Commands of Christ-22b

Wednesday, May 11, 2022 Commands of Christ – 22a

(As relates to…) A Christian’s Ambitions

In response to the Great Commission, we have been attempting to systematically going the commands of Christ.

Jesus said in: Matthew 28:19–20 (NASB95) “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

We are on the second of 6 broad divisions outlined in the Tom Blackaby book: The Commands of Christ: What it really means to follow Jesus.

I am using several resources for our study, but is the organizing resource.

The first division in his book was Jesus’ commands related on “Coming to God.”

We are currently working through the division that relates to “Christ as Lord.”

And rather than break the Sermon on the Mount across several divisions, I’m covering it all together.

The next 4 divisions in Blackaby’s book relate to Christ’s commands concerning:

Our Character

The Way we relate to and interact with Others

Our Calling

Cautions to help us avoid the pitfalls and entrapments that prevent us from experiencing the abundant life Jesus gives.

We not only want know Jesus’ Commands — which is a HUGE task!

But also “to follow” to obey ALL that He has commanded us.

The last couple of weeks it seems we have REALLY hit an area that needs a lot of attention.

In Matthew 6:25 (2015 AMP) Jesus commanded: "Therefore I tell you, stop being worried or anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted) about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, as to what you will wear. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing?

It seems that worry and anxiety are as prevalent in the church as in society.

Is that the way it should be? Why or why not?

4 years ago we did a six-month study concerning anxiety based on a video series by Max Lucado called: Be Anxious for Nothing

Watch on RightNow Media (Free account through the church)

I went back and skimmed the lessons.

I have concentrated what we studied and have created this handout.

Let’s review some of that material:

Especially if you tend to be a worrier or struggle with anxiety:

KEEP THIS HANDOUT CLOSE!

Not everything came from Lucado, but it is associated with that study.

Charles Spurgeon: Anxiety does not empty today of its sorrows, it only empties today of its strength.

4 ways anxiety zaps our strength (from website: ChristianQuotes.info)

First, anxiety Wastes Energy

a. Jesus once said, “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life” (Matt. 6:27)?

Matthew 13:22 (NASB 2020) And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Isaiah 55:10–11 (NASB 2020) “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it produce and sprout, And providing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 11 So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.

Could anxiety negate this verse? Why or why not?

b. Anxiety is an apprehensive uneasiness of mind, usually over an impending or anticipated event, and it can actually shorten a person’s life because it stresses the body and creates tension in the mind, neither of which helps their life.

c. Most of what we worry about never comes true anyway, so what a waste of energy it is to be anxious over things that will probably not happen.

Second, it produces a Lack of Trust

a. Paul gives the church at Philippi, and by extension gives us, the command: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil. 4:6).

b. We shouldn’t be anxious about anything but instead commit it to prayer.

c. By remaining in a state of anxiety, we are not solving anything, and we actually show a lack of trust in God. Otherwise, we’d pray about it and leave it up to God because for Him, nothing is too hard.

Third, it leads to a Wrong Focus

a. It is so easy to focus on our needs and even our wants, but God doesn’t want us to have our focus on these things,

b. as Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes” (Matt. 6:25). “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:33).

c. The focus should always be first and foremost on the kingdom and, more specifically, the King of that kingdom. Then God will take care of all these other things.

Finally, anxiety Robs Joy

a. After Jesus’ statement about “seeking first the Kingdom” in Matthew 6:33 He says: “therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matt. 6:34).

c. In other words, Jesus is saying to let tomorrow come and that you can deal with it then. We have enough to deal with today without having to borrow trouble from tomorrow. And let it rob our joy.

Max Lucado, Anxious for Nothing, teachings Based on Philippians 4:4-8):

READ: Philippians 4:4-8

Philippians 4:4–8 (NASB95) Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, 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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Anxiety is not so much the onslaught of a storm as the continual threat that one is coming. It’s a big heap of “what ifs.”

The word anxiety actually comes from a Latin root that means “to choke” or “to squeeze.” Its strong grip interrupts your sleep, chokes your energy, and harms your overall well-being.

We have been taught the Christian life is one of peace. When we don’t have peace, we assume the problem is within us, which leads us to feel guilty. But while the presence of anxiety is unavoidable, the prison of anxiety is optional.

When Paul writes to “be anxious for nothing,” he is referring to an ongoing state. His words could be translated, “Don’t let anything in life leave you perpetually in angst and breathless.”

Paul’s prescription for anxiety is a call to “rejoice in the Lord.” This is not a call to a feeling but to a decision. A decision about our attitude.

Can a person who rejoices in the Lord be a HABITUALLY anxious person?

Rejoicing in the Lord always is about a deep remembering.

Remembering that the Lord is here, always.

Remembering that the Lord is in control, always.

Remembering that the Lord is not only the giver of your day but also the ordainer of every minute inside of it, always.

Remembering that amidst the pressures, pain, and anxiety in life, he is sovereign, always.

Habakkuk 3:17–19

Then we are called to have a “gentle spirit.” The Greek word for gentleness in Philippians 4:5 describes a temperament that is seasoned and mature. A gentle person is level-headed and reacts to stress with steadiness and fairness.

Can a “gentle” (calm) person be a habitually anxious person?

Contagiously calm people trust that God is always in control and encourage others around them that everything will be okay.

Paul employed epieikēs in Philippians (4:5) as a neuter adjective for an abstract noun which is virtually “untranslatable” (see Hawthorne, Word Biblical Commentary, 43:182).

The modern versions confirm Hawthorne’s observations of this paradigmatic text: “forbearance,” RSV; “moderation,” KJV; “reputation for gentleness,” Phillips; “magnanimity,” NEB; “gentle attitude,” GNB; and “gentleness,” NIV.

“Gentle toleration for others, in spite of having justification for intolerance,” might aptly state the essence of epieikēs.

How do WE react to stress?

How can we exude gentleness in tough times?

By looking at Paul’s promise in Philippians 4:5: “The Lord is near.”

Now, if we connect Vs. 5b [the Lord is near] with 6a [be anxious for nothing] as some translators want to do, we can certainly see a connection.

Can a person who constantly remembers the Lord is near (Hebrews 13:5-6) be a HABITUALLY anxious person?

Hebrews 13:5–6 (NASB95) Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” 6 so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”

When we believe the lie that God has left us, our loneliness amplifies the problem. That’s why we have to clutch the truth of God’s nearness with both hands.

Our primary call to action in the fight against anxiety is prayer.

Can a person who constantly prays be a HABITUALLY anxious person?

1 Thessalonians 5:16–22 (NASB 2020) Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit, 20 do not utterly reject prophecies, 21 but examine everything; hold firmly to that which is good, 22 abstain from every form of evil.

In Matthew 14:22–36, we see that as long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he did the impossible . . . but as soon as he looked at the waves, he began to sink. When we shift our eyes off of Christ and onto our anxieties, we, like Peter, begin to drown in worry or despair.

Paul also calls us to pray with gratitude in Philippians 4:6.

Gratitude is a mindful awareness of the benefits God has provided to us in life.

A prayer-filled, thankful life will lead to the peace of God that surpasses our ability to understand AND through it we guard our hearts and minds.

Finally, we get to choose what we think about. Satan loves to fill our minds with comparisons. He wants to fill our heads with a swarm of anxious and negative thoughts. But the good news is that while there are many things in life over which we have no control, we get to choose what we think about. We get to select our own thought patterns.

Can a person who constantly thinks about the things of God be a HABITUALLY anxious person?

Here are 6 things to remember about our thoughts.

Not our words, but our thoughts.

Is there a difference?

How important are words?

Proverbs 18:21 (NASB 2020) Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

(1) Be aware that God knows every thought and that nothing is hidden from him (Ps 94:11; 139:2, 4, 23-24). You will have to give account to God for your thoughts as well as for your words and actions (5:10; Ecc 12:14; Mt 12:35-37; Ro 14:12).

Matthew 12:36–37 (NASB95) “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. 37 “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

a. Psalm 94:11

Psalm 94:11 NASB95

11 The Lord knows the thoughts of man, That they are a mere breath.

2 Corinthians 5:10 (NASB95) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

(2) Be aware that your mind is a battleground. Some thoughts originate from your own desires, imaginations and fantasies. Others come from worldly influences or directly from evil forces trying to influence your thinking. Whatever the source, ungodly thoughts and temptations will resist, oppose and set themselves up “against the knowledge of God.” But you do not have to be a slave to your thoughts; you do have control over what you think. Keep in mind that it is not a sin to be tempted. Jesus himself was tempted (Mt 4:1-11). But giving in to temptation is sin. In fact, if you deliberately and foolishly expose yourself to images and situations that inspire ungodly thoughts and desires, you have already crossed a boundary line and set yourself up for spiritual failure (see 1Co 10:13, note).

1. 1 Corinthians 10:13; Romans 8:13-14

i. Fire Bible: If Christians give in to temptation and sin, it is not because Christ’s power and provision are inadequate; it is because they fail to rely on the Holy Spirit’s power to help them resist their own ungodly desires.

(3) To “take captive every thought” requires doing battle against your sinful nature as well as Satan’s spiritual forces(Eph 6:12-13; cf. Mt 4:3-11). It literally means that when a thought or temptation comes into your mind, you immediately take hold of it before it goes any further into your spirit. You then consider how it measures up to the standards of purity, decency and truth established in God’s Word. This means that you do not dwell on [sinful] thoughts and let them take hold in your mind. Instead, you take hold of the thoughts and turn them over to God, submitting them to HIS examination and relying on HIS strength to resist temptation. It is as if you are saying, “God, here it is; take it. You already dealt with this as you suffered for my sin. I need your help with this issue, and I submit my thoughts to you.”

(4) Then, having submitted to God and having resisted and rejected the ungodly thought, you must replace the bad with the good—with thoughts and desires that honor God. Philippians 4:8says that “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” These kinds of thoughts will actually guard your mind against ungodly desires and help you say “No!” to the devil, temptation and sin (Tit 2:11-12; Jas 4:7; Rev 12:11; cf. Mt 4:3-11).

(5) Firmly focus your mind—your thoughts, desires and strategies—on Christ and eternal things, rather than on earthly and temporary things (Php 3:19; Col 3:2). Remember that the mind controlled by the Spirit is characterized by life and peace (Ro 8:6-7). Fill your mind with thoughts of God and with his Word (Ps 1:1-3; 19:7-14; 119) and with those things that are noble, excellent and praiseworthy (Php 4:8).

a. Colossians 3:2

· (6) Always be careful what your eyes see and your ears hear. These are the doors through which thoughts enter the mind.

a. (a) Refuse to let your eyes or ears be instruments for ungodly sensual desires, moral corruption or any “argument or every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God” (v. 5; Job 31:1; 1Jn 2:16).

b. (b) Refuse to set any worthless or evil thing in front of your eyes, whether in movies, books, magazines, pictures, television programs or in other areas of your daily life (Ps 101:3; Isa 33:14-15; Ro 13:14).

Psalm 101:3 (NASB) I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me

Lucado gives us the acronym: C-A-L-M

C

Celebrate God’s Goodness (Philippians 4:4): This will be a time to rejoice in the Lord, praising him for his goodness and for the new insight he is giving you through this study. Celebrating what God is teaching you and meditating on who God is will help shift your gaze from the problems on earth to your hope in heaven.

A

Ask God for Help (Philippians 4:6): During this reflection time, you will ask God to help you not only understand what he is teaching you through the lesson but also to supernaturally transform your heart to live out this truth in your daily life.

L

Leave Your Concerns with God (Philippians 4:7): This reflection activity will challenge you to leave your worries in the hands of God and pick up the specific worry weapons you are learning in each video session. That way, when worries threaten to return, you can fight them.

M

Meditate on Good Things (Philippians 4:8): At the end of Paul’s prescription against anxiety, he urges his readers to meditate on things that are of God. In this activity, you will meditate on Philippians 4:4–8 and memorize a portion of it. In this way you will take the first step to replace anxious thoughts with the truth of God’s Word.

Finally, listen to the Apostle’s prayer for the Corinthians (and us!).

2 Corinthians 13:11 (NASB95)Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.