Inside: Worry reveals the idols of my heart, something I treasure more than Christ.

Today’s podcast we’re discussing what God’s Word has to say about our anxiousness and worry.

We’ve been working through the book of Matthew at church and have been in the Sermon on the Mount for quite a few months now.

I’ve been utilizing D. Martin Lloyd Jones sermon series to read along with the scriptures as I prepare for Sunday mornings. It’s a great resource, and it’s called Studies in the Sermon on the Mount.

One thing Pastor Ross shared about this text (Matthew 6:25-34) and what I want to begin with is an area that convicted me. When I am worried about a situation – I’m creating an idol. Worry reveals the idols of my heart, something I treasure more than Christ.

My worry usually isn’t about physical things. It can be at times, but my worry and anxious thoughts usually come about with situations in my life that I have no control over. I tend to worry about the outcomes that I have no control over, pretty pointless.

At that moment I forget Who is in control and my thoughts are self-centered and I believe at that moment that I know better than God. Ugh – that’s sin and my worry surely isn’t helping God in any way. At that moment – how Pastor Ross put it – I have forgotten that God is ruler – not me.

The passage in (Matthew 6:25-34) reminds me of what Jesus says to worriers like myself. As we walk through this passage today my prayer is that the Lord would speak to my heart and yours and the hope is we will both be reminded that the Lord knows what we need and has already provided for it.

Listen to the Podcast:

Show Notes:

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? 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. 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? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

~ Matthew 6:25-34

Worry Definition: give way to anxiety or unease; allow one’s mind to dwell on difficulty or troubles.

I want us to ponder what do we tend to worry about? What do I value more than I ought to? It will probably come to our minds pretty quickly. Whatever it is – that’s our treasure. What we treasure most controls us. When Jesus and His work on my behalf are my treasure – I won’t worry. Too often my eyes are not on Christ but on me and my problems and situations.

“Everything we need has been given to us in Christ. Ponder that: everything. Not some things or many things, but everything. Let’s look at just a few of the wonderful truths that are ours if we are in Christ: We are loved, adopted, chosen, forgiven, redeemed, citizens of heaven, children of the King, no longer under condemnation, sealed by the Holy Spirit, God is working all things in our lives together for good, never alone, and in the twinkling of an eye will spend all eternity with Him in glory–to just name a few. These truths, of all that is ours in and through the gospel, should change the way we look at everything. His love for us is not based on our outward performance. His love for us is based on the work of Jesus Christ on the cross.”

~Taken from How to Preach the Gospel to Yourself

“These beautiful things come and go, and that is the end of them. You, however, are immortal; you are not only a creature of time, you belong to eternity. It is not true to say that you are here today and gone tomorrow in a real sense. God hath “set eternity” in the heart of man; man is not meant to die. “Dust thou art, to dust returnest, was not spoken of the soul.” You go on and on. You not only have natural dignity and greatness, but you also have an eternal existence beyond death and the grave. When you realize that truth about yourself, can you believe that the God who has made you and destined you for that, is going to neglect your body while you are in this life and world? Of Course not! If God so clothe the grass of the field, which to this day is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?”

~ D Martin Lloyd Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount

We don’t want our faith to begin and end with just our salvation. That would be little faith. Little faith is when we come to Christ as our Savior and stop there. We want our faith to invade, take over and control every area of our lives as believers.

Our Christian faith is a thinking faith; it is one that should be continually growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to be meditating on God’s Word and thinking deeply about things of the Lord. We need to continually be renewing our minds through the intake of the Scriptures and prayer. 

And then we need to apply what we know to the circumstances of our lives. Little faith doesn’t do this.

“There is a sense in which we commit ourselves to God once and forever; there is another sense in which we have to do it every day. There is a sense in which God has given us everything in grace once and forever. Yes; but He gives grace to us also in parts and portions day by day. We must start the day and say to ourselves, “here is a day which is going to bring me certain problems and difficulties; very well, I shall need God’s grace to help me. I know God will make all grace to abound, He will be with me according to my need—-as thy days, so shall thy strength be. That is the essential biblical teaching with regard to this matter; we must learn to leave the future entirely in God’s hands.” ~ D. Martin Lloyd Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount

I’m reminded that my heavenly Father gives me everything I need. He takes care of every single one of my needs so if I don’t have something I want right now it’s not a need. 

There may be something taken away from my life so He is my treasure. 

If something has come into my life, it is only through His loving hand, so it is for my good and His glory. Nothing is by chance, but everything is by His good providence. 

The Gospel reminds me that everything I truly need has been given to me.  God desires that our happiness and joy is found in Him.

“Worry is the antithesis of trust. You simply cannot do both. They are mutually exclusive.” ~ Elisabeth Elliot

“The best antidote for anxiety is the frequent meditation upon God’s goodness, power, and sufficiency… Nothing is too big, and nothing is too little to spread before and cast upon the Lord.” ~ A. W. Pink

Scripture & Resources:

Matthew 6:25-34

Matthew 6:19-21

Luke 10:38-42

Matthew 6:33

Matthew 6:34

Hebrews 4:15

Philippians 4:6-7

Philippians 4:8

Philippians 4:9

Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by D. Martin Lloyd Jones

How to Preach the Gospel to Yourself

Sermon – A Warning about Worry by Pastor Ross Layne

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