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.”
He is not saying, “Don’t worry every thing will turn out alright”. Well this is not true because many times from our perspective things just don’t turn out right. He is not saying that when we get into trouble God will step in a correct our follies. No many times he will help us to work through, invariably making us deal with the consequences. He is also not saying that those who trust in the Lord will never endure injury or persecution. Actually he goes on later to tell us that this is one of the prerequisites to becoming a Christian we must be willing to endure persecution and suffering for the gospel. He is not saying that we should ignore food that it is not anything to be bothered with. Nor is he saying that we should not work and let God provide. No he tells in the disciples prayer to Pray for our food and we know what kind of respect is given to the one who does not work. Lastly, he is not telling us that the lilies of the field live happily ever after. No we know that they will die. As all life here on earth will also.
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.
Reasons why not to worry.
1. Life is more than eating, drinking and clothes.
Life is more than the necessities we need to survive. We don’t live to eat or drink or even clothe ourselves. If this is the only reason we are alive then we live a very boring life. But there is more to it.
In other words there has to be more to this life than eating and drinking and wearing our clothes. There must be a height purpose in life. If all we have before is all we will ever have I will be very disappointed.
Yet there is more.
There is the will of God. There is work for the Lord. There is knowing the creator and building a relationship with him.
This is what he is saying when he says, “Seek ye first the kingdom of Gdo and all these things shall be added unto you”. It is trust. Not survival but knowing what is right and doing it. It is trust in the Lord. Knowing he will provide
2. Look at the Birds and the flowers
How do we know he will provide? Well if he privilege for the birds want he also provide for us. He knows every bird and sees it fall don’t he care about us. Are we not worth more than the fowls of the air.
God cares for you. He loves you.
Oh how people need to hear this message today. God loves you and he cares for you.
3. We can’t add one inch to our life nor can we add one beat to our heart.
If anything stress and worry will take away from the quality of our life and not add to. If anything we can have a heart attack but we cannot consciencely control our heart. So what can we do. We may be able to live a healthy life but still it is by God’s hand that we live.
We are not be as the pagans. We are not to be as the world. So wrapped up in our needs that we can’t see our purpose in life. So wrapped up in our wants that we can’t see what God wants.
What do we do?
We trust in God. Vs. 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.
We are to trust in God. He knows our needs and he will provide. Jesus would go onto says in chapter 7 verses 7 ΒΆ Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
We have to trust him and seek him first and all the necessities of life will be added to us. Will it be perfect no. Will there be times of testing? Yes. But there will be peace. Oh the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ that lives in your heart.
I will tell you that I am like any other person. When something happens in my life I have these wild things that go through my mind. Maybe it is something dealing with a problem in the church. I have worried for a day. Wondering what would happen. Then I prayed. The problem was still there yet the anxiety was gone.
Even in death. Even in sorrow. Even in financial need. Even in sickness. No matter we have a promise, “Cast all your cares upon him for he cares for you”. He is with us.
