Start Thinking And Don’t Worry Series

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?