Word of Salvation – Vol. 47 No.17 – May 2002

 

Overcoming Worry

 

Sermon by Rev J Haverland on Matthew 6:25-34

Scripture Readings: Philip.3:17-4:13; Psalm 34; Mat.6:19-34

 

Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The theme of this sermon is as follows: Rather than an anxious worry over food, drink and clothing, we must trust God and seek His kingdom.  And the purpose of the sermon is: To explain how believers can overcome worry and to urge us to trust God and seek His kingdom.

A recent study showed that children and teenagers are much more anxious now than they were in the 1950s.  Paediatricians and psychologists are seeing much more evidence of stress in children and young people than in times past (Time Magazine, Des 25, 2000, p=94).

But this is not only true of young people – all of us are inclined to worry.  Some are bigger worriers than others are, but all of us struggle with this.  Worry is a powerful temptation.  It gets a grip on us and easily takes control of our lives.  Jesus warns us against worry.

Then of course there is the other extreme of those who have an easy-going, laid back, casual approach to life.  But Jesus is not advocating that either!  He was not supporting a careless irresponsibility.  He would have had no patience for the laziness and lethargy that we can see in many.  He would have spoken out against a society that has grown accustomed to welfare and dependency.

Jesus was certainly not advocating a reckless "couldn't-care-less" attitude – not at all.  Jesus wanted people to work hard, to earn the bread they eat, to make good use of their time and talents, to look out for their neighbour, to work so as to have something to share with those in need.

What Jesus is warning us against is having too much anxiety over food and drink and clothing – all the material things of the world.  He is condemning an anxious worry, a fear about the future, a lack of trust in God.  He is urging us to trust in God for the present and the future.

This ties in with the previous section where He has told us that no one can serve two masters – you cannot serve God and money.  You must make up your mind.  You need a single focus.  This next passage follows right on from that.

If you have decided to serve God then don't get caught up in worrying about all the things of the world.  Serve God, do your work well, and God will look after the rest.  So rather than an anxious worry over food, drink and clothing, we must trust God and seek His kingdom.  This is the theme we want to explore.  We want to see how we can overcome worry in our lives and learn to trust God by right thinking, a right perspective, a right comparison, and right priorities.

First, you need RIGHT THINKING.

Jesus draws on two illustrations to help us to think clearly about this matter.  In the first example, in verse 26, He says, "Look at the birds of the air.”  The word for "look at” means to consider carefully, have a good look at, fix your eyes on them and take a lesson from them.  And in the second example, in verse 28, He says, "Consider the lilies of the field.”  The word He uses for "consider" means to observe well, to learn thoroughly, to take something in by careful observation.

Jesus wants us to be guided by our thoughts, not our feelings.  Feelings go up and down – like anxiety and worry and fear – while our thoughts are more stable.  But our thoughts must be guided in the right way.  You need to think biblically.  And when you do, then your thinking will strengthen your faith.  True faith is closely linked with right thinking.  So what can we learn by observing the birds?

A lesson from the birds (vs.26)

Here is the argument: God looks after the birds; you are much more valuable to God than the birds; so God will surely look after you.  This is an argument from the lesser to the greater.  If God looks after the birds, then He will certainly look after you.

We should avoid one possible misunderstanding here.  Some might say, "Well, I can take things easy; I can relax; I don't have to go out to work; I can sit at home and watch TV all day and God will provide for me."

This is not what Jesus teaches.  Sure, the birds don't sow, or reap, or store away in barns, but they are always active – they are always feeding themselves, looking after the young birds, gathering for their nests.  In some countries they instinctively plan ahead for the winter by migrating to a warmer climate.  So the birds don't sit around waiting for their food and nor should we.

What then does Jesus mean?  He is urging you to trust in God.  You have a Father in heaven who loves you and cares about you and will provide for you.  You should do your work, but then trust that God will give you your daily bread.  That doesn't mean He will give you all the luxuries you would want, but He will give you the necessities of life.  He won't give you your daily greeds, but He will provide your daily needs.  "Look at the birds," and trust God.

Then Jesus gives us a lesson from the lilies (vss.28-30).

This is part of the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus may have pointed to the wild flowers covering the hillside.  Look at them – they don't labour or spin.  Yet look at how God clothes them, at how beautiful they are.  Take a close look at the flowers – many are breathtaking in their beauty.  God has done this.  He has clothed them.  He made them like this.

Now if God looks after them, then He will also look after you.  Here again is an argument from the lesser to the greater.  The flowers of the field are fleeting.  When they were cut they would dry up quickly in that hot eastern sun and the next day women would use them to heat their bread ovens.  But we are not fleeting like this.  God has set eternity into the hearts of men.  God made us immortal.  He created us to live forever.  So, if God can clothe the grass of the field which is so fleeting, then surely He will look after us who are created in His image.

Again, Jesus is teaching us to trust in God.  He gently rebukes us for our "little faith”.  This is often our problem.  We trust in God for salvation and we believe we are going to heaven, but we do not trust Him so easily for the day to day realities of life.  We don't trust Him in all the circumstances of what we go through.  But true faith must be applied to everything we do – to every circumstance and every detail.

Are you trusting God?  Are you relying on Him?  Do you depend on Him?  Do you believe His promises?  Think about the birds and the flowers and learn to trust God.

But not only do you need the right thinking...

Secondly, you also need THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE (vs.27).

Jesus not only uses a theological argument from the lesser to the greater, but He also uses an argument from common sense: "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (vs.27)

A lot of people want to live longer.  They try to think of ways and means of extending their lives.  But no amount of worrying can add even a single hour to your life.  Worrying won't do you any good.

Think about people who worry about the past.  They brood on their mistakes.  They worry about the things they have said and done that were wrong.  But that is most unhelpful.  This sort of worry will paralyse you – you won't be able to do anything – it will stifle your activity and energy for the present and the future.  You cannot change the past.

You must confess your sins and where you can, you must try to repair the damage from your mistakes.  But you cannot do more.  Learn from your mistakes and use them as a spur for doing better in the future.

Far from doing you any good, worrying actually does you harm.  It is common medical knowledge that stress is harmful to your body.  Worry and stress will lead to increased blood pressure and this will cause damage to your heart.  Worry and stress also produce more acid in the stomach and that acid attacks the stomach wall and that causes ulcers.

The Reader's Digest has a section called “Laughter, the Best Medicine".  That, too, is a medical fact.  Laughter releases endorphins into the blood that produce a general feeling of well-being which has a good effect on the heart and stomach.  So worry doesn't do you any good.  Keep that perspective.  It is common sense not to worry.

Thirdly, overcome worry with A RIGHT COMPARISON.

In verses 31-32 Jesus makes a contrast between the pagans and believers.  The Pagans “run after all these things."  "What shall we eat?  What shall we drink?  What shall we wear?” (vs.31).  The pagans of Jesus' day focussed their lives on these questions.  Someone has described these as the “trinity of the world”.

Things haven't changed much in 2000 years.  Look at the ads on TV or in the glossy magazines.  Most of them are concentrated on food and drink and clothing.  Look at the attention people give to fashion.  Think about how much these things occupy people's minds and lives.  The pagans run after all these things.  How true!

But believers must be different, says Jesus.  You have a Father in Heaven who loves you and cares about you.  God knows that you need these things and He will provide them.  This is the promise of Psalm 34.  It is also the confidence expressed in Philippians 4:6-7.

Worry is essentially the result of a lack of trust in God.  But the peace that passes all understanding comes from putting our lives in the hands of our Father.  This is one great difference between unbelievers and us.  We trust in God – they don't.

The other great difference between the pagan and the believer is that we do not run after the things of this world.  We have an entirely different focus.  We have a different priority.

Fourthly, overcome worry with THE RIGHT PRIORITIES (vs.34).

Our priorities are the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

The Kingdom of God has been described as "God's people in God's place under God's rule."

• It is about the reign of the Lord Jesus over people's hearts and minds and lives.
• It is about a life of service and commitment to the Lord Jesus.
• It is about honouring the Lord Jesus in every area of life: home, marriage, family, work, lifestyle, morality, business, and school.

His righteousness describes the right living that God wants of us.  He calls us to give to the poor, to pray from the heart, to practice spiritual disciplines, to be holy and blameless, to be perfect, to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and to imitate Him.

We are called to seek first this kingdom and this righteousness.  This is what Jesus did.  This is how He lived.  This was His great concern.  It must be yours, too.

Don't worry about food and drink and clothing because God will provide you with what you need.  Don't let those things distract you like they distract and preoccupy the pagans.  Rather, concentrate on the Kingdom of God.  Follow Christ as Lord.  Keep your priorities straight.  Keep the main thing the main thing.  Set your sights on trusting God.  Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness.

Jesus then closes this section with this well-known saying in vs 34... (Read it)

This may seem like an anti-climax after the great truth of verse 33, but Jesus wants to apply this whole matter of worry to the future.  Worriers have a very active imagination and they can foresee all sorts of terrible events for the future.  They see bears behind every tree.

Churchill described an old man on his deathbed by saying, "He had a lot of troubles in his life, most of which never happened."

Many Christians are like this, too.  They spend their lives trying to anticipate God.  They ask all sorts of "what if" questions?  What if my husband dies?  What if my child gets cancer?  What if the stock market crashes?  What if I fail my exams?  What if I lose my job?

Jesus gives us a very common-sense response to all of this in verse 34...  Live each day as it comes.  Live one day at a time.  Do each task as it appears.  Attend to the business of today, and leave tomorrow's business and worries till tomorrow.

You should certainly plan for the future, but don't worry about it.

Remember: each day has enough trouble of its own.  Things are bad enough as they are – don’t add to them by your worry.

And be assured of this: whatever God sends you, whether that be joy or pain, He will give you the grace and strength to cope with it.  Trust Him!

Amen.