Latest / Wetumpka Church of Christ Online / Worry Class #1
Transcript
- 0:23Evening. I am sorry.
- 0:27We're running a little late, a minute late, but we're getting
- 0:29started here this evening. Okay.
- 0:39Thank you. All right.
- 0:49Worry anxiety, depression. Two emotions.
- 0:58And an emotional state. So, since we're talking about
- 1:02things that involve emotions and emotional states.
- 1:08The topics can be emotional. So the topics will be emotional.
- 1:15So I Want To Tread very carefully.
- 1:17I want to make the only goals being, this being encouraging
- 1:22and edifying and God glorifying and so will will be very
- 1:27careful. To be as gracious as we can and
- 1:35covering these topics because they're emotional topics.
- 1:42And there are so many that battle.
- 1:48These three things so many I struggled with how to start this
- 1:55class. Really struggle with the way to
- 1:59go about starting it in such a way where?
- 2:03We approach it in a very disarming way in a very
- 2:08encouraging and uplifting way. And I heard something yesterday.
- 2:12And I thought, wow, that that is a great way to start this class
- 2:17because it helps us understand one of the reasons for the
- 2:22importance of embracing these topics and these issues.
- 2:29There's so many things that whirring anxiety, depression.
- 2:34Do that robbed us. In fact, I'll refer to these
- 2:38three things on occasion during the course of the next few
- 2:40Wednesdays as the gang of Thieves, because that's that's
- 2:43what they are. They're a gang of Thieves and
- 2:45they robbed us of a lot of things.
- 2:48When When they become overpowering, disabling in the
- 2:54ways that they are capable of doing.
- 2:56And one of the things that worry anxiety, depression robbed us of
- 3:02is Hope. when you get to the point where you're dealing with
- 3:08depression, now, all of a sudden, you're feeling hopeless,
- 3:12I think hopelessness, and depression are Two peas in a
- 3:16pod. And I was listening to a piece
- 3:20of I don't know if it was an audio book that Norm Macdonald
- 3:24had written about himself for free.
- 3:26It was part of an interview. I don't know.
- 3:28But some of you may know who normally Donald is.
- 3:31He's a comedian who passed away last year and those that know
- 3:37him have described him as a deep thinker.
- 3:39He was always looking always searching.
- 3:42In fact, I'll share a quote with you here in just a moment that
- 3:45really kind of outlines. The searching that he involves
- 3:49himself in for a big portion of his adult life.
- 3:54And I learned through listening, and this was his words that I
- 3:56was hearing. And I learned that he for many
- 4:00years in his adult. Life was a gambling addict.
- 4:03In fact, he lost his entire Fortune, three different times
- 4:06in his life, went completely, and totally broke due to his
- 4:11gambling addiction. And he said, I think there was
- 4:14one occasion where he went to see a psychiatrist.
- 4:17To try to get some help with overcoming, his addiction to
- 4:21gambling. And this is what he said.
- 4:24Quote. The only time I went to a
- 4:25psychiatrist, it was for gambling and he was like, you
- 4:27gamble to avoid life. And I was like, isn't that why
- 4:30you do everything? And so he didn't feel like he
- 4:33got a lot out of the session that he had with the
- 4:36psychiatrist concerning his gambling.
- 4:37So he tried to figure out why, why am I drawn to this?
- 4:42Why do I allow it to overtake me?
- 4:46Why do I allow it to to rob me of of all of my money?
- 4:51And he said, it's not the thrill of the wind.
- 4:54He said, I got no pleasure when I would win.
- 4:59He said, I really didn't really get much pleasure.
- 5:03During the act of gambling. And he said, when I really just
- 5:07started dissecting the experience and my personal
- 5:11experience. He said there was one moment in
- 5:14the whole process and the particular game.
- 5:16He was describing at the time was a dice game.
- 5:19And he said, I was able to pinpoint.
- 5:24I think what was for him? The root cause of his addiction.
- 5:29And he said it was not the beginning.
- 5:32It was not placing the BET and it was not learning the result
- 5:36of the bed, win or lose. He said it was when the dice
- 5:41were in the air. And when the dice were in the
- 5:45air, there was hope. And he says this, as long as the
- 5:49red dice are in the air, The Gambler has hope and hope is a
- 5:53wonderful thing to be addicted. And that just blew my mind when
- 6:00I heard that. Because I thought here is an
- 6:04individual. He was not addicted to winning
- 6:07and winning money. He was a wealthy man before he
- 6:10started gambling and he became wealthy over and over again and
- 6:14continue to allow his wealth to be lost by gambling, but he was
- 6:19addicted to that Split Second of time, when the dice were in the
- 6:23air. He said it was like time Stood
- 6:25Still and there was hope. That was his addiction.
- 6:33Norm spent the vast majority of his life searching and towards
- 6:38the end of his life. He said this God is the best.
- 6:45That's what I'm trying to get to is God every gate, every great
- 6:48novel, I read. Faith is the only salvation but
- 6:51I don't know how to get it. I don't know how to suddenly
- 6:53believe I'm too stupid or proud or pretend.
- 6:55I'm smart. I've come to it a long time ago
- 6:59that I have to control over anything, but I'm struggling
- 7:02with faith is really hard to keep believing because it's the
- 7:05hardest thing to believe. Maybe I'm not deep enough and
- 7:09that was to me one of the saddest things.
- 7:11I Read where he realized that that is what he needed and he
- 7:17did not know how to get there. He did not know how to find it,
- 7:20but he felt like that's where he could finally find.
- 7:26This sustainable hope that he only felt for just a moment
- 7:31during his gambling years while the dice were suspended in the
- 7:34air. For those of you that know, he
- 7:38had dealt with cancer for several years before he died
- 7:41when he died. It was a surprise to most people
- 7:43that knew him. They didn't even know he had
- 7:44been sick. He had said in other places that
- 7:49he was almost to a debilitating level scared of death and scared
- 7:56to die, and it caused him. A lot of depression in the years
- 8:02that he was battling cancer leading up to his death.
- 8:05And in fact, someone told this Don't worry.
- 8:06They said the only person that they have heard.
- 8:12Say that they heard nor McDonald's say something about
- 8:15dealing with his cancer. That eventually took his life
- 8:19and say anything. In a humorous way.
- 8:22They shared this, I spoke to someone who was aware of his
- 8:26Decline and remembers him, explicitly making about making
- 8:31this statement about his situation as he was being
- 8:35wheeled out into the sun, splashed atrium of a hospital
- 8:39where he was being treated. Isn't it?
- 8:41Nice? Here norm and his response was
- 8:44yeah. He replied in the atrium of
- 8:46diminished expectations. And I thought, that's what
- 8:51depression does. Is it robs us of Hope and it
- 8:55diminishes our expectations for a contented peaceful.
- 9:01Hopeful joy-filled life. So when I came across, that is
- 9:06so funny. I've been thinking for a couple
- 9:08of weeks, how to start this class.
- 9:11And then I came across that yesterday and thought, wow,
- 9:14because I was going to get into some of the things that these
- 9:17three things, Rob us of, and if you picture, Whirring signing
- 9:21depression. That's a, those are three things
- 9:25that build upon one another, and imagine you have a basket of
- 9:31bread and that Brad represents your hope.
- 9:35And so worried comes along and reaches his hand into the basket
- 9:39and steals, a couple of pieces of your bread that represent the
- 9:43hope that you have. And then anxiety comes along and
- 9:47it grabs a few more pieces of that bread of that represents
- 9:51your hope and then depression comes along and just m The
- 9:54empties the basket and there's, there's nothing left.
- 9:58And so these these three emotions build upon one another.
- 10:05And then lead to this sustained state.
- 10:10That so many struggle with so many deal with and what one of
- 10:17the things I hope to accomplish with.
- 10:20This class, is, to make sure that we know as Christians, if
- 10:30If depression is an issue for you, it is that doesn't mean
- 10:35there's something faulty with your faith necessarily.
- 10:39Sometimes that can be the case, not all the time.
- 10:43Is that the case? And we're going to, we're going
- 10:46to make sure that we address these topics in such a way where
- 10:51let me just put it this way. Cool, beans 46.
- 10:55Paul says, be anxious for nothing.
- 10:57You don't have to raise your hand, but have any of you felt
- 11:00anxiety when reading the instruction to not be anxious,
- 11:06have interview felt anxious when reading the command do not be
- 11:10anxious. Because I don't be anxious for
- 11:14anything and then you start worrying.
- 11:16How am I going to do that? How is that possible?
- 11:22Well, you know, we have to understand and part of what
- 11:24we're going to do with this class is to understand the
- 11:28definitions, the parameters in the boundaries of words.
- 11:32Now, you know, me when I typically teach, I'm very free
- 11:37with with asking for comments and thoughts and we will do
- 11:42that. I just will beg for your
- 11:43Indulgence for the majority of this class.
- 11:46If you have some thoughts and observations will have some time
- 11:50towards the end of the class, if you could Student.
- 11:52Don't indulge me for a few moments tonight to kind of lay
- 11:56the groundwork a little bit for what our goals and objectives
- 11:59are for this class words, instructions commands.
- 12:05We have to understand, definitions parameters
- 12:07boundaries. The same Paul who says be
- 12:10anxious for nothing also says, pray without ceasing.
- 12:13Well, does that mean that we can never sleep?
- 12:15Because praying without ceasing means a continual persistent.
- 12:19Never-ending prayer. If we take it very Literally,
- 12:22right. See, see if we take that
- 12:26extremely literally, than we can't sleep.
- 12:28We can't do anything else. We've got to pray Non-Stop.
- 12:33That's impossible. It's very interesting and we're
- 12:36going to get into this that the same word that is translated as
- 12:40anxious in Philippians 4:6 and Paul telling us not to be, he
- 12:44commends Timothy for being using that same word in a different
- 12:49context in Philippians, when he talks about Timothy.
- 12:54There's nobody like him and I that have an independent
- 12:59translation to read from concern for you.
- 13:03It's the same word that's translated as anxiety in
- 13:05Philippians. Chapter 4 and verse 6.
- 13:07So we have to understand, parameters, boundaries,
- 13:10definitions of words. I think what we have done as a
- 13:15disservice to one another for a long time as we have.
- 13:21I think looked at these topics as taboo as they're being a
- 13:28stigma attached to them that if you're struggling with them
- 13:31because Jesus says do not worry. Worry, four or five different
- 13:34times in Matthew chapter 6 multiple times and Luke chapter
- 13:3710 and Paul tells us to be anxious for nothing.
- 13:40And so if I'm struggling with whirring, zaidi depression, then
- 13:43I'm not doing something right spiritually?
- 13:45And I'm not going to let people know that I've got this issue or
- 13:49this struggle because then they'll wonder what's wrong with
- 13:51you. And so that's been a bad way of
- 13:56going about dealing with these emotions.
- 13:59If these are things that we struggle with.
- 14:01I think these are things that we need to share with one another
- 14:04and help one another along with them, because they didn't
- 14:07necessarily mean that we're failing as a Christian.
- 14:11There's a lot more things that can be factors and we'll talk
- 14:15about those more as we go. This is a book.
- 14:19I'm going to leave it. I've got another copy.
- 14:22This, I'm going to leave it on the bulletin board.
- 14:23So you can, you can just kind of Glide by if you don't want to
- 14:26see anybody. If you don't want anybody to see
- 14:28you picking it up, you know, just nonchalantly a slide it
- 14:32into your, your pocket or purse, and just bring it back when
- 14:36you're done. So, somebody else can read it.
- 14:38Many of you, may know, a, just a wonderful Christian, couple of
- 14:41brother, James, and Jean assist, your jeans, Barry brother.
- 14:44James went onto his reward a year or two ago.
- 14:47Faithful members of the church in this area for decades.
- 14:52I did not know this about brother.
- 14:53James's wife. I think she's still living.
- 14:55Is. Anybody know if Sister Gene
- 14:57Barry is still living. I think she is.
- 15:01I believe right before he passed, they were members it
- 15:03University but she wrote a book self-published book about a
- 15:10decade ago. The title is memories, how they
- 15:13linger and the subtitle is a true story about one, family
- 15:16struggle with depression and suicide gene.
- 15:20Barry had a lot of tragedy. Ade in her life again.
- 15:23Faithful faithful Christian woman.
- 15:26Her husband was as well. Both grew up in will brother.
- 15:31James grew up in a Christian home and sister genes parents
- 15:35became Christians, I think after she was born a little bit, but
- 15:39very moral, very decent. Her dad was a farmer, her mom, a
- 15:43homemaker just in fact, the first several chapters of the
- 15:46book. She just talks about the Charmed
- 15:48Life that she lived growing up in her home and And just what a
- 15:52blessing it was to have the parents that she did how great
- 15:54they were or how good they were to her their faith.
- 15:59Both of her parents committed, suicide, seven years apart.
- 16:04Her mother was suffering from breast cancer and got into a
- 16:10deep depression over her health. And for several weeks, her.
- 16:17Husband sister jeans, father would stay at home with her
- 16:22rather than going to Services. She wasn't feeling well enough
- 16:24to go and, and sister Jean tells the story in the book that on
- 16:30these Sunday mornings, that both of them were staying home.
- 16:33She would call on that particular, Sunday morning and
- 16:35talked to her dad and asked how her mom was doing and say, you
- 16:38know, we're going to come over and see y'all in the afternoon.
- 16:41And so this particular Sunday morning she calls her mom
- 16:45answers the phone. And she's excited because Been
- 16:47the first Sunday in several weeks.
- 16:49And she had answered the phone and she sounded real chipper.
- 16:51And she said, well, how are you doing Mom?
- 16:53And she said, well, I'm doing gray.
- 16:54So your dad's going to, go to services this morning and I just
- 16:57cooked him breakfast and we're having having a great day.
- 17:01And while he was at Services, she shot herself, a shotgun that
- 17:06she had never used in her life. She shot it into the couch, one
- 17:08time to make sure she knew how to use it and then went into the
- 17:11hallway. Lean it up against the washing
- 17:14machine and shot herself while they were in.
- 17:17Service. Seven years later.
- 17:20Her father. Did the exact same thing in the
- 17:23exact same Hall leaning the gun up against the exact same
- 17:27washing machine. She had an uncle and another
- 17:32family member also that committed suicide at various
- 17:34times in their life. Godly Christian people.
- 17:41If they didn't do this because they were faulty Christian.
- 17:48They didn't do this because they didn't have Bay.
- 17:50They didn't do this because they just weren't living the
- 17:53Christian Life, right? They were struggling with with
- 17:58severe, debilitating, depression and got to the point where that
- 18:02hope basket was empty. And they could not see any other
- 18:06way, or alternative out. I'll leave that book under the
- 18:09bulletin board outside after class.
- 18:12If you would like to read it. There's some Difficult things.
- 18:16With some things that can give you some some encouragement and
- 18:20hope as well. I want to share out a.
- 18:27I'm so thankful you, some of you many of you, maybe saw the email
- 18:31where I solicited, any thoughts observations questions that you
- 18:36would like shared or addressed during the course of the next
- 18:40few Wednesdays? And I am so thankful.
- 18:44And I said he would be anonymous unless you stated otherwise and
- 18:49this this good brother said it's okay to use his name.
- 18:54I'm so thankful for his Arrange for his Candor.
- 18:58I'm just going to read you his words as he sent them to me
- 19:02because they are just so spot-on.
- 19:05So so meaningful and impactful. Our brother, Peyton wrote this
- 19:13and what an example brother. I just appreciate you and love
- 19:19you so much. We're learning.
- 19:22Every day, what a Wordsmith Peyton is and how what a great
- 19:28communicator he is. And let me just share with you
- 19:31what he had to say. He said, depression, anxiety, or
- 19:34familiar topics to me as I struggle with both last year.
- 19:37I started seeing a counselor who helped me understand and deal
- 19:41with them. One thing that I learned is that
- 19:44most people find it easier to admit to anxiety than
- 19:47depression. That was definitely the case.
- 19:49For me, it took seeing a counselor for me to even accept
- 19:52I was depressed, let alone till others.
- 19:55Apparently anxiety and depression.
- 19:57Go hand-in-hand. My counselor called them.
- 19:59The ugly stepsisters anxiety, pulls you in One Direction.
- 20:03Worrying about the future, depression pulls you in the
- 20:06other direction. Usually focused on the past.
- 20:10And between them, they don't let you rest and they both lie to
- 20:14you all the time telling you that you're not worthy and then
- 20:16nothing matters. And that everyone you think are
- 20:18your friends are actually sick of you but too nice to say.
- 20:21So. I've been interested in the
- 20:23Christian response to anxiety and depression.
- 20:25There's such a simple answer in. Jesus, loves you be happy, but
- 20:28that's not enough. If just choosing, happiness was
- 20:31all it took, there would not be a single anxious or depressed
- 20:34person out there. And even in the worst grip of my
- 20:36anxiety and depression. I never really questioned God's
- 20:40goodness. It was more like, I know, the
- 20:42Bible is true and I wouldn't be feeling like this, unless I was
- 20:46feeling in some way. Pain is just hitting the nail on
- 20:49the head. And, and this is, I think why
- 20:53some Christians are hesitant to share this burden with other
- 21:00Christians. It's, there's got to be
- 21:02something wrong with me for feeling this way.
- 21:04There's got to be some, there's got to be something I'm not
- 21:06doing right in my Christian walk for me to struggle chronically
- 21:10with these emotions. And that, that is one of the
- 21:13lies that the devil convinces us is true.
- 21:21Even in the worst grip of my anxiety and depression.
- 21:23I never really questioned God's goodness.
- 21:26It was more like, I know, the Bible is true and I wouldn't be
- 21:29feeling like this, unless I was failing in some way.
- 21:31And if you're already depressed, when you start to think that
- 21:34way, it's a Whirlpool of circular thinking that will just
- 21:37suck you right down the toilet. You can see happiness.
- 21:40You can see God's love but it's like standing outside in the
- 21:43snow. Looking at it through a window.
- 21:45It's there. You believe in it, but you feel
- 21:48separated from it for that. It's being with.
- 21:51Old. And frankly, the church has a
- 21:53problem. Dealing with people who don't
- 21:55understand anxiety depression think that they can just cheer
- 21:57you up by telling you Jesus loves you, or they can berate
- 22:00you into having a better attitude.
- 22:02By telling you that you aren't being faithful enough.
- 22:05People do not know how to cope with your negative emotions, and
- 22:07they think they can talk you out of them.
- 22:10When, what, a depressed or anxious person really needs.
- 22:12Is someone who says? I love you.
- 22:14I'm here for you. I'm sorry.
- 22:16You're going through this. Christ said be anxious for
- 22:19nothing and pain. I'm so glad you include that
- 22:21because that was one of the passages.
- 22:23We're going to spend some time on with this series.
- 22:27Christians, want to use that as a stick to drive out the
- 22:29negative feelings from themselves or others, but there
- 22:32are different kinds of anxiety and they need different
- 22:34treatments to overcome. That's part of what we'll be
- 22:37talking about. You're surely.
- 22:41There are the real everyday worries that come with human
- 22:43life. And I think that specifically
- 22:45what Christ is talking about here.
- 22:46And then there's the crippling emotional state that requires
- 22:50treatment. In my experience anxiety,
- 22:53depression, don't go away altogether.
- 22:54I've learned to cope with them to recognize the lies when they
- 22:57start to speak Etc, but there are still days when they both
- 23:00Loom large with counseling and effort though.
- 23:03I have my life back. Oh with counseling, an effort
- 23:07though. I have my life back.
- 23:09More often than not I can rotate and thank you so much for
- 23:15Allowing me to read this and allowing me to to credit you
- 23:19with this. What a what a fantastic example
- 23:24you are in sharing this and you know, Helping us see in, I mean
- 23:32and you know, people like Peyton you we just we just love him
- 23:35because he's positive and he's jovial, and he's inviting, and
- 23:39he's welcoming and he's all these great things.
- 23:42But but he's allowing us to see inside and realize that
- 23:46sometimes what you see on the outside is not how he's feeling
- 23:49on the inside. And and I absolutely know for a
- 23:51fact, Peyton is not in a room by himself in that walk.
- 23:57I know he is not, I have. Well, thousands of anecdotes,
- 24:03but we will stop there before we continue on.
- 24:07Okay, light bulb moment. I had really Larry.
- 24:10I love these. Oh my goodness.
- 24:14I had never come across this before.
- 24:16So. One of the things, of course,
- 24:19God wants us to do is what Peter tells us.
- 24:23In First Peter 5:7 casting all your care upon him for he cares
- 24:27for you. There's only one other time that
- 24:31word is you turn with me to Luke chapter, 19.
- 24:34The word that is translated as casting in First Peter chapter 5
- 24:39and verse 7. Oh, man, this this just brought
- 24:44a smile to my face, when I. There are so many little nuances
- 24:49in scripture as you. Well know that you may read
- 24:52something 5G lien times. And then on five gives you a
- 24:55lien in Warren. Oh my goodness.
- 24:57I did not know that was there. And so that word casting.
- 25:03Only appears twice and here's the other time.
- 25:07Under the subheading of the Lord's triumphal entry into
- 25:10Jerusalem. You remember, the two disciples
- 25:13have been told by Jesus to go to the place where they'll find.
- 25:15This cult has never been ridden. Tied and took, you know, what's
- 25:19going on here. Let's look at verse beginning of
- 25:22verse 33 and as they were untying the Colt its owner said
- 25:25to them. Why are you untying the cult?
- 25:27And they said the Lord has need of it and they brought it to
- 25:29Jesus and and here's the only other time it's used.
- 25:31I'm reading from the ESV and it's translated here throwing
- 25:35their cloaks cloaks. Colt.
- 25:37They set Jesus on it. Okay.
- 25:44So here's the two times, this word casting throwing is you and
- 25:50you've got what is being cast in 1st.
- 25:53Peter. 5:7 is, is our burdens, our anxieties, our worries, and
- 25:58concerns. And the only other time it's use
- 26:01is here in Luke chapter 19. I want you to think about this,
- 26:04this same spiritual idea of casting worried and I want you
- 26:10to look at the way. It's used to describe these two
- 26:13disciples casting their cloaks on to this cold and then setting
- 26:19Jesus on top of them. And now Jesus is riding on top
- 26:24of your cares and your concerns and your worries.
- 26:28So I want these cloaks to represent the worries and
- 26:32concerns that Peters alluding to and First Peter chapter 5 and
- 26:35verse 7. And so these two men, I know,
- 26:38it's two totally different things.
- 26:39But tying it in and paints, a beautiful picture of what the
- 26:43Lord wants us to do, with our anxieties and our worries, and
- 26:47those things that cause us and times this debilitating state of
- 26:51depression. Cast of them on.
- 26:58This cult and then set Jesus on top of those cares and concerns
- 27:03or worries, so that now he's riding on top of your concern.
- 27:07And then as he's riding along, Jesus has this Limitless powered
- 27:12back and he's got this Santa likes a cone, his back that
- 27:16never runs out of room. And now, as you were practicing
- 27:20First, Peter chapter 5 and verse 7, he sitting on top of your,
- 27:23the concerns that you had at that moment.
- 27:25When you initially engaged in this process of casting, your
- 27:29cares, your burdens upon him. So you did it that one time
- 27:32because it was a singular act. In Luke chapter, 19.
- 27:35It's a continual Perpetual Act. First Peter chapter 5 and verse
- 27:387. So you got Jesus sitting on top
- 27:40of your cares and concerns the ones that you brought to him on
- 27:42that occasion. And then as they continue to
- 27:46manifest themselves in your day-to-day life, you're casting.
- 27:51So you cast and you're casting your continually throwing these
- 27:55Burns. Jesus is sitting on top of the
- 27:57ones that you brought to him initially and then when others
- 27:59come up, he's got the sack on his back.
- 28:01He's sitting on top, you're putting your cares.
- 28:05You're putting your tears underneath him.
- 28:06You're putting your hair. Is on top of him?
- 28:09And he's telling you, I'm fine with you doing, either one and
- 28:13both. And I'm going to help you
- 28:15through this when it comes to worry, anxiety and depression.
- 28:19Here's, here's the not-so-great news.
- 28:26For some of us, many of us, those feelings are never going
- 28:31to completely dissolve. For some, there's a chemical
- 28:37thing going on where it's, it's physiologically impossible
- 28:42without the aid of medication, for those those situations when
- 28:47you think about, when I looking at the three different reasons
- 28:52for anxiety, you've got, well, I'm really jumping way ahead of
- 28:56my notes Here. Skip ahead, just for a second,
- 29:00three forms of anxiety. You've got chemical.
- 29:02These are neurons out of balance and thinking, like when we go
- 29:06through puberty ladies, when you go through menopause, these are
- 29:09when chemicals are working in a, not normal fashion.
- 29:13And so you've got, you've got chemical causes anxiety.
- 29:17You've got reactive forms of anxiety.
- 29:20These are extended periods of stress that caused your mind,
- 29:22not to be able to turn off. You can't put your mind in park.
- 29:26You can't let it idle. And Then you've got traumatic.
- 29:29So you've got reactive where it's daily buildup of stresses
- 29:34that cause anxiety, and then when anxiety is fermented
- 29:40completely, then it becomes depression.
- 29:43And then you have traumatic that's real, that's can be a
- 29:45reaction to a singular event that that causes anxiety.
- 29:53And so, you know, there are some that it's not going to be able
- 29:56to go away. Because there's there's Chemical
- 29:58component to it. There are others that there may
- 30:01not be a chemical component. But it's it's a constant
- 30:05struggle that maybe it's never going to be removed from you.
- 30:09But what can happen over time? Is it becomes manageable?
- 30:17You know what Paul tells us about Temptation in 1st
- 30:21Corinthians chapter 10 is God does not get us to a point where
- 30:25Temptation ceases to occur. That's not the promise.
- 30:31The promise is not walk with me, trust in me and you're going to
- 30:36get to a point where you will never experience temptation.
- 30:40What's the promise concerning temptation?
- 30:43Said, with every Temptation, I'll give you the tools to
- 30:47withstand. You'll be able to Bear it.
- 30:51You'll be able to manage it. It's not going to disappear.
- 30:53It's not going to go away, but you'll have the tools to get
- 30:56through and get to the other side.
- 31:00And so what we're going to talk about over the next few years is
- 31:03things that that will help us equip us with the tools where
- 31:09when when worry is moving into anxiety and anxiety is going to
- 31:13take us into depression to be able to have those those coping
- 31:17mechanisms in place. Is that will help us not to the
- 31:22point where they go away and never bother us again.
- 31:25But to the point where they're not debilitating.
- 31:31He's we have to understand the parameters and boundaries with
- 31:35words. When Paul says to be anxious for
- 31:40nothing. He is not saying you have no
- 31:45permission from God to ever be worried or concerned about
- 31:48anyone or anything. Because Paul uses that same word
- 31:53to commend Timothy's relationship and concern for the
- 31:56Philippian church. He uses that same word.
- 31:59Peyton. I'm sure.
- 32:00You know, in the passage that you share with us in the photo,
- 32:02the devotional concerning, the body of Christ at the end of
- 32:08that, that section of scripture, Paul in his letter to the
- 32:12Corinthians talks about the concern that we are to have for
- 32:15one another, as the representative body parts that
- 32:18make up the body of Christ. So the same word that is
- 32:21translated as anxious. Don't do that in Philippians.
- 32:244:6 Timothy's commended for having it in Philippians 2 and
- 32:30in the analogy of the spiritual body that makes up our.
- 32:34Or we who make up the spiritual body of Christ, having this
- 32:37concern for one, another Paul when he was listing his
- 32:40sufferings in, was it 2nd Corinthians chapter 11?
- 32:45What was the thing that he said at the end?
- 32:48Thank you. I appreciate that.
- 32:50I brought some cough drops and forgot.
- 32:52I had them in here. Thank you, Jonathan.
- 32:56When Paul was listing his sufferings, what was the one?
- 32:59He said that he dealt with everyday?
- 33:05Anxiety for the church's concern worry for the Church's.
- 33:11So, Paul is saying, don't be anxious about anything, but then
- 33:16says to us there's a part of me that worries every single day.
- 33:21So what we have to understand is what is meant by these words.
- 33:27And what are we allowed to do? That does not move into.
- 33:32What is displeasing to God. Let me illustrate it this way.
- 33:39Don't dare tell a mother. When she's got a teenage child
- 33:46on a road trip, to not be concerned about the safety of
- 33:49that child, while they're on that trip.
- 33:51You want to get yourself in trouble.
- 33:54Go to a mom, who's in experience, child is driving for
- 33:58hours and say to them all said, be anxious for nothing.
- 34:05Don't be concerned. Don't you worry, don't don't
- 34:08give a thought to that 16 year old that you brought into the
- 34:12World Behind that wheel for 4 hours.
- 34:17Here's What is natural and I would, you know, I know we need
- 34:25to be very careful when we say what God would and would not be
- 34:28okay with. But it would be very natural for
- 34:32God to observe a mom say to that child before they left.
- 34:37You wear your seatbelt. You give them all the rules for
- 34:40the road and the second. You pull in safely to your
- 34:46destination. I need a call or a text to let
- 34:50me know you got there. And then that Mom spending.
- 34:56An hour of those four hours praying for the safety of that
- 34:59child. Perfectly understandable,
- 35:03Perfectly Natural. Here's where worry and concern
- 35:06could become unhealthy. You're going to pull over every
- 35:10five minutes at the nearest intersection.
- 35:13You're going to tell me. Everything is good so far.
- 35:17I am going to follow behind you in this drive that you're making
- 35:23and to make sure you're being the speed limit.
- 35:26To make sure you get there carefully.
- 35:28I'm going to be right behind you, every step of the way and
- 35:34for you, the whole four hours that they're gone to literally
- 35:37the world stand still, you can do nothing else.
- 35:41It is now you are so overcome with anxiousness and worry that
- 35:45it is now affected your ability to function as a normal human
- 35:50being. It's Perfectly Natural, and
- 35:56normal and authorized in scripture to have worry and
- 36:00concern for the welfare, for the well-being of our family, our
- 36:04children, our church family. but when we allow those natural
- 36:10emotions, So then go into an unhealthy place, you know,
- 36:15almost every emotion that we've got is perfectly God approved
- 36:23when it's used in its proper way.
- 36:26It's okay for us to be angry, isn't it?
- 36:29The instruction is be angry and sin.
- 36:31Not so do not act upon that anger in a way, which now moves
- 36:36that emotion from natural to sinful.
- 36:39And so, with worry and concern, we have to understand the
- 36:41boundaries and parameters for this word.
- 36:42God is not saying you don't be worried concerned about
- 36:47anything, anybody know. Understand what God is
- 36:53instructing us. He's not telling us to do things
- 36:57that are literally impossible for us to do.
- 37:00We got a few minutes left. So I'll stop there.
- 37:03And Andrew will start with you. And I think brother Cliff you
- 37:05had your hand. Y'all help us finish out the
- 37:08last few moments tonight. Absolutely.
- 38:43Top, fantastic. When engineer.
- 38:46We're going to get into more of some of those unintended
- 38:49consequences of allowing these natural emotions.
- 38:55To rule us and then to inhibit us from from doing the things
- 39:00that God has called on us to do in our day-to-day life.
- 39:03Where the clip such a great illustration and
- 40:35just reminding us of What Jesus wants to be for us?
- 40:42And again? I don't want to.
- 40:45I don't want to do anything to downplay the struggle that that
- 40:50this issue is for so many because Peyton is so, right?
- 40:55And what he said, we can do great harm to someone who is
- 40:59struggling with these emotions, especially when, when worry has
- 41:04led to anxiety, which is has led, you know, has contributed
- 41:07to depression and just telling them it just pray more, just
- 41:12study more just read Philippians 4:6 read Matthew.
- 41:16X.25 and following when we're saying this to a fellow
- 41:19Christian, we're probably saying this to someone who has those
- 41:22verses memorized they've agonized on the over.
- 41:25Those verses they've read that verse and say, why can I not do
- 41:28it? You're not telling me anything.
- 41:30I don't know. But listen, listen, never lose
- 41:37sight of the ways that Jesus can help us.
- 41:40Not get to the point where it's never going to be an issue and
- 41:44never going to be a struggle, but he can help us make it
- 41:48manageable. Let me share with you.
- 41:57We've got just. When are we supposed to be done?
- 41:59Is that 10:15 amp? Hey, nobody gave the answer.
- 42:06So we're going to go to a quarter after, okay.
- 42:09I think I see bitches 10 after because now I'm seeing people
- 42:12come to the door. I don't want to rush through
- 42:14this because this illustration is so good.
- 42:16What ready to save this for next Wednesday?
- 42:22If you do have thoughts again Peyton gave us permission, and
- 42:27I'm so thankful for that. If you've got a thought, an
- 42:30observation so many that you have gone through that, you
- 42:33would like to see addressed in this class.
- 42:35Feel free to share it with me and let me know your name will
- 42:38be withheld unless you explicitly tell me you can
- 42:42include my name in this so do not fear it not being anonymous
- 42:48cuz it will be if that's the way you want it to be.
- 42:51But I want us to make Sure, that as we go through this.
- 42:56We address it in such a way that that is edifying encouraging.
- 42:59And hopefully helpful. These issues as far as the
- 43:04statistics. They're off the charts.
- 43:07I'll share with you. This statistics of those just in
- 43:10our country. Better dealing with chronic
- 43:14anxiety disorder and depression and We Know It exists in the
- 43:18church and not because these people that are struggling with
- 43:23that are failing is Christian. It is just the struggle that
- 43:27they are having to find on a regular basis and hopefully will
- 43:30be very supportive encouraging and burden-sharing for us as we
- 43:35go through the study. Thank you so much for your kind
- 43:38attention. Tonight will move on to the next
- 43:40part of our service.