Well, we want to begin our time in the Word this morning with a discussion question.
! It's not usually interactive at this point in the sermon, but we're going to try it a little bit for just a minute or two.
What are the things in life that we are most likely to worry about?
Health.
Money.
Dying. Yes.
War.
Family members.
Our neighbors.
There's lots of things, eh?
Where we could sort of ask a similar question that might bring up some others.
What are some things that have been causing you stress?
A wolf trying to eat you.
Yeah.
That could cause you stress for sure.
Well, today we're going to hear from Jesus very specifically about worry and anxiety.
Let's pick up the story from the Gospel of Luke.
We're in chapter 12.
And we are in verse 22.
Verse 22.
Then Jesus said to his disciples,
Therefore, I tell you,
do not worry about your life,
what you will eat,
or about your body,
what you will wear.
For life is more than food,
and the body more than clothes.
Consider the ravens.
Birds.
They do not sow
or reap.
They have no storeroom
or barn.
Yet God
feeds them.
And how much more valuable you are
than birds.
Who of you, by worrying,
can add a single hour
to your life?
Since you cannot do this very little thing,
why do you worry about the rest?
It's good for us to take a moment
and remember how we got to this part in the story.
Earlier in this chapter,
we read about how
Jesus was teaching
on the subjects of hypocrisy
and greed.
First, he had an encounter
with the Pharisees,
and then he went on
to warn his disciples
about hypocrisy.
Then there was this man
who called out to Jesus,
asking Jesus to tell his brother
to divide the inheritance
with him.
And so Jesus began
to warn his disciples
about greed.
And he told them
this parable
of the rich
fool.
This guy
who got a bountiful harvest
and then replaced
his barns
with bigger ones
so that he had room
to store
all of his
surplus grain
and goods,
thinking to himself
that he was set for life
and could take it easy
and could now eat,
drink,
and be merry
for many years
ahead.
But then God tells him
that his time is up,
that he will not get
what he has prepared
for himself.
And we talked last Sunday
about how this man
was an example
of selfishness
and greed.
Well, it's here
that Jesus shifts
to talking about worry.
But this is all
kind of related.
Notice the word
therefore.
Then Jesus said
to his disciples,
therefore,
I tell you,
do not worry
about your life.
What was the rich fool
looking forward to
with his life?
He was looking forward
to eating,
drinking,
and being merry
with what he had
stored up for himself.
And now,
what is Jesus
telling his disciples
not to worry about?
Eating.
Verse 29.
Drinking.
Verse 33 and 34.
Storing up things
for ourselves
here on earth.
And so this teaching
about worry
really comes with
the warning
against greed.
The two are kind of
related.
And as Jesus
gets into this,
we notice,
I love it when he does this,
he gives us his main point
right out of the gate.
I tell you,
do not worry
about your life.
That's his main point
in this whole section.
Much of what follows
and he says after
answers the question
of why.
Why shouldn't I worry?
That's what the next
six verses are about.
But let's just zero in
on that main point
for a minute.
Do not worry
about your life.
First,
we notice how Jesus
sort of expands
on that.
Don't worry about
what you will eat.
Don't worry about
what you will wear.
Don't worry about
your body.
Jesus picks
two things in life
that are common
to us all
as examples.
Things that we're prone
to worry about.
Food
and clothing.
Things that we,
both of them,
we need to live.
And he says,
don't worry
about them.
Now he's not saying
don't even think
about what you will eat
or take no thought
as to how you dress.
We know that
because there's plenty
of other passages
in the Bible
which tell us
that we should take
some thought
to our eating
and our drinking
and even to how we dress.
God tells us elsewhere
that gluttony
and drunkenness
are sinful.
He tells us
that we should dress
modestly
and appropriately
to the occasion.
And so Jesus
is not telling us
to just go through life
giving no thought
or care
to these things
at all.
The word Jesus
uses here
for worry
means to be anxious
about something.
What he means is
don't be anxious
about your life,
what you will eat
or about your body,
what you will wear.
Don't be anxious
about the things
in life
that you need.
don't fret
or fear
or let your mind
just sort of race
in an anxious worry
about those things.
That's Jesus'
main point
here to
his followers
and to us.
Do not be anxious
about your life.
Jesus forbids
us
to fret
and be stressed
out over things.
And so I think
the first thing
that we need
to do here
is just stop
and get honest
with the Lord
and have a conversation
with him
and ask,
Lord,
have I been doing this?
have I been anxious
about things
in life?
And if so,
what are those things
that I've been worrying about?
What are those things
that I've not been
trusting you with?
Worry is kind of
a tricky sin.
It doesn't promise us
pleasure
or happiness
like other sins.
It works differently.
It dangles
before us
the promise
of safety,
security,
control,
peace,
maybe even success.
And it really operates
out of fear.
We incessantly
think about things
or plan about things
or imagine things
because
we're afraid
of meeting
the unknowns.
We're afraid
of being out of control
in a situation.
We're afraid
of being exposed
or we're just
dreading
what we know
is ahead.
and another tricky
thing about worry
is that we often
don't realize
that we're doing it
until we've started.
We don't usually
sit there and,
you know,
am I going to worry
about this or not?
Hmm.
No.
We often just
sort of find ourselves
doing it
and slipping in
and out of it
as we think thoughts
throughout the day.
Now,
don't hear me wrong.
I'm not saying
that we're not
responsible to God
for all of our thoughts.
We are.
Wrong things
that we do
unintentionally
are still wrong
even if they become
automatic
or habitual.
And that brings us
to another tricky
thing about worry.
Worry is a thing
of the mind.
It's a thing
of the heart.
It can lead us
to take physical
actions
or make decisions.
But at its core,
being anxious
about things in life
is a sin
of the heart.
Let's just
peek ahead
to verse 29
where Jesus
restates
the main point
using
these words.
He says,
and do not
set your heart
on what you
will eat
or drink.
Do not
worry about it.
Do not
set your heart
on it.
Quite literally,
don't seek
after
or devote
yourself
to what
to eat
or what
to drink.
And so,
we notice here
that worry
isn't just
something that
happens to us.
Something that
we have no
control over.
it might
seem like
that
because it's
become such
a habit.
But according
to Jesus,
being anxious
about things
in life
is something
that we
do.
It's not
just something
that happens
to us.
And it is
something with
God's help
that we can
choose not
to do.
If we were
completely helpless
as followers
of Jesus
to stop
ourselves
from worrying
about things,
if it was
something we
truly had
no control
over,
would Jesus
tell us
to stop
worrying
about our
lives?
The truth
is we
can,
by faith,
with God's
help,
we can
take control
of our
thoughts
and refuse
to be
anxious.
and how
to do
that is
what the
rest of
this passage
is about.
It's what
Jesus is
about to
tell us.
So let's
just keep
listening to
Jesus.
We've heard
the main
point,
don't be
anxious
about your
life.
Now let's
hear some
of the
reasoning
that goes
with it.
Verse 23,
Jesus says,
for life
is more
than food
and the
body
more
than clothes.
The lie
that we're
tempted to
believe
is that
life is
mainly
about food
and drink
and clothing
and getting
the things,
having the
good stuff.
That's what
it means
to really
live.
Think back
to that rich
fool for a
second.
what was
his great
ambition?
To eat,
to drink,
to take it
easy and to
be merry,
to just
sort of
live to
please himself
with food
and drink.
Life is
about pleasure.
It's about
entertaining
and pleasing
myself.
That's the
lie.
And Jesus
gives us
some truth
to just
bust the
power of
that lie.
He says,
life is
more than
food.
Your body
and what
God gave
it to you
for
matters
more than
the coverings
that you
put on
it.
In other
words,
there's some
misplaced
priorities
going on
here.
It's not
that we
don't need
food
or clothing.
it's
that we
place too
much value
and importance
in those
things.
We give
too much
of our
heart
towards those
things.
In reality,
food is
just the
fuel
for the
life.
I think
the analogy
of a car
is kind of
helpful here.
where you're
driving to
matters
far more
than what
grade of
fuel you
put in
the tank.
And
sometimes we
get so
fixated on
whether the
fuel that
we're putting
in is
premium.
Can you
imagine
sitting down
and planning
an entire
road trip
for you
and your
family
around where
you can get
the best
snacks
and gas?
rather than
who you're
going to
visit
along the
way
and what
you're
going to
do in
those
places
and when
you arrive
who you're
going to
be with
and what
you're
going to
do.
And yet
that's what
we're doing
when we
put an
inordinate
amount of
our heart's
attention
into eating
and drinking
and clothing
and transportation
and what
kind of
tools or
tech I
have.
And the
list can
go on.
Jesus
says life
is more
than that.
The body
matters more
than the
clothes that
cover it.
And so
since that's
true the
question that
we kind
of moves
us to
words is
well then
what is
life really
about?
Why am I
really here
on this
earth?
Jesus is
going to
answer that
question more
as we go
on.
But for
now let's
just reflect
on this
for a
moment.
Are my
priorities
straight
in life?
Am I
valuing
above all
the right
things?
Reason
number two
not to be
anxious.
Verse 24
Jesus says
consider the
ravens.
they do
not
sow
or reap.
They have
no storeroom
or barn
yet God
feeds them.
And how
much more
valuable you
are
than birds.
Another lie
that we're
tempted to
believe is
that if we
don't put a
lot of our
time and
attention into
getting all
the things
that we
think we
need
then we'll
go without.
We will
starve.
We'll be
uncomfortable.
We'll be
miserable.
We'll suffer
scarcity and
maybe we'll
die.
And so
there's really
two kinds of
anxiety about
food and
clothing.
We can be
anxious over
having the
good stuff.
That's one
kind.
or we can
be anxious
about facing
scarcity and
we can worry
about not
having enough
of those
things.
Maybe you've
been struggling
to find work
or your job
pays low
or your
spending has
been sort
of, we'll
say,
undisciplined
and the
debts are
piling up
so we can
be worried
about how
to pay the
next bills.
will there
be enough
left over
for the
things that
we need,
the groceries?
And we
could easily
lose sleep
over that.
And that
can gnaw
at us.
Well,
Jesus gives
us another
truth to
bust this
lie.
He says,
consider the
ravens.
Look at the
birds.
they don't
sow or
plant in
the fields.
They don't
take off a
harvest from
the work
they've done.
They don't
store up all
they can into
barns and
storehouses to
prepare for
the future.
What do the
ravens do?
It's sort of
implied they
just go out
and find what
God has put
out for them
each day.
Jesus says,
God feeds
them.
And I
love how
personal that
is.
Like, they
don't get what
they need by
chance.
God feeds
them.
He himself is
orchestrating and
governing even
the natural
world deliberately
to ensure that
ravens have
their sustenance.
birds.
He wants
there to be
birds on the
earth.
He values
them.
And so he
looks after
them and
provides what
they need to
flourish on
this planet.
And Jesus
says, if God
is so tuned
into the
needs of the
birds,
is he not
tuned into
your needs?
Don't you
know that to
God you are
so much more
valuable than
birds?
I mean,
birds are
like feathered
flying rodents.
Who cares
about them?
Jesus says,
God cares
about them.
And if he
cares so well
for them,
is he going
to let you
starve?
You are
precious to
God.
You are
made in
his own
image.
And so
don't be
anxious about
not having
enough or
about going
without.
You can
count on
God to
provide what
you need
because you
are valuable
and precious
to him.
and so
stop worrying
about those
things and
trust him.
A third
reason not
to be
anxious comes
in the form
of the
question,
the next
verse.
Who of
you by
worrying can
add a
single hour
to your
life?
Another
lie that we
believe is
that worrying
is somehow
beneficial.
we tell
ourselves that
if we keep
thinking about
it over
and over
and over,
keep going
over that
conversation
again and
again or
that decision
that we
made again
and again
rehearsing
what we'll
do or
say if
this person
says this
or does
that.
We tell
ourselves
the more
we go
over it,
the more
it will
help us.
The better
prepared we'll
be.
It'll save
me time
having to
figure out
what to
do or
say.
But this
just isn't
true.
Jesus busts
this lie
too.
Who of
you by
worrying can
add a
single hour
to your
life?
And the
answer of
course is
none of
you can.
And his
point here,
anxiously
worrying about
things
accomplishes
nothing
for you.
It doesn't
even give
you one
extra hour
of life.
In fact,
Jesus didn't
say this,
but it
actually takes
hours off
your life.
It's a
waste of
our mental
and emotional
energy and
of the time
that we
spend worrying
that we
could be
thinking about
other things.
of course
we know
it worsens
the health
of our
physical
bodies
too.
And that
consistently
doing it
can lead
to misery
and depression.
Some of you
maybe know
a person
who has
put
themselves
in the
hospital
because
of
stress.
Now there
are various
factors for
stress,
but much
of stress
is about
what we
do in
our hearts
and in
our minds
with the
challenges
that come
our way.
And do we
bring our
troubles to
God
in prayer?
Are we
trusting him
to look
after us
and to
lead us
through
those
difficulties?
these?
Or are we
attempting to
carry all
of our
troubles
on our
own
back
and come
up with
our own
solutions
for the
things that
only
God
can remedy?
Solutions
that don't
even work
or do
more damage.
Worrying
about things
does nothing
good for us.
And Jesus
follows this
up with a
question in
verse 26.
Since you
cannot do
this very
little thing
of adding
even one
hour to
your life,
why do
you worry
about the
rest?
I love
that.
It's a
little thing
for God
to add
an hour
to your
life.
For us,
not so
much.
Our
influence
over how
long we
live is
limited.
Ultimately,
how long
we live
is in
God's
hands.
And Jesus
says,
since we
can't by
being anxious
at even
one hour
to our
lives,
why worry
about the
rest of
our lives?
The whole
thing is
in God's
hands.
And not
so much
in our
own as
we sometimes
think.
To
reinforce
all this,
Jesus
gives
another
object
lesson.
This
time he
shifts
to
clothing.
Verse
27.
Consider
how the
wild
flowers
grow.
They
do not
labor
or spin.
Yet I
tell you,
not even
Solomon in
all his
splendor was
dressed like
one of
these.
If that's
how God
clothes the
grass of
the field,
which is
here today
and tomorrow
was thrown
into the
fire,
how much
more will
he clothe
you.
You
have
little
faith.
I was
sitting in
my backyard
on Monday
morning as
I was
reading this
for the
first time
this week
and I
looked up
right after
I read
this and
I saw
this
right beside
me.
And it
doesn't look
quite as
good as
it did
when I
looked at
it.
It was
brighter.
And then
I started
looking around
the yard
and I
said,
wow,
all the
different
kinds of
flower,
such
variety,
such
beauty,
so many
colors,
all arranged
differently
on their
plant.
Amazing
and beautiful.
Then I
got to
thinking I
should
Google
around on
this a
little bit
and see
what else
I can
dig up.
Apparently
there are
over
350,000
known
species
of
flowering
plants
on
earth.
To put
that into
perspective,
according to
one source,
it means
that for
every
species
of animal
with a
backbone
on this
planet,
there are
roughly
10
species
of
flowering
plant.
Who
knew
that within
the
rose
family
alone
there
are
almost
5,000
different
species?
Within
the
orchid
family,
there are
around
28,000
different
species.
32,000
different
species
of
daisy
or
sunflower.
Unbelievable
variety
and diversity.
And Jesus
says basically
God put
his creativity,
his attention
and his
effort into
clothing
all these
different
kinds of
plants so
beautifully
and they're
just
grass.
They're
just
plants.
Would
he do
all that
to dress
up the
relatively
worthless
grasses
and plants
of the
earth but
let you
go naked
and freezing?
Even
the richest
man to
ever live,
Jesus says,
King Solomon's
clothes
didn't
compare
to what
God has
done for
the grass
of the
field.
How much
more will
he clothe
you?
How much
more will
he give
you what
you need?
So don't
be worried.
Don't be
anxious.
Don't worry
about your
life, not
even the
things you
need the
most.
Don't set
your heart
on what
you will
eat or
drink.
Do not
worry about
it.
If you
think God
doesn't really
care about
you or
see you
such that
you need to
look after
yourself,
it's not
true.
He does
care.
He does
see you.
If he
cares so
much about
grass and
plants and
flowers and
birds, you
better believe
he cares
about you.
So don't
be anxious
about your
life.
And Jesus
just keeps
going.
Another
couple
reasons.
Verse 30,
for the
pagan world
runs after
all such
things.
And your
father knows
that you
need them.
Two more
reasons.
Anxiously
worrying about
all the
less important
things in
life is
what those
who don't
know God
do.
Think about
that.
But knowing
God,
being in a
restored
relationship
with the
Lord,
takes away
all the
reasons we
have to
worry.
He
assures
us of
His
love
and His
care for
us.
And He
lifts our
eyes to
the greater
things in
life, to
what life's
really about.
And Jesus
reminds us
on top of
all that,
your father
knows that
you need
them.
don't worry,
He knows
what you
need.
And I
love what
Jesus calls
God here,
your father.
Jesus
reminds His
disciples that
we are all
children of
God, those
who believe
in Him.
And God is
like a
father to
us.
Let me
ask you
this, do
you notice
when your
child needs
a haircut,
or has a
scrape on
the knee,
or when
they have a
bruise, or
when they're
overtired and
need sleep.
Yeah, we
notice all of
those things.
We make the
decisions for
our kids to
try to meet
those needs and
do what's best
for them, and
sometimes they
don't agree with
those decisions,
and we say,
well, just
trust me.
God is our
father.
He knows
our needs,
just like we
know the
needs of our
kids.
He knows we
need food.
He knows we
need clothing.
He knows
the one kid
in the family
needs new
shoes.
He knows we
need a way
to get to
work.
He even
knows that
sometimes we
need to go
without good
things for a
time so that
we grow in
our faith.
My eight-year-old
may think he
needs a cell
phone or a
pound of
candy every
day, but I
know that he
will be happier
and healthier
without both
of those
things.
Do you
trust your
father to
provide what
you need?
Finally, we
come to the
big thing
here at the
end.
In this
whole passage,
we've heard a
very strong
do not from
Jesus.
Do not be
anxious about
your life.
But now he
gives us a
do.
I'm going to
call it the
second half of
his main
point.
Verse 31.
seek God's
kingdom.
But seek
his kingdom
and these
things will be
given to you
as well.
Seek God's
kingdom.
Here's that
answer to the
question we heard
before, what life
is really about.
It's about our
relationship with
God and how he
has made his
son Jesus to be
king over all.
people.
And it's about
how God has
graciously invited
us to be
citizens in his
kingdom.
And we do
that, of course,
starting now by
embracing his
son, the one
that, the king
that he has
sent, Jesus.
And of course, we
are looking forward
to the end, to
the culmination
when Jesus
returns to fully
establish God's
rule and reign
over everything.
It's difficult
to explain in
just a brief
moment what the
kingdom of God
is because
there's just so
much to it.
The Bible is
full of God
telling us about
it.
Much of Jesus
teaching and his
parables were
about it.
It's the great
thing for which
we were made.
Relationship with
God forever in
his coming
kingdom.
Just like we
say in the
Lord's prayer,
your kingdom
come on earth
as it is in
heaven.
So don't be
anxious about
your life.
Don't anxiously
strive after the
things of earth,
but seek, strive
after the kingdom
of God.
That's what you
should set your
heart on, says
Jesus.
That's to be
your great
priority in
life.
And of course
there's this
wonderful promise
that goes with
it.
Do that.
Seek his
kingdom and
these things
will be given
to you as
well.
The things,
the food,
the clothing.
Isn't that a
wonderful promise?
If we seek his
kingdom, God's
promise is that
he'll take care of
the rest.
the food, the
clothing, the
place to live,
the vehicle,
whatever.
Are you
seeking God's
kingdom?
Is that your
main priority?
we don't need to
worry.
We don't need to
be anxious that
we'll lack
anything if we're
seeking his
kingdom.
Because the one
who feeds the
birds and has
clothed the
flowers has
promised to
feed and
clothe us.
We are
precious to
him.
He loves us.
And so
don't be
anxious about
all the things.
Tell God about
those things.
Ask for him
to provide,
for him to
help,
and trust.
Be worry
free.
Stress
free.
We're going
to turn our
attention now to
the Lord's
table.
Each month
we eat
bread and
we drink a
cup in
remembrance of
Jesus.
And it's
not just a
tradition,
but it's
something Jesus
commanded us
to do.
The bread
represents
Jesus'
body.
The cup
represents
Jesus'
blood.
And how he
gave up
both when
he died at
the cross
for us.
To make
atonement for
our sins.
God
not
everyone
partakes
of this
table,
but only
those who
have
repented
and put
their faith
in Jesus.
As we
remember
Jesus'
death this
morning,
let's
consider a
few things
related to
what we
have just
been talking
about.
First,
there's some
good news.
For every
time that we
have committed
the sin of
anxiously
worrying,
Christ Jesus
died so
that we
could be
forgiven of
that.
We don't
have to live
with the
guilt of
all the
times that
we failed
to trust
God in
the past.
And for
every moment
and decision
that we've
made to
seek after
the things
of earth,
whether
motivated by
greed or
by fear
of not
having enough,
Jesus bled
and died to
atone for
that too.
all God
asks is that
we acknowledge
those sins
to him,
confess
them,
ask for
his
forgiveness,
and it's
ours.
Jesus
took the
punishment we
deserve for
all of that.
And it's
good news.
Second,
what God
did for us
at the cross
is yet
another
reminder of
why we
don't need
to worry.
I love
these words
of the
Apostle Paul
in Romans
8,
verse 32.
He,
that's God,
who did
not spare
his own
son,
but gave
him up
for us
all,
how will
he not
also along
with him
graciously
give us
all things?
God has
already
provided for
our greatest
need.
he's
already
given us
the most
precious
and costly
gift,
his own
son,
to die
on the
cross
for us,
to reconcile
us to
God.
And so,
if God
was willing
to give
us that,
and he
did,
then how
will he
not give
us all
the other
things that
we need
in life
as we
look to
him for
them?
him.
And finally,
Jesus reminds
his disciples,
as we heard
earlier,
that God
is their
father.
If you
are a
disciple of
Jesus,
God is
your father.
And that's
something that
Jesus' death
brought about.
Though all
of us had
wandered away
from God
and alienated
ourselves from
him,
at the cross,
Jesus made a
way for us
to become
home and
to become
part of
God's
family again.
If we
receive Jesus
and believe
in his
name,
he gives
us the
right to
become
children of
God,
born
supernaturally
into his
family.
But that
couldn't be
without the
cross,
where Jesus
dealt with
our guilt
and our
sins.
love and
truths that
we have
just heard
from Jesus.
It's the
proof that
we are
precious to
God,
that we are
valuable to
him.
The cross is
the evidence
that he does
love and
care more
for us than
we can even
imagine.
So I
want to
invite you
in these
next moments
to look
at Jesus,
to think
of him
hanging
there,
and whether
you have
anything to
worry about.
Let's
quietly reflect
and pray.
We're just
going to have
a moment
where you
can confess,
repent,
give thanks,
praise God.
once we've
done that
for a few
minutes,
we'll have
Dave and
Rod come
up and
pass out
the elements.
And if
you have
trusted in
Jesus as
your Lord,
join with
us and
participate
with us.
And if
not,
please just
let the
elements pass
you by.
We'll wait
until everyone's
been served,
and then we'll
eat and drink
all together.