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Matthew 6:25-34 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

0:00
My name is Reese Winkler. This is my first time, so prayers are appreciated as we open up the Word of God together this morning.
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Tiny bit about me, and then a lot about God to follow. So I am a teacher, so I teach Bible class, mostly middle schoolers, so I'm just going to pretend like you're all sixth grade students.
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It'll make it a lot easier for me. And my wife, Amy, is a nurse at the hospital over in Gainesville.
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Okay, so let's read together. We're going to be in Matthew 6, again, 25 through 34. I'm going to go ahead and read from verse 24.
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And this is the Word of God. And it says,
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No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
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You cannot serve God and money, or mammon.
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Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.
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Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing?
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Look at the birds of the air. They neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns.
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Yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
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Are you not of more value than they?
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And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to a span of life?
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And why are you anxious about clothing?
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Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow.
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They neither toil nor spin.
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Yet I tell you, even Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
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But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven,
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will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
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Therefore, do not be anxious, saying,
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What shall I eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear?
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For the Gentiles seek after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
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But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
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Therefore, do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
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Sufficient is the day its own trouble.
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So, at the surface level in reading this text, I just need to tell you guys,
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this is a hard text.
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Not so much to preach, it's pretty straightforward,
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but it's a hard text to hear, especially in our culture.
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And so know from the outset, there are going to be things that we talk about today
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that we'll see in the Scripture that are going to challenge you,
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they're going to push you.
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And we have this tendency, I think, a lot of times,
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when we hear a hard word, to brace ourselves against it,
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and to harden ourselves against what the Word of God is saying.
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And so I would encourage you this morning,
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soften your heart.
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Know that this is meant to be helpful to you,
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that the Word of God is written, as Nathan says all the time,
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for God's glory and for our good.
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Right?
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This is supposed to hurt a little bit,
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and if you're not getting hurt ever by the Word of God,
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then you're either perfect, which is unlikely,
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or you are not listening to what the Word is actually saying.
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So I would challenge you this morning, as I speak,
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I'm going to try to soften it a little bit,
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and empathize with you,
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because I'm walking the same path that you guys are.
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I feel anxious.
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And what a good first text to preach, right?
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As I'm preparing, right,
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I have to look at myself formulating an argument against being anxious.
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And so join me as we look together
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at what the Word of God has to say about anxiety.
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Today it may seem overwhelming at times
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and seem like a message only pointing out a deep flaw
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in the way that many of us function on a day-to-day basis.
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However, I hope that you will see our text as a message of hope
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as we throw ourselves on to Christ,
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relying on Him to battle and overcome our anxiety.
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So society has a lot to say about anxiety.
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And any time that society has a lot to say about anything,
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we need to be careful, right?
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Our world is full of arguments about anxiety.
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There's so many books, self-help classes,
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lots of money that has gone into teaching about anxiety.
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So we've got to be careful not only about how we think about it,
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but also how we're affected by worldly influence.
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This also means that we need to undo some of our assumptions we get from the culture, right?
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So before we explore God's Word, we need to undo some of those things,
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which makes for a long introduction this morning.
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But be patient, we will get to the text.
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So according to the National Institute of Mental Health,
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anxiety disorders affect the largest percentage of Americans
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of any other type of mental health disorder.
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The numbers are around 19% of Americans fall into this category of disordered anxiety,
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which means that about one in five people self-report that anxiety affects them so much
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that it interferes with relationships, jobs, and so forth.
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Now, one in five, you may be sitting there thinking,
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well, I just got to be four out of five, right?
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But unfortunately, the news is a little bit more bleak than that, right?
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Our society's baseline of what is normal anxiety is way higher than what Scripture would call us to.
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Driven by greed, power, and the desire to be liked,
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Americans have developed a high tolerance for anxiety,
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and in large part, the church has been inoculated from the pervasive view of our anxious tendencies.
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So as we're thinking about anxiety today,
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I want us to be thinking about how many of our actions on a day-to-day basis
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are targeted at alleviating feelings of anxiety.
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The way that you dress to please others or to catch attention,
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doing something so that you can say that you did or post it,
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looking like you work hard in front of your employer and feeling anxious about that,
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or distracting yourself from anxiety with music, video games, God forbid,
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exercise or outdoor activities,
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even reading the Word of God, praying, reading Christian books, and coming to church
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so that you don't have to feel guilt later, right?
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The focus of doing even good activities is on taking away anxiety
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and not on the glory of God, then we're doing it wrong.
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We have the wrong mindset.
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For many in society, anxiety has become so normal
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that we're unable to recognize it and call it out in ourselves and in others.
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And we fail to take personal responsibility for our anxiety.
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So the world seems to recognize several sources of anxiety.
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Not all of them are invalid.
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Certainly there's truth to it.
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But they normally say some combination of genetics,
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endless possible life circumstances,
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and our learned responses to our environment
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constitute a cause for anxiety.
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However, the world will never say that anxiety is somehow our fault
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or that there's some moral weight to being or feeling anxious.
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Unfortunately, the way that we talk about in the church,
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think about and respond to our own anxiety
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would reveal that many of us have bought into this lie,
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though we may not say it on the surface.
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John MacArthur in his commentary on the text writes,
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Worry is the sin of distrusting the promise and providence of God,
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yet it is a sin that Christians commit perhaps more frequently than any other.
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So if this is true, if we commit the sin of anxiety
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as much as we commit any other sin,
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why are we not talking about it more?
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Why are we not thinking about it more,
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encouraging each other more, and so on?
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And I think a lot of it has to do with the way that we speak about it.
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We take our language from the way that the culture talks about it,
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and then that transfers into the way that we think about it.
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So this morning I invite you, as we look at God's Word,
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to see what the Scripture has to say about it,
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but then I would encourage you to examine your own anxious tendencies
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and the root of them.
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So our understanding of the cure for anxiety
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is similarly distorted by society's influence.
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Their prescription would be some combination of therapy,
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medication, and self-care.
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And even though those results from these activities
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that culture says work on anxiety
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are barely better than the combination of placebo effects
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and the natural cycles of human emotion,
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which normally cycle in and out of periods of anxiety
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or depression after six months for most people.
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So in other words,
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culture's version of the cure or the treatment for anxiety
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is barely better than doing nothing at all.
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So we can think about this shallow treatment of anxiety,
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this symptom-level treatment of anxiety,
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like treating the common cold.
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So we've all had a cold before,
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and we've probably all used some type of symptom relief
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to try to get rid of its effects.
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We've also all probably tried to push through a bad cold
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or take a pill or two
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instead of giving our body what it really needs,
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time to rest and recuperate.
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And like anxiety,
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you might be able to hold the symptoms at bay for a while,
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but you won't get better
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until you give the body what it really needs.
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Like a cold,
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anxiety will not get better
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until we give our soul what it really needs,
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which is a renewed heart before God.
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And while we aren't to condemn the use of medication
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in extreme circumstances,
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talking it out with someone,
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or surface-level self-care
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as a useful symptom management tool,
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it would be foolish to neglect
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to examine the spiritual root of anxiety as well.
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As scripture would call us to do.
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It would also be foolish to think
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that simply because anxiety may have biological roots,
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that there aren't spiritual roots and consequences as well.
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A tendency towards anger,
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sexual promiscuity or perversion,
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and laziness all have biological components,
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yet we would not excuse a murderer,
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we wouldn't excuse an adulterer,
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and we wouldn't excuse slothful behavior.
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Right?
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So we shouldn't also excuse anxiety
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just because it might have biological roots.
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And we are in a sinful world because of the fall,
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which means our bodies are corrupted as well.
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The point of Christian living
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is not to follow the flesh,
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but to fight against the flesh
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for what God desires.
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So our text this morning strongly denounces the idea
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that anxiety is a product of factors we can't control.
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Similarly, we ought not to think
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that because anxiety is an emotion,
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that it's totally out of our control.
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Scripture commands emotions all the time.
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And if you want a bigger picture of this,
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there's a great episode of Ask Pastor John,
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which is John Piper,
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and it's called
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The God Who Commands Our Emotions.
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So some examples of emotions
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that are commanded are forbidden in the Bible.
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Some that are commanded are joy,
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gratitude, fear of the Lord,
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delight in the Lord,
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to love God,
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to love others,
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to hope,
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to be sorrowful,
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to weep with those who weep,
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to rejoice with those who rejoice.
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And of course,
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love is not merely an emotion,
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and joy is not merely an emotion,
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but there are certainly feeling aspects to it.
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The point is that we can't just turn them off and on,
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but that doesn't mean that they can't be commanded
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because they are.
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And then forbidden,
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we're forbidden from the fear of man,
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from fear in general,
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from the love of the world,
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from sinful anger,
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and in our text this morning,
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forbidden from anxiety.
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So just because you don't have total control
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at all times to flip it on and off
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doesn't mean that it can't be commanded.
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So we've got to get that straight in our minds.
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Anxiety, like all other emotions,
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is a result or an extension of belief, right?
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So an emotion reflects a deeper thing,
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and that is belief.
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John Bloom at Desiring God
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writes in an article on this topic,
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God designed your emotions to be gauges,
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not guides.
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They're meant to report to you,
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not to dictate you.
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The pattern of your emotions
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gives you a reading
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on where your hope is
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because they are wired
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into what you believe
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and what you value
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and how much.
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That's why emotions like delight,
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affection, fear, anger, joy, etc.
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are so important in the Bible.
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They reveal what your heart loves,
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trusts, and fears.
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Pleasure is the measure of your treasure.
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Isn't that nice?
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Because the emotion of pleasure
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is a gauge that tells you
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what you love.
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Another commentator in our text
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describes it as Jesus' treasure test
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in reference to what the preceding passage
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that Clay preached on last week refers to.
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So in other words,
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you can know what you're treasuring
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by examining your emotional attachment
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to those things.
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Christ here in our text
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specifically ties anxiety
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to treasure or to worship.
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So we've got to ask ourselves the question,
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what does your anxiety,
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what does our anxiety,
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tell us about what we worship?
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Is it our family, money,
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appearance, providence,
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or your sense of self-worth
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before others and before God
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or a job performance?
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So a quick word of encouragement
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before we dive into our text.
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Maybe you're feeling overwhelmed
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at the thought of that,
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wow, my anxiety that I feel
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all the time is sinful?
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What?
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Maybe this is bad news for you.
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However, our text provides a cure
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along with it.
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But we have to be willing to go deep enough
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in digging out the root of sin.
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So I want to revisit really quickly
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our cold analogy.
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And I know that no analogy is perfect,
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but with your permission,
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I'd like to beef mine up a little bit
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to be a more accurate description
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of our dealings with anxiety.
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So I'll invite you into a different dimension
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for a second
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as we change some basic assumptions
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about colds, medicine, science,
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and the way that the world works in general.
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So some of you will find this helpful
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if you can track with me.
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So I have bad news
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and I have good news.
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So the bad news
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is that you're going to catch the cold
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every day,
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or sorry,
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every week this year.
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So no matter what you do,
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you're going to catch the cold
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every week this year.
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But there's good news along with it, right?
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There's a vaccination for the cold.
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Hip, hip, hooray, right?
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So you can prevent the cold
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or you can take this vaccination
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before you get sick
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or you can take this vaccination
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after you get sick.
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Okay, it's your choice.
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And in this fanciful world,
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cold medicine is also an option.
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So you could just kind of
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knock out the symptoms
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that are there as well.
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So this leaves us with a few options.
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Some are better than others.
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So the first option,
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this is the best option,
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is to take the vaccination
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before you get sick, right?
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You know it's going to happen,
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so you take the prescription for it
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before it happens.
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Number two is an okay option.
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Probably not your best one,
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but you could wait
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until the symptoms start coming up
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and then choose to take the vaccination
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or take the medicine, right?
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That's an okay option.
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And then option number three,
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take the cold medicine
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that will alleviate
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some of your symptoms.
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So you get sick,
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then you pop a Benadryl
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and hope for the best, right?
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Not a great option.
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And then our worst option,
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we can get the cold every week
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and accept our new normal.
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So this should frame the way
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that we think about the text this morning,
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how we think about anxiety.
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And even though there's some bad news,
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right, that anxiety is sinful,
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there's good news, right?
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There's a cure along with it.
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So we can either seek to prevent anxiety
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with prayer, meditation on the Word,
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and renewed daily belief.
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We can treat anxiety
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once we're already flustered
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with prayer, meditation on the Word,
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and renewed daily belief.
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Or we can keep using shallow methods
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to make the symptoms
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of feeling anxious
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temporarily subside.
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Or we can just settle
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for anxious lives
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and try to get by.
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So it's bad news
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that our anxiety is sinful unbelief,
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which we'll see.
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But it's probably worse,
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and it's probably worse
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than we originally thought.
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But we can prevent it,
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and we can deal with it.
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And when it does come,
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we can repent before a God
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who has offered us grace upon grace
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to sojourn through this life.
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God knows our frame.
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He knows His children
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that are living in a sinful world
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will be tempted
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by only looking at
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what's around them in the world
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and becoming anxious.
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So let's call anxiety
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what it is together,
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do our best to examine ourselves,
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and lay our sinful anxiety
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at the foot of the cross
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as we take up biblical prescription
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for dealing with worry.
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So anxiety, again,
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is a symptom of a deeper problem.
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It's not a cause,
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or it's not the issue
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in and of itself,
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but it's a symptom
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of something deeper.
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Today, we're going to be looking
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at anxiety as a symptom
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or as a result
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of a few common areas
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of sinful unbelief,
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how to prevent those things,
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and see how our Lord
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would have us respond
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when we recognize feelings
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of anxiety.
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So in our text this morning,
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and from surrounding texts
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from the Sermon on the Mount,
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we'll see anxiety
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as a symptom of unbelief,
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specifically a symptom
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of a worldly focus,
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a symptom of unbelief
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in God's provision,
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a symptom of unbelief
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in God's wisdom,
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a symptom of the fear of man,
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a symptom of prayerlessness
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or wrongful prayer,
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and then we'll look together
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at some points of application.
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I'll repeat those headings
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as we go.
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So first heading,
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anxiety as a symptom
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of unbelief.
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So like other sins,
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anxiety is rooted
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in the unbelief
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of specific characteristics
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and promises of God.
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So any sin,
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no matter how big
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or how small,
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is a statement to God
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saying our way is better.
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And we don't always
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do this consciously,
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and in fact,
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most of the time
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we don't do this consciously,
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but the action
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that we take
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is saying to God,
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what I wanted to do
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in this moment
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is better
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than what you've said
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is the right thing to do.
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Anxiety and belief
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are clearly tied together
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in our passage this morning.
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If you look back over it,
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you have this continued echoing
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of do not be anxious,
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but believe that God will provide.
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The command to not be anxious
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is specifically mentioned
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three times.
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In verse 30,
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our Lord connects anxiety
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with belief.
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He says,
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But if God so clothes
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the grass of the field,
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which today is alive,
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and tomorrow is thrown
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into the oven,
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will He not much more
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clothe you,
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O you of little faith?
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Right?
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So you have those two things
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specifically tied together.
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The belief that God will provide
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or the unbelief
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that God won't provide
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is a symptom of belief
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or not having faith.
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John MacArthur
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in his commentary
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on this text writes,
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Worry is not a trivial sin
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because it strikes a blow
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both at God's love
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and God's integrity.
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Worry declares
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our Heavenly Father
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to be untrustworthy
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in His Word
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and His promises.
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To avow belief
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in the inerrancy of Scripture
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and in the next moment
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to express worry
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is to speak out of both sides
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of our mouth.
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Worry shows that we are mastered
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by our circumstances
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and by our own finite perspectives
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and understanding
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rather than mastered
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by God's Word.
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Worry is therefore
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not only debilitating
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and destructive
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but maligns
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and impugns God.
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God has made
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abundant promises to us
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throughout the Scriptures.
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The question is
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whether or not
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we will believe them
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and hold fast to them
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in times of trouble
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or will we live
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a life of anxiety
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and worldly comfort.
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So first question for us,
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do we know
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the promises of God?
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Do we have specific things
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that we can take up
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in God's Word
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to fight anxiety with?
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Do we know
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the characteristics of God
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as they're expressed
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in Scripture
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or is it kind of
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this like general,
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well yeah,
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God's loving
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and He's kind
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and He's powerful
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and He's sovereign.
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We know these words
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but we need to know
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things in His Word
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that we can run to
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in times of anxiety
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and comfort.
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In our chapter,
19:44
in our text this morning,
19:45
verse 33,
19:46
the promise,
19:47
seek first God's kingdom
19:48
and all of these things,
19:50
daily provision,
19:51
will be added to you.
19:53
Great promise right there.
19:54
And then in Isaiah 41,
19:55
verses 8 through 10,
19:57
it says,
19:58
You whom I took
20:00
from the ends of the earth
20:01
and called from its farthest corner
20:04
saying to you,
20:05
You are my servant.
20:06
I have chosen you
20:07
and not cast you off.
20:08
Fear not,
20:09
for I am with you.
20:10
Be not dismayed,
20:11
for I am your God.
20:12
I will strengthen you,
20:14
I will help you,
20:15
and I will uphold you
20:15
in my righteous right hand.
20:18
So together,
20:18
let's look at our next heading
20:19
as we see specific areas
20:22
of unbelief
20:23
that anxiety indicates
20:25
in our hearts.
20:26
So point number two,
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anxiety is a symptom
20:28
of a worldly focus
20:30
or worldly treasure.
20:33
So worldly focus
20:34
versus Godward focus
20:35
has been a major,
20:36
if not the major theme
20:37
of the Lord's teaching
20:39
here in the Sermon on the Mount
20:40
since at least the beginning
20:41
of chapter 6.
20:43
So Nathan taught,
20:44
and if you didn't hear
20:45
the series,
20:47
we'll call it a series,
20:48
on the Lord's Prayer.
20:50
I would encourage you
20:51
to go back
20:52
and listen to those.
20:53
But we see God's glory,
20:54
not our glory,
20:55
being the focus of prayer
20:57
in chapter 6,
20:58
verses 9 through 13.
20:59
And then throughout,
21:00
we have God's reward
21:02
in prayer
21:02
and giving
21:03
and in fasting
21:04
instead of the temporary reward
21:06
of appearing spiritual
21:07
before others.
21:09
So again,
21:09
we get to choose,
21:10
am I going to choose
21:11
God's reward
21:12
or worldly reward?
21:13
And then seeking
21:14
heavenly treasure
21:15
over worldly treasure
21:16
in verses 19 through 24.
21:19
And then in our passage,
21:20
seeking God's kingdom
21:21
and His righteousness
21:22
instead of our little kingdoms.
21:25
We can only choose
21:26
one of these two,
21:27
as Clay put it well
21:28
last week, right?
21:29
We only get one choice,
21:31
and our call throughout
21:32
is to be singularly focused
21:34
on God's kingdom.
21:36
Anxiety, therefore,
21:37
is a result of treasuring
21:39
or overvaluing
21:40
the things of this world.
21:42
But we are called
21:43
to have minds
21:43
that are set
21:44
on heavenly things, right?
21:46
Colossians 3, 1 through 4 says,
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If then you have been
21:49
raised with Christ,
21:50
seek the things
21:51
that are above
21:52
where Christ is,
21:53
seated at the right hand
21:54
of God.
21:55
Set your minds
21:56
on things of above,
21:57
not on the things
21:57
of this earth.
21:58
For you have died
21:59
and your life is hidden
22:00
with Christ and God.
22:02
When Christ,
22:03
who is your life,
22:04
appears,
22:05
then you will also
22:06
appear with Him
22:06
in glory.
22:08
So if we can
22:09
treat this world
22:10
as passing,
22:11
treat our life
22:12
as a vapor,
22:13
our death
22:14
as imminent,
22:15
your primary citizenship
22:16
being found
22:17
in heaven,
22:18
in your life,
22:19
as a tool
22:20
in the hand of God,
22:21
then you won't be anxious.
22:23
One of the primary ways
22:24
that we tend to fall
22:25
into this worldly mindset
22:26
is in our facade
22:28
of self-sufficiency.
22:30
So this brings us
22:30
to our next point.
22:32
Anxiety as a symptom
22:33
of unbelief
22:35
in God's provision.
22:37
And this is point number three.
22:39
The primary thrust
22:39
of our text
22:40
is what we're looking at
22:41
here, right?
22:42
The symptom of unbelief
22:43
in God's provision.
22:44
So if you look with me
22:45
at our text,
22:46
you'll see the pattern
22:48
or the way
22:49
that it's structured.
22:49
We have the overall heading,
22:51
then we have this repeated
22:52
pattern that he uses.
22:54
So the repeated pattern
22:55
is a topic,
22:57
a supporting example,
22:58
an argument
22:59
of lesser to greater,
23:00
and then we have
23:01
this little argument
23:02
in between
23:02
of unproductivity
23:03
in verse 27,
23:05
and then concluding
23:06
with an exhortation
23:07
and closing rationale.
23:09
So we have these two topics
23:11
of food and clothing,
23:12
and then supporting examples
23:13
of God's provision
23:14
for birds and for flowers,
23:17
and then we have
23:17
this argument
23:18
of lesser to greater.
23:20
If he so feeds
23:21
and clothes them,
23:22
will he not also
23:23
feed and clothe you?
23:27
So the overall heading,
23:28
verse 25,
23:29
do not be anxious
23:30
about what you will eat,
23:31
drink, or wear.
23:33
And then we have
23:33
several reasons given
23:34
not to be anxious
23:35
about food or clothing.
23:37
First reason,
23:38
you are more valuable
23:39
than birds and flowers.
23:42
Yet God feeds
23:42
and clothes them.
23:43
How much more
23:44
will he then feed
23:45
and clothe you?
23:47
In verse 27,
23:48
we learn that anxiety
23:49
about our lives
23:50
is totally unproductive.
23:52
And if you think
23:52
about your own anxiety,
23:54
think about what you
23:55
have produced
23:56
by working yourself up.
23:58
Nothing, right?
23:59
We don't accomplish
24:00
anything with our anxiety,
24:02
and that's clearly
24:03
our origin scripture.
24:05
Unbelievers worry
24:06
about these things.
24:07
Our next reason,
24:09
our next argument
24:09
is that the Gentiles
24:10
think in this way.
24:12
They worry about
24:13
food and clothing
24:14
because they don't believe
24:15
that God will provide
24:16
for them,
24:17
and it would be foolish
24:18
for us to think
24:19
like unbelievers
24:20
in reference to God.
24:22
Our next reason,
24:23
God provides
24:24
what we need daily,
24:26
and each day
24:26
has enough things
24:28
to worry about,
24:28
so don't worry
24:29
about tomorrow.
24:31
And again,
24:31
in line with our experience
24:33
and implication
24:33
from verse 34,
24:35
or worrying about tomorrow
24:37
makes you unable
24:38
to accomplish
24:38
what you're meant
24:39
to do today.
24:40
And all of us
24:41
have found this
24:41
to be true, right?
24:42
If we spend all day
24:43
worrying about
24:44
what we're supposed
24:44
to do tomorrow,
24:45
we don't get anything
24:45
done today, right?
24:47
We know that's true,
24:48
and yet we don't have
24:49
the tools or seem
24:50
to have the tools
24:51
in our arsenal
24:52
to battle anxiety.
24:54
When we believe
24:55
or when we begin
24:56
to believe that we
24:57
are providing
24:58
for ourselves,
24:59
we become anxious
25:00
then when our provision
25:01
is jeopardized.
25:03
our anxiety
25:04
about money,
25:04
food,
25:05
and clothing
25:05
is an indication
25:06
of unbelief
25:07
that God will provide
25:08
and is declaring
25:09
to God
25:10
that you have provided
25:11
for yourself
25:11
in the past, right?
25:13
I hope you're tracking
25:14
with me there.
25:15
There's no reason
25:15
to be anxious
25:16
unless you believe
25:18
that you're the one
25:18
who has been providing
25:19
up into this point
25:21
so far.
25:21
So it's actually
25:22
a statement
25:22
of pride
25:24
to God
25:25
to feel anxious
25:26
because we're saying
25:27
in the past
25:27
I've provided
25:28
and now I'm going
25:28
to be anxious
25:29
about how I'm going
25:30
to provide in the future,
25:31
but when we have faith
25:32
in God,
25:33
ask Him to provide,
25:35
then He gets the glory.
25:37
So God has sustained us
25:39
and clothed us
25:40
and our family
25:40
every day
25:41
since we've been alive
25:42
and He will continue
25:43
to do so.
25:44
The question is
25:45
will you trust Him?
25:48
A fabulous example
25:49
in church history
25:49
of this type
25:50
of reliance
25:51
on the Lord
25:51
for life and ministry
25:53
can be found
25:54
in the 19th century
25:55
missionary
25:55
and pastor
25:56
George Mueller.
25:58
Moving to Bristol
25:59
in 1832,
26:00
he pastored a church
26:02
named Bethesda Chapel
26:03
from then 1832
26:05
until his death
26:06
in 1898.
26:07
In 1835,
26:09
after seeing hundreds
26:10
of orphans
26:10
in the surrounding community
26:12
with their basic needs
26:13
unattended to,
26:14
he opened four houses
26:16
able to take in
26:18
130 children.
26:20
In 1846,
26:21
he bought more land
26:22
to begin building
26:23
even more orphan houses
26:24
and then from 1849
26:26
1849 to 1875,
26:28
more houses
26:29
were opened
26:30
that could house
26:31
2,050 orphans
26:34
at one time,
26:35
all of which
26:35
are still standing
26:36
today.
26:38
Mueller,
26:39
throughout his life,
26:39
would care for
26:40
10,000 orphans.
26:42
His ministry
26:42
brought in
26:43
the equivalent
26:43
of over
26:44
112 million dollars
26:46
of today's money
26:47
and yet,
26:48
he never asked
26:48
for any of it.
26:49
He never solicited
26:50
money,
26:51
he never said,
26:52
we're in need,
26:52
we need this,
26:53
he just prayed
26:54
and allowed God
26:55
to provide.
26:56
He didn't start
26:57
with any significant
26:58
amount of money
26:58
or fortune
26:59
and he never
27:00
took a salary.
27:02
Mueller was a man
27:03
of faithful prayer
27:04
and trust
27:05
and God
27:06
to meet the needs
27:06
of his nuclear family
27:08
and his extended family
27:09
of over 10,000 people.
27:11
In A.T. Pearson's
27:13
biography of Mueller,
27:14
he writes of one
27:15
of these times
27:16
when he was looking
27:16
at purchasing
27:17
new lands
27:18
of pressing
27:20
faith in God
27:21
to accomplish
27:22
the building
27:22
of those new
27:23
orphan houses
27:24
and he writes,
27:25
should God provide
27:26
large amounts of money
27:27
for this purpose,
27:28
it would still further
27:29
illustrate the power
27:30
of prayer
27:30
offered in faith
27:32
to command help
27:33
from on high.
27:34
A lot of ground
27:35
spacious enough
27:36
would at the outset
27:37
cost thousands
27:38
of pounds
27:38
but why should this
27:40
daunt a true child
27:41
of God
27:42
whose father
27:42
was infinitely rich?
27:44
Mr. Mueller
27:45
and his helper
27:46
sought day by day
27:47
to be guided of God
27:48
and as faith fed
27:49
on this daily bread
27:51
of contact with him,
27:52
the assurance
27:53
grew strong
27:54
that help
27:54
would come
27:55
and so it did.
27:57
When we ask
27:58
and rely on God
27:59
for provision
28:00
and then he provides,
28:01
he gets the glory
28:03
for that provision.
28:04
But when we fail
28:05
to see him
28:06
as the provider,
28:07
we begin to believe
28:07
that we're the ones
28:08
providing for the needs
28:10
and then we get
28:11
the glory and success
28:12
or feel anxious
28:13
about the threat
28:14
of failure, right?
28:16
And so by asking
28:17
God beforehand
28:18
to provide,
28:19
seeing him
28:19
as the giver
28:20
of our jobs
28:21
and of our provision,
28:23
he then gets the glory
28:24
on the back end.
28:26
Right?
28:26
So faith in God's character
28:28
and promise
28:29
cannot coexist
28:30
with worry.
28:32
Mueller once said,
28:33
and this quote
28:34
is on the front
28:35
of your bulletin,
28:36
he says,
28:37
the beginning
28:37
of anxiety
28:39
is the end of faith
28:40
and the beginning
28:41
of true faith
28:42
is the end
28:42
of anxiety.
28:43
So if we trust
28:45
God for salvation
28:46
to perfect us eternally,
28:49
to cleanse our sin
28:50
from us,
28:50
why can't we trust
28:51
him to meet
28:52
our daily needs?
28:54
Yet isn't it so easy
28:55
to fall into this trap?
28:57
It really feels
28:58
like we're providing.
28:59
Just as God provides
29:01
work for the birds
29:02
to do so that they can eat,
29:03
he gives us opportunity
29:04
to work and to provide
29:06
for our own.
29:07
So let's pray often
29:08
to this end,
29:09
asking God to help us
29:11
recognize our dependence
29:12
on him for our daily need,
29:13
asking him to provide
29:15
so then we can thank him
29:16
and praise him
29:17
when he does.
29:19
So we've looked at
29:20
several lesser
29:20
to greater arguments.
29:22
This argument
29:23
that if he does
29:23
this little thing,
29:25
if he cares for
29:26
these little birds
29:26
and these lilies
29:27
will he not also
29:28
care for you
29:29
because you're more valuable.
29:30
So I'd like to make
29:31
my own lesser
29:33
to greater argument.
29:34
And technically,
29:34
I think it's a
29:35
less to lesser argument.
29:37
If God desires for us
29:39
not even to worry
29:40
about the basic life needs,
29:42
how much less
29:43
should we worry
29:44
about the trivial things
29:45
that we spend
29:45
most of our time
29:46
anxious about, right?
29:48
We're all here this morning.
29:49
Most of us are dressed
29:50
at least pretty nice.
29:52
All of us,
29:53
I would assume,
29:54
don't have to worry
29:54
too much about
29:55
where our next meal
29:56
is going to come from.
29:57
We can get it
29:57
one way or another.
29:59
Yet we find ourselves
30:00
worrying about
30:00
more than just
30:01
our basic needs
30:03
being met.
30:05
Often we find ourselves
30:06
not content
30:07
with what God
30:08
has deemed appropriate
30:09
for our lives,
30:10
which brings us
30:11
to our next point
30:12
of unbelieving anxiety.
30:14
Point number four,
30:14
anxiety as a symptom
30:16
of unbelief
30:17
in God's wisdom.
30:20
And this is where
30:21
I think most of us,
30:24
if and when
30:25
we struggle with anxiety,
30:26
this in a lot of ways
30:28
is kind of what comes
30:29
to mind in my heart.
30:30
And I think for a lot of us
30:32
at CFC,
30:33
this is really where
30:34
it hits home
30:35
because God has promised
30:37
to provide for us
30:38
and sustain us,
30:38
but often we're not
30:40
content with the basics.
30:41
We want more
30:42
than the basics.
30:43
We desire more
30:44
than what God has
30:46
planned for our lives.
30:48
This shows itself
30:49
in several areas
30:50
and some common ones
30:51
as believers
30:51
are in materialism,
30:53
the wanting of new things,
30:55
more money,
30:55
nice things,
30:56
which ultimately
30:57
only serve for our enjoyment
30:59
rather than the furthering
31:00
of the kingdom.
31:01
We're also not content
31:02
often with our situation
31:04
or our environment.
31:05
We want our family situation
31:07
to be easier or better.
31:08
We don't want to be
31:09
single anymore.
31:11
We want life to be easier.
31:13
We want a better job.
31:14
We want better grades
31:15
and fill in the blank.
31:18
When we worry about
31:19
these things,
31:20
we say to God
31:21
that what He has given
31:22
isn't enough
31:22
and Christ isn't enough
31:24
to satisfy.
31:25
I know that may sound harsh
31:27
again this morning,
31:28
but let's look at
31:29
what the Scripture
31:30
has to say
31:30
about the way
31:31
that God provides
31:32
in His wisdom.
31:34
So a really common verse,
31:35
but I don't know how often
31:36
it's necessarily applied
31:37
to anxiety.
31:39
Excuse me.
31:41
Romans 8, 28 through 30,
31:43
a common verse again.
31:44
And we know that
31:45
for those who love God,
31:47
all things work together
31:48
for good.
31:49
For those who are called
31:50
according to His purpose.
31:51
For those whom He foreknew,
31:53
He also predestined
31:54
to be conformed
31:55
to the image of His Son
31:56
in order that He might be
31:58
the firstborn
31:58
among many brothers.
32:00
Right?
32:00
So we have this massive statement
32:02
at the outset
32:03
that God works all things,
32:05
that He's in control
32:06
of all things
32:07
and they're working together
32:08
for a purpose.
32:09
So I don't want to skip over that
32:10
because it's important to know
32:11
that God's in control.
32:13
He's working out
32:14
everything that happens
32:15
in the universe around us,
32:17
but also in our individual lives
32:19
to an end.
32:21
And that end is found
32:22
at the end of verse 29,
32:23
to be conformed
32:25
into the image
32:25
of His Son.
32:27
That's God's definition
32:28
of good
32:29
that He's just said
32:30
He promised to do.
32:32
So again,
32:33
everything in our life
32:35
is working towards
32:35
making us more like Christ
32:38
in the way that God
32:39
has designed it to be.
32:40
Another common verse
32:42
that we know,
32:43
Ephesians 1,
32:44
11 through 14.
32:45
I would encourage you
32:46
to go ahead and turn there
32:47
with me for this one.
32:48
Maybe not as common
32:49
as the last.
32:49
So go ahead and turn
32:50
to Ephesians 1.
32:52
We'll be reading
32:52
verses 11 through 14.
32:58
And it says,
33:09
In Him we have obtained
33:10
an inheritance,
33:12
having been predestined
33:13
according to the purpose
33:14
of Him,
33:15
who works all things
33:16
according to the counsel
33:17
of His will,
33:19
so that we who are the first
33:20
to hope in Christ
33:21
might be to the praise
33:23
of His glory.
33:24
In Him you also,
33:25
when you heard
33:26
the word of truth,
33:27
the gospel of your salvation,
33:28
and believed in Him,
33:29
we're sealed with
33:30
the promised Holy Spirit,
33:31
who is the guarantee
33:32
of our inheritance,
33:33
until we acquire possession
33:34
of it,
33:35
to the praise of His glory.
33:37
So again,
33:38
we have this huge statement.
33:40
Again,
33:40
God also works all things
33:43
so that we might be
33:44
to the praise of His glory.
33:46
So when you put those
33:47
two things together,
33:48
we have a statement.
33:50
God works all things
33:51
together for good
33:52
to be made more like Christ,
33:54
that we might be,
33:55
we might exist
33:56
for the praise
33:57
of His glory.
33:58
So whatever happens,
34:00
again,
34:00
in our lives
34:01
serves this purpose.
34:03
Therefore,
34:03
our lack of contentment
34:05
with what God
34:05
has placed in our lives,
34:07
often revealing itself
34:08
through anxiety
34:09
about our situation,
34:11
says that we would rather
34:12
get what we want
34:13
than to be made
34:14
more like Christ
34:15
in the way
34:16
that He has decided
34:18
to do so.
34:18
So again,
34:19
let that sink in.
34:20
A lack of contentment
34:21
with what God
34:22
has placed in our lives,
34:24
says that we would rather
34:25
get what we want
34:26
than to be made
34:27
more like Christ.
34:29
This includes
34:30
the process
34:31
of our sanctification.
34:33
This is kind of
34:34
a challenging argument
34:35
to make,
34:35
and I want to be clear.
34:36
When I was talking
34:37
to Nathan yesterday
34:38
about it,
34:38
I just asked him,
34:39
like,
34:39
does that make sense?
34:41
Like,
34:41
should I include this?
34:42
And I feel like
34:42
it's a really relevant
34:43
part of the Christian life,
34:45
this frustration
34:46
with the process
34:48
of our sanctification.
34:49
We often get frustrated
34:51
to the point of anxiety
34:53
with the pace
34:55
at which we're growing.
34:56
We get frustrated
34:57
with the fact
34:57
that we're still
34:58
battling the same things
35:00
over and over.
35:02
So have you ever
35:03
asked yourself this question,
35:04
why doesn't God
35:05
take away my temptation?
35:07
Or why am I still struggling
35:09
with the same sin
35:10
I was five years ago?
35:12
This is a very common
35:12
frustration
35:13
that we have
35:14
as believers.
35:16
So in one sense,
35:18
we should never be content
35:19
with our relationship
35:20
with God, right?
35:20
We want to be zealous.
35:21
We want to be striving
35:22
after a deeper relationship
35:23
with Him
35:24
and knowing Him
35:25
to a greater extent.
35:26
Is that not the purpose
35:27
of the Christian life?
35:29
But when this desire
35:30
turns into guilt
35:31
as we beat ourselves up
35:32
for our performance
35:33
over the last week,
35:34
the last month,
35:35
or the last year,
35:36
it gets in the way
35:37
of accepting the grace
35:39
that God has provided
35:40
as a covering for our sin.
35:41
We're effectively saying
35:43
to God,
35:43
thank you for my salvation,
35:45
but now it's my turn
35:46
to make myself worthy
35:47
to be your child.
35:49
We often find ourselves
35:50
guilty or ashamed
35:51
before God
35:52
because we feel like
35:53
we aren't good enough.
35:54
And we've got to remember
35:55
that's the whole point
35:56
of the gospel.
35:57
That is the message
35:58
of the gospel,
35:59
that we're not adequate
36:00
before a holy God
36:02
to be a good enough
36:03
brother or sister
36:04
or son or daughter
36:05
or husband
36:06
or good enough
36:07
at our job.
36:08
But in Christ,
36:09
we have sufficiency.
36:11
In Christ,
36:12
we are, in fact,
36:13
worthy before a holy God.
36:15
Not because of our works,
36:16
but because of what
36:17
He's done in us.
36:18
We have to understand
36:19
our dependence
36:20
and the synergism,
36:22
us and God
36:23
working together
36:24
on our sanctification
36:25
according to His will.
36:27
Paul,
36:28
writing to the church
36:28
in Galatia
36:29
about salvation
36:30
through faith alone,
36:32
by grace alone,
36:33
says in chapter 3,
36:34
verses 2-3,
36:36
let me ask you only this.
36:39
Did you receive the Spirit
36:40
by works of the law
36:42
or by hearing with faith?
36:44
Are you so foolish,
36:45
having begun by the Spirit,
36:46
are you now being perfected
36:48
by the flesh?
36:49
Of course,
36:50
the answer to that question
36:50
is no.
36:52
Just as the birds gather
36:53
what the Lord has provided
36:54
for them without worry,
36:56
we must learn to do the same
36:57
in our own sanctification,
36:59
not full of anxiety,
37:00
but simply taking up
37:01
what He has provided
37:02
for us daily
37:03
in His Word
37:04
and the church
37:05
as we seek to walk
37:06
with Him in obedience.
37:08
When we try to repay God
37:09
back for our salvation
37:10
and we begin to feel anxiety
37:12
because we've placed
37:13
the pressure on ourselves
37:14
to earn back our salvation,
37:16
which has been freely given
37:18
to us by God
37:19
and we effectively say
37:20
that the cross of Christ
37:21
is not enough.
37:23
Strive for godliness
37:24
by all means,
37:25
but don't worry about
37:26
where God has you
37:27
in your faith
37:28
and in your walk.
37:29
He has promised
37:29
to sustain us to the end
37:31
and to make us more like Christ
37:32
in the process.
37:33
So, along with the promise
37:34
that we already have
37:35
in Romans 8-30,
37:37
Philippians 1-6 says,
37:39
and I am sure of this,
37:40
that He who began
37:41
a good work in you
37:42
will bring it to completion
37:43
at the day of Christ.
37:45
Oftentimes,
37:48
we're anxious
37:49
about the way
37:50
that we appear
37:52
before God,
37:53
but sometimes
37:53
this anxiety
37:54
that we feel
37:55
about our own holiness
37:56
is a result
37:57
of not looking good
37:59
in front of other people.
38:01
And so,
38:01
this brings us
38:02
to our fifth point.
38:03
Anxiety is a symptom
38:04
of the fear of man
38:06
or the desire
38:07
to please man
38:09
more than we desire
38:10
to please God.
38:10
So, again,
38:11
the symptom
38:11
of the fear of man.
38:12
This is a huge source
38:15
of anxiety
38:16
for many in the church
38:17
and we clearly see
38:18
this taught
38:18
already in the Sermon
38:21
on the Mount.
38:22
Chapter 6,
38:23
verses 1-8,
38:24
we see righteousness
38:25
either to be seen
38:27
by others
38:27
through generosity,
38:29
prayer,
38:30
or fasting
38:31
instead of seeking
38:32
after the heavenly reward
38:33
that God gives us
38:35
for those actions.
38:37
Anxiety about what
38:37
others think of us
38:38
is the fear
38:40
of man spending
38:40
significant time
38:41
worrying,
38:42
thinking,
38:43
getting worked up
38:44
about what others
38:45
will think
38:45
is the fear of man.
38:47
And many believers
38:47
are raised
38:48
and function
38:49
as people pleasers
38:50
primarily
38:51
and not as
38:52
God pleasers
38:54
and end up living
38:55
a crippling life,
38:56
enslaved life
38:57
to the opinions
38:58
of others.
38:59
And this has
39:00
many consequences,
39:01
one of which
39:02
is that it stifles
39:05
our ability
39:05
to share our faith.
39:07
Right?
39:07
If we're so concerned,
39:08
more concerned
39:10
with what people
39:10
think than what
39:11
God thinks,
39:12
then it cripples
39:12
our ability
39:13
to share our faith.
39:14
John Bloom,
39:15
again,
39:15
he says,
39:16
we will obey
39:17
the one
39:18
whom we fear.
39:19
So,
39:20
whichever one
39:20
we fear the most,
39:22
that's where our
39:22
actions and our
39:23
obedience
39:23
will then follow.
39:25
Again,
39:25
we can only choose
39:25
one,
39:26
the fear of man
39:27
or the fear of God.
39:28
Deuteronomy 10-12
39:29
says,
39:30
Now Israel,
39:31
what does your Lord
39:32
require of you
39:33
but that you fear
39:34
the Lord your God,
39:34
walk in His ways
39:35
to love Him
39:36
and to serve
39:37
the Lord your God
39:38
with all your heart
39:38
and with all your soul.
39:40
If you'll turn with me
39:41
to Matthew 10-26
39:44
and following.
39:57
Again,
39:57
Matthew 10-26
39:58
says,
40:04
this is Christ's teaching,
40:05
so have no fear
40:06
of them
40:06
for nothing is covered
40:08
that will not be revealed
40:09
or hidden
40:10
that will not be known.
40:11
What I tell you
40:12
in the dark
40:13
say in the light
40:14
and what you hear
40:15
whispered
40:15
proclaim
40:16
on the housetops.
40:19
And do not fear
40:20
those who kill the body
40:21
but cannot kill the soul.
40:23
Rather,
40:23
fear Him
40:24
who can destroy
40:25
both the soul
40:26
and the body
40:26
in hell.
40:27
Again,
40:28
Jesus talking about birds.
40:29
Are not two sparrows
40:30
sold for a penny
40:31
and yet
40:32
not one of them
40:34
will fall to the ground
40:35
apart from your Father.
40:37
But even the hairs
40:37
on your head
40:38
are all numbered.
40:39
Fear not,
40:40
therefore,
40:41
you are of more value
40:42
than many sparrows.
40:44
We must trust
40:45
that pleasing God
40:46
in all circumstances
40:47
at whatever cost
40:48
will offend
40:49
and displease
40:50
others
40:51
ever more so
40:52
in our age.
40:53
But when we back down
40:54
in our beliefs,
40:55
fail to share our faith
40:56
when we know we ought to
40:57
or simply live
40:59
as we ought to
41:00
for fear of social consequence,
41:02
losing a job,
41:03
etc.
41:03
We say to God
41:04
that we are making
41:05
our kingdom
41:05
the priority
41:06
instead of His.
41:10
Okay,
41:10
last point.
41:11
Point number six.
41:12
Anxiety
41:12
as a symptom
41:14
of prayerlessness
41:15
or wrongful prayer.
41:17
And to see this,
41:18
we do need to go
41:19
outside of our text again,
41:20
but we'll see it
41:21
in the surrounding teaching
41:22
on the Sermon on the Mount.
41:24
So,
41:24
look back with me,
41:26
turn back to Matthew 6
41:27
if you're not there already,
41:29
and we'll reflect on
41:31
verses 9-13,
41:33
the Lord's Prayer.
41:34
So,
41:35
as we read it,
41:36
we'll find that
41:36
if we have Christ's attitude
41:38
in prayer as He models,
41:40
we'll alleviate
41:40
many of the sources
41:41
of anxiety
41:43
we feel today.
41:44
So,
41:45
our Father in Heaven,
41:46
hallowed be Your name.
41:47
If we trust
41:48
in the declaration of God
41:49
as our Holy Father,
41:50
because of the redemptive
41:51
work of Christ,
41:52
our focus will be heavenward
41:54
for His glory
41:55
and not for our own.
41:56
So,
41:57
the fear of God
41:57
will far outweigh
41:58
the fear of man.
42:01
Next,
42:02
your kingdom come,
42:02
your will be done.
42:04
If we focus on
42:04
God's will being done
42:05
and His kingdom coming
42:06
as our focus
42:07
instead of our own will
42:09
and our own authority,
42:10
we'll be content
42:11
with whatever He brings
42:12
into our lives
42:13
to accomplish
42:13
His purposes.
42:16
Give us this day
42:17
our daily bread.
42:18
If we trust
42:18
Him to be our provider
42:20
for daily provision
42:21
and forsake
42:21
the sin of pride,
42:23
believing we are
42:23
self-sufficient,
42:24
we will not be anxious
42:25
about where money
42:26
will come from
42:27
to provide for our families.
42:28
And we will be content
42:29
with the grace
42:30
He gives us
42:31
daily to sustain us.
42:33
And then lastly,
42:35
forgive us our debts
42:36
as we have forgiven
42:36
our debtors.
42:37
Lead us not into temptation,
42:38
but deliver us from evil.
42:40
If we trust Him
42:41
to forgive our sin
42:42
as He works forgiveness
42:44
into us
42:45
and to keep us
42:46
from temptation,
42:46
we will not worry
42:47
about the progress
42:48
of our sanctification
42:49
or try to earn back
42:50
our salvation.
42:52
And maybe we pray
42:52
and maybe you feel like,
42:54
well, I spend enough time
42:56
in prayer,
42:56
yet I still struggle
42:57
a lot with anxiety.
42:59
Oftentimes,
43:00
we're not focusing
43:01
on God taking away,
43:04
sorry,
43:04
we are focusing
43:05
on God taking away
43:06
painful circumstances
43:07
which aren't to be
43:08
the chief aim
43:09
of our prayer.
43:10
So maybe our focus
43:11
is off,
43:12
maybe we're not doing it
43:13
often enough,
43:14
or maybe we're not equipped
43:16
to specifically pray
43:17
to the end
43:18
God would have us do.
43:19
And we'll take a look
43:20
at that in just a minute.
43:23
Okay,
43:23
and then Philippians 4
43:25
is another great example
43:26
of prayer
43:28
as a prevention tool
43:29
for anxiety.
43:30
This is a very common verse.
43:33
So let's read it together.
43:35
It says,
43:36
Rejoice in the Lord always.
43:38
Again,
43:38
I will say rejoice.
43:39
Let your reasonableness
43:40
be known to everyone
43:41
for the Lord is at hand.
43:43
Do not be anxious
43:44
about anything
43:45
but in everything
43:46
by prayer and supplication
43:47
with thanksgiving.
43:49
Let your requests
43:49
be made known to God.
43:51
And the peace of God
43:52
which surpasses
43:52
all understanding
43:53
will guard your hearts
43:54
and your minds
43:55
in Christ Jesus.
43:57
So,
43:57
many read this passage
43:59
as only being a treatment
44:01
or a prescription
44:02
once we feel anxious.
44:05
But in fact,
44:05
a more straightforward reading
44:07
of the text
44:08
simply shows
44:09
the command
44:09
not to be anxious
44:10
and then the means
44:12
to prevent anxiety
44:13
through prayer.
44:14
So,
44:14
look or listen.
44:16
Again,
44:16
it says,
44:17
do not be anxious
44:18
about anything
44:18
but in prayer
44:20
by supplication
44:21
let your requests
44:22
be made known to God.
44:23
So,
44:23
it can be done beforehand.
44:25
In fact,
44:25
it's not just a tool
44:26
to respond to anxiety
44:28
with prayer.
44:29
And then we have
44:30
the promise
44:30
that God's peace
44:31
will guard us.
44:33
From what,
44:33
we may ask.
44:34
Not the circumstance
44:35
we prayed for necessarily
44:36
but from the original anxiety
44:39
we fight.
44:40
From the attitude
44:41
that God isn't in control
44:42
or doesn't know
44:43
what's best.
44:44
So,
44:44
as we thank God
44:45
for all he has given,
44:46
turn our requests
44:47
over to him,
44:48
relinquish our perceived control,
44:50
he guards our minds
44:51
from anxiety
44:52
with his peace.
44:54
So,
44:55
I want to look together
44:55
at some more specific application.
44:58
I hope some things
44:59
have been coming
44:59
into your minds
45:00
as we've been talking
45:01
but let's think about
45:02
some specific application.
45:04
How do we replace
45:05
our worldly focus
45:06
with a Godward focus?
45:08
How do we seek
45:09
God's kingdom
45:10
and his righteousness
45:11
trusting God
45:12
to provide the rest?
45:14
The change to a worldly focus
45:15
can be subtle
45:16
but it happens quickly
45:17
to us all, right?
45:19
We can start
45:20
like we feel
45:20
or maybe we go home
45:21
from church,
45:22
we're just done
45:22
with our quiet time
45:24
and then slowly
45:24
throughout the day
45:25
it seems like,
45:26
man,
45:26
I've become so focused
45:28
on what other people think.
45:29
I've become so focused
45:30
on my job performance, right?
45:32
So,
45:32
how do we get ourselves
45:34
to a point
45:34
where we can renew
45:35
our minds
45:36
and make it stick, right?
45:38
It's a hard thing.
45:39
So, first,
45:40
we need to take
45:41
a preventative approach
45:42
to battling anxiety
45:43
using regular habits
45:45
of grace.
45:45
So, target
45:46
those daily habits
45:47
of grace
45:48
towards your anxiety.
45:51
Daily orient
45:52
your mind
45:53
and your life
45:53
on God's kingdom.
45:55
So, when you pray,
45:56
pray like Jesus prayed.
45:57
Focus
45:58
as you're doing it.
45:59
And,
46:00
I don't know about you,
46:00
but when I pray,
46:01
I tend to become
46:02
distracted really quickly.
46:04
So,
46:04
sometimes it takes
46:05
a minute
46:06
to warm up
46:07
or to settle down
46:07
or whatever word
46:08
you want to use
46:09
to talk about prayer,
46:10
right?
46:10
It takes time.
46:12
So, set apart time
46:13
so you can be focused
46:14
on what God
46:16
would have you focus on
46:17
which is His glory,
46:18
right?
46:19
So, pray like Jesus prayed.
46:20
Focus on God's glory,
46:22
His plan,
46:23
and His purpose
46:23
for your life
46:24
as a child.
46:25
Next,
46:27
meditate on
46:27
specific promises
46:28
of God
46:29
which reinforce
46:30
belief,
46:32
right?
46:32
There's so many
46:33
rich texts,
46:34
right?
46:34
We looked at a couple
46:35
today,
46:36
but there are,
46:36
I mean,
46:37
hundreds of texts
46:37
that you can rely on,
46:39
memorize those things,
46:41
know where to turn
46:42
so you can meditate
46:43
on those things,
46:45
right?
46:45
He is in control,
46:46
He provides,
46:47
He knows what's best,
46:48
His commands
46:49
are good for us,
46:49
but it's not quite enough
46:50
just to like know
46:51
that knowledge intellectually,
46:53
but we have to let it
46:54
sit in ourselves,
46:56
we have to marinate
46:57
in the truth
46:58
of God's Word
46:59
and let it sink in,
47:00
right?
47:01
So, if you struggle
47:01
with anxiety,
47:03
then find these promises
47:04
and don't only know them
47:05
and memorize them,
47:06
but sit down with them,
47:07
take the time to think
47:08
about them
47:08
and thank God
47:09
for those attributes.
47:12
Secondly,
47:12
change the way you speak
47:14
and therefore think
47:15
about anxiety.
47:17
If anxiety is sinful,
47:19
which we've established today,
47:20
repentance is the
47:22
appropriate response,
47:23
right?
47:24
And so,
47:24
oftentimes when we
47:25
talk about anxiety,
47:26
we're talking to someone else,
47:27
we say,
47:28
we're really stressed,
47:30
we have a lot on our plate,
47:31
I find myself worrying a lot,
47:34
but we never go beyond that,
47:36
we never call sin
47:37
what it is
47:37
in our own hearts
47:38
and we find it uncomfortable
47:41
to call someone else out
47:42
on their sinful anxiety,
47:44
and I'm not advocating
47:45
when someone says
47:46
they're stressed
47:46
in community group
47:47
to say,
47:48
you better stop it,
47:49
you sinner,
47:50
right?
47:50
But maybe in smaller conversations
47:54
where it comes out,
47:55
like gently remind them,
47:57
this is a problem
47:57
of the heart,
47:58
it's not just a symptom,
48:00
it's something that goes
48:01
much deeper,
48:03
right?
48:03
So we need to address it
48:05
with repentance.
48:06
And then lastly,
48:07
rehabilitate,
48:09
it's a big word,
48:09
I know,
48:10
rehabilitate worldly responses
48:12
to anxiety.
48:13
Habits can be a powerful thing,
48:16
right?
48:16
And so,
48:17
in the brain,
48:19
going psychology on you,
48:20
but in the brain,
48:21
when you do two things together,
48:24
there's literally
48:24
a physical connection
48:26
that happens to,
48:28
inside of your brain,
48:29
there's a physical connection
48:31
between an action happening
48:32
and then your response to it.
48:34
So the more often
48:35
that you put two things together,
48:37
like anxiety
48:38
and then just treating a symptom,
48:41
there actually is a physical connection
48:43
that becomes stronger
48:44
and stronger
48:45
as your habits are formed,
48:47
right?
48:48
So if we're going to create
48:49
godly habits,
48:50
we have to undo
48:51
what's already there.
48:52
So when we're anxious,
48:54
instead of turning to
48:55
mere surface level solutions,
48:58
turn to what the scripture
48:59
tells us to do.
49:01
So if our cure for anxiety
49:02
is only exercise,
49:04
sleeping,
49:05
eating,
49:06
whatever,
49:07
then you're training yourself
49:08
to believe that anxiety
49:09
is merely emotional
49:11
and not spiritual.
49:13
So this doesn't mean
49:14
that doing those things
49:15
to de-stress
49:16
or unwind
49:16
or whatever word
49:17
you want to use
49:18
is wrong,
49:19
but it can't stop there.
49:20
It's not deep enough.
49:21
It doesn't address
49:22
the problem underneath.
49:24
So thirdly,
49:25
address the unbelief
49:27
in your heart.
49:29
When you feel
49:30
or when you find yourself anxious,
49:32
try to identify
49:33
specific areas of unbelief
49:35
and then ask God to help
49:37
to look at specific promises
49:39
to believe in, right?
49:40
God is not standing over us
49:42
in judgment
49:43
on our anxiety.
49:45
He knows
49:45
what we experience
49:47
and believe it or not,
49:48
Christ actually
49:49
had to battle
49:50
sin of anxiety.
49:51
He was tempted
49:52
as we were, right?
49:54
And yet,
49:55
He was without sin.
49:56
So we have this advocate.
49:57
We have this helper.
49:58
He's there with open arms.
50:00
The price has been paid
50:01
for our redemption
50:02
so we can go to God.
50:03
We can ask Him
50:04
to help us
50:05
in this unbelief.
50:07
So let's go to the Lord.
50:08
Let's take refuge in Him
50:09
from the things
50:10
of this world
50:11
and He can renew your mind.
50:13
He can change your perspective
50:14
and He can ease your anxiety
50:15
as He brings our focus
50:17
off of us
50:18
and onto Him.
50:19
Y'all join me as we pray.