You Can Live Your Life to the Max! It's A Matter of Allegiance

Even in dark times –
especially in dark times –
navigating life with a moral compass calibrated to the ways taught by Jesus,
remembered through our faith,
yields a fuller, more abundant, more satisfying life in so many ways.

Today, it seems that we have so many temptations that come to us in so many ways to violate
the first commandment, to have other gods,
to have other allegiances that take precedence over our allegiance to God.


Deuteronomy 6:4-5, 13
Matthew 22:35-40

Jesus said I have come that you might have an abundant life – that you might live a full life – that you might live it to the max – being all you were meant to be (which is so much more than you ever thought possible).

Jesus told his followers that it was a matter of choice – for them and for us –
echoing Joshua who said: It is a matter of choice.  And you had best choose now!

Jesus referred to this abundant life,
this full life,
this MAXlife,
as the Kingdom of God (sometimes translated at the Kingdom of Heaven).

This metaphor of the Kingdom of God worked for those who heard his words, because everyone knew what a kingdom was.
The Jewish people had had their own kingdom with King David and a whole host of other kings –
and they knew their history.
They knew about kings and kingdoms.
In fact, they had spent many many years living under the rule of foreign kings – to whom they had to pledge allegiance.
And, although it was not called a kingdom, they lived under the aegis of the Roman Empire
with the Caesar, the Emperor, in the role of the king.

They knew about taxes and they knew about the allegiance expected by the king or emperor of his subjects.

Jesus’ talk about the Kingdom of God was about living with a radical reorientation of societal benchmarks:
the least shall be first,
care for others preempts care for self,
peaceful pursuits trump war and violence.
In story after story, point after point, Jesus turned the accepted values of the society on end
in contrast to the values of life in the Kingdom of God.

We all remember the story that appears in Matthew just before the text I read today,
the story where the Pharisee came to have it out with Jesus asked plainly:
So, Jesus, you talk of this Kingdom of God and the all the differences in the way we are to live, and you say that the Kingdom of God is here, so what do you say?
Should we pay taxes to the Emperor, or not?

Ultimately, for them then, and for us now, it was and is a question of and of ultimate authority.
By what criteria or authority are you to make decisions?
By what criteria or authority are you to establish values?
By what criteria or authority are you to find meaning and purpose in life?

Up to this point what Jesus had been saying challenged the listeners' thinking,
challenged their belief system,
challenged their traditions,
challenged their allegiances,
challenged their positions of privilege,
and, yes, challenged their patriotism.

Attention was on edge.

So they put Jesus to the test.
They wanted to get Jesus to comment and say what they thought he was saying,
so they could discredit him,
entangle him in his words,
prove to the audience that he was a revolutionary that should be silenced.
They suspected in their hearts that he was soft on patriotism, so they went after his Achilles' heel.

You can feel the atmosphere.
The air is tense with emotion.
"What do you mean God may take the kingdom away from us and give it to another nation?
Are you suggesting that our faith, our religious values, our leaders are wrong - are misguided -
are leading us down the wrong way?"
Their conscience is pricked.
Their long held traditions are challenged.
They are upset because Jesus exposes their hypocrisy, their idolatry.

So they pick an issue he has alluded to and they try to pin him to the wall.
Let's ask him about allegiance to the empire, to government authority.
That will get people stirred up, divided.
They'll stop listening to him if we can expose his lack of patriotism.
We'll get this radical teacher to say something that will call his patriotism into question.
He's been questioning our uncritical acceptance of those in authority - the status quo - the present world order.

Let's give him a scenario that will force him to reveal his lack of allegiance to the government, to Caesar.

"Teacher - we know you are true and teach the way of God."
Teacher, you don't seem to care what the polls say, what popular opinion is.
You are not that impressed or care what a person's title is or how many degrees one has or where one hails from.
Tell us, is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

They knew that Jesus taught a way that was in direct conflict with Caesar on many points.
Caesar stood for the sword - conquer, control by violence.
Jesus taught non-violence –  turn the other cheek, equality among the sexes.
They knew that Jesus taught the way of justice, cooperation and partnership.
Caesar stood for power over others,
acquisition of wealth,
dominance over others
and manipulation.

They knew that Jesus was polls apart from Caesar in his teachings about loving one's enemy,
about suffering on behalf of others,
about respecting all people.
There was no doubt in their mind where Jesus stood with regard to Caesar and his politics,
his economics, his warring madness.

So in their crafty manner they plot, "Let's test Jesus to see if he will say it.
Let's bring out the implication of his teachings.
Then they will accuse him of being unpatriotic."

For the questioners in those days,
and for Jesus,
it was a matter of allegiance.

Jesus knew that there is nothing that belongs to Caesar and does not first belong to God.
His disciples knew that.
He made it clear that you cannot serve two masters.
You cannot serve God and money
– God and Caesar -
God and the empire -
God and something else.
You have to choose where your ultimate allegiance is.

Whether we pay taxes (money) to Caesar, we must pass the first test: Does this please God?
Does this enable me to be faithful to my supreme allegiance, which is the kingdom of God?

Does it serve the cause of justice for all God's creation?

For sure, Jesus is not suggesting that there can be two gods for us.
We cannot split our ultimate allegiance in two directions.
Part of me follows God, part of me follows the empire.
Money belongs to Caesar and the Bible stories belong to God.
On Sunday I listen to God and on Monday I listen to Caesar.

As we grapple with life's choices and values, Jesus reminds us that there is nothing, not even taxes or orders from Caesar to go to war, that can escape passing through the test of my allegiance to God, my obedience to my conscience.

The ultimate issue at stake here is the first commandment.
You shall have no other gods before me.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind.
If Jesus would have suggested by his answer that some things belong to Caesar, no matter what, it would have been in direct violation of the first commandment.

Nothing belongs to Caesar that does not first and ultimately belong to God.

It is about allegiance.
Today, it seems that we have so many temptations that come to us in so many ways to violate
the first commandment, to have other gods,
to have other allegiances that take precedence over our allegiance to God.

Do you remember the story of Daniel in the lion's den?
Caesar, who then was called Nebuchadnezzar, had decreed a law that no one should pray to any other god but him.
The empire needed a sign of loyalty and a gesture of unity from its citizens.
He asked all citizens to give their full allegiance to the empire.
Daniel, however, had a higher allegiance.
So it was again a question of allegiance - Caesar or God,
the power of public policy vs. the individual conscience.

That story of Daniel is pertinent for you and me today.
For you and me, as it was for Daniel, it is and was a question of allegiance.
Where is our ultimate allegiance?

You may be tempted to cheat on your income tax.

You may be tempted to cheat.

You may be tempted to sleep in on Sunday.

You may be tempted to waste your money on the lottery or some other risky venture.

You may be tempted to lie, steal, covet, swear.

But the great temptation,
the one that is the ultimate test,
the one that shapes everything we do,
is the temptation to idolatry.
The temptation to have more than one God, to serve two masters.
The temptation to give part of our ultimate allegiance to Caesar and part to God.
The temptation to bow our knees before two altars - the ways of the society around us
and the ways of our faith.

It is a powerful temptation.
It is real for every one of us.
If we have not wrestled with it, maybe we have already given in to it.
If we do not recognize this temptation with its modern application, it may be a sign that we have not come to grips with what it means to follow Jesus.
Folks today feel the effects of strong peer pressure,
pressure from our surroundings -
pressure from popular opinion polls,
pressure to not rock the boat for financial reasons.
No one wants to be considered different.

There is strong pressure to try to have it both ways.
We want God and we want national security and prosperity.
We want God and we want the benefits of Caesar's policy.
So we try to separate our religion and our politics, our Sundays from our Mondays.
There is strong pressure to delay our decision of ultimate allegiance,
to put off choosing,
to living in the middle of the road,
to being silent,
hoping that somehow we won't have to decide,
you know?
That we won’t have to take sides,
that we won’t ever have to reveal our true master.

The great temptation –  is it God or Caesar that I follow –  comes to the surface for us at special moments in our lives.
It came in a powerful way to Jesus when he was in the wilderness for 40 days just after his baptism.

There are certain moments in life when we are confronted, tested, tempted.

Will our ultimate allegiance be to God and the conscience God has given us,
or will we divide our allegiance and try to live with two ultimate authorities in order to get along,
to avoid conflict.

To be sure, the choices seldom seem to be black and white, right?
We are confronted when we are most vulnerable. And, it's not easy.

But, the fact of the matter is that we have evidence that life is better,
life is fuller,
life is more abundant,
when we align our value system in a certain way:
the way of Jesus,
the way of the Kingdom of God.

Even in dark times –
especially in dark times –
navigating life with a moral compass calibrated to the ways taught by Jesus,
remembered through our faith,
yields a fuller, more abundant, more satisfying life in so many ways.

And, the thing is, this is no secret.
None of us is bound by some sworn sacred duty to never reveal the secrets we talk of in this room.

You and I can experience this fuller life.
And everyone you know can experience this fuller life.
And even those you don’t know –
and those you may not even care to ever know –
can experience this fuller life.

And, that’s the purpose of this series of sermons on the MAXlife.

You can help spread the word around.
Being a part of this fuller life,
this more abundant life,
is a matter of choice –
and it is about allegiance.

It is about aligning yourself with the ultimate power of the universe –
as some in this room will attest,
when you do, all sorts of benefits come your way.
Amen.

The congregation of Christ Presbyterian Church of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA, heard this sermon as a part of their worship service September 25, 2011.

You Can Live Your Life to the Max - Its A Matter of Choice

Most folks are seeking a full life and would really like to know if there is (or was) any meaning in it.

I have come so that you might live your life to the max –
so that you can be all you were meant to be.

Our gospel is power stuff.
Jesus introduced a whole life style with values that were in direct contrast with those of the prevailing culture of the day.
And, it changed lives.


Joshua 24:15
John 10:10

These two readings from our holy texts have particular meaning for me:
these words from Yoshua and Yeshua.
Yes, it is of no insignificance that these two people born 1500 years apart bear the same the name.
In Hebrew their names are exactly the same – and carry the meaning Yahweh delivers.

The story is remembered that Joshua gathered the people and proceeded to recount to them the oral history of their ancestors and how God continually was involved in their rescue and in leading them toward a life of full measure – unencumbered by slavery and dictates of masters and tyrants.

It was true for hundreds of years, wherever they went, most of the people tried to fit in.
Life just seemed to go better when they adapted the values and customs of the people where they were living at the time.  
Oh, for sure, there was a remnant that kept the faith alive throughout the years wherever they went, but everyone knew life went better for them when they could assimilate and become a part of the culture of the folks around them.

So, now they found themselves back in the homeland again,
Joshua had helped rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and had installed a provisional council to rebuild and restart the infrastructure of the city.
Life was returning to normal again.

And, Joshua gathered the people around and told them:
“folks, we are at a crossroads.  
We cannot go any further without acknowledging the elephant among us.
You know what our God has done for us in the past. God will continue to do for us in the days to come.
But, each of us must choose whether to follow the God of our faith – who we already know –
or to continue following one or more of the gods of the culture we once knew and valued among the people who kept us imprisoned and subdued.”

It is always a matter of choice, isn’t it?
Joshua said, each one had to make a choice.
It is best to choose now,
today,
don’t put if off any longer.

In my studies, I was reminded that most of the stories we have about Jesus involve a moment of choice, don’t they?

Some of the most obvious stories include the one about the rich young man who came to Jesus wanting know just he had to do to be a part of this new life that Jesus was talking about – this Kingdom of God.
And, the story is that Jesus told him that the most important thing was to keep the commandments.
And when asked “what commandments?” Jesus quoted the text of the 10 commandments of Moses verbatim.
Of course, the rich young man knew these commandments – as did all faithful people of the day.
And, he said to Jesus, “Yeah, yeah, I know those commandments and I’ve kept them ever since I was a kid.”
That’s when Jesus said, “Well, there is only one thing for your to do.”
“What?” the young man said.
“Sell all you have.  
And give all the proceeds away to the poorest among us.
Do this and then come back and you can be a part of the movement – the Kingdom of God.”

Jesus told the man it was a matter of choice for him.
But, as Joshua said all those years before, you need to choose now.
The man couldn’t do what Jesus asked of him.
He could not make the choice that was his to make.

It is a matter of choice, isn’t it?

Do you remember the story about the prodigal son?
We often, and appropriately it seems to me, think of this story as being more about the generous father rather than the prodigal son.
But, it is a parable about the choices we all make.
Not seeing any future him in the village where they lived, the younger son asked for the inheritance his father had for him so he could go off and seek his fortune elsewhere.
Things didn’t quite work out as well the son had hoped for and he found himself down and out with no prospects of a better life for himself.
Having gone through the entirety of his inheritance, now with no job, no friends, no community of support, the younger son came to moment of decision – a moment of choice.
He chose to suck it up,
go home,
grovel before his father
and beg to be taken on as a hired hand.

All that happened after that:
the father’s demonstration of acceptance and welcome,
the lesson the father gave to his older son,
the analogy of the way God works,
none of this would have happened if the younger son hadn’t made the decision to come home.

It’s always a matter of choice, isn’t it?

Do you remember when Jesus was confronted with the question of whether good faithful folks should pay taxes, or not?
This is when Jesus asked for the questioner to get a coin from his satchel – legal tender.
He asked for the questioner to look at the coin and tell whose likeness was etched there in the coin.
Of course, the likeness was of the Caesar.

And, Jesus said it was a matter of choice:
Choose to give to Caesar all that is Caesars.
And also to give to God all that is God’s.

It seems that is always a matter of choice, isn’t it?

It was a matter of choice for the folks of Joshua’s day – some 3500 years ago.
It was a matter of choice for the folks of Jesus’ day – some 2000 years ago.
And it a matter of choice for the folks of our day as well.

And, it is in this reading that is found in our New Testament, that had meaning and value at least to the early followers of Jesus among the Johannine community,
and, I believe, has enormous value to us living in the 21st century.


Don’t you think that most folks are seeking a full life and would really like to know if there is (or was) any meaning in it?

Again, it is a matter of choice.
Anyone can opt to live a more meaning-full,
abundant life.
Anyone can live a life far more worth-while and abundant than ever thought possible.

Anyone can choose to become a part of the “Jesus movement”
and live a fuller life –
a more abundant life –
to be able live life to the max,
to be all they were intended to be.

Really, by not consciously choosing to be a part of the Jesus life, a person is allying themselves with forces contrary to the Kingdom of God that Jesus was trying to convey.
By not choosing, a person settles for something less –  
a lesser life,
perhaps, even with catastrophic consequences.

I can’t tell you how many conversations I have had with folks at the end of their life where they have realized that most of their lives were in vain,
the values they lived by led to unhappy results,
and all was for naught.

For them, it was a matter of choice.
For us, it is a matter of choice.
For all people all around us, it is a matter of choice.

Again, the words are so profound.
Believing in them produces profound results.
And, dedicating ourselves to the implications of the words are so empowering.

I have come so that you might live your life to the max –
so that you can be all you were meant to be.

Our gospel is power stuff.
Jesus introduced a whole life style with values that were in direct contrast with those of the prevailing culture of the day.
And, it changed lives.
Folks found it empowering.
And, not only were individuals changed,
but, communities changed,
countries changed,
the whole world changed.

And, through some miracle or another, accounts of that life style have been preserved and are handed down to us today.
And, not only do we have the anecdotal evidence of the words of countless individuals who have experienced life change,
but we have the results of scientific studies over the past 25 years, or so, to confirm that those who do make the choice to be a part of this Jesus movement, this church, experience a far fuller, more abundant life than those who do not choose to do so.

I have such strong feelings about this and the evidence that is being accumulated, that I have a planned series using the umbrella of MAXlife.

I intend to spend time on several topics that explore this MAXlife Jesus evoked.
I will share some of the striking scientific evidence in several areas that speak to the fullness of life lived in faith.
There will be sermons,
there will be handouts,
there will be invitations,
there will be information shared on the internet,
there will be a sharing of research, books, papers and writings.
Each week between now and Advent will be beneficial to you,
beneficial to anyone you know,
beneficial to folks you don’t know yet.

There are many aspects of this full, abundant life:
values, attributes, virtues –
all signs and/or goals to strive for.

I like to point out that it is no accident that there are so many gray heads in this room on any given Sunday.
Studies show that folks that go to church regularly actually live longer than those who don’t.
(And, surprise surprise, Presbyterians actually live longer than any other group!)

Also, folks that worship regularly heal faster from major operations, require less pain medication, and stay in the hospital fewer days than those who don’t.
 
Let everyone you know that it is a matter of choice – and it is most prudent to choose now.

Next week we will be looking at one of the most common topics addressed in the Bible – both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament:
allegiance.
Probably the number one (and certainly the strongest) element of the whole Bible is allegiance (or lack thereof).  

It is a matter of choice, we say.
And it is a matter of allegiance – what really has our devotion, our faith, our allegiance.

It is a matter of choice, Jesus says.
Choose now, Joshua says.  
Don’t delay, do it today.

There are reasons to be a part of community of faith such as we have here at Christ Church.
Ritual, prayer, forgiveness, work to let us live fuller lives:
lives of purpose,
mission-driven lives,
lives focused on the needs of others,
lives calibrated with positive attitude.
Full lives,
abundant lives,
meaning-full lives,
lives of significance.

It is a matter of choice.  Choose now.
Amen.

The congregation of Christ Presbyterian Church in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, USA, heard this sermon during a worship service Sunday, September 18, 2011.

Don't Worry, Jesus Said.

Would it surprise you to know that stress and anxiety was the number one topic of all of Jesus’ sayings? 

Jesus spent more time talking about stress and anxiety than any other topic. 

The tragedy of most of our lives is that we worry so much about tomorrow that we never claim the resources that God has provided to live today.

Jesus and those early believers seemed to know what our scientists are learning: 

most of the illnesses that strike at our frail human bodies are started from stress. 

Prolonged or excessive stress — the kind that overwhelms your ability to cope — can take a severe psychological and physical toll. 

They tell us that high stress levels have been linked to depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal problems, an impaired immune system and cancer. 

And, these are particularly stressful times for most of us. 

The current economic situation in our country and in the world, 

the loss of jobs, 

insufficient healthcare, 

the rise of illnesses and diseases and biological agents of destruction over which we have no control, the frightening change of climate right before our eyes, 

bad things that keep happening to good people, 

all work together to add stress to our lives day in and day out. 

One researcher commented: When you feel the demands on you are greater than the resources you have to cope with them, you feel stressed. 

For sure, doctors know that stress is your body's natural reaction to any kind of demand that disrupts life as usual. 

Occasional stress can temporarily speed up your heart rate and might raise your blood pressure. 

And as long as you get your stress under control, there's no damage. 

But, in times like these, doctors worry about long-term or chronic stress and accumulative stress. 

In the last few years, researchers have come up with a way to measure the effects of stress on health, 

and have come up some pretty reliable predictors. 

It is called the Holmes and Rahe Stress Scale. 

Occasionally something about this scale makes the news and you may have read something about it. 

Over the years they have identified some 47 stressors – life events that are major causes of stress in our lives. 

The number one stressor in our lives is the Death of a spouse. 

Other major stress events are: 

Divorce 

Marital separation 

Death of a close family member 

Personal injury or illness 

Marriage 

Dismissal from work 

Retirement 

Change in health of family member 

The list goes on. 

Each stress event is assigned a numerical value. 

Most people are able handle one of these stressors with little difficulty, but when faced with three or four or more, you are at high risk for major illness. 

Our bodies simply cannot handle many major stress factors at one time. 

Would it surprise you to know that stress and anxiety was the number one topic of all of Jesus’ sayings? 

Jesus spent more time talking about stress and anxiety than any other topic. 

More time than getting to heaven. 

More time than drinking. 

More time than money. 

More time than peace. 

More time than repenting. 

More time than praying. 

More time than anything. 

Jesus spend more time talking about stress and anxiety than anything else.  

Don’t be anxious, Jesus said. 

Stop worrying, Jesus said. 

But, that’s easier said than done, isn’t it? 

We live in an age of anxiety, don’t we? 

The pervasive image is the image of fear, isn’t it? 

– not the image of faith. 

It’s an image that is promulgated every time we sit down in front of the evening news, 

or get on an airplane, 

or – or – or. 

We respond to the old Scotch litany:  

"From ghoulies and ghosties 

and long-leggety beasties. 

And things that go bump in the night, 

Good Lord, deliver us!" 

It seems that we expect the worst, and we get it. 

A popular preacher once shared a helpful insight into the structure of fear. 

He observed that when an automobile breaks down it is more often the fault of the driver than the fault of the machine. 

The machine is tough and made to stand a great deal. 

But the driver of the car gets confused and makes a foolish judgment and the car breaks down – or is wrecked. 

Occasionally the machine does break down, but not so often. 

Well, the preacher declares it is the same with the human body. 

It is made to stand a great deal of stress. 

But frequently the "soul-mind," the driver of the body, gets off beam and the body gets sick and breaks down. 

Doctors and psychiatrists tell us this over and over again, stress, fear, worry, and anxiety are among the forces that attack the soul-mind and bring about the breakdown of the body.  

Don’t be anxious, Jesus said. 

Don’t worry, Jesus said. 

And, there is this almost unbelievable chemistry of fear. 

We are told that under the shock of a piano falling on her child it is often possible for a mother to do the impossible and lift the piano off her child. 

Immediately afterwards she loses that extra strength and cannot budge the piano. 

What has happened? 

Under the shock of possible injury to her child, adrenalin has poured into the mother’s blood stream, and under the stimulus of this powerful drug she does "the impossible" in order to save the child. 

This automatic reaction of the glands of our body to extreme and sudden fear can save our lives. 

But, this is not the end of the story. 

Under the influence of continued anxiety – long-drawn-out fear and dread – the adrenalin continues to seep slowly into the blood stream and poisons us. 

Eventually it can bring about physical breakdown. 

That is why a psychiatrist who was concerned about his patients was heard to say, "I wish that my patients could understand that the love, the forgiveness, the care of God is available to them at all times and in all circumstances." 

This kind of faith counterbalances fear and can bring healing to the physical body.  

Don’t be anxious, Jesus said. 

Don’t worry, Jesus said. 

Some years ago now, long long ago in some other time, there was a song that became very popular. 

It was Bobby McFerron’s simple, Don’t Worry, Be Happy.  

Here's a little song I wrote 

You might want to sing it note for note. 

Don't Worry – Be Happy. 

In Every life we have some trouble, 

When you worry you make it double. 

Don't worry – Be Happy. 

Ain't got no place to lay your head, 

Somebody came and took your bed. 

Don't worry – Be Happy 

The landlord says "Your rent is late," 

He may have to litigate. 

Don't worry – Be Happy! 

Ain't got no cash, 

Ain't got no style 

Ain't got no [one] to make you smile. 

Don't worry – Be Happy 

Cause when you worry 

Your face will frown 

And that will bring Everybody down, 

Don't Worry – Be Happy. 

Look at me. I'm Happy! 

I know, that sounds pretty superficial, doesn’t it? 

But, it is very close to what Jesus said:  

Don’t be anxious, Jesus said. 

Don’t worry, Jesus said. 

You can't miss what Jesus is saying, can you? 

Don't worry – Be happy!  

When we think about anxiety today, we think primarily in terms of relationship, or position, or security in life. 

We're anxious because we're afraid we're going to be rejected by someone else. 

We're anxious because we feel we're going to lose our status, our prestige, our position, our reputation in society. 

We're anxious because we feel we're not secure enough financially to face the future. 

But that's not the way the Bible talks about anxiety. 

It's a much deeper problem than that, you know? 

Jesus talks about it as the basic human condition. 

He says that we are anxious because we are separated from God. 

That's the nature of anxiety. 

It may take different forms in our life – depression, despair, resignation, run away ambition, idolatry, making a god out of something that isn't God. 

The root of all this – the cause of our worry and anxiety – Jesus would say it's basically a lack of trust in God. 

You see, it is a faith question. 

What is the root of all this – the cause of our worry and anxiety? 

Jesus would say it's basically a lack of trust in God.  

What good does your anxiety do? 

"Can you add one minute to your lifespan by being anxious?" 

Of course, it's just the opposite, isn’t it? 

You ask any doctor and they will tell you: stress and anxiety will decrease your life, not add to it. 

So it's dumb to be anxious, and unnecessary, because God has already provided all that you will ever need in this life. 

Everything you need God has provided. 

Could our anxiety be the result of not trusting God? 

So if you are addicted to covetousness it's not that you love things so much, it's because you have lost God, or at least lost sight of what it means to believe in God". 

So, you see, for Jesus, and in reality, stress and anxiety is a spiritual problem.  

Its root is in our relationship to God. 

Don’t be anxious, Jesus said. 

Don’t worry, Jesus said. 

You really don't have to worry Jesus says if the first priority of your life is the kingdom of God. 

You see, it is a faith issue. 

Seek first the Kingdom of God, then all else necessary for life and meaning and happiness will be added. 

We don't have to worry if the first priority of our life is the Kingdom of God. 

When we really hear what Jesus said, that song really is not as superficial as it first sounds:  

"In every life we have some trouble, 

when you worry you make it double. 

Don't worry – Be happy!" 

You don't have to worry if you live in the light. 

You don't have to worry if you know how important you are to God. 

You don't have to worry if the first priority of your life is the Kingdom of God. 

I don't suggest that during this week you surprise all your family and friends and companions at work by constantly singing "Don't worry – Be happy." 

I do suggest that you surprise them with the amazing calm and poise that can be yours if you keep claiming the promise of Jesus: "How much more will God take care of you...oh you of little faith." 

The tragedy of most of our lives is that we worry so much about tomorrow that we never claim the resources that God has provided to live today. 

In light of the worries and anxieties which life in these days set before us, let our response to them be based upon the affirmations and promises that Jesus shares with us. 

Don’t be anxious, Jesus said. 

Don’t worry, Jesus said. 

More than anything else, put God’s work first. 

Don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. 

God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. 

Believe it! 

Amen. 

The congregation of Christ Presbyterian Church in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania,USA, heard these words as part of a worship service September 4, 2011. 

This sermon was inspired by the gospel of Jesus as in Matthew 6:25-34.