From ego94@iglou.com Mon Dec 9 04:28:33 1996 Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1996 19:10:40 -0600 From: Sandy Priddy To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: S>Anxiety Dear brothers and sisters, Here is an outline from the fully bearded bald headed one...it is our only hope and prayer that it may lighten someone else's load and bring glory and honor to the great God who's Spirit we cherish and whose Son's blood we share. ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT ANXIETY? TEXT: Phil 4.6-13 INTRO: A. Anxiety is a painful uneasiness of mind over an anticipated ill. It produces worry and distress. It robs us of peace and a sense of tranquility. It takes a life that is otherwise happy and se- cure and turns it into a prison of turmoil and distress. B. Anxiety has reached epidemic proportions. 1. Sign over a preacher's office: "If you have worries, come in and let's talk them over. If not, come in and tell us how you do it." 2. The Bible has the answer to anxiety--it is an answer that con- fronts us with the exact image of what we are and with the means by which we may become what we ought to be. 3. The answer is not simple, but it is one that will work if we will only accept it. I. COMMUNION WITH GOD - Phil 4.6 (NIV) A. *Communion with God makes us mindful of God's blessings.* 1. God's blessings have met our needs every time if you will merely reflect on them. 2. His blessings and the consistency of them should put a halt to self-pity and abnormal alarm. B. *Communion w/ God affords us the privilege of request.* 1. As righteous ones, we have the power and privilege of making our requests made known unto God. In this way, we can unburden our soul. 2. David is one of the most vivid examples - Ps 55.22 3. Through our petitions and requests, we obtain God's help. a. Moses b. Paul in prison 4. Today many Christians spend a great deal of time and ef- fort looking for blessings already available to us. They pray for God's light, altho God has already supplied light in abundance thru His word. 5. They pray for strength, altho God's word says we can do all things thru Christ who gives us strength - Phil 4.13 6. Are we just a little bit too reluctant to accept it? C. *Communion with God brings peace.* 1. This is divine peace, and is therefore abiding - 4.7a 2. Jn 4.27 3. God's peace is a guarding peace that "will guard your hearts and your minds" - 4.7 a. By using a military metaphor, Paul represents this peace as guarding their hearts as a garrison holds a fortress. b. At every inlet into their soul this peace stands like an armed sentinel, keeping out all disturbing influ- ences. c. This is a promise, a pledge. 4. God's peace is indescribable, a peace "which transcends all understanding" - 4.7 II. CONTROL OF THOUGHTS - v 8 A. We can go to bed at night with nothing physically wrong and lie awake hour after hour worrying about tomorrow, about what someone said, or about personal prestige. Let's look at some specific things we can do to keep our angst under control: B. *Control that limits thefts to reality reduces anxiety.* When the Bible says "whatever is true," it excludes all things that are speculative--things that "might" have been," or "could occur." C. *Control limits thefts to honorable things*. Thinking of hon- oracle things excludes unworthy words or deeds of others. D. *Control limits tho'ts to righteousness.* "Whatever is true" refers to tho'ts that are in accordance with eternal and un- alterable righteousness. E. *Control limits tho'ts to purity.* This excludes a whole area of degrading and disturbing tho'ts. 1. Lust 2. Envy 3. Malice and resentment 4. Jealousy to name but a few. F. *Control limits tho'ts to that which produces love.* There is no room for tho'ts of hatred, spite, or retribution when you are limiting yourself by love. mirable.* Things that are sound and attractive spiritually are always of "good report." III. CONSISTENCY IN LIVING - v 9 A. You may pray and you may control your tho'ts and still be eaten within by anxiety because you know you are inconsistent with your profession. Permit me to make a few observations: B. *Consistency in living imparts a clear conscience.* Acts 23.1 1. A clear conscience can come only when you are faithful. 2. A clear conscience removes guilt. C. *Consistency is living true to Christ's teaching* - v 9a 1. Christ's teachings alone can delvelop self-respect 2. Christ's teachings alone can guide aright - Ps 119.105 D. *Consistency in living points others to Jesus.* 1. Others who would otherwise be on your hands. 2. Others' whose salvation gives you an occasion for re- joicing. IV. CONTENTMENT IN GOD'S WILL - vv 11-12 A. Most of our anxiety grows our of our inability to be con- tent in God's will. We are not content with where it leads nor with what it calls us to do. B. God's will may not meet all of your desires - v 12a 1. All of your desires are not necessities 2. Your desires, if met, may result in chaos. C. God will may call for great personal sacrifice - V 12b 1. For Paul to be content in God's will meant for him to be content in personal sacrifice, not only food. a. "It is my conviction that a very large part of man- kind's ills and of the world's misery is due to the rampant practice of trying to feed the soul with the body's food." ~ Frank Ferrell in "Tabletalk" b. Paul surrendered and sacrificed other aspirations of life, like giving up the powerful and influential role as a Pharisee. 2. Call for sacrifice of noble ideals that are not God's will. 3. Call for sacrifice of time and talent in Christian service. D. God's will is always best - Mt 6.33 1. God's will leads to fewer problems. The person who drops out of service is the one who has *real* problems. 2. God's will is the will of an amazingly affectionate and loving Father. 3. There is excellent advice for those who fear the future given by the superintendent of a telephone company who was instructing young men in pole climbing. "Do not look straight up or down," he cautioned, "but just a little ahead of your highest hand." V. CONFIDENCE IN CHRIST - v 13 A. A great deal of our anxiety stems from our failure to realize we are not nearly as important as we think we are. After all, God is in charge, and we are only his instruments. 1. Confidence in Christ renews self-determination - v 13a 2. Confidence is necessary for a proper self-respect. B. Confidence in Christ removes the fear of failure - v 13b 1. Fear results from a serious lack of trust in God. 2. Fear results from an unhealthy high estimation of self. CONCLUSION: A. It has been said that it is impossible for a man to lose all his fear of battle but he'll tend to forget it, at least temporarily if you can get him to take his mind off himself and concentrate only on the job to be done. And we have a job to do! B. Some years ago, Basil King wrote a book entitled, "The Conquest of Fear." He prefaced his book with these words: "When I say that during my life I have been prey to fear, I take it that I am expressing the case for most people. I cannot remember the time when a dread of one kind or another was not in the air. In childhood, it was the fear of going to bed. Later, it was the fear of school. Still later, the experience in the morning of waking with the feeling of dismay at the amount of work to be done. In one form or another, fear dogs every one of us: the mother afraid for her children; the father afraid for his business; the clerk afraid of armed robbery; hardly a man that is not afraid that wome other man will do him a bad turn, hardly a woman who is not afraid of that what she loves will be snatched away...I am ready to guess that all the miseries wrought by sin and sickness put together would not equal those we bring on by means which we do the least to counteract." C. God is the means with which we best attack our fears. Of what could he possibly be afraid? D. When nothing whereon to lean remains, When strongholds crumble to dust, When nothing is sure but that God still reigns, That is just the time to trust. E. Listen well before grabbing your songbook: Eph 3.13-21 "He IS ABLE to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us!" ~~~~~o0o (0)(0) o0o~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Richard & Sandra Priddy 3042 Wedgewood Way Louisville KY 40220 (502) 456-1100 You know you are an internet addict when all your friends' names have an @ in them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~