Anxious No More Series

I’M GOING TO GO OUT ON A LIMB THIS MORNING AND SAY THAT I’LL BET NOT ONE OF YOU IN THIS ROOM WANTS TO LIVE IN A PERPETUAL STATE OF ANXIETY. NOBODY CHECKS THE BOX THAT SAYS I WANT TO LIVE IN A STATE OF ANXIETY EACH AND EVERY DAY. BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW ANXIETY CAUSES ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS AND NEGATIVELY IMPACTS EVERY AREA OF OUR LIVES. IT DAMAGES US SPIRITUALLY BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY WE CAN ENJOY THE ABUNDANT LIFE JESUS CAME TO GIVE US AND ENJOY AN INTIMATE LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM IF WE ARE FULL OF ANXIETY; IT DAMAGES US EMOTIONALLY BECAUSE IT STEALS OUR JOY AND OUR PEACE AND LIMITS OUR ABILITY TO FULLY GIVE OURSELVES TO OUR FAMILY, FRIENDS, WORK AND SCHOOL AND IT DAMAGES US PHYSICALLY BY CAUSING HEAD ACHES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE; LOSS OF SLEEP; ENERGY; APPETITE; ULCERS; STROKES;

BUT THE GOOD NEWS FOR US IS THAT GODS WORD HAS A SOLUTION FOR ANXIETY AND THAT IS WHAT WE’VE BEEN LEARNING IN THIS SERMON SERIES ENTITLED ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING FINDING CALM IN A CHAOTIC WORLD. THAT’S WHAT WE ALL WANT RIGHT; THAT’S THE GOAL; CALMNESS AND PEACE; THAT’S THE LIFE WE WANT TO LIVE. AND HERE’S THE DEAL; THAT PEACE, THAT CALMNESS IS NOT GOING TO COME BY BRINGING ORDER TO THE CHAOS; IT’S NOT GOING TO COME WHEN JUPITER ALIGNS WITH MARS AND THE MOON IS IN THE 7TH HOUR. BECAUSE THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. AS LONG AS WE ARE IN THIS WORLD WE WILL ALWAYS DEAL WITH CHAOS; DISORDER; TROUBLE; TRIALS; PRESSURE; OUR BODIES ARE DECAYING; PEOPLE DON’T TREAT US THE WAY WE THINK WE SHOULD BE TREATED; WE DON’T TREAT PEOPLE THE WAY THEY OUGHT TO BE TREATED; THAT’S BECAUSE THIS IS NOT PARADISE; THIS IS PARADISE LOST.

AND SO PEACE IN THIS WORLD WILL NEVER COME BY FIXING EVERYTHING OUT THERE. PEACE IS AN INSIDE JOB. SAY THAT WITH ME: PEACE IS AN INSIDE JOB. IT HAS TO BE FOUND ON THE INSIDE; IN OUR HEARTS AND MINDS. THAT’S EXACTLY THE POINT JESUS WAS MAKING WITH HIS DISCIPLES WHEN HE SAID IN JN. 14:27 “I AM LEAVING YOU WITH A GIFT—PEACE OF MIND AND HEART. AND THE PEACE I GIVE IS A GIFT THE WORLD CANNOT GIVE. SO DON’T BE WORRIED OR AFRAID.” AS WE HAVE SAID BEFORE THE PEACE JESUS GIVES IS LIKE A THERMOSTAT AND THE PEACE THE WORLD GIVES IS LIKE A THERMOMETER. IF 70 DEGREES EQUALS PEACE WE SET IT AND IF IT GETS COLD OR HOT THE TEMP STAYS ON 70; BUT A THERMOMETER JUST REGISTERS THE TEMP. SO IF 70 IS PEACE YOU ONLY GET IT EVERY NOW AND THEN.

SO WHERE DO WE GO TO FIND THIS KIND OF PEACE? AS WE HAVE DISCOVERED IN THIS SERIES WE GO TO THE WORD OF GOD.

SPECIFICALLY, WE HAVE BEEN ZEROING IN ON PHILIPPIANS 4:4-8, WHERE THE APOSTLE PAUL TEACHES US HOW TO LIVE A LIFE CHARACTERIZED BY PEACE. IN THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS WE HAVE LOOKED AT VERSES 4 AND 5 YOU CAN WATCH THOSE ON YOUTUBE AT LFCOG. TODAY WE ARE GOING TO DIG INTO VERSES 6 AND 7 BUT BEFORE WE DO LET ME REMIND YOU AGAIN THAT PAUL IS NOT LIVING A LIFE OF COMFORT AND EASE WHEN HE WRITES THIS LETTER. BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW IT IS EASY TO TELL SOMEBODY ELSE NOT TO BE ANXIOUS WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE TO BE ANXIOUS ABOUT.

BUT WHAT’S FASCINATING ABOUT PAUL’S ADVISE TO US HERE IS THAT HE IS LOCKED UP IN A COLD, DARK, DAMP, DUNGEON CHAINED TO ROMAN SOLDIERS WHEN HE WRITES IT. KNOWING THAT GIVES HIM AUTHORITY AND CREDIBILITY BECAUSE HE IS PRACTICING WHAT HE IS PREACHING; HE IS WALKING HIS TALK. IN FACT, IN THIS ENTIRE LETTER NOT ONCE DOES HE EVER GRIPE, GRUMBLE OR COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SITUATION HE FINDS HIMSELF IN.

LETS READ VERSES 6,7 TOGETHER: 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 PASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING WILL GUARD YOUR HEARTS AND MINDS IN CHRIST JESUS.

WHEN PAUL SAYS DO NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING WHAT HE REALLY MEANS IS DO NOT LIVE IN A PERPETUAL STATE OF ANXIETY; DON’T LIVE YOUR LIFE CONTSTANTLY FULL OF ANX. BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY WE CAN AVOID THE FEELING OF ANXIOUSNESS. BECAUSE THE FEELING OF ANXIETY IS EXACTLY THAT; IT IS A FEELING, AND WE HAVE VERY LITTLE IF ANY CONTROL WHEN THAT FEELING OF ANXIETY WILL HIT.

ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU READ THE EMAIL; RECEIVE A TEXT; GET A PHONE CALL; GET THE NEWS THAT SOMETHING ISN’T RIGHT WITH YOUR BLOOD WORK; YOU GET A CALL FROM YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL; YOUR SPOUSE SAYS WE NEED TO TALK; YOUR BOSS CALLS YOU INTO THE OFFICE; THE FLASHING BLUE LIGHTS PULL UP BEHIND YOU; AND BAM IN A SPLIT SECOND THE AMYGDALAE IN YOUR BRAIN SENDS A MESSAGE TO YOUR BODY THAT CAUSES YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE TO RISE; YOU START BREATHING HARDER, YOUR HEART RATE INCREASES, YOUR PALMS GET SWEATY, YOU CAN’T THINK STRAIGHT, AND IN A NANO SECOND YOUR IMAGINATION HAS TAKEN THAT PIECE OF NEWS TO THE WORST CASE SCENARIO; TO THE DEEPEST DARKEST PLACE WITH THE WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOME. CAN ANYBODY SAY BEEN THERE; DONE THAT!