Philippians 4:1-9 | Worry

Life’s a zoo isn’t it! It’s filled with all kinds of cares and worries. Now this isn’t all bad or rather our care and worry doesn’t stem from bad things necessarily. I mean a lot the things that concern us and cause us worry and anxiety are good. We feel concern and anxiety about people we care about and are close to. We are rightfully concerned about our health, wealth and prosperity as individuals and we care about those things for our friends and families as well. We are concerned the the direction of our country and for the state of the Church in America. This causes us more than a little anxiety doesn’t it and the care and concerns comes from a place of love.

So, when I say life’s a zoo, I don’t mean that it’s all bad. No much like the cute balloons you see floating around in here, many of the things that compete for our attention and focus in life, much of what causes our anxiety stems from things that are good. There are a few lions on the prowl though as well aren’t there. Life isn’t exactly safe. There are definitely dangerous things and evils things that cause our hearts to worry as well.

So we have good things that cause us worry and anxiety and we also have dangerous and evil things that cause us worry and anxiety as well.

And because of that, because life is a zoo and because anxiety, worry and concerns, the cares of this life are so pervasive and present, I realize that I’m treading on thin ice this morning.

There is not an honest soul in here this morning that goes through life without some level of anxiety. We all worry. A lot. Many of us, even, are on some form of medication that’s supposed to help us with our worries and anxiety.

Please don’t raise your hands, but I am willing to bet that at least 10-20% of us or more in here today are taking some type of anti-anxiety drug. And I’m also willing to bet that for you, when you grabbed the bulletin and saw where we were going today, your soul and spirit, your heart sank just a little bit lower in your being.

You know you shouldn’t worry. You feel guilty about the worry and anxiety you feel and here we go again, another preacher is about to just heap it even heavier upon you this morning!

You may even know the section of scripture we’re going to look at, that pesky, annoying command not to worry!

You know you shouldn’t worry. You hate yourself for the anxiety you constantly feel and possibly even feel conflicted about taking medication for it.

And I want you to know, this is not going to be one of those messages. Jesus did not come to condemn us and I don’t plan to do that this morning either.

My guess is, that most of the stuff you’ve heard from the Church and pastors about worry and anxiety sounds a bit like the Bob Newhart MadTv Sketch. If you haven’t seen it, you can google it later. Old Bob is a counselor and people come in sharing their anxieties with him and he just keeps telling them to “stop it!” and don’t “feel that way.” It’s humorous, unless you’re the one dealing with crushing levels of anxiety and the best you’re hearing from the Church or counselors is just “stop it!” Not that helpful right!

If we’re not careful Biblical texts like the one we’ll look at today can start to sound like commands to just stop it! Don’t worry! Stop it! And honestly, interpreting these verses in that manner would be a little bit like me telling you all to just stop looking at all the balloons in here this morning.

They are distracting aren’t they. I’m sure some of you are annoyed that someone put these stinking things in here. You had trouble seeing the lyrics during worship. You’re having trouble right now focusing because the air conditioning keeps blowing them about or you’re children are fascinated with the balloons and you’re trying to keep them from messing with them!

It’s a bit like life isn’t it? You’re going about your life, if you’re here, I’m assuming you know a bit about God and are wanting to focus your life on Him, but then life happens. Good things, good concerns, cares responsibilities, bad things, diagnoses, health problems, money problems, political and economic problems, cares and worries have a horrible habit of stealing our focus, distracting us and fixating us on anything and everything else but God and our faith!

And me telling you to stop it! Would be like me telling you to just stop looking at the balloons. Stop looking at that lion over there. Don’t look at that chicken. Stop it Church, just don’t look at that ridiculously cute monkey balloon over there. Don’t look it. Quit it!

Not very effective right!

Thankfully, the scripture we’re going to read is not a command to just stop worrying! Sure you could read it that way if you wanted to I guess, but as hopefully I’ve just illustrated, that wouldn’t be a very helpful way to read the passage. No, rather than seeing it as a command, I want us to receive it as an invitation instead.

Philippians 4:1-9 is an invitation for you and me who struggle so much with worry and anxiety, it’s an invitation for us to enter into God’s rest and peace!

Let’s look at it together and see if we can’t find some encouragement this morning for those of us who are fighting the enemy of gratitude we call worry and anxiety!

Philippians 4:1-9 says this:

1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! 2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

This section comes right on the heals of chapter 3 where Paul has just finished up encouraging the Philippians to grow up and be mature in their faith! He’s just told them, back in chapter 3, to follow his example and to remember that their true home is not here on earth, but that they are citizens of Heaven. Paul’s just reminded the Philippians that Jesus is coming back and when He does he’ll change us, Jesus is going to finish what He began in us and so, therefore, he says in chapter 4, verse 1. Therefore, because of Paul’s example and our citizenship in Heaven and the reality that Jesus is coming back to finish what He started, therefore, we should stand firm in our faith, we should trust God’s promises and we should be united in our faith! Have the same mind in the Lord, Paul says!

Even as he’s commending the Philippians about how to live and stand firm in Jesus, Paul recognizes the cares of this world. Among this Church in Philippi, there seems to be some relational tension between two ladies, Euodia and Syntyche. We’re not told what the tension is, but Paul is pleading with them to set aside their differences and focus their hearts on having the same mind in the Lord. He’s inviting the community to assist them with this as well.

You see, what I want you to notice is that Paul's not preaching his message in isolation from the real world! He’s not oblivious to the worries and cares of life! Paul and the Father in Heaven are not naive to what it’s like to live here or what it’s like to be human. Even as he is telling the Philippians to stand firm in their faith, he knows the worries and cares and anxieties of life that are all around them.

Relational strife is causing worry and anxiety in the hearts of this local Church in Philippi and it’s on the heals of this, speaking into this strife, as Paul calls out the balloon that’s stealing the Philippians’ focus that I want you to notice where Paul goes next.

Life’s a zoo. Balloon animals pop up. Relational strife happens. Cares, worries, anxiety-inducing things pop up in our lives!

Paul and Father God know this and I want you to notice after this balloon animal of relational strife pops up, I want you to notice what Paul says next! He doesn’t just say, don’t look at it. Ignore it. He doesn't just say stop it!

No, God goes beyond just giving a negative command. He doesn’t just say stop it, but rather He invites the Philippians to shift their focus. He gives them a positive command, an invitation!

Rejoice, he says! Rejoice always! Rejoice and turn to God with your requests and troubles!

You see, you all don’t need to hear me say, don’t be anxious. That command, by itself, is not only not helpful, it’s condemning because it assumes that the presence of anxiety in our lives and hearts is more of an expression of our sinfulness than anything else.

And I need you to hear me say this, the presence of anxiety and worry in your life, in your heart, it’s more an expression of our fragility, than our sinfulness!

I read an article in preparation for today’s message by Ed Welch, whose with The Christian Counseling and Education Foundation or CCEF and he helped me to see this by pointing out a verse from Luke 12 where Jesus, God in the flesh, was talking about worry, anxiety and fear! And while Jesus does say fear not, what He says after is incredibly helpful.

Look at Luke 12:32

Luke 12:32 (NIV)

32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.

Do not be afraid, little flock.

Have you seen a little flock of sheep Church! Talk about vulnerable and fragile creatures! Sheep are weak and frail creatures that are in serious trouble without a shepherd to protect them! This is the heart of the Heavenly Father toward you! Don’t be afraid little flock!

His words in Luke 12 and in in Philippians 4 or not a condemning command to get your life in order and to live completely free of your sinful anxiety so much as they are an invitation to enter into His peace and rest. A peace that transcends human understanding. When you should be paralysed in anxiety, when your mind should be racing through all the hypotheticals, trying to make sense of your situation and solve the presenting problem, God invites you to rest, to stop the racing thoughts and to experience His presence in a way that fills you with a sense that even though you can’t make sense of it, He’s got this, He’s got you and everything is going to be OK. That’s what peace is Church, it’s a sense, a feeling, that everything is gong to be OK.

Please hear the passage this way this morning. This invitation to come to God with your anxiety and fear is not one of shame on you, it’s one of a compassionate Father who understands our weakness and frailty! The fearful and anxious are invited to come to the God who is familiar with our weakness. He is our sympathetic and compassionate high priest. And when we come to Him, we should expect to hear gentle encouragement. We should expect to hear the patient repetition of his greatest promise, “I am with you.” As Paul writes, “The Lord is near!” and the Psalmist affirms in Psalm 145:18-19

Psalm 145:18–19 (NIV)

18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

While God is not surprised or offended by our frailty and fears, He does not desire that we would become fixated or paralysed by them! It’s not good for us, right, who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? It’s not good for us and it’s not good for God.

What does it say about our Father, when we live our lives as if we will not be cared for? What does it say about God when we turn everywhere else or to ourselves to solve our problems rather than turning to Him in trust?

While God is not surprised or offended by our frailty and fears, He does not desire that we would become fixated or paralysed by them! It’s not good for us and it’s not good for God or His name.

So while the initial presence of anxiety and worry are not necessarily a sin, becoming paralyzed or becoming fixated upon the presenting problems behind our anxiety is. If there was a command in Philippians 4:4-6, it would be this, in your anxiety, in your fear, in your worry, turn to God!

Don’t focus on the problems or cares or concerns that have you worried, rather turn to God and focus on Him!

In the context of this room filled with the balloon animals, I can’t tell you not to notice the balloons. You’re going to notice them. Likewise God isn’t saying, being unaffected by the cares or concerns of this world, or be unfeeling! Right, worry and anxiety are going to pop up, but when they do, what you and I are called to fight for is a matter of focus! Don’t become fixated on the problems that come up or worse, fixate on the problems that you think might come up in the future!

Don’t fixate on the problem, rather fight to focus on God! Think on Him! Rejoice in the God who has loved you by giving His life for you! Remember His past faithfulness to you! Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praise worthy — think about such things!

And know that learning to transform your mind to focus on God in this way so that your anxieties are eroded, this is a skill! It’s a skill that takes practice and that we have to learn from others who are further along than we are!

Paul says it here, whatever you’ve learned or received or heard from me or seen in me — put it into practice!

The skill of turning to God in the midst of anxiety is one we have to learn in the context of community! We need to see how others do this! We need to help one another do this! If we see a brother or sister paralyzed by fear and anxiety, we need to help carry their burden. We need to help lift their eyes to the Lord, the maker of Heaven and Earth! We need to help them remember the God who is with them and who is so much bigger than whatever it is they fear!

And I realize that what I’ve been saying to those who really really struggle with anxiety, you might be thinking, easy for you to say preacher. Just turn to God! Give it to God, focus on God! Just trust in God. Easy for you to say!

Hear me, I love you, I’m not condemn you for your struggle. I don’t fully know how hard it is for you or what it’s like to live with oppressive anxiety and worry, but I do know the Lord has something better for you. He has peace for you friend.

And while I sympathize with you in your struggle, I also want to give you something practical to help you in your struggle.

The first thing I want you to hear me say is (title Slide), I don’t believe anxiety medication is sinful. I don’t understand brain chemistry or our body systems like doctors do and I don’t believe the Bible teaches us that we shouldn’t take medication for sickness, including anxiety issues! So please don’t feel bad about needed some medical help with your struggle to fight anxiety. While I can’t say that I think a pill is always the solution or the right call, I know that for many it is. Without it, because of all kinds of reasons, anxiety is just something people can’t get beyond. And so to the person who’s on meds for anxiety to help them be able to focus more on the Lord and keep from fixated on anxiety, keep taking the medicine! Praise God that something like that even exists and the Lord can use it to help you fix your eyes on Him!

The second thing is this process.

Learning to deal with worry and anxiety in a Godly manner is a skill and practice.

When I get worried about something, I find myself fixated on the future, and usually a mind-racing list of hypothetical situations in the future. What if this happens, what if I did this or did that? What about this. You all know what I’m talking about, because we all do this.

When a balloon pops up in our life, we are so quick to extrapolate out into the future in an attempt to control the situation. This is all done in self-reliance.

And I know you know this, I know it to, but we need to remind ourselves in these moments that no matter how much thought we give to the presenting ballooning problem, you and I can’t control the future!

So what can we do, we can strive to come back into the present.

I’ve found that focusing on my breathing is a very effective way to do this. I breathe in for 4 seconds and then breathe out for 4 seconds, counting the breathes. In....1, 2, 3, 4.... Out.... 1, 2, 3, 4. This is helpful because you and I are physical beings who only exist in the present and when we focus on our breathing it brings us back into our bodies in the present and takes us out of our racing minds that are so often focused on a future that is completely out of our control.

Now, anyone can do this breathing exercise, and if you stop there, there is nothing Christian or gospel about it. So don’t stop there. Being in the present alone with our problems, in our weakness and frailty isn’t really any better than being in our racing minds trying to solve our issues in the future!

So don’t just breathe to get yourself back in the present. Keep breathing and as you are coming back into your body, out of your minds, into the present, turn your focus to God!

In every situation, with thanksgiving, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God!

As you’re breathing and quieting your heart, mind and soul, begin to focus in on things you’re thankful to God about! Call to mind memories of how you’ve seen God work in your life in the past, or past memories where you’ve felt the Joy of Jesus and His near-with-you-peaceful-presence!

And as you practice thanksgiving, as you practice rejoicing in Jesus, as you practice some of the Games that I outlined for you in the Joyful Journey handout we gave in conjunction with the Sermon on Psalm 1 this summer, as you practicing rejoicing in Jesus and you begin to feel close to the God that is near to you and glad to be with you! Start to tell him about what has you anxious!

And know that when you do, he’s not disappointed with you that you’re feeling anxious! Little flock, don’t be afraid little flock! No He’s inviting you to come to Him for peace! Come to me all you who are wear and heavy laden and I will give you rest!

If you begin to practice this, the breathing, the thanksgiving, the turning to God and talking to him about your fears, worries and anxiety, you will begin to experience more of His peaceful presence. Do you know how I know that Church, because Philippians 4:7 still says, “7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

And as you begin to experience His peace in your present, then you can go with Him to be about what you can actually be about in your present. You’ve got responsibilities and things to do that God has for you to do in your present, like doing the dishes, or reading your children a bed time story! God has things for us to do in our presents and as we experience His peace, we will be helped by doing those things! By focusing on God and what He can empower us to do in our present, we will walk in His peace and erode the grip that anxiety has upon our hearts!

And please know, that this practice of trusting God in times of anxiety is a spiritual skill. It’s a skill that’s just like any other skill, it’s not automatic and it’s going to take time, energy and effort for you to grow in it! You’ll need to be intentional to practice it and you’ll need to see it modeled for you by others who are more mature and more skilled at. This means, this is a skill that needs modeled and practiced and learned within the Christian community!

But know this, if we all commit to grow in this skill of rejoicing always and of turning to God in our times of anxiety, His peace will begin to flow more freely through our community and through our lives and hearts as individuals as well. As the text promises in vs. 9: “The peace of God will be with us!”

Don’t be afraid little flock. In your fear, put your trust in God. He is near to all who call on Him! There’s no need to be paralysed by anxiety, but rather we can defeat worry and anxiety by fighting to focus our hears upon the Loving God who is glad to be near us and in every situation by presenting our requests to Him with thanksgiving and prayer!

Let’s close by doing just that!