Victory: Over anxiety
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Who me?
Who me?
Scripture tells us not to be anxious, but is that easier said than done?
Anxiety picture here.
Anxiety: a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.
Psychiatry today says: a mental condition characterized by excessive apprehensiveness about real or perceived threats, typically leading to avoidance behaviors and often to physical symptoms such as increased heart rate and muscle tension.
Have you ever felt anxious?
(insert Tabetha story or SIBI story here)
Hold on, back up, let’s remember our journey before we get feeling anxious.
Victory over guilt of sin as well as the power of sin.
Victory through the blood of Jesus with assurance seal of the Holy Spirit.
This brings forgiveness and the blessings available to all who “truly” believe.
From anxiety to assurance (Act2:36-39)
Look up the passage
Act2:36-39 “36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.””
How about anxiety after making a decision and a direction to follow Jesus?
When you are born again you don’t know how others may take it, or even what do you do, is everything going to change? That can bring anxiety can’t it.
Our choice to follow Jesus and having our sins washed away can have some residual affects. Such as consequences for our sinful behaviour, or thinking. Maybe perspectives, and attitudes.
This series as you know is about victory (1Jn5:4-5)
4 because every child of God is able to defeat the world. And we win the victory over the world by means of our faith. 5 Who can defeat the world? Only the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
This can give us victory over man things like sin (last week) anxiety, boredom, despair and a few others we may do in this series.
As simply Christians we want to learn, gain understanding so can grow.
To better understand how faith in Jesus is victory over anxiety, that is what we are looking at this morning.
Anxiety symptoms picture here.
I will be spending some time defining and explaining in general anxiety. How can you have victory or something you don’t understand or even know that you may have?
Please bear with me, there will be lots of victorious scriptures we will get to.
American Heritage dictionary says
A state of uneasiness and apprehension, as about future uncertainties
According to NIMH there are different kinds of anxiety disorders:
Panic disorder
Repeated episodes of intense fear that strike often and without warning
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Repeated unwanted thoughts or compulsive behaviors that seem impossible to stop or control.
Post-traumatic stress Disorder
Persistent symptoms that occur after experiencing a traumatic event. Nightmares, flashbacks, depression, anger
Phobias (specific or social)
Specific experience extreme, disabling, irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger (Garner snake)
Social worried in social situations that other people maybe thinking or saying. Feeling scrutinized by other, or doing something that may embarrass yourself.
Finally General Anxiety Disorder
Constant, exaggerated worrisome thoughts and tension about everyday routine life events and activities. This is something that has been continual for some months.
This is the one who expects the worse case scenario all the time
There are many things that can bring about, that add in the cause of anxiety.
A perceived threat
Personal, self-esteem or a relationship
Pressures presented by conflict
Having to make, decide betwen two incompatible things (flesh, spirit), or maybe as simple as this job, or that one, staying put or moving for other job
Underlying fear
Fear of failure, rejection, intimacy, sickness, death, loneliness, the future, meaning of life
Treatments of anxiety disorder commonly used picture here
Hold on we are just about there, we are going to get to true victory over anxiety.
Man, the world has ways they think it should be treated.
Prescribed medication
they relieve the symptoms but don’t necessarily address the solution
Psychotherapy: being behavioral therapy (new thinking, new techniques to help overcome)
Cognitive-behavioral therapy: Teaches how to understand your thinking patterns so can learn to adjust, react differently to situations that bring about anxiety.
This one seems, appears to address the underlying cause of the anxiety. This is where we can bring in that faith, strong conviction and trust in Jesus christ can help us to overcome, to have victory over anxiety.
All this was the introduction to the message today
Overcoming anxiety through faith in Jesus
Overcoming anxiety through faith in Jesus
In brief we will look at
Why is it important to address it and overcome it.
Some facts worth remembering
Jesus helps through his teaching
Jesus helps through His actions
Anxiety can impact every area of our lives, including our worship and service to the Lord (Mt6:30; 8:25-26)
30 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
add to that one
25 And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26 He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.
Anxiety will impact your faith
George Muller once said.
“The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith; and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety”.
Some facts worth remembering.
Jesus is Son of God (ref. Mt16:16)
Jesus is the source of eternal life (Jn6:68)
68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.
Jesus speaks truth bringing true freedom, for grace and truth come through Him (Jn8:31-32, 1:17)
31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
and you may remember when Jesus was identified in Jn1, well it was in Jn1:17
17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
What Jesus did brings faith and frees us from anxiety (1Cor15:3; 1Jn2:2, 4:10)
He went to the cross for us
He was God’s perfect and acceptable sacrifice
and
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
What Jesus is doing brings faith, trust and freedom from anxiety (Jn14:3; Heb7:24-25)
Maybe summarize (Jn14:1-6)
3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.
In Hebrews 7:24-25 is says in summary
Jesus ministry continues forever and permanently. So He is able to save those who draw near, that He lives to intercede for them.
What Jesus will do (Act1:9-11; Rev1:7, ref: Jn14:1-3 again)
Act1:9 is about the ascension and the promise that He would return
then look at
7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.
We just briefly looked at Jn14:1-3, and there too we see that He will receive us unto His own when He returns, what a great promise that is.
This kind of faith comes from the word of God, consider (Rom10:17, Jn20:30-31) not on your outline but good to note down.
Jesus helps us have victory through His teaching
Jesus helps us have victory through His teaching
If you were to train for track you would need a coach. If you are getting married normally you would have a maid of honor/best man. Well as a Christian for us to have victory we need someone too. That someone is Jesus Christ who helps us deal and copy with anxiety through his teachings.
God helps us by reminding us of his providential love (Mt6:25-32)
I think we may have looked at this before, but please turn with me to Mt6. Let’s look together.
He provides body, soul, breathe and the very life we have, then of course can provide food, clothing and victory over the things that can bring worry, anxiety to us.
Anxiety cannot add days to your life, hair to your head, or make you grow taller, or loose weight, but God knows you need, mindful of those things and is able to provide what is needed, not necessarily what you want.
He teaches about priorities (Mt6:33; Lk10:38-42)
33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
I know we use that verse a lot, but hey its a great reminder to us so we get our priorities straight so not to suffer from anxiety but have victory over it.
In Lk10- Martha had many worries,concerns that Mary was not helping but was at Jesus feet. Jesus taught her Mary had chosen the good part. Let me give you the last verse
42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
Teaches about knowing our own limitations (Mt6:34)
34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Theodore Cuyler said:
“God never built a Christian strong enough to carry today’s duties and tomorrow’s anxieties piled on top of them.”
Accept what Jesus taught, and it can help us take many of the causes of anxiety away from us.
Jesus help through His actions
Jesus help through His actions
I know we have talked about being present in the present, but Jesus history, Jesus promises for today and his promises for tomorrow all come into play in this section.
His actions in the past (1Pt2:24; Heb9:14; Act10:43; Jn5:28-29; Heb2:14-15)
In looking at your outline there are a lot of scriptures in this section. I will mention some and show some.
Past, He came to die on the cross for our sins
1pt2:24
24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
That the forgiveness of sins cleans us and gives us a clear conscience (re: Heb9:14)
This forgiveness available to all, but given to those who believe
43 “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
Through Jesus own words that He would rise from the dead (re:Jn5:28-29)
That through His actions in the past we are loosed from the bondage of sin and the fear of death.
14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
His actions in the present (Heb4:14-16; Php4:6-7; Rev1:5, 18)
Through His actions we can find mercy and grace in our time of need (re: Heb4:14-16)
His actions is He provides an avenue of peace through prayer another tool to give victory over anxiety
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
For He is the king over all kings (re: Rev1:5) and holds the keys over Hades and death (re: Rev1:18)
His actions in the future (Mt28:20, Heb13:5-7; Jn14:1-5)
He has promised to be us until the end of the age (re: Mt28:20)
That He will be with us always and will not forsake us (re: Heb13:5-7)
And we know that he prepared a place for us, showed us the way, and will return of us (re: Jn14:1-5)
Freedom from anxiety picture
Find/keep freedom in faith in Jesus Christ
Keep the faith that Gods desire that we not let fear, worry about tomorrow concerns and make us unfruitful or unprepared for the judgment to come.
Keep us in the faith through His word that can bring us the peace of God.
Faith, strong conviction that Jesus is our victory over Sin that we looked at last week, and anxiety that we looked at this week
Invitation; Song; prayer (keep the same slide up, don’t change it.