Leading The Way

Guest (Male): Jesus has an app for you. It's a message series with practical life-changing truth from Dr. Michael Youssef. And it's next on Leading the Way.

Dr. Michael Youssef: As I've begun to learn how to enter and stay in the presence of the Lord. As I've learned to look fear and anxiety in the eye and say, "You are an intruder in my life, and you have no place in my heart, I'm a child of the living God."

When I began to learn this, when I began to experience this, I was downloading that incredible app into the hard disk of my heart and my mind and my life and my time and my resources. And the Lord is beginning to teach me how to overcome worry.

Guest (Male): Thank you for allowing Leading the Way to be a part of your day. Smartphones, tablets, and TVs have made app a household word. Basically, an app is a tool designed to boost productivity, or pay for coffee, or grow your knowledge and understanding of all the things around you and more.

Jesus, throughout his season of living alongside and teaching the disciples, through his life and words, gave them apps for life through his acts and his words. He provided tools to move them toward victory and overcoming adversity.

Specifically, in Matthew chapter 6, Jesus addresses worry and anxiety. So relax, allow the teaching of Jesus to steer you away from being anxious about tomorrow or today. Listen with me as Dr. Michael Youssef begins.

Dr. Michael Youssef: Worry and anxiety is one of those sins that is respectable, that is acceptable, even in the church of Jesus Christ. Please turn with me to Matthew 6:25 to 34. Today's app really is the very last verse in this passage, verse 34, and I'm going to read it to you. It's a summary of the entire passage.

Therefore, said Jesus, do not worry. Don't be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. This whole passage is relevant. It's addressed to everyone, rich or poor.

Why? Because both rich and poor experience worry and anxiety. The rich are tempted to trust in their riches instead of the Lord, and that causes them worry and anxiety. The poor are tempted to distrust in God's provision. The rich are tempted to be anxious about losing their wealth. The poor are tempted to live in fear in the insecurity of their poverty.

I want you to hear me right, this is important. Because when it comes to anxiety, when it comes to worry in life, worry and anxiety knows no social boundaries, knows no economic boundaries, no social class. And that is why 16 out of the 34 parables of Jesus have to do with material possessions and our relationship to them and what they cause us, whether joy or anxiety.

That is why one out of the ten verses in the New Testament are on the subject of material possessions and our relationship with it. And that is why you find in the Bible there are 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 on faith, but then you'll find 2,000 verses about material possession and the possibility of our anxiety toward them.

And that is why Jesus said in this very short passage, three times: don't worry, or don't be anxious. Verse 25, don't be anxious. Verse 31, don't be anxious. Verse 34, don't be anxious. Why did Jesus speak so much about worry and anxiety? Read the scripture.

I'm going to give you several reasons very quickly before I get to the app. Because God knows that we're all worrywarts and he wants to give us an app to overcome worry and anxiety in our life. Secondly, because he's our God and he's the one who decides what is sin and what is not.

And God decided that worry is a sin. How come it is a sin? It's a sin of distrusting God. It's a sin of disbelieving the promises of God. It is a sin of undermining the sovereignty of God. It is a sin of ignoring God's tailor-made plan for each of our lives.

The third thing I want to tell you is this: God knows that it is absolutely useless to be worried. It is useless. It's like somebody said, it's like sitting in a rocking chair. You're not going anywhere, but it gives you something to do. For we are forever worrying about things that God personally took responsibility for.

It's like there's no use you and God worrying, because God is taking care of it. In fact, I was thinking about this and I thought of Philip Armour, the big meatpacking magnate. Well, he wasn't always rich. He wasn't always like that. In fact, when he was younger, he was in deep financial trouble one time.

He was really facing difficulty and he could go bust. And in the midst of that worry and anxiety, he got a phone call from his banker. He said, "Philip, I am worried sick about the loan that you have with the bank." Armour said, "There's no use both of us worrying about the same thing," and he hung up on him.

Now I get to the app of Jesus. Let me read it again. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Whenever you see the word "therefore," you must find out what it is there for.

Jesus has already told them in the passage about the birds of the air. Verse 26, 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?

What is Jesus saying? Several things. The birds do not just sit in their nests with their beaks open and God pushes the food in their mouth. Because that's what some people think. Well, God is going to take care of me, so they sit on the blessed assurance, don't work, and they say God will take care of me. No, that's not what he's saying.

Because these birds, they work hard. They fly and find food, and they bring food, and they're busy working and they're feeding the young ones. But they don't worry. They do all this but without anxiety, without worry. Why? Because our heavenly Father provides for them.

Jesus is telling us that most of our worries are not over our most basic needs. Did you get that? Most of our worries are not over our most basic needs. Why? Because God promised not only he's going to provide for our most basic needs, the Bible said he will provide for all our needs.

I want you to hear me right. When we worry about the future, we are distrusting God's ability to provide for the future. When we worry about not having what others have, when we worry about having more of what we have, when we worry about being who we are not, when we are worried about wanting to be like others, that worry is self-imposed and therefore it's a sin.

Our worries are lifestyle issues, most of them. Not saying all of them so you don't get me wrong. Not all of them, but most of them. What do I mean? Let me explain what I mean. There was this guy who was absolutely anxious and worried. This worry and anxiety persisted for a long time.

So he went to see a counselor. He said, "I've got to get some help." So he goes to see this counselor. After listening for a while, he said, "Why don't you go on an exotic vacation? Just go there and sit in the sun and relax by the beach and have a good time." The guy said, "That won't work." He said, "Why?" He said, "I just got back from Hawaii."

He said, "Okay, you look like to be a man of means. Why don't you go and get an expensive car, a convertible car? Put the top down and just cruise the city and enjoy life." And he said, "That won't work." He said, "Why?" He said, "I drive a $150,000 car."

He said, "Okay, go buy yourself a nice house, big house, and sit by the pool and enjoy life." And he said, "That won't work." He said, "Why?" He said, "I live in a mansion." The counselor kind of scratched his head and he said, "Okay, you just got back from an exotic vacation in Hawaii, you drive a $150,000 car, you live in a mansion, what's your trouble?" He said, "I only make $2,000 a month."

You see what I mean. You do the self-examination. But I'm aware of the fact that there are times in life we are placed in situations for reasons totally out of our control. We are placed in a situation when we are anxious about an outcome. I'm aware of that.

I used to get so anxious at exam time that I would get sick, literally. I used to get physically sick out of anxiety. It used to paralyze me. Fear of failure used to paralyze me. It really did. And then God permitted me to experience a series of failures in my life. Why? God was teaching me to trust him.

God is permitting all this to happen, these failures in my life. Although it's a painful experience, but I can help others understand what they're going through. I was very anxious when we started the church. I really was. And every time I experienced anxiety as I told you, there were two reasons for it: fear of the future and fear of failure.

Two things. And you might be different, but at least that's my testimony and I'm giving the glory to God. But then as I began to spend time with God, real time, not on the run, but real time. As I began to get into a level of intimacy with God like I have never experienced before.

As I began to learn how to enter and stay in the presence of the Lord. As I've learned to look fear and anxiety in the eye and say, "You are an intruder in my life, and you have no place in my heart, I'm a child of the living God." When I began to learn this, when I began to experience this, I was downloading that incredible app into the hard disk of my heart and my mind and my life and my time and my resources.

And the Lord is beginning to teach me how to overcome worry. But I want to clarify one thing, because I don't want somebody go out and say, "Well, Michael, you don't want me to make any plans for the future." That is not what I'm saying. Please don't misunderstand me.

Worrying about the future and making plans for the future are two different things. Planning ahead is not the same as worrying. Jesus taught again and again and again in the gospels the importance of planning ahead, the importance of counting the cost before you embark on a project, the importance of seeking the mind of God before you make future plans.

The importance of discerning the will of God before you make any major future decisions, or decisions that affect your future. The Bible calls that prudence. It's sensible to do. In the Gospel of Luke chapter 14, Jesus talks about the man who did not estimate the cost of building a tower, and then halfway because he did not count the cost, he did not make plans, and he couldn't finish it, ran out of money, was half done, and therefore he opened himself to ridicule.

And Jesus therefore goes into tell us that it is very wise to plan ahead. It's very wise to do that. In fact, not making plans and not wisely praying your plans through is tempting God. Matthew 6:34 is really like the P.S. in the letter. You know how sometimes you get a letter and before you even read it, you see a P.S., you go to the P.S. first.

And it's important, because that's the P.S. of Jesus. Verse 34, don't be anxious, don't be anxious, P.S., don't be anxious about the future. I told you that the very root of worry is distrusting in God's ability to provide for the future.

Worry is your reasoning, which is not of God. Listen carefully to it. I know it, been there, done that, I got the T-shirt to prove it. That yes, God has taken care of me of the past, God has done this and that and the other thing, he's even taking care of me now, but I'm not sure whether he's going to take care of me in the future.

Did you know that this is really a form of paganism? It really is. It's a form of paganism, and all paganism is satanic. You see, God knew that this type of paganism is apt to stick to us because we are earthly people still living in this world, and it's going to stick to you, and you have to literally get rid of it every day. That's why you need to download this app every single day.

You have to get rid of this paganism on a regular basis. I want to give you an example. When God's people came out of the land of slavery out of Egypt, first into the wilderness then into the Promised Land, they may have left the land of paganism, but they did not leave paganism altogether.

This distrusting of God, it came with them. And we know the example of the statue of the bull and all that stuff. But there's one area that God was determined to teach his people in overcoming this paganism of distrusting in the living God. He absolutely was determined to do that.

So how did he do it? He said, "When you wake up in the morning, you come out of your tent and you're going to find manna. Poured food from heaven, manna from heaven is going to come down, and it's supposed to be the food that has all the nutrition that the body needs. And he said, "You go in there and you pile it up in buckets or whatever you do it in, you just get it in there and you take enough for the rest of the day, supply for one day only."

He said, "Don't store it, don't hoard it, don't keep it, just for that day. Because tomorrow morning you're going to wake up, you go out of your tent and there it is, a whole fresh supply." What is God doing? He is taking them through the school of trusting him.

He is trying to teach them to get rid of this paganism of distrusting God and put the whole trust in God's provision for tomorrow. Don't you think that some of them got tempted? "Oh, what about if God doesn't really provide it tomorrow? How am I going to eat? How my kids going to eat?"

And so they took some extra for tomorrow, just in case. Have you ever done that? But imagine when they piled that stuff for tomorrow, and then they wake up in the morning, "What's that smell? There's something stinks here! What's that bad smell?" Oh, it is the distrust in God. That's what stinking.

God said to them, "If you store it, it's going to be full of maggots, and it's going to really be petrification in your very hand." God is teaching them to trust him day by day. Listen to me very carefully please, listen to what I'm going to tell you.

God is trying to teach them what he's trying to teach every one of us. That they could not live on the blessings of yesterday and they cannot distrust him for tomorrow. If you got that say amen. We cannot live on the blessings of yesterday and we cannot distrust him for tomorrow.

And so when you start getting worried and anxious about tomorrow, remind yourself of his faithfulness of yesterday. Hear me right, fear of the future and fear of failure can result in devastating anxiety.

But then there's something else of outmost importance about this app of Jesus, about this fear of the future and fear of failure. We have a very powerful spiritual character who is anxious and waiting to exploit the smallest bit of worry in your life.

The moment you get anxious and worried about the future, that miserable character is parachuting on you with cleats. And that is why I view worry now as an intruder, as an intruder into my life. And what do you do with an intruder? You fight him with every ounce of your energy and you kick him out.

You don't negotiate with an intruder. You don't discuss the matter with an intruder. You don't listen to the other side, for his side of the argument. He comes through the door, you push him out the door. Comes through the window, you push him out the window.

How do you do that? Listen carefully. By reciting the promises of God, by recounting the mercies of God, by praising the name of God, by remembering that he is the only one who died for you, to save you eternally, by remembering that Jesus promised his own that he'll never leave you nor forsake you, by refusing to accept Satan's attack and plan on your life, by refusing to return to bondage and slavery after the Lord Jesus has set you free, by refusing to let him ruin your day because of some fantasy about tomorrow.

And somebody asked me the question about anxiety and about worry, and I said, "You know when I was younger in my walk with God, when I go through an anxiety and a time of worrying and concern and really anxious, I would constantly pray, 'God get me out, God get me out, God get me out, God get me out.'"

But as my intimacy with God grew deeper, now when I face anxious moments, my cry to the Lord: teach me, teach me, teach me the purpose in these puzzling circumstances. Teach me your purpose that I might grow through this experience.

Listen carefully please, I'm getting ready to close. Something perhaps you have not thought about, and yet it's important. What is it? None of us can learn to have victory over our worries without the input of other godly people into our lives.

Without having someone that can walk with you along the spiritual journey. I'm so grateful for my prayer partners. You'd be amazed how much lighter the burden will become when you have somebody else to walk with you.

Jesus said, "My burden is light, my yoke is easy." Father, we thank you for the great, great, great app that Jesus gave us that we can download today, that we can apply in our hearts, that we can apply on a daily basis.

Thank you, Father, that you have not left us without help. Thank you, Father, the Holy Spirit who dwells in us constantly encouraging us, constantly lifting us up, constantly reminding us of the promises of God.

Help us, Father, that in every moment, and every waking moment, that we will put our whole trust in you. That we can say with David, "I have been young, now I'm old, I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread." Father, remind us of the blessing and the promise of God, for we pray this in Jesus' name.

Guest (Male): Dr. Michael Youssef encouraging you to hold firm to the faithful promises of God. Thank you for joining listeners all around the world for Leading the Way. And this teaching series is called Jesus has an App for You, which reminds me that Leading the Way has an app for you too.

Simply do a search for Leading the Way when you're in the app store for your devices. Then after you download, you'll be able to quickly and easily listen to and watch these messages, as well as learn about the ministry impact and participate in it.

Introducing the Leading the Way mobile app, redesigned with a fresh look and powerful features to help you go deeper in God's word. Easily connect with Dr. Youssef's trusted Bible teaching anytime, anywhere. Write down what God is teaching you and return to your sermon notes whenever you need them.

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Download the Leading the Way app. Go to the app store today. Visit ltw.org or search for Leading the Way in your device's app store. Remember, Leading the Way is a listener-supported media ministry passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth around the world. Tell your representative how you connect when you call us: 866-626-4356. You can order products and support the worldwide ministry.

The greatest threat to America is the wrath of God on a wayward nation. Is there still hope for America? We are to invade Satan's territories. We are to stand toe-to-toe with the enemy of our soul, because he's a defeated foe. We are to count the cost and prepare to pay the cost for occupying until Jesus comes back.

Change can happen, but only when our nation repents and turns back to the God of our founding fathers. It is the price of liberty. Dr. Michael Youssef sounds the warning bell to call God's people to wake up, repent, and return to reliance on him. Contact us today to get your own copy of The Price of Liberty at ltw.org. That's ltw.org.

This program is brought to you by Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef.