A Remedy for an Anxious Society - Philippians 4:6-7

Introduction

Over the years, I have often heard the statement “the church is the hospital.” It has been stated that sick people go to the hospital of the church and get well. I agree with this statement wholeheartedly - but if this statement is to be reality there are indeed some caveats that must be applied.

The first is that if the church is to be the hospital - rehab has got to be done at home. Rehab is when we go under doctors orders to better our condition to become well. But rehab often does not do an ornery or cantankerous person very well because some folk just refuse to take the doctors orders. It is the realization that those who are often unwilling to follow the doctors orders during rehab will only end up back in the hospital.

And then the process at times for some continues to repeat itself because rehab proves to be unsuccessful because doctors orders are not followed. If we are honest, the church then is no longer a hospital for sick people to become well as they keep coming back as a result of not taking their medicine, continuing to eat the wrong stuff, not getting the proper exercise, and so on.

So instead of the church being a hospital - the church inevitably becomes a hospice trying to make sick folks comfortable until they die. There is only comfort until death because many will not take doctors orders so we come at times to church get high on a little singing, get high on a little praying, and get high and motivated on a little word but when we are alone with ourselves some of us are dying.

It has been estimated that some 264 million plus people in the world experience anxiety. That is about 1 in every 13 people on the planet. It is safe to say that there is a pandemic of anxiety running ramped in the world.

Anxiety is excessive worry that simply takes control of the entire being of a person who is unsure of an outcome in any given situation in life. Anxiety is derived from the word in the original Greek language of the New Testament that means to divide. The point of anxiety is to divide or separate the people of God from peace which is the heritage of those that believe and trust in God.

Anxiety causes people to live in the constant world of what if… what if this happens and what if this doesn’t happen… Anxiety causes people to caught emotionally, mentally, and even sometimes physically on a variety of thought patterns in trying to determine the outcome of what they might be facing or going through. Anxiety is sometimes the result of one situation or multiple situations that might plague an individual at any given point and time in their lives.

Anxiety stems from the fact of our old nature. That before we were saved and regenerated through the washing of the blood of Jesus and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit we were anxious for everything because we were dependent upon ourselves for the outcome. Paul said now in Galatians 5:17 that the flesh is constantly seeking that which is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit is seeking that which is contrary to the flesh. And so everyday we’ve got to make a personal decision of which one will win!

This is why Paul said yes the church has got to be a hospital in that Romans 12:2 we be not conformed to the world that is constantly trying to lure us and get us off focus but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Why? Because the enemy knows that once we are saved - are salvation cannot be taken away from us. Our salvation in, by, and through the redemptive blood of Christ Jesus once we have accepted Him as Lord is sealed by the Holy Ghost. There is nothing the enemy can do about that. But the enemy will try to infiltrate the people of God in as much as he can with things of our old nature, who we used to be before Christ that we will lose our effectiveness in our mission for Christ if we accept his bait.

In other words, anxiety wants to kill you. We live in an anxious world. Business men and women are anxious about their money. World leaders and citizens therein are anxious about war. People are anxious about their health, their families, their children, their possessions… and to this Paul says be anxious for nothing!

In other words you’ve got to die so that you can live. Everyday when you wake up and put two feet on the ground you’ve got to ask God to bring that flesh under subjection to the Spirit of God because whatever is not under subjection is trying to kill you!

Life will try to crucify you! But God won’t let you succumb to what’s trying to kill you. You’ve got to learn to put whats trying to kill you under your feet! He already took your place there is no need for you to die because of what is trying to kill you. God will raise you up above that anxiety but you’ve got a responsibility for rehab to pray and God promised there would be PEACE!

Explanation

Paul’s audience in our text is the church at Philippi which he started during his second missionary journey. The Philippians have a lot to be anxious about. Paul their founder is in prison and they are concerned about him. They sent Epaphroditus to Paul to take him some money they had raised for Paul and they sent him to serve Paul for a period of time while in prison.

They found out that Epaphroditus got sick almost to the point of death which was yet another concern for the young church at Philippi. Much like some of us when we have learned that someone is sick you can imagine the waves of anxiousness and concern that spread throughout this church. Paul sent him back to Philippi well - God raised him up from his bed of affliction. Signifying there was no need for them to worry in the first place because all was well with Epaphroditus. He was serving God by serving Paul and God would take care of him!

Paul’s in prison, Epaphroditus is gravely ill, the Philippians are suffering ridicule from the Judaizers constantly on them about circumcision, and Paul had great concern that there are some hedonistic Christians who are really not about God but about themselves that are seeking to infiltrate the young Philippian church. Then there are two within the church Euodias and Syntyche who are at odds with one other.

To all of this Paul says be anxious for nothing. But in somethings. (Everything) But in everything by prayer and supplication… That word everything signifies not just situationally and circumstantially all but habitually all. It means that everything in your life must be subject to your prayers not just specific situations and circumstances but it must become habit in our lives that we pray about everything. Because the things that are not subject to our prayers will be subject to our worries and anxiety.

This is why Paul used prayer and supplication! Prayer is used to denote general prayers, other words prayers that aren’t necessarily specific. Then there is that word supplication which indicates by the text specific needs. Everything is modified by prayer and supplication to mean general and need specific. In other words prayer is what separates you from anxiety. Prayer will enable you to believe God over what your environment is trying to tell you or what you might be trying to tell you about what you’re going through.

Then Paul moves from telling us what to bring and then how to bring it. He says bring your prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. When we give God thanks we don’t do so out of habit or for form and fashion… We do so out of recollection of God’s goodness and mercy to us in the past. Interestingly enough he says make your request known unto God. Why is Paul telling the church what they should already know to make their request unto God? I am not certain - the text doesn’t tell us. But if I could take a little liberty I would suggests he tells them this for the same reasons we might have in today’s context. Maybe folk were quicker to talk to people than to God. Maybe folk were inclined as I see folk doing today to ask the universe or even ancestors.

Whatever the reason Paul is letting them know only God can help you not be anxious so make your request known unto God! Notice here, Paul doesn’t say make your prayer to Jesus or the Holy Spirit. Because whether prayer is made to God, the three are one so you’re talking to God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Because all three members of the Trinity have played a part in the peace that comes and thus the peace you receive from prayer unto God.

It is our prayers and supplication coupled with thanksgiving that remind us who is in control and when we pray and give thanks that reminder of who’s in control is God’s peace. Paul says and the peace of God which passeth your understanding.

Notice here he says peace of God and not peace with God. We obtain peace with God through the atoning work of Jesus Christ. We obtain the peace of God through the Holy Spirit that in all of our life’s situations and circumstances we are reminded of our trust in God in all things.

In other words God gave us the Prince of Peace, the Prince of Peace gave us peace with the God who gave the Prince of Peace, and the Holy Spirit reminds us constantly of our peace with God through Jesus Christ and the peace of God we have received through Jesus Christ.

He said this peace, this peace that I give to you, my peace… not as the world gives. Not a temporary peace. Not a peace rooted in earthly possessions, and people. But my peace of which I am the author of and the object of - I give you.

Its peace that surpasses - it transcends, that supersedes. Its peace that outweighs, peace that goes beyond. Its peace that is good measure, pressed down, shaking together and running over. Its peace that you can’t contain. It’s peace like a river. It’s peace in the midst of raging storms. Its peace like those three Hebrew boys named Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah had in the fiery furnace. Its the peace like Daniel had in the Lion’s den.

Its that peace that transcends your understanding. And I love what Paul says he says it will guard your heart. In other words, when God gives you a gift He takes the responsibility to guard that which He has given unto you. Imagine Paul a prisoner in the Roman jail would look at the soldiers keeping watch over him and just as they would guard him God will guard you. The text speaks here speaks of being guarded like a Garrison. The Philippians were residing in a town of Garrisons… That is a large body of troops stationed to defend a fortress or town.

Closing

And I don’t know about you this morning but I am grateful the peace of God that keeps me from being anxious. God through Jesus Christ secured that peace for me that anxiety can’t take me out. Depression can’t take me out. Because as a result of my prayer life that happens in my own prayer closet - God responds with His peace.

There is a remedy for an anxious society. It is not in another car, its not in a house, its not in a person of this world. But that peace is in Jesus Christ…can I get a witness?

I wonder do I have a praying church? A church full of folk who can say like the church of old what a friend we have in Jesus? All our sins and grieves to bare. What a privilege it is to carry everything.. everything. Everything to God in prayer. The hymn writer Joseph Scriven got it right… He said oh what peace we often forfeit. Oh what needless pain we bare. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. There is a trick of the enemy to keep us from praying when were facing something. Because the enemy wants you to feel down, depressed, and dismayed. But he knows that when the saints get the praying peace comes. Joy comes. And anxiety has not choice but to lift.

Because your anxiety can’t stay under the presence of God. Your depression can’t stay under the presence of God.