Sermon for 01/29/06

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Sermon for 01/29/06
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Unity Sunday – A WORRY FREE UNITY

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, AMEN

Main Theme: Living in a broken world, there seems to be a lot to worry about. And yet, God offers us the possibility of a worry-free life. He calls us not to worry about anything and pray about everything. Worry is both irrelevant and irreverent (distrusting God). Being worry-free is a two part process: God does His part by giving us Peace and protection, and we do our part through prayer and gratitude. He calls us to cast all our anxieties on Him – when we do, we realize that worry is an option, not an assignment. A church that stops worrying but brings everything to God in prayer is a church unified in a peace that surpasses all understanding! (Much of the content is unapologetically stolen from Max Lucado’s book “”Come thirsty!”)

1) WORRIED! Sin city – that’s what they call Las Vegas. And your pastor and youth director and their wives just spent 4 days there on vacation! Does that ‘worry’ you? Get this; we discovered one week before we left that the place would be filled because of a “swingers” convention. Imagine – your pastor and his wife in Las Vegas during a swinger’s convention! NOW are you ‘worried’ about the state of the church? Some of you are laughing, but… some of you are not – and THAT worries me! Like I need anything else to be worried about! Isn’t there enough to be worried about in this broken world of ours? After all, there’s plenty of evil and danger everywhere we look!

2) WORRY LIST! After going through the airport’s security procedures and ex-rays (due to our worries about terrorists), I was sitting in the airplane ready to take off I pondered Max Lucado’s questions: why do they call an airport a “terminal”? Terminal? And why does the pilot tell us: “We are about to make our ‘final’ approach”? Final? Isn’t there a better way to express that? After all, isn’t there enough to worry about? …like a deteriorating o-zone layer that allows cancer-causing rays to blast our skin? And preservatives in our foods poisoning our bodies? And… new diseases like “the bird flue” that have no cures! Just watch the news on TV and I guarantee your worry list will grow!

3) EXPERTS AT WORRY! Of course, if nothing else, the brokenness surrounding us keeps some of us “busy”. I swear some of us have post graduate degrees from the University of Anxiety! People actually go to sleep worried they won’t wake up; some wake up worried they didn’t sleep. We worry that someone will discover lettuce was fattening all along. One mother worries because “My teenage daughter doesn’t tell me anything! I’m a nervous wreck!” Another mother worries because “My teenager tells me everything! I’m a nervous wreck!” Some of us are experts at worry!

4) DIVISIVENESS/NEGATIVES! And worrying affect’s whole institutions too! Like the church! There are people who believe it is their ministry to worry about the church! They worry about the budget, and whether the pastor’s sermon bruised someone’s ego. They worry about every little change, and whether moving from real bread to wavers during communion will undermine the basic fabric of our Lutheran theology. And they spread their worry! I’ll never forget the Property and Management member who once told the council they were refusing to give up a class room as an office for the new Youth Director (9 years ago) – because they were worried that the new position might not work out – so let’s wait a year until the youth director proved themselves first! With only one exception, the whole committee bought into that worry! And that worry created divisiveness in the church. Worry can spread like a plague. It’s the reason for the old saying: “Worry is the darkroom where negatives are developed!” Negatives can wound and even kill the desire of a church to serve God! Whether worry affects your individual life, or your church family - let me ask you this: wouldn’t you love to stop worrying? Wouldn’t you like to find a positive alternative to the darkroom that develops negatives?

5) WORRY-FREE! The “Good news” is that God offers you just that: the possibility of a worry-free life! And… a worry-free church! Not just ‘less’ worry, but no worry! He has created everything you and I need to experience what the Apostle Paul promised the Philippian church: “His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus!” (Phil. 4:7) If you are interested in this result, then you may want to take a good look at the whole passage leading up to that! (Philippians 4:6-7) “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus!” That reflects God’s desire for you to have a worry-free life!

6) UNDER ATTACK! See, the problems affecting churches today are nothing new. The rest of Paul’s letter to the Philippians shows that their church was under attack! Chapter 1 (vs.15-17) tells us that preachers were serving for selfish gain, and Chapter 3 (vs. 2-3. 18-19) tells us that false teachers were preaching a crossless gospel. Chapter 4 (vs. 2) informs us that squabbling church members threatened the unity of the church, while (vs. 19) some members struggled to find food and shelter. They had persecutions outside, and problems inside. Enough to make you worry? You bet! And many Philippians did! As many Christians do today! Because our lives and our churches are under attack! That’s why the proposal God gives us is so staggering! He says: “Don’t worry about anything!”

7) YEH, RIGHT! Now some of you are thinking: “Yeh, right! And while I’m at it, I’ll cure cancer and bring about world peace! Nice thought (no worrying) – but basically impossible! Obviously you are kidding!” No, Jesus isn’t kidding! Let me tell you what Jesus’ opinion is of worry: worry is irrelevant, and worry is irreverent!

8) IRRELEVANT! What do I mean by that? Well, take a look at Matthew 6 (vs. 25a, 27) – “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life… Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Worry is irrelevant! It alters nothing! When was the last time you solved a problem by worrying about it? Ever heard anyone say, “Sure, I got behind in my bills, but I resolved to ‘worry’ myself out of debt! And you know - it worked! A few sleepless nights, and day puking and hand wringing, yelling at my kids, taking some pills, and glory to worry – money appeared on my desk!”? Nope! It doesn’t happen that way! Worry changes NOTHING! It doesn’t add a day to your life, or a one bit of life to your day! Here’s what researchers say about the things over which we worry:

40% never happens!
30% concern unchangeable deeds of the past.
12% focus on the opinions of others that cannot be controlled.
10% centers on personal health, which only worsens if we worry about it.
Only 8% concerns real problems that we can influence.

Notice: 92% of our worries are needless. Worry is basically irrelevant – and it does NOTHING!

9) IRREVERENT! Worry is also irreverent! That is, when we worry, we distrust God! Matthew tells us (6:28-30) “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow? They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed as one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today is tomorrow thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” See, worry betrays a fragile faith! It is an “unconscious blasphemy!” We don’t intentionally doubt God, but when we worry, aren’t we essentially doubting God’s ability to handle the situation? It’s like the little boy who was watching Michelangelo as he prepared to sculpt a piece of granite. He said, “You sure you know what to do with that rock?” We want to take that young boy aside and tell him, “Son, that’s Michelangelo – one of the greatest sculptors in history!” And yet, when we worry, should we not also be taken aside and reminded, “Friend, that’s God! Creator of the universe! All wise! All powerful! Do you not think He can handle this puny problem you have?” Worry is irreverent behavior!

10) MANAGE PROBLEMS? PROBLEMS MANAGE US! Now don’t get me wrong! I’m not suggesting we do nothing when our lives are under attack! Attempting to manage our problems to the best of our ability can be a good thing. But the key is to manage our problems, not let our problems manage us! And yet that’s what we do when we worry! We let our problems manage us! And we pay a high price for doing so. Worry comes from the Greek word that means “to divide the mind.” Anxiety ‘splits us’ right down the middle, dividing our ability to think clearly and separating our various mental resources from working together. Rather than taking away tomorrow’s trouble, worry drains our strength. Our perception is divided, and our vision is distorted. We waste energy – and who of us can afford to lose that kind of power? No, we should NOT let our problems manage us – yet that’s exactly what worry does!

11) PRAY! Is there a solution to worry? Yep! A two part solution: consisting of God’s part, and our part! First, let’s focus on our part: prayer, and gratitude! Remember what the Apostle Paul told us - Philippians 4:6-7 “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.” It’s simple: what do we do to worry less? Pray more! They say, “Worry looks around in fear, faith looks up!” It seems so obvious, but it isn’t. People often struggle to put into practice what the scriptures call us to do so clearly!

Luke (18:1) wrote “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and never give up.”
Paul told his readers (Colossians 4:2) “Devote yourself to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
James declared, (5:13) “Is any of you in trouble? He should pray!”

Rather than worry about anything, “pray about everything!” Everything pastor? What did Paul say in Philippians (4:6) “In everything… let your prayer requests be made known to God.”

12) STAY CLOSE! When our girls were little and we took them to Disneyland, they were filled with excitement! They of course did not plan the trip, pay for the trip, or concern themselves with luggage, hotel check in, or meals. In fact, our only request of our children was this: Stay close to us! Why? Because heaven forbid our daughters might get separated from us! Our Heavenly Father makes the same request: “Stay close to me! Talk to me. Pray to me. Breathe me in and exhale your worry.” You see, worry can separate us from God – but when we stay close to Him always looking up to seek out His face; worry fades away. God knows what can happen in our journey through a broken world, and all He wants is to bring us home safely! We need to stay close to Him and pray about everything.

13) GRATITUDE! Paul also said our part included the ingredient of gratitude. He said, “Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.” (Phil. 4:6) Remember the story about the young shepherd boy David as faced the giant Goliath. David’s boldness was based on his memories of God’s success in his life. He told the doubtful King Saul about the times the Lord had given him strength to fight off the predators that came to carry of his sheep. (1^st Samuel 17:36-37) “‘Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defiled the armies of the living God. The Lord who has delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine.’ Saul said to David, ‘Go, and may the Lord be with you.’” Are you afraid of some giant? Then recall the lions and bears in your past! Don’t look forward in fear; look backward in appreciation. God’s proof is in your past. But… ‘forget’ God’s track record, and fear returns. No, a good memory makes for a heart full of gratitude, and results in a worry-free life!

14) WHY SHOULD I WORRY? Ruth C.’s mom, Winnie showed me how a heart of gratitude results in a worry-free life many years ago when the doctor used the word “cancer” to describe her condition. She had two options: freak-out in fear, have a pity party, mope, brood over this news screaming out “Why me?” OR… Look back upon her life with Christ and remember in gratitude how God was always there and always gave her strength and got her through. “Pastor,” she said, “Why should I worry? If God cures me – it will be to His glory. If He takes me home, this too shall be to His glory! Either way, I can’t lose!” Her remaining days on this earth were not spent in fear and worry, but in praise and gratitude. Her past generated strength for her future. Winnie showed me that our part in living a worry-free life is prayer and gratitude. Look back at God’s past faithfulness in your life, and ask yourself: “Why should I worry?” The answer will lead to prayer and gratitude and a worry-free life!

15) PEACE AND PROTECTION! So if our part is prayer and gratitude, what is God’s part? Peace and protection! Philippians 4:7 - “If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus!” Or as the NIV version says “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Believing prayer ushers in this kind of peace and protection! It’s not just any kind of peace and protection; this is imported from heaven! It’s the same kind of tranquility and security that surrounds God’s throne; and He offers this to you!

16) PERFECT PEACE, PERFECT POWER! Think about this: Do you think God battles anxiety? Do you suppose He ever asks the angels for antacids? Of course not! Humanities mega-problems are no more challenge to God than a twig is to an elephant. God enjoys perfect peace because God enjoys perfect power. And God offers His perfect peace to you! A peace that “will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus!” Paul is using a military metaphor of his time – because the Philippians were living in a garrison town, and were accustomed to Roman sentries watching over them. Enemies could not get to them without first going through the guards. God gives you a similar but better offer. His supernatural peace and perfect power protects and guards your heart!

17) CAST! Friends, are you ‘tied up in knots’ with worry? Peter tells us (1^st Peter 5:7) Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” This is a strong verb here – CAST. Not place, lay, or occasionally offer. It’s the same word used to describe how Jesus treated demons – He cast them out! One hand went on the collar and the other on the belt, and whoosh… out they went! We are to do the same with our fears! Get serious with them! Immediately cast them upon God. Believe me – your Lord can handle it!

18) PURPOSE! Friends, do you know HOW BLESSED you are to know why you are here on this earth, while millions around us wander around seeking meaning and purpose for their existence? Millions are existing without really living? But, in this Unity Service you and I have already 1) celebrated our unity in Christ, 2) celebrated God’s forgiveness and renewal, and… 3) celebrated our God given mission to His lost sheep. We declared our purpose was to love God (which is worship), love and serve each other, (which is ministry), reach out to the lost, (which is evangelism), bring others into the family of God, (which is fellowship), and to teach one another, (which is discipleship)! You know who you are because you know who you belong to! And through the love, grace, and power of Jesus Christ residing in your hearts – you can increasingly live according to His will! But no where in this great blessing and purpose, is there a call to worry! Worry is irrelevant and irreverent! It is not the way of those who are attempting to follow Christ - trust Christ – and be filled with Christ!

19) ASK! RECEIVE! If you and I want to increasingly experience God’s perfect peace and perfect power in our lives, and if this church family wants to increase our sense of unity, we need to ask Christ to help us stop worrying! We need to ask the Spirit to lead us to prayer instead! The Lord comes this morning, wanting each individual and this congregational body to follow Him in ministry to a broken world – worry-free! (Remember, worry is an option Satan offers, not God! Worry is not an assignment for Christians!) And Christ is lovingly here today to remind us of this, and to lead us into a worry-free world. Ask His Spirit to come in and transform you that you may be quicker to prayer in times of trouble. Ask Him to enable you to focus less on the problems ahead, and more on the victories behind. Ask Him to help you do your part, and I guarantee God will do His! You will receive the blessings of a worry-free life! Because Christ will guard your heart with His peace… a peace that passes understanding!

Praise God!

AMEN

Sermon/Confessional Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we confess that we worry too much. We worry because we forget about the perfect peace and perfect power you are so eager to pour into our lives. Somehow we think our worrying will help, and fail to see it is irrelevant and can do nothing for us! We unintentionally doubt you and your ability to handle our problems when we worry – and we are irreverent! Forgive us Lord, and teach us to cast all our problems and anxieties upon you – trusting that you can and will take care of them!

Lord, we are embarrassed at how we have allowed our problems to manage our life, rather than managing our problems by bringing them to you in prayer! Our prayer lives continue to fall short – and too many times we look around in fear rather look up in faith! We cannot change this ourselves, so we ask your Holy Spirit to come into us now and transform our hearts. Teach us to respond to every problem and challenge by responding in prayer. And move us quickly to trusting you – remembering with gratitude your faithful presence in our past.

And now Lord, although you know us better than we know ourselves, listen as we share in a moment of silence, those other parts of our lives that need to be forgiven, washed clean, healed, and recommitted to you! (made anew.)

(Silence)

Lord, as we remember David’s faith and his resulting boldness and fearless approach to Goliath, so too empower us to remember, trust, and serve you without fear! Teach us to stay close to you, that we may live the worry-free life you desire us to have! Surround us with your perfect peace and power that we might handle our own Goliaths worry free! In Jesus Name We Pray. AMEN

Assurance of Forgiveness:

Friends, listen to the good news: The Lord, who offers you a worry-free life, …that Lord has mercifully heard your confession and eagerly forgives you all your sins. Go now, having remembered His past faithfulness, and having cast your problems and anxieties into His all powerful hands. Trust in Him, and worry not! He has it all under control! Praise God! AMEN

Opening prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we come this morning out of a broken world with all kinds of anxieties and fears attached to our hearts. This week some of us have worried about our relationships, our jobs, our dreams and those we serve. Some of us have worried about the future, our health, our sinful behavior. We have been stressed out by our bills, the illnesses affecting our loved ones, the constant presence of death, and the crime in our streets. We worry about war, or the threat of war around the world. The brokenness and evil that surrounds us has even brought some of us to a place of fearful inactivity and helplessness! So we turn our eyes to you! Because only here can our worries and fears be washed away! Only here can our sins and problems be taken from us and cast into the sea and forgotten. Only you can bring us the perfect peace and power we need to live free from worry! Only you can fill our hearts instead with hope, faith, and purpose! Lord, we seek your face, your love, your embrace this morning. Draw us ever closer to you, strengthen our frail faith, and empower us to follow you, serve you, and worship you in everything we say and do! In Jesus Name we pray! AMEN

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