How To Deal With Anxiety

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>How To Deal With Anxiety</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id392.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Investing In Kingdom Currency"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id394.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Kingdom Relationships"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>"How to Deal with Anxiety," Matthew 6:25-34</B></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, July 13, 2003</B></div> <bR> <div>      A few years ago, advice columnist Ann Landers printed a supposedly true story of a tightfisted husband who was married to a gracious woman. The wife put up with his tightwad behavior for more than 40 years. At age 60, "Ollie" was stricken with cancer. Toward the end, he made his wife promise, in front of witnesses, that she would place in his coffin all the money he had stashed away so he could buy his way into heaven. She agreed and assured him, as a woman of her word, she would do as he asked. The morning after his death she took the money (about $26,000) and deposited it in the bank. She then wrote a check and put it in the casket four days later. She knew he couldn't take it with him.     (Woodrow Kroll, Lessons on Living email devotional, 1-6-03).</div> <div>      In <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Matt+6:19" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>Matthew 6:19</U></A>, Jesus warns us to pursue kingdom wealth rather than the riches of this world. We are to use this life on earth to prepare for eternity. Jesus contrasts two treasures, two visions, and two masters. It must be asked: what is in your heart? What is your focus? Who is in control?</div> <div>      There is an insecurity to hoarding up this world's riches and pleasures and forgetting about the future. Pursuits of this world become corrupted (by moths and rust and time) or they get stolen. James 5:1-3 says, "Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire." </div> <div>      Jesus offers us a challenge about worry, because worry accompanies <I>the pursuit</I> of worldly riches and pleasures and possessions (and it has nothing to do with whether you are rich or poor). Worry, in part, is due to a preoccupation with the temporary things of the world. Peace and trust and joy are to accompany the pursuit of the kingdom of God. </div> <div>      Simply put, Jesus' challenge from <A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=Matt+6:25-34" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U>Matthew 6:25-34</U></A> is this: Replace worry about the things of this life with concern for the kingdom of God (vs. 25, 31-33). Jesus said, do not worry, do not be anxious (vs. 25a). To be anxious is to be apprehensive; it's to worry and fret, to have a heightened and unhealthy level of concern for things that are out of your control. It is a preoccupation with the bad things that <I>could</I> happen, whether related to your job or your family or your finances or personal relationships or your future. It may be a preoccupation with a choice you already made, and now you or someone else is experiencing the consequences, and you have never accepted forgiveness.      </div> <div>      Specifically, Jesus says don't be concerned with how your basic needs are going to be met (vss. 31-32). For most of us, our basic needs are met, and we spend our time and energy worrying about all the "extras" of life. If we are to avoid worry about the common basic needs and concerns of life, how much more should we avoid worry about the many extras of life that do not matter for eternity? Instead of worrying, we are to seek the kingdom of God (vs. 33), and then trust God to provide all we need. About giving back to God what belongs to him, Malachi 3:10 says, "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." Can you trust God enough to seek him and his kingdom?</div> <bR> <div>      To help us understand how to avoid worry and seek God's kingdom, Jesus offers four principles, with four responses.</div> <div> <B>1. Life is about more than earthly needs and wants </B>(question: "is not life more than food?" vs. 25). <I><B>Consider important what God considers is important.</B></I></div> <div>      We saw last week these two principles: 1) Being in the kingdom of God radically alters your priorities. "What's in it for me?" is changed to "what's in it for the kingdom of God?" 2) The level of your loyalty is revealed in how you use your money, your time, yourself (vs. 21). If God does not have control of your money and your time, he does not have control of you. </div> <div>      Many people live under the illusion that the most important things in life are how much you make, how many people you control, how many possessions you have, how big your house is, how much fun you can have, how beautiful or youthful or fit you are, etc. If you have trouble being generous, if the big decisions in your life are controlled by how much money you will make, you need to be realigned with God's kingdom values. Being rich is not wrong, but the Bible says, the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. You cannot have a love affair with money and stuff and be in love with Jesus at the same time (vs. 24). We are citizens of a different kingdom than the one we see around us, which means we must be different from the inside out. To be seeking God's kingdom means that the things that are important to God are important to us, like the growth of his kingdom, like love for one another, like personal holiness.</div> <div>      George Barna revealed, "Born-again adults spend an average of seven times more hours each week watching television than they do participating in spiritual pursuits such as Bible reading, prayer, and worship. They spend [three times] as much money on entertainment as they donate to their church. They spend more time surfing the net than they do connecting with God in prayer."</div> <div>      Are you making money and time available for God to use in whatever way he chooses, or is money too tight and are you too busy? Do you consciously pray for God's wisdom when you make a financial decision? Do you give to those who have needs?  Do you give generously to the church? Can you take the time to develop a relationship with someone who needs to be shown love in the name of Jesus? Do you turn the TV or internet off to make time to spend with God each day in prayer and the Word? Do you use your words and attitude to spread the joy and love of Christ in your home and at your job? Are you developing your personal character and dealing with your temptations to sin? </div> <bR> <div> <B>2. God cares for things far less valuable (birds) and far more temporary (grass) than you </B>(question: "how much more does God care for you?" vss. 26, 28-30). <I><B>Believe that God values you and cares for you.</B></I> </div> <div>      You do not have to fight for or earn God's love, you can only accept it. Jesus died for you to give you forgiveness from sin and eternal live. That's how much he cares.</div> <bR> <div> <B>3. Worrying does not change fundamental reality </B>(question: "can you add to your life?" vs. 27). <I><B>Do what you can do in faith and leave everything in God's hands.</B></I></div> <div>      Earn a living, plan ahead, drive carefully (some fear is a good thing), exercise and eat well, spend wisely, take time for rest, and get enough sleep, take time to serve others. Take each of your concerns to God in prayer and leave them with him. Philippian 4:6-8 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-- think about such things."</div> <div>      Vance Havner once told a story about an elderly woman who was disturbed by her great and many troubles. Some of these troubles were real, but others were imaginary. After friends and family had prayed with her, comforted her and attempted to help her, they reminded her, "Grandma, we've done all we can for you. You'll just have to trust God for the rest." With a look of shock and despair Grandma's eyes flashed back to her family the message, "Oh dear, has it come to that?" Havner notes, "It always comes to that, so we might as well begin with that!"</div> <bR> <div> <B>4. If you are prone to worry, you can always find something to worry about; worry does not make troubles go away </B>(statement: "each day has enough trouble of its own;" vs. 34). <I><B>Take life one day at a time, by faith.</B></I></div> <div>      Keep things in perspective. Remind yourself of how God helped you through difficult situations in the past.</div> <div>      Charles Lowrey writes about the difference it makes whether you are in an airplane or a car on a runway: "Now I'm afraid. I'm focused on my fears instead of my faith. I look down the runway. I see that it's really just a short road that leads to nowhere. If I were in a car, I would've called this runway a dead end. But I'm in a plane, and it has enough power to overcome that dead end and make it a runway. I guess that may be the difference between fear and faith. Fear is seeing situations as dead ends. Faith is seeing dead ends as runways. Either you see something as the end or you see it as the beginning of something great. You must have the faith to believe there'll be enough power when you come to a dead end to make it a runway in your life."</div> <div>       Replace worry about the things of this life with concern for the kingdom of God.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2003, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>