Latest / Wetumpka Church of Christ Online / Worry Class #5

Transcript

Worry Class #5 · Wetumpka Church of Christ Online

0:02
I'm okay. All right, good evening.
0:12
Everyone. We will go ahead and get
0:13
started. Great to see everybody.
0:20
Y'all would go ahead and be turning the First Kings chapter
0:23
19. We're going to continue our
0:26
discussion that we were kind of in the middle of last Wednesday
0:30
and dealing with anxiety. Finding some coping mechanisms
0:35
when we have those moments where anxiety is trying its best to
0:39
take over. This is one of my favorite
0:41
passages of scripture in the Old Testament and Elijah.
0:45
I believe at this point in time in his life is dealing with
0:49
depression. He's kind of Move past the
0:52
anxiety phase and I think depression has said in for
0:56
Elijah. And so God is doing an
1:00
intervention. If you will, for Elijah try to
1:03
get his mind right again, and give him the strength that he
1:07
needs. Emotionally spiritually
1:09
physically to carry out the end of his Earthly Mission.
1:13
He's getting you know, kind of near the end, but the Lord has a
1:16
few more things for him to do but as You will know Elijah.
1:21
At this point in time is despondent.
1:24
He's had this great Victory, a chapter earlier on the top of
1:27
Mount Carmel, probably was hoping this would Usher in a
1:31
period of spiritual renewal with the nation and that has not been
1:38
the case. I'm sure he had maybe in his
1:42
mind, a hope that after this fantastic show of God's power
1:49
over the false. Odds of Baal that Ahab and
1:53
Jezebel had embraced and had led the nation into idolatry.
1:57
Maybe he was hoping that Ahab, and Jezebel themselves would
2:02
repent, and turn back to where they needed to be.
2:06
And then provide the leadership for the entire nation to follow
2:10
suit the exact opposite. Of course, as you know, has
2:13
happened. Jezebel has put a hit out on
2:16
Elijah's life. She wants him to suffer the same
2:18
fate that her 450. Prophets had suffered at the top
2:22
of the mountain Elijah, now is running for his life Into the
2:27
Wilderness. You remember, I've mentioned
2:30
this before, but it's not really a side note when you think about
2:35
what Elijah, how he processes, and the things that he says
2:40
about how he's feeling and what he's going through in chapter
2:43
20, and chapter 19, and verse 3, it says, and when he saw that
2:48
meaning verse 2, Then Jezebel sent a message to Elijah saying,
2:52
so let the gods do to me and more.
2:53
Also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them
2:56
talking about her slain prophets that were mentioned in verse 1
3:00
by tomorrow about this time. So she wants him dead in less
3:04
than 24 hours. Verse 3, when he saw that he
3:07
arose went for his life came to Beersheba which belongs to Judah
3:11
and left his servant there. And that is no side note.
3:15
I think that is an important. You know, what are the things
3:18
that Anxiety, depression, doing we've mentioned this already,
3:22
one of the ways that it robs us. Is it robs us of the desire?
3:30
To spend the time with those that we love those, that can
3:36
maybe help us. Work through the issues that
3:39
we're going through, what anxiety?
3:42
And depression do sometimes we're talking about that fight
3:45
flight freeze. Those three ways that we respond
3:48
to danger, and sometimes the anxiety and depression.
3:51
It's this fries and you feel debilitated.
3:54
You feel helpless, you feel hopeless.
3:57
And one of the things that it is clouding you from doing is
4:02
seeing the importance of reaching out of keeping those
4:05
those connections with family and friends.
4:08
And you're not spending sometimes the time socially that
4:11
might be able to help you through what is going on.
4:14
So it would have benefited Elijah to take his servant with
4:18
him into the Wilderness. He did not and you remember when
4:21
he's making the case for why he wants God to kill him.
4:24
What's one of the things that he says concerning?
4:27
His situation that was not accurate.
4:30
I alone am left. That is in service to you.
4:35
And I mentioned this before in a lesson or a class, you know, if
4:39
his servant had been sitting there when he said that I have a
4:42
feeling the servant would a really you're all by yourself.
4:45
Hey, am I invisible? I'm right here with you.
4:49
I've been running out into this Wilderness right there.
4:51
Beside you. It's Elijah's all by himself.
4:56
And he's he's struggling with what I think is a period of
5:02
depression and he's already gone through these thoughts.
5:07
In his mind, the last part of verse 10 chapter 19.
5:10
I only am left and they seek my life to take it away.
5:14
It's a verse 11. God says, go forth.
5:16
Stand upon the mount before the Lord, and behold the Lord passed
5:19
by, and a great and strong wind. Toward the mountains and broke
5:23
in pieces the Rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in
5:26
the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not
5:28
in the earthquake and after the earthquake, a fire, but the Lord
5:31
was not in the fire. Someone tell me, what do you
5:34
think? This means?
5:36
The Lord, not being in the strong wind.
5:42
The Lord, not being in the fire, the Lord, not being in the
5:46
earthquake. All three times.
5:48
It specifies that the Lord was not there.
5:49
When these three things happen, What somebody's take away from
5:52
that, Peyton at Peyton's. What a great thought when you
5:56
think about anxiety, depression, somebody.
5:59
Give me some descriptive words of what anxiety and depression
6:03
are doing. Let me go and give you a couple.
6:05
You give me a couple more when I think of anxiety and depression
6:09
as far as what it's doing to you.
6:10
Personally, I think of disruption, I think of disorder.
6:15
I think of chaos, give me some other words that oh man, is
6:19
Elijah. Not dealing with some
6:20
discouragement right now. Negativity.
6:24
It robs you with peace. Yes, you know, we've talked
6:27
about these three things worrying's.
6:29
I need to Swinging. A gang of Thieves and and that
6:31
is one of the things that robs us of is of Peace.
6:34
Oh, man, they are great. Liars, aren't they?
6:36
There's all kinds of ways. These three things that lie,
6:39
they lie in in that there is no way out.
6:43
There is no light at the end of the tunnel.
6:46
Nobody else around you is going to be able to help.
6:48
There's all kinds of ways that these three things are capable
6:51
of lying. No doubt and Elijah's.
6:55
You have a feeling the 8,000 that God refers to they have not
6:58
bowed their knee to Baal. Do you think Elijah's
6:59
encountered? A few of those folks may be in
7:01
very recent history. I have a feeling probably don't
7:05
you think if you're one of the 8,000 hadn't bailed your knee to
7:08
Baal. You hear about Elijah being
7:09
around, you're going to look for an opportunity to have an
7:12
interaction with you a conversation and Elijah being
7:14
being here. He's fighting the good fight.
7:17
I have a feeling, you know, he's interacting with some of these
7:22
8000 here and there as he's journeying, but He's believing
7:25
the LIE right now. I alone am left.
7:30
You can't see, beyond the end of your hand, Canyon man.
7:36
It is. Yes, it's you can't make sense
7:38
of what's going on. You can't come up with some kind
7:41
of plan. The confusion is absolutely
7:45
going on who were when we're being overtaken by one or all
7:51
three of these things, man. Oh, absolutely, you know, we've
7:57
mentioned before, in other times in this class, you know, the
8:02
hope is one of those seven essential ones in Ephesians 4,
8:05
4, through 6, you know, one body, one Spirit, when Lord, One
8:10
Faith, one baptism we've talked before about, which one of those
8:15
seven things. There's one body, one Spirit
8:18
even as you were called in one. Hope of your calling one Lord,
8:20
One Faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is above
8:23
Volunteer role in the you all the seven islands of Ephesians 4
8:26
4, through 6, which one of these, those seven can we live
8:28
without and function? Can you live without the father
8:32
and you live without the Lord, the sun can't live without hope
8:38
and worry, anxiety, depression. One of the things that they
8:40
robbed us of is that, is that sense of hope.
8:43
That, that idea that this is seasonal.
8:46
This is temporary. There's there's going to be
8:49
something better at the other end of this, if I can just
8:51
persevere push on and get Through it.
8:55
So I love this. Peyton.
8:56
Go ahead here. Yes, coach compounding issues
8:59
and problems. Come from sustained, anxiety and
9:03
depression. There's no doubt about it.
9:05
Not only are their emotional consequences.
9:07
But yet normal just like you're seeing their physical
9:10
consequences. It does attack our body in our
9:14
health. Physically speaking.
9:16
That's right. That's right.
9:18
The people around you, sometimes become collateral damage as a
9:22
result of Of this, this hopelessness that you feel the
9:27
ways that it's affecting your health in every way.
9:29
Exactly brother, Danny. God's power, but that's not what
10:02
Elijah needed right now. He did not need this incredible.
10:07
He had just witnessed an incredible Showcase of God's
10:10
power on the mountain a day earlier.
10:12
He, he doesn't need that. He doesn't need more chaos, more
10:17
disruption, more confusion, more destruction.
10:21
What he needed was. Exactly.
10:23
It. And what?
10:24
I love and Adam, I'll get to you here in just a second.
10:27
I'll okay. So at the beginning of this God
10:29
says Elijah go for stand upon the mount.
10:33
And what I love is when you get to verse 12 after the
10:36
earthquake, a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire.
10:38
And after the fire, a still small voice and it was, so when
10:40
Elijah heard it, he wraps his face in his mantle and goes out
10:44
and stood in the entering of the cave Was Elijah where God had
10:48
told him to be while all this is going on.
10:51
Now. He may have started there.
10:54
But if I'm Elijah and I do go out on the mountain and all of a
10:57
sudden, the mountains getting blown into Smithereens and fires
11:00
are breaking out in earthquakes, guesswork.
11:02
I'm headed back into the cave. Oh, it is not safe out here.
11:09
So, Elijah may have started where God told him to go, but
11:13
where he was by the end of this Showcase of all these things is,
11:17
he's back in the cave. He wraps his face in his mantle
11:21
and he comes out and stood in the entering in of the cave.
11:27
So he's coming from inside the cave to the opening of The Cave.
11:31
That's not where God told him to be at the beginning.
11:33
Again. He may have started there and
11:35
retreated back into the cave when all of this chaos breaks
11:38
loose but the still Small Voice is, what's representing the
11:43
presence of God, which is exactly what Elijah needed at
11:46
the time. Adam.
11:47
Oh, yes. Yes, beautiful way of describing
11:53
this this moment Elijah's life. He he is so so good at him.
11:57
He did not need to know who God was.
11:58
He'd already seen incredible manifestations of his power as
12:02
recently as the day before, but he needed to know where God was
12:07
and he needed to see that other that part of God, that he so
12:11
desperately needed right now. He needed that still Small
12:14
Voice. He needed order, he needed
12:17
design, he needed car. On he needed peace.
12:20
All those things that God is also capable of providing
12:23
Peyton, that he so desperately needed that you mentioned a
12:25
moment ago. Neil absolutely nail us, you
12:29
know, God is providing Elijah with with the intervention right
12:34
here. But like you said, sometimes we
12:37
can provide the intervention for one another.
12:40
When we're, when we know someone that is that is dealing with
12:45
these emotions to the to the depth that they are now.
12:49
Causing depression, I think about David and the intervention
12:54
that he needed after he learned that his son Absalom was dead.
12:59
And you remember David was, he was morning to the extent that
13:04
it was, it was affecting the morale of the entire Army of
13:09
Israel. And you remember joab, basically
13:12
just just comes up to David and kind of gives him a pretty good
13:17
dressing down. And Blake basis has David, you
13:20
have got to get yourself together.
13:24
I mean, the hearts of the people are basically melting because
13:27
they're seeing their, their King, their the leader of their
13:31
army. Whose just I mean, yes, grieve
13:35
mourn. You've lost a son, but you're
13:37
going to have to somehow be able to figure out a way to move
13:41
forward to go on and to continue to be the leader that God is
13:47
calling you to be and a joab. Was that interventionist if
13:51
that's a word and David kind of Got his act together a little
13:55
bit after that conversation are oh man it brother.
13:59
What a amazing thing to think about.
14:02
I've never really thought about that part of the Transfiguration
14:07
and you know you we often we talk about the Mount of
14:10
transfiguration where often talked about it's it's the
14:14
Lord's object lesson to Peter, James and John of the supremacy
14:17
of Christ. Over Moses representing the law
14:20
and Elijah representing the prophets, but man, when you
14:23
think about, About that. Being another part of what's
14:26
going on there, where Jesus is just getting that that may be
14:31
very needed fuel to cross the finish line.
14:34
That that encouragement and motivation, you know, here's
14:37
Moses and Elijah part of that great cloud of witnesses that
14:39
are described in and Hebrews chapter 12, and at this point
14:42
Jesus, while in the flesh, is maybe needing a little pep rally
14:46
from a couple of the representatives from that great
14:50
cloud of witnesses. And, and to think about,
14:53
Elijah's probably, you know, not having to remind the Lord, but
14:59
just bringing up. You know, I remember when I was
15:02
at my lowest how the father got me through it and and just,
15:07
yeah, we know that you have what it takes to do.
15:12
The finish this this mission that you've been sent here and
15:15
and, you know, the Lord allowing Jesus to experience a little
15:19
taste of the glory that he had left.
15:21
You know, I can't even begin to understand.
15:23
A fully, what's going on with this, this Transfiguration that
15:27
Jesus has gone through, but it's, he is being allowed by the
15:33
father to experience. A little taste of some of the
15:36
glory that he emptied himself voluntarily to come to Earth.
15:40
So just a beautiful thought, their brother.
15:43
Thank you for that to consider how they are.
15:47
They are providing Jesus with exactly what he needs.
15:51
That, just extra fuel to get it. These last few weeks of his
15:55
Earthly Ministry or the Eugene absolute.
15:57
That is it's so encouraging Peyton to you know, going back
16:01
to that original email that you let us read for everyone just
16:05
the way that you fight and the way that you, you know, you
16:09
realize that you may never get to the point where anxiety is
16:13
never an issue, but you know with you know, with everything
16:18
that you've done everything between young counseling.
16:23
To all that, you've done spiritually to, you know, train
16:28
yourself to handle those moments.
16:31
You see, you see that hopefulness where there are
16:35
probably times and I think, you know, you can infer that from
16:38
some of that that you said in the email that there were some
16:40
periods of opalescent Nest, but you have that hopefulness.
16:45
That is a fantastic segue into what I wanted to share next
16:52
there. Some who.
16:55
Absolutely. And this is a perfect.
16:57
You know what? Peyton went through with his
17:00
heart issues, when he was a young child is an example of
17:04
some of the genetic tendencies that some people have towards
17:07
anxiety and coming from the book that that we pulled a few things
17:13
out of last Wednesday. I want to share this with you,
17:17
even when even if we have a genetic tendency towards Aya.
17:20
T does it mean that we are destined to To live a life of
17:24
anxiety and chaos, and pain. And I think going back to the
17:27
email that you shared with us. You've not resigned yourself to
17:31
well, you know, there's a genetic component to what I'm
17:35
going through. Therefore.
17:37
This is my faith. This is my destiny.
17:39
I'm just resigned and you're living proof of.
17:43
Yes. I have some things beyond my
17:45
control, from a medical standpoint that contribute to to
17:49
my struggles, but I'm not going to allow them to Define me.
17:54
And that's, that is possible for everyone.
18:00
And that's the hopefulness that that I want us to get from this
18:03
for the Eugene. Hahaha.
18:08
And you know some there are some that yes, they want basically a
18:18
here's my justification for this being.
18:24
My cross to bear. It's never going to get better
18:27
for me. I'm never going to work my way
18:29
through it. This is.
18:30
So here's what it was said by this author.
18:33
He says genetics is a role player, but it is not the main
18:37
actor in the story of your life. Genetics can make you inclined
18:41
toward anxiety, but your genetics do not have to have the
18:45
final word. He says, is over and over again,
18:47
and this is again, someone you remember.
18:49
Last week I mentioned to you. He is suffered from it.
18:55
In a debilitating way, for a certain period of his life.
18:58
He is now through through various things.
19:01
Medication for a little while, other things.
19:03
He he is a man of faith and he's doing so much better.
19:06
Now, a lot of his education is based on on this.
19:10
This topic meds can be helpful in needed.
19:14
When anxiety, depression, are based upon a chemical imbalance.
19:16
We've talked about that. I would never say to people.
19:20
You can fix everything if you are.
19:24
If you experience debilitating, anxiety, depression, you can
19:28
figure out ways to fix it with the help of God by no medication
19:33
needed. I would never say that
19:35
especially with someone who is dealing with chemical
19:39
imbalances, or a health condition that that made them
19:44
genetically predisposed to anxiety and depression.
19:47
What he has to say about meds. They are great.
19:53
If you're talking about chemical imbalance, internal problem, you
19:55
know, like a heart issue or, or other things that can lead to it
19:59
a chronic illness. He says, but meds are not the
20:02
old one answer or solution for anxiety, that are caused by
20:05
other things. And this is kind of where we
20:07
ended last Wednesday that we went through it.
20:10
So, super fast and I wanted to kind of come back to it again
20:12
tonight. Imagine are the ultimate answer
20:15
solution for anxiety, caused by external problems such as toxic.
20:20
UPS in proper work-life, balance fast-paced, lifestyle,
20:23
unrealistic pressures, and expectations, Etc.
20:27
You may be stuck in an unsustainable overwhelming live
20:30
sucked into the chaos and disconnection of the modern
20:33
world medication will not. Fix those things medication.
20:36
Will only mask them or numb you to the effects of them anxiety.
20:41
Meds can help turn down the alarm bells and allow you to
20:44
catch your breath and do the deeper work of getting to the
20:46
root cause of your anxiety. And then if that root cause is
20:50
something that is not chemical. It is, not internal is not a
20:53
chronic illness. It's not these things that
20:57
really made meds may be the only thing that can really help get
21:01
you through it. But if it's something else, if
21:03
it's something that when you dig down deeply and you have that
21:08
honest introspective, look at yourself, you realize.
21:12
Okay. This is a self-inflicted issue.
21:14
This is a toxic relationship. This is my work life.
21:18
Balance is way out of whack. This is I'm way too busy.
21:21
This is I'm allowing societal pressures to overwhelm me.
21:26
There's certain things that someone mentioned last
21:30
Wednesday, that my grandfather. I maybe I've told this story
21:34
before the, the news was getting to him so badly, when he was in
21:39
his 40s that he developed an ulcer, he went, he went to the
21:44
doctor and he was worrying. So much about the state of the
21:47
world that it literally caused him to An ulcer.
21:50
So the doctor I think through a course of conversation.
21:56
He realized, he was basically harming himself by how much he
22:01
was worrying about the state of the world and watching the news.
22:04
And so, once he stopped watching the news, he stopped having
22:08
issues with ulcers. Others have talked about.
22:12
You know, what, what things like overstimulation do.
22:16
Two things that have a screen, whether it's a phone, a lot.
22:20
Laptop, whatever, these things can can produce anxiety.
22:24
If you have an unhealthy relationship with those things,
22:26
then it may be. And here's where I need to
22:28
pause. Just for a second.
22:31
Maybe, a lot of us have gotten this mindset that when I text or
22:36
call someone and I don't hear from you in five minutes.
22:38
What in the world is going on. What is the deal here?
22:43
You may be texting or calling someone who they are
22:47
deliberately conscientiously. Tom and the day and saying this
22:52
phone is going over here and we are decoupling.
22:57
I'm not going to have a relationship with my phone for
22:59
this period of time during the day and so maybe we need to
23:03
provide Grace to one another where if we don't hear from
23:08
somebody in a few minutes and instead of saying, well, they're
23:10
just ignoring my texts, my calls.
23:12
What in the world, I can't help what the nerve, maybe, it's for
23:16
their health. For their mental health for
23:18
their physical health. They they take some time
23:21
deliberately to remove themselves from that device to
23:27
provide themselves an opportunity.
23:29
To as the psalmist says, I think it's Psalm 46:10 be still and
23:33
know that I am. God Adam, you had a great
23:36
comment after class last Wednesday.
23:39
Would you want to kind of insert that?
23:41
I think this would be a good time for that.
23:42
If you want to go ahead and share that one with us, that,
23:46
that is so Well said and yes, I remember Adam saying to you
23:53
afterwards. I said man.
23:53
I was thinking specifically about some people that I thought
23:56
about that needed to hear what what you said and that is so.
24:03
So spot on there was a book that was written a few years ago
24:07
called the Christian atheist. And the premise of the book was
24:10
people who call themselves Christians, but they live like
24:13
atheist and their eye. I think there are Christians and
24:19
and I mean these are what we're talking about the cream of the
24:23
crop here, but there are Christians who they don't
24:26
believe in Works based salvation, but they live, like
24:29
they believe in Works based salvation.
24:32
It's like, I have got to every time there's a church function.
24:36
I got to be there every time somebody needs food.
24:38
I gotta be the one cooking it every time.
24:40
Just, I mean Adam you stated it perfectly.
24:42
I'm not going to restate what you just said, but not we can.
24:47
Now not just societal pressures work pressures.
24:51
But sometimes this pressure to think I have got to be all do
24:56
all in in the the church environment as well.
25:01
So really, really great. It's just, you know, we've
25:06
talked before. Well, I mentioned the
25:09
illustration. It's not original to me, but
25:11
they said a lot of times church is like a football game where
25:16
there's 70,000 people in desperate need of exercise
25:20
watching 22 guys in desperate need of rest.
25:23
And and so, you know, the 22 that are in desperate need of
25:26
rest. They need to think you for your
25:29
work. Thank you for your service.
25:31
Thank you so much. But but take take those times to
25:35
rest when you need to. And don't we know that's that's
25:42
I think that's another one that but that's just fantastic
25:46
thought there Adam and I appreciate that.
25:48
Very much. We have a lot of societal and
25:52
cultural pressures and we mentioned this briefly last
25:55
Wednesday to do it all, have it all be at all.
25:59
That that is how success is measured in this country.
26:03
We think we've got to have our kids involved in everything
26:05
under the sun, where where they have some scheduled activity
26:09
from the time they wake up. The time they go to bed.
26:11
We think that, you know, we've got to get our kids into
26:14
particular schools and extracurricular activities and
26:16
all these things we've got To accomplish.
26:18
And then when you look at it from a spiritual standpoint, so
26:21
many times, we're allowing ourselves to get stressed out,
26:24
burden down and overwhelmed and anxious about things that are
26:27
not going to amount to the proverbial Hill of beans, 100
26:31
years from now. And so part of what may be
26:35
causes. Some of us anxiety is this this
26:41
allowance that we have allowed ourselves to get sucked into
26:47
this. False premise that Society is
26:50
presenting to us, that you got to do it all.
26:53
Be it all, have it, all YOLO. I mean y'all heard that acronym
26:58
you only live once so man just pedal to the metal do all you
27:02
can be all you can have, all you can for the Christian.
27:06
This is this is all, this is the training ground.
27:09
I mean, it's to put it in baseball, vernacular.
27:11
All this is a spring training. You don't start playing the ball
27:14
games until you get to heaven. That's when the season starts
27:19
all, this is spring training. And so let's not get so burdened
27:24
down by these expectations of society around us that we have
27:29
these alarm Bells going off. These anxiety, alarm bells.
27:33
And those alarm bells, are sickening signaling us to the
27:36
Smoke to the fire that's in our internal ecosystem.
27:41
And we do everything but address the source of the The problem is
27:48
causing the alarm diagnosis for anxiety.
27:51
Disorders are not as exact as science as we talked about this
27:55
briefly last Wednesday, a strip cancer so forth.
27:57
But even if the diagnosis is accurate, in other words, you
28:01
have a scientifically accurately diagnosed case of anxiety
28:08
disorder or manic depression, whatever it is what the author
28:12
said about that even if the diagnosis is accurate.
28:15
In other words, the Dragon is given a name.
28:18
So this this thing that is just causing you all these these
28:21
mental and emotional problems. It doesn't mean the Dragon Gets
28:25
to move in and live with you. All right, just because it's
28:28
been recognized as existing. Okay, it is real.
28:33
Yes, you have an anxiety disorder or you have manic
28:37
depression. It is legitimately diagnosed.
28:40
It still does not mean that it gives to move in and live with
28:44
you. You do not have to keep it as a
28:45
pet or His face tattooed on your arm.
28:49
If you come to believe that anxiety is your identity.
28:51
You'll eventually believe it is your destiny anxiety.
28:54
Does not have to be forever. And that was the point that this
28:57
author, hammers over and over again.
29:00
This does not have to be a death sentence.
29:02
If you will, even if you have been accurately diagnosed by
29:06
Medical Professional, that you have some kind of, it does not
29:10
mean. Okay.
29:11
Now this is my identity and I am now destined to live a life
29:16
where I I am now anxiety and depression or on top of the
29:20
pile. I'm never going to be able to
29:21
get on top of the pile and they're underneath, and I'm
29:24
keeping them at Bay. They're always going to be on
29:27
top and in charge and I'm just along for the ride.
29:29
It does not have to be that way. Anxiety is not something you
29:34
are. It is something you move through
29:37
and experience. Your identity.
29:39
Does not rest in the worst thing that ever happened to you or
29:42
that you did Peyton. I remember in your your Was that
29:47
you shared with is sometimes, what fuels, anxiety and
29:50
depression. We use the illustration last
29:53
Wednesday with, you know, the way the Lord described a day in
29:57
Matthew, chapter 6 and verse 34 sufficient for the day's its own
30:00
trouble. So every day is going to have
30:02
its own challenges. I mean, I'm driving down the
30:05
road yesterday. I've been, you know, all over
30:08
the place and somebody pulls up beside me and says, hey man,
30:12
you're on your back left, tire is flat.
30:15
I hadn't felt it yet. And then I'm at the add a like
30:18
that just turned green and the guy behind me is honking and you
30:21
know, I ought and immediately I start feeling the so, you know,
30:26
you can just be, everything's going great one minute and you
30:30
know, you got issues the next. There are other things going on
30:34
Peyton, that that besides just the flat but nothing bad.
30:38
So thank you for your, your hope of good luck.
30:40
That it was anything major. It's just a few other little
30:43
little things that had to be done while the the tire was
30:45
getting replaced. I do need to say, I think the
30:50
Lord for this, I didn't know I had road hazard on that tire.
30:52
I didn't have to pay for the tire just for road, hazard on
30:55
the next tire that they put on there.
30:57
So, man. I was I didn't tell you about
30:59
that way. It's all who man.
31:01
I was really, really excited. I didn't remember getting road
31:03
hazard on the tire, but Manuel, I was glad I had it.
31:07
Okay. So sufficient for the day, is
31:09
its own trouble and in the only gets you.
31:12
So, what anxiety depression do is, is you take your regrets.
31:17
From the past, dump them in the sack.
31:19
You take your worries about the uncertain future, dump it in the
31:22
sack. So now, instead of carrying a
31:25
day's worth of issues and problems, which is sufficient in
31:29
and of itself. Jesus says, now you slammed this
31:33
bag full to overflowing with regrets from the past and
31:36
worries about the future. That's a nun.
31:38
Carry herbal load. You cannot and a lot of times
31:42
what causes anxiety? Depression, you keep your mind
31:45
keeps running back to that. Thing you did that thing.
31:48
You said that that sin you committed.
31:51
The Lord does not look it us. He does not base their identity
31:55
on the worst thing that we've ever done.
31:56
Thank the Lord for that. And I put in my notes as I was
32:01
reading this part of the book, but think about lot.
32:03
We've talked about him before. And there's not one good thing
32:08
written about lot in the Book of Genesis and yet Peter four times
32:13
their inspiration refers to him as righteous life or times.
32:18
And I mentioned this before I can picture Peter, you know,
32:21
he's taking dictation from the Holy Spirit and righteous lot
32:26
righteous lat right? And I'm sure Peter all Peters
32:30
gots the pentateuch, you know, as far as his knowledge and
32:33
information not through inspiration is because Marcus
32:36
Ernie lot and I can just picture Peter Starburst again.
32:39
Wait, did I just did my mind just kind of wonderful little
32:42
bit? We obviously we're talking about
32:44
someone else now, who is it? It's not righteous lot.
32:47
Who do I need to be writing down?
32:48
No. No, the Holy Spirit righteous
32:51
lot for times lot was not God did not look at lot as the
32:56
end-all-be-all being all these horrible things we read about
32:59
him. There was a Paul Harvey rest of
33:01
the story. Obviously, about lot that we
33:04
don't have their inspiration that That the Holy Spirit
33:07
provided for Peter and provided for the rest of us.
33:09
We're not the some of the worst thing we've ever done or said
33:13
God doesn't look at us that way. And yet oftentimes, we look at
33:16
our self that way and it's one of the fuels for anxiety and
33:21
depression, Neil close us out brother.
33:26
That is great. Now that kind of brings us back
33:28
full circle as we close to. Right back to First Kings 19,
33:32
where God has all these attributes.
33:34
Sometimes his power is exactly what we need to to see and be
33:39
reminded of. But in this particular case,
33:43
going back to what Adam said, that is not who God was, is not
33:47
what Elijah needed. It's where God is he needed
33:51
that. Still Small Voice in need?
33:53
That part of God's nature rather than some of the other parts
33:57
that he had experienced even as recently as the day before
34:01
really fantastic. Thoughts and comments.
34:03
If you've not read Psalm 46 in a while, if you are dealing with
34:06
some anxiety stress, worry right now, I would encourage you to
34:10
read that one before bed tonight, right in the middle of
34:13
that. When is the be still and know
34:14
that I am God, but everything that comes before and after is
34:17
awesome. It just paints a very beautiful
34:19
picture of hope and trust in that Psalm as do.
34:23
So many think you will pick back up there?
34:25
Lord willing. I think into Wednesdays, I
34:27
believe singing night will be next Wednesday.
34:29
If I've got my calendar straight in my head and then we'll pick
34:32
back up with this to Wednesdays from now.
34:40
Anyway. Hahaha.
34:49
Alright, welcome to the beginning of the NS.
34:52
Jason, if I supposed to do announcements at the beginning
34:54
of the beginning or the beginning of the end, and we
34:56
decided at the beginning of the end.
34:58
So here we are. So the announcements for this
35:00
evening are welcome to the Wetumpka Church Christ.
35:04
We'd like to have a record of your attendance, if you're
35:05
visiting, so please fill out one of those cards and you can pass
35:09
it to the center, but basically hand it to somebody that looks
35:11
like they know what they're doing.
35:12
And also, the prayer request cards, the same situation there.
35:16
Please stay for a few minutes after our Sim.
35:19
Here if you are visiting, we'd love to get to know you.
35:22
And remember in prayer that there's lots of folks undergoing
35:26
cancer, treatments, help problems recovering from
35:29
surgery, our military and shut-ins and I have a good
35:34
friend. That is my Mom and Dad's
35:36
neighbor of 30 plus years and his wife passed away, Tuesday
35:42
morning. So, please keep the Arledge
35:44
family in your prayers as they mourn.
35:47
The loss of both a wife and a mom there.
35:51
Also miss Patsy home will have outpatient surgery on Thursday.
35:56
So remember Miss Patsy while she's doing that on Thursday a
36:01
memorial service for Sayer bowls daughter of Jimmy and Gloria
36:05
bowls will be here in the auditorium on Sunday afternoon
36:09
at 2:30 p.m. And that is open to everybody.
36:13
It's not a private service. Also on Sunday here at the
36:17
building in the fellowship building.
36:20
Miss Hallie will have her Bridal to our bridal.
36:25
Tea Lord. Help us all.
36:27
We're not, we're not doing that again.
36:29
Have her baby tea on Sunday from 12 to 30 in the fellowship hall.
36:36
She's registered at Amazon Target and the name dropper and
36:40
it's a boy. Let's give Jonathan our
36:42
attention. Let's see.
36:44
Let's see, God is as powerful today as he was when he He spoke
36:50
the world into existence. God is as giving today as the
36:56
day that he gave his son to die in human form.
37:02
We should we should pray as if these things are true.
37:07
So what kind of attitude should we have?
37:09
When we pray? Let's examine our prayer life.
37:12
Think about how you pray as I go through these attributes.
37:17
Think about Um, the way that you pray and how that, maybe maybe
37:23
you and I could improve the way that we pray and and the
37:28
attitude that we have as we pray.
37:30
So how should we pray? We should pray in faith without
37:34
doubting Dame's. 1547 says, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him
37:40
ask of God, gives generously to all without reproach, and it
37:46
will be given him. But let him ask in faith with
37:49
no. No, doubting.
37:50
The one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven
37:53
and tossed by the wind, but that person must not suppose that he
37:57
will receive anything from the Lord, God expects his children
38:01
to pray without doubting. But how in the world do we do
38:04
that? I'm reminded of the man who had
38:08
a son in the gospel of Mark. Chapter 9.
38:14
He had a son that was possessed with a demon.
38:19
Jesus said all things are possible to those who believe
38:24
then. The man said, I believe, but
38:26
help my unbelief. Maybe we should take a note from
38:29
this man and pray that prayer when we start to pray, something
38:35
help my unbelief. Number two.
38:38
How should we pray only according to God's will First
38:43
John 5, 14 through 15 says and this is the confidence that we
38:48
have Ford him that if we ask anything according to his will
38:53
he hears us and if we know that he hears us and whatever we ask
38:59
we know that we have the request that we've asked when we pray
39:03
with the attitude of God's will not mine.
39:07
We are able to experience faith building confidence in the power
39:12
of Prayer. One more.
39:13
I see that when I spray specific careers and see them answered
39:21
when I pray specific prayers according to God's Will and see
39:25
them answered. He answers them in the best way
39:30
that I could even better than I could.
39:33
Even how should we pray? Number number three?
39:37
We should pray persistently. Luke 18 verses.
39:42
One through eight talks about a a woman who who comes again and
39:47
again to a widow of a widow who comes again and again to a judge
39:53
who doesn't care about God or man, and because he because she
39:59
keeps on coming to him and asking please give me Justice
40:04
over my adversary. He finally caves in and says
40:10
that I will give her justice. So that she will not beat me
40:13
down by our continual coming. I hope that's not how God thinks
40:19
about us. It's not when we, when we are
40:25
persistent in our prayers. God once said he commands that
40:32
Really, how much more will the loving God of the universe?
40:37
Listen to us. And give us what we, when we
40:40
were persistent. He doesn't grow.
40:42
Tired of us asking, we're persistent when we're hungry and
40:46
we are thirsty. And we're tired, anybody who has
40:50
children knows. Well, the sound of mommy.
40:54
Mommy. I'm hungry for Daddy, Daddy.
40:57
I'm hungry. They're not going to stop
41:00
asking. Till they get fed, right?
41:03
We should be the same towards God.
41:05
We should, we should be persistent in our prayer until
41:09
they are answered. Let's see.
41:11
What? What is another way that we
41:13
should pray number for UND? Unselfishly games?
41:18
The last part of verse 2 and verse 3 says, you do not have
41:24
because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive
41:28
because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passion.
41:32
So when I think of unselfish prayer or unselfishly speaking
41:36
to God, I think of Moses asking God a lot him out of The Book of
41:42
Life. Instead of the Israelites we can
41:47
do this. We can pray in an unselfish way
41:52
so that we can so that we can receive the things that we need.
41:57
So that others can receive the things that they need and that
42:01
we can praise God in. And all of it.
42:05
We should number five. We should pray humbly.
42:10
I'm reminded of the man who in Luke 18, 9 through 14, beat upon
42:17
his breast, the the tax collector collector, beat upon
42:23
his breast and said, He would not even raise his, his head to
42:31
Sky. He said, God, be merciful to me
42:33
a sinner. Jesus said, that this man went
42:38
to his house Justified, so we should definitely humble.
42:43
Ourself. Remember, what Jesus prayed on
42:45
the cross, forgive them for, they know, not what they do.
42:50
It's a perfect example of humility and prayer.
42:54
He was asking on the behalf of the Literally killing him.
42:58
We should be able to Humble ourselves in the presence of
43:00
God, in in a fraction the way that that Jesus.
43:05
If we humble ourselves and our prayers, God, God will answer a.
43:10
Let's see if we build the rest of these attitudes toward
43:14
prayer, then we can pray and the last point is boldly.
43:19
Now if you're anything like me, you might think at first that
43:21
boldness, is the opposite of humility.
43:26
But that's actually it actually means that we can talk.
43:30
Frankly. You're plainly with God means
43:33
that we can have the assurance that he will hear us and answer
43:39
you think about how how Brinkley and plainly and and how
43:46
comfortably that Adam and Eve were able to talk with God in
43:51
the Garden of Eden. And that's really what God
43:54
wants. Was he wants us to be able to
43:56
talk with, he wants us to be able to talk with him and not
44:01
only get what we need, but praise him and the doing of it.
44:07
Who wants us to praise him. He wants us to thank him and he
44:12
wants to bless us with blessings through career first for this
44:20
for boldly Hebrews. 4:16 says let us therefore come boldly to
44:28
the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to
44:33
help in time of if you are in a time of need right now.
44:37
I know I know there's someone out there who pray to God
44:44
personally and if it's it's something that you need to do,
44:49
pray to God with the if if you Come a Christian prayer.
44:55
Alone is not enough. A lot of people will say, pray
44:58
the sinner's prayer and you'll be saved.
45:01
That's just frankly not in the Bible.
45:05
In order to become a Christian. We're told clearly in the Bible
45:09
to have faith in Jesus, repent of our sins.
45:12
I'm confessing that Jesus is God's son and be baptized for
45:19
the remission of our sins. You haven't done that or if you
45:22
need Or if you are a Christian and you need to repent of sin
45:28
known by others, please come now is
45:43
trusting in his grace. This is our, are you washed in
45:48
the blood of the Lamb? Are you on?
45:55
In the blood in the soul cleansing.
46:00
Blood agar - fathers. Are they white as snow Ari was
46:11
in the Von of the land, lay aside of garments that are
46:18
stained with sin and be washed in the blood.
46:24
Of the land, there's a fountain blowing for the soul.
46:31
I'm gleaning. Omie wise, getting a blood of
46:36
the Lamb. Are you washed in the blood in
46:45
the soul, cleansing blood, mines, mines?
46:53
As our they are white as snow. Are you on was in the blood of
47:00
the Lamb? Let us pray, Our Father in
47:06
heaven Hallowed be thy, holy and righteous name and fathers.
47:12
We come to the tonight in prayer.
47:15
We just pray that his with a humble spirit that you would
47:19
have us to Father with an always penitent attitude.
47:23
And father, loving Spirit or thee.
47:26
And for one another, we just thank you Father, so much that
47:30
we've had this opportunity to come together and meet as
47:34
children design and, and with friends, father, and to meditate
47:39
and think of