God's Remedy For Our Anxiety

Title: “God’s Remedy for our Anxiety” Scripture: Phil. 4:6-7

Type: Expos/Series Where: GNBC 28, 2021

Intro: What is “anxiety”? Anxiety is a reaction to concerns we feel. Often our anxieties are focused on necessities we feel that we are lacking.This may be food, clothing, shelter, etc. (Mt. 6:25). Possibly we feel uncertain about the future (Mt. 6:34). At its root, anxiety is the stress we feel when we are not in control or are in control but incompetent to handle the assigned task. How do people deal with anxiety – medication, self-medicate, breathing exercises, exercise, yoga, etc. Friends, God has given us a sure-fire remedy that might surprise you. It is something that every believer has access to: Prayer! Illust: An elderly Grandma was about to go on first flight to see dying sister on the coast. She was quite anxious about the idea of flying. After visit, family met her at the airport. One of the family members kidded her by asking, “Well, did the plane hold you up okay?” She grudgingly replied, “Well, yes,” and then quickly added, “But I never did put my full weight down on it!” A lot of people live life like that grandma. Never fully trusting. Never confident. Always anxious. (Adapted from Steven Cole, Lesson 24.)

Prop: In Phil. 4:6-7 we’ll see God’s solution to one of life’s most perplexing problems.

BG: 1. Prayer is irreducibly relational. Conversation with God.

2. Prayer is an untapped resource by many Christians today.

Prop: Let’s look at Phil. 4:6-7 to see God’s solution to one of life’s most perplexing problems.

I. The Perplexing Problem: Anxiety. V. 6

A. Anxiety is one of man’s most perplexing problems.

1. What is “Anxiety”?

a. Anxiety is an emotional reaction to the concerns we feel. At its root, anxiety is the stress we feel when we are not in control in a given situation. The Greek word, “mariminate” meant to be drawn in two different directions or to be divided into two parts. We can relate to that definition, can’t we? Anxiety pulls us in different directions. At its most basic level it pulls us from our trust in God in any given situation.

b. Illust: The Anxiety and Depression Assoc. of America states that 1/3 of all US citizens suffered from anxiety or depression during the Pandemic. (Flowers/Wan 5-26-20, Washington Post). 1/4th of all MS and HS students in America suffer from some level of anxiety disorders. There are a whole host of physical problems that may be linked to Anxiety: Eating disorders, headaches, IBS, sleep disorders, substance abuse, Fibromyalgia, chronic pain, etc.

2. What is our reaction to Anxiety?

a. Few of us are strangers to anxiety. It creeps in over big and little things, gnawing away at our insides. Someone graphically described anxiety as “a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained” (Arthur Roche, Reader’s Digest [6/88], p. 64). Words like “stressing”, “panic attack”, and others are commonplace in our speech. We often have feelings of anxiety over finances: money to pay rent/mortgage, school loan, tuition, will my business grow. retirement (Isn’t that funny! We spend decades worrying if we will have enough money to retire and never know for sure will make it to retirement!). Worry about our health – heart disease, will I get cancer, Alzheimers… Worry about our kids: When they are young…will they be healthy, how will they do in school, will they have friends, will they get a job, marry, get into a “good college”, will they have children, what will the world be like for their children???? Ad infinitum! Truthfully, you are probably becoming a little anxious as I talk!

b. The first step to becoming free of anxiety is to give your life to Jesus Christ. Once you’ve taken this step, the next is to practice fixing your thoughts on Christ and his promises. (John 14:2-3). In the battlefield of our minds, we are to practice awareness of our thoughts and take them captive. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:8-9, ESV)

B. God’s Assessment: Anxiety is a Problem God wants the Believer to “put off”.

1. Look at the passage: God doesn’t want us to be anxious about anything.

a. “be anxious for nothing”- The theme of the Philippian letter is “joy”. Paul doesn’t want the Christian to lose his/her witness in a watching world. If a non-Christian sees you and me weighed down with concerns and worries, will not be attracted to want what we have if we are more anxious, saying we know Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe, saying that He is able to provide, than they, who are outside of Christ. It’s a bad testimony.