4-Getting the Conversation Started
Getting the Conversation Started – part 2
“Can You Hear Me Now?”
March 18, 2004
Used the basic idea from a sermon by Chris Seidman, Farmers Branch Church of Christ
Big Idea: Prayer is the key to handling anxiety in your personal life, your family, your job, your church, and your world.
They're everywhere.
You can run, but you can't hide.
Just when the sun breaks through to your heart, they attack,
conjuring up a dark cloud to squelch your joy.
Even believers can fall victim to the joy snatchers. They put our joy in
jeopardy daily. Who or what are they? Stacey S. Padrick[1]
Here are a few of the most insidious culprits. Fear of rejection, failure, and not being protected; Anxiety about the future, change in life transitions; Concerned about what others think; Comparing our lives to others; Coveting what others have; Sin; Busyness and over commitment; holding on too tightly (having control); worry warts; and unbelief. These represent the short list of joy snatchers.
Because we easily gravitate toward worry, we may not be sure when it begins to take over. A tense back. A mind that constantly has thoughts racing through it. You have a lack of joy and lightheartedness. You are impatience with others and yourself. You take yourself to seriously. We forget to thank God for his blessings – all of these signs points to the presence of smoldering coals of worry in our heart. Like a smoke detector warning of impending danger, they alert me to the asphyxiating smoke of worry.
God never intended for us to live joyless lives. Joy is an inward
· The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:3
· But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Galatians 5:22
· Nehemiah said, “… for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
· Jesus said, “I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” John 16:22
Last week we began talking about “Getting A Conversation With God Started.” In our prayers we have an inside connection in prayer with Jesus Christ. It isn’t what we know, do or don’t do, it’s who we know. We also discussed that we never pray alone because Jesus and the Holy Spirit are continually interceding on our behalf. The third cool part about last week was that we can “Come As We Are - warts, sins and all.”
We want to continue that lesson today. A major obstacle that stands in the way of our prayers is anxiousness.
The church in Philippi was facing many difficulties that was causing great anxiety among the brothers and sisters in Christ. 1:12 - Their good friend Paul was unjustly put into prison. 1:27 - The Philippians were struggling to do the right thing and focus on being united during difficult times. 3:18 –18 Many people live like enemies of the cross of Christ. I have often told you about them, and it makes me cry to tell you about them now. 19 In the end, they will be destroyed. They do whatever their bodies want, they are proud of their shameful acts, and they think only about earthly things.[2] They use the teachings of Christ for their benefit. 4:2-3 – There were two influential sisters in conflict with each and it had negative impact on the church.
It is these situations and many others that take away our joy today. Then you add in quick fix mentality of our culture, unless God responds very quickly, then we really lose our joy.
When Paul wrote to the Philippians and to us to help reestablish joy that was had previously and joy that you can have today. in our hearts. Paul gives us the key to knowing how to deal with anxiety.
Let’s read Philippians 4:4-7. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Prayer is the key to getting back our joy or for getting joy for the first time in our lives.
PRAY, KNOWING THE LORD IS NEAR. There is a right place to be and a wrong place to be to find joy in life, especially difficult times. If you have lived long enough you have discovered that good health, power, property, possessions, status, education, or being in control is not the right place to be because they do not guarantee you joy. Therefore, you have to look beyond this world, beyond ourselves.
In verse 4, Paul says, Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” This verse puts in one phrase what Paul wants people to do. Joy is such a vitally important factor in believers’ spiritual stability that Paul repeats his command for emphasis: again I will say, rejoice! This repetition presupposes that it is not easy to find joy in difficult circumstances. Paul was challenging them to rise above their circumstances.
Joy is seen by many people today as a human emotion and find Paul’s twice repeated command to be puzzling. How, they ask, can people be ask to produce an emotion? It’s important to note that joy is not a feeling; it is the deep down confidence that God is in control of everything for the believer’s good and His own glory, and thus all is well no matter what the circumstances. Chairete (rejoice) is a present imperative, calling believers to the continual, habitual practice of rejoicing. Intentional. Neither Paul’s imprisonment nor the Philippians’ trials should eclipse their joy.[3]
That is Paul’s command for us. REJOICE! Stacey S. Padrick wrote that “rather than trying to extinguish the individual fires of worry that encircle us, we must identify the source of the flame. Anxiety is most often sparked by unbelief or doubt in God's character. When we worry, we've unthinkingly questioned His wisdom (that He knows what is best), His love and goodness (that He cares for us and wants what is best), and His sovereignty (that He is able to do what is best).”
“Worry reveals not only our distrustful thoughts about God but also an unrealistic view of ourselves: that we are ultimately in control; that we are responsible for other people's happiness (our spouse, children, parents, boss, friends); that we can determine better than God what we or others need.”
It is true that believers often cannot find reason to be happy in their specific circumstances. Certainly the general wickedness, sorrow, misery, and death in the world evoke no joy. Nor are people a reliable source of joy, since they can change, hurt, and disappoint. The only sure, reliable, unwavering, unchanging source of joy is God. That is why Paul commands believers to rejoice in the Lord. The phrase in the Lord introduces an important principle: Spiritual stability is directly related to how a person thinks about God. [4]
PRAY KNOWING THAT GOD IS CLOSE ENOUGH TO LISTEN. Paul tells us that we need to realize that God is Near! All of us know that we can be talking to someone in the same room but that doesn’t mean their listening. Paul is telling us that God is not only near but He is listening.
Well, Mike, that sounds great but where is God? Are you sure He is here? I can’t seem to find Him. We have questions and we want answers. We are hurting and we want healing. We have needs and we want God to fill them – RIGHT NOW!
There’s a prophet in the Old Testament named Job who has had the same experience as you. Job said, “If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling!
I would state my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments.” Job 23:3-4
“But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him.
When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.” Job 23:8-9
When Melanie, our oldest child, was a baby there wasn’t any question when she was unhappy. One day we put her down for a nap and she didn’t want to lay down. We left the room with her crying in her bed. After thirty minutes, I went back in there to find her standing at the far end of her baby bed crying with her eyes closed. I walk up to her bed as she continued to cry not realizing that I was standing by the bed. I stood there for a minute. When I called her name, she looked at me and immediately stop crying.
How many times are we crying out to God and he is actually standing there. He hasn’t gone anywhere. Like a parent who would never abandon their child, God would never abandon us. Paul reminds us that “the Lord is near.” Unfortunately, we face trials, believers seem to forget what we know about God. We forget about His promises.
We should learn from Job so that we are not totally surprised and dismayed when, in the time of our distress, we can't seem to find God. At these times we must cling to His bare yet inviolate promise, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Heb. 13:5). Because God will never leave you nor forsake you, you are invited, in the words of Peter, to "cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you" (1 Pet. 5:7). God cares for you! He is not just there with you, He cares for you. His care is constant—not occasional or sporadic. His care is total—even the very hairs of your head are numbered. His care is sovereign—nothing can touch you that He does not allow.
Understanding that the Lord is ALWAYS near, we should share our hearts where we are (verses 6). Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Paul says “do not be anxious.” You are in these difficult situations but don’t be anxious. Anxiousness is an indicator that we have the weight of these circumstance and put them on our shoulders. Paul knows that we will be crushed under this weight. Things aren’t going to change unless I, alone or with others, take control and do something.
Paul knows we can’t live without being concerned about the circumstances. What he is challenging us to do is to take the burdens off our shoulders and put them upon the Lord’s. It doesn’t matter what you are facing, with prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. “Prayer” means to generally call upon God. “Petition” is to have a particular need and you bring that requests before God. “With Thanksgiving” recognizes that God is the one who has given all that I have thus far and your are grateful. Without God, I would have been crushed a long time ago.
I can tell you as a parent that, even though my kids have left the nest, I still want to know what are their concerns, struggles, and temptations they are facing. Some of you know that recently our son, Scott, ran a marathon. Last October he mentioned to us and his sisters that he wanted to run a marathon. He asked the question, “if I run a marathon will you come to cheer me on?” We all said we would absolutely be there. That was very important to him. Here is an email to send to the family after the marathon. Having Mom, Melanie, Julie, Daisy, as well as my friends there with posters was what got me through the toughest times. When I would come around the corner and see Melanie’s neon orange sign, the pain went away and I could not run to it fast enough. I know I couldn’t have done this alone; God was with me the entire way. I said a few prayers when I reached the hills on mile 22 or so. Seeing my dad at the end was one of the most emotional things I have ever experienced. We run through this life trying to stay strong spiritually and no matter if we stumble; our heavenly father is waiting for us at the finish line with open arms.
When our children know they will facing a challenge of life they want to know if someone is going to be there to cheer them on through the hard times. It’s because we care and we want to help. As parents there is a limit to what we can do but with God there is no limit to what He can do. When we strive to trust God and cast our struggles upon Him something happens.
PRAYER IS KNOWING PEACE. 4:7 - And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
The peace of God is the image of a soldier standing guard at the door of our heart. He refuses to let anxiety in. This peace can only stay in our hearts if we trust in God promises. It’s not that we don’t have any responsibilities to act; we do. We have peace because our thoughts and actions are based upon God always being with us, directing us, and strengthening us. Anxiety comes from being alone, not having the answers, not having the strength, and not having the perseverance.
Psalm 9:10 - And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.
Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
When you put your trust in God then the peace that passes all understanding will come into your life.
What would your life be like if you had the peace of God? What if you knew that God would never forsake you and work things for the good in your life because you have been called according to His purpose? That is what you are looking for!
What if we have found this peace but did share with others how they can have this kind of peace? Would you call them selfish people? People around us everyday are telling us their struggles, their challenges, and their pains. What if you told these people about the love of God and the peace that He offers? This is the world we are looking for. This is why at GracePointe we are involved in 40 days of prayer before Easter. We are working hard but for someone reason unknown to me we haven’t captured the idea that we have to go and build relationships to share the joy we have received with others. We are asking God to humble us and help us to see what He wants us to do so that others can have His peace.
Have you ever wondered what God’s peace looks like? Let me share an email with you from a friend of mine.
Friends,
I need to share with you we are closest to about our very interesting week. I got a phone call that post-operative biopsy results had come back indicating I have a type of uterine cancer known as sarcoma. (Yep, big shock.) I've spent the week in several doctor offices getting advice and testing. Tuesday, I will have a radical hysterectomy at Northside with a hospital stay of a few days. The next step will be waiting for pathology reports to determine the course of treatment. This sarcoma cancer is extremely rare being only 1% of all cancers diagnosed in the US each year, very aggressive, and can occur anywhere in the body. There is no screening for sarcoma cancer and few symptoms. The results could be that other issues I have had led to testing and revealed this cancer early making it stage I and the surgery will totally take care of the problem. Or, it could have been there a while and spread. We will know more from 5 to 14 days after surgery. Testing this week brought good news of no sign of cancer in the bladder and no large masses showing in any other organs. The real test will be analyzing microscopically whether there are cancer cells in other organs.
I knew you would want to know and appreciate your love and concern. I have always been very attracted to the verse in James 1:2, "Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete." This verse is true.....all trials in life give us maturity and make us stronger and wiser. Also, much good comes from trials that can effect other people. I know that this trial will have many positive outcomes and I want to make sure that I take advantage of any opportunities to use it to it's maximum benefit. My prayer is that I stay focused on "finding JOY in the trial and following the guidance of other scriptures that tell us to "be content, whatever the circumstance." At this point I am finding joy and contentment and pray that continues.
The really good news is that when they remove everything on Tuesday, I could get a little flatter tummy......without having to do sit-ups!....what a deal. I'll keep you all informed.
Wanda Braziel
Thank you Wanda for showing us God’s peace. I’m going to lead us in prayer and like last week I will put in phrases for you to complete and then I will finish our prayer together. Let’s pray.
My Father who is in heaven; who knows the number of hairs on our heads; who knows what we will say before the words come out of our mouths; and who is present everywhere we go. We thank you for Jesus who made it possible for us to come before Your throne to offer thanksgivings and to cast our fears, anxieties, our sin struggles, and circumstances facing us down the road – like Wanda.
Lord, we believe but help our unbelief. You promised that we can lay anything at Your feet and You will work the good according to Your purpose. So Father here we go.
Lord, this is what I know about You ………………
Lord, this is what I am anxious about or afraid of………………
Lord, this is what I am trying to handle myself……………
All these things we have mentioned we lay before Your throne. May the peace of Christ, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
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[1] Stacey S. Padrick, Invasion of Joy Snatchers, Discipleship Journal, Issue #124 July/August 2001
"An anxious heart weighs a man down" (Prov. 12:25). When the weight of anxiety shackles our minds, our hearts cannot dance with joy. How do we rejoice always and have no anxiety about anything (Phil. 4:4, 6), as Paul exhorts? We can ask God to reveal what anxious thoughts weigh us down, and then cast our burdens on Him and trust that He will sustain us (Ps. 55:22).
When I attended a conference on prayer, the speaker described "to cast" as "to heave"—as one would heave a sack of potatoes onto a truck. She then asked us to stand, picture the weight of all our anxieties on our shoulders, reach back, grasp it with our hands, and, with all our strength, heave our sack of cares onto God. The spirit in the room immediately lightened.
As new burdens threaten to steal our joy, we can continue to cast them upon God, who "daily bears our burdens" (Ps. 68:19).
Comparing and Coveting
The writer of Hebrews admonishes us, "Be content with what you have" (Heb. 13:5). Though God may pour numerous blessings into our lives, our joy quickly runs down the drain when we covet.
Discontent and ungratefulness are like two greedy hands pulling the stopper in our bathtub of joy. When we focus upon our lack in relation to another's lot (larger home, more clients, better looks, stronger health), we are silently saying to God, "Why didn't You give me what You gave him? Why haven't You been as good to me as to her?" We question God's goodness, faithfulness, and love.
Though others may have blessings we desire, they cannot compare with the richness of joy that God gives. Acknowledging this truth, David exclaims, "You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound" (Ps. 4:7, emphasis mine).
Choosing contentment over coveting enriches our lives, for "godliness with contentment is great gain" (1 Tim. 6:6). Gratefulness is like the flow of water and contentment the plug for the drain. No matter how little we have, contentment keeps us feeling full. As we rejoice in all the good things God has given us, a spirit of gratitude fills our tub of joy to overflowing.
Sin
Sin separates us from God, and anything that pulls us away from His presence pulls us away from joy. "In [His] presence is fullness of joy" (Ps. 16:11, NASB) and "Strength and joy [are] in his dwelling place" (1 Chron. 16:27).
Like a fisherman's lure, sin appears enticing and satisfying. But once we take a bite, it hooks and enslaves us. Conversely, God's laws "give joy to the heart" (Ps. 19:8). When we obey, we experience supernatural and untarnished joy that no sin can ever offer. When we walk by the Spirit rather than our flesh, the fruit of joy blooms in our lives (Gal. 5:22).
If we carry unconfessed sin, God's heavy hand stays upon us day and night (Ps. 32:4). The weight of our sin covers us like a thick wet blanket, suffocating our joy.
Acknowledging his transgression, David prayed, "Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness" (Ps. 51:7–8). When we respond to the Spirit's conviction, God's cleansing frees us to once again taste joy.
Busyness and Overcommitment
During a particularly hectic week, I stopped briefly one afternoon to sit before the Lord. Recognizing something was not right, I asked Him, "What is going on inside me?" He revealed to me that in overcommitting myself, I left no space for joy in my heart.
When we jump on the speeding bus of busyness, we whiz by quiet green pastures of joy where God offers to restore our souls. Busyness gains momentum on the wheels of thoughts such as It's all up to me. It's all up to me to find a new job, to solve her problem, to secure a contract, to attract that person, to raise the money, etc. Relying on ourselves rather than God, we have no time to rest.
Akin to busyness, lack of sleep is a sister culprit that threatens our joy. To a tired body and spirit, even blessings can feel like burdens. If our bodies lack the basic fuel they need to thrive—nutritious food, sleep, time to relax—joy withers like an unwatered and undernourished plant.
While working to complete a book by the deadline, I rose early after another late night. In my devotional time, I read Psalm 127:
Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; . . . It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late . . . for He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.
—Ps. 127:1–2, NASB
I pictured the sweaty laborers stacking bricks under the hot sun. Though they may dig, haul, and hammer till their calloused hands become raw, if the Lord is not building through them, they might as well be lying on the beach sipping piña coladas.
I realized that even pulling numerous late nights and early mornings could not help me complete the book in the way that God's Spirit working through me could. Thus, holding up my manuscript, I prayed for God's anointing and strength to finish. I repented of the attitude that completion and success of the book was all up to me. I proclaimed that only God's Spirit—not my striving and agonizing to find the perfect words, illustrations, and ideas—would make my writing bear fruit and minister to readers. I handed over the responsibility for the book to God and focused on being faithful to Him.
Holding on Too Tightly
When we hold back any area of our lives from God, we subject our joy to whims of circumstances. We're then tempted to try to control the misplaced source of our joy.
Once I was involved in a relationship I longed to keep. Whenever it thrived, I felt joyful. When it teetered on collapse, my joy plummeted. I feared totally handing it to God, suspecting He might take it away. Yet, when I attempted to "make it happen" by trying to steer it in the way I wanted it to go, I ended up frustrated and disappointed.
A desire to fully control our circumstances squeezes out joy. A friend of mine described a woman she knows who wants to fix everything—stepping in to help God out when He's not moving fast enough. Describing her friend, she said, "In obsessing about what needs to be fixed instead of believing God can and will fix it in His way and His time, she misses so many reasons to rejoice that are right under her nose."
When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his dearest treasure, his only and long-awaited son—the promised one—Abraham obeyed. Though he had no idea what would happen as he hiked up that mountain of sacrifice, he responded to Isaac's question, "Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" with, "God himself will provide" (Gen. 22:7–8). As this joy stealer tempts us to clench our grip and make things happen, we must look to God and respond boldly in faith as Abraham did: "God himself will provide."
Jesus said where your treasure is, there will be your heart also. When we begin to see Jesus as the treasure that brings us greater joy than all to which we hold too tightly, we can begin to release our grip. We can become like the man who in his joy upon finding a hidden treasure, sold all he had to buy the field (Mt. 13:44).
Joyless People
When Israel celebrated the return of the ark of the covenant, "Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart" (1 Chron. 15:29). An embittered or heavy-hearted person can feel jealous of or cynical about a spirit of joy in others. While being sensitive to others, we must not let their negativism or cynicism poison our joy.
I lived for a short time in an apartment where I felt I had to tone down my joy whenever I walked in. The cynical academic environment in which I lived tempted me to feel that unless I, too, was cynical, I was simply naïve to the sober realities of life.
Cynicism—distrust in the goodness of God or of others and their motives—throws cold water on the flames of joy. When we allow ourselves to buy into cynicism, we jeopardize joy. We are unable to enjoy simple acts of kindness, grace, or compassion, always suspecting a selfish agenda or questioning another's sincerity.
Unbelief
I once read, "The opposite of joy is not sorrow; it is unbelief." Though sorrow at first glance appears to be the primary suspect in the lineup of joy stealers, the real culprit is unbelief. Though outward circumstances may cause sorrow, what we believe about God in the midst of them impacts our joy. Paul was "sorrowful, yet always rejoicing" (2 Cor. 6:10). If sorrow and affliction were the true culprit, Paul would be the heaviest and most joyless person of the New Testament. Yet, he writes, "I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction" (2 Cor. 7:4, NASB).
Far too easily, subtle lies creep into our thoughts, taking root in our foundational beliefs. When I stop and truly listen to what I am believing, I am stunned. The vine of Satan's lies has wound its way into my beliefs, bearing the rotten fruit of thoughts such as God doesn't really know what's best for me. What they think about me is more significant than what God says about me. When left unweeded, the vine of deception slowly chokes the fruit of joy.
Trust and faith help us to uproot lies, allowing joy to breathe again: "In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name" (Ps. 33:21, emphasis mine). Paul prays for the Romans: "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Ro. 15:13). Joy sprouts from believing, from faith. When my faith falters and deception whispers in my ears, I turn to that which fuels faith and silences lies: the Word of God (Jn. 17:17, Ro. 10:17). As we read about God's faithfulness to His children throughout Scripture, our faith strengthens. Our joy grows.
Rounding up the Joy Snatchers
Why is it important to recognize these joy snatchers? Joy is a gift from God (Ps. 126:3). It is our possession, our birthright as children of God, and a sign of the Spirit of God (Gal. 5:22). At the core of joy lies not only great blessing but significant spiritual power. And the thieves of joy recognize that, especially the master thief who "comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (Jn. 10:10). He wants nothing more than to snatch our joy. For he knows—and cowers at—what we often forget: "The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Neh. 8:10).
Yet Jesus promised His followers, "No one will take away your joy" (Jn. 16:22). If a joy snatcher lurks in our lives, threatening to rob our joy, we must first identify it. Then, using the resources God has given us—the armor of God (the Word of God, faith, truth, worship) and help of the body (prayer, encouragement, exhortation)—we can send those thieves scurrying with our shouts of joy ringing in their ears.
Because my mind so easily gravitates toward worry, I'm not always aware when it begins to take over. A tense back and racing thoughts clearly indicate anxiety, but other signs are more subtle. A lack of joy and lightheartedness, impatience with myself and others, taking myself too seriously, forgetting to thank God for His blessings, difficulty praising Him—all of these signs point to the presence of smoldering coals of worry in my heart. Like a smoke detector warning of impending danger, they alert me to the asphyxiating smoke of worry.
Rather than trying to extinguish the individual fires of worry that encircle us, we must identify the source of the flame. Anxiety is most often sparked by unbelief or doubt in God's character. When we worry, we've unthinkingly questioned His wisdom (that He knows what is best), His love and goodness (that He cares for us and wants what is best), and His sovereignty (that He is able to do what is best).
Worry reveals not only our distrustful thoughts about God but also an unrealistic view of ourselves: that we are ultimately in control; that we are responsible for other people's happiness (our spouse, children, parents, boss, friends); that we can determine better than God what we or others need.
[2]The Everyday Bible : New Century Version (Nashville, TN.: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005), Php 3:18.
[3] John MacArthur, Philippians (Chicago: Moody Press, 2001), 273
[4] John MacArthur, Philippians (Chicago: Moody Press, 2001), 273