Overcoming The Giant Of Worry Series

Overcoming the Giant of Worry

Terry Cavanaugh

Overcoming Your Giants / Matthew 6:25–27

SERMON SUBTITLE: “Winning Over Worry”

Matthew 6:25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?

Matthew 6:27 “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?

Introduction:

Friends, we live in a world filled with uncertainties and challenges. It’s easy to find ourselves overwhelmed by worry. Yet Jesus offers us a path to peace. In Matthew 6:25-27, He gently invites us to trust God over our anxious thoughts.

Websters defines WORRY as: to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts.

Did you notice it said to torment oneself. Worry is self-motivated, and self-destructive.

Today, we will explore three ways we can bring down the giant of worry by focusing on God’s provision, perspective, and purpose.

1. Focus on Faith, Not Fear

It’s easier said than done, you said. You are correct. We constantly hear: Trust God and don’t worry. But sometimes, we must ask ourselves: How can I maintain faith and overcome fear?

A. Trust in God’s Timing

The scripture reminds us, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them” (Matthew 6:26).

Birds aren’t concerned about their next meal because they rely on God’s timing.

We feed the birds at our house. We fill up the bird feeders and we set back and we watch the birds eat. But sometimes we forget to fill the bird feeders. But you know what I’ve never seen? I’ve never seen the birds walk around the yard fretting and worrying about where their foods going to come from. Never once. In fact, when we forget to feed the birds, they fly off and find food somewhere else. They know God is going to take care of them. Scripture even says:

Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.

Take out the penny that you received this morning. Imagine, what can you buy today for a penny? Not much. In fact, they will probably quit producing the penny because it costs more to create the penny than the penny’s worth. But yet, two sparrows are so was sold for a penny and listen with the Scripture says:

Matthew 10:31 “So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

Do not fear, do not worry, don’t be concerned about the future, you are of more value than a sparrow.

Sometimes we are in a hurry and God says to us wait. But waiting is not wasted time. No, waiting is restorative time. When we wait, we are renewed. We need to learn to wait upon the Lord. Listen to Isaiah:

Isaiah 40:31 Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

When we find ourselves tangled in timelines and deadlines, let’s remember that God’s clock is never late.

Consider the story of Abraham and Sarah, who waited decades for God’s promise of a child. Doubt and impatience set in, leading to mistakes, yet God fulfilled His promise when the time was right. Their experience teaches us that trusting in God’s timing can lead to blessings beyond our understanding. As we wait for our own promises, we must remember Abraham’s journey and remain steadfast in faith.

b. Treasure God’s Truth

In a world full of conflicting messages, anchoring ourselves in God’s promises helps replace fear with faith. Proverbs 3:5 urges us to

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

When worry creeps in, let’s turn to God as our source of comfort and hope.

In the story of George Müller, he dedicated his life to caring for orphans in 19th-century England. Despite facing dire circumstances and limited resources, Müller continually prayed and trusted in God’s provision. His faith was anchored in the truth that God is faithful

A milk and bread miracle

One of the best-loved Müller stories comes to us from Abigail Townsend Luffe. When she was a child, her father assisted Müller, and she spent time at Ashley Down. Early one morning Müller led her into the long dining room set for breakfast but without food, praying, “Dear Father, we thank Thee for what Thou art going to give us to eat.” There was a knock at the door; it was the baker, unable to sleep because he was sure the Lord wanted him to bake bread for Müller. “Children,” Müller said, ”we not only have bread, but fresh bread.” Almost immediately, they heard a second knock. It was the milkman; the milk cart had broken down outside the orphanage, and he offered the milk to the children, completing their meal.