WINNING OVER WORRY
AUGUST 16th

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“Remember God’s Faithfulness”

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There’s a difference between Godly concern and carnal worrying. We see this play out in the following passage of scripture:

 

MARK 2.1-12

And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

 

* What reasons do you see in the passage for the friends to be worried?

 

Notice the response of these four:

 

* Their friend had a problem

 

* They were concerned for their friend.

 

* Instead of fretting, pacing, worrying… they brought the problem (their sick friend) to the Lord.

 

* They didn’t speak.

 

* They didn’t tell the Lord what He should do.

 

* They didn’t suggest what Jesus should do

 

* They trusted the Lord, His wisdom and His will.

 

Notice the response of Jesus to these four in ver. 5

And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

 

2. The contrast:

 

Worry makes the worrier feel he/she is the center of the situation and overly responsible for it’s solution.

 

Faith makes God the center of the situation and the only one responsible for directing what needs to be done… or left undone.

 

3. READ JOHN 10.10

 

John 10:10 

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 

The enemy want’s to keep your spirits down and mind filled with fear and worry.

 

The only solution is the bring the situation to Christ and wait patiently for Him to act.

 

4. These four friends trusted God to do what only He could do.

 

• How hard is it for you to trust God?

• In what area do you find yourself trying to “fix things”?

 

C. S. Lewis wrote, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

 

The psalmist said, "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your word. . . It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees" (Psalm 119:67,71, NIV).

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