Matthew 6:25-24
“Start Thinking and Don’t Worry”
If you were old enough you will remember the powerful impact of the 1975 movie called “Jaws”.
Even now, if you know the movie, you have the tune in your head.
Durnut … durnut durnut … and off it goes.
That movie changed the way people looked at the sea.
And in Australia, where more and more shark attacks are happening, we can appreciate the fear which comes with the thought of being in the ocean and being taken from below.
Thank you so much Steven Spielberg!!
But we don’t need to hear theme song to Jaws to encourage fear do you.
I think there are days when it feels like the theme song from Jaws playing itself out in our everyday life.
No Money ...
Social Rejection ...
No purpose ...
Overwhelmed …
Unappreciated …
Doubts …
Spiritual attack
Your heart is beating and you’re just sitting there waiting for this fin. And it is coming towards you. And you are ... arrrgh.
There are times when any moment we think one of these fins from the deep is going to appear in our lives and cause us to walk to the drum beat of fear. Indeed we become slaves ... slaves to our worries.
That is how life can unfold. But Jesus doesn’t want it to be like that.
We know this is the case because of the very specific words He tells us in Matthew 6:25-34
25 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 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. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 ‘And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you – you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Before we move on let’s make sure we understand what Jesus is not saying.
Jesus is not saying, “When you go for your driving test you can’t have butterflies in your stomach”.
Jesus is not saying, “When you see your credit card debit you are not allowed to be concerned”.
Jesus is not saying, “When you are sitting in the doctor’s office waiting for the results from the MRI you can’t think about the possibilities of what might happen”.
And Jesus He is not saying, “When you are going through difficulties just let it wash over you as if it doesn’t matter”.
We can plan. We can think ahead. We can be affected by stressful situations. Jesus isn’t against this.
Rather Jesus is getting us to think about what it means to be a committed believer in this world.
How do I look? How do I act?
What attitudes am I going to have in my daily living?
This is a good issue to wrestle with, because there are a lot of stereotypes.
If I am a Christian completely sold out for Jesus how am I going to look and act?
Does being sold out for God mean I can’t wear the latest fashion. I can’t be taken in by the worry of looking nice, or the worry of putting on make-up. Do I have to just be a daggy Christian? And only wear clothes that look like they come from the 50’s.
What does a person who is sold out for God look like?
Should I go to the gym and blonde my hair? Am I allowed to be a person who is muscly and tanned? Or is that also being taken in by the worry. And really I should be small and fairly weak.
Is that what does a person who is sold out for God look like?
And if I am sold out for God does that mean I need to not have so much stuff. I’ll have to start buying the no-name wheat bix and no-name clothes. My house will be functional but small and be sparsely furnished. What sort of house does a person who is sold out for God live in?
How am I going to look? How am I going to act? What are the expectations? What are the standards? How does a Christian who is sold out for Jesus look and act?
That is the issue here. And in response to that Jesus says multiple times “Do not worry”. When we hear it we may feel that these words of Jesus are ill-advised, or maybe even a bit hard to swallow.
Think about it this way. One of our members, Kylie, is an air hostess. Imagine her giving the talk about wearing your seatbelt and how to put on a life jacket and all those safety things which won’t make a scrap of difference if the plane falls out of the sky. Then at the end she says, “If there is anyone who is worried about flying you can put your hand up an I will come and talk with you.
And the dear old lady in seat 15C puts up her hand so Kylie walks down to her and says, “Are you worried about this flight dear?”.
“Yes, yes I am very worried.”
“WELL STOP IT. STOP RIGHT NOW! Pull yourself together. You’re just being ridiculous”.
Is that what Jesus is doing? Acting like some air-hostess Nazi who couldn’t care less about how you feel?
He isn’t, is He.
Rather, in these verse Jesus helps to work through the process of moving from a place of worry, to a place of peace.
The first part of the process involves giving us a definition of worry.
The definition is found in verse 34.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34)
Through these words Jesus is calling us to live life in such a way that we do not take the falsehoods of tomorrow and bring them into today.
Instead of focussing on what is actually happening now.
Instead of living in the moment and enjoying that moment.
Instead of addressing realities.
Instead of that we spend all this energy focussing on stuff that never actually happens. We want to try and control the uncontrollable. That is worry.
Which means we need to see worry for what it really is.
Isn’t worry really an effort on our part to try and play God?
The only way to control the uncontrollable is to be God. And none of us are.
Half the time we can’t even control our own kids.
Let’s be honest, we can’t even control ourselves.
Yet through all this worry we think to ourselves, “If only I try a little harder – I can make my little contribution – I can make my piece of the world a better place”.
Isn’t worry really nothing more than putting our trust in lies?
An epitaph on a grave stone in Britain says:-
“He had a lot of troubles in his life, most of which never happened”.
Basically, he believed all these lies that were happening in his mind and he worried himself to death. How often have we worried about what is going to happen in the future, only to find it never happens. The fears of the future are nothing more than liars.
Isn’t worry really a sign that we lack trust?
Many of the men in this room have this. When you go driving and there are two drivers – a male and a female – who usually drives? It’s the man isn’t it! This is despite the fact that men are twice as likely to have an accident than women – and the severity of the accident will be greater. It’s a lack of trust issue isn’t. Worry is the same. We just have difficulty letting God have control even though He has proven on numerous occasions that He is more than capable.
As we go through life seeking to be sold out for Jesus we avoid worry by not bringing the falsehoods of tomorrow into today.
By not trying to play God.
By not putting our trust in lies.
By not having a lack of trust.
This is the approach we take, as we move forward.
Thinking about tomorrow without taking falsehoods from tomorrow into today.
We have just gone through a cyclone.
In the lead up we knew that flooding would be a reality and that some homes will be damaged. We also knew that lying in bed at 1am listing to 130km/h winds is quite scary for some. We prepared as best we could. We expected there to be a big clean up head.
That is not falsehood, that is just simple fact – and these facts will rightly cause concern, and even a bit of nervous fear. They are also facts that help us make wise and diligent preparations.
When we have a medical issue and the doctor has run tests. Now we are sitting in the waiting room with this big envelope which has a sticker across the back CONFIDENTIAL – TO BE OPENED BY A MEDICAL PRACTITIONER. We know something is wrong because the doctor called us back for an urgent appointment.
At this point we do feel vulnerable and a bit of worry.
It is not based on falsehood, it is based on fact.
The mere existence of worry and concern does not mean we have stopped following Jesus the way he wants us too.
However when we take the falsehoods of tomorrow into today.
By not trying to play God.
By not putting our trust in lies.
By not having a lack of trust.
That is when we are not following the call of Jesus as we ought.
So, when we do find ourselves in this state of worry, how do we get to a place where we stop worrying?
This brings us to the stage of mind surgery where we seek to adjust our thinking.
Look at birds of the air. (Matthew 6:26).
Not, “Oh look there is a Red-crested Plymouth Warbler”. Tick that off the list.
But, “Have a real think about this. Chew the cud”.
That common magpie that always comes back in breeding season. The one you hate because they swoop you and dig their claws and beak into you. Have a close look. Do they have a storehouse of food somewhere? No. They go through life on a day to day basis, with no thought about tomorrow. You hate them and think they are nothing. Yet they are abundantly provided for by God. Aren’t you more important? Hasn’t the Lord given you an even greater ability? Won’t God help you all the more with your needs?
See how the flowers of the field grow. (Matthew 6:28)
How beautiful they are. Intricate. Amazing. Natural beauty that can’t be matched by any fashion house in the whole world. God put in all this effort for something that is grass. It’s insignificant. Nobody weeps when lilies die.
When it comes to clothes God knows what you need. And He knows that what you wear and who are can be two very different things.
Some people wear beautiful expensive clothes – but they are ugly people who live cheap lives.
Others might not have all the clothes – they might not have much at all – but they are beautiful.
Worry comes when we spend too much time worrying about what people think about us. Do you want to be judged on the basis of what you wear? Or judged on who you really are? We need to trust God in this.
Have a look around and adjust your thinking. That is what Jesus is telling us to do. Do you want to know why there are so many Christians whose lives are so full of worry?
It is because they are not thinking.
Faith in God and thinking go together.
Worry and not thinking also go together.
If you are not a thinking Christian you will be end up being a Christian whose life is full of worry.
When you stop thinking about what God is doing it is then that your worry starts to take control. Because it is then that the “what if” syndrome starts.
Here is an example that many can relate to, especially as it is not exam block time. What if I fail my exam? Well, I won’t reach my goals. And I will feel useless. And I will not be able to get by financially. And ... and ... and.
Let me tell you passing an exam is not everything. In 2010 Frank Lowy – he is the man who owns the Westfield shopping centres – in 2010 Frank Lowy topped Australia’s Most Rich list. Last year he was still number 14 on the list. He never even went past grade 10 at school. Exams are not everything.
But you see what worry can do. Worry makes us have all sorts of questions. If we are Christians who struggle with worry we need to do is to adjust our thinking.
But there is also one more step.
Remember who your Father is.
26 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. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Matthew 6:26
32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
Matthew 6:31
You can see the trend can’t you – if you a person who worries then let your relationship with the heavenly Father give you comfort.
He is not a miserly Father ... He is generous and full of blessing.
He is not a weak Father ... He is Almighty and Powerful.
He is not an abusive Father ... He loves us and wants an eternal relationship with us.
He is not a confused Father ... He has a plan and a purpose for us.
He is the Father that knows what you need.
Good parents are like that ... and sometimes they say some horrible things.
Things like, “Don’t eat worms”. What a horrible thing to say, “You eat spaghetti, why can’t I eat worms”.
Or they will say things like, “Don’t put that knife into the power-point”. Horrible parent – “I’m just practising my hand-eye coordination.”
Or they will say things like, “Be careful who you choose to be your friends”. How horrible is that – what would they know?
Then one day we will look back and realise that they weren’t being horrible – everything they did was out of love. Everything was done because they knew what we needed at the time.
Sometimes, maybe many times, our parents got it wrong.
But God the Father never gets it wrong as our heavenly parent.
Your heavenly Father knows what you need – after all He is a Dad. A Dad who has a Son. A Son who He loves very much.
But the Father looked at you ... and He looked at me ... with all our filth and guilt and shame.
Then He went to His own Son and said, “You’re going to have to die for these people. I want them in My family”.
This Father poured out His anger about sin onto His Son. He knows what you need ... every one of your needs.
So do not worry.
Worry is a daily fax to God where we say God, “I don’t really trust that You love me”.
“Do you love me God?”
And He says, “Yes of course I love you. I can’t do anything else. I want the best for you.”
“Trust Me to look after your daily needs.”
“Trust Me to look after your relationship needs.”
“Trust Me to look after your long-term concerns.”
“Trust Me to look after your finances.”
“Trust Me to look after your employment.”
“I want the best for You. Just put Me first.”
Do you want to live a life free from worry?
Firstly, we need to make sure we understand Jesus’ definition of worry. Worry is bringing the falsehoods from tomorrow into today.
Secondly, we need to be thinking Christians. When we stop thinking it is then that we start worrying.
Thirdly we need to look to our Father who never gets it wrong as our spiritual parent.
Seek the kingdom ... seek righteousness ... seek God ... first.
Because this is the heavenly Father who didn’t even stop from giving His Son for you.
That’s being the case – what have we really got to worry about.
Prayer
