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Choose Faith Over Worry

Matthew 6:25-34

Intro: From 1941-1945 this country was involved in World War II. I don’t believe anyone here this morning were active participants of that war, but most of us had friends and family that were. My dad was in Patton’s army in Europe. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and liberated some of the Nazi death camps. Approximately 250,000 Americans were killed in combat during that time. That in itself is a staggering loss of life. An even more staggering statistic is that during the same period of time, 2 million Americans died of cardiovascular disease. Of that number, doctors estimate that half of them were related to worry! Four times as many Americans died of worry than on the battlefield. Last week we talked about how we need to change our attitudes to be what God wants us to be. Today the challenge is to choose faith rather than worry. Someone has said that, "Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it saps today of its joy." Worry does indeed rob us of things that are important in life. We lose our joy, our energy, our peace, and at times, even our health.

I. General Comments

A. Three Most Common Categories Of Worry

1. Death - ours or the death of others

2. Guilt - over what we have done or what we should have done

3. Problems - this could include any number of things that cause us to worry

B. Biblical Perspective

The word "Worry" is not found in the Scriptures, but the concept is found quite often. In our passage this morning we find the phrase "take therefore no thought" used to convey the concept of worry.

C. Practical Definition

Worry is a mental distress or agitation resulting from concern usually for something impending

or anticipated. (Webster) It means our thinking is divided resulting in an inability to function properly. If my thoughts are on what may happen tomorrow or the next day, I cannot concentrate on what I need to be doing today. James 1:8, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” We cannot live life to the fullest and get the most out of today if we are always worrying about tomorrow.

Getting back to our text, there are two kinds of worry found in these verses: Financial Worry – when the heart is in the wrong place. This is when we are more concerned about temporary, earthly treasures instead of eternal, heavenly treasures. Physical Worry - when our trust is in the wrong place – This is when we are depending upon self for supplying our daily needs instead of God.

II. Arguments Against Worry

A. It Keeps Us From Enjoying What We Have Matthew 6:25

Worry focuses our attention on what we do not have. As a result we miss out on the enjoyment of things God has provided us. It causes us to assume a responsibility that isn't ours. It is God’s job to meet our needs.

1. Philippians 4:11, “…for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

2. 1 Timothy 6:8, “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”

3. Hebrews 13:5, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

We should be content in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. Now, that doesn’t mean we don’t work to try to better our situation, but we should not whine and complain to God for what He

has provided us. We should be satisfied with having our true necessities taken care of. Do you realize that having two or three cars is not a necessity? You don’t need four televisions or a 46’ inch one. In fact, you don’t need a television at all. We think we are poor if everyone in the family

doesn’t have a cell phone. In the verse from Hebrews the writer says that we are to be content with what we have and if we aren’t we are bordering on covetousness. Our society pushes us to want more, more, more. TV commercials are designed to make us dissatisfied with what we have so we will go out and buy what they are peddling, but we have to be happy with what we have.

B. Worry Makes Us Forget God’s Care For Us Matthew 6:26

Worry makes us forget that God is not the birds Heavenly Father - He is ours. If God will care for the fowls of the air He certainly will meet our needs. This goes along with the notion of being happy with what we have. If we are always desiring more and better things we will soon forget that God is the One who provides those things. That leads to worrying about those things.

C. Worry Is Completely Useless Matthew 6:27

1. It cannot help us “Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere.” Worry does not help us at all.

2. In fact it can hurt us

a. Worry causes stress which is possibly the greatest killer in America. People today are stressed out because of the economy: afraid they’ll lose their job. They are worried about the wickedness in our Land. They are worried about the uncertainty of the future of our children and

grandchildren and the list could go on and on.

b. Worry will damage both your physical & mental health. Look at the people on medication for mental

health. The Mayo Clinic states that statistically 80-85 % of their case load of ill people was either directly or indirectly related to stress. “Seventy percent of all patients who come to physicians could cure themselves if they only got rid of their fears, worries, and bad eating habits.” There is a whole industry within the larger drug industry which is dedicated to producing anti-anxiety medications. Sales of Prozac alone are over $3 Billion per year.

c. Worry will cause the object of your worry to consume your thoughts. The Bible says that we are to think upon good things. Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” If we put the same energy into thinking right thoughts as we do worrying we would truly have a renewing of our minds. We need to replace worry with hope.

d. Worry will disrupt your

productivity & purposes. You cannot give yourself over to worry and do what needs to be done diligently. Job performance problems across our land are caused by apathy and stress: people who do not care or people who are consumed with their problems.

e. Worry will negatively affect the way you treat & interact with others. You will be self-centered because of the load of your cares. You will seek your own good instead of the good of others. It is difficult to empathize with someone else when worrying about your problems all but consumes you. This is why many times the best way to overcome worry is to get involved in helping someone else.

f. Worry will adversely affect your emotions. Your “fuse will be short” and your outward demeanor will not glorify the Lord. You will also have an unthankful spirit because you are so focused on what you don’t have you will not appreciate what you do have.

g. Worry will cause you to say things that you would not ordinarily say. I can’t tell you how many times I have been short with Darlene over the years because I was worried about something.

h. Worry will reduce your faith & trust in the Lord. You cannot trust

and worry at the same time. These two are like oil and water, they cannot mix! Turn to Mark 4:35-40. See here how Jesus showed the

disciples that fear (worry) and faith don’t go together? We see this again in John 14:1, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me.” Jesus told them again not to be troubled (or worry) but to believe in Him.

i. Worry is sin. Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him.” We have already seen that worry is the opposite of faith and here we see that we are not pleasing to God when we worry. But, not only does it not please Him it is also a sin. Romans 14:23, “And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

Worry is much more harmful than helpful! It is a total waste of time and effort. Some confuse worry and concern. Here is the difference between worry and genuine concern: Worry immobilizes, it paralyzes, but concern moves you to action. We should be concerned and not neglect matters of importance. We shouldn't worry about them and do nothing about it.

3. It will not change things. Aside from all the negative things worry brings with it, it does change anything anyway. Worrying about being short won’t make you any taller. Worrying about dying won’t make you live any longer. In fact, it may bring about death sooner.

D. It Causes Us To Forget God’s Promises

Matthew 6:30-33

1. God's love for man motivates Him to care for those who walk with Him.

a. Psalm 37:25, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor

His seed begging bread.”

b. Psalm 55:22, “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”

c. Romans 8:38-39 reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Worry makes us forget about all the promises of God’s providence.

E. Tomorrow Can Take Care Of Itself

1. If we focus on what is most important, God will take care of meeting our needs. (33-34)

2. We are to seek God and His righteousness; to live right before Him; that is our first priority.

3. Notice v 34 - "sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof"

Let each day's trouble be enough for that day. Don't borrow trouble from tomorrow. There will be enough to be concerned about tomorrow without fret over it today.

4. John Newton, who wrote Amazing Grace, said it this way, “We can easily manage if we will only take, each day, the burden appointed to it.  But the load will be too heavy for us if we carry yesterday's burden over again today, and then add the burden of the morrow before we are required to bear it.  ~John Newton

5. George McDonald wrote the following about worry, "No man ever sank under the burden of the day. It is when tomorrow’s burden is added to the burden of today that the weight is more than a man can

bear. Never load yourselves so. If you find yourselves so loaded, at least remember this: It is your doing, not God’s. He begs you to leave the future to Him and mind the present."

III. Choose Faith Over Worry

A. Claim The Presence Of God In Your Life

1. Well, before you can claim the presence of God in your life you have to have the presence of God in your life. This comes by trusting Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior. You have to trust Him for salvation first because all of the promises of God are contingent on your faith in Christ. Place your fate; your eternity; in His hands. God wants to give you eternal life, but you must accept Christ and His sacrifice on your behalf to get that life. 1 John 5:11-13, “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” Trust Him and you won’t ever have to worry about your for all eternity.

2. Our faith does not end with trusting Christ as our Savior. We also must trust Him in our day to day walk with Him.

a. Galatians 3:11, “But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.”

b. Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and

lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

c. When we are saved we are just in the eyes of God and so we are to live by faith. If we will trust in Him He will guide us through our lives.

B. Study The Bible & Learn Of His Faithfulness

1. David did just that. Psalm 119:90, “Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.” David wrote over and over about the faithfulness of God.

2. As he faced the giant Goliath, he remembered God's faithfulness to him. . 1 Samuel 17:37, “David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.”

3. David understood that God never changes and if He delivered, so we can always count on Him no matter what

4. Turn to Psalm 3.

a. Absalom was leading a revolt against David and it seemed to David that everyone was deserting him.

b. In v1-2 David speaks of situation and how that others have mocked him and God and said that God can't or won’t help him.

c. In v3-8 David speaks of God's faithfulness to deliver him.

C. Maintain Communication With God

Turn to Philippians 4:6-7.

1. In these verses we see two very important safeguards against worry.

a. The first is our communication to God, our prayers to Him. We are to take our burdens and our worries to God in prayer and then leave them there. Jesus said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)

b. The second is God's communication to us or the answer to our prayers. Look at Philippians 4:8-9. Once again, the choice is ours. We can choose to worry and fret over things that are out of our control or we can exercise faith in God.

Conclusion: Solomon charged us to "Trust in the Lord..." Are you trusting in Him this morning? Or are you allowing the enemy to rob you of your joy and peace of mind? Are you fearful of things that you have no control over?

Mark 11:22, “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

2 Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Remember, “Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.” Swedish Proverb

“The birds of worry and care fly over your head, this you cannot change, but that they build nests in your hair, this you can prevent.  ~Chinese Proverb

Said the Robin to the Sparrow, "I should really like to know,

Why these anxious human beings, rush about and hurry 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 & me." -- Elizabeth Cheney

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