Sermon Outlines

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"Overcoming Worry and Fear"

You can hear this three-part sermon series on the Listen to Sermons page.

The Overall Concept:

Jesus wants us to have an abundant life. Part of abundant living involves learning to live without worry or fear. In Matthew 6: 25-34, Jesus gives us instruction about not worrying. If we can conquer worrying about the basics of life (food and clothing), we can learn to conquer the other fears that we face. This series discusses three key reasons we don’t have to worry or fear.

The Text:

Matthew 6: 25-34 (NIV)
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?

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.”

The Content:

PART 1

1. You don’t have to worry because of your Father.

Your Father loves you.
Your Father is able to care for you.
Your Father is willing to provide for you.

Jesus illustrates this as he discusses the birds of the air and the flowers of the field.

Job 38:41 “Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God
and wander about for lack of food?”

Psalm 147: 9-11
9 He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.
10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
11 the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

The young ravens cry out to God because they know that God is the source of their provision.

God’s love and his promise of provision is affirmed throughout the Scriptures.

In Matthew 7, Jesus illustrates God’s love and willingness to provide for his children.
Matthew 7:7-11
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

One writer said, "Worry is wasting today's time to clutter up tomorrow's opportunities with yesterdays troubles."

If God will take care of the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, He will take care of you.

PART 2

2. You don’t have to worry because of your faith.

Faith enables us to overcome worry and fear.

Jesus makes the statement, “you of little faith,” in the midst of his instructions about worry (verse 30). Jesus uses this phrase several times in the gospel of Matthew
(Matthew 8:26; 14:31; 16:8; 17:20).

Faith is a decision we make to trust God for our future.

The term “little” can mean small in amount. This suggests that there is not enough faith present. It can also mean short in duration. This suggests that sometimes we believe for a while but our belief does not last long enough.

Trusting faith is exercised when we have something.
Empowering faith is exercised when we have nothing.
Empowering faith enables us to be confident about the future.

The presence of worry and fear is evidence of little faith.

There are some practical actions we can take to increase our faith, both in amount and duration.
What can we do to increase our faith?
a. Expose yourself to the word of God
b. Surround yourself with the people of God
c. Immerse yourself in prayer to God

PART 3

3. You don’t have to worry because of your focus.

This principle appears in Matthew 7: 32-33.

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.

There are other places in the Scriptures that speak of the principle of focus
(Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 3:13-14; Philippians 4:4-9; Hebrews 12:1-2).

There are four key terms that are critical to understanding this principle.

The terms are:
Seek
First
His kingdom
His righteousness

Seeking means to enquire for, search for, seek diligently, to wish for, crave to demand, clamor for. Jesus points out that those who are without God (the pagans) seek material things with all their might and are totally consumed in material gratification. This concern opens the door to worry and fear.

First means primary in rank. It suggests that one has a choice of options.

His kingdom refers to the rule of God.

His righteousness means his rightness as opposed to our righteousness.

There are four questions we can ask ourselves to examine our focus.

Focus means:
a. Purpose - What is your ultimate aim?
b. Pursuit - What are you going after?
c. Priority - What is most important?
d. Passion - What is your deepest feeling?

The Conclusion

It is possible for us to live abundant lives free of worry and fear.
We can do this…
1. Because of our Father
2. Because of our Faith
3. Because of our Focus

"Man in the Mirror"

This past week the top story in both the national and world news has been the death of Michael Jackson.

There is a song that he recorded in 1987.

The song's lyrics were composed by Glen Ballard, Siedah Garrett and Michael Jackson. Jackson added background vocals from the Winans and the Andrae Crouch Choir.

I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have
Been any clearer
If you wanna make the world
A better place
(If you wanna make the
World a better place)
Take a look at yourself, and
Then make a change
(Take a look at yourself, and
Then make a change)

The idea of this song, like many things we see in our world and culture, is based on a Biblical expression and principle.

James 1: 19-26 NIV says,

19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

In verse 23 James speaks of a man looking in a mirror.

Here is the instruction of this text.

We must not merely listen to the word of God, we must obey it.

A person who only listens to the word and does not obey it is like a person who looks in a mirror and afterwards forgets what he looks like.

The idea is that we look in the mirror to examine ourselves.

To find out how we look so we can see the flaws.

So we can make the changes we need in our appearance.

You look

You find flaws

You make changes

The idea here in James is that

You look

You find flaws

But you make no changes

The word of God is like a mirror.

It is our tool for self-examination.

There is a principle of life we need to learn to exercise if we are to continue to grow spiritually: It is the principle and the practice of self examination.

It is the ability to look at yourself...

…honestly

…so you can see the flaws…what is wrong…what needs to be changed

Not everyone regularly practices this even though all of us have this capacity.

Jesus alludes to this in Matthew 7.

1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

We find it easier to point out the faults in others as compared to recognizing and addressing our own faults.

Speck – a small piece of dust

Plank – a log

Jesus tells a parable in Luke 18 illustrating how easy it is to look upon the faults of others and how difficult it is to examine ourselves.

9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

Jesus taught the principle and practice of self-examination.

What should we examine?

Here are five areas of our lives to examine when looking into the mirror of God’s word.

1. Examine your character = who you are. What you are like.

The features, traits and qualities that make up who you are.

In particular, who you are on the inside.

Galatians 5 describes the kind of character produced by the Spirit of God.
16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

Looking in the mirror suggests that if you are…
self-centered
full of pride
unloving
insensitive
legalistic

self-righteous
…then you need to make a change.

2. Examine your speech = what you say

A lot of times we don’t hear ourselves too well.
We are not aware of the damage we do to others in what we say.

James 1:19, 26
19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry… 26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.

James 3:1-12

1Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

Three things that are small but powerful

3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small ruddera small spark.

6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

The inconsistency of a Christian with a bad tongue

9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

We need to be able to examine what we say.

3. Examine your thoughts

In particular, your thoughts about others.

Matthew 9:1-8

1Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. 2Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." 3At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!" 4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 6But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." 7And the man got up and went home. 8When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.

Matthew 12:22-28

22Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23All the people were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" 24But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons." 25Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. 26If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? 27And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 28But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

4. Examine your motives = why you do what you do

Matthew 23 Jesus condemns the religious leaders of his day-not just their actions, but their motives.

Observations about certain behaviors:
- They teach the people to do certain things that they are not willing to do themselves
- Their dress (wide phylacteries and long tassels)
- Best seats at the banquets
- Greetings in the marketplaces

Their motive: to be seen of men

To be elevated in the minds of others.
Self-exaltation.

Matthew 23:12
12For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

5. Examine your behavior = what you do

Your actions

Having the willingness and the ability to see/examine your actions is a quality that facilitates growth.

This is really what James is getting at.
Not just hearing….but doing.

James 1:22-27

22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Summary:

We need to learn to look at the man in the mirror

To look at ourselves in the light of God’s word
Character
Speech
Thoughts
Motives
Behavior

Self examination implies a need for change.

The final words of the chorus of Michael Jackson’s song says,

“When you can
Take a look at yourself, and
Then make a change
(Take a look at yourself, and
Then make a change)”