Why Worry?

 

COLERAINE INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES SUNDAY 23 JUNE 2024 – MR ANDREW DALY

MATTHEW 6 VERSES 24 – 34

A WORD FOR THE WORRIERS

 

The story is told of a lady who was having a lot of trouble getting to sleep because she was worried that someone would break into her house.  Her husband tried to reassure her but to no avail.  If there was the slightest noise in that house it would disturb her even more.  One night her husband heard a rustling downstairs.  When he went downstairs, he found a burglar in the kitchen.  He was half way through the window and when he was caught tried to escape.  The husband said to the burglar “here let me help you through that window.  I want to introduce you to my wife, she has been waiting for you for 10 years.”

 

The story we come to forms part of the Beatitudes.  Jesus was teaching some practical aspects of everyday living.  He has been teaching about temptation, tithing and giving, prayer, where our treasure ought to be.  Now the Lord teaches on something practical we will encounter in life at one stage or another – the problem of worry.  The word of God is very practical.  Jesus knew his followers had worries about practical things.  How wonderful that the creator of the universe, the God of heaven would come and speak to us about human frailty and weakness, that he would give practical teaching to apply to the circumstances we find in everyday life.  I am sure there is not one that is not worrying about something today.  It is causing anxiety at this moment.  The uneducated worry about they don’t have enough education and the educated worry about knowing too much.  The poor fret that they have no money and the rich don’t know what to do with their money.  The young worry about the future and the old worry what the future will hold.    Worry is something we all have to deal.  The devil will use that to distract us and stagnate our faith in God.  We worry so much.  When we worry we reduce our confidence in the sovereignty of God. We doubt the goodness of God.

 

In Matthew 6 we find little a word for worriers.  In verse 25 we are commanded “take no thought for your life.”  Jesus is continuing his teaching about believers getting their priorities right.  Either a man serves God or he serves something else which so often becomes materialism.  “Take no thought for your life.”  Don’t use your God given intellect to think about life.  It doesn’t mean that you do not plan for things or prepare for things.  It is not saying not to think about being anxious or concerned about everyday life.  In the original Greek the original word means dividing and mind.  Division - the devil is pulling your mind apart today.  He is dividing things.  James says “the double minded man is unstable in all of his ways.”  Don’t have divided thoughts about the practical things of life.  In verse 34 we read why – because tomorrow shall take care of itself.  Jesus is not saying live a life without plan.  In other parts of the word of God we are told to plan, to take stock.  Luke 14 tells the story of a man intending to build a tower.  He sat down and took stock of the materials, the finances to finish the building.  To plan.  Jesus then went on to teach about a king and whether he had enough men and ammunition to fight a battle.  Surely he would sit down first and prepare his battle plan. Why are we commanded not to worry?  Because worry starts to impact every aspect of our lives.  In 1 Kings 19 there was a threat against Elijah’s life.  He ran from Queen Jezebel.  It impacted him mentally, physically, socially but also spiritually.  Worry impacts us in every way possible.  What really is worry? A sin against God.  Worry is really not trusting the promises and providence of God.  Jesus gives the command to take no thought for your life.  Psalm 37 when David was encouraging the people of God he told them to “fret not.”  Isaiah 41 also tells us “fear not”  Our thoughts are commanded in the imperative – what God commands us to do he makes possible by his power and strength.  In the bible there are 365 “fear nots” - one for every day of the year.  Is that not comforting?  A balm to the worrier.  God says fret not, fear not.  A command to the worrier.

 

The cause for the worrier.  Jesus knows the things that cause people to worry.  They are the basic things, essential things we worry about.  Firstly, in verse 24 he deals with finance.  “You cannot serve God and mammon.”  That word “mammon” really means riches or wealth.  We can become obsessed by money, checking our bank balances constantly.  We can become consumed with making money and that can cause us to worry.  Finances are a genuine concern for some people today.  For some they don’t know where their next meal is coming from.  Many today are worried about finances.  The cost of living has caused many to worry.  Not only do we see finances as a worry but we can see food is also a worry - verse 25.  Remember where Jesus is standing - on top of the mountain and looking down over the Sea of Galilee.  In Israel at that time food production could have been a problem.  The crops were dependent on the weather to ripen and produce food.  Some years meant rainfall was not as plentiful.  As Jesus looks down he could see all of this.  In the hot sun many of the crops could dry up.  Locusts would come and eat up the crop and there would be a famine.  This was more a problem than what we have here in our country today.  In Haggai we read the food was maybe not plentiful.  Not producing the harvest.  They didn’t have enough to satisfy them.  Inflation was spiralling out of control.  People had real worries about food.  Jesus told them to stop worrying about food.  We might say we have no problem worrying about food.  Remember when COVID was first declared and people started to panic buy?  Shelves in the supermarket were empty.  That is one of the things we worry about – the bare necessities.  At the end of verse 25 Jesus speaks of fashion – “what ye shall put on.”  Maybe you know about fashion - we want to have the best of clothes.  It is not simply about what happens when a hole appears in the shirt and you haven’t enough to buy another shirt.  In verse 27 we read about the future.  Maybe when we think about the word “stature” we think about our physical height.  Really it means the span or the length of our lives.  We cannot add one single moment to our lives by worrying.  We cannot add another day to our lives.  The very day we pass from this scene of time is already determined by God himself.  God has a timetable for each of our lives.  We can worry ourselves to death.  We live in a day and age when there are many health crazes aiming to lengthen the days of our lives – think of the many slimming clubs, vitamins, spans and gyms.  Yes they are all great but they will not add one day to our lives.  That day has been planned for us.  He continues his thinking in verse 34.  An unknown future can cause us to worry.  That is the one thing we are prone to worry about more than anything else.  Perhaps there is something in the future that is really bothering you – maybe it is your physical weakness.  Or how long can I stay at home?  What is the future for my family business?  Maybe even the future is what you are worrying about – the one who knows the future has everything in his hands.  As you see the causes of worry Jesus deals with, can we identify with them?  Maybe you have found yourself under the worry cloud.

 

There is a consideration for the worrier. Jesus never gives us a command that he cannot keep.  He gives us the strength to keep us.  Why we shouldn’t worry – verse 25 it is senseless.  “Is not the life more important than food and the body than raiment?”  He provides for the greater things – will he not also meet the smaller needs of food and clothing?  Paul in Romans 8 talks about the greatest gift of all – salvation.  If God met the need of salvation will he not meet the needs of every day life by his boundless provision? “He that spared not his son   He is not promoting health and wealth gospel or the name it and claim it philosophy.  He is saying God will supply every need.  Paul wrote to the Philippian church “he will provide not our wants but all our needs.”  If he has bought us with a price, granted eternal life through Jesus how much more will he not provide for us in every day?  God’s word never fails.  We should rejoice in that he has been faithful in his word.  Has God ever let you down?  Has there been a day when he hasn’t met the need for food and clothing?  When he hasn’t poured out his blessing on us?  Surely we have to reflect that his mercies are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.  Worry is not only senseless, it is needless.  The Lord uses the picture of the birds of the air to really drive home the fact that worry is needless – verse 26.  There is an estimated 11,000 different types of bird across the world.  “Who provides the raven his food?”  Job said.  The Psalmist said in Psalm 147 “he giveth to the beast his food and to the young ravens which cry.”  The birds never worry about food.  They never go hungry – because our heavenly father provides for them.  He goes on to remind us of the dignity of human life.  “Are ye not much better than that?”  God did not make man like an animal.  He gave Adam a soul and dominion.  God gave the human race dignity and a special position that the animal kingdom does not have.  He died for you and me.  How much better are we than the birds of the air? 

 

Said the Robin to the Sparrow,
“I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so!”

Said the Sparrow to the Robin,
“Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no heavenly Father
Such as cares for you and me!”

 

When you consider the provision for the fowls of the air can we not be assured he will make provision for you and I?  As if that argument was not enough he looks in verses 28 and 29 at the picture of the fields.  As you look around you see some beautiful flowers in the garden and fields.  While the gardener might plan and prune and the farmer might also sow seed and spread the fertilizer, it is ultimately God who gives the increase.  Even Solomon the richest man in all the earth saw beauty in the little flowers than any of his money.  Jesus points out it is not only senseless but needless.  It is also useless – verse 27.  Not one of us can add a day to our lives.  Worry is faithless – verses 31 and 32.  Worry is a symptom of the deeper problem.  Gerry Bridges wrote a book about acceptable sins and he noted that worry was one of them.  Notice that worry was a problem for the Gentiles or the pagans.  They had no room for God, no thought for God.  They are really people who have to worry yet the believer should have his trust in Christ the solid rock.  He is the provider.  James reminds us he provides every good and perfect gift that comes from above.  Do we need to cry out “help my unbelief, Lord increase my faith, give me the peace that passeth all understanding for my circumstances.”  The consideration for the worrier.

 

The cure for the worrier – verse 31.  The flip side to worry - to have faith in the heavenly father.  “O ye of little faith”.  Remember when the disciples and Jesus were on the sea of Galilee and a storm arose.  Jesus was sleeping and the disciples worried that the boat was taking on too much water.  They awoke Jesus saying “carest not that we perish?”  Jesus asked them “why are ye fearful O ye of little faith?”  They had forgotten who was in the boat with them.  The Lord rebuked the winds and waves by the power of his word and a great calm came over the waters.  They forgot the provider when the storm came.  Verse 33 not only are we to get our faith right but we are to get our priorities will be right too.  So many times our worry can be dissipated when we fix our eyes on the Lord, get our faith on him our priorities will be right.  We also need to get our perspective right.  Verse 34 take one day at a time. We are not to add todays worries by tomorrows burdens.  There is no point in worrying about the things of tomorrow.  Moses had to learn that in the midst of his busy schedule.  He had to learn “as thy days so shall thy strength be.”  God provides strength for every day, he gives strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.  Only give us our need right when we need it.  The children of Israel needed to learn when they were provided with the manna they couldn’t stock pile it.  They had to use today’s manna today and God would provide new manna for tomorrow.  God was always giving and giving again.  When tomorrows burdens are with us tomorrows grace will always be there to meet them.  We worry about things that there is no point worrying about.  Are you anxious, weighed down by the weight of worry?  Lift your eyes to God. Hope in God.  Seek first the kingdom of God.  Look to him today.  When our faith is failing, anchor in him.  The problems of life will pale into insignificance.  He is with us every step of the way.  Commit the unknown future to a known God.  One that has never failed on his promises.  A word for the worrier today – Jesus says “don’t worry.”  I will lead you with my grace tomorrow.  He will never leave us or forsake us.