Experiencing Gods Peace Message 6

Experiencing Gods Peace

Message 6

Philippians 4:6

Anxiety Prison

Me:

1. Anxiety

a. Listen to this definition.

i. Anxiety refers to a “psychological” state characterized by feelings of unease, worry, fear, or apprehension. It is a normal human emotion that can arise in response to perceived threats, both real and imagined. Anxiety can manifest in various forms, ranging from mild and temporary to severe and chronic.

ii. A feeling of unease

iii. Worry and fret.

iv. The grip of fear.

v. Apprehension.

b. I struggle with all of these.

i. I worry about everything.

ii. The church, money, family, my work, can I retire?

iii. Some days it can be overwhelming.

iv. Someone asked me if I was leaving when I retired.

1. Don’t tempt me was my response.

v. This is the reason I burnout as a pastor.

vi. The worry and stress became too much.

vii. I have a feeling that I’m not alone in this.

We:

It is a normal human emotion.

a. I am going to say something that might surprise you.

Worry is not sin.

It is an emotion.

iii. Mis directed but an emotion.

b. One would think Christians would be exempt from worry.

i. But we are not.

ii. We have been taught that the Christian life is a life of peace.

1. You know rainbows and unicorns.

iii. When we don’t have peace, we assume the problem lies within us.

iv. Not only do we feel anxious, but we also feel guilty about our anxiety!

v. It’s enough to cause a person to get anxious.

Anxiety is not a sin

it is an emotion.

i. Anxiety can, however, lead to sinful behavior.

ii. “When we numb our fears with six-packs or food binges.”

iii. We have burst of anger.

iv. “We peddle our fears to anyone who will buy them.”

1. Misery loves company.

v. Toxic anxiety will lie, deceive, cheat, and break promises.

vi. Luke 21:34 (NIV) — 34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.

Luke 21:34 NIV

“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.

God:

Anxiety Prison

a. Was Paul out of touch?

i. The world in which we live.

ii. We have to have a security system. Why?

iii. Because we are worried someone will break in and steal from us.

b. Really Paul?

i. Philippians 4:6 (NLT) — 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.

Philippians 4:6 NLT

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

ii. How can we not worry about anything?

iii. If he would have said “Be anxious for less” would have been a sufficient challenge.

iv. Still hard be maybe manageable.

v. But Paul doesn’t seem to offer any leeway here.

vi. Be anxious for nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero.

vii. Is this what he meant? Not exactly.

viii. It’s the life of unending anxiety that Paul wanted to address.

ix. Here’s what he is saying.

Anxiety Prison

i. The Sielbeck Revised Translation reads, “Don’t let anything in life leave you permanently breathless and in angst.”

ii. The presence of anxiety is unavoidable, but the prison of anxiety is optional.

Optional

iii. Isn’t that a relief?

You:

4. Here are the 4 keys to get “out of anxiety prison”?

Choose Faith Over Fear

i. God's desire for us to live with unwavering faith, even when faced with troubling situations. Instead of allowing anxiety to paralyze us, we are encouraged to trust in God's sovereignty and goodness.

ii. 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT) — 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7 NLT

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

The Power of Prayer

i. Prayer is a means by which we can pour out our hearts, express our worries, and seek His guidance and intervention.

ii. “instead, pray about everything”

iii. There are no little prayers.

iv. James 5:16 (NLT) — 16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

James 5:16 NLT

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

Have a Heart of Gratitude.

i. Gratitude shifts our focus from our problems to the faithfulness and goodness of God.

ii. Even when circumstances seem overwhelming, giving thanks reminds us of God's past faithfulness and helps us trust in His provision for the future.

iii. Colossians 3:17 (NLT) — 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:17 NLT

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Surrender Control to God

i. Ultimately, Philippians 4:6 teaches us to surrender our worries and concerns to God.

ii. It is an invitation to release the burden of anxiety and place our trust in His capable hands.

iii. By surrendering control to Him, we allow His peace to guard our hearts and minds.

iv. Proverbs 3:5–6 (NIV) — 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5–6 NIV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Just imagine:

The peace of God.

A life without worry.

i. Break the chains that are gripping your heart.

ii. Build your faith, Prayer, Thankful, Surrender.