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• September 1, 2020

TURN YOUR WORRIES AND WEEPING TO WORSHIP

TOPIC: TURN YOUR WORRIES AND WEEPING TO WORSHIP
TEXT: John 14:1-3

INTRODUCTION:

1. “Do not be worried and upset,” Jesus told them.
“Believe in God and believe also in me.
2. There are many rooms in my Father’s house,
and I am going to prepare a place for you.
I would not tell you this if it were not so.
3. And after I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back and take you to myself,
so that you will be where I am.

This life is full of different pathetic events that keep people in the state of WORRY and WEEPING. As a matter of fact, the more people seek solution to soften the unpalatable situation of the world, the harder it becomes.

When Jesus Christ was rounding off His earthly ministry, He had prepared His disciples for the coming of the Comforter i.e. the Holy Spirit, who would continue to sustain and empower them to do great exploits after His ascension into heaven. He told them not to be ‘…worried and upset…’ because He knew that so many things would want to grieve them and discourage them not to take their stands after He might have gone back to heaven. He encouraged them ‘to believe in God and also in Him.’ That ‘He has a lot of packages for them… if it were not so, he wouldn’t tell them…’

There are so many things today that could make you worry and weep. I encourage you to believe in Jesus and take your stand in His words. He’s the only Friend that is more than 10,000 to you. He’s everything to you – He’s your Comforter – He’s the only One that understands the situation of your life.

TURN YOUR WORRY TO WORSHIP
WORRY is a state of anxiety and uncertainty over actual or potential problems. It is being anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems.

Worry attacks the heart. When it is able to destabilize your heart, your body will be weakened. Then, you will be pressed to act abnormally.
Worry is a spirit used by Satan to make one weary, weak, and weep.
It doesn’t have anything to offer you than to turn you far away from your Maker.

Philippians 4:6-8

6. Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart.
7. And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.
8. In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honourable.

Apostle Paul was the one speaking in the Bible passage above. He spoke vehemently to the Philippian Church because of the distractions around them and the struggles of life that could make them be wavering in faith. Of a truth, if Christian is not careful, worry can make one lose faith.

Worry can only add to your problems; it cannot solve them. The effect of worry is depression. When you are depressed, it can lead to sickness; you might also hurt yourself, then, you give room for Devil to occupy your heart.

Jesus admonished His followers:
Matthew 6: 25- 34
25. “This is why I tell you: do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for your body. After all, isn’t life worth more than food? And isn’t the body worth more than clothes?
26. Look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren’t you worth much more than birds?
27. Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it?
28. “And why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow: they do not work or make clothes for themselves.
29. But I tell you that not even King Solomon with all his wealth had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers.
30. It is God who clothes the wild grass—grass that is here today and gone tomorrow, burned up in the oven. Won’t he be all the more sure to clothe you? What little faith you have!
31. “So do not start worrying: ‘Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes?’
32. (These are the things the pagans are always concerned about.) Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things.
33. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.
34. So do not worry about tomorrow; it will have enough worries of its own. There is no need to add to the troubles each day brings.

Your God who makes you wonderfully and beautifully clothed knows what you need and is able to do them for you. By worrying, you cannot fast forward his plans for your life. Too much worry can lead you to an early grave.
I encourage you to put off the garment of worry and put on the garment of praise. It is well with you.

You can listen to this song on YouTube: “YOU DON’T HAVE TO WORRY…”

TURN YOUR WEEPING TO WORSHIP
Weeping is a process of shedding tears. Weeping comes as a result of depression, feelings of deep pain, weariness and agony.

Weeping and crying is not the same. Weeping comes with serious emotional feelings of pain while crying is about the sound of expression. One may be crying and not weeping (Google dictionary).

Bellieni, September 4, 2020 says
Weeping is a form of releasing intense emotion and physical tension. When we weep, we tell our body that it’s okay to relax. This helps us reset our system, so to speak, and move on. And seeing someone weep makes us want to help them weep because of emotion attached to it.

Psalms 42:1-4
1. As a deer longs for a stream of cool water, so I long for you, O God.
2. I thirst for you, the living God. When can I go and worship in your presence?
3. Day and night I cry, and tears are my only food; all the time my enemies ask me, ‘Where is your God?’
4. My heart breaks when I remember the past, when I went with the crowds to the house of God and led them as they walked along, a happy crowd, singing and shouting praise to God.

The bible passages above are the outpouring of the Psalmist when he was grieved with pains and agony. He expressed his feelings about the situation of life he found himself which made him make weeping his food day and night. However, there was no solution until he resolved within himself to acknowledge the existence of the Lord in his situation and worshipped him.

Weeping cannot change your situation, it can only make you weaker. So, stop weeping, instead, open your heart to worshipping God. When you weep too much, your eyes will be closed to see God’s goodness and His wonders in your life. When you weep too much, you will not think of the next line of action that will take you to the next level. When you weep too much, it leads you to sickness.
Devil uses weeping as an instrument to distract you and take your mind off what your Creator (God) can do to lift you up of your situation.

THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE FACED THEIR WEEPING MOMENTS.

1. David – 1 Samuel 30:6.
David was returning from a war in which he could not fight. While away, the enemies came and invaded the city where he was living. They took away every member of his household and that of his soldiers – wives and children. They also burnt the city. What a tragedy! David and his men broke down in tears. They wept so much that they were weak. Read Verse 6-8.

6. David was now in great trouble, because his men were all very bitter about losing their children, and they were threatening to stone him; but the LORD his God gave him courage.
7. David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod,” and Abiathar brought it to him.
8. David asked the LORD, “Shall I go after those raiders? And will I catch them?” He answered, “Go after them; you will catch them and rescue the captives.”

The moment David came back to his sense, he stopped weeping. He wiped his tears and worshipped God, then inquired from God what the next action should be like. No wonder he was able to recover all.

2. Hannah – 1 Samuel 1
Because of her childlessness, she was mocked, molested and even called names. These made her to weep repeatedly, having sorrowful heart. But the day she stopped weeping and spoke to God in deep worship, to the extent that the priest thought she was drunk, her situation changed for better and she later became the mother of more than five children.

3. Jesus Christ – John 11:35, 42-43.
Jesus Christ demonstrated a strong feeling of humanity when he got to Lazarus’ tomb. He wept like others did. The moment He stopped weeping, He called on his Father and miracle followed immediately! Read Verse 42-43.

41. They took the stone away. Jesus looked up and said, “I thank you, Father, that you listen to me.
42. I know that you always listen to me, but I say this for the sake of the people here so that they will believe that you sent me
He gave befitting worship to God in heaven and called out the dead man.

The major lesson drawn from the three Bible characters above is that; at every situation of your life when you choose weeping instead of worship, you will not see the move of God.
I don’t know what you are going through right now, no matter how severe it is, weeping is not the best option to unlock your MIRACLE.

 

GOD KNOWS ABOUT YOUR WORRY AND WEEPING
Text: Isaiah 43:1- 3

1. Israel, the LORD who created you says, “Do not be afraid—I will save you. I have called you by name—you are mine.
2. When you pass through deep waters, I will be with you; your troubles will not overwhelm you. When you pass through fire, you will not be burned; the hard trials that come will not hurt you.
3. For I am the LORD your God, the holy God of Israel, who saves you. I will give up Egypt to set you free; I will give up Ethiopia and Seba.”

God knows about your WORRY and weeping… His silence does not mean that He has forgotten or forsaken you. He feels what you are feeling, He cares for you, He is Omniscience, He’s ever-present at the centre of your pains and sorrow.

Quickly ponder on the wordings of this hymn:

“There’s not a Friend like the lowly Jesus:
No, not one! no, not one!
None else could heal all our souls’ diseases:
No, not one! no, not one!

Refrain:
Jesus knows all about our struggles;
He will guide ’til the day is done:
There’s not a Friend like the lowly Jesus:
No, not one! no, not one!

I told you earlier what WORRY does; it attacks your heart, when it is able to destabilize your heart, your body will be weakened, then, you will be pressed to act abnormally.

Worry is a spirit used by satan to make one weary, weak, and weep.

What weeping does: It blinds your eyes not to see what God, your Creator, has in plan for you. The Bible passages we read state it clear what the Lord has in mind for you.

In whatever situation of life, you are right now, He knows about it and He’s about to help you out of it.

The reason you could not find help from friends, parents and loved ones are because they are limited; they don’t have solutions to your problem in their hands; they are not in that situation with you.

Your Creator, your Maker and Lord is the only One that can help you out. That’s why you are still alive today.

WHO HE IS TO YOU…
1. He is the peace you need – John 14:27

27. “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.

2. He is the answer to your prayers – 1 John 5:14-15

14. We have courage in God’s presence because we are sure that he hears us if we ask him for anything that is according to his will.
15. He hears us whenever we ask him; and since we know this is true, we know also that he gives us what we ask from him.

He didn’t close his ears to your call, you just need to hold on your faith in him. Stand on his promises

3. He can restore you.
The Bible says “Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
This verse is more than a notion. There is power in prayer to help you beat anxiety and depression. Jesus is The Great Physician. There’s no wonder that there are so many accounts of Him healing people during His earthly ministry.

CONCLUSION
This life is wonderful, beautiful and worth living if you are in good health and alive to enjoy the plans and purposes of God for you. I want you to know that your enemy, Satan, knows that God has plans for you. He is therefore looking for ways to distract you through the situation of life around you. If you can put Him to His place by aligning yourself with your Creator every hour, giving befitting songs of praise and worship in truth, He will prove himself to you.

God watches over you, why will you allow yourself to be discouraged? He doesn’t sleep neither does He slumber; stop worrying and stop weeping. Turn your heart to worship God. You can unlock your miracle through a strong worship.

Finally, if you have not given your life to Jesus Christ, I encourage you to do that now, because He’s the solution to your worries and sorrow. He came to destroy the works of the Devil and breaks the yoke of sins and curse on you and give you a new life; life in abundance.

Prayers:

1. My Father and my God, I thank You because You are always there for me, even at this situation of my life. I thank You because I know You’re’re able to help me out.
2. Have mercy on me oh Lord, let Your mercy speak volumes over every judgment passed on me.
3. I know You are the lifter of my head, lift me up out of this situation of my life now and wipe away my tears.

Find a befitting song of praise right now and begin to worship Him. As you are doing that, pour your heart to God as Hannah did.

You are next in line for a miracle.

Shalom!

Rev’d John A. Aderogba
ROPMI