If I am Saved, Why Do I Still Worry? Matt. 6:25-34 3-10-13 PM
Are You a Worrier? As near as I can tell worry began in the Garden of Eden with Adam worrying about facing God after he had disobediently eaten of the forbidden fruit. So, worry has been a plaque of the human race since the beginning. But there is Good News for the habitual worrier. We CAN live a worry-free life if we follow God's Teachings on dealing with it.
Recognize the Divisive Nature of Worry Greek Word for Worry- thorubazo (thor-oo-bad'-zo); means to divide-partrip or tear apart. Worry itself divides our attention. It competes with faith for our souls.
Heb. 11:6 " without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."
We Need to Prioritize our Lives (in His Will) Faith is the oil in the machinery of life. Worry is the sand. A little worry can grind away your confidence for the future and leave you paralyzed.
Matt. 6:25-34 25 " Do not be anxious for your life, {as to} what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, {as to} what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns, and {yet} your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a {single} cubit to his life's span?
Matt. 6:25-34 28 And why are you anxious 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 even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. 30 But if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is {alive} today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, {will He} not much more {do so for} you, O men of little faith?
Matt. 6:25-34 31 Do not be anxious then, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'With what shall we clothe ourselves?' 32 For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things
Matt. 6:25-34 33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. {Each} day has enough trouble of its own."
Christ is Saying: "You take care of My business and I'll take care of yours. You put Me first, Seek first My Kingdom, and I'll take care of all these things bothering you."
Did You Know That 40% of what people worry about never happen at all. 30% of what people worry about has already happened (it's in the past). 12% of what the average person worries about is the area of criticism (what people say about them - most of it untrue).
Did You Know That 10% deals with ones health and worrying is only going to make it worse. Add all these together and that's about 92%. There is only 8% left of what could be real problems and even for these, worry won t do any good.
One Will Never Know Gods Peace Unless They Give up Worrying John 14:27- Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. It is crucial to a peaceful life that we trust God, BELIEVING IN HIS WORD. It is an absolute if we hope to please God and KNOW His peace.
We must NOT allow FEAR to Live- Where FAITH is SUPPOSED TO LIVE. Death walked toward the city. A man stopped Death and asked, "What are you going to do? "I am going to kill 10 thousand people," said Death. The man immediately warned as many people as he could. But ultimately 70 thousand still died.
We must NOT allow FEAR to Live- Where FAITH is SUPPOSED TO LIVE. The next day the man met Death again. "You said you were going to kill 10 thousand people, but 70 thousand people died yesterday." Death said, "Oh," he said, "I only killed 10 thousand people, worry and fear killed the others. "
Isaiah 26:3 "Thou shalt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon Thee, because he trusts in Thee." (KJV) IS THAT YOUR CONDITION? Are you fearful where you should be faithful?
3 Essentials about which we should NEVER Worry Food/ Drink (See verses 25-26) DO WE NOT TRUST that: The ground He created will nourish the seed And the rain He provides will encourage the growth of the seed And where the seed (which God created) will produce a hundred fold as much as was planted? (See- Gal 6:8-9; 2 Cor. 9:6; Mk. 4:20).
What He is Saying is: TRUST MY DESIGN. TRUST MY PLAN. TRUST ME.
He wants to take "worry" out of the Christian's vocabulary. Ps. 37:3 - Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Isaiah 50:10 - Who is among you that fears the LORD, that obeys the voice of His servant, that walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God. Jer. 17:7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and whose trust is the LORD.
Lastly He addressed: Fashion (See Verses 25, 28-29) Don't spend MORE of your time and energy building your wardrobe then you do building your relationship with God. Don t focus on the externals, but the internal beauty, that is what God sees. (1 Sam. 16:7).
Consider the Lilies Lilies grow from a deep root. The roots are where the plant receives its nourishment. The roots of believers are not to be in the material things of this earth BUT IN HIS WORD. Believers are to put their roots where they belong - in God and in His Righteousness. (Matt. 6:33). We are to gain our nourishment from God s Word and fill OUR lives with His Truth.
Remember His Promises DAILY. Heb. 13:5-6 - {GOD} will never desert you, nor will {He} ever forsake you. So that we confidently say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?"
Remember His Promises DAILY. Christ has reserved a place for you in Heaven, - (1 Pet. 1:4). Col 1:5 [Your] hope laid up for you in heaven {Y}our life is hidden with Christ in God When Christ is revealed, [you will] be revealed with Him in glory. (Col. 3:3-4)
Remember His Promises DAILY. 2 Tim 4:7-8 If we fight the good fight of faith and finish the course [of life] keeping the faith In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
There is ONLY ONE THING that is worth our preoccupation and attention: Seeking first His Kingdom and His Righteousness. (Matt 6:33). FIRST means FIRST. Before we worry. Before we become anxious. WE NEED TO CHOOSE TO TRUST GOD.
The Truth is People who are being pulled in two different directions are eventually pulled apart. Don t begin that useless tug of war SEEK FIRST the Kingdom (AND) Take life One day at a time, (Matt. 6:34). Always in TRUSTING FAITH that God is in control.
Bottom Line Worrying about life is useless but putting your FAITH in GOD is Heavenly.