NO SWEAT LIVING!

Matthew 6:25-34

INTRODUCTION: Some people call it tension, others call it anxiety; Jesus calls it worry. It is true that Jesus said the things people worried about 2,000 years ago are still worrying people today. We still worry about finances: Matthew 6:19. We still worry about having enough food and fitness: Matthew 6:25. Other folks still worry today about fashion: Matthew 6:25, 28-29. Many others worry about the future: Matthew 6:34. Someone said: “Worry is the interest we pay in advance today for trouble that may never come tomorrow.”

      I. ADMIT THAT WORRY IS SINFUL!

Even if we do not think of worry as sin; it most surely is sin! Three times in our passage for today Jesus said “Do not worry!” Matthew 6:25; Matthew 6:31; Matthew 6:34. In the Bible we are told 365 times: “Do not worry!” The word translated “worry” is made up of two smaller words that means “to divide” and “the mind.” James 1:8. Sadly for so many, worry is one of those “acceptable” sins in the Christian life. What Jesus would say about our worry is “If you are worrying stop it!” And “Don’t start worrying!”

      II. ADMIT THE SENSELESSNESS OF WORRY!

Matthew 6:25-26: Jesus is telling us if we worry we need to watch the birds. What Jesus is teaching us is that if God takes care of the birds He will take care of us also. Romans 8:32. Our worry is fruitless! Matthew 6:27. Worry never lifted a burden, never removed an obstacle, or solved a problem. Worry never made a bad thing good or a good thing better. Our worry pulls tomorrow’s cloud over today’s sunshine; and empties today of its strength. Worry is like fog: just a little bit can stop you dead in your tracks. Our worry is faithless! Matthew 6:28-30: If our God takes care of the flowers which are here today and gone tomorrow won’t He take care of you?

      III. TWO KEYS TO OVERCOMING WORRY!

Jesus in our text for tonight gives us two simple keys on how to overcome worry in our hearts and how to take worry off the throne of our lives and replace worry with faith! 1.). Look one way at a time! Matthew 6:31-33. Worry can be overcome in all of our lives if we will learn to “Keep first things first!” When we focus on seeking God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness first we are seeking after our God. When we are seeking after God we are learning about the God we serve. When we are growing in our relationship with our Lord we are trusting in our God and we have no need to worry. Worry ends when we put God first in our lives: Isaiah 26:3-4. 2.) Live one day at a time! Matthew 6:34. The only day our Lord would have us focused on is today. We live in the present so treat it like a present from God and rejoice in today! The Bible tells us we had better be worried about two things if we do not know Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior! We need to worry about our death and then even more so about our judgement. Hebrews 9:27. The good news is that if you do know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior you do not have to worry about your death or your judgement: Romans 8:1-2.