Sermons
Anxious For Nothing
Series: Joy RobbersANXIOUS FOR NOTHING
Sermon By Terry Siverd
Cortland Church of Christ / December 09, 2018
There is a scenario that occurs far too often in our culture - - a person (man or woman, non-Christian or Christian)
very much like us - - sits down in the consult room at the doctor's office and declares,
“Doc, I don't know what's wrong with me, I'M ALL RUN DOWN.”
Upon further examination the doctor announces that, “You're all run down because you're all wound up!”
Being wound up with WORRY frequently ends up costing us a lot of JOY.
Unabated worry is a real joy-sapper!!
We all know a few people who live in a perpetual state of high-anxiety.
Some of us gathered here today might fall into this category, perhaps a few without others even knowing it.
Although people who live with high anxiety are not usually very successful at hiding their problem.
This intensified state of anxiety eventually brings on a precarious weariness.
Weariness is often the product of hard work, but it can also come from hard worry.
“More often than not, it is WORRY, not work, that makes modern man weary.”
High anxiety can literally wear you out and not just for the day but for life - - it can work to hasten one's death.
Other people are what my mom used to call “worry warts” - - technically they're not on specific
drugs prescribed to help manage their anxiety, but they worry about practically everything.
My mother grew up in a household with seven children - - two brothers and five sisters. Of the five sisters,
three were worry warts: the oldest (Margaret) … the middle sister (Marian) … and the youngest (Shirley).
Lk.10:28ff, gives a behind the scenes sketch of the two sisters of Lazarus on a day when Jesus came to visit.
One sister named Martha greeted Jesus and welcomed Him to their home in Bethany.
The other sister, Mary, sat at His feet, practically spell-bound and ever so eager to hear His every word.
Vss.40-42 record: Martha was distracted with all her preparations, and she came up to (Jesus) and said,
'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.'
But the Lord answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered
by so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one,
for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
A third group of people are what we might call special-event worriers.
While they don't worry about anything and everything, the focus of their anxiety is more often than not on some-
thing (someone) very special to them. Often it is a child - - a “child” who might even be very close to adulthood.
A child who goes far away to college or joins the military - - such can turn their world completely upside down.
Mt.20:20f tells about the mother of James and John - - how she boldly came to Jesus to make a request:
Grant my two sons chief seats in Your kingdom - - one on your right and one on your left.
While the text itself does not reveal any details about the psychological well-being of Mrs. Zebedee,
one has to wonder if she suffers from that all-too-common matriarchal practice called “smother love”.
What would drive a mother to attempt to intervene in this way for her grown sons?
I suspect she was worried about their future,and perhaps indirectly, her own future.
A fourth group we might refer to as half-hearted worriers. They are concerned, but not enough to get all worked up. It's not hard to imagine Mary telling Jesus, “I worry about my sister Martha worrying so much, but I'm not going
to let her ruin my day.” We worry just enough to waste time and energy that could be spend in better ways.
Finally, there's a segment of society who appear genuinely care-free, living as though they haven't a worry in the world.
They are laid-back, happy-go-lucky, easy-going, cool, calm, collected and unflappable.
Some are so much so, that family and friends worry about them because they never seem to worry.
I want to make four short observations and then we will conclude three brief remedies.
WORRY IS WRONG!
Jesus taught often about the importance of good stewardship. cf. Lk.19:11ff
Stewardship concerns the wise management of our time, talents and money and often requires planning.
But worrying is “planning gone to seed”.
Worry often comes because we make a mountain out of a molehill.
WORRY IS UNNECESSARY!
Steven Covey has said, “The longer I live the more convinced I am of two truths: there is a God … and I am not Him.”
God controls the universe, we don't.
Read Jesus' instructions in Mt.6:25-34.
WORRY IS UNPRODUCTIVE!
Mt.6:27 / which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span?
WORRY IS UNBECOMING!
It doesn't make any of us look pretty.
But it is especially unbecoming of a child of God, whose life ought to be a beacon of trust (Ps.37:3).
How weak our testimony about an all-powerful, all-loving God becomes when
it is uttered by hearts weighed down with the worries of life (Lk.8:14 and 21:34).
THREE REMEDIES
PRAY
Philp.4:6-7 / be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses
all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Last Wednesday PM, we were studying from Acts 1 about how Jesus, after His ascension,
directed His disciples to return to Jerusalem and wait (Acts 1:4). In Acts 1:14 we find them praying.
I asked our class which is harder to do - - to wait or to pray?
Dick Maas volunteered that when he has to wait in line at the store, he prays.
1Pet.5:7 / cast your burdens (worries) upon Him, because He cares for you. cf. Ps.55:22
It's almost impossible to pray and worry simultaneously.
Max Lucado says, “No one can pray and worry at the same time.”
But I can hear someone praying, “Lord, we are worried about the future of your church...”
Rick Warren has written, “If you prayed as much as you worried, you'd have nothing to worry about.”
REFLECT
Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday, and all is well. What good ever comes from worry?
Ps.94:19 / when my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Thy consolations delight my soul.
President George W. Bush (Bush 43) said concerning his father, President George H. W. Bush (Bush 41):
he looked for the good in other people, and most of the time he found it.
It is not coincidental that the words of Philp.4:8 follow Paul's admonition to not be anxious.
Whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, if there is any
excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.
FORGET
Spiritually speaking, what becomes a weakness in old age can actually prove to be a blessing.
Many of our worries are wrapped up in what we perceive to be unforgiven sins of days gone by.
It is good to grasp the gravity of sinful behavior, but it is also essential to accept God's marvelous grace.
Many of the Old Testament psalms were written by David.
One remedy for people struggling with worry is to practice “writing it down and letting it go!”
Psalm 103 is a choice example of this very act. David writes in vss.11-12 - -
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
We might be both surprised and shocked to discover how many people remain fixated on their past sins.
Even after they have repented and asked for God's forgiveness.
Some of us need to stop remembering what God has long forgotten.
We all have some serious considerations swirling around in our heads and hearts.
Family Matters … Financial Concerns … Occupational Hazards … Academic Challenges …
Ecclesiastical Happenings … Political Issues … Global Affairs … Immoral Wrong-doings … etc.
Consideration and concern is one thing, but constant worry will make your miserable
and continual worry will deprive us of that joy-filled life which God truly desires for us.
Some are wondering whether you fall on the spectrum of worry.
Serious worry can often be detected by apprehension, discontent, uneasiness, excessive upset,
stewing about things and perseverating. All of these rob us of joy.
If left unchecked, worry can metastasize into anxiety and mental anguish.
And mental anguish can further metastasize into depression and even despair.
