LOJ #135: ‘A Sermon To Worry About: Pt. 1’
Andover Baptist Church-February 19th, 2012
Opening
A. Text for today is Luke 12:22-26 and our sermon is titled ‘A
Sermon To Worry About: Pt. 1’
B. Scripture NET:
“12:22 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 12:23 For there is more to life than food, and more to the body than clothing. 12:24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than the birds! 12:25 And which of you by worrying can add an hour to his life? 12:26 So if you cannot do such a very little thing as this, why do you worry about the rest?
C. Introduction
1. Last week was a week for flowers was it not?
(Valentine’s Day….have flowers on the pultpit)
2. According to the National Retail Foundation Survey
estimated that Valentine’s Day Spending was up this
year over last by 8.5%.
3. 36% of those giving Valentines Gifts this year gave
flowers...that seems kind of low doesn't it?
4. But when you add it up it’s a whooping $1.8 billion
dollars
http://www.thejanedough.com/how-much-people-spend-on-valentines/?pid=1167#image
5. A rough estimate is that some 360 million individual
flowers were included in those bouquets
a. 360 million flowers that will be literally here one
day and gone the next
b. From the vase to the trash can boom just like that
c. You can try all kinds of concoctions, you can add
aspirin to the water, buy special powders
d. You can press them in books and make zombie
flowers (never understood that)
e. But they are going to decay, die and drop
regardless of what you do
f. Guys might as well invest your 70 bucks in
Greek bonds and get a few extra days
6. But you want to know something about those 360
million flowers? They were beautifully planned and
created by God
a. And crazy as it sounds, the God of the universe
cares even for the dandelions you are going to be
so desperately trying to kill in your front yard in
the next month or so
b. He takes care of them, provides the soil, the
moisture and the rain for them
c. They have nothing but God
7. The flowers and grass of the field are one of the two
examples that Jesus uses to prove His point that it's
foolish to worry and not put your trust in God
8. Oh but we do don't we? We try and find security in our
bank accounts, our job's, our stocks, Social Security and
yet none of these can be truly 100% relied upon
9. And here Jesus after talking about not putting too much
stock in possessions tells us where we should place our
trust: In God
10. So Christ has talked about the sin of the rich: Greed,
now we are going to talk about the sin of those who are
not rich: Worry
11. Jesus tells us today and next week that we need to
focus on Him and let Him 'worry' about the details
Sermon
READ: Luke 12:22, 23 (Scripture slide)
“12:22 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 12:23 For there is more to life than food, and more to the body than clothing.”
A. 'Then Jesus said to His disciples'
1. This message is not for the crowds
2. This is a message for a Christ follower
3. For the non-believer they have much to worry about
B. 'Therefore do not worry'
1. ‘Therefore’ this links back to what Jesus had just
previously stated (to watch out for greed and the desire
to accumulate more and more).
2. If we are rich toward God, and not seeking wealth above
Him, we should have a mindset free of worry
3. Worry is a nasty little beast
a. Literally means 'to be torn apart'
b. That sounds pleasant, doesn’t it?
c. The image that can be called to mind is that of a
ship being tossed around by destructive waves
d. Waves that we create ourselves, because we
sinfully don’t trust in the providence of God
4. Jesus tells us that is not how we are to live
5. We are not to get caught up in worrying about even the
essential things like food and clothing, let alone the
non-essentials
6. We, according to Christ, should be in a constant state
where the worry the world clings to is replaced with a
trust in God
7. Not too long ago we saw in Luke 10 that Martha was
existing in a state of worry and Jesus corrected her for it
Luke 10:41–42 (NET) “10:41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, 10:42 but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her.”
a. We are often guilty of the same things
b. We often focus our life on the things that make
up such a small portion of our life.
c. And Jesus is telling us to stop for our own benefit
C. 'more to life than food...more to the body than clothing'
1. This is the reason we are not to worry about the things
of life, because there is more to life than the things of
this world
2. Chasing after just the necessities of life is not a reason
FOR life
3. Let’s say that you lost everything you had (all your
possessions) would you still be alive? Yes! Your life
will be less cluttered but there none the less.
4. Who you are is more important than what you have!
5. Remember that Jesus said man does not live on bread
alone, but by what? 'every word that comes from the
mouth of God' (Mt 4:4)
a. Yes food and clothing are necessary, but even
less so than our relationship with God that
transcends this world.
b. Your soul is of much more importance than your
physical self
c. We coddle the physical side of our existence
often to the determent of our spiritual side
Matthew 13:22 (NET) “The seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth choke the word, so it produces nothing.”
d. When worldly cares and/or greed runs your life
you spiritually produce NOTHING
e. There is a fulfillment in connecting with God
that cannot be made up for in the pursuit of things
in this world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0HX4a5P8eE
f. Have you ever seen the commercial with the
guy who has the huge house and car and is mowing his lawn? He smiles real big for the
camera telling the audience all that he has, but
the he says through his fake smile, I’m up to
eyes in debt someone please help me.
g. He both greedy and worried, is that true
happiness? No! He has discovered what Jesus
has been saying, there is nothing of true value, no
true contentment in greed and worry, it can only
be found in God!
Hebrews 13:5 (NET) “Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.”
6. We can spend so much time pursuing what we believe
to be life and actually miss out on what life really, truly
is
a. Greed gets you to over extend yourself, which
makes one more prone to worry that that
paycheck won’t come in.
b. Greed and worry keep you from giving to God,
because you feel you can't because you owe so
much and want so much more
c. I have a challenge for you: If you went home
and sat down and looked at all the bills you
owed, how much freer would you live if you
didn't seek possessions?
READ: Luke 12:24 (Scripture slide)
“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds them. How much more valuable are you than the birds!”
A. 'Consider'
1. Think about
2. Compare, examine
3. In this case Jesus points out an example from nature.
B. Consider what? 'the ravens'
1. Ravens = Palestinian crows
2. The unofficial parking lot greeter (Dillons and Wal-
Mart)
3. Only NT mention of ravens
4. In ancient times they were considered some of the least
respected of birds
5. Interesting that Jesus chose a raven, it was considered an
unclean animal
Leviticus 11:13–15 (NET) “These you are to detest from among the birds – they must not be eaten, because they are detestable: the griffon vulture, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, 11:14 the kite, the buzzard of any kind, 11:15 every kind of crow”
C. 'they do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn'
1. How much of a more dependent on God example can
there be other than the birds of the air.
2. They don’t worry about how they are going to get their
next meal.
3. They have no substantial homes or storage units.
4. They do not concoct elaborate plans or buy stock in
Robin Nest Builders Corp
5. They live each day as what it is, the only day they are
guaranteed.
6. In contrast to the rich man these ravens were content
with what they had each day
7. No someone might misinterpret Jesus’ words to mean,
‘Oh I don’t have to work! I’ll just live off the system
and my family, etc. etc.’
a. Jesus isn't saying don't work, but giving an
example of how God supplies for the birds that
b. Notice that the birds are not idle just free from
worry
c. One must interpret Scripture in light of what
God’s Word says elsewhere (and in this case the
Apostle Paul has much to say)
2 Thessalonians 3:6–15 (NET) “3:6 But we command you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who lives an undisciplined life and not according to the tradition they received from us. 3:7 For you know yourselves how you must imitate us, because we did not behave without discipline among you, 3:8 and we did not eat anyone’s food without paying. Instead, in toil and drudgery we worked night and day in order not to burden any of you. 3:9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give ourselves as an example for you to imitate. 3:10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this command: “If anyone is not willing to work, neither should he eat.” 3:11 For we hear that some among you are living an undisciplined life, not doing their own work but meddling in the work of others. 3:12 Now such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to work quietly and so provide their own food to eat. 3:13 But you, brothers and sisters, do not grow weary in doing what is right. 3:14 But if anyone does not obey our message through this letter, take note of him and do not associate closely with him, so that he may be ashamed. 3:15 Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”
D. 'yet God feeds them'
1. They don’t worry or peck their feathers out about the
next meal, they just go out and find it, and yet God
provides for the little guys.
2. God's provision is exemplified more than once in
Scripture by His supplying ravens food (and one case
using them to provide)
Job 38:41 (NET) “Who prepares prey for the raven, when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?”
Psalm 147:9 (NET) “He gives food to the animals, and to the young ravens when they chirp.”
3. God used ravens to bring Elijah food (1 Kings 17:1-6)
E. 'How much more valuable are you than birds!'
1. This is a statement, not a question
2. God cares for the animals that He didn't give the ability
to work, how much more to man in whom He created us
with the ability to work?
3. The logic follows that if this is how God takes care of
the birds in His creation, how much more will He take
care of His creation that was made in His image?
4. Why worry about what God will ultimately provide?
5. Trust in God pushes worry out
Psalm 55:22 (NET) “Throw your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you. He will never allow the godly to be upended.”
READ: Luke 12:25, 26 (Scripture slide)
“12:25 And which of you by worrying can add an hour to his life? 12:26 So if you cannot do such a very little thing as this, why do you worry about the rest?”
1. Worry is the most unproductive of all endeavors. It
produces nothing and does nothing of any value.
2. Worry is ineffective in producing even an hour longer
life
a. If you lived for 70 years, you would experience
613,200 hours of which 1 hour would be just
0.00000163%, and worry can't even give you
that! (Slide)
b. If you can't add an hour to your life why worry
about other things that are out of your control
c. Now while you can’t worry to add to your life
you most certainly can worry to shorten your life
and take from it in quality