By the end of this time, you will know when God lies. It’s not fake. It’s real.

When God lies. I’ll tell you right now what this workshop is actually about, the title. Do we have any guesses?

Any guesses on what in the world this topic could be? Good. I like it that way.

No guesses. We could subtitle it, no worries. No worries.

Worry, anxiety, stuff that all guys think is just a lady’s problem. and the ladies sometimes don’t want to admit it. But the fact is I made it ambiguous because I think this is something that every single person struggles with.

On one side or the other, there’s two ditches. We’re going to talk about the two ditches, optimism, pessimism. You guys heard that before, optimism, pessimism.

That’s what we’re going to be starting out looking at and going contrary to what we’d normally think that, well, as long as we’re, you know, we look down on those

that are pessimistic and we just think, no, Christians should be optimistic all the time. And I’m going to show you why that’s not the case. It’s just as much of a ditch.

Okay, let’s start out here with a word of prayer. Lord, I do pray that you would reveal things to us, Lord, things that we know we need, things that we don’t know we need, but that you would use this time, use me, Lord, and have just every heart to be receptive, have ears to hear during this time, when we pray in your name, amen. Talking about worry and anxiety is really a matter of life and death.

And we just heard a testimony in the last session about where this can lead. And I think it really starts out with anxiety, being anxious about something. One of my friends defined anxiety or being anxious as anticipation with a drop of fear.

I kind of like that. Do you ever like that with a class going into, for us it’s like going into Greek class or Hebrew class. whatever your class is, going into chemistry or trig or whatever it is, and it’s like there’s a lot of anxiety, anticipation with a drop of fear.

I can relate to that. I don’t know if you guys can.

So that’s how it starts. It starts with that, but then we go on to worry, and that’s when we can’t get it off our minds. It takes over, and now what was just a little something we were afraid about, Now it’s something that is controlling our lives, and it’s all we can think about.

We become insecure about these things, and then that will move on to depression. In the U.S., ages 15 to 24 years old, suicide is the, of all the causes of death, suicide is number three. And two-thirds of every suicide is a result of depression.

It’s a big deal for teenagers our age. In fact, recent studies are showing that in the age group, 15 to 24-year-olds, the amount of depression is skyrocketing. And that’s why this is such a big deal, and that’s why I’m thrilled that we have so many in here.

So looking at the two sides of this, there’s two ditches. But the first I want to look at is optimism, because if you’re like me, there’s some people that have a tendency either way. either towards pessimism or optimism.

Me, I would definitely be in the optimism side. The no worries. I was just in Australia this last summer, and I’ll reference that later.

But I was just in Australia. Some of you have heard the podcast from there. It’s all about the no worries, or she’ll be right, which is she’ll be all right, which they can say about anything, you know, whatever.

She’ll be right. Don’t worry about it, okay? I worked for a company called NatureScape, And we go around with a big truck and a ride-on spreader, and we spread fertilizer and weed control on residential properties.

And so I’m working for this company. Well, I have a friend. Do you remember the guy that sang with me this morning, Mark Gilmore?

I saw him up there. Okay, you know him. Well, he was onto this for a while.

It drove me crazy. But in class, if you ever, you know, complain about the homework or whatever it was you were upset about, you’re worried about something, he just thought, And it’s just like, don’t worry about it. Just like that.

Just don’t worry about it. And it just drove me crazy, because there’s no answer to my problem. It’s just don’t worry about it.

I said, all right, thanks, Mark. Yeah, I appreciate it. And so I told him, finally, I was just fed up with it.

I was like, all right, Mark. We’re going to see how this works. I said, next time I have a really angry customer at Nature Skate, I’m just going to tell him, hey, don’t worry about it.

He’s like, OK. We’ll see if that really works. We’ll see if it works.

I’m going to use it. So we get angry customers periodically, whether it’s because you did their lawn and you weren’t supposed to and they’re allergic to the chemicals,

something like that, oops, I did the neighbor. So that happens sometimes. Sometimes the lawn that you did that you weren’t supposed to is some naturalist freak lady.

And it’s like, ah, these chemicals, yeah, it’s no good. But other times it’s just because you miss a spot on their lawn or you spray the flowers and kill all of them or something like that. There’s a lot of things that can go wrong.

So I didn’t know which situation it would be,

but I was already with this line. Don’t worry about it. All right, so I’m out in South Milwaukee going, and I’m spraying some guy’s lawn.

And all of a sudden, I hear him yell. It’s just a little lawn, but he yells from the window, hey, you missed a spot. And I looked into the window, and I was like, hey, where is it?

And he’s like, over there by the driveway. I was like, all right. So I start walking over there, and I remember.

And he goes, you guys, every time you miss that same spot,

I can’t believe it. And I just turned to the window. I said, hey, don’t worry about it.

Oh, man, that guy was not happy. Don’t worry about it? What do you mean, don’t worry about it?

I didn’t pay $250 to have them send someone out here

tell me not to worry about it. I’m thinking, oh boy, thanks, Mark. The guy disappears from the window.

And I’m like, oh, here he comes. And this big old guy comes walking. I mean, he was a solid dude.

He comes walking out there, and I’m standing here with my little squirt gun, you know. And he walks up to me. He’s like, man, I don’t appreciate your attitude.

I can’t believe this. I’m going to call NatureScape. I’m going to tell him you told me not to worry about it.

You’re going to lose your job. I was thinking really fast. Like, how do I get out of this?

I’m going to call my friend Mark, you know. No, no. So I just thought, I was like, hey, hey, hey, no, no, no, no.

You misunderstood me. I said, what I meant was, I’m going to worry about it so you don’t have to. Hey.

He goes, you better worry about it. So anyway, that ended about like that. I was talking to my manager later.

Legit. I said, if you get a call from a guy asking for me, just tell him not to worry about it. So optimism doesn’t always work out that great.

It really doesn’t. But I want us to think about it seriously. How does this apply to, hey, you know, there’s this thing called sin, right?

Sin deserves a place called hell. Jesus died for that, but don’t worry about it. How would that look?

That’d be pretty bad, right? That’d be pretty bad. But what is it any different when you’re in Christian life with, hey, I got this thing called sin.

And yeah, it’s wrecking my relationship with my parents. I’m afraid to be around them because I don’t know if they found out yet. It’s wrecking my relationship with my friends.

I’ve got sin in my life. It’s wrecking my relationship with my God. But no worries.

Someday I’ll get over it. Someday it’ll be fine. No one knows right now.

No worries. And we’re optimistic. Hey, I’m not winning any souls to Christ, but that’s okay because my pastor is.

Hey, there’s other guys in the youth group doing that. Hey, someday I’ll be right with God. And don’t worry about it.

I’ll be right with God someday, and I’ll be able to lead souls to Christ. Don’t worry about it. How does that work out?

Like I said, I was just in Australia. And the pastor I was with and the church I was with, great church, but I was in several different churches in little different circles as I was traveling around there doing some preaching in different places. And, man, I’ll tell you, went into one place.

Look at the tracks, and I’m reading through the tracks. And these things are just a story, just to get people thinking about God. They get to the end, and you expect it’s leading up.

Give some of the gospel, and you expect, hey, if you want to make this,

this is how you make the decision, faith in Jesus Christ. And it’s nothing. It leads them to this.

If you’re interested, write us at this address,

and it gives the track company’s address. Because they don’t want to be pushing. Hey, if you’re not ready, no worries, mate.

She’ll be right. Don’t worry about it. it’s not that big a deal does that seem right to you no but we do the same thing whether it’s about souls being saved or some sin in our life no worries don’t worry about it the focus is on us I had a guy come to me actually I heard this several times one pastor that I was with he said you know we just really appreciate your your American optimism

when it comes to souls being saved. And I couldn’t take it any longer. I said, this isn’t optimism.

Believing God is not optimism. You’ve heard the illustrations used with optimism and pessimism all the time. Okay, it’s half a glass of water, right?

Okay, so a pessimist looks at the half a glass of water

and says it’s half what? Empty. An optimist looks at the same half a glass of water.

Optimist says it’s half what? Full. And they’re thinking, yeah, no problem.

It’s half full. Good.

Do you know what faith does? It looks at that same half a glass of water. And it doesn’t say,

oh, no, it’s half full. It’s good. No.

It says it’s half empty. And that’s a problem.

But I know someone who’s promised to fill it to full and overflowing. That’s what faith does. It’s saying, no, it’s not that we’re looking at the same glass of water and we’re saying, oh no it’s okay don’t worry about it it’s fine no it’s not fine souls are going to hell that’s not okay but are we going to worry and get depressed about it are we just going to go to faith and

believe God about it that’s the difference the opposite of optimism is not pessimism the opposite of optimism is faith is believing God to fix the problem That’s the difference. You see, how’s it going to look to an unbeliever if we’re optimistic about our sin? If we’re no worries about our own sin, how’s that going to look to them?

I’ve got a section here from my manual for NatureScape that tells you how you’re supposed

to respond to customers, okay? specifically in regards to trying to get their satisfaction and make a sale with them, okay? This is how it reads.

Being a good salesperson is not about having the perfect words or the most convincing argument. It’s about personally wanting to make the sale. Some of the best salespeople may even sound awkward or stumble over their words when trying to make the sale.

This doesn’t matter as long as the customer can tell that they’re sincere and genuinely want their business. If a customer senses we truly want their business, they’ll know we want to keep their business. Conversely, if we sounded different, give them the impression that I won’t lose much sleep tonight if you don’t go with NatureScape, or take us or leave us, it doesn’t matter to me, the customer will know that their long-term happiness with NatureScape is not important.

How do we give the gospel? I think even sometimes if we do go out and give the gospel, it’s just, you know, here’s something, take it or leave it. I mean, I’m not going to stay up all night if you don’t accept this.

You understand. Just give it a read. See what you think.

No worries. And the same with our own sin in our lives. It’s no worries.

Don’t worry about it. It’s not that big a deal. When you’re optimistic about your sin, an unbeliever is going to be optimistic about his.

Why does he need deliverance from his sin and you don’t need deliverance from yours? What’s the difference? That’s optimism.

It’s a big deal. Now looking at pessimism. Pessimism.

When we look at our own worries, our own problems, and we get hung up with those, we see things sometimes for worse than there are, but sometimes it’s seeing it for just as bad as it is,

but we’re just not looking to the answer. It might be school pressures, financial pressures, girl-guy relationship pressures, peer pressures, high parental expectations, worried about future occupation, a physical limitation that you might have. And we get to worrying about these different pressures that we have that may or may not be reality.

But we’re worried about them. They’re taking over. And we turn to ourselves.

Depression comes when you look to yourself for something you don’t have. That’s when you get depressed. You realize, wait, I got a need here and I got nothing.

I’m coming up with nothing. I can’t do this. And I want us to see that the answer to both optimism and pessimism is the same thing.

The opposite of optimism is faith. The opposite of pessimism is faith. It comes down to the same thing.

And that is found in 1 John 5, verse 10. Go ahead and turn there. 1 John 5, 10.

The worst part about your worry we have not seen yet. The worst sin in optimism and pessimism we have not looked at yet. 1 John 5 was written to believers so that they could know that they’re a believer and act like they’re a believer.

And in 1 John 5, verse 10, listen very carefully. It says, He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not God hath made him a liar.

because he believeth not the record that God gave of his son. The greatest sin you will ever commit in regards to your worry is by calling God a liar. Why does it say that God’s a liar?

Because we’re not believing the record. Did you know you have a record? Do you know that you have promises?

You have a record. What if God was here right today? What if he was standing right here?

Do you think you would want to get a promise from him? Oh man, God, I’ve got this problem in my life. I’ve got this struggle.

I’ve got this pressure. I’ve got this sin. I’ve got this relative that needs Christ.

God, I need a promise that they’re going to accept you. I need a promise that I can stand on and claim in prayer. God, I need to hear from you.

I need a record. So what if God was here? And what if God told you, let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not?

Would you believe him then for a soul to be saved? What if he told you that? What if he gave you that record?

Maybe it’s a financial need that you have. What if he says that he’ll provide, that he’ll supply all your need according to his riches and glory? What if he told you that?

Would you believe him then? it’s your record maybe there’s a big step in your life maybe it’s who you’re going to marry in the future maybe it’s your future occupation or ministry and you’re worried about it you’re anxious about it and what if God told you trust the Lord all thine heart lead not unto thy own understanding in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths what if he told you I’ll direct your paths

if you trust me what if he told you that Would you believe him then? What if he told you to commit your way unto him, to trust in him, and he’ll bring it to pass? What if he gave that to you as your record?

For personal purity, maybe you’re worried about, oh, I’ve got this moral issue in my life, thought life, viewing, whatever it is, guys, ladies, whatever it is. You’re worried about purity. You’re anxious about it.

What if God told you, walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh? It’s a promise. For a right, clean relationship with God, what if God told you, if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness?

What if He was right here today and told you that? Would you believe Him then? It’s your record.

And when we have a record that we don’t believe, you’re calling God a liar. And this isn’t something just between you and God. You are publicly announcing God to be a liar.

Especially to unbelievers. Unbelievers know that Christians aren’t supposed to act like that. Unbelievers know that they’re supposed to have things together, be trusting God for victory over sin.

They know that. They know we’re supposed to be different. They know that we believe, that we think, that we claim that God is able.

And what do you think they think about our God when it looks like he’s not able? Because either we’re, hey, no worries. I’ll get rid of it someday.

Or because we’re just looking to ourselves. We’re forgetting the record. We’re not taking God at his word.

How do you think that looks to an unbeliever? It looks like God’s a liar. That’s what it looks like.

Man, if you’re living in sin, I hope you never let an unbeliever read your Bible. Because it’s going to look like God’s a liar. You’ve got to live it.

They’ve got to see it. You should be a living testimony that my God keeps his promises. He keeps his word. in numbers 23 19 says God is not a man that he should lie neither the son of man that he should repent hath he said and shall not he do it or hath he spoken and shall not he make it good is that your God of course it is that’s my God that’s the one I want to show

I’ve got so much I’ve got such a record from God. So many different promises. And the fact is, all these things, He has given to us.

All those things, you have promises for. Every one of them. You name it.

Whatever the anxiety, whatever the worry, whatever you’re depressed about, whatever the problem is in your life,

there’s a record. God didn’t leave that out. There is a promise for that.

Find it. Claim it. It’s for you.

God’s not a liar. He’s not. In Mark chapter 9, you don’t have to turn there.

I’m just going to tell you this story just to summarize as we draw to the end here. In Mark chapter 9, there’s a man, a father, and he comes to the disciples because he has a problem. He’s worried about it.

He’s anxious about it. His problem, you know the story, his problem is he has a son who’s demon-possessed. And he comes to Jesus, or he comes to the disciples.

And the disciples, in Jesus’ name, try to cast him out. And could they? No, they failed.

Later, one of them asked Jesus, why did we fail? Why couldn’t we cast him out? Two things.

He said, because of your unbelief. And he says, some cometh not by prayer and fasting. Prayer, claiming God’s promises, that’s what belief is.

Because of their unbelief, they were not able to cast him out. Do you know what the problem is? They had already said Jesus’ name.

They had already tried to cast him out in Jesus’ name. Now is this making the disciples look bad? Oh, I’m sure they were embarrassed.

But who are they calling a liar? Jesus himself. And let me show you what damage that did.

Because that same father now goes to Jesus and said,

I’ve got this son. He’s demon possessed. I went to your disciples.

They couldn’t do it. And do you know what he says to Jesus? If you can do anything, have compassion on us and save us.

If you can do anything, that’s what he said. Can you imagine looking at Jesus in the eyes and saying, if you can do anything, heal my son. Why did he say that?

Because this is the same Jesus who these guys were claiming to be able to cast out the demon out of my son,

and it didn’t work. This guy’s a liar. If you can do anything, then save my son.

Where’d he get that unbelief from? From believers. Believers.

Believers. You take Jesus’ name now that you’re a Christian. And you’re telling other people what?

That he’s what? What? Who is Jesus according to your representation of him?

According to your presentation of him? Who is Jesus? Because once this man with the demon-possessed son, oh, that’s your Jesus.

Oh, I understand. He’s a liar. I got it.

Do you know what Jesus’ response to such unbelief is? This blew me away. Jesus, in response to the unbelief from the disciples and from this man, he says this.

Oh, faithless and perverse generation. How long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you?

Let me tell you something. Did Jesus ever suffer? When we think of Jesus suffering, we picture him nailed to a cross.

But not one time when they were driving the thorns into his head did he say,

How long shall I suffer you? How long shall I be with you? Not one time when the nails were going through his hands did he say,

How long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? No, he said, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.

But we have a record. we know exactly what we’re doing and Christ is suffering even greater than his death on the cross because of your and my unbelief guys the greatest sin you could do is call God a liar and it’s happening every day that man came to Jesus and he says if thou canst And Jesus turns back to him and he says, no.

And he says this, if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believe it. That’s what Jesus said. The man said, if thou canst do anything.

And Jesus said, I’m not the conditional here. The question is, if thou canst believe, all things are possible. Guys, I know you want to believe.

I know you do. I know you’re thinking of different issues, different problems, different dilemmas, different sins, different challenges in your life. And the answer is not to look inside for a solution because you won’t find it.

You’ll go down and down into depression. A girl that I grew up knowing, a friend of the family, our families were really close friends. Her name was Heidi.

In the state of Maine, some of you may have heard the news just two weeks ago, a week and a half. She was married now, going through depression. She takes her two-year-old son and walks over to the highway.

She’s a pastor’s daughter and a pastor’s wife. Now she’s a pastor’s wife. She was a pastor’s wife.

Sweetest girl you’d ever meet. And walks up to the highway with her two-year-old son and steps in front of a tanker truck. And she was killed because of depression.

The baby was thrown from her arms and is in critical condition today. The reason they say, based on notes that she left, that she brought her baby with her, because he was showing signs of being just like her emotionally, and she didn’t want him to go through the same thing that she did in life. Depression.

Guys, it is a life or death situation. The road that we’re on. But I’m not just encouraging us. to get right about this

so you can live a better, happier, longer life. Because that’s just as humanistic as any solution to any depression you’re going to find in secular society. The real issue, guys, is we’re not taking God at his word.

There’s no reason to be depressed

when you have a record. It’s time to believe the record. Guys, get me here.

It’s time to let God be true. and every man a liar. Let’s pray. Before we close, we’re not going to have a comfort invitation or anything,

but I just want to allow opportunity for God to work in hearts. If he’s showing you something right now, an area that you’ve been calling God a liar, not verbally, but in your actions, because you’re not believing the record that he gave to you, how many would say, just with an upraised hand, God is speaking to me right now. It’s something specific.

I know what it is. There’s a step I need to take. I’m ready to believe God for the record that he’s given me.

How many would you say that with a raised hand right now? Amen. I’m going to give you just a couple minutes, maybe just a minute or two, just to communicate that with God.

Make that transaction right now. This is when that happens. Give it to him.

The answer of that man in Mark 9, the solution,

He said, Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief. And that’s what you need to do right now.

Whatever it is, say, God, I believe. I want to believe. Help my unbelief.

Communicate that to God right now with whatever that issue is.