IT’S PROBABLY THE THING WE DO MOST
“Worry is an old man with bended head, carrying a load of feathers he thinks are lead.”
Corrie Ten Boom
Word for Worry – Greek:
* Anxious * Fearful * Care-full
* Distracted * Worried
Word Picture – DIVIDED Mind
Let’s meet 10 worriers – Joseph’s BROTHERS
They had received: FULL FORGIVENESS and every
ASSURANCE
and BLESSING
Genesis 50: 15-17 - 15 When Joseph's brothers saw that
their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph bears a grudge against
us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!"
16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, "Your father charged
before he died, saying, 17 'Thus you shall say
to Joseph, "Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers
and their sin, for they did you wrong."' And now, please forgive the
transgression of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept
when they spoke to him
The greatest sermon in all history, preached by the greatest Person who ever lived, contains the greatest counsel on the antidote to anxiety. The counsel is in 2 single parts: Problem; Solution
A. PROBLEM
1. Worry DENIES God
- Joseph
already made it clear to his brothers that God sent Joseph to
Matthew 6: 25-26 - 25"For this reason I say to you,
do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will
drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 "Look
at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
The God who CREATED will also SUSTAIN
2. Worry DOESN’T do a thing of value!
Matthew
- Even if Joseph HAD decided to take revenge on his brothers ( which he didn’t) there was nothing they could do about it.
- Worry can cut your life short
Worry doesn’t rob TOMORROW of its sorrow, it robs TODAY of its strength.
3. Worry DESTROY’S faith
Matthew
- Joseph’s brothers still refused to trust him.
-
God VALUES you! Proof?
- God takes to HEART the things that cause you anxiety.
4. Worry DEFAMES God’s care
Matthew 6: 31-32 - 31"Do
not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What
will we wear for clothing?' 32"For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these
things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
“ For many people, worry becomes so ingrained in their personalities that, once old worries are gone, they search for new ones. They’ve become dependent on worry as a lens through which to view life, and they’ve forgotten any other way to live. Do you want to become that kind of person? ( David Jeremiah )
- 10 brothers – worry about getting CAUGHT
GRAIN
KILLED
Every NEED you have is on God’s agenda!!
B. SOLUTION
Matthew 6: 33-34 – "But seek first His
kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each
day has enough trouble of its own.
1. REALIZE worry is a deadly narcotic
- Joseph’s brothers – addicts for at least 20 years
2. REBUILD your priorities
- Cycle of worry for some has become so powerful they can’t seem to break it
- What are your priorities?
- Do you really trust the Father who loves you?
- Can you live out your belief that God is sovereign?
3. RESOLVE to live one day at a time
- Don’t wallow in yesterday’s MESS
-
Accept Christ’s FORGIVENESS
- Don’t dwell on tomorrow’s STRESS
- You still plan
- You still deal with legitimate concerns
4. REHEARSE the Word of God
- Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you shall glorify Me. Psalm 50: 15
- Cast your burdens on the Lord, and He shall sustain you;; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved – Psalm 55:22
- Cast all your care upon Him, for HE cares for you – I Peter 5:7
- Philippians 4: 6-7
-
Worry about Nothing – PRAY about EVERYTHING