HoHum:
Driving along and I saw this bumper sticker- “Too blessed to be stressed.” Puzzled me? One definition of stress is the degree of pressure exerted on a material object measured in units of force per unit area. For instance, too much stress on metals causes them to deform. This deformation is the visible sign of metal stress called metal strain. In much the same way, stress in our lives is our response to demands placed upon our lives. Too little stress means that we have few demands placed upon us and this leads to boredom, a lack of satisfaction in our lives. Most of the time, when we are talking about stress it is excessive stress that leads to mental exhaustion and poor health. This stress leads to strain that causes us to be wore out (deformed).
WBTU:
Do not fret means do not worry. Christians Standard Bible says, “Do not be agitated by evildoers; do not envy those who do wrong.” To fret is to be agitated.
Do not fret is what bumper sticker is basically saying. The ignorant fret because they don’t know enough. The educated fret because they know too much. The poor fret because they don’t have any money. The rich fret because they’re afraid they’re going to lose what they have. The old fret because they’re facing end. The young fret because they’re facing an uncertain future.
Thesis: And yet God says to fret not, but how do we do that?
For instances:
I. Trust in the Lord when resources vanish
Vs. 3 tells us to trust in the Lord and do good. The literal translation of this word “trust” is that we are face down on the ground with no visible means of support. Some of us may have come close to that this year. Sometimes God puts us in a place where have few options. The only thing we can do is trust God. Like David in the wilderness we have no choice but to trust God. “If the LORD had not been on our side when men attacked us, when their anger flared against us, they would have swallowed us alive; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away.” Psalms 124:2-5
The second part of vs. 3 tells us to do good. When things look bleak, that is when people withdraw or retreat, stop doing good. This is the opposite of the what the psalmist tells us to do. We are to move forward and keep doing good, doing God’s will. At times God puts us in school. God will keep us there until we pass the test. IF we flunk out, God will enroll us again. “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” 1 Peter 4:19, NIV.
An owner of a ranch needed a good ranch hand. The owner asked the first applicant, “What kind of work do you do?” The young man said, “I can sleep well on a stormy night.” The owner was puzzled by this strange answer, but he needed help badly so he hired him. A few nights later a storm swept across the prairie. The rancher arose hastily and began to worry about the effects of the storm. He found the windmill properly adjusted to ride out the storm. He found the gate tied with the extra rope. He found a tarpaulin tied securely over the haystack and pegged down tightly. The horses had been moved from the corral to the barn and the door was secured with great care. When the owner reached the bunkhouse, he found the newly hired hand sound asleep. Then he understood the meaning of the young man’s words when he said, “I can sleep on a stormy night.” We don’t have to worry when we trust in the Lord and do good.
Trust and obey for theirs no other way to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey.
II. Delight in the Lord when dreams dissolve
Vs. 4. Our dreams for a great year have dissolved. How many challenges have their been this past year? When our dreams dissolve it is tempting to fret. Why? Because our joy is threatened. The only answer is to find a source of joy that cannot be threatened, and that source is the Lord.
How can we delight ourselves in the Lord? 3 things:
1. Delight ourselves in his Word. “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” Psalms 1:1, 2. How much do we delight in the Word of God? Reading the Bible or looking at the news? Mention Bible bowl.
2. Delight ourselves in God’s will. “I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”” Psalms 40:8, NIV. The New Testament attributes this Jesus Christ. “And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” Hebrews 10:10, NIV. Jesus came to do the will of His Father. “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” John 6:38, NIV. God’s will for us is not to lay down our life in a physical sacrifice but to be a living sacrifice. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1, 2
3. Delight ourselves in God’s work. “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” Psalms 94:19, NIV. God wants to bring comfort to our hearts and souls. When I think of my loving heavenly Father and what he has done for me, I realize that He has been so good to me. Sometimes we have a tendency to think of the conflicts and the burdens and the disappointments, but God says to think of the blessings. Philippians 4:8: Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, what is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable- if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy- dwell on these things.
Is glorifying God the chief desire of our hearts- even when our dreams dissolve? Corrie Ten Boom said, “Look around and you’ll be distressed. Look within, and you’ll be depressed. Look to the Lord, and you’ll be at rest.”
III. Commit our way to the Lord when our lifestyle is threatened
Our lifestyles have gone through quite a transformation. Wearing masks everywhere. Changing plans often because unable to meet in large gatherings. Fearful of going away on vacation because of the virus. Scared to meet with anyone. The New Year is here and what new changes will we see. Psalm 37:5. The literal translation of the word “way” is “lifestyle.” It has the idea of a well traveled path. Now, the word trust is slightly different from vs. 3. It literally means to roll our way onto the Lord- commit it to him. Now if we do that, our standard of living may change, but not our standard of life. It’s very important to understand that there is a difference between a standard of living and a standard of life. Our standard of life is found in the bible. Sam Stone- I visited with a young Christian woman taking graduate work in psychology. She was discouraged when she said, “anyone who holds to Christian ethics is now considered abnormal.” I thought, “The Christian is nearly always considered abnormal.”
Really the changes to our lifestyle’s have not been that drastic- social distancing, wearing masks, not getting together- how many life changing sacrifices have we been asked to make?
Need to consider a new standard- Ephesians 4:22-24: Take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.
4 Him- We Need to get back to the basics of life, a heart that is pure and a love that is blind, a faith that is fervently grounded in Christ, the hope that endures for all times, these are the basics, we need to get back to the basics of life
IV. Rest in the Lord when God seems slow to act.
Vs. 7- To be still or silent before the Lord means we are not to murmur or complain, we can rest, be content in stillness. We have little rest until we have trusted, delighted, and committed our life to the Lord. Praying that the virus would end but has not, gotten worse. ““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”” Matthew 11:28-30, NIV. How hard it is to take one day at a time. When we consider all the past, present and future problems all at once, this creates all kinds of restlessness and anxiety. Consider what Jesus said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34, NIV. Warren Wiersbe- “Most Christians are being crucified on a cross between two thieves: yesterday’s regret and tomorrow’s worries.”
He’s an on time God- Abraham stood on a mountain with his son on altar. When knife of sacrifice was drawn that’s when he found that God is an on time God. The angel of Lord stopped him and then there was a ram in a thicket. The Hebrews boys in the fiery furnace learned that even in the midst of fire He is an on time God. Daniel in the lion’s den learned that although angry teeth and enemies growl all around us that He is an on time God. Probably awaiting anxiously the next morning until they opened the lion’s den but God came through on time. Galatians 4:4-5: When the time came to completion, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. God knew the right time for Jesus to be born. God knows the right time for something to happen.
Sermon for today on the Andy Griffith Show- Relax, slow down, take it easy, What’s your hurry?
Susan Ashton- the world is turning, telling me to hurry on, You gotta run to get ahead, try to take the things you want, but when the sun begins to set, so many things I haven’t done yet.
Oh, but I won’t worry, cause there’s no hurry, the world’s not passin’ me by, ‘cause the Lord he knows just where each day goes, I know he won’t leave me behind. And I won’t be bringin’ a single thing that my heart can’t carry inside. ‘Cause I’m goin home and I’m only takin’ my time.
