WEBVTT 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:09.039 All right, well, as you uh get seated, if you would turn in your Bibles uh to Luke chapter 12. 00:00:09.279 --> 00:00:18.640 Luke chapter 12 is uh is a passage and a topic that I have uh been wrestling with personally for quite a while now and excited to uh jump into that. 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:20.719 So please get turned uh over there. 00:00:20.800 --> 00:00:24.000 And as you're doing that, uh listen to these. 00:00:24.160 --> 00:00:25.440 Okay, listen to these. 00:00:25.839 --> 00:00:32.320 You've got a new initiative to pitch to the big wigs at work, and the presentation is tomorrow morning. 00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:37.840 Your husband puts pressure on you to have a spotless house at all times. 00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:45.920 The dog had to go to the vet twice this month, but you've already maxed out your budget on the vacation this summer. 00:00:46.240 --> 00:00:53.119 Your child had a horrible first week of school and now seems to be shutting down socially. 00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:58.079 You look in the mirror every morning and you hate what you see. 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:04.560 Your in-laws are getting older, and you're the only family around to take care of them. 00:01:04.879 --> 00:01:10.799 You wake up in the middle of the night obsessing with how to take care of that problem, whatever it might be. 00:01:11.120 --> 00:01:17.519 You're a single parent, you're trying to work two jobs and be there for the kids and raise them well. 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:26.000 Your student, you're trying to stay on top of all your homework, and the workload just seems like Mount Everest. 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:32.719 You're single and lonely, and it just seems like that's never gonna change. 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:58.879 Okay, each of these examples are our real life situations that cause us anxiety, that cause us anxiety, you know, where life's pressures just build and build and mount, and this fear and worry and dread builds up to the point where we are just stressed. 00:01:59.519 --> 00:02:00.799 We're stressed. 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:05.920 Anxiety is a major issue for us these days. 00:02:06.159 --> 00:02:07.359 Would you agree with that? 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:10.800 Would you say that that is a fair statement uh to make? 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:16.560 I mean, it's it's again, like I said earlier, it's something that I certainly wrestle with. 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:27.280 Okay, interestingly enough, I finished writing this message on Thursday afternoon sometime and had uh followed with two kind of uneasy, anxious, uh sleepless nights. 00:02:27.439 --> 00:02:28.960 Okay, we all struggle with it. 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:30.960 We all uh wrestle with this. 00:02:31.039 --> 00:02:38.000 And what I've noticed kind of about myself, and I think um many of us is that we either tend to just kind of put up with it. 00:02:38.159 --> 00:02:46.479 Or we just uh we just accept this as a as an everyday kind of part of life and we deal with it and we label it something that's kind of acceptable, like stress. 00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:48.719 And some of us maybe even wear that as a badge of honor. 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:50.240 It's because my job's important. 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:55.199 It's because I have purpose, and and stress is just gonna come along uh with it. 00:02:55.840 --> 00:03:07.840 We either do that or or some of us we know it's not real good, and we try to get beyond it, and we're working, and we've we've tried to implement some things that would help us, but we we don't really know what to do, and none of it seems to be uh working. 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:08.960 Right? 00:03:09.039 --> 00:03:10.240 So, what do we do? 00:03:10.719 --> 00:03:11.439 What do we do? 00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:26.319 How you know how can we get to the place where we can legitimately, genuinely overcome anxiety and actually honor the Lord and obey Him with how we react to life's problems? 00:03:26.479 --> 00:03:26.639 Right? 00:03:27.199 --> 00:03:27.919 How can we get to that place? 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:30.560 Because are the problems, are they going away anytime soon? 00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:34.319 No, like not this side of eternity, that's for sure. 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:40.960 Well, this whole topic, this whole thing is the very issue that our our passage addresses uh today. 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:50.719 And I think it's just so amazing that the Lord would be so good, that he would show his love and his care for us, that he would deal with this in scripture, that he would have a word for us uh about this. 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:54.960 And I think this is a thing that uh that many of us need to hear. 00:03:55.199 --> 00:03:59.039 You know, again, we're we're starting off uh a new ministry year. 00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:07.599 You're you're back from the vacations, the the kids are in school, you've had a bunch of days to kind of get accustomed to all of that, and now it is time to kind of dig in and and start fresh. 00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:10.879 And that's what I'm trusting God has for you today. 00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:15.759 An opportunity for you to lay your anxieties at his feet. 00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:19.600 And so what we're gonna do here now is we're gonna read this, Luke chapter 12. 00:04:19.759 --> 00:04:24.319 If you would stand with me now, we're gonna honor the Lord as we read this. 00:04:25.759 --> 00:04:27.680 Starting in verse 22. 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:29.680 These are the words of Jesus. 00:04:29.839 --> 00:04:40.079 It says, And he said to his disciples, Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body what you will put on. 00:04:40.480 --> 00:04:44.879 For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:54.399 Consider the ravens, they neither sow uh sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. 00:04:54.800 --> 00:04:58.560 Of how much more value are you than birds? 00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:02.879 And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his span of life? 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:08.800 If then you're not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 00:05:09.199 --> 00:05:11.439 Consider the lilies, how they grow. 00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:17.439 They neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:28.319 But if God so clothes the grass which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith? 00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:35.839 And do not think, uh and do not seek what you are to eat, and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:40.879 For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your father knows that you need them. 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:45.040 Instead seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:50.240 Fear not, little flock, for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 00:05:50.480 --> 00:06:04.639 Sell your possessions and give to the needy, provide yourselves with money bags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 00:06:04.959 --> 00:06:09.759 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:11.439 Let's pray. 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:22.800 Lord God, we come before you today just recognizing how we really struggle with anxiety. 00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:26.399 Lord, for some of us, maybe we don't even realize how much. 00:06:26.560 --> 00:06:32.000 It's become such a part of the fabric of our everyday life that we've just kind of learned to put up with it. 00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:36.319 Lord, you tell us very clearly here, do not be anxious. 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:38.480 Lord, it is a it is a direct command. 00:06:39.360 --> 00:07:00.480 And God, I pray that as we come here today and as we um submit ourselves to your word and your wisdom, Lord, that you would encourage us, Lord, that you would give us strength, or that you would overcome our anxiety, Lord, that you would show us some of the things that we can do, some of the heart changes that need to take place in our hearts, in our lives, and our in our families, Lord, so that we would not be anxious anymore. 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:06.160 Instead, we would trust you, that we would not be counted among those who have little faith, Lord, but great faith. 00:07:06.480 --> 00:07:10.720 Because we understand that you are a great God and that you've got our backs, Lord. 00:07:10.800 --> 00:07:11.600 You love us. 00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:14.639 So, God, help us now as we work through this text. 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:17.680 Encourage us again, we pray in Jesus' name. 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:18.480 Amen. 00:07:18.720 --> 00:07:19.120 Amen. 00:07:19.199 --> 00:07:19.519 Thanks. 00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:21.680 You can take your seats. 00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:34.399 Now, okay, I don't know about you, but uh when I come across this verse that says, uh, do not be anxious about your life, that's in verse 22. 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:43.439 Uh, my first thought, okay, and this has probably got some flesh uh for sure mixed into that, is A, easier said than done. 00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:44.160 Right? 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:45.519 Easier said than done. 00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:48.160 I I wish I could not be anxious. 00:07:48.399 --> 00:07:49.519 Okay, that's my first thought. 00:07:49.680 --> 00:07:55.120 B, my second thought is um, I have utterly failed to obey this. 00:07:55.360 --> 00:07:55.920 Right? 00:07:56.079 --> 00:07:57.920 I've utterly failed to obey this. 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:00.160 And I've done it like a billion times. 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:07.839 And so I'm kind of starting here uh behind the eight ball, not a great position, uh, not a position of strength, right? 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:19.279 Because I am I am disobeying a direct command, and and and it appear, and that's sin, of course, and then it would appear that I have absolutely zero ability within myself uh to fix this. 00:08:19.680 --> 00:08:20.079 Right? 00:08:20.240 --> 00:08:22.079 How encouraging, right? 00:08:22.399 --> 00:08:26.160 How good is it to come here today and to hear that, right? 00:08:26.399 --> 00:08:27.279 Good start for sure. 00:08:27.360 --> 00:08:28.959 Well, here, I want to tell you this. 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:31.839 Okay, that's exactly where Jesus wants you. 00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:33.279 You realize that? 00:08:33.440 --> 00:08:38.399 He totally wants you in that position when you accept the reality of your situation. 00:08:38.559 --> 00:08:40.559 You don't have the strength to fix this. 00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:47.840 You do not have the ability within yourself to overcome your anxieties and become strong in this area. 00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:52.480 He wants us to come to accept our complete weakness and failure. 00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:52.799 Why? 00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:54.000 Why would he want us to be in that place? 00:08:54.080 --> 00:08:55.360 That's not very comfortable. 00:08:55.600 --> 00:09:18.320 Well, it's because in that position of humility is where the Lord will begin to work in you, where he will begin to give you his strength, where where by his grace he will transform you and and and and take you to a new place and work through your your fears, this this life that's just so often dominated by by anxiety. 00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:20.639 And I know many of you would feel that. 00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:22.960 And so you might be thinking, well, okay, great. 00:09:23.039 --> 00:09:24.639 Like I'm I'm looking for the pathway here. 00:09:24.720 --> 00:09:25.679 How do we get out of this? 00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:30.639 How do we crawl out of this hole, this pit, and and get to a good place? 00:09:31.120 --> 00:09:34.399 We've got four things that we're gonna be uh going through here this morning. 00:09:34.480 --> 00:09:36.559 This is how we can overcome anxiety. 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:37.519 Here's the first thing. 00:09:37.679 --> 00:09:38.879 How do I overcome anxiety? 00:09:39.039 --> 00:09:43.200 Well, it's when I realize uh that there's more to life than I'm making of it. 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:46.159 There's just flat out more to life than I'm making of it. 00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:48.480 Okay, take a look at verse 22. 00:09:48.720 --> 00:09:53.200 And again, these are the words of Jesus Christ here, and it says this. 00:09:53.360 --> 00:09:56.879 He said to his disciples, therefore, okay, stop right there. 00:09:57.120 --> 00:10:02.960 Okay, therefore, okay, now whenever you see that word therefore, you kind of know that that's a clue. 00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:03.279 Right? 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:06.480 And you've heard maybe the pastoral, the pastor phrase before. 00:10:06.639 --> 00:10:11.120 Whenever you see the word therefore, you need to ask what it's therefore, right? 00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:17.440 And so it again, it's a clue for you to figure out what's he really saying here and what's what's happening. 00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:28.159 Well, well, that word therefore is telling us that what is about to be said is based upon what's just been said previously. 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:33.919 And it's a reminder that the context of what of uh of scripture is so important. 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:42.720 We don't just want to isolate verses and forget that the what's being said around that will illuminate meaning for us. 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:47.360 Okay, and so you may be like wondering, okay, what's the what's the context here? 00:10:47.519 --> 00:10:50.879 Well, he's referring to here the the parable of the rich fool. 00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:52.159 Parable of the rich fool. 00:10:52.320 --> 00:10:55.279 It starts in uh verse 13 and goes down to verse 21. 00:10:55.360 --> 00:10:59.919 You'll see that uh right in your Bible there uh before the passage that we're reading. 00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:02.159 So we're kind of jumping in like halfway through the story. 00:11:02.240 --> 00:11:06.799 We're looking at the second half, the back half of the story, and you can read that first part on your own time. 00:11:06.960 --> 00:11:30.639 But essentially what's happened here is that Jesus has shared a parable, and he shared it with the crowd and with his disciples, and he's he's told them the story of the rich fool, um, this guy who who foolishly accumulates wealth and and possessions for himself, as though those things were the be-all and end-all of life. 00:11:30.879 --> 00:11:35.919 He's like, Man, I've got I've got it all, and I've got it made, and I have all this grain, I have more, where am I gonna store? 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:41.919 Well, I'm gonna tear down these old barns, I'm gonna build new barns, and I'm gonna I'm gonna kick back and enjoy the easy life. 00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:43.919 He says, fool. 00:11:44.399 --> 00:11:45.600 Okay, fool. 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:49.679 Life is not about self. 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:52.320 It is not about the things that we accumulate. 00:11:52.399 --> 00:11:59.120 And so he's warning us, he's warning his his people of the dangers of investing in those things most of all. 00:11:59.360 --> 00:12:02.399 And so again, he shares that uh with the crowd as a parable. 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:06.080 And then what he does next in our section is he gathers in his his crew. 00:12:06.159 --> 00:12:08.000 He kind of like has the huddle with his disciples. 00:12:08.159 --> 00:12:09.840 He's like, now I'm gonna tell you what this really means. 00:12:09.919 --> 00:12:12.639 I'm gonna unpack this even deeper for you. 00:12:12.879 --> 00:12:18.000 And so he says in verse 24, Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life. 00:12:18.240 --> 00:12:19.519 Do not be anxious about your life. 00:12:19.600 --> 00:12:21.039 Specifically, what are you talking about, Jesus? 00:12:21.120 --> 00:12:21.600 What do you mean? 00:12:21.759 --> 00:12:28.000 Specifically, he says, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. 00:12:28.639 --> 00:12:30.399 For, and then you need to underline this. 00:12:30.480 --> 00:12:31.519 This is so key. 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:35.039 He says, Life is more than food. 00:12:35.519 --> 00:12:41.039 Life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:43.039 So, what's what's Jesus mean by this? 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:43.919 What's he saying? 00:12:44.159 --> 00:12:50.399 Well, what he's doing here is he's telling us the crux of our problem, isn't he? 00:12:50.639 --> 00:13:05.440 Okay, the core reason that you and I are plagued by anxiety, and for many of us it's on a daily basis, it's because we have made life all about something other than what life is supposed to be about. 00:13:06.240 --> 00:13:07.519 We really have. 00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:27.519 Our focus, our our drive, you know, our our heart and what that's going after, our our mind and what we think about, our our will, the drive, the orientation of all of those things has become geared towards something that Christ says will only end up causing you anxiety in the end. 00:13:28.080 --> 00:13:29.679 It's like that's the problem. 00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:41.600 If life and our purpose and our passions and our desires are not fundamentally and ultimately about Jesus Christ, they will be about something else. 00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:46.159 And those things will always, always rob us of peace. 00:13:46.559 --> 00:13:47.919 They always will. 00:13:49.360 --> 00:13:53.679 And so what he does here with the disciples is he gives them a specific example. 00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:57.600 It's an example they're gonna be able to easily relate to. 00:13:57.840 --> 00:14:00.720 He gives them the examples of food and clothing. 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:03.600 Food and clothing, does that sound familiar to you at all? 00:14:03.919 --> 00:14:07.519 And Jesus is like, hey, there's there's just flat out more to life than these things. 00:14:07.759 --> 00:14:08.799 There really is. 00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:10.399 Okay, but think about it, right? 00:14:10.480 --> 00:14:12.799 Put yourself in the shoes of the disciples. 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:16.240 Who were many of these guys before they started following him? 00:14:16.879 --> 00:14:19.039 Many of them were fishermen, right? 00:14:19.120 --> 00:14:23.759 And they and they gave that, that wasn't like this glamorous thing, right? 00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:24.399 It was. 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:25.759 It's not like they had a lot. 00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:32.879 These guys weren't wealthy, but what little they had, they gave up to follow Jesus. 00:14:33.200 --> 00:14:39.039 And so if you think about it, you might be able to kind of understand their concern a little bit here. 00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:44.080 It would have been really easy for them to think, like, oh man, like, where's our next meal coming from? 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:50.559 You know, some of them for sure would have had families and they're and they're trying to process and think through, like, how am I gonna provide for them? 00:14:50.799 --> 00:14:52.559 How am I gonna take care of them? 00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:56.000 We're just kind of walking around talking to people with Jesus here. 00:14:56.159 --> 00:14:59.840 That doesn't exactly um get you wealth. 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:01.120 Right? 00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:03.200 And they're wondering about all of this. 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:07.039 And Jesus is like, just straight up, he's like, don't worry about it. 00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:09.600 He's like, he's like, don't be anxious. 00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:11.519 You don't you don't need to stress about these things. 00:15:11.679 --> 00:15:13.759 Like, I've got you covered. 00:15:14.240 --> 00:15:18.720 There's far more to this life that I have called you to than those things. 00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:21.360 It's not to say that those things aren't important. 00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:24.480 Food, clothing, do we need them? 00:15:25.039 --> 00:15:25.840 Absolutely. 00:15:26.159 --> 00:15:28.879 But should they become the drive of our life? 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:30.159 Absolutely not. 00:15:30.480 --> 00:15:32.159 Not according to Christ. 00:15:32.559 --> 00:15:32.879 Right? 00:15:33.039 --> 00:15:35.279 And we're no different than the disciples. 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:40.639 We get spun out about all kinds of things, and and and the whole time we're just missing the point. 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:43.440 We're missing everything that Christ has for us. 00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:48.879 Again, he has so much more in store than the things that we tend to get ourselves tied in a knot over. 00:15:49.440 --> 00:15:56.639 He wants to satisfy, I mean, truly satisfy our deepest inner longings with his awesome presence. 00:15:56.960 --> 00:16:03.440 You know, when you long for things like money and wealth or comfort, do you know that that's your heart saying, I want more? 00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:08.879 It's your heart showing you that you need something more, and those things will never satisfy. 00:16:08.960 --> 00:16:10.080 Only Jesus does. 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:12.879 And then to show us that something's off. 00:16:13.919 --> 00:16:15.440 We need Christ. 00:16:16.399 --> 00:16:18.480 He wants to give us his presence. 00:16:19.039 --> 00:16:23.600 He wants to transform our hearts, he wants to transform us from the inside out. 00:16:23.840 --> 00:16:26.639 Do you realize that what God wants to do with you is heal your life? 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:32.399 He wants he wants to heal you from the foolish things that you've done, from the sinful choices that you have made. 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:37.120 He wants to transform you powerfully. 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:46.240 He wants to give you spiritual gifts, he wants to give you purpose, he wants to give you courage and use you in the church, use you in other people's lives. 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:48.320 Again, he wants to radically change you. 00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:50.799 He wants to do it all by his glorious grace. 00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:52.240 Do we deserve it? 00:16:52.559 --> 00:16:52.879 No. 00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:54.720 Can we earn those things? 00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:55.360 No. 00:16:55.759 --> 00:16:58.720 But it's because God loves us that he wants to do this in us. 00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:00.960 Would we make that our focus? 00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:05.839 Much of the time we're we're not really thinking about those things, are we? 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:09.200 We're caught up with the cares of the world. 00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:15.920 You know, we're consumed more by, you know, how how can I pay for the new deck that I put in my backyard this summer? 00:17:16.079 --> 00:17:16.319 Right? 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:18.000 Those are the things that stress us out. 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:20.480 Those are the things that we're anxious over. 00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:23.440 We have anxiety because we've missed the point. 00:17:23.519 --> 00:17:24.799 We're just like the disciples. 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:27.200 We're just like this rich fool. 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:31.519 We're consumed by other pursuits, food, clothing. 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:37.200 For you, it might be your kids' education, you know, saving up for retirement. 00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:40.079 It might be moving to a house with more property. 00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:41.279 We need more of those things. 00:17:41.440 --> 00:17:42.799 And they've consumed your thinking. 00:17:42.880 --> 00:17:51.359 It's it's climbing the corporate ladder, it's the pursuit of pleasure, it's getting married, it's having a better marriage. 00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:54.400 Again, not bad things. 00:17:54.880 --> 00:17:59.599 But one of the things we have to really guard ourselves is when good things become God things. 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:00.960 And that's the problem. 00:18:01.119 --> 00:18:04.559 That's what the Lord is warning us for from here today. 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:09.279 Jesus just tells us straight up, He's like, That's that's not why I've created you. 00:18:09.759 --> 00:18:12.240 That's not the purpose that I have for your life. 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:16.880 But it's oftentimes the things that our hearts long for, because our hearts are messed up, right? 00:18:17.519 --> 00:18:21.440 This is what we've made life all about, and that's why we are so anxious. 00:18:21.519 --> 00:18:26.559 That's why we're so stressed and and concerned and fearful. 00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:32.240 So, hey, the first step here, you want you want to get over anxiety. 00:18:33.359 --> 00:18:36.640 The first thing here is realizing that Christ has more for you. 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:41.200 The things that you're stressed about is not what life is supposed to be all about. 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:47.279 And you've got to realize that, you've got to recognize that, and it's and you've got to desire more, you've got to desire the Lord. 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:48.720 He has more in store. 00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:55.440 And so, for you, what I would challenge you, what I would encourage you, start to start to identify what are those things in my life, what are the pursuits of my heart? 00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:58.960 What are the things that my my family is going after? 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:00.240 What is it that I want? 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:01.279 What is it that I think about? 00:19:01.920 --> 00:19:05.759 What are the things that I spend my money on and use my free time up on? 00:19:06.319 --> 00:19:07.440 What are they? 00:19:08.400 --> 00:19:11.599 And then I would also say, we need to repent of these things. 00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:17.440 We need to apologize to the Lord and say, God, I've made life about things that you say it's not all about. 00:19:17.680 --> 00:19:18.559 Would you forgive me? 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:27.039 Would you would you come in and meet where meet me where I'm at and begin to change the desires of my heart and the focus of my life? 00:19:27.599 --> 00:19:32.720 Ask the Lord to reorient your drive, what you're going for. 00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:34.240 He wants to do it. 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:36.880 Because there's way more to life than this. 00:19:37.839 --> 00:19:39.440 Okay, second thing. 00:19:39.680 --> 00:19:49.279 I will overcome anxiety when I reflect on how the Lord constantly, constantly supplies my needs. 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:51.200 Okay, take a look at verse 24. 00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:52.480 We're gonna read a chunk of this here. 00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:53.039 Look at this. 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:55.039 He says, Consider the ravens. 00:19:55.200 --> 00:20:01.440 They neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse, uh, storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:05.359 How much more value are you than the birds? 00:20:05.599 --> 00:20:09.920 And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his span of life? 00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:15.440 If then you're not able to do a small thing as that, hey, is that a small thing for us? 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:16.799 No, it's a huge thing. 00:20:16.880 --> 00:20:17.680 We can't add an hour. 00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:19.839 He's saying this is a small thing for God. 00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:21.519 He's like, I'm bigger than any of this. 00:20:21.599 --> 00:20:23.359 I could do that if I if I wanted to. 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:26.880 But if you can't even do a small thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? 00:20:27.200 --> 00:20:31.680 Consider the lilies, how they grow, they neither toil nor spin. 00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:39.279 Yet I tell you, even Solomon, the great king of Israel, the wisest man who ever lived, riches beyond riches. 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:46.880 In all his glory, he was not arrayed as one of these, as one lily. 00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:58.000 But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow it's thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith? 00:20:59.920 --> 00:21:01.839 But I love that word there, consider. 00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:04.240 You should highlight that in your Bible. 00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:06.960 It says it twice there in verse 24 and verse 27. 00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:10.160 That word consider means to think carefully about. 00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:11.839 Think carefully about. 00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:22.799 Okay, so much of our anxiety and our worry in life comes from failing to reflect carefully on all the ways that the Lord has taken care of us. 00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:23.359 Right? 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:24.000 Have you ever done that? 00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:30.079 Have you ever just stopped and thought, like, even this week alone, how has the Lord protected you as you've driven to work? 00:21:30.880 --> 00:21:34.319 How has the Lord answered your prayers with your kids this week at school? 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:37.279 There's a lot of a lot of worry, a lot of anxiety with all of that. 00:21:37.440 --> 00:21:43.279 But the Lord, he came through and he's challenging my kids and he's comforting them, and he's comforting me as well. 00:21:43.440 --> 00:21:45.440 The Lord continues to take care of us. 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:48.640 And so much of our anxiety comes because we fail to think about that. 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:59.599 And okay, and we fail to consider and think deeply and realize and trust that he's gonna continue to take care of us from this point onwards. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:01.440 He's not gonna forget about us. 00:22:02.160 --> 00:22:04.000 He's not gonna bail on us. 00:22:04.240 --> 00:22:04.480 Right? 00:22:04.559 --> 00:22:06.319 It says, oh, you have little faith. 00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:07.519 Oh, you have little faith. 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:08.400 You don't even think about it. 00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:11.599 You don't even you don't even realize how great and how mighty I am. 00:22:11.680 --> 00:22:12.880 That's what Jesus is saying. 00:22:13.039 --> 00:22:14.960 He's like, I've I've got you. 00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:18.640 The Lord constantly supplies my needs. 00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:19.839 Constantly. 00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:22.559 He never doesn't supply our needs. 00:22:22.799 --> 00:22:25.440 He always, he always has, he always will. 00:22:26.240 --> 00:22:27.119 It's a promise. 00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:28.319 It's it's guaranteed. 00:22:28.400 --> 00:22:29.680 You can take it to the bank. 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:32.400 He's never gonna fail in that department. 00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:40.559 Okay, and what you uh you and I see here in these verses, as we as we kind of read through this, as we look at this, we really see the heart of our Savior, don't we? 00:22:40.799 --> 00:22:44.720 We see his love and care for us as he gathers us in as his children. 00:22:45.039 --> 00:22:46.000 I want you to just think about this. 00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:47.599 Think about ravens for a sec. 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:49.599 Think about ravens. 00:22:49.920 --> 00:22:56.559 You know, they're they're those birds that you hear squawking outside your bedroom window at like what, 4, 5 a.m. 00:22:56.880 --> 00:22:58.720 It's like always on a Saturday morning. 00:22:58.880 --> 00:22:59.119 Right? 00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:00.319 You're like, I hate these things. 00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:00.640 Right? 00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:04.000 You drive by and you see them eating roadkill. 00:23:04.240 --> 00:23:04.480 Right? 00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:07.039 Ravens are just they're a gritty bird. 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:07.440 Right? 00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:08.880 They're kind of gross. 00:23:09.200 --> 00:23:12.880 Like, like no one's saying, hey, ravens are my favorite animal. 00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:13.519 Right? 00:23:13.759 --> 00:23:15.519 They're at the bottom of everyone's list. 00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:20.079 They they belong in like the pigeon and seagull category. 00:23:20.559 --> 00:23:20.880 Right? 00:23:21.119 --> 00:23:22.079 The worst. 00:23:22.720 --> 00:23:23.680 The worst. 00:23:24.559 --> 00:23:26.720 And yet look what the Lord says. 00:23:27.119 --> 00:23:32.720 He says, if I take care of them, okay, how much more am I gonna take care of you? 00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:35.599 How much more am I gonna take care of you? 00:23:35.759 --> 00:23:38.640 You're the ones, you're the ones whom I value. 00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:39.119 Right? 00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:41.440 You are the ones whom I love. 00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:45.359 Who you're the ones who I am going to the cross for. 00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:48.319 You're the ones I'm giving up my life for. 00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:49.519 And then what does he do? 00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:50.799 He mentions lilies. 00:23:51.119 --> 00:23:53.839 Okay, any ladies in the house who love lilies, right? 00:23:54.079 --> 00:24:01.599 You love that, and you would just love your husband to bring those home or some kind of a flower, and it just means so much to you when that happens. 00:24:01.680 --> 00:24:02.640 They're beautiful, right? 00:24:02.799 --> 00:24:09.599 Beautiful flowers, amazing the intricacies and and and and the creation of God and how how creative he was in that. 00:24:09.759 --> 00:24:11.279 But hey, let's be clear. 00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:13.839 They're just flowers, right? 00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:16.079 Jesus himself is saying that here. 00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:23.119 He's like, if I care about them, right, one second they're alive, the next second we're chucking them in an oven and burning them. 00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:23.680 Right? 00:24:23.759 --> 00:24:24.960 That that's the way it goes. 00:24:25.119 --> 00:24:28.480 He's like, imagine how much more so I care about you. 00:24:28.960 --> 00:24:30.240 I care about you. 00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:34.559 I care way more about how you're clothed. 00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:39.119 I care way more about the food in your belly, I care way more about the roof over your head. 00:24:39.279 --> 00:24:41.599 Your needs, I've got them. 00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:42.960 I've got them. 00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:55.759 The point he's making here is that ravens and lilies, they don't need to work at all to be fed or to look a certain way, but the Lord provides for them. 00:24:56.000 --> 00:25:01.839 How many of us were working so hard to make sure that we are fed and all of our eggs are kind of in that pursuit basket? 00:25:02.000 --> 00:25:02.240 Right? 00:25:02.319 --> 00:25:03.519 We're going for that. 00:25:05.519 --> 00:25:13.599 How much more so is God gonna supply our needs if He takes care of kind of a gross bird and a little flower that has a short lifespan? 00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:14.880 Okay, what is God telling us? 00:25:14.960 --> 00:25:16.799 He's telling us to focus on what matters. 00:25:17.119 --> 00:25:18.480 Focus on the things that really matter. 00:25:18.559 --> 00:25:20.480 He's gonna take care of the rest. 00:25:20.880 --> 00:25:22.000 Okay, and all of these things. 00:25:22.079 --> 00:25:24.000 He's like, don't just give them a passing thought. 00:25:24.160 --> 00:25:26.319 Don't just be like, oh yeah, that's nice, yeah, I guess he'll do that. 00:25:26.480 --> 00:25:27.599 No, he's like, consider, right? 00:25:27.680 --> 00:25:28.880 He uses the word twice. 00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:30.880 Think deeply about it. 00:25:31.680 --> 00:25:40.480 Meditate on these things, rattle it around, think deeply about it, about how he cares for you and how he will care for you. 00:25:40.640 --> 00:25:46.480 And as the focus of your heart begins to shift and you start to realize, wow, the Lord really does love me. 00:25:46.640 --> 00:25:50.640 And I so needed that reminder, and I need to really think about the ways that God has done that. 00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:53.519 What's gonna happen to your anxiety? 00:25:54.079 --> 00:26:03.519 Your anxiety is gonna start to melt away because your trust in the Lord is gonna grow, and you're gonna see those things begin to disappear. 00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:05.599 Right, awesome stuff. 00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:07.279 Third thing. 00:26:08.160 --> 00:26:13.519 I will overcome anxiety when I seek Christ's Lordship above my own. 00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:15.759 I seek Christ's Lordship. 00:26:16.079 --> 00:26:18.880 Verse 29, take a look at that. 00:26:19.200 --> 00:26:24.480 He says, and do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. 00:26:24.640 --> 00:26:27.839 Okay, worried's like another word for anxious. 00:26:28.000 --> 00:26:29.599 Okay, for all the nations of the world. 00:26:29.680 --> 00:26:31.119 In other words, pagans, right? 00:26:31.200 --> 00:26:34.559 They seek after these things, and your father knows that you need them. 00:26:34.720 --> 00:26:37.039 So again, it's a it's a reiteration of what he's been saying. 00:26:37.119 --> 00:26:38.160 He's continued to encourage them. 00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:40.960