Time to Take Out the Trash: Leaving Our Burdens with the Lord

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God wants us to let go of practical homecoming. Do you trust him this overflow you. So what are you doing your burdens upon Ringo God is the Lord is like we come out of a department store back full of merchandise is hard to navigate our way through the park. We dropped his bag. Then we drove you hear the sound of broken glass. The Lord shows up for the card today on a new beginning after Greg Laurie points out how we can leave our burden will be low about what in my house. I take the trash out and I procrastinate, I put it up but I don't know why it's really not that hard. These big plastic trash scheduled wheels and a handle on them. All I gotta do is drag around the front and put them there. But you know there's something about taking out the trash that I don't really like to do and then someone comes along and they pick up the traffic on the trash man, maybe a better title would be waste management professional.

Whatever they do their job and they do their job well. I'm glad they do it because of they decide to not pick up my truck for a month we would have a serious situation right so let me say something that might seem a little odd, but Jesus Christ is our Savior Jesus Christ as our Lord Jesus Christ is our God.

But Jesus, in effect, wants to pick up your trash. Let me explain.

Jesus is in Matthew 1128 come to me all you are weary and can't carry your heavy burdens that I would give you rest. Jesus is saying.

Would you please bring your cares to me, would you please bring your anxieties and your worries and your problems and your burdens to me and he says and when you do that, I will give you rest of me that's quite a promise and we all have cares and anxieties and worries that weigh us down, only you know the feeling.

Just when you're laying your head down at night.

They come this.

What about sometimes it wake you up in the middle of the night. Sometimes your you been able to kind of give them over to the Lord in the just got back into your head again and then they trouble you and and they feel like just a lot of weight on your shoulders and and sometimes our problems are imagined.

We make mountains out of mole hills, and other times are troubles are real, but whatever they are.

Here's what the Bible says we should do with them.

Let's read first Peter chapter 5 verse six and reading from the new living translation so humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.

Casting all your cares upon him for he cares for you. Stay alert. Watch out your great enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, be strong in your faith and remember that your family of believers are all over the world and they're going to the same kind of suffering. You are so if you're taking notes. Here's point number one you are not alone in your suffering. You are not alone in your suffering. Look at verse eight.

There first Peter again, remember that your family of believers all over the world are going to the same kind of suffering.

You are I don't know why this was just good to know I'm not the only one going through suffering right that there's somebody else that is facing something this part is I'm facing.

Maybe even quite a bit harder than I'm facing.

This is were community comes in. This is where the church comes in over at our church in Maui. They call it Ohana, which is the Hawaiian word for family, you know, as it was already said earlier, we don't need to do this alone. Don't try to be a solo Christian. The Bible says bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. It's so wonderful.

Will we can do that for one another, but I think there's something in this where we say will I don't want to admit. I need help. Why is that because were proud idiots. That's one of the Bible says humble yourself. Verse six under the mighty hand of God and at the right time to lift you up. I think it's maybe easier in general for women to share their hearts with other women than it is for guys to share with other guys in my right to guide our guys and we we have this all sorted out, we fix… We do well you know it we break stuff to and we get broken ourselves sometimes to and we need help. We all need to humble ourselves under the hand of God and acknowledge that we need help from other people you know when our son Christopher was called home to heaven 10 years ago. It was devastating for us and it just rocked our world and and frankly, I wondered will I survive that said so traumatizing that so hard to wrap your mind around the fact that your child is with you one day and he is in another and in so you know the first thing I did as I reached out to civil Greg, your pastor, don't you have all the answers well know number one and number two when the day was done. I was just a father in pain so I reached out to fellow pastors and other wonderful people I know in and they were a great encouragement to me. I would just say help me I'm struggling. I have these questions hide questions like anyone has questions and even though I given the answers many times I was still needing help and I also reached out to other people would lost children because knowing that there was someone that had somehow survived. This was comforting to me when I was in that first stage of it and so that's a whole thing. You're not alone in your suffering. I think if you just found out you had cancer. Your world is altered. But if you could talk to a cancer survivor and they can give you perspective that can be very encouraging to you and that is why for those of us who have suffered who lost a child. We've lost a spouse. We've had cancer and been able to overcome it to whatever it is we come through. Don't waste your pain. God allowed you to go through that for a reason, so use that to help other people because the Bible says comfort with the comfort that you have been comforted with so you're not alone in your suffering number two. We need to give our burdens to God. We need to give our burdens to God to give her seven casting all your cares upon him for he cares for you. The word castor is not the normal word for throwing something rather it is a word that signifies a definite act of the will, by which we stop worrying about something and let God assume the responsibility for our welfare.

So it's an act like okay I'm not going to worry about this because worry doesn't help and I'm going to put it deliberately and intentionally in the hand of God coming back to this statement here. Casting all your cares upon him wife because he cares for you. Listen, if it troubles you, it concerns God the other day when my grandchildren was troubled about something. I was out of town so I face time. Tell me what's going on. I wanted to hear it didn't seem like a big thing.

But if it's big finger her.

It's really kind of a big thing to me to it's on the same way God says I care about you. I'm concerned about you. Why don't you cast that on me.

I'm asking you to do so think what you do when the trashcan is overflowing you empty the trash.

So what you do when you're burdens are piling up. You bring them to God right so let's shift gears now go over to Matthew chapter 6 will see the next thing that we need to do a read a few verses together. Matthew six verse 25 years Jesus in the sermon on the Mount. This is why tell you not to worry about everyday life. Whether you have enough food or drink, or close to where is alive more than food in your body more than clothing. Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them in your far more valuable to him than they are killed all of your worries at a single moment to your life. Why do you worry about clothing look of the lilies of the field, how they grow, they don't work or make their clothing.

Yet Solomon in all of his glory was not as just as beautifully as they are, and of God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow he will certainly care for you, why do you have such little faith so don't worry about these things, saying, what shall we eat, what shall we drink, what shall we wear these things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly father already knows all of your needs very important verse, verse 33 seek first the kingdom of God above everything else in his righteousness will give you everything you need. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.

Today's trouble is enough for today.

Their powerful words of Jesus. So let's review. Number one, were not alone in our suffering. Number two, we should cast all our cares on God number three this is a big one, the believers should not worry, Jesus says don't worry about these things, Jesus is not saying a Christian should not think about those things or be concerned with the needs of life such as what you're going to wear what you're going to eat her where you're going to live and things of that nature is not saying don't think about it. He saying don't worry about it fact elsewhere in Scripture work commended for working hard and saving and investing and so forth.

So there's a place for all of that Jesus is a don't worry. Verse 25. Don't worry about your life for a better translation don't have anxiety about the issues of life. Stop doing what you've already been doing so the ideas you been doing this I want to stop and stop worrying.

Mr. Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message just a moment.

Sometimes, we can always make it pictured here is his church is coming to you is coming due on your TV screen or on your tablet or your computer or even your phone. We do it every weekend and it's called Harvest at Home.

We worship we have a message of the word of God. You want to find out more, just go to harvest.org enjoy this this weekend for harvest at all today on a new beginning. Pastor Greg is offering a helpful biblical antidote for worry is message time to take out the trash. Let's continue now some of us worry more by nature than others. How many of you struggle with worry and anxiety raise your hand. Okay, I wouldn't Sam a worry wart, but I would say I do worry at times and let me say something that might surprise you to worry can actually be a sin civil really yes because when you worry you're effectively not trusting God effect the word worry means to strangle artichoke and that's exactly what worry does to you. It strangles you a choke shoot in a worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength. Worry is interest paid on troubles before their due and so you can worry about things that actually will never happen. I've told you before about the guy that had a problem with worry.

Zoe hired someone to worry for he literally took it out on the paper and said wanted someone to worry for me. I'll pay you well so I took the job and he was bragging about this to one of his friends you've had a worry at all anymore is what he said why you always worried so much. I know I hired you got a worry for me hired a guide of how much you pay the guy $50,000 a week why all you don't have that kind of money. How you get up. Amy said that's for him to worry about. See my try that.

I don't know how well it will work with known I was down under in Australia. I love the Ozzie's are just such great people and so they have an expression in Australia and in its expression. No worries mate. So if you asked him a question, excuse me, can I get directions to this place, or why it is going to be huge and right over there, then there's a is a think of this eight. No worries. My by the way, they never said thrown another shrimp on the Bobby right but that's not a knife that she is in no life right to line from Crocodile Dundee forget every dated reference how if you got it though. You got L1 okay wow Crocodile Dundee fanfare, but that's the whole point. No worries though Jesus is saying don't worry about these. In general we we were so much what people think of us what people think of me you would not worry so much about what people think of you. If you realize they'll rarely they do hate to break that to so he's telling us, don't worry, it comes down to this, we need to trust in the providence of God. What is the providence of God. I've annoyed I just like the way it sounds. Know the providence of God or the sovereignty of God simply means that God is in control. So either God allows it.

Or God doesn't either allows it or he doesn't.

So either that thing you're dealing with.

God did that or God allow that thing for some reason, we may not understand in the moment, but God is in control of all things, and there's no accidents in our lives and nothing touches us. That is not first pass through his loving cancer. God is in control. So Jesus now illustrates owners then Jesus did most of his teaching out doors. He wasn't in a sanctuary like this that he did speak in a synagogue, on occasion, but mostly he was on the ballot. The disciples he spent a lot of time by the water there.

The Sea of Galilee and so he would use things that were happening around them as illustrations. A civil look of the birds of birds over there. He's basically pointed out birds. Don't worry. Why should we Iva birdfeeder in front of my kitchen and I feel it was seated and I like to watch the birds come and eat the usually come in the morning.

I have little tiny lattes out there for them. They really like you know they hold them in their little bird. The drink is so cute to take a picture of it sometime. But the posted for you to look at but I watch the birds and I don't see birds get stressed out you know I've never seen a bird taking a Valium or some like that you know you know they go in the get there. See, they take off right those of the little birds and then they know I keep my feeder field was see. Then there's those other birds out there that take whatever they want whenever they want.

We call them seagulls. The only thing worse than a cat is a Siegel okay we could somehow find a way to get all the Siegel's to carry off all the cat they could take the kale whether added on. I see these.

I don't even mean this, but I see these things and people think I hate all these things and I don't.

Maybe I do. I'm not really sure.

I know I don't like Siegel because their thieving birds right the comedown the grab their food so the point is, the birds get their food. The birds gather their food, but they don't worry about it is an old poem about birds. I read a long time ago. So the Robin to the sparrow friend. I'd really like to know why these anxious human beings rush about and worry 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 and me, and I know suite is so birds don't worry. Why should we flowers. Don't worry. Why should we. Verse 28. Why do you worry about clothing. Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow, they don't work or make their clothing. Yet Solomon in all of his glory was not addressed as beautifully as they are.

So Jesus is a look at the flowers you know you've seen the countryside sprayed with beautiful flowers and so Jesus is saying, look at all of these flowers and look at how beautiful they are.

Solomon in all of his glory wasn't as beautiful as these flowers.

Solomon dressed in his royal robes sitting on his luxurious throne of gold did not have the beauty of the flowers that were out there for people to see and Emily would Jesus is pointing out his we should not be obsessed with the outward. He's not saying we shouldn't think about the outward he saying don't be obsessed with it. Some people are obsessed with the way that they look there obsessed with. We live in a selfie culture, don't we, and we have all these filters on our phones and million of these apps you can get. You can make yourself thinner and and and change your whole appearance.

So it's really not even you, and we sometimes want to carry that over into real life and did you know that $16 billion is spent every year on cosmetic surgery $16 billion and that's Newport Beach along how many of you live a new provision side says that's a fact.

That's no that's nationwide that's nationwide against that will sometimes I feel sometimes you really this is you wanted and I don't know you know you sure you know we were so concerned about our outward appearance and chill. Jesus is saying don't be obsessed with that yes think about Aquino. Let me split the rent. Some people to be a lot more concerned with their outward appearance. You know you want to keep your body in the best physical shape, that you can the Bible says bodily exercise profits, little but godliness is profitable for all things, but it does say a profits a little so it's unlikely just all become you know old piece out of shape and read our Bibles.

That's one extreme, and then the other extreme is well let's just you don't work out constantly and not have any time for God and just be all we care about is our appearance to find the balance in between to be strong is much as we can, physically, and in the best shape that we can be in but understanding that God determines the length of our days great glory important perspective today from his salt and light series in a message called time to take out the trash and there's more to come here on a new beginning including a closing comment from Pastor Greg in just a few moments. If you missed any part of what Pastor Greg presented today.

You can login for an instant replay@harvest.org or use our harvest app. Just look for the study called time to take out the trash yesterday when we hear objections to the faith. How do we know if they really are stuck on a particular factor idea and there in search of an explanation, or if they really don't even want to talk about religion, then there just in search of an exit from the conversation we know that's a hard question to answer because sometimes people will hide behind so-called intellectual arguments, but they really want you to talk to them, use myself as an illustration when I was a kid I used to hang around by the pure Newport Beach. I was going the wrong direction in life. I was on drugs. I was empty and I saw these Christians walking around handing out little booklets and I really wanted one of them to engage me, but I had this tough guy façade that they apparently went for and they would walk by me and just look at me for a moment, just give me this little booklet and walk off. No one would talk to me. I was literally saying would someone please talk to me so I never threw any of these things away. I went home and I had a drawer that was sort of like Mike God drawer if you will. Every piece of religious literature I was given one of the store so at gospel tracts information from the watchtower Society things that Mormons Road hurried, Christian writings, you name it. It was in there and every now and then I would pull this little drawer out. Don't put on my bed and I would try to make sense of it and really I wanted answers but I needed someone to engage me and tell me listen, I've got a resource for you that's good I hope you tell people more about your faith and engage them in a way that will answer those intellectual questions but also point them to Jesus Christ. It's called person of interest written by J Warner Wallace. What I love about this book.

Jim is you've illustrated your graphic designer in almost every page has an illustration of some kind. So it really breaks it down in an understandable way is called person of interest why Jesus still matters in a world that rejects the Bible and you described it to me as a kid book for an adult elaborate on that he had the ideas at the we become such a visual learners in session. Visual concerns of media that all of us are trying to figure out ways that how do we and kids books. I love them because they are about 50-50 text to illustration sovereign a few kids books now so now was thinking I was writing this book. I just no longer satisfied even as an adult would not been able to see the case like I can make this visual yell at my table, 82% of of these are scientists in the 15th century were Christians.

What I showed you every one of them in the election year ago that's that's really that sorrowful night journey to see it, so the numbers don't mean as much as actually seeing that they very hard scientist.

So we wanted to be able to provide something that I can kid, I grew again were doing in the USA sometimes is the Bible's hard their places in the Bible that needs someone to translate the guys I need to make them accessible to us. That's what you do so well were trying to submit similar hear difficult concepts. How do we throw them away. The people and catch them well if you want to get a copy of this we can send it to you for your gift of any size whatever you send will use to continue our ministry here in the radio through a new beginning and the title of this book again is person of interest, written by former detective J. Warner Wallace you get so much out of this book personally but also what a powerful tool in helping you share the Lord with others through the convincing text and the practical illustrations will begin to see the uniqueness of Christ and his plan of salvation and will send you this brand-new book person of interest to thank you for partnering with us, so new beginning can continue coming your way each day. It's only through listener support that's possible.

So please contact us today at a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's a 24 hour phone number 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org when next I Pastor Greg brings more insights from his message. Time to take out the trash. Just a moment ago.

He commented that we shouldn't worry about how long will live. That's ultimately determined by God closes with this comment I told you before about the TV show I saw was a news program in there that a guy who had made it well past 100 this ever can reveal the secret to his longevity.

So I had that way till the end, the old codger comes on. Take the news camera folks and that reporter down to the market. Children is secret. He ate a hot dog. Every day they showed him this is a hot dog.

I wasn't like Hebrew National. It was like that sheep hotdog that sheep would like made out of rat tail. By the way those teeth the best, don't you think I know Kayla love their so here's a guy you know he's working out low-fat diet drops dead on a job, here's a guy that he thought Doug every day make it about the hundred.

Go figure.

So don't worry about it.

That's the point you're days are numbered and ordered by the Lord and everybody thinks you're listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow the show and consider supporting it. Just go to harvest.org and find out how to know God personally go to harvest.org and click on know God