How to Have Complete and Total Victory Over Anxiety, Worry, and the Cares of This World — Part 2

Our youth group, or a portion of our youth group,

are leaving for two weeks in Costa Rica and Panama

on Tuesday. So let's pray for them. If you are

going on the Costa Rica -Panama trip, would you

just stand up right where you are? Is that great?

Alright. If you're going, stand up. Alright,

look around. Alright, would you just, we don't

have to make a big deal, but if you're around

them, would you just stand up, surround them,

put your hand on them. You don't have to move

across the room if you don't want to. Let's pray

for this trip. Jesus, You have commanded us to

go into all nations, baptizing them in the Father,

the Son, and the Holy Spirit, making disciples

and teaching them to obey Your commands. Father,

we just lift up these servants who are saying

yes to this commission in this way. Father, we

pray that You would anoint them with the power

of Your Holy Spirit. that things that are humanly

impossible would be the natural overflow of your

anointing in their lives. We pray for salvation

of the lost, healing of the sick, deliverance

of the bound up. We pray that you would protect

them by the blood of Jesus over their bodies

from illness and accident, over their spirit

from any plans of the enemy, and that they would

produce fruit that will last. We ask it in Jesus'

name. Amen. Awesome? Our men are back from the

men's retreat in Costa Rica. And now our ladies

are going. So if you are a lady going on the

women's retreat to Costa Rica, would you stand

up? Let's pray for them. Awesome. Same thing.

Just right where they are. We've got a few here.

Let's just stand. If you just want to direct

your heart toward them, let's pray for them.

Father, we pray for these ladies that are...

making the time to go and be with You. Father,

we ask for an encounter with You in the name

of Jesus that You would encounter them, Lord,

that they would be forever changed. That the

fruit of their lives would be multiplied for

Your kingdom. We pray Your protection over them.

We pray over their leaders that You would anoint

them with power through Your Holy Spirit. to

cut through all the layers of the stuff directly

to the hearts of your people. Father, we thank

you for what you're going to do. In Jesus' name,

amen. All right. And then Pastor Brad is leading

a trip to Pakistan. We leave on Friday. So Pastor

Brad and I and Michelle, my daughter Kara, and

Russell and Jeremy. So if you're going to Pakistan,

Why don't you stand up and guys do the same thing?

And how about somebody besides me and Pastor

Brad pray for Pakistan? Anybody want to? Okay.

We'll lay hands on each other. Dear Heavenly

Father, you send these out like arrows. You sharpen

the edges. You form the quiver. You go before

them. Lord, that they may see, that they may

have expectation of all that you're going to

do. Lord, as they go, help them to be obedient

to you. Lord, help them to draw near, and as

they draw near, draw nearer to them yet. Lord,

fill them with your power. Fill them with your

peace. We dispatch your angels around them. We

ask your protection over them as they go and

as they come. And Lord, everything they declare

that they bind on earth is bound in heaven. And

your victories are yes and amen. Help them to

walk in that assurance and that faith. We pray

for that increase on their trip and that many

would come to know you because of their faithfulness

in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you, sir. All right.

Would there be somebody just come put your hand

on the cross and pray for all these lost people?

Anybody just feel led? It's okay? It's not about

how good your prayer is? Jenny, would you mind?

Thank you. I just want to encourage you to continue

to lift up the people God's put on your heart

every day. So I just wonder in here how many

people not just have a name on there, but maybe

you know somebody that if they died today that

you would just be wrecked inside. Can you raise

your hand? So I want you to think about all the

names that are on this cross, all the moms and

the dads, the brothers, the sisters, the spouses.

Like, I have skin in the game. I have quite a

few names on there. So my heart burns for these

names. It burns for these families that if they

lose somebody, they don't know that they're going

to see them on the other side. So I would just

encourage everybody to pray on a regular basis,

not just for these people, but anybody in your

life that you know. If they die, where are they

going to go? That's how I got saved at 33. I

asked myself, if I die today, am I going to heaven?

And the answer was no. And I made that decision.

So, Lord, we just lift these people up. We know

that if they're away from you, there's hurt,

there are lies, there are deception. So we just

ask that you would close the eyes of the enemy,

Lord, that you would send in the right person

at the right time, Lord, or even yourself, Holy

Spirit, just come in that moment and just capture

them. I know that you pursued me for many years,

Lord, so I just pray that over them, and I know

that you're doing it. And we will not rest until

every name on that cross, Lord, has been brought

home to you. So we just ask that, pray that,

and believe that in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank

you so much, Judy. Awesome. Yes, Lord. Let's

turn our Bibles to Philippians chapter 4. We

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

started into this passage last week. desire is

to finish some truths out of this passage today.

I want to say I love you so much. I'm so proud

of you. You're such an amazing group of people.

You take... the kingdom of heaven seriously.

You are hungry for the presence of the Lord.

You desire to be obedient. And that can be a

rarity even among religion in the culture. And

so I just want to say you're doing a great job.

I'm so proud of you. It's an honor to be a part

of your life. Jill and I consider it a great

blessing. And I just want to encourage you. You're

doing awesome. Don't give up. Keep going. Philippians

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4. So I'm going to do this in a concise

brief way. If you're just visiting or joining

us as a gathering, we are in a long time journey

to become people that are filled with the kingdom

of heaven on the earth and to release the kingdom

of heaven intentionally everywhere God sends

us. I don't have time to go through the whole

thing, but for five plus years we've been going

through all jesus teaching on on the kingdom

and we have received an assignment he saved us

and until he returns our job as the new testament

church is to represent the king and to advance

the kingdom of heaven on the earth so the whole

world can know the goodness of our god okay and

so we've been talking about What are ways that

we can continue to grow and mature in a kingdom

-minded lifestyle? And last week, we started

looking at this passage because when Jesus gives

his famous Sermon on the Mount, and he addresses,

I believe, one of the paramount passages of New

Testament Scripture command when he says, I want

you to seek first the kingdom of God and his

righteousness, saying, this is the primary thing

of your life. Jesus saying, seek first the kingdom

of God and his righteousness, and everything

else will be added to you. We talked about this

last week. The context of that passage is what?

Worry, anxiety, fear. The passage before Jesus

is saying, do not worry. The passage directly

after is Jesus saying, do not worry. And so what

I want us to understand is the The importance

it is for you and I to live a lifestyle free,

permanently free of anxiety, worry, and fear.

Because anxiety works against the fruitfulness

of the kingdom of heaven. That's what Jesus talked

about in the parable of the sower. He said, and

the seed that fell along the rocky soil sprang

up quickly, but it was overtaken by what? The

cares of this world and the deceitfulness of

wealth. And so if we want to be, does anyone

here want to be highly fruitful for the kingdom

of heaven? All right, that was a freebie. Everybody

should have raised their hand. Because when you

read the parables of Jesus, when he returns,

he is coming with an expectation for a return

on the investment of the kingdom of heaven in

our lives. Every person will bow before the king.

and give a response of how we used our life for

his kingdom advancement. Yes? All right. It's

going to be a glorious day. And we want to be

fruitful, and anxiety robs fruit of the kingdom

in our lives. All right? So, last week we started

the title of the teaching, How to Have Complete

and Total Victory Over Anxiety, Worry, and the

Cares of this World. It's one of the number one

things I have conversations with people about

in the couple of decades that I've been able

to be in the pastoring ministry. I mean, it's

a constant thing, but I really didn't know how

devastating it was until I was allowed into the

police department world five years ago. And when

I started going into people's houses, and continually

going on suicide threat calls, and mental health

calls, and going into these astounding situations

into people's lives, I realize how crippling

and neutralizing anxiety and fear and worry are

not just in the world, but inside the church

and Christendom. Would you agree? It's kind of

a big deal. All right, so how are we going to

do that? In review from last week, number one,

these are truths out of this passage, Philippians

4. Let's read 6 and 7 again today. Do not be

anxious about anything, but in everything, by

prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present

your request to God. and the peace of God which

transcends all understanding will guard your

hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Let's

read it again. Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything, by prayer petition, with thanksgiving,

present your request to God, and the peace of

God which transcends all understanding will guard

your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. All

right. Just briefly in review, we said this last

week in taking a look at this. For those of you

who say, I'm not really a person that worries,

I'm with you. I would not characterize myself

as a worried person. Fear and anxiety, it's not

really something that I feel like really jacks

with my life. Can I remind you that the Greek

word here used for worry or anxiety, both in

Matthew 6 and this Philippian 4 passage, is this

Greek word merim naho. And it means to be anxious,

yes, to be troubled with cares. But listen to

this, to seek to promote one's own desires. And

there's a part of this that's not just about

fear and worry. There's a part of being overtaken

by our own desires in the world. that neutralizes

the fruitness of the kingdom so we want to get

free of all that yes all right so number one

we talked about last week do not water down the

eternal holy word of god god clearly commands

do not be anxious about anything do not be anxious

about anything we talked about this last week

we just need to be sobered by the word of god

it says heaven and earth will pass away but my

word will never pass away And God is saying to

us, do not be anxious about anything. Anything.

I know it may be overkill, but the word anything

here in the Greek, we looked at medis or medis.

It means nobody, no one, no thing. It's pretty

clear. Don't be anxious about anything. It's

not a suggestion. It's not if you're feeling

good. It's a command from Scripture. Don't be

anxious about anything. We ask this question,

if God gives you a command, will He give you

the grace to be obedient to it? Absolutely. Absolutely.

The devil has suddenly whispered lies and worry

and distraction for so long about so many things

that have been uncontested that we have become

convinced that it's a natural and inevitable

part of the Christian life. But it's not. Anxiety

is not a natural part of the Christian life.

It's a plan of the enemy to rob the kingdom in

our lives. And we need to acknowledge it and

say, I will not be anxious. Yes? Can we stop

right here and just receive the command of Scripture?

If you need to repent, just repent right now.

Repent means to change the way you think. Just

say, it's not okay for me to be anxious. God,

I'm sorry. I receive your command. And I choose

to be obedient, not to be anxious about anything.

Number two, do not water down the eternal holy

word of God. Pray about everything. Pray about

everything. Told you, I invited you to read a

book that I've been enjoying. Jill and I listened

to some of it yesterday called Praying Like Monks,

Living Like Fools. And he goes in depth of this

lifestyle about praying about everything. 1 Thessalonians

5 tells us pray continually. What does that mean?

It means a lifestyle in which we are having conversational

communion with God about everything. The Scripture

says don't be anxious about anything, but in

everything. Everything. The Greek word pas means

each, every, any, all, everyone, all things,

always. said this last week, isn't it interesting

that God's antidote for anxiety is intimate communion

with Him? He says, don't be anxious about anything.

Instead, everything you've got, talk to me about

it. Commune with me. I really want to encourage

you in this. There is nothing in your life that

God doesn't want to talk to you about. Religion

has kind of lied to us and robbed us that...

God only wants to talk to you about lofty spiritual

matters. And it's just not true. God wants to

talk to you about everything going on in your

life. Everything. If you're thinking about it,

He wants a conversation about it. And I'm telling

you, if you're longing for an anxious, free lifestyle,

say yes. to a communing lifestyle. What does

the scripture say to us? Love justice and walk

humbly with your God. That's the point, right?

To walk humbly with God, to walk in a lifestyle,

communion. Who would say yes to that? All right,

let's just stop right here. If you weren't here

last week and you just want to say, I'm saying

yes to that, I will be, Lord, I want to start

to talk to you about everything. I just feel

led. I'm sorry, but I want to encourage the students,

the young men and women in here. God is not the

least bit afraid, ashamed, or uninterested to

talk about your sexual desires, your sex life.

Adults, married, men and women. These things

are not off limits to God. He created us. He

created our desires. And there's these strongholds

in our lives that we just feel like, man, this

is not something I can talk to God about. There

is nothing he doesn't want to talk to you about.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,

by prayer and petition, bring your request to

God. Does that make sense? All right, number

three. Just starting here today. Number three,

thanksgiving is a gift from God and a powerful

weapon against anxiety and worry. When we read

this passage, I know this sounds simple, but

this is so powerful. It says, do not be anxious

about anything, but in everything by prayer and

petition, what? With thanksgiving, present your

request to God. How many of you believe that

the word of God is intentional? That every word

here is important? With thanksgiving, we present

our request to God because thanksgiving is a

gift that we have. Psalm 104, we read at the

beginning of the service, talks about we enter

into the gates of God's presence with thanksgiving.

We enter into thanksgiving with thanksgiving

into his presence. And I know this isn't, well,

anyway, I feel like God wanted me to intentionally

speak about this for some people here today.

I want you to know that there are times that

I feel like God is a million miles away. I don't

feel him. I don't hear him. I'm just continuing

to be obedient, trying to be faithful. But there

are times when I go to pray or read my Bible

and I feel like it's a cold brick wall. Has anybody

ever been there besides me? Okay. when I'm in

that place what God taught me a number of years

ago that has proven to be true over and over

again when you're in that place where you start

to pray you start to talk to God and you just

you got nothing there's no feeling there's no

love burning in your heart you don't feel him

anywhere near if you will begin to thank God

for things in your life it's very simple you

say Jesse it can't be that simple it is that

simple and the word of God is true When you don't

feel him, when he's a million miles away, if

you'll just begin to thank him for things in

your life, remembering what he has done. It doesn't

have to be big, amazing, spiritual things. We

were on vacation this week at a cabin that had

no trash service. So we had to burn all our trash

and bring some home, pack it in, pack it out.

And we got home last night and we had trash in

the car and we threw it in our trash can. We're

like, wow, it's nice to have trash service. Thank

you, God. isn't that ridiculous first world problems

but when you can't feel him begin to thank him

begin to remember what he has done thank him

for the little things the big things the mundane

things and what you'll find is that you will

enter into his gates with thanksgiving and this

is important in our our prayer life when we're

praying about everything also why thanksgiving

is so important in combating anxiety and fear

and worry. Thanksgiving takes our eyes off the

object of our anxiety and re -centers them on

God as our good father. And that exaltation of

God makes him bigger and stronger and powerful

and it lessens the hold of the object of our

anxiety and it shrinks the hold that the devil

has on us. It's really important that we be people

of gratitude. It says, don't be anxious about

anything. Pray about everything with gratitude.

There's a reason for that. Because how many of

you know, anxiety, fear, and worry is just when

we get into the rut in which that thing that

we're anxious about is getting bigger and bigger

and bigger, and it's getting bigger than God.

It's getting bigger than our trust in Him. And

so when we begin to have gratitude and we remember,

this is what Jesus did for me. This is what he's

doing for me right now. This is what he did for

my family. This is how he helped us in our finance.

I can't believe all my children are saved. And

you just begin to have gratitude in your heart.

It shrinks the hold that anxiety has on our heart.

And it may not be flashy, but it's true. And

there's many of us that are walking in a lifestyle

plagued by anxiety because we do not have a heart

of gratitude toward God. And could we just stop

and say, God, if that's your word, I'll be obedient.

If that's your word, I'll be obedient. So let's

just pause. Lord, we repent for being people

that are not grateful as we should be at times.

And Lord, we thank you for this gift of gratitude

that gives us the power to be free from anxiety.

Would you remind us of these things? Would you

seal them into our hearts as the command of your

word right now by the fire of your spirit in

us? That in those moments of anxiety, we would

remember to bring our grateful heart to you.

Do you agree? All right. Amen. Number four, God

promises to give us His peace in exchange for

our anxiety. Can anybody say hallelujah? God

promises to give us peace in exchange for our

anxiety. His peace. This exchange is not theoretical,

accidental, or automatic. It must be real, intentional,

and consistent. I know that's wordy, but it's

very intentional in its wording. God has promised

through this passage to exchange His peace for

our anxiety, but it's not theoretical. Do you

know what I mean? I mean, it's not like, oh,

that's such a good poetic passage. No, it has

to be real. It can't be a theory. It has to become

a practice. It's not automatic. How many Christians

have walked in seasons of anxiety and you know

that this doesn't just automatically happen when

you wake up in the morning? It's not. It's an

obedience issue. It's a stewardship issue to

come and exchange anxiety. And let me tell you,

this is not a one -time event. Before service

every Sunday, we have a time we call soaking,

and there's prayer and worship and portable four

just getting our hearts, and we pray for you,

and we pray for the service. And Chris was in

there leading worship, and I'm worshiping Jesus,

and all I can think about is how I had a doctor's

checkup about two or three months ago, and all

I could think about was the fact that she says,

your bad cholesterol is high. You're going to

come back in six months. If it hasn't been fixed

by your diet and exercise, I'm going to highly

recommend medication. So I'm sitting there worshiping

Jesus, and all I'm hearing is that my cholesterol

is high. I'm like, this is ridiculous. I'm trying

to praise Jesus, but I'm feeling anxiety. I don't

take any medication. I don't want to take medication.

I also don't want a heart attack. So all the

things start running through my mind. This is

where I'm going with this. So I'm sitting there.

Chris is leading worship. People are praying.

And I'm anxious. And I'm like, this is exactly

why we need to understand this exchange. so here's

what i and they're going to do this in the in

the children's ministry today but here's what

i want to teach you this comes i actually first

heard of this um in a book i was reading over

a decade ago by richard foster it's called the

celebration of disciplines and he's he's teaching

about the disciplines of the christian life that

our forefathers had in the early church and how

they walked in obedience and he calls it Palms

down, palms up. I'm not real, I don't think that's

a real cool name for it, but that's okay. But

what he teaches is this, and I've adapted it

just for my own heart a little bit. But so, you

get to a spot, and if you're feeling anxious,

you stop, and you make the exchange not a theory,

but a biblical reality. And so, like I did this

morning, stop. I have my fist. God, I'm giving

you my anxious thoughts about my cholesterol.

I just let go of it. I give you my anxious thoughts

about my heart, my health, all these things.

I let go of it. You just turn your hands over.

And in exchange, I receive healing through the

blood of Jesus and peace in my heart that I would

not continue to worry about it. And this is just

me, for me, I take that, what I've received,

and I just bring it right here. I just bury it

in my heart. It helps me. And you know, there'll

be times, ask my wife, man, I can sleep like

that, baby. Put my head to the pillow, and I'm

gone. I'm out. I'm snoring. But every once in

a while, anxiety just... rushes me and I'm laying

there and I can't sleep and my mind's thinking

about all these things and I'm getting better

but there were times in my life when I would

lay in my bed for hours and think about stuff

just think about it be anxious but over the years

I've gotten better that when I get to that point

if I will just immediately be obedient to get

up, go to the living room, get on my knees or

sit on the couch and go through the exchange.

It's amazing how God's Word works. And it will

exchange anxiety for peace and I can go to sleep.

And this is such an important... thing for us

to understand grasp and actually practice for

the kingdom because i honestly believe that the

church of jesus christ can live in total and

permanent freedom from anxiety fear and worry

and we need to but you're going to have to be

move out of the theory into the practice you're

going to have to be consistent and you're going

to have to be intentional about it does that

make sense It's quite an exchange. He promises

His peace. That's what it says. And the peace

of God. I know some of you are like, why do I

always talk about the language? I just think

it's important because sometimes we lose it.

But the Greek word here that's originally written

in, that's the word for peace in the New Testament.

But look, the root word is ero. And it means

to join. And peace doesn't mean the absence of

horrible things. It means to set at one again

with God. Isn't that interesting? From the root

word, to join. The word peace means we were separated

by our anxiety, our peace, because peace is not

a feeling. He's a person, the Prince of Peace.

Right, and when we do this exchange, it says,

and the peace of God, we will be brought back

into oneness with God. We'll be brought into

quietness, rest, and peace. The peace of God

in exchange for our anxiety. And then he says

that God promises his peace will surpass human

intellect, thoughts, feelings, or understanding.

Does anybody find that to be amazing? This exchange,

we're bringing all our thoughts, our feelings,

our anxiety, our words, we're bringing to him.

And if we'll be faithful in this biblical process

of exchange, he not only gives us peace, he gives

us peace that highly surpasses all the human

intellect, the thoughts, the feelings. That's

literally what the word... Human understanding

means here, it's a Greek word, nous, and it means

human intellect, thoughts, feelings, or understandings.

This exchange must be real and intentional. We've

shared that. This exchange must be consistent.

All right, you're not going to have one biblical

exchange with God about all anxiety in your life

for the rest of your life. Most likely, the enemy

is going to bring something else to be anxious

or worry, and you're going to be tempted with

it. And so for a while, if you find yourself

really struggling with anxiety, worry, and fear

for a while, you maybe have to go through this

exchange quite often. And it's beautiful. It's

wonderful. Why not? But they're going to come

as a lifestyle, right, that there's going to

be more permanent and consistent freedom. in

your life from anxiety altogether. Alright, does

this make sense to you? Are you good? Are you

with me? Wow. Tough crowd today. Alright. So,

the exchange. Could we just pause and receive

from the Lord an invitation into this kind of

lifestyle? If you need to repent, change the

way you think about it according to the Scripture,

just do that. If you need to make an exchange

right now, do that. Are you okay with the whole

palms down, palms up? You okay with that? You're

like, man, it feels like new agey to me. I don't

know what to tell you. You're not meditating.

You're being obedient to the Scripture. But you

have the Spirit of God in you, the Word of God

in your lap. You take it to the Lord. But I know

this, the exchange is vitally important to kingdom

people. however you want to approach God about

it. Alright, can we close with this, number five?

Number three, thanksgiving is a gift. Number

four, God promises an exchange. And number five,

this promise not only offers us real -time relief

from anxiety, but this exchange will fortify

and protect our hearts and minds, sustaining

a lifestyle of permanent victory. Let's read

what the Word says here. Do not be anxious about

anything but in everything by prayer and petition.

With thanksgiving, present your request to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,

will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Kind of a big deal. The word guard here, phoreo,

strong concordance of Greek words. I want you

to see these three definitions. I'm not making

this up. This is the Greek lexicon. This is the

Greek dictionary for this word used by guard.

Look at these three definitions. It says in exchange,

God's going to give us his peace that will be

a watcher in advance. It's going to go before

us in advance of our issues and be a watchman.

The peace of God will. On top of that, it's going

to be to mount a guard at the gate. The current

situation, the relief, the freedom currently.

And then thirdly, to protect with a garrison

to him in. So after the victory is won, God's

going to station a garrison. A garrison of what?

Did you know that in the Old Testament, when

the Word of God calls God the Lord Almighty,

it's actually in Hebrew? the Lord of angel armies,

the host of angel armies. Our God is a mighty

warrior. And when he says, if you in your frailness

would be willing to obey me in this exchange,

I will not only take your anxiety in the moment

and give you my peace. But because of my promise,

I will actually set that peace as a guard over

your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. It'll

go before you and protect you. It'll be stationed

with you in the moment of anxiety. And I will

hem you in with it and leave a garrison of angel

armies for your protection. Quite a promise.

What is significant about hearts and minds? And

it will guard your hearts and minds in Christ

Jesus. If you think about the heart and what

the Bible says about the heart. Danny, one of

our elders here, introduced me to a man and he

became my disciple maker for a number of years.

JD, he's gone on to be with the Lord Jesus. Love

him. One of the most important things that he

taught me from the scriptures was Jesse. Your

heart is a treasure chest of truth. And whatever

truths you put into that treasure chest, the

Bible says out of that heart will flow all the

issues of life. Out of that heart will flow your

words. That's what Matthew said. In Luke, out

of that heart, what you put in that heart will

flow the fruit of your life. A good tree will

bear good fruit. A bad tree will bear bad fruit

brought out of the treasures held in your heart.

That's what Jesus said. And so it says it's very

important that the things that you say are true

are actually biblical truths. Because you can

take a religious truth that's slightly canted,

slightly not right, put it in the treasure chest

of your heart, and how you think about God will

produce things that are not kingdom fruit. You

have to be careful, Jesse, about lies that you

receive from the enemy, and you don't start to

hide those lies in the treasure chest of your

heart, because out of that heart flows everything

in your life. All the streams of your life, your

words, your fruit, everything comes out of the

heart. And when the Word of God says, if you

will come to me, Don't be anxious about anything,

son. Instead, pray to me about everything and

exchange your anxiety for my peace. If you'll

do that, I will guard your heart. Will guard

your heart. You see how important that is? That

we're not settling for a lifestyle of anxiety

and worry and disobedience. Because our heart,

gives everything in our life. And it has to be

protected. That's why Solomon said, above all

else, son, guard your heart. Because everything

comes out of it. It's significant. But not only

our heart, our treasure chest, our truth chest,

which we need to be guarded by the Holy Spirit

and the man Jesus Christ. But he says, I will

guard your hearts and your minds. This, it's

just getting better. It's just getting better.

Why is the mind important? It is the battlefield

of the kingdom of heaven. The mind is the battlefield.

Think about all the things that Jesus taught

about your thoughts and, and how you understand

who God is and the word of God. You have heard

it said this, but I'm telling you this. He said,

repent, which means literally change the way

you think. Why is the mind so important? I heard

this, and I was probably in high school. I think

it was in high school. And I remember hearing

it, writing it down in a journal. And it's always

stuck with me. And you probably heard something

like it. But it says this, if you sow a thought,

you'll reap an act. If you sow an act, you reap

a habit. If you sow a habit, you reap a lifestyle.

If you sow a lifestyle, you reap a destiny. And

if you boil down the destiny of your life, it

comes down to the things you think about. Are

they true? Are they God? Are they righteous?

I can't tell you how badly we need our minds

guarded. I mean, we're in a world that is shouting

at us from every angle with such loud voices.

Everywhere we go, we're hearing loud voices,

and they're coming into our mind, and we're hearing

intrusive thoughts about hurting ourselves, and

we're thinking about things, and we think we're

going crazy when all it is is an enemy trying

to rob the kingdom of heaven from our lives.

It's such an epidemic right now, intrusive thoughts

about self -harm. It's in the church. It's out

of the church. It's in young people. It's in

old people. It's in men. It's in women. The devil

coming in with lies to say, you're going to feel

better if you harm yourself. Oh, Lord, we need

our minds protected. And he said, son, if you'll

be faithful to do this, don't settle for a life

of anxiety. Pick up a life of constantly talking

with me about everything. And when you get overwhelmed,

exchange your anxiety for my peace. And if you

do this, son, I'll not only guard your heart,

I will guard your mind. I will go before you

in advance and guard your mind. I'll mount a

guard at the gate of your mind. I'll protect

with the garrison. I'll hem in your thoughts.

I'll protect you from the back end also. Fabulous.

Alright. And let me ask you this last question.

And who is it that will seal this freedom from

anxiety forever? Christ Jesus. And I will guard

your hearts and minds in Christ. Christ Jesus.

Did you know that Christ is not Jesus' last name?

Right? Christ is a title given to the King of

Kings. It means the Anointed One. The One endowed

with all divine authority. And when Jesus guards

your heart and mind, you are well guarded, my

friends. When the one with total victory, total

authority, unlimited resources in the kingdom

of heaven, when he guards your heart and mind,

you are fruitful for the kingdom of heaven. Yeah,

I know some of you know this, but I work part

-time in private security world, and we actually

had a client that our company was guarding last

year that was killed. Was killed on our watch.

The company. When we were supposed to be guarding

him, he was killed. Assassinated, actually. And

I know the men that are on that detail that were

there that day. I know them intimately. They're

not just acquaintances. They're friends for years

now. Fantastic guys. Highly trained. Highly motivated.

But in that situation, they did not have the

authority or the resources they needed to guard

the principle. And they were left vulnerable,

and the principle was left vulnerable, and it

was a devastating disaster. In contrast, when

Jesus, the Christ, guards your heart and mind,

there is no weapon of the enemy that can prosper.

Are you with me? This is not just some great

passage. This is a key to a lifestyle of permanent

freedom. And in that freedom, an increase in

fruit that will last, that we will lay at the

feet of our King in that day. Who wants to hear,

well done, my good and faithful servant? What

else are we living for? What else are we living

for? But to release the kingdom of heaven on

this earth so that all men will know the reign

of our King. I believe it's time for anxiety,

fear, and worry to be permanently extinguished

from my life. and our life as a church. And I

believe that this passage has great power to

do that. And I'm excited. I'm excited about what

is to come. Because you've got just a few. You've

got just a few kingdom -minded people that are

planting the truths of God in their heart. They

are guarded by the authority and power of Christ

Jesus operating in the kingdom. That's world

-changing stuff right there. You are world -changing

stuff right there. All right. If you would say

yes to this exchange lifestyle, let's just close

our eyes. Can we do that? Close our eyes. If

you are saying, I want to receive this passage

of Scripture in full faith, I want this to become

my life, if that's you, would you just stand

up as your commitment? Don't worry about what

anybody else is doing. It does not matter. It's

you and God. if you're saying yes to God, to

permanent freedom from anxiety, fear, and worry

through the exchange lifestyle. Father, I thank

You for the gift that is Your Holy Word that

does not compromise and it is always true and

right and powerful. And God, we say thank you

for Philippians 4, 6, and 7 and what it offers

us. And we are saying yes to you right now. God,

as we say yes, would you release grace that's

necessary in our lives for us to walk this out

in obedience? Even though we hear your word and

our heart is convinced by your Holy Spirit and

we long to be obedient, our obedience is not

even possible unless you help us. So would you

release grace over us? We receive it right now.

If you've called us not to be anxious, but to

pray about everything in exchange and be guarded,

we say yes. We say yes. Help us in this, Lord.

I pray for my friends that are here and those

that are listening online. I pray that the devil

will never have the free pass of anxiety again.

It will always be contested. by Your Word and

the power of Your Holy Spirit from this day forward.

God, redeem us and set us free permanently from

these things that we would produce much fruit

that would last until we see You face to face,

Jesus. We love You and always will. Amen. Alright,

you guys are a blessing. I love you. Have a great

week in the Lord.