How do we become the kind of person who heeds Jesus’ words on not worrying about our life? Dan Kent answers this question with three basic truths that can change how we face worrisome situations.
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Life is Hard. We are Strong. God is Good.
• Dan Kent
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The history of the church is full of people who were martyred for their faith, and they did so while praising God. They did not worry for their lives, but instead they overcame the fear of death. In the focus passage, Jesus is addressing the anxiety that comes with the fear of death – a fear that seems to pervade modern life. How do we have the kind of faith that overcomes this fear, the kind that resembles that of church martyrs? In this sermon, Dan Kent provides some practical direction to answer this question.
The first thing is to recognize that life is hard. To overcome the worries that come with the fear of death does not mean that we ignore the realities that we face in the world. In fact, Jesus said that this life is full of trouble (John 16:33). He himself was distressed and troubled (Matthew 26:27-29). We will face challenges, and we must truthfully look at those challenges in order to address the issues that we face.
Secondly, Dan points us to the truth that humans have an inherent strength about them to face challenges and overcome them. Humans are resilient. While God provides for the birds of the air (Matthew 6:25, they are made to face the life that they have been given and find the food that they need while avoiding predators) – we too have been designed to work through the challenges that come our way and see victory in the midst of them.
The third truth that can help us overcome the fear of death is that God is good. The image that we have of God in our brains is hugely important. If we do not view God as good, as being a deity that causes the circumstances that are challenging, then we will not find that kind of God inherently trustworthy. That kind of God is not actually God. But the goodness of God is revealed in Jesus, a God who did not cause the difficulties but came to overcome them so that we too can walk in victory in the midst of the difficult challenges.
Life is hard. We are strong. God is good. These are three key truths that can carry us through the challenges and help us live free of the worries that entrap the world.
Hide Extended SummarySermon Series: Sermon on the Mount, Treasure Hunters
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The MuseCast: May 3
Focus Scripture:
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Matthew 6:25-34
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? 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? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 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? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
2 thoughts on “Life is Hard. We are Strong. God is Good.”
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The word “Hard” doesn’t work for me. Do you mean life is difficult? or (as the first of the four noble truths in Buddhism) Life is suffering? Or life is just not as we wish? Or life is actually bad because we’re haunted by our death? Good sermon, Dan. Got us thinking.
Great sermon. It was providential that I came across this just at the right time as an answer to a prayer.