WORRY: WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO OVERCOME IT (Matthew 6:25-34)

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1 WORRY: WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO OVERCOME IT (Matthew 6:25-34) A. In Papyrus Ebers, a medical book written in Egypt (1552 BC), we find that people worried about some of the same things we do. [There is remedy to prevent hair from turning gray. Anoint hair with the blood of a black calf boiled in oil or the fat of a rattlesnake. To keep from losing hair, apply a mixture of six fats to his hair, namely, those of the horse, hippopotamus, crocodile, cat, snake, & ibex.] I. WORRY ON THE RISE A. Prescription drugs 1. At least one out of every six Americans takes some kind of pill to change his or her mental attitude. B. Mental disorders. 1. The number of persons in mental institutions has increased over recent decades at an alarming rate, & thousands more with mental problems cannot or do not get the treatment they need. C. Alcohol consumption & drug abuse. 1. Although attempts have been made on a national scale to curb alcohol & drug abuse, people are still using & abusing these substances in an attempt to temporarily escape their problems. II. WHAT IS WORRY? A double-minded man [is] unstable in all his ways (James 1:8). 1

2 A. Dividing the mind. 1. The word worry comes from two Greek words: merizo means to divide, & nous, means the mind. 2. When one s mind is divided between the material & the spiritual, it affects his allegiance to Christ. 3. When one s allegiance is divided between God s & man, he is caused to worry. B. Trusting in things. 1. Jesus talked about worry within the context of a discussion of material things. 2. We learn to worry when we put more trust in things than we do in God. 3. When Jesus said, O you of little faith (Matt. 6:30), our minds are drawn to an incident in which Jesus & the disciples were tossed about in a ship on the Sea of Galilee. a. When the disciples cried out for their lives & were in fear of drowning, the Lord said to them, O you of little faith. b. Why? Because their faith was in the boat & not in Jesus. c. The boat was a material object. 4. Anytime we place too much faith in things & too little faith in Christ, we, too, will worry about survival and a hundred other things. C. Distracted by things. 2

3 1. Mary sat with Jesus while Martha fixed supper. 2. When Martha complained that Mary was not helping her, Jesus said, Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things (Luke 10:41). 3. When we are distracted by things, we learn to worry. Matthew 6:25 25 "For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, & the body more than clothing? D. What do we worry about? 1. In Jesus day, they worried about eating, drinking & clothing. Today, we worry about 2. Things that probably won t happen (40%). 3. Decisions we can t unmake (30%). 4. Criticism (12%). 5. Health (10%). 6. Open category for everything else (8%). E. What we really need to know is how to overcome worry. 1. Notice verse 25 begins with For this reason I say to you. a. For what reason? For the reason He stated in verse 24: You cannot serve God & wealth. 3

4 b. Everything Jesus said to the end of chapter 6 comes back to that statement. c. The implication is simple: - Serve wealth: worry - Serve God: no worries 2. Worry is like a rocking chair. It is something to do, but it never gets you anywhere. 3. A visitor from the Middle East returned to his homeland to describe life in America with three words: Hurry, worry, & bury. [Most of us are aware that we worry. But let s go into a little more detail on how to overcome it.] III. REALIZE HOW MUCH WORRY HURTS A. Worry hurts us spiritually. 1. Worry damages our relationship with the Father. 2. When we worry, we are acting like we don t believe Him. 3. And when you don t believe someone, what is He to you? A liar. Matthew 6:33 - "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Hebrews 13:5 - Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU," 1 Peter 5:7 - casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 4

5 Philippians 4:19 - And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. B. Worry hurts us physically. 1. One medical report states there are 219 diseases & 642 complications that are a direct result of anxiety (worry, fear). 2. Our physical body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16; 6:19; Gal 4:6). a. But if there is sin in our lives, like worry, the Holy Spirit will move out until we replace our worries & our fears with God s promises. IV. REALIZE HOW USELESS WORRY IS A. When we worry we forget our individual worth to God. 26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, & yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 1. We are human beings made in the image of God. Why should we worry? 2. We have even less reason to worry if we are His children in Christ. B. No one ever became taller or lived a day longer by worrying (27). 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? 1. Actually, nothing has ever been accomplished by worry. C. Worrying BLINDS us to the blessings of God (28-30). 5

6 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today & tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 1. When we worry we trample the blessing He gives us everyday under our feet & we forget that He has the power to make all things beautiful & meaningful. D. Worry is sinful. 31 "Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?' 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first His kingdom & His righteousness, & all these things will be added to you. 1. When the Lord said, For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things (v. 32), he was equating the Gentiles with all people who serve false gods or no god at all. [Here in central Texas we are experiencing an oil boom. People are doing everything they can to profit from this economic upswing. Most have abandoned God, & have no interest in His word - or - in His promises through the gospel. Some will attain great wealth in these times - but just as many will lose it as quickly as they earned it. But you just remember that you have a Father who will consistently supply your needs all the way through your life (even in times of adversity) and in the end grant eternal riches. Phil 4:12-13 So don t worry that someone is getting ahead of you financially. You keep plugging away at your work. Be not dismayed what-er e betide, God will take care of you; Beneath His wings of love abide, God will take care of you. (HFW #462)] 6

7 V. LIVE A DAY AT A TIME DOING THE WILL OF GOD 34 So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. A. The English author Jonathan Swift was fond of saying, May you live all the days of your life. 1. Many will not live all the days of their lives because they live in yesterday or in tomorrow. B. Do not live in tomorrow. 1. An enterprising service station manager put up a sign on one of his gas pumps: Free gasoline tomorrow. a. He left that sign up every day. 1 John 3:2 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 2 Corinthians 6:2 (Isa 49:8) 2 for He says, "AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU." Behold, now is "THE ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is "THE DAY OF SALVATION" 2. A widow who raised six children was asked, How did you do that great work for so many years? a. She replied, I m in a partnership with the Lord. I did what I could each day, and He took the worry away. 7

8 3. A Christian cannot live in tomorrow. Today is the watchword [slogan] for those who will do the will of God. Hebrews 4:7 7 He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS." C. Don t live in yesterday. 1. Don t live in yesterday s sorrows, sins, or successes. 2. Sometimes a bad memory is a good thing, because it keeps us focused on our present duties. 3. No one can improve on Jesus words, but others have learned from Him & it made them successful in life. a. Harvey Firestone Jr. - My favorite slogan is, Today is the first day of the rest of your life. So it s no use fussing about the past because you can t do anything about it. But you have today, & today is when everything that s going to happen from now on begins. Lamentations 3: The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24 "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I have hope in Him." 25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. 26 It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the Lord. 8