Don’t Worry Be Happy!
By Ian Biss 7/15/01
Intro...
Mordecai Ham emerged as an evangelist from Kentucky at the turn of the century. He had a background in business and the study of law. From the very beginning his approach was zealous and blunt. Rather than sit and talk with Christians at revival sites, Ham insisted on being taken to the worst sinners in the community. On one occasion a non-believer hid in a corn field, but Ham tracked him down. The man asked what his intentions were, and the evangelist said he was going to pray for God to kill him. When the man protested, Ham told him he shouldn’t be bothered, since he didn’t believe in God, anyway. But if there was a God, then death would be appropriate for a man who had poisoned his family’s spiritual prospects. The lost man begged him not to pray for his death, so Ham relented and prayed for his salvation. At the final meeting Ham baptized the man and his family.
* Leadership Journal, Fall 1988, p. 32
A Christian is supposed to be living a victorious life. There should be nothing standing in the way of your relationship with God, or with the lost. You are saved then left here to show God’s power to the world. Do you realize that? You who have a relationship with Jesus Christ are the most protected, power filled people on the face of the earth. Nothing nor anyone can do a thing to harm you when you’re in Christ!
God is right there with you so don’t worry be happy!
Read text: Matthew 6:25-33
Exegesis
This passage of scripture is often associated with material possessions, and you will rarely hear it preached beyond that realm. Though what we are seeing in these words of our Savior is God showing His love for us by providing for our basic needs: food and clothing.
There is so much more to learn from this passage! My bible is a New Scofield, and before vs. 25, Pastor Scofield has this to say about the scripture that follows: The cure for care. He is saying that these verses contain the medicine that you need to take for your fears and worries. If you follow this regimen given by order of the Great Physician your worry will be healed!
Isn’t that a wonderful thing? God will take care of all your fears and worries.
Jesus gives some interesting examples in these verses of how great His love is for not only you, but for his entire creation.
He says...
Look at the birds. ( vs 26)
Exposition
Let’s consider the birds for a moment, very soon we will be seeing flocks of birds flying south for the winter. They do this to escape the cold and to find more abundant food supplies. If the birds didn’t do this, in most cases they would die, and no one has to tell them to do this, God has built this wisdom into birds because He loves his creatures and wants to take care of them.
Consider what Jesus has said about birds, they can’t plant crops, they can’t harvest crops and store it in barns, yet they are still fed, they still have water because they have the same provider that you have----God Himself gives all that you need!
Then He questions the group with Him. He asks; "Are you not much more valuable than they?"
His question is actually a statement, He is saying that you are more important than the birds, you are much more precious than they are!
His inference is that if He is taking care of the birds, who are less precious than you, then doesn’t it stand to reason that He will care for you?
God will take care of you before the animals, so there is no need for you to worry about yourself, God’s got you covered, so be happy!
If God only put you before the animals, that would be enough, but He doesn’t stop there, Jesus says that you come before the plants.
Consider the Lilies (vs 28-30)
Exposition
Have you ever been in a field of wildflower? It is the most beautiful sight, the colors and spacing and shades are perfect. Nothing man can accomplish comes close to the beauty of a field of natural wildflower.
It is interesting that Jesus compares the beauty not of wildflower, but of one of the grandest flowers of them all, the Lily. The lily is the flower associated with the resurrection of Jesus. Is there a more beautiful flower?
He declares in vs. 29 that even Solomon wasn’t dressed as wonderfully as a Lily. Solomon was the richest king ever, he was finely dressed. And He reminds us that God takes care of the lilies of the field, they have been clothed, you most certainly will be clothed before them!
Application
The point Jesus is making is a simple one, and that point is: God will take care of you before everything in His creation!
God loves you before everything in His creation. His love is with you even when you don’t notice that He is there.
Sometimes you don’t think God is thinking about you, you think that He has forgotten you, or doesn’t care. The bills are piling up, your marriage is not what you would like it to be, or they just announced cut backs at work.
I can assure you that God cares, He remembers you, maybe you just don’t realize it.
Illustration
Little Chad was a shy, quiet young fella. One day he came home and told his mother, he’d like to make a valentine for everyone in his class. Her heart sank. She thought, "I wish he wouldn’t do that!" because she had watched the children when they walked home from school. Her Chad was always behind them. The other children laughed and hung on to each other and talked to each other. But Chad was never included. Nevertheless, she decided she would go along with her son. So she purchased the paper and glue and crayons. For three whole weeks, night after night, Chad painstakingly made thirty-five valentines.
Valentines Day dawned and Chad was beside himself with excitement! He carefully stacked them up, put them in a bag, and bolted out the door.
His mom decided to bake him his favorite cookies and serve them up warm and nice with a cool glass of milk when he came home from school. She just knew he’d be disappointed; maybe that would ease the pain a little. It hurt her to think that he wouldn’t get many valentines—maybe none at all.
That afternoon she had the cookies and milk out on the window. Sure enough here they came, laughing and having the best time. And, as always, there was Chad in the rear. He walked a little faster than usual. She fully expected him to burst into tears as soon as he got inside. His arms were empty, she noticed, and when the door opened she choked back the tears.
"Mommy has some warm cookies and milk for you."
But he hardly heard her words. He just marched right on by, his face aglow, and all he could say was:
"Not a one...not a one."
Her heart sank.
And then he added, "I didn’t forget a one, not a single one!"
God doesn’t forget a one, not a single one, and that includes you. You are precious to God----He will take care of you!
Look for God, and He will find you. (vs 32-33)
Exposition
Now Jesus gets to the heart of your problems! Where is God in your life? He is giving his listeners the knowledge that is most important to all men, namely your relationship with God.
Jesus says that you must seek the His kingdom and His righteousness, and all of the above will be given to you as well. In Matt 7:7 Jesus says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
If you seek God you will find Him, if you seek His purity, you will find it, you will find so much when do.
Jesus says that you will find provision for your basic needs as well, so stop worrying about those things–that’s what the pagan’s do!
Application
In light of this passage of scripture I want to ask you a question. Are you happy? If you are not, then are you seeking God and His righteousness?
Are you seeing your needs taken care of day by day? If not, are you seeking God?
Do you live a life that is victorious and joy filled? If not, are you seeking God?
When troubles come, do you pray them away to the Lord? If not, are you seeking God?
Are you calm in the storm? If not, are you seeking God?
God wants to take care of you, and He can’t do that if you won’t let Him!
Why aren’t you letting God take care of you? He wants a miracle for you today, He wants you to know that He loves you, He wants you to know that He is there for you, He wants you to know that He’ll take your worry away if you would only call on Him.
Illustration
One evening Sam left his bible study group where his pastor was teaching on listening to God, convinced that he would listen when he felt God was speaking to him. It was at that very moment that Sam felt the compulsion to buy a gallon of milk. So he pulled over at the nearest shopette and bought a gallon of milk— though he had no need for it because he is lactose intolerant and won’t drink the milk. Perhaps God is talking to him, he thought.
As he got into his car and began his trip home, Sam found himself turning onto a road that doesn’t lead to his door, in fact he was allowing himself to drive into the worst neighborhood in town, and after another turn he felt led to stop the car, right in front of a little house at the end of the street. Sam began to wonder if he was going crazy when a voice seemed to come out of thin air and said,"Sam, take the milk up to that house, and give it to the family inside, my people have need of it." Sam thought,"This is crazy! I’m going out of my mind!" Yet the urge to do as the voice requested was very strong, so up to the door Sam went. Just as Sam was about to knock, the door to the house opened to reveal a startled young man. Who are you? He asked.
"Hi, I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but I think God wanted me to give you this milk." Sam hesitantly said.
To which the young man replied," That is not at all ridiculous, my wife and I were just praying for food for our baby, we ran out of milk two days ago, and God said he would provide."
Sam gave the milk to the young man and drove away praising God that He had been listening.
Seek God and you will find Him, but most importantly, He will find you!
Conclusion
You are more important to God than anything else, more important than the animals, the fish, the flowers, and the trees. So never worry or fear as the people who don’t have God, be happy. Jesus wants nothing less from you!
Illustration
God’s Boxes
I have in my hands two boxes
which God gave me to hold.
He said, "Put all your sorrows in the
black box, and all your joys in the
gold."
I heeded His words, and in the two
boxes both my joys and sorrows I stored.
But though the gold became
heavier each day
The black was as light as before.
With curiosity, I opened the black box.
I wanted to find out why, and I saw,
in the base of the box, a hole
which my sorrows had fallen out by.
I showed the hole to God, and mused,
"I wonder where my sorrows could be."
He smiled a gentle smile and said,
"My child, they’re all here with me."
I asked, "God, why He gave me the boxes,
why the gold, and the black with the hole?"
"My child, the gold is for you to count your
blessings, the black is for you to let go."
Don’t Worry Be Happy!
