Anxiety Sermon
I usually don’t remember my dreams, but I had one this week that stuck with me. In my dream, Dave & I were at an art museum. We were having a great time. When it came time to go, we passed through the first set of doors and were about to cross the breezeway when we saw that the main exit doors were blocked. The area was under construction. Now my husband thought that we could climb through barrier, and despite my protests he did just that.
I, on the other hand, decided it would be better to follow the signs and exit the building another way. The other way turned out to be the new entrance to the building. It was a beautiful entrance way, with lots of light, colored marble walls, and a huge floating glass staircase. When I opened the doors to the stairway, I noticed that there was no handrail nearby. Everything to the right of me was open to the atrium. The hand rail was about 20 feet to my left.
As I started down the stairs, I looked down, through the glass stairs and realized how high I was above the floor below. I decided it would be a good idea to get to the hand rail. I took a step to the left and sat down. I thought it would be a better idea to skooch my way down the steps. I remember someone asking me if I was all right? Did I need help?
Right there, in the middle of the dream I had an anxiety attack. I couldn’t move. I wouldn’t move. Go get my husband. And then I woke up. What bothered me about this dream was that I had an anxiety attack. Why would I be filled with anxiety when I was doing the right thing? I followed the signs & used the right door.
This morning we’re going to look at anxiety and the ways to defeat it.
Webster defines anxiety as
“an abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs (as sweating, tension, and increased pulse) marked by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one’s capacity to cope with it.”
In my dream I wasn’t able to descend the staircase. I doubted that the staircase was solid. Because it was glass and I could see through it, anxiety told me it wasn’t there, even thought there were other people walking on it.
Anxiety affects the way we think.
Why? Because when we are anxious, our focus is on our situation and not the remedy. Our thoughts end up controlling us and lead us to giving up instead of finding answers. Anxiety, left unresolved, can debilitate your mind and body.
Turn to Matthew 6. You’ve probably read this passage a hundred times before and depending on the Bible translation you are using, the Greek word for “anxiety” is sometimes translated as “worry” which I think is a disservice. To me if you compare the two, worry is benign and anxious is malignant. Worry is being concerned, and anxious is being obsessed. With that insight, you can see how the following passage is more important than we have been taught to believe.
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry [be anxious] about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
Do you see the difference? Worry would be a teenager concerned about having the perfect dress to wear to prom. Anxious would be the teenager who becomes anorexic to fit into that perfect dress.
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? 28 “And why do you worry [be anxious] about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Little faith in God, little faith that He cares about and for you. Anxiety breeds distrust for the power and love of God.
That’s why Jesus says it again:
31 So do not worry [be anxious], saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
In other words, replace your thoughts with God’s thoughts. Put on the mind of Christ and God will take care of all your physical needs.
And one more time, for emphasis.
34 Therefore do not worry [be anxious] about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Did you catch that? Anxiety and worry lead to trouble. Jesus is telling us, not to worry about the future even though it will have its share of problems. God has a plan. Things will work out. Deal with trials as they come, you can’t solve them in advance. Providing for tomorrow is good, but worrying about tomorrow is sin because it doubts that God is in control. Anxiety about tomorrow will paralyze you and your relationship with God.
Colossians 3:2 says,
“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth”.
Focusing on God is the answer to anxiety.
Ø When I spend time with him, I get to know him more intimately.
Ø When I read his word, I learn more about him.
Ø The more I know him, the greater my trust in him becomes.
Ø The more I trust him, the less I have to be anxious about.
So when I feel anxious, I need to focus on God.
How can I avoid anxiety?
Paul gives us 3 steps to avoid anxiety.
Turn to Philippians 4.
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Step 1: pray with thanksgiving. Don’t fill your prayers with anxiety. “Oh God, I just don’t know what to do.” “God you have to get me out of this mess. I’m sick God. I’m so worried I can’t go to work.”
No, no, a thousand times no! If your kids came to you with words like that, you’d tell them to snap out of it, get dressed and go to school or work. Right?
Fill your prayers with thanksgiving. “thank you God that I can come to you, that you hear my prayers.” “thank you God that despite the mess I have made, you love me and want the best for me.” “Thank you God that you have given me the Holy Spirit and the mind of Christ”. “I thank you father, that in you I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
Fill your prayers with Thanksgiving.
Even Jonah in the belly of the whale cried out to God with Thanksgiving: Keep your finger in Philippians and flip over to Jonah 2 real quick:
7 “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. 8 “Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. 9 But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. Salvation comes from the Lord.” 10 And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.
Believe me, the belly of the whale seems like a place where no one would fault you for anxiety, but look what thanksgiving did, it freed Jonah! It delivered him! What can prayer with thanksgiving do for you?
Back to Philippians 4,
7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Being thankful will release you from fear and anxiety. It shows you trust your situation to God’s control.
But the enemy is not about to let you off that easy. He’s going to continue to try to bombard your thoughts with negativity. Paul gives us a second step to avoid anxiety.
8 Finally, brothers, 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.
Is the glass half empty or half full? You decide. Are you thinking positive or are you listening to the enemy? His glass is always half empty. Some people think anxiety comes from much too thinking. They’re right, too much negative thinking.
Step 2: right thinking, meditating on the goodness of God, on his promises, and provision, not wishful thinking, but faith filled thinking.
What kind of things? Look at that verse again.
Ø What things are true? God’s word. If he said it, it is true. “God is not a man that he should lie”.
Ø What things are noble? that which is dignified, honorable and worthy of respect. We are talking about whatever is worthy of awe and adoration—the sacred, the holy. God, the bible, baptism, communion,
Ø What things are right or righteous? Those things in right standing with God, the things that are done his way. Witnessing, testimony, prayer for the sick, feeding the hungry…
Ø What things are pure? “Pure” refers to something morally clean and undefiled. We are to dwell on what is clean, not soiled. God has forgiven our sins, we need to stop allowing the enemy to dredge our past up and beat us over the head with it.
Ø What things are lovely? Those things that are “pleasing” or “amiable.” Focus on whatever is kind or gracious. A word of encouragement.
Ø What things are admirable, excellent and of good report? These are virtues such as courage and respect for others.
Paul is saying to us today that what we focus on will affect what we decide to partake of, because what you’re thinking will affect your desires and behavior: what you watch on tv or the movies, what you read, where you go, what you do. We have all heard stories of copy-cat crimes. Where someone hears about a criminal or sees a movie and then imitates the crime. We would be naïve to think that television, movies and news reports can’t feed our anxiety. It does!
I said there were 3 steps to avoiding anxiety.
9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.
Just as negative thoughts lead to negative actions, positive thoughts lead to positive actions. When Paul says put into practice he means continually, like someone would practice an instrument to gain proficiency. After they learn how to play the instrument they continue to practice to keep their skills sharp. Paul is saying don’t get lazy. Don’t forget. Make what you have learned a part of you. This book is worthless if you don’t apply what you have learned.
What does putting what you have learned into practice get you? What does the rest of that verse say?
And the God of peace will be with you.
What is the opposite of anxiety? Peace.
Can you be anxious if you have the peace of God?No
How do we avoid anxiety?
1. Prayer with thanksgiving
2. Right thinking
3. Putting what you have learned into practice
OK Lisa, that’s just great. You gave us 3 examples of people in the Bible who could handle anxiety. But I’m not Jesus or Paul or even Jonah. Aren’t there people in the Bible who had anxiety attacks? What about them? How did they overcome anxiety?
The Apostle Peter was a worrier.
Ø He worried about drowning when he was walking on water, even though Jesus was right there with him (Matt. 14:29–31).
Ø He worried about what was going to happen to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, so he pulled out his sword and tried to take on a battalion of Roman soldiers (John 18:2–3, 10)
Ø Peter worried about Jesus being crucified, he even ordered Jesus not to go to the cross (Matt. 16:22).
How did Peter overcome anxiety?
Turn to 1 Peter 5:7
7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Well, that’s just great, and how do I do that?
Jump up to verse 5, I know it starts out “young men” but look at the second ½ of that verse.
All of you,
Who? All of us.
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
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.
So what do we need to do BEFORE we can cast our burdens on the Lord? Humble ourselves. Let God have control of the situation. He has the power to change things. Humility says I trust you God.
Peter learned this lesson. He may have started to sink, when he took his eyes of Jesus but he walked on water! He may have cut off the centurion’s servant’s ear and denied Jesus three times, but he was the one who addressed the crowds on Pentecost. It was Peter who was freed from prison by an angel. And it was Peter who humbled himself to the Holy Spirit so much that when his shadow fell on the sick they were healed.
He didn’t get there being full of pride. He got there by humbling himself to the Lord. He got there by recognizing if he surrendered control of his life to God – God would take care of him.