Christ is My Strength: Handling Stress Biblically

Philippians 4:4–9 KJV

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Intro: According to the American Institute for Stress, stress is responsible for 75 to 90 percent of doctor visits in America

Pegues, Deborah Smith. 30 Days to Taming Worry and Anxiety. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2017. Print.

Declaration: The Great Physician has a better plan

Hebrews 4:9–10 KJV

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

Work - any product whatever, anything accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind

God plan brings a special rest.

Proposition: What has your worrying accomplished? What is your desired outcome? Then, whose plan will you follow?

Transition:

I. Cheerful Attitude

Philippians 4:4 KJV

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

A. Position

1. His -

He is Lord

2. Ours -

We are in the Lord and have every reason to rejoice.

B. Practice

1. His -

Are we allowing Him to practice His position?

He is the Lord; the One Who is sovereign over life, in position and in practice.

2. Ours -

Do we practice rejoicing in our position in Christ or whining about our position in our circumstances?

Perspective:

Loosing a leg in an accident can cause us to be bitter?

However, if the dr told us that we had cancer and the only way to save your life was to amputate your leg, you would be grateful to sacrifice a leg for life?

The end is the same for our physical body; however, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually we can be in two different places because we choose a different perspective.

If we have the same mind as Christ, if we listen to Paul in vs 2 and “be of the same mind in the Lord”, then we will have His perspective even when we cannot see all that He sees.

C. Perpetual

1. Always

Though our circumstances change, our position in Christ never changes

2. Repeated

There is an emphasis on rejoicing; having a cheerful attitude is crucial to handling stress Biblically rather than stress handling us brutally.

II. Calm(ing) Demeanor

Philippians 4:5 KJV

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

A. Balanced in Mentality and Behavior

“Everything in moderation” is a horrible mantra.

The word moderation here means clemency, tolerance, gentleness, forbearance, patience. The context helps us better determine its meaning.

This greek word when used regarding judges or those in authority depicts “an eat-going quality that moderates the inflexible severity of wrath, a fairness that corrects anything that might be odious or unjust in the strict application of the letter of the law.” - TLNT

This word in this context of the behavior of a citizen of heaven, having the same mind of the Lord and rejoicing in the Lord, depicts a person that is balanced in his mentality and his behavior; he radiates serenity.” - TLNT

It reflects an individual who is reasonable

It represents mildness connected to goodness and peace.

It represents the quality of being level-headed, balanced, not prone to extreme highs and lows.

B. It is to be Self-evident

Note that this behavior is self-evident

It is to be the quality and character of this individual.

It begins be practicing the position

This is who you are in Christ - The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (self-control).

The fruit of the Spirit is to be evident in your life.

III. Consistent Connection

Philippians 4:5 KJV

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

A. Connected to Christ Strengthens Us

The Lord is at hand

Stay connected to Him

With what are you filling your days?

What can you replace with more of Him?

Your music

FBN

Your podcasts

Preaching rather than political perspectives

More Bible

B. The Cares of the World Choke Us

Luke 8:14 KJV

And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

IV. Crush Anxiety

Philippians 4:6 KJV

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Stress (n) is not a sin

Our reaction to stress and how we handle stress can be a sin

Stress is a noun in everyone’s life; stress as a verb doesn’t need to be.

Note: Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane

Often life brings circumstances that are beyond our control; it brings stressors. That is not sin - how we react may be sinful.

Counteract anxiety. How? Don’t start in verse 6; start in verse 4.

Many times, verses 4-5 (Steps 1-3) are proactive and minimize the amount of stressing that we may do.

If you get to verse six, then…

A. Take it to the Father

Philippians 4:6 KJV

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

1. Prayer

In Matthew 6:25-34, the words “take no thought” is the same greek word translated “careful” in Phil. 4:6

Matthew 6:25–34 KJV

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

2. Supplication

Supplication - petition, asking, seeking,

We are to petition with thanksgiving - gratitude

3. Thanksgiving

“Are you grudgingly praying or gratefully praying?” - John Geotsch

B. Rest in the Peace that He Gives - vs. 7

1. God’s Peace is Beyond Comprehension

2. God’s Peace is Guards our Hearts and Minds

Heart in the Greek is used metaphorically for the seat of the emotions and the seat of thought

Mind means to perceive or understand

i. God’s peace guards the source of our emotions and thoughts as well as our understanding.

c. Through Christ Jesus

The Anointed One Who humbled Himself

The One Who is our mind

The One Who is our goal

The One Who is our strength

The One Whose Spirit works through us

What is God doing through you? vs. What are you doing for God?

Have you blocked the flow of the Spirit by being disobedient in an area of your life.

Since God’s peace is protecting us, what do we expect if we walk away from that peace and allow worry and anxiety to take over?

V. Cognitive Alignment

A. Inventory Your Diet

“Check the inventory of your mind.” - JG

“Most stress comes from mind sewage.” - JG

“A polluted brain will not produce peaceful behavior.” - JG

B. Control Your Diet

1. Renew Your Mind

Romans 12:1–2 KJV

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Colossians 3:9–10 KJV

Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

2. Wash with the Water of the Word

Ephesians 5:25–27 KJV

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Take note of what you’re feeding your mind and how it affecting your behavior - emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually.

It is affecting you. Denying it doesn’t change it.

Now, replace it with things that will affect you positively.

VI. Commandment to Adhere

Philippians 4:9 KJV

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do:

A. Instructions without implementation is ineffective

The plan only works when we work the plan

Complete the plan and He will complete the work

VII. Certain Attainment

Philippians 4:9 KJV

Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Conclusion: