2. Peace in an Anxious World

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The stats are simply staggering.

In the last few years the percentage of adults suffering anxiety or other mental health issues has risen to over 20%. 1 or 5.

The rates amongst children and young people are, if anything higher.

Now.. is some of this due to the diagnosis of things which never used to be diagnosed - Yes, I’m sure it is.

Is some of this due to better reporting and record keeping so that more anxiety now gets recorded - Yes, I’m sure that’s true.

But even if you account for those things. There doesn’t seem to be any doubt that we are (and especially young people are) more anxious than ever.

There is a Pandemic all around us - and it isn’t Covid (although Covid probably made this other Pandemic worse) it is….

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1. The Pandemic of Anxiety

And perhaps you don’t need the statisticians to tell you this…

Maybe you don’t need facts and figure on a page becuase you see it and feel it first hand - perhaps in yourself… perhaps in your loved ones… perhaps in your colleagues and work or your fellow students at school.

But the problem is bigger still. The Pandemic is more widespread even than the stats allow for… because many of us… most of us… in fact (I think if we’re honest) all of us deal with, perhaps struggle with Anxiety.

To some extent I guess it’s a personality thing. I’ve meet some folk who don’t so much have thick skin as rhinoceros hind! But that’s not most of us.

Some of us… and I would include myself in this… some of us feel anxious about lots of things.

The circumstances in the world around are hardly helping at the moment are they? There’s plenty to cause you anxiety…

Huge divisiveness in politics nationally…

Breakdown of community locally…

A cost of living crisis which rumlbes on at home…

And War and conflict abroad…

Not to mention the menance of social media… which makes our anxiety worse and worse… because it brings all the pains and problems and divisions of the world right onto our screens and in front of our eyes every day as the algorithms hook us in to this powerfully addictive habit that the experts call doomscrolling.

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There is, it seems to me… (and the numbers seem to back it up) - there is a new pandemic in town… a pandemic of anxiety.

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So here we are in the second of our invitation services. Last week we thought about finding purpose in an empty world. Today our theme is finding peace in an anxious world.

We’re going to look at this short passage from a part of the Bible called 1 Peter. The Bible (you probably know) isn’t one book but rather a library or a collection of books. This book (1 Peter) is actually a letter… it was written (as the name suggests) by Peter - who was one of Jesus’ closest disciples… and went on (as you might imagine) to be a key leader in the earliest churches.

He’s writing this letter to some of those churches… and the people who get his letter have plenty (on the face of it) to feel anxious about. They are suffering hostility, opposition, and persecution for being Christians.

These words have MUCH to say to us today.

Let’s jump in, here’s our second point this morning.

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2. The Pastoral Need

Now this passage contains a very famous Bible verse on the theme of anxiety - you see it there in verse 7?

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1 Peter 5:7 NIV

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

We’re going to get to that verse. But we’re going to make sure we don’t just take it out of context… so we’re gonna start at the beginning of the chapter. Have a look there at chapter five verse 1 - that’s the start of our reading from earlier on.

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1 Peter 5:1–3 NIV

1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

So here Peter is writing to the elder (that means the leaders) of the church - people like me. He’s telling people like me that our job is an important one… a responsible one.

See what he says? - zoom in there on v2

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1 Peter 5:2 NIV

2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them

I think we all like the idea that we are strong, independent people who stand on our own two feet and don’t need to lean on others. But that, according to the Bible, is not true - it’s not how we are made. We are dependent creatures… dependent on friends and family…. on community - yes even on leaders or pastors and elders.

Later on in this same passage the writer - Peter - will say…

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1 Peter 5:5 NIV

5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another…

Peter knows that the CHURCH is so vital… to him the church is to be a multi-generational family. Where we all act with humility… where the younger learn from the older in God’s new community.

That TOO is something we have lost from our culture today… how many places do you go where younger and older generations mix AT ALL - never mind where they live together as a church in humbe community?! No wonder we are so anxious when these structures are increasingly removed from us. In a word where everything comes to you through a dis-embodied screen….

But here the thing… our greatest need isn’t JUST for the community of a church (although I hope you’ll find that here)… our greatest need isn’t even just for good (human) shepherd-leaders (althoguh I hope you’ll find that here too) - we’ve just appointed some new elders so GUYS - this is a reminder of what we are called to…

But, in the end…. in all of our anxiety… these things point us to the thing we need above all… DId you spot it? Just read again from v2…

Speaking to leaders like me, Peter says…

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1 Peter 5:2–4 NIV

2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

We all need shepherds to lead us…. but even this just points to our greatest need - to know the CHIEF SHEPHERD (see it there in v4?) - who does he mean?

He means Jesus of course. He means Jesus. To shepherd us through life… to guide us, teach us, correct us, help us… we need the chief shepherd, Jesus. One of the reasons (it seems to me) that we are such an anxious culture is that we have forgotten this. Today we’re told we can reinvent everything… remake the world in our own image… decide morality and identity for ourselves… - that’s an exhausting and anxious place to be!

We need leadership in our lives… but of course we need good leadershi, the right leadership… in our anxiety we need to know we’re in good hands and so we need a leader (a shepherd) who is both POWERFUL - able to help us…. and GOOD, willing to help us… and WISE, who kows what is best for us.

When he was younger Peter - who wrote this letter walked with Jesus - as one of his closest disciples. And so Peter would have heard Jesus say these words (we actually studied these words just last Sunday in the first of our invitation services).

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John 10:11 NIV

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

RIFF - GOSPEL, motives of Jesus? - loved us enough to give his life… knows us enough to see we NEED him to give his life for our sin… (some anxiety caused by circumstances - some caused by MY SIN!)

Peter himself witnessed Christ dying on the cross - he points to that here in this very letter - did you hear it?

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1 Peter 5:1 NIV

1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed:

How can Peter be confident of getting to be part of the ‘glory that is to come’ - because Jesus has paid for his sin.

The pastoral need (that it the need for a pastor or shepherd).

Next…

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3. The Problem of Pride

See how Peter goes on…? middle of v5 now…

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1 Peter 5:5 NIV

5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.”

It strikes me that another cause of our anxiety it actually (strangely) our PRIDE. Or, let me ut it this way, I know this is true in my own heart (and I suspect it’s true of you as well).

I’m often anxious becuase I think everythign depends on me….. if I can’t do this…. if I can’t provide that…. if I can’t work things out… they’ll all come crashing down. Y’know God is very lucky to have someone like me on the scene keeping things ticking over, I mean the world, or my family, or this church, ot (whatever eldse) would go to pot without me holding it all together wouldn’t it?!

That of course is an absurd thing to thing…. and a very PROUD way to think.

But do you see how it makes me anxious? If we think we’re in charge… well that’s place to be.

So why all this talk of humility and submission….? Well because that’s what the gospel of Jesus is all about. If you’re here with us today for the first time, or your back to church after a while away, or you’re just looking into the Christian faith… you might have all kinds of ideas about what the Christian faith is all about.

At the heart of the Christian faith is a deeply humbling message. The Bible says we are NOT by nature good people, but sinful rebellious people who have all (all of us) rejected God, we push him out of our lives and want to live our own way on our own terms.

The penalty for that great act of treason is death - essentially God gives us what we want - to be cut off from him forever, in a place the Bible calls hell. God must bring that punishment because he’s just.

But he is also supremely loving…. And he does not desire his people to be hell… and so he sends his son, Jesus to die on the cross… and as he dies on the cross he takes on himself the penalty, the punishment for our sin - the punishment that we deserved. So that, we can be forgiven, utterly washed clean and brought back into God’s family.

You say - that sounds like a good message - and it is, wonderfully good. But it’s also deeply humbling. Becoming a Christian is admitting to God that you’re sinful and rebellious…. That you need his help and forgiveness….

Those who humble themselves like that find Jesus and the forgiveness he brings. Those who will not bow the knee to Jesus, who will not accept the gift of forgiveness he offers… those who think they’re alright jack… those how think they can make it to heaven on their own merits - are PROUD…

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And - as the proverb says (end of v5)

“God opposes the proud

but shows favour to the humble.”

Again - do you see how the message of Jesus challenges my PRIDE - by reminding me I’m not the King of the world - the role for ‘King of the World is filled by Jesus - and there isn’t a vacancy upcoming any time soon! - no I’m a helpless dependent sinner, dependent on him. And knowing that is wonderfully freeing… it frees me from anxiety. God’s in charge, not me or you. How reassuring.

The pandemic of anxiety…

The pastoral need

The Problemn of Pride

Next (we’re moving quicker now)….

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4. The Priority of Prayer

Here we reach this famous verse… read from v6

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1 Peter 5:6–7 NIV

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Humble yourself… in other works come to God in humility…. see that you are a sinner in need of grace…. trust in Jesus as the one who can bring you that grace… recieve Jesus as your saviour and ALSO YOUR LORD - he’s in charge in your life now (all of that we would call ‘becoming a CHristian’).

AND THEN - v7….

Cast all your anxiety on Jesus, because he cares for you.

What an invitation.

RIFF - me, notebook.

We need someone as powerful as Jesus… to cast out cares on

RIFF - men don’t think this isn’t for you…. leading cause of death - suicide.

Here’s the thing though… if you want to cast your cares on Jesus… he needs to become your shepherd - turn to him, trust in him.

Next something about…

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5. The Presence of Evil

See how Peter goes on now, things take (perhaps) a surprising turn… v8

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1 Peter 5:8–9 NIV

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Peter is clear eyed and direct… There is REAL EVIL in our world.

In the context Peter is writing to Christians, who are being made to suffer for their faith but their neighbours who shun them… the authorities who restrict them and harass them (and worse besides). But behind all of this human hostility Peter says there are real forces of spiritual evil in the world.

Whether or not you’re a Christian, I don’t think I have to work very hard to persuade you of that. Many of you have experienced first hand real suffering… dreadful evil.

And this, of course, is a further source of anxiety.

But again, the wonderful truth this passage tells is that, in Jesus, we have one who has overcome evil… He doesn’t promises us a pain-free life if we follow him - in fact here we’re told that Satan (because he hates Christ and Christians) actually prowls around trying to do us harm… but Jesus is the safe place to be. He can keep us, and guard us… and ultimately take us home. v10

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1 Peter 5:10 NIV

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Which leads us to our final point today

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6. The Present and Future Hope!

In Jesus - because sin is paid for - we are called to eternal glory (v10)

This world… because of our sin… becuase our neighbours sin…. becuase of real evil will always (to some extent) be an anxious place - we wouldn’t be told we need to cast our anxiety onto Jesus (if we never had any anxiety)…. but, if we trust in Jesus, if we give our lives over to him, we are being led home to a place of peace, where anxiety is at last put to bed.

All of these blessings and benefits are ONLY ours if we receive Jesus.

Let’s Pray