God's Answer for Your Anxiety | Mark Driscoll | James River Church

[Music] the sizzling summers been a wonderful thing for the church and one of the things I've loved about it is it's an opportunity for us to meet some new people make acquaintances Jeremy Foster was one of those people I'd never met him we had heard of him he did a great job it was a super weekend and then also to bring friends back in who over time have become more than friends they've become a part of the family and they're just a part of James River because of the relationship and that's how I feel about mark driscoll mark has been more than a friend mark has been to here so often now he's family we just kind of adopting you now so we love having you here in today for the first time he's brought his wife Grace so grace would you stand so nice to have grace Driscoll here mark and grace have five children and recently a not quite a year ago they started a church Trinity Church and the Scottsdale Arizona area and the Lord is blessing that church and it is off and running and growing and we're excited for them if you've heard mark before then you know what a gifted communicator he is of the Word of God and really in my opinion in Christendom in our date one of the foremost communicators of God's Word and I think time will bear that out over time just with the depth of his exposition of Scripture his grasp of spiritual truth it's really life transforming and mark you blessed us on so many occasions we are thrilled thrilled thrilled to have you back at James River Church so would you join me and welcoming Mark Driscoll the James River Church come on let's give him a me home boy welcome thank you Pastor John I'll give you a hard rubbing matter back we go love you buddy thank you all it's good to be here and thank you Pastor John it is really fun to be here I love you I love your church and I'm really really honored and excited to be here and we are live streaming back to the Trinity Church our home church back in Scottsdale Arizona so howdy to my kids that are watching back in Arizona we're glad to do Church in life with you today and I'm here for four reasons all based in love I love Jesus so I'm really happy to open the Bible and talk about Jesus number two I love love love James River Church I've had the honor of being here many times over many years every time I come the church is growing where people are meeting Jesus more lives are being changed more campuses are being open more leaders are being raised up and what you guys are doing for example with the preschool ministry is incredible and I just want to honor God and I want to thank you for your faithfulness and and this is just a great place and I'm honored to be here thirdly I am really someone who deeply loves the lyndale family I love you guys we I didn't grow up in a Christian home I didn't see a family do ministry together God saved my mom my dad all my siblings God's done a wonderful thing in our family but I brought my wife Grace because we love respect honor the lyndale family want to learn from them and how they do life in ministry together as a family and I could tell you over the course of many years and intimate moments with this family this is a godly wonderful devoted healthy biblical family that adores you and it's an honor to come and see them and to learn from them hey can we can we thank pastor Johnny just finished preaching every verse of the New Testament can we applaud that and then the fourth reason I'm here is I love Andes Andes I've accepted Andy into my heart that's how much I love Andy's grace and I got off the plane we went immediately to Andy's Muslim kids are like I just need to get my pilgrimage to Mecca I need to get my pilgrimage to Andy's I prayed about it I couldn't decide between the flavors and I felt like the Lord said so I did I got two different flavors of Andes and someone now told me they have opened in Andes in Arizona so for those of you that wonder if prayer works I'm here to testify God hears and answers prayer that being said grace and I next month we are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary coming up on August 15th so that means two things I'm blessed and she has a high pain tolerance I always say we're a hot mess she's hot I'm a mess I always say we're a drama queen she's a queen I'm all the drama and so when you're married to someone for a while you learn how they are different from you and you realize God has wired them differently than me and so one of the things I've had the honor of observing in the life of my very great wife and best friend she has the spiritual gift of faith how many of you have that gift you could trust God you grace is just that way I'm like we're gonna die she's like and be with Jesus it's gonna be amazing really you can't face this woman my spiritual gift and her spiritual gift they work together very well her spirits will get this faith my spiritual gift is freakin out that's my spiritual gift I'm pretty good at freaking out but I keep working on it and I hope to get better how many of you have my spiritual gift of freaking out you you're the people who freak out you get nervous you get worried you get anxious you get stressed that's me and let me just sympathize and empathize with you because it we've all got things and it's always been this way that can cause us fear anxiety and worry relational conflict health isn't good people you love aren't doing well financially times are tight or even in crisis but you add to that two variables in our day it makes it a lot more difficult to not be one who is governed by fear number one electricity it used to be the Sun Goes Down you go home you go to bed days over pick it up again tomorrow now you got electricity you can work all night you could stay up all night it can ruin and wreck your sleep number two this global news cycle it used to be you live in a small town a village you know what's going on with the people around you but you don't know what's going on in the rest of the world how many of you are totally sick of anything news related amen and then you know this book is good news I'm telling you this is the only good news there is the rest is all bad news it's all bad news and what this means is the more you know the worse you feel any of you felt that way and if you felt like man I'm really stressed out I'm gonna watch the news that'll help no it didn't no it didn't no it did it now you're up all night wearing a helmet in the cup fearing the worst is coming that's what's gonna happen that's what's gonna happen and you can tell when you're stressed you can tell when you're fearful you can tell when you're anxious because fear in the mind causes stress in the body the experts will give us some things to be looking for clues and cues that God gives but what's the last thing on your mind when your head hits the pillow what's the first thing on your mind when your feet hit the floor what is the thing you're worried about you're anxious about you're stressed about when the people you love are talking to you and you don't hear them because you are physically present but mentally absent what is it that is on the forefront of your mind and is gripped your heart think about that thing today that has you scared fearful concern worried whatever word you might choose and then your body gives you some examples this can include a nervous aiight which any of you get that I was so freaked out for you're so stressed and overwhelmed and overworked I got a nervous I to which people come up ice Pastor Mark flirting with me he's not he's freaking out you're not attractive he's stressed he's freaked out he's freaked out I literally at one point I had a 400-pound Hispanic man ask are you winking at me for sure I'm not I am that stressed right I am that stressed that my eye has a life of its own and it's trying to date everyone that's how stressed I am another example brain fog any of you ever had that you're like I came over here to get something I don't remember what it was I was gonna take my kid for a wallet I don't know where they are you just you can't remember anything brain fog how about this one blood pressure goes up I had high blood pressure for some years chronic sickness sinus infection your adrenals are struggling maybe it's a stomachache maybe it's a headache maybe it's just a migraine and for particularly you men one way that you manifest your anxiety aggressive driving it's it's a clinical diagnosis let me just your wife brought you here for this word okay when you go on vacation in the minivan with your family it's not NASCAR it's just not it's not and all all the frustrated dads on vacation there they're all competing and so they're passing each other on the road in minivans really in minivans meanwhile their kids are in the back dad I got to take a leak there are no pit stops we will win we've passed them if we stop they will pass us we need to win dad there's no pot of gold at the end of that rainbow just take your time enjoy your family it's not a competition it's you in a minivan with children who need to go to the restroom that's all that it is but men how many of you men get aggressive driving you do that right you're like I love the horn I love the horn I wore out the horn I had to get another horn you may be a little anxious and stressed I'm just saying that and for your wife you're welcome I shared that for you how about this one self-medicating caffeine in the morning sugar energy drinks in the afternoon alcohol at night to wind you down and some people get to the point they're so despondent they get suicidal they get really anxious they're like I can't handle any more it feels like my soul has a migraine I want to die and the Christian version of that is reading books about the rapture it's like I don't want to die I just want Jesus to come back play The Jeffersons theme song I want to be moving on up are we done yet are we done I put a chart together it says now's a good day let's go let's go let's go and ultimately you can tell whether or not you have a lot of anxiety by how you sleep sleep is the test so let me let me illustrate for you our home I told you that my wife's is faith so here's my many years of our marriage here's my wife here's my wife here's my wife late at night there's my wife you know why yes faith you know what I'm doing that's a long way to get up man I almost pulled a hamstring you're a certain age getting up you're like I don't know if I can I'm at an age if I drop something I gotta really determine how important it is if I'm gonna go all the way down there and get it I'll buy another car I don't need those keys so my wife my wife would be asleep and I would be awake freaked out and stressed and I would be making notes and making lists and jumping on my laptop and getting work done and I'm eight I couldn't sleep so there were some years I didn't sleep well I've had two intestinal ulcers I fried out my adrenal glands twice one time I lost my sight for a while because I was so stressed I had a hard time reading some woman's laughing I don't know why nonetheless could not sleep and see Wow okay thank you ma'am okay and now I'm now I'm more nervous now I'm nervous about my nervousness and people laughing about me being nervous that that's how nervous I can get how many of you are like that you've been freaked out you've been stressed you've been a little anxious you can't sleep what's God's answer for your anxiety that's the question the pastor John asked me to preach on because when I come he has a lot of anxiety and and I need some healing myself and so we're gonna jump into God's Word we're gonna look firstly at six reasons that fear is fraud and first John 4:18 when we read it to you there is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear for fear has to do with what punishment I'm gonna get hurt I'm gonna lose I'm gonna suffer it's not gonna go well for me I'm scared I'm fearful I'm anxious the temperature in the room just changed I love you it's an honor to be here to help you I want to serve you this is something with me is very personal and I've struggled with it and my wife has been for bearing with me and she is modeled this for me and I'm honored to share it with you if you are carrying a burden if you have a fear if there is something before you that is bigger than you if there's something that you are worried or concerned about if the future is uncertain to you and you are scared fear has to do with punishment and you're afraid that harm is coming to you your family your friends those you love fear has to do with punishment and whoever fears has not been perfected in love six reasons fears of fraud number one fear is vision without hope it's looking down the corridor into the future of your life and saying I don't see anything good I don't see any hope some will tell you that you need food water air and shelter to live you also need hope and what fear does fear robs us of any hope and it replaces it with punishment and that's all we see in our future and why would you walk into a future that was only punishment and no hope number two fear only travels to the worst case scenario fear never takes you to the goodness of God it only takes you toward that which is apocalyptic how many of you are those people everything always is going to end in crisis or tragedy that that you are concerned for your future and you are determined that it is only and always going to end badly for you and what happens is fear of the future causes anxiety in the present when all you see is doom in tomorrow it robs you of any joy today number three fear turns us into false prophets right I know the future and it's all doom how many of you have been false prophets you've spoken here's what's gonna happen to me here's what's coming here's how it's gonna end and you get there and it didn't happen it wasn't that bad even if things weren't okay you were okay it turns us into false prophets prophesying a future that God has not destined for us number four fear runes are relationships when you're gripped by anxiety by fear you and I become we become like a grenade with the pin pulled everything that someone says everything that someone does it causes us to explode we're very emotional we're very fragile a friend of mine who struggles very deeply with anxiety said quote sometimes I feel like my soul has a migraine we have a migraine if someone drops a pen it sounds like a gun has been fired next to your ear everything is heightened everything becomes absolutely increased when you're in a state of anxiety everything that they say everything that they do has a reaction that is much bigger than the action as a result you are yelling at people you are withdrawing for people you are harming people and as a result you are exhausting people and even the people who love you the most grow weary number five fear makes us selfish I'm scared my life is crumbling I am worried my future is uncertain what is coming is going to destroy me everyone right now stop what you are doing pay attention to me my emotional state needs to be the center of your life and we forget they have struggles they have sins they have suffering we're not empathetic we're not compassionate we have no energy for them and we want all their energy for us and it makes us very selfish I love you but sometimes hurting people are the most selfish people that's why the Bible says we should comfort others with a comfort we receive so that it allure serves us we serve them number six fears like a demon spirit that has to be cast out do you notice the language perfect love does what to fear cast it out that's the same language that the Bible uses for the demonic Satan and demons the evil forces that work in the world that are against the will of God in the way of God and the Word of God that has to be cast out but Jesus says even if you cast out a demon if you don't replace that void with the presence of the Holy Spirit things only get seven times worse some of you you don't understand that the fear is not a friend it's a foe it may be a it may be a spirit but it is a demon spirit that has come to haunt you and torment you not to deliver you or to give you peace but if all you do is cast out your fear you don't replace it with the love of God things only get seven times worse that's why some of you you've been afraid I'm gonna conquer that fear and now I have worse fear of something else it's the love of God that casts out fear it is God's Holy Spirit presence in your life that leaves no room for fear and the perfect love of God comes in and it pushes out it casts out it commands out your fears your fears need to be replaced with God's love because you only live your life from one of two places fear in the future or faith in God's love faith in God's love and so that being said let me tell you what other thing about the demonic and the way that the demonic works on anxiety and fear you have limits due to your humanity you'll get tired demons don't you'll get sick demons don't you'll need to go to bed demons don't you need to eat demons don't you have limits to your energy because of your humanity and demons still demons are fallen angels it says of the angels that they worship in the presence of God day and night you and I can't do that what that means is that Satan and demons are not limited by our humanity they don't have the limitations that we do they will want the fear in your mind to cause anxiety in your body to cause you to be unhealthy and then find you at the limits of your humanity so then you were weak you are sick you were tired you are vulnerable and that's when they will attack you you need to know that that's how the demonic realm works and what happens then God's love casts out fear for fear has to do with punishment and then God's love gives you the energy the life the health the hope to help the healing to live the life that God intends for you to be a healthy and whole person so what I want to do now I want to do a deep dive into a book called Philippians and I want to look at God's answer for fear this is a very common verse some of your Christians you're familiar with it rejoice in the Lord always Philippians 4:4 37 again I will say rejoice when the Bible repeats something it's because we're prone to forget it let your reasonable be known by everyone the Lord is at hand do not be anxious about what we've all got one thing that's our thing amen we've all got one thing that's our thing so what you don't do you don't judge someone based upon their anxiety they have a point in their life that is very painful you just have a different point we've we've all got our point we've all got the point of our pain don't be anxious about anything but in everything all things by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus here's what he's saying number one look for the good look for the good when you are fearful all you see is the bad he says it this way rejoice in the Lord always again I will say rejoice he also uses the language of with Thanksgiving some of you when fear dominates you you're like puddle glum and a or it's all bad and only gonna get worse okay I had a wise preacher some years ago tell me he said he said I used to think that life was good seasons and bad seasons you get through the bad seasons to get to the good seasons how many of you've heard that or thought that and then you you're a person who says how come I never get a good season what he said his life is actually two train tracks running side by side my people at Trinity have heard me say this but I want to share with you he says there is constantly and simultaneously good and bad running concurrently through the entirety of your life and it depends which track you will focus on the pessimist says there's only one track and I emphasize all that is bad the optimist says I I only acknowledge that was which is good and the Christian says I see both but I put most of my energies towards the good I look for God's presence and his provision I look for reasons to rejoice and I am anticipating that even in the bad times there are good times there are reasons to rejoice so number one especially when you fraught with fear find the good and find that which God is already at work that will give you hope that he will continue to do good and you will have good in your future but let me say this even if the bad goes away and all there is is good we live in a fallen imperfect world and bad is coming yet again it's always there the question is where is your focus where is your heart where is the lion's share of your emotional energy number to make your will your rudder he says it this way let your reasonableness be known to everyone the reasonableness here it's its steadiness its calm its it's a soldier who is battle-tested and even though bullets are flying they retain their wits about them your emotions are like the sail on a ship if you ever seen a sailboat the sail gets set and the wind fills and drives it forward your emotions are like that sail they're powerful they're strong they drag you they drive you your will is the rudder some of you all you have is a sail you have no rudder something happens you're very passionate you're very worked up you're very emotional that is not a bad thing unless of course you do not have a rudder imagine someone out on a lake sailing in a strong gale force wind sail said no rudder they will be driven wherever the wind takes them some of you life is like that your life is driven by your emotions you are out of control and where you are going is not toward life but toward death the answer is not to be less emotional but to have your will be your rudder and to drive all of that emotional energy in your life toward God's will for you and what God's Word says to you and what he says let your reasonableness be known to everyone what he's saying is other people could see this see when children are little they have strong emotions very little we'll have you noticed that with a kid how many of you are raising that kid okay that's why you're here right you need help you dropped him off at nursery you hope they're fixed by the time you pick them up you're fixing kids start off very emotional very passionate but they don't yet know how to put their will over their emotions a rudder with their sail to drive their life forward that's what God wants you to know some of you will be very emotional you'll be very fearful you'll be freaking out and someone will come and those thing you need to calm down you're really freaking out and all that does is makes you freak out more you're like oh let me tell you why I'm freaked out and you replay it and all you're doing is adding a zero to the volume level of your frustration the answer is this is real this is how I'm really feeling but I trust the Lord and He will use this to compel me and propel me forward into the future and the destiny that he has for me you have to have your will override your emotions number three replace worrying with praying okay when you when you are stressed and distressed you have two options worrying by yourself or praying to the Lord some of you struggle with prayer this will help your prayer life sometimes you don't need to just work harder sometimes you don't need a longer to-do list sometimes you just need to get in the presence of God because here's what happens you and I let me say this when we are afraid we want resolution what God wants is relationship so sometimes we will go to God and say God give me resolution he didn't give me resolution then I will go fix my problems I'll go conquer my enemies I'll go save myself God says you don't need resolution you need relationship prayer sometimes brings resolution from God but it always enhances relationship with God here's how he says it do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication does it say there's nothing to worry about does it say that it's not see when someone is gripped with fear anxiety worry it doesn't help to come up and say there's nothing to worry about because immediately they tell you all the things they're worried about and now they're more worried than they were and now you're worried with them that's not improvement amen does this make sense to anyone okay okay don't raise your hand if you're married to this person but elbowed them okay you and I always have something to be afraid of we're not in the kingdom of God yet they're still sin there's still death they're still evil they're still injustice they're still suffering what it doesn't say this is why I love the Bible it's the most honest book that's ever been written it doesn't say there's nothing to be afraid of actually the more you read the Bible you realize that the world is worse than you thought it was and so there can be more to be afraid of it doesn't say there's nothing to be afraid of but it does say when you were fearful don't panic do pray this is where your will goes over your emotions you're feeling panic don't panic do pray when you pray you are letting God be God so that you can be you when you don't pray you're trying to be God and that will crush you Martin Luther the great Protestant reformer says it this way pray and let God worry prayer says someone needs to worry about this God you worry about it I'm gonna go to bed prayer says god somebody needs to stay up all night and work this out so you stay up all night I'm going to bed prayer let me say this about prayer I didn't this isn't in my notes but let me say some about prayer God doesn't need prayer do you know that some of you are newer Christians are not Christians you're like why does God need prayer he doesn't it's not like you're telling God something he doesn't know when you pray amen it's like your Lord I gotta tell you something's like good because I was wondering I had no clue you're not telling God something he doesn't know God doesn't need prayer you do God doesn't need prayer you do prayers for your good and what you do when you pray if you pray well you transfer the burden to God we had a season of our life I was freaked out I mean I've had various seasons in the past I've had two intestinal ulcers I blown out my adrenal glands twice one season I was so stressed I actually couldn't read because I I kind of lost my eyesight so I understand being freaked out I was so worried of what would happen to me and my family I had trouble sleeping blood pressure was up anxiety was high I talked to a pastor friend of mine he says how's your prayer life I said I talked to the Lord all the time he said how do you feel I said man I'm really worried he said then you're not praying you're just complaining it was convicting and helpful and painful and awful and truthful at the same time I said we'll explain that he said he said until you've transferred the burden to God you're not praying to God you're just complaining to God see he says it's really good for me it was really really good okay I'll just say that when you feel that burden you remember the words of Jesus come to me all you were weary and heavy-laden you'll find rest for your soul for my yoke is easy my burden is light it's Jesus way of saying transfer the burden to me you can't carry that that will crush you let me carry it for you let me carry it with you and you say how do I transfer that burden prayer prayer is how you transfer the burden number four tell god what you want this this is going to change some of your lives because your view of God some of you are compliant some of you are those obedient children how many of you just like I'll do whatever the Lord says you're the rule keepers you're the followers you're the obey errs so when when life happens your inclination is God just tell me what you want to do just tell me what you want me to do God just tell me what you want me to do and there's there's silence god do you exist do you do you care or even paying attention God you could see my heart I love you I want to do what you want me to do tell me what you want me to do why won't you tell me what you want me to do I want to do your will and Satan uses that and God wants to heal that sometimes God tells you his will or most of the time I should say God tells you his will in his word so if he wants to know the will of God you got to open the Word of God other times God will speak to you he can do so supernaturally much of the time God isn't telling you what to do he's asking you what you want to do how many of you've got a child or grandchild and the child grandchild looks at you they say what do you want me to do well what do you want to do what do you want to do let me tell you this about God he's a father I like to say he's a green light dad not a red light dad red light dad the answer is always no now can we go to the park no can I have ice cream no dad can we watch a different show now no no no no no no red light dad God is more of a green light dad as long as you ask for something that's within his will which is broad God's will is a highway not a tightrope as long as you're going toward Jesus you can drive in whatever Lane I don't I don't think it's a big deal I think as long as you're going north hey Dad can we have ice cream yeah hey Dad can we go to the park yeah hey Dad can we throw the ball around yeah hey Dad can I talk to you yeah my kids know that I'm a green light dad I'm not a red light dad so they asked for a lot of things and they know not to ask for things that are wrong or sinful because then they will get the red light dad but they tend to ask for things that are green light here's what the Word of God says let what your requests be known to God when you're fearful frustrated anxious stressed out you need to start by asking Lord what do you want me to do and if you don't hear anything that's okay Lord let me tell you what I'd like to do and your red light dad often times they'll say yes it's not that your dad doesn't know you he doesn't love you he doesn't hear you he's just waiting to hear from you give you an example recently my daughter Alexa she's 13 I love her with all my heart she looks like her mom so I can't even discipline her it's a situation but anyways she's adorable she's 13 she still holds my hand everywhere we go including school in front of her friends and boys so we're good okay we're real good she gives me a kiss every night before bedtime and she came up to me recently she said hey dad what do you want to do this week I said I don't know what a you want to do she said I want to go to Alaska dad I've always wanted to go to Alaska okay make your requests no why do you want to go to Alaska dad I've always want to go to Alaska we live in Phoenix I know we're not going to die and go to hell but it feels like in June we live there okay in Phoenix you can't scare people with hell they're like can't scare me dad we live in Phoenix and in June it's really hot and it's really nice up in Alaska I said okay well who do you want to bring she said I just want to go with you she said I want to go on a trip with my daddy she said I'll sit with you on the plane we'll go see stuff I'll hold your hand snuggle with you she said I really want to get on a plane and land on a glacier right and she said when we land on the glacier we can take a picture together and then we'll remember it forever the answer is yes we went to Alaska very recently I'm a green light dad as long as my kids ask for something that's not going to harm them or dishonor God or hurt someone else I like to say yes some of you are stuck because you're afraid of life in the future you're waiting for God to tell you and he's not saying anything maybe it's because your dad is literally squatted down and he's like hey kid just tell me what you want because all I want to do is hang out with my kid and make memories and love them and have fun and enjoy them see when the Bible says that we are the children of God it means that we always need our dad and our dad is always willing to be with us and sometimes when you are afraid you're so worried but sometimes there are god-given desires in your heart that's why it says delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart some of you I want you to stop looking at what you're afraid of and being angry that God hasn't spoken to you and go meet with your green light dad and tell him what you want now he could say yes no or later that's how every parent can answer every request but I love this let your requests be made known to God number five enjoy God's presence and peace he talks about God's presence in Philippians 4:5 the Lord is where he's right here he's at hand the number one command in the Bible it appears about a hundred and fifty times you think of the totality of God's Word there are a lot of commands in here the number one command that's most frequently repeated is in some form or fashion fear not you can hear that one of two ways my friend a command fear not that didn't help they men right right like if your kid has a nightmare this in the middle of the night and you run in your like fear not like that did dad that did not for sure health that did not help at all okay you can hear that as a command or you can hear that as an invitation right we got a little boy he had a night terror not too long ago I walked in his room I rubbed his back I kissed him I said your daddy's right here fear not I looked up because I'm a nerd all hundred-and-fifty ish occasions where it says fear not nearby in the same orbit it always says in some form or fashion almost always says for I am with you for I am with you it's not necessarily a command fair or not it's an invitation don't be afraid dad's here dad's here dad's here you're not alone but this is what I'm going to go through you're gonna go through it with your dad your dad's gonna take care of you even if things aren't okay you'll be okay your dad goes with you we had a season in our life helicopters overhead rocks thrown at the kids pickets protests bulletproof vests for me to go to work kids going through protests to hear their dad preach total crazy wheels off when little his son he started having great anxiety wouldn't sleep in his bed was very nervous when the news chopper flew over the house he thought it was guys coming to shoot the family he thought we were under attack from terrace he's little he doesn't understand my little boy loves playing baseball he was so gripped with anxiety and fear that he wouldn't go play baseball anymore yeah at all-star traps he's a good little ballplayer of my three boys are all good ballplayers and I told him I said little buddy you got you got all-star tryouts they want you on the team he's like I'm not going I said why said dad I'm afraid he just wanted he was reclusive he was just wanting to stay home he just literally wanted to be as far away from anything that could be dangerous as possible some of you are like that I said well little buddy how about if I go to practice with you I had to talk to him for a while I said you get in the truck daddy will pray with you I'll go there with you he said yeah but you can't go on the field with me I said yes I can I said if it takes me going out on the field with you I will go out on the field with you I'm gonna be the weird dad okay like he's big for his age yeah I go out on the field with him and I stand we stand at the chalk line he won't go any further I said little buddy you got to go he said I need you to go with me okay we both crossed the chalk line we go over he starts warming up I'm standing next to my little boy will he's warming up for all-stars and after a while he looks something he said dad you can go stand over there now he said I feel better but I still need to see you and know that you're close by so I said I back up a little buddy is this a good spot I'm on the other side of the chalk line he said that's good dad you and I are the children of God we're gonna be scared but if our dad goes with us we're gonna be okay okay we're gonna be okay that's what he means when he says the Lord is at hand number two the peace of God the peace of God which surpasses all understanding this is not natural this is supernatural this is not something that you can get from a therapist or a prescription though those things can be helpful this is a gift that God gives that no one else can give this is something that God understands that no one else understands this is something that God does that only God could do the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your heart that's your emotional life and your mind that's your mental life in Christ Jesus this is the language of a soldier now imagine that you have a great enemy that is coming for you you're very scared of them you're anxious and then a soldier stands in front of you on guard it says you stay behind me between this enemy and you is me I will fight them I will defend and protect you you need not be stressed or distressed I am present I am for you I am with you I will never leave you I will never forsake you and I will protect you the peace of God is a soldier that is always on duty his name is the Holy Spirit unlike you he does not get sick unlike you he does not grow weary unlike you he does not need a Sabbath day the Peace of the presence of God in the power of the Holy Spirit is a soldier on guard to protect your emotional life and to protect your mental life if you are in if you belong to if you believe in Christ Jesus speaking of Christ Jesus let me close with this let me just take an extra few moments and talk to you about Jesus how many of you been told that that anxiety stress is a sin to be repented of how many of you been told that sometimes it is sometimes it's not sometimes it's not a sin it's just a struggle how do we know Jesus had anxiety Jesus was stressed Jesus was worried question you're a well taught church did Jesus ever sin no as Jesus was going to the cross to die in your place for your sins as your substitute did Jesus have any anxiety for sure he's in a place called the Garden of Gethsemane what's his sleep look like that night no sleep Jesus is anxious he's somewhat fearful he's worried so he's up all night how many of you have had trouble sleeping how many of you recently have been up all night Jesus is God come to be with us come to be like us what does Jesus do by prayer and supplication he makes his requests known to God he literally is crying out father please take this cup of suffering from me that's my well made his requests known to God and that moment it was a red light no son you're you're going to need to atone for the sin of the world Jesus then surrenders not my will but your will be done he got there in prayer some of you are struggling to walk in God's will and the only way you'll get there is through prayer that's how Jesus got there is Jesus anxious the Bible says that he is sweating drops of blood medical professionals will tell you that this is someone who is experiencing the highest level of anxiety that is possible and the body cannot handle all of the anxiety that they are experiencing Jesus goes to the cross he substitutes himself for you and me and he dies and he yields himself to the peace of God which surpasses all understanding because he does so in the presence of God and the Lord Jesus says father into your hands I commit my spirit Jesus dies in the presence of the Father with the Peace of the Father after meeting with a father bringing his anxiety to the Father and letting his will be known to the Father and surrendering to the will of the Father three days later Jesus rises he ascends into heaven let me close with this Hebrews 4:15 says we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with us this God that you speak to this God that you bring your burdens to this God that you bring your desires to this God that you bring your fears to this God that you bring your future to this God that you bring your anxieties - his name is Jesus and he says my dear son my dear daughter I fully understand where you are I have been there I am now on the other side why don't you travel with me I was praying for you on the plane [Music] I believe God told me to tell you something some of you are in very difficult circumstances and you have asked God God why am i experiencing this it's because you're now ready to walk through it with the hand of your father God has not allowed certain things into your life yet because you weren't mature enough you aren't ready and now you are this should encourage you not discourage you number two God wants you to know there's a difference between hurt and harm sometimes God will allow a little bit of her to prevent a lot of harm just like a surgeon will take a knife and cut you open and if you don't know that that person is a surgeon you are terrified when you realize that they are a master surgeon who is trying to remove cancer from you so that you can live you thank them for the little bit of hurt that is saving you from a lot of harm you were ready for what God has said in front of you he is good not bad it will hurt a little bit but he intends no harm [Music]

Channel: James River Church

Views: 47,732

Rating: 4.6597223 out of 5

Keywords: mark driscoll, anxiety, fear, james river church, answer for anxiety, phillipians, mark, driscoll, james, river, church, online, james river church sermons, john, lindell, pastor, preaching, preacher, sermon, sermons, god, jesus, anxiousness, answer, for, sermon on anxiety, sermon on worry, best sermon, best sermons, how to deal with anxiety, pastor mark driscoll, bible, biblical, teaching, encouragement, christian, inspiration, motivation, mark driscoll sermons

Id: C6tWHRurHe0

Length: 52min 48sec (3168 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 23 2017