February 26, 2018

When you want to express the inexpressible, look to a poet. It doesn’t take you long to run out of adjectives when you begin trying to describe the amazing infinite love of God. Nearly 100 years ago, a gentleman by the name of Frederick Martin Lehman penned this poem that was later put to music in a hymn called appropriately – “The Love of God”.

I think he captures it pretty well! See what you think.

The love of God is greater far, Than tongue or pen can ever tell.

It goes beyond the highest star, And reaches to the lowest hell.

The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win;

His erring child He reconciled, And pardoned from his sin.

O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure  The saints' and angels' song.

When age and time shall pass away, And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;

When men who here refuse to pray, On rocks and hills and mountains call;

God's love, so sure, shall still endure, All measureless and strong;

Redeeming grace to Adam's race — The saints' and angels' song.

O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure  The saints' and angels' song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made;

Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade;

To write the love of God above, Would drain the ocean dry;

Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky.

O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure  The saints' and angels' song.

WOW! What a CRAZY love!

February 25, 2018

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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 and sisters, 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." Philippians 4:4-8

Max Lucado wrote a very helpful book on the topic of dealing with anxiety and it is based on this great portion of Scripture. The book is entitled "Anxious for Nothing" I highly recommend it! It is the source of our sermons, blogs and study groups for the next five weeks.

To recap this week we have traced the roots of anxiety and found there was actually a time when anxiety. It was in the garden of Eden when God was Sovereign and Adam and Eve were happy under His control. But when they decided to try and take control they were introduced to worry, stress and anxiety.

Thanks to them, we are born with control issues. Because we believe we have to be in control of our lives and because we are not able to control much of anything we feel out of control. Or, we live under an illusion of false control. But either way the anxiety level rises because we feel out of control. What is our answer to feeling out of control? It is to try harder to get control! And the stress level goes higher!

Paul, who wrote these positive stress free words to the believers in Philippi was writing them from a dark, damp, cold dungeon in Rome chained to a Roman guard. He was awaiting a trial before a Roman court that hated Christians and that was largely influenced by a psychotic Emperor named Nero. So Paul's future largely rested on the whims of a crazy man who loved to send Christians to a brutal death.

And yet this very man writes words, and phrases and sentences like these:

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

"Do not be anxious about anything."

Seriously?

How is that possible?

As I said, over the next few weeks we will unpack this goldmine of spiritual wisdom and truth! From it we will learn how to be calm in situations where we used to know only anxiety!

Celebrate God’s Goodness – Philippians 4:4

Ask for God’s Help – Philippians 4:6

Leave Our Concerns With God – Philippians 4:6

Meditate on Only Good Things – Philippians 4:8

But in the meantime, here is a prayer you can pray in your anxious moments!

“Dear Lord, you spoke to the storms. Would you speak to me? Would you calm this storm in me? You calmed the hearts of the Apostles. Would you calm the chaos in me? You told them to fear not. Would you say the same to me? I am weary from my worry. I am beaten and battered by the storms in my life. Oh, Prince of Peace, give me a spirit of calm. Take control and place your confidence in me. Stir up courage. Let me know fewer frets and much more faith. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!”

February 24, 2018

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4

The first appearance of anxiety happened in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. Deceived by the serpent they rebelled against the Sovereignty of God and sought to take control of their own lives. Their lives became complicated in a hurry and spun out of control.

Anxiety is not only a product of rebellion against God's Sovereignty but it increases as we continue to resist His Sovereignty over our lives.

As Paul wrote these encouraging words of counsel to the Philippians he found himself deep in a dark, musty, cold Roman prison chained to a Roman soldier at all times. He was awaiting trial before a strongly biased anti-Christian court fully aware that his earthly fate rested on the whim of a psychotic Christian hating Emperor named Nero.

And he told them to "rejoice in the Lord always"? Was he serious?

How can this be?

Though Paul despised his circumstances at the time he wrote those words, he still was filled with hope and shared the source of his hope with these Christians in the Church of Philippe. Here's the encouragement he sought to give to these believers.

“Rejoice” = “Constantly celebrate and revel”

“In the Lord” = “His character and His sovereignty”

“always” = “No expiration date”

“Again I say rejoice”

So, when life gets really hard and beyond your control you can continue trying to get it under your control or you can decide, as Paul did, to surrender control of your circumstances to the Sovereignty of God and rejoice in His love and power.

Learn from Paul in these verses and surrender control of your life to God and then control what is within your meager power. What you can control is your attitude, your decisions, the acts of your will and your surrender to the will of God. Then learn to trust God for all the rest of your needs!

Here's what taking control of your emotions, your attitudes and decisions might look like when the rest of your life is under God's control:

1) Don’t deny your feelings – defy them

2) Even if you dismay – obey

3) When urged to control – commit to His control

4) Allow Scripture to define reality not your suffering

5) View your pain through His promises

6) Counter despair with prayer

7) Serve the Lord with gladness

8) Sing songs that strengthen your spirit

9) To rejoice “in the Lord” you must be “in the Lord”

Do you know the Lord as your personal Savior?

HERE’S THE BOTTOM LINE – SURRENDER CONTROL TO HIS SOVEREIGNTY AND CONTROL WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL.

Anxiety is a DECISION not a PRISON!

When you decide to control what you can and SURRENDER EVERYTHING ELSE TO HIS CONTROL you are on the road to relief from ANXIETY!

At this moment, what fear, anxiety, worry is “Choking the breath” out of you? What is it that “squeezing” the joy, the hope, energy out of you?

Control Is An Illusion

"Do not be anxious about anything....." Philippians 4:6

Anxiety entered the human experience when Eve would rather have control than trust God's sovereignty. Adam foolishly agreed with her.

Ironically, their craving for control sent life spinning out of control. 

So, the roots of anxiety are in rebellion against God's sovereignty. And the level of anxiety rises in direct proportion to your continued resistance to His control over your life!

To review:

• Anxiety is an emotion not a sin, but it can cause you to sin. 

“Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap." Luke 21:34

• Anxiety empowers us when we demand control of our lives and resist living under God's sovereign control.

• So, anxiety is a decision not a prison.

The Hawaiians had a word for anxiety they coined to describe the white Westerners who came to pursue their fortunes in the tropical paradise. That word was "haole" and it meant "breathless" because that is how these driven and ambitious foreigners seemed to the Islanders. They were so intent on possessing and building and controlling their own little empires it seemed they barely had time to breath.

Does that sound familiar?

Do you know anyone like that?

I mentioned Latin word for anxiety means to "choke" or "to squeeze". That is a great description of how it feels when you insist on controlling your life while resisting God's control over it.

Excepting a life-altering trauma, some mental or emotional disorder, anxiety is rooted in rebellion against God's sovereignty or control over the affairs of your life! And continued repeated resistance to His will and His control will cause a rise in the level of your anxiety.

It is like the definition of insanity. Insanity is continuing to do the same thing while expecting anew result. That will never happen!

If you want to change your behavior you will need to first change your belief! 

Life is beyond your control! Even when you think you have it under control you don't. Control is an illusion that can become a delusion!

Only God is able to control the events and circumstances of your life. He is Sovereign!

Anxiety will plague your life, rob your joy, sap your energy, steal your enthusiasm and trouble your sleep until you relinquish control of your life unto Jesus!

Will you surrender to His sovereignty today and catch your breath?

February 22, 2018

"The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.” Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?” “The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.” Genesis 3:6-13

Our automobiles are safer than ever. Our food sources and our food production are safer than ever. The drilling, the production, the generation and transportation of energy is safer than ever. We have simple wireless security systems that are safer than ever. The Stock Market is rising and our economy is expanding and becoming stronger every month. There is much to be encouraged about!

So why are anxiety levels at an all-time highs? Why are stress-related physical, mental and emotional issues rising exponentially?

Although the scope and breadth of anxiety-related issues are fairly recent phenomenon anxiety has plagued the human condition since Adam and Eve.

To trace the origins of anxiety you must go back to the Garden of Eden and recognize the primary issue is control. 

When Adam and Eve lived blissfully under the Sovereignty of God their lives were prosperous, peaceful and content. God was lovingly sparing them from the worries of everyday life. They had clearly defined responsibilities that provided them a sense of meaning and worth. God had made them a perfect match for each other and for being in fellowship with Him. For them it was literally a living paradise while God was in charge!

But the Serpent sought to change that. He sowed seeds of doubt and discontent in their heart and mind. Original sin was a power play, a quest for control. He was able to get Eve to believe life would be better if she could be in control. Why depend on God when she could call the shots herself? She took the deal, she sold it to Adam and they discovered the joys of anxiety. Once they took control life soon got out of control. Our ego says we can handle life but our emotions know better.

Perhaps you hadn't thought about it before but anxiety is so destructive because it was born out of rebellion. Life is way too big for us! We may be able to control our decisions but we can't control the consequences or the outcomes. Being in control brings control issues! Not only do we now bear the responsibility for the decision we also become responsible for the fallout! The more we try to control our lives the more out of control we feel. That's anxiety 101 and life gets complicated quickly.

"Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.” And to the man he said, “Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Genesis 3:16-19

So, how's that control thing working for you now, Adam and Eve?

Feeling anxious is not a sin, nor is worry. But when you are anxious it can cause you to sin because you feel like you need to take control of things you cannot control.

Take control of your anxiety! Put your life under God's control today!

It 

5 Anxiety Fighting Statements

"Do not be anxious about anything...." Philippians 4:6

I have had anxious moments.

So have you.

There are times I catch myself worrying over something I shouldn't.

You probably have too.

That is not what Paul has in mind when he pens these words. The root word he uses for "anxious" literally means "to choke" or "to squeeze". He is referring to being so overcome by fear, worry and anxiety that your energy is low and your blood pressure is high and your sleep is troubled.

The Apostle, writing from a dark, damp prison chained to a Roman guard knowing his life depends on the whims of a psychotic Emperor named Nero. If anyone had reason to be anxious it was him. Yet he wrote with complete integrity when he admonished the Philippians to be anxious for nothing!

I have had an anxiety attack. I never want to have another one. I was overcome by worry, despair and hopelessness and felt absolutely powerless to do anything about it. It was the lowest moment of my life. I emptied every glass, coffee cup and dish in my cabinet and shattered them against my brick fireplace.

It wasn't until I began cleaning up the mess that I realized how totally out of control I had been.

Once you are overcome by anxiety it is followed by deep feelings of shame and guilt. Before you know it you are caught in a powerful downward spiral.

Studies have found that 17% of Americans suffer from severe anxiety. When you do the math it factors to 56,000,000 people!

Prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications have more than doubled in the past 20 years.

If worry was an Olympic event America would take the Gold Medal.

But in view of all those facts Paul assures us it is possible to "be anxious for nothing"! How can that be?

Here's the answers! There are five anxiety fighting statements below. Can you find them?

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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.Fin ally, brothers and sisters, 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. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:4-9

February 20, 2018

^"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" Mark 8:36

Imagine you had a car with an engine that, with minimal maintenance would run forever. In fact, with that routine amount of attention you know your engine will outlast the body of your automobile. Would you neglect that engine and devote all your energy to making the exterior of the vehicle look good?

I doubt it! That would be foolish!

You may not have an eternal motor, not even a Toyota lasts forever, but you do have an eternal soul! That soul is the core of your being and it is what keeps your body up and running. Your soul is eternal because it was placed within you by an eternal God.

So, how is your soul?

How is your maintenance record?

Are you devoting more time, money and energy on your exterior or on your soul?

In your natural vain flawed judgment you will focus on the temporary and neglect the eternal. Even one as spiritual as the Prophet Samuel needed to be reminded, "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." I Samuel 16:7

Many of the religious leaders of Jesus' day were caught up in this foolish priority of looking good while neglecting their eternal souls and Jesus had a graphic description for them, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean." Matthew 23:27

I think you get the point!

So, what are you going to do about it today? Will you spend AT LEAST as much time with God in His Word and in prayer as you do with your grooming?

Spend more time on the eternal today.