Worry
I want to start today's sermon by telling you a short story about A very nervous airline passenger. He began pacing the terminal when bad weather delayed his flight. During his walk, he came across a life insurance machine. It offered £100,000 in the event of an untimely death aboard his flight. The policy was just three pound.
He looked out the window at the threatening clouds and thought of his family at home. For that price it was foolish not to buy, so he took out the coverage. He then looked for a place to eat, so he settled on his favourite, Chinese.
It was a relaxing meal until he opened his fortune cookie. It read, “Your recent investment will pay big dividends.”
2 reasons i wanted to share that story with you... the first was because it was funny and the 2nd was to introduce our topic for today's sermon... Worry.
Worry is one of those things that seem unavoidable. We can wake up in the morning and worry if the traffic on the way to work is going to be bad... we can go to bed and worry if we locked the door or not. Both of these happen to me on a regular basis. lol. But worry seems to be an everyday occurrence in most of our lives.
Our reading from Numbers today highlighted the story of the Jews in desert. . . they had escaped slavery in Egypt, they had seen God do miraculous things in the wilderness, looking after their needs with mana from heaven and water from a stone. God had provided their every need.Yet, in Numbers 11 here we see the Hebrews forget all of that and focus on what they didn't have... meat. They took their eyes off the things that God had already done and went looking for something else that they thought would bring them satisfaction...
Our reading then in Matthew 6 here we see Jesus addressing this very issue when He says... do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
Maybe I'm the only one who thinks like this ... but when someone tells me do not worry... they might as well be telling water not to be wet... lol.
You see worry is one of those things that we know we shouldn't do, but can't really help doing... I put it in the same category as trials and temptations. Because these three things all have the same outcome... they test our faith.
James chapter 1:2-6 says... 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
If we look at verse 4 here it says let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. . . I know that I need perseverance to continue doing its work, because Im by far not mature or complete... but you know what... that's ok...
If there are times that you feel the weight of worry weighing down on you, or you feel that trials and temptations are getting heavy... the Bible shows us ways of coping with that. . .
You see there are too many Christian's that are walking around with plastic smiles on that's hiding the burdens of worry and doubt and fear and all of those trials of many kinds that James talks about in verse 2 here. . . but if we just try and paper over the cracks and pop and mask on as if everything's ok... nothing ever gets dealt with. . . We block the work of perseverance from building up resilience.
Now... i'm not saying that we have to walk around with a sour face on us all the time... because James also here says to consider it pure joy when these times come... if you remember a few weeks back i talked about joy being a fruit of the spirit... not a counterfeit or temporary measure... but joy is something that is sustainable and can only be received by God.
If we look at Philippians 4:4-9 it says....
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (here we see joy being mentioned again) verse 5 says 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
SO here we have it. In this reading we can begin to see some of the things that will help to combat that worry. . . the first thing we see here is prayer and petition...
1 peter 5:7 says cast your cares upon the lord for He cares for you....
Bring your worries before God... No matter how small or insignificant you may think they are... they are big enough to take your focus away from God... So cast them onto Him. Focus on God.
The next part of that reading in Philippians says "in thanksgiving, present your requests to God". . . this is a throwback to our reading in Numbers... You see the Jews weren't thankful for the manna and the water... they wanted meat... Sometimes we are guilty of this too... We pray prayers like "I know you have done this for me lord... but if you could just do that... I'll be happy". Maybe I'm the only one guilty of those sort of prayers?... but nonetheless... we need to come to God with a thankful heart...
the reason for this is not just to show gratitude to God, but because it reminds us of the goodness of God in out lives... Psalm 103:2 says... Praise the Lord O my Soul and forget not His benefits... even the psalmist is telling us here that we must remember the goodness of God in our lives... always... in the good times and in the bad time...
There's a famous saying ... its not in the bible .... but it was from a Christian movie where 2 pastors would recite this saying in the good times and the bad... one would say "God is good" and the other would respond... "all the time"... and their reply would then be "and all the time...." and the consistent response would be "God is good". . . They would recite these lines to each other even in the most testing of times... but it highlighted to them the importance of remembering the goodness of God in ALL situations. . . and hopefully today... it will help us to remember that also.
1 Peter 1 :6-8 says 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
You see, some of us can read verses like this and see contradiction... early it says do not worry... and here we see "when trials come" or "even though you have had to suffer"... but I don't believe that's what the bible means here... God knows that we will worry... He knows that trials and temptations and all these things Will come our way... not might but will... I believe that the verses that tell us not to worry are the words of a loving father who is reassuring us that everything is going to be ok...
That is how good our God is... that even when we doubt... even when we are overcome with fear... sometimes even ungratefulness... when we are faced with trials.... God is good ... and is waiting for us with open arms... He is waiting for us to embrace Him... to cast our cares onto Him for He cares for us...
I want to read a section of scripture for us from Romans 8... there is a lot in these verses so please bare with me... it says...
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[b] have been called according to his purpose.
Let me repeat that last verse for us today...
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[b] have been called according to his purpose.
Here we can see that God knows... He knows we will get it wrong... He knows we will worry, and doubt, and be overcome with fear... but here we see the promise of His Holy Spirit... when have no words to say ourselves... He intercedes for us... when we have ran out of excuses, or petitions, or pleas... the Holy Spirit steps in and says... "I have searched their hearts and minds"... "I know what's going on with them"... and the Father responds with this "It's ok... I'm working all things out for those who love me"...
So can I close today by reading some of those verses back to you that we have read today?... When we worry, God says this...
I will give to you generously without finding fault (James 1:6)
I am here... I will give you peace to guard your hearts and minds ( Philippians 4:7)
I care for you (1 Peter 5:7)
Remember my Goodness (Psalm 103:2)
I have seen your faith (1 Peter 1:7)
A time is coming when I will reveal my glory in you (Romans 8:18)
I will liberate you from your bondage and bring you into freedom and glory (Romans 8:21)
My Spirit will help you (Romans 8:22)
Be confident that in ALL things... in ALL things... I am working for your good! (Romans 8:28)
These are not my words... these are the words of God, in the scriptures that we read today.... Hold on to these words... they are your source of strength ... joy... and peace...
I have printed out a copy of all of these verses for everyone and you can grab a copy off me on the way out... but hold on to these promises... read them every day! Cast your cares onto the Lord for He cares for you...
Amen...
