overthinking | Alex Wilson

amen Aloha and welcome to Eamon podcast where we preach the good news of Jesus Christ and how it applies to Everyday Life my name is lokelani your host and I'm joined by my husband Alex who is preaching about overthinking we're continuing our Series in Matthew we're in chapter 8 and looking at verses 28 through 34. go ahead and read along with me if you have your Bible we're in the ESV version if not go ahead and just listen and when he came to the other side to the country of the Gatherings two demon-possessed men met him coming out of the tombs so Fierce that no one could pass that way and behold they cried out what have you to do with us o Son of God have you come here to torment us before the time now a herd of pigs many pigs was feeding at some distance from them and the demons begged him saying if you cast us out send us away into the herd of pigs and he said to them go so they came out and went into the pigs and behold the whole herd rushed down to the Steep Bank into the sea and drowned in the waters there it's been fled and going into the city they told everything especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men and behold all the city came out to meet Jesus and when they saw him They begged him to leave their region amen you guys didn't hear it but Luke farted so loud behind me anyway we're talking about overthinking and this week my son Amos came up to me and said dad why does your phone not go black and I was like what is he talking about and I just told him uh I said I looked at him I said I don't know and in the moment I was busy cooking I was thinking about this episode I was thinking about getting the kids down for bed and so as I was overthinking I decided to be selfish and not to answer him but later that night when I was laying in bed I was thinking about that question I was like what is he talking about and I realized that like the new iPhone when you lay it face up uh it still shows you the time it's a new feature that they made with the new iOS devices the iPad that I use him I let him use for school and drawing and stuff doesn't do that and so he was wondering why this iOS Apple device when you lock it it goes black but the other one doesn't and so I woke up the next day with a little bit of um just repentance in mine and I was like you know what this is why it does that it's a new feature so you don't have to pick up your phone you can just look over at it on the table and see the time and you don't have to be distracted by picking it up and checking out other notifications and stuff and then he was like oh okay and so through that ordeal I realized that overthinking is selfish and if we're gonna stop overthinking we have to stop thinking about ours we have to stop thinking about ourself to stop overthinking we have to think of ourselves less and think of others more but that's our problem we are always the first person that we think of every time we start to overthink and the reason why you're overthinking is because you think of yourself too much Jesus didn't live that way Jesus was never caught overthinking let's look at this verse 28 and 29 it says and when he came to the other side the country of the Gatherings two demon-possessed men meet him coming out of the Tomb Sophia said no one could pass that way and behold they cry out what have you to do with this o Son of God have you come here to torment us before the time what the demons asked Jesus is what business do we have together that is the like the direct language translation of what it says here in English what Jesus would have heard is what people in the Old Testament when it came to Wars or any kind of conflict or any kind of hostility that's what they said to each other what business do we have and it was always used to start a fight and that's what these disciples are witnessing when the demons in these men the legion and Legions of demons that are inside these two men when they approached Jesus they come with hostility they come with conflict yes of course they know that there's a Time Coming which they mentioned in verse 29 where God is going to destroy us before that time and so or that's what the demons were thinking but they're still bringing hostility they're still bringing conflict Paul tells us that they wouldn't have crucified the the powers that be wouldn't have crucified Jesus if they wouldn't have tried so hard to kill him if they knew that it was through death that God was going to save us and so the devil's tricky he's he's foolish and prideful and he's but he's very wise very crafty and they and they they think maybe this is an opportunity start something with Jesus to start some kind of conflict and I believe that they thought that they won when he died on the cross so they're crafty but it just shows us that you could be minding your own business just like Jesus was and all of a sudden conflict comes Jesus just spent the night on a boat not sleeping because they woke him up remember last episode and so he's obviously tired and he's tired and now he's touched down on the shore to do ministry and all of a sudden Here Comes conflict this is when you and I would start to overthink but Jesus never never overthunk he never did when we're tired when we're caught off guard is when our overthinking starts what is this person thinking about me should I be thinking that about them how do I get out of this situation what do I do next in this conversation conversation what do I say next what did they mean by that what did that look mean we start to overthink and over analyze everything why we're thinking about ourselves too much and we're caught off guard maybe we're spiritually tired maybe we're mentally tired maybe we're physically tired but this is when overthinking Finds Its place in our heart so what do we have to do I was at um the pool that we we pay a membership to for rainy days when we can't go to the beach to let out energy uh we go for walks or go to the pool and one day at the pool we we had invited a lot of friends to come meet us there and as we're pulling up with a car full of people um this one bystander thought that we were driving too fast in the parking lot and we weren't and the people with us told us that we weren't but anyway they proceeded to like mouth words at us and make gestures at us in the parking lot I got offended and I got upset and I got in my flesh and I was ready to like fight one of these guys he got it kind of got on my face and was puffing his chest out and making comments towards me and thank God lokelani was there and just pulled me away and we walked away never got too serious where she had to like actually like grab me and pull me in the other direction she just told me like just let it go and I just walked away um but it was a moment where I wanted to prove myself I was overthinking how dare he talk to me like this does he not know who I am these people around I gotta protect my friends protect you know I need to be a man like all this lies whatever I'm overthinking and I was letting the overthinking flow instead of telling the darkness to go and that's what Jesus does look at verse uh 30. now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them and the demons begged him saying if you cast us out send us away into the herd of pigs and behold the whole herd rushed down the State Bank into the sea and drowned in the waters they say if you are going to cast this out send us to the pigs Jesus says go he's not overthinking at all in this situation he Jesus doesn't have time to overthink because he wants to help these demon-possessed guys he wants to get these demons out and help these guys he wants to help the nearby Town who it says in verse 28 people couldn't even pass by the tombs where these possessed men lived they were haunted by these guys Jesus is not overthinking because he's not thinking about himself he's thinking about helping the people in front of him and that right there shows us how he's able to give one word a one word answer I mean talk about the opposite of overthinking we um when we're confused when we're overthinking our words are many Jesus's words are very few because he's not overthinking to to stop overthinking we have to think of ourselves less and think of others more what Jesus does right here instead of overthinking is he allows conflict to arise and he says how can I love others and how can I love God In This Moment that's what he's doing by just saying go you might be thinking how is he loving God by allowing the demons to kill the pigs well God prioritizes humans over pigs animals come first I get this question a lot are they going to be animals in heaven there'll be animals in the new world yes but your dog didn't go to heaven when it died God prioritizes humans over animals because humans have souls doesn't mean that God doesn't love animals don't forget Noah's Ark he loves animals he loves everything that he created but there's a priority we us humans are his most prized creation and so he's glorifying God because of two things number one he's showing he's he is not trying to take matters into his own hands he's definitely mad at these demons because he's seeing how they've ruined these guys lives and the surrounding town but he doesn't get so angry he doesn't start overthinking to the point where like he lashes out an all-out war against the Demonic he just says go and he gives him a foreshadowing of what's coming for them where they'll be thrown into the abyss the pigs run off into the into the sea if it's a foreshadowing of what Revelation tells us it's going to happen to the demons and Satan and the disciples get to see that foreshadowing that foreshadowing gives glory to God how it gives glory to God and how we know he's gonna end the battle with Darkness but also at the same time it gives glory to God because Jesus doesn't get sidetracked in his mission he still is headed like his face set Like Flint towards the cross instead of choosing another battle so he just says go how is he loving others we already said that he's loving others by healing these guys from this possession and freeing this town from this kind of Haunting if you were going to stop your overthinking dead in its tracks you have to start asking yourself when you feel that overthinking rising up within you you have to stop yourself and say how can I love others and how could I love God in this situation when I was at the when I was at the pool I wasn't thinking that but in that moment if I would have said okay how can I love God and love love this person that wants to fight me love the people around me by giving them an example of what manly Hood really looks like how can I do that right now that would have stopped the overthinking so I want to finish these verses and I want you to see the key here which is how we get the power to stop overthinking verse 33 the herdsmen fled going into the city they told everything especially what happened to the demon-possessed men and behold all the city came out to meet Jesus and when they saw it They begged him to leave their region the herd's been got it the people didn't the herdsmen come back telling them this is what happened especially what happened to the demon-possessed man meaning the herdsmen were excited and they saw the miracle they saw what Jesus did they saw the exchange The Great Exchange the town people they come back they're not stoked because they lost their bacon and all they're thinking about is their future their finances and all this kind of stuff they're overthinking even though Jesus just didn't just did a miracle to help them they're overthinking the herdsmen got it and we must be like the herdsmen and not the town people the herdsmen saw the Great Exchange that the miracle here is that here is the Son of God coming and freeing us from the powers of Darkness that's what they saw and that's what they were Amazed by if we're gonna stop overthinking we have to see what they saw they didn't even think twice the herdsmen they're not crying on the side of the mountain they're not distraught about losing their herd isn't that crazy the townspeople is worried about the economy it's not even necessarily their particular bacon that they lost into the ocean it or into the sea into the lake you know it's a Sea of Galilee but it's really just a lake they're not worried about their pigs but they are worried about the economy we don't want this Jesus coming Jesus guy coming into our town and ruining our economy even more but the people who should be upset or not upset they're preaching they're telling people look at what this guy did the guys who lost their herd they're not overthinking all they're thinking about is how could I how do I love God and how do I love others I love God by preaching his Good News by giving witness giving testimony to what I've seen giving glory to him and I love others by telling them the good things that God has done that's what the herdsmen are doing and they need to see what we what we need to see they saw what we need to see and that is that Jesus was overwhelmed but he never was overthinking he saw the her the herdsmen saw Jesus on the shore not overthinking but they definitely would have witnessed an over him being overwhelmed they would have saw a tired Jesus they would have saw and exhausted Jesus but they would have saw a caring Jesus and and not overthinking Jesus Jesus was overwhelmed so we could stop overthinking on the cross Jesus is that's what's happening he's being crushed he's being overwhelmed so we can stop overthinking and in the resurrection it tells us that there's nothing to overthink about when we walk the way that Jesus walked a life of not overthinking but a life of thinking about the whole law summed up in one sentence love God love others when we live that way there's nothing to overthink about the resurrection means that when you live that way you will rise out of your situation the second coming means that we have to stop overthinking and start understanding our mission when you have to understand that the herdsmen they had definitely grown up hearing about the Hebrew God hearing about the Messiah the second the coming of the Messiah they would have definitely heard that now here they are on the beach witnessing it and what do they do they stop overthinking they don't think about how they just lost all their bacon Ulster pit lost their pigs they don't overthink that what do they do they understand their mission Jesus is coming means we have to stop overthinking and start understanding our mission and that is to go and to tell there's nothing else to think about you've witnessed the power of God just like these herdsmen have witnessed it now it's time to go and tell it and whatever way shape and form that is and you tell it with your lifestyle the decisions that you make how you choose to treat the people around you how you show your love for God in your life that's what it looks like he's coming he's coming again so there's no time to overthink we got to start understanding our mission the more we look into him and how he lived specifically stuff like overthinking how he lived completely counter-cultural to how we live and the people around us and even the spiritual leaders in our life as we look at his life then our eyes start to open up like the herdsmen did and all of a sudden they know okay I don't need to worry about my pigs I need to I need to be doing this look at the joy the herdsmen have it says that they went and told them everything that happened especially what had happened to the demon possessment especially it's saying that this that particular part them being healed was a really exciting part that means they had seen something spiritually and they they are free from the finances free from their future free from trying to fill their lives with things that won't satisfy them God had broken that they had been healed too with the demon-possessed man Jesus was overwhelmed to the point of death that's what he claimed in the garden Mark 14 36 he's sweating blood out of his forehead overwhelmed to the point of death so that we could stop overthinking father we thank you so much for the gift of your salvation how it frees us to live like your son and to live for the glory of you and we so we're so thankful God that um we don't have to overthink but we do have to understand what you've called us to help us to keep looking at you and let it change and renew our hearts in your name we pray amen this is the part of the episode called after the amen where we ask you a question to help you apply this message to your life our question today is what are you thinking about what are you thinking about I will go first as always I am thinking about not the far future I guess you would say but kind of like the near future I am definitely definitely an overthinker and um I've been feeling super overwhelmed this week um our schedule's a little bit busier than normal this week and um it's because I've been over and I've been feeling overwhelmed because I've been overthinking the near future so instead of just focusing on the task at hand I'm thinking about tomorrow and what's happening or even later that day and what's happening and in my overthinking um it's almost like I become useless because in my overthinking I become anxious then which turns into worry and that like can like paralyze me and I can't get the things done that I need to get done in that moment and it's because I'm so worried about the future and so when I'm feeling overwhelmed it's not necessarily that someone is overwhelming me or my children are overwhelming me or anything else it's because I am too inwardly focused and when I'm inwardly focused um I cannot be affected in the present um and so that's what I'm thinking about and I just think about the times when um you know the Lord is has revealed something to me and instead of trusting in what he is saying I will start overthinking it and then I miss the opportunity to act on whatever it is he's saying um so yeah I don't know how to explain that but more than in that way but like I just think that overthinking can cause us to um miss the like little moments that God is trying to speak to us in the here and now um and that can really like lead you to a dark place spiritually um so yeah that's a little bit of my feedback yeah I think that's so good you'd miss when you're looking so inwardly you miss an opportunity to serve someone else and to give God glory that's what would have happened you know if Jesus was so tired and overthinking and and thinking about his own self he would have missed an opportunity to help the people closest to him in that moment and missed that lesson that he gave to the disciples the disciples are always picking up gems and nuggets and watching Jesus's life um much like the people in our life just how we handle conflict how we respond um our kids people closest to us are watching that and the disciples are watching Jesus simple one word answer not overthinking and handle his business and keep it moving um it's super cool and so thank you for sharing that being vulnerable and transparent very helpful we love you guys thank you so much for listening uh write and review the podcast like this video if you're an overthinker but you are turning from an overthinker to an understander uh that's what we want and we pray that you are blessed by this and if you want to support us amenpodcast.com House Church is going great they're going to hear this message tonight as you're if you're listening on Sunday um same message they're gonna get tonight so pray that it goes well and your support to this ministry also keeps House Church going and so thank you for that it's going good we got a you know it's a big group they come every Sunday in our garage and we worship we sit under the word of God and we confess and we talk and it's good so we love you go out and be the church wait you're supposed to say that I'm so sorry that's okay until next time go out and be the church I've been saying on the other podcasts on the Alex podcast so that's why I took your part Luke you want to try [Music] go again me yeah oh go out and be the church amen

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Views: 136,400

Keywords: amen church, amen alex, Alex dion wilson, amen, bible, jesus, sin, church live stream, God, Christian, podcast, how to get closer to god, understanding god, how to, Jesus christ, christian, how to quit porn, addiction, preaching, sermon, bible project, gen z, youth, teen, college, live stream, inspiration, motivation, scripture, healing, uplifting, tik tok, shorts, analogy, illustration, preacher, recovery, lust, backsliding, repentace, acceptance, everything, all, love, find, lost, Alex wilson

Id: D-oCqWWQBfU

Length: 24min 8sec (1448 seconds)

Published: Sun Aug 27 2023