I would like to welcome everyone here this morning. The Lord has blessed us with a phenomenal day! All the blessings that he has given us, all that he has blessed this Church with. Praise God!
This morning I would like to talk to you all about something that seems to have a hold on each and every one of us from time to time. Worry. Stress. Anxieties. They effect everyone at some point.
Money, health, family, friends, and so many other issues cause a very negative impact on our lives.
In this mornings scriptures, Jesus is telling us that we have no reason to worry! None at all! And he says that is for a good reason. He points out that God the Father already knows our every need. That he will apply all that we need!
Actually, Jesus is commanding us not to worry! We all know that is so much easier to say than to do. We all worry. Isn’t it a fixed part of life? I would bet that there are some kids that have seen their family worry so much, they think that it is a real part of life! We worry about our finances, we worry about our health, our friends, our homes. our cars etc….. We worry about so much! I bet that our lack of faith is a real letdown to the Father!
You see, he promised so many times that he would take care of all of our needs. And yet we still fret! Why? Why do we lose sleep over such things as our finances? Why does our health scare us so much?
I believe that people should focus more on his promises. We need to put our concerns into his hands. They can handle them much better than we can.
In fact, I believe that only through faith in him and his promises can we find freedom from stress. You see, Anxiety is caused by greed and by covetousness. We need to plan and work responsibly. It is detrimental to focus on the things that can go wrong. We need to focus on what God has in store for us.
Can anyone here remember having any of their needs fulfilled by worrying? Worrying guarantees you to make any situation even worse.
Fact is, the Mayo Clinic claims 80-85% of total caseload due directly to worry and anxiety. Many experts say that coping with stress is the #1 health priority of our day. One leading physician has stated that, in his opinion, 70% of all medical patients could cure themselves if only they got rid of their worries and fears.
- We know that medical science has closely tied worry to heart trouble, blood pressure problems, ulcers, thyroid malfunction, migraine headaches, a host of stomach disorders, amongst others. For example 25 mill Americans have high blood pressure due to stress/anxiety; 1 million more develop high blood pressure each year. 8 million have stomach ulcers every week 112 million people take medication for stress related symptoms.
Kind of scary how they connect isn’t it?
Worry ahs blinded us to the truth so many times in our lives. See, when we spend our time worrying, we don’t notice when our needs have already been filled. We spend way too much time worrying, when we should be trusting his word!
Worrying is complete and utter foolishness. God the Creator of all the Universe both loves us and knows our every need! Sometimes, we think that what we desire is what we need! He promises to us that he will meet our every need if we have faith in him to do so. We must turn our very lives over to him. Every aspect of our lives. Then he will fulfill our needs, not our desires! It has to be in his will, otherwise, “Dear Lord, I think I should be a millionaire!” “ I want to buy a car that I cannot afford, live in a mansion on pauper’s earnings!” Just because we want does not mean we need!
He does however fulfill some desires. Ones that are in his plan. We have to have faith in what he has planned for us. Ands we must accept it when we do not get what we want. In fact, there are many prayers that are unanswered that we should be thankful for.
Country singer Garth Brooks sang a song that tells a good story about this. I am by no means a Garth fan, but this song is a powerful message to all Christians.
It is called Unanswered Prayers, and it’s chorus is :
Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers,
Remember that when you’re talking to the man upstairs,
That just because he don’t answer don’t mean he don’t care,
Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers!
How many of us have unanswered prayers that we prayed so hard for? And when we did get what we asked for, we were upset? I have. What a lesson learned.
In verse 31, seeking the kingdom refers to making Jesus Christ the Lord and the King of your life. All of your life. Not just part of your life. Not just on Sunday moprning. Not just when you are doing “Church Things.”
He must be allowed to control every part o f your life everyday. You must hand over to God every facet of your life. Your work, your play, your plans and your relationships!
You need to ask yourself if “seeking the kingdom of God” is the central theme of your life? If you stay focused on his will he will undoubtedly watch over every aspect of your life.
You need to read this letter each and every day of your life.
Good afternoon,
I am God. Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help. If the devil happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, DO NOT attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFJTD (something for Jesus to do) box. It will be addressed in MY time, not yours.
Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold on to it or attempt to remove it. Holding on or removal will delay the resolution of your problem.
If it is a situation that you think you are capable of handling, please consult me in prayer to be sure that is the proper assumption.
Because I do not sleep or slumber, there is no need for you to lose any sleep. Rest, my child. If you need to contact me, I am only a prayer away.
You cannot hold back any part of your life. You must give it all to him. If you hiold back, he will not be able to help you at all. If you would just let go and let God, he will steer you in the right direction! He will be abler to bless you richly!
I’m told that a man went to the doctor complaining of a number of pains. After examining him the doctor said, "I can’t find anything organically wrong with you. But sometimes physical problems are the result of worry or stress. Maybe you need to find a good counselor & tell him your troubles. He might be able to advise you & make you feel better."
"In fact," he said, "last week I had a fellow who was complaining of pains similar to yours & I couldn’t find anything wrong with him, either. But after talking a while, he told me that he was worried sick about a $5,000 debt he owed & couldn’t pay. Well, we talked about it & I was able to help him."
The man asked, "How did you help him?" "Oh, I told him that life was too short to worry about a piece of paper that said he owed $5,000. I suggested that he tear up the paper & throw it away, & stop worrying about the debt, & get on with his life. So he did. And now he feels great!"
"Yes, I know," said the guy. "I’m the one he owes the $5,000 to."
Cheap advice. The help God gives is so much more meaningful, for all those involved!
As our Lord and as our Creator, God wants to help us and provide for our every need. As well as guide us how to use just what he provides in our lives. He is our Loving Father!
In John 6:27, we read,” “ He is telling us that we are not to work for food that spoils. That we are to seek food from our Father, food that lasts an eternity. Not food or desires of this world, rather food from the kingdom!
Rather than focusing on here you will be in 6 months, or 5 years from now, we need to be more aware of “What can I do to help to spread his love today.”
Now, I am by no means trying to say that we should not make plans for our future, rather I am trying to say that we need to have God in all of our decisions and never count on tomorrow us being here, in this world. We have no idea where God will have us even tonight. Our plans should be contingent on God’s plan.
As a boy growing up in the country I had heard scary stories about a snake called a "Black Racer" that would chase you. These stories kept me very alert as I walked up and down the gravel roads around where we lived. One day mom asked me to go to the neighbors house and borrow an iron because ours was broken. I started up the road with a watchful eye on each side of the road with its weeds grown up along the way. I could just imagine one of those "Black Racers" laying back in the shadows just waiting to slip up on me and bite me. I borrowed the iron and started back down the road toward home when I sensed something was following me. I looked over my shoulder and sure enough there in the road behind me was a snake just raising up to bite me. I took off with all the speed I could muster. I ran almost to the house and was almost unable to breathe when I looked over my opposite shoulder and there to my amazement was the iron cord dragging on the ground behind me. I had almost ran myself to death running from an iron cord. How often do we run from things in the same way just because we haven’t looked at them from the right perspecitve?
In Hebrews 13:5 we read, “ “ We should be happy with all that we have now! Everything was provided by our Father. We should not long for money. We should not long for a big house. For a big bank account, for those big vacations, those pretty jewels, for that big truck or fast car, for anything. I think this is what the scripture means by the love of money. You see, money is what it takes for all those things to be in our lives.
We need to keep our eyes off of the worldly things, and keep our eyes focused on Jesus and all that he came and taught us.
I think that we all know that God will and does provide for his people. He more than provides the basics to his faithful.
I think that people are more concerned with worldly possessions than ythey should be. They want their televisions, vacations, jewelry, and materialistic things without thinking about the real value of these things. That is just what they are, things.
Things of this world.
We are to focus on his kingdom, not this world. He tells us in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
In 2 Timothy 2:3-7, we read, “ “ We are taught that by all means, we will face adversity and suffering. It is to be expected. But our Father promises to help us endure! Jesus likened us to soldiers in this passage, because like soldiers we look forward to the victory. He likened us also to athletes because we must train hard and follow the rules. And finally as Farmers. Ask any farmer and he will tell you that you must work very hard and have an extreme amount of patience. Without faith and hard work we will never see a good harvest!
Matthew 13:22 says, “ “ The man that worries about things in this life is the same as the seed that falls in the weeds. By being a Worry-Wart, you’re fruitless! Tell me, just how easy is it to agree with Jesus here, when you have no intent of obeying? Is it so simple to set aside your worries and concerns. And the deceitfulness of wealth, and still do nothing to change your ways?
When you think about our eternal life with God the Father, are your present concerns and worries justified? If you could have everything that you want in this world, but it cost you an eternity with God, would these things still be desirable?
In Luke 21 :34-36, it says,” “ Jesus tells us to keep a constant watch for him. It has been over 2000 years since he said these word, but the truth remains, he will return and we need to be spiritually fit. Working faithfully the tasks that God has given us to do.
We cannot let life’s anxieties overburden us.
You need to let go, Let God. Stop being worry warts!
May the lord bless each and everyone of you!
