The Biblical Cure for Anxiety - Todd Friel

but while good morning you know you're in a different kind of Church when you walk in and the first thing you see is a book for children on ireenie as' what kind of people are you it's good to be here I'm very grateful to be here frankly I feel like I'm at work Blake is here and I see Ben and Adrian pray for these guys they have to hear my voice for the next three hours I'm kidding okay case you're panicking we're actually going to take a look today if you want to open up your Bible to John chapter 11 and while you're doing that let me thank Kevin too it's very interesting coming to this church because you know so many churches their goal is to get people whipped up and emoted to set them on the course for the next week and so they do all kinds of things to manipulate emotions and feelings to get people to feel good or to get them to feel something so that they can make it through another week and then come back the next week for more fun and festivities and this is this is not a church like that and yet I find it fascinating that my emotions are moved far more here than at a whoopty-doo Center where they work like nobody's business all week long to do nothing but manipulate emotions and yet coming here and hearing the word read authoritative Lee praying to God in a reverential way frankly moves me more than anything that a seeker-friendly Church could possibly manipulate so I thank you for that and I think you DeRay for letting me be in the pulpit I don't take it as a small thing to be able to open up the Word of God with you today to hopefully show you again that our faith works our theology does something we are not the faith that simply visits our religion one day a week and then goes about the rest of the week trying to make it through our theology actually does something and especially if you're young please hear this your faith isn't this compartmentalized part of you your faith is something that should inform everything that you do and everything that you think and the good news is it can do that we aren't given this 2,000 year old book and it kind of well you know we kind of has some things to say but it doesn't speak to everything it speaks to everything and today what I'd like to talk to you about with kind of a combo topical expository sermon I want to talk about your emotions today specifically the emotion of anxiety these days when you listen to contemporary Christian radio they have got one thing like a ton of a lot right on contemporary Christian radio but they've got one thing right they know what people are feeling so if you ever listened to you're safe for the whole family radio station you'll hear one theme bang over and over again and you hear these guys whining and life is so hard and I'm just trying to get through the day and I don't know if I can make it but oh oh oh oh and okay they've identified a problem that I think many people experience and that is the issue of worry and anxiety they've got that right the problem is they don't have the solution they think that just by saying you're gonna make it through the day you can really do it God's got plans oh oh that's gonna do the trick it doesn't do the trick because God has fearfully and wonderfully made us and if we understand just a little bit we won't understand the word more but we also want to understand how our bodies work how did God make us why do we even have feelings why do we have emotions what's the connection between our brain and the way that we feel and faith and I think that we see that played out for us in one of the longest sections of Scripture on one subject we're going to take a look don't jump yet but we're going to take a look at John chapter 14 through 16 three chapters I believe dedicated to one issue and that is the issue of anxiety now we and Adrian will tell you this we have a brand new product at wretched radio it's called anxiety because we do recognize that this is an issue that everybody deals with there is nobody in this room the this morning who does not wrestle at some point or another in your life with anxiety worrying about what's going to happen whatever that happens to be everybody sometimes can get a case of anxiety and John chapters 14 through 16 I believe is Jesus trying to help us through that and we put together a product to lay that out that the Bible can help you with your anxiety and Wow Adrian will attest to this we have been getting shellacked on facebook and with blogging to the posts it whatever those things are called sorry Blake whatever those things are called where people write the comments and thoughts you don't know what you're talking about you don't understand my problem I've been diagnosed with depression is depression anxiety well I don't think it is let's be careful with our words I think one of the errors of dealing with this issue is not rightly defining our words and asking ourselves the question who is going to define these words for us people have been shellacking us and saying no no no I have depression the dsm-5 the diagnostic Statistical Manual tells me that I have depression so you don't know what you're talking about back off this read your Bible and pray business doesn't work because I have clinical depression what is the difference between depression and anxiety it's vast in my estimation clinical depression if we're going to use secular terms is something that maybe you've experienced here Charles Spurgeon did Charles Spurgeon a man of faith the Prince of preachers he had depression what was depression it's depression I believe if we understand if we want to make a distinction between depression and anxiety is a burdensome heavy dark I don't think can move sort of overwhelming blue I am immobilized by something Randy Elkhorn perhaps you know him he wrote a great book heaven money possessions at eternity safely home he is a great brother he said one morning I woke up and I I was devastated and he just he was wracked with depression I believe he said for three months where it was just this overwhelming sense in flickable and this is a man that you wouldn't say well read your Bible more you would you say that you're Charles Spurgeon read your Bible more Charles so there was something about depression that we have to recognize can be outside of what Jesus addresses in John 14:16 now how often does that happen well ultimately I don't know the statistic nor does anybody else but let me suggest you it is the exception this thing that is so often diagnosed as depression way too quickly maybe in your children maybe in you is a frankly in my opinion an exception the majority of times people are struggling or feeling scared about the future that's anxiety that's that's worried that's frustration that's what Jesus addresses and I think as Christians we need have a balanced approach to an understanding there can be times when there is an organic issue something chemical inside of somebody's brain that causes them to feel clinically organically depressed I'm not talking about that this morning so please don't hear that I am talking about what Jesus was talking about anxiety and we're going to see exactly what that anxiety is and how there is a cure for it it is possible that somebody in this room actually struggles with depression something I'm not talking about you regularly are concerned about the future that's anxiety please hear this depression the way that we are going to understand it is something that is debilitating overwhelming and seemingly from not within but almost from without it can be an organic issue but I want to address anxiety today understanding the difference between the two and recognizing for those people who have been upset with us talking about anxieties if we don't know what we're talking about apparently Jesus knew what he was talking about because he uses the word anxiety and rather than letting secular psychiatrists define words for us we are going to let the Bible define terms for us because if we follow the definitions of the world there is no hope there's no hope because the Bible doesn't use the word depression I wonder why oh yeah the word wasn't even used back when the Bible was written so we need sometimes kids will be diagnosed with I think you probably know this explosive behavioral disorder or ah oppositional defiant disorder well the Bible has nothing to say about that does it okay it does it certainly does it talks about foolish children and it certainly talks about anger so if we define our terms biblically the good news is we can go in and find hope because the Bible offers hope for you and your anxiety so with understanding our terms this morning let's jump into our Bibles this is John chapter 11 is where we want to begin today John chapter 11 Jesus is marching toward the cross he is not a victim he is a volunteer God's prearranged plan Jesus is moving himself toward the cross and on his way there we hear about the death of a beloved friend we hear about the death of Lazarus just as we've heard about the death of a beloved friend that we don't even know this morning pastor Steve and maybe some of you had the same reaction that Jesus had about his dear friend Lazarus John chapter 11 verse 33 when Jesus therefore saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping he was deeply moved in spirit and was hears our word troubled he had anxiety well that's fascinating Jesus was troubled Jesus had anxiety now it must not be a sin in this context because Jesus had it and Jesus didn't sin so what kind of troubling did Jesus have what kind of anxiety if you will did Jesus experience well first of all the Greek informs us that he troubled himself but beyond that the same word troubled gee was rightly troubled over what we heard about already this morning CIN CIN troubled him seeing sin and the consequences and the effects of sin troubled him and it can trouble us am I going to suggest you this morning you should never have any feelings you should never have any emotions certainly not this is going to be a presentation on anxiety am I saying that you should never experience any sort of outpouring of what's going on inside of you no not saying that at all there is a time for laughing there's a time for mourning and that's what we see here Jesus is troubled because he sees sin and its consequences and what it inflicts on his creation and how its corrupted everything and so he is troubled on the inside and he expresses it when Jesus wept is it okay to cry because of sin absolutely and so we see in John chapter 11 Jesus experiences trouble feelings but rightly understood we have to understand exactly why he was feeling what he felt because when we scoot forward now to John chapter 14 John chapter 14 verse one this is a very long discourse that we see with Jesus talking to his disciples informing them I'm leaving you I'm going away now and Jesus tells the disciples don't be troubled wait a second in John chapter 11 Jesus was troubled now he's telling his disciples don't be troubled so knowing that Scripture is perfectly harmonized it never contradicts itself we must take a look at it to understand well there must be a different sort of troubling that Jesus has in view here Jesus had one kind of troubling he's saying to the disciples don't be troubled this way how were they troubled they were troubled the way most of us are troubled these days they were having anxiety about the future their savior was going away and he knew that they were going to be anxious about this and Jesus tells them don't do that don't be anxious don't worry don't fret don't have frustration don't have concern do you have those things do you have those things concern about the future worrying about tomorrow what's going to happen that's the troubling that's the anxiety that is in view and John chapter 14 this is the nail-biting this is the staying up wondering what's going to happen to the kids this is the type of reading about how are we going to pay the bills what happens if the check doesn't what happens if this bad thing happens what if do you live in that world Jesus has a word for you today don't do it don't do it because that kind of troubling is a sin and if Jesus says it's a sin the great news is there must be a cure for our sin problem because jesus never identifies a sin and then doesn't give us the solution in the help for it so Jesus commands you this day do not be anxious for if you are anxious about tomorrow you are sinning and that should convict you because sometimes we have a tendency to think about what jerry bridges would call respectable sins not as bad as pornography I have an axe murdered anybody I haven't performed a school shooting I just worry Jesus says it's a sin and you need to hear that and be convicted by that but don't stay there because our God never just says here's your problem he always says here's your problem and here's your solution and he gives it to us and we need to understand it so that we can overcome our anxiety and indeed we can now let's take a look at John chapter 14 verse 1 John chapter 14 verse 1 Jesus says to his disciples let not your heart be troubled ask yourself the question why do you suppose the disciples were troubled let's think this through for a second because not everything that has always spoken to the disciples is necessarily directly applied to us but in this case I believe it is what could the disciples have been worrying about they had been traveling around with Jesus for three years now and he's talking about and it's becoming increasingly clear we actually heard about it in our New Testament reading this morning they were kind of confused too along the way they will always weren't certain what was going on but now they're starting to get it because Jesus is speaking more clearly to them God is revealing it to them and they're starting to understand he's going away could it have been that they were troubled for their lives for their safety remember they had been coming after Jesus now for years they had been planning to kill Jesus for years now Jesus is taken out of the way do you think it's possible they might have been thinking they could be coming after us then they wanted to kill him he's gone they're going to come after so they were fearing for their safety they were fearing for their health do you ever worry about those things maybe they were thinking to themselves immediately okay wait a second Jesus is going away I sold everything or I just left everything behind and what what am I gonna do for a living do you ever worry about that never worry about the next paycheck do you ever worry about college and what you're gonna do when you get out or high school or who's going to take care of me the disciples I think might have been worrying about those very things maybe they were thinking to themselves oh great my told me not to do this and I did and I went traveling around with this rabbi he's gone I'm gonna have to go back and see them face to face and boy am I going to take a shellacking for this it's gonna be like Christmas and some of your home's you know what the family gets together and it's sitting here and it's harping and carping and you and your Christian faith and living like that what's the matter with you you could have done this you could have been that if you had just applied your you should have gone to do you ever worry about those things I wonder if the disciples were worried about those very same things how practical is our Bible don't be troubled maybe you worry about those things but maybe you worry about other things too that maybe the disciples weren't thinking about maybe you worry about where your kids are going to go to college are they going to get married will they find a godly spouse okay come on parents honestly if that isn't the number one anxiety issue for you and your kids seriously yeah well they ever find it there's no godly people out there there's nobody that's it you ever worry about that have anxiety about that how many of us do I think a lot our kids career our kids future maybe you worry about finding a spouse maybe you worry about even having a child there are people who do not have the babies that they want right now are you anxious about that I think this text applies to you maybe you are anxious because you have a past you have done things in your past and you are anxious that somebody might find out about them do you worry about that whatever your anxiety is Jesus is going to help us identify it and deal with it this morning so here we go with John chapter 14 John chapter 14 verse 1 Jesus says do not be troubled and then he says something that I would never think to say don't be troubled if I were if I were writing the Bible I would say don't be troubled watch Oprah or don't be troubled just run or don't be troubled take medication or don't be troubled make sure you work really hard and put a lot of money away so that you don't have to worry about the future in retirement and your kids having to take care of you I would have come up with some sort of earthly scheme to try to figure out what I can do to fortify the fortress so that I don't have to be afraid but that's not what Jesus says Jesus says don't be troubled believe in God believe also in me what is that it just doesn't even seem to make sense don't be anxious don't be this hmm believe in me what is Jesus telling us as we look at this text I think this is anxiety reliever number one this is a correct diagnosis of your problem Jesus is diagnosing why you are anxious and he tells us it's a faith issue it's not a circumstance issue it is a faith issue why would he say don't have anxiety believe in me I think that he is diagnosing our problem for us and I think that this is backed up then in Matthew chapter 7 what does Jesus say in another lengthy discourse on anxiety Jesus says look at the lilies of the field look at the sparrows of the air God takes care of them why do you worry about tomorrow all together now oh you of little faith look at the harmony of our of our lecture on anxiety anxiety is a faith issue now if Jesus says that anxiety is a faith issue it's because we have little faith what exactly does he mean I think he's addressing two types of little faith if you have anxiety you have little faith possibly in that the object of your faith is little when you have anxiety you've got a faith problem in action you are believing in something small and usually when you're fretting it's because you're believing in you you're believing in yourself you're believing in your abilities you're believing in your strategies your wisdom your position your status your finances how clever you are to control the future so when you have anxiety when you find yourself worrying about just who how is this gonna go chances are very good it's one of these two things you're believing in you and I would be worried too I mean really Jesus diagnoses it again back in Matthew chapter 7 can you do anything about tomorrow you can't do a thing so if you're putting your trust in you no wonder why you have anxiety you're believing in something little you're believing in you stop having little faith or there's another option with having little faith and that is you've got a little faith in God it could I'm not saying you're not a Christian I'm saying that your faith in God in the moment is little what does God tell us I have you in my hand I know you the hand by the way that measures the universe by the span of his and the one who has created everything who Stoops to Noah says I've got you little one I've got you and when we are really not believing that we get anxious because we're having a little faith in the one who says don't worry I mean all things for your good and for my glory and so what I see in the text here is our first anxiety reliever and that is a diagnosis of your problem if you're anxious it's a faith issue and not to get all psycho babble II hear but I think that's kind of the way it works that's this is kind of the way that we think through issues we have a tendency in fact what was the name of the explosive the behavioral what was it that right there here's a maybe you know this term - this is how the secularists treat this problem a cognitive behavioral therapy is one that they like to use dialectic therapy is another one and they try to get the kids to just start doing it do it do it and there is don't get me wrong there can be some value in that but it doesn't get to the biblical root of the problem if you've got a problem Jesus in our texture in John 14:1 diagnoses it not first and foremost as a thinking problem we have a tendency to think it's a thinking problem when you have anxiety it's not it's a faith problem you've got a faith problem if you've got anxiety because your faith is not pointed in the wrong direction if I'm anxious about what's going to happen my family right now they're off at our church and let's just say oh boy ah my sixteen year old is driving for the first time today uh-huh what if they get into an accident what happens if the car breaks down and I'm not there to help even the hall like would possibly do is call triple-a because we all have our gifts that's not one of them but I'm I'm anxious about it why because I'm believing that I'm the one who ultimately takes care of my family it's a faith issue and faith comes first now if I'm putting my faith in the Bible who says that God is going to take care of me and my family then my thinking is going to say wait a second worst-case scenario if the car breaks down things Goku fritz God promises he's going to take care of everything when I'm putting my faith in the Bible first when I put my trust in God first then my thinking is rightly informed it's faith first then thinking you see the people who do watch Oprah they're putting their faith in her and then then because they believe her they think like Oprah they read her books they read her magazines and then they start to think like Oprah why because they're trusting Oprah and they're not trusting the Bible that's the way every religion thinks it starts with faith they're believing the baha'i they're believing in a Howard clump of them of the eckankar movement they're putting their faith in him so we listen to what he teaches us then their thinking becomes like his and then we behave so it's faith first thinking then comes our either our behavior our emotions kind of both of them tend to go together but first and foremost it is a faith issue are you trusting God's promises really so what this comes down to this this book which you heard read this morning with authority claims to be the all inspired inerrant sufficient Word of God for all of life and godliness if you've got anxiety you're probably not believing that the way that you should because when we are believing this book our thinking is transformed by the renewing of our mind God working through the word by the power of His Holy Spirit to change our thinking but our thinking won't be changed if you don't believe this book atheists will laugh at this oh so you've got to set aside your cognitive abilities and then just believe it well yeah actually that's the way it does work so they can laugh all they want to but they're putting their faith in something and so are we we are putting our trust in this book and when we put our trust in this book our thinking will change and I promise you your emotions will change and that's what we see now in the rest of John 14 15 and 16 and we're going to kind of skim across the top of these three chapters to see at least nine more anxiety relievers because I think that's what John 14 15 and 16 about when you're reading if you get a chance to read it tonight tomorrow and just look for the number of times that Jesus mentions don't be afraid I'm going away even though at the end of John chapter 15 they leave the Upper Room is it at the end of it yeah at the end of 15 they leave the Upper Room and they start walking through a garden but John doesn't even take a break to tell us that we just know that they must have moved because they're sitting in a room and now all of a sudden he's talking about vine and branches and he's pointing them out so we know that they've actually moved so they're on the go but John keeps going with this same thing and steam in John 14 15 and 16 I'm going away don't worry don't be trouble I'm going away hey did I tell you I'm going away you will probably see it I think I counted at least eight times I saw it in John 14:1 verse 18 verse 25 27 28 and 29 it's at the end of John 14 they leave and then go into the garden John 15:26 he talks about leaving in John 16 v 16 7 17 through 19 22 28 32 and 33 so it is at 15 16 Wow I can't even count on my finger such tragic he keeps telling them I'm leaving I'm leaving I'm leaving that's the theme of three chapters and so when we read what he's teaching them tons of theology in here it's all for their anxiety so let's go look and take a look and see what Jesus said anxiety reliever number one is diagnosing the problem is a faith issue anxiety reliever number two John 14:2 do not be anxious believe in God I'm going to prepare a place for you what's anxiety reliever number two you're going to heaven if you're in Jesus Christ this is this is thinking heavenly and even though the world or the Christian Church even says well don't think too much about heaven you'll be no earthly good jesus says just the opposite I think about having a lot otherwise you're going to be a mess on earth think about heaven think about the glories of heaven what is Jesus going to prepare and do for you he's going to prepare a place for you and here's the Magnificent picture that is painted for us throughout Scripture Jesus is going to throw a banquet for us and guess who the servant is gonna be Jesus Christ himself the king is going to serve us just the way he washed the disciples feet in the upper room our God serves the rebels the King Stoops to serve those who hated him now seated at his table where he serves us you're gonna be at that banquet if you're in Christ how are you doing with worry think about heaven think about what is to come don't be looking at the things that are fleeting this will happen I know young person this is hard for you to grasp this but one day it will click in I promise you this life is a vapor it goes zoom fast and I learned that when my kids hit the teenage years think they are just wow where did those four or five years ago that's life and all of this stuff is going to be burned up it's fleeting it's stuff we have heaven to look forward to if you have anxiety move your sights from what is going on around you and move them upward to heaven and Jesus says that's going to help you with your anxiety become heavenly minded anxiety reliever number three John 14 7 john 14 7 if you had known who I am let's walk watch for our repetitious words here if you had known who I am then you would have known who my father is from now on you know him and have seen him anxiety reliever number three we know Jesus and we know the father you remember in the Old Testament the Old Testament Saints they long no how is this thing gonna play out what is this thing going to look like what will salvation look like this Messiah how is he gonna act what's he gonna be like a conquering king what sort of Messiah is God planning for us we know what God has planned for us it is that he sent his second the second member of the Trinity his son to be the propitiation for our sins and we get to know him are you worried turn your eyes upon Jesus look long in his wonderful face and the things of this world will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace when you have anxiety think about what Jesus has done for you Christian what has Jesus done for you he stooped have you ever been on a missions trip to some of these third-world countries and where they there's a hole in the ground for the bathroom and there's no running water that would that would have been like a paradise compared to the lifestyle that Jesus lived living in the first century was rough he came at just that right time for you all of the laws that you and I break without even being aware of them Jesus kept them for you the rat that you and I deserve jesus took it for you the stripes that we deserve he took on his own back for you dying on a cross for you rising from the dead for you ascending into heaven for you think about what Jesus has done for you and the inheritance that you have and maybe one of your anxieties is a fear of man Oh what will people think I want to make sure that unpopular peer pressure is huge happens at every age you're worried about what people might think because of your car what kind of clothes you wear who cares what the servants think when you've been accepted by the king think about Jesus think about the father and what he has done for you and I would especially like to say to you you are in a conservative Church and most likely that means you're very aware of the nonsense that is out there in Christianity the silliness and the foolishness that happens every single day on Christian TV and the nonsense songs on the radio and you have a tendency to always hear about love of God really loves he loves me he loves me because I'm so lovable and you have a tendency to go okay they are just abusing this like crazy and we don't really appreciate that God does love us these bad teachers hmm they have robbed us sometimes of the joy that we should have God loves us I mean he does I know it's not this this Oh a gooey sloppy thing that they talk about in so many different places but God actually loves us and he demonstrated it by dying for us while we were yet sinners and we of all people should be going yes John 3:16 and we have a tendency to go well let's not get carried away with this emotion business because we've seen so much abuse don't let the abuse from Bad preachers robbed you from the fact that God loves you demonstrated on the cross when Jesus died for you anxiety reliever number 4 John 14 10 jesus said the words I say are not my own how is this an anxiety reliever we have the words of God specifically we have the Bible we have God's instruction book for us everybody wants what is God thinking what's God like we've got a book that actually tells us all of this and this book was written so that we can know him and one of the benefits is not have anxiety so how can you read your Bible and not have anxiety this isn't a hocus pocus book is it okay I don't want to have anxiety let's go to I guess we're in Daniel chapter 11 and I read three paragraphs and somehow God bibbidi-bobbidi-boo z-- and he fixes up your anxiety it's not the way it works the Christian faith is a thinking faith it is a cognitive religion it is a religion that is intelligent and God teaches us through his word and that affects our emotions emotions always always always come from knowledge I'll do a test on you right I'm gonna say some words and I just want you to think about what feelings come to mind alright McDonald's quarter-pounder chick-fil-a malls golf napping on a Sunday afternoon hmm cleaning the house doing homework seeing a relative that you've been missing going to a funeral going to church as I said those things undoubtedly thoughts came to mind and feelings came to mind where do those feelings come from they came from memories they came from information they came from knowledge you had some sort of an association with them did I say Big Mac recorder Pancho Quarter Pounder you got some sort of a memory of that okay a movie theater popcorn Oh with that warmth NW 40 they put on top of it okay now maybe some of you go oh I love that stuff maybe you go oh I hate that stuff why why do you hate that stuff you know all the smell also in other words you've actually experienced it or you've eaten it and you got sick and it's just go you know just sits on your stomach let just didn't go away because you've got what a memory you've got knowledge about it that's where our feelings come from they come from knowledge God gave us a book so if we will read it it will change our mind it will change our thinking we read it to see who God is and when we believe it it will teach us how to think rightly and Jesus has a way for us to think rightly about the future don't be anxious about it so read his book not like okay well I guess if I maybe if I do an entire chapter today it's just gonna fix me up think on these things so how can you read the Bible and be encouraged specifically regarding anxiety well remember that this book was rightly understood and I believe we talked about this once before when I was allowed to be here this book was written for you now this book is written so that God can be glorified through the redemptive work of His Son Jesus Christ but he wrote who did he write the book for the stars this book was given to us so that we can know him and when we read about who he is and what he has done your anxiety goes away when you understand that the Red Sea was parted rightly understood it for you why because God was going to have a set of heart people to remember the Abrahamic covenant land seed nation God was going to have a set apart people so that a messiah could come out of that people so that you could have your sins forgiven so without getting all gooey gooey about oh boy God just thinks I'm so Spanky no no but God knowing you before eternity was going to deliver you from your sins by sending a savior so as you read the Old Testament this is not his yes it's a history book yes it has theology yes it has poetry but it's also written because it's all moving toward the cross so that you today in the 21st century could have your sins forgiven so when you read about the Magnificent things that God has done when you read the psalm and you go god slew ah the king of Bashan and you go what's an odd king of Bashan apparently it was a king that God slaughtered so that you could have a messiah he made a promise to Abraham give or take 2400 BC and he made good on that promise even though the world was turbulent he brought together a people who despite a captivity or return a captivity and a return they stayed together so that you could have a messiah who died on a cross for you that's how you read your Bible now you don't want it to be the next thing you know you're gonna be going to Joel Osteen's Church oh I'm just so special and I'm just so amazing that's why God does everything because no no God does everything for himself but that does not mean that we are excluded from being involved in that once again got to be careful when we see these bad preachers they have a tendency to rob us of the joy of the Bible look I'm as conservative I suspect as anybody in this place right now and I know it our ditches so I'm not pointing a finger well yes I am pointing a finger but doing it both here's our ditch we we can be cold and we can we can we can just kind of be jerks is kind of our because when you're right it's hard not to be am i right about those people but we can be a cold people and I think part of that is because we're so aware of the nonsense that is presented in the name of Jesus Christ so it's like whoa whoa whoa whoa let's not get carried away here with feeling good jesus said I want you to have the joy that is in me we don't serve a Crabby God he's righteous and he's gonna pour out his wrath maybe you know maybe your impression of God is sort of like some dad's maybe you had a dad like this or maybe you've been in a house like this the guy walks in the door and you can feel a shift in the environment because this crab is walking through the door and you can just hear all right everybody just yeah and you just shudder that's not our God okay is not you know we're wearing a sweater and smoking a pipe either that's not that's not but our God is a loving God and a joy-filled God dare I say rightly understood a happy God God's not just sitting up there whoo I can't wait for Judgment Day hoo hoo hoo God has emotions he's not emotional but he still has emotions jesus wept Jesus has joy and we should have joy too don't let the bad guys rob you of this anxiety reliever that we have got a book that should bring us joy read it to that end anxiety reliever number 5 John 14:16 I will ask the Father said Jesus and He will give you another counselor who will never leave you and then much of John 16 is about the comforter the comforter is a big part of our anxiety reliever he's called the comforter why cuz they're anxious and he knows it so what is our God provide for us a comforter now our comforter is not like a blanket you had as a child or a teddy bear where it's like ah that makes me feel good God does not work mystically like okay I'm going to comfort you people you went to church on Sunday so here's your comfort now he doesn't through his word how he works through his word you believe that has the answers to your problem you believe that it reveals God you believe that it has something to say to you you believe that God delivered you a messiah and in believing you will have hope not anxiety he works through his word so we go to his word the Holy Spirit works in us to equip us to sanctify us do you know that the Holy Spirit what one of his ministries is right now why this is such a comfort right now the Holy Spirit is praying for you did you know that he is praying for you for you not against you not asking the Father to deliver calamity to you not asking the father to make your life miserable he is praying for you right now Milton Vincent he quoted somebody I can't remember who he said if you could hear Jesus also prays for you if you could hear the Holy Spirit praying for you for one minute you'd never be afraid again your God the third member of the Trinity is praying for you before the throne of heaven right now what are you worried about okay what are you worried about the Holy Spirit is praying for you you sometimes worry well I pray but I don't think my prayers are very good I I can promise you they're not the best ones are rotten they are but Jesus takes your rotten prayers and he makes them beautiful for the father and the Holy Spirit is praying for you why are you what are you wearing it seriously what are you worried about right now parents you're probably worried about your kids why really why the Holy Spirit is praying for your children too young person you're worried about the future you're worried about college life mates kids all of those issues why are you worried when the Holy Spirit the third member of the Trinity is praying for you right now anxiety reliever number six John 14:21 I am raised to life again you will know that I am in my father and you are in me and I am in you what is anxiety relieved number six the resurrection if you are in Christ first of all he says if you're in me you've been taken out of Adam you were on the road to destruction God took you plucked you out and put you in Christ that'll relieve some anxiety that you're not going to hell second of all Jesus rose from the dead and you will - you're going to heaven someday with an everlasting body pastor Steve is in heaven now and he will be there with his Savior forever and someday he will be reunited with his body that will go on it's built for forever and so will you what do you want what are you worried about this fleeting moment you are going to be raised from the dead are you fearing death this should relieve your anxiety it's a passage it's just a moving through you will be raised from the dead do you have anxiety number seven anxiety reliever John 14:27 I am leaving with you a gift peace of mind and heart repetition peace i give isn't like the peace the world gives what does Jesus give us he gives us peace maybe you have anxiety because you are trusting the wrong thing this one's really tricky maybe you look to somebody to provide your peace this is easy as a parent let's let's use parents for a moment you look to your kids to bring you peace and then when they don't deliver they don't go to the right school they fall sexually they smoke a joint your peace is shattered you know why you're hoping you're looking to something that can never bring peace the world can never bring peace not kids are nice and spouses are great but if you need them for your peace you will be forever disappointed if you're married right now and things are tense and and hard ask yourself the question have I been looking to my spouse for my peace this is a classic error for virtually every marriage maybe especially women but I think men too in a slightly different way perhaps ma'am you got married because Oh mmm this is it's going to be a white wedding with the dress and the then walk down the aisle and then we're gonna go off on a honeymoon and we're gonna live in a house with a picket fence and we're gonna sit we're gonna look at each other's eyes we're gonna talk all the time and it's gonna be magnificent we're gonna have kids and they'll always be perfect and that is what you were trusting for your piece and then you actually married the guy ha ha ha and Wow what happened to your knight in shining armor it got rusty fast didn't it and now maybe you are troubled you have anxiety over it it's because you were hoping in the wrong object for your peace now sir you can do the same thing when I marry that woman that's gonna bring me peace maybe intimately she'll make sure that everything is taken care of so that I can do my thing and we'll have well-behaved kids and people will think well of me because I've got everything ordered and then you came home from your first day of work and it was just stuff all over the place and there's no food on the stove and where's my meal and why is this place I work hard all day why cuz you're looking to a human being to bring you peace you need to look at some other source for your peace and Jesus provides it himself he brings you your peace if you have anxiety in your marriage anxiety with your kids maybe you're a teen and you're anxious about your parents these idiots they don't know anything I wish they were as cool as those other parents they're not like the people on TV and so you're all bummed out if you're looking your parents for the wrong thing I'm not saying that your parents should not be looked up to and I'm not saying that it's wrong to want a good spouse but if you need a good spouse if you need well-behaved children if you need fill in the blank you'll never have peace ever because it always disappoints because of sin look to Jesus for your peace he provides it because he's immutable we sang about he never changes it no shifting shadows when he says it he does it when he promises it he delivers he is faithful to his word and he's always there caring for us find your peace in Jesus and telling you your home will change I'm not saying that now well now I can get divorced now I can run away know what I'm saying your attitude toward you the people in your life will be right and you won't be getting as annoyed with them because you're not looking to them for your peace look to Jesus for peace and your anxiety will go away anxiety reliever number eight John 14 28 remember that I told you I am going away but I will come back to you again now most likely in the text hello sir most likely in the text Jesus was talking to them about going away to be crucified and then he was going to rise from the dead and come back but I also think in view as Judgment Day at least for us Jesus has gone away and he's coming back now how does Judgment Day relieve my anxiety oh it should what's troubling you right now what's causing you anxiety is it a person is it a co-worker is it a relative who is just they are on you they are at you causing heaviness in your life because they are committing an injustice against you I'm not talking about manners I'm not talking about pick Adela's I'm talking about somebody's sinning against you Jesus is going to deal with them Jesus is going to come back and there will be a day of judgment whoever is harming you Jesus will punish Judgment Day should bring a lot of comfort when we see what's going on in our world when we see the wackiness that's happening everything is getting flipped upside down right now and with a god what what we're leaving for our kids this is awful this is terrible the world and what Bill Maher has to say and what Barack Obama is doing Jesus is going to come back and he is going to pour out his wrath on evildoers am I worried about what's going to happen to them no God's going to deal with them vengeance is his and God will pour out his wrath on Barack Obama for killing millions of babies for promoting immoral lifestyles or Jesus will have received the wrath that Barack Obama deserves when he died on a cross for Barack Obama either way justice will be served either way justice will be served and if I could throw this in as an aside if you're concerned about what's going on in culture don't be distracted by the side track issues they're important we just read about a Southern Baptist pastor in California he's changed his mind about homosexuality what do you know his son came out of the closet so he's changed his position now he's written a book endorsed by Phyllis tickle and now the Southern Baptist Convention is coming up and I suspect there's going to be a lot of talk at the Southern Baptist Convention about this Southern Baptist pastor who now says it's okay to be gay in an unrepentant lifestyle of sin that's okay and I suspect if the Southern Baptists aren't careful they're going to be focusing on that issue a lot and I think the devil loves that that issue is worth him that it's worth dealing with but that young man at that church who is living in a homosexual unrepentant lifestyle has got a much bigger issue in problem and we should be concerned about the same thing he's going to hell right now and so too probably his dad if he's endorsing that sort of lifestyle it's about salvation we see our culture going wonky our marching orders are to do what Jesus came to do and that is to seek and to save that which is lost because when Judgment Day comes Barack Obama Bill Maher you name your favorite atheist your favorite pagan they're going to face God Almighty and he is going to throttle them and that should not delight us we should rush to proclaim the gospel to those people so that they repent and put their trust in Jesus Christ and I happen to believe when we do that the culture will change all by itself Judgment Day is of great comfort to us and it should also be a great motivator number nine anxiety reliever John 15:1 jesus said I am the vine you are the branches and my father is the gardener he cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so that they will produce even more fruit maybe right now you're going through something and you're feeling a pruning there's something hard happening in your life could it be that this is what God is doing for you right now God if you were in Christ God never does anything to you he does everything for you even a hard thing could it be that he's pruning you so that you can be more productive what did we hear from Kevin or God is more interested in your holiness and he is in your happiness this verse is hugely comforting when you're going through something it is not nilly willy it is not just wow did I get caught in the wake of the storm God is doing it for you for you so that you can grow or in Hebrews chapter 12 he talks about disciplining you you know what's the worst type of father it's not the father who lovingly disciplines I'm not talking about smacking I'm not talking about beating but maybe if you're a child in you think oh my my dad he can be all over me about stuff because he loves you hopefully he does it with the right attitude and the right motivation but it's because he loves you you want to be really miserable have a dad who doesn't care have a dad who's never interested in your business have a dad who never goes uh-uh honey you're not going to that have that dad you'll be miserable you know why because you'll know intuitively that dad doesn't care for me the dad who goes uh-uh I'm involved I might even cause you pain for your good because I love you that much that is what God could be doing to you right now you're going through something hard and you're being anxious about it because your faith is misplaced at the moment and you're failing to remember God is actually doing something for me he's actually working on me ponder this if every single thing that happens in our lives is for your good and for his glory everything do you know how engaged God is in your life do you know how where God is of you perpetually we can go hours minutes days weeks without thinking about God and he is perpetually thinking about us to sanctify us because he's after more important things than just earthly things that's a comfort Christian at number 10 our final comfort John 15:5 this isn't gonna sound very comforting but it is jesus said apart from me you can do nothing you go hey that's not what they say in school they tell me I can do everything I just set my mind at ease is that you can do nothing how is this a comfort I think this is the doctor sovereignty we can do nothing we control nothing we can affect nothing you know who's controlling everything Jesus is when Jesus was in a crib he was controlling the universe running the universe by the word of his power when he was a teenager Jesus may be playing with his friends when they got to do that was upholding the universe by the word of his power when he was being nailed to a cross Jesus was holding up the upholding the universe by the word of his power who's running the universe not you not me Jesus and that should cause us to go home that is great news because he can and he's good and he doesn't better than I ever could sovereignty should thrill us some people try to protect God they try to hey God never gets mad and let's not talk let's not talk about how God is in the storm Oh God God you know God reaiiy as if God is the Red Cross he finds out about a storm and then he reacts to it that's not the way it is God sends the storms God sends cancer the comfort ultimately - pastor Stephen his family God decided this is his birthday and God decided this is when I'm going to take my beloved home God does not made that decision to do something for Steve to do something for his family maybe to save his dad how has it affected us and we don't even know the man God determines those things now if it's a sinful thing God does not do that but God uses since endlessly all of which is underneath God's purview everything that happens is ordained by God providentially running the universe sovereignly everything make a distinction between sin God does not send sin God permits sin using since endlessly to work out everything for your good and for his glory no matter what it is as you look at the world and what is happening remember what God is doing here there's the first we've been talking about recently on wretched and then the book of Habakkuk I think it's a backup right Habakkuk is freaking out hey whoa we're Israel we're the chosen people and this is not looking good here and God says I've got a word of comfort for you I'm doing an amazing thing you're not even gonna believe this I'm raising up the Chaldeans and they're just gonna wipe you out and you go well that doesn't seem very comforting and maybe right now you have anxiety because you see what's going on in the world and you're afraid that things are out of control just like back then God was doing something God is doing something here right now God's God's God's got the whole mess under control and not just on a global government level moving things around intimately dealing with you sovereignly running everything for your good for his glory everything the doctrine of sovereignty should bring you comfort calamity the pipes broke why God cuz he broke your pipes pipes don't break without God being involved you say well my car broke down you should see the bill for my car God must have broken on your car for a reason and people blanch at that well no that can't be right he's like triple-a he comes and rescued he makes something good come out of something bad no no he's in the hard breaking down your car is not a sin you don't deserve a car I don't deserve a car guy can break down anything he chooses to break down but he doesn't do it because he's like oh that who dented boom wasn't paying attention to who that guy had a dirty thought during the prayer breaking down his car it's not the way God operates it's not the way God works because you are in Christ he loves you this much all the time as much as he loves the son he loves you if you run the son and so if God has broken down your car it's not to be mean to you it's because you need to have your car broken down for some reason figure out what it is I can't tell you God's not going to just mystical you just read your Bible pray for wisdom examine your own life what is he trying to do for me and then grow from it because he's dealing with something that we we think safe driving no God see god's interested in sanctification well we think that we want to be happy today no no he wants you to be holy today and he's doing it all intimately involved in your life that should be of comfort for you so with that in mind that's it there's more but we just did ten how do you take all of this stuff and put it to work remember what we talked about theology works how do you how do you know how do you know do with that how do you take all of this theology and move it over into this realm so it goes from here down to here and it affects how you feel and how you a moat and how you think it's called the means of grace it's called the means of grace you need to do something if you're just sitting by waiting for God to make you feel better it's likely not going to happen because it's not the way the cod operates God is interested in this if you will working relationship with you to grow you in your emotions and in your sanctification so you have to do something and this should not be something that makes you feel miserable this should be a delight when we understand our God he's provided a way for us to stabilize our emotions and it's called the means of grace found in Acts chapter 2 at least in part we see that God says do these things and you won't have anxiety do these things and you'll have hope do these things and you'll have joy do these things that you'll have assurance of your salvation do these things what are these things you're going to notice a theme immediately and it all revolves around this book right here what are you supposed to do number one read your Bible read your Bible and don't wait for anxiety start reading it now the more you get Bible into your brain not just reading it study it remember you're learning about God here study it and it'll change your thinking and then when things happen you're gonna respond differently read the word and have your mind transformed number two we're told mmm excuse me hmm Lord's Supper hmm take communion regularly why why communion it's because you're thinking about the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ it's that intense time when we see a physical symbol of what our God went through for us take a neat take and drink what are we doing we're thinking about Jesus we're thinking about what he's done for us do that regularly third baptisms Oh watch those baptisms enjoy those baptisms why because what are we seeing God's work taking a dead man and making him alive we're seeing God in action we're thinking about what Jesus has done for sinners we're thinking if you will about this watch baptisms prayer pray to God God strengthens us through prayer if you've been neglecting prayer and you're anxious no surprise no surprise there you are not talking to the one who's controlling everything I would be anxious to you have a direct line to the Father through Jesus the son utilize it fellowship fellowship I noticed on your website like Adrienne must have written is it's a sweet fellowship what is fellowship and how does that help you fellowship is not getting together and talking about the Georgia Bulldogs go Dawgs that's nice to get together with other Christians that's not fellowship fellowship is getting together and talking about Jesus spend time together talking about the things that God is doing around the dinner table EEZ to talk about this and those of us who are conservative we can talk about all the theological hacks out there try this question hey how's God growing you what's God doing in your life have you seen God do any miracles he didn't say miracles yeah he'll be seeing God do any miracles lately have you have you seen God we'll talk about God and your anxiety will go down do you have anxiety do you have trouble you have worries to have its cousin frustration maybe anger is your issue don't neglect the means of grace that God has provided for you God identifies your anxiety problem as a sin problem because your faith is off at the moment the great news is God does not leave us there he wants you out of your anxiety and he's provided the me for that to happen this sermon should help your anxiety for a while if you've got anxiety maybe until you get to the Cracker Barrel and then life hits again and you're reminded again so you know what you need to do again go to his word again go to him again keep going to him again and again and again he says here's here's a banquet for you to feast on so that you have no fear the banquet is set before you if you have a Bible you have a church and you can get on your knees you have it prepared for you partake and your anxiety will go away let's partake right now by praying father it's amazing that you knew how we would believe and how we would think and what our emotions would be and yet you made us anyway and that you would send your son to die for an anxious people and unbelieving people that you would love us enough to save us and to bring us into your family you are amazing and we repent of our little faith whether it's misplaced or whether it's a little faith in you we repent we are sorry we apologize and we believe you when you say that we are forgiven for our anxious thoughts we are forgiven because of Jesus Christ you have forgiven us help us to remember that and to believe that you have forgiven our rankest vilest sins perhaps the chief of which is not trusting you rightly we believe you when you say that you have set our sins aside you have cast them into the deepest part of the ocean because of your son we believe you when you have made that promise to us help us to remember that promise help us to remember that you're in control of the universe help us to remember that you are mindful of creatures that you would stoop solo and that you desire good things for us please help us to partake of the banquet that you have in the Bible for us to partake a fellowship to partake of Lord's Supper to partake of baptisms to partake of everything in anything that thinks about you help us to be a disciplined people a thinking people so that our emotions are right and that we can experience the joy that is in you if there are families here that have extreme anxiety and they are on the brink if there are people here that have anxiety to the point of pondering taking their lives let them hear your words peace be still I am your God I am in control of everything and I desire good things for you and let them know that there is hope in a well that is unplumbed ball the Lord Jesus Christ and his name we pray amen

Channel: Grace Community Church

Views: 132,033

Rating: 4.7620444 out of 5

Keywords: todd friel, grace community church, ray rhodes, sermons, sermon, anxiety, the biblical cure, bible, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Gospel

Id: Kos6WGBPh5U

Length: 67min 39sec (4059 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 18 2014