Pastor Scott Andrews | November 23, 2025
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Luke 12:22-34
What is it that keeps you up at night? When your head hits the pillow, what thoughts rob you of sleep? Now, if we’re having trouble sleeping, most of us don’t have to count sheep – not with Ambien, Benadryl, or a good shot of Nyquil. But why do we have to take those things? It might be something as simple as too much caffeine, too much nap, or the last show you watched has your mind in overdrive reliving or rewriting the script. It may be that you’re keyed up about something that happened that day, or something you’re facing the next.
But, if we’re honest, most of us would have to say, the primary sleep inhibitor, the thing that keeps us awake most of the time is worry. Look it up – Webster’s Dictionary defines worry as, to feel distressed in the mind; to be anxious, troubled or uneasy about an actual or potential problem. There’s not a person in this room who doesn’t know what it means to worry, to feel anxious. The kind that makes you toss and turn, chases sleep away, keeps you from eating, sometimes even makes you sick to your stomach.
Worry. Anxiety. I’ve said before – I lived the first fifty years of my life hearing the word anxiety a few times – now, it’s a few times a week. In some research, I discovered the number one disorder in the US, are anxiety disorders. There are all kinds of things we can worry about that affect our health, our appetite, our sleep, that rob us of effectiveness. For example, family issues: we worry about our children, parents, spouses. There are finances – how we’re going to pay this or that bill – make ends meet till next payday. School – whether I’ll pass this test or that class. Going to a new school or class. Some of you won’t sleep the night before the first day of school, or after the first day of school.
There are job-related worries. Remember those days before starting a new job? That first couple of weeks, you laid awake wondering how in the world you ever got the job, how you’re going to keep it? Can I prove myself; can I make it on this salary with rising costs? It’s nearing year-end, time for performance reviews – I can’t wait. It all seems overwhelming.
Sometimes the worries may be more serious, even life-threatening. An unexpected diagnosis – the dreaded “c” word. It may be more basic – we don’t have to face these too often: how am I going to eat tomorrow? How am I going to feed my children? How close am I to being homeless? Maybe, just maybe, it isn’t the ability to live tomorrow – maybe it’s the will to live. Some of you are facing issues of great magnitude, affecting your desire to live. The world’s answer, of course, is medication. I’m not opposed to psychosomatic medications when chemical imbalances demand it – but the number of people in our country on antidepressants or anti-anxiety meds is shocking. Again, there may be legitimate need for such help, but tens of millions in our nation? Are we that emotionally disturbed?
Of course, for Christians, there’s that age-old question about worry – you see, we worry if worry is a sin. And maybe you’ve heard pastors share their thoughts on the subject, which made you stay awake that night worrying. As we’ll see today, we are told not to worry, so I suppose worry is wrong. But I don’t want to beat us up about it – how do we keep from doing something we all do? That’s my goal today.
Let me answer that question by asking another – what is the opposite of worry – especially for the Christian? It is trust. Confidence. Faith. Show me someone who is worrying, and I’ll show you someone who needs to increase his/her trust, who needs a greater confidence, who needs a stronger faith. Listen, I am not a psychiatrist, psychologist, a therapist – but I believe this to be true: if we would spend more time focusing on God and His promises than our circumstances, worry would diminish, perhaps even dissipate. When Jesus says in our text – and only here in Luke – You men of little faith – is that not the problem of worry – little faith?
I’m not talking about attending some Christian Ted Talk – 101 ways to improve your self-image – how to bolster your self-esteem – how to start believing in yourself, telling yourself you’re the little train that could. I’m talking about increasing our faith in God. Being people, who having prayed, “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth, just as it is in heaven. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” – the people who pray that prayer, and believe it – those people trust, and attack worry at its root.
Jesus Himself says so. Our text this morning is found in Luke 12 – really part 2 of the sermon from last week. Last Sunday, we looked at a story found only in Luke. A man asked Jesus to make his brother pay him his share of the inheritance. Jesus saw behind the request as simply that of greed. I want what’s coming to me – make him give it to me. So, Jesus said, beware of every form of greed, because a person’s life does not consist of his possessions. Then Jesus told a parable – again, found only in Luke. It was hard hitting in that it landed close to home. In the parable, a rich man experienced a bumper crop – but had no place to store his grain. So, he carried on a conversation with himself. Not God, not godly friends. I’ll just build bigger barns, store up my wealth for years to come. So, soul, kick up your feet, eat, drink and be merry. God was not impressed – you see, the rich man gave no consideration to God or his neighbor. You fool, this very night your soul is required of you. What will then happen to your wealth? He lived a life rich toward himself, but without a thought of God and His kingdom.
Now, that warning, beware, was given to the crowd – anyone there that day who could hear. And it was quite challenging – even negative. But now, Jesus turns His attention back to His disciples. He had told the crowds where not to put their trust – now He tells the disciples where to put their trust. It’s an encouraging word, but a challenging one for us professional worriers. Read it with me, Luke 12:22-34.
There’s hardly a need to preach this text – to proclaim its truth – it’s so clear. And yet, we need it, don’t we? Having addressed the man and the crowd, Jesus turns His attention back to the disciples – to us. And He tells us, the antidote to worry, to anxiety, is trust. To be reminded who your Father is. What a great text. It’s a pretty simple outline:
- Do Not Allow Your Mind to Worry (22-30) – it is a command.
- [Instead] Set Your Heart on the Kingdom of God (31-34) – and all these things the world worries about will be yours.
Focus on heavenly treasures, don’t worry about earthly needs. In our first point, Jesus gives the command, don’t worry about your life. Then, He tells us why we don’t have to worry – God’s got this. Let’s begin with the command – “For this reason, I say to you, do not worry.” It’s a present imperative, meaning, stop worrying now, and tomorrow, too. He mentions worry several times in this passage – don’t worry, which of you by worrying can do anything, why then do you worry about other things, do not keep worrying. It’s clearly the main point. Why are you worrying – do you know who your Father is? [Naomi] “Do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat [Matthew adds, or what you will drink], nor for your body, as to what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.” Wow – someone ought to tell advertising – it’s not all about food and clothes.
Don’t worry. The English word worry comes from an old German word, vorgen, which literally means to strangle or to choke. Isn’t that a good picture of what worry does? Jesus says, don’t get all choked up about these things. Now notice, He says, don’t worry about physical provisions – food, drink, and clothing – the basic necessities of life. That’s amazing.
See, there is a sense in which He was talking to rich people last week, and poor people this week. Think about it – people who were stockpiling last week, people who are scavenging just to survive, this week. You see, both extremes, being rich and being poor, have their problems. The rich are tempted to trust in their possessions; the poor are tempted to doubt God’s provision. The rich are tempted to become self-satisfied in the false security of riches, the poor are tempted to worry and fear in the false insecurity of their poverty. But remember, who’s your Father?
As I suggested last week, one of the supreme tests of our spiritual lives is how we relate to money – or the lack thereof. Which is, again, why the Bible addresses the topic so much. Did you know that almost half of the parables Jesus gave, deal with money. One of ten verses in the New Testament deals with that subject. The Scripture offers about 500 verses on prayer, fewer than 500 on faith, and over 2000 on money. It’s an important topic. How you deal with riches, and how you deal with poverty.
Of course, today we may think, we have no problem with these verses, Scott. Most of us in this room don’t worry about whether we’ll eat lunch, we just worry if you’ll finish in time so we can. We’re going to gather in this building this evening and there will be an abundance of food. And then there’s Thursday – national permission for overeating. Most of us don’t worry about whether we’ll have clothes to put on – we worry that, oh my goodness, horror of horrors, we’ll show up to church or work and someone will have the same outfit we’re wearing. Somehow, I don’t think that was the picture Jesus had in mind – “Yeah, Mary? This is Martha – are you wearing the blue tunic today?” I don’t think that was the issue.
So, we do have trouble relating. If we lose a coat or stain a pair of pants, we’ve got more in the closet. But Jesus was talking to a group of people who probably had one, maybe two tunics to wear. They had one coat, and it was very valuable. It kept them covered during the day, and warm at night. It’s why if you took a coat as security for a pledge – a loan – you had to give it back at night. In fact, back then, one way of measuring wealth was by clothing.
Then there’s the whole food thing. Skipping a meal for most of us is a matter of choice or time. But here, Jesus was talking to people who weren’t sure if they would have their daily bread the next day. It would depend on their ability to work or find work. They’d be paid a day’s wages at the end of the day – and with that, they bought food for that day. It is hard for us to relate.
And Jesus says to these people – don’t worry about food, don’t worry about clothing. I find that interesting. If you remember your psychology 101, according to Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of needs, that’s exactly what we do. The basic needs of every human being, first and foremost, he says, are the needs of food and shelter, clothing if you will. If those things are not there, we work, we worry. And I would say to us, even if we have those things, we still place an overwhelming priority on them. What do I mean? Think about it – if you eliminated all the advertisements on TV that have to do with food, restaurants, clothing, makeup, hair products – what we eat and the way we look – commercial breaks would be a lot shorter.
But Jesus comes along and says, don’t worry about them. Disciples, that’s not your focus. There’s a whole lot more to life than food, and there’s a whole lot more to the body than clothing. That sounds basic, but I want you to think about how much time you spend thinking about food, about clothing, about the way you look. Don’t worry about it.
Before we move to why we need not worry, let’s drive this closer to home. Again, it’s easy to think, this doesn’t really apply to me today, because I have plenty of food, a closet full of clothes, adequate shelter – and I live in Boone, so I have plenty of water. But do you suppose we could broaden the command to talk about any and every kind of worry? Because when we’re worrying about the house payment, we’re worrying about shelter. When we’re worrying about the job, we’re worrying indirectly about food and clothing. Besides, if we’re not to worry about these mundane yet necessary things of life, don’t you think we shouldn’t be worrying about things less vital to survival? Jesus lists the most basic needs of life – and says, don’t worry about them. If that’s the case, should we worry about other, less necessary things?
We’re told – don’t worry – don’t even worry about the basic provisions of life. So, ready, set, go, stop worrying. Doesn’t that feel better? How do we do that, especially these people who lived hand to mouth? By remembering who it is that takes care of our needs. Can I give you some good news this morning? The whole point of these verses is this – God loves you, you are His child, and He will take care of you. If He takes care of things like annoying birds and fading flowers, how much more will He take care of you?
Consider the ravens. Animal rights activists won’t like this, but you’re worth more than birds. He takes care of birds. Actually, it’s ravens – the only place the word is used in the NT. They were considered unclean in OT Law. They are scavengers and make loud, annoying cries. They are basically good for nothing, except I guess cleaning up the carrion on our roads. And yet, they are part of God’s creation, and He cares for them. That’s amazing.
Look at it – they don’t sow, they don’t reap, which means they don’t work; they don’t have storerooms or barns like the rich man, and yet, there they are – because God feeds them. The point is, arguing from the lesser to the greater, if He cares for them, He’ll care for you. You’re worth more than they – you were created in God’s image, and as believers, you have become His children. So don’t worry. He says, there is no value to worry. Really, what has all that worry done except keep you awake? Do you really think by worrying you will solve the world’s problems, your problems?
Jesus says it this way, do you think by worrying you will add a single hour to your life? By the way, that’s a bit difficult to translate – it could be, do you think by worrying you can add a cubit – about 18 inches to your height? No, you can’t do either one – add an hour to your life or a foot and a half to your height. Listen, you know this: studies have shown that worry might just shorten your life. So if you can’t do that little thing, why do you worry about other things – God’s got this. A couple of my commentaries cited this anonymous poem:
Said the Raven to the Sparrow,
“I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so.”
Said the Sparrow to the Raven,
“Friend, I think that it must be
They have no Heavenly Father,
Such as cares for you and me.”
Not only that, consider the lilies. The word is a general word for wildflowers – could be lilies, could be crocus or the wild anemones that grow and bloom briefly. That’s the point – you’re worth more than flowers – they look great today, but tomorrow, they’re thrown into the furnace. You, on the other hand, are eternal. And an eternal God has established an eternal relationship with you. Don’t you think He’ll clothe you and take care of you? I’ll feed you, I’ll clothe you, and by the way, I’ll do it well. Even rich, regally dressed King Solomon in all of his glory, wasn’t dressed as gloriously as the flowers of the field. Jesus is saying, I’ll take care of you better than flowers, which is better than Solomon. Martin Luther said, “The flowers stand there and make us blush and become our teachers. Thank you, flowers, you who are to be devoured by the cows! God has exalted you very highly, that you become our masters and teachers.”
Don’t miss it – God demonstrates by His creation that He is able to care for you – especially since you’re worth more than ravens and flowers and dying grass – here one day, gone the next – that was used as fuel for the furnace. You men of little faith. Wait, did Jesus just suggest that worrying demonstrates little faith, little trust in God? Suddenly, worry is a bit more serious.
You may remember, every time Jesus said, “O you of little faith,” it was to the disciples specifically when they were not trusting Him for a physical need. This is one of those times. To worry about what you’ll eat, what you’ll wear, is a demonstration of little faith. There are other things much more important to life. And I believe the point Jesus wants to make is this – if you continue to focus on earthly treasures, or if you continue to worry about things like food and clothing – you will never do kingdom work. You’ll be too distracted, too self-focused, too concerned about things that don’t matter, things God has promised to take care of. If you don’t believe Him for the little things, you’ll never get to the big things – and you’ll never do anything of eternal value in this life.
So don’t seek what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not keep worrying. Why, that’s what the nations of the world – a way the Jews spoke of unbelieving Gentiles – that’s what unbelievers do. While the Gentiles seek after these things, Jesus says, you don’t have to – why? Because your heavenly Father knows your needs – and He will meet them. There are more important things to life and the body. So don’t worry about it.
Bringing us quickly to our second point. Jesus doesn’t want us to worry about those things. He doesn’t want us to focus on those things which will consume our time, zap our strength, render us ineffective for kingdom work. Rather, He wants us to have a different focus, a different priority, as we see in verse 31, “But seek His kingdom, and these things [food, clothing] will be added to you.” He’s not promising wealth, by the way – He’s promising to meet your needs. You focus on my kingdom, and I’ll take care of those things. You focus on spiritual realities –the kingdom of God – expanding it, strengthening it, growing in righteousness – you make those things the priority in your life, and I promise to take care of the rest.
In fact – look at verse 32, “Do not be afraid, little flock [hear Jesus saying that you – little flock – what a term of sweet endearment], for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom.” If the kingdom of God is ours in that we are children of the King – heirs of the kingdom – should we fear, worry? No.
Now, I know what some of you are thinking. You’re thinking – now wait just a minute. Christians down through the centuries, to our present day, have suffered for the kingdom. They’ve focused on His kingdom, and it’s cost them dearly. Many have gone hungry, many have gone thirsty, they’ve been stripped naked, they’ve gone without clothing or shelter – many have paid with their lives. Have you read Hebrews 11; have you read Paul’s biography; didn’t you tell us a couple weeks ago that 11 of the 12 Apostles were martyrs? Is someone not living up to their end of the bargain?
You’re right – Christians have paid dearly for their focus on the kingdom. So, do we have a problem here? No. It all depends on perspective. Most of us have such an earthly, temporary perspective – but we need an eternal, heavenly perspective. As we saw last week, the Apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians from prison. Remember, he wrote, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” We found the secret to contentment is being in Christ. If our focus is on Him and His kingdom, then much or little will not matter. I can assure you, he had very little in the Roman prison of his day. Can you be hungry and these verses still apply? You bet, because life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. And if you’re focusing on the kingdom, those things become secondary.
And as for giving our lives for the kingdom? Paul addressed that in the first chapter of the letter when he said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better.” You see, with a focus on the Kingdom, with a focus on Christ, if we die, we die – and it is better by far – for we will be with Christ. The point is, focus on the kingdom – and God will provide for your needs. And if it leads to death, you’ll be better off anyway.
So, verse 33, sell your possessions and give to charity – to those who have need is the idea. Don’t miss this – by doing so, you are making money belts – purses – that do not wear out, because you will have an unfailing treasure in heaven. Thieves who steal and moths which destroy cannot rob you of your treasure there. We spend our lives gathering, guarding, protecting all we have – and yet it is still temporary. Send it ahead – then you will have eternal treasure. For where your treasure is, your heart will be also.
Jesus says, focus on what’s important. In Matthew He says, don’t to store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where thieves break in and steal, and moths destroy. Don’t focus on the external, on what money can buy – on things we can amass. Why? Because, He said, it’s a bad investment. The things we go after, the things we treasure, are temporary. They’re open to decay, to theft – they are not eternal. And besides, even if you’re somehow able to preserve it – you invest in moth balls or keep your money at Fort Knox, you’re not going to take it with you – you’ll leave your pitiful little empire behind. Philip Ryken writes:
“To put this in financial terms, Jesus was calling His disciples to divest and to invest. There are things we have that Jesus wants us to give away, and when we give them away, we need to put them in the right place. The Christian life is a continuous transfer of funds in which we divest from the world in order to invest in the kingdom of God.”
My brothers and sisters, focus on the kingdom. Serve the kingdom. Jesus tells us, get your eyes off the external, even if the external is your lunch and your shirt, and focus on the internal – which is where you’ll find His kingdom. He promises to give us what we need – and He knows what that is. And if the food dries up, if the clothes are taken away, because God so orders it – what’s the worse that can happen? We die and go to heaven. You focus on the kingdom, let God focus on the bread.
I don’t know how to give an invitation this morning. Is worry a sin? Yes, it is. As children of God, it says to God, I can’t trust you. I don’t believe your promises. Worry is inversely proportional to our faith. Maybe you’re here this morning and you’ve been too worried about external stuff – what you’re going to eat, how you look – you’ve been focused on earthly treasures and daily needs – so much so that you’ve ignored God’s call to focus on the kingdom.
And maybe you need to say, “God, I repent. Here I am – I’m signing up for kingdom work. I trust you for physical things – I trust you for the bread. Use me for Your glory.” Maybe you’ve amassed a pretty nice little fortune – big house, nice car, good food. But your life is empty – it’s shallow, because all that stuff doesn’t satisfy. That’s the truth about being rich – it’s never enough. Maybe you need to refocus on the stuff that does matter, that does satisfy. Maybe you just need to say, “God, I realize this morning that my spiritual gift is not worrying. And by your grace, I’m going to stop it, once and for all, and trust you. I’m going to turn my eyes upon Jesus, and allow the things of earth to grow strangely dim.”