Dealing With The Mess Of Stress - Part 4

We’ve been learning that the key to dealing with stress is securing the mind against wrong thinking and wrong feelings about circumstances, people and things.

Wrong thinking and wrong feelings, which lead to stress, come from three sources, the world, self and the devil. And just as there are three sources of bad thinking and feelings, there are three conditions that must be met in order for one to conquer worry and experience the secure mind: Right Praying, Right Thinking and Right Living.

Right Praying

Paul is saying, "You conquer worry and experience the secure mind through right praying.

“Right Praying” is praying specifically. It is casting every care and anxiety on the Lord.

“Right Praying” is praying completely. It is casting all cares and anxieties on the Lord

“Right praying” is praying with thanksgiving. It is giving thanks always for all things—knowing that the Lord has everything under His control.

The second condition that one must meet in order to conquer worry and experience the secure mind is “Right Thinking.”

The Bible teaches that you and I are responsible for our thoughts. Last time we learned that we are the gatekeepers and through the power of the Holy Spirit and the knowledge of His Word must hold our thoughts to high and holy standards. We may not be able to control which thoughts knock on our minds door but we do have control over which thoughts we let enter and stay—this is right thinking!

In order to deal with the mess of stress the Christian is to practice “right praying” and “right thinking” but it is not enough to pray right and think right if you and I are not willing to live right.

“Right Living”

In Philippians 4:9 Paul writes, “Whatever you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

There are four verbs in this verse that form two pairs: “learned and received” and “heard and seen” We are going to start off examining each of these two pairs of verbs.

Learned and received

Paul was the Philippians believer’s teacher. The Christians in the city of Philippi had both learned from him and received from him Christian doctrine and principles of Christian living. This was a direct answer to Jesus’ high-priestly prayer in John chapter 17:

John 17:19-20 - And I sanctify Myself for their sakes, so that they also might be sanctified or set-apart in truth. And I do not pray for these alone, but for those also who shall believe on Me through their word

So the Bible is letting us know that church leadership is responsible for both of these aspects—imparting unto the body both Christian doctrine and principals of Christian living.

* 1 Timothy 3:2 lets us know that the overseer must be “able to teach.”

* In 2 Timothy 2, Paul mentors Timothy, a young pastor, by encouraging him to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” Paul goes on to say, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”

* Later in chapter four of 2 Timothy Paul writes to this young pastor, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.” (vs. 3, 4)

“Right living” begins with pastors and teachers who are teaching sound doctrine. “Right living” begins with pastors and teachers who unashamedly take the Scripture and deposit it, by the power of the Holy Spirit, into the minds and hearts of the people.

It is only through the Word of God that people are saved.

It is only through the Word of God that disciples (followers of Jesus) are made.

Pastors are not to preach around the Word—Paul says, “Preach the Word!”

Pastors are not to use the pulpit for their social and political agendas—they are to “Preach the Word!”

The pulpit is not the place for psycho-babble and pop psychology, it is for the preaching of the Word. The pulpit is not the place to preach “sermonettes for Christianettes.” Pastors (and others who are responsible for teaching in the church) are to “preach and teach the Word!”

In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul was addressing the entire church—both leadership and laity—the pastors and the people—the ministers and the membership. In other words, everybody was responsible for what they learned and received, heard and seen in Paul.

Verse 9 of our text says, “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.”