Winning Over Worry

Matthew 6:24-34  (ESV)

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 

Anxious means a divided or distracted mind about things that might happen. 

26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 

28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 

29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 

Worry is an insult to God because what it really says is that we don't really trust Him. 

30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 

We must live with confidence in God's ability to take care of us.   

31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 

The devil tries to get us to think about the things that we can't control instead of the faithfulness of our heavenly Father.

32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 

The problem with worry is that we struggle with God over the control of our lives.  We believe in ourselves over God's ability to provide.  

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

We must approach life's problems from God's perspective and not ours. 

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

My problems in my hands is just problems.  My problems in God's hands produces miracles.

Darryl Craft, Whitesburg Baptist Church

http://www.whitesburgbaptist.org/connect/messages/winning-over-worry/

How to see

Matthew 6:19-24 (ESV)

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 

Jesus is not saying that it's wrong to make money,or to be rich, or to save money to prepare for retirement.  If you're focus is on these things and not Jesus, it becomes wrong.  It's about priority. Make your singular treasure Jesus.  

21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 

23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

We must have a singular vision.  Satan distracts you from having Jesus as the number one focus of your life. It could be something good or bad.  Everything must be focused upon what Jesus's will is for you.       

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Whatever becomes your treasure becomes your god.  Jesus becomes your God when you become deeply in love with Jesus Christ.  

Darryl Craft, Whitesburg Baptist Church

http://www.whitesburgbaptist.org/connect/messages/focus/

Motives

Matthew 6 (ESV)

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

We must not focus on our own outward behavior to be right with God. Righteousness is not achieved, but received from God through Jesus. 

2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

Don't put on a display, so people will notice you. Our motive must be to be noticed by God.  To stumble and fall, does not make you a hypocrite, but a human being.  We are all growing to be like Christ.  What makes you a hypocrite is to wear a false mask.  Someone who pretends to be one thing, but is another. 

    

3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 

4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

This is about giving to the poor.  Don't use your giving to control other people.  The motive is to give it as an act of worship to God. 

1. The condition of your heart matters to God.  

2. The condition of your heart will be the primary motive for what we do. 

3. The condition of your heart will determine your rewards.  "The why?"

Darryl Craft,Whitesburg Baptist Church

http://www.whitesburgbaptist.org/connect/messages/motive-means-everything/

Love Authentic?

Matthew 5:43-48 (ESV)

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 

1. Authentic love is rooted in truth.  

Jesus is talking about personal behavior not civil law. The teachers of Jesus's day wanted to hate their enemies; therefore, they added it to their teachings.  

44 But I (Jesus) say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 

2. Authentic love is radically different.  

The test of authentic love is when it's not returned.  Therefore, to love our neighbor, we must love our neighbor because our enemy and our neighbor might be the same person.  We must love people that we do not like.  

45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 

3. Authentic love goes beyond expectations.  

We must serve our enemies, pray for them, and die for them.  We do it to be like our Father in heaven and to be different from the world.  

Romans 5:10 (ESV)

10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 

47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 

48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

4. Authentic love is only possible through Jesus.  

You can't do it by yourself.  

Galatians 2:20  (ESV)

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Darryl Craft, Whitesburg Baptist Church

http://www.whitesburgbaptist.org/connect/messages/authentic-love/

Revenge

How do you make things right when you have been wronged? 

The Law of Moses contained the civil law, the ceremonial law, and the moral law.  The law was to control excesses, unrestrained revenge, and to prevent reoccurrences.  

 

Matthew 5:20 (ESV)

20 For I (Jesus) tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 

The religious leaders took Moses's law as a mandate for revenge which was not God's purpose.  They applied the civil law for the personal law which was not God's intent.  Jesus taught that we must turn from selfishness to selflessness.     

Matthew 5:38-42 (ESV)

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 

39 But I (Jesus) say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 

1. We must surrender our dignity for Christ.  

40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

 

2. We must surrender our security for Christ. 

41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

3. We must surrender our liberty for Christ.  

The Roman soldier could require a Jew to carry their packs one mile, but we must go beyond what we are required. The second mile is called the miracle mile where God could work in the soldier's heart.     

42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

4. We must surrender our property for Christ.  

The law teaches the same as Jesus.  We must not apply the civil law for the personal revenge.  

Leviticus 19:18 (ESV)

18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. 

Darryl Craft, Whitesburg Baptist Church

http://www.whitesburgbaptist.org/sermons/making-things-right-when-youve-been-wronged/

Me, lie?

Matthew 5:33-37 (ESV)

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 

This quote is taken from the Law of Moses.  It is a combination of Leviticus 19:12, Numbers 30:2, Deuteronomy 23:21. 

34 But I (Jesus) say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 

35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 

The religious leaders had tried to dilute the Law of Moses by creating loop holes to violate it without legal repercussions.  

There is a great difference between appearing truthful and being truthful.  

  

36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 

37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

We shouldn't have to swear an oath to convince people that we are telling the truth. We should be known for our truthfulness without oaths.   

Psalm 51:6 (ESV)

6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
    and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

Jesus is teaching that honest men do not need to swear by an oath.  

Matthew 5:20 (ESV)

20 For I (Jesus) tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

The religious leaders were more concerned about appearing righteous than actually being righteous. An oath is only as good as the one who made it.  Since God is over everything, every oath is ultimately being made to God.  

Proverbs 6:16-19 (ESV)

¹⁶ There are six things that the Lord hates,
    seven that are an abomination to him:
¹⁷ haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
    and hands that shed innocent blood,
¹⁸ a heart that devises wicked plans,
    feet that make haste to run to evil,
¹⁹ a false witness who breathes out lies,
    and one who sows discord among brothers.

Two of the seven things that God hates is lying. 

James 5:12 (ESV)

12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Matthew 23:16-22  (ESV)

16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 

17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 

18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 

19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 

20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 

21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. 

22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

People are always tempted to not keep their word.  We maintain our integrity when we say what we mean and mean what we say.  

Proverbs 12:22 (ESV)

²² Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,
    but those who act faithfully are his delight.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 (ESV)

2  Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.

When wealth is lost, nothing is lost.  When health is lost, something is lost.  When character is lost, all is lost.  

Integrity is being honest when we have made a mistake and ask for forgiveness. 

1 John 1:9-10 (ESV)

9 If we confess our sins, he (Jesus) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Darryl Craft, Whitesburg Baptist Church

http://www.whitesburgbaptist.org/sermons/integrity-matters/