No Need To Worry (pt-1) - [Matthew 6:25-34]

Amen thank you. I've given myself some self-imposed worry in my life. I thought it'd be cool to jump out of an airplane one time and so I worried like mad because the flight instructor said to us if you jump out and the chute doesn't open then do all these steps to get rid of that chute so you can open up your spare chute.

I said well what happens if the spare chute doesn't open. He said it just wouldn't be your day then. I was pretty worried. I was down in Acapulco when I was 19 years old with my mother and we decided to go scuba diving illegally.

Yeah means without training. And we were 40 feet under or so. And they had told us and and taught us when it seems like it's hard to breathe and it's hot and you're struggling with your breathing. Just give us the little.

You know I'm out of air business. I'll turn on your reserve tank and you can swim back up to the boat. So I was so nervous underwater I'm breathing too fast and too much. I'm figuring somebody should run out of air before I do.

But it seems like it's getting harder to breathe but maybe it's just me. So we continue exploring some of these boats and some of the wreckage down there. And I don't know anything about scuba diving.

Just swim and keep your mask on. That's about all I know. And all of a sudden it I ran out of air. They said that if you run out of air make sure you have a buddy system set up so you can borrow your friend's air.

But my mom was swimming away from me so I didn't know what to do. So I immediately swam over to the drill instructor. And drill instructor the he should have been he should have said bow shall not go in the water.

And anyway we got the what the air turned on and he sent me back to the boat. Those were kind of self-imposed worries. I've got a question for you this morning. Do you worry. You will. He said no. We all struggle with anxiety.

We all struggle with worry. I preached Matthew chapter 6 about worry four years ago and I thought for myself this week I'm probably the only one that needs to hear that message again. But just in case there's anyone else in the congregation who does let's turn to Matthew chapter 6 for an updated and revised message on worry and anxiety.

I love the scriptures for many reasons but particularly today. I love them because they are trans chronological. In other words they they transcend time. God the Creator knew that he could write a book for the people in Palestine 2 ,000 years ago that would apply to us today.

The Bible is not old and outdated. The Bible is very very relevant because it is the supernatural Word of God from God our Creator. And everything we need to know about life and living is found in this book to push this subject just a little bit before we start.

One preacher said why we may well ask has the pulpit for so long he's talking about worry maintained a criminal silence about worry. Instead of condemning this flagrant sin. I convicted me to want to preach it again because I struggle with worry.

Because I know you struggle with worry. And we want to honor God as you know Matthew chapter 6 is right in the middle of five and seven as Jesus gives what we call what the Sermon on the Mount how the disciples should live in light of their Heavenly Father.

And today we'll look at verses 25 through 34 or at least we'll start to work through this as we take a little excursus from the book of Ephesians Matthew chapter 5 verses chapter 6 verses 25 through 34 on the issue of worry.

I'm going to make the outline very simple today they're all going to start with different letters and they'll be it'll be an acrostic ABC that'll how it'll work out the ABCs if you will of Christian living so we can be free of worry free from worry.

Now to start off I'll just say this. We can either do it God's way or we can do it our way. I've tried my way it doesn't work. I still worry and I'm so thankful to the Lord that he would care for us enough and have compassion upon us enough to tell us that we should not worry a and be what to do when we do worry.

It's God's goodness. We sang a song today about God has spoken. Can you imagine if God did not speak he just speaks in nature and he speaks in the universe. But specifically he doesn't talk to us. It is by the grace of God and a proclamation of his favor that he tells us that he talks to us through his word.

I don't want anyone this morning here to worry before I start though. I want you to worry only under one circumstance and that is if you're not a Christian this message isn't for you. This is for God's people.

This is for those who call themselves children of God by God's grace. If you are not a Christian I want you to be afraid. I want you to worry not necessarily about your car or your finances or your health.

But I want you to be worried for the wrath of God is real and God is holy and he has indignation every day because of his holiness and because of sinners of sin. There's only one hope for those who fear and that's have the father's wrath poured out on the Sun on their behalf as they look to the cross by faith.

But for all of us who are Christians no worry. Let's take a look at Matthew chapter 6 verses 25 and following. And our ABCs regarding the solution of anxiety and worry. A. The first letter for our acronym and our outline this morning is admit that all worry and anxiety is sinful.

All anxiety and all worry is sinful. Letter a. And we'll get each one of these from the text I'll be reading from the New American Standard this morning all worry and anxiety is sinful. That right there will start a fight.

I emailed my friends a couple weeks ago and I said all anxiety and fretting is sinful. And I got this huge treatise back. This is an unbelieving man. And he said it can't be you mean to tell me anxiety sin.

His email didn't really say that. But that's the you know all caps reply email. You can put as many smiley faces on you as you want in your email. But still he didn't like it that I called anxiety sinful.

By the way if it's only me who says anxiety sinful. Well then Chuck it. What does God say. It doesn't matter what the preacher says it doesn't want to matter what a man says. What does God say. Matthew 625.

For this reason Jesus is speaking I say to you do not be anxious for your life. Well stop there just for a moment. Jesus said for this reason I say to you do not be anxious for your life. And if you notice the first word there in that phrase it refers us up to something else for this reason.

What reason. If you remember in Matthew chapter 6 verses 19 for instance don't store up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. Verse 21. For where your treasure is there your heart will be.

Also he's talking about money and God with a summary statement in verse 24. No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and wealth. And so this is just a logical conclusion out of this this discussion of God and money Jesus is now saying well of course if we're gonna not worship money the disciples may say well that's gonna cause a lot of problems in my life about buying things.

I'm gonna be anxious for my life and the things that are in it. But he says no. For this reason I say to you do not be anxious. It's a command and it's an ongoing command never ever be anxious. And if you are anxious the text implies what.

Stop it. You cannot be anxious. Now the King James says take no thought. Guess what. Take no thought meant in 1611 don't be anxious. He's not saying don't think about it. Walk around and try not to think.

Walk around shave your head put on a robe and just go home all day. Maybe you wouldn't worry then. But here he's saying no. Stop worrying. And that Greek word for a worry stems from a word that means to what to choke to strangle.

You asked Jay Adams why men live to be 70 years on average and women live to be 80 years on average. He said because of the slow death of the time strangling cutting off blood supply. And you can imagine when you're laying up at night worrying.

It's that maybe sometimes literal but that figurative feeling of it's just strangulation. It's the word literally means kind of divided care. It means a division. And where you're you can't figure things out and you're ripped up about it.

You're torn up about it your stomachs and knots and can't think about anything else. And in this particular case Jesus says don't be anxious for your life. But to make it broader remember Philippians chapter 4 says be anxious for what.

Nothing be anxious for no thing. So even though the text Jesus is dealing with life and the things about life it is a good command for all of us that will insert here with that first a anxiety and anxiousness and worry is sinful.

Look at the text again Matthew 625. For this reason I say to you do not be anxious. Now he elaborates a little bit 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 more than clothing.

And here stock deals with what he calls the Trinity of cares. The Trinity of cares what you eat what you drink and what kind of clothing you have. He's saying it's such a low goal. It's such an unworthy goal to say that's what I live for shooting way too low.

How long you live about your life what you eat your food what you drink your water and what you put on your body your clothes. And he's going to be making the argument that if these things we shouldn't worry about how about the lesser things like what kind of car you drive and other things that we sometimes worry about.

You say well easy for you to say well let me flip it back around and say hard for these people to hear. They didn't have a price chopper. They didn't have a Shaw's. They didn't have a Costco. They didn't have a BJ's.

They didn't have opportunities to export all kinds of things. Because if there was a flood or a monsoon or fire or something or a drought or famine it was very very difficult. They look to God for their food.

And that's why Jesus said earlier in the chapter give us this what day our daily bread. Because had to be given by God to them. See a pastor. You don't know my circumstances. I have to worry. Everybody else doesn't.

My doctor said it was okay. I can't help it. At least I don't worry as much as the other guy. My support group says it's fine and natural. Who wrote this. When God says we ought not to worry. When we respond with anything else other than acquiescence and agreement then we sound like this.

Moses said to Aaron what did this people this people do to you that you have brought such a great sin upon them. Aaron said do not the anger of the Lord burn. You know this people yourself that they're prone to evil.

They said to me make a God for us who will go before us. For this Moses the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt. We do not know what has become of him. Exodus 32. And I said to them whoever has any gold let them tear it off.

So they gave it to me. I threw in the fire. How came this calf. Just you know it's it's easier to see the excuses in the other people and other people. It is crucial for us to admit anxiety is sin. Worry is sin.

Why is it so crucial. Psalm 38 18 says. For I confess my iniquity. I'm full of anxiety because of my sin. So first John 1 verse 8. If we say that we have no sin we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.

If we confess our sins he's faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Why is it so important to say God. If you say anxiety sin I say it is sin too. Please forgive me.

Because there's then mercy. Proverbs chapter 28 verse 13. If you confess something of sin turn your back from it. God gives you what mercy. If I'm in a pinch and I'm anxious. I don't know about you but I want the mercies of God I need his compassion.

You can just read tons of stuff about how this is not sin. I got on a DAA which is the Anxiety Disorders Association of America's website. They said 19 million adults suffer from anxiety disorders. They said it cost the US anxiety more than 42 billion dollars of a year.

They said that more than 23 billion dollars is associated with the repeated use of health care services as those with anxiety disorders seek relief from symptoms. Do you have anxiety disorder. I do. Here's the test.

You have two or more of these for six months or more one. Are you ever restless. You have restlessness. You feel keyed up or on edge. Who me gotta have these for six months. And you'll have GAD is their technical term.

For I'm restraining myself easily. Tired problems concentrating irritability muscle tension trouble falling asleep. Are staying asleep. Are restless and unsatisfying sleep. Quote. If you answered yes to at least three of these six some people say it's two.

Then it is possible you have generalized anxiety disorder a treatable medical condition. Yeah gadzooks. So I want to say eat gads. Although you'll think about some kind of email something it is treatable in the sense that if God in his mercy and his care he cares for us.

He doesn't want us walking around worried all the time biting our fingernails upset and concerned about these things in God's love and his grace has mercy. He spoke he's not speaking out of this chastening hand that you know you bother me too much.

Kids he's talking about with fatherly love. The love that a father would have with a love that a mother would have for their children. To say we want what's best for you. And I want real answers. When I'm anxious about my health or my mother's health or the church or the finances.

I need real help because saying that what I have is a disorder or a syndrome or a disease runs smack in the face of first John chapter 1. To confess means to agree with God. I agree with anxiety that I have a sin.

Well now the mercy comes flooding. The scripture verse out on the sign today says anxiety in the heart of man. Proverbs 1225 weighs it down. But a good word makes it glad you got a way down heart. Let me give you a good word from scripture and you'll be glad.

Funny little song. Maybe you've heard it sung sometime. I will not sing it but it's called the worry warthog song. My name is worry warthog. I worry constantly instead of trusting in the Lord. I live in what misery.

I want the rest of those lyrics. And if anyone here has those please send them to me. Because I typed in Google lyrics for worry warthog and I could not find them. I need those lyrics. Anxiety is sin.

Now once in Jude it says that they anxiously long for the return of Christ. Different word. That's just eager anticipation. But anxiety sinful. Let's go back to the text in Matthew chapter 6 verse 25 Jesus.

At the end of that verse ask a very wonderful question to make us remember that life is more than just meets the eye is not life more than food and the body more than clothing. Answer. Yes. Exactly right.

A admit all anxiety and worry is sin. How you doing on that one. B believe that your father is loving good and provides all your needs. The first one is kind of negative. Don't do that. This is positive.

Believe this. B believe that your father is loving good and provides all your needs. Your Heavenly Father is the one of which I'm speaking of. Your Heavenly Father is loving good and provides for his people.

Now if you don't do this you might have to result to something else. These are some of the world's options for dealing with anxiety. Get up 15 minutes early in the morning so you don't have to start the day frazzled might cut down on some anxiety.

Say no thank you to extra projects. See that you don't have the time or energy for 30 minutes of brisk walking per day. You know there's all kinds of things that may be fine and good. I like this one.

Put brain in gear before opening mouth that will cut back on anxiety. Don't sweat the small stuff. Laugh. I mean some of those might work. But I need something better than that more tangible something more real.

You could take the G Gordon Liddy approach. He's always a kind of a tough guy. He had two anxieties in his life. Remember those two actually had three electrical high-voltage electricity heights and rats.

Those what is are what he was afraid of. So he not on the same occasion but climbed up an electrical pole and on another another occasion ate a rat. That is the bulldog approach to dad. You could read a book anxiety and depression by Robert Priest.

You could listen to tapes. Control your attention by life skills. Should call. You could call up 1 -88 -88 anxiety. It's true. You could take Xanax Valium Activan or any other benzodiazepines. You could take some beta blockers.

Maybe. And you're all. You could take trisolidic antidepressants. You could do what a has asked of his people. Stop worrying. Minereth Meyer said in their book worry free living. We suggest sitting aside 15 minutes in the morning and another 15 minutes in the evening for active worry.

Worry free dad. They said worry free living involves confining the natural worry we all feel into a designated time of only 1 of 12 hours. It may be natural but it's not supernatural. Did you know. Adam never worried.

Adam never worried. Wonder what I'm gonna call that animal. I would worry about that in my flesh. There's no worry in heaven. Can you imagine not one worry. One professional group said among the professionals who can help worry our psychiatrists psychologists social workers and counselors.

However it is best to look for professional who has specialized training in cognitive behavioral our behavioral therapy and who is open to the use of medication. Should they be needed. And quote I'm just going to toss all that and say let's go to our father who created us.

How about that. And it's free. It's free. A admit that's worry. Is sin. Be believe in our good God. That's what Jesus said to pastor. I don't like what you're saying. I love you but I'm sorry. This is what Jesus said.

These are the words of Christ. And look at their doctrinal. Can you imagine their doctrinal. It's talking about the providential care of the father kind of a lesser argument to the greater. But Jesus said look verse 26.

Look at the birds of the air that they do not. So neither do they reap nor they gather into barns. And yet your heavenly father feeds them. Here's a great object lesson. Are you not worth much more than they beloved.

I hate it when I sin. I preach to myself when I sin because I mean when I sin especially with anxiety because it is impugning the love of God. I will be devastated if my son or my daughters came up to me and said dad we're not sure you can take care of us.

Would you do. I would not like that if I had been a sluggard and sloughing these responsibilities off that might wake me up. But if I have provided for them and all my all their lives in the past I provided for them then for them to come up and say I don't think you can take care of us anymore.

Father. How much more with God. Here Jesus is pledging preservation. He says God the Father has made you. He will then what. Take care of you. Look at the passage again. He says look. It's an imperative and this is not something that's just take a look.

You know you're looking down and then you quick look up. This is like a stare. This is a take a picture. It lasts longer. This is a gaze. This is something that you look at. So you contemplate what you're looking at.

Serious thought. That's why that idea when if you're worried take no care in our language today isn't any good. Take no thought. I mean because we're supposed to think. And that's what he says. Think first.

He says stop worrying. Then he says look. Remember that old thing. Stop look and listen. This is a look part. Stop now. Look. Look at those birds out there. Think about it. Martin Lloyd-Jones says the essence of worry is the absence of thought.

He says look at the birds. By the way in Luke 12 the parallel passage he says look at the Ravens a dirty bird. A literal dirty bird an unclean bird. If Jesus will take care Jesus says the Father will take care of unclean birds.

Is he going to take care of you. The birds have a soul. By the way do all good dogs go to heaven. See here we have a bird that has no soul. God did not breathe into the into the bird a living immortal soul.

And so he's using this illustration from the lesser to the greater. If God will take care of the lesser won't he take care of the greater. And it's emphatic in the original language. Are you not worth more than they.

Much more birds are not made in the likeness and image of God. Are they. They're not eternal. They are not immortal. When was the last time. December 31st. Look back in your memory. December 31st 1999 at noon did you see the birds all lined up at Sam's Club stocking up for water with sweat on their brow biting their whatever they have on their biting their feathers.

Yeah biting their fingernails in line for a y2k. But you don't understand. Pastor we won't even be able to make pencils tomorrow. Stocking up is good. Working is good. 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 verse 10 says if you don't work you don't eat.

The birds worked. But the point here is the birds don't worry about that. If God cares for birds how much more does he care for me. Are you Quinzel said. Nobody's ever saw an earthly father feed his birds and abandon his children.

It's a pretty rare thing. Oh he sees feeds a lot of squirrels and a lot of birds. But the kids they don't. They don't. It's just God's love and his care. And the text says he always feeds the birds. Psalm 147 9 says he gives to the beast its food.

And to the young Ravens which cry Job 38 41 who prepares for the Raven its nourishment. When it's young cry to God. Answer God. Now again we have to work. We have to plan. That is a good thing. But Jesus isn't saying that we shouldn't do that.

Because he talks about working. But here he's saying not to worry about it. God true or false feeds people today like he feed fed Elijah in the brook and the Ravens just fly the food over a true or false.

God feeds people today with manna from heaven six days a week. Go collect it up. Big conveyor belt that comes from the sky. You just go put your mouth underneath it and there's a variety of things come in your mouth.

Now we're to work. God has ordained the end. He'll take care of what he's created. He's ordained. The means work. So the question is not work. The question is not responsibility from work. The question is worrying.

When we're doing it it all comes back to the goodness and character of God. God's good. He's always good. Think about these two attributes together the goodness of God and the immutability of God. In other words God never changes.

God's goodness never changes either. His holiness doesn't change. That's why some people really don't like God. Because just for one iota if God could stop being so holy maybe he would just skip over me what I've done wrong.

But no he's always holy. On the encouraging side he's always good. He never says I'm having a day I'm sick. You don't deserve it. No. Romans chapter 8 verse 32 says that if God has given us his son he did not spare his son will not he give us much more.

In other words if God gave us his son now he's gonna go. I'll let my son die on your behalf. But when it comes to food tomorrow no he's always good unchangingly good. And Jesus said you need an object lesson.

Go out look at the birds. Be a bird watcher. That's a very biblical thing. As long as you're not watching the birds or just the birds you're watching the birds recognizing who made the birds and who provides them for the birds.

Luther said you see he is making the birds. Our schoolmasters and teachers. It is a great and abiding disgrace to us that in the gospel a helpless sparrow should become a theologian and a preacher to the wisest of men whenever you listen to a nightingale.

Therefore you are listening to an excellent preacher. How about this one. The common poem I don't know who wrote it 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 if you notice the text it does not say that God is a father to the birds. He is called our father.

He's the creator of the birds but not the father. Furthermore look at verse 27 of which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span. That's interesting. He's trying to make the point.

Worry is useless. Worry is unproductive. Worry cannot make anything happen. That's good. Now what is he trying to say. Different translations will translate it differently. One is you can't make yourself one cubit higher.

A cubit is from the elbow to the longest finger typically 18 inches. Some people think up to 22 inches. So if you worry can you make yourself very a tumble shack. You know can you make yourself bigger by worrying.

Well that could be. But outside of being a kid you ever worry about being taller. Maybe some do. But I remember when I was a kid I wanted to be a basketball player. I had it all in my mind. I was gonna be a 6 -6 point guard in the NBA.

So we had those little growing beans and we put the growing bean by the door in my room. And I think there's any sin in praying for being taller. So we would pray and mom would mark us off with just growing and growing.

My father's was 6 '4 250. My mom's probably 5 '10. I go I know it's in my jeans. I'm going to rock George Gervin and Magic Johnson put into one body. That's me six one and a half. And now I'm shrinking with these two bad discs.

I'm getting shorter. So once in a while you might say I want to be taller and worry about that. But you know back in those days no one in in Israel was saying we want to be taller. The average height was maybe five five a little bit shorter that that was not a concern how tall they were.

They weren't saying well my knees are gonna be messed up in the airplane or anything else. So you can either translate it adding one cubit 18 inches to your height or adding life adding length of life.

And that's why NES translates it verse 27. And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span. Point is worry is unproductive and you can't live longer if you worry. Matter of fact on the flip side if you worry you may live to be shorter a shorter life.

Job 14 5 makes it clear since his days are determined the number of his months is with thee and his limits thou has set so that he cannot pass. God has ordained the way you'll die the day you die. And if you worry or if you don't worry it's not going to go longer.

Stonewall Jackson said quote. My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that. So if you worry it's not going to do any good not gonna make you live longer.

He gives another illustration. Look down at verse 28. This is another kind of subhuman illustration. And why Matthew 628 the Lord says why are you anxious about clothing. They were observe how the lilies of the field grow.

They do not toil nor do they spin. You know squirrels collect nuts. But here these don't do anything yet. I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. And here he uses a different word and it's only used here in the New Testament.

For observe see it right there in the middle of verse 28. Command to to notice to learn to be in school about if you've ever seen like a jewelers loop a little magnifying glass that you can put up the things.

It's almost like take a magnifying glass and look at these flowers. Matter of fact that'd be a really neat thing you could do with your kids this to show the intricacies of a tulip. I was out taking a walk yesterday and I walked by this house and there's tulips everywhere.

And if you went up and took a magnifying glass of those tulips and you just see the artisanship and the craftsmanship that God made putting those things together. And they're not even working for it. What a great field trip.

The splendor and majesty and pageantry and pop even more so than Solomon. And Solomon was a pretty big shot when it comes to pomp and circumstance. Queen of Sheba said we better go check out Solomon for all that stuff the meticulous and lavish care of God for these flowers he says even furthermore verse 30.

But if God so erased the grass of the field even the grass is wonderfully put together which is alive today and tomorrow and thrown in the furnace here's how much more. Again. Will he not much more do so for you.

Oh men of little faith birds don't live forever. Grass even lives for a shorter amount of time. And when the grass is done doing its duty you put it in the what fire and it's burnt up. God provides for all these things with his tender compassionate providential care.

And then he says something that strikes my heart. Will he not do more for you. Oh men of little faith what's worse. Making the statement I don't believe in the Bible. I don't believe in Christ's death and resurrection.

I don't think my father will provide for me. So I'm going to go men of little faith it's not he's saying he's not saying you don't have any faith. He but he's saying it just shows little faith. When you think here are the lilies here is the grass.

Here are the birds. God created all those he's given them life. The greater won't he give them sustenance the lesser we have eternal life. The flowers just are there and gone. The grass is even just burn up faster.

And here he's not saying it's useless to worry. You can't get taller. And you can't have an extended life. It's not uselessness now. It is faithlessness. My old pastor said a God who would lavish such beauty on temporary firefighter certainly will provide the necessary clothing for his eternal children.

Say what does this matter. So what it makes all the difference in the world. Listen to what Hudson Taylor said the great missionary to China. Let us give up our work our plans ourselves our lives our loved ones our influence our all our all right into God's hand.

And then when we have given all over to him there will be nothing left for us to be worried about. That helps me. Speaking of a great God who worked through fragile men. Listen to what George Mueller said.

The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith. And the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety. The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith. And the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.

So what's the summary. Look at verse 31. Do not be anxious. Then saying what should we eat. That was a big deal back then that way. That's why there was 5 ,000 men and then the children and then the women who huddled around Jesus because they needed food.

What should we eat. What should we drink with. What should we clothe ourselves. And verse 32 is such a great verse. For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek for your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

Don't act like an believer. Don't act like a Gentile. Don't act like somebody who thinks there's no God to provide for them. So they're running around hither and thither and pell-mell everywhere to try to take care of all these issues.

And it's even more indicting for us because back then it was a matter of survival for us. Now it is a matter of fashion for them. It was a matter of do my kids eat today. For us it's a matter of well you know how do I keep up with the Joneses your father.