Our Favorite Sin, Part 2

We often think of sin in categories reaches soon trail stealing and lying and the less shameful flattery, fibbing foolishness and reality. Sin has no category but is true that some sense because deeper personal damage than others, but one were addressing today in his renowned sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned us about the harmful impact of worry in our attempts to control the uncontrollable were admitting to God that we do not trust him. The outcome is devastated.

Chuck Swindoll begins today's insight for living room. Her father, here we are at this age in life and at this stage of life, still dealing with this habit of life we been bragging with us like a boat, dragging an anchor worried dogs are steps in some today are such victims of it. It controls their lives stealing their joy, robbing them of contentment and peace, but rather than looking at someone else today. I pray that you will enable us to look within our own lives and honestly evaluate the way were living what we focus our attention on what we spend our time concerned about and even the habit of dealing with tomorrow before today is even been spent helpless. Our father through what we hear to come to terms with the things that will enable us to break this habit. As we prayed earlier, I pray again for those who have served in a faithful way in uniform keeping our country free guarding us from the enemy. There are those whose loved ones are still engaged in the battle in the fight for freedom, and they could very well be worried. I pray that you will rid them of the worry give them the confidence that you are as much there, as here, you care as much about their as you do about here and quiet our hearts. We pray we pray for those dealing with very difficult circumstances painful filled with the mystery of your will, asking themselves how could this be why would God allow this. How much longer must I endure, and even those who minister to those who are sick and even the dying.

I pray that you will lift us above the pain of today and remind us of you are sovereign God does all things well maybe learn as if for the first time what it means to trust in you with our whole heart to trust and not be afraid speak deeply to us, especially to those who have no master who are attempting to live their lives without the Savior. Pray that they will realize the impossibility of that, and soon come to know your son, and with him find the peace. They long for all their lives. Other gifts we give to you today our father we give with confidence and we trust you to use them each each coin, each check each gift we place in this plate we first place ourselves before you use these monies for the right purposes to be spent in the right way to be handled with integrity.

We pray in the name of Christ our burden bearer, our Lord, our Savior are mastered, we pray. Everyone said amen you're listening to Insight for living to study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight world.or/studies. Another message from Chuck titled our favorites. Sin when you're worrying you are filled with fear, rather than the strength to handle the things of the day, even though we know in our minds what peters promised the readers in first Peter chapter 5 verse seven casting all your anxiety on him because he cares for you is a concern for you, what we know the promises there and yet we have these worries and we would look at them.

We pray about them and we give them to God, only to pick him up and carry them with us to the next hour or two of the day. It's like there are our best companions. How wrong. When we are worried we are divided in our minds between what we know we should be doing and yet captured by the habit we have been doing all our lives and were divided, our trust is divided we could say we are pulled with Ian struggling with this nagging concern were churning on the inside over this worry. Why is it wrong. Think about where he is simply distrusting the promises of God.

I would say that to a person who doesn't have a God or doesn't have a Savior but I spend most of my life dealing with those of us who do and therefore I can say it is wrong because you are by your worrying about my worrying saying to God I don't trust and I know you're in charge. But you've obviously somehow distance yourself from the situation and I must give myself to it and you know what happens when we do that we not only turn we block the entrance of truth we gag on it. But what I say that over in Mark four verse 19 Jesus is telling the parable of the sewer talking about different kinds of soil. When the guests of the Forney soil. He interprets that that your soul your heart is often like the Forney soil in the name of the thorns, the cares of this age, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lost or that evil desire or other thing, choke the word you hear that word choke.

So to put simply, what you're hearing right now. You won't digest if you're worried it will land in your head and you will hear words being spoken and you may even write something down that you think is of interest in might be helpful but if you stay worried you will find the word of God is true, it doesn't find its way into your life to take root to bring growth and maturity. That's what's wrong now. The Concord that this is no great insight. You know before I tell you prayer releases you from worry, I really mean prayer Philippians 4.

Stop worrying about anything and now the ending note, but in everything by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known to God. Worry about nothing, pray about everything I'm talking about a prayer that says all God. This has me stumped.

I'm crippled in my walk I'm preoccupied with concern. I can't solve it is impossible for anyone on this earth to solve it. You are a master at solving impossibilities. I give it to you. I trust you with that kind of prayer, where you turn your fear into trust that what you prove you have a master that you were leaning on. Remember our last closing words of the previous message. You cannot serve two masters. Verse 24 of Matthew six you serve one of the other.

In this case it was wealth.

Now he gets in the subject of worry. That's why he says, for this reason as he connects verse 24 with verse 25. Remember, Jesus is speaking is not giving them versus so he says in the sentence that follows. You can't serve two masters. For this reason. For this reason not say to you, and now he gives repeated commands you haven't marked them yet. Get out your plan. I really mean it and be ready to mark for times in this passage the very are virtually the same words that Jesus gave look, if you will. Adverse 25 I say to you, do not be worried at the command not a suggestion, he repeats it yet again yet again. Verse 31 do not worry, there verse 34 do not worry but never heard preaching like this in their life, but about relevant about stunning book about convicting. Do not worry do not worry stop it. It corrodes your inner peace.

You are obsessed with things that you have no business dealing with are spending your energy on and even ads tomorrow when you get down to verse 34. Do not worry about tomorrow.

What a waste.

His hat is you are lie your life and mine. One day at a time reality one minute at a time and we mess it up by worrying out the hours of the day and tomorrow and the next weekend. This concern and that women virtually anyone I could name you cannot change a bit of it and it's all food with mystery and and even when it does give an answer. We don't like the answer we like these worrying when we like hang out these stinking little things that drain our energy make us so pathetically negative. Let go the one who tells you that will catch you trust me in the one who says that is trustworthy now me quickly add heat, you won't do what you expect. I found two things about the will of God. First of all, it is often a mystery.

I can't figure it out. The second is surprising. I would never have guessed the answer would've come as it came or came at the time he planned for it to come so I realize when I say to you, do not worry actually I'm not saying it I'm just quoting our master I'm acknowledging that there is mystery and trusting him her surprise, so I suggest after seeing the commands that you look at the questions.

Just look at her all right here in front of you.

There are five of them and they sound similar to verse 25. Last part of it is not life more than food and the body more than clothing. I'm a get serious is your whole life more than lunch or supper or your plans for the meal tomorrow. Verse 26. After talking about the little birds come back to them later, but what he says in the end the verse, aren't you worth much more than the birds away little birds are not given the image of God in spite of what you have been told where people protect animals more than they do unborn babies. You're worth more than little birds part of the reason you don't worry if he can feed birds he could feed you may not be the diet you planned may not be the food we would've chosen were not God. What a relief to know that we are not the ones who were sovereign God is what you worth much more than verse 27 there's another one who can worry an extra hour to your life you're so worried about your age you quit. You not any longer because you worry that you look older because you're worried about your age, no one knows arete Eliza Jell-O. I get to that in a moment.

Also, worry an extra hour to your life.

28. Why are you worried about clothing goodness you probably like. I understand the closet of filled with choices not a lot that's in the one aware that that code those genes I got for those yesterday where the where the cat assaulted Cynthia dresses me peanuts at this time in thinker ties it look bad. I chose but when I would choose a child shall say to be able to get rid of water you over the diary of a goat that's a great time didn't go with the outfit she says you need to work. Another was all pull out some intrinsic that and you know what I get compliments all what I wear and I go. Thanks. I don't deserve the compliment. The wonder dresses me deserves it, but not the right thing about this is it your why does address you God clothes you, he's your clothier depicts what you're to where he provides what you put on your body would you remember that fund your way through the magazine that tries to convince you what you've got is not really stylish enough advertisement is designed to make you dissatisfied with what you have so you go out and buy what they want you to buy, you could help IgG unit were about. You could buy the worn out there already shredded you the joy of praying twice the amount for strategy, you can do that if your dumb, but here he says God clothes you wear. You worried about your clothing won't God do more for you than grass.

Look at verse 30 look at this one will he not do much more for you than what's done for grass grass.

His point. What an absolute waste of time. What an eloquent proof of our preoccupation with the temporal is our world of worry for most your worry list is much longer than your prayer list.

You got things on time waiting to worry about when they said to me were about to worry about not having something to worry about get seriously come on the vivid illustrations Jesus is mastering illustrating a love his style when it comes to food, 26 look at what he says look at look at the look at the birds of the year there were outside here at the gentle slope above the sea of Galilee. There are birds feed on the on on the plants around their get their drink some water from the lake and look at the birds look at the little bird. He takes care of everyone. They have no retirement plan, you know, in all my life. I don't think I can count on both hands. A number of dead birds. I walked across on where they go to die, but it is where I walk so IIII just believe he keeps them alive.

Most of wind up in the parking lot of McDonald's French fries and look how long they live that on to tell you something right there. You want me McDonald's right there. Whatever she should be fries Matilda birds that they're outliving us like the way Clarence McCartney creatively observed this illustration so far as is known, no bird ever tried to build more nests than its neighbor know Fox ever fretted because he had only one old in which to hide. No squirrel ever died of anxiety lest he should not lay by enough nuts for two no dog ever lost any sleep over the fact that didn't have enough bones laid aside for his declining years. But the culture are you not worth much more than they really screwed up scala values. If you think you're not worth what Fox is worth or bird in the air or squirrel or dog made in the image of God to little lower than the angels with mind to know God and a heart to love God and the will to obey God. Animals don't have that you're worth much more, and if you do that for the how much more will he do for you. Would you believe that when it comes to clothing, 28, are you worried about clothing observe the lilies of the field and how they grow, they don't they don't toiler spin look at the lilies study one beautiful white curl as it grows up into this bloom. Ha. It's glorious. The smell arose the delicate orchid. The bright sparkle of the DC. All of these close by. The one who is made and we have the audacity to doubt that God himself can't clothe us. Please observe the words.

All these things, which appeared more than once in this passage, he knows that you have need of verse 32. All these things in the verse. All these things. 33. All these things. I taught you to observe repeated statements. There it is again again again all day LOL all okay LOL everything you could name.

He's aware of it never brought anything to God in prayer and heard him say I didn't know that, wow, thanks for telling me probably got to inform you what heresy he knows everything he scrutinizes my pad was well acquainted with all my ways.

I LOL all my ways and all your ways.

All these things.

In fact, he really rebukes is inverted to the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, what a rebuke to a Jewish audience to them. Gentiles were dogs that no mass through the Dragon there.

He then there without whole demo master. They know God. They trusted their creator. He's speaking to a Jewish audience and he said you your living on Gentiles. You're the one to fuss about the Romans all the time in your living just like him when you worried, you worry, worry, you see the heathen ambition stays preoccupied with materialistic thing always in need of something, always wanting more. Enough is never enough. Stop it is convicting words. In conclusion, versus 31 and 32 are worth noting. 31. Look at it.

Those who were remodeled the lifestyle of the pagan, don't worry than what will you do what will drink of what were going clothe ourselves with the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things and you have a heavenly father who need to know is you need all of these things. You have a father in these ageless is timeless. Here's everything he knows it all and he understands you and me beautiful means for taking your next steps. We urge you to listen again Tuesday when Chuck continues this message on Insight for living and if you'd like to learn more about this ministry. Please visit us online@insightworld.org well would like to point you to a resource from Chuck Swindoll whether your wrestling with worry or your living with someone who is given to fear. We believe you'll find this book to be helpful.

The book I'm referring to is titled simple faith. It features 14 full-length chapters in which Chuck focuses entirely on Jesus sermon on the Mount, including the topic we addressed today.

Simple faith truly represents the core of Jesus ministry on earth as defined by his sermon on the Mount + faith is written in the classic and approachable style you've come to expect from Chuck. So to purchase a copy of Chuck's book simple faith. Go to Insight.org/store or give us a phone call if you're listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888.

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