Do Not Worry • March 29 (Sermon Only, Tony Evans)
Today’s message encourages us to trade our worries for faith.
Dr. Tony Evans is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, founder, and president of The Urban Alternative and author of over 100 books, booklets, and Bible studies. The first African American to earn a doctorate of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, he has been named one of the 12 Most Effective Preachers in the English-Speaking World by Baylor University. Dr. Evans holds the honor of writing and publishing the first full-Bible commentary and study Bible by an African American. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard on over 1,400 radio outlets daily and in more than 130 countries. Dr. Evans’ sermons are also streamed and downloaded over 20,000,000 times annually.
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you
[Music]
[Laughter]
well hello friends I’m coming to you
again this week from my den here at my
home because in Dallas County we’re on
lockdown they’ve they’ve got us staying
in our homes in light of this great
challenge that we’re facing today but
again the Word of God is not limited by
buildings or physical facilities and so
it’s my honor to be with you again today
to encourage you and to challenge you
and then not let this virus on you that
was a man one day he was terribly
worried because life had crushed him and
he just wanted to throw in the towel
they called the police to to kind of try
to get him to not quit on life and the
policeman said look i’ma tell you my
worries you tell me your worries and if
my worries are worse than your worries
then you need to reconsider what you are
thinking about doing so they both of
them extreme exchange their fears and
concerns and worries and that’s if they
did the policeman reached out his hand
the gentleman put his hand in the
policeman’s hand and guess what they
both jumped because wary and fear has a
way of transferring very quickly from
you to other people and I think that’s
what’s happening with this virus
in fact the virus is not the only thing
that transfers quickly our anxiety worry
and fear is outpacing the problem of the
virus because it’s consumed the mind the
heart the energy and the emotions of our
cells our families the whole nation and
even the world
I want to tell you two words right now
don’t worry maybe you didn’t hear me
don’t worry
in case you
don’t worry now unless you think that
comes from me let me make a correction
that comes from Jesus in Matthew chapter
6 verses 25 to 34
Jesus says three times don’t worry don’t
worry don’t worry he says stop worrying
in verse 25 31 and 34 stop it now you
say but how practical is that given all
that we’re facing the unknowns the
crisis the expansion the speed the
sickness is that a practical expectation
of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ well
yes it is because he commands us not to
do it but maybe some definitions will
help us here we have a legitimate right
for legitimate concern what we don’t
have the right to do is worry because
what worry is is concerned gone haywire
God does not expect us not to deal in
reality if you’re sick you’re sick if
you’re struggling you’re struggling but
that’s different than worry concern you
own worry owns you when weary tells you
you’re not going to sleep right now imma
keep you up okay that’s not concerned
that’s weary when concern tells you we
gonna palpitate your heart right now
when you can’t get it calm down oh
you’ve now graduated to worry when when
you are when you’re shaking and
shivering and sweating because the
concern is telling you how you gonna
operate now physically you’ve gone from
concern to worry because you’re no
longer in control of it it is now in
control of you and Jesus says stop it
one man said I’ll pay somebody $100,000
who do my worrying for me I’ve got so
many things to worry about
another gentleman said well I’ll take
that out I’ll do your worrying for you
$400,000 then the gentleman said well
where’s my $100,000 that’s when the
first man said well that’s the first
thing you have to worry about the worry
has a way of transferring it and we see
it now in the culture when we listen to
the news when we hear with people of
thinking when we get the statistics yeah
that we started off as concern and is
now causing us to tremble now that it’s
affecting more than health but financial
markets and and confining us to premises
and limiting our motion and movement and
raising questions about supplies of
needs and food and all of that yeah it
can kind of draw you from legitimate
concern for which you should act
responsible to illegitimate wary in fact
Jesus even goes a little deeper because
he says if you control by worry he says
oh ye of little faith in verse 30 of
Matthew 6 he didn’t say you had no faith
he says it’s too small many people
believe in God who’s still worried
because they have little faith but now
how do you measure little faith how do
you know well if you’re worrying and
that’s becoming your pattern you know
you have little faith and that’s because
of the size of your God some years ago I
was supposed to take a plane to a
speaking engagement in Iowa my wife was
supposed to go with me until she found
out that I was gonna be picked up in a
twin-engine Cessna to take me there to
get me through the engagement on time
she said I’m sorry I’m not going with
you I told her you don’t have enough
faith she said to me
that’s because you don’t have enough
plane the schedule got changed and I
wind up going by a major airlines no she
said I’m going with you now I said your
faith grew she said that’s because the
size of your plane grew you see the size
of your faith is tied to the size of
your God when you shrink God you
automatically shrink faith so if you and
I have little faith it’s because we’re
operating with a small understanding and
view of God so the way you get more
faith is not going faith hunting the way
you overcome weary is not by trying to
tell yourself and talk yourself into not
worrying it is to expand your
understanding view of and submission to
God so the best way I can help you to
work through this crisis help me help
help those who are in our sphere of
influence is to grow God in your
understanding in your experience and in
your focus because when we grow him your
faith will grow with it and your weary
will shrink and become responsible
concern Jesus goes on to say in this
passage in Matthew 6 you need to look at
mother nature who’s controlled by father
God mother nature is not a lady who has
independent authority she submitted to
Father God and he says what you need to
do in verse 26 is look at the birds of
the air who don’t sow or reap or gather
in barns and yet your heavenly Father
feeds them he says look if you’re
worried about Corona or anything else
that’s causing you to illegitimately
worry rather than be limited to
legitimate concern he says you need to
go bird-watching because they will teach
you how God operates by the way he calls
them your heavenly Father not the birds
heavenly father he says they don’t sow
or reap they don’t go farming birds
don’t have 403 bees they don’t
have CDs they don’t have mutual funds
they don’t have saving accounts and yes
they don’t have ulcers have you ever
seen a bird with an ulcer cuz they
didn’t worried a hole in their belly and
yet he says your heavenly father not
dance your daddy your daddy takes care
of them so let’s picture our friend the
bird he’s standing on a branch but he’s
not standing on the branch with his beak
open toward heaven waiting for worms to
drop into its mouth every day it goes
worm hunting because it assumes
something if I’m alive
there’s a worm somewhere to be found so
he doesn’t alleviate responsibility out
of concern to eat the exercises
responsibility knowing that the
provision comes from another source God
says when you’re prone to worry Gobert
go bird-watching cuz you’ll see how the
father operates he says and look at the
lilies of the field how well they’re
clothed he goes on to say says the
lilies of the field they don’t spend
they don’t have sewing machines and yet
they are beautiful because your heavenly
Father provides for them you know our
problem we believe in a God we do not
understand as a father we hear it in our
prayers Oh Great Father and God creator
of the universe who spun creation into
being simply by the voice and word of
his mouth all of that’s true but you can
believe in that God and still keep a
transcendent long distance relationship
not an intimate association as daddy he
says that I want you to look at him as a
father when it comes to not worrying he
says I want you to look at him as a
father and understand that this father
cares for you and when you come to look
at him this way on
stand in this way and relate to him this
way you begin to experience God the
daddy and not just God the Creator
I love Isaiah chapter 26 verses 3 & 4 I
will keep him in perfect peace whose
mind is stayed upon me Jeremiah 17
verses 7 and 8 says that God will keep
you calm even in a drought even in a
virus so I want you to calm down I want
you to look at your family members right
now who are seated with you and say
don’t worry the kids who now
understanding that they’re staying out
of school because of this virus whisper
to him now hey hey kids don’t worry let
me tell you about your heavenly father
yes your earthly father is limited but
your heavenly daddy is not this is the
time to go Daddy honey yeah we talk
about God but we’re talking about the
fathering of God who is also the great
creator of the universe you know we’ve
got this exercise when we supposed to
wash our hands 20 seconds and do it many
times during the day let me give you a
little secret
use hand washing it’s prayer time yes
put the soap on your hands you’re
washing them have a conversation
hey for hey daddy you told me not to
wear it you told me not to worry about
the virus in fact you told me where be
anxious but nothing you said so so right
now I’m not gonna worry I know this is a
problem out of control but you’re not
out of control and you’re my daddy so as
I wash my hands when you send your kids
to wash their hands teach them to pray
that see this is a great time cuz
Philippians 4 says when you are tempted
to be anxious that’s an invitation to
pray so you always know you’re supposed
to pray because it always should be
connected when you’re tempted to be a
weary up and if you are gonna wash your
hands all day long talk to your daddy
all day long and get your growing focus
on God
who
is able to calm your fears don’t
misunderstand me
Korona you ought to be concerned about
we ought to follow the directions that
were given by our government and by our
leaders and we ought to make wise
decisions about physical distancing
that’s social distancing we want to stay
connected but do the wise things but
being still be able to sleep at night
still be able to laugh still be able to
love your loved ones you don’t live in
panic when you know you have a Heavenly
Father the problem is we have a world
today that has forgotten that God wants
to be their daddy not just a name we
throw out he says if you will make this
shift there will be a dynamic change in
your calmness meter he says in verse 31
do not worry saying what will we eat or
what will we drink or what will we wear
put it in everyday colloquial language
how are we gonna make it am I gonna get
there how are we gonna do it he says for
these things the Gentiles non-christians
eagerly seek they get worried about it
they go after been nervous he says but
your father here we got a daddy thing
going on again already knows you need
these things you know what our problem
is today we have too many people who
have never been with a daddy who knows
how to be a father so you know you don’t
know what it is to look for somebody to
cover you in a crisis but you do have a
daddy if you’re committed to Jesus
Christ you’ve got a daddy who is more
concerned about your welfare than you
are and he says the secret so I’m gonna
give you the secret if you want to get
over your worry if you want to get over
you want to calm down be concerned
responsibly but I want you to cool it
because Jesus demanded it
stop it don’t worry here’s what I want
you to do first 33
seek ye first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness and all these things will
be added to you let me repeat verse 33
and seek ye first the kingdom of God and
His righteousness and all these things
will be added to you if you want to calm
down and stay calm and keep your family
calm and your loved ones calm and your
fellow church members calm then here’s
what you do and the key word is first
did you know that some things God can’t
do you said but I thought there’s
nothing God can’t do oh yeah no that
thing’s God can’t do for example the
Bible says by two immutable things it’s
impossible for God to lie he can’t lie
another thing God can do is he can’t be
contradictory to his own nature he is
always consistent with himself God can’t
sin so there’s some things God can’t do
but let me tell you another thing God
can do he can’t be second the moment you
put God in second place you’ve removed
him from engagement with your life seek
ye first the kingdom of God God must be
put in priority but not just could you
say the word God is first in my life
that’s nice religiosity no he must be
functionally first not philosophically
first he must be functionally first not
merely verbally first and how do you
know when God is first because he takes
priority in your decision-making when
you have to choose what you will do or
won’t do he wins the choice if he does
not win the choice he’s not first no
matter how often you use his name and
what should we be looking at when we put
him first it says seek ye first the king
of God his rule in your life God’s
kingdom is his rule that he gets the
final decision over everything that has
to do with you that makes him first he
does not want to be one of many he has
an exclusivity clause here he wants to
be prioritized over the highest priority
you have in your life because when you
have to make a choice you choose him or
his way of doing things that’s why you
ought to seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness his righteousness is his
standard what is his standard on this
issue what is his standard on my life
what is his standard on my relationships
what is his standard on my self
what is his standard on this thing I
want to do what is his standard and when
I submit to his standard and relate to
him as my father because it’s a
relationship thing not just doing it
because he says do it but doing it
because he’s daddy he’s a relationship
God wants a relationship and he wants a
close one an intimate one with you he
says when you do this I got you and does
that mean there won’t be challenges no
because then there would be nothing to
pray about does that mean it won’t be
trials no because that means there’s
nothing you have to trust him for but it
says that you will not face those trials
by yourself
they actually would become opportunities
for you to see daddy do his thing
there’s nothing like a child that
doesn’t have to worry because they know
daddy’s got it that daddy has it not
only because he has the power to have it
but because he’s my daddy and he loves
me this is a great teaching moment for
the beloved ones in your life for your
fellow congregants to know that you
don’t have to worry
in fact after this passage and you
should read these these verses Matthew 6
verses 25
2:34 you should read that every day
three times a day and we never worry
starts bubbling up you should read it
and then you should pray to be reminded
that he got it that is in charge that is
on a roll
kids don’t worry daddy’s moving no you
want you want to keep daddy in front of
them you want to keep daddy in front of
yourself in front of your loved ones you
want to keep daddy because when you do
it will become clearer daddy really
doesn’t know what he’s doing I love how
he closes the section he says so do not
worry verse 34 about tomorrow for
tomorrow will care for itself for each
day has enough trouble of its own
most people are crucified between two
thieves yesterday and tomorrow do you
know today is the tomorrow you worried
about yesterday today is the tomorrow
you worried about yesterday so let
yesterday go trust God for tomorrow and
be at peace with him right now if he has
you here today believe he’s got you
today you plan for tomorrow but you live
by faith today and when you do you will
see God’s Spirit allow you to breathe
allow you to sleep allow you to rest
because you know daddy’s got it we tell
you a little bit about my life growing
up in Baltimore my father was a
stevedore he was a longshoreman and the
only time he got to work with when ships
came in and they had to unload and load
boats so sometimes he would go weeks and
sometimes months without being called in
to work
based on what was happening
with the loading and unloading of ships
during those times when months went by
when he didn’t have work I never stayed
up worrying about how I was gonna eat I
never stayed up worrying about how the
bills were gonna be paid I never worried
because I knew my daddy you know what my
daddy would do my daddy would go fishing
now folks who know Tony Evans know Tony
Evans does not eat fish I don’t eat fish
he’s sleeping and don’t eat fish because
the way I ate growing up with my father
didn’t have work he would go catch
herring the herring that’s fish with a
billion bones in it tiny bones we had
herring for breakfast we had herring for
lunch we had herring for dinner and then
we had herring for dessert he would
catch him by the nets and bring him home
I grew up doing those prayers of the
time eating herring for everything saw
me fishing more but you know what
I never went hungry now I would prefer a
fried chicken sometimes I had to settle
for herring but I was always fed because
I knew my daddy and my daddy would do
whatever it took for me not to worry
what norway’s what I wanted wasn’t
always what I preferred but did meet the
need that God’s not promising you
everything is gonna be exactly like he
wanted and you won’t have some
inconveniences doing times like this he
is saying he loves you enough to be your
daddy and as a daddy he loves you enough
to meet you at your point of need so
stop it quit it
because he cares for you and let the
peace of God Philippians 4 that passes
all understanding guard your heart and
mind in Christ Jesus take a deep breath
relax be legitimately concerned but
don’t worry stop it
you
Amen <3