1 Peter 5:7 Casting our Cares on Him
Intro: The Passage that we are looking at today is one that can stand on its own meaning we can take it out & isolate it from its context
A)And it is still true
Still has great meaning & Incredible significance
B) It is a TIMELY EXHORTATION - because there is not a day that goes by
where we are not tempted to be overcome by our cares
1) So it is a Timely exhortation, but it also contains a
TREMENDOUS
TRUTH
C) A truth so powerful, so wonderful, that if we truly grasp
it and believe it can Change the very way that we live our Lives
D) As we look at this
verse I first want us to look at as it
stands on its own as a Timely Exhortation & as a
Tremendous Truth
1)
As
we go along I will seek to link it to its place in the context of this Chapter
& letter
The
first thing that I want to point out is that there are two different words used
in this verse for the word Cares
A)Cast all your CARES one word
for He CARES for you/ diff. Word
B) The First word care could be translated ANXIETIES or WORRIES
1)
1.5 % of the population of the U.S. regularly
suffers from anxiety attacks that is Over four MILLION people nation wide .
C) World wide the # is almost 89 million people
major problem.
Anxiety is a thin stream of fear
trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all
other thoughts are drained.
Anxiety does not empty
tomorrow of its sorrows but only empties today of its strength. Charles
Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)
Worry
is wasting today's time to clutter up tomorrow's opportunities with yesterday's
troubles.
A)However you want to
describe it When our cares grow to the point of overwhelming us turn
into Worry and Anxiety
1)They have a way of sucking the life right out of us
B) But there is Hope for the
Believer in Christ
The 2nd
word cares used in this verse is different it refers to Gods heart
A)It is the picture of God
as a Loving & concerned Father / Watchful
Shepherd / Kind & Gracious Physician
B)
See Our anxiety and Gods care are two very different things. His care, causes no anxiety to him,
C) I know this might be hard for some of you to believe but God is not overwhelmed by your life
1)
He
is not pacing heaven over your problem
D) He is hair isnt falling
out or turning gray by the obstacles before you right now !!!!
1) On the Contrary His greatness is more than capable to meet the task;
E) But
to us it is so often a different story /
our CARES well up w/ in us and threaten to destroy our souls
Care to us is
exhausting, but God is all-sufficient. Care to us is sinful, but Gods
care of us is holy. Care distracts us from service, but the divine mind does
not forget one thing while remembering another.
Rick Majerus, men's
basketball coach at the Univ. of Utah, put it this way once:
"Everyone's worried about the economy - Hey, my hairline is in recession, my waistline is in inflation, and altogether, I'm in
depression."
A)High on the list especially
for men is Provision Will
we be able to adequately take care of our Families
B) Each month there is the
temptation to worry Will my income this month
exceed my expenses
1)
More
anxiety experienced over this issue than probably any other
C) Source of conflict in marriages
1)
Often
results in causing men to compromise their Priorities / Instead of devoting
time to the Lord & to their families they work more
Those
who are in Business for themselves worry is there going to be enough work to meet
the bills
A)Or is there going to be too much work for me to
handle not able to meet the deadline ( Vicious
Cycle)
C) But if God
You will Handle it ! not tempted
..able Grace is
sufficient.
Those who work for others worry / Will I be able to
keep the boss happy will I get the Promotion / will I keep from getting fired
Children are another source of anxiety
A)Before we have them we worry
about being good parents / will we be able to take care of Probably some
very thought is overwhelming
( Days
before fathers in deliver room 3 men in waiting room)
1st Guy Twins Wow I work for the Twins
2nd Guy Triplets Amazing I work for 3
M Company
3rd Guy panicked & raced for the door
the other two Yelled Hey where going what is Wrong - I work for 7-11
/ I am getting out of here
A) Sometimes that is how we can feel I am never going to make it
B) When they are
little we worry about their health how they are going to grow
1) When they become a little older we worry about their schooling / are
they learning
C) Little older still we start to worry about their
friends who they are hanging out w/ -
Will they walk w/ the Lord
D) Older still we worry about will they get married & to who / what kind of Job will they have
1) We
worry if they are ever going to get out of the house and then after marriage
we worry are they going to have to move back in
E) Then as the kids get older they start to worry about the parents health
1) Will we be
able to take care of Mom or Dad or both
Then there are the spiritual cares
A)Worry am I in favor w/ God / we can worry about falling into temptation / Worry about
having Victory over a trial
B) Others worry about if God is going to use them & make something of their life ( Fill in the Blank 1000s of things people worry about )
C) Now it is quite natural to have concern about those types of things but when the Concern crosses the line over into worry & Anxiety it is Sin
1)
The very essence of Worry is the imagining that we are wiser than
God, as we attempt to do for Him that which
he either cannot or will not do;
A)The Business man in his worry seeks to take matters into his own hands instead of trusting in God
B)For the employee there is the temptation to cut corners / compromise morals in order to achieve get ahead
C) As parents anxiety can cause us to put undue pressure on our kids to be or to do that which God hasnt called them to be or to do
A)It Robs us of our Joy & weakens our ability to rejoice
Ruth Bell Graham is right I have learned that worship and
worry cannot live in the same heart: they are mutually exclusive.
We can worry or we can
worship. Strangely enough, busy people find it a whole lot easier to worry than
to worship.
B) Anxiety weakens our usefulness to the
Lord
1)
because
we are so consumed by our own things
that we are not
mindful of the things of the Lord
Imagine a fireman showing up to the station dragging a Chest behind him - He Captain
asks what is w/ the Chest ?
The fireman responds Oh I have all my problems in there - His boss
offers
C) Now How affective is he
going to be in saving lives fighting fires if he is dragging that Chest of
problems all over w/ him ?
1) Not affective at all !!!!
Is
that not an accurate description of our lives at times we are so burdened and
exhausted in worrying about our own affairs
A)We have no strength
available to be involved in the affairs of the Kingdom of God / saving lives
fighting fires
B) Instead
-We become so consumed by temporal earthly things that we cannot give much
attention to Eternal Heavenly things
Several years ago, the London Transit Authority had a problem. Buses were going right past passengers who were waiting at designated places to be picked up. They were at the bus stops, and the buses were sailing right past them.
The London Transit
Authority released a statement to explain their actions. The statement said it was impossible for them to maintain
schedules if they always had to stop and pick up passengers.
C) Isnt that just like us we get so consumed by what we are doing what is going on in our Little world
1)
that
we fail to be doing what really supposed to be doing
There
is a Better way: - You can carry your own burdens or you can cast them upon the
Burden bearer
A)Cast Energetic word doesnt say lay it aside but cast it throw it out
there to the Lord
1)
So
I started doing it too
C) The Word also carries the meaning of
making a deposit
1)
You
deposit your money into the back for Protection & for them to take care
of it
D) Idea is the same here
Deposit your cares into the hands of the Lord / So He can take care of it
1)
Instead
of running to friends instead of throwing them on friends first need to go
to the Lord
E) Going
to our Friends first is like going to broken cisterns instead of going to the
WELL
WHY cast our
cares upon the Lord ?
B) He is the Father & we
are His Children ( verse ) Analogy
1 John 3:1 1Behold what
manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children
of £God!
1)
Thoughts for us are numerous
How
can we really be sure that He cares for us ?
Rom.8:32 He who did not
spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him
also freely give us all things?
A) He has given us Christ will he
not give us bread? See, he has called us to be his sons, will he starve his
children?
1) He is preparing for us a mansion in heaven, will he not enable us to
bear the burdens of this present life?
So How do
we do this act of casting our cares upon the Lord
A)Two things are involved Faith & Prayer
B)
Prayer tells God what the care is, and asks God to help, while faith believes
that God can and will do it.
The
beginning of anxiety is the end of faith; and the beginning of true faith is
the end of anxiety.
George Muller
(1805-1898)
Jesus addressed
this very subject & taught this balance to his Disciples in - Luke 12 :
Read v.22,23
A)Message: Dont worry
about Provision !!!!
24Consider the
ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn;
and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?
1)
Answer
: Are your Kids more important to you than Cat or dog ?
C) Dog never complains / always minds / eats what
/
Read v. 25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his
stature?
26If you then are not able to do the least, why are you
anxious for the rest?
D) Oh how we need to believe that
Here is
where I want to apply this to our Ch. Back at Peter
A)Before this
Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God ..
if I realize how MIGHTY God is
B) Natural response is going to be To Cast all of my Burdens on Him
C) After - 8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary
the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
1)
wants
to distract our minds & rob us of our peace by getting us
consumed w/ temporal things
E)
Again Knowing that understanding the battle How important is it for us to
Cast all your care upon God,
1) for if you are worried you cannot be
sober or watchful.
F) So we see the CONNECTION LK.27-30
A)Key
Your father Who Knows Your Needs ( Daily Bread )
1) Needs
vs. Wants - Certain things In
Humility not going to seek after!
B) . For instance, covetous cares/ Rich / popular / better this or that
1) I cannot on my knees ask God to carry this care for me, because it is none of his sending. Not in line w/ His will
C) He has taught me to say, Give
us this day our daily bread,
V.31,32
A)Because it is the Fathers good Pleasure I am going
to seek
B) Prayer
Phil 4:6,7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7and
the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus.
Prayer Worship &
Devotion
Supplication
Personal needs
Thanksgiving
Why? God is into to me Loves
me thinking about me and wants the best for me / gladly carries my burdens
A)Amanda carrying Chair Help - I can do it - DADDY HELP smile
RESULT : And the Peace of God -
A) As a Parent a lovely time is when kids are asleep they are resting peacefully in their beds - these are fine times for them; not wrestling
B) What a blessing that is to behold as a parent asleep resting secure
1) The heavenly father feels the same way when his Children are resting
in Him and his security
There was a great king who
once employed a merchant in his service as an ambassador to Foreign courts. Now
the merchant before he went away, he was concerned & said to the king, My own business requires all my care, and though I am
always willing to be your majesty's servant, yet if I attend to your business
as I ought, I am sure my own will be ruined.
Here is how the King
Replied you
take care of my business, and I will take care of yours.
Heavenly Father
says the same : Seek first the Kingdom of God &
all these things will be added to you you take care of my business, and I will take care of
yours.
A)Peter is fishing, Christ
needs a pulpit to preach in. He borrows Peter's boat, and preaches in it; will
what about Peter's fishing?
1)
After
preaching is done Cast out Catches more fish than he knows what to do w/
!!!!
B) Too often we say Lord
let me take care of my things & then I will tend to your things too tired
/ no time /
1)
But
it is interesting doing His thing seeking first the kingdom more strength
& time / resources to do those other things
CHS Make his service your
delight, Your needs shall be his care.
Dr. George McCauslin was one of the greatest YMCA directors this world has ever seen. But some years ago, he was serving a YMCA out in western Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. And in that western Pennsylvania YMCA that was losing membership, that had financial difficulties and terrible staff problems, George McCauslin found himself working 85 hours a week. He found himself getting little sleep at night. He took little time off. And when he was off, he was worrying and fretting about the problems of this YMCA Home but not home ; he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
He had
to learn somehow to let go and somehow to let God into his problems. He didn't
know quite how to do that.
So George
McCauslin took an afternoon off, took a pad and paper, and took a walk in the
western Pennsylvania woods. He sat down under a tree and sighed. For the first time in months he relaxed.
He got out his pad and paper, He wrote God a letter. He said, "Dear God, today I hereby
resign as general manager of the universe. Love, George."
"And wonder of wonders, God accepted my
resignation."
I
want to speak for a final moment to the unbelievers here I will send you on
your way after I have said this one thing
A) It is a Blessing thing to
be a Christian it is a wonderful thing to have someone who will take
your cares for you
B) Some of you here dont know that blessing -you have no Christ to comfort you, no God to sustain you, no promise to cheer you;
1) you have the darkness without the lamp, you have to die without the
immortality to follow.
C)Now it is true that Believer & unbeliever alike - have cares & concerns
1) Jesus said in this world there is going to be Tribulations / storms /trials /
rains on just & unjust alike
D)Christians get into car wrecks / lose jobs / get cancer / kids die
E)All part of living in this fallen world In the World tribulation But Jesus also said Be of Good
Cheer I have over come the world
1)
Also Greater is He that is
in you than He that is in the world
D) See everyone of us here can be divided into 2 Categories/ You will either be over come by cares & Problems or You will be an Overcomer
1) This the Victory that has overcome the
world Our Faith
It
all depends on Your relationship w/ the one who said Great is He that is in
you than He that is in the World
A)Is He in You If in You OVERCOMER / if not OVERCOME