We’re starting a new series today called Life Verses. A Life Verse is a favorite Bible verse that is your “go to” verse for inspiration and direction.
Last month I asked you to share with me your Life Verse and to date, I have received 45 verses! Different verses! Duane and I pared the verses into 34 themes and my plan is to space the themes into 4-5 segments. This fall we’ll cover eleven Life Verses over the next nine Sunday before our Christmas series begins in December.
Let me start by telling you what we’re not gonna cover. I’m not preaching on sayings people think are in the Bible, like, "A penny saved is a penny earned. " As good as that is, it’s not in the Bible. "God helps those who help themselves" is not in the Bible. "Honesty is the best policy" is not in the Bible. "Welcome to Indiana basketball!" is not in the Bible. It probably should be – but apparently, God doesn’t think too much of basketball. "Gentlemen, start your engines!" is not in the Bible.
Rachel Wilke and Missy Kiger submitted today’s verses:
Matthew 6:34 Do not worry about tomorrow.
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything.
I’ve titled this talk, Don’t Be Anxious. After the mass shooting in Las Vegas last Sunday, we are a nation on edge. Prior to 9-11, who would have ever worried about being in a large crowd? I’ll be a little more cautious moving forward.
I clipped an interesting article in February that might interest you. Isac McFadden, a 4-year-old, got up to use the bathroom. He saw something in the toilet bowl and ran for Mom! Isac found a four-foot-long Western Diamondback rattlesnake! And that’s the real picture that appeared in the paper.
His mother, Cassie McFadden, grabbed a shovel and beheaded their unwelcomed, venomous invader. Then she called Big Country Snake Removal. Nathan Hawkins inspected her house and found 23 more Western Diamondbacks! Hawkins told WTSP-TV, “Just because you don’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t there.”
The next time you get up in the middle of the night, turn on the lights and look carefully first!
Churck Swindoll calls worry the “respectable sin.” I’m fairly confident that everyone here would frown on adultery – but we wink at worry. Why is that? In God’s eyes, one sin is just as bad as another.
In Matthew 13, Jesus told the Parable of the Sower. A certain man went forth to sow seed. Some fell on hard soil, and it didn’t take root. Some fell on shallow soil. Although it quickly sprang up, it withered as soon as the sun appeared. And some fell among thorns and the thorns choked out the life of the seed.
Listen to the explanation of Jesus:
22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word.
22b But the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
Worry chokes out your relationship with God. Worry makes you unproductive in God’s kingdom. Worry dominates your life, crowding out the Savior whose presence you desperately need. Worry isn’t that innocent respectable sin that we wink at.
I. Why We Worry
There are several reasons why we worry. For example, TEMPERAMENT is one reason. Some people, by nature, aren’t exactly cool. But others aren’t easily rattled.
My best friend in high school was named Steve, and Steve was out point guard on the basketball team. When our radio announcer talked about Steve he always said that Steve had “ice water in his veins.” Steve wasn’t rattled easily. He was as cool as a cucumber because of his temperament.
On the day of the eclipse, a violent storm blew through Crawfordsville. How did you respond? How many stood at a window and watched? How many fled to the basement, bit your fingernails, watched your weather ap on your iPhone and phoned Mommy? The Greek word for your personality is weennie-itus! I saw it on Wikipedia so you know it has to be true!
A second reason for worry is AFFLUENCE. On the surface, you’d think the opposite would be true. But the more you have, the more you stand to lose! The more stuff you own, the more your stuff owns you!
Solomon writes (Ecclesiastes 5):
12 The sleep of the laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much. But the abundance of the rich man prevents him from sleeping.
A third reason for worry is the MEDIA. We listen to and read way too much news! We are wired to a 24-7 global world. 100 years ago, you didn’t know about disasters until days, or even weeks later!
Now we have instant news and instant analysis. It’s almost impossible to get a good night’s sleep! The media’s business is relaying earth-shattering news, to increase their ratings so they can sell advertising.
A fourth source of worry is EXPERIENCE. You’d think that experience would teach a person not to worry so much. But, the older you get the more inclined you are to worry.
Experience reinforces the danger that surrounds you. There’s something about experience that makes you nervous because you know the dangers and the pitfalls.
I drove home in August to be with my Dad as he celebrated his retirement. When a man is 89 and retires, that’s something! My sister reserved the church fellowship hall on Sunday afternoon for a reception that was scheduled from 2-4:00 p.m. At 3:00, the place was packed and I realized that I wasn’t gonna get another chance to have a conversation with my parents. I decided to bug out early so I’d get home at a fairly decent time.
Around midnight I was somewhere between Champaign, IL and Covington, IN when my phone rang. It was Dad! I answered the phone and said, “Dad? Is everything okay?”
He said, “Yes, but I couldn’t sleep because I’m worried about you driving home so late on a Sunday.”
I assured my Dad that I’d be home within a half hour or so and he said, “Call me the second you pull in the driveway. And be careful!”
A fifth reason we worry is PACE. Everything moves so fast we rarely stop to relax. When was the last time you turned the phone off?
I confess that I live with my phone on. I’m on-call 24-7. If you call – unless I’m with someone – I will answer. But I find myself longing for a home phone and an answering machine! The pace some days is just way too fast!
A sixth reason for worry is a LACK OF FAITH. If you’re a control freak, you will struggle with worry. There are some things we can’t control. And in those moments, we have to pray and trust God, and that causes us to worry because he may not answer our prayers our way!
Listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 6:
25 Do not worry about your life.
31 Do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ ‘What shall we drink?’ ‘What shall we wear?’
34 Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Some of you might be thinking, “I don’t worry. “I just have some concerns.” A concern kinda sounds spiritual, like “matters of concern.”
Concern focuses on probable difficulties and results in action, but anxiety focuses on uncontrollable events and produces inaction. Worry asks, “What if?”
What if that tornado strikes our home? What if I lose my job? What if I have to put mom in a nursing home? What if my football team never wins again?
I’m wearing a Purdue polo this morning because last night Purdue defeated Minnesota. Boiler Up! I’m also wearing this shirt this week because next Saturday we play Wisconsin – and Wisconsin is rated a lot higher than Purdue!
Sometimes we need to be concerned and take action. The economy is iffy and my job is in jeopardy. Maybe I should I look for employment? In vs. 26, Jesus tells us to “…consider the birds. They don’t sow, they don’t reap, and they don’t store away in barns.”
You know why? Because they’re headed to Florida for the winter!
Concern is why the wise father purchases life insurance. In a worse-case scenario, I want to provide for family. That’s why a wise father makes Jesus Lord, too. I want my family to know that arrangements have been made!
Jesus asked a rhetorical question in vs. 27:
27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
Charles Stanley says that, “Worry is enjoying a crisis before it happens.” But Jesus says, “Do not worry.” Don’t worry about your life, what you eat or drink, or what you wear. Paul said, “Do not be anxious about anything.”
II. What We Should Not Worry About
Matthew 6:25 begins with the word, “Therefore.” And every good Bible student knows that when you see that word you should stop and ask, “Why is it there for?” Jesus said, “Do not store up treasures on earth.” First, Jesus said not to worry about FINANCES.
According to the Book of Lists, our No. 3 worry is the fear of financial disaster. We fret about the economy. Why? Because we have financial amateurs running the country! Why? Because we voted them into office believing their lies that we can get something for nothing!
The Bible teaches that God will supply our needs. Our needs include what we eat, what we wear and where we live. In return, God expects us to give 10%, save 10% and to live on the rest. When you obey God, you don’t worry about finances.
Second, Jesus said not to worry about FOOD. Jesus said, “Do not worry about what you will eat.”
In the first century this was a very real concern. That’s why the model prayer includes the phrase, “Give us this day our daily bread.”
We don’t worry so much about having food – but we do worry about the content of our food! Cholesterol, fat, additives, sodium and sugar.
As of this morning, we are 46 days away from Thanksgiving! I don’t know if I’ll eat with our parents, our daughters and grandchildren or with complete strangers. But I do know one thing: we will eat! Jesus said, “Don’t worry about what you will eat!”
Third, Jesus said not to worry about FITNESS. Look at vs. 25 and read it to the end: “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body.”
Some concern for our bodies is healthy because we house the presence of the Holy Spirit in our bodies. But, don’t you think we’ve gone a little bit extreme? We run, we lift and we inhale supplements. We spend more time and money on our fitness than we do on spiritual things. That’s why Jesus said, “Don’t worry about your body.”
Fourth, Jesus says not to worry about FASHION (“Do not worry about what you will wear.”). I have three sisters, three daughters, and now three granddaughters. I may not know much about women but one thing I do know is that they like to wear new clothes! You might say they are excessive about clothing!
So listen up, girls, because Jesus wants you to hear something really important. Are you ready to listen? I say this will every ounce of love I possess in my heart: “Stop that!”
The first century concern wasn’t fashion; it was warmth! They didn’t worry about style; they worried about covering. Today our clothes have to be name brand, just like everybody else, and the right color to match our skin tone.
I didn’t leave room in the outline for this next statement but I want you to write it down and remember it. The only color you need is black. That’s right, just black. Know why? Because black makes an overweight man look thinner!
Ladies, stand up and repeat that verse with me: “Do not worry about what you will wear!”
Guys, I want you to look at the nearest female, whether you’re related or not, and repeat after me while looking them in the eye: “Do not worry about what you will wear!”
Now guys, I just saved you at least a thousand dollars just by being in church. So let it be reflected in the offering!
Fifth, Jesus says not to worry about the FUTURE:
27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
34 Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
When I was younger, I worried about dying young, but now I worry about aging! I told Bill this week that when people look at me they see a grandfather, but in my mind’s eye I’m still a 17-year-old high school senior driving a ’57 Chevy across town with his window down and his long blonde hair blowing in the wind.
I can still hear Ronald Reagan saying, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” I still hear John Kennedy saying, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” I can still hear Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address!
Everybody wants to look younger than they really are. We worry about Crows feet in our eyes a double chin … and a beer belly. My dentist told me about an elderly man who got braces on his false teeth so he’d look younger! Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow.”
III. How Do You Overcome Worry?
It’s easy to say, “Don’t worry,” but it’s altogether different when you lie awake at night unable to sleep, biting your fingernails down to the quick, with our hands trembling and causing you to pop pills. Jesus told his audience that they needed an attitudinal shift.
First, develop an eternal perspective:
25 Is not life more important than food? Is not the body more important than clothes?
Christians have been called to live in contrast to the world! Jesus reminded his audience that “… the pagans run after all these things” (verse 32). Pagans worry about finances, food and fashion. But our thoughts ought to look beyond the immediate.
After Las Vegas your priorities ought to be different? Instead of buying designer jeans, make a contribution to the Red Cross. Instead of buying a flatscreen TV, donate blood! Don’t be a pagan, spending your valuable resources on things that don’t last!
Second, trust in God’s providence:
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns.
26b Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Have you ever used the expression, “She eats like a bird?” I was watching one of those nature shows on Animal Planet and I learned that the average bird eat 3-times their weight every day! If I had only be born a bird! Now you know why Christie was alarmed to discover that Arni’s is my second-most used phone number! This figure, folks, has been chiseled out of pizza!
The birds don’t worry about their next meal. You’ll never hear them chirping in middle of the night! They’re sleeping! When you eat 3-times your weight you need your rest! And Jesus said that we are more valuable than any animal!
One of my favorite Psalms is Psalms 37:
25 I was young, but now I’m old. Yet I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken, or his seed begging bread.
Third, live one day at a time:
Philippians 4:6 (NIV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Elizabeth Smart was 14-years-old on the night she was abducted by a religious fanatic. She was chained, repeatedly raped, and told that her family would be killed if she tried to escape. In her book, My Story, she shares that all she had to eat was the food she pulled out of dumpsters and garbage cans.
She writes: “My mother taught me to finish everything on our plates, but I am grateful to those who threw away their food. Their scraps helped to sustain my life.”
On Thanksgiving she went to bed hungry … but she made a mental list of things for which she was grateful.
“I still believed in God. I was hungry, but I was alive. And though I didn’t get any dinner, I had eaten lunch. Lots of people around the world hadn’t eaten anything all day.”
When you go to bed tonight, be grateful for your blessings. If you aren’t raped by a mad man … be thankful. If your meal doesn’t come from the dumpster … be thankful. If you got to spend the day with your family … be thankful. Do not worry about tomorrow. Do not be anxious about anything.
