United Church of God

Be Anxious for Nothing

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Be Anxious for Nothing

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Be Anxious for Nothing

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In the Bible, anxiety is a form of thinking that is shown to take our concerns away from God, but God provides us a solution. We can resolve to trust that God can deal with our concerns and provide for our needs. In doing so, we will be made free to grow.

Sermon Notes

PRESENTER'S NOTES

Have any of you ever experienced anxiety? In Matthew 6, harmonized in Luke 12, Jesus encourages those around Him not to be anxious for food, water and clothing, reminding them that God cares for them and God provides.

Of course, we know that the food, water, and clothing don’t just land in our lap, so to speak, so what did Jesus mean?

3309 merimnao mer-im-nah'-o from 3308; to be anxious about:--(be, have) care(-ful), take thought. see GREEK for 3308

3308 merimna mer'-im-nah from 3307 (through the idea of distraction); solicitude:--care. see GREEK for 3307

When Jesus was with us on earth, He made these statements to help us appreciate God’s ability and trustworthiness; God’s love for those who rely on Him.

LOVE = GRACE, FAVOR

Paul also addresses this topic in Philippians…

Philippians 4: 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Here, he clarifies further, if the reader or listener had any misunderstanding of God’s provision otherwise, that we need not worry unnecessarily for ANYTHING.

And it’s not like Paul is approaching this issue academically or philosophically. He, himself, had plenty of opportunities to give to God his anxieties.

Moving on down to verse 10…

Philippians 4: 10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

And, just so we understand clearly Paul’s experiences…

2 Corinthians 11: 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.

Not only Paul substantiates the words of Jesus. So does Peter.

1 Peter 5: 5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility, for

“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

From Studylight.org I found an interesting commentary on these verses…

“In this text, Peter presents merimna – the occupation of the attention of the mind as the only weapon Satan uses against a believer. Peter said in Verse 6 that we should submit to God's humbling process. The aorist participle (a class of verb forms that generally portray a situation as simple or undivided) in Verse 7 tells us that we are to submit to this humbling process having cast all of our care upon the Lord. We are to cast all of the things that are occupying our minds onto the Lord.

Peter, in verses 7,8, states that the Lord is concerned about us because our adversary, the devil, is walking around as a roaring lion. The Lord is concerned for us because Satan is looking to devour God's people, not spiritually, but mentally. How? By occupying the attention of our minds so that we are too busy and too worried about the things of this earthly life. Consequently, we do not have the time or the focus to study and receive from God's Word. The end result is that we fail to grow;…”

This makes me think of the parable of the sower…

Matthew 13: 22 And that sown into the thorns is this: he who hears the word; and the anxiety of this world, and the deceit of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

In the parable, all the seed represent people who to one degree or another respond or don’t respond to the word of truth. In the case of the seed sown in thorns, those thorns represent worldly worries and pursuit of worldly gain all to the distraction of producing fruit toward salvation.

--------- I thought that interesting.

Still, something must yet be done even after we learn to wrap up our anxieties like a present and hand that present over to God.

How do we keep those anxieties from returning or simply being replaced by other anxieties? Paul gives us some good advice back over in Philippians 4. Previously, I read verses 6-7, then I skipped on over to verse 10. So let’s read what’s in between…

Philippians 4: 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

The anxious thought and actions resulting from thinking that way get replaced with good thoughts and actions that result from those thoughts. So, like the seed sown on good ground, thistles removed, we can grow in the goodness of God’s grace, and we can produce spiritual fruit; some of us 30 times, some 60, some 100.

So as Peter referenced in his first letter, let us heed the advice found in Psalm 55:22

“Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”