Title: “Christ’s Answer for Anxiety” Scripture: Mt. 6:25-34
Type: Expository Where: GNBC 1-24-22
Intro: The dictionary defines “anxiety” as: “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.” The ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Assoc. of America) tells us that anxiety related disorders are the most common mental health issues affecting 40 million Americans annually. This is nearly 20% of the population. A full 25% of American teenagers (13-18yrs) suffer from anxiety disorders manifesting in panic & social disorders, stress, specific phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and generalized anxiety disorders. This, coupled with the past two years of social isolation in schools and society at large, and a constant fixation on individual and community health, as well as the cultural upheaval we have been experiencing has resulted in a skyrocketing increase in cases of anxiety, and the all to often shattering consequences of those take drastic measures to medicate or alleviate their sufferings. Friends, may I tell you that Jesus Christ taught on this tumultuous topic two millennia ago. Christ has the answers that we need today. Will you listen to what He has to say?
Prop: Ex. Mt. 6:25-34 we’ll see 4 Lessons Christ Teaches on Anxiety.
BG: 1. This portion of Christ’s teaching comes out of what’s called “The Sermon on the Mount” (Chapt.5-7), which was a one succinct sermon Christ preached. One of most revolutionary messages ever.
2. Just as applicable today as was 2k years ago. 3.
Prop: Let’s ex. Mt. 6:25-34 to learn 4 Lessons Christ Teaches on Anxiety.
I. 1st Lesson: Life Offers Endless Opportunities for Anxiety. Vv.25-26
A. Life Affords us Endless Opportunities for Anxiety.
1. Life in today’s world offers plenty of opportunity for anxiety: Pandemic in 2nd year, Governmental incompetence, Supply chain shortages, increasing limitations on personal freedoms, seniors worrying as inflation hits 40 year high, China cracking down, Russia appears to be ready to invade Ukraine…
2. Illust: Read selected lyrics “State of Confusion” by the Kinks. Although this song came out my senior year of HS, it’s easily applicable today, nearly 40 yrs. later. We live in a world where there’s a whirl of activities and endless opportunities for anxiety. Presently many are fearing “Omnicorn” the newest variant of Covid, expressly targeting those in Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. 😊
B. Christ Highlights the Need for Faith When Considering the Necessities of Life.
1. In these verse Christ highlights the basic necessities of life. (Read verses) You see, in 1st century Palestine not a lot of people were stressed about their 401k’s performance, nor their children’s college placement exams, nor their profiles on social media, nor much else of what consumes the modern Western individual’s daily agenda. Christ was addressing the basics of life: food and drink, clothing and all other necessities.
a. Illust: Even in our land of prosperity and affluence we worry intensely about these items today. “Food and Drink, Clothing, Necessities”. Barely are we done with one meal and we are questioning what we will have at the next. Now, think of how much more pressing this would have been in the 1st century with famines, foul water, shortages, and all sorts of uncertainty.
b. What does Christ do in Response? He points His disciples to God’s care of birds. (Read). Illust: I’ve never seen a bald eagle on a John Deere tilling the ground. I’ve never seen a flock of sparrows planting seeds in a field for future harvesting. Yet, they are taken care of by Whom? Jesus says “our Heavenly Father”. (Don’t lose sight of that point. We will come back to it in a bit.
2. What is Christ’s response to having undue concern even for the necessities of life? “be not anxious”, literally “take no thought”
a. Now, I am convinced that Jesus’ pronouncement here was not forbidding making financial plans for our families, it wasn’t outlawing life insurance, but He was saying that when we develop anxiety and an undo attention to these matters in our lives we are becoming distracted and ultimately denying the vitality of our faith in God. We are not to be distracted. At Christ’s time the distraction was from privation, today, ours is from excess!
b. Illust: A few years ago, students at a large university developed a clever way of distracting opposing players during free throws. They placed a “curtain of distraction” in the bleachers behind the basket. Just prior to the opposition’s free throw attempts, the students open the curtain to things like dancing unicorns or a lion wearing a tutu! Once Michael Phelps appeared wearing his gold medals, while pretending to swim! The player missed both free throws!
C. Applic: 1st Lesson we learn is that life in general will afford each of us a multitude of distraction that will cause us anxiety with the intention of making us lose our focus of faith in living for Christ in a fallen world.
II. 2nd Lesson: The Futility of Anxiety. Vv. 27-29
A. Jesus lays down the limitations of Anxiety.
1. Anxiety cannot extend the length of one’s life, even a little bit!
a. Curiously, Jesus states that being anxious can’t extend ones life a cubit’s length. Roughly 18”, or the length from elbow to tips of fingers. Again, what are you anxiously worrying about? College placement? Residency? Investment Portfolio?
b. Illust: This past year I have had several friends who woke up not realizing that would be their last day on earth. They had plans for the weekend. They had duties the next day. They had appointments and plans and their lives were required of them.
2. Jesus Directs our Attention to the Futility of Anxiety.
a. In v. 26 Jesus says to “look” at the birds, but now in v.28 He says: “Observe” or “Consider” the lilies of the field. He wants us to think even more deeply on this matter. We need to meditate on these truths. Let me ask you, have you ever meditated on the sources of your anxiety with spiritual eyes, asking God to reveal to you why we are so anxious about such matters? Possibly we experienced pain and privation in our childhood. (Illust: I remember as a kid washing out the cheap plastic sandwich bags at my grandparent’s house and then carefully pinning them to the clothesline to dry out! Never throw out unless developed large holes. “Grandpa! This is ridiculous!” “You wouldn’t think it was ridiculous if you lived through a Depression!” His family was poor and then they were financially wiped out when his younger brother developed a brain tumor and spent money in a futile attempt to find a cure. Desire for financial security ruled his life. Easy to understand why, but never able to enjoy because was fearfully anxious.
B. Notice the Argument Christ makes in relation to the Futility of Anxiety.
1. Christ proposes an Argument from lesser to greater. Christ asks His disciples to observe a lesson from nature. He tells us to look at the lilies of the fields (Their natural wild flowers.), and the grass. (You will sometimes see scholars missing the entire point of Christ’s teaching here. Some spend pages of text attempting to determine what these “lilies of the field” were! I suppose they were ANXIOUS to get it right!) Regardless, it was a common flower that everyone could relate to. Illust: Texas has their “Bluebonnets”. When they make their appearance the fields are gorgeous. Or take for example our Crocuses. When they appear in the early Spring, sometimes even during the last snows, we see their undeniable beauty, and we know summer is on the way!
2. Now notice what Christ says about these commonly occurring flowers: “Not even Solomon in all of his glory was arrayed as one of these.” Solomon was the wealthiest king in history. Solomon was the high point of Israel’s wealth and power. Solomon had tribute paid to him from the nations, the opulence of which would be unheard of today. The King received 3/4th of a billion $$$ per year JUST from the kings of Arabia (II Chron. 9:13-14) and tons of gold from other vassal nations annually! (I Ki.10). Solomon’s throne had 6 steps with two lions on each step, leading up to his chair made of pure ivory overlaid with gold with a golden lion on each side! His robes were magnificent. Finest silks. Yet, what does our Savior say? These common flowers of the field which are temporary, are even more beautiful.
C. Applic: Christ is wanting us to consider an important truth. He wants us to ask the question: “Who is my God and why does He take a personal interest in me?” He is the Creator of the heavens and earth. He sustains all there is. His power is unlimited. He loves you more than you will ever know. So in our anxiety He tells us: “Be still and know that I am God.” (Ps. 46:10)
III. 3rd Lesson: The Cause and Comfort of Anxiety. V.30-32
*I am combining two lessons into one here.
A. Christ Clearly Confirms the Cause of Anxiety is a Lack of Faith (v.30-31)
1. So it’s important to realize that Primarily, Anxiety is Spiritual in orientation.
a. Christ clearly teaches that the cause of anxiety in our lives is spiritual in nature. “Will He not much more do so for you…”O men of little faith”. Did you hear it? Anxiety is not primarily a physical fault. Anxiety is spiritual in orientation: “O men of little faith”. It is a faith based matter. When we operate in faith we are not anxious. When we do not operate in faith we open the flood gates of anxiety.
b. We see in vv. 25, 28, 31, 34 warnings against anxiety. It is climaxed by a general admonition not to worry about the unknown future. We prove ourselves to be “men of little faith” when we fail to apply what we know and claim to believe to the circumstances and details of life.
2. Illust: In an interview, Michael Jordan was once asked about his knack for making gaming winning shots at the buzzer. The reporter asked how Jordan could stay so calm in such intense and crucial situations. His reply was insightful. “When it comes to that point in the game, you have to keep in mind what’s in front of you. You only have to make one shot. So you focus on that one shot.” Simplify the game! When the challenges of life become overwhelming and suffocating, SIMPLIFY! Focus on what is before you. Focus on Christ.
B. Christ Clearly Confirms the Comfort for Anxiety. (vv. 32)
1. Christ Confirms Our Comforting Cure For Anxiety is our Covenantal Relationship with our Heavenly Father.
a. Illust: Charles Spurgeon said that anxiety was “heathenish”. In verse 32 Jesus reminds us, "all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek". He makes that distinction between His followers and the Gentiles who did not know God. When we worry about "these things" we are doubting God's care. And when we doubt God's care we resemble unbelieving Gentiles—we resemble people who do not depend on the provisions of our loving Heavenly Father. Friends, the reason so many people are anxious is because so many are living apart from Christ! Be we, who have trusted in Christ, must not live as the heathen do. It makes no sense for us to be anxious. It is useless. It is needless. It is heathenish.
b. Again, we have read it so many times we pass it by: v.32 “Your Heavenly Father” PAUSE! Consider that again! YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER! You are in a covenant relationship with your Father through Christ His Son! Illust: Dr. Steve Lawson said: “The same infinite, inscrutable love that set us aside as a gift in eternity past now holds us secure in loving gratitude forever!”
2. Take Consolation in the Immutable Purposes of God, Christian!
a. Let me ask you, are you a Christian? “Yes”. “When did you become a Christian?” “I became a Christian when I…” (All of that can be very anxious. I did this and that … I remember the devil causing me great anxiety as a new believer. “What if I did not pray the right prayer? What if I wasn’t sincere enough? What about my getting angry and sinning again? What, what, what!!!” Fill in the blanks. True. However, let me suggest that that’s when faith was awakened in your life. What does the Bible say? The children of God have their names written in the Lambs Book of Life BEFORE the foundation of the world! There is nothing contingent about this! You were elected before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8). Why do I use the term “immutable”? There is nothing contingent about the plan of God. His purposes are immutable and changeless and they envisage our eternal destiny and nothing less.
b. Jesus wants us to face anxiety and ask ourselves: “Do I respond to the things that happen to me as the unsaved do? How do I react? Are my reactions like those who do not know Christ or like those who do? He wants us to go further: How do I react during a crisis? During a war? During an illness or pandemic? Does our Christian faith affect my view of life and control it in all situations? Does my faith affect my life? If not, you are enslaved to anxiety.
C. Applic: What’s the cause for anxiety? Simply put: lack of faith. What is the stated cure: Consolation in the Covenantal relationship I have with Christ the King!
IV. 4th Lesson: The Admonition for Anxiety. Vv.33-34
A. Christ Admonishes us to Make a Priority out of Our Relationship with God.
1. Christ Encourages us to Prioritize our Spiritual Lives and Relationship with God.
a. V.33 – “But seek ye first” some have translated it: “Seek ye rather”. Jesus is saying here that instead of wearing ourselves out in a daily hunt for food and drink and clothing and other necessities, seek as earnestly and intensely for the things of God. So, essentially, Christ is saying: “Above everything else, make knowing Me the overwhelming priority of your life.”
b. What does the Apostle Paul say about this: Col. 3:2-3 “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Wait Lord, when did I die? When you gave Christ your life!)
2. Practically Speaking how do I begin to make Christ the overriding passion of my life?
*I want to give you some helpful tips. Maybe you are a new believer. May been a believer but not growing. Consider some of the following action steps and disciplines.
a. Applic: Develop a daily quiet time with God. Systematically read sections of the WOG daily. Pray daily. Neither have to be long. Go to Church. Worship is essential. Tell another person about your faith in Christ. Begin to tithe. Tithing is the best tool I know to break us from the anxiety of financial worry. Meditate or memorize sections of Scripture. Let your mind be transformed.
b. The primary responsibility of every believer is
B. The Conclusion of the Matter: v.34
1. We must learn to trust Christ for today.
a. Faith is the key to unlock the door to certainty (and eternity). Illust: A famous Baptist evangelist once told the story of an elderly lady who was very upset by all of her real and imaginary troubles. Out of frustration her family told her, "Grandma, we’ve done all we can do for you. You’ll just have to trust God for the rest." A look of despair spread over the old woman’s face as she replied, "Oh, dear, has it come to that?" Church, it always comes to that, so we might as well begin with that!
b. To trust is to believe in the reliability, truth, ability or strength of something. So, when it comes to trusting God, that means believing in His reliability, His Word, His ability, and His strength. The Bible says that God cannot lie. That He always keeps His promises. That He loves you and has good in store for you. Trusting in Him means believing what He says about Himself, about the world and about you is true.
2. We must learn to trust Christ for tomorrow.
a. We need to trust Christ for the future. For tomorrow. Christ has shown us the folly of anxiety. Essentially what Jesus is saying here is if today is bad, why rush out to meet the future?! Worry about the future is so utterly futile and useless and achieves nothing at all. When we worry about the future we are mortgaging the future by worrying about it in the present. Anxiety over our uncertain, and as yet unreal, future is a heavy burden. It’s a burden Jesus doesn’t want us to bear, because it’s not ours to bear. It’s God’s burden, and for him it’s very light. Our anxiety about tomorrow messes up our lives when we allow it to govern us. It distracts our attention away from God’s gracious provision for us today to an imagined fear in an unreal tomorrow.
b. George Macdonald said: “No man ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow’s burden is added to the burden of today, that the weight is more than a man can bear.” Kent Hughes adds:
Worrying does not enable you to escape evil. It makes you unfit to cope with it. The truth is, we always have the strength to bear the trouble when it comes. But we do not have the strength to bear worrying about it. If you add today’s troubles to tomorrow’s troubles, you give yourself an impossible burden.7
So how should we overcome our worries? Live in the day! Take advantage of the grace God gives you to be faithful today. You’ve got a trial in your family? Do your best to love them today! Don’t worry about how you will love them tomorrow. You’ve got a difficult boss that you can’t stand? Honor and serve him today! Tomorrow God’s mercies are new. Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Thank you, Lord! Amen!
C. Applic: “Fear for tomorrow kills our faith for today. So, having faith for today often means killing fear for tomorrow.”
