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Transcript

Worry Class #2 · Wetumpka Church of Christ Online

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Good evening. Sorry, running a minute late
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here. Calls me a little bit of
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anxiety, huh? Okay.
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Thank you all so much for being here this evening.
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We'll just jump right in. There are several that have
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mentioned to me. They would love to be in the
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class tonight but cannot and so they are wanting to listen to
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the audio recording. It's not being streamed live
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like our Sunday services but is being recorded through the lapel
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mic. As I say that to say.
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I'll just try to stay on a stream of thought for around 30
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minutes or so. And so that because if somebody
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speaks from the Audience. Nothing is picked up on the mic
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and then we'll Reserve like the last 10 minutes because I know
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you all have great comments and I hate to ask you to hold those
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or Reserve those for a few moments, but we will try to get
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the lapel mic to you. For those of you that have have
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comments and things that you would like to say the last 10
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minutes of the class. So that way, will those that are
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wanting to listen to the audio recording later.
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We'll be able to hear hear everything.
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So just just for their It last Wednesday, we talked about
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worrying. Xiety depression is being what
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we labeled a gang of Thieves and we talked about one of the
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things and why? A study like this is so
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important is because of the things that these three things,
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Rob us of, and just briefly last Wednesday.
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I mentioned that one of the things that worry anxiety
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depression robbed us of is Hope. And you think about Hope and how
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often it comes up in scripture and how important it is.
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In fact how essential it is when you think of Ephesians chapter 4
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verses Four through six. It's the listing of the as we
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call sometimes the seven ones. There's one body, and one Spirit
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even as you are called in one. Hope of your calling one Lord,
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One Faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above
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all through all and in you all. So you've got hope listed as
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number three and that list of seven things.
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Someone tell me which of those seven you can live without which
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one of those seven is optional, which one of those seven is just
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a suggestion. They're all essential to our
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spiritual health, and our spiritual well-being.
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So when worry anxiety and depression come in and robbed us
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of Hope, and create this sense, especially depression?
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Because, you know, we talked about worried, you know, if hope
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is represented in this basket of bread and worry comes in and
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grabs a few of the pieces of bread, that represents your
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hope. And then anxiety, which is
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basically worry, on steroids. It comes in and grabs a, some
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more of your bread and depression is anxiety.
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We view it. As maybe coming in waves it goes
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and it comes depression. Is when that feeling of anxiety,
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that feeling of hopelessness. Basically now takes over and
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moves in and takes over your mind.
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And so it creates the spirit of hopelessness First Kings,
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chapter 13, and verse 13, getting near the end of what we
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sometimes call the love chapter, you know, getting towards the
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end of that chapter. What does Paul say about
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prophecies and tongues and knowledge.
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They will all cease, right? But three things remain, what
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three things remain. Faith, hope love greatest of
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these is love. And there's three things that
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will Outlast prophecies tongues and knowledge, and hopes one of
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them. So hope is essential to our
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spiritual being first, Peter, 3 and verse 15.
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Peter talks about that. We should be ready.
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Always to give an answer to anyone asks us a reason for the
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what hope that is within us. So what is Hope doing inside of
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us? It is driving.
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This mindset that we should have to be willing and able and free
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with the reasons for why we believe.
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And so when we start dealing with this feeling of
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hopelessness, this gang of Thieves is robbing us of
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something that is so essential. So crucial to our spiritual walk
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to our mental well-being, as visiting with brother Wayne
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Bozeman yesterday, and I know most of you are aware with the
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very difficult situation. The Bozeman's are in and it's
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basically Groundhog Day for brother Wayne.
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Is this the same thing everyday caring for his Life.
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Who can no longer communicate? She wanders.
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The living room constantly and he has to keep a baby monitor,
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you know, watching her at all times because she can get out of
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the house in a minutes notice, and get away.
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A lot of you have been to his house.
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You know, it's a log cabin and and in the living room, I've not
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been in other parts of the house, like the bedrooms, and
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all. But in the living room, there's
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there are no windows. And so he's not getting any
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natural light in that room and he's having to spend anyway,
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long story short. I was talking about a situation,
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he's talking about how wearing and taxing it is.
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And, and he said, and, you know, now I'm starting to see all the
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things that I saw my dad go through in the last few years of
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his life. He says I'm starting to see all
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those things happen. To me says, I've got the author
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itís coming into my hands and these other health issues that
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that he saw his dad have that. he's now developing and he you
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know, it's a very difficult situation and then you know, he
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said the only thing I have is just the hope that this life is
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not all there is and and and that's what he said.
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This is. All I've got left is Hope.
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And it's one of the reasons why, you know, one of the things that
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gets me thinking about this topic.
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A lot is a lot of people. When they are put on hospice.
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They struggle with a fiery, feeling of hopelessness.
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Usually, when you look at the medication list of a hospice
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patient, almost, every time there is a medication in that
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list for anti, it's an antidepressant.
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Or anti-anxiety, especially for those who have no faith or a
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weak Faith. There's this feeling because,
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you know, when hospice is called in an Essence, you're saying,
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there's not any hope of me getting better.
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Sometimes people do. Thankfully, their brother Howard
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Stanley is a perfect example. He was put on hospice care.
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I've mentioned this before seven or eight years ago.
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And he was in a VA Nursing Home in Tuskegee and went from being
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bedridden to being chair bound, to being walking with a walker
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to walking with a cane to back home, hospice, free, and new
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lease on life. So, you know, there are
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exceptions to the rule, but the majority of the time it is a
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person who has been told by a doctor family member help
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medical professional. You're not getting any better,
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treatment is no longer working if it's a cancerous situation.
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And and so the very nature of that situation physically
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speaking is hopelessness because you're not going to get any
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better. And and so for so many it almost
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immediately causes this this state of depression and you
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know, understandably, So I've I've talked to many who are not
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in a situation where a chronic illness is is in the process of
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taking their life, but it's a chronic illness that causes them
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incessant almost continual pain and I've talked to many in that
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situation not in the hospice situation, but just in that
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thing is sometimes they can be in their 30s and it messes with
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your mind. And it's just you don't want to
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feel depressed about it that you don't want to feel anxious about
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it. You don't want to feel hopeless
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about it. But human nature is sometimes.
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That's how you're going to feel. And so robbing us of our hope is
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one of the cruel things that worry anxiety and depression.
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Due. Last Wednesday.
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I just mentioned briefly. And helping us understand what
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God's message is to us concerning these, these matters.
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And how we were to understand when these topics come up in
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scriptures is to understand the definitions parameters and
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boundaries for words and realizing that something may
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mean something here, but it doesn't necessarily mean that in
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every single possible situation or scenario.
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I mentioned of course that word that Is translated as anxious in
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Philippians 4:6, be anxious for nothing.
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Is this thing word. Same word this translated as do
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not worry, and Matthew chapter 6 about four different times there
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in between verses 24 and 34 and Luke 12.
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Another example where that word is translated as worried and
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Jesus giving us this command, not to, but then, that same word
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is translated as care or concern and other passages in
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Philippians, chapter 2 and First Corinthians chapter 12, and, and
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other places. Is where someone is being
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commended, or someone is being instructed to have concern for a
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particular congregation or body of Believers or whatever.
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The context is, so understanding.
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The context of words. I just want to give you one more
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two more one, more example of that.
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Before we continue Luke Chapter 2 and verse 14.
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The angels are poor. Presenting themselves to the
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shepherd's to announce the joyous arrival of God in human
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form and Luke Chapter 2 and verse 14, says glory to God in
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the highest and on Earth. Peace.
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Peace on Earth Goodwill towards men.
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Now when Jesus came did that mean peace on Earth Goodwill
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towards all men regardless of their life choices their
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circumstances if you're reading from the ESV, it's interesting
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the way it's worded there on Earth peace among those with
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whom he is pleased. Luke 12:49 does not sound like
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Luke Chapter 2 and verse 14. Jesus says I came to cast fire
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on the Earth fact, turn with me. To that because we're going to
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look at this in two different. Topics of conversation here
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tonight. Luke 12:14.
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I came to cast fire on the Earth.
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And would that it were already kindled, I have a baptism to be
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baptized with and how great is my distress until it was
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accomplished. Do you think that I have come
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to, give peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather
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division by sounds like a direct contradiction of Luke Chapter 2,
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and verse 14, doesn't it? Well, it tells us we have to
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understand context, definitions parameters boundaries of words
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and phrases. So yes, Jesus came to bring
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peace, but also his coming because of his Coming, light
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coming into a dark World, guess. Light and dark can't coexist in
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the same place at the same time. Can they?
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So Jesus is coming, did not bring peace Goodwill towards all
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men and all circumstances, regardless of who the person is
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and what they're up to. No.
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John 14:27. Jesus says, peace.
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I leave with you. My peace.
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I give to you. Jesus has I'm giving you peace
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but then he goes on to say but not as the world gives later on.
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He says, in this world, you will have trouble.
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You will have tribulation be not deceived for.
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I have overcome the world. And here's what's interesting to
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me. Well, all this is interesting to
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me, but Luke chapter 12 in this chapter earlier own.
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You may have a subheading around verse 22 and it's do not be
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anxious. Is basically a reiteration of
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its Luke's account of what was recorded by Matthew and Matthew
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chapter 6 concerning. Jesus instructions to not worry
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about what you eat, what you will wear.
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And so that's reiterated in this chapter.
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But here you have in this same chapter in the same verses that
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we just I read over it real quick.
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But now I want to come back to it.
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So Jesus is the recording of him telling us, not to worry.
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And then Jesus says, again in verse 49.
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I came to cast fire on the earth and would that it were already
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kindled. What does that mean?
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I have a baptism to be baptized with and how great is my
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distress until is it accomplished?
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Part of what Jesus is saying is I have a baptism to be baptized
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with in reference in part to what he's going to go through on
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the cross for our sins. And in essence, what he's saying
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is, I wish I could get it over with.
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You ever had something that you were really, really dreading in
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the future and maybe there was a fixed date for that and you just
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wish I wish I could just hurry up and get on the other side of
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that. I wish I could fast forward to
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that moment. Get through it and be done with
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it. Jesus knew exactly what it's
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going to go through on the cross.
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But Jesus knows. It is a fixed time.
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It is a fixed moment. He's going to give in to the
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those that hated him and yield his body to be lifted up.
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On that cross for our sins, but at the exact time that's in
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accordance with the father's will and it was a fixed time.
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And Jesus is wishing. I wish I could just get there,
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go through with it and be done. It's a what it says here is I am
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in great distress. Until it is accomplished in the
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same chapter, where he said, do not worry, do not know where you
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do not worry. He is saying I am in great
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distress. That word translated as distress
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in the ESV. That I'm reading from this
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evening is the same word, instantly Philippians chapter 1
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verse 23, where Paul says I am and depending on the translation
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that you're reading from. I think the original King James.
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I'm in a straight. I'm hard-pressed is what the
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SVC. I'm hard pressed between two
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things. And so basically Paul is saying
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we would maybe use it the way we talk in the South.
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I'm in a pickle. I really want to go and be with
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Jesus, Which is far better, but you have need of me here.
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And I am hard pressed. I feel like I'm in this,
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claustrophobic situation that I can't get out of.
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I want to be in two places at the same time.
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And so Jesus is saying I am in distress.
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I am hard pressed. I am in a strait because I've
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now I want this baptism, this fire, baptism this suffering
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this passion that I'm going to be going through.
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I want it over with Jesus dealing with the human emotions,
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like we do dealt with him perfectly unlike we do but he's
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dealing with just what I said. When we see something that weird
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reading in the future. It's on a fixed date.
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A man. Me some of you maybe have had to
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go through a very serious surgery and it's a fixed date
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and you just wish the doctor would call and just move that
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data up to Tamara. Let me get out, please Don't Let
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Me Wait a month. Don't let me wait, weeks.
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Can I just get it over with? Jesus is dealing with these same
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emotions. John chapter 12 and verse 27.
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Jesus says, six days before the cross.
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Excuse me. Now, my soul is trouble.
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Now, my soul is troubled. That Greek word translated as
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trouble. In John chapter 12 and verse. 27
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means, Disturbed, agitated shaken to and fro inner
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perplexity. Here's what the Greek Lexicon
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said about this word. It means to set in motion what
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needs to remain still? This is Jesus, talking about his
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own heart. His own mind.
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My heart is troubled is Disturbed agitated?
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It's perplexed. It wants to stay still, but it's
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not. And Jesus goes on to say what
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shall I say? Father, save me from this hour.
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You see why his soul is troubled.
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Because he's already thinking about right now, six days before
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that prayer in the garden before the mob comes to rest, and he's
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thinking right now that mindset. Is there another way.
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Can God go ahead and remove me from this situation?
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The father? Can he go ahead and remove me
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from this situation. So I don't have to go through
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with this horrific price. It has to be paid for the sins
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of the world. But then he answers his own
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question. There's no.
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I came to fulfill the will of the father.
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Then a voice comes from heaven. No, I think it's the only one of
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two times. God's voice is heard from
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Heaven, at his baptism. And here you remember they're
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the crowd around said thundered others said, an angel spoke to
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It was God, giving him that voice.
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Jesus says later though, concerning that voice from
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Heaven. That wasn't for my sake.
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That was for yours. And that when I started
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meditating upon that a little bit, I realized here's Here's
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the difference between anxiousness that is displeasing
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to God and sinful and the type of troubled spear the type of
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anxiousness, the type of worry, the type of perplexity that
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Jesus was dealing with and not sinning.
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Is that Jesus never allowed those feelings?
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To bleed into. I don't trust you anymore.
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God. I don't feel like you have my
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back. I'm going to have to come up
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with some way of taking care of this situation myself.
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Because I don't think you have what I need to get through this
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situation. That's causing my mind in my
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heart, this kind of trouble. It just was a lightbulb moment
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for me because Jesus has listen, I'm having these feelings.
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Those of us who have struggled with worry, anxiety, depression.
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Do you say listen, I've had feelings of anxiousness.
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They're recorded for us in scripture.
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I've had these unsettling feelings in my heart and in my
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mind, but I come to a line in the sand that I do not cross.
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And that line is, I'm not turning my back on the father
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and I'm not letting how I feel about this.
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Impede, his will. That's why Jesus prayed in the
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garden. This is what I would love for
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you to do. Let this cup pass from me.
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But not my will but your will be done.
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He was as angst-filled as a human being, could possibly be
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sweating as it were drops of blood in the garden.
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But at no point in that time, that did Jesus say I'm now
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turning my back on you. Father, I'm going to come up
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with my own plan from here on out.
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I don't, I don't trust your ability to get me through this.
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and so, we're seeing Where that line in the Sandy?
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and when we have these feelings of worry anxiety, and some of
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you, I know I've struggled with depression where it's just this
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sustained, unending, feeling of helplessness hopelessness, where
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God doesn't want you to go, is to the point where I give up.
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You're not going to help me get out of this.
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I can't do anything about this. My friends.
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My family can't do anything about this.
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I'm done. It's interesting that same word
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is translated as trouble. Is the word in Matthew chapter
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14 and verse 26, to describe the feeling that the apostles had
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when they saw Jesus, walking on the water.
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Think the New American Standard translates that were translated
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as troubled where Jesus is talking about himself as
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terrified as to how the apostles were feeling when they thought
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some ghost was walking across the water towards their boat.
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And so you see this, this is a strong emotion that Jesus
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feeling. And I think again, he is feeling
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this feeling of being caught between between two emotions.
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He's being tempted to not go through with what he's come to
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do, but he knows how far he can allow those emotions to go
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before. He says, no, Father, I'm not
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going to go against your will. I'm not going to go against the
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plan that we put in place or why I am here.
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And so now to kind of build on Where we take these emotions,
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and now they become dangerous, they become distrustful.
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They become harmful to our spiritual condition.
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They become harmful with our relationship.
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With Christ is when we allow these words.
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To distract us from those things that are most important to
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divide us. To the point where now we're no
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longer clinging to God, even though we feel hopeless, we feel
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helpless, we might feel like he's not there.
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We feel like he's so far away from us.
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We can't find a way to grasp onto him, but we never get to
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that point where I'm done. Here's a good way of
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illustrating. This this idea of the Greek word
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for anxious worried. I don't know if we've talked
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about the the definition as far as the that.
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Greek word that is translated that way.
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So often. In the New Testament, it means
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divided into parts to go to Pieces.
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So now you have thought you were broken beyond the ability to be
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repaired drawn in opposite directions, distracted.
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It's part of what worry, anxiety depression, part of what they do
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is they they robbed us of what is real.
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And they convinced us that what we perceive to be the case is
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reality. Look with me at Luke chapter 10,
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very familiar passage of scripture.
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But I think it illustrates how concern, worry, anxiety, can
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distract us from those things that are most important, and
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cause us to miss out on opportunities to benefit.
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From those things that are around us in those opportunities
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that God provides. I know you are very familiar
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with this passage. Jesus is getting ready to dine
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with Mary and Martha. Now as they went on their way,
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Jesus entered a village a woman, named Martha welcomed him into
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her house and she had a sister called Mary who sat at the
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Lord's feet and listened to his teaching.
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But Martha was distracted. Same word.
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That's well. No, not that one one.
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We're about to get into it with much serving and she went up to
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him and said, Lord, do not care. Do you not care?
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That my sister has left me to serve alone till her then to
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help me with the Lord answered, her Martha, Martha, you are.
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And here's that word. You are anxious and troubled
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about many things, but one thing is necessary.
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Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken
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away from her. I did not know this.
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This is a, just a kind of a silly sod.
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No, that has nothing to do with what we're talking about when I
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was reading and studying. This, this passage.
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I had no idea that there was a school of thought, that believe
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that when Jesus said, one thing is necessary that.
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In other words, one dish is plenty.
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And I thought, wow, we're going to we're going to miss the
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forest for the trees by having a conversation.
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As to what Jesus was talking about.
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Listen. I just need a casserole.
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You don't have to have all the side items and the bread and the
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desert one-dish wonder is fine with me.
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Oh, my no. Not what Jesus is talking about
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here. He says, tomorrow was Martha
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doing anything inherently evil, or immoral or bad?
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I'll miss. She's just trying to provide a
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great meal for her. Lord.
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That is great. But she is so distracted.
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By this fervent desire. She has to present this perfect
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meal and she's missing out on this opportunity to do.
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What area is taking full advantage of And sitting at the
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feet of Jesus and just soaking in everything that he's having
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to say me and you can, you can eat anytime.
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You can have a meal anytime. But Jesus says Martha, you're
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worried. And you're anxious about
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something. You're distracted.
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You're missing. What's right in front of you.
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Isn't that what worry, anxiety and depression?
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Isn't that what they are? So good at doing.
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Benjamin reading that book. You'll owe me.
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That is good stuff, brother. Good stuff.
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In fact, we'll be getting into some of that next Wednesday.
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Lord willing Benjamin loan me a book that he had in his Library.
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He hasn't even read yet. He's allowing me to break it in.
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Your. The Binding is not going to be
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near as good when you get it back.
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I'm refraining from putting notes in so it'll still be
27:58
clean, but, you know, have a little have a little it's not
28:01
going to be Mint Condition anymore.
28:05
But the guy who wrote it suffered from debilitating
28:08
anxiety for a while. And he said, you know, one of
28:10
the things that, that it was doing when I was overcome by it
28:17
is, it was robbing me of seeing all the blessings that were
28:19
right around. Me said, I had my health.
28:21
I had a great family. I had a great job.
28:24
I had all these things going in the right direction.
28:26
I was completely and totally oblivious to them.
28:30
In the period of my life that I had been overtaken by these
28:34
feelings of anxiety and he was distracted by these things that
28:39
were burdening him. And he had some legitimate
28:42
things that were burning him. But he was so distracted.
28:45
By those things that he was. Now, totally oblivious, to all
28:48
of these blessings. And so, here's Martha.
28:52
Doing a good thing involved in a very virtuous activity.
28:56
Preparing a meal for our Lord and savior and yet look at what
29:00
the distraction is costing. Her costing her to be right
29:06
there beside her sister soaking in what Jesus was having?
29:13
And so Jesus says about Mary, she's chosen the good motion,
29:19
which cannot be taken away from her.
29:22
You know, what? No matter how good that meal
29:24
was. It might have been five star
29:29
eating guess what was going to happen.
29:32
A few hours later for everybody that was there.
29:36
They could be hungry again, right?
29:39
And sooner or later that meal would be a distant memory where
29:41
you probably barely even remember.
29:45
And yet. Sitting at the feet of Jesus
29:48
listening to God in human form. Share these Timeless Eternal
29:55
truths and marries just soak in it.
29:57
And she's not distracted. She's not allowing other
30:02
concerns worries to inhibit her from seeing what's right in
30:06
front of her. And that's one of the horrible
30:11
things that worry anxiety and depression.
30:15
And sometimes, again, I'm not discounting some of the things
30:18
that cause those feelings. Okay, when I'm talking about
30:22
what these feelings robbed us of, I'm not saying shame on you
30:26
for that happening, because I know sometimes there are
30:28
horrific traumatic things that are, that are causing.
30:30
I'm just talking about just the natural consequences of when
30:35
these emotions overtake us, is they robbed us of seeing what's
30:41
right there in front of us. Every phase of Life provides
30:47
opportunities for anxiety. If you want opportunities to be
30:51
anxious, every single phase of life is, sometimes we have this
30:54
mindset. If I can get just get through
30:56
this phase of life to the next life is going to be so much
30:58
better. Those of you who have lived
31:00
quite a few phases of Life, Is that how it works?
31:03
Have you have you gotten to that magic moment in life.
31:06
That magic decade where wow, there are no more opportunities
31:09
to be anxious. Man, I've been waiting for 50
31:14
years to get here. This is an anxious free anxiety
31:18
free zone. It doesn't exist, Does it?
31:24
Stress is part of the human experience.
31:26
And here's Andrew. What, what you shared from c.s.
31:30
Lewis with me last Wednesday. If you try to find some kind of
31:35
positive, when you're going through, these kinds of
31:39
emotions, one of the things, one of the takeaways.
31:43
I'm not saying it makes it. Yeah, pleasant.
31:46
But It's a reminder that we're not where God intends for us to
31:52
be. That's what Jesus says to his
31:55
disciples. In John 14 in this world.
31:57
You will have tribulation. Why?
32:02
Because this world is not where we're supposed to be and maybe
32:06
one of the takeaways from when we were feeling so overwhelmed
32:11
at times with these emotions. And when depression comes and
32:15
literally camps out in our mind, and in our heart, Maybe just one
32:20
little thing that can come from from those those times.
32:24
Is God, is preparing our harder mind.
32:27
This is not where you belong permanently.
32:31
I've got a place coming for you. That is an anxiety free zone.
32:39
We got a Wait, till we get there, see that sign.
32:46
But he'll give us the tools that we need to survive in the
32:50
meantime, as long as we don't see that Line in the Sand that
32:54
goes from Lord. I'm still holdin on.
32:56
Okay, I'm not holding on anymore.
32:59
Lord. I'm going to keep following.
33:00
You know, I'm not following you anymore.
33:01
Lord. I trust in.
33:02
You know, I'm not going to trust in you anymore where that line
33:05
in the sand as you come to that. Sometimes it may take you really
33:08
to the brink. And you say to yourself.
33:10
I will not step one toe over that line.
33:13
My Savior did not. And he went through far, more
33:17
vexing things than we can imagine.
33:20
While being both God and Me. But he did not have his
33:26
omniscience, his omnipresence, his omnipotence.
33:30
He didn't have those things to lean on to help him when those
33:34
troubling emotions came know. He experienced them though.
33:37
He was God experience them as a man dies and yet, proved to us.
33:42
You don't have to get to that point and then just step off
33:44
that. Okay, I've said enough for
33:47
tonight. Who's got a thought or coming
33:49
that you'd like to share? The leg.
34:03
Well, we have trouble. It was a quote, by Poet, by the
34:07
name of John Keats. And he said, one thing that he
34:10
kept in mind was it this world was the veil of Soul, making you
34:16
going through the worst trials, consider this the veil of Soul
34:20
making just as you were talking about, make it help.
34:25
You look forward to that good anxiety, free zone, that we all
34:30
have coming in live in such a way as To get there.
34:36
Absolutely. Thank you so much for the Larry
34:38
and fantastic point to brother. David's had some great things to
34:41
write about this topic. Anybody else?
34:49
For the cliff. Let me get this to you.
34:51
So the folks at home can hear you.
34:57
His. Anxiousness if I can use that
35:03
word thought occurred to me, that he knew that God was
35:09
charged. God had control of all that was
35:13
going on. Well, that was a part of his
35:16
life, his faith in the flesh. So he could he could find
35:22
comfort. and, In that another might make an application of
35:28
that song about Mary and Martha while ago and said, Mary did
35:35
that has that, which can't be taken away from her.
35:39
Think about Bible study. We study God's word and nobody
35:43
can take that away from me. When we pray, nobody can take
35:48
that away from me. And we're dying.
35:52
We've laid up, Treasures in Heaven.
35:59
Thank you so much for the cliff and such Wise Wise words,
36:04
anybody else. It's server the way.
36:09
Just reading a recently about a president and he was asked how
36:14
he could be. So brave under the struggles.
36:16
He went through and he says, it's the same with the president
36:19
is with the private. This boat fighting in Okinawa.
36:24
He says, put one foot in front of the other everyday and brush
36:32
that you can continue to do that.
36:34
And then when you can't actually put another foot in front of her
36:39
of yourself, you ask somebody to walk with you.
36:44
Thank you, brother. 29th is so true.
36:47
Great. Great.
36:48
Thought an observation anybody else?
36:53
All right. Okay, let me share one more
37:01
thing with you that I'll probably kind of bleed into next
37:04
Wednesday as well. The gang of Thieves were talking
37:16
about things that it robs us of. We'll talk about how it robs us
37:20
of Our Hope. Or anxiety depression.
37:23
They robbed us of our awareness of those good things that are
37:28
around us. They also are capable of robbing
37:33
us of our anchor. Let me share this with you.
37:37
I've read from so many different sources.
37:39
I can't remember exactly which one I got this from.
37:44
I'll just read it quickly for you.
37:47
It's just a few sentences, the mighty Niagara River.
37:50
Plummet, some 180 feet at the American and Horseshoe Falls
37:54
before the Falls. There are violent turbulent
37:57
Rapids. Further Upstream.
37:58
However, where the river's current flows more, gently
38:01
boats, are able to navigate. Just before the Welland River.
38:05
I may have mispronounced that empties into the Niagara, a
38:08
pedestrian, walkway, spans the river.
38:12
Posted on this Bridges. Pylons is a warning sign for all
38:14
boaters. Do you have an anchor followed
38:17
by? Do you know how to use it?
38:24
And I thought about a third question, that would be very
38:27
applicable to that situation. If you're wanting to put a boat
38:31
in, in the calm Waters, Upstream from the Rapids that then turn
38:35
into the Niagara Falls. Do you have an anchor?
38:39
You know how to use it. Do you plan to use it, right?
38:43
Knowing how to use. It isn't quite enough.
38:45
Right? Don't you need to plan to use
38:47
it? Hmm.
38:50
If your answer is no to any of those questions, you do, not
38:53
stand a chance, if your boat makes it to the Rapids.
38:59
Using the anchor. Sometimes, the anchor of Christ
39:03
keeps us from getting into the Rapids.
39:06
That's one of the things that Jesus wants to do for us.
39:09
So very Vivid seeing this painted here.
39:12
So you've got this nice calm water.
39:14
Well, Upstream. Of Niagara Falls and well
39:20
Upstream from those turbulent Rapids right before the falls.
39:25
And so if you want to put your boat in and fish in that calmer
39:28
water upstream and don't want to get caught in those Rapids, then
39:31
you better answer. Yes.
39:32
To those questions. You have an anchor, you know how
39:35
to use it in question 3, do you plan on you?
39:47
Absolutely. Oh, can you imagine toss the
39:50
anchor of the boat? Whoop, the end of the chain just
39:53
runs right out with it. Oh my yeah, that'd be a bad spot
39:57
to be in. we have an anchor, I Was prepared to read this last
40:07
Sunday. And now, let me see if I, if
40:08
this is the book that I had. Oh.
40:12
Let me try one more. Now look with me and we have an
40:18
anchor, if you've got a songbook close by.
40:22
Because those words are so beautiful. 6:14, you've got a
40:28
songbook. Will your anchor, hold in the
40:41
storms of life, when the clouds unfold, their wings of strife.
40:46
When the strong Tides lift, and the cable strain, will your
40:49
Anchorage Rift or firm remain? It is safely.
40:53
Moored twill. The storm withstand Fort is
40:56
well, secured by the savior's hand, and the cables passed from
41:00
his hearts and mind, can defy the blast through strength
41:04
Divine. It will firmly hold in The
41:06
Straits of fear when the breakers have told the reef is
41:10
Here though, the Tempest raged in the wild, winds blow, not an
41:14
angry wave shall our bark or flow when our eyes behold
41:18
through the Gathering night, the City of Gold our Harbor bride.
41:22
We shall anchor fast by the Heavenly Shore with a storms all
41:26
past forever. More we have an anchor that
41:29
keeps the soul steadfast and sure while the Billows roll,
41:32
fastened to the Rock which cannot move grounded.
41:36
Firm and deep in the savior's love.
41:39
That's It's the kind of anchor that Jesus is offering to
41:43
provide for us. But what whirring zaidi and
41:46
depression are very capable of doing as robbing us of the
41:51
awareness of that anchor and the strength of that anchor provides
41:56
because what hopelessness does that the very idea of
41:59
hopelessness is there's no fixed to my situation.
42:04
That's one of the lies. The depression tells us.
42:08
There is no fixed my situation. There is no light at the end of
42:11
the tunnel. There's no way that things are
42:13
going to work out better. And when we're feeling that way,
42:20
we have lost sight of what Jesus is offering to provide for us,
42:25
what, David often referred to in the Psalms when I'm sure there
42:28
were times that he felt immense helplessness and hopelessness in
42:34
the face of his life circumstances.
42:38
And yet he would talk about in the Psalms.
42:40
I prayed to the Lord and the Lord took away.
42:42
My dear, realizing that the Lord is the one capable of taking us
42:47
through that brother Dwayne making that observation from the
42:53
quote from a war serving president.
42:57
And he says, you know, when you get to the part where you can't
43:01
walk anymore, you have someone walk with you or walk for you.
43:04
I never will forget and Jonathan will get you to close us out
43:07
here. Brother James Wadsworth, mention
43:10
him. Now a second time.
43:12
I think just in recent weeks for the Larry.
43:14
He was a prisoner of war World War 2.
43:18
And I remember him telling the story one time about this.
43:22
I don't remember how many miles walk, he and his fellow
43:26
prisoners were having to walk in.
43:31
They had already been half-starved to deal with more
43:33
than half starved to death. And they would.
43:38
See one of their fellow soldiers fall and the ones that had
43:43
enough strength within pick him up and carry him as far as he
43:46
could. And then sometimes there just
43:48
would be no shrink left in the one that was trying to carry the
43:51
other and and he would have to leave him.
43:54
And brother James said, you'd hear the sound of a gun and you
43:58
realized that that's soldier that could not walk any farther
44:02
and there was nobody left to carry him.
44:03
Any farther was was killed where where he fell.
44:07
I never will forget that saying that brother, James painted and
44:11
imagine what that had to have been like for him, realizing if
44:15
I don't put One Foot In Front Of Another, and if I get to the
44:18
point where I cannot and nobody around me can then it's the end
44:22
of the line. But what Jesus is offering is at
44:25
times like that poem says to be the one that when there's only
44:30
one set of footprints in the sand and the person says, well,
44:32
I thought you were with me the whole time.
44:34
Why is there only one set of four?
44:35
That's, he's just not, you're such, you're set.
44:39
Those were the times when I carried.
44:42
So we lose sight of when we're struggling with these emotions.
44:45
We're allowing these emotions overwhelm us.
44:47
We lose sight of, he's has a Tsar tank and the fact that he
44:53
can get us through to a more manageable emotional and mint
44:59
day. JP what you got brother closes
45:01
out.