WORRY - Phil. 4:4-8

1. Introduction

A. Mike Gorman, Director of the National Mental Health Commission:

1. Every other bed; sees a day when 60% of our hospital beds will be occupied by mental cases.

a. Primary cause of mental illness is worry or fear.

b. Psychiatrists now believe worry is much more contagious than diptheria and polio.

c A worrying, fretting parent infects the children.

B. Worry comes from the Greek work merimnao.

1. Combination of two words: merizo (to divide), and nous (mind).

a. Worry then, means to divide the mind.

b. Worry divides the mind between worthwhile interests and damaging thoughts.

c. Apostle James 1:8 - Doubleminded man is unstable in all his ways.

d. The worrier robs hmmself of peace of mind by dividing his mind.

2. Worry divides the feelings; emotions lack stability.

a. Worry divides the understanding; therefore, convictions are shallow and changeable.

b. Worry divides the faculty of perception; therefore, observations are faulty and untrustworthy.

c. Worry divides the faculty of judging; therefore, attitudes and decisions are often unjust.

d. Worry divides the determinative faculties; therefore, our plans and purposes are not followed through.

3. Extreme of worry is abulia.

a. Often termed "nervous breakdown."

b. It is the loss of the power to will.

c. The mind is do divided it cannot act in one channel.

d. Like a mule standing between two haystacks starving to death trying to decide which one to eat from.

e. In a nervous breakdown pressures have so built up the victim ceases struggling with his

problems and responds in a depressed and passive manner.

f. Worry is public enemy no. 1.

II. Worry IS SIN.

A. Two reasons:

1. It is a distrust in the truthfulness of God.

2. It is detrimental to the temple of God.

B. Distrust of God.

1. When you worry you accuse God of falsehood.

a. God says "All things work together for good to them that love him." Worry says, "God, you lie!"

b. God says, "He does all things well." Worry says "God, you lie."

c. God says, "I will supply all your need." Worry says. "God you lie,"

d. God says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Worry says. ...

e. God says, "I care for you." Worry says......

2. To worry is sheer hypocrisy; we profess faith in God while at the same time we assail his veracity.

C. Detrimental to the Temple of God.