THE WORRIED CHRISTIAN

 THE BOOK OF MATTHEWS   

 The author is not identified; however, its writings are attributed to Matthew, the apostle and former tax collector. Matthew presents Jesus as the fulfilment of the Law, the Messiah, King, and Jesus often refer to Himself as the “Son of Man”. 

TEXT: MATTHEW 6: 25-26, 33: 

(Sermon on the Mount- Chapter 5---7 Jesus’s famous teachings on moral living). In Matthew 6:19-23, He talks about possessions and masters; and vs 24-34 He talks about God’s Kingdom.

VS 25 Therefore, I say unto you, “Take no thought” or “Do not worry” about your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; or yet for your body, what you shall put on”.  “Is not the life more than meat and the body than raiment”?

 VS 26 “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

 Vs 33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Did you ever stop to think why Jesus’s teaching on “worry” was necessary? It seems to be the diet in today’s society. He is speaking to His committed disciples, alongside a large, curious crowd of hurting, oppressed Jewish farmers and labourers seeking healing. Most of the people hearing HIM were poor and living from day to day. For some, what they earned each day was all they had to live on for the next day.

Can anybody identify to some degree what that’s like, living from paycheck to paycheck?

One might ask! Did Jesus know the people were worried? According to biblical accounts, Jesus frequently knew when people were worried, anxious, or afraid, and often addressed them directly.

 He is “omniscient” God of all knowing/knowledge: Luke 12, Jesus taught a large crowd and then turned to his disciples, telling them, “Do not worry about your life”. He knew their minds were racing with anxieties about daily provisions and reassured them that God is aware of their needs.

 Jesus was able to discern their hidden fears. When his followers were panicking during a violent storm at sea, Jesus was asleep in the boat. When they woke him in fear, He calmed the storm and then questioned their lack of trust.

 In all these accounts, Jesus did not respond to their worries with judgement but by acknowledging their anxiety and encouraging them to replace their fear with trust. Jesus was letting the people know that life was more than material possessions, and that God, who provides for the birds and flowers, will certainly care for humans, who are of greater value. 

His goal is to move their thoughts from a state of worry to a state of peace, trusting that God knows and will provide what is truly needed for their life. Listen to these three definitions.

 Biblical perspective “Worry/thought” defined in Greek is merimna’o…meaning “to be pulled in different directions: or torn apart.” Think about it! One moment you’re stressing about finances, next you’re spiraling about a relationship, then, you’re replaying something you said three days ago.

Worry scatters us and keeps us living everywhere except the present. Jesus wasn’t ignoring their struggles. He pointed out that worry doesn’t solve them—it just fractures our peace. Instead, He invites us to trust the God who sees every need and promises to take care of us.

 Worry can be defined as the following;

Strangling origin – comes from an Old English word “wyrgan” -meaning to strangle or to seize by the throat. This roots its meaning of being constricted or choked by one’s thoughts.

 Medical doctors estimate that more than twenty five percent of their patients are what they have called "worried well".  Doctors spend a lot of time examining folks who are not sick, -- only worried, plagued by the “what if syndrome”.

What if my car doesn’t start in the morning?  What if, I get laid off my job?  People are worrying about a whole lot of, what ifs. 

If we have a good job, we worry that we’ll lose it. If we have good health, we worry that we won’t have it long. If our children leave the house, we worry if they’re coming back.

Psychological definition (effects that originate in or act upon the mind/behavior), the mental part where your brain tries to solve the “what if” scenarios for the future. What if I don’t get this job: What if my check doesn’t come? What if? Are you plagued by “what if” problems? Then, consider yourself in the “worried well” class.

I think it’s safe to say all of us have experienced worry to some degree, but how often and how intently do you worry? What kind of things do you worry about? Are they mostly big things such as world events; finances, crimes, family matters, relationships, your mate, jobs, health?

There’s a Professor of Psychology at Penn State university…Thomas Borkevec, an expert in the field of worry. He makes his living diagnosing what other people worry about. His claim is that the most single source of worry is other people’s opinion of you. What will they think? What will they say? Will I be laughed at? Will I be left out?

He stated that even clergy have experienced moments when they knew what God wanted them to do but failed to do it because of what others might think. Truth is, regardless of what we do or don’t do, we really can’t alter other’s opinion of us. Our focus should be…. what does God think of us.

Many times, we take worry to bed with us, we get up with it and carry it with us throughout the day. Jesus doesn't want us to worry. His walk (way of living) matched His talk.

Where or when was Jesus ever afraid? There’s no record of the Savior expressing his concern over what will happen or will not happen and never anxious or worrying about potential reactions of others.

Why? It’s simple: dependence. Christ, himself being God, expressed and demonstrated the model for humanity in his complete confidence, trust and dependence in God (“the Son can do nothing of his own accord” John 5:19). He knew and lived like He believed that God is sovereign (supreme) over everything: there is nothing that surprises or unsettles God.

Even in the Garden we see Christ pouring out His heart to the Father, proclaiming His commitment to and confidence in God. He marched with resolve to Calvary without being afraid of men or circumstances.

Why: Because He knew that God is sovereign. Look what He told Pilate: “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11).

Earthly power is limited and Pilate’s power was delegated. Jesus wasn’t losing His life by force, but by choice via His Father’s plan.

Jesus didn’t worry, but because of the ill effects of worry, HE tells us not to worry about the basic needs that God promises to supply (food, drink, clothing).

In our text, Jesus speaks to us where we live and give illustrations that worry is unnecessary, unproductive, and outside of God's natural design of mankind.

Prior to this teaching, He had told the people not to let money be their master and they couldn't serve two masters. They would either hate the one and love the other. He knew the reason a lot of people let money be their master is because they were worried about tomorrow.

The average person thinks if they had a large income, it would solve their problem, not so. Here Jesus gives them a better way to handle the problem of worry. Here are some reasons why we shouldn’t worry.

VS 25 FINANCIAL FEAR - UNREASONABLE

Jesus said, "Therefore, I say unto you, take no thought" or ‘do not worry.”  The word “thought/worry” meaning, “having a distracting care; divided mind,” a distraction that pulls a person’s focus away from trusting God and toward self-reliance.

The same word, same meaning is used in Philippians 4:6 "Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God”. He used the same word to describe Martha in Luke 10:41-42, when she was stressing over Mary spending time with Jesus rather than helping with household work.  He said, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful (anxious) and troubled about many things:  but one thing is needful:  and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her”.

In other words, Mary had chosen to spend time with Him, which was the most needful thing to do. Don’t worry about your finances or your job.  It’s unreasonable. Don’t let that become distracting care!  Don’t worry about your children or your relationship.   That’s my responsibility (God’s), not yours!  

VS 26 WORRY IS UNNATRUAL

Jesus said, “Look up at the birds”. There’s no worry in their life. They don’t pile up goods for an unseen future, nor do you see them sowing seeds or harvesting crops, yet their lives go on, and their needs are met. We are the only creation of God who worries. If God provides for the birds He created, and He does, then surely, He will take care of us, His children, who are created in His image and likeness.

VS 27: Which of you by worrying can add one cubit (18") to his statue. It’s unhelpful, because it can’t change a thing even by the equivalent of “eighteen inches.”

Job 14:5 says, "Before we were born God established length of our days.” Worrying divides attention from spiritual priorities.

So, what good would you do to worry about something anyway?

A cubit is measure of length (18 in), making it an absurd, small change to height, it can’t make you taller, highlighting that worry is both useless, and incapable of extending life.

VS 28 WORRY IS A LACK OF FAITH

Now, look down: “Why take you thought for raiment/clothing? It’s unnecessary.  Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin”. Vs 30 God clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, Oh, you of little faith?

Jesus refers to worry as “little faith” meaning weak, fearful, doubting trust in God’s power. He said vs 31, “Take no thought (don’t worry) about what you should eat or drink”. Vs 32, “These things the gentiles (unbelievers) seek”: for your heavenly Father knows how much a gallon of gas costs today. He knows how much the cost of groceries will be next week.

David said, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” (Psalm 37:25).  

He knows what our future is and He knows how much money you have in the bank. He knows if you have no money at all.

He knows just who to send your way with enough money to meet your very needs. Why? That's God’s responsibility, He is Jireh-our Provider and He care for you.

In Exodus 12, when Moses began leading God’s people out of Egyptian bondage, there were millions of them.  Can you imagine the amount of food and water it would take to feed a group that size?  But did not God provide for them?  Not only that, but He also provided a way through the Red Sea.

Mind you, they didn’t have to press their way through mud; they went over on “dry ground”!!!!  This provision for the Israelites was not just for a couple of days, or a week or two, but He took care of them for forty (40) years during their wilderness experience!!!

Deuteronomy 8:4 Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years!!!!

What does that mean for us?  SAME GOD THEN – SAME GOD NOW!!!!

If Jesus’s command is “do not worry”, what was His reason and what can result from worry.

Worry damages your health. It brings on diseases, stomach ulcers, coronary thrombosis, insomnia (awake when you should be asleep), disrupted productivity, clouds judgement and you can’t make rational decisions. It negatively affects the way you treat others.

Whenever “worry” enters the mind, another emotion tags along with it called impatience, and one becomes irritated, easily provoked, restless, eager, snappy, anger. It can push you into making hasty and unwise decisions. There’s a saying, “it’s not what you eat that causes ulcers, but it’s what’s eating you”. I’m talking to the worried Christian.

1^st Samuel 13:6-11, the Philistines had accumulated a large army to fight against Israel. Saul is waiting in the wings for the Prophet Samuel according to the set time of seven days when Samuel didn’t come to Gilgal, the people began to “worry” and they scattered themselves from Saul because of fear.

So, Saul, impatient, said bring me a burnt offering and peace offering, and offered the burnt offering up to God as a sacrifice before going into battle with the LORD as his ally. But it was God’s command that the “priest” offer up burnt offering’s, not the king. As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, here comes Samuel.

When he saw what Saul had done, he was not happy with him. He said you have done foolishly! You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God. Now your kingdom shall not continue. Saul lost his kingship! Why! Because of worry and being impatient it accomplished absolutely nothing on Saul’s behalf.

 If you profess to know Christ, you can live a different life free from worry and anxiety. One might ask? How can this be? Simply! “When your thoughts change, by adopting the same mindset as Jesus...2^nd Corinthians 2:5 “Let this mind, be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”. When we have the mind of Christ, then, the same selfless, humble attitude and perspective Jesus displayed, prioritizing others, embracing humility, and submitting to God’s will above your own, will be displayed or exhibited in our lives.

 It’s uniting with Him, an internal transformation – 2^nd Corinthians 5:17 “If any man be in Christ” (placing your personal faith in Him, participating in His grace, the word says, “you are a new creature (creation)”. You are not just improved; you are completely regenerated.

The old is gone, the past sins, guilt, and the old way of living defined by the “flesh” had to loosen its condemning power. The original Greek suggests you are a brand-new species of existence created by God. The “New” has come. You have received a new identity, righteousness, and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus took time to preach and teach about worry, because it demonstrates a lack of trust in God’s character, and it accomplishes absolutely nothing and misplaces a believer’s priorities.

As believers and followers of Christ we need only concern ourselves with our Father's business and He'll concern Himself with ours. What is HIS business?  It’s KINGDOM. He personally delivered it to us. Luke 12:32, Fear not little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Jesus said, John 6:38 “I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me”. His coming down from heaven was not from beyond the blue sky, but “heaven” is from the Greek word “oupavos” (oo-ran-os’) translated as elevation, “lofty” or high place, happiness, power, eternity, the Gospel. He came down to perfectly obey the Father’s will and Jesus’s entire mission on earth was dedicated to fulfilling this divine purpose rather than His own.

Jesus is not just the herald of the Kingdom of God, but the actual embodiment (physical form) of the Kingdom. In theology, this is often called “Autobasileiam”, a Greek term meaning “the kingdom in person”. I’m telling you, Jesus was the “kingdom”, walking around on two feet.

Mark 11:1-11 (The triumphal entry): vs 7: And they brought the colt to Jesus and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. Vs 8: And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. Now watch and listen to what these people did and said: vs 9: And they that went before and they that followed, cried, saying, “Hosanna” (oh save; saviour; rescue; avenge; defend); blessed is he that come in the name of the Lord”: vs 10: “Blessed be THE KINGDOM of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest” (hup’sistos) [the Supreme (God); the heavens; Most High].

You can see here in these verses, that THE KINGDOM of God entered Jerusalem in the PERSON of JESUS CHRIST, riding on a colt!! That’s why Jesus said in Matthew 6:33, “Seek ye first THE KINGDOM of God and HIS righteousness, and these things shall be added unto you”.

The KINGDOM cannot exist without its KING. When Jesus arrived, the KINGDOM arrived because He is the ruler. This is why He announced in Luke 17:21 that “the kingdom of God is in the midst/among you.” The KINGDOM was in their midst because HE was standing right in front of them talking to them, but they could not comprehend Him.

Therefore, your business and my business, is to seek the kingdom, identify it, believe it, and live in it. Again, Matthew 6:33 states, “SEEK FIRST” the “KINGDOM”! Therefore, our first priority (most important, urgent,) instead of focusing our energy on worry, Jesus provides a direct alternative, a solution.

His direction to us is, but seek, ‘GOD FIRST”- when you shift your primary focus to loving God and serving others, you can trust Him to handle your physical needs. He personally delivered the KINGDOM to us Himself.

My friends, you cannot separate the kingdom from the person of Jesus; to have Him is to have the kingdom.

What is it? It is not a physical kingdom and can’t be physically mapped or observed (Luke 17:21) “The kingdom is within you”. “God’s kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), but a present reality.  “The kingdom’s dominion is the rule of God, and it’s not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy, in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17). It’s the government of God.

His government is designed to produce for you everything you have need of – health, wealth, houses, jobs, cars, love, joy and peace, independent of what anybody think about it. It’s under the rule of God, our King who makes it happen for us. So, if you are a believer in Christ, then your citizenship is no longer “of this world”, you are a citizen of heaven.

Ephesians 2:18: For through him we both (Jew/Gentile) have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Vs 19: Now, therefore, you are no more strangers (xen’os) [guests] and foreigners (par’oikos) [aliens; strangers; sojourners], but fellow citizens (sumpoli’tes) [natives of the same town; united] with the saints, and of the household of God: vs 20: And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone: vs 21: In whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto an holy temple in the Lord: vs 22: In whom you also are built together for an habitation (dwelling place) of God through the Spirit.

In closing, if you are a worried Christian plagued by a world of “what if’s,” if you are choked by your own thoughts, worries about what people think of you, or problems with time management, the antidote for worry is “GOD FIRST”!

Steven Cole gives this illustration – a story of the time management expert who was speaking to a group of business students.

He pulled out a large, wide-mouth jar and filled it with a fist-sized rocks. When he couldn’t put any more in, he asked, “Is this jar full?” The class responded, “yes.” He said, “really?”

Then, he pulled out a bucket of gravel and poured it in, shaking it down through the cracks. Then, he asked, “Is the jar full?” The students were on to him, so they said, “no.” “Good” he replied.

Then, he dumped in a bucket of sand. Once more he asked, “Is the jar full?” “No,” they shouted, Again, he said, “Good.” He poured in a pitcher of water until the jar was full to the brim. Then, he asked, “What is the point of this illustration?”

One student ventured, “No matter how full your schedule, if you try hard, you can always fit more in.” “No,” the speaker replied, “That is not the point”. The point is, “If you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.”

“First Things First,” by Stephen Covey, Roger & amp; Rebecca Merrill (Simon & amp; Schuster), pp. 88-89).

What should our “big rocks” be?

Jesus and His Word! Put them first in your life! If we put the pebbles, or sand, etc, in first, we won’t find time (room) for Jesus, the King of Kings, and His living Word, which endures forever!

To the worried Christian, do you want a life free of worry and anxiety? Then, the antidote is GOD FIRST!

AMEN!

Evangelist Brenda Hansley

 

Evangelist Brenda Hansley