1 Peter chapter 5. We come in our study through
the different books of the Bible to 1 Peter. The title of our
lesson this morning is a cure for excessive worry. 1 Peter
was written around 65 A.D. when Nero was Caesar. He was
running wild, persecuting Christians in so many horrible ways that
Nero is kind of famous for that. And many of these believers had
lost everything they had. They fled from their homeland
with just the clothes on their back. They lost everything. And
we can understand their worry. What's going to become of us
now? And Peter writes to them to comfort their hearts. And
these things are written to us, too, to comfort our hearts. This
is a general epistle addressed to all believers in this time
of trial and certainty that This is written to comfort our hearts,
just like it was our brethren 65 years after our Lord's birth. And the way Peter comforts the
hearts of God's people is by reminding them of the salvation
that's in our Lord Jesus Christ. He writes to remind us Christ
our Savior has taken care of every detail concerning the salvation
of his people. And he'll take care of every
detail that's required to bring his people safely home. So even
though we know that, now, you know that, we all know that.
The Lord's gonna take care of His people. He'll bring them
home. He'll provide. And even though we know that,
we worry about many, many things, don't we? Now, when we talk about
worry, let me say this. We've got to plan ahead. We've
gotta do what's necessary to take care of the responsibilities
that the Lord's given us on this earth. So there's nothing wrong
with worrying about those things, putting some thought into those
things. The sin is found in excessive worry. Excessive worry. That's
very unbecoming to a child of God to be excessively worried
over anything. Excessive worry questions God's
providence. I wouldn't do it this way if
I were in control. That's questioning God's providence.
Excessive worry questions God's wisdom. I'd find a better way
to do it if I were in control. It's questioning God's wisdom.
Excessive worry questions God's love. This isn't fair. Why is this happening to me?
It's questioning God's love for me. Excessive worry questions
God's provision. What am I going to eat? What
am I going to wear? What am I? That's questioning God's provision.
Excessive worry questions the very character of God. Is he going to take care of me
like he promised he'd do or did he lie? Is he going to forget
me or is he going to remember me like he promised he'd do?
You see how excessive worry questions God's character, doesn't it?
And really this excessive worry, I tell you where it comes from.
It comes from our pride. Our pride makes us think we can
handle this situation. if we just think about it hard
enough and worry about it long enough that we find a solution
to the problem. It comes from our pride. So the
first cure for excessive worry is humility. Acknowledging that
we're helpless. Acknowledging that we're nothing.
The cure for excessive worry is humility. Acknowledging that
without Christ we can do nothing. Look here at verse six. Peter
says, humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God
that he may exalt you in due time. Peter tells us to humble
ourselves because our pride gets us in so much trouble. Pride
keeps us thinking we don't need to rely upon the Lord. We don't
need him, so we don't rely on him. Pride makes us think that.
Pride was man's first sin. Pride made Adam rebel against
God because Adam wanted to be like God. It's pride. And pride
is common to all of Adam's descendants. He passed that right on to every
one of us. And it's pride that leads us
to so many other sins. Adam found that out. Pharaoh
and Uzziah, they found that out. Nebuchadnezzar found it out.
And I'll tell you who else who found that out. Old Peter. Now Peter tells us, humble yourselves
under the mighty hand of God. It is impossible for us to kill
the pride that's in us by nature. Spurgeon made this statement.
He said, pride is a sin with a thousand lives. It's impossible
to kill it. It flourishes on that which should
be its poison. It glories in its shame. That's
us isn't it? Pride is impossible to kill.
So Peter tells us, humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand
of God that he may exalt you in due time. First, let's humble
ourselves before God. If we would come to God, come
to him humbly. He hates pride. Seven things
he hates. The first one, pride. Come to
God humbly. Come to God without anything
to recommend ourselves to God. Come to God as nothing, seeking
Christ to be our everything. You who know the Lord, isn't
that the way you first came to the Lord? When you first came
to the Lord, didn't you come to Him as nothing? Did you come
to Him as absolutely helpless, needing Christ to be your everything?
Of course it is. Then keep coming to Him that
way. Always come to God as a humble,
mercy beggar who needs God to do everything for us. If we'll
do that, we'll have no reason for excessive anxiety. If we're
really relying on the Lord to do everything for us, what have
you got to worry about? What's going to go wrong? What's
he not able to handle? And a believer learns that the
more we grow in grace. As we grow in grace, as we grow
stronger in grace, that doesn't mean we grow more independent.
No, the stronger we grow in grace, the more dependent we become
on the Lord. So come to God humbly, acknowledging
who He is. Come to Him acknowledging that
He's holy, that He's sovereign. Come to Him acknowledging that
He's just. Now, if we come to God humbly,
acknowledging that He's just, we're never going to have to
ask the question, why is this happening to me? Right? Because
if God's just, whatever He does with me is right. That's coming
to God humbly, acknowledging who He is. And let's come to
God acknowledging who we are. that we're sinful, that we need
forgiveness, that we need mercy, that we need help. We need his
presence every hour. Come to God humbly. Well, how
do I do that? Let me give you two examples. The first one is Nineveh. Remember
Jonah finally went to Nineveh and told him God's going to destroy
this place. And the king called everybody together, issued a
proclamation. He said, now let's humble ourselves.
Let's cry mightily unto God. Who can tell if God will turn
from His fierce anger and not destroy us? And you know what? The Lord spared that city, didn't
He? They came, they sought Him, they begged mercy humbly, and
the Lord spared that city. That's the way we're to come
to God humbly. Next look in Luke chapter 18. Here's another example. Of a needy sinner who came to the
Lord humbly. And someone who came just the
opposite way in pride. Luke chapter 18, verse nine. And he spake this parable unto
certain which trusted in themselves, that they were righteous and
despised others. Two men went up into the temple to pray, the
one a Pharisee and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood
and prayed thus with himself. God, I thank thee that I'm not
as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as
this publican. I fast twice in the week. I give
tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar
off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but
smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down
to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone
that exalted himself should be abased, but he that humbled himself
should be exalted. There's an illustration of just
exactly what Peter said. God resisted the proud, didn't
he? He wouldn't hear the prayer of
the proud. He wouldn't hear the prayer of the man who's praying
thus with himself. But he heard the prayer of that
poor sinner who said, God be merciful to me. He went to his
house justified. God heard the prayer of the humble. Now look at James chapter four. The grace of humility. This is
a grace that only God can give. The grace of humility. The grace
of humility draws even more grace from God. James 4 verse 6. But he giveth more grace. Wherefore
he saith, God resisteth the proud, but gives grace unto the humble. He giveth more grace. Humility
The grace of humility draws even more grace from God. So let's
come to God humbly. Second, let's humble ourselves
in the church. Look at verse five here, 1 Peter
chapter five, verse five. Likewise, ye younger, submit
yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one
to another and be clothed with humility. For God resisteth the
proud and giveth grace to the humble. Let's humble ourselves
in the church. Let's come to the worship service
with humility, with a great need for God to speak to us. We have
such a need of Him. Let's come humbly. You know I
can't preach unless God is with me, unless God blesses me. But
I tell you, you can't hear unless God enables you either. So let's
come humbly. Come with that attitude of humility.
Let's come to the worship service to be taught. Don't come as a
know-it-all, like I already know this and I'm going to show other
people and tell other people. That's not the right attitude.
Let's come to the worship service with a need to be taught. Just last week, I spoke to two
substitute teachers. And the question, the obvious
question you ask a substitute teacher is, what grades do you
teach? What grades would you prefer
to be called in to teach? And both of them immediately
said the younger ones. I prefer the littler children
because they don't know it all yet. You get to the high school
kids, they already know it all. Now let's come to God with that
attitude. Let's come to the worship service with that attitude. I
don't know anything. I know nothing as I ought. Would
you teach me? Would you teach me something
about yourself today? And let's come to the church.
The church is not a building. The church is people. Let's come
together and meet together with each other clothed in humility. Peter tells us the younger absolutely
are to submit to the elder. They're to submit to the teaching
and the leadership of the elder. But let's all now defer to one
another. Let's deal with each other in
humility. Yes, the younger are to submit
to the elder. But now, you older believers,
Now let's be patient with the human. Be patient. Have some
humility. We were just like him. Probably
worse. Worse off. Worse in every way. Deal with
each other in humility. Seek the good of others first. Really assuming they deserve
it more than me. That's humility. And if we'll
do that, the whole body will benefit. Not just me, but the
whole body of Christ. And then thirdly, let's humble
ourselves in a time of trial. Peter says, humble yourself under
the mighty hand of God. Let's not be a rebel. Don't struggle
and fight against God's mighty hand like a rebel does. What
use is it to fight against God anyway? So let's rather submit
ourselves to his wisdom. Let's submit ourselves to his
might. And in time of affliction now,
let's humble ourselves and submit to God's will. When we're in
a time of trial, what we always pray is this, Lord, would you
end this trial. End the pain, end the sickness, end the whatever
it is. Deliver a way out. And I tell
you, a better prayer would be this. Lord, would you enable
me to learn what you're teaching? If we learn what the trial's
teaching, Let's humble ourselves under the will of God. In a time
of affliction, I tell you whose prayer we ought to copy. We ought
to copy the prayer of the Savior himself. Lord, not as I will,
but as you will. Lord, your will be done. That's
submitting ourselves to the will of God. And I tell you this too,
keep this in mind. If the Lord tries you with prosperity,
brother, you better watch it now. Humble yourselves in a time
of prosperity, humble yourselves before God. Where did that prosperity
come from? I'll tell you what, when we prosper,
this is what we think, this happened because I did something right,
I did something good. Now wait a minute, where did it come from?
No, it came from God, didn't it? It came from His hand, not
because we did anything right, So when you prosper, this is
this is the. The way that trial can be so
deceiving. When you prosper, are you going to need God as
much as when you had nothing? Be careful now that can happen.
Look at Second Chronicles Chapter 26. Do you become so prosperous
that now you don't? Do you think you don't need God? Second Chronicles Chapter 26. Here, chapter 26 is all about
all the the blessings of King Uzziah when he began to reign
as king when he was 16 years old. All the Lord blessed him
in every way. And look here at the end of verse
15. And his name spread far broad,
for he was marvelously helped till he was strong. But when
he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction,
for he transgressed against the Lord, his God, and went into
the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense. And you know the story, how the
priest withstood him, and Uzziah was so full of pride, he went
in to do it anyway, and God struck him white with leprosy. The man
died a leper. Oh, the Lord blessed him marvelously,
till he was strong. The trial of prosperity. So when
you find yourself in a time of prosperity, humble yourself under
the mighty hand of God, what do you have you didn't receive?
Everything we have, God gave us. So the first cure for excessive
worry is humility. The second cure for excessive
worry is just cast it all on the Lord. Rely on the Lord to
do all things for you. Look back in our text, verse
seven of 1 Peter 5. Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth
for you. Every person sitting here this
morning has got to care, got to worry. What is it that's causing
you to worry? Whatever it is, cast it all on
the Lord. Just cast it all on Him. If you
cast it all on the Lord, you don't have anything to worry
about, because He can take care of it. The songwriter said, take
your burden to the Lord and leave it there. If the world from you
withhold of its silver and its gold, and you have to get along
with meager fare, just remember in his word how he feeds a little
bird. Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there. If your
body suffers pain and your health you can't regain, and your soul
is almost sinking in despair, Jesus knows the pain you feel.
He can save you. Take your burden to the Lord
and just leave it there. When your youthful days are gone
and old age is stealing on and your body bends beneath the weight
of care, He'll never leave you then. He'll go with you to the
end. Take your burden to the Lord
and leave it there. Cast it all on Him. I want to
give you a few examples of some things that we find ourselves
commonly worrying excessively about. Number one is our sin,
especially our past sin, the sins of our youth. I've talked
to so many older believers who often just worry themselves to
death about the sins of their youth. They're ashamed of them,
all those things. And I grant you, there's no excuse for sin.
I grant you it's shameful. But now the sin of God's elect
has been blotted out under the blood of Christ. God says that
the sin of His people has been buried in the depths of the sea.
Now, what are you trying to dig them up for? Just trust Christ. His blood put them away. You
don't need to dig them back up. God said He won't even remember
the sin of His people. Well, what are you worrying about
them for and trying to remind God of them? Leave them there. Leave them under the blood of
Christ. Take all of your sin and just cast on Christ. Cast all your hope of the forgiveness
of your sins on Christ. He's the only one who can forgive
them anyway. Cast them all on Him. Second, we worry about this. We worry about whether or not
I'll persevere to the end. And I know why we worry about
that, because this is what I know. I won't persevere for a nanosecond. If God takes His mighty hand
off of me, we're not able. Then cast all your care on Christ. Cast the responsibility of persevering
to the end on him. He's able to do it. We're not.
So just cast it all on him. Look at Psalm 55. This is the
I think the verse that Peter is talking about here. Cast your
worry about persevering and not leaving Christ on Christ because
he promised to take care of his people. He promised to keep his
Then just cast all the responsibility on him. Psalm 55 verse 22. Cast thy burden upon the Lord
and he shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous
to be moved. He'll never suffer the righteous
to be taken away from him. Then just cast it all on him. Hebrews chapter 13. Here's another
verse. Verse five, let your conversation, your conduct
be without covetousness and be content with such things as you
have. For he has said, I will never leave thee nor forsake
thee. Now that's the promise of our
savior. He's promised to never leave nor forsake his people.
He promised to keep them. Then cast the responsibility
of your soul on him, of keeping your soul on him. Third, we worry about sickness
and pain and death. Now when we get sick, we find
ourselves, a doctor tells us we've got some disease. The wise
thing to do is seek the best medical treatment you can find.
Trying to find the best doctors, the best treatment, that's not
excessive worry, that's just wisdom. But now cast the excessive
worry about that illness, that pain, cast it on the Lord. Isn't he the great physician?
Is he or isn't he? Is he the great physician? Then
cast it on him. Rely on him to heal. Rely on
him to comfort. Just put all the responsibility
on him. Our worry has never helped the
situation one iota. Just cast it on him. Four. Every parent spends time worrying
about our children. We worry. How will they grow
up? Will they grow up to be responsible
adults? What kind of world is it we're
leaving our children to live in? Will the Lord save them? Will the Lord save my children?
Oh, how we love them. How we worry. Is the Lord going
to save them? Will He leave them to themselves? Now, let me say
this to parents. We must be the best parent we
can be. Don't get a fatalistic attitude.
Well, the Lord's going to save me, He's going to save them.
Don't have that attitude. Be the best parent you know how
to be. Now, we've got to teach our children.
You've got to teach them how to live in this world. You've
got to teach them right from wrong. You've got to teach them. You've got to discipline them.
You've got to love them. Give them a solid base of a home. You've got to do everything you
can point your children to Christ. Just do everything you can. Make sure your children are in
the sound of the gospel. Jan, I did this when we had little
ones, and I strongly encourage our parents. I know I'm preaching
to the choir, but I wouldn't let a Sunday go by if I could
help it to my children when I teach classes. Now, we've got three
of the best teachers you'll find anywhere. I'd make sure My children
will understand the gospel because faith comes by hearing. We must
do that. But in the end, if the Lord saves
them, it's not because we were good parents. It's because of
the Lord's mercy and his mercy alone. Then cast your care of
the salvation of your children upon the Savior. Wouldn't it
be smart, cast your care on the one who saves? Just cast it on
Him. Now teach Him. Be sure they're
here to hear the Word. But cast your worry for their
souls upon the Lord. He's an angel. Fifth, we worry
about this. We worry, will we have enough
to survive in old age? Will we have enough shelter?
Will we have enough to eat? Will we? Look at Psalm 37. If you worry about that, now
you cast your worry, your care on the Lord. Look what David says in Psalm
37, verse 25. David says, I've been young and
now I'm old. Yet have I not seen the righteous
forsaken nor his seed begging bread. You won't be the first. You won't be. Just cast that
worry on the Lord. You know, we worry, will I have
enough warm clothes to wear in the winter? Cast that worry on
the Lord. The Lord said, you consider the
lilies. Oh, He said Solomon and his glory wasn't arrayed like
one of them. The Lord clothes them. Aren't
you much better than a flower? Won't He clothe you? Oh, you
will be okay. He promised He will. Cast that
worry on the Lord. Then we worry about our jobs,
don't we? We worry in the economy, will the company cut back? Will
they go out of business? Will I lose my job? Now, when
you're on the job, you go there and you do the best job you know
how to do. You do everything you can to
make that company profitable. A company being profitable is
not an evil thing. If they're profitable, they can
keep giving you jobs. And if you don't do a good job,
you ought to be worried about losing your job. If you're not
doing a good job, you ought to lose it. But if you do the best job
you know how to do, then don't worry if there's going to be
cutbacks. You just cast that worry on the
Lord. You trust Him to provide the job you have. Who gave it
to you in the first place? Whitney A. will give you another
one? Of course He will. His name is Jehovah Jireh. I believe we can trust the Lord
to provide if that's his name, don't you? And then last, we
worry about the political climate. Who's going to be president?
Who's going to run this thing? You know, it seems like a bunch
of fools. Only people got the opportunity to get the job. And
I do fear greatly for this country because of who's leading it.
I fear greatly. But I want to tell you what.
I don't care who it is we elect in November. Bob, I know who's
going to be on the throne in November. When is the inauguration? January? I know who's going to
be on the throne in January. Lord knows. And he going to be
on the throne? Then cast your worry about the
governing of things upon the King of Kings. Whoever we elect
as president is unable to do anything to fix the situation,
but he is. Then cast your care on him. Here's
a key. Cast your care on him. And leave
it there. Leave it there. Don't take your
burden to the Lord with two or take it to him with two hands.
Don't take it with one. Don't don't cast your burden
on Lord one hand. Take it back with the other. Cast it on him. Just leave it there. Just leave
it there. Now I want to give you in closing
a good reason to cast your care on him. Peter says, for he cared
for you. You cast your burden on the Lord.
He loves you. He cares about what happens to
his people. He's touched with the feeling
of our infirmity. He said, Jacob have I loved. I loved him with a special love.
an unchanging, eternal love. And I'm going to provide for
him. I'm going to take care of him. I'm going to shepherd him.
Jacob said at the end of his life, God shepherded me my entire
life long. He'll do the same for you. And
isn't that comforting? To be told, first of all, cast
your care on him. All your care, you cast it on
him who's got the power and the wisdom to take care of the situation.
Cast your care on him. who loves you enough to take
care of the situation for you. Cast your care on him. If Lord
will enable us to do that, we'll be done with excessive worry.
We'll be done with it for today. We'll pick it back up tomorrow
and we'll go back and be reminded of these things. But this is
this is not a one time thing. You know, if Peter say casting
your just cast your care on constantly casting your care on tomorrow.