Friday, March 18, 2011

Worry Free

Worry Free
NLC WEDNESDAY LC@AL Wednesday, March 16th
Sermon Text: 1 Pet 5: 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Sermon Title: Worry Free

Introduction: The first century church was enduring persecution, torturing, humiliation, etc. and they were still able to cast their worries on God. If we take on their attitudes and follow their actions we, too, will be worry-free.
Point 1: Cast
1 Pet 5: 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
• Amplified Bible says - Casting the [a]whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, [b]once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you [c]watchfully.
• MESSAGE bible says - 7So be content with who you are, and don't put on airs. God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.

The point of “casting” is that you no longer have what you are casting in your possession. It is now a considerable distance from you, and in order to take possession of it again you must exert some energy. Often times, we give God some of our worries and we keep what we think we can handle. Know that God is better than any baseball player; He will catch whatever worries you are casting to Him. The good thing about casting is when you release it you are no longer in control of it. You are now able to walk away. Usually, we don’t want to relinquish control, or “cast”, because we want to be able to determine the outcome. This is where a close relationship with God is essential. If you’re not close with God, you will not trust that the outcome will come, nor do will believe that it will be what is best for you.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.

Remember that when you cast your cares on God, they then become God’s problem. You can walk away because you are no longer responsible. Believe that He cares. Be mindful that His outcome may not be what you expected and understand that His job is not to make us happy. God’s job is to build our character. He wants to make us stronger. Because God cares for us we can be confident that His outcome will be in our best interest.

Phil 4:6 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Stress will kill you. Remember to say “I’m going through, but I’m going to cast my worries on God because He cares.” Also, be sure to do this with Thanksgiving for what God has done, is doing, and will do in the future.

Luke 12:29 says set your heart. And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.

Be careful to not set your own heart. God should be the only one to set your heart. When He does it, you will not be worried or anxious. When you set your own heart you will become anxious and you will worry about the outcome because you will believe that you are in control.

Point 2: Conscious vs. 8, 9 8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

It is one thing to cast your cares on God and know that He cares, it’s another thing to be oblivious to the fact that the devil is trying to get you. Satin comes to steal your peace. We often think that the devil comes to take our “stuff”. The devil is not concerned with “stuff”; he comes to take your joy. John 10:10 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
We must remember that we can unemployed and still have peace. Having “stuff” will not keep you worry-free; it’s having a mind that is stayed on Him. Do not walk around in a spiritual stupor; remember, faith without works is dead.

Point 3: Call vs. 10 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

When you understand your purpose your threshold for pain increases. It is then that you are able to endure an extraordinary amount of hardship. Every hardship brings you closer to your purpose. You will find yourself worrying when you don’t understand the purpose of God in the situation.
Matt. 6:25-34 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Yes, there will be trouble in your life but when you put God first you will be worry-free. Know that He cares and He is responsible for the outcome.

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