Sunday Sermons
Cares of the World
Cares of the World
Dr. Gary Collins has called anxiety "the official emotion of our age", and doctors Frank Minirth and Paul Meier call it "the underlying cause of most psychiatric problems". Long before these men made such observations, Jesus had specifically singled out worry or anxiety as something so dangerous, if left unchecked, it could choke one's spiritual growth and thus even keep one out of heaven (Luke 8:14). Living in a continual state of distress must be overcome.
Still with Us
One would think that with all our advances as a culture, with the eradication of certain diseases, and childhood vaccinations, a higher standard of living, more prosperity and personal comforts and an overall longer life span than previous generations, people wouldn't have much to worry about. Yet we seem to be just as anxious as any other age. When I hear people speak of worry, I hear often hear the false assumption "In the old days life was not as complicated. People, especially our young people, have far more challenges in these modern times." Truth is, there are a number of tradeoffs. We no longer need concern ourselves with smallpox, but certainly pornography is more assessable than ever before. Life has never been simple.
One more Proof
The fact that mankind with all his advances has not been able to get a handle on worry is just one more proof that by himself, man cannot handle life successfully (Jeremiah 10:23). The fact that Jesus, in one of His early sermons tackled this topic is yet another piece of evidence that the Bible is ever relevant (Matthew 24:35), that Jesus is our Creator and really knows all about us (John 2:24), what we are up against in this life and what our true and most pressing needs are.
What Often Worries Young People
Dr. G. Keith Olson identifies the following as false beliefs that many young people share:
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"It is essential that I am loved or approved by virtually everyone in my community".
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"I must be perfectly competent, adequate and achieving in order to consider myself worthwhile".
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"It is a terrible catastrophe when things are not as I want them to be".
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"Unhappiness is caused by outside circumstances, and I have no control over them".
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"Dangerous or fearsome things are causes of great concern, and I must continually dwell upon their possibility".
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"It is easier to avoid certain difficulties and self-responsibilities than to face them".
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"I should be dependent on others, and I must have someone stronger on whom I can rely".
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"My past experiences and events are the determiners of my present behavior, I cannot eradicate or alter the influence of my past".
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"There is always a perfect solution to every problem, and I must always find it or the results will be catastrophic".
Jesus and Anxiety
I am impressed that when Jesus started preaching (Matthew 4:23), He very quickly addressed this issue, and not merely with some passing comment, but with real and workable solutions. Rather than starting at Matthew 6:25, "For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life...", consider the previous verses, to see the ground work Jesus laid in this chapter:
Do not make pleasing men your number one priority: 6:1-6
Turning what people think into the ultimate standard of right or success, or your standard of self-worth will only bring countless worries and frustrations. How true the Proverb "The fear of man brings a snare" (Proverbs 29:25). People are just people - imperfect and sinners (Romans 3:23). Seeing that most people are on the broad way (Matthew 7:13-14), should teach us that their opinions are not the end-all. If there are people who do not like us (and Jesus said, "expect to be disliked" John 15:18-19), that just means that those people are missing out on a lot, including knowing us, and people like us.
Learn how to Pray: 6:6-15
Other passages stress the same truth when it comes to worry, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6); "Casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7).
Remember to Whom you are Praying: 6:7
"Paul Miller writes in A Praying Life: 'Instead of trying to suppress anxiety, manage it, or smother it with pleasure, we can turn our anxiety toward God. When we do that, we'll discover that we've slipped into continuous praying.' Imagine "slipping" into praying all day long. It is wonderful, and feels normal and right." (Andree Seu).
We are not talking to ourselves and neither are we praying to some preoccupied, weak or non-existent deity. We are addressing the only one who can really do something about the issues we face. I am always amazed when celebrities and other individuals spend thousands of dollars trying to get help or relief from another human being (who has his or her own problems) instead of simply praying to an all-powerful God. The truth is that no human being can really protect you from death, cancer, or any other thing that people worry about. I am not comforted when another human being says, "Don't worry about it". Because there are plenty of real problems, real threats, and real dangers! Bad things do happen, so I need to come to terms with the fact that there is really one Person who can "do something".
See what God is Doing all Around You
The reason that Jesus wanted us to look at birds of the air (6:26) or the lilies of the field (6:28), is that:
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If God puts a lot of effort into feeding birds and clothing the earth with beautiful wild flowers (even though the earth might be destroyed tomorrow), then He certainly will not abandon us - who will live on forever and ever.
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If God can provide for birds, who have no Social Security, Health Care Plan, 401K, Refrigerators, Grocery Stores or actual homes built with a building permit, then I taking care of us (who have all those other things) should not be a problem.
Realize what is Lasting and Secure: 6:19-24
The more we try to hold on to the things of this life and essentially make this life heaven, or invest heavily in material things, the more we will struggle with worry, for as Jesus noted, and you've probably observed more than once, we can lose physical wealth (6:19). In fact, Jesus is probably saying, "Expect to lose some". Inflation will take a bite, so will corruption, unethical people, downturns in the economy, and a thousand other things. The lesson: serving anything earthly willalways lead to frustration. Develop Jesus' realistic expectations about the things of this life and you will be much happier and far more content.
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Do not be shocked with earthly things break down and need repair, or when the moth and rust destroy. Consider all earthly things as temporary.
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Do not be shocked at the leaks in your budget, the unexpected things that drain some of your resources. It is far from the end of the world when the car needs fixed, the roof leaks or the microwave sparks and smokes. Your stuff will let you down.
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Do not get upset or depressed about the whole aging process (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). God says maturity is a good thing.
Understand Your Purpose Here
"Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing?" (6:25). "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you" (6:33).
Or, in other words, don't spend an inordinate amount of time desperately struggling for existence. The Lord made life where you could have some leisure time. He offers fruitful seasons (Acts 14:17) so you can go pursue the real rewarding and fulfilling aspects of life, that is, serving Him, worshiping, growing spiritually, helping others, building a wonderful marriage and enjoying your family.
Worry Accomplishes Absolutely Nothing
"And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span" (6:27). There are far too many productive things to do with your precious time. How true "Worry is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere."
It is All about Trust
"Are you not worth much more than they?" (6:26), "Will He not much more do so for you, O men of little faith?" (6:30). There is no reason to despair. Yes, others cannot protect us, and neither can we protect ourselves or foresee every problem. Yet God is there for us. If bad stuff happens, then with God's help and with my cooperation He can turn any event into something useful (Romans 8:28). "And when we have done that, we have become like Jesus - which is God's big idea anyway. Did you really think He was as interested in you keeping your job as in your trusting Him through the loss of it? Did you really think God was as interested in your present comfort as in the growth of your faith in Him? Did you really think He was as interested in you having a good reputation with everyone as in your trusting Him through the pain of a bad reputation?" (Andree Seu)
Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017
mdunagan@frontier.com
