[Out text today builds upon the context of our text from last week which asked us profoundly, “What is your treasure?”  In honestly discovering what matters the most to you, or discovering what your treasures are in life, will lead you to discover what causes you to worry.  Worry or anxiety can become a matter of great importance in your life.  Our Lord said,]

 [Matthew 6:24 ²⁴ No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.]

[In our text our Lord continues by saying,]

 [Matthew 6:25 ²⁵ Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? ]

[Matthew 6:34 ³⁴ Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.]

[Our Lord is not saying, just don’t think about things in your life.  He is not instructing us to live thoughtless and foolish lives.  What our Lord really means by “Take not thought for your life . . .” is don’t worry or be anxious about your life.]

[Take no thought for - μεριμνᾶτε (Gk) - Anxious care. To care, be anxious, troubled, to take thought, used in an absolute sense (Matt. 6:27, 31; Luke 12:25; Phil. 4:6), followed by the dat. (Matt. 6:25; Luke 12:22); by “unto tomorrow” (a.t. [Matt. 6:34]); by perí (4012), concerning, with a gen. (Matt. 6:28; Luke 12:26), with the acc. (Luke 10:41); by hupér (5228), regarding, with the gen. (1 Cor. 12:25); by pōs (4459), how (Matt. 10:19; Luke 12:11). By implication it means to care for or take care of (Matt. 6:34; 1 Cor. 7:32–34; Phil. 2:20)^[1] ]

[Edward Robinson really brought out the heart of this text in his Lexicon in 1850 when he wrote,]

[Robinson’s 1850 – Care, anxiety, anxious thought, as dividing up and distracting the mind.[2]]

 [Our Lord had just said that we cannot serve two masters and then Jesus said don’t have a divided mind.  This reminds us of what James wrote,]

[James 1:5-8 ⁵ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. ⁷ For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. ⁸ A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. ]

[When we are worried or full of anxiety, at the very least we are seriously distracted.  Our attention is divided and when our attention is divided we cannot give anything our undivided attention.  Our Lord Jesus Christ is saying, “Don’t worry.  Don’t be anxious.  Don’t be distracted by the concerns of life and this world.”]

 Our Lord’s Council About Worry Includes,

 A.     We Must Analyze the Cause of Worry [– Our Lord Jesus Christ give us some clear causes of worry in our text.  Two categories stand out particularly. [3]]

 1.      The Natural Causes of Worry (vs 25, 27, 34) [– Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? - Ed Rowell in an article entitled “Surrounded By Worry” notes four types of worriers, ] 

a.       [Mayday worriers. Life is full of risks, and weighing risks is an important part of decision-making. But scaring ourselves by dwelling on remote or unlikely risks and anticipating the worst-case scenario in every situation is a surefire prescription for sleepless nights and anxious days. Mayday worriers continually live as if their plane is going down and no one is responding on the radio.] 

b.      [Yesterday worriers. These are the people who can’t get past their mistakes of the past. They suffer from the “shoulda-coulda-woulda” syndrome – “I shoulda known that would happen.” “I coulda prepared for that better.” “I woulda pursued that other lead.”] 

[The events of yesterday can give us the wisdom to make better choices today, but none of us possess the power to take back a careless word, undo a careless act, or unthink a hurtful thought. Yesterday worrying is perhaps the most futile category.] 

a.       [Someday worriers. Speculation about what might happen is futile. Tomorrow belongs to God. It’s completely His, with all its possibilities, burdens, perils, promise, and potential. It may be ours in time, but for right now, it’s His. Therefore, there’s no need for us to worry about what’s not even ours yet.] 

b.      [Everyday worriers. Some people get trapped in a cycle of worry, replaying the same scenario over and over. They lie awake all night and literally worry themselves sick. For these people, worry has moved from a hobby to a full-time occupation.[4]] 

[Our Lord lists four typical natural worries.  He mentions,] 

a.       [Our Food (vs 25) –  . . . what ye shall eat,  or what ye shall drink; . . . – Food is our most basic need in life.   Without food and drink our life would quickly come to an end.  ] 

b.      [Our Clothing (vs 25) - . . . nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on . . . . – Clothing is a pretty basic need.  It is but one step above our need for food.] 

c.       [Our Health (vs 27) - Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? – We might like to think that somehow we are able to control our physical being, but with each passing year we come to realize just how little control we really have over our bodies.  A wise person quickly learns to accept that God designs our bodies and we must learn to accept the way he has made us.  Still our health or our physical well being is a great concern for many of us.  Jesus says, don’t fret and worry too much about your health.]

d.      [Our Future (vs 34) - Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself . . . – In our day we feel we have more and more reason to worry about our future.  With the state of our economy and the financial distress we all seem to be facing there seems to be just cause for a great deal of worry.  Retirement accounts have diminished and in some cases disappeared.  But our Lord says, “Don’t even worry about your future.”] 

[There are seemingly an untold number of things in our world and lives to worry about.  Our Lord accurately covers them all in our text.  When your Heavenly Father is in sovereign control there is no real reason to worry at all.  Think about them, and do all you can to meet them when they come your way, but don’t be divided by them.  Just don’t worry!] 

2.      The Spiritual Causes of Worry (vs 30) [- Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? – We must trust the sovereignty and goodness of our Heavenly Father in order to overcome our anxiety and worry.  We must  remember,] 

[The Sovereignty of God – . . . if God so clothe . . .  -  I believe that most of our worries are the result of a perceived loss of control.  When we feel like our situation is our of control we begin to worry.  Their will be many times in your life when you know that you are out of control, but in those moments do you feel like your God is out of control?  God is never out of control, and nothing ever catches Him by surprise.  No matter what is happening He is present and caring for you as His dear child.  Do you believe that God is in sovereign control?  Then will you trust Him and His sovereignty?] 

[Illustration: During the terrible days of the Blitz, a father, holding his small son by the hand, ran from a building that had been struck by a bomb. In the front yard was a shell hole. Seeking shelter as quickly as possible, the father jumped into the hole and held up his arms for his son to follow. Terrified, yet hearing his father's voice telling him to jump, the boy replied, "I can't see you !" The father, looking up against the sky tinted red by the burning buildings, called to the silhouette of his son. "But I can see you. Jump!" The boy jumped, because he trusted his father. The Christian faith enables us to face life or meet death, not because we can see, but with the certainty that we are seen; not that we know all the answers, but that we are known.[5]] 

[The Supply of God - . . . shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? – Your Heavenly Father has made a promise to provide for you and to protect you.  Can you trust the ability of your Heavenly Father to give you the supply that you need?  Then why are worried?  You must trust the supply and security of Almighty God.] 

B.     We Must Avoid the Curse of Worry [- Without any doubt worry will have disastrous effects upon your mental and physical life. Worry will destroy your ability to have peace of mind and can even cause sickness in your physical body.  Our text reveals,] 

1.      Worry Defeats Our Spiritual Life (vs 30) [- Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? – Faith is taking God at His Word.  Faith reflects what you believe about God’s Word.  If God says something in the Bible then you ought to have the utmost confidence in what God has said.  Therefore, if you are worrying about things that God said He would do in the Bible then you are demonstrating that you do not really believe what God has said.  You are weak in faith, because you are weak about the Word of God.  Worry demonstrates a spiritual weakness in your character.] 

2.      Worry Distracts Our Mental Life (Matthew 6:25, 27, 28, 31, 34) [- . . . Take no thought for your life, . . . – Five times our Lord warns about the distraction and division of worry.  As noted earlier worry divides the mind by drawing our attention away from our Heavenly Father and the things of God.]   

[A Bible expositor once described the picture behind this the word translated take no thought or worry. He said it could well be represented by a bulldog terrier tearing a rag doll to shreds. If this is so then it is not difficult to understand the mental distractions and breakdowns that are so alarmingly common today. Like a house that is divided against itself, which cannot stand, the mental structures of our personalities give way and collapse.][6] 

[Illustration - Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the great nineteenth-century preacher, once said that he worried for weeks before a speaking engagement, even to the extent of hoping he would break a leg and miss the event. When he finally entered the pulpit to give the speech, he was exhausted! Then Spurgeon faced up to his fear. He asked himself, What is the worst thing that could happen to me during my sermon? Whatever it was, he decided, the heavens would not collapse. He knew that he had been magnifying his fears. Once he faced his worries for what they were, he relaxed, simply because his mind was no longer divided.[7]] 

[Don’t let your worries distract and divide your mind.  Worries will rob your joy and peace of mind if you let them.] 

3.      Worry Destroys Our Physical Life (vs 27; Luke 21.25-27) [-  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? – There is a great tide of medical evidence that reports about the physical illness caused by worry.  When you are worried you have no peace of mind. When your peace of mind is gone you find many sleepless nights.  Because of these sleepless nights your body becomes fatigued.  When fatigued your immune system becomes weakened and illnesses set in.  Not to mention the high blood pressure caused by worry.  Many physical illnesses result because of worry.]   

[Our Lord said,] 

[Luke 21:25-27 ²⁵ And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; ²⁶ Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. ²⁷ And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ]

[Don’t let worry reign in your life!] 

C.     We Must Apply the Cure to Worry [– Our Lord Jesus Christ not only warns us about worry and its causes but He also gives us the God given cure for worry.  To cure worry,] 

1.      We Must Seek the Reign of God In Our Lives (vs 33; Rom 14.17) [- But seek ye first the kingdom of God, . . .  -  What is the kingdom of God in our lives?] 

[Romans 14:17 ¹⁷ For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. ]

[When God and His kingdom reign supreme in your life then it is hard for worry and anxiety to get a hold in our life.  A life lived out for Christ will defeat the fears that this world and our spiritual adversary would love to bring into your life.  God does not bring worry into your life; He brings righteousness, peace and joy.] 

[You need to surrender to the Lordship of  Jesus Christ in your life.] 

2.      We Must Seek the Righteousness of God In Our Lives (vs 33; Matt 5.6) [- . . . and his righteousness; . . . – To seek the righteousness of God means to seek to live your life in a way that completely pleases God.  Now, we know that none of us are perfect.  But our Lord is not saying that we must be perfect He says we must seek God’s righteousness.  Our Lord said,] 

[Matthew 5:6 ⁶ Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. ]

[I think there are many who sit in Churches who couldn’t care whether they live righteous lives or not.  But our Lord says we should hunger and thirst for righteousness.  We ought to be striving to be right in the sight of our Heavenly Father for this is what it means to seek after righteousness.] 

[Do your look for excuses and reasons to sin?  Or do you become deeply convicted when you just think about sinning?  Are you seeking after righteousness.] 

3.      We Must Seek the Resources of God In Our Lives (vs 33) [- . . . and all these things shall be added unto you. – Be careful about thinking too much about this world’s stuff.  The resources of God are not merely mortal, they are eternal in nature.  The stuff of this life must never be our treasure in life.  The stuff of this life is given us by God so that we might use it to set up for ourselves eternal treasures in heaven to come.  Get your treasures right and your concerns and worries will follow.] 

[What are you worried about?  The most important thing for you to worry about is your eternal soul.  Are you a born again Christian?  You need to be.]

CrossRoads Baptist Church, April 26, 2009