Jasper Jack | The Cure for Anxiety

It is great to see a full church.

It's good to see so many people here gathered together to

celebrate, baptisms and support these kids and these decisions.

And just does my heart. Good, you guys sound great

singing. It's just a great day to be

gathered together to sing together to pray together to

Worship the Lord together. So, thank you for being here.

If you're visiting again, as Kyle's already said, we want to

welcome you to New Life Community Church.

We are glad that you're here. Thanks for coming.

Coming to support the kids and we just hope that you've enjoyed

your time with us here. My name is Jasper.

I am the associate pastor here at New Life Community Church and

it's an honor to get to preach this morning.

We've been walking through a series called what happens when

we worship. And I think Kyle is going to

pick that back up next week. We're taking just a brief break

from that. So today is just a standalone

sermon. And I what I want to talk to you

about this morning is a topic very near and dear to my heart,

we're going to talk About Joy today.

Alright, so I'm excited to talk about this.

I'm excited to preach this morning before we do before we

get started. Let's go ahead and Pray Again

really quick and just ask that God speak to us through his

word. Amen.

Heavenly Father, we thank you again for today.

We thank you for this opportunity to gather in your

house and I just pray now, God that you speak to us through

your word, you speak through me. It just moved me out of the way

that you'd have us here. What you want us to hear?

They can walk out of this place inspired and Oil because of what

your word teaches. I thank you.

Again for these kids that have been baptized this morning just

praise you. God for your goodness and their

lives. We pray.

As Kyle has already said that we can come alongside them and

their parents and help them grow and their sanctification as

Disciples of Christ. Will pray this in Jesus name?

Amen. Amen.

So today I want to talk to you about Joy.

This is something that we all long for.

It is something that we spend our entire lives in Ludo is joy

in one from one degree to another.

In the classic Christian book, Pilgrim's Progress, which we are

currently reading in our men's group biblical manhood, this is

a Shameless plug for any of you guys that want to join us.

This is a great book. We just started it and so I

encourage you to come join us for that.

But in this classic book, the main character's name is

Christian and he decides that he has to leave his hometown which

is called the city of Destruction.

No wonder he wants to leave right?

Who wants to live in a town called destruction but when a I

asked why Christian feels like he needs to leave.

What is he in search for? What is he looking for his reply

as that? I'm searching for a joy that

does not fade. And so we all long for that kind

of joy, we long to be joyful, although, it seems that some

people find their greatest joy and being miserable.

Some people love and enjoy, just always being angry about

something, but we all want to be joyful.

Now, as Christians, we should, Be known as a people that are

Joyful, We should be known for our joy in the Lord.

It should be a trademark of anyone who proclaims the name of

Christ to have a certain amount of joy.

Jar, Jesus tells us in John 15, 11, that these things I have

spoken to you, that my joy may be in you and that your joy may

be full. So we see this all throughout

scripture, this is a mark of Christianity, is this kind of

joy. And so, I want to talk to you

about this this morning, not only because of that, but

because, as I've already mentioned, this is a very

personal topic for me. See, I've always been a very

anxious person. Those of you who have known me

for very long know that I still struggle with that today.

Sherry. And I laugh about this a lot

that if I had been born back in the early 1900's, people would

have said, he's a nervous child that's what They would have said

about me. This is always stem from two

things. I've always been a people

pleaser and I've always had this fear of failure and it's been

something that I've struggled with my whole life.

I never wanted to let anybody down.

I didn't want anybody to not like me or be mad at me.

And I sure didn't want to make mistakes or fail at anything,

which is a horrible way to go through life, because mistakes

are going to happen. You're going to fail, you're

going to let people down all the time.

So in my mind, what would happen is when this would when this

would happen it could be the most Insignificant thing and it

would create the Snowball Effect in my mind it would be something

very small. But by the time I got done with

it it turned into this gargantuan thing in my mind and

I'm having a full-blown panic attack over it and it's kind of

silly but that's just what I would do.

And I started to think that this is the way that I'm wired, you

know, that's what I was told. That's the way you're wired,

it's who you are as a person. So as an adult, I started trying

to deal with this in a variety of different ways early on in My

adulthood, I dealt with this, a lot of very unhealthy ways, but

eventually as I became an adult, I went to doctors, we talked

about these things. And of course, I get prescribed,

all kinds of medications and I've think I've been on just

about everyone, you can prescribe for anxiety or

depression or anything like that.

So I tried all of that but just ended up kind of accepting this

label of, being a Debbie Downer, or a Negative Nancy or even at

one point, being called Eeyore. Alright, so that was that was

pretty hard, a hard pill to swallow, but I just started to

accept it. I just figured, you know, what?

This is part of who I am. I worry about things, I get

anxious, really easy. I believed that it was out of my

control and that I did not have a choice in the matter that I

was just destined to feel that way.

And to be that way, I genuinely believe that I have no choice in

this matter. This is a chemical thing in my

brain. It's just how I'm going to be

the A few years ago, my perspective on this started to

change. I don't remember the very first

time I heard it. I don't know if it was in a

sermon or an article I read or just in conversation.

But I remember hearing the phrase or the conversation in

effect that anxiety or worry is just a lack of faith.

Is what it is. Which really Stone, especially

as a pastor, right? Like, that can't be it.

Can't be that. I have a lack of faith.

I'm a pastor. That's what I do for a living,

right? I inspire people.

Faith in Christ. And I live my whole life trying

to live out my faith and tell people about the joy of Christ

and that can't be it. That can't be why I suffer from

anxiety. I started to realize in thinking

through this, that the two are at odds with one another.

You see, as your anxiety, increases your joy decreases and

the other way around as your joy increases your anxiety decreases

and as I started to learn this and started to study this a

little bit more. More and more.

As I started to realize that this is not just something that

I'm stuck with that. I actually have a choice in it.

I would just kick against that. Like know, these people don't

know what they're talking about. When you say, I don't have

enough Faith, you don't understand that.

This is a chemical thing in my brain that I don't control.

So it's not a lack of faith, that's offensive to me.

I would get anxious about that, but I would be a people pleaser.

So, I want to listen to him. And so anyway, What I'm trying

to get at is that I began to study God's word on this and

see. What does God say about this?

Is this true, am I lacking Faith?

Because I don't want to do that. I don't want to be a man known

for lack of faith, and I started to notice in God's word,

commands, not not. Not requests, but commands to

not be anxious and not worry, I started to see commands in God's

word to rejoice and to trust in the Lord and all circumstances.

And an in these situations where these people were being told to

trust in the Lord and they're not be anxious.

They weren't going to Walmart for a Walmart.

Pick up there were facing death and they're being told be

joyful. Don't be anxious you know I

can't even walk in Walmart anymore.

I'm I'm becoming that guy. So these people were facing much

worse and they're not being told you know what it's okay to freak

out a little bit. No they're being told be joyful,

don't be anxious. And so it started to To develop

in my mind that I'm realizing. Okay, maybe there's something to

this. Maybe this whole thing about

anxiety that I've believe, my whole life is not true over and

over and over. I saw the Christians are to be a

people marked by faith and joy not anxiety and doubt, and fear

and worry. In fact, that very joy that we

are to be marked by is to be our strength as we're told in

Nehemiah 8:10, it says, do not be grieved for the joy of the

Nehemiah 8:10

Lord is your strength. So the Lord through his word

started to convince me that staying this way, was not an

option for me. I decided, you know what?

I'm going to quit making excuses.

I'm going to try my best to stop being anxious to depend on the

Lord and to be joyful. But of course, you know, I kept

thinking, why can't just flip a switch and so that leads me to

where we're at today. And my guess is, there are with

this many people in a room, there are probably some of you

out there that suffer from the exact same thing that do.

Deal with anxiety deal with stress over a variety of things.

And I know you're probably right there where I'm at.

So, I want you to hear what God's word has to say about this

today. I don't, I want you to

understand that you don't have to live that way, you don't have

to live with anxiety or fear or doubt or any of those things

that God's word is given us a cure for that.

We're going to see it in just a moment in Philippians.

Now, I do want to make one disclaimer.

I'm not a doctor so don't go home after I preached this

sermon today and go through all your medications away and saved

you ask for said, I don't need that anymore.

Talk to your doctor first before you do that, but I'm trying to

let you know that you're not stuck in life having to depend

on that. Okay.

So let's open our Bibles to Philippians chapter 4, we're

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

going to be looking at Verses 4 through 9 Philippians four

verses four through nine. Now, before we read, let me give

you a little bit of context here.

Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians, to the Philippian

church, it was the very first church that Paul had ever found

it in Europe. The this church had plenty of

reason to be anxious to be worried about what was going on.

Okay. So they're facing opposition.

They're facing persecution, that's happening.

All Christians are facing that but their founder.

Paul is in prison at the time when he writes this letter, Also

epaphroditus who was a prominent member of the church was sick

and almost died as we see in chapter 2 verse 27.

There was this unity in the church.

We see early on in Chapter 2, Paul.

Urging them to be of the same mind and the same Accord.

And then we see here in chapter 4, in the first few verses that

there were two ladies and sinti key in euodia that, he was

urging them to be agreeable in the Lord to set aside your

differences and get along, be reasonable to one another.

So in this church, there's all kinds of things they could be

anxious and worried about. There's disunity, there's

persecution their Founders and prison.

There's guys getting sick and almost dying and there's lots of

reasons to be anxious and to be worried.

But Paul gives them some very clear instructions in this text

today about how to deal with that.

So we are going to read verses four through nine of Philippians

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4. If you would if you can stand to

your feet as we read from God's word.

I'm going to read, and when I finish reading, I will say this

is the word of the Lord, and you will respond.

Thanks, be to God. So, let's read Philippians 4

Philippians 4:4–9

verses 4 through 9 rejoice, in the lord always, again, I will

say rejoice, Let your reasonableness be known to

everyone. The Lord is at hand.

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 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. 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.

This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God, you may be

seated. So this whole letter, the whole

letter of Philippians is one big encouragement to the people of

Philippi everything Paul writes and here's meant to encourage

them and spur them toward joy in the Lord.

That is the whole theme of Philippians and that is the

theme of our text today. In fact that's the theme of this

entire sermon. If I could sum it up in one

sentence, my big idea for you today is we often call.

It is this, the peace of God. Places our anxiety when we dwell

on Christ, the peace of God, replaces our anxiety when we

dwell on Christ. So I want to talk to you today.

About how do we do that? How do we dwell on Christ?

Paul gives us three ways in this text that we can keep our mind

and our attention focused on Christ.

If we can't dwell on him, the first is to pray.

Alright prayer is the very first one and verse in verse 4.

Paul starts out Ending them, he says rejoice in the lord always,

again, I will say rejoice, anytime you see a command like

this repeated back-to-back, it is meant to draw your attention

to that. It's meant to be a big way of

waking you up to say, pay attention to what I'm about to

tell you because this is important.

This would be the equivalent of a parent if they're trying to

talk to their child and I say, hey pay attention to me and look

at me when I'm talking to you. That's what Paul's doing.

He's saying, Rejoice, I'm going to say again, rejoice in the

lord. Always, this isn't a request.

This is a command to rejoice in the lord always.

Now, Rejoice is a, it's a verb. This is a form of the word Joy.

It is joy in action. In fact, in this context, the

way Paul uses the word it is, it means to be joyful or to make

yourself. Joyful he is commanding them.

He's not saying if you feel like it, maybe smile a little.

No, he's saying be joyful. Make yourself joyful in the face

of all the trials that you're going through, everything that

you're up against be a joyful, people be known for it.

He's not just asking this. Now, here's the kicker, he tells

us how he's not just saying look be joyful just to be a joyful

person, just so that you're happy and you're more easier to

be around. No, he's saying rejoice in what?

In the Lord rejoice in the lord always, that is where our joy is

found, is in the lord. It's not in the circumstances

around us. It's not in this world that we

live in its in Christ and Christ alone.

That's how we can be joyful always.

That is the cause for our joy, it is the object of our joy.

It's what fuels our joy and not just occasionally, but always As

in any circumstance, we can rejoice in the Lord, amen.

Even when our circumstances seem disastrous, we have reason to

rejoice in Christ. We're only on the first verse

and we already have all the motivation.

We need to be a joyful people but let's let's keep going.

So let's see how else Paul is instructing us to do this.

Paul gives a second command he says, let your reasonableness be

known to everyone now reasonableness here means

forbearance or a gentle spirit. So remember, there's been

disunity within this church, we saw these two ladies that were

arguing over, who had the better casserole and he's telling them

Y'all kidding. It's telling y'all need to be

reasonable. You need to be agreeable in the

Lord. Don't be known for your fighting

in your bickering. Be known for your love, for one

another. And so he just got done,

exhorting them that. He told them back in Chapter 2

to be of the same mind of the same love and full Accord with

one another. So in light of this we know

Paul's talking about our relationships with other people.

He's addressing that specifically, he's talking about

how to love one another how to be agreeable to one another, how

to put aside our differences and let our love for one another

Trump, any Petty differences that we might have.

But this can also mean to use reason in your thinking, let

your reasonableness be known instead of letting those little

anxieties or doubts or fears snowball to where you're just

out of your mind and just acting crazy be reasonable.

Think about what you say before you speak stop and take a breath

and think about it. Let your reasonableness be

known. So that others.

See that in you you're not the kind of person that just flies

off the handle and let your emotions and your feelings run

you. You're a person that is rooted

and grounded in God's word and confident in what he is done and

joyful in him and nothing can shake.

That, that's the kind of people that we are called Next Paul

reminds them his listeners. Why they should have this joy

and this reasonableness as well as the very next command, he's

going to get into. He tells them the Lord is at

hand. Now this could mean that the

Lord is coming soon. It could also mean that the Lord

is with you right now both Are true, but it's because of

Christ. It's because of Jesus that we

can have joy that we can love others and that we can be

reasonable again. That's our motivation, our fuel,

our purpose, in all of this is Christ.

Paul then gives a third command and we're really getting into

the meat of the text now, verse 6, he says the Lord is at hand.

Do not be anxious about anything.

But in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving,

let your requests be made known to God.

Here we find the cure for anxiety.

All right, so anyone out there like me that deals with this on

a regular basis. This is your text.

This is what you hang onto. Don't be anxious about anything.

See, I used to think my problem is that I get anxious and worked

up over little stuff. I need to learn how to Discern

in my mind, the things that are worth getting worked up over in

the things that aren't like. Maybe I'm just getting too,

worked up over the little stuff but you know, I'll save it for

the big stuff so maybe I shouldn't get.

So anxious about running late for something.

But if I have a blowout on the way there, then I have every

right to just have a full-blown meltdown, right?

That's what I used to think that is not what Paul is saying here.

Paul is saying, don't be anxious about anything.

Now, consider remember the context of these people and what

they're going through as a church.

Paul saying don't be anxious about a thing, anything, rejoice

in the lord, always no matter what you're facing, no matter

what you're going through. This is a bold statement for

these people considering what they're facing instead of

getting anxious. He says, let your requests be

made known to God. He's saying instead of worrying

and get anxious, take it to the Lord and then he gives us some

specific ways to do that. The first is through prayer is

through talking to God, that's all prayer, is talking to the

Lord vent. To the Lord, take your burdens

to him and pour it all out. He already knows your heart

anyway. You might as well talk to him

about it, get it all out of your system.

He wants to hear from you, he's a good father.

He loves his children, cry out to him.

We've been singing in homegroups a song.

It's a classic good old him. The what a friend we have in

Jesus and we're going to sing it today at the end of the service,

one of the lines in that song says o, what peace?

We often forfeit. Oh, what needless pain?

We Bear all because we do not carry Everything To God In

Prayer. Pray to God bear your heart to

him, pour it out to him. He wants to hear from you.

The second thing, Paul tells us is through prayer and

supplication. So supplication is asking for

something, it's when you're asking God for something.

You're asking God, take away this anxiety and me, take away

the stress. God, please help me deal with

these circumstances in a sane way where I'm not losing my

mind. Isaiah, 42 3 says that a bruised

Reed. He will not break and a faintly

burning Wick. He will not quench.

Psalm 34:18 says, the Lord is near to the Brokenhearted and

Psalms 34:18

saves the crushed in spirit. God is near.

He wants to hear your prayers. He wants you to bring your

concerns to him. He is glad to hear it, you're

not burdening, God, there's no burden you could lay at the foot

of the cross. It's too heavy for him to carry.

So, take it to God In Prayer. Take it in supplication, plead

with him an Skin to help you ask him to help you see what you

need and then lastly, do it all with Thanksgiving.

Do it with Thanksgiving show gratitude and thankfulness for

what God has already done for you.

We don't go to the Lord in arrogance, we go in confidence

knowing we can approach the throne but not arrogant making

demands. We go thankful for what God has

already blessed us with when we make our petitions to it.

So that's the first part that's kind of Step.

One is prayer and that kind of Prayer, of Supplication and

Thanksgiving. Pray ask and be thankful, but

don't do it, according to your own will according to your own

selfish. Desires.

James 4:3 says you ask and do not receive because you ask

James 4:3

wrongly to spend it on your own passions.

We want to make sure when we go to the Lord in prayer and we're

making supplications and petitions that were asking

according to his will according to his sovereignty.

So let's be sure to do that when we go to the Lord in prayer.

So that's the first thing is to pray.

We must be sure that we are praying in line with God's will.

We must be thankful. And if we will do this, if we

will do this, he will Guard our hearts and Minds in Christ.

Jesus, look at verse 7, the peace of God, which surpasses

all understanding will guard your hearts and Minds in Christ

Jesus. And the structure of this

statement is very interesting. It's what we see in other places

in scripture. This is what's called an if-then

statement. If you will do this, then this

will happen. Paul is saying, if you will take

it to the Lord and take it in prayer and supplication with

Thanksgiving. If you will do that, then he

will, he absolutely will guard your hearts and your minds in

Christ. Jesus.

That is a promise. That's not a maybe that is a

promise. He will guard your hearts and

Minds. Now why do we need our hearts

and Minds to be guarded? Why in the world?

Why do I need that? Jeremiah 17:9 says that the

Jeremiah 17:9

heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick, who

can understand it. Proverbs 28:26 says, whoever

Proverbs 28:26

trusts in his own mind, as a fool, but He Who Walks In wisdom

will be delivered. See, I know that left to my own

devices. I will begin to worry, and have

anxiety and spin out of control. I know that I know that if I

follow my own heart, and my emotions, and my feelings that,

I'm going to get in trouble really quick.

That's why those sayings of follow your heart as a bunch of

nonsense. Follow God's word.

Follow him. My heart will lead me astray my

feelings and my emotions will betray me.

And my mind will wander with thoughts of what.

If, what if If this happens, what if that happens.

So I need the peace of God to protect my mind, and my heart

from those thoughts, and those feelings.

I need to have discernment to know what God's promise me in

his word versus what my heart. My feelings might be telling me

and we can have that peace. If we will take it to the Lord,

in prayer, is what Paul is telling us in this scripture.

John Piper says it this way, Paul.

Promises that a life of faithful Christ.

Dependent Christ exalting prayer, will be alive protected

from anxiety and its many sinful fruits by God's.

Peace. God promises us.

This, why not cash in on that promise?

Let God's peace guard, your heart and mind by taking it to

the Lord in prayer. So the first thing, first way we

dwell on Christ as we pray, the second way is we think This

process of replacing anxiety with joy doesn't just end with

praying to God and leaving it all there.

Once we cast our anxieties At His Feet, once we empty our mind

and our heart of all these burdensome thoughts, and fears,

and anxieties, we have to replace that with something

positive. Now, we need to put good things

there. We need to take the bat out and

put something good and worthy in there.

Well, what could that possibly be Paul tells us 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 is anything worthy of Praise, think about these

things, What is true? What is Honorable?

Pure? Lovely commendable.

Excellent worthy of Praise dwell on that.

Think about that, not your circumstances, not what's

causing the anxiety. Don't think about that, think

about what's good. He's instructing them what to

fill their mind and their thoughts with the ESV Study

Bible says that the Philippians are to fill their minds with

things that will inspire worship to God and service to others.

So that begs the question. Well what what is true?

And honorable and just and pure and lovely.

What is commendable? Jesus.

Jesus Christ is all of those things.

What is excellent and worthy of Praise.

Jesus Christ. And not just that but all the

good things he's already done. All of the blessings.

He's poured out on us time and time again.

We think about those things that is worth thinking about that is

worth dwelling on what we've seen in here this morning.

These are the things you think about dwell on that, not the

petty little things that we're going through that can cause

stress remember God's goodness through our trials and

tribulations, how can we do this?

How can we meditate on these things?

We study his word, we sing his Praises.

We remind ourselves daily of his goodness of his salvation for

us. Psalm 51, 12 says, restore to me

the joy of your salvation. If nothing else remembering that

God saved us from sin and death saved, us from hell should be

enough to cause joy in our hearts every single day, that

should be enough. But there's so much more he's

poured out. So many blessings on us.

We should always be thinking on these things.

We think on that, if we remember those things, we remember his

goodness and dwell on that and not the negative circumstances,

all of that stuff just Fades away.

If you fix your Gaze on him, the worries of the world just seemed

to fail. Just pale in comparison.

As the song says, Turn Your Eyes Upon.

Jesus look. Full in his wonderful face.

The things of Earth will grow strangely gently dim, in the

light of his glory, and grace. Yes.

Romans 8:18 says, I consider that the sufferings of this

Romans 8:18

present time are not worth comparing with the glory.

That is to be revealed us. So dwell on Christ, not your

circumstances and then the third thing to do.

We pray, we think. And then we do, we can't just

let it all be good thoughts in our head.

We have to put it into action at some point.

He tells us how to do this, in verse 9.

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in

me practice these things. What you've learned received

heard and seen, practice those things.

So practice means an ongoing action, right?

We continually do it. Not just once you don't just try

it once. All that didn't work, I'm done

with that. You over and over, and over

again, you do these things constantly doing these things.

So, what were these Things that these Philippian people had

learned and received and heard and seen in Paul.

What it, what is it? What is it?

They're supposed to be practicing.

Well, they learned who Jesus was that he was the son of God

almighty. They learn why he came and

suffered, a death on a cross, for their sake.

And for our sake, they received that message and they believed

it with repentance and Faith. They heard the gospel

unfiltered, not watered down preached everywhere.

Paul went and they saw Paul live out, the gospel, loving others,

and enduring persecution suffering for the name of

Christ. This is what they heard.

This is what they learn, this is what they saw.

And he's telling them to go and practice, those things practice,

what you've learned, and what you've seen and what you've

heard. Don't just let it be something

that you hear, and then that's it.

Don't just come in this place. On a Sunday morning and hear

good preaching, and hear about the gospel in walk out and be

unchanged. Go live it out.

Go practice. The things we talk about is

James. 1:22, says, be doers of the word not just hearers only,

James 1:22

and if we will do this, we have another promise in this Text as

if one wasn't enough, he promises the God of Peace will

be with you first. We saw that the peace of God

will guard our hearts and minds and now we see that the God of

Peace will be with us so not only is he going to send his

peace to protect my mind and my heart but he himself will be

with me in every circumstance. What great Assurance is that?

What? Cause for Joy is that the god of

creation, God himself will be with me and my son.

Circumstances in my stress and my anxiety has promised to be

with me. That is such a reason for Joy

this morning, and such a reason to praise God, and thank him.

We can be joyful, we can be a people known for Joy, not

anxiety, and doubt, and fear, if we will dwell on Christ, if we

will take our cares to him through prayer and think on,

what is good and practice, the things we've learned and seen,

we can live a life free of anxiety and stress.

You don't have to live your life that way like I thought I did.

We can't divert our gaze left or right, we have to stay focused

on Christ or like Peter. We will start to sink and drown

the sorrows and the worries of this world.

The peace of God will replace our anxiety if we dwell on

Christ. So what does this mean for you

today? How do we take all of this and

apply it? There's been several commands in

this text of things to do, so I'll obviously do those things.

But Believers in here today, if you've placed your faith in

Christ, if you are a Christian in this text, we've seen

multiple things. Paul's commanding his listeners

to do. And I want you to take this away

from this today, maybe you're like me.

And you think, well, I suffer from anxiety and stress and

worry and depression. And I'm just doomed to be that

way. All my life but firmly believe

because of passages like this, that through Christ, we have

freedom from those things. So, whenever you feel anxious or

worried or have doubts or fears in this life, pray don't be

anxious about anything. But in everything by prayer and

supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known

to God. If you will do this, the peace

of God, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus to

is think, think about what is pure.

Lovely commendable. Worthy of Praise.

Don't dwell on your problems. Dwell on Jesus.

Think about him. Think about At all, he has done

for you and then do don't just listen and think and let it all

be in thought. But go and practice the things

that you've seen and heard and learned practice what?

God's? Word teaches, you If you will do

those things, you can have the peace of God.

And the God of Peace will be with you today.

But if you're in this place and you've never placed your faith

in Christ, if you are not a Believer, you've never said, I

want to make Jesus, Lord of my life and my king.

I've never submitted my life to him.

I want you to know that you that this world is full of anxiety

and sorrow, and sadness, and sickness and death, and worry

and despair. It is everywhere.

You look now. No, you know, that?

The Evangelical commentary on the Bible, said this and said

it. So well, that the peace of God,

which replaces anxiety in the life of a prayerful believer is

impossible to experience. Unless one already is at peace

with God, through faith in Christ.

How true that is. There is no peace from God.

Peace in this world. We don't have our minds and

hearts protected from the stresses of this world apart

from peace with God. Through Jesus Christ, that has

to come first without repentance and faith in him.

We are at enmity with God and that is reason to have anxiety

and worry and doubt and fear. But if you will place your faith

in him and him alone, not yourself.

If you will, repent of your sins and give your life to Christ,

you can know this same piece, the Troubles of this world will

melt away and comparison to knowing him.

This is the promise that were given in this text today.

Romans, 5:1 says, therefore, since we have been justified by

faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

So if you've never done this, I invite you today.

And I beg you to repent of your sins and place your faith in

Christ and him alone. Turn your doubts and cares and

anxieties toward him, cry, out to him.

And let that piece guard your mind and hearts, give your life

to him, and Noah piece that you can never know.

Apart from him. I beg you for that today.

Let's pray, father, we love you, God, we thank you for this time

together. We thank you for your word.

We thank you for what we read in Philippians for that.

No matter what this world throws at us, they're all the anxieties

and doubts and fears that this life may have for us.

That we can have peace through your son, Jesus.

God, we thank you for his death on the cross that he paid for

our sins and that by putting our faith and our hope and trust in

him that we can be free of sin. God, I pray if there's anyone in

this place today that has never done that, they would do so, now

that they would cast their cares and anxieties that your Feet

that they would trust in you that they would put their full

confidence and faith in you. That they would know your peace

Lord. God please help us to not trust

our own Hearts. I trust our feelings not be

weighed down with the anxieties of this world but to remember

Christ to dwell on him. Always want to experience this

piece that you've talked about in your word.

God, we thank you for that in Jesus name.

Amen. You have any?

God please help us to not trust our own Hearts.

I trust our feelings not be weighed down with the anxieties

of this world but to remember Christ to dwell on him.

Always want to experience this piece that you've talked about

in your word. God, we thank you for that in

Jesus name. Amen.

You have any?