Worry Not

Introduction

Good morning. If you will open your Bibles with me to Matthew chapter six. In Matthew chapter six is where I believe one of the most difficult commands of Jesus lies. In Matthew chapter 6 and verse 25, Jesus clearly and unequivocally gives a command that in my own experience, and perhaps those of you here this morning find very difficult to follow as simply as Jesus states it. In Matthew chapter 6, beginning in verse 25, he says, 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 in the body, more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them.

Are you not of more value than they? 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, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you? O you of little faith. This morning’s sermon topic is undoubtedly, as you may have figured out, about not worrying or worry not. I think one of the most underrated feelings in the human life, at least from my perspective, is feeling normal.

Can I explain to you what I mean by that? Feeling normal, because when you’re feeling well, you want to go do things. Perhaps you want to rest, but when you’re feeling well, you want to go explore, you want to go on a vacation, you want to try to be more healthy and exercise. And most of us don’t get out to doing that, but that’s something we try to do when we feel good, and we’re ready, we’re ready to go, we’re ready to roll. But when you’re sick, when you’re not feeling well, you don’t clamor to be able to run again too often. If you’re like me, your thought is, I just want to feel myself again. I want to feel normal. You see, when we feel normal, things are good.

We make our plans, we go on with our day, we go on with our lives, and things are good. And the truth about the human body is things are good until they’re not. And when we’re not, we have to stop everything and address it. If you get sick, you have to take the proper medicine, eat the proper food, drink the proper drinks so that you can be restored to health to go back to your normal life. The truth is, life is like the body. Life is also good and normal until it’s not. On Thursday morning, it was a tough day for me. On Thursday, I learned that close family members of mine were going to be a farther away from me than I expected. And then, around 4 o’clock, I learned that Bonnie Hindley had passed away.

I, like many here at love. Miss Bonnie, dearly. I love to see John. I love to see Miss Jane Lew here and all the family, the Johnsons. She’s a special woman from a special family. It’s hard. Life is hard because we love. We grow attached. We want things to be normal. And then just to make sure that I couldn’t get over that, in the evening, about six hours after that, wonderful news. And it is wonderful that she is in heaven with our Lord. That is wonderful news. Sad for us, but fantastic news for her. My apartment flooded. So just to make sure that my day was good, something else had to happen. The good news is my mom always told me bad things happen in threes.

So today I’m feeling more normal. Things are good. You know, the truth is days are hard. Life gets tough. But Jesus says in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 25, therefore I tell you, see this with me. Do not be anxious about your life. We cannot be caught up in the cares and concerns of this life. Why? Jesus, because there is something more important for all of us. It is clear. It is unequivocal as Christians. We are not living for the here and now. For those of you who weren’t here at the 9 o’clock hour, there’s an excellent lesson from Hebrews chapter 11, where Abraham knew that this wasn’t his life. He was a stranger. He’s a sojourner here on earth. He was looking for that city whose builder is God.

1. Life Is More Than Food and Clothing

He was looking for that eternal city that we’re all to live for and all to go towards. When you consider what Jesus says in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 25, he tells us not to worry. But the good news is he doesn’t just leave it there. He doesn’t just move on and say, I hope you can get through this. When times are tough, when your apartment floods, when people move, when people pass on, life is hard. Deal with it. That’s not what Jesus says. Consider reasons why Jesus said we should not worry. First of all, in verse 25, it gives partially the answer. Don’t worry about what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food?

In the body more than clothing? Certainly, this is an extreme example that we can get caught up in worrying simply about what we will eat or how well we provide for that type of nutrition that our body needs. We may be caught up in what we’re going to wear, how we are going to live, and be focused on how to better adorn ourselves outwardly and inwardly. But the truth is the principle goes much further than verse 25 even indicates. Life is more than the here and now. You see, the thing about food and clothing is it will not matter at all when we are with our God forever. And frankly, if we so choose to reject Jesus in his truth, food and clothing, no matter how much you have or how expensive your closet is, will not matter if we are separated from our God for all of eternity.

When we consider about worry, we need to consider the implication of what Jesus saying is in verse 25, not only not to be anxious about a life, not to worry, but to focus on that which truly matters, having an eternal lens. I wonder how much good would be done if we only thought and we could only reason from the perspective of eternity. You see, if we think about only heaven or being apart from God, being in hell, it might make the squabble we’re having with our spouse, our family, our boss a lot less important, wouldn’t it? Don’t you think we’d be able to let things roll a lot more easily right off of us if we knew and we remembered what the scriptures so plainly teach us?

Jesus told them not to worry. You see, life is more than this world. And we know that. Rhetorically, we can say that with certainty. But here’s the question. Do we actually live like that? There’s a couple easy tests. In Ephesians chapter 5, of course, we are to redeem the time because that’s what God has blessed us with. We are stewards over not only his possessions, but also his time. So let me ask the question blankly this morning. Have we devoted more of this past week in our mental time to things of this life that have no eternal consequences whatsoever? Or have we been more concerned with feeding ourselves from the words of life? Praying to our God who gives life. Where has our focus been? If it’s slanted heavily towards this life, we’re failing the principle that Jesus set forth of not only worrying about this life, being anxious, but in realizing that they are temporal and that we are to live for the eternal.

2. We Have a God Who Will Provide

I think the next point is perhaps more interesting. In verse 26, he continues, look at the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Verse 28 continues the thought, and why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive, and tomorrow is sown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? I think it’s easy to think of the disciples or to think of the audience that Jesus has here, the Sermon on the Mount, and think about all those people who are worried about maybe where their next meal was coming from.

And that’s funny until you think, well, I’m getting a little hungry here while he’s preaching. And then his jokes aren’t that funny either. As you continue and you see in verse 30, what Jesus says is clear.

What happens to that grass? What happens to this creation that he put men in dominion, in control, in charge of? What happens to it? Well, in verse 30, it is today alive, and tomorrow it’s thrown into the oven. How much more will he take care of you? How much more will he care for me? We do not need to worry. We should not worry because we have a God who will provide for us. It’s interesting that Jesus calls out food and clothing, and yes, it is a small example of a very physical carnal need. But to get through this life, we absolutely need food. We need clothing. We need certainly the words of eternal life, but we do need physical things while we’re in the here and now.

But even being strangers and sojourners in this life doesn’t mean that we are totally and completely separated from God. Our God knows my name. He knows who you are. He knows your struggles. God will take care of you. Isn’t that a blessing that God will take care of you? We have to instill that in our hearts so that we don’t worry. Because we know that God is going to comfort you. God will be there for you. It very may what it very well may not be like we think. It may not be like we want. But God’s ways are best. You consider the story of Joseph as we mentioned last Sunday morning. How often was it that Joseph’s life was answered by the providence of God?

But in the meantime, Joseph was imprisoned, falsely accused, forgotten, and let’s not forget the very beginning where he was thrown into the pit by his brothers. God answers Joseph’s prayers. God had a plan for Joseph. But before that plan was fulfilled, before Joseph came to be the one whom we remember being second in Egypt, providing for his family, providing food for the nation that would be Israel. Joseph several times along the way found himself in several places that I might, thinking, how is this happening to me? How is this God taking care of me? What’s interesting about the scriptures is it doesn’t reveal that Joseph actually had those concerns or doubts. He may have had them, but they’re not recorded. And as we consider Joseph’s faith, if we take the faith that we ought to have as Christians, knowing that Jesus did, that he was living in all things to answer the Father’s will, that that means that I can take assurance, I can take comfort and knowing that God will provide for me.

That is a powerful blessing that we must understand. Let’s remember that this sermon, this scripture, that Matthew chapter 6, and what Jesus tells us about not being anxious is not this good life advice. Although it’ll make us a lot happier to know God’s going to provide. How great would your life be without worry? But it’s not just self-help. Jesus commands us do not be anxious about your life. We need to consider those thoughts as we consider that God will provide. And see, even back in verse 26, that Jesus gave another example, not just the grass, but the birds. And what was interesting about the birds? Why would he call them out? We see the second clause in verse 26. They neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns.

And yet your heavenly Father feeds them. And here’s that question Are you not of more value than they? Sometimes it’s hard to know that God is there. Yes, we have his will. Yes, we should see him in creation. Yes, we can speak to him in prayer. But sometimes if you’re feeling like you’re in the pit or that you’re imprisoned falsely, it’s hard to say, God is really working well in my life. But what we need to know is that God has already shown the ultimate love for each and every one of us. He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. The same Jesus who was with God, who created the heavens and the earth with God as a part of God. And then he came to this life.

He was among men who spat on him, beat him, and crucified him. And he did that because he was submitting to the will of his heavenly Father. He did that because without his sacrifice, we have no hope. How do I know God will provide? How do I know when times are hard and life is dark? How will I know that the light is coming, that God is there for me? Because he already has proven it. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and he was raised from the dead, giving us an eternal hope of being with him forever. That is what this life is worth the living for, to be with God. And that makes my momentary problems a lot less important. It makes my next meal, it makes my wardrobe, it makes my car, it makes where people live a lot less crucial, doesn’t it?

3. Being Anxious Does No Good

Because I know the truth is this isn’t what God meant for me. God meant for us to be with him. We need to trust that he’ll provide. But I can’t help but overlook one of the most clear aspects of why Jesus says, do not to be anxious, because it does no good. In verse 27, he says that very clearly. And which of you, by being anxious, what he told us not to do in verse 25, can add a single hour to his own life. Perhaps anyone in here is like me. Perhaps you’re a planner of sorts. Perhaps you like to think through how life would go. And there are some benefits to planning. You usually have all that you need. You usually know where you’re going to go.

But worry is a little bit different than planning. You see, proper planning is knowing what you’re going to face and being ready. Or at least being prepared. Worry is different. Worry is not getting ready. Otherwise, Jesus would say, do not worry, he would not command us not to worry. Being a person consisted of worry in verse 27 is someone who is anxious and accomplishes nothing. Perhaps if you’re like me and you’re one of those planners, I’d like to ask the question how much has worrying at home ever really helped the situation? Has there ever been a time that you’ve been dwelling on, oh, woe is me, or how hard this life is, or where is God in this moment? That it really changed your life? And he said, You know what?

I had nothing going for me until I worried about it. Until I got anxious and acted that way, my life was going nowhere. Jesus said it first, all the way back in Matthew chapter 6. We cannot add even a single hour to our life by worry. It does no good because the one who can do good is the God who will provide for us. Just as God provides for the birds of the air who neither sow nor reap, just for as he provides for the grass which is today alive and tomorrow thrown into the oven, he will take care of us. But consider the warning at the end of verse 30 that I have to wear in times past. Oh you of little faith. Jesus has no time for those who don’t recognize that God is good and God provides.

4. Set Your Minds on Things Above

And when we worry, when we don’t trust God’s plan truly, we’re showing a lack of trust in God. And that is perhaps the biggest crime of all. God has done everything for us, He has shown it, He has proven it. We know that life is more than food and clothing, but do we live like it? We know that God will provide because He has, but do we believe that? Do we realize that being anxious does no good anyhow? I want to stop for a minute and look in 1 John chapter 2 and consider something that perhaps will help us get over this change. Yes, it’s easy and it’s important to remember that there’s more to this life than food and clothing. Yes, it’s important to know that God will provide.

And certainly we need to know that it does no good to doubt God. To think that we can worry ourselves into some sort of solution. But in 1 John chapter 2, we see it’s this perspective that has to change for us to accept God’s provisions, to trust that we cannot fix it on our own, to know and to live as if this life is more than food and clothing. You see it in 1 John chapter 2, you perhaps you know the verses in verse 15. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh, and the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

And what’s the problem with that in verse 17? And the world is passing away along with its desires. But whoever does the will of God abides forever. Underline verse 17, perhaps it’s the least sought-out part of these three verses. But it is the most important. What’s the problem with loving the world? Verse 15, the love of the Father is not in you. What’s the problem with being caught up with the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes and the pride of life? Verse 17. The world is passing away along with its desires. I think we need to have the mindset that’s found in Colossians chapter 3. I hope you turn there with me. In Colossians chapter 3, Paul tells us how to adopt this proper mindset, this proper perspective that yes, life is fleeting, and that’s a fact that I know, but it’s a life changing belief that I cannot help but live out.

In Colossians chapter 3, consider the first several verses. In Colossians chapter 3, beginning in verse 1. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is. Seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ you is, your life appears, and you also will appear with him in glory. How are we going to make it? Focus on what matters. Verse 2, set our minds on things above. You see, if we set our minds on things that are on the earth, as Paul tells us not to in Colossians 3 and verse 2, we might be caught up loving the things of this life that John tells us not to in 1 John chapter 2 and verse 15.

And if we set our minds on the things of the earth that Paul tells us not to in Colossians, and we find ourselves loving this world, as John tells us not to in 1 John chapter 2, we will likely find ourselves anxious over all that this life fills our time with, as Jesus tells us not to in Matthew chapter 6. They all go together. And so if I’m worrying, it is apt that Jesus would say, Oh, you of little faith, because I have missed the boat that Jesus wants my soul. Jesus wants us to be holy. He wants us to be like him. See, as we consider how not to worry, we have to realize that there is a way to put it away. And it’s not just continually telling ourselves, God will provide, God will provide.

5. Seek First the Kingdom and Trust in God

We have to know it in our hearts. We have to truly submit to him. And Matthew chapter 6, as those verses continue. Consider what Jesus says. Therefore do not be anxious, saying, What shall we eat or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear? For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Verse 33 is so strong. Seek first the kingdom of God. How? Why? To be with Jesus? Of course. Why else? Seek his righteousness. And all these things, those things that should not cause us anxiety, should not cause us worry. We will have them all. Because God has promised.

Verse 34 again underscores the other problem of how it doesn’t help. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. If we were to take the advice of Jesus in just verses 25 through 34, not being anxious about the things of this life that don’t matter in the scope of eternity. And then we took his advice in verse 33 and seek first the kingdom of God, seek after his righteousness, knowing that then all these things will be added unto you. And then in verse 34, if we didn’t borrow worry, how much simpler. How much more wonderful. How much more peaceful would this life be? As we live out these expectations of Jesus, we see that only through trusting in God entirely, completely, will we have the peace that God does want for us.

You see, it’s the ultimate catch 22. Is we think that we can work our way out of these struggles, out of these worries, that if we just think about it from a different angle or a different point of view, or if we just tell other people our struggles and our problems, they’re going to have the right words of life. They’re going to have the answers. But Jesus says, no, trust in God. Consider Proverbs chapter 3. Turn with me there in Proverbs chapter 3. Jesus gives a strong warning in his inspired will in Proverbs chapter 3 as he tells us in Matthew that we cannot fix our worry. We cannot fix our troubles with worry. The Proverb writer in Proverbs chapter 3 and verse 5 and 6 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Do not lean on your own understanding. But verse 6, how are we going to do that? How do we show that? In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. See, the warning that Jesus gave is the same prohibition that the Proverb writer makes. He says, Do not trust your own senses. Why? Our senses get confused. They don’t have the full picture, and most of all, we are tempted to love the world. We have to be better. And the only way to be better is to be with God. To trust in God.

6. Forgive Your Brother From Your Heart

Proverbs chapter 3 and verse 6. This is the only way. If you are here this morning and trying to find peace, trying to find contentment in any source other than complete submission and self-sacrifice in the name of Jesus, you will not find it. Because God alone offers a peace that surpasses understanding. God alone can make our path straight. And the sacrifice of Jesus alone is what allows us to be with our great, merciful, loving God. And the truth about our merciful God is that he is willing to forgive. And perhaps that’s part of the source of our worry this morning. In Matthew chapter 18, consider Jesus’ words. In Matthew chapter 18, as he gives the great parable of the servant in forgiveness. Consider how that parable kicks off, you might say, according to the writing of Matthew.

In Matthew chapter 18 and verse 21. Then Peter came up and said to him, Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive them? As many as seven times. Jesus said to him, I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. Or you might say, after seventy times, seven times. But the truth of this parable, of course, you have the servant who comes before his master with an unpayable debt, and the master releases him of that great unpayable debt. And that servant with his ungrateful heart goes out, finds the servant who owes him a payable debt, and he chokes him, saying, Pay what you owe. And the pinnacle of this comes in verse 35. When Jesus said, So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.

Strong words from Jesus. What was it that would happen? What happened to that servant who was ungrateful, who was unthankful, who choked the man, saying, Pay what you owe. We find it in verse 33. He was told, Should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant as I had mercy on you? And in his anger, his master delivered him to the jailers or the torturers, until he should pay all his debt. That torture, that handing over is what Jesus said that God will do to us if we do not forgive our brother from our heart. You see, because the heart is where worry comes from, the heart is where submission to God comes from, and they are competing goals. If we’re not willing to let things go, if we’re not willing to forgive, then Jesus has once again promised us a clear fate separation, torture, you might say, from our God.

It can’t be that we thank God for forgiveness on the one hand and turn to our neighbor, our coworker, our family member, and demand that they do everything. And we do not have to forgive. Because their wrong is too wicked. Their wrong is too far. When God has forgiven us a far greater, of far more frequent sins. And he’s always there for those who truly turn to him. It should be no surprise that this theme of forgiveness will be found in the prayer that Jesus gave. Perhaps you know it as the model prayer in Matthew chapter 6. And in verses 14 and 15, Jesus restates this same idea found in Matthew chapter 18. If we do not forgive our brothers, we will find no forgiveness from our master, from God.

How much happier? How much more peaceful? How much more Christlike would our service be if we let things go? This applies both to forgiveness, certainly of the subject of most importance. But how about just going back to that eternal perspective for a minute and on things that are petty, on things that are hard, on things that are not so hard, but we make them that way, like traffic, like people’s inconsiderate remarks, like people just not thinking before they speak. What if we actually let them go rather than causing us to be stirred with hatred, with wrath and malice? What if we changed our life to be one of forgiving, of kindness, no matter what was offered, like we want, expect, and hope that God has promised and will fulfill his promises of being to me.

Conclusion

If I want God to forgive me, I have to forgive others. If I want things to be let go, then should I not be willing to let go as well? Consider one final thought this morning. Our focus to put away worry has to be on eternity. We already read Colossians chapter 3 in the first four verses, but in verse 2 was that hallmark key. We are set our minds on things above, not things on the earth. The truth is, life is hard. And no matter how great life is, it’s going normal, it’s going great, it’s going good enough. Whatever your words are, be glad. Be thankful to God. But there will be a time when life is going normal and then it won’t. There will also be a time when life is continuing on, your heart continues to beat, your mind continues to think.

And there will be a time in which it won’t. At that point, how much will we really care about the things that are troubling us today? As we’re anticipating seeing God, whether it’s in this life or as we come before His throne, as we stand in judgment for all that we’ve seen, said, and done, and yes, even thought. How much more will these careless words that someone said to me matter in eternity? How much will it matter for me to have put things right, to have submitted to my God, to devote myself totally to Christ? How much will that matter? That will be everything. If we’re not going to worry, if we’re going to set aside our worry, we have to trust that God and God alone has the answers.

We need to trust that God and God alone provides the comfort, the peace, and the love that we were designed to need, and that only He can possibly fulfill. Do you trust in God today? Perhaps, like me, you struggle with that, but know that there are brothers and sisters in Christ who will pray to our merciful God, who will provide for us, who has provided everything, and that we can seek his forgiveness. We can turn. We can start to trust in Him today. Perhaps you’ve never been a Christian. You realize that God is there. You see the creation.

Realize that you can become one with Him today. You can be baptized into the body of Christ, having your sins forgiven. Trust in God. Know that only Jesus can pro provide forgiveness. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. If we can help you come to Jesus in any way, come forward now as we stand and sing the invitation song.