By The Rev. Dr. Paul A. Leggett
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Sermon Text: Matthew 6:25-34
Sermon Theme
Jesus gives the explicit instruction, “do not worry.” But how are we to avoid worry? There are so many things we can’t control in life, so many things that threaten us and leave us uncertain that worry can become second nature to us. Jesus reminds us that we cannot by worrying add a single hour to our lives (we can actually shorten our lives by worrying). However if we remember that God is good, great and gracious we realize that the One who clothes the lilies of the field also clothes us. As we begin Black History month, the example of the great singer Marian Anderson (1897-1993) inspires us to trust in the Lord as we pass through the deep rivers of this life (Isaiah 43:2). This example especially applies to those being installed today as elders and deacons.
Sermon Outline
- Is God good? When we give in to worry we are really questioning the goodness of God. There is a key problem in the way we perceive our lives. We have a narrow outlook. We put life in a small box and then want God to fulfill our immediate expectations. Jesus confronts us with the question, is not our life about more than food or clothing (Matthew 6:25)? God knows our needs and desires the best for us. Jesus wants us to expand our vision beyond our immediate felt needs. He tells us to look at the examples of the birds of the air and the flowers of the field (Matthew 6:26-28). God cares for them. Will he not also care for us? Our problem however is that we are overwhelmed with the concerns of the moment. Marian Anderson grew up in Philadelphia singing in church. She was told she needed singing lessons to develop fully her musical gifts. But she had no money and no resources for such training. We all need to hear the promise God gave through Jeremiah that God desires to give us a future with hope (Jeremiah 29:11).
- Is God great? In spite of God’s promises we still worry (Matthew 6:31). We act as though God cannot fulfill his promises (II Corinthians 1:20). God provided Marian Anderson with great opportunities to sing throughout Europe. However the practice of segregation was so ingrained in the United States in the 1920’s and 1930’s that she had limited opportunities in her native country. An attempt to arrange a concert for her in the newly built Constitutional Hall in Washington D.C. failed because African-American artists were not allowed to perform there. Alternate plans were made then to have her sing publicly on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday 1939. This event developed into a national controversy. Marian became frightened by what she was getting into. She passed sleepless nights. She wanted to run away. Often we want to run away too. When the concert was scheduled to start she felt as if she was choking. Was God great enough to sustain her in the greatest turmoil she had ever faced?
- Is God gracious? Marian opened her mouth not knowing if any sound would come out. Her voice sung out, resonant, clear and powerful. She sang. She didn’t know how. The second half of her concert was all music about the Lord, spirituals and gospel. Looked at from the hindsight of more than seventy years this concert is now regarded as an early significant event in the modern Civil Rights movement. Twenty-four years later Marian would return to the same site to sing again, this time with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the famous march on Washington in 1963. We all face decisive moments in our lives. We face challenges that we do not believe we can overcome. But God is not only good and great. He is gracious. Jesus reminds us that we are of much greater value than the birds (Matthew 10:29-31). We don’t know what obstacles lie before us in life. We do however know that God cares for us (Psalm 121:1-8). There is no reason to worry.
Questions for Us
- Why do you think we so easily give in to worry in spite of God's promises to us? What does this say about our faith (Matthew 6:30)? How can we strengthen our faith?
- What lessons can we learn from the example of Marian Anderson?
- Jesus tells us that the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, indeed nature itself, testify to God's gracious concern for us. How can we apply that truth to the day to day challenges we regularly face?
