Week 2 Anxiety

Did they experience anxiety?

• Adam and Eve in the Garden after the fall (see )

• Noah as he was building the ark (see )

• Noah as he was building the ark (see Genesis 6:9-9:17)

• Abraham as he was sacrificing Isaac (see )

• Abraham as he was sacrificing Isaac (see Genesis 22)

• Jacob as he went to be reunited with Esau (see Genesis 33)

• Jacob as he went to be reunited with Esau (see )

• David as he hid for his life from Saul (see )

• David as he hid for his life from Saul (see 1 Samuel 21-23)

• Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego facing the furnace (see )

• Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego facing the furnace (see Daniel 3)

• Mary as she was told she would become pregnant though a virgin (see Luke 1:26-38)

• Mary as she was told she would become pregnant though a virgin (see )

Why were some of these people seemingly able to handle anxiety better than others?

Why were some of these people seemingly able to handle anxiety better than others?

Arguably, these are some of the men and women most celebrated for their faith in God. How do we handle the fact that some (if not all) of them faced anxiety?

fact that some (if not all) of them faced anxiety?

Was the source of these people’s anxiety because of something internal (i.e. sin, personality, etc.) or external (the situations they were facing)? Why?

situations they were facing)? Why?

One thing these men and woman have in common is that they lived before Christ. With what Christ did through his death and resurrection, is it ok for someone who believes in Jesus to be anxious? Why or why not?

his death and resurrection, is it ok for someone who believes in Jesus to be anxious? Why or why not?

A little background on the text: Paul penned this letter to the church in Philippi while in prison and because of his faith and the work he was doing, he faced numerous horrible circumstances. Despite all he faced in life, he writes in 4:11 that he has learned how to be content in any situation. His statement in 4:13 is another important verse to the conversation about anxiety (we’ll look at that next week) but perhaps no other line is quoted more to those struggling with anxiety than 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything...” The question becomes whether this is a command that marks a believer (i.e. if I am anxious, I am not a real Christ follower) or a goal for a believer (i.e. because I am a real Christ follower, I can find relief for my anxiety).

his faith and the work he was doing, he faced numerous horrible circumstances. Despite all he faced in life, he

writes in 4:11 that he has learned how to be content in any situation. His statement in 4:13 is another important

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verse to the conversation about anxiety (we’ll look at that next week) but perhaps no other line is quoted more to

those struggling with anxiety than 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything...” The question becomes whether this

is a command that marks a believer (i.e. if I am anxious, I am not a real Christ follower) or a goal for a believer

(i.e. because I am a real Christ follower, I can find relief for my anxiety).

Philippians 4:4–7 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.

Philippians 4:4-7

What words or lines jump out to you in the text? Why?

How have you heard verse 6 taught or used when it comes to people feeling anxious?

Have you ever had someone quote that verse to you after sharing about your anxiety? If so, did it help? Why or why not?

why not?

How is it, after everything that Paul has gone through in his life [see note below], can he make such a strong statement like “do not be anxious about anything”?

statement like “do not be anxious about anything”?

2 Corinthians 11:23

2 Corinthians 11:23–27 ESV

23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

What does it mean in verse 7 to have “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding”?

What does it mean that that peace will “guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”?

Based on verse 6, is it wrong for a Christ follower to feel anxious? Why or why not?

Is verse 6 a command to not be anxious? Why or why not? If it’s not a command, what is it?

RESPONSE

Do you think Jesus was ever anxious? If yes, when? If no, why?

Have your group look up

NOTE: Sweating blood is called “hematidrosis [which is] is a condition in which capillary blood vessels that feed the sweat glands rupture, causing them to exude blood, occurring under conditions of extreme physical or emotional stress.”

NOTE: Sweating blood is called “hematidrosis [which is] is a condition in which capillary blood vessels that

feed the sweat glands rupture, causing them to exude blood, occurring under conditions of extreme physical or emotional stress.”

emotional stress.”

How do we handle the fact that (as the note in the NIV states) verses 43 and 44 aren’t in the earliest manuscripts?

Why would scribes have felt the need to add these verses in later?

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Does this fact undermine its credibility? Why or why not?

Was Jesus anxious as he prayed in the garden prior to his arrest? Why or why not?

Have your group look up .

NOTE: The last words of Jesus before his death as recorded by Matthew and Mark quote which was originally written by David.

originally written by David.

Would you categorize Jesus’ words here as feeling anxious? Why or why not?

If Jesus did not feel anxiety because he was God, how does that compare to our lives and the fact that we are not God?

God?

If Jesus, the Son of God and God-incarnate faced anxiety, what does that mean about any anxiety we may face?

Close your time in prayer.