When ANXIETY Attacks // Judah Smith

we're gonna continue a series on the subjects of anxiety and hopelessness and other significant emotions that seem to be an incredible part of our daily life and so I'd like to continue on the subject of anxiety tonight so we're gonna go to probably the second or third famous passage in all the Bible on the subject of anxiety this is in Philippians in chapter 4 Philippians chapter 4 we're gonna read a few verses and last week's title was I'm anxious this is I'm anxious part two and if you have ever experienced anxiety a crippling fear that oftentimes is connected to the unknowable it's connected to the uncontrollable it's oftentimes a fear of the future of fear of what might happen a fear of what most likely will happen and what will happen to me what will the outcome be and this is a fear that seems to be escalating all of the statisticians and the psychologists and the smart people writing articles and doing things are telling us that the information age is only increasing this we have added angst added stress added concern added fear we are so well aware of one another struggles and challenges and difficulties while equally so much more aware well aware of each other's successes and incredible achievements that simultaneously oftentimes in our human condition make us felt feel smaller and less significant so as much as we keep telling ourselves we keep posting all of our successes and our friends are feeling better as a result oftentimes your friends are feeling less important less significant and anxiety and angst and fear and stress do I belong do I fit in am i worthy am i seen am i important all of these things seem to be escalating to an extent that it feels somewhat out of control let's talk about it we have an app now that we've put up and we're just trying to get out more and more content this is not a commercial it's an observation out of two hundred and fifty thousand people that have put the app on their phone the evidence is overwhelming what they're looking for for content what they're looking for is something to help with fear the number one piece of content that's been consumed on the app is a talk I did called facing the you're facing the future without fear because that is where we are now we are so riddled by fear and anxiety of M are things going to work out for me and so we're going to talk about this all-important subject again if you've never experienced fear or worry that seems to be crippling and overwhelming again you were born probably about 25 minutes ago for the rest of us this is real can we eliminate one thing before we go any further and that is the shame connected to anxiety we're just gonna go ahead and just speak this out this is a shame free environment shame is not gonna do you any good shame is not gonna help you in this journey and we believe that shame can be and should be removed and so all of us are in this together let's just own the fact that we're all gonna face fear and deal with fear and we need each other in this space to find some progress to find some traction and maybe even an anxiety free existence why not why not Philippians chapter 4 verses 4 5 6 & 7 that's what we're gonna read before we get started says this rejoice in the Lord always again I will say rejoice let your reasonableness or gentleness be known to everyone the Lord is at hand do not be anxious about anything what a phrase what does the Bible say about anxiety it says just don't be about anything oh that's helpful do not be anxious about anything , but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God now that's a mouthful right it's like with prayer and supplication let your eyes be known to God and and this is what this will be the result the peace of God the person of God will bring peace which will surpass I want to underscore this surpass all your understanding it will surpass all your understanding and will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus you're gonna get a piece that's going to go beyond even that which you can comprehend logically under stand again the title of this message is another message called I am anxious will you join me in prayer Jesus I thank you for the moments that we share and wherever we are in our spiritual journey we ask that you would meet us there show us your sufficiency show us your grace show us who you are encounter us in these moments we thank you God I actually do pray that you would make this moment a lot more about calm a lot less about content and a lot more about you the person that's what we need we thank you for it thank you God the Seattle Seahawks are two-and-oh and I know that you are involved now Lord for my friend Wray and the Dolphins that's another story heal his broken soul in Jesus name and everybody said dolphins have been outscored by collective like 120 points in the last two games but I love you right I'm dedicate this sermon to you anxiety is an interesting thing you ever noticed anxiety is not always logical it's not always comparable it's not always scalable you don't mean by that like what people get anxious about doesn't always make sense doesn't always add up for instance one of the things I get so worked up about and please this is my wife will confirm this is actually true when I fly in a plane I've never once been anxious on a plane about crashing I don't know why that is except that I know someone told me once and I believe them that no plane has ever crashed due to turbulence now that actually may not be true but I believe it I believe it is true it is true okay it is true so anytime the bumps happen I'm like what a bonus right we're at Knott's Berry Farm suddenly this is great people pay big money for this stuff season pass the Disney I get it in Alaska Airlines right so speaking of turbulence though when the nice airplane passenger next to me orders let's say a red wine or a coffee and we've had a few bumps I look at them like they're completely irresponsible now I'm serious I'm like order of sparkling water sprite even right Pellegrino or water but with these bumps you need to consider me right now if you don't know I have a I have an issue I have a problem I got a generational curse that I can't break and what it is I can't get anything all my clothes it's a huge risk tonight for me to be wearing a cream-colored core double-breasted jacket like Judah not needed to be that descriptive but I just don't like it so this Chelsea will tell you the truth this is a real thing we'll be in a little bit of turbulence first of all I don't even know why coffee is an option in the air neither should red wine I'll give you Chardonnay but not red wine it's it's irresponsible so I literally you think I'm joking and a lot of times I'm writing sermons or talks or whatever in in an airplane and I will literally stop what I'm doing and I'm kind of like Oh Connie I don't try to always give the evil eye but it just comes out naturally I look at the this this human being like are you are you for real right now and then it gets worse they order it it's brought to them irresponsibly I love this we're in a to going a hundred million miles an hour and they just put the red wine equally between us I'm like I didn't order the red wine you order the red wine put your hand around it this is this really happens I'm dead serious and they just so you know we'll be sitting let's just act this out okay cuz why not right and here's like the middle console and they just like put the red wine down and you know the planes like and now all I can do all I can do is watch I'm like oh god oh god and every once while just like sorry did you want to do I could hold this for you I'm that guy I'm that guy and I'm like actually I don't mind actually helping you drink all of this very fast one of the worst things happened to me this is my last airplane trip where was I was going from Las Vegas to now the moment of pastor says Las Vegas you're like oh really pastor and what were you doing there okay speaking at my sister's church relax okay we were doubling the money anyways double the tithe joking everyone relax all right come on what is this the gemstones so I didn't I went to share the gospel and so I'm flying back from Vegas to Seattle and um my worst nightmare happen my worst nightmare and I forget oh yeah we were on a new new Alaska plane and every single tray table I noticed when you brought it out kind of angled down it was like it's like a manufacturer malfunction and it's like my worst nightmare so everything's just like angled down right and and I'm like they're like what would you like and I'm like well based on the angle I don't know what I can have GLC orders like a decaf coffee and I'm like and what you you are such an irresponsible citizen what you know and this guy over here orders a Bloody Mary ah tomato juice now he's across the aisle but if you've been on planes a lot things can splash at once oh this is not no word of a lie once had a person throw up behind me right before we landed and the plane went like yeah yeah it got my shoes but um it's the worst day in my life and this this was a kid who had also had Hershey chocolate bars anyways is the worst haven't had Hershey bar sense to be honest but um I noticed he's uh he's dozing off and I'm like I want to be like I think the flight attendant should do something I think she should remove the Bloody Mary I don't think it's okay and I'm watching this and like I can't focus I was watching like a documentary on birdie Bernie Madoff or something and I do something like I can't I can't focus on this documentary and I'm like and I'm watching this and and the glass is just like mmm it's actually sliding legit sliding oh yeah we're in a tube going 100 million miles an hour why are we even serving Bloody Marys right I'm like and it's any I watched the whole thing I tried I tried to reach out and grab but that's not true that's a lie I didn't want to reach out and grab it because then it would splash on me more so while we're going down the Bloody Mary slides off the table and smashes on the ground and I look something like this we're having to crash and you may think it's hilarious but I really I really get anxious when people order certain beverages on planes I think it's irresponsible I'm worried I'm worried like the person in front of me is gonna be drinking wine and we're gonna have like you know and it's gonna it's gonna get on me and you're like oh that's that's funny but that's not real it's real it's actually Creole you can ask my wife she orders coffee sometimes when I have a little bit of turbulence and I'm like babe please I can't even focus on sermon breath I need you to get the coffee away and it doesn't make sense what I should be concerned about someone told me today that China is not buying our trash anymore and we're running out of spaces to put our trash I don't even think about trash I think about red wine on airplanes right there's so many bigger fish to fry but when it comes to anxiousness stress fear it's not always scalable that's what always makes sense and sometimes you can't you can't like if someone was on the plane and said Judah if the red wine spills on you I will buy you another pair of pants it wouldn't solve it right it's still like it's it and this is what we do when it comes to anxiety we're like that doesn't make any sense why are you afraid of that and you're like I I just am but like you're really worked up yeah thank you I get it I am worked up enough I don't need you to keep telling me that yeah but like I'm totally shocked because you shouldn't be afraid of that like who cares if you lose your job right you'll just just be free like you'll get another one it'll be amazing you're like I that's a big thing to me I don't I don't I always need a job and you're like why just like man just float bro be free like relax and you can try to reason sometimes when it comes to fear and anxiety worry stress but how many know sometimes it's it's not logical and we try to do that as well when it comes to anxiety we try to sit people down and say now I'm gonna give you three reasons why your fears dumb okay you'll get another job you'll get you know and it's it's just not the case there are fears in this room that people are facing that other people don't understand and vice-versa it's like well that doesn't what why would you be you should be afraid of crashing in a plane no no no what I'm focused on is red wine getting on my clothes like that's what and again I know it sounds silly but it actually gets me pretty worked up I get kind of frustrated and I want to like say something to flight attendants and fellow passengers but then I remember that I am a man of God and I can't and I can't cuss in public places you know like whatever like I but so we can sit down today and we can talk about like hey let's reason out your anxiety but oftentimes it's illogical it's not comparable it's not scalable and it is dramatically affecting your life people want to say well that's a small thing that's a large thing fear and stress are what they are and similar to other subjects I don't think it does us any good to compare does us any good to say your anxiety is not a big deal your anxiety is a big deal now there are some things that would stress any of us out but that's not often times there are these massive catastrophic events in people's lives significant loss loss of a loved one loss of a parent loss of a spouse loss of a boyfriend or girlfriend these exceptional outstanding events in our life that obviously create incredible fear and loss and pain but when it comes to day to day every single day of our life there are these small inexplicable not scalable illogical beyond understanding fears that we all seem to carry and I want to speak to those two I think there is such thing as we said is tragedy that is very sick again we can talk about that and what we're talking about is no doubt relating to that as well but I want to talk about the things that get you worked up in your every day life and maybe it is for you the fear of not having a job maybe it is the the anxiety of not feeling like you belong maybe it's the anxiousness you experienced today while walking into a religious environment like this at a friend invited you and you are literally you are turning your stomach is turning over and over and over inside that's a thought that people might not accept you in this space and you may not belong in this space there's a there's a reoccurring anxiety a reoccurring fear that is that is every day and it is not scalable it's it's beyond understanding now I think there's an incredible there's credible resources today and content but I would like to suggest just by the sheer statistics in terms of investigating where we're at with our fear and our stress and anxiety that we're not gaining a lot of ground on this right now particularly in religious environments and church environments we basically use logic when what we need is something supernatural here's why I'm encouraged by the content that that Paul delivers today last week we looked at Peter for those that don't know Peter was one of the twelve disciples he was the he was the apostle to the Jews and then Paul later is converted he's the guy known as Saul and he becomes Paul and he's the Apostle or the main teacher to people who are not Jews and it's interesting Peter what Peter says is very similar to what Paul says but notice Paul says if you'll bring your anxiousness just like Peter said cast sure and give your anxiety to God because he cares Paul wants to add give your anxieties to God and his peace will settle in over you and it is beyond understanding that not that that gets my attention because oftentimes my fears are beyond understanding my anxiety is B and understanding I can't figure it out I can't unpack it I don't know why I'm worked up I don't know why I feel so trapped I feel so worked up I feel so anxious I feel I don't I don't know and then when someone tries to approach you and says you need to calm down that only makes it work you need to calm down and it escalates and so we have a culture right now particularly even in the church where it's like hey I'm anxious well the Bible says don't be anxious about anything oh okay that's right give it to the Lord and we all go home going what in the world does that even mean just stop being anxious we I think we're on to something tonight here's what I think I need something or someone I need something or someone that is beyond my understanding to help me with anxiety that is beyond my understanding that's what I need I need something supernatural to meet my fears and stresses that I cannot figure out logically there are things that trigger you that aren't even about you it comes from the family and the DNA you were born in you ever experience one of those sudden you're just like so angry and people everyone else is like having a great time but somebody said something or did something and you're just like what they're like whoa bro that's just I don't like that person everyone's like that's like the nicest person in the room what did they do we all have these these cues that put us into flight mode put us into fight mode and sometimes we're like I don't you ever gotten angry you ever gotten stress you ever gotten worried you ever you ever been in an environment like I got I gotta go I gotta go I just I just gotta I gotta I can't and then someone finds you and says hey are you okay you're like um I don't know I think so I well what happened I don't know was it something somebody said ah maybe what's going on I just felt the walls moving in on me why I don't know can you leave me alone no cuz you're concerning me okay well then you stop talking and just be here okay alright alright we have things in our soul and our brain in our body our DNA that are beyond our understanding and so I don't want to start a collection of talks on anxiety where we just kind of all put our heads together and go here's seven effective steps to always ensure you remove all anxiety fear and stress number one believe it number two receive it number four for number four achieve it you know and we just like we go home with all these you know things that rhyme which is cool I mean it gives us something to hold on to but I think it all starts with the reality that anxiety is one of those things and oftentimes is way out of our control it's just way out of our control yeah I don't know why certain things stress me out or make me anxious you know my mom once apologized she said you know I'm so sorry I always had you clean off all your clothes I always cleaned your face immediately when you were eating I always made sure you were perfectly put together and I was like oh you are the one that did this to me you know and we can do those studies and some of that's fun and some of its not so fun it's kind of discouraging but these anxieties these fears these stresses they they can't always be understood if we're being honest and that's why I love the writings of Paul he says the antidote that's gonna come your way is gonna match it's gonna be beyond your understanding I would like to suggest that where we are in this country and frankly the country of the world we need a super natural intervention to cure the epidemic known as anxiety we need something supernatural Paul writes do not be anxious about anything now when you read something like this in the Bible you've got to ask the all-important question what how do not be anxious about a single thing do not be anxious about a seat as if that is possible as if you you got to have a relationship with the story that's much more honest ask questions of the things that you're reading scripture like that does how how how how I would like to suggest that if we look around this verse Philippians 4:6 if we look around it and get some context like we did last week we can begin to pick up on the cues we can begin to pick up on the keys that'll help us not be anxious about anything is it possible it is only possible supernaturally it is only possible supernaturally but here's going to be the reoccurring theme for the next few minutes the reoccurring theme is going to be this concept of beyond because when I read do not be anxious about anything I'll be the first to admit in this room in a creamed corduroy double-breasted jacket that is beyond me that is beyond me I definitely can't can't claim that verse I get anxious doing things I choose to do as recreation like golf get all worked up like I that I do not be anxious about anything like there's a lot of things you can give me credit for I definitely don't get any credit for that one I'm anxious about a lot of things dumb little things small little things I don't get anxious about the big things which is weird right I give you that frustrating person that just gets anxious about my son son son no no eating in that no eating in the living room no even living room come come he's like fifteen or might come on come on buddy no eating in the living room no that's dad's couch okay I'll put it on the counter like ask my kids ask my wife it's like Judah calm down right and then like some catastrophic event happens I'm like come on let's pray God's with us like it's it's not scalable I can encourage thousands of people in our church in the midst of epidemics around the world God's faithful but get me home with some grape juice on the couch and I freak out so do not be anxious about anything I'm like that that's that's beyond me and that is absolutely Paul's point it is beyond us three observations I'd like to give you as we conclude how do you like that the points just begun but I through and conclude to reengage attention for the audience it's the only reason it's not true I'm not concluding but what if I was you'd pay more attention three observations how can we be not anxious about anything number one we have to admit it's beyond me it's beyond me this fight with anxiety is beyond me it's beyond me in other words this is not my solo fight this is not my moment for my solo this is not my moment to go try to figure this out work this out and solve this on my own as much as the emotion of anxiety drives you to think that's the solution it will only add to the sadistic fear but that's what we do in our nature I get anxious and I tell myself I'm ashamed it is apparent to me nobody else around me is anxious nobody else has worked up nobody else is afraid everybody else has it together so anxiety leads to one of the monster emotions in the world called shame and now shame and anxiety are like kissing cousins and they're like come on man you got to get it you the last thing you need is to tell other people about this crippling fear you need to go figure it out because if you look around it's specially in charge now you look around in church look at everybody everybody looks good everybody looks great everybody looks happy you are an anomaly you are an outlier you are not normal you are not spiritual you are not okay move out move out move out go go go go go and we go into hiding people say you're okay yeah I'm all right yeah what's going through some stuff I don't hear from you I don't yeah and I'm I'm good god forbid that I would tell somebody I've been so afraid it's made me feel less than everybody else and so anxiety and shame have collided to produce isolation and now I'm all alone and but when I start getting a little better I'll come back around and it's the exact opposite of what God proposes for us but look what it says in the message if I could in the same passage Philippians four before six and seven is four and five now just bear with me for a second listen to this it says celebrate I'm gonna read it like I feel it okay celebrate got all day every day I mean revel in him haha make it as clear as you can to all you meet the cheer on their side working with him not against them help them see it there the master is about to arrive he could show up at any minute look at the next verse don't fret or worry hey I'm sorry what like how happy-go-lucky is verses 4 and 5 and then six and seven are like don't be anxious about anything but what like this isn't right like anxiety and like in our culture no one says exactly like anxiety haha when's the last time so like do you start with anxiety via right like that's not the tone we use when speaking about anxiety we use the tone it goes something like this do you ever struggle with them anxiety have you been anxious lately right no one's like anxiety you don't end anxiety on an up anxiety right that's I don't know it's like Disneyland right like that's not but the tone here is like rejoice again I say rejoice haha win people over tell him you're on their side let him know God loves them he's going to return anytime soon now stop being anxious about anything and everything and you're like dude did you just slip anxiety into like this happy clappy verse about rejoicing like we don't do that down here not in this culture anxiety is like this thing that we talk about that's very separate from Disneyland and bubble gum and and and and then in licorice like licorice is what comes to mind Judith but I just I don't know that gets me thinking first of all verses 4 and 5 are clearly the whole will the whole letter is clearly once again to a community it's once again two people living in close proximity with deep affection and deep connection with one another once again similar to Peter Paul alludes to assumes upon the reader this by the way this letter is not written to a person it's written to an entire church the church in Philippi by the way the whole reason the letter came paul was thanking them for cash they sent in the mail it's the whole reason it's not complicated he's writing this book to go hey here's a couple of thoughts and in conclusion thanks for the money it really helped me travel far so I could tell more people about Jesus that's the contents of the letter so here's these people living beyond themselves and as a result they receive a letter from one of the greatest bible thinkers in human history and in there I just think that's interesting in the middle of saying have parties and just talk about how good god is i love this he says he says make it as clear as you can to all you meet you're on their side oh I love that kind of living in that weird Christianity isn't known for that at all anymore we're like are you a believer and someone's like a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ no wow that's amazing kids get in the minivan we're going to chick-fil-a like right we only go to Christian food places we only listen to Christian music we only wear Christian clothes right because we we are so afraid of being contaminated Paul says everybody you meet this doesn't mean just people in the Christian community let them know I'm with you man work with them not against them help them see that God's coming back he's going to show up any minute it is this puts an exclamation mark other translations put a semicolon which is to say it's a continuation of the same thought how odd would that be if you set up a coffee with me and you're like I want to talk about my anxiety I'm like okay absolutely we sit down I'm like hey man first of all let's rejoice in the Lord am i right hey man don't you forget keep winning with people Jesus is coming soon right let's talk about your anxiety look that's not the best segue for me to come in like skipping and blowing bubbles like hey man I'm really struggling with something here and yet Paul puts it in that context maybe he's telling us something that even in the midst of all of these inexplicable fears that at times we have to trust God and like this may sound odd but here's one of the observations I'd like to make when it comes to anxiety don't stop partying around Jesus don't stop celebrating him don't stop saying things like wow we're blessed even when your body tells you we're doomed your brain says we're done for you declare man God's good man and I'm talking about being weird and denying reality and denying some of the things that are going on but rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice anytime you see redundancy it's for emphasis I think it is important for us to get together and celebrate life given to us by God I think it's important to us to again point is this anxiety it's beyond us meaning it is overwhelming it's beyond our sanding but it has to include others to help us recently I read something actually today from Amory suggested it and it was this this this writing said if you're dealing with shame one of research shows that when you tell a few people close to you that you're battling shame it immediately indicates there that there seems to be progress just telling a small group of people hey I feel like I'm not worthy I feel like I don't belong helps based on research it it helps well of course it does of course it does when it comes to anxiety do we have a group of people where we're still celebrating my dad used to say things like this hey we still breathin we still breathing right everything is going to hell in a handbasket but we still breathin Jesus still died on the cross rose again like hey we got something to celebrate this is you know did you notice it says you you you you you bring your prayer to God your anxieties and it says and the peace of God passes will surpass all your hearts plural and mines plural in other words if you don't know how to do what we're talking about tonight hang out with some people that do be like hey I got a lot of anxiety coupled with a lot of shame I'm embarrassed can you show me how to celebrate God can you show me how with all prayer and supplication bring your requests I don't even know what that means can we do that together and Paul seems to suggest that's exactly what he's telling the church at Philippi Philippi and that's exactly what he's telling this church in LA and Seattle and around the world we need each other to continue this exercise this is it's beyond me we know this anxiety only compounds as you I select your self science will tell us that it only doubles down it only gets worse as you isolate yourself you begin to suck out the poison and the strength of shame and anxiety when you start to say it you start to say it to people right around you that you know are say you start to tell them I am battling anxiety now it gets gooder and it gets better okay stay with me number two my second observation and that is not only is it beyond me but number two it's beyond my strength it's beyond my strength so we've got to come to a place where we admit I can't figure this out with my own physical fortitude and mental strength this anxiety is beyond my strength I will say it like this you are no match for this crippling fear first of all how could you match something that is by nature oftentimes illogical and beyond your understanding but we try to fight it in our own flesh we try to fight it we try to remove the thought we try to stop if you're like me what you'll do when you got fear is you try to get all the facts about why you shouldn't be afraid you ever done this before and it only makes it worse because you're like there's no reason for but I am sincerely fearful now I'm not an anxious person my nature my wife will tell you that but boy you start having babies and everything changes then you have people telling you stuff like man I couldn't even imagine raising boys in this culture and you're like I hadn't thought of that huh right and then my kids are riding bikes now around the neighborhood and I'm like look both ways both ways again get off the bike and walk it you know like dad it's on a bike path walking on the bike path to so many variables you can't control it's your babies you ever just randomly have this thought in the middle of the day about people you love the most what if something happened to them and then your brain goes let's think about it and you deep dive into that you like why am I doing this why am i doing this oh my god it would be terrible I hate this ha ha right like logically someone would tell you oh yeah you just need to stop doing that don't be anxious about anything that makes me anxious it's our nature sometimes we just deep dive in the worst case scenarios we do and we swim there for a while and we soak in it I can't stop doing that on my own this is beyond my strength now I won't I won't read all the scriptures for sake of time but one of them one of the overarching themes of the book of Philippians is Paul in fact it is the most emphatic Paul will ever get about all the achievements in his life particularly as a Jew his Jewish achievements he was in elite Jew and yet he let go of all of his achievements to believe in the Messiah which is to say he finally concluded by the grace of God and the person of Jesus who met him on the road to Emmaus he concluded you cannot have a relationship with God based on deeds rules and regulations you can never keep all the rules you can never measure up you've got to let go of that the arm that the trusting in your own might your own strength your own achievements your own abilities you got to let go that you've got to trust God that what Jesus did for you on the cross you cannot do for yourself for he was sinless and he became sin so that we could become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and so the message of Jesus is one of letting go of trusting in your own strength and saying I cannot do this when it comes to anxiety we are making things worse telling ourselves if we were stronger we could beat this and that's out there in the universe right now people like man I just got to get stronger the stronger I get the more I'm gonna beat this well you know what maybe there is a rare few there's a couple of us that are like mr. t into 18 for the rest of us with a B team for the rest of us I am no match for these perpetual deep dives I do into the unknowable and the uncontrollable and I'm consumed with these crippling fears well Paul is suggesting that we let it go see let's not complicate prayer prayer is he said don't be anxious about anything but in everything hold on a minute don't be anxious about anything but in everything don't be anxious about anything but in everything I think the anything is connected to the everything I think we're on to something the way to not be anxious about anything is in everything let go of it to God let it go now again this is a group project something like I can't do that that's fine we'll help you do it that's what church is all about so community is all about get three four five friends and be like I'm tired of being anxious about everything and not praying about anything I don't want to be anxious about anything and I want to pray about everything I have a friend who prays little prayers non-stop throughout the day and it's been one of the most inspiring things to me we'll call we'll talk on the phone will you pray for me can we pray we send me a prayer I'm gonna send you a prayer and it's changed my perspective of prayer I used to think prayer was something you do for two hours in the morning and then you go about your day I've learned a far more effective habit of prayer and that is stop and pray about everything do you remember that you remember that rule they said if you catch on fire what are you supposed to do you remember that stop drop and roll that's what I suggest in prayer when anxiety anxiety comes on you like a fire and it does in that very moment now what do we want to do when we when we start on fire ah right nature says run run run run worst thing you can do best thing you do is stop drop and use something other than yourself to put out the fire although anxiety is like a fire and it'll consume you but I think what Paul's saying is stop drop give it up to God yes right now look I just feel anxious I'm talking about a community where we can be walking in the mall and your friend can go can we stop right here and say quick prayer yeah what's going on um I just got strangely anxious and I don't know why and it could be something as last time I was in the mall my girlfriend broke up with me it's weird please don't laugh no it's cool can we just stop I know we're in the mall it's awkward we'll just be quiet we're not to pray really loud be super weird but can we just pray really quick because I'm getting worked up absolutely let's pray Jesus right now we thank you you take all our anxieties all our rejections you bore our shame we're free amen what have we started that practice what have we started that practice don't be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication things there let your quest be another God and I end in conclusion last observation this is beyond me it's beyond my strength and lastly we've already mentioned it it is beyond my understanding it's beyond my understanding because anxiety is so far beyond our understanding sometimes again ironic not ironically but mysteriously it's connected to a grandfather or a grandmother it happened like an account of the fears been passed down not exactly how that sure how that totally works but here's what Paul and you you you can't we're about to leave this first and call tonight but you can't leave this verse without going oh this is like this is spiritual look what he says he says in everything with prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let let you'll require anxiety give it to God let it be known to God now watch what he says is gonna happen either we believe this or we don't and the person of God is gonna be present by the way Jesus doesn't bring peace he is peace which surpasses all understanding it will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus now look what it says in the message because I think it does such an incredible job of unpacking the original language don't fret or worry instead of worrying pray let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers letting God know your concerns I'm telling you this got so real for the church at philippi and these ancient believers they would make up songs on the spot to sing out their anxieties to God I'm telling you God I thank you right now I'm at the mall I'm thinking about my ex-girlfriend and you love her and I don't want to be mad at her and I'm thinking that I'm I am just broken and something's wrong with me so I help me like ladies and gentlemen we got to start some of these practices and we it's funny what time al that's so that's so weird now you know what's weird is that we're all anxious that's weird yeah I'm just so anxious me too me too me too me too totally normal it's weird it's weird that we're all anxious you know what's less weird that we talked to God about it if we're all anxious let's start talking to God about it and it says before you know it oh man this is good before you know it that's right you didn't earn it you didn't desert it you didn't warn it but before you know it I love this a sense of God's holiness before you know it a sense of God's holiness everything coming together for good suddenly you get a sense of God I'm telling you this if someone asked me describe to me what has helped you overcome anxiety I would tell you it has been in settings with friends where I'm talking about what I'm going through and I get a sense of God you're like what if this doesn't happen to me well do it again see if it happens next time what do we got to lose Church what do we have these and a sense of God's holiness and you'll get a sense that everything's coming together for good the verse goes on and in in the next part and I think it's a broken up a little bit that's okay we'll come and settle you down it's wonderful what happens when Jesus displaces worry at the center of your life this is interesting Jesus takes worry and it even alludes to it's not the heat there's no more worry it's just that it's not Center anymore he is he's center a center so here's what I'm here is what I'm banking on we need to get together more in the spirit of what is Paul this Church of Philippi we need to get together with three four or five six friends and we need to turn our anxiety into requests prayers little songs if we need to and say hey what it what it every time we were anxious we just set a quick little prayer I'm telling you you would unlock something supernatural based on what Paul's saying and I got no other answer to this horrific phenomenon it is so out of control so I'm gonna I'm gonna bet the house I'm gonna bank everything on a supernatural father who is going to bring peace to me and here's what's gonna happen you'll you'll experience a sense of God then you'll start to feel that God is guarding you and then you'll get a sensation that God is in control and ruling the universe and nothing may change in your circumstances but everything changes at the core of who you are and you're like come what may I'm gonna be alright whatever happens I'm still breathing I'm here that's all we need that's what we need Judah can you explain this more not really it's a supernatural phenomenon and either Jesus is in this church or you know we just were just a country club we're just a club but what makes it the church is the president person of Jesus who says in group settings individual settings when you take your anxiousness and you turn into God help me god help me I'm going to give you a sense of me in a sense that things are gonna work together for good I just want to let God know we need that sensation more down here I need that sensation maybe some of your experience in it right now jesus said we're two or more gathered in my name I'll be there I'll be there I'll be there I'll be there I'll be there you know there's some parents in here you need this sensation to lead your babies some young marrieds in here you need this sensation to lead your marriage there's some single adult adults in here and you need this sensation to trust God with your future relationships there's some young professionals here and you need this sensation to continue to move forward in your career and the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus that is not a promise to the spiritually elite that is a promise to average ordinary people who just say oh God I'm so afraid please help me yes absolutely I am here and then amazing we can take what's so crippling like anxiety we can turn it into a moment of connection with God and I believe we can turn it in what the enemy means for evil we can turn it in work God will work it together for our good we're blessed we're blessed Jesus I thank you for the moments we share so much to think about so much to talk about we love you God before we go any further just think about every man woman boy and girl under the sound of my voice who has overwhelming fear and stress anxiety they cannot control anxiety they cannot overcome you are the champion you are the overcomer you are the peace of God and I'm asking for a sense of God in this room I'm asking for a sense of your guarding a sense of your ruling a sense of your controlling a sense of your sovereignty you are king of the universe and all things work together all things work together for good in our lives we just what he's got to believe that Lord there are so many people here under the sound of my voice who are at the end of their rope exhaustion has set in disillusionment seems to come over them like a cloud and they're wondering what to do next I'm asking for your supernatural intervention that you could do that you would do and you can do what we cannot I'm asking for that right now I'm asking for relief I'm asking for supernatural intervention I thank you for that and God give us the courage to share with one another in community our fears our stresses our shame thank you God if you're here or anywhere watching and you'd like to receive the free gift of forgiveness that only Jesus offers I'm gonna include you in this prayer and I'm just gonna ask on the count of three that you lift up your hand put it right back down you know you are I'm not here to embarrass human ask nobody looking around just for a moment but if you'd like to receive the forgiveness that only Jesus offers she's gonna ask you to respond the count of three you slip up your hand and put it right back down one two three that you just shoot your hand up Spain's me thank you beautiful so many hands anybody else you slip it up and put it right back down Jesus you see these hands from the Saban theater two locations in Seattle two rooms and cafes and living rooms around different continents and countries of the world you see these hands and you see these hearts but I thank you so much that when you forgive someone they are forgiven forever completely and entirely and we now have a relationship with you that is wonderful and perfect thank you that we are accepted we belong we are loved we are cared for we are yours and we thank you for that in Jesus name in Jesus name hey everybody thank you so much for watching our YouTube channel to be honest it really means a lot it's kind of overwhelming to consider that you take time out of your life to listen to us tell the story of Jesus if you haven't already you can subscribe right here to the channel and get more of God's incredible love for you and his story up grace again I can't say it enough thank you so much for watching and hopefully we can do this again real soon

Channel: Churchome

Views: 27,899

Rating: 4.8947368 out of 5

Keywords: Churchome, Judah, Judah smith, church, message, anxiety, depression, how to, elevation, Steven, Hillsong, oceans, sermon, the city church, church home, Chelsea smith, bobby Houston, td jakes, pastor, pastor preaching, carl lentz, Jesus, conference, guest speaker, sermon jam, worship, Justin Bieber, la Hillsong, Selena, preaching, anxious, guided prayers

Id: lPz3SerqLHU

Length: 54min 29sec (3269 seconds)

Published: Tue Oct 08 2019