Strangled by Worry - Matthew 6:25-34

Develop the art of living one day at a time because you cannot remove trouble from anyone day is living within the simple boundary misses the point Jesus is making no all tomorrow's trouble into today's deposit of mercy, strength, grace.

If you bring yesterday's graves and tomorrow's troubles into today's grace you'll exceed the weight limit prone to worry can rob you of your joy, hinder your relationship with God and keep you from serving God faithfully today on wisdom for the heart. Stephen Devi has a lesson for you called strangled by worry were continuing through a series entitled breaking up stony ground. Stephen explores various issues that can take root in our hearts yesterday. He dealt with our tendency to love our possessions.

Today we deal with worry as Stephen opens God's word.

He's going to share and you're going to learn five reasons why worry is wrong and you're going to discover God's solution to our tendency to worry. Grab your Bible and let's get started with today's lesson were about to discover that Jesus Christ for Ms. worry would agree with one commentary, this one by John MacArthur on Matthew chapter 6, which is where I want you to turn your Bibles.

He writes this worry is the sin distrusting the promise and providence of God, and it is the sin. Christians commit perhaps more frequently than any other sin. In other words, it's gonna be one of those battles you face over and over again and then that's true isn't it wasn't anything that denies the power and trustworthiness of God that God is somehow not capable of keeping his promises not worthy of our trust.

Ultimately, then, our worship show surely should be forbidden. Little wonder that Jesus will command us to resist this particular temptation.

Go to verse 25 where we find this command. Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will put on. Don't stop. Provides for the contextual disclaimer, we could easily say all right worries bad sin. But let's just go ahead and get that there's more to it than that sound like give me a fist pump yeah that's a great idea. This paragraph follows the previous challenge did not become a slave to possessions in other words, don't allow money to become your master make God alone your master if you make money your master, you got a real learn over and over again that you never have enough. Make God your master you going to real learn over and over again that he is enough now. I don't want us to get all pietistic and Seo worries that this is not good. So it's all wrong because frankly that's not what the Bible exactly said that the apostle Paul said on one occasion, I deeply anxious uses the same word Jesus is don't do. I deeply anxious for the welfare of the church is 1128.

Didn't Jesus also tells the count the cost of this to look down the road as far as we can see and consider the pitfalls to consider those things that might happen that we should deal with this. We plan yes please be careful here, let's pause for a moment to take a look at the word in this context. Jesus says don't be anxious towards Marinol would simply means to have have concern that can be a healthy thing a good thing Paul uses the same words so that Jesus but it can become a sinful thing. What makes it sinful is that it can effectively become selfish and self absorbed, self-sustaining, and ultimately distrusting of the Providence of God.

The English history of the world. I think that gives us a little insight. I hear it sort of sums up the negative context of Jesus as I think referred to the word worry is that is derived from the German word word again which literally means to choke or to strangle it it it came then to refer to mental strangulation. Literally, the idea things so wrapped up with this anxiety were harassed to the kind of reading the Jesus forbids here in a mature little further on isn't the kind of constructive worry that makes you plan and think through potential pitfalls isn't the kind of anxious concerned that might keep you awake at night praying for your children or your family are over the welfare of disciples or even the church. This kind of worry is the choking law of faith. It is the strangulation of trust in ultimately denying disability to keep his word exactly the kind of worry Jesus is going to illustrate and forbid no. In this context, letting me show you five reasons why you need to run from that kind first worry distorts your perspective towards this further verse 25 says is not life more than food and the body more than clothing with the Lord is doing. Here's building up an argument against worry about giving or going from a greater argument to a lesser argument with my notes lately. Here's what is effectively saying life is greater than food and clothing. If God is able to give you life. The greater thing, the greater challenge. Do you not think he can sustain life would be a lesser challenge, they can do the miracle of life can he handle a meal, going from a greater to lesser argument when illustrated this way something a little more contemporary. I was at my daughter's Volkswagen bug over to the dealership two weeks ago to get the bulb replaced in her front headlight lane on most cars or pickup trucks. Eat all you have to do is loosen a few screws, pop out the plastic put in the headlamp you're good to go. Not a Volkswagen bug yet to remove the roof to take out the engine roll the windows down, take the tires off and then thinkable, and they charge you for all that labor by the linear next door the Volkswagen dealership is a Mercedes dealership. That's where people go. Can't afford a Chevy pickup they have to settle line.

The right to be going into that showroom and Ender showing for limited time to 1937 Von Krieger roadster it's on the showroom floor top for public sale.

All the paparazzi's there there taken pictures of the expected to sell for somewhere around $10 million and I go and I just fall over the car and I with my checkbook. I write out a check for $11.2 million, which is what it sold for, but can you imagine the buyer.

Use your imagination and I just before I had the check I asked the dealer not then tell me about the gas line to get 25 in the city gas is up to 316. I gallon. I'm concerned if I can get good gas mileage. The deals office and people who spend $11.2 million on a car are not thinking about gas mileage. In fact, they're not thinking this is the distorting process of worry.

If God can create life greater thing. Can he not handle the gas mileage of life food which is the lesser issue not don't be tempted when you read a text like this to say, well, you know those people in Jesus's day. How simple could it mean he ought to tell them not to worry. So simple back that will travel back to the days of Christ. You discover people living hand to mouth water was scarce food, often a problem.

The average worker was paid every day they were paid weekly or monthly. They needed that money that they to buy food for the following day because they didn't store food they didn't have refrigerators keep milk and eggs and and meet fresh Jesus would teach them to give us this day are what daily bread they knew nothing of weekly bread or monthly bread. They didn't have dates. That said, by you know October 15. This is no good.

Their government gave them no such thing as Social Security, their jobs offered them no benefit packages. They did not their job said, no pensions, like the average worker. We learn from history except in those wonderful city states like Philippi spent 40% of their income on taxes and Jesus said to them. Worry is that you imagine what he would say what most of us have bread in the pantry and milk in the refrigerator will be strangled by your worries that has the power to create your life. He has the power to take care of your life give you another reason Jesus as the run from worry over to worry depreciates your worth before you read this next verse. Get the scene in your mind. The Lord is sitting on a hillside. People are sitting around and below him on this natural amphitheater above the sea and birds are plentiful in this region. The Lord decides to make some of them his first illustration we converse 26 he says, look at the birds of the air just by the way, literal commencement. He must've paused, look at the birds of the air look stop while they looked and he goes on, they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds John Stott who is now with the Lord mastered all souls Church in London for decades. He wrote in his commentary on this text. Some readers may know that I have been since boyhood and enthusiastic for Boettcher. I don't course, the birdwatching is regarded by many as a rather eccentric past time they view the likes of me with some amusement, but I claim biblical warrant for this activity smiles as he writes, consider the birds of the air, said Jesus and this in basic English could be translated watch birds be a birdwatcher indeed. Now I will become serious, the great firm. In this command means take a good look at the birds.

Take a look at them.

The part of the antidote to anxiety little plant gardens in your backyard. They don't harvest fields. They're not worried over barn building and yet they instinctively have been designed by God together food. By the way, if you do enjoy watching birds.

My wife and I decided a shot getting older she is and this will clarify that.

But we're watching birds. Many of you don't have time to watch birds are watching baby right there fun to specially grandbabies bring them on the message for Mike it Marsha Marsha install hummingbird feeders. Several other feeders in her backyard and on the other side of that lush green strip. I talked about last Lord we can watch several different kinds of birds ran chickadees robins bluebird to back before I came over here I was leaving just a little before marsh innocent on it so bluebird Festival as our code will have 56 emanated them in their bathing in the birdbath and there is just stunning creatures. The creativity of God is incredible. The detail of their design color patterns in their wings on their faces is the point if if God created them with the instinct needed to find a food they need. If God would do that and then design them so beautifully a bird, a creature not created in his image. A creature not given the privilege of total reigning with him not created for intimate worship or personal fellowship. God does all of that from our imagine how he plans to take care of you is what he says of the universe. 26.

Are you not of more value than they. Your translation may render are you not worth much more than that. This is really really radical, especially in our day-to-day human beings are worth more than the animal kingdom God places a higher value and a greater priority on a human being that he does on an animal where in the world would you come up with that idea Jesus can you imagine living in a country that reverses God's created order and places a higher value on an animal than a human being Reading there but you could travel with me as I have in the past to India were sacred cows meander down streets past starving children.

I considered a red light or be on the side of the road and wonder how much barbecue I could get out of that cow feed those children see that cow has more value than the life of those children she worried does the same thing as an idolatrous culture. Jesus Christ says worry turns everything upside down. Worries steals your worth to God. Worry depreciates your God-given value and when you're strangled with worry. Is it true.

Yes, it is your tempted to believe that God cares more about that chickadee than he does his children. Worry distorts our perspective.

Worry distorts our work. Thirdly, worry destroys our productivity.

Verse 27 he goes on, and which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life, your rendering may read which of you can add one cubit to his stature the words used here can be understood either as a reference to a brief moment of time or an image or in this case, a cubit, which is 18 inches. Either way, gets the point across. Worry won't make live one hour longer. You can worry yourself to death. You'll never worry yourself. The life and worry will never never grow you 18 inch taller. I remember as a boy.

In fact I was the shortest boy in my class until 10th grade. Long, long way all and it would've been marvelous 18 inches would've been spectacular. My mother would make for me a milkshake nearly every night and we poor stuff in it that like sawdust and it tasted like sawdust today because I wanted I wanted to become big and strong and enhance all three came true that laughter was real-time. Worry is absolutely non-productive energy like what author said worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do would never take becomes even more dangerous if it becomes your past time a.s. Roche wrote it this way.

Worry can become a thin stream of the year trickling through our mind and if we purge it.

It will cut a channel into which all other thoughts are ringing becomes a way of life. Even worse, here's 1/4 warning about, worry, worry denies your faith.

Verse 28. He goes on, why are you anxious about clothing. Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they neither toil nor spin. Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these God so clothes the grass of the field which today is alive tomorrow is thrown into the other and will he not much more clothe you know you of stunted faith little faith denies our faith and trust in his this Providence of the Lord is pointed to the birds of the air and now I believe you literally sweeps his hand across the hillside. These wildflowers that are growing the iris. From what I've read, Gladding only scarlet poppy flourished on the landscape where Jesus taught the blooms in this glorious explosion of color and in that brief explosion of color. They put to shame. Even Solomon in all his glory.

Then what happened to them. Will Jesus here takes us into a Middle Eastern kitchen. There's an oven made of clay at the clay box set up on clay bricks fire underneath when the women wanted quickly provide quick raisin temperature in the robins they would take a handful of these dried flower and they throw them into the oven could create this quick flash of heat again.

The Lord's point is of God the father so creatively design something that you live for short period of time before being cut down and used to heat another. How much more you think is going to take care of you happen to be headed for an eternal life, that in fact is already begun. Now, worry isn't a trivial sin. It strikes a blow it heart of God's love for us in his integrity and promising us care it denies our faith in a God who is trustworthy and sovereign worry that is essentially distrusting God's will is review the case against worry number one worry distorts our perspective. Worry depreciates our work. Worry destroys productivity. Worry denies our faith one more worry denounces our testimony. Verse 31 therefore do not be anxious, saying, what shall we eat or what shall we drink work, what shall we wear for the Gentiles, that this addition. See after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. The point is the Gentiles, that sort of an idiom in the Scriptures for unbeliever. The unbelieving world is is scrambling after this stuff. So what makes us different from the unbeliever scrambling for it to the first panic stricken as they are just sort of draws the net into a verdict by basically asking are you going to live like are you going to live for our youth to scramble and scratch around like the unbeliever or even act like a child of God as a father that is given you an inheritance called heaven forever. So how do we live if we thought about the fact that Jesus Christ never commands us to do something that's absolutely impossible. With his help.

If he commands us to stop worrying. In this manner, it means it's possible to stop. We must have something the world doesn't have somewhere to restart the words clear antidote to worry is twofold me give you two thoughts wrap this up number one. The first is to live with a sacred priority.

Verse 33 but seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and these things will be added to, you could simply pursue the glory of God more than your own health more than your own needs more than your own hunger more than your own desires. Make God matter more then anything or anyone else affect the word for seek. Here's a great word is a word that comes out of the hunting world hunting for gain involves the entire of the hunter live with that kind of focus and reflex and attention, and passion for God's glory. Worry takes a backseat when you live with that sacred priority. By the way, the verb is in the present tense which means you don't start out this way and you're good to go.

It means you do it all the time. The second part of the antidote to not only live the sacred priority, but to live within a simple boundary so practical is the Lord's advice in verse 34 therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

What a way to end your sermon on overcoming worry, man.

Every day is filled with pride.

Well here's the point St. developed the art of living one day at a time because you cannot remove trouble from any one day to draw boundary around the limits of your concern. That's how you can know if it's healthier to be distracted. If it's yesterday outside the boundary. If it's tomorrow it's outside the boundary.

You can't do anything about either antidote is is living within the simple boundary misses the point Jesus is making all all tomorrow's troubles into today's deposit of mercy string than rates. If you bring yesterday's grades and tomorrow's troubles into today's grace you'll exceed the weight limit.

Don't be strangled by worry, said worship how by living with the sacred priority God matters more than anything or anyone in living within the simple boundary one at a time. I hope this lesson was encouraging, especially if you're someone who's prone to worry. This is wisdom for the heart with our Bible teacher, Stephen Devi, the lesson you just heard is entitled strangled by worry.

Would it help you to be able to listen again. Maybe there's somebody. The Lord brings to your mind who struggles with worry and would be blessed by receiving a copy of this lesson.

If that's the case, we have it available for you in a couple ways this lesson is posted to our website which you'll find@wisdomonline.org. It's also on our smart phone app that you can install to your iPhone or android device. But if you'd like a CD of this lesson.

To add to your resource library or to share with a friend, give us a call today at 86 648 Bible or 866-482-4253 and we can give you information on how you can get it. In fact, if this would be your first time to contact our ministry were going to send you a complimentary copy of this CD. It's our way of thanking you for taking the time to introduce yourself to us.

Call today and ask about the lesson strangled by worry it's always encouraging to us when we hear from our listeners and learn what God's doing in your life if you'd like to send a note to Stephen you can address your email to info@wisdom online.you can also write to us that wisdom for the heart. 2703 Jones Franklin Rd., Suite 105 Cary, NC 27518.

I hope we hear from you tomorrow. Stephen deals with the topic of integrity. So join us for that here on wisdom for the heart