Overcoming Anexity Series

Title: Anxiety

Theme:

Text: Matthew 6:24-34

Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought (don’t be anxious) for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat (food), and the body than raiment (clothing)? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they (of much value)? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed (dressed) like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek (are worried about):) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow (don’t worry about): for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (Matthew 6:24-34 AV)

Introduction

Rev. Vance Harver once said, “Worry, like a rocking chair, will give you something to do, but it won’t get you anywhere”.

I know that we covered these verses last week but I felt that I put more empasis on working and earning and not allowing God to provide than worry. I believe this passage is mainly about anxiety.

What Jesus is not saying.

Vs. 25 “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor what yet for your body, what ye shall put on.”

It is so important to see their perspective as Christ is sharing this verse. Truthfully most of us here today don’t worry about what we will eat tomorrow. If we don’t have the food in our cabinets we know where to get it. We don’t go day to day thinking about worrying about how we will eat. We have taken it a step further. Our worry (anxiety) has become deeper and prideful. What people think about us. What will happen when we can’t control.

Definition of Anxiety

anx·i·e·ty [aNG'zi?de]

NOUN

1. a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome:

Medical Definition

Anxiety is a multisystem response to a perceived threat or danger. It reflects a combination of biochemical changes in the body, the patient's personal history and memory, and the social situation.

Facts of anxiety and stress

In the 1900’s the major causes of death were from infectious diseases. Now in the 21st century the major causes of the top 10 at least 6 can be affected by stress. Things like Heart disease, strokes, diabetes and suicide.

Historians will probably call our era “the age of anxiety.” Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and His will for us. —Billy Graham

What Jesus is saying

No matter what you face in life if you have me then you can deal with it. So don’t worry about what is going to happen.

Quote “Empty men have been overwhelmed with anxiety; trusting men have been confident.”

Story: Maybe you have heard the story of a man who was walking down a dusty road, staggering under the weight of a very heavy bundle. A kind farmer overtook him and picked him up in his wagon. The traveler was very grateful but kept his bundle on his shoulder. “Put your bundle down in the wagon,” the farmer said. “Oh, no,” the man replied, “I could not do that. It is enough for your horse to have to haul me without having to haul the bundle also.”

Many people have laughed at this old story and the silliness of the traveler. But isn’t anxiety about the future which goes beyond a trustful thoughtfulness the same thing? We can sow and we can reap and we can gather into barns, but the effectiveness of any one of those things depends on what the Father does.