God-Centered Instruction for Every Christian - Part Three

Introduction

It is almost universally agreed upon that worry and anxiety are bad. However, that is where the agreement ends. Today, we will study the God-centered remedy for these problems. Before we do so, I wanted to share a list of issues often caused by worry according to the Baton Rouge Clinic website:

You may feel restless, edgy or jumpy You may feel tired and have no energy You may find it difficult to concentrate or be distracted You may have difficulty sleeping You may feel anxious or have a panic attack You may have aches and pains due to muscle tension You may have physical symptoms, like headaches or stomachaches You may turn to unhealthy behaviors, like overeating, drinking alcohol or taking drugs.

This does not mention what is most important. In worry and anxiety, we have excused God from his throne. How will you respond to the issue of worry.

PRAY

Philippians 4:4–9 ESV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

We are called to reject worry

Do not be anxious - This is a command from God. Once again, when God tells us something to do or something to not do, it is not a suggestion. It is an expectation.

Do not worry, do not fret, do not seek to handle matters on your own.

Ligon Duncan on worry, “You know, worry is a thing that we do to try and feel more in control of a situation that we are out of control of. Worry is a thing that we do to try and feel more in control of a situation that we are out of control of…and you know what? The ineffective thing in worry is it doesn’t do a single thing except depress you and discourage those around you.

about anything - Paul, what is it that we are not to worry about? Anything. There is not a circumstance or situation that we can find ourselves in as believers that give us a justification to worry. In other words, God never gives out “YOU ARE NOW FREE TO WORRY” cards.

God calls his people to worry about nothing. This is connected to some degree to the command to rejoice in the Lord in verse 4. Worry kills joy and joy kills worry. One who is rejoicing in God will have victory over worry.

Matthew 6:25–33 ESV

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Practical Application

Be careful not to rename the sin of worry. “I am just trying to be responsible.” “I have some concerns.” If you rename worry and make it more respectable, you will never see it for the problem it is.

We are invited to approach God in prayer

If we are not to worry, what are we to do?

But in everything by prayer and supplication - In contrast to a heart of worry and anxiety, Paul calls his readers to prayer and supplication. Both of these words carry the idea of making a request or petition to God. The remedy to worry is coming before the Lord. The cure for anxiety is coming to the throne of grace.

In everything. If anything pushes you to worry, you are to bring it to the Lord. It does not have to be big to everyone, just big to you. Bring it to the Lord in prayer and ask him for help.

With thanksgiving - When we come to the throne of God, we are to come with an attitude or heart of thankfulness. We are to be grateful and appreciative as we are making our requests. This heart of gratitude requires that we are humble and not haughty. It requires that we are petitioning and not simply complaining. Thanksgiving requires that we are expectant but not entitled.

For what can you be thankful as you come to God? The person that gave you access, The access that you have itself and the results of the access.

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Let your requests be made known to God - This is a formal desire for something to be granted by an authority or superior. Let your desires and petitions be made known to God. Voice your requests to him. In the process of making our needs and desires made known, we exercise faith and grow in faith toward the One who already knows our needs before we ask and yet is glorified when we come to him as his needy children. It honors our Father to approach him as the only one who can meet our needs.

Practical Application

The God of the universe wants you to bring all of you concerns to him. Take them to him.

1 Peter 5:6–7 ESV

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

We are promised inward tranquility

And the peace of God - When we make our requests made know to God, there is a result. There is a promise that God fulfills. in conjunction with the willingness to ask God regarding things that cause us worry and concern, there is given to us the peace of God. The word peace carries the idea of harmony or the absence of strife. Calm. Tranquility. It is the peace that comes from God. It is granted from God. It is given by God. This is one of the most sought after situations in life. Everyone is desiring calm or peace in their soul. The problem is, they pursue this in every other possible source, but God himself.

Isaiah 26:3–4 ESV

3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

Paul continues with a description of the peace that God gives. How does one describe it? It is a peace that surpasses all understanding. Which surpasses all understanding -

What does this communicate? An peace that is above or greater than understanding. It is peace that excels beyond humanity’s ability to comprehend it. It is not unreasonable, but is it not based upon human reason alone. This peace which surpasses knowledge is the result of faith in God. Therefore, it transcends human comprehension. How?

The peace is not based on circumstances or situations. God is telling us that we can have this peace even in the midst of great difficulty, turmoil and strife.

The peace comes to us by faith in God, not simply mental understanding of the facts about God. It is supernatural and spiritual.

What is the result of us knowing the peace of God?

Will guard you hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus - We are protected by it. The peace of God fortresses us from all the attacks of the flesh, the world and the Devil. We are preserved in the inner man. Our hearts and minds are safe in Christ Jesus. We are not given over to despair, depression and dangerous actions that could result from such strife within our hearts.

We are safe in proximity to Jesus Christ. Because we are in him, we are protected.

John 10:27–30 ESV

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

Practical Application

Those is Christ should enjoy his peace. Work it backwards. Do you enjoy it?

John 14:27 ESV

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

John Eadie, “Union with Christ secures this peace. The more one realizes this union, the more he possesses such a peace. And as every gift of God is conferred, and every act of God done in him, so in him too does the peace of God exert its guarding influence.”