1 Peter 5:5-11 Conquering Anxiety

What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches? A. A nervous wreck.

Britain survey The survey was based on telephone interviews of 1,000 aged 16 to 55 across Britain on September 22-26. for Universal Pictures UK Ltd

1. creepy crawlies frighten

2. Terrorism

3. snakes

4. fear of heights.

5. Death

6. a visit to the dentist

7. needles and injections,

8. fear of public speaking -- whether professionally or at family events.

9. Fear of debt

10. concerns over flying.

An average person's anxiety is focused on :

40% -- things that will never happen 30% -- things about the past that can't be changed 12% -- things about criticism by others, mostly untrue 10% -- about health, which gets worse with stress 8% -- about real problems that will be faced

Complex issue – we are a holistic entity all parts effect all parts

Physical (pain / chemicals / hormones)

Emotional (historical trauma / hormones / conditioning)

Psychological (way we were nurtured, personality )

Spiritual (our spiritual condition in Christ)

Our anxiety can be very complex.

Yet, Peter gives us a foundation to address the problem. Regardless of other helps, these are essential.

(ESV) 1 Peter 5 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

I. Conquering Anxiety: Let it go

(ESV) 1 Peter 5 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

A. A divided mind problem

1 Peter 5 7 … all your anxiety …

1. Literally divide and mind

2. Confused unfocused – going a million directions

Illus: A dense fog that covers a seven-city-block area one hundred feet deep is composed of less than one glass of water divided into sixty thousand million drops. Not much is there but it can cripple an entire city.

B. A decision to make

(ESV) 1 Peter 5 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

1. Lay it on something

2. Like loading up a donkey – he carries the weight not you

C. An act of faith in a loving God

(ESV) 1 Peter 5 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

1. He can handle it

2. And He cares

II. Conquering Anxiety: Release control

(ESV) 1 Peter 5 5 … Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

A. Our pride is an obstacle

(ESV) 1 Peter 5 5 … Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

1. Not on our terms – not in our control

2. He stands in the way of the self sufficient

3. Delights to give undeserved grace (not looking to beat you down for your failure)

4. The requirement is to come humbly (can’t demand from Him or act like we can handle it / He just might let us)

B. Depend on each other

(ESV) 1 Peter 5 5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another …

1. Seek experience (older/wiser)

2. Gain from everyone

C. Seek God

(ESV) 1 Peter 5 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

1. Humble yourself before Him – our choice to seek His help / do we think that we need it?

2. His might hand – deliverance from trouble / salvation

3. He lifts up

III. Conquering Anxiety: Demands active faith

(ESV) 1 Peter 5 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

A. Self control --- discipline

(ESV) 1 Peter 5 8 Be sober-minded; …

1. implies desires/emotions that would drive you someplace else --- control your inner tendencies

B. Being alert

(ESV) 1 Peter 5 8 … be watchful.

1. Easy to be taken by surprise --- alert to what’s happening --- the feeling of uneasiness might not correspond to the real risk

C. Stand in faith against opposition

(ESV) 1 Peter 5 8 … Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him,

firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

1. Real enemy --- supernatural opposition

a) Seeking out the weak --- seeking to destroy

2. (Resist stand firm)

a) But he can’t win unless you cave --- don’t need to run / don’t even need to fight / need to just stand in your position in Christ

b) Can’t be defeated if stand

3. You are not unique --- your problem is encountered by countless other Christians --- and many of them successfully stand --- you can too

IV. Conquering Anxiety: Results in transformation

(ESV) 1 Peter 5 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

A. By the grace of God

(ESV) 1 Peter 5 10 … the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ,

1. Personally involved

2. The sufficient one (all grace, eternal glory)

3. Already has chosen to work in us

4. Has eternal capacity

B. Uses time

(ESV) 1 Peter 5 10 And after you have suffered a little while, …

1. Delay

2. Elements of difficulty over time produce transformation in the hand of God

C. Transforms within

(ESV) 1 Peter 5 10 … will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

1. Restores --- puts back into place

a) Restore to previous condition

b) (like Peter’s nets)

c) Make complete

2. Makes strong confirm – support to be sturdy

a) To fix something so that it stands upright

b) (like staking a vine)

c) To support

d) Make sturdy/rigid

3. Makes firm / strong – activity / vigor

a) To make more able

b) (from stand v. weakness)

c) Bodily vigor

4. Makes Steadfastness --- establish a solid foundation that cannot be moved

a) To create a foundation

b) (Like laying the foundations of the earth (Hebrews 1) – above the waters churning / below firm)

D. Give glory to God

(ESV) 1 Peter 5 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.