IS SIMPLY SOME SORT OF TASK OR SITUATION THAT ISS RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. IT IS SCREAMING TO BE NOTICED AND TAKEN CARE OF. THAT FACT THAT IT IS SO VISIBLE IS WHAT DRAWS OUR ATTENTION. AND ONCE IT HAS OUR ATTENTION, IT DOES NOT LOOSEN ITS GRIP UNTIL WE HAVE DONE WHAT IT WANTS.

ON THE OTHER HAND, IMPORTANT THINGS ARE THE THINGS WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT HAVE THE GREATEST AFFECT ON OUR PERSON, YET SADLY, THESE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE MOST GLAMOROUS THINGS TO BE DONE. THEY COULD BE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY!

WORRY IS AN URGENT THING. THE ISSUE IS RIGHT THERE! IT WANTS TO BE DEALT WITH. AND WHEN WE BELIEVE IT WANTS TO BE DEALT WITH, THEN WE BELIEVE THAT IT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH!

JESUS, IN THIS PASSAGE IS ASKING US TO PUT WORRY IN ITS PLACE; TO FOCUS ON THE IMPORTANT THINGS – WHICH ARE SPIRITUAL AND LEAVE THE URGENT THINGS – WHAT WE WANT TO WORRY ABOUT, TO HIM.

TRANSITION: SO, LETS TAKE A LOOK AT THIS PASSAGE AND SEE IF WE CAN DISCERN GOD’S PERSPECTIVE ON THE ISSUE OF WORRY!

I. THE REASON WE WORRY

a. AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, THAT LAST FEW MESSAGES IN OUR SERMON ON THE MOUNT SERIES DEALT WITH

i. WHERE OUR TREASURE IS

ii. WHERE OUR FOCUS IS

iii. WHO IS OUR MASTER

b. THE THRUST OF EACH OF THESE CONCLUSIONS WAS:

i. OUR TREASURE SHOULD BE IN HEAVEN WHERE IT DOES NOT DECAY OR CAN BE STOLEN

ii. OUR FOCUS SHOULD BE ON WHAT GOD WOULD HAVE US TO SEE, NOT WHAT THE WORLD WANTS US TO SEE, OR EVEN WHERE WE WANT TO SET OUR GAZE

iii. OUR MASTER NEEDS TO BE GOD, AS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE MASTER AND TO TRY TO HAVE ANOTHER MASTER ALONGSIDE OF GOD IN REALITY SHOWS THE WE DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE GOD AS OUR MASTER

c. THAT BRINGS US TO THE “THEREFORE” OF MATTHEW 6:25

i. IF OUR TREASURE IS WHERE IT SHOULD BE

ii. IF OUR VISION IS WHERE IT SHOULD BE

iii. IF OUR MASTER IS TRULY GOD

II. THE RECKLESSNESS OF WORRY

a. WORRY PRESENTS US WITH A DUAL TEMPTATION

b. THE FIRST ONE WE HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED – WORRY CAUSES US TO DISTRUST GOD

i. WHEN OUR TREASURE IS NOT IN HEAVEN, WE ARE DISTRUSTING GOD

ii. WHEN OUR FOCUS IS NOT ON GOD, WE ARE DISTRUSTING GOD

iii. WHEN OUR MASTER IS NOT GOD, WE ARE DISTRUSTING GOD.

c. THE FIRST TEMPTATION OF NOT TRUSTING GOD BRINGS WITH IT A SECOND AND VERY POWERFUL TEMPTATION

i. THE TEMPTATION TO SUBSTITUTE FEAR FOR PRACTICAL ACTION

1. WE PAY ATTENTION TO THINGS WE CANNOT CHANGE

2. WE NO LONGER PUT OUR ENERGY TOWARDS THE THINGS OF GOD

ii. WORRY TAKES AWAY FROM OUR LIFE RATHER THAN ADDING TO IT