“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” -{Philippians 4:8}
Worry or worship? Which is it to be?
Years ago in the early days of aviation, a plane took off, and about 2 hours into the trip the pilot heard some noise. And there was a gnawing at the cables that held the plane together and caused it to work. And he knew he couldn’t go 2 hours back because if it was a rodent that was gnawing away, the cables may be eaten through and he would crash. He couldn’t go 2 hours forward, so what he decided to do was to take the plane higher. And as he took the plane higher there was still the gnawing sound coming from where the cables were. And he took it higher and higher and higher and eventually there was silence. And when he landed the plane he went and looked where the cables were and sure enough there was a dead rodent there. He took the rodent higher because he knew rodents were not created to live in high altitudes, and it would die.
In this devotional we want to take the rodent of worry that gnaws away at our emotions and we are going to take higher into the presence of God. And expose it by the Word of God that we live as children of God, and what does that look like? NO WORRIES.
God is good, and God desires you to live worry free.
Worry is detrimental to your health. Charles Mayo, at the world renowned Mayo Clinic said that worry affects the circulation, the heart, the glands, the whole nervous system. Worry is detrimental to your witness to a lost and dying world. Worry is dishonoring to God and is an attack on His character. It is to say, “God, You can’t be trusted.” You are neither faithful nor true. You mean well, but You cannot be taken seriously, or relied upon God, You’re a liar.” You would never say it with your lips, but the fact you worry proves you don’t believe He is who He said He is. Worried people are mastered by their circumstances.
- Worry is perverted faith that turns away from God as trustworthy and turns to oneself or somewhere else to look for sufficiency.
- Worry is evidence that Whom you profess is not what you believe as your actions and attitudes reveal.
- Worry is to be controlled by your feelings, your circumstances, and the opinions of others, and not by the Word of God.
- Worry strikes at the heart of God. It is never the will of God for you to worry.
The first step to worry free living is:
REALIZE WORRY IS SIN.
See it from God’s perspective. Call is what God calls it, sin. Realize you, and you alone are responsible for your worry. No one forced you to worry. You made a choice. Realize you can and should be enjoying worry free living. And we want to consider how to consider and enjoy worry free living. As looked at in previous messages we must choose to 1- STOP it.= SEEK first Gods Kingdom istead. 3 SIT At the Lords feet and listen to His Word. 4 Say your prayers Gods Way and to those who chose to obey God they will expereince Gods blessings
FOUR BLESSINGS FOR THE OBEDIENT;
But that’s not the end of the story. Consider these 4 blessings. So what if you do it God’s way, what’s going to happen if you stop worrying when you’re tempted to worry? If you seek first His kingdom through proclaiming the kingdom of God, through praying about the kingdom of God, through pursuing the kingdom of God, and Matthew 5:3-12 through practicing kingdom life. What’s the difference going to be? Four blessings.
Number 1: PROVISION.
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” {Matt 6:33}. What things? The things they are worrying about. Food and clothing and the daily necessities. There is provision.
Said the robin to sparrow, I would really like to know
Why these human beings rush around and worry so
Said the sparrow to the Robin I guess it must be they don’t
Have a Heavenly Father who cares for such as you and me
I Peter 5:7 says this. “Casting ALL your cares on him because He cares for you.” Jesus gives 2 illustrations in Matthew 6, He talks about the lilies, the flowers. In those days they were beautiful flowers but they only lasted for a day and then the women would gather them and throw them in the fire. He said are you not more value than them? Are you not more beautiful than them? He said which of you by worrying can add length to your days? It’s futile. And secondly He talked about the sparrows. Not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the sparrows are not lazy, they are diligent, but guess what? Even they have got to have the provision of the Father. You handle worry God’s way and what’s the first blessing? Provision. provision to live Gods way for Gods glory and all that includes.
Now let me just have a sidetrack here for a minute. We are not talking about a prosperity gospel, which is another gospel. Philippians 4 says my God will meet all your needs. All that you need to glorify Jesus Christ in the circumstances you’re in, God will meet. Provision.
Number 2 – PRAISE.
Luke 10, Jesus confronts Martha about her sin and He says, you’re worried about many things. What was Martha distracted or worrying about? A meal. Can you believe that? She’s got the Master, the Lord of glory in the home there, and she is taken up with a meal. And that word serving there can be translated “ministries.” Sometimes ministry displaces the Master and it’s idolatry. Jesus said in Matthew 4, when tempted you shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only. And somehow in our congregations we gave it turned around where, no, service is first and worship is a back issue. Matthew 4, satan desires your worship. He came to Jesus and said if you fall down and worship me! And the Lord rebuked him and said you shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only. John 4 it says the Father seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. Phillipians 3, the characteristics of those who are children of God, the worship in the spirit. No confidence in the flesh. Romans 12, we’re told to present ourselves and it’s a reasonable act of worship. Revelation 4, the occupation in heaven at the moment is the worship of God. You can’t worship God if you’re worrying. Your mind is distracted from devotion to the Lord Jesus.
The blessings when you do it God’s way: Provision, Praise. He said Mary has chosen the one thing needful. Mary has chosen to do that which she was created for. The purpose of life is to be occupied and pre-occupied with Me and My Word. Someone says. “well, I can’t sit before the Lord all day.” Well, hey, we’re not talking about that. We’re talking about taking the Word of God, hiding it in your heart, and when you’re in circumstances applying it. And when you’re tempted to worry to realize this is just to distract me from devotion to Jesus Christ. I will choose instead to be occupied with Him. Some people say, “I’m so busy!” Oh, I’m a Martha. Well, if you’re a Martha, you are a Martha by choice. Just as Mary was a Mary by choice. Some people say, “Well, that’s just my temperament.” It has nothing to do with temperament, it has to do with the devotion of the heart. When you love somebody you want to be with the one you love, even on a human basis. And so we sing, oh how I love the Lord. Oh, You’re more beautiful, and let me ask you a question. When’s the last time you’ve sat at His feet? Psalm 27 David said, When You said seek My face, my heart said, Oh Lord Thy face I’ll seek. Why? Because when you are looking into the eyes of someone there’s intimacy, there’s communion. If for example I’m speaking and you all turn look right, left, and all over the place after awhile I think, “they don’t care.” And so we say we love the Lord, and we don’t spend time with the one who woke us this morning. Who desires to be wanted. We don’t spend time in His Word, so what we have is emotional congregations. People who are unstable in their walk because though we say, “yes the Word of God is infallible, yes the Word of God is inerrant,” yet we don’t live to know the Word of God. And therefore we don’t handle it accurately, and so people are not helped, but their hindered by our council very often, because the Word of God is a past time rather than a passion to know God. To walk pleasing to God, and to know how to love God and make Him known through His Scriptures to others.
The privileges are Provision, the Praise of God….
The Third Blessing – PEACE
Phillipians 4, Peace of God ruling your hearts. He said be anxious in nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication and thanksgiving, let your requests be known unto God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding shall guard your heart and your, what? MINDS. What is peace? Not what, it’s a who. Ephesians 2, it says, “He, Himself is our peace.” Galatians 5, the fruit of the Spirit is peace. We want to exchange our circumstances. We want to be delivered from our external circumstances, and God wants to meet us internally, that we live with no worries. To what end?
The 4th blessing- PRIVILEGE
I Peter 3:15-16, we find the people there, they are living in an ungodly society. There’s pressure from the civil authority. In I Peter 3, there’s pressure from an ungodly spouse. And in I Peter 1 it talks about not only trials, but fiery trials. They are suffering for their faith, yet in I Peter 3 we see privilege. It says, “give an account for that hope that is within you.” What happens? We’re in a bad situation, we’re in trials, but we look at your life – you’re different. What’s the difference? No Worries. I have a King who delivered me from sin. And though I’m tempted to worry, I stop it. Instead I seek first His kingdom in my own life, and the lives of others. I sit at His feet and I saturate myself with the words of the King because the words of the King are life. And I say my prayers God’s way, and He provides for me. Not only externally, but internally. He praises me because I’ve made the right choice for my life, to be occupied with Him. He grants me peace because He is the Prince of Peace, and now I have the privilege in this difficult circumstance to be here, for perhaps no other reason, but for you to hold forth the word of the life that you may be introduced to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Who too can rescue you from the sin of worry.
You want to be worry free? You can be worry free. It’s a choice. To stop leaning to our own understanding and allowing our feelings to master us but instead taking God at His Word and allowing His Word and Spirit to Master us. Simple but not easy! As we must fight with our feelings, what we see , what we think… we need God to help us. But be assured “God is at work in you both giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him”- Philippians 2:12-13
The “But” Brigade;
Years ago two preachers were sharing some meetings, and one of the preachers, his wife was in the hospital. And the other man was speaking on the Lord is my Shepherd. And he talked about how goats, sometimes they come and they bang up against each other, and they bang and they butt each other, they butt each other, they butt each other, and butt each other. And he says, sometimes we’re like that. We say the Lord is my Shepherd, but… So, perhaps this morning you’re part of the famous “but brigade.” You say what is that? The Lord is my Shepherd, but here’s my circumstances, but you don’t understand, but if only it was different. And so at the end of the week, the man whose wife was in the hospital, he said, you know what? I’m like one of those goats, I’m “butting” all over the place. I’m saying the Lord is my Shepherd, but….my wife is in the hospital in another state. He realized he had the “but” in the wrong place. My wife is sick in the hospital, BUT the Lord is my Shepherd. You see, you have to always end with the Lord in your circumstances. What’s the difference between worry and concern? Worry is preoccupied with the problem, concern is occupied with the Problem Solver – NO WORRIES. Are you part of the “but brigade” today?
I spoke with a dear mom whose teenage son was rebellious. As her and her husband walked together praying each morning speaking of the situation, she would say, “ but…he is always…” I hared with her that as she walks she can say,”…he is always” but she needs to then finish the sentence with the Lord.“BUT GOD,” and the truth of His Word. For example her son is always but the Lord came to seek and save the lost… her son is always but Jesus died to bring him to God… her son is always…” B God so loves her son that He sent His son …etc.. You see we must always end with the problem Solver. In 2 Chronicles 20 Jehosaphat had gathered the people to himself as they were about to be invaded and [get background to story’ … and he said “We do not know what to do BUT our eyes are on you” Oh how glorious to look down through the times and ages to see a man and a people who had the “But” in the right place. He did not deny the problem to himself or to the people. He called it what it was But he did not end with the problem but lifted his eyes and heart and faith expectantly to the One who loved them. Oh dear fellow follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, isn’t it time you got the “but” in the right place. STATE YOUR PROBLEM AND THEN STATE BY FAITH your Focus is on God. You see in any given circumstance you will have a“BUT” Either you will begin agreeing the Lord I your Shepherd and then you will chime in “But” indicating this problem unique to you, you feel is far greater than God, are you mad??? Am I mad? We need to start off and agree yes this is the problem and then interject that blessed “But God”- Eph 2:4 and finish with Him, Looking to Him, resting in Him, rejoicing in Him, sharing our pain with Him….
Ok, you’ll walk out and say, “that’s fine but he just doesn’t understand me.” A little like the woman who allegedly said after I had shared this message once, she leaned over to a younger mom and uttered these words, “he’s not a mother.” So leaning to her own understanding, professing to be wiser than God and His Word…she proclaims it is not possible because she is a mother!! This is what I call the Ephesians 7 syndrome. You know Ephesians 7? Well. in case you are looking for that chapter you will find there is none! It is my way –sick as it may be- to make a point that we often try and make out that our situation is so unique and common to us though 1 Cor 10:13 says otherwise!] that we need our own chapter. That somehow the rest of Scripture is not sufficient for her situation… I am sure a businessman who refuses to own up to gods Sufficiency in His Word for him or her would also like to be part of the Ephesians 7 Brigade! But the truth so often is we choose not to believe God and then have the cheek to impart our darkened, depraved, un Biblical counsel into the hearts and minds of others and then as if to say to this younger mother whom she spoke to , “its alright we are different. Our status I unique. This does not apply to us… so you go on sinning against God and worrying…you are an exception! Do you see the senselessness and deception of sin…
I nor others may not understand your particular situation but God does! And the Bible says He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, that he is FAITHFUL “and with the temptation God provides the way of escape…” 1 Cor 10:13 – There is grace to be Godly. There is grace not to sin against God by choosing to doubt His character. Choosing to defile your heart before by saying I will not believe them, and there is grace to choose the Word of God and to apply it to your circumstances that you may glorify God. The issues or circumstances are not your problem…these circumstances often bring to the fore of our minds that the problem is our lack of trust in Him who is Trustworthy and has proved His love over and over to us! The issue is the heart of the problem – which is you. Now you said with your lips, “no worries.” But does your behavior prove that you are living a worry free life? Jesus died to deliver you from the sin of worry. He died to deliver you from a mind divided from devotion to Himself. He tells you to stop it. He tells you to seek first His kingdom, be concerned with the rule and reign of God’s Word and Spirit in your own life and the life of others. He tells you to sit at His feet and saturate yourself with His Word. Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.” His Word is Life Imparting – James 1:; His Word can Free you up, John 8:31-32; His Word is able to build you up, Acts 20:32; His Word is able to Grow you up, 1 Peter 2:1; His Word is able to give you discernment, Heb 5:13; His Word is able to bring about Godly changes, Titus 1:1; His Word is able to reveal Jesus Christ to you, Luke 24:27; His Word is able to bless you, James 1:25, All these blessings and more are to the one who chooses to obey His Word, James 1:21-22??… And obedience is an expression of genuine love to Him and for Him- John 14:21
In Philippians 4 He says, say your prayers, but say them God’s way.
And what’s the blessings?
1. There will be Provision.
All that you need to glorify God you will have. And if you don’t have it, do you know why you don’t have it? Because you don’t need it to glorify Him.
2. There will be the PRAISE of God,
WHY? Because when His eyes roam to and fro He’ll find a young boy or a girl, or a man or woman whose heart is perfect towards Him, who have chosen the one thing needful in life, which is to be preoccupied with Jesus Christ. –Luke 10:42
3. – There will be PEACE in your life. –Phil 4:6-8
4. There will be the PRIVILEGE –
IT DOES NOT MEAN THERE WILL NOT BE STRESS in our lives and great temptations to turn to ourselves to handles life’s problems or what we perceive might be life’s problems, when by God grace we need to CHOOSE out of an expression of love for Jesus Christ, to obey Him by faith – its the safe place to be- if we are to experience the resurrection power of Jesus Christ in our lives. God bless and encourage you today- He knows you need some and He is the supplier of such-Romans 15:4-5