North Anderson Baptist Church
Since this is the Fourth of July worship service, I wanted to speak for a few minutes about the great and wonderful country in which we all live. How fortunate are you that God allowed you to be born in America? What a blessing and something we need to be thankful for everyday. BUT, there are problems, real ones in our beloved country. It is obvious that our country is torn into with such great divisions that it seems almost impossible to ever see it healed. BUT, God who is able to do all things and bring about the miracle of America once again by having those who don’t believe in God to at least respect those of us who do believe in God. Also, He is able to bring forth a nation that will once again honor the God who brought it into existence. We have so many obstacles to overcome though. God would have to miraculously change the heart of this nation. For at present we have much wrong with us. Someone has said that there are at least four things wrong with America: 1. Liberalism in the church, 2. Humanism in the schools, 3. Paganism in the society and Materialism in the home. If God, in His gracious love for us, would restore America again, we could be the greatest force for God in the world for His Gospel to be presented throughout all of the world.
I believe that if we would take seriously as individuals the challenge of today’s message then this could happen by the grace of God. If just all believers would “Seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness” then our nation will be turned around. Can God do it? YES! Will God do it? We won’t know until we do our part as Christians and pray for that miracle, turn from our wicked ways and seek His Kingdom first and and the righteousness of the Lord Jesus. No matter what age we are we all can do this one thing. So we have fallen on our knees to do just that today. May God Bless not only our wonderful nation that He has given to us, but may that miracle come from the heart of God to change the soul of America as well. May we not be like the Israel of old and turn our backs to the God, but believe and respond to the one who created us and established this great nation.
Matthew 6:25-34 NIV
Birds Observe Human Worry
Said the Robin to the Sparrow:
"I should really like to know,
Why these anxious human beings,
Rush around and worry so?"
Said the Sparrow to the Robin.
"Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no Heavenly Father
Such as cares for you and me."
(Matthew 10:29, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.”)
Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.
My dear friends, which of us do not ever worry? The possibility is that you have mastered the art of not worrying but for most of us here, this is a very relevant subject. Jesus clearly says that we should not worry about our lives and what we should eat, drink or put on our body. So what do we do instead? Jesus wants us to recognize something that is right in front of us. Life is not made up of “things” of this world. He gives these great examples of the birds of the air and how God takes care of them and then He says, “Are we not more important to our God than the birds?” Henry Blackaby says in his devotion for June 22 about “Don’t Worry” that these birds Jesus speaks of are ravens. The Jews declared the ravens unclean and by using them in the illustration Jesus is saying that if God cares for the least of these then surely He cares and will provide for His people for whom He sent His Son to die.
Jesus declares, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” What good is worry to you, it can’t add time to your life! In fact, according to some experts worry takes a toll on our life to such an extent that many people who worry have more problems, physically and mentally, which takes away the value of life day after day. Jesus goes on and tells us of how God clothes the flowers of the field in beautiful array, even more glorious than King Solomon’s robes. Because of all we see God doing in this world, why should we not trust the Lord to do more for us rather than worry about how we are to be clothed, we must be people of little faith! You see when we worry we are saying to God that we don’t have enough faith in Him to take care of us. We say He is not able or that He does not care for us at all. Blackaby again says, “Worry comes so easily, yet it changes nothing about our circumstances.”
Jesus makes the statement, don’t worry! Why worry about what you will eat, what you will drink or what you will wear? If you do, then you are doing what the pagans do; they go around seeking all these things and not trusting the God that made them. All the while your heavenly Father who knows all about you, knows what you have need of and will provide it for you, in His time. Or, He may use this circumstance in your life to help you grow as a believer and cause you to wait on Him. The world, the pagans who are those who care nothing about the Lord God of the Bible, stress and strain over all that comes their way, worrying about every little thing in their life. Jesus says we are not to be like them. With faith in God, Christians can defeat the devil’s helper of worry and we will be able to walk in faith with the Lord trusting in Him to provide what He knows we need, not everything we “want” but what is needed in this life.
Remember David said in Psalm 23:1, “The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.” Adam Clarke says of the phrase, “I shall not want,” “He has all that they need, and his heart is full of love to mankind; and therefore he will withhold from them no manner of thing that is good.” This is the concept of “God will provide.” His loyalty and care for those who are His is well documented in the Word of God. In looking at Genesis 22:1-18, we see this event in Abraham’s life where God calls on him to sacrifice his only son by Sarah. He does what God asked him to do “by faith,” which the book Hebrews also tells us this story found in 11:17-19. After Abraham was stopped by God from killing Isaac and God gave a ram for the sacrifice instead, Abraham went on to name that place “The Lord Will Provide.” When you trust in Him, rather than worry, He will provide for that need. Paul speaks of the Christian who can trust in God for all their needs,
Philippians 4:19 NIV
Let me tell you a story of a couple, I know them well. They had left a very prosperous job to study for the ministry and just did not have any resources and found themselves in debt to the government for $500. It was due in about four weeks and since the wife took care of the bills, she asked her husband what they were going to do about it. He said we will trust in the Lord to provide, but she was anxious about it and sought for other ways to take care of the bill but He continued to say wait for the Lord to take care of it. Weeks passed and each day she worried and asked to borrow money or do something to pay the bill. Wednesday of the Friday the bill was due, still no money appeared. The wife was frantic and bugging the husband to do something, but he did not show any worry or anxiety about the bill, He finally said wait until at least until Friday and see what God does. She did wait but with great anxiety. Friday came and nothing that morning showed up. But in that mail Friday a check came from their home church for $500. They did not know the need but the church had collected some money during a missions meeting and decided to send it to their members who were studying for ministry to help them where they had a need. God was faithful to them and taught her a great lesson about faith in God and worry.
Let’s look at the definition of the word worry. The word "worry" is derived from an old Anglo-Saxon word meaning to strangle or to choke. —Norman Vincent Peale
When we worry, what we are doing is choking and strangling ourselves with whatever it is we have in mind. The Life Application Bible gives us 5 ill effects of worry. “Worry may
(1) damage your health,
(2) cause the object of your worry to consume your thoughts,
(3) disrupt your productivity
(4) negatively affect the way you treat others, and
(5) reduce your ability to trust in God.”
Also they write, “How many ill effects of worry are you experiencing?”
It is said, “the difference between worry and genuine concern - worry immobilizes, but concern moves you to action.”
Think about this, you who have given your heart and life to the Lord Jesus to save you from your sin and when you die, take you to heaven to live eternally with God; how can you trust God to do that great deed for you but you can’t trust Him to take care of such daily material and temporal things of this world? Isn’t God good? Yes, He is. He cares for those who have problems and particularly those who are willing to pass those problems off to Him who is able to solve that which we worry about.
His Will
It is His will that I should cast
My care on Him each day;
He also bids me not to cast
My confidence away.
But oh! how foolishly I act
When taken unaware,
I cast away my confidence
And carry all my care!
—James Seward
1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations: Signs of the Times.
Some people use the word anxious as a substitute for worry. It is as bad to be anxious as it is to worry. In fact both are sin. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6-7,
Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
Basically we are to pray about our need rather than worry over it. God is able to do what no one else can do, He can make things happen in your favor, as He desires. Notice Paul says that instead of being anxious or worrying about something turn to God in prayer and God will begin to give you the peace you so desire in your life; He will guard that mind of yours while He is at it. That is showing faith in Him!
Verse 33 - But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Living in the kingdom means abandoning our very lives to the Father's care so that we can concentrate on seeking "first His kingdom and His righteousness." Does abandoning our very lives take courage? Yes. Where do we get that courage? From seeing how Jesus talks about God taking care of the birds of the air and the lilies of the field and telling us that we are so much more important than they. It will not be our courage but that which comes from the power of the Holy Spirit. “His power orders every detail of the world in which we live; knowing His power and knowing His love for us, His children, we abandon ourselves to His loving care. We know that He will meet our needs.” The Teacher's Commentary.
When thinking about this most powerful verse, I have seen very personal changes come in my life. Many years ago, God challenged me when I was so concerned about finding a wife and having a family. He drew me to this very precious passage and called on me to do just that first before all other things, “Seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness.” My life began to change greatly. Instead of running after all “the other things” in life, God pointed me to Himself and life became different. Changes came to my spiritual and to my physical and social life which brought me to a fresh walk with God. In the midst of wanting so much for myself, He called me to Himself instead. Once that commitment was made and God began to work, He drew me to that special one who was to fill the void in my life, who would love me and give me all the other things I ever wanted. My focus was different and God’s ability to get my attention was much easier. My challenge for you today is to seriously consider where your life is today in regards to your commitment to His Kingdom and Righteousness and if you have not made that very important decision to do what God has said right here, right now before you leave this build today. There will not be a better time nor will your spirit be more receptive to the call of the Holy Spirit on your life. If you are worrying more about stuff and life, now is the time to move to God first! Don’t wait for another time, make your decision today.
Verse 34 - “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Every day brings its own cares; and to anticipate is only to double them. *Mark Twain once said, he had known a lot of troubles in his life, and most of them never happened. When you consider what Jesus said, you won’t feel like you have to worry about the things of this life. He is right, every new day brings its own troubles and when you trust in God He will take care of them too. Giving your life to God is a continuous thing because the troubles of this life keep coming, satan is not going to stop trying to get you to fall by worrying about “every little thing” that comes your way.
If we as individuals would take the advice and teaching of Jesus then the nation, made up of individuals, will turn back to God and our beloved America will once again follow the Lord more than ever before.
Worry is a way of life for some. For those here who are lost you are not the only ones to worry. Christians worry too, but Jesus says they are people of little faith in God Almighty. But when we do worry, we have someone who will take those worries away and give us hope! Today you personally need that hope! But all of us here need hope. This hope can come to only those who have trusted in Christ to change their lives. Come to Jesus Christ to have Him not only forgive your sin but give you that eternal HOPE! Jesus died for each of us here today. He was buried and then rose from the dead just for you! Receive Him by faith and repent from your sins and He will, He promised, come into your life and give you salvation and HOPE. Do it today!
Christian, stop seeking for everything under the sun but make the decision today, right now to give all you are FIRST to God’s Kingdom and His Righteousness. Decide NOW!