Anxiety

I'm going to talk to you this morning about anxiety.

The prevalence of anxiety is off the charts.

! The amount of people who struggle with anxiety,

And it's more denied than ever in some ways.

And Proverbs 12, 25 says,

Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down,

but a good word makes him glad.

I hope today would be a good word that would make you glad.

So what is it? What is anxiety?

First and foremost, anxiety is a sin.

Anxiety is a sin.

Philippians 4, verse 6 says,

Philippians 4:6

Do not be anxious about anything.

Do not be anxious about anything.

Anxiety is a sin. The Bible prohibits it.

Definition of anxiety is apprehensive uneasiness,

nervousness, or worry,

usually over an impending or anticipated ill.

Another way to say that, kind of in your thoughts,

would be something bad is going to happen.

When there's this impending kind of doom in your heart or mind,

that's anxiety.

Another definition would be an abnormal or overwhelming sense of apprehension

and fear,

often marked by physical signs,

such as tension, sweating, increased pulse rate,

by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat,

and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it.

Okay?

So another form of anxiety would be that I just, I can't.

I can't do this.

I can't handle this.

And it begins to overwhelm you.

Even physical signs can sometimes happen.

Okay?

What are some of the forms of anxiety we can have?

We can have financial anxiety.

Right?

Some people, I'm going to list some of these things.

I want you to ask the question,

Do I have anxiety in my life?

Don't just automatically say,

No, no, no, no, I'm fine.

Like, listen to these different things and ask the question.

Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you and convince you.

Okay?

So financial anxiety.

Do you have anxiety about money or job or your business?

Okay?

Does it ever keep you up at night?

Do you ever find yourself having conversations with people in the shower

who aren't there with you?

You know, are you thinking about things so much so

that it's disrupting your thoughts and your peace and your rest?

Maybe you can't sleep with financial anxiety or social anxiety.

Okay?

You can't stand being alone or you can't stand being with people.

Right?

Could be either way.

You're constantly thinking about what people think.

You're afraid of what people think.

You're measuring all your words and your actions

based on what someone might think of you.

This can manifest in dating and in relationships

and just a common sense of insecurity.

That I don't measure up.

I'm inferior.

What if people think this?

What if people think that?

What if I am not this?

What if I'm not that?

Health anxiety.

Okay?

If you've never had health anxiety

and you've been to WebMD,

I doubt it.

You probably did it.

Okay?

Right?

Because WebMD was built for anxiety.

Isn't it?

I mean, isn't that like the result?

You look at it and there's always something

that you weren't looking for that you all of a sudden have

and you're going to die.

Right?

So, health sickness, health anxiety.

This is a new one

because we have more information available than ever.

People are constantly anxious about,

well, what if I have this?

Or what if I'm, you know,

people just fear of death, period.

Right?

You know, just people thinking,

I'm going to die.

Why do you think you're going to die?

I don't know.

I just have this sense I'm going to die.

Okay.

You know?

Have you been on WebMD lately?

So, there's these different things

and you're trying to self-diagnose

and you're,

if someone's pregnant,

they get worried about the baby.

You know,

there's anxiety about that.

Maybe it's not you.

It's anxiety over your kids.

What if my kids don't make it?

What if my kids have this horrible sickness?

What if my kids die?

What if my spouse,

what if my mom,

what if my dad?

And we get anxious over health.

Right?

There's family anxiety.

You can get anxious over your marriage.

Like,

are we going to stay together?

Get anxious over parenting.

Am I screwing up my kids?

Did I ruin them?

We can get anxious about

just the kids in general.

You know?

Just like,

I can't handle this.

It's overwhelming to the point

where I'm anxious.

I can't even function

with other human beings

because my little kids

have got me so in a tizzy.

Right?

Some of you guys can relate to this.

Leadership anxiety.

You know?

I'm really anxious about

a wife being super anxious

about their husband.

I don't know.

This guy,

he's leading me,

but what if he's not leading me right?

I see the weaknesses in him.

I see the sins in him.

There's no way he could lead me well.

And we're tempted

with control, right?

What about church leadership?

Oh man,

I've seen this before.

I just met with a guy the other day.

And he was telling me

all the ways

that I and the church

were reminding him

of bad things

that he saw

in this other church

that really wounded him.

And I said to the guy,

I said,

was everything

in that previous church wrong?

He's like,

no.

Was everything

in the leadership bad?

He said,

no.

Well,

then if I remind you

of some of those things,

that doesn't necessarily mean

that's a bad thing.

Okay?

Let's not have

your reference point

be that last church

that hurt you

or harmed you.

Let's have the reference point

be the scriptures

and whether something's

right or wrong.

And so,

but you can have anxiety

about that.

Especially if you're new,

coming around a new church.

And I know

there's some of us

who are new

coming around the church

and we start,

someone says something,

someone does something,

like,

I've seen that before.

I've experienced that

the last time

I was burned.

That person said that to me.

Last time I was burned,

that person acted like that.

You remind me

just like that charlatan

who led the last church

who was in.

And it's like,

oh yeah,

that can happen.

But,

is it true?

And are we getting anxious

about it?

And who are we following?

Are we following a spouse,

ultimately?

Are we following

church leadership,

ultimately?

We can get anxious

about government,

anxious about our president,

anxious about the Congress,

our governors,

the mayor.

We can get anxious

about those things

and say,

they're going to

screw everything up.

They're going to ruin

our society.

But are we ultimately

following them?

We can even get anxious

about God,

thinking that he doesn't

have it under control.

That he's not ultimately

a good leader.

We get anxious

about leadership,

right?

But who are we following?

There's stuff anxiety.

Hey,

what's stuff anxiety?

Your house.

You know?

Your,

so it can just be

the house itself

for payers,

things going wrong,

being able to pay for it.

Or it could just be

hospitality.

Like,

my house isn't clean enough.

My house isn't nice enough.

I don't know if I want

to have people in here.

What if they wreck stuff?

What if they see

how I really live?

What if they go

in that room?

You know,

you know,

whatever.

Your car.

Is my car going to make it?

It's making that weird noise.

I'm anxious about it.

I don't have money for a car.

If my car gets broken now,

my car is broken now.

I took it in the shop.

I don't know how much

it's going to be.

You know,

you can get anxious

about all kinds of things.

It's really like,

I wasn't anxious,

but now I'm starting to get anxious.

Life anxiety,

responsibility,

decisions.

Right?

Some of us can't.

We have a decision to make

and we freeze.

We just get so anxious about it.

Or fear of failure.

Fear of the future.

Anxiousness about

the unknown.

What's going to happen?

How are things going to be?

Or when life doesn't make sense,

we can get anxious about it.

Or we can get anxious about sin.

Right?

We get anxious because we're tempted

and we think,

oh my gosh,

am I going to fall?

Am I going to give in?

Am I going to,

I'm anxious about getting into

some position of responsibility

or leadership

because what if I screw it up?

What if,

what if I'm the one who falls

and disillusions more people?

I've experienced that.

I don't want to do that

with other people.

We get anxious about secret sins.

Well,

what if this person's in secret sin?

What if my leader's in secret sin?

What if my spouse is in secret sin?

We get anxious about the devil

and what he's doing

and how he's deceiving people.

And there's so many things

to get anxious about.

Right?

So many things.

And it's pervasive.

And more than ever,

we just say,

yeah,

that's just the way it is.

And this is just part of life.

Some of us even say,

well,

that's just my personality.

I just have a sinful personality.

Yeah,

join the club.

We all do.

That doesn't mean

you have to accept it.

That doesn't mean

you have to say,

oh,

this is going to be the norm.

Sin shall no longer rule over you.

Okay?

So I want to stick in one main text.

I'll reference some of the rest of the scriptures,

but I want to go to Philippians chapter 4,

Philippians 4:4–9

verses 4 through 9.

Okay?

So if you've got your Bibles,

you can look at that.

I'm going to read through it first,

and then we'll jump through it verse by verse.

Philippians chapter 4,

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

4 through 9.

Rejoice in the Lord always.

Again, I'll say,

rejoice.

Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.

The Lord is at hand.

Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything,

for at prayer and supplication,

with thanksgiving,

let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God,

which surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts

and your minds

in Christ Jesus.

Finally,

brothers,

whatever is true,

whatever is honorable,

whatever is just,

whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely,

whatever is commendable,

if there's any excellence,

if there's anything

worthy of praise,

think about these things.

And the God of peace

will be with you.

This is the word of God.

Okay, let's look at it.

Rejoice in the Lord always.

Again, I will say rejoice.

So for starters,

the context of this main verse,

we're looking at verse 6,

is preceded by verse 4.

And it says,

Rejoice in the Lord always.

Could it be that oftentimes

what leads into anxiety

is a lack of gratefulness for God,

is a lack of joy in God,

a lack of rejoicing in God?

And if you don't think he meant it,

he said it twice.

He said rejoice in the Lord always.

Not sometimes,

not most of the time.

Well, yeah, I know.

Rejoice in the Lord

when things are good.

No.

Rejoice in the Lord at all times.

Rejoice in the Lord always.

If you rejoice in the Lord always,

can you be anxious?

That'd be pretty difficult.

Wouldn't it be awesome

if you orchestrated your life

in such a way

that anxiety was hard to do?

Wouldn't that be awesome?

Like, I'm having a hard time.

You're having a hard time?

What are you having a hard time with?

I'm having a really hard time being anxious.

It's been really difficult.

I just keep rejoicing in the Lord.

I do it always.

And I have a hard time being anxious.

Wow.

Wish I struggled with that.

You know, what if we struggled

to be anxious

because we rejoice in the Lord?

How often?

Always.

And if God wasn't

trying to make this clear enough,

through Paul,

he said again,

I will say,

rejoice.

He's doubling down.

You must rejoice in the Lord,

always.

You should be thankful in Him.

You should bless Him

at all times.

You're looking for opportunities

to say,

Lord, You're my joy.

You're my hope.

Okay?

And he says,

let your reasonableness

be known to everyone.

Or let your gentleness

be known to everyone.

Could it be that anxiety

makes you unreasonable?

Could it be that

in the context of this?

Because the very next verse

is the Lord is at hand.

Do not be anxious about anything.

But right before that,

he says,

let your reasonableness

be known to anyone.

Could it be that anxiety

makes you unreasonable?

Why is it unreasonable?

Why is anxiety unreasonable?

Why does it make you unreasonable?

Why does rejoicing the Lord

make your reasonableness

known to all?

Because of the most important

part of this verse.

And it's this.

Right before verse 6

when it says,

do not be anxious about anything.

Which we all know this verse, right?

Maybe you haven't memorized.

Maybe you even knew the citation.

You know, yeah.

Philippians 4, 6.

I got that one.

It's on my fridge.

It's on my mirror

in the bathroom.

You know, I know that one.

I memorized that one

when I was a kid.

But what about

the five words

right before it?

The Lord

is at hand.

The Lord

is at hand.

That's the key part,

right?

Why should I not

be anxious about anything?

Because of the first half

of the sentence,

it's the same sentence.

Because the Lord

is near.

Did you hear me?

The Lord

is at hand.

Other versions say

the Lord is near.

If the Lord

is near,

not, I mean,

not your best friend

is near,

not like a

good spouse

is near,

not like a brother

or sister is near.

No, no, no.

This is way better.

Did you hear

what it said?

The Lord

is near.

The Lord

is at hand.

Do you know this?

And what does it

mean to you?

What does it mean

to you that the

Lord is at hand?

Who is this

Lord that you

speak of?

Who is this

God that you

speak of?

Is he a distant

God?

Aloof and uncaring?

Is he a God

who does not

care for his

people?

Is he a God

who breaks

bruised wicks

and puts out,

sorry,

breaks bruised

reeds and puts

out smoldering

wicks?

Is that the

God he is?

No, it's not.

He doesn't

break the bruised

reed.

He doesn't

put out the

smoldering wick.

He is not far.

It says the

Lord is at

hand.

The Lord

is near.

Okay?

It says he will

never leave you

or forsake you.

Do you believe

this about God?

What you believe

about God

determines whether

or not you're

going to be

anxious.

Do you believe

that he's near?

If you believe

that a distant

God is near,

a God that

doesn't care about

you is near,

a God that's

not for you

is near,

well, so what?

That actually

makes me more

anxious.

If I don't

know what

he's going

to do,

if I don't

know if

he's good,

if I don't

know if

he's sovereign,

what comfort

is that to

me?

He's meaning

to say the

Lord is near

as a comfort,

as a thing

to lay up

right into the

next verse.

Do not be

anxious about

anything.

The reason

do not be

anxious about

anything has

weight is

because the

Lord is near.

Do you

believe that?

Do you believe

that the Lord

is near?

And do you

believe that he

is who he

says he is?

Do you

believe in the

God of the

scriptures?

What are you

believing about

God?

Behind every

sin is some

form of

unbelief about

God.

Okay?

The Lord is

at hand.

Do not be

anxious about

anything.

So you might

say, and this

is the ultimate

yeah but verse in

the Bible in our

culture today.

Right?

And I want to

ask you a

question.

How do you

relate to the

scriptures?

Are you a

yeah but

interpreter of

the scriptures?

Does the

culture so

apprehended you

that you

read the

scriptures and

say yeah but

is your natural

inclination?

When the

scriptures say

don't be

anxious, you're

like yeah but

you don't

understand.

My parents

were anxious

before me.

My mom

before me had

postpartum

depression.

You know,

that's just the

way it is.

I'm just, you

know, it's part

of my heritage.

I am an

anxious person

by nature and

that's just the

way it is and

that's okay.

But this says

do not be

anxious about

anything.

Do not be

anxious about

anything.

That's pretty

all-inclusive.

Anything.

Don't be

anxious about

anything.

But how many

things have we

justified as,

well of course

there's certain

things you

shouldn't be

anxious about.

But I have a

list just as long

as the things

that I've

justified in

my own

mind that

it's okay

to be

anxious about.

And then

the word

of the Lord

says,

don't be

anxious about

anything.

About anything.

Why?

Because the

Lord is near.

The Lord is

near.

Don't be

anxious about

anything.

How many

things have

we accepted

in our life

as acceptable

forms of

anxiety that

the scriptures

are saying?

No, this

was never

meant for you.

You're a

child of God.

How dare you

think that this

was the norm?

How dare you

think that you

are living in a

reality where the

Lord is not

near and that

the Lord who

is near is not

mighty to save

you from your

sin of anxiety?

He is.

Do you believe

that?

You see, when you

don't believe that,

we get into fear,

which leads to

control.

Look at Abraham

and Isaac for an

example, right?

Remember the story

that Abraham did

twice, actually?

Abraham is

traveling because

the Lord sent him

out and he's got

his wife with

him.

And they go

into a place

where there's a

king and he

says to his

wife, half

truth, right?

Says, hey, just

tell him, tell him

you're my sister.

Okay?

Tell him you're my

sister.

Well, he

technically was a

half sister.

Okay?

And he says, just

tell him you're a

sister, but instead

of telling him that

you're a wife.

Why?

He was afraid that

he'd be killed

because she was

attractive.

Well, what did the

first king do when

that happened?

The king took her

as his wife.

Can you imagine

this?

Out of anxiety, he

said, hey, don't

tell him the full

truth because I'm

afraid.

So I'm going to

try to control

this and manipulate

it.

And his wife was

taken by another

man to be his

wife.

That's a bad

day.

That's not good.

Right?

And you know, God

intervened.

Okay?

And you think, wow,

crisis averted.

I'm never going to

do that again.

He does it again.

He does it again.

He literally does it

again.

And he taught it to

his son.

Because then if you

keep going in

Genesis, what did

Isaac do?

Isaac does the same

thing.

In Genesis 26, 7,

he says, she is my

sister, for he feared

to say, my wife,

thinking lest the men

of the place should

kill me because of

Rebecca, because she

was attractive in

appearance.

Fear and anxiety

lead to control.

control.

And guess what?

It's not real

control.

It's an illusion of

control.

For those of you who

don't know this, I have

a word for you.

You're not in control.

You might think you

are, but it's all an

illusion.

You want to talk about

a simulation?

We are living in a

simulation.

I'm going to tell you

that this morning.

The simulation we're

living in is that

you're in control.

And most people

believe it.

It's a simulation.

It's not real.

It's not true.

It dictates the whole

world and what they

do.

But the truth is,

the reality is, there

is someone in control

and it's not you.

It's God.

God is in control.

And I hope for most

of you, not hopefully

all of you, that's

good news.

It's good news that I'm

not in control.

But when you feel like

you have to be in

control, that's what

anxiety leads to.

I have to be in

control.

And you can't.

That's what makes you

anxious.

I feel like I have to

be in control, but I'm

not in control.

What am I to do?

Stop being in control.

Don't be anxious about

anything.

Why?

How?

Because the Lord is

near.

Because the Lord is

near.

Romans 8.31 says,

If God is for us, who

can be against us?

And isn't that the

thing that, you know,

that whole list of

things I was giving

you, isn't that like

the group?

That's a pretty good

list, don't you think,

of the things that are

against us?

And most of you are

like, yeah, I've

thought about probably a

lot of those things.

How many times have

we been tempted to

anxiety those things,

given into those

things?

There's a whole list

of things that are

against us.

And if that list is

ever short from you,

all you have to do is

watch the news, and

it'll just grow, right?

There's new ways than

ever before to be

anxious about things.

you think, but there's so

many things against me.

But the Word of God

says, but God is for us.

And if God is for us,

really?

Who can be against us?

It's a rhetorical

question.

He's saying, if God is

for you, no one can be

against you.

No thing could honestly be

against you if God is for

you.

Anxiety, in its truest sense,

is really an act of pride.

It's an act of pride.

1 Peter 5 talks about this,

and then we'll get back to

our text.

1 Peter 5, 5-7 says,

God opposes the proud,

but gives grace to the

humble.

Humble yourselves,

therefore, under the

mighty hand of God, so

that at the proper time

He may exalt you,

casting all your anxieties

on Him, because He cares

for you.

So, humility is taking

your anxiety and casting

it on the Lord.

Humility is saying,

God, I cannot handle

this.

I'm not in control.

I can't, I'm not in control

of my health.

I'm not in control of my

kids.

I'm not in control of my

leadership.

I'm not in control,

ultimately, of my finances.

I'm not in control of my,

whether I'm going to die or

not.

I am not in control.

And so, my humility says,

you're God, I'm not.

You're for me.

I make stupid decisions.

God, I cast all my

anxieties on you,

because you care for me.

The reason we don't cast

our anxieties on Him is

because we don't think He

cares for us.

Some of us need to get

honest this morning and

say, and I know it's not

the right answer, but some

of us have to give the

real answer.

The right answer is, oh,

yes, God cares for me.

God is good all the time,

brother.

Good to see you.

See you next week.

You know?

And some lame lie, you

know?

Because some of us don't

really believe that.

Some of us have to be

honest and say, I don't

believe that He cares for me.

And that's why it's hard

for me to cast my

anxieties on the Lord.

I feel like I'm on my

own.

I feel like He doesn't

really care.

And I've believed it for

all this time, ever since

that one thing happened

to me.

It was at that time I

believed I'm on my own.

No one's looking after

me.

No one's taking care of

me.

And we come up with a

case that we've built in

our head for why God

isn't for us and why we

have to be the one who's

fighting for ourselves.

And if you ever want to

know if you're not

believing that God is the

one who fights for you

and is for you, just look

at if you're fighting for

yourself.

The evidence of your

unbelief in the God who

fights for you is that

you're fighting for

yourself.

The evidence of your

belief in the God who

fights for you is that

you are marked by rest.

By rest.

Are you at rest?

If you cast all your

anxieties on Him because

He cares for you, that's

an act of humility.

Pride says, no, I got

this, Lord.

No, I'm going to do this

on my own.

So, you have all this

here in Philippians 4, and

then He really brings in

the good stuff right here

in verse 7.

Okay?

So, do not be anxious

about anything.

All right?

But in everything, offer

your request to God.

Actually, did I skip?

Oh, I'm sorry.

I skipped this part.

But in everything, by

prayer and supplication,

with thanksgiving, let

your request be made

known to God.

Okay?

And so, the answer is

prayer.

And it's not some

things.

It's not most things.

He says, don't be

anxious about anything,

but in everything.

You hear this all-inclusive

language.

Again, I'm going to say

it again.

You know I just said it,

but I'm going to say it

again.

The yeah-but culture,

the yeah-but mentality,

when we read the

scriptures, it says,

there's multiple reasons

where my anxiety is okay.

Listen to the all-inclusive

language in Philippians

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4.

Do not be anxious about

anything, but in

everything.

This is all-inclusive.

All things are to be

brought before the Lord

by prayer and

supplication, with

thanksgiving, let your

request be made known.

Okay?

Prayer, supplication,

with thanksgiving.

Again, it's with

thanksgiving.

Why?

Because you're rejoicing

in Him.

You're looking to Him so

that you're not in

anxiety.

Now, it says, let your

request be made known.

Some of us are really

good at this.

We make our requests

known, but we're really

bad at what the

scriptures say.

We're not making them

known to God.

You see what it says

here?

It doesn't just say,

let your request be

made known.

That's not the end of

the sentence.

It says, let your

request be made known

to God.

Some of us are really

good at talking about

all the bad things in

our life and how

overwhelming our life

is, and we complain

about things, and we

gripe about things, and

we think that the

world is against us, and

we think that nothing

ever goes right for us,

and we're just

constantly spitting out

unbelief.

And it says, but in

everything by prayer and

supplication and

thanksgiving, let your

request be made known

to God.

To God.

Where are you taking

these things?

Where are you taking

your anxieties?

Do you have a prayer

life that is

emblematic of a

casting of your cares

onto the Lord?

Is this what your

prayer life looks like?

Don't feel bad about it.

Don't think, oh, man, I

just feel like I'm just

thinking about myself.

Listen, this is part of

what prayer and

supplication is for.

It's for you to offload

these problems onto the

one who loves taking

it.

You're never going to

burden him.

It's not like he's

like, man, my

followers are great, but

this one guy, man, he's

just constantly just

dumping all this stuff

on me.

God's not like that.

He's a father.

He never tires of you

coming to him.

He never tires of you

offering your anxieties

to him.

He wants to take them.

And if you ever doubt

that, if you're ever

wondering how badly God

wants to be near us,

how badly, to what

extent will God go to

be near us?

Look to the cross.

This is why we have to

remember him every week,

like Sam was saying,

because we forget.

Later in Psalm 46,

Psalms 46:10

verse 10 of the Psalm

he read to call us to

worship, it says,

Be still and know

that I am God.

Be still and know

that I am God.

Some of us need to

just be still and say,

God, I trust you.

I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm,

but I'm having a hard

time and so I'm going

to cast my cares on

you.

I'm going to, in prayer

supplication.

But I'm taking them to

God.

Some of us lean too

heavily on other people.

Some of us lean too

heavily on our spouse.

Some of us lean too

heavily on a certain

relationship or our

pastors or whatever.

Listen, when you're

trying to pull something

from someone that can't

give it to you, you're

automatically going to

frustrate the

relationship.

Okay?

When you're trying to

treat someone as if they

can give you what only

God can give you, you'll

frustrate yourself and

them because they can't.

They can't give it to

you.

Right?

This is where we have to

go to God.

They have to go to God.

Verse seven says, and

the peace of God, which

surpasses all

understanding, will guard

your hearts and your

minds in Christ Jesus.

Okay?

Here's the promise now.

Right?

He's not just throwing

out a command and saying,

hey, do this.

He's saying, do this.

And then the peace of

God, which surpasses

all understanding.

Listen, it's a peace that

surpasses understanding.

This is why you can't say

yeah, but to the

scriptures because of

brain science.

This is why you can't say

yeah, but to the

scriptures because we

figured out new things

about the brain and the

body.

That means anxiety is now

acceptable.

There is a peace of God

that surpasses

understanding.

You can't appeal to

understanding to say you

don't need the peace of

God that surpasses

understanding because it

surpasses understanding.

You get it?

Like that's the point.

This is supernatural.

This is bigger than any

white coat can tell you.

All right?

Some guy with a bunch of

letters behind his name is

going to tell you, no, it's

okay to be anxious.

Don't listen to the

preacher, man.

Don't listen to the

offensive book, the Bible

telling you not to be

anxious about anything.

That's okay.

You can do that.

We've actually discovered

that it's okay.

We've actually discovered

that it's not good for

people to tell you that.

In the Bible, this

ancient text, this thing

that has existed before

you were ever even a

thought in your parents'

mind, this truth is here,

that there is a

surpassing greatness and

knowledge, a peace that

surpasses all understanding,

that will guard your

hearts and your minds in

Christ Jesus.

But some people are like,

well, what if it doesn't?

Like, what if I do this

and it doesn't?

What does it say?

Does it say it might

guard you?

Does it say hopefully it

will guard you?

Does it say, man, there's

a really good chance it

will guard you?

That's not what it says

when I look at the text.

What does it say?

The peace of God which

surpasses all understanding

will.

It will guard you.

Do you believe the word

of God?

Do you believe that what

he says is true?

Do you believe that God

himself is the author of

this text?

And that Paul was inspired

by the Holy Spirit when he

wrote it?

And that the peace of God

which surpasses all

understanding will guard

your heart and your minds

in Christ Jesus?

I love that the word used

here is guard.

Do you believe that there's

a kind of peace that comes

from God that is actually

violent?

What way?

Oh, it's violent against

every other obstacle that

would come against you.

There's a peace of God that

guards your heart and your

mind.

Do you know what I'm

talking about?

I'm talking about.

You all know of a felt

kind of violence that you

feel of anxiety trying to

get into your mind, into

your heart.

It almost feels like it's

a war.

It almost feels like it's

violence.

Some of us have been so

entrenched in it, even

sometimes demonically, that

it feels like we're going

crazy.

And we feel like, man, I'm

under attack.

I feel like I can't get out

from underneath this.

But the word of God

shouts to us and says,

the peace of God which

surpasses all understanding

will guard your hearts and

your minds in Christ Jesus.

That isn't a word of

action.

That is a violent word to

say, no, God's power stands

against all these things that

would seek to come into our

hearts and minds and put

anxiety there.

Do you believe that?

Do you believe that God will

give us that kind of peace, a

peace that guards?

Do you know of this peace?

There's nothing like it.

You might even say it

surpasses understanding.

Because it does.

He then says in verse 8,

Finally, brothers, whatever

is true, whatever is

honorable, whatever is

just, whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely, whatever

is commendable, if there's

any excellence, if there's

anything worthy of praise,

think about these things.

Okay?

So, so often the reason we

get anxious is because we're

thinking about the wrong

thing.

Right?

We're just feeding it.

That's why everybody laughs

when you hear about WebMD,

right?

Because so many people have

done it.

It's like, I didn't even know

there was these many things

that could happen to me.

Now that I know, I'm, I'm

super afraid.

And we hear about more

tragedies than ever before.

The proliferation of news

makes us, it's not that even

certain things have

increased.

In fact, you know, the

irony is child kidnappings

are way down from when I was a

kid.

But do you think people are

less afraid of them now?

No way.

They're way more afraid.

People are way more afraid of

that kind of stuff.

Even though factually, it's way

less possible of happening

than what it used to.

But what is it?

It's because we hear about

every single one.

You used to not hear about it

in that state and that state.

You only heard about it if it

was in your neighborhood.

Now we hear about it

everywhere.

We hear about every bad

thing everywhere.

That's what sells.

That's what sells news.

Okay?

What are you thinking about

though?

Are you thinking about

whatever is pure?

Whatever is lovely?

Whatever is just?

Whatever is commendable?

If there's any excellence,

if there's anything worthy of

praise, think about these

things.

What is your thought life?

What do you think about?

Are you taking your thoughts

captive and you casting your

anxieties on the Lord because

he cares for you?

Verse 9, he says,

What you have learned and

received and heard and seen

in me, practice these things.

What you've learned, received,

and heard and seen in me.

So it's not just book knowledge.

This isn't just, we're not just

supposed to grow in our freedom

from anxiety just by reading,

just by learning.

We're also supposed to hear and

see it in other people.

See what he's saying here?

What you've learned and received

and heard and seen in me,

practice these things.

Practice these things.

He was a living model of this.

How do we know that?

Well, first of all, he's saying

it, but this is the great thing

about the scriptures.

When we have stuff like this

where Paul's talking about this,

Acts chapter 16 tells us what

Acts 16 · chapter mention

was going on when he was in

Philippi talking to these people,

right?

You know, God calls him over to

Macedonia.

He travels over to Macedonia.

He comes in there, all right?

Starts preaching the gospel.

Lydia gets saved, all right?

And then this slave girl with

divination powers is annoying Paul,

so he casts a demon out of her.

Interesting little event there,

right?

And throws the economy into turmoil

in Philippi.

And so what do they do?

Well, that was no small thing.

His little annoyance turned out

to be a rough day.

Okay.

They attacked, they attacked him.

And I think I can't, is this Silas in

here?

I can't remember.

It's either Silas or Silas and

Timothy.

Anyways, the crew he's with, they

attack him.

They strip them.

Okay.

So they're, they attack him.

They strip him from his clothes.

They beat, they beat him with rods.

Okay.

So not just hitting him.

They're beating him with rods.

And then they throw him in prison.

Okay.

Attacked, stripped, and beaten with rods.

And what does he do when he gets to

jail?

Is he anxious?

Is he sitting there worried and

complaining, what are we going to do?

We just got, you know, he could have,

remember the verse that says,

whatever's true, whatever's just.

Paul could have just sat there and

thought how unjust this was.

He's a Roman citizen.

He's, there was no trial.

There was no accusation.

They just, this is vigilante,

quote unquote, justice.

It was injustice.

He could have meditated on how

injustice was.

Does he do that though?

What does he do?

Look at Philip in Acts 16.

What's the first, what's the first

thing you find them doing when they

get into that jail?

Praying and singing hymns to God.

Paul modeled this.

He says, now think of this verse

nine, what you have learned and

received and heard and seen in me

practice these things.

What did they see in Paul?

They saw a man who was attacked,

who was stripped and who was

beaten with rods, thrown into jail

in shackles.

And what did he do?

He prayed and he sang hymns to God.

He went to God.

He was thankful.

He let his reasonableness be known

to all.

Right?

What do you do when hard times come?

And what was the last time you

were beaten with rods?

I don't think I've had one of those

times.

So whatever, however bad I thought it

was, it wasn't as bad as this.

I've never been stripped and attacked,

unjustly thrown into prison and beat

with rods.

That hasn't happened to me.

And yet I would complain for far less

things.

Paul went in there and he started

praying and singing hymns.

He wasn't anxious.

He modeled this and it affected the

Philippian church.

It says,

What you've learned and received and

heard and seen in me,

practice these things and the God of

peace will be with you.

Okay?

And we should do the same thing in

parenting.

Guess what?

If you're anxious, you know what you're

parenting your children in?

Anxiety.

Case in point, Abraham and his son,

Isaac.

What did Isaac do?

He did the exact same thing.

Did the exact same thing.

Do we realize how anxiety gets passed

down?

And we all, we know this and we get

anxious about it.

Have you ever been anxious about

passing anxiety down to your kids?

We do this sometimes.

Do you know that the God of peace

will guard your hearts and minds in

Christ Jesus in such a way that you

can hand down a lack of anxiety to

your kids, that you can hand down

peace to your kids, that you can hand

down stability to your kids, that you

can hand down a normative model of

life to praise God and pray to God

when things seem to be anxious?

Do you know that you can hand that

down?

You can.

You can.

It's true.

And we need to.

But we're going to have to buck the

order of the day.

The order of the day is anxiety.

Do you hear me?

This is the order of the day.

You don't think you're affected by

it?

You're a fool.

We're all affected by it.

We're in the water and it's boiling.

Do you understand what I'm saying?

The water around us is anxiety and

it's getting hotter and it's becoming

more normative than ever.

And there's this book, this ancient

offensive book called the Bible that

says, don't be anxious about anything.

Don't be anxious about anything.

How dare you say that?

I didn't.

The Lord did.

The God of all creation said that.

Matthew 28, 20 says, behold, I am with

you always to the end of the age.

Hebrews 13, verse 5 says, I will never

Hebrews 13:5

leave you or forsake you.

You believe that that God is near you.

Do you believe that?

When you believe that, you're not

anxious.

In closing, let me read a few verses on

anxiety.

Psalm 94, verse 19 says, when the cares

Psalms 94:19

of my heart are many, your consolations

cheer my soul.

Jeremiah 17, 7 through 8 says, blessed is

the man who trusts in the Lord, whose

trust is the Lord.

He has like a tree planted by water that

sends out its root by the stream and

does not fear when heat comes.

For its leaves remain green and is not

anxious in the year of drought.

For it does not cease to bear fruit.

Picture that for your kids as well.

Your kids, little shoots who do not

fret, who do not get anxious in the

year of drought.

When things are lacking, when things

aren't the way you want them to be.

Can you believe that even your kids

could be trusting in the Lord and not

ceasing to bear fruit?

Psalm 127, verse 2, it is vain that you

Psalms 127:2

rise up early and go late to rest, eating

the bread of anxious toil.

For he gives to his beloved sleep.

Well, yeah, as long as you have the right

amount of magnesium and melatonin and all

this other stuff.

That's what he meant, right?

Like, that's what I need to do.

I need to take, I need to get every

newfangled way to get better sleep.

I got to make sure I'm getting my cold

plungeants, my sauna use, my everything I

need to get.

And then he gives his beloved sleep.

Is that the truth?

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with

those things.

There's not.

Okay?

You hear that?

There's nothing wrong with those things.

Okay?

But, there's no, just like there's nothing

wrong with medication in and of itself.

Medication is not a sin.

But, medication is not a remedy for sin.

Okay?

It's not.

It's not a remedy for sin.

You don't medicate sin.

You don't medicate sin.

Now, you can medicate certain facts that

sin has had on the body.

But, you will never get over your sin

because of medication.

You know how you get rid of your sin?

Repentance.

Trust in the Lord.

So that in the year of drought,

you're not anxious.

You're not eating the bread of anxious toil

for he gives his beloved sleep.

Some people need to hear that word alone today.

That he gives his beloved sleep.

Do you believe that?

Can you receive that truth?

That God gives his beloved sleep?

And that maybe the reason I'm not getting

sleep is because I'm anxious?

That maybe the reason I'm not getting

sleep is because I'm anxious?

Maybe the reason gluten is so hard on my stomach

is because I've been anxious for so long

and it's ruined my stomach?

Just saying.

Think about it.

Luke 12, 24-26.

Consider the ravens.

They neither sow nor reap.

They have neither storehouse nor barn.

And yet God feeds them.

Of how much more value are you than the birds?

And which of you, by being anxious,

can add a single hour to a span of life?

If you then are not able to do

as small a thing as that,

why are you anxious about the rest?

Why are we anxious about the rest?

Amen?

Amen?

Amen?