S-1367 TV Sermon 12SAP/C 08/11/2013 Hymns: (O) #761; (S) #735; (C) #515 LSB
Texts: Genesis 15:1-6; Hebrews 11:1-16; Luke 12:22-34
Theme: “Don’t Worry Be Happy” (Luke 12:22-23)
Question: “Are you anxious about life?” Armour, SD
Faithful followers of the Savior, Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia! The text for 12th Sunday after Pentecost is from the Gospel lesson: “And He said to His disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing” (Luke 12:22-23).
INTRODUCTION: In Nomine Iesu.
People of the Resurrection, in 1988 a song by Bobby McFerrin called Don’t Worry Be Happy made it to the number 1 pop chart. Listen to the Lyrics: But I am not singing it for you.
Here’s a little song I wrote. You might want to sing it note for note. Don’t worry, be happy. In every life we have some trouble. When you worry you make it double. Don’t worry, be happy. Don’t worry, be happy now. The theme verse is: Oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo, oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo Don’t worry Be happy. Don’t worry, be happy.
Ain’t got no place to lay your head. Somebody came and took your bed. Don’t worry, be happy The landlord say your rent is late. He may have to litigate. Don’t worry, be happy. Look at me, I’m happy. The theme verse.
Give you my phone number. When you worry, call me, I make you happy. Don’t worry, be happy. Ain’t got no cash, ain’t got no style Ain’t got no gal to make you smile But don’t worry, be happy Cause when you worry, your face will frown And that will bring everybody down So don’t worry, be happy Don’t worry, be happy now. The theme verse.
Now there, is this song I wrote I hope you learned it note for note Like good little children Don’t worry, be happy Listen to what I say In your life expect some trouble When you worry you make it double. Don’t worry, be happy, be happy now. The theme verse.
Whoever wrote this song, must have read the text for this morning. This text clearly shows our hearts’ condition, in that, we limit God and don’t trust Him completely to provide us with all that we need. As a matter of fact we don’t often think that God can take care of us and thus we begin to worry, fret and spend lots of time and energy being anxious about so many things; that we neither have control over or the power to change the outcome.
If we are honest with ourselves and admit it, we must acknowledge that we ALL worry about tomorrow and what tomorrow may hold instead of remembering who holds tomorrow. We are concerned about the economy, the government, our retirement plans, the crops and the future. We lose sleep over so many things, that life becomes a burden rather than a blessing. PAUSE.
It wasn’t all that long ago there was a PowerBall jackpot that topped the $600 million mark. I also watched many people standing in line, both in person and on TV purchasing tickets. Why do they do that? Because they don’t trust God to take care of them! They want to win the lottery so that they can be comfortable in the future, but they forget that God IS the giver of all good gifts. How sad that many rush to buy a ticket instead of thanking the Lord for what He has given them.
Into this kind of challenge the Savior gives us counsel not to be consumed, and concerned about tomorrow, food and clothing. He tells us that our heavenly Father knows what we need and provides it for us. As the Psalmist reminds us: “The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand; You satisfy the desire of every living thing” (Ps. 145:15-16). Yes, indeed, our heavenly Father provides all that we need for body and soul through Christ our Savior.
Jesus’ opened His hands and touched many while He walked this sin-infested and sin-polluted earth. But He provided the greatest and most blessed gift we need when He opened His hands and permitted others to nail Him to the cruel tree of the cross. He gave us what we don’t deserve His forgiveness and grace as He shed His blood on that cursed tree. And, and, He still opens His hands today to bless us with His Word and Sacrament. PAUSE.
Precious children of the heavenly Father, Christ our loving and gracious Savior, gives us great counsel, in that don’t let the things of this world overtake away the joy that is in your heart. Remember YOU ARE His precious child. He loves you. He will provide for you. He will protect you and He will take good care of you. We have His Word of promise spoken to us through the evangelist John: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:27-29).
Now that is an awesome and wonderful promise. As child of God He will take care of you, provide for you and protect so that your enemies sin, death and the grave will harm you none. In all of Scriptures we have absolutely gracious promises from God that can take away our worries if only we would remember who He is and what He has promised to do for us.
Here is another promise that soothes your hearts and makes you understand, you are not just simply a number, but a very precious child in His sight. Here is how Isaiah paints this glorious promise: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget YOU. Behold, I have engraved YOU on the palms of My hands; YOUR walls are continually before Me {emphases added} (Isaiah 49:15-16).
God is saying to you and me, don’t worry. I am Your God. I have created you. I will take care of you. I will give you the sun to warm your back. I will give you the rain to make your crops grow. I will give you friends to help you when down. I will give you doctors to heal you. I will give you my Son to be Your Redeemer and Savior. And this caring God provides and protects us even when the rain doesn’t come, when there is no sunshine, and the friends aren’t around and when the doctor states, “Sorry, there is nothing that we can do.” It is then, that you ought to by the power of the Holy Spirit remember His promises not to be anxious or worry about tomorrow.
But why then do we worry? Why are we so consumed with many issues that we are the most deprived sleep people in the world? Why do we take so many drugs to settles our stomachs? Why are we always looking for something different to make us happy? Because sin rules our hearts and minds and robs us of the joy that Christ offers us.
If only, we would remember how the Catechism answers every question: “We should fear, love and trust in God above else…” When we fear Him, love Him and trust Him we would admit that He is the One who will care for our every need, past, present and future. And He and He WILL. Look to the cross and you will know you can take Christ at His Word. Stand by the His empty tomb and you will know that you can take Christ at His Word. Visit with His disciples about His ministry and you will know that you can take Christ KEEPS every promise. Spend time in His Word and you will know that you can take Christ at His Word because He will not abandon you, forsake you or ignore you.
Yes, you can take Him at His Word and as you do, you see the mighty things He gives and does. Therefore, don’t worry. Instead by the power of the Holy Spirit rejoice and celebrate because You have a Savior who will provide you with all of your needs, protects you from every harm and blesses you beyond your wildest imagination.
Thanks be to God for such an Awesome, Amazing and Almighty God who is by our side today, tomorrow and forever. Amen.
Now the peace…
SOLI DEO GLORIA
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