Have you ever been on the outside looking in at a turbulent situation and seen these two groups of people.
Whether it is a financial problem, or a health scare, maybe an industry is on the outs, or whatever.
There are usually two camps in these situations, the worriers and the calm people.
And I say USUALLY, because that is not always the case, sometimes NO ONE is calm and EVERYONE is in a panic.
Well, if you look closely when you are in the middle of "the mess", the same to camps are there in your situation too.
And here's the thing campers, you are one or the other. You are the one who is calm and collected or you are the one who has LOST IT.
If I took a poll most of us would say we are the calm ones right, everyone wants to seem like the cool one in a tense situation, but tell the truth, we worry right? We freak out when things start to go south.
Now, each one of us expresses it in a different way and each one of us has his or her own tipping point, but we all freak out.
We all worry.
And there are some things that other people worry about and they panic and YOU or I just think, “Are you serious? Is THAT really such a big deal?”
And that's usually our reaction when it's something trivial to you or to me, then we're like, “come on man, Get a Grip!”
But what is trivial to us is important to someone, and the things that would push the panic button in our lives may seem silly to other people.
The point is: we all panic we all stress, we all WORRY about something.
And Andy Stanley, a pastor down at North Point Community Church in Georgia, points out that a lot of people help to feed our worry.
For example, on the occasions where our life is in a storm, with the Job or family or whatever, in those times when you haven’t panicked, in those times for whatever reason you just felt completely tuned into where God has you.
And when everything has been peaceful in your heart, you may have found this to be true –
People think you are crazy, or maybe clueless to the reality of the situation because you aren't panicking and going screaming into the night with them.
Our peace doesn't make sense to the mob of worrywarts.
So, they want to clue us in and say things like:
- Don't you realize that they're talking about layoffs?
- Don't you get it? If little Johnny doesn't get that 4.0 he can kiss that acceptance letter from ______________ University goodbye.
- Don't you see? If candidate B wins, this whole country is going to the garbage can, we'll all be speaking pig Latin by next March!
What they are forgetting when they come up against our peace, and what we are forgetting when WE go into panic mode is a point that Pastor Mark Saunders down at Baylife Church in Brandon, Florida makes — it’s that no matter what is going on, God is in the mess with us.
Car’s broke? God’s there.
Divorce pending? God is there.
Kids are out of control? God’s there.
Can’t keep a job, can’t find a job, need a different job? God is there.
Cancer, addiction, AIDS, Baby’s got Down Syndrome? GOD IS THERE.
God’s in the mess with us!
I'm not saying your turmoil in life is not tragic. I'm not saying that you should go around acting like all is well when all seems like Hell.
What I am saying is what Jesus tells us: If we are His, then He will never leave us and He will never forsake us, Amen?
Do you believe that today? Are you living in that faith today?
Let's turn to Matthew 6:25-34 and before we read let's pray...
UNPACK: who’s talking, who’s the audience.
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
UNPACK: First off, let's keep this in perspective. If we are occupying our time with these worries, about food and drink about clothing - What Jesus seems to think of as senseless worries - than we are not concerning ourselves with the more important issues in life; and the most important issue of the life after this one.
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
UNPACK: Here Jesus points out His care for the insignificant things of life and says DON"T YOU GET IT! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH MORE THAN THESE THINGS.
Another point, Scriptures tell us all creation serves the purpose of revealing God to an unbelieving world so that they are without an excuse. (Romans 1:20)
But to believers, Jesus shows us how WE can still look to creation for reminders of His greatness.
The next time you are on the riverfront or in the park and you see a couple of birds flying around, allow it to remind you of God's provision for your needs.
Brother's and sister's you will have enough to eat.
Food, shelter and clothing will not always fall into our laps, if we have the ability to work, that is part of God's provision to get you food and shelter and clothing.
If we are unable, He gives us the one another's in the church, and He gives us the humility to ask for help and He gives those with plenty the ability to help their brothers and sisters.
There is still effort involved on our part, amen?
Read
Proverbs 6:6-9 (New International Version)
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
Moving On...
30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more
clothe you, O you of little faith?
UNPACK: Again, we see so many lessons in just a few verses. Not only does Jesus tell us that we are more valuable than the lilies, so we need not worry for our provision, but He also gives us a gentle reminder about the lack of permanence that we have and the foolishness of striving for the next better thing.
Remember that not only does the beauty of a flower have a short season here on the earth, but we do too. If we strive for the nicest and best new clothes, than we are striving for the wrong thing.
As this message stair steps on the last message, we learn not to make clothes or anything here our treasure. We must not make stuff the focus of our heart!
Because you can spend your whole day thinking about the next outfit or the next new shoes, but you don't know how long you have left.
What a vain (fruitless) and vain (full of ourselves) endeavor to pursue stuff instead of God.
We may be looking for the nice new shirt and worrying about how to get it — not knowing that at the end of the day my friend Josh might be fitting us for our casket clothes at the funeral home.
And what's more, Solomon had all the riches in the world, but his clothes still couldn't match the beauty of the flowers in the field.
Again it goes back to last week. There's always something better around the corner when it comes to materials, so these THINGS will never satisfy. You could have riches like Solomon and still see someone, or something dressed better. So don't look to that stuff for satisfaction!
31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these
things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
UNPACK: Once more, Jesus reminds us, WE ARE DIFFERENT - WE ARE COUNTER-CULTURAL - WE REFLECT A DIFFERENT REALITY stop being like the pagans, otherwise they will never see us as set apart from the world and they will never be drawn in to the fold.
People aren't intrigued by people who are like them.
But you are going to draw a crowd for Christ if you are the one person in your family or in your work place that isn't loosing their mind in a crisis.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well.
UNPACK: Do we need to go over this again? Seek FIRST His kingdom, not the house not the car, not the stuff, not the next girlfriend, not the next boyfriend, not the next husband or wife.
No, Make Christ your treasure and pursue Him as you would a treasure.
One of the cliché’s among recovery groups for many kinds of addiction is that if an addict would pursue God as diligently as he or she pursued the next fix, or the next drink, then they would be sober in no time.
Seek first the Kingdom, Go after the things of God like an addict searching for the next hit. To an addict, that is their single-minded focus. It takes precedence over ALL OTHER THINGS.
Worries about food and shelter and clothing all go by the wayside.
The difference is our fix is the things of God and our fix brings eternal life, Amen. And God promises us that if we seek Him first, all our other needs will be met as a surplus of His love.
These things like food shelter and clothing are like the parsley, the garnish on the plate where we find what we really need - His mercy and grace.
These things that we turn into the BIG stuff of life are little details, they are the extras, the set dressing. They are NOT what this life is all about.
Then Jesus ends this point and we end Chapter six with another amazing verse...
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
This is beautiful get this. Again, we don't know that we'll be around here tomorrow. The next breath you take could be your last. So don't waste your time dwelling on the "what if's" and the "oh, I hope's" that own us sometimes.
Stop writing scripts in your head about future confrontations stop trying to figure out all the right moves to get what you want to happen next week. Just find rest, find peace, in the place God has you NOW.
We say: What about this problem that's coming down the pike?
Lamentations 3:22-23 (New International Version) responds:
22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
In other words, He is NOT going to let you perish. But also, you don't have His mercies, His grace, His compassion for tomorrow, that isn't in your vault yet, just hold to the mercies that are yours today. And walk, through the mess of today knowing all the while that: GOD IS WITH YOU IN THAT MESS.
Let's sum it up and get you home: Worrying about things like our food and shelter and clothing is not only a waste of time it is also a clear sign of a lack of faith. And, spring boarding from last week's message, worries reveal where our hearts are.
We need to be on guard. A worry that is more than a fleeting concern or one that does not go away with a quick reminder of God's provision or a worry that we try to justify to ourselves or to others may be like the canary in the coal mine.
That bird is a harbinger of worse things to come.
And let me make another note here from Scriptures.
Not all CONCERN is sinful or a sign of a lack of faith. There seems to be a distinct difference between Concern and Worry in the Bible.
The things we've been given stewardship of require a healthy level of concern.
In Acts, Paul warns the church leaders to watch out for the wolves who might disrupt the teaching of the Word and the spreading of the Gospel.
Acts 20:27-31 (New International Version)
27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy
Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard!
And in Proverbs, we are told to keep an eye on our actual flocks
Proverbs 27:23-27 (New International Version)
23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
give careful attention to your herds;
24 for riches do not endure forever,
and a crown is not secure for all generations.
25 When the hay is removed and new growth appears
and the grass from the hills is gathered in,
26 the lambs will provide you with clothing,
and the goats with the price of a field.
27 You will have plenty of goats' milk
to feed you and your family
and to nourish your servant girls.
In our culture, this could be being good workers in our jobs, tending to them with excellence. Or if you are in school, keeping up with your studies and improving your grades, because the work we do now pay dividends later.
Parents, yes we should concern yourself with your kids, but not to be to the point that it paralyzes you or the family.
My friend calls this "paralysis by analysis" and I think that is so perfect. Because what worry does; it makes us keep that junk in our heads instead of giving it over to prayer or doing the work that God has allowed us to do to make a way through the mess.
Don't swing to the other side either. The other ditch is total lack of concern. Laziness is equated to foolishness throughout the Old Testament.
And here's a way of bringing it forward to where we live today.
The truth is, there are many worries in our life. But where we see worry most in the world today displays our heart.
Our NEEDS have been met and now we find our minds filled with unrighteous worry about getting the wants.
There are times when there are the worries for the next meal, or about where we will sleep tonight. But where it touches the heart of many
Americans year after year, day after day and night after sleepless night, is the times we worry about the promotion, or getting the right stuff for Christmas (for ourselves or to give to others).
We worry about next newer bigger better car or house, we worry about fitting in, in the fashion or what others will think about us (That is one of the number one killers of our ability to evangelism).
We worry about our kid's social standing or athletic abilities. Beyond concerning ourselves rightly about our children's education - we worry about perfect grades or getting into the RIGHT school.
That is all the trivial. None of that will matter in a hundred years.
Again, I don't want to make light of your troubles, I certainly don't want you to laugh off my worries either.
But, can you and I. Can WE stop letting this stuff own us? It is fruitless, it is usually harmful and it takes our eyes off the goal, to seek the Kingdom and His righteousness.
Let's pray...
