Anxious About Nothing

Introduction

English Standard Version Chapter 4

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.

In light of our current circumstances, particularly with the spread of the Coronavirus, I want to take some time to think about these things, together, in light of what the Scripture’s say. It doesn’t take but a few of minutes watching the news or reading an article to see how millions of people around the world are captivated with a strong sense of fear. And even many of you may be experiencing that fear too. So it’s important that, as Christians, we take a step back and consider these current events from a biblical perspective, or from a heavenly perspective.

It was just a few weeks ago, while we were working our way through chapter 16 of Matthew’s Gospel, that we witnessed Jesus’ rebuke of Peter when he told Jesus that they would not let him suffer and die in Jerusalem, and Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind me Satan! … For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man ().” Peter could only see Jesus’ death as a defeat, he couldn’t see how Jesus’ death would ultimately lead to triumph. Peter was settings his mind on the things of man, and not on the things of God.

And likewise, we should also seek to see our current, earthly circumstances in light of God’s heavenly perspective. From a humanly perspective it’s easy to see only death, ruin and reason for despair. Whether that’s due to the bodily harm of what a new virus might do to us or to our families, or what the affects of this virus might have on our economy, whether we will have enough money to pay rent, lose our job, or whether we might lose our retirement as the stock market takes a dive. From a humanly perspective there are countless reasons to have fear. But today I want us to take a long look at the Scriptures so that we might see our lives and our world from a heavenly perspective.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

says,

English Standard Version Chapter 12

25  Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down,

but a good word makes him glad.

says,

English Standard Version Psalm 94

19  When the cares of my heart are many,

your consolations cheer my soul.

So my hope this morning is that we might, first, see the dangers of seeing our circumstance only from a humanly perspective, and second, to take great comfort in light of what God teaches us in his word, despite the worst of earthly circumstances.

Paul writing from prison

This text from the book of Philippians is fitting in more ways than one for our subject today. Not only do these four verses get at the heart of what we want to consider, but the Apostle Paul, who wrote this letter, writes these things while in prison, he writes these four verses in the context of being imprisoned by the Roman Empire, so he’s not saying what he says here from a position of comfortable or ideal earthly circumstances. He tells the church in Philippi to rejoice in the Lord always, and not to be anxious about anything while he’s in prison.

The implications here are clear, earthly circumstances should never dictate our joy, and earthly circumstances should never cause us to become anxious about anything.

Two types of anxiety

In the Bible there are two senses used for the word, that’s often translated, ‘anxiety’. The first sense is an anxiety that’s associated with a loving concern for others. For example, in the Apostle Paul tells the church that “God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.” Even here in Paul writes, “I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.” So there is a sense in which we ought to care for, and be concerned for, one another, out of love for one another.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.”there should “be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.”So there is a sense in which we ought to care for, and be concerned for, one another, out of love for one another.

However, the second sense of this word ‘anxiety’, is an anxiety rooted in unbelief. It’s not a commendable attribute. In fact, because this type of anxiety is rooted in unbelief, it is sinful. This anxiety is, in essence, is a lack of faith, or lack of trusting God.

Anxiety defined, and examples

Anxiety is defined as the uneasy feeling of uncertainty, agitation, dread, or fear. And we typically become anxious when our circumstances threaten us or disrupt our lives, whether it be our finances, our routines, our health, our jobs, our relationships, our desires, or our plans, the list goes on.

And these unbiblical fears are usually symptomatic of a more deeply rooted sin. For instances, an unbiblical fear of death may be symptomatic of our holding too tightly to this life. Our fears may indicate that our treasure is not in heaven. Our fears may indicate that we’re looking to our circumstances to find peace, instead of God. Our fears may indicate that we are trying to control what we cannot, and not trusting our Lord. Our fears may indicate that our will is not submitted to God’s, believing that God must not be concerned with my welfare if he isn’t doing things my way. Our fears usually indicate that we lack an eternal perspective of our circumstances. And usually, our worrying is some combination of all these things.

Anxieties rising to the surface

So when we’re threatened with a epidemic like the Coronavirus, we can easily become acutely aware of our unbelief. Our fears rise to the surface and we’re robbed of our joy and peace, and instead we’re fraught with fears. All of a sudden Paul’s command to “rejoice always” and “do not be anxious about anything” goes out the window. It’s almost as if we behave like there’s an implied condition in his command. Rejoice always, in the Lord, and do not be anxious about anything unless there’s good reason to fear. But Paul doesn’t add that qualifier, instead Paul tells the church in Philippi to “rejoice in the Lord” and “do not be anxious about anything” while he’s in prison, while his circumstances, from and earthly perspective, are dire and uncertain. He assumes that our lives as Christians will be different than that of those in the world. And he’s right, our lives should look different. We shouldn’t be gripped with fear in the face of death, we shouldn’t be paralyzed with anxiety when faced with terrifying and uncertain circumstances. Self preservation is not a hallmark of the Christian life, instead we’re called to be a living sacrifice, and to love our neighbor as our self, to be willing to pickup our cross and follow Jesus, willing even to lose our lives.

The Church’s historical response to epidemics

Let’s be clear, epidemics like this are not unprecedented. In fact, in many respects, the epidemics and plagues that have come before us have been far worse. And I don’t say that to minimize the current threat, in fact, I say that to highlight how the Church has responded, throughout the ages, to crisis’ like this.

Roman plagues from 249-262

One writer, Moses Lee, from the Gospel Coalition last week wrote,

In the same way that we are not intended to grieve like the world because of the hope that we have of life after death, we are not to fear the dire circumstances of this world because of the hope that we have of eternal life.

“In AD 249 to 262, Western civilization was devastated by one of the deadliest pandemics in its history. Though the exact cause of the plague is uncertain, the city of Rome was said to have lost an estimated 5,000 people a day at the height of the outbreak. One eyewitness, Bishop Dionysius of Alexandria, wrote that although the plague did not discriminate between Christians and non-Christians, “Its full impact fell on [non-Christians].” Having noted the difference between Christian and non-Christian responses to the plague, he says of the non-Christians in Alexandria:

“At the first onset of the disease, they pushed the sufferers away and fled from their dearest, throwing them into the roads before they were dead and treating unburied corpses as dirt, hoping thereby to avert the spread and contagion of the fatal disease; but do what they might, they found it difficult to escape.”

At the first onset of the disease, they pushed the sufferers away and fled from their dearest, throwing them into the roads before they were dead and treating unburied corpses as dirt, hoping thereby to avert the spread and contagion of the fatal disease; but do what they might, they found it difficult to escape.

Non-Christian accounts confirm this sentiment. A century later, the emperor Julian attempted to curb the growth of Christianity after the plague by leading a campaign to establish pagan charities that mirrored the work of Christians in his realm. In an AD 362 letter, Julian complained that the Hellenists needed to match the Christians in virtue, blaming the recent growth of Christianity on their “benevolence to strangers, their care for the graves of the dead, and the pretended holiness of their lives.” Elsewhere he wrote, “For it is a disgrace that . . . the impious Galilaeans [Christians] support not only their own poor but ours as well.”

Non-Christian accounts confirm this sentiment. A century later, the emperor Julian attempted to curb the growth of Christianity after the plague by leading a campaign to establish pagan charities that mirrored the work of Christians in his realm. In an AD 362 letter, Julian complained that the Hellenists needed to match the Christians in virtue, blaming the recent growth of Christianity on their “benevolence to strangers, their care for the graves of the dead, and the pretended holiness of their lives.” Elsewhere he wrote, “For it is a disgrace that . . . the impious Galilaeans [Christians] support not only their own poor but ours as well.”

Though Julian questioned the motives of Christians, his embarrassment over Hellenic charities confirms pagan efforts fell massively short of Christian standards of serving the sick and poor, especially during epidemics. (TGC, Moses Lee, What the Early Church Can Teach Us About the Coronavirus)”

So if the non-Christian response to the plague was characterized by self-preservation, avoiding the sick at all costs, the Christian response was the opposite. Many of the Christians set an example of self-sacrifice and a willingness to put their own lives at risk to love their neighbor.

Bishop Dionysius would also write that,

Most of our brother-Christians showed unbounded love and loyalty, never sparing themselves and thinking only of one another. Heedless of the danger, they took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them in Christ, and with them departed this life serenely happy; for they were infected by others with the disease, drawing on themselves the sickness of their neighbours and cheerfully accepting their pains.

And Cyprian, the bishop of Carthage during that time, wrote to the church and said,

There is nothing remarkable in cherishing merely our own people with the due attentions of love, but that one might become perfect who should do something more than heathen men or publicans, one who, overcoming evil with good, and practicing a merciful kindness like that of God, should love his enemies as well. . . . Thus the good was done to all men, not merely to the household of faith.

Though Julian questioned the motives of Christians, his embarrassment over Hellenic charities confirms pagan efforts fell massively short of Christian standards of serving the sick and poor, especially during epidemics.

The Black Death plague in Wittenberg

And later in the 14th century the Black Death haunted Europe. In only 5 years the plague had wiped out nearly half of Europe’s population. And for centuries later the plague would return again and again. In 1527 it struck Wittenberg where Protestant Reformer Martin Luther and his wife Katharina lived. While many fled the city they stayed to care for the sick.

How they responded with courage

When we read records like these we should ask ourselves, ‘How was it that these Christians were able to respond in this way?’ How were they able to respond with such courage, and with such self-sacrificial love toward their neighbors in the face of danger? Why were they not overrun by their own fears?

The answer to that question is relatively simple. Their joy and their peace was not grounded in their earthly circumstances, in other words, the condition of their circumstances did not dictate whether or not they had joy or didn’t have joy, it didn’t dictate whether they were had peace or didn’t have peace. Instead their joy and their peace was anchored in God by their faith. No matter what, they could face the most dire of circumstances because they had a robust hope in the face of death.

Faith as an anchor

Our faith acts as an anchor to our soul. Without out it we will quickly become swamped by the waves of adversity and dashed against the rocks of fear. Without an anchor we will be not have peace, without an anchor we will not have joy, we’ll be plagued by fear and destined for ruin. Whereas, if we’re anchored by our faith in God, we will have hope, and we will have peace no matter the circumstance.

Now, that doesn’t mean we will escape adversity (as so many false teachers preach), it doesn’t mean we won’t be affected by the sufferings of the world, but it does mean we will not be moved, that our anchor will hold, that death will not win, and that we will be able to rejoice in the Lord in all circumstances, and to not have to be anxious about anything. We can have what Paul talks about there in verse 7, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding”.

All circumstances serve God

And remember that God is at work even in the midst of our dire earthly circumstances, for all earthly circumstances serve God’s purposes, and God works all things for the good of those who love him, and are called according to his purpose. This is why Christians can be the most bold and compassion people on the earth, this is why followers of Christ should be the most bold and compassionate people on earth, because Christ is our anchor, and we’re not dashed against the rocks of every earthly circumstances. Therefore, if we trust our God, we can weather any circumstance, knowing that all circumstances serve him. This truth should be a massive stabilizing force to the Christian life, an anchor that never breaks loose, or a ballast that cannot be overturn.

Heavenly perspective

Now, you might how do I do this? How do I put this into practice? How do you stop being anxious? How do I stop fearing things I shouldn’t fear? Well, I think there are at least two answers to that question. The first is what I just described, remind yourself, daily, that all earthly circumstances serve God’s purposes, and all of circumstances are intended for your good. This is essentially , “For God causes all things to work for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.” I can’t emphasize this truth enough, this text is one of the most awe-inspiring text in all the Bible. God’s sovereignty is displayed here, God’s providence over all things is here, and God’s loving care toward his children is on display here, all in one verse. Meditate on this text, preach this text to yourself in every circumstance. This text gives us a heavenly perspective of our earthy circumstances.

Pray often

Second, do what Paul says here in , “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” I’ve said this before, but if you struggle especially with worry and anxiety then this is your how to verse. You should be praying as often as you worry. The moment you catch yourself becoming fearful and anxious over your earthly circumstances then pray, and bring all of it in prayer and supplication (begging) before God. Make known to him what you’re worried about, all of it. Why? Because he cares for you! ,

English Standard Version Chapter 5

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

says,

English Standard Version Psalm 55

22  Cast your burden on the LORD,

and he will sustain you;

he will never permit

the righteous to be moved.

God’s caring for you is the reason you can find relief from your anxiety, and it’s the reason you can have peace. When you pray, and let all of you requests be made known to him you’re letting go of a burden you cannot carry, you’re entrusting these things to God. says,

English Standard Version Psalm 94

19  When the cares of my heart are many,

your consolations cheer my soul.

We are intended to guard our hearts and our minds with prayer.

Do not live recklessly

Now, on the other end of the spectrum, because of the surety of our anchor in Christ, some of us are prone to live recklessly, or to put it another way, to take our circumstances lightly. Make no mistake, though our anchor will hold, the dire circumstances of this world ought not to be taken lightly. Our faith should not make us cavalier or trivialize our circumstances. In the same way that our circumstances should not cause us to despair, our certainty of faith should not cause us to trivialize the real dangers of our circumstances. We should not take our circumstances lightly, but should not fear them as unbelievers do. We should be both courageous and empathetic, fearless and compassionate.

Cholera outbreak in London

Hope for a dying world

While as Christians we have a hope that is immovable, a hope of eternal life, many, many others in this world do not. Without the Gospel their death will mean everlasting punishment. While death is not new, while it is not novel, it’s times like these that everyone on earth is reminded of the inevitability of death. To be reminded of this is a great mercy of God. Many have asked why our town over the last 12 months has been hit so hard by death, as if it were, in some sense, out of the ordinary, or strange, but I tell you that God is merciful to remind us that our sin leads to death, and it’s during times like these that we much make every effort to share the Gospel with others. To tell people that there is hope, hope of eternal life, hope of reconciliation with God, if only they would turn away from their sin and trust in God’s son, Jesus, for salvation, that he would forgive them their sin.

In the 1854 a cholera outbreak struck London, England (killing 616 people) where pastor Charles Spurgeon was serving at New Park Street Chapel. When looking back at the plague

Therefore, in light of this pandemic with the Coronavirus the most loving thing some of us can do is simply to stay home if we can. However, this will not be true for all of us. How we courageously and compassionately respond to this epidemic will vary from person to person. For some of us it may look like staying home more than you would like, canceling a vacation, or it may mean risking your own health and safety for the sake of another. It may mean you continue working despite the danger, knowing that your job is essential to the lives of others who depend upon you.

I found Jesus’ words in appropriate here when he’s talking to Martha after his friend Lazarus has died, he says to her,

Therefore, in light of this pandemic with the Coronavirus the most loving thing some of us can do is to stay home if we can.

During the Black Death in Wittenberg, Martin Luther spoke both of circumstances where fleeing was permitted and he warned Christians not to judge one another for different decisions.

English Standard Version Chapter 11

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Prayer