What, Me Worry? Series

OPEN: The old sea captain was quizzing a new crew member to see how he’d do at sea.

“What steps would you take if a sudden storm came up on the starboard?” he asked the young man.

“Well, sir,” said the crew member, I’d throw out an anchor, sir.”

“What would you do if another storm sprang up aft?”

“I’d throw out another anchor, sir.”

“But, what if a third storm sprang up forward?”

“I’d throw out another anchor, sir.”

“Just a minute, son,” said the captain. “Where in the world are you getting all these anchors?”

“Well, sir. I’m getting them from the same place you’re getting all your storms."

APPLY: The Bible tells us this world is filled with storms. The Bible is filled with stories of the storms that many of the great men and women of faith encountered in their lives. It matters not if you’re reading of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Samuel, Esther and others, each and every man and woman of faith encountered at least one crisis of faith.

Even Jesus warned us repeatedly that life wouldn’t be easy for those who follow Him.

BUT after having told us all that, the Bible tells us there is ONE thing we must not do

Jesus us that in the midst of those storms the one thing we shouldn’t do is worry. He said “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?" Matthew 6:25

Jesus said: don’t worry about your life.

Don’t worry about where having enough to eat.

Don’t worry about having good enough clothes to wear.

DON’T WORRY.

And other Scriptures say almost exactly the same thing:

Psalm 55:22 tells us "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall."

Psalm 62:8 declares: "Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge."

And in the New Testament we’re told the same thing:

Paul wrote: "Do not be anxious for anything..." Philippians 4:6

And Peter wrote: "Cast all your anxiety on him" I Peter 5:7

So, I’m not supposed to worry.

I’m not supposed to be anxious.

But I do get anxious. I do worry.

But, why?

Why do I get anxious?

Why do I worry?

Well, you could offer all kinds of reasons:

• I don’t have a job.

• I don’t have much money.

• I have a boatload of debt.

• I’m going through a divorce.

• My family’s falling apart.

And the list could go on and on and on...

But Bible tells me: In the midst of those difficulties in my life I’m not supposed to worry.

(Pause and give a big grin)

Well, great!

I feel better already!

I mean, if I’d only know I shouldn’t be worrying, it would have been all better by now

If I just wouldn’t be anxious life would be smooth sailing.

If I didn’t worry all my problems would be solved.

Is that way it works?

(wait for audience to respond)

No… it doesn’t work that way does it?

Just because I decide not to worry doesn’t mean my troubles pack up and disappear.

NOT worrying doesn’t SOLVE my problems.

So then, why does God say that I shouldn’t be anxious or filled with worry if that doesn’t really solve anything?

Well, the first thing we need to do here is go back to our original question:

Why do I worry?

Why do I get anxious?

Well, the answer’s very simple actually

I get anxious because something has happened that I can’t control. I don’t have the money, I don’t have the resources, I don’t have the ability, I don’t have the time...

You name it, I ain’t got it.

Essentially, the reason I worry is because there’s a problem and I can’t do anything about it.

I can’t change it!

I can’t fix it!

I can’t do a single thing to alter my situation!

So, I worry because I have a problem I can’t fix.

Ok.

But does worrying help me fix the problem?

Jesus said “no”

He asks "Can any of you - by worrying - add a single hour to your life?"

Well, the answer, of course, is NO!

Worrying can’t change that because worry doesn’t fix anything.

AND SO what Jesus is saying is this: worrying is worthless.

When your back is up against the wall... worrying is a worthless emotion.

It doesn’t change anything... it’s a worthless reaction to my problems.

In fact – worrying is worse than worthless.

Worry NOT ONLY doesn’t change what you’re facing it just makes everything I DO face worse.