The Church of Eleven22 - S01 E06 - Anxiety

Episode Date: March 24, 2020

Anxiety can feel like a normal part of life. But the truth is we don’t have to live in worry. We’re invited to cast our big concerns on an even bigger God. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” — Matthew 6:34

Hey, church family, if you got your Bible. We're going to be in Matthew chapter 6. This is right in the middle of, I think Jesus' longest recorded sermon known as the sermon on the Mount. It's up north of the sea of Galilee. A bunch of people following him around. He'd done a few miracles up to this point. He's healing, and then he goes up onto this mountainside.

And there's a place in Galilee where you can stand and there's kind of a bowl in the mountainside. and most people believe that's right where he taught. And so without amplification, he could teach. His voice would carry, and he could teach lots and lots and lots of people. And he starts out, Matthew, he starts out the Sermin on the Mount with the Beatitudes. And in fact, after Easter, we're going to be in this section. We're going to study it for a bunch of weeks, like 13 or 14 weeks or something like that.

And so he starts with the beatitudes. And the reason that he does is he establishes the gospel. And so in a few weeks, I'll go through that and help him. hope you understand that. And then all of the rest of the sermon on the mount is about if the gospel impacts you, then what are the symptoms of the gospel infected life? And so when you get to chapter 6, verse 25, he's going to talk about anxiety. And he says this, therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life what you will eat or what you will drink

nor about your body what you will put on is not life more than food and the body more than clothing now I don't know if you struggle with anxiety and I'm not even talking about like clinical levels but I don't know if your worry level rises if you're a kind of a worrisome sort of person

but I don't know how helpful it is even Jesus looking at somebody that's worrying. Hey, just stop worrying. I remember one time I was in Walmart and this little kid was aggravating his mom to death. He was messing with the candy and messing with the candy and messing with the candy

and the mom looked at the kid and at the top of her lung, she'd screamed, relax. I think screaming at someone to relax doesn't help at all. And I think sometimes when we feel worried just having someone look at us and be like, don't worry.

Sometimes it doesn't feel like it helps at all. all. But Jesus is what he's talking about in the first century when he says, don't worry about clothes and food. You see, today we see these things as luxuries. But here they were total necessities. I mean, you could probably go into your pantry and you've got plenty of food and you've probably go into your closet and you got plenty of clothes, even though I have heard some people walk into a closet full of clothes and say, I have nothing to wear. But people were worried. And he said, don't worry about this. And then he says, is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? And then he's going to give this illustration. Now, he's going to give two illustrations. And it didn't hit me until one time

when I was sitting on the Mount of Beatitudes, is what they call it now, that Jesus was not just giving two illustrations, but they were literally outside sitting on the side of this mountain. It's full of flowers and it's full of birds. And he says, look at the birds of the air. And I think literally maybe some birds flew by, and he says, hey, don't worry. Look, look at the birds. They neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. And then here's the key question. Don't tell Peter, but it's just true. Are you not of more value than they? He says, all right, are you worried? And they'd say, yeah, I'm kind of worried. And he says, well, look at the birds. The birds save nothing. The birds don't have a bank account.

the birds don't have a savings account. The birds don't have a retirement account. All the birds do is wake up every day. They find something to eat. They fly around. They maybe build a nest. And if the wind comes and blows that one down, they say, no problem.

They just build another nest. They do not have a long-term financial security plan for their life. And Jesus says, look at them. The father takes care of them. And don't you think you're more important than the birds. And then he gives another example. He says,

and which of you, and which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field. He says, look at the flowers. Look at how they grow.

They neither toil nor spend, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed. like one of these. But if God so close the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, oh, you of little faith? Therefore, don't be anxious, saying,

what will we eat and what will we drink or what will we wear? See, here's what I think Jesus is talking about. He's talking about finances. When it comes to finances, there are basically two different categories. For anybody that worries about finances, or anybody, like Paul will say to Timothy, that puts their hope in finances.

There are some of us that are savers, like the birds example, and there's some of us that are spenders like the flower example. And the crazy thing is that if you're married, God almost always joins together a spender and a saver so that they can fuss and fight about it all. the days of your lives. But here's what Jesus is saying. Jesus is saying, do not put your hope in your finances. And here's what that means. Here's what that means. For the spenders, he's saying, some of you, what you're trying to do is you're trying to find life in the things that you can spend

your money on. And is not, is life not more than clothes and food and vacation and houses and cars? I mean, look at the birds. They don't have a car. They don't go on a vacation. they're not trying to expand the size of their home, and yet God takes care of them. Are you not more important than the birds? Of course you are. And you see, now again, just to be clear, there's nothing wrong with having things.

Paul tells Timothy, listen Timothy, anytime you talk to rich people, just remind them not to put their hope and wealth that they shouldn't put their faith in the things of this world because they are so up and down. and you never didn't know which way it's going to go, but put your hope in God, be rich towards him because God has richly blessed us with everything we have to enjoy.

So for sure we should enjoy the good gifts that the Father has given us. The problem is we just shouldn't worry about those things, what we will drive and how big our house will be and those kind of things. Look at the birds. They don't worry about these things, and God takes care of them. Now, all of you savers out there are like, get them, Pastor Jobi. We've been trying to save money and she keeps buying all this stuff, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And so Jesus then turns it on the savers.

And you see, there's some people, and the way you put your hope in money is this, is that you like to get online and look at a number from one of your accounts. And when you see a certain number, then it makes you feel something inside. and he says, hey listen, consider the birds, consider the lilies. The lilies, they don't spend a dime, and they are clothed like King Solomon can never be clothed. And aren't you more important than grass? And consider the birds, they don't save a dime, and yet they're okay, and aren't you more important than birds? You see, don't put your hope in the things of this world.

Whether you're trying to find satisfaction by spending, or you're trying to find satisfaction by spending, or you're trying to find security by saving, that is not where satisfaction or security is found. In fact, a bunch of you may look at the stock market right now, and you think, oh, no. And what Jesus wants you to know is that what we are to do is to lay up for ourselves, treasures in heaven. Now, is it right to be concerned?

Absolutely. But the difference between concern and worry is where you're placing your trust and faith. You see, when we pray to God, what we're supposed to do is take our worry, the things that bother us, that concern us, and we're supposed to transfer that over to the Lord. And so, if you're praying about stuff, but you're not really transferring the worry over to him, it may not even be a prayer.

You might just be complaining towards God. You see, this is why God invites us through the Apostle Peter to cast all our cares upon him because he cares for us. And then he says this, who among you by being anxious or worrying can add a single hour to his life? In other words,

Jesus says, hey, listen, you keep getting worried and you're trying to put your trust in your own circumstances. Well, let me ask you, how's that working for you? In fact, we know now from doctors that worry can actually subtract years off of your life,

definitely not add it to them. And so, why would you worry? and then he goes on to say this. He says, don't be anxious saying what will we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear. And then he says this, for the Gentiles seek after these things. And your Heavenly Father knows that you need them all. And when he says Gentiles here, he doesn't mean just like non-Jewish people. He's saying this, when you worry, when you're putting all of your hope and when you're putting all of your satisfaction,

when you're putting all of your security into the temporary things of, this world, you're acting like, you're acting like a person that doesn't even believe in God. You're acting like an atheist. And you may hear that and be like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm not an atheist. I go to church and I believe in Jesus and I'm listening to a devotional online right now. I'm not an atheist. And Paul would say, I mean, excuse me, Jesus would say, yeah, I know, I know that's what you believe up here, but you're just acting like one. Because you're acting as if your Heavenly Father does not exist and does not know your needs and will not and cannot take care of you.

So put your hope and put your trust and put your faith in him. He says for the Gentiles seek after these things and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them. But so you say, okay, so what do I do, Jesus? Maybe I don't have enough clothes. Maybe I don't know how I'm going to pay my rent. Maybe I had stored up all of this money

that was going to take care of my kids and my grandkids and then when the Dow dropped, so did that. I don't know what to do, God. And my anxiety level is rising and rising and rising and rising. Jesus, what do I do? And he says this, but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And all these things will be added unto you. What does that mean?

That means to lift your eyes off of the temporary circumstances and fix them on Jesus. That means in regards to our finances, we bring our first and our best to him because he first loves us by giving us his best. that the tithe in the scriptures is essentially an expression of trust, then we take what God has given us and we think we have to hold on to all of it, all of it, then essentially what we're declaring is that all of this is from me, for me, by me. And I trust me to get me through this.

But when we bring to the Lord our first and our best, what we're saying is God, even though I don't understand all of my circumstances, says, I am believing and trusting in you first. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. And then he says, therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow. For tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

You see, one of the things that anxiety does, one of the things that worry does, is worry does not solve tomorrow's problems. It just sucks all of the joy out of today. And here's what the Bible makes clear. The Bible says that new mercies come every morning. So don't worry about tomorrow. I'm not saying don't plan for sure you should plan. I'm not saying don't prepare for sure you should prepare.

But don't worry or be anxious about tomorrow. And I know you may look at tomorrow and say, I have no idea how I'm going to get through tomorrow. And the reason you don't know how you're going to get through tomorrow is because God has not given you the mercies for tomorrow, but new mercies come every day. But seek first, the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things.

God knows who you are. You're his child. You're more important than birds. You're more important than flowers. You are his child. And he is a good, good father, and he knows how to take care of his children. And so when you feel that worry coming up, what do you do?

You bring it to him. You cast it on him. He can handle it. He is a good dad. And tomorrow morning when you wake up, if that worry wakes up with you, then once again, you daily cast it on him and cast it on him and cast it on him. You don't look for your security in the things of this world. You don't look for your satisfaction in the things of this world.

You just look to your Savior. Because when we seek first, our Savior, Jesus Christ, then what we find is we find satisfaction that is beyond anything this world has to offer. And we find a security that nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing. could ever take away. And that is better than all of these things that we tend to worry about in this world. Would you pray with me? Jesus, I thank you that you gave us this invitation. You said, come to me all you who are weary and heavy burden. And Lord, oftentimes nothing will wear us out like worry. And there is no burden like anxiety. And then Jesus, you offer this. You said,

come to me all you who are weary and heavy burden and I will give you peace, that I will give you rest for your souls. Lord, because your burden is light if we are yoked to you. So Holy Spirit, would you give us the ability to fix our eyes, not on our circumstances, but to fix our eyes on you? God, with our eyes and our ears and our mouth and our hands and our feet and all of us, heart, soul, mind, and strength. May we seek first you and your kingdom and then trust you with all these things. We pray it in Jesus' name. Amen.