Sermon: Victory over Worry

Pastor Chris Teien shares three things worry is not from Matthew 6: Worry is not expected, effective or directed. Watch and be encouraged to pray, trust and give your worries to Jesus. #RiverRockChurchMN 09.27.20

Victory over Worry

 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Matthew 6:25 (NIV)

      There are two days in one’s life about which no one should worry—yesterday and tomorrow.

 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26 (NIV)

Sing your troubles away—who ever saw a bird worry?

 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Matthew 6:27 (NIV)

God is our help in trouble; if you worry, you are on your own.

²⁸  “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Matthew 6:28-30 (NIV)

³¹  So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Matthew 6:31-32 (NIV)

      A day of worry is more exhausting than a week of work.

 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

Some people waste a lot of energy climbing mountains before they are even in sight.

 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34 (NIV)

Worry pulls tomorrow’s cloud over today’s sunshine.

#1 Worry is not Expected

 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32 (NIV)

³⁸  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)

You cannot change the past, but you can ruin a perfectly good present by worrying over the future.

#2 Worry is not Effective

Why worry when you can pray?

Worrying is praying to the wrong God.

 But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. Micah 7:7 (NIV)

There is a difference between worry and concern. A worried person sees the problem; the concerned person solves the problem.

Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up. Proverbs 12:25 (NLT)

The letter “i” is always found in the middle of anxiety.

#3 Worry is not Directed

 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

⁶  So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. ⁷  Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NLT)

⁴  Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! ⁵  Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Philippians 4:4-5 (NLT)

⁶  Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ⁷  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

⁸  And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ⁹  Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9 (NLT)

Prayer is an acknowledgment of faith; worry is a denial of faith.

What a Friend We Have in Jesus
by Alan Jackson
What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
And what a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer
Oh, what peace we often forfeit
Oh, what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer