Keep sharing good news without ads.
Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/howard-barnes/care-and-anxiety/
Matthew chapter 13, verse 22, the Lord Jesus is giving the interpretation of the parable of the sower. Verse 22, he also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word and the care of this world the care of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becometh unfruitful.
You could have read on into Luke's gospel chapter 8 and have added also to this list of unfruitful potential the pleasures as well of this age. The Lord Jesus Christ gave this parable. Very often we press it into service for the gospel and I suppose we do well.
However, the real parable meaning is something to do with fruitfulness. This morning we heard about fruitfulness from John chapter 14. Fruit, more fruit, and much fruit. We used to be told that fruitfulness is Christ likeness.
That's pretty good. When you think of the purpose of fruit, you and I enjoy the grape and we enjoy the raisins and everything that comes from that, but the real purpose of the grape is to carry the seed and the seed is for the reproduction of the vine.
And so when the Lord Jesus Christ would say I'm the true vine and we think it through, then surely the reproduction of Christ in our lives is fruitfulness. So here when the Lord himself would talk about that which is the potential for becoming unfruitful, then we listen carefully.
Indeed the Lord Jesus speaks here of it's the seed, the seed of the Word. It's good seed. Nothing wrong with the seed. The problem's in the soil. And I want to think about those elements in the soil that can stop the soil becoming fruitful and the seed producing fruit.
We want to think really it's actually about one word we're going to look at. Later on we'll be looking there at Philippians chapter 2. And we read once again that little word we found in verse 22, the cares.
And there indeed it's produced, very positive way, it speaks of Timothy who will genuinely care for your state. So we want to speak about caring and ask a simple but important question. When does caring for something become worry and become anxiety and become potentially unproductive?
Now that's very important because you and I live in this age and connected with this age are the various concerns that the Lord Jesus speaks about here, the cares of this age. And later on we'll see some examples.
But we want to know the difference because to care is important. Timothy was a caring person. But at what point does the care turn negative and rob God of fruit? That's important. And in fact, I can already tell you the answer.
It's very simple. If the care is for self, you'll find the four examples used in the scripture is worry and anxiety and it's negative. But when the care is for others, it's positive and useful and very helpful for them.
So this particular word we're going to look at, if you have a Newberry Bible, you can follow through the Greek word and find it's the same in each application. It all depends. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.
What? Well, not only to care for your own things, but also the things of others. And indeed it's self versus others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. So we see, you know, the potential says added to, well, you have this very interesting list, the deceitfulness of riches and here the care of this age, plus the pleasures of this age as well.
It says this indeed, these choke, they choke. Here they are, the thorns that choke the word and the here we have indeed the potential for fruit bearing because the seed is good, but the soil has become polluted with these particular things.
The care of this world, this age in which we live and the deceitfulness of riches. Here's something growing up. The thorns indeed weren't there to be obvious at the beginning. Here's a good start. Here is what looks like well on the way to fruitfulness, but then the thorns begin to grow up quickly and soon they are choking this good thing.
And the end result, it says, it becometh unfruitful. So what potentially looked good was very sad at the end. And indeed, as this is Christ's likeness in the believer's life, I believe that indeed it's a very important thing.
And you could think of young believers, we all know young believers who showed every potential at the beginning. And yet these things crept in and they choked the word. And at the end, there was no fruitfulness and disappointment from their lives.
Now that's very sad. It's sad for us. It's disappointing for God. God has been robbed of a life of usefulness because these wrong things, the cares, the anxieties of this age have crept in. Then along the same lines, please, we're going to go back to Matthew chapter six, Matthew chapter six, verse 25.
The Lord Jesus, according as you look here, it's the Sermon on the Mount, so-called. And chapter five tells us that he went up into a mountain and when he was set, his disciples came unto him and he opened his mouth and taught them.
But it's very obvious as well, looking for this, there were people listening in, but nevertheless, we're not interested in the crowds. We're interested in the disciples, those who'd left all and followed him.
And indeed, the Lord Jesus says to them in verse 24, you cannot serve God and mammon. Very simply, you can't serve God and greed or money and riches. And then he says, therefore, you can't split, you can't divide your attention, your loyalty and your energy between two things.
He says, I say unto you, therefore, take no thought. Take no thought. Now, it might not seem apparent at the beginning, but what the Lord Jesus is talking about is anxiety, would you believe? Because at the very basis of this expression, take no thought, is exactly the same word as the word care.
And it actually comes from a word that means to divide. And the Lord Jesus said, you can't divide your attention and interest and thoughts and concerns between two things, between God and riches, between God and greed.
And you will become distracted. And that's how the word comes along, to think about care. Distraction. So, the Lord says, therefore, because you can't divide your attention and interest and energy, therefore, I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, neither for your body, what ye shall put on.
Exactly the same word. I know it's in disguise in the authorized version, but to take thought for here means to care and to have anxiety. To care too much. And indeed, for it to turn into worry and anxiety.
Now, here are men who all their lives were working men. And the Lord Jesus called them to be with him. Now they have no constant stated income. And now they are, as we would say, full time. And maybe there's thoughts creeping in, anxieties creeping in, and they are distracting them.
But this potential is here. And the Lord Jesus says, well, don't let them distract your attention. And if their thoughts and attention and concentration was distracted from the Lord Jesus Christ and his teaching into everyday things that they might worry about, their next meal, their next garment, or whatever it would be, as they look down and saw, well, the garment's beginning to wear now, what am I going to get next?
Because go down, please, to verse 27. And the Lord Jesus speaks there about the limitations of anxiety. Which of you by taking thought, and that simply means again, caring so much that you're anxious, can add one cubit to his stature.
That is unproductive. It doesn't do anything. Verse 28. And why take ye thought for raiment? Perhaps, you know, the coat was getting threadbare. And what about a new coat? I'm not working. I'm trusting the Lord Jesus.
I'm following him. I've given up all. Well, worrying about it won't produce a new garment. So why take ye thought? Why be anxious for raiment? And then I'm pleased to verse 31. Therefore, take no thought, saying, what shall we eat?
Now, what are these things? Well, for the disciples at that time, in that condition, they were the cares of this age. The things, the worry creeping in. And say, well, what about the next meal? What about the next garment?
And then the Lord Jesus said, look, verse 32. After all these things do the Gentiles seek? Here's the pursuit of the Gentiles. They are worrying about the next meal. They are worrying about the next garment.
You shouldn't be doing that. Why not? And here's the antidote there in verse 32. For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. And the Lord goes through food and drink and clothing.
The cares, the anxiety of this age that constantly occupy the thoughts and attention of the Gentiles. Those indeed who have no connection with the heavenly Father. Those indeed dominate their thoughts, but they shouldn't for you.
You are now indeed those, your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of these things. So here indeed we have that description of when care turns into anxiety and when it's unproductive, when it chokes fruitfulness and when it distracts from the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now that's very important for us as we're going to see, because we live in our age and the things of our age can be distracting if we're worrying about them. If we're worrying about the next car, the next home, the next whatever it will be.
And we have the equivalent of what the Lord Jesus says here about the food and drink and clothing. The things that are important down here in the age in which we live. But if they become distractions, we will become unfruitful and indeed we'll not be helpful there as well.
So that's important, but if we look down again please. This time Luke chapter 10. Luke chapter 10. This is one of course for the sisters. Luke chapter 10 and verse number 41. Well verse 35, verse 38 for the connection.
Now it came to pass as they went, he entered into a certain village and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house and she had a sister called Mary which also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word.
So to begin with, Martha was sitting at Jesus' feet. She'd been sitting there hearing his word, but Martha was cumbered about with much serving and came to him and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?
Bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful, full of care and anxiety and troubled about many things. Careful and trouble. Here's our word again.
This time now it's careful. It's not now taking thought. It's not now caring as we'll find later. It's careful. So here is the Lord Jesus looking at this dear sister. She's been originally in the right place and she's been sitting with her sister, but now the time has come when she felt indeed that she must leave and she must go to be occupied with the things indeed to be cumbered about with the much ministry.
She's thinking of earthly things now and the next meal. And here she's in such a state, she's wound herself up into such a state that she goes to the Lord Jesus, don't you care? Different word for caring now.
The same kind of word we'll touch on later. And it's the same care as the disciple said, carest thou not that we perish? The same thought here. The care. Dost thou not care? Don't you care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?
Bid her therefore that she help me. And the Lord's answer is this now. Martha, Martha, one of those wonderful double calls. Thou art anxious and it's becoming unfruitful. You're becoming unfruitful. You're, you're a distraction now.
Here's the Lord Jesus teaching and here's Martha coming to him and she's distracting things because of her anxiety. Now, it's, it's an anxiety that it's well understood because here she is left alone to serve.
She feels the next meal is the important thing and she's indeed occupied with that alone and not Mary. Mary is, no, she's still sitting at Jesus' feet where Martha was originally and the Lord says thou art careful and troubled.
Now, the carefulness is, is describing her internal state. She was all of a turmoil inside and the troubled talks about her external state. You know, she was all of a fluster externally. These two things internally which the Lord understood and knew about and externally which everybody could see and so he said about many things but one thing, one thing and the Lord says one thing there is need for, there is need of, says the Newberry Margin, one thing is needful.
Martha hath chosen the good part, the good portion, the good portion and indeed which shall not be taken away from her. So, here was her dear sister and she was distracted and the care word for her is wrong because it's about herself and she now thinks of her sister, let her down.
She's all on her own, occupied with something she decided was the important thing and it's the cares of this age, it's the next meal and so indeed the Lord Jesus now is not prepared to take Mary from the enjoyment of himself and so that's how this little passage ends.
But here are the dear sister, she got into this state because of things, she got into this state because of the cares and she'd taken herself away from the presence, the Lord Jesus Christ and now because she's come back, she's become herself a distraction to others and that's so sad, isn't it?
That's so sad indeed and then please, well, sing along the same lines, we'll go to 1 Peter chapter 5, 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 6 then for connection please, 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 6. The general context is humility and pride, verse 6, humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him for he careth for you, casting all your care upon him for he careth for you.
Now once again there are two different words for care here but we'll think about in a moment but think about the context here, here now is someone told about to be humble, humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God but here's someone who indeed is with the potential to be puffed up and thinking too much of themselves, so they need indeed to be commended that they might be humble, God resisteth the proud, God giveth grace to the humble.
Now we are in need of that grace, we need it every day, we need the grace indeed of the Lord Jesus Christ, we need it so that we can be strong, well it says here to do that you've got to humble yourselves, humble yourselves and one of the things is therefore to understand in this position that indeed we are people with cares but they're not to be taken upon ourselves, we don't feel so full of ourselves and so much able that we can take those cares upon us but rather it says he that we may cast all our care, every particular worry upon him for he that is God in the context here, the one indeed who's the mighty hand, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God but this mighty hand indeed not only is where we to be under it but we can cast our cares upon him with the mighty hand, so casting, the word casting means like it's the same word as they put the saddling on the coat for the Lord Jesus to ride, here it's casting on, it's getting rid of it from yourself and it's putting it there, so here's a promise and if we indeed at the one point are humbling ourselves, on the other point we are casting all our care upon him, God indeed is looking for it, he can deal with it, he's the one who's got the potential to deal with it, we can't and we don't need to, it's unproductive, in this extent it's about me and my concerns and all that's going on, casting all your care, your anxiety upon him, why?
Because he careth for you and says other translations, it matters to you, to him about you, he's caring, he's the caring one, so your care, the different kind of care, for you it's anxiety, that you are finding difficult, that you are finding a burden, that you will find it's choking your fruitfulness and doing all these things to you, you take that and you cast it all upon him with a mighty hand, because he does care for you, carest thou not, all he cares and in every situation the Lord indeed demonstrates his care for each one of us and then please into Philippians chapter 4, Philippians chapter 4, we've been here before, some of us and we were looking at Philippians chapter 4 and verse number 6, be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known unto God and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, same word again, but here now the apostle Paul is talking to the dear Philippian believers and he says to them now, be careful for nothing, it's I think Robertson, one of those very able commentators who says in a very simple way to describe this, stop being anxious, stop being anxious, be careful for nothing, now what a great command this is and it's in the present tense so it's keep on being careful for nothing, we know indeed the difficulty, the sadness of being choked by care and we become unfruitful, becoming overwhelmed with worry and concern and we can't concentrate on the things of God, we can't do the works indeed with that eagerness and thoroughness that we need to do, we have distracted, we are occupied with other things, the cares of this age, the worries about tomorrow, Lord Jesus said taking anxious care, let tomorrow take anxious care of the thoughts of itself, sufficient to the day the evil there are, all the problems, well don't worry about tomorrow, that's another thing, this age includes tomorrow and we worry about tomorrow and it, what does it do?
It robs us of peace today, so be careful for nothing, keep on being anxious for nothing, well if an antidote is the knowledge that our heavenly father knows, we have need of these things, but the disciples they were worried about, what's the antidote here and the answer is prayer, be anxious for nothing but in everything, now here's the thing turned over, so the nothing becomes everything, so anxiety indeed is not to be there but it's to be replaced by prayer, prayer to God, that's what it says, your prayers be made known unto God, so here's now the God who can answer prayer, now we've been here before, last weekend in the conference and we were saying here be careful for nothing and in everything by prayer, supplication with thanksgiving, making requests to be known unto God, here indeed is that the threefold aspects of prayer, on the one hand here is prayer, that's coming to God with his unlimited ability to answer, here's supplication, me coming with my particular concerns, those particular things that have taken me up at the time, those things that potentially could turn into anxiety, those things I'm concerned about, but I'm learning to cast all my cares upon him, prayer becomes the vehicle of that, so the casting now becomes my prayer and it is prayer with supplication, with thanksgiving I won't let the worries rob me of thanksgiving, here's the necessary element and enjoyment indeed of prayer life, it's thanksgiving, let your requests, now here are the cares, now if I'm able to turn my cares into requests then indeed there'll never be anxieties, cares there should be, there should be cares, but they should be turned into prayers and if I don't then they'll fester up into anxiety and worry and then I'll become unfruitful, now remember the lovely thought is of course we have it there in Ephesians in the second prayer of the apostle following it he says, now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundant what we ask or think, very often we think the right things but somehow we can never translate them into asking, they're always there and we think now wouldn't it be wonderful if, but we don't pray about it, we just think about it and wonder possibility it might happen, it could happen, wouldn't it be wonderful if it did, but we can't turn it into asking, but God could have answered that, he's able to do all that we ask or think and so indeed that's his, the potential that God has to do that, so be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known unto God, that's what prayer is all about, making things known to God and the requests are those particular things in detail, all those things indeed that are there, my concerns, not to turn them into anxiety, I come to God in prayer and indeed it's there at the end, the natural consequence of that and the peace of God, the peace of God, the very opposite of anxiety, peace, the peace of God which passes all understanding and that indeed understanding is there which surely sometimes we try to understand everything we can't and here is the possibility of knowing a peace that surpasses all understanding and what will it do, it will keep our hearts and minds, now it's hearts and minds that we worry with, our heart we get very anxious and the things we worry about and it's heart and mind, you put the two together those indeed that's as they transmit through heart and mind it goes round and round and round and round and cares, right proper cares turn into anxieties, of course you worry about the next meal but you don't turn it into an anxiety, of course you wonder about other things but they don't grow and here they're under proper control and so here's the hearts and minds guarded in Christ Jesus, let me repeat what D .L. Moody of Chicago said about this, if we're to know the peace of God in this way, he says, we'll worry about nothing, pray about everything and thank God for everything that he sends, prayer with thanksgiving so that's very important there, so here are those things which are and could be negative, the possibility indeed that the things we're concerned about could concern and there could rob us of our fruitfulness but when it's for others then it's good, let's turn for instance please to 2nd Corinthians chapter 11.
2nd Corinthians chapter 11. Verse 28 apostles gone through this long catalog of all the sad things that have happened to him, robbery, perils and all these things. But then he says verse 28 beside, beside all the physical things that have happened to him beside those things which are without that which cometh upon me daily the care of all the churches the care of all the assemblies that he knows about and is concerned with especially of course the gentile assemblies so he says those there were things external they were happening to me physically hurting me but they were things internal the care the care of all the assemblies.
Now here's the apostle Paul in that unique situation where he takes the care of all the assemblies upon himself we'll see in a moment there is a care for the assembly we should all have but this was his and especially his.
But he found a way of turning that care into prayer. So it didn't turn into an anxiety that was overwhelming that indeed bore him down to the extent that he was full of it and he became so anxious he became unfruitful.
No he'd found this way. Verse 29. Who is. Who is weak and i am not weak. Who is offended. I burn not but i must needs glory. I will glory in the things which concern mine infirmities. The god and father of our lord jesus christ who is blessed forever knoweth that i lie not.
It's it's god who knows god who's provided with him with the ability he'll take the care upon himself. And yet he'll not let it turn into an anxiety that's overwhelming and robbing god of fruitfulness in his life.
So that's taken upon himself. Now we'll turn please to the same kind of thing for us and we'll think of 1 corinthians chapter 12. 1 corinthians chapter 12 as we say. Therefore no care for others is fine.
There's no problem there. It's the same word but a different context for self. The danger always is that care turns to anxiety and the remedy all the time. For that is knowing that god knows coming to him in prayer unburdening ourselves casting our cares upon him knowing that he knows our needs.
1 corinthians 12 and verse 25 please that there should be no chiseled no division in the body but that the members should have the same care one for another. Here are the parts of the body interconnected and dependent the one on the other.
And so one. Indeed here's the picture moved over to the local assembly corinth. And it's the same care one for another. Now this is proper care. This is so necessary caring for one another in the assembly not looking on our own things only but also on the things of others.
Not that we are inquisitive but we are careful. We want to know we're concerned for one another as members of one body. And so that care is right and proper and proportional. And we should be concerned in a way indeed that for ourselves it's not appropriate and not right because it can grow up and must be kept indeed down below that anxiety level.
Yes we care about lots of things but we don't let it grow. And we don't let it overwhelm us in this way. But when we're thinking of others there should be care. There should be care. And there should along with it be prayer as well.
I'm thinking along the same lines of course you can think of philippians chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2. Here's younger timothy a younger man who's proved himself. Well so philippians chapter 2 and verse 19.
But i trust in the lord jesus to send timothy shortly and to you that i also may be of good comfort when i know your state. Someone had to go to philippine. Someone had to ascertain how they're doing.
Paul had heard things and they were good things. But he wanted to know an up-to-date have an up-to-date report. He wanted to know how they were doing. So the question rose. Who would he send. Who could go.
Who could undertake such a thing and do it. Well there was only one who paul had all confidence in. He says now it's got to be timothy. Got to be timothy. Why. Why paul. Verse 24. Because here comes the reason.
I have no man like-minded literally like sold. Now personality wise they were quite different kinds of people as we've said in the past weeks or so timothy had a tendency to timidity. He wasn't an outgoing person in that sense.
But it didn't stop him being a caring person. And paul says i have no man like-minded who will naturally genuinely care for your state. It wouldn't be hypocritical. He wasn't putting it on. I can send him knowing that he'll care knowing also that you know that.
And he has to add that very sad statement. Verse 21. For all seek their own not the things which are jesus christ's. But in contrast ye know the proof of timothy. You know the proof of this young man.
You know his commitment to the gospel. You know therefore his commitment to you. He will genuinely care for your state. And here's a young man who could be entrusted with this activity and needed showing a heart of shepherd care one indeed who is able to go along and look at the situation and and judge it properly.
And as the apostle would say to know your state to know your state he would be interested in individuals interested in the assembly as a whole and able to sum it all up with a care and show a care. Show a care indeed and that's so positive and so necessary.
And then a kind of care we should all show and go back please to 1 corinthians chapter 7. 1 corinthians chapter 7. Verse 32. But i would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried care for the things that belong to the lord how he may please the lord.
But he that is married care for the things that are of the world how he may please his wife. For there is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman care for the things of the lord that she may be holy set apart both in body and in spirit.
And she that is married care for the things of the world how she may please her husband. Now this is a right and proper care. And if indeed on the one hand here's an unmarried person and how if they're possible if they feel indeed that's their calling to remain in that situation because then they will not be distracted in any way with the affairs of this world that they can get on with the things of the lord.
But on the other hand if a person is married then it's only right and proper that care should be shown. For indeed here either the wife or the husband shown reciprocal care for the other. And again it's right and proper.
There's no criticism here at all it's only right. And so he has a care in the home a mutual care the one for the other. But if indeed there's not there then that can be undistracted. It can be care for the things of the lord and the time and energy and whatever else is involved that can be done.
For those indeed who are not married they can do that and that's good. But we're each in what situation we find ourselves. But each one of us indeed are to understand that we can be concerned with the things of this world to the extent of caring.
So how do we sum all this up. Well here indeed it surely should be. If i'm so thinking of self and cares take me up then the sad thing is and here's the danger i can end up in a situation so concerned with the things of the here and now that it's choking the word of god and its potential in my life.
And i could become unfruitful so concerned. And we've seen it so many times that people get head up about all kinds of things. There's no fruit in their lives no fruit for god no christ likeness. And it's so sad god has been robbed robbed indeed of that potential that at the beginning people will show and it's so good.
But then you know it comes in. The job comes in. My brother was talking earlier about his job. Decisions have got to be made with the help of the lord. At the beginning of my career i said to the lord now lord this is important for me this career.
But i made a decision that's for the lord when five o 'clock came or whenever i'd finish work that day that was it. I never took any work home 33 years. But the lord blessed that i never took anything home.
And only one evening in 33 years can i remember working to do with the day's work. The evening was for the lord's work and for the family. And that was left there. Now i'm not saying you have to do that please.
You have to make your own decision. You have to look at your own situation and say look. I'm not going to be over anxious. I'm going to say yes i'll care. But i'm not not going to let it grow and choke fruitfulness in my life.
I'm not going to let it grow to the extent as the lord jesus said the disciples and he warned them about this becoming a distraction. A care can become a distraction when it's for self. Decisions have got to be made in the presence of the lord for each one of us.
We've all to make our own when it comes to others oh there should be a care. We should be caring for others for individuals the members of the body and other members of the assembly like timothy other assemblies like paul well he could take on all the assemblies because that was the burden god gave him and the ability to bear it.
But it didn't become an anxiety to the extent that he was choked by. It became unfruitful. So everything please in moderation in that sense to be to be born. I think about things of life. It will be unwise not to think about the things of this world to think about the next meal to think about our next car or whatever it will be.
We've got to think about these things. But we don't let them grow. We don't become over anxious and some translations put that and the lord said thoughts. But if we do then it will choke things. So let's care for others.
But let's not be over careful for self. Let's leave it with the lord and look to him for blessing that we might go through life being fruitful for the lord. Jesus christ and showing christ's likeness in these lives of ours.