Anxiety is Done

By Bobby Blakey on May 12, 2019

Philippians 4:6-7

AUDIO

Anxiety is Done

By Bobby Blakey on May 12, 2019

Philippians 4:6-7

This is a rush transcript.

[00:00:12] I want to invite you now to open up your Bible. Before you turn in your Bible, let me just put this verse here up on the screen, this verse. Maybe you've never heard before from the Bible. Isaiah 66:13, it says, as one whom his mother comforts. So I will comfort you. You shall be comforted. In Jerusalem, the kids were just singing about Jesus coming back. And one of the promises that when Jesus comes back, he will comfort his people there in Jerusalem. And how is he going to comfort his people? Like a mother comforts a child. That's how that's how the Lord is going to comfort his people. So we know about that. We know about the love of a mother. The way the mom cares for us is different than anybody else. Well, there's actually a way that God cares for us, that God gives comfort and peace. And so flip on over to Philippians, Chapter four versus six and seven. If you've got a Bible, turn there with me. And if if you don't have a Bible, just follow along for a few minutes as we talk about something that could radically transform your life, a promise of God here in Philippians four, six and seven, that if you really applied this promise to your life, you would find yourself comforted, like the comfort of a mother. And it's talking here specifically about the peace that God can give us. So this is page 982. We're diving in right to the end of Philippians. We want to see what this book says it can produce in our lives. And look at what it says in Philippians four, six and seven, just two verses. We're going to look at here together tonight. We're going to go through Philippians four, six and seven here on page 982. Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication. With Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding. We'll guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. So let's start right there with that last little phrase in Christ Jesus. That's what we're here to talk about and what we're doing. This done series, we're focusing on what Jesus has done in the past and the present effect it has on our life. So when we went through Good Friday where Jesus died, Easter Sunday, where he rose from the dead, the point of this is, OK, that's what Jesus has done. But our life starts right there where Jesus finished. How does what Jesus has done make a difference in you? And we've been looking at the fact that as Christians, we can be made new. We just heard the kids singing that it was great to hear the kids singing gospel truths about Jesus Christ. Hopefully they'll sink into their minds and and deep in their hearts say, hey, when you're in Christ, you have a new life. And if you're here last week, we saw specifically that when it comes to eternity, when it comes to judgment, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Can I get any man from anybody here? OK. So when it comes to eternity, we know we won't be judged because we're in Christ Jesus. But look with this versus saying this is saying something about your life right here in the present that there is a piece of God which surpasses understanding. It's beyond our comprehension. We can't even figure this piece of God out. But here's what it will do. This piece of God will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

[00:03:54] So if you're in Christ Jesus. One of the things that you have access to is the peace of God. And you can't just figure out God's peace. And you can't just kind of logically reason yourself there. No, you're actually in a relationship with God. And a part of that relationship is he gives you this supernatural spiritual peace and the peace of God comes around and it guards your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. Now, that's a good promise right there. I mean, we know it says here, do not be anxious about anything we all might know somebody who is anxious about everything. Gay anxiety is an epidemic in the America that you and I live in today.

[00:04:40] When I was researching for this sermon, studying anxiety in America, apparently over 40 percent of Americans are taking some kinds of prescription due to anxiety related problems.

[00:04:55] I mean, think about that.

[00:04:57] That's what that means, a lot of people are recognizing that they struggle with anxiety and in Christ Jesus, there's a promise here in verse seven that if you are in Christ Jesus, this piece of God, this supernatural spiritual peace will come and it will guard you. It will come around you like a fortress and protect you and watch over you and keep your heart and your mind in the peace of God.

[00:05:28] This is what a lot of us need to experience and those of us who are in Christ Jesus can experience. You might want to write down Romans five one because it makes this statement that if you are in Christ, you are at peace with God. You now have a relationship with God. So pieces in just some state of mind. That's the big point we want to make here. As we look at peace in the Bible, it's not just state some state of mind that you get to in your own thoughts where you have some kind of inner peace.

[00:06:01] No, peace is relational. Peace comes when you have a relationship with God through his son, Jesus Christ. When you come to believe in Jesus and his death, for your sin, in his resurrection, to give you a new life, you have faith in Jesus. You're now at peace with God.

[00:06:19] Well, when we go to Israel in a few weeks, some of us are going to go to Israel and we're going to make movies there in Israel so we can share it with everybody, even if you don't go. One of our sermons in the month of June is gonna be a video sermon from Israel. We're really excited about it. And when we go there, everybody speak in Hebrew on the way. We're going to greet people. A lot of them is we're gonna say the Hebrew word for peace. Anybody know what it is?

[00:06:42] We're gonna say that that's how you greet people on the streets. You can say Boker Tov, which means good morning, or you can just be cool and gives a toast. Like like, hey, what's up? It's good. You know, you can just say it like that. But but a lot of people will greet one another on the streets with Shalom.

[00:07:00] They'll greet one another with the word for peace.

[00:07:04] So peace is not just in your own head. Peace is relational in the Bible. OK, so we're talking about here that, you know, God through Jesus Christ, you're in Christ Jesus. So you have peace with God and God because of your relationship with him is going to give you it says here, the peace of God.

[00:07:27] Now you're in Philippians four, verse seven. That's where it starts with the peace of God. Look at verse nine. Look what it says in verse nine. Just a few versus down.

[00:07:36] What you have learned and received and heard and seen and me practice these things and the God of what peace will be with you.

[00:07:46] OK, so the world has has kind of promoted this idea of peace, peace when there is no peace. The world has given us all this picture that if I did enough yoga, if I drank enough coffee, if I walked along the beach long enough with some cute dog, right, then I would come to a place where I would have a mental state of peace. As if peace is somehow out there or it could be inside me. And if I can just think all the right thoughts or get in the right environment, then all experience peace. That's not what the Bible is saying.

[00:08:20] The Bible is saying it's the peace of who. And he's the God of what. That's where you're gonna get it from. It's going to come from the shalom, the relationship that you have between you and God. That's where there is true and lasting peace in Christ Jesus. And once you start looking for this idea that he is a god of peace, you start noticing it all over the place if you're taking notes. You definitely want to write down Romans 16, verse 20, Romans 16, verse 20. It says that the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

[00:09:01] How awesome does that sound to anybody right there? Right.

[00:09:05] Would anybody like to see Satan crushed here this evening? Right. Would you like to be standing on top of him when he's crushed? That's what. That's a promise that Paul writes at the end of the Roman letter.

[00:09:16] He says, You can have so much peace with God that all of the opposition of the enemy, all of the evil spiritual forces that are coming against you hate the god of peace. He's going to crush Satan under your feet. You can know this piece of God about Hebrews 13, verse 20. There's another one to write down. Hebrews Chapter 13, verse 20 talks about the God of peace who brought again from the dead, our Lord Jesus. You want to have something that'll really settle in your soul. You want to have something that'll really give you stability in the spiritual realm. How about knowing that you have a relationship with God who rose Jesus from the dead? He's got victory over sin and death and Satan and anything that you're going to face in the spiritual realm. Yeah. The God of peace that you're right with. He's already got victory over all of that when he rose Jesus from the dead.

[00:10:11] So this idea that you're going to find peace specifically through a relationship with God because you are in Christ Jesus. That's what the Bible is telling you. OK. Despite what you may have heard somewhere else, peace is a fruit of the. Who is this? You have to be a spiritually alive person in Christ Jesus to experience the peace of God. OK.

[00:10:41] This piece of God that comes in and it's not just you trying to have a certain state of mind. It's a peace that actually comes in and guards your heart and mind. So it's not something that's a peace that's actually working on you rather than a peace that you come up with yourself. That's really different than a lot of us are trying to think. If I just keep my mind somewhere, if my mind's just in a good place, then all have peace. That's not what it saying. The promise is better than that.

[00:11:09] The promise is the peace of God will come and it will protect your mind to make your mind think the right things.

[00:11:17] So we're starting now. The Book of Philippians. And we're gonna read it this week. Is anybody still reading Scripture of the Day with us right now? A few of us. OK. So we're starting Philippians on Thursday of this week. So we're gonna get a a preview sermon from it right now. We're going to read through it together over the next couple weeks. Then we're gonna really start working our way through Philippians. And when Paul came into the city of Philipot, you might want to write down Act 16 and go read Act 16 before you read through Philippians, because this is the origin story of the church in Filippa. How did it get started? Well, Paul was called into Macedonia there in Act 16. And you know where he ended up in the city of Filipacchi when he went there and he started preaching the gospel. He ended up in jail. That's where he ended up. He also is in jail at the time that he's writing the Book of Philippians.

[00:12:11] So the book that we're reading right now about how to have the peace of God. Guard your heart. And mine is written from a guy who's in jail and he's offering tips about how Christians can have peace.

[00:12:23] So he knew what he was talking about.

[00:12:26] And when he was with Silas there in jail in Phillip High at midnight. Anybody know what they were doing at midnight? Singing hymns?

[00:12:33] That's what they were do. Having a good ole hymns, seeing at midnight.

[00:12:37] And everybody was listening to them. And then there was an earthquake and all the jail doors flew open and they were about to leave. And the jailer thought that they had left and he was going to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped on his watch. And Paul says, hey, we're all here. And the jailer in his household are saved as they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.

[00:12:57] How did the church get started in Philip II, Paul got thrown into jail. That's what happened.

[00:13:03] And after the jailer got saved and after they realized this, it was a mistake to jail, Paul, they're like, OK, we're going to let you go. And he says, What do you mean, you're going to let me go? I've been mistreated.

[00:13:13] I've been beaten, I've been thrown in jail, and I'm a Roman citizen, he says. He's like, you can't just let me go. I need justice. I've been mistreated. I'm a Roman. Now, the reason in Philipot that's a big deal is because Philip Pie was a city that had a Roman garrison in it. OK, so you can look up where Philip Pi is in the map there and in ancient Macedonia. It's a ways away from Rome, but they had one of their big garrisons of Roman soldiers there in Philipot.

[00:13:47] So when he says that the peace of God is going to come in like a fortress around your heart and around your mind, it's going to guard you. I mean, they would have probably been able to recognize the Roman soldiers that were guarding the city of Philip by keeping watch over it, making sure everything was going as it was supposed to, watching the walls, protecting them from enemies on the outside. So this analogy that he gives here, all they had to do is look at the soldiers walking down their streets. And, yeah, those guys are guards. Those guys are keeping watch. That's the idea. It's not a state of your mind. It's the peace of God guarding your mind.

[00:14:25] That's what this promises.

[00:14:27] A supernatural spiritual peace coming from heaven through Jesus Christ.

[00:14:33] Straight to your heart, protecting you from anxiety. That's what this is promising. Okay, let's get this down for point number one.

[00:14:42] We're not talking about peace of mind. We're talking about peace of God. Not peace of mind, but peace of God. That's what the Bible is promising.

[00:14:52] Something much more profound than you or I. Feeling good about our lives. This is God guarding our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

[00:15:03] This is something spiritual that God is giving to us, not something that we can achieve through our own logic. In fact, notice that it says that peace that surpasses understanding. You cannot figure it out on your own. God has to give it to you. I need everybody to grab your Bible and turn with me to Isaiah, Chapter 26. Let's go to the Old Testament.

[00:15:29] There's some treasure here in the Old Testament that you may not be aware of. We already saw a verse that talks about Jesus comforting his people, God comforting his people like a mother, comforting her child. Well, here in Isaiah, 26 versus three and four, there's a passage about peace that you need to see this page 586 if you got one of our Bibles.

[00:15:50] Five hundred and eighty six. And this is, again, a promise for the future of God's people, a promise for the future of Israel and God's people there in Jerusalem, a promise that God wants to give his people peace like a father or a mother would have a great desire for their child to feel secure and safe there in their house or in their arms.

[00:16:12] So our father in heaven has a strong desire for you to feel peace in your soul, in your heart and mind, so that he will send his peace to guard your heart and mind as a work of the Holy Spirit in your life.

[00:16:26] Look what it says here. This is a great passage on peace. Hopefully you're familiar with it. Hopefully this is a reminder. But if you don't know this verse, this is a treasure for you to consider here. Here's the part of the promise. You keep him in perfect peace.

[00:16:40] Whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts sinew? Kaso a lot of times when I hear Christian people talking about is I gotta keep my mind on God so that I can have peace. Is that actually what the verse Hassan saying. Yeah. You should keep your mind stayed on God, fixed on God. Your mind should be set on God. You should be having him in your thoughts. Morning, noon and night definitely. You should be thinking about God. But is that where the peace comes from?

[00:17:10] No. God gives perfect peace. It comes straight from him. It's not some mind trick that we're doing on ourselves.

[00:17:18] This isn't some pop psychology where I'll just tell my felt self to think positive and that'll improve my outlook on life. No, this is saying there is supernatural spiritual peace that God wants to give to all of us who are in Christ Jesus. It's a fruit of the spirit.

[00:17:33] And he will keep us in perfect peace. Peace will protect us. That's what he's saying. You keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts you. So therefore, everybody trust in the Lord forever for the Lord.

[00:17:51] God is an everlasting rock.

[00:17:53] You might want to write down Proverbs three, five and six, trust in the Lord and lean not on your own. See, the way that some of us are trying to solve anxiety worry in our lives is we're just trying to think.

[00:18:06] Think it through. I just think it through. Then I'll have peace. OK.

[00:18:12] If I can just logically reason that it's not that bad or if I can just kind of talk myself through it, then I'll find peace.

[00:18:21] OK.

[00:18:22] Now, the scriptures clear thinking through it yourself is the problem. Lean not on your own understanding. Trust in the Lord. He's gonna give you a peace that surpasses your own understanding.

[00:18:37] Let's think about a scenario where a young child on Mother's Day weekend hears an appropriate thought. Anybody know young children who sometimes run into their parents room when they have a bad dream? Maybe some of us were those children growing up, right.

[00:18:50] Maybe some of the some of us have those children living in our house right now. They have a bad dream and they come knocking on the door. They come shouting in the middle of the night. They come bursting in. And the things that kids, little children have bad dreams about are always very rational, logical fears.

[00:19:06] Isn't that how it is? I mean, I've tried to I've tried to help my children not have bad dreams through logic, and it's an absolute failure. Have you ever tried this? We're having bad dreams about sharks one night at the Blakey house. Now, I think a healthy fear of sharks is just common sense wisdom for all of us that I would encourage in all of you guys, especially where we live. But I remember one night, late in the night, in the middle of the night when one of my children was having a hard time sleeping because the sharks were coming. Right.

[00:19:42] Well, I remember we sat there on the second floor of the House and we looked at the stairs together and we logically reasoned, even if there was a shark at the bottom of the stairs, how would it get up the stairs? All right. And then I pulled out my phone and I said, do you see this dot? This is where we are. Do you see this down here? The water. That's where the sharks are. They can't even get to the bottom of the stairs. Now, I thought I was making a pretty airtight, logical argument. Let me just tell you that logic had zero effect on the shark. Bad dreams. You know what does have a lot of effect on the shark bedrooms when moms there.

[00:20:21] Has a lot of effect when dad's there, when that when the child finds peace, safety, stability, security, just knowing that their parent is there as anything logically changed about sharks? No. But do they now feel at peace in the presence of their father or mother? See if you're trying to get out of anxiety through your own reasoning, it will never work.

[00:20:47] The only way that you are really going to have lasting spiritual peace, guarding your heart and mind is it's got to be the peace of God and you've got to know that your father is there. This is not a logical thing, a mental thing that we're talking about.

[00:21:02] This is the peace of God being given to you, to guard you, to cause you, to think and feel a certain way in your heart and in your mind.

[00:21:16] Hey, so if you want this piece and hopefully at this point, you're saying, yes, I want this piece. I want real piece. I want the piece of God. I want to know the God of peace is with me. I'm in Christ Jesus. I have the Holy Spirit. I should be able to experience this. Peace will now go back to Philippians four. And let's look at what it says. You and I should do so. This promise of peace can be realized in our lives.

[00:21:42] This is Philippians, Chapter four versus six and seven. And so it said the peace of God, which is beyond understanding. It's not a logical, rational thing. No, it's a supernatural spiritual gift. The work of God, it will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. But leading up to that, it said, do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication. With Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

[00:22:12] So what it gives us here in verse six is we're coming to the end of Philippians.

[00:22:17] Right. And I know we're doing something a little different here. We're jumping in at the end of Philippians. But the reason we're doing that is I want you to see where it's going to end up. Because I think we want peace in our lives. I think we want the joy it's going to talk about here in our lives. We need those things. OK. Well, that's how it ends. So how did they get there? And hopefully that will help us really learn. How did they get there in this book? If these are people who have joy and have peace.

[00:22:42] Well, the book must tell us how they get there, because by the end, it's saying you could really know the peace of God. It could guard your heart and mine. But here's something you've got to stop and something you gotta start.

[00:22:53] You've got to stop being anxious and you've got to start praying about everything in your life. Now, this is a command where it says here, do not be anxious about any.

[00:23:06] So in the Greek language, if we were reading this in the coin, a Greek language that it was originally written in by Paul in jail, riding to this church, he's riding from jail about how to have joy and peace in Jesus Christ. And he's saying, do not be anxious about anything, any. And you would see very clearly it's in the form of an imperative. It is a command here.

[00:23:33] And when you hear this command, if Philippians four six do not be anxious about anything, it might remind you of another command said by Jesus Christ himself when he commanded us not to be anxious and not to worry.

[00:23:53] So we're given something to not do and something to do so that we can experience this piece of God guarding our hearts and minds. And the thing it says you got to stop doing, don't do is be anxious. And it's this bold declaration, this bold imperative here. Be anxious about nothing.

[00:24:16] Not one thing, is it OK for you to be anxious about, to worry about? In your heart and mind? You can't you can't allow anxiety in.

[00:24:27] For one thing, that's the command here. Go to Matthew Chapter six and let's see where Jesus himself says it and let's see how he expounds on it, because I got to think when Paul's right into the Philippians. He says that they're real quick and Philippians four, six and seven and the expanded edition, what he was probably referring to that maybe the Philippians were already familiar with is here in Matthew six twenty five page eight hundred and eleven if he got one of our Bibles here. Matthew six. Twenty five. And Jesus Christ, he's preaching a sermon and he's just tatta a section on prayer.

[00:25:05] And then he's gotten into the things of this life and how you can't get caught up in money, you can't serve God and money can't be live in for heaven and the world. You can't have one foot in with God and one foot in with the world. It's gotta be one or the other. And then he says this in verse twenty five. Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life command. Same word as Philippians four six.

[00:25:32] So I know a lot of people who like to say that Jesus saved them, but now I want to ask you if Jesus has saved you. Does Jesus also get to tell you what to do? Does he have authority in your life?

[00:25:46] Do you just want him to save you for eternity, or do you also want him to be the Lord commanding you? How the lives he commands are not really in vogue today.

[00:25:56] OK. The cool kids wearing sunglasses aren't like, yeah, man. Did you hear what that teacher told us to do? Yeah. So cool, man. Sick. Can't wait to get home and do that homework. You know, no, I here like you. I mean, my mom, she gave me some chores and I was like, sweet. This is the God's revealed will for my life. This is gonna be awesome. I'm just not here in like. Yeah. So refreshing. When an authority figure in my life tells me to do something, I have such clarity and purpose. Praise the Lord. Right. I don't really hear.

[00:26:30] I mean, we are so down on the idea of anybody telling us what to do that sometimes we completely forget even in the church, it seems people are forgetting that there is a lord of heaven and earth who has all authority, and that what we're supposed to do is tell everybody to be his disciple, to be his learner, to be his follower.

[00:26:53] And when you're a disciple of Jesus, what you spend your life doing. The whole point of church is to teach everybody who's in Jesus to obey everything that Christ commanded.

[00:27:04] That's what we're supposed to be doing. And now it's like I didn't really like that sermon, that sermon was harsh, it was about commands like who do you think you are?

[00:27:14] Who do you think you are that you don't have to hear commands from the Lord Jesus Christ and he doesn't get to speak in your life and tell you what to do, you want all of his salvation, but none of his authority. That's not how the day.

[00:27:26] That's not how it works. You're going to have a hard time on the day of judgment if you think Jesus is just a savior and not the Lord. And so he gets to tell us what to do and one of the things that Jesus went out of his way to say to you is do not be anxious about your life. Don't be anxious about anything. Do not worry.

[00:27:47] This is a command of scripture to us. And we live in anxious America.

[00:27:55] And so we're gonna have to have our minds renewed. We're gonna have to think differently. We're not going to be able to think about what everybody else is saying around us or what might mean. May even make sense to us or how we might think it's OK to deal with anxiety in our life. We're gonna have to hear what Jesus says as the Lord of Heaven and Earth about our life, that you are commanded by Jesus. Do not be anxious about this life.

[00:28:20] And then he goes on to give some detailed thoughts about it, what you will eat, what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on is not life more than food and the body more than clothing.

[00:28:33] You know, first step right there when he says, don't worry about this life. He starts with the basic necessities of food to eat and clothes to wear for your physical body.

[00:28:49] Let's just make a make a note here, since we're talking in Orange County in 2019, that we try to help people who are in need at this church. We try to reach out to the port around us. We try to really meet the needs of the brothers and sisters who are having a hard time here in our church. And it's hard in Orange County to find somebody who doesn't have food and clothes.

[00:29:12] OK.

[00:29:13] Even some of the homeless people that we've reached out to are here around the church. They are homeless. It seems to me by choice, they are exactly where they want to be living life the way they want to.

[00:29:26] And maybe you've experienced what I've experienced. You go and offer somebody who's homeless around here in this neck of the woods. Food they eat and they're like, why are you giving me this? Anybody ever had that experience before?

[00:29:38] And we had some of the homeless neighbors that live right here around our church break into our church one day, at least that's what they said when they found an open door looking for more money to buy more drugs.

[00:29:49] That's what they told us.

[00:29:51] OK, so, I mean, Jesus is talking about being anxious about necessities of life, that it's hard to find people who don't have these things around here.

[00:30:02] And we are very blessed. We are very rich. We are very prosperous here in Orange County, California, in the year of our Lord. Twenty nineteen. So he's talking about worrying about things that are in the mede category. And then he says this verse 26, look at the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns. They're not out working to provide. They're not out kind of making the food come together. No. Look at the birds of the air. They're neither sowing nor reaping nor gathering into barns. And yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not of more value than de.

[00:30:42] Hey, look at how God is sovereign over all things in life. I mean, let's keep reading here. It says, in which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his span of life. And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They neither toil nor spin.

[00:30:59] Yet I tell you, even Solomon, in all his glory, was not a raid like one of these. If God so close the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven. Will he not much more clothed you. Oh, you of little faith.

[00:31:16] Jesus is using natural examples. Do you see the birds fly in or out? Are the birds are always there.

[00:31:23] If you wake up early enough in the morning, you'll hear. You'll hear them singing if you pay attention there.

[00:31:28] They're flying all around all the time. And then do you pay attention? Do you ever stop and smell the flowers?

[00:31:34] Do you see the beauty of creation? Do you notice when it's green and there's life and things are growing? Wow. God's giving life to the birds. God's giving life to the flowers of the field. God is he's the creator. He's in charge of of life all around us. Why would we worry C worry is the opposite of trusting God. The worry is saying, I don't think God has got this. That's what worries say. I don't think God's going to provide for me. I don't think God. I mean, I don't think God is going to meet my needs. Worry is intrinsically wrapped up in doubting the goodness of God. That's what it is. I'm wondering if God's really going to be good. Do you see how good he is to the birds? Do you see how good he is to the flowers?

[00:32:23] And then there's this question. We kind of skipped over at verse 27. Which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his span of life.

[00:32:34] I mean, what? How much time have we wasted by being anxious? And by worrying years, just kind of a commonsense question thrown out by Jesus a rhetorical question, has all of your worry, has all of your anxiety actually ever helped you solve your problems? Has it actually ever benefited you or blessed you or do you just feel like you wasted time and you feel worse as you let your mind dwell on anxiety and worry?

[00:33:05] So this is about what you believe to be true about God. That's why he calls us out here.

[00:33:09] Oh, you of little faith, therefore, do not be anxious saying, what shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear for the Gentiles? People who don't know God seek after all these things. And your heavenly father knows that you need them all.

[00:33:31] Through, he's already said earlier in Matthew, Chapter six, if you go back in and you look at verse three and four, look at Matthew six, verse three and four, he's already talked about when you give to the needy.

[00:33:45] And remember, we're talking about needy people who don't have food or clothing. Right.

[00:33:51] When you give to the needy, which is a very important and good thing to do. Do not let your left hand know that your right hand is doing. Don't make it about you feeling better about yourself or you acting like a good person in front of other people have a heart to really meet people's needs so that you're giving maybe in secret.

[00:34:09] And your father who season secret will reward you.

[00:34:13] Then it says in verse five, and when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

[00:34:25] But when you pray, go into your room, shut the door and pray to your father who is in secret, and your father, who sees in secret will reward you and when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them. Here's the part to underline circle. Think about for your father knows what you need before you ask him.

[00:34:52] Every single time you or I get anxious or worry, what we are doing is we're doubting the love of our father. We're doubting if he knows our needs, were doubting if he wants to meet our needs. We're doubting if our father really cares about us as his kids here on Earth. Is he really going to provide for us?

[00:35:14] That's what worry is coming from, it's coming from a doubt of the goodness of God and the presupposition here of when you go to pray. The presupposition of why you shouldn't be anxious or worried about your life is your father already knows what you need.

[00:35:30] And if your father has given it to birds and he's given it to flowers and you're one of his children in Christ Jesus, surely your father will give you everything you need for life and godliness.

[00:35:42] Can I get any money from anybody on that? I mean, has God been good to you? Has God provided for you?

[00:35:49] Have there been times when you thought you'd reached the end? You thought, how are we going to make it? And the Lord was there to meet your needs.

[00:36:01] And when you get anxious, when you when you get worried.

[00:36:05] I mean, how how is your father not to take that personally, how is that not a direct reflection on the faith that you have on your father in heaven? If one of my kids is having a bad dream and then I'm there and they're like, hey, dad, will you hold my hand so I'll feel safe while I'm sleeping?

[00:36:24] And there I am holding their hand and my kid is still freaking out. When I'm holding their hand, I'm like, Hey, kid, I'm right here. Why you can't be scared now. Right.

[00:36:32] Dad's here. And here we are freaking out about our life as if dad's not there.

[00:36:39] And Jesus saying your father already knows what you need. That's what he's saying, if you look back at verse 32 there, he says, your father knows that you need them all. OK? We shouldn't be worried. We shouldn't be anxious.

[00:36:54] The people who don't know God, they're running around trying to make sure they've got everything they need. A lot of people today in Orange County were way past needs. We're even we're we're just way into desires and wants is the way we're living about things that people are worried about. It's like on what level am I going to be able to retire at? On what level am I going to be able to afford this thing? I mean, the things are are beyond needs that a lot of people are being anxious about. All around us here in Orange County. He says your father already knows. Then this is what he says to do. He hears the opposite of being anxious, of being worried. He says seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you.

[00:37:41] This is what you need to be thinking about is spiritual things. The kingdom of God.

[00:37:47] Things about our people getting saved. Is Jesus coming back? Am I living the right way? I have peace with God through Jesus. I'm right in my relationship with God. Am I walking in that relationship by faith?

[00:38:00] Am I living a righteous life before God? That's what it says. We should be seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and everything we need is going to be added to us.

[00:38:11] Point number two. Let's get it down like this. Seek Jesus first. Nothing else. Second, seek Jesus first. Nothing else. Second, can I point number two is there is no number two. Basically, that's that's point number two. OK.

[00:38:26] It should continue to be about seeking God through Jesus Christ being in Christ. It's not like, OK, God's taking care of eternity. And I have salvation from my sins.

[00:38:38] But now I've got to worry about what I'm doing today. I've got to worry about this month's bills. I've got to worry about putting my kids through college. I got to worry about the house payment now. I God's got eternity, but I've got the here and now. That is never once what the Bible says. It says your father is ready to add everything to your life.

[00:38:57] If he's taking care of eternity, if he if he judged his son Jesus for your sin and now he's giving you the righteousness of Jesus Christ, then he's definitely taking care of this month's rent or house payment or the kid's college. I mean, he's on top of all of it and he's taking care of your eternity. He's definitely got to hear it now.

[00:39:18] But see, we live in this world where it's like we separate spiritual things from physical things. And Jesus is saying there is no separation. You just keep seeking the spiritual things of God. He takes care of the physical things of this life.

[00:39:33] That's what he says.

[00:39:35] And I wonder, have you created any one of the problems that we do as we make these false dichotomies, that dichotomy is where you act like two things are opposed to each other. They can't go together. OK. So I act like, well, God can save me for eternity, but he can't take care of me in the here now or hey, I'll trust in God for spiritual things, but all rely on myself for physical things. Jesus is saying, no, it's not like that. You just keep seeking Jesus and everything in this life is going to be added onto you.

[00:40:04] Seek first his kingdom, his righteousness. Man, can you imagine what a different place the church in America would be if people were anxious about being righteous rather than just anxious? How different would that be? If people were like, hey, am I doing the right thing? Is this what God wants me to do? Am I keeping his commands rather than worried about all these other things that the Gentiles seek? It's getting pretty scary when the church and the world don't look much different because they're both dominated by anxious thoughts and worried lives. And Jesus is saying we're supposed to be seeking the kingdom. We're supposed to be seeking righteousness.

[00:40:44] Go over to Luke, Chapter 10, where this comes up in a real personal way. Hopefully, you know this story of Mary and Martha. They were friends of of Jesus in. And this is where Jesus calls this woman out for her anxiety and a very personal way here. In Luke, chapter 10, verse 38, Luke 10 38 is at the bottom of page eight hundred and sixty nine. And Jesus, he comes to this village and there's a woman named Martha and she welcomes Emmett into her house and there's a sister, Mary.

[00:41:15] And what Mary does is she just goes and sits right next to Jesus his feet and she just listens to his teaching. She's like, if Jesus is coming over, I'm totally focused on Jesus. I'm trying to hear everything Jesus says. I want all of the words of Jesus. I want to know. I want to live by him. Mary's right there. But Martha, she's running around and look what it says. Martha was distracted with much serving and she went up to him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?

[00:41:49] Tell her then, tell me a Jesus you come over.

[00:41:53] You bring your whole entourage.

[00:41:55] I'm over here cooking up and clean up for everybody. And my sisters just listening to you.

[00:42:02] Can you rebuke her right now? Okay.

[00:42:05] Can you. Can you believe this Jesus someone so just wants to come to church and hear the sermon when they should be serving right now?

[00:42:12] That's what it is. OK. And Jesus answered her, Martha, Martha. You are what does he say? You're living in a false dichotomy. Martha.

[00:42:24] You're living like there's a bunch of things we got to do when there's really one thing he says. Look. One thing, you're anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen a good portion which will not be taken away from her.

[00:42:40] You want me to rebuke Mary, Martha? I rebuke you for your anxiety.

[00:42:46] And being troubled about many things, if you're living a life that's troubled about many things. That's not the Christian life. The Christian life is about one thing. And his name is Jesus Christ.

[00:42:58] That's what we're about. We're about him, we seek him first. We seek his kingdom. We seek his righteousness. We seek Jesus. Everything else will be added to us.

[00:43:08] And as soon as you start making a list, as soon as you start adding other things to a sincere and pure devotion to Jesus Christ, as soon as you start getting distracted, a little bit of Jesus over here and a little bit of this over there. That's how anxiety creeps into your soul.

[00:43:25] And Jesus is saying only one thing is really necessary, and it's me and Mary has chosen the good part. Are you acting like Jesus has got the big picture? But you've got to take care of all these little things here in this life. No, seek Jesus first. Keep it on the big picture. Make it your one thing to know, Jesus. That's what he says when he goes over to Mary and Martha's house.

[00:43:55] And now now not only are we supposed to stop it with anxiety, but we are also supposed to do something else if you go to Philippians, chapter four, verse six. OK, so this isn't just like walking around saying, don't be anxious, don't be anxious, don't be anxious, because pretty soon you're gonna be anxious about being anxious if you think that we're OK. So you've got to put off thoughts of anxiety, but you've got to replace them with something else. A lot of times people treat Christianity like we're just trying to get people to not do the bad things. That's not what Christianity is we've learned over the last few weeks. Christianity is a new life. And Jesus Christ, can I get a from anybody on that? We're not saying, hey, stop the bad stuff and you're going to have. And that is not the gospel of Jesus. That is not what this book says. This book says that right now you have a whole new life in Jesus Christ. Not only can you put off your old sins, you can now walk in a new way today.

[00:44:50] And here's the new way that you can walk if you are defined by anxiety. If you are tempted to be anxious from time to time, you don't have to be. Here's what you can be. It says in everything by prayer and supplication. With Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

[00:45:10] So instead of thinking anxious thoughts, I'm supposed to turn those thoughts into thoughts directed to God in prayer. That's what I'm supposed to do. Instead, I'm supposed to pray. Prayer is the antidote to anxiety, it's saying it's the opposite of anxiety.

[00:45:30] So if you're looking at your life and you see a lot of anxiety and you don't see a lot of prayer.

[00:45:35] Well, that would make a lot of sense. That's what it was saying right here.

[00:45:40] She prayer and look. Notice how it talks about prayer. Look at look at verse six here. Philippians four, verse six prayer. But it doesn't just say the word we think of as prayer directing thoughts to God. It says supplication. You might want to write that down supplication whenever you see that word in scripture.

[00:45:58] It has to do with need. That supplication always has to do with need.

[00:46:02] OK, so specifically there's a kind of prayer that it's talking about here where you come to God, you need something.

[00:46:08] Well, instead of being worried about your needs, instead of being anxious about your needs, whenever you know that you need something, you know, your father in heaven knows what you need. And so you come and you bring that need and you give it up to your father in heaven. Trusting that he's gonna provide for you. He's going to add it to you. And you just see him and trust him.

[00:46:28] And so you take your needs and you turn them into prayers directed to God. And it says that when you pray, even need base prayers of supplication, make sure your prayer is with Thanksgiving. Remember how God has met your needs in the past. And that'll give you faith that God will continue to meet your needs in the present.

[00:46:48] In fact, pray with faith, because God has met your needs in the past. When you come to him with present prayer already start thanking him, trusting him that in the future you'll be thanking him for meeting these needs, just like he met the ones in the past.

[00:47:04] When you pray with Thanksgiving, you're remembering what God has done before and you're praying with faith that God is going to do again.

[00:47:12] And it says, let all these requests be made known to God.

[00:47:19] So there's there's the thing that we're going to need to do. There is an action step. God's going to give us peace. This peace will guard our hearts and minds and protect us from this anxiety and worry. But here's what God wants us to do. He wants us to come to him and acknowledge these needs.

[00:47:38] He wants us to pray. Our father wants us to talk to him.

[00:47:46] Now, German media first Peter five. This is a it's a cross-reference that hopefully, you know, I hope you already know every verse were turned into here tonight. But if you don't, these versus can really help change the way that you think. And if you do know these versus but you're struggling with anxiety, then maybe it's good for you to remind. Be reminded of these verses and really apply them to your life. And here first, Peter, chapter five, verse seven. This is a famous verse.

[00:48:12] This is the kind of verse that back in the day when I was growing up going to church, people would be cross stitch in this verse. Anybody remember cross stitch back in the day? Remember that cross stitch? Now, now it's called Instagram right now. Now it's called Pinterest. Right. This has got to be one of the most Pinterest ad verses of all time. Maybe you've got your pin in this one right now casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you.

[00:48:37] That sounds nice. Give God your cares because he cares. Problem is, people don't usually read verse six.

[00:48:45] I don't know if it fits in their Instagram square. So they kind of maybe edit it out or maybe it talks about humility, which is something that people just like to kind of edit out of their lives. A lot of times it says, first, Peter, five, six, humble yourselves. Therefore, under the mighty hand of God, said at the proper time, he may exalt you casting all your anxieties on him because he cares for you. And that's fascinating right there when you put those two versus together.

[00:49:10] OK. Because anxiety is often seen as weakness. I want to suggest to you that anxiety is not weakness. Exacty is pride.

[00:49:19] Pride is the thought I got this. I'm good. I'm fine.

[00:49:23] I could take you from here. Thank you very much, everybody. But I'll be fine on this one. Anxiety is what kicks in when you realize I don't got this.

[00:49:32] And I thought I did. And I thought I was going to be OK. But I'm actually not going to be OK. And there's no way that I could actually do what I said I'm going to do. And I've way overcommitted. In fact, I should have committed it all. How is this possibly going to happen? See, it's pride on the let down. That's what anxiety is.

[00:49:49] It's you realizing you are incapable of taking care of things in your own life. And you begin to worry. I see.

[00:49:58] So the first step there is you've got to humble yourself under God's mighty hand. And when you humble yourself, then God can lift you up. And that act of humility is that's when you cast your cares on him.

[00:50:11] God, this is too big for me. God, I can't do this. I don't got this. And I need you to take care of this. I'm coming and declaring my dependance on you. I don't know why I ever thought I could do it by myself without you. Please forgive me for even thinking that. Here's this care.

[00:50:27] Will you please take care of it?

[00:50:30] And at that moment, it's this amazing thing that happens when you pray. And I'm sure my brothers and sisters can say Amen to this. You have this care. You're so worried about it. You're thinking about it. You're logically mulling it over. You're trying to figure out an explanation. You don't have one. You come and you pray. You cast that care up to the Lord. And it's like he took that care off your back and it's no longer on your heart and mind. It's like your heart. And mine is now being guarded because the Lord is going to take care of that care. And it's not on you anymore. Anybody ever experienced that before? It's like one of the most amazing things. Nothing has changed about my circumstances. Nothing has changed about what's happening around me. But something has fundamentally changed in me. And what's the difference?

[00:51:13] I prayed about it. And God heard my prayer. And he took that care. Because he's my father and of course, my father is going to take care of my needs. And it's like I it's like I gave it in my in prayer. I gave it to my father and he's got it.

[00:51:31] See, now I'm not proud. Think I got it. Now I'm not anxious thinking I don't got it now.

[00:51:36] I have faith knowing God's got it and the peace of God comes and guards my heart and mind. Boy, number three, here's how you need to pray. You need to pray like your life depends on him. Prey like your life depends on him. Like your life depends on what God's gonna do for you.

[00:51:55] Like that's where you get your life, not just your spiritual life in Christ, but your life as a whole. No false dichotomy, physical, spiritual. Everything you have comes from your father because you have peace with him. The Shillong with him in Christ Jesus. So there was a couple of months ago I was here, some of you were here, and we made a really big deal a couple of months ago about this man named Daniel and how he prayed to God.

[00:52:23] And when he prayed to God, Angel, an angel, showed up and gave him an answer. And the answer was a countdown to when Jesus Christ was going to be born here on Earth.

[00:52:33] Anybody remember when we talked about Daniel's prayer and the power of prayer that he had? We looked at Daniel nine and the great example of prayer. That was two months ago.

[00:52:41] If you were here, if you can remember that as your prayer life changed at all in the last two months.

[00:52:48] So if some people are when you talk about prayer, people act like, well, you can always pray more. Well, let me tell you one time, you definitely know you need to pray more is when you're anxious.

[00:52:57] When you're worried, any time you feel anxious or worried, that should be a signal to you. I haven't prayed about this. I haven't been praying enough lately. I haven't been really thinking through my needs and really humbling myself. But for God and declaring my dependance upon him and asking him to act according to his namesake, as my father, who cares about me. I don't have his peace guarding my heart and mind in Christ Jesus which means I haven't really been talking to my father in the way that I should. If you find yourself anxious, you should you should have a response that you learn based on this passage of scripture that if I'm worrying, I need to be praying.

[00:53:40] And if you are in Christ Jesus, when you put off anxiety and you go to the father in prayer, you will experience the promise of Philippians four, six and seven. And God's peace will come and guard your heart and mind.

[00:53:56] And you will know peace because you know God. And if you are defined by anxiety.

[00:54:05] One of the things you got to ask yourself, if you if you would describe yourself, if you if you identify as a worried, anxious person.

[00:54:15] The Jesus is commanding you that you should not be living that way.

[00:54:20] So, you know, that's a sin that I would encourage you to repent of and change your mind about and turn to Jesus Christ and seek him in prayer and experience that piece of God or anxiety might be something in your life that God uses to give you clarity.

[00:54:37] Does that sound like a like a contradiction there that exacty could give you clarity?

[00:54:41] I know people here in this room tonight that were so anxious about what was going to happen in their life, so anxious that they couldn't sleep, so anxious that they couldn't think straight.

[00:54:53] You know what that anxiety made clear to them? I'm not in Christ Jesus because if I was in Christ Jesus, I would have the peace of God and it would come at least at times.

[00:55:04] At least eight seasons in my life. At least I would know this experience of the peace of God coming in, guarding my heart and my mind.

[00:55:15] A peace that surpasses all understanding. A spiritual fruit of God working in me. But they didn't have that piece and that helped them see they needed to be in Christ. I want to encourage everybody here who is in Christ Jesus that the peace of God will guard your hearts and your minds if you seek him in prayer.

[00:55:42] Let me pray for us. And while the band comes up, we're going to end with some songs and you're going to have a chance to pray while we're sing in these songs. Maybe right now, as you sit here, there are anxious thoughts that are coming to your mind.

[00:55:56] You can't get work. You can't get this situation with your family. You can't get it out of your mind, you're worried, even as you're listening to a sermon telling you that anxiety is already done for those who are in Christ Jesus.

[00:56:11] Here's a time to pray right now. Cast that care up to the Lord. Humble yourself before God admit that you don't have it. Ask him to take care of it as your father in heaven. Let me pray, Father. We come to you in the name of Jesus. And father, we want to confess the sin of anxiety here together.

[00:56:29] We want to confess that sometimes we do allow ourselves to worry. And we do not cast our cares up to you in prayer. God, we also want to confess our pride and thinking that we could do it without ourself, by ourselves. That we don't need you. And so now we pray that you will humble us under your mighty hand. And now we will come to you now in a time of prayer. God, I pray that everybody who's filled with anxiety, who has worry right now, that we could all come to you in this moment while the band is singing and we can cast those cares up to you knowing that you really do care for us.

[00:57:03] Like a mother cares for her child and wants to comfort her child, like a father who knows the needs of his kids and will provide for them. Surely you are good and we need to trust in the Lord and lean not on our own understanding. We need to trust and depend upon you in prayer. God forgive us for being those of such little faith.

[00:57:29] And give us faith that you are there. And that you care. Let us turn every anxiety.

[00:57:37] Into prayer to please hear us now as we cry out to you. Give us that piece even even here tonight. Let us experience it, Father. Even as people leave here tonight, let their hearts be guarded. Let their minds be kept by your piece. And Father, I just pray for those who live lives of anxiety. You don't know this piece because they don't know you. I pray that tonight would be the night that they get clarity that they need to be in Jesus Christ. They need this piece to come and guard them.

[00:58:13] Father, we thank you that you hear this prayer and that you answer us all because of Jesus Christ. We pray this in his name. He met.

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