August 1, 2025 • 26 mins
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For many of us, the admonition not to worry about your life sounds just as impossible to obey as "Don't breathe." You are going to breathe. Beloved worry and anxiety over life are commonplace. But to this, Jesus said, in effect, when was the last time you saw a bird with an ulcer or worried about finding a worm? Birds don't worry about where they will get their next meal, YET the heavenly Father feeds them. Matt. 6:26
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Biblical Talks Sermon of the Week.
In Matthew, chapter 6, verse 25through 34, Jesus is talking
about the cure for anxiety.
For many of us, theencouragement not to worry about
(00:23):
your life sounds just asimpossible to obey as someone
telling you don't breathe.
It's kind of impossible.
Worry and anxiety over life area commonplace.
If it's not this, it's that.
If it's not that, it's this.
But this is what Jesus said ineffect.
(00:44):
When was the last time you sawa bird with an usser?
When was the last time you sawa bird having a heart attack?
When was the last time you sawa bird worrying about how he's
going to pay a bill?
And yet your heavenly fatherfeeds them?
(01:05):
Jesus says Beloved, trust God,and whatever you face in your
life, trust God.
Today's sermon is from JohnPiper, as John Piper teaches on
and preaches on fighting anxiety.
Here's John Piper teaches onand preaches on fighting anxiety
(01:25):
.
Here's John Piper.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
We looked at Hebrews 3.12 last week and it said Take
care, brethren, lest there be inany of you an evil heart of
unbelief leading you to fallaway from the living God.
And then verse 14 of Hebrews 3said and then verse 14 of
Hebrews 3 said for we haveshared in Christ.
We have shared in Christ if wehold our first confidence firm
(01:52):
to the end.
Now that means that one of theevidences that we have come to
share in Christ, one of theevidence, one of the ev is that
we are savingly united to JesusChrist, is that we endure to the
end in the confidence that wehave in God and not make
(02:15):
shipwreck of faith.
In other words, the new birthintroduces a person into a life
of persevering faith, a lifethat is lived by faith, not just
begun by faith.
We call it a warfare.
Second Timothy four, seven it'scalled the fight of faith and
(02:38):
right here in this text Ibelieve, it's called the battle
against unbelief.
Let me read it again Take care,brethren, that's the vigilance
of battle, lest there be in youan evil heart of unbelief.
That's the terrain or thebattlefield leading you to fall
away from the living God.
There's the warning that thebattle is serious.
(03:00):
In other words, the most basicbattle that everybody in this
room fights every day is thebattle against unbelief in the
promises of God.
It's the battle to have thekind of heart that rests in God.
Today's text illustrates, withthe specific condition of an
(03:23):
evil heart of anxiety, what lastweek's text was saying.
Last week's text said take heedlest there be in you an evil
heart of unbelief.
Today we could say take heedlest there be in you an anxious
heart of unbelief.
But now, before we get intothat, let me just ponder with
you a moment what comes fromanxiety.
(03:44):
The reason I begin with anxietyis because of all the sins that
I am able to think about thatgrow up in the heart from
unbelief.
Anxiety has the most branches.
It produces more other sinsthan all the others that I could
(04:06):
think of.
For example, when I'm anxiousabout finances, it can give rise
to coveting or greed orhoarding or stealing.
When I'm anxious aboutsucceeding in some endeavor that
(04:26):
I'm assigned to do and I'manxious about that, I can become
very irritable.
Or I can become abrupt withpeople and surly in my
disposition.
When I'm anxious aboutrelationships, how am I going to
come off with that person?
And so on, I can be verywithdrawn and very indifferent
and very uncaring about thatperson who may be just as
(04:49):
anxious as I am about therelationship, and you could take
the list further, couldn't you?
Anxiety, this stem or trunkcoming up from the root of
unbelief, has many sinfulbranches.
But the question we want to ask, therefore, this morning is
what's the root of anxiety?
(05:11):
Where does it come from?
How could that be severed?
Now, the answer in Matthew 6 isgoing to be plain, but before we
look at it, notice that anxietyreally is the point of this
text, as I'm sure you saw.
Let's look at the four verseswhere it's mentioned Verse 25,.
(05:33):
Therefore, I tell you, do notbe anxious about your life.
Verse 27, which of you, bybeing anxious, can add one cubit
to his span of life?
Verse 31, therefore, don't beanxious.
Verse 34, therefore, do not beanxious about tomorrow.
(05:54):
So I can say with absolutecertainty and authority, on
behalf of the Lord Jesus thismorning he wants you to be free
from anxiety.
He wants a free, hopeful,joyful, resting, confident
people.
He wants anxieties out.
(06:15):
Nothing he ever taught wasdesigned to increase anxiety,
but to help you conquer anxiety.
Now, what's the root of it inthis text, verse 30 gives the
answer.
It says but if God so clothesthe grass of the field which
(06:36):
today is alive and tomorrow isthrown into the oven, will he
not much more clothe you?
The RSV says O men of littlefaith, the older versions, O ye
of little faith, the literalGreek, it's just one Greek word
little faiths.
It's a word Jesus might havemade up.
(06:59):
Little faiths, o, little faiths, don't be anxious.
So what's the root of biganxiety?
Little faiths, oh, littlefaiths, don't be anxious.
So what's the root of biganxiety?
Little faith.
Or you switch it around asfaith grows or increases,
anxiety goes down.
They work like this.
And so if you want to battleanxiety, you battle unbelief in
(07:24):
the promises of God.
The root cause of anxiety isdisbelief in the word of God.
When Hebrew says take heed lestthere be in you an evil heart
of unbelief, lest there be inyou an evil heart of unbelief,
jesus means take heed lest therebe in you an anxious heart of
(07:51):
unbelief.
Now a step back here for aminute and imagine the kinds of
responses that could emergeright here.
I can think of twodisheartening responses to what
I just said.
Let me respond to the responsesNumber one.
Someone may say that's not goodnews.
(08:14):
In fact, it's very discouragingto learn that what I thought
was a mere wrestling with mybent towards melancholy or my
bent towards anxiety is really afar deeper and more dangerous
(08:36):
problem of my disbelief in theliving God.
That's not good news, and Iagree and I disagree.
Let me illustrate.
Suppose that you have beensuffering from pain in the
stomach for some months and youhave tried all manner of
(08:59):
medicines and diets and nothingseems to take this pain away.
And on a routine visit to thedoctor, they discover that you
have cancer in the smallintestine and they tell you that
Now, is that good news?
And you say emphatically not,it is not good news.
(09:23):
Cancer is bad news, and I agree.
But let me pose the questionjust slightly differently Are
you glad that they found it,identified it and told you about
it, while it may still betreated?
And you would say, yes, I'mglad they found it and told me
(09:46):
about it.
While it may still be treated.
Well then, it is good news.
Well, no and yes, and that'sexactly right.
No and yes.
It is not good news becausecancer is good.
It's good news because findingout the real problem with my
life is good news, while it canbe treated.
(10:07):
And so my response to thisfirst concern is to stress that,
while, in one sense, to be toldthat there is a deeper and more
dangerous problem beneath yourstruggles with anxiety is bad
news, because I don't like tohave deeper problems,
(10:28):
nevertheless it's good newsbecause this problem is
eminently treatable by our greatphysician.
A whole book was written aboutthis disease.
Now, that's response number one.
Response number two that'sdisheartening.
Would go like this, would golike this Look, I have to deal
(10:57):
with feelings of anxiety almostevery day, and so you tell me
now that my anxiety is rooted inunbelief and that every day I'm
disbelieving God.
I just feel like giving upbecause I don't know how I could
have any assurance of beingsaved if I have that much
(11:19):
unbelief in God.
That's response number two, andhere's my answer.
Suppose that you're a race cardriver and you're racing to the
finish in this Daytona 250 orDarlington 500.
(11:40):
You may not even know aboutthose stock car races, I don't
know and some enemy who doesn'twant you to finish because he's
got somebody else as thefavorite, slings mud on your
windshield from the side and youall of a sudden have a blank
out on your goal and your courseand you begin to swerve and try
(12:03):
to get your bearings and becomevery fretful.
Now the mud that has just hityour windshield is, number one,
no proof that you're not goingto finish this race.
Number two it doesn't provethat you're on the wrong course
(12:24):
either.
In fact, your enemy probablywould very gladly let you go
right on and win if you were onthe wrong racetrack and win if
you were on the wrong racetrack.
What the mud signifies is notthat you're on the wrong track
or that you won't finish, butthat you ought to turn your
(12:45):
wipers on and push that littlesquirter button.
Do something, set in motion aprocess of resistance against
what is blanking out theglorious future of victory.
Don't ride it to the ditch.
Do something.
The issue in the Christian lifeis not whether Satan slings mud,
(13:05):
throws you into a swerve, fillsyou with anxiety.
The issue is how are you goingto deal with it?
Are you going to fight or areyou going to cave?
That's the issue.
And so my response to theperson who says look, I deal
(13:26):
with anxiety every day.
I wake up anxious I say you'renot telling me anything.
The issue is not whether wedeal with anxiety every day, but
how we deal with anxiety everyday, what we do with Satan's
attacks, the rising of our ownremaining corruption and the
(13:50):
insults and blindings of thisworld system.
And the answer, of course, isthat you must turn on your
windshield wipers and use yourwindshield washer.
Let me try to show you what I'mgetting at from a couple of
texts.
We are going to get to Matthew6 in a minute.
Psalm 56.3 says when I amafraid, I put my trust in Thee.
(14:15):
Now notice the wording.
It didn't say because I put mytrust in Thee, I never struggle
with fear.
It said when I am am am afraid,then I put my trust in Thee.
When the mud hits thewindshield, I lose my bearings.
I do something Okay.
(14:37):
So there is a textual evidencethat normal Christian living is
to deal with anxieties.
It's to have them hit.
Here's another one 1 Peter 5, 7.
Cast all your anxieties on Him,god, for he cares for you.
(15:00):
Well, you can't cast them ifyou don't have them.
In other words, normalChristian living is to be
attacked, to feel the blow, tostagger under Satan's lies about
your future, the black picturethat he paints right on the
(15:22):
windshield of your life, tostagger under it, to fret, to
begin to swerve in your life.
That's normal Christian living.
And then battle sets in.
And this text says cast thoseanxieties on the Lord, for he
(15:43):
cares about you.
So my response then to thissecond disheartening concern is
when you say, look, I deal withanxiety every day, my response
is that's OK, but let's reallydeal with it.
(16:05):
Let's get those windshieldwipers going and let's squirt
the windshield washer.
Let's not ride on withoutfighting back against the
blinding effects of Satan's liesthat take away our confidence
(16:26):
in the future.
How do you battle then unbelief?
Because it's unbelief that setsin as soon as the future, god's
future of welfare and joy andhope and gladness are cut off.
The issue is is God for me andis there a future out there?
(16:49):
It's an issue of belief inGod's promises.
Let me draw to a close bytaking you to the text and then
giving you a couple of personalillustrations about how to
battle unbelief and thusovercome anxiety.
Here, in this text of Matthew 6,jesus is dealing with anxiety
(17:09):
about food and clothing.
Now here we are in America,right, insurance policies,
medicare, medicaid, socialSecurity, all manner of welfare
programs.
There's not a person in thisroom probably who is anxious
right now about where lunch iscoming from.
Like two-thirds of the world'spopulation probably is, and 40
(17:34):
million people in Bangladesh.
But having said that, I knowfor a fact that finances just
the raw materials of keepinglife and limb together,
educating kids and puttingclothes on our back and heating
our house in the winter doescreate tremendous anxiety in the
lives of Americans, includingChristians.
(17:57):
And so Jesus deals with thatpractical issue and says in
verse 30 that it's owing tounbelief.
He says, oh, you of littlefaith.
And then verse 32 he there areabout six promises in this
paragraph that are intended toblast that unbelief out of the
car, but let me just look at acouple of them.
(18:18):
Start at verse 32 about thesecond half.
Your heavenly Father that'ssupposed to be filled with hope
knows that you need them all.
That's supposed to double thehope of the name Father, but
seek first His kingdom and Hisrighteousness.
And here's the third one Allthese things will be yours as
well.
That is a spectacular promise.
(18:40):
Do you believe that promisethat if you, at work and home
and on the way, put God'spurposes first in your life,
he'll meet every single need youhave, from the most practical
to the most spiritual, he will.
That's what Jesus says.
Do you believe Him?
It's an issue of faith.
(19:01):
Now Paul took this very commandand this very promise and
provided, in the context of thewindshield squirter and the
windshield wipers, another modelof battling unbelief.
It comes from Philippians 4.
You know these two texts byheart, just like I do, I hope.
Anyway, in Matthew 4, 6, itsays be anxious for nothing, but
(19:22):
in everything, by squirting thesquirter or by prayer and
supplication.
Let your request be made knownto God.
Prayer and supplication.
Oh Holy Spirit, come and meetmy needs and work through your
word to clear away the mud on mywindshield, that I might see
the future you have for me andgo on in power.
And then, 13 verses later, inverse 19, he says my God will
(19:43):
supply all your needs accordingto his riches in glory in Christ
Jesus.
That's a lot of riches.
That's a lot of riches.
My God will supply all yourneeds.
So Paul picked up the very sameteaching of Jesus in Matthew 6
and he applied it to the peoplein his day and he said first,
(20:06):
don't be anxious.
Then he said pray, ask God forhelp.
And then he gave you awindshield wiper blade that has
a razor sharp edge to it andcombined with that good, moist
answered prayer from verse 6 andthat razor sharp promise, moist
answered prayer from verse 6and that razor sharp promise,
the window comes clear and thereis the future of welfare and
hope that God has described inhis promises for us, and the
(20:29):
anxiety begins to sink out andwe move on into the tough
circumstance that lies in frontof us.
Let me close by just describingfor you my own personal warfare
in a few areas.
When I was heading out toGermany I've described this to
you probably four or five timesin the last eight years I was at
(20:52):
Radio City Music Hall before Igot on the plane to go to
Germany for three years and myfather called me long distance
because he couldn't be there andthe last thing he said on the
phone was John.
He probably said Johnny, don'tforget.
My father called me longdistance because he couldn't be
there and the last thing he saidon the phone was John.
He probably said Johnny, don'tforget, fear not, for I am with
you.
Be not dismayed, for I am yourGod.
I will strengthen you, I willhelp you, I will hold you up
(21:15):
with my victorious right hand,and I quoted that text to myself
500 times in Germany as I facedone challenge after the other
to my faith and my life and myfinances as we were going
through school over there.
When I am anxious about myministry, wondering whether it
is paying, whether it isfruitful, I attack the unbelief
that's beneath that anxiety bygoing to Isaiah 55, 11, where it
(21:39):
says my word shall not returnto me empty, but will accomplish
that which I purpose andprosper in the thing for which I
sent it.
And when I become anxious thatI might be too weak to get
through a morning or to getthrough a week, I go to 2
Corinthians, chapter 12, and Itake my stand and do warfare
(22:02):
with the sword of my grace issufficient for you.
My power is made perfect inyour weakness.
And I go back to Deuteronomyand I take that little dagger as
your days.
So shall your strength be, saysthe Lord.
And when I'm anxious aboutgetting sick, I steady my hand
(22:24):
with tribulation works, patience, and patience works a
provenness, and a provennessdoes not make ashamed.
And when I'm scared that Imight die and wonder what death
would hold for me, I steady myhand with Romans 14.
None of us lives to himself andnone of us dies to himself.
If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the
(22:45):
Lord.
So, whether we live or whetherwe die, we are the Lord's, for
to this end Jesus died and roseagain, that he might be Lord
both of the dead and of theliving.
And when I'm anxious, finally,that I might make shipwreck of
faith, that some sin might riseand get control of my heart and
it might be hardened and I fallaway from God, I steady my hand
(23:07):
with Philippians 1.6,.
He who began a good work in youwill complete it under the day
of Christ or over.
In Hebrews, chapter 7, where itsays seven, where it says he is
able for all time to save thosewho draw near to God through
(23:29):
him, since he always lives tomake intercession for them.
So what I'm trying to say istake up the book, pray for the
spirit and do battle againstunbelief as the taproot of
(23:50):
anxiety in your life, andremember the promise of Proverbs
21, 31.
The horse is made ready for thebattle, but the victory belongs
to the Lord.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Hello, my name is Michelle Tolliver and Biblical
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(24:26):
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(24:48):
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Thank you for listening toBiblical Talks.
Welcome to Biblical Talks Sermon of the Week.
In Matthew, chapter 6, verse 25through 34, Jesus is talking
about the cure for anxiety.
For many of us, theencouragement not to worry about
(00:23):
your life sounds just asimpossible to obey as someone
telling you don't breathe.
It's kind of impossible.
Worry and anxiety over life area commonplace.
If it's not this, it's that.
If it's not that, it's this.
But this is what Jesus said ineffect.
(00:44):
When was the last time you sawa bird with an usser?
When was the last time you sawa bird having a heart attack?
When was the last time you sawa bird worrying about how he's
going to pay a bill?
And yet your heavenly fatherfeeds them?
(01:05):
Jesus says Beloved, trust God,and whatever you face in your
life, trust God.
Today's sermon is from JohnPiper, as John Piper teaches on
and preaches on fighting anxiety.
Here's John Piper teaches onand preaches on fighting anxiety
(01:25):
.
Here's John Piper.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
We looked at Hebrews 3.12 last week and it said Take
care, brethren, lest there be inany of you an evil heart of
unbelief leading you to fallaway from the living God.
And then verse 14 of Hebrews 3said and then verse 14 of
Hebrews 3 said for we haveshared in Christ.
We have shared in Christ if wehold our first confidence firm
(01:52):
to the end.
Now that means that one of theevidences that we have come to
share in Christ, one of theevidence, one of the ev is that
we are savingly united to JesusChrist, is that we endure to the
end in the confidence that wehave in God and not make
(02:15):
shipwreck of faith.
In other words, the new birthintroduces a person into a life
of persevering faith, a lifethat is lived by faith, not just
begun by faith.
We call it a warfare.
Second Timothy four, seven it'scalled the fight of faith and
(02:38):
right here in this text Ibelieve, it's called the battle
against unbelief.
Let me read it again Take care,brethren, that's the vigilance
of battle, lest there be in youan evil heart of unbelief.
That's the terrain or thebattlefield leading you to fall
away from the living God.
There's the warning that thebattle is serious.
(03:00):
In other words, the most basicbattle that everybody in this
room fights every day is thebattle against unbelief in the
promises of God.
It's the battle to have thekind of heart that rests in God.
Today's text illustrates, withthe specific condition of an
(03:23):
evil heart of anxiety, what lastweek's text was saying.
Last week's text said take heedlest there be in you an evil
heart of unbelief.
Today we could say take heedlest there be in you an anxious
heart of unbelief.
But now, before we get intothat, let me just ponder with
you a moment what comes fromanxiety.
(03:44):
The reason I begin with anxietyis because of all the sins that
I am able to think about thatgrow up in the heart from
unbelief.
Anxiety has the most branches.
It produces more other sinsthan all the others that I could
(04:06):
think of.
For example, when I'm anxiousabout finances, it can give rise
to coveting or greed orhoarding or stealing.
When I'm anxious aboutsucceeding in some endeavor that
(04:26):
I'm assigned to do and I'manxious about that, I can become
very irritable.
Or I can become abrupt withpeople and surly in my
disposition.
When I'm anxious aboutrelationships, how am I going to
come off with that person?
And so on, I can be verywithdrawn and very indifferent
and very uncaring about thatperson who may be just as
(04:49):
anxious as I am about therelationship, and you could take
the list further, couldn't you?
Anxiety, this stem or trunkcoming up from the root of
unbelief, has many sinfulbranches.
But the question we want to ask, therefore, this morning is
what's the root of anxiety?
(05:11):
Where does it come from?
How could that be severed?
Now, the answer in Matthew 6 isgoing to be plain, but before we
look at it, notice that anxietyreally is the point of this
text, as I'm sure you saw.
Let's look at the four verseswhere it's mentioned Verse 25,.
(05:33):
Therefore, I tell you, do notbe anxious about your life.
Verse 27, which of you, bybeing anxious, can add one cubit
to his span of life?
Verse 31, therefore, don't beanxious.
Verse 34, therefore, do not beanxious about tomorrow.
(05:54):
So I can say with absolutecertainty and authority, on
behalf of the Lord Jesus thismorning he wants you to be free
from anxiety.
He wants a free, hopeful,joyful, resting, confident
people.
He wants anxieties out.
(06:15):
Nothing he ever taught wasdesigned to increase anxiety,
but to help you conquer anxiety.
Now, what's the root of it inthis text, verse 30 gives the
answer.
It says but if God so clothesthe grass of the field which
(06:36):
today is alive and tomorrow isthrown into the oven, will he
not much more clothe you?
The RSV says O men of littlefaith, the older versions, O ye
of little faith, the literalGreek, it's just one Greek word
little faiths.
It's a word Jesus might havemade up.
(06:59):
Little faiths, o, little faiths, don't be anxious.
So what's the root of biganxiety?
Little faiths, oh, littlefaiths, don't be anxious.
So what's the root of biganxiety?
Little faith.
Or you switch it around asfaith grows or increases,
anxiety goes down.
They work like this.
And so if you want to battleanxiety, you battle unbelief in
(07:24):
the promises of God.
The root cause of anxiety isdisbelief in the word of God.
When Hebrew says take heed lestthere be in you an evil heart
of unbelief, lest there be inyou an evil heart of unbelief,
jesus means take heed lest therebe in you an anxious heart of
(07:51):
unbelief.
Now a step back here for aminute and imagine the kinds of
responses that could emergeright here.
I can think of twodisheartening responses to what
I just said.
Let me respond to the responsesNumber one.
Someone may say that's not goodnews.
(08:14):
In fact, it's very discouragingto learn that what I thought
was a mere wrestling with mybent towards melancholy or my
bent towards anxiety is really afar deeper and more dangerous
(08:36):
problem of my disbelief in theliving God.
That's not good news, and Iagree and I disagree.
Let me illustrate.
Suppose that you have beensuffering from pain in the
stomach for some months and youhave tried all manner of
(08:59):
medicines and diets and nothingseems to take this pain away.
And on a routine visit to thedoctor, they discover that you
have cancer in the smallintestine and they tell you that
Now, is that good news?
And you say emphatically not,it is not good news.
(09:23):
Cancer is bad news, and I agree.
But let me pose the questionjust slightly differently Are
you glad that they found it,identified it and told you about
it, while it may still betreated?
And you would say, yes, I'mglad they found it and told me
(09:46):
about it.
While it may still be treated.
Well then, it is good news.
Well, no and yes, and that'sexactly right.
No and yes.
It is not good news becausecancer is good.
It's good news because findingout the real problem with my
life is good news, while it canbe treated.
(10:07):
And so my response to thisfirst concern is to stress that,
while, in one sense, to be toldthat there is a deeper and more
dangerous problem beneath yourstruggles with anxiety is bad
news, because I don't like tohave deeper problems,
(10:28):
nevertheless it's good newsbecause this problem is
eminently treatable by our greatphysician.
A whole book was written aboutthis disease.
Now, that's response number one.
Response number two that'sdisheartening.
Would go like this, would golike this Look, I have to deal
(10:57):
with feelings of anxiety almostevery day, and so you tell me
now that my anxiety is rooted inunbelief and that every day I'm
disbelieving God.
I just feel like giving upbecause I don't know how I could
have any assurance of beingsaved if I have that much
(11:19):
unbelief in God.
That's response number two, andhere's my answer.
Suppose that you're a race cardriver and you're racing to the
finish in this Daytona 250 orDarlington 500.
(11:40):
You may not even know aboutthose stock car races, I don't
know and some enemy who doesn'twant you to finish because he's
got somebody else as thefavorite, slings mud on your
windshield from the side and youall of a sudden have a blank
out on your goal and your courseand you begin to swerve and try
(12:03):
to get your bearings and becomevery fretful.
Now the mud that has just hityour windshield is, number one,
no proof that you're not goingto finish this race.
Number two it doesn't provethat you're on the wrong course
(12:24):
either.
In fact, your enemy probablywould very gladly let you go
right on and win if you were onthe wrong racetrack and win if
you were on the wrong racetrack.
What the mud signifies is notthat you're on the wrong track
or that you won't finish, butthat you ought to turn your
(12:45):
wipers on and push that littlesquirter button.
Do something, set in motion aprocess of resistance against
what is blanking out theglorious future of victory.
Don't ride it to the ditch.
Do something.
The issue in the Christian lifeis not whether Satan slings mud,
(13:05):
throws you into a swerve, fillsyou with anxiety.
The issue is how are you goingto deal with it?
Are you going to fight or areyou going to cave?
That's the issue.
And so my response to theperson who says look, I deal
(13:26):
with anxiety every day.
I wake up anxious I say you'renot telling me anything.
The issue is not whether wedeal with anxiety every day, but
how we deal with anxiety everyday, what we do with Satan's
attacks, the rising of our ownremaining corruption and the
(13:50):
insults and blindings of thisworld system.
And the answer, of course, isthat you must turn on your
windshield wipers and use yourwindshield washer.
Let me try to show you what I'mgetting at from a couple of
texts.
We are going to get to Matthew6 in a minute.
Psalm 56.3 says when I amafraid, I put my trust in Thee.
(14:15):
Now notice the wording.
It didn't say because I put mytrust in Thee, I never struggle
with fear.
It said when I am am am afraid,then I put my trust in Thee.
When the mud hits thewindshield, I lose my bearings.
I do something Okay.
(14:37):
So there is a textual evidencethat normal Christian living is
to deal with anxieties.
It's to have them hit.
Here's another one 1 Peter 5, 7.
Cast all your anxieties on Him,god, for he cares for you.
(15:00):
Well, you can't cast them ifyou don't have them.
In other words, normalChristian living is to be
attacked, to feel the blow, tostagger under Satan's lies about
your future, the black picturethat he paints right on the
(15:22):
windshield of your life, tostagger under it, to fret, to
begin to swerve in your life.
That's normal Christian living.
And then battle sets in.
And this text says cast thoseanxieties on the Lord, for he
(15:43):
cares about you.
So my response then to thissecond disheartening concern is
when you say, look, I deal withanxiety every day, my response
is that's OK, but let's reallydeal with it.
(16:05):
Let's get those windshieldwipers going and let's squirt
the windshield washer.
Let's not ride on withoutfighting back against the
blinding effects of Satan's liesthat take away our confidence
(16:26):
in the future.
How do you battle then unbelief?
Because it's unbelief that setsin as soon as the future, god's
future of welfare and joy andhope and gladness are cut off.
The issue is is God for me andis there a future out there?
(16:49):
It's an issue of belief inGod's promises.
Let me draw to a close bytaking you to the text and then
giving you a couple of personalillustrations about how to
battle unbelief and thusovercome anxiety.
Here, in this text of Matthew 6,jesus is dealing with anxiety
(17:09):
about food and clothing.
Now here we are in America,right, insurance policies,
medicare, medicaid, socialSecurity, all manner of welfare
programs.
There's not a person in thisroom probably who is anxious
right now about where lunch iscoming from.
Like two-thirds of the world'spopulation probably is, and 40
(17:34):
million people in Bangladesh.
But having said that, I knowfor a fact that finances just
the raw materials of keepinglife and limb together,
educating kids and puttingclothes on our back and heating
our house in the winter doescreate tremendous anxiety in the
lives of Americans, includingChristians.
(17:57):
And so Jesus deals with thatpractical issue and says in
verse 30 that it's owing tounbelief.
He says, oh, you of littlefaith.
And then verse 32 he there areabout six promises in this
paragraph that are intended toblast that unbelief out of the
car, but let me just look at acouple of them.
(18:18):
Start at verse 32 about thesecond half.
Your heavenly Father that'ssupposed to be filled with hope
knows that you need them all.
That's supposed to double thehope of the name Father, but
seek first His kingdom and Hisrighteousness.
And here's the third one Allthese things will be yours as
well.
That is a spectacular promise.
(18:40):
Do you believe that promisethat if you, at work and home
and on the way, put God'spurposes first in your life,
he'll meet every single need youhave, from the most practical
to the most spiritual, he will.
That's what Jesus says.
Do you believe Him?
It's an issue of faith.
(19:01):
Now Paul took this very commandand this very promise and
provided, in the context of thewindshield squirter and the
windshield wipers, another modelof battling unbelief.
It comes from Philippians 4.
You know these two texts byheart, just like I do, I hope.
Anyway, in Matthew 4, 6, itsays be anxious for nothing, but
(19:22):
in everything, by squirting thesquirter or by prayer and
supplication.
Let your request be made knownto God.
Prayer and supplication.
Oh Holy Spirit, come and meetmy needs and work through your
word to clear away the mud on mywindshield, that I might see
the future you have for me andgo on in power.
And then, 13 verses later, inverse 19, he says my God will
(19:43):
supply all your needs accordingto his riches in glory in Christ
Jesus.
That's a lot of riches.
That's a lot of riches.
My God will supply all yourneeds.
So Paul picked up the very sameteaching of Jesus in Matthew 6
and he applied it to the peoplein his day and he said first,
(20:06):
don't be anxious.
Then he said pray, ask God forhelp.
And then he gave you awindshield wiper blade that has
a razor sharp edge to it andcombined with that good, moist
answered prayer from verse 6 andthat razor sharp promise, moist
answered prayer from verse 6and that razor sharp promise,
the window comes clear and thereis the future of welfare and
hope that God has described inhis promises for us, and the
(20:29):
anxiety begins to sink out andwe move on into the tough
circumstance that lies in frontof us.
Let me close by just describingfor you my own personal warfare
in a few areas.
When I was heading out toGermany I've described this to
you probably four or five timesin the last eight years I was at
(20:52):
Radio City Music Hall before Igot on the plane to go to
Germany for three years and myfather called me long distance
because he couldn't be there andthe last thing he said on the
phone was John.
He probably said Johnny, don'tforget.
My father called me longdistance because he couldn't be
there and the last thing he saidon the phone was John.
He probably said Johnny, don'tforget, fear not, for I am with
you.
Be not dismayed, for I am yourGod.
I will strengthen you, I willhelp you, I will hold you up
(21:15):
with my victorious right hand,and I quoted that text to myself
500 times in Germany as I facedone challenge after the other
to my faith and my life and myfinances as we were going
through school over there.
When I am anxious about myministry, wondering whether it
is paying, whether it isfruitful, I attack the unbelief
that's beneath that anxiety bygoing to Isaiah 55, 11, where it
(21:39):
says my word shall not returnto me empty, but will accomplish
that which I purpose andprosper in the thing for which I
sent it.
And when I become anxious thatI might be too weak to get
through a morning or to getthrough a week, I go to 2
Corinthians, chapter 12, and Itake my stand and do warfare
(22:02):
with the sword of my grace issufficient for you.
My power is made perfect inyour weakness.
And I go back to Deuteronomyand I take that little dagger as
your days.
So shall your strength be, saysthe Lord.
And when I'm anxious aboutgetting sick, I steady my hand
(22:24):
with tribulation works, patience, and patience works a
provenness, and a provennessdoes not make ashamed.
And when I'm scared that Imight die and wonder what death
would hold for me, I steady myhand with Romans 14.
None of us lives to himself andnone of us dies to himself.
If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the
(22:45):
Lord.
So, whether we live or whetherwe die, we are the Lord's, for
to this end Jesus died and roseagain, that he might be Lord
both of the dead and of theliving.
And when I'm anxious, finally,that I might make shipwreck of
faith, that some sin might riseand get control of my heart and
it might be hardened and I fallaway from God, I steady my hand
(23:07):
with Philippians 1.6,.
He who began a good work in youwill complete it under the day
of Christ or over.
In Hebrews, chapter 7, where itsays seven, where it says he is
able for all time to save thosewho draw near to God through
(23:29):
him, since he always lives tomake intercession for them.
So what I'm trying to say istake up the book, pray for the
spirit and do battle againstunbelief as the taproot of
(23:50):
anxiety in your life, andremember the promise of Proverbs
21, 31.
The horse is made ready for thebattle, but the victory belongs
to the Lord.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Hello, my name is Michelle Tolliver and Biblical
Talk's book offer for the monthof August is Worship the
Ultimate Priority, by JohnMcArthur.
Nothing is more important thanworship.
It is the theme of scripture,the theme of eternity and the
theme of the redemptive story.
To worship the true and livingand glorious God is the purpose
of all creation, so why do wetreat it as only what is sung or
(24:26):
played in church?
On Sunday morning, pastor JohnMcAuliffe will read you a
scripture text about trueworship.
You will learn that worship isany essential expression of
service rendered unto God by asoul that loves and extols Him
for who he is.
Worship is the nonstop role ofbelievers, not merely part of a
church service.
So get ready to alter yourpriorities, aiming higher than
(24:48):
entertaining worshipers onSunday mornings.
Worship shows that yourultimate priority must always be
to worship the true and lovingGod with a radically different
type of living.
For any amount of donations toBiblical Talks, we will send you
the book.
Please go to BiblicalTalkscomand click the Donate here tab.
Thank you for listening toBiblical Talks.
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