Why Worry?
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Intro
Intro
Review: If you remember we are in a series on the sermon on the mount. Let’s dive right in and read this scripture tonight and spend some time discussing it. Jesus is talking here and he’s teaching us some practical things.
Scripture:
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. 25 “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, and the body more than clothing? 26 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? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 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? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Discussion
Discussion
What do you find yourself worrying about most in life right now? Why?
What are some things on earth people treasure?
Have you ever bought something expensive only to have it break on you too early?
Jesus says here that we need to be careful with our possessions and money. He’s not against possessions. The idea here is that our possessions become our source of joy.
Possessions come up short. They eventually wear out, they eventually get stolen or fade.
Jesus says - Where your treasure is, there your heart will be. In other words, if you want to know where you heart it, look at where you spend your money.
You will follow your treasure because your heart is attached to it.
Jesus says, in contrast to storing up and hoarding treasures on earth, lay them up in heaven. What does it mean to store treasures in heaven?
To simplify - To store up treasures in heaven means to love God and love people. Here are some questions to ask yourself about your treasure:
Where Am I Laying up Treasures?
The last time something was broken or lost, how much did it crush me?
When money gets brought up, am I defensive or open? Peaceful or anxious?
How much hope do I have that God is going to provide for me in the future?
Does my bank account show that I am using money to love God and Love people?
Jesus goes on to make what seems like strange statements about our eye.
What do you think he’s saying? How does it relate to the passage above?
You’ve heard the term “The eyes are the windows to the soul.”
The eyes let light in and there is this idea that they also show the light or darkness you have within you.
Illustration: Me without glasses at the water park.
When you have bad eyes, you look at everything wrong.
When you can’t see, it ruins everything.
My take on this - When we don’t see money and possessions right - It ruins everything.
The words here for “bad” and “healthy” are often used for “generous” and “stingy.”
If I can sum up what Jesus is saying: If you view money and possessions wrong, it’ll make your whole life dark.
There’s a reason we say things like - “He was blinded by his greed.”
Jesus tells us we can’t serve two masters - We have to choose between God and money.
But how do we get to the place where money becomes master? What is it that so often pushes God out and puts money or possessions in the driver seat of our lives? What causes us to so easily make money master?
Answer: Worry
Notice the next verse..We would expect to get something from Jesus like - You can’t serve both God and money..so go sell all your stuff and give away all your money.
But he doesn’t say that at all..What does he say?
Worry, when not dealt with, leads to Idolatry...
Worry says, I can’t really trust God
When we don’t feel like we can trust God, we need something else we think we can trust...
Money becomes the next best thing.
So how do we get over worry?
Ask the right questions
Notice Jesus answers our questions, with questions of his own here.
Jesus, in his typical teaching style, takes our questions and answers them with questions of his own. He counters our questions and doubts by causing us to question the underlying assumptions we are making. His questions causes us to remember the obvious truth that we often forget.
Jesus, in his typical teaching style, takes our questions and answers them with questions of his own. He counters our questions and doubts by causing us to question the underlying assumptions we are making. His questions causes us to remember the obvious truth that we often forget.
Here are the counter questions:
Here are the counter questions:
“Are you not of more value than the birds?”
“Are you not of more value than the birds?”
You’re worried about being taken care of?
You’re worried about being taken care of?
You’re more valuable to God than birds - and he takes care of them!
You’re more valuable to God than birds - and he takes care of them!
“Can worrying add a single hour to your life?”
“Can worrying add a single hour to your life?”
Most of the stuff we worry about doesn’t happen anyway!
Most of the stuff we worry about doesn’t happen anyway!
Worrying is actually counter-productive. It doesn’t just not help, it often makes things even worse!
Worrying is actually counter-productive. It doesn’t just not help, it often makes things even worse!
“Why are you anxious about being clothed? Doesn’t God clothe the flowers of the field more beautifully than Solomon himself?
“Why are you anxious about being clothed? Doesn’t God clothe the flowers of the field more beautifully than Solomon himself?
These counter questions from Jesus, jar us back into the reality of his kingdom!
These counter questions from Jesus, jar us back into the reality of his kingdom!
They remind us that God is still on the throne, he is still in control, and we do not have to worry!
They remind us that God is still on the throne, he is still in control, and we do not have to worry!
Seek the Right things
Solution: Seek the right thingAnd that order is this - Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and He will take care of the rest. So what does it mean to seek first His Kingdom?It means making church and worship a priority in your lifeIt means making prayer and Bible reading a priority in your lifeIt means serving others It means giving of yourself for the sake of othersIt means taking the keys to your life and handing them to Jesus and letting him do with you as he wants.
Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and He will take care of the rest.
So what does it mean to seek first His Kingdom?
It means making church and worship a priority in your life
It means making prayer and Bible reading a priority in your life
It means serving others
It means giving of yourself for the sake of others
It means taking the keys to your life and handing them to Jesus and letting him do with you as he wants.
Conclusion
Conclusion
I’ve learned two things in life about possessions and worry..
When I become too attached to something it’s a sign that perhaps I should give it away. Practice this in your life.
When I begin to worry, I need to worship. I need to be reminded that God is on the throne and in control. I need to turn my eyes. I need to see clearly again.