Rooting Out Worry

Purpose: To show the folly of worry and how to avoid it.

Aim: I want the listener to discover sinful heart issues that cause worry.

INTRODUCTION: Worry is a universal problem. Everyone of us struggles with worry. We may worry about different things, but we all worry.

Just because we all struggle with worry doesn't mean that it isn't a problem. We can't dismiss it with, "I've always been this way" or "I'm Irish (or almost any other nationality) and that's just the way we are" or "I'm just a worrier!"

Worry affects us on many different levels. It can keep us from sleeping, it can take away our energy, rob us of joy, damage our relationships, and even ruin our health. Worry can also keep us from understanding the Bible: Mark 4:19 but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. (NAU)

We can be going on with life as usual, minding our own business, and then suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, worry rears its ugly head. It can linger for years.

Worry, or anxiety, is also a problem because it is a sin. Notice that Jesus commands us not to worry three different times in our text: see verses 25, 31, and 34. Paul picks up on this command in Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (NAU)

"The verb to be anxious (µεριµνάω) occurs 7 times in Matt. (6:25, 27, 28, 31, 34 [twice]; 10:19).

I. Be not anxious for life, ... 6:25.

II. Be not anxious for stature [how long you will live]. 6:27.

III. Be not anxious for clothes. 6:28.

IV. Be not anxious for food. 6:31.

V. Be not anxious for tomorrow. 6:34.

VI. Be not anxious for testimony in persecution. 10:19." [1]

The good news is that worry can be solved. Today we are going to look at a portion of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus gives us solutions to worry. It is interesting that Jesus spends more time talking about worry in this sermon than He does any other single topic.

Jesus knows that worry is big problem, but He also gives us very helpful solutions. We don't have to worry, we can overcome it.

In one sense worry is NOT our problem--it is the symptom of our problems. So, in order to overcome worry we must first dig down and find the roots for worry.

Where does worry come from? I believe that Jesus is tracing the problem with worry back to two important roots in today's text.

►Vs.19-24 I. False gods Cause Worry

The Bible usually calls a false god an idol. An idol, or false god, can be anything that governs our behavior. It can be money, position, reputation, family, spouse or children.

Matthew Henry explained it this way: "Where the treasure is, there our cares and fears are, ... there our hope and trust are (Prov. 18:10, 11); there our joys and delights will be (Ps. 119:111); and there our thoughts will be, there the inward thought will be, the first thought, the free thought, the fixed thought, the frequent, the familiar thought. The heart is God's due (Prov. 23:26), and that he may have it, our treasure must be laid up with him, and then our souls will be lifted up to him." [2]

Your treasure IS your God. You can tell that something is your treasure if the threat of losing it makes you angry or depressed.

►Vs.19, 21-24 A. The problem with false gods

► Vs.19 1. False gods fail "destroy...steal"

You can tell something is a false god if it fails to provide lasting security and a significance which only God can give. It is a false god if security is only in our imagination. Proverbs 18:11 A rich man's wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination. (NAU)

1 Timothy 6:9--10 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (NAU)

► Vs.21 2. False gods rule the heart "treasure is...heart will be"

Listen to how Paul describes what false Christians are like: Philippians 3:18--19 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. (NAU)