Probably never do that to you.
If you were here last Sunday,
you'd remember that I began the message by talking about
there's just so much
on the news,
word of mouth,
so much going on
about the uncertainties of life
and the hardships of life.
And last week I made reference to
the devastation of Hurricane Harvey
and all the flooding
and as we are meeting right now,
Hurricane Irma.
Think about all the uncertainty.
The people throughout Florida,
Georgia,
South Carolina,
Alabama,
really the Southeast.
There's so much we don't know.
About what is heading for us.
So much that people are already experiencing
hardship over in South Florida
and in the Caribbean.
But you know,
we don't have to look on the news.
We don't have to look far away
to find hardship and uncertainty, do we?
Because right here in this room,
we experience it.
Some of you right now are going through hard times
or some uncertain times.
we need to remember
and put into practice
what we learned last week
about dealing with hardship and uncertainty
and the stress,
anxiety,
and worry
that it produces.
What we learned last week
about dealing with worry
came from Philippians chapter 4,
verses 6 through 7.
I'll give you three statements.
Don't worry about anything,
we're told.
Verse 6,
do not be anxious about anything.
The alternative is to pray.
Pray about everything.
Look at verse 6.
But in everything,
by prayer and supplication,
with thanksgiving,
let your requests be made known to God.
And then we looked at one other thing last week.
Look to God to replace worry with peace.
Verse 7,
and the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding,
which is beyond our ability to comprehend,
will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.
Today, I want to expand on that message.
And today, what I want us to do is look
at what Jesus said
in Matthew chapter 6,
the Sermon on the Mount,
which is probably,
or should be,
the most well-known passage in the Bible
on dealing with worry
or dealing with anxiety.
I do believe that worry
is the most popular subject
I ever preach on.
I always get a lot of positive feedback
from a message related to worry, stress, anxiety.
And last week was no different.
I appreciate the phone calls
and the statements,
emails,
about how God used that
to help some,
encourage some,
remind some.
Well, because it's such a powerful temptation
that we all have to deal with
more often than we would like,
I want to continue that thought
by looking at what Jesus said
here in the Sermon on the Mount.
And what I really want to focus on
is going to be toward the end
of today's message.
We,
instead of worrying,
as we trust God,
as we pray,
we need to make sure
we have the right priorities in life.
And we're going to look at that
in this message.
And then next Sunday,
I want us to look at a passage of Scripture
that shows us why.
We can be absolutely confident
that God knows us,
He loves us,
and is fully able to take care of us
no matter what.
And we'll see that in Psalm 139.
I hope you'll read that this coming week.
And think about all that is said there
about God's greatness,
God's activity.
But notice as you read
and prepare for next week
how the psalmist talks about
how God is so personally
involved in His life
and in our lives.
So right now, though,
let's look at Matthew chapter 6.
And if you would,
open your Bible.
We're not going to put it on the screen.
It's sort of a lengthy passage.
And we're going to keep looking back
at several things.
So Matthew chapter 6,
beginning in verse 25,
Jesus is teaching.
Therefore I tell you,
do not be anxious
or do not worry about your life,
what you will eat
or what you will drink,
nor about your body,
what you will put on.
Is not life more than food
and the body more than clothing?
Look at the birds of the air.
They neither sow nor reap
nor gather into barns.
And yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not of more value than they?
And which of you by being anxious
can add a single hour
to his span of life?
And why are you anxious about clothing?
Consider the lilies of the field,
how they grow.
They neither toil nor spin.
Yet I tell you,
even Solomon in all of his glory
was not arrayed like one of these.
But if God so clothes the grass of the field,
which day is alive
and tomorrow is thrown into the oven,
it's used for fuel,
build a fire with.
Will he not much more clothe you,
O you of little faith?
Therefore,
do not be anxious,
saying,
what shall we eat
or what shall we drink
or what shall we wear?
For the Gentiles
or pagans
or unbelievers,
different translations
use a different word,
for the unbelievers
seek after all these things.
And your heavenly Father knows
that you need them all.
But seek first
the kingdom of God
and his righteousness
and all these things
will be added to you.
Therefore,
do not be anxious about tomorrow
for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
Sufficient for the day
is its own trouble.
Jesus begins by addressing
the problem of worry.
He tells us three things
about why worry is unnecessary.
Number one,
worry is unnecessary
because God takes care
of his people.
Look back in verse 26,
if you would.
Jesus,
in talking to people,
says,
just look at the birds of the air.
They neither sow
nor reap
nor gather into barns.
And yet your heavenly Father
feeds them
look at verse 28.
And why are you anxious
about clothing?
Consider the lilies of the field,
how they grow.
They neither toil
nor spin.
Yet I tell you,
even Solomon
in all of his glory
was not arrayed
like one of those.
Now think about this.
Jesus brought up
the birds of the air
and the lilies of the field.
Obviously,
he was not enlightening anyone.
They don't get stressed
about anything in life.
Birds don't sit up in trees
and worry
about what they're going to eat.
Flowers,
they have no ability
to stress
over what they wear
or what they look like.
Jesus understood
that he was not talking
about a reality here,
about birds
and lilies of the field.
Thinking,
the point is this,
if God takes care
of these lesser creatures,
we can trust him
to take care of us
because we,
as human beings,
are his highest form
of creation.
God made human beings
in his image
and absolutely nothing else.
Nothing else
in all the created universe
is like us
as human beings.
that makes us special.
We are created
in the image
of Almighty God.
Plus,
while we're created
in the image of God,
ever since Adam and Eve
sinned
in the Garden of Eden
that is recorded
in Genesis chapter 3,
ever since they sinned,
we have not
lived like people
created in the image
of God.
We have blurred
that image
by our sin
and selfishness.
But yet,
God loves us enough
that he sent his son
into this world
to save us
by taking the punishment
that our sin
deserves
when he died
on the cross.
God loves us,
we who are created
in his image,
so much
God loves us.
He sent his son
into the world
to save us,
to change us,
and with his spirit
living in us
as believers
to start
making us
anew
in his image,
overcoming
some of the flaws
that will
eventually be
all overcome
in the new heaven
and new earth
that God's preparing
for us
with our new bodies.
But that's another subject.
Think for a moment.
Our heavenly Father
created everything.
He continues
to work
in everything,
guiding and directing
according to his
purpose,
which is ultimately good.
He can be trusted
with everything
in our lives
because of who he is,
because of what he's
already done for us.
He can be trusted
so we don't have
to worry.
God
takes care
of
his
people
and Jesus
is just letting us know
God takes care
of everything,
even things
as lowly as a bird
and a flower.
How much more
will he take care
of us?
So trust him.
Secondly,
worry is unnecessary
because,
or it's useless
because it doesn't
change one thing.
Look at verse 27.
And which of you
by being anxious
can add a single hour
to a span of life?
I like the way
the New Living
translation says,
it says,
can all your worries
add a single moment
to your life?
What are you worried
about right now?
Or,
let's be more spiritual,
what are you tempted
to worry about right now?
Hurricane Irma
probably is the top
of a lot of people's list.
But,
in this room,
some people are worried
about some health issues,
some test results,
some people are worried
about some things
going on in their home,
family related.
Some people are worried
about some things
and others
in your Sunday school class
are sitting next to you.
They know it.
But,
we have some concerns
that no one knows about.
It's just us.
And we're not going
to tell anyone.
But whatever your concern
or worry is,
let me ask you this.
What is your
getting stressed out,
losing sleep,
being anxious,
not being able to eat,
what good
is that going to do?
I want you to think with me.
Your greatest
source of,
say,
ongoing
temptation to worry.
Not just one
isolated thing,
but most of us,
there are certain things
in our life
that's sort of
an ongoing battle.
We're tempted to worry
or, just to be honest,
we do worry.
Most of
my adult life,
my greatest
source of worry
has been
my children,
my boys.
And I've reached
the point in life,
they've reached
the point in life,
I can look back
and say,
there are unique
worries at every age.
When they're preschoolers,
there's certain
kind of things
you are sort of
anxious about.
When they're children,
there's some other things.
When they're teenagers,
it's just a whole
new ball game,
isn't it?
But I used to think
if I can just live
and they can live
to get out
of those teenage years,
get over,
you know,
come down off
fool's hill,
maybe get married,
settle down,
be adults,
I used to think,
I won't ever worry
about them anymore.
that's not true.
I see some of you
smile,
even nod,
who have adult children.
There's never a time
that you're not
concerned about
your children,
no matter what
their age is.
And then when they
start having children,
you start being
concerned,
worrying,
about those
grandchildren.
children.
Now,
how do you deal
with it?
Are you able
to deal with it?
And if you do,
just give in the
temptation to do worry.
Does it help?
You know,
there's two ways
to do this.
I'm going to use
Lisa and me
as an example
because I'm
the bad guy
in this.
When our boys
were teenagers,
they'd be out
somewhere,
and they didn't,
you know,
it was getting late
and they weren't
home.
I was the one
who was stressed.
I believed
God's sovereign.
I prayed for them,
but when it got
time,
I thought they
ought to be home.
I started looking.
And when it was
past time,
I thought they
ought to be home.
I was looking
and I was mad
and I was stressed
out.
And I can remember
at times looking
out the window,
thinking,
even praying,
Lord,
bring them home.
Lord,
keep them safe.
Get them here
so I can kill them.
Being that mad
and that stressed
and both of them
can tell you,
you can ask them
after this service.
I met them
at the door.
But you know
what Lisa was doing?
Sawing logs.
And we talked
about that
lots of times.
She trusted
that God
was sovereign
and she prayed
for those boys
and she went
to bed
and went to sleep
and she did not
worry nine times
out of ten.
Nine times
out of ten.
She got good
nights sleep.
many nights
when I didn't
and the reason
was
she chose
to trust God
and rest
in Him
and I didn't.
and I'll be
prideful.
I knew more
about the
sovereignty of God
than she did
but it didn't
do a bit
of good
because I
wouldn't just
let God
take care of
them
and trust
Him.
I wanted
to worry
and stress
and think
about all
the negative
possible
scenarios
that could
happen.
Jesus is
telling us
worry
is useless
because it
changes
nothing.
It helps
nothing.
It really
only hurts.
It can't
hurt us
physically.
Make us
sick.
Make us
have ulcers.
It hurts
us emotionally.
It hurts
the spirit
spiritually
because sooner
or later
as Christians
we realize
we're not
trusting God.
We're
dishonoring
Him
which comes
to the next
thing.
Worry is
unbelief
because it
indicates our
failure to
trust God.
Look in
verse 31
again.
Therefore
do not be
anxious
saying what
shall we eat
or what
shall we drink
or what
shall we wear
for the
Gentiles.
NIV says
the pagans.
Some
translations
say the
unbelievers
seek after
all these
things
and your
heavenly
Father
knows
that you
need them
all.
Let me
just throw
in from
last week.
Worry is
not the same
thing as
concern.
Nowhere does
the Bible
say we
should be
unconcerned.
Don't care.
Be detached.
Be unemotionally
involved in
life and
people around
you.
No.
Jesus was
fully involved
in life.
Jesus was
very concerned
about people.
Jesus wept
at times.
Jesus parted
with his
friends at
times.
Jesus got
mad at
times and
confronted and
really went
at those
hypocritical
Pharisees who
opposed him.
Worry
literally means
to be divided,
to be pulled
apart.
Jesus addressed
the sin of
worry immediately
after he had
said what you
read in verse
24 about no
one can serve
two masters.
Look at it
real quickly.
He says no
one can serve
two masters
for either he
will hate the
one and love
the other or
he will be
devoted to the
one and
despise the
other.
You cannot
serve God
and money.
Therefore,
I tell you,
do not be
anxious about
your life.
Jesus was
saying,
you cannot
be my
disciple.
You can't
live a
Christian life
unless you
have a
single-minded
devotion to
God.
You've got
to seek
him and
his will
above all
other things.
worry is a
sign that
we're divided.
Worry in
our mind.
Worry is a
sign that we
don't really
trust God
completely.
We trust
him some
but not
a hundred
percent.
My boys
were out.
I had a
good theology
and intellectually
I did trust
God, no
doubts, but I
was divided.
I didn't
trust him
completely.
Jesus is
saying when
we do that
kind of
stuff, when
we worry
like this,
we're a
living life,
acting like
an unbeliever.
We're not
acting like
children of
God.
If we have
God as our
heavenly
father, if
we really
know we're
his children,
we should
trust that he
can and is
able to take
care of us
and our
situations and
our family,
how do you
respond to the
stressful situations
that you have to
deal with?
Do you
trust your
heavenly father
as Jesus talks
about here?
Do you pray?
As Paul told
us, that's the
thing we need to
do instead of
worry, pray.
Do you trust
God's will is
best?
Now that's
hard.
It's one
thing to
trust God.
It's one
thing to pray
and ask God
to work in
your life.
But what
if God's
will is
something that
you don't
like, that
you don't
want, that
it's the
opposite of
what you're
praying about?
Are you
willing to
be like
Jesus as
he prayed in
the garden of
Gethsemane?
As he's
looking, looking
at the next
few hours, he's
going to be
arrested, he's
going to be
tortured, he's
going to be
executed, he's
going to be
put on that
cross?
Jesus says,
if it's possible
that this cup
pass from me,
this cup of
suffering,
nevertheless, not
my will, but
your will be
done.
That's what
Jesus prayed.
God's will was
hard.
I think it's
very important
as we talk
about these
kind of
things, about
don't worry,
trust God,
don't worry,
pray.
Jesus is not
saying that if
you don't
worry and you
do trust God
and you do
pray, he's
not saying all
will work out
the way you
want it to.
I want to
repeat a quote
from a guy by
the name of
Joe Thorne
from last
week, because
I think it's
vitally important
that we
understand this
as we think
about not
worrying, as we
think about
praying, think
about trusting
God, we need
to understand what
that does mean
and what it
does not mean.
He does a
great way, he
describes that in
a good way.
Look at it.
God does not
promise to rid
your life of
affliction and
difficulty.
Some people will
say that God
will do that.
Some people say
if you just pray
the right prayer,
have the right
kind of faith,
God will do
that.
That's a lie.
That is something
that the devil
came up with
and put in
some, probably
well-meaning
Christian's mind,
that's just
designed to hurt
us, to hinder
us, to weaken
our relationship
with the Lord.
God does not
promise to rid
your life of
affliction and
difficulty.
He does,
however, often
to give you,
offer to give
you the grace
needed to suffer
well.
It isn't wrong
to ask God to
relieve you of
your pain.
Certainly it's
not wrong.
We should.
But it is
more important
that in the
midst of the
pain, you
rely on the
promise of
God to work
such experiences
for His glory
and your good.
To use these
times as a
means of
perfecting your
faith, strengthening
your spirit, and
transforming your
life in such a
way that you are
becoming more
like Jesus.
That's really
God's goal for
us.
And the fact
is,
the way that
we become
like Jesus
sometimes requires
hardship,
suffering,
pain.
Jesus tells us
there's a better
way to respond to
life's hardships
and uncertainties
than to worry.
Let's look at the
next thing.
The alternative to
worry in verses
33 and 34.
Paul last week
said it was to
pray.
Jesus expands
that.
He says,
first of all,
live with the
right priorities.
Look at verse
33.
Seek first the
kingdom of God
and His
righteousness.
The kingdom of
God is the
rule of God.
In relation to
us, it means
that God rules
or reigns over
our lives.
What that means,
I think one way
to think about
this is this.
We need to seek
to know and do
the will of God
as the first
priority of our
life.
We need to
seek to know
and do God's
will, His way,
under His
authority, as the
first priority of
our life.
That implies we
have a relationship
with God as our
Heavenly Father.
See, Jesus is, in
the Sermon on the
Mount, He's
teaching us, talk
to God in prayer
and call Him your
Heavenly Father.
Matthew 6, beginning
in verse 9.
He's used this
phrase, your
Heavenly Father,
several times in
this passage we've
read.
Jesus is saying,
seek first the
kingdom of God,
but make sure He is
your Father.
That only comes
through faith in
Jesus.
If you don't have a
relationship with
God like this, I
encourage you to
begin one now.
By admitting to
God you don't have
it, you don't
really know Him.
Turn from your
sin.
Put your trust in
Jesus Christ as
your Savior.
Trusting that He
died on the cross
for your sins.
If you need to
come to Christ, call
upon Him to save
you this moment.
And the Scripture
says, whoever calls
on the name of the
Lord will be saved.
So do that.
But as a Christian
now, what are the
top priorities in
your life?
There's a lot of
things that will be
on the list.
And I want you to
understand, Jesus is
not teaching us in
this passage when He
says don't worry
about what you eat
and drink and wear
and all this kind
of stuff.
He's not telling us
to never think about
or plan how we're
going to live in
this world.
He is not condemning
anyone who's concerned
about making a living,
taking care of your
family, and those
kind of practical
things.
The Bible is filled
with examples and
Proverbs is filled
with all kinds of
little sayings.
And there's other
teachings in the Bible.
Paul talks about it
quite a bit, actually,
in some of his
letters.
There's a lot of
things in the Bible
that stresses the
importance of work.
If you don't work,
you don't eat.
Save, invest, take
care of your family.
It's your responsibility
to take care of your
family.
Give to people in
need.
Recognize truly needy
people around you
and help them.
It's our responsibility
as Christians.
God calls us to
recognize all these
kind of things.
They are important.
But we need to
recognize God gives
us these things,
gives us these
abilities, and we're
supposed to wisely
manage what God
gives us.
But as important as
all this kind of
stuff is, like
working and saving
and giving and all
this kind of stuff,
that's not the
ultimate priority.
Seeking after all
these things should
not displace knowing
and loving God and
doing His will in the
details of life.
Seeking first the
kingdom of God, His
righteousness, His
holiness, living a
life characterized
by love and joy and
peace and patience and
kindness and goodness
and faithfulness and
gentleness and self-control,
living a life of loving
people and meeting
people's needs, living a
holy life ourselves.
This should be a top
priority, that as we
work and take care of
our family and help
people and give and
serve God, we should do
it all in a way that
we're seeking to honor
God, to do His will, to
serve other people in
His name, to do what we
do for His glory.
We can put it that way.
We will never overcome
worry unless we make our
relationship with God our
first priority in life.
There's just no other
way.
Let's look at one more
thing Jesus said as an
alternative to worry.
Look at verse 34.
Live one day at a time.
That's just something that
would help us all if we'd
think about it and
actually try to do it,
wouldn't it?
Now when you say, He says
verse 34, look at it one
more time.
Therefore do not be
anxious about tomorrow,
for tomorrow be anxious
for itself.
Sufficient for the day is
its own trouble.
Now when Jesus says things
like that, He does not
mean don't plan for
tomorrow.
He doesn't mean don't
ever think about tomorrow,
don't ever think about
the future, don't ever
plan.
He's not saying that.
The Apostle Paul was a
detailed planner.
If you have any doubts,
read for example his
letter to the Romans, the
book of Romans chapter 1,
if you want to write it
down, Romans 1, 8 through
13.
In Romans chapter 15,
verses 20 through 29.
Paul made detailed plans
about what he was going to
do in the future.
About going to Spain,
going to Rome, and have
those Christians help him
become his home church,
become his sending church.
But Paul always knew, and
he said this in a lot of
his letters, that his plans
were subject to change if
that was not what God
planned.
Paul would sometimes say
things like, if the Lord
wills, or if the Lord
permits, he's going to do
this or do that.
But know what Jesus says
about tomorrow.
Don't be anxious about it.
Don't stress over it.
Max Lucado has some helpful
comments about what Jesus
said.
He says, God will help you
to deal with whatever hard
things come up when the time
comes.
And then he goes on to give
some advice with an emphasis
on this phrase, when the time
comes.
Look at it.
To the lady who says, I don't
know what I'll do if my
husband dies.
Lucado responds, you will when
the time comes.
To the parent who says, when my
children leave the house, I
don't think that I can take it.
Lucado responds, it won't be
easy, but strength will arrive
when the time comes.
Then he makes one more
statement.
The key is this.
Meet today's problems with
today's strength.
Don't start tackling tomorrow's
problems until tomorrow.
You do not have tomorrow's
strength yet.
You simply have enough for
today.
We need to learn to live one
day at a time.
Plan for the future, but
understand you don't really
know what's going to happen
tomorrow.
So we've got to trust God and
make all our plans with a
phrase, with the understanding,
if the Lord wills.
Worry is a temptation for all
of us, but it's never a
solution to our problems.
Never a solution to the
things that hurt us that we
fear in life.
Keep in mind, Jesus did not
say, don't care.
Don't be concerned.
But he did say, do not worry.
The solution to our problem
and the actual sin of worry
is to trust God.
I mean, that sounds simple,
but that's true.
Trust God.
He knows what we need.
He knows when we need it.
And he is our sovereign God
and heavenly Father who can
meet that need and will at the
right time.
Number two, develop the right
priorities.
Make God his will, serving
his purpose, the first
priority of your life, and
then live one day at a time.
You know, bottom line is
that's all we can do anyway.
We just make life more
stressful when we don't live
one day at a time.
This is the way that Jesus
teaches us to worry.
It's the only way that will
work, but it will only work
in the life of a person who
has a real relationship with
God as their heavenly Father.
So as we end, I want to
encourage you.
Make sure that you know God
as your heavenly Father.
Make sure that you have a
right relationship with him
if you're a Christian as your
heavenly Father.
Let's pray together.
Father, thank you for not
leaving us in this world and
telling us just do the best we
can.
But thank you for promising
always to be with us, to
never leave us nor forsake
us.
Help us to trust you in that.
Help us to learn to bring all
of our concerns to you in
prayer.
Help us, Father, to make you
knowing, loving, serving you,
and doing your will our first
priority above all else.
Help us, Father, to learn to
take everything one day at a
time.
Help us, Father, to not give in
to the temptation to worry.
And, Father, as we seek to
obey you, we trust that you
will give us the peace that is
beyond comprehension, that you
promise to your people, that you
promise to give us in place of
worry when we come to you the
right way.
So now, in an attitude of
prayer, you listen to the Lord
and you obey Him and do what
He's telling you to do and
leave here better prepared to
not worry this week.
If I could pray with you, I'll
be here at the front, I would be
happy to do that.
You come.
You're in the next few
minutes.
What do we do?
I O prelude it now.
You hold.
Let's take care of myself.
I thinkible times we take all
this week with можно into
details.
You'll be happy to olduğ Diego
and I will remember something
about you.
You husband, baby.
Take care of yourself.
Bur Sü are...
I'm going.
...
Know what We do.
Thank you,33.
Maybe we read this moment.
And I hope that you
can all love that, I hope that
I'm trying to review.
You'll be the right인데,
and we will be the right
Young, because maybe when
Go ahead, man where
the fact is right.
You can see you.
We'll follow the answer
and save this week with
iceberg.
The CAP that
us.