Slaying The Giants In Your Life Series: Winning Against Worry (3 of 6)
May 12, 2002 FBC, Chester, Illinois Mike Fogerson, Speaker
Introduction:
A sermon about "Worry" on Mother’s Day! (How fitting)
If you’re a Momma, Worry is part of the territory, in the cup of motherhood.
a One of favorite cartoons is "Dennis The Menace" and in this cartoon he’s sitting in the corner and he’s looking over his shoulder and he asks his mother, "If your tryin’ to raise me right, how come I keep gett’in so much trouble?
b Worry is a part of motherhood, "passing school, Proms, ACTS, SATS, GED, Graduation.....Will they ever leave?"
Mothers have not yet cornered the market on worry however.
a I know people who live IN the city of Worryville. They stay worried.
"What if this, What if that...worst case scenario"
b Before we take a close look at worry, I want to give two simple disclaimers....
(1) "Don’t Worry" doesn’t mean don’t plan.
*Jesus spent his whole ministry planning for when he would be crucified, resurrected and ascending back to heaven. Prepared his disciples. "Don’t build the high-rise until you’ve done the paper work.
*It’s not a sin to have life insurance or plan for retirement.
(2) "Don’t Worry" doesn’t mean don’t be concerned.
*Bobby McFarlene had a big hit "Don’t Worry, Be Happy." FORGET ABOUT IT. If your not concerned about your kid wandering into traffic, you’re a terrible parent. There are things you need to be concerned about. THERE’S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CAREFREE AND CARLESS.
*Concern is attached to the present. Worry is attached to the future. We can take action on the present, the future is out of our hands.
Let’s look at winning against worry
MT 6:25 "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 important than food, and the body more important 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] Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? MT 6:28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. [29] Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor 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, O 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.
A Jesus told his followers how to deal with worry. (ETS)
a Worry is a giant that can be defeated. (ESS)
b I hope you’ll use the tools to work over your worry this week. (Objective)
B Let’s look at what worry is all about. (T.S.)
a Pray
I Facing The Giant Of Worry
6:25 "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 important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
A Worry Is....inconsistent.
a Who made you? Who established the requirements-food, shelter, clothing? GOD!
*If you buy into the idea that God is your creator, you gotta buy into the idea that God is also your sustainer.
b If you believe God is your creator, but can’t provide......your inconsistent.
[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?
B Worry is....irrational. (God can provide, but will He?)
a A bird was worth one cooper coin. (1/16th of denari..a day’s wage.)
Merge this Matthew text with Luke 12:6
[6] Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. [7] Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
*You can buy 2 for 1 cent or 5 for 2 cents. (You buy four...you get one free!)
*God cares about even the bird that had no worth at all!
b The hairs on you head are kept track of on some database in heaven.
[27] Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? (Cubit to his stature) KJV
C Worry is....ineffective.
a Jesus is dealing with measurements. (Cubits, hours, coins, hair, sparrow)
*Cubit was 18’, the length a forearm in Noah’s day.
*Were talking about days, not inches. Futures not forarms.
b Worry doesn’t change tomorrow.
(IL.) A mouse living in a cage with a wheel will travel 9,000 miles in his lifetime....and he’s still in the cage! Worry is that same way. You can worry 24/7 and guess what...your still in the cage.
"Worrying doesn’t rob tomorrow of it’s sorrow, it robs today of it’s strength."
6:28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. [29] Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor 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, O you of little faith?
D Worry is....illogical. (Solomon drove every girl crazy because he was a sharped dressed man. Yet he didn’t compare to the beauty of lily.)
a A lily never worked one hour of over-time, paid a due, suffered anxiety...nothing but looked up.
*God created the lily for YOUR pleasure. You were made in HIS image.
*To God you are so much more important than a lily that loses it’s pedals and fades within a season.
b How much does God care about the things that cause your worry? He displayed it on a cross 2,000 years ago!
*Why would God suffer and die for the same children He planned to neglect?
[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.
E Worry is....irreligious.
a It’s understandable for lost people to be worried about food, shelter, clothing. We know better!
b Don’t you worry pastor? Yes I do. Put it’s not my hometown. I pass through it...
*For many people, they live in worry and when the old worries are gone, they go looking for new worries...they depend on worry, they view their life through worry and they’ve forgotten any other way to life.
*I DON’T WANT TO LIVE LIKE THAT AS A CHRISTIAN!
The last two verses give us the plan to fight worry.
II Fighting the giant of worry.
A You need a System of Priorities. ([33] But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.)
a Here is the formula! Seek the things of God first, live the righteous life He would have you live.
*Focus on that...and let the chips fall where they may. (Sounds too simple?)
b If you can’t believe that, you can through it all away. If this part isn’t true...then none of it is.
*Rebuild with God at your center.
B You need a Strategic Program. ([34] Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.)
a Have you ever tried to carry ALL the grocery bags in at once...and didn’t make it.
(After you clean the eggs off the drive-way, you decide next time to make the second trip.)
b Jesus is telling us to carry today’s bags today and make a fresh trip tomorrow.
How?
(1) Don’t worry about tomorrow stress. (My pocket calender is divided into blocks with one day at a time. Stay in one square at a time. That’s how God designed it. "I’m an old man and I’ve known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened. -Mark Twain)
(2) Don’t worry about yesterday’s mess. (Forgive yourself of yesterday’s failures. God has.)
(3) Don’t worry about yesterday’s success. (Encore anxiety. Paul didn’t worry about "topping" himself.)
(4) Don’t worry about yesterday’s distress. (Heartache. I’ve spent 14 years of ministry walking people through the valley of the shadow...but I hope I can help them walk finally back into the light, for that valley is no place to build a home, raise a family or to live. Life may have tripped you up, keep walking)
Conclusion:
Worry is a giant that each of face sooner or later. Worry is a giant that can be defeated. (ESS)
a Faced and found Worry is inconsistent, irrational, ineffective, illogical, irreligious.
b Fight worry by having a SYSTEM OF PRIORITIES & STRATEGIC PROGRAM.
*HOW? SEE ABOVE
All the water in the world
However hard it tried,
Could never sink a ship
Unless it got inside.
All the hardships of this world
Might wear you pretty thin,
But they won’t hurt you one least bit
Unless you let them in.
I hope you’ll use the tools to work over your worry this week. (Objective)
a We can worry about everything...............at all times.
b (Backpack...start picking up rocks...putting them in backpack.)
In India, if your walking through rural roads you’ll occasionally come across a post with a sturdy shelf about shoulder height. Soma Tonga which means "resting place." When people are traveling with a heavy load, they place their heavy load on the shelf for relief. Once rested they continue their journey.
*What do you think Christians in India call Jesus? My Soma Tonga. (Cast Your Burdens upon Him)
