Theme: Living Out of Control

Scripture: Matthew 6: 25, 31-32

We like control, don’t we?

Ask almost any guy in the room (and most gals, too!) and if they are honest, they’ll admit they like the power that comes with holding the television remote control. And the more things it controls, the better.

Sometimes it’s not as trivial as that. It turns out we like to control as much of our world as possible: our money, our health care, our jobs, our security. We tend to feel much better when we’re in control. “If you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself.” We like control!

But the fact is, sooner or later, we all are going to be faced with a situation that we have no control over: our job, our health or the health of a loved one, the economy, crime, some crazy driver on the interstate. In those moments, I am becoming convinced, sometimes it’s that loss of control that makes us worry.

A story is told about a man who came face to face with the dangers of worry: Death was walking toward a city one morning and a man asked, "What are you going to do?" "I’m going to take 100 people," Death replied. "That’s horrible!" the man said. "That’s the way it is," Death said. "That’s what I do." The man hurried to warn everyone he could about Death’s plan. As evening fell, he met Death again. "You told me you were going to take 100 people," the man said. "Why did 1,000 die?" "I kept my word," Death responded. "I only took 100 people. Worry took the others.

This interesting tale portrays so well the fact that half of all the people in America’s hospital beds are constant worriers. 43% of all adults suffer health effects due to worry and stress. 75% - 90% of all visits to primary care physicians are stress-related complaints or disorders. Worry has been linked to all the leading causes of death including heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis and suicide. An estimated 1 million workers are absent on an average workday because of stress related complaints. Stress is said to be responsible for more than half of the 550 million workdays lost annually because of absenteeism. 43% of all employee turnovers are related to job stress. Mental distress can even lead to death. Add to the list the mental fatigue of nights without sleep and days without peace, and we get a glimpse of the havoc worry plays in destroying the quality and quantity of life.

In Matthew 6:34, (GNT) Jesus said: “34So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.” We I read that sometimes I want to say, “That’s easy for you to say!”

It is interesting that this word here in Matthew 6 for worry literally means: “To be cut into pieces, to be distracted, to be separated in pieces.” It means that when you worry you are being pulled or pushed in many directions in your mind. Your mind is split into compartments and pieces and it is being pulled in many directions. Isn’t that true for when you when you worry? Have you ever seen a fireworks display where a Roman candle went off wrong? Instead of going up and exploding in colored beauty, it goes off in all directions on the ground and everybody is in danger. It is out of control. That is what worry does to your mind. Here you are trying to go in every direction and solve every problem and control the outcome of every dilemma in your life and in the lives of others and in the end your mind is out of control, splintered in many pieces, going in many directions and distracted until you end up out of control and not even taking control of your responsibility. You are trying to take care of everybody else but

yourself and then you are angry because nobody is taking care of you. Isn’t that right?

Jesus tells us not to worry to not allow your mind to be distracted and run out of control with caring too much and for too many things. But how do you do that? Jesus provides three prescriptions for a worry-free life. Notice that these prescriptions require attitude, life, value adjustments. These require repentance, a seeking of divine help, and an honest to goodness evaluation of our lives.

1. Find Your Center

Jesus says in Matthew 6:25, (GNT): “25This is why I tell you: do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for your body. After all, isn't life worth more than food? And isn't the body worth more than clothes?" “This is why . . .? What is “this?” The verses before tell us what “this” is!

Matthew 6:19-21; 24 (MSG): "Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or--worse!-stolen by burglars. 20Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. 21It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.” . . . ."You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both.”

What we decide with treasure, with condition, and who to serve determine whether we turn out to be worriers or worshippers. Jesus tells us that a worry-free life is a result of making the right decision.

So we have all these concerns. Food – we have to have it to stay alive. Water – drink – we have it as well to stay alive. Most of us don’t have to worry about getting enough food or good water. However some of you may be worrying about someone poisoning or cutting off our food supply or water supply. It would not take a whole lot. A flood in the Water Works or tainted meat or milk in the grocery store. It has and could happen.

But then there is the issue of “clothes.” You say: “That’s no problem I have plenty of clothes.” Jeans, shorts and a t-shirt, what else do you need? But clothes in this passage mean a whole lot more than that.

“As the Hebrews did not change the fashion of their clothes, as we do, it was common to lay up stores of raiment beforehand, in proportion to their wealth, Isaiah 3:6. To this Christ alludes when he speaks of treasures, which the moth devours, the great and wealthy delighted in white raiment; and hence this is also a mark of opulence and prosperity, Ecclesiastes 9:8. The garments of mourning among the Hebrews were sackcloth and haircloth, and their color dark brown or black, Isaiah 50:3 Revelation 6:12. As the prophets were penitents by profession, their common clothing was mourning. Widows also dressed themselves much the same. The Hebrews, in common with their neighbors, sometimes used a variety of colors for their gayer and more costly dresses, Judges 5:30. So also according to our version, Genesis 37:3,23 2   Samuel 13:18 ; though in these passages some understand a tunic with long sleeves. Blue, scarlet, and purple are most frequently referred to, the first being a sacred color. Embroidery and fine needlework were highly valued among them, Judges 5:30 Psalms 45:14. Matthew 6:19 James 5:1,2.” (http://www.studylight.org/dic/ats/view.cgi?number=T839

So what you wore demonstrated your status in the community. Clothes were a symbol of how important you were and what kind of influence you would have in society. We understand some of that. If I wear some baggy pants – I would be considered as what? If I wear a three piece suit it could mean what? We understand books and articles with titles: “Dress for success.” TV show: “What Not to Wear.” On that show they take someone and rearrange their whole wardrobe and their attitude about the way that they dress. So it was even more so in Jesus’ day.

The word here for “clothes” means to “sink into your garments.” You stockpiled clothes as a status symbol of wealth and financial security. Today we talk about sinking what? Our debt, our investments. Clothes were a symbol of what we would call our portfolio of stocks and bonds. Jesus says that our focus is not to be on food, drink or our investments. Do we care about those things – of course? Do we give attention to those things – yes! It doesn’t mean that we abdicate our responsibilities and take no action.

It won’t work to be like the guy who said to his friend: “I have a mountain of credit card debt.” “I have lost my job. My car is being repossessed and our house is in foreclosure, but I am not worried about it”, exclaimed his friend. “No, I’ve hired a professional worrier. He does all my worrying for me, and that way I don’t have to think about it.” “That’s fantastic! How much does your professional worrier charge for his services?” “$50,000 a year”, he replied. “$50,000 a year? Where are you going to get that kind of money?” “I don’t know”, comes the reply. “That’s his worry.

We don’t ditch our responsibility. The question is: Does our living and our investments, our bank accounts become the measuring stick for success in our lives? Do they become the center of our lives? Jesus says no. Jesus says you cannot make these things the center of your life. You can’t worship

them and hope to be free of worry. You must make a decision about what is going to be the center of your life. You must decide that you cannot control everything in your life, but you can decide who you will give up that control to. You can decide what or who will be the center that keeps pulling all the pieces back together to the center.

You make a decision to prefer non-perishable, durable, eternal and heavenly treasures over treasures that are perishable, non-durable, temporary and earthly treasures. With your treasures safe you can live a worry-free life

It is a decision to find your center. Jesus invites us to find that center in God. But that raises another question. Because I know lots of people who are trying to make God their center – but they are worried because they don’t really trust God. Who is this God? If we are going to be able to release control to this God and stop our worrying then we must get to know Him.

2. Know Your God

Twice, Jesus identifies this God as our heavenly Father.

There are followers of Christ who need to rediscover the Father God. Some relate with God as they relate to their earthly fathers, absent, uncaring, unable, and undependable. Sometimes our earthly fathers do not represent our heavenly Father. Sometimes this is a process to discover that our Heavenly Father is different than we have grown up to think that He is.

In verse 26, Jesus talks to us about what our Heavenly Father is like: “26Look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than birds? 27Can any of you live a bit longerF5 by worrying about it? 28And why worry about clothes? Look how the

wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves. 29But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers. 30It is God who clothes the wild grass---grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won't he be all the more sure to clothe you? What little faith you have! 31So do not start worrying: Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes? 32(These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things.

Have you ever taken a walk and looked at nature – the flowers, trees, and birds. Have you ever just thought about how the flowers and birds, really have limited control over their lives?

Yesterday morning I was sitting by the patio door with the screen door open. Storm, our Australian shepherd was outside. Suddenly there arose a huge fuss from a flock of Crackle birds. It wasn’t the first time so I guessed that there was probably a little baby bird out of the nest and they were trying their best to keep Storm away from the little fellow. So I stepped to the door and sure enough just off the edge of the patio was the little fledging. Storm was right there. It was a picture – Storm towering over the little bird and the little bird was hunkered down in the grass with his neck stretched upward looking Storm right in the eyes. The bird didn’t move. The look was priceless – looking up as if to say: “You are much bigger than I and I am so little and there is not a thing I can do at this moment to protect myself, what are you going to do to me?” His parents were limited in protecting the exposed little one. So I intervened. I called off Storm, who appeared puzzled because all she wanted to do was play and this little fellow just seem to know how and the only way Storm knows how to play is to paw the object. Then I went outside and picked up the little bird and placed in hiding over the fence away from the dogs. Of course now a cat will probably get him – but I tried.

When you think about it – that bird had no control. Yet every spring birds survive dogs and cats and elements and dangers. Jesus is saying, if you observe that the birds and flowers are taken care without being in control, how much more will your Heavenly Father take care of you. Do you know your Heavenly Father? Or are you fluttering helplessly around trying to control your world and just messing it up some more? What if you began to release this morning what you do not control? What if you started getting comfortable with “living out of control?”

So if you find your center and you get to know your God, that is beginning steps to a life lived free of worry and a life that comfortable with living out of control. Is there anything else? Jesus says: “Yes!”

3. PURSUE Your Center

In Matthew 6:33, (NIV) Jesus says: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Another translation puts it like this: “33Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.”

Instead of being pulled and pushed in many directions and trying to control how we are going to get food, water, clothes and how we are going to build our portfolios and land that good job and the like, we are called to passionately seek God’s kingdom and righteousness. This is not a new theme that Jesus introduces here. This is a theme all throughout the Sermon. To care for God’s business is to be assured that God will care for your personal business.

So Jesus offers an alternative, a Plan B. “People who do not know God run after these things, but you are different. Pursue my kingdom, make it your central priority, make it your dream – your ambition.” The Message translation says it this way: “Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.”

The kingdom Jesus refers to is his personal reign. God’s rule in Christ. So what does it mean to seek His kingdom above all?

First, it means to desire that one’s own life be placed under Christ’s rule. I desire that my whole life, every department of my life – be placed under His care, direction, and plan. To seek God’s rule in my life means that I want above all things that His will be done in my life – my home, marriage, family, ministry, relationships, finances, future, etc.

Second, it means an overwhelming desire to see people enter God’s kingdom so that they too might experience the life-giving kingdom. To seek God’s kingdom is to make evangelism our most important responsibility as a church family and as individuals. Our ambition is to see people come out of darkness into God’s marvelous light.

What about “righteousness”? To seek God’s righteousness involves wanting God’s righteousness. It is a gift given to God’s people. We should want more of that. To live to please God. It also involves wanting to see God’s righteousness demonstrated in our world. Ministering to the poor, the weak, those displaced by poverty, sickness, and circumstances show God’s care for people.

“When you take care of God’s business you can rest assured God will take care of your personal business.”

I am convinced that one of the things Jesus means by “seek first God’s kingdom” is that we are to give up control of our own lives. Truly, the Christian life is a life that is out of control, or at least, out of my control. This is actually Good News for us. When God helps us give Him control, we realize in a brand new way that He really does provide for us, and has been providing for us all along! God teaches us that, just like that field-lily, everything good really is a gift from God. For those gifts, we are truly, and deeply, thankful.

Worry is attitude unbecoming of the child of God. Worship is better. To fret is a useless endeavor. To believe is better. If you have lived in worry, it is time to make some important changes. Find your center. Know and learn to trust God as your heavenly Father. Pursue your center.

Matthew 6:34, (GNT) “34So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.”

Let’s pray: