2nd Sunday before Lent – Sermon 96

Bible References :

 

Prayer to start

May the words of my lips and the thoughts of our hearts be graciously received for the Glory and Honour of our Lord Jesus Christ

AMEN

Introduction

Few things speak to us more powerfully – than the sheer beauty and wonder of God’s world

wherever we look – wherever we work – wherever we breathe – God’s creative hand has been there – from the tiniest ant – to the tallest tree – from the smallest island – to the mightiest ocean – from the darkest corner to the brightest light –

God’s creation of the world around us – is a symbol of His great power and involvement in our lives – one of the great landmarks of our faith –

It should be enough to convince us that the safest place to be is where we are – in God’s hands –
It should be – but all too often it isn’t

We let worry and anxiety – get the better of us – we fail to trust God – fail to depend on what He provides –

In the 10 verses of our NT lesson Jesus sets out the arguments and defenses against anxiety and stress

With the help of our two readings – we are going to look at what is said – to see how as Christians – our worries can be brought under control –

 

First Point        God the provider

 

A young mother watched her five year old daughter – looking through the first page of the – bible – circling the word God – whenever it appeared –
“Why are you doing that?” – she asked –
“So I will know where to find God – when I want Him!” – she said –

Its no accident that God is mentioned in the first sentence of the Bible – and a further 27 times on that first page –

The whole of the first chapter of Genesis is about God’s word and creative power – about the fact that He is – in control – His rule is unchallenged – that He is in everything – and everything is fed from Him

God created on a massive scale with amazing generosity – He gave us all we see – all we hear and feel – – He gave us the ground we stand on – – the sky we look up at – the stars – the seasons – the days and nights – the trees – the plants – the animals – and of course – ourselves-

He made us – distinctive from other forms of life – – created us in His own – image and likeness – created us to be morally responsible – to give generously – and to love – as He loves us –

He created us to enjoy a special relationship with Him – and gave us dominion over the rest of His creation –

He also gave us freedom to choose – to choose whether to accept or reject His gifts of love –

– listen to this adaptation from a prayer on creation and stewardship –

Imagine the earth -is only a few feet in diameter – floating just a few feet above the ground – people would come from everywhere just to marvel at it – they would walk around it – staring at its big and little pools and the water flowing between – They would marvel at the creatures – that walked on its surface – and in the air and water – they would declare it to be sacred – protect it from harm – because – its the only one of its kind – it would be the greatest wonder ever known – people would love to look at it – come to it to be healed – learn from it – admire its beauty –wonder how it came to be – they would come to love it – defend it with their lives – somehow know that their lives – their roundness – would be nothing without it – If the earth were only a few feet in diameter –

– We need to thank Him for the treasure He’s brought us – and recognize our duty to safeguard it

But Genesis also tells us about other beginnings –about – sin and separation – about the beginning of God’s work to restore us back to Him – through Jesus Christ –

Some of us look at the OT as if it was the bad old days –before Jesus – but the first few chapters of Genesis in particular -give us a glimpse of how God intended His creation to live

So when we want to find God – we don’t have to look very far – He’s right here in His creation – providing for their every need –

But finding Him is one thing – and trusting in what He provides is quite another

 

Point 2    Trust in God

 

One of the things I’ve never succeeded in doing – is learning to swim – I’ve tried many times – have had help from friends – but though I’ve come close – I’ve never quite mastered it – the reason is simple – Instead of trusting myself completely to the water – I insist on keeping one foot firmly on the bottom –

I try to keep a foot in both camps – the result is I neither sink nor swim –

The same principle applies when it comes to trusting God – in many things we long to let go and depend on His powerful and supporting presence – but somehow we don’t quite manage to let go of our – own strength – and trust in His – we try to keep a foot in both camps –

And then – before we know it – worry and anxiety get the better of us –and we sit on the fence – and end up doing nothing –

Jesus tells us we can’t play it both ways – we think we can – but we can’t – In the end – we have to let go – or fail –

“Do not be anxious about food and drink to keep you alive and about clothes to cover your body” –

“Look at the birds in the sky – they do not sow and reap and store in barns – yet your heavenly Father feeds them – are you not worth more than birds?”

“Consider the lilies in the fields – they do not work – they do not spin –yet even Solomon in all his splendour was not attired like one of them” –

“If God clothes the grass – which is here today – and tomorrow – is thrown on the fire – how much more will He clothe you”

Jesus reminds us that anxiety is lack of faith – God gave us life – a gift beyond price –surely we can trust Him – to give us all we need to support it –

If God is taking care of our future -what are we worrying about? – The safest place we know – is in His hands – and surrendering to them – is more important than anything –

To worry is to divide the mind – we think about this – but we worry about that –

we allow ourselves to become unfaithful to God – and let self take control

“Which of us- says Jesus – by being anxious – can add a single day to our lives?”

Many of our hospital beds are full of worriers – Half our so called problems never actually occur – and worrying about them is more likely to shorten our lives rather than lengthen them –

Death came to a small village one night – and announced he would take 100 lives – the following day people learned that over a 1000 people has been taken – that’s awful they cried – you said only a hundred – “I kept m word”- said Death – “worry took the others”-

Two of the most common diseases of modern day are stomach ulcers and coronary thrombosis – and both can be caused by worry –

It wears out the mind – and it wears out the body and affects our judgment – Worrying about tomorrow stops us handling the blessings of today

Jesus is not saying that food and clothes – are not important –but what He is saying – is that they shouldn’t be our first priority –

What we must -do – is value ourselves on whose we are – and not on what we own –

“Set your mind on God’s kingdom – and all its justice before anything else – and all the rest will come to you as well “

When we give God everything – and let Him play all the keys in our lives – He will use us to create beautiful music –

 

Point 3 day at a time

 

Which brings us on to our punch-line –

“Do not be anxious about tomorrow – tomorrow will look after itself – each day has troubles of its own” –

Jesus tells us – that we must learn to live a day at a time –He doesn’t mean forgoing all planning in our lives – many of us live for years with diaries packed with engagements even a year ahead or more – and if we don’t do our financial planning with all the pressures of today on us to spend now and pay later – it wouldn’t be long before everything would break down. – but what we mustn’t do is try to live through tomorrows problems today –

Jesus believed grace and power would come when He needed it – He relied on His father – even to His death – and this is what we must do – plan tomorrow – but not to try to live tomorrow until it comes –

In today’s world of microwave cooking – and internet communications – we are encouraged to make the most of every second we have – pack in as much as we can –

Jesus wants us to live and enjoy our lives to the full –each day – and make a point of thanking God for it –

Its good to look back – its good to look forward – but we mustn’t get so preoccupied with them – that they take away the blessings of the present –

One of the best things about God’s creation is that it comes a day at a time

What we need to learn is to enjoy the each moment as it comes – recognize and accept all that has been offered – and never forget that this is the day – that the Lord has made

 

Conclusion

 

Let’s finish with a prayer –

God be in my head – and in my understanding
God be in mine eyes – and in my looking
God be in my mouth – and in my speaking
God be in my hart – and in my thinking
God be at mine end – and at my departing
AMEN