“Do Not Worry”
(Luke 12:22-34)
Series: Certainty in Uncertain Times
Rev. Todd a. Linn, PhD
Henderson’s First Baptist Church, Henderson
- Take your Bibles and open to Luke, chapter 12.
While you’re finding that, I want to remind you to be in prayer for our Boston Mission Team worshiping this morning at Redemption Hill Church in Medford, Massachusetts. They will be serving the Medford Community this week and getting word out about this new church start, Redemption Hill. We are proud to partner with Redemption Hill in an area that is in great need of evangelical witness. So pray for the team and follow their blog postings each day by visiting our website, fbchenderson.org.
We’re glad to have back our team from Indianapolis. Several of our students served a new church in the greater Indy area and they made it back safely last night. Thank you for your prayer for them. In a couple of weeks, Doug and Barb Musgrave will be with us in morning worship. Most of you know the Musgraves who have been serving just over a year now in South Africa. They’ll be with us to share what God is doing in Sub Saharan Africa. It is a joy to pastor a missional church as we advance the Gospel to our community, commonwealth, country, and continents.
Vision-Driven Children’s Ministry at Henderson’s First Baptist means our church is interested not in merely keeping a child busy during an hour or so a week. It means our church has a vital interest in equipping each child for life, seeing that each child has a theological foundation that will stay with them 20 years from now. One of the ways this goal is fulfilled is through great teachers and leaders. I want you to welcome our Director of Preschool and Chilrden’s Ministries, Ellie Coursey, as she comes now to share.
We are in Luke’s Gospel this morning, chapter 12. When we were together last we studied verses 13-21, where Jesus warns about the danger of covetousness, an unhealthy desire for things that don’t belong to us. Jesus taught the parable of the rich fool, the guy who was living large in a temporary world. He died poor because he had laid up treasure for himself, but was not rich toward God. See that there in verse 21, where we left off? We review this because the next thing Jesus says is “Therefore,” there in the next verse, verse 22: “Then He said to His disciples, ‘Therefore…’” We have said numerous times that when you see a “Therefore” you must ask what is the “therefore” there-for? And of course it directs us back to what Jesus has just been talking about. He has been talking about the problem of covetousness. Now He talks about the cure for covetousness. That’s really what we have here, first the problem of covetousness—our text from last time—and now the cure for covetousness, verses 22 and following. I’m going to read just the opening verse of this text and then we’ll pray.
- Stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.
22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.
- Pray.
Introduction:
One of the ways you can identify the main thrust of a passage is to note how frequently a word or topic recurs. You see the word “worry” right there in the first verse of the text, verse 22, Therefore I say to you, do not worry.” You see “worry” again in verse 25, Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” You see the word “anxious” in verse 26, “Why are you anxious?” You see the word “anxious” again in verse 29, “Do not seek what you should eat or drink, nor have an anxious mind.” You see the word “fear” in verse 32, “Do not fear little flock.” Worry, anxiety, and fear. Jesus wants to help us this morning “deal with how we feel” when we feel worried, anxious, and fearful.
George Muller said, “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.”
I like that statement because there is a connection between worry and faith. Just as the root cause of covetousness is lack of trust in God, so the root cause of fear and worry is a lack of trust in God. The psalmist said in Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid I will trust in You.” It’s not a question of whether it is wrong to fear. It is a question of what do we do when we fear. When I am afraid I will trust in You. So we’re going to make our way through these verses—verse 22 to 34.
Last week we talked about active listening. We are listening this morning as though our lives depended upon it. We will be taking what we hear this morning and sharing it with someone else who couldn’t be here. It’s up to us to get the entire message and pass it along. Think of this as your responsibility this morning and you will listen actively. Here’s the first action required of us this morning if we’re going to conquer our worries. Number one:
- I. Look to God and you will know His Provision (22-28)
Provision means that God provides. He cares for us. He loves us and He sees to it that we have everything we need. Paul said in Philippians 4:19, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” He provides. We sometimes use the word “providence” to refer to God’s love and care for His creatures. God loves and cares for us so He will provide for us. Look again at verse 22:
22 Then He said to His disciples
Note that! Jesus is not speaking to everyone here. He’s speaking to whom? To His disciples, His followers. How many of you are His followers? See, Jesus says to His disciples, “Don’t Worry.” If you’re not His disciple, you’ve got plenty to worry about. If you’re not His disciple, you’ve got judgment to worry about, your un-forgiven sins to worry about, hell to worry about. If you’re not His disciple, you have ever reason in the world to be worried, anxious, and fearful. Jesus is speaking here to His disciples. Continuing in verse 22:
“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.
23 “Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
We encountered this truth last time. Jesus said back in verse 15, “One’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.” Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. True life is not about our possessions. True life is not found in laying up treasure for ourselves, but about our being rich toward God.
God created you. God created your body so you can be sure He is going to provide food for your body and clothing for your body. God loves you, He cares for you, He provides for you. Look to God and you’ll know His provision. Why, just look at how God provides for lesser creatures, verse 24:
24 “Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?
Have you ever seen a raven, a little black bird, have you ever seen one walking out in the fields in overalls? Got a bag of seed over its shoulder? Casting seed here and there? Ever see a raven riding a John Deere tractor, reaping its harvest, storing up all its grain in a big, red barn? Ever see one wiping sweat from its brow in the hot sun as it farms the land? Of course not. These silly birds “neither sow nor reap” and “have neither storehouse nor barn and God feeds them.” Here’s the point: God takes care of lesser creatures, Christian. Of how much more value are you than the birds? Answer: a lot! Next time you fill out a job application and you come to that part that asks you about your qualifications, write down: “I am of much more value than a bird!”
Look to God and you will know His provision. If God cares and provides for little birds, how much more will He care and provide for you, Christian, you who are made in God’s image and have been redeemed from your sin through faith in His Son Jesus Christ? Verse 25:
25 “And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
The word “cubit” here is a standard unit, a measure of time. This phrase is a metaphor for adding to the length of one’s life. A better translation would be, “Which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life span?” In other words, “Why worry? It accomplishes nothing.” Worry is ineffectual. Worry cannot change anything. That’s the point. Worry is ineffectual. So verse 26:
26 “If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?
In other words, if worrying accomplishes nothing, what are you doing worrying?! You can’t change your situation by worrying so don’t worry! You can’t add a day to your lifespan, you can’t add an inch to your height, you can’t change the size of your shoe so what are doing wasting your life by worrying? I mean, I suppose you could turn it around and say, “Which of you by worrying adds wrinkles to his face?” Everyone! Which of you by worrying is paralyzed with fear, which of you by worrying is depressed, downtrodden, and physically sick? I suppose in that sense we could say worry accomplishes something.
Truth is most of the things you worry about—what?—never happen.
Mark Twain said, “I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.” Don’t waste your life worrying. Look to God and you will know His provision.
Be not dismayed whate’er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath his wings of love abide,
God will take care of you;
God will take care of you;
Through ev’ry day, o’er all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
Verse 27:
27 “Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
King Solomon was arrayed or clothed in splendid, regal, kingly robes. Yet Jesus says that the grass of the field, lilies for example, are by comparison more splendidly attired. Especially, given that these flowers don’t spin their own clothes, God makes their clothing. The same God who provides for the grass of the field provides for you. Verse 28:
28 “If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven (to be burned as fuel), how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?
Don’t be of “little faith.” Look to God and you will know His provision. He loves you, He cares for you. He will supply all of your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Truth is most of us don’t worry about food and clothing. We know hardly anything about the world of the man who lives in the impoverished country, walking 20 miles each day to get water for his family. Our lives are far removed from less fortunate folks living in dark corners of the world where 3 meals a day is a luxury, where healthcare is nonexistent, where an automobile is unheard of, where a retail store is like something out of Fantasy Land at Disneyworld.
They’re not worried whether their iPad is going to ship before their trip to Florida. They’re not worried whether their kitchen tile is laid properly. They’re not worried whether the lawn guy got all the weeds out of the flower bed, whether the value of their stock will rise, or whether their rings are sized correctly or whether the part in their hair is just right.
I’m not after guilt here. I’m after perspective. Look to God and you will know His provision. Secondly:
- II. Live for God and you will know His Peace (29-34)
29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.
30 “For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.
Here is a call for unflinching trust in God. Believe God. Live for God. Jesus says when you and I live all worried about this or that or have “an anxious mind,” we are living like unbelievers. That’s the meaning of verse 30, “For all these things the nations of the world seek after.” That’s a general way of referring to those who are not believers. Matthew, in His version has, “For after all these things the Gentiles seek (Matthew 6:32).” The Gentiles are the unbelievers, the nations of the world, the people who are not followers of the One True God. Jesus says when you worry you live like an unbeliever.
The root cause of anxiety is lack of trust in God. You will not worry if you trust God. The cure for anxiety is faith in God.
Have faith in God though all else fall about you;
Have faith in God, He provides for His own:
He cannot fail though all kingdoms shall perish.
He rules. He reigns upon His throne.
The cure for anxiety is faith in God. Live for God and you will know His peace. Verse 31 captures this truth in brevity with clarity:
31 “But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.
To “seek the kingdom of God” is to live for God. Live for God and you will know His peace. Pursue the things that are spiritual rather than material and you will have peace.
Living for God means you trust Him. Living for God means you believe He is sovereign and that He always does what is best. Talk about the cure for worry, anxiety, and fear! To seek the kingdom of God means to live for God, to trust Him and to believe He is always doing what is best. Seek the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you because “all things work together for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28).”
God sees every tear that streaks down your cheek. He hears every cry. He knows everything about your situation. He hears and understands every word the doctor tells you. He feels every pain. He knows every trial. He sees every injustice…and He is working out all things together for your good. You’ll believe that when you seek the kingdom of God.
The psalmist said in Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid I will trust in You.”
Verse 32:
32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Live for God and you’ll know His peace. God’s greatest gifts to you are not material, but spiritual. You want stuff, He wants to give you salvation. You want possessions, He wants to give you purpose. You want material things, He wants to give you meaningful things. You want luxury, He wants to give you life. It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. If you want to cure your anxiety, don’t live for this world, live for the kingdom. Remember, says Paul in Philippians 3:20, “Our citizenship is in heaven.”
When you live with a heavenly perspective, you will find natural verse 33:
33 “Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.
Live for God and seek His kingdom and you will hold your possessions more loosely. You will be more likely to give because you know this is why God has given to you. If you hoard up stuff, thieves will steal it and moths destroy it. But if you give, unlike the rich fool who laid up treasure for himself, you will be rich toward God.
Pretty radical, isn’t it? In essence, Jesus says, “Give your stuff away and then you won’t worry about your stuff.” Want to cure your tendency to covet? Give it away. Can you part with your stuff? Honestly? How can you tell? Verse 34:
34 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
If God takes your stuff away and your heart goes with it, then it will be clear you were living for this world. Thank God that He took away your stuff. But if God takes your stuff away and your heart isn’t with your stuff, it won’t matter because your heart is with God. You live for God and you know His peace.
I remember hearing years ago a man tell of his first car. He was so proud of his first car, but then someone hit his car and totaled it. His reaction? He said something like, “God, it was never my car to begin with. It is Your car that You gave for me to drive for awhile. If You want to wreck Your car, that’s Your business. It’s okay with me.”
Look to God and know His provision. Live for God and know His peace.
- Stand for prayer.
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