Stay Calm

Note: Some of the notes came from Max Lucados book called Be Anxious for Nothing

Title: Don’t be Anxious

Theme: Learning to deal with anxiety and stress in our lives.

Text: Phillippians 4:4 – 8

Philippians 4:4-8 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. (5) Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. (6) Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. (7) And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (8) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Introduction

Illustration

A pet store delivery truck was making its way through town when the other travelers couldn’t help but notice the peculiar behavior of the truck’s driver. Every time the truck came to a red light or stop sign, the driver would jump out of the truck with a baseball bat in his grasp, run to the back of the truck and beat viciously on the back panel. After witnessing this bizarre behavior through several intersections, the man who was stuck behind the truck finally got out of his car and asked the pet store delivery truck driver why he was beating the back panel of his truck with a baseball bat. The driver explained, “This is only a two-ton truck and I’m carrying four tons of parrots and other exotic birds, so I’ve got to keep two tons of them in the air at all times!”

It thought about this in life. How it seems to be that we live where everything seems to be stirred up.

Personal Story

While we were in Korea we were sitting around the apartment, to our surprise we heard a siren blaring across the city. I looked out the window and you could tell the whole city was shut down. It was a drill in preparation for an attack from North Korea. This happens twice a year.

I mean to live under that constant fear and anxiety.

Definition of Anxiety

anx·i·e·ty [aNG'zi?de]

NOUN

1. a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome:

Medical Definition

Anxiety is a multisystem response to a perceived threat or danger. It reflects a combination of biochemical changes in the body, the patient's personal history and memory, and the social situation.

Facts of anxiety and stress

In the 1900’s the major causes of death were from infectious diseases. Now in the 21st century the major causes of the top 10 at least 6 can be affected by stress. Things like Heart disease, strokes, diabetes and suicide.

Historians will probably call our era “the age of anxiety.” Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and His will for us. —Billy Graham

I am not trying to make light of these but it would do us well health wise if we get a hold of this anxiety issue. The good news is there is an answer in scripture.

When Billy Graham wrote those words in 1965, no one knew how true they would be 50 years later.

Paul gives us a simple formula in dealing with anxiety. I say simple because I know there is more to each of these and we will explore these some more over the next few weeks but this morning I want to look at this simple formula.

C – Celebrate God’s Goodness

Philippians 4:4-8 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. (5) Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Perspective is the key:

OPEN: An elderly mountain farmer had been involved in an accident between his mule-drawn wagon and an car driven by another man. Now, the farmer was suing the driver, claiming personal injuries as a result of the accident.

When the farmer was on the stand, the attorney for the driver of the car "Tell me sir, isn’t it true that after the accident, you said that you never felt better in your life?"

"Well," the farmer began, "that morning I got up, hitched up my mule to the wagon, and put my hound dog in the seat beside me and I started on down the road…”

The lawyer interrupted "Please, just give me a simple yes or no answer to the question"

At this point the judge stepped in and directed the lawyer to let the farmer have his way in answering the question.

"Well," the farmer began again, "that morning I got up, hitched up my mule to the wagon, put my hound dog in the seat beside me and I started on down the road… and I jest got over the rise of the road when this big car barreled into my rear end. My mule was knocked to one side of the road, my dog to the other and I was pinned under the seat.