The Path to Peace: The Antidote to Worry

[0:00] Be turning in your Bibles to Philippians chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4. We do have a few announcements.

[0:13] August 7th, here in about two weeks, we're going to have an outreach meeting during the time of our normal Bible study. We'll be talking about ways to do outreaches the coming calendar year.

[0:26] So come ready to plan, come ready to reach your neighbors, come with your ideas, gifts, talents, skill sets, calling. And we'll be reaching out to those we know and love in this community, those who need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[0:42] It'll also be followed by a brief business meeting where we'll just take care of the business of the church. That is it for our morning announcements. But we are in Philippians chapter 4.

[0:55] We're nearing the end of the book of Philippians. And we've been on something of a mini-series inside of the book of Philippians, haven't we? Paul has been very practical here discussing something that a lot of people are seeking after.

[1:11] Peace. Everywhere you look, you can see people seeking peace. People want inner peace. They want a calm heart, calm from the turmoil of the world around them.

[1:23] Like I said, if you go to the airport bookstore, you're going to find books dealing with peace, aren't you? It's a sought-after commodity. And we're on the path to peace.

[1:35] We've been reviewing some of the different characteristics of the path to peace, of a need for right priorities in worship, and the peace that God brings to our relationships.

[1:45] And now we're going to discuss something that our society is talking about quite frequently. And that is worry or anxiety or stress, however you want to look at it.

[1:58] And the sermon title is The Antidote for Worry. Of course, if we understand things like a snake bite, you understand that there's anti-venom that you can get, right?

[2:10] When that poison is in your veins. And what do you do? Well, you go, you get the antidote. It'll make you better. And we as Christians have the poison of anxiety in our veins all too often.

[2:23] And if you're on the path to peace, anxiety and worry and fear is the exact opposite of what you're going for, aren't you? It's the exact opposite of what worship brings. It's the exact opposite of what the gospel brings in our relationships.

[2:36] It's the exact opposite of what the gospel brings in our hearts. What do we do when we face anxiety? Well, I'm glad you asked. We're going to look at that today here in the scripture. Anxiety is a real experience of many people.

[2:50] And in our culture, it's something that many people are concerned about. You have everything from your run-of-the-mill worry to people that will seek out leading experts and receive medical diagnoses over anxiety.

[3:04] There are 40 million adults every year. So every calendar year, 40 million people are diagnosed with some sort of anxiety disorder.

[3:16] They didn't have it last year. They have it this year. Maybe they'll be over it next year. 31% of Americans, that's about a third of Americans, experience some sort of major episode of anxiety at some point in their life.

[3:31] 90% of people with what's called generalized anxiety, they're just kind of anxious all the time, are diagnosed with other mental health conditions. 19 million Americans would say that they suffer having been diagnosed with some phobia.

[3:46] 6.8 million Americans have kind of just generalized anxiety that they experience frequently. The 31% of children, those under 18, that's about a third, suffer from some diagnosed anxiety disorder.

[4:05] And that would be kind of in addition to run-of-the-mill worry. We live in a worried country. And you know, interestingly, when they look at statistics, it's typically the wealthier, more privileged countries that tend to have greater problems with anxiety and worry and fear.

[4:25] That makes sense, doesn't it? Ecclesiastes 5.12 says this, The sleep of the laboring man is sweet, whether he eateth little or much, but the abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.

[4:37] We're being choked as a society with so many comforts and conveniences and blessings that we forget who gives the good things and become worriers.

[4:50] Of course, if you'll note these statistics, many of them came from a clinical perspective. A perspective that would treat anxiety as an emotional problem.

[5:05] Perhaps that's how most of us think about anxiety. It's that question of whether or not I get a gnawing feeling on the inside of me. If I have no gnawing feeling, then I have no anxiety.

[5:17] But when scripture addresses anxiety, it doesn't address it as a feelings based approach. It doesn't address it as a medical condition.

[5:28] It addresses it in the realm of thought and idea and belief. That is how scripture primarily addresses our worries, fears and anxieties.

[5:40] Now, this is not to discount the reality that some people have physiological conditions that make them feel anxious. Becca and I knew a sweet family and and the husband came to church faithfully every Sunday, but his wife didn't.

[5:55] And he came to church one Sunday. And this is before we entered into ministry with a stack of papers he had printed off of medical papers explaining his wife's condition.

[6:06] You see, every once in a while we read an article on the Internet about some little 90 pound soccer mom that lifts a minivan off of her children.

[6:17] Right. And then the article answers the question, how does she do this feat of strength? And then the answer is almost always adrenaline. Right. Right. Right. Above your two kidneys are adrenaline glands that allow you to do some super feat.

[6:34] Run away from a predator faster than you normally would fight for your life or maybe lift something you normally couldn't live. Well, she had a condition. Where those adrenaline glands didn't kick in when there was some life or death situation.

[6:49] They fired off when she met a new person sometimes. Y'all ever meet a new person and you don't want to say something that makes you look silly?

[7:01] Just a little bit of. Can you imagine all of a sudden having the strength to flip over a car when you meet a new person? The anxiety that that would cause? Right. Listen, God recognizes the Bible recognizes that sometimes we have physiological conditions that mess with us.

[7:19] Right. That happens sometimes. For her, it was this big struggle. But when the Bible deals with worry, most of the time, it's not dealing with the gnawing feeling of worry, is it?

[7:33] It's dealing with where we place our hope. It's dealing with who we trust in. It's dealing with our thoughts, the things that we believe. That's how God deals with worry.

[7:46] And when we look at this, this, this, excuse me, when we look at it this way, I think we understand that most worry, most fear, most anxiety in our lives today is just good old fashioned sin.

[8:00] It's good old fashioned sin. It's not trusting in God. It's not living in light of his word. Second, Timothy one, seven says this for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a power of love and a sound mind.

[8:18] That is what God says of us. That is what God does for us. Do you live in light of that? Jerry Bridges, the author of the book.

[8:32] Trusting God talked about sin and he he wrote about it this way or the sin of anxiety, that it is simply not trusting in the providence of God.

[8:45] It is not trusting that God is truly in control. Today, we're going to see what Paul says to do when times get hard.

[8:57] We're going to see what Paul says to do when our anxieties and our fears overwhelm us. And, you know, he has something to say about that, doesn't he? He is facing a prison sentence, a possible death sentence.

[9:12] From the Roman government, he's writing to a church that will face similar persecution. What do we do in the face of hardship? What do we do when our fears kick in?

[9:29] Bible says it's a matter of where we set our hearts and minds and that the God of peace will guard our hearts and minds. If we'll trust in him and go to him in prayer.

[9:42] If you would please look with me at Philippians chapter four, verse six. Be careful for nothing. But in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.

[10:04] And the God of peace, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and your minds through Christ Jesus.

[10:19] This is the word of the Lord. We have a promise here in this passage of scripture that God will be our keeper.

[10:30] That God himself will keep our hearts. And our minds. The God of peace.

[10:42] Think about that. Let that sink in. Do you want God? To guard your hearts and minds.

[10:56] Do you want him to keep you? We need to go to him in prayer. We need to go to him in prayer. Paul says we ought to be careful that is worry for nothing.

[11:08] But in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let our requests be made known unto God. And he will keep our hearts. And he will keep our minds.

[11:22] This command, of course, comes after the reminder that we as believers are to rejoice always. Paul started the broader passage up here dealing with peace.

[11:34] He started it with worship. When we bow our knee to God, we recognize that God reigns and we don't. We recognize that there are some things that God does and some things that we need him to do for us when we worship.

[11:56] Saints, we have so little control in this world, don't we? We have control over a very small area of this world.

[12:08] And we need God's help to even be faithful with that. When you go to him in worship, when you bow the knee before God, you recognize that he.

[12:19] He is the one responsible for all things. He is the one who protects us and cares for us. He is the one.

[12:32] Who takes care of people across the face of this earth. Not you. Not me. The gospel brings real peace also.

[12:47] Peace in relationships. Are you trusting in Jesus for your relationships? This is the context that we're coming in, aren't we?

[12:59] And we get to this passage here about worry. Now, Paul says this in verse six. He says, be careful for nothing.

[13:09] Be careful for nothing. The Greek word here for careful is merimana. It means to be anxious or to have a troubled mind, a mind that's troubled with cares.

[13:23] And here in the in the translation that we're looking at this morning from the King James, it says be careful for nothing. We say it a little bit differently in modern vernacular, don't we? We would say don't worry or don't be anxious.

[13:35] But it says careful. And when we think of careful, we often think of being observant or wise. Perhaps you've said to a family member traveling in bad weather, be careful.

[13:50] There's ice on the road. Be wise. Be observant. If you see ice, avoid it. If you need to turn around, do it. If you need to pull over, do it. But that's not what this text is talking about.

[14:04] Oftentimes we think of care or being careful or a mother's heart being full of care as an example is being a type of compassion. Compassion.

[14:15] But that's not what is in view here. Literally careful means to be full of cares, to be full. We like to call them concerns.

[14:27] We're very sophisticated, aren't we? We'll have our worries and we'll have our fears and say, oh, I'm not worried. I'm just concerned. I'm concerned.

[14:39] Our hearts get weighed down with concerns as in Winston cares what the neighborhood looks like, which is why he's presently complaining to the city council.

[14:52] We are eaten up with concerns or cares or what the Bible calls. Worries. Anxieties.

[15:04] Anxiety, of course, refers to a disturbance of the mind, a painful uneasiness about life or a possible future situation.

[15:17] We're not dealing with a feeling here. We're dealing with a frame of mind. We're dealing with how someone views a situation. Again, Jerry Bridges wrote this in Respectable Sins.

[15:30] He says anxiety is a sin because it is a lack of acceptance of God's providence in our lives. He goes on and writes this. He says the definition of ungodliness is this.

[15:43] Ungodliness may be defined as living one's own everyday life with little or no thought of God or of God's will or of God's glory or of one's dependence on God.

[15:55] There are many people in the world that it's just outright that they're ungodly. They live as if God is dead. They do whatever they want. They live without consequence.

[16:07] Yet when we are given into the sin of worry, do we not do the same thing? We live as if God is disinterested. We live as if God is unable. We live as if God isn't going to fulfill his word or his promise to us.

[16:22] One pastor I know of said of worry, he says when Christians worry, we just make God look bad. We make it look like he's absentee.

[16:34] We make it look like he does not care for us when we worry. It does not glorify God. It does the exact opposite. Worry is a sin.

[16:47] We're not victims. Worry is a sin. And oftentimes worry is flowing from the source of pride. Perhaps every time.

[16:58] You know, Paul here had something to worry about, didn't he? He had a legitimate cause to be concerned, didn't he? But what does he say?

[17:10] Rejoice in the Lord always. And what does he do? He rejoices in the Lord. Worry has its root in pride.

[17:22] Peter says this in 1 Peter 5, 6 and 7. He says, therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon him, for he cares for you.

[17:37] Now, what happened here at this church that Peter is writing to? Well, if you read in the broader context, there's been issues in the church where people are fighting for leadership roles and they're not listening to the leaders that were there.

[17:53] They're there. They're becoming prideful. They're trying to take positions of authority and they're not they're not obeying. And Peter says, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he might exalt you in due time.

[18:08] He's looking at these people that were involved in these fights and these quarrels and these conflicts saying, stop going for positions of power. Humble yourselves before God. Let him be the one that exalts you.

[18:19] And what should you do? Cast your care upon him, for he cares for you. You see, whatever was going on, these people were scared that they weren't going to get something.

[18:31] They were worried. So what did they do? They went for power. They went for control. Why did they go for power and control?

[18:45] They were prideful. They thought they could do it. How many times in a workplace does it does a dispute arise? And the first thing that that one or both parties do is run for power or control.

[18:58] Have you ever worked with someone like that? They try and get the boss on their side or leverage or spin the story in their own way so they can have more power or control. Why are they doing that?

[19:10] They're scared. They're worried. So they start trying to move things in their favor. This is the exact situation Peter was dealing with. And what does he say? Humble yourselves. Bow the knee before God.

[19:21] Let him worry about what role or calling you have. Bring your care or your concern to God. Why? He cares for you. How many fights in our society are over power?

[19:38] And what motivates that is fear. If you turn on the news lately, can we say all of them? People are driven by fear.

[19:54] You see, when we feel like we deserve something and we aren't getting it, then we begin to worry. This often leads to covetousness.

[20:11] People feel entitled to have a certain type of spouse. They start to worry when that's not their type of spouse.

[20:23] People feel entitled to have certain types of friends. People feel entitled to a certain type of house or lifestyle or income.

[20:40] And they begin to worry when they don't have that or at the prospect of not having it. When we become prideful, we begin to worry and we become like King Ahab.

[20:56] Or little King Ahab. He wasn't a great king. He was king of Israel. He's famous, perhaps, for being married to Jezebel. Everybody's heard that name.

[21:07] King Ahab was out walking around his lands one day and saw his neighbor's land. His name was Naboth. Naboth had a beautiful vineyard next to King Ahab's palace.

[21:23] And King Ahab would feast sumptuously with his guests and needed things like leeks and cucumbers and whatever else they would feast on. He looked over at Naboth's vineyard and said, I'm going to buy that from Naboth.

[21:39] I'm king. I've got the money. I need the vegetables. So he approached Naboth to buy his farm. You know what Naboth told him?

[21:51] No. You don't tell a king no, but you know what Naboth did? He told the king no. Why? That family received that farm from God.

[22:04] That was his family's inheritance. He didn't feel like it was his to sell. It was something bigger than him. He was going to pass it down to his kids. Righteous Naboth would not sell the family farm.

[22:19] So what happened with King Ahab? Prideful King Ahab. Well, in the next scene you find him in a heap. Anxious, depressed, angry, discontent.

[22:34] His whole mood has been ruined because he can't buy Naboth's farm for his vegetable garden. And his wife says, I'll take care of that for you.

[22:47] Had Naboth murdered and Ahab stole the farm. Pride begets worry. And when people are overcome by worry, they do desperate things.

[23:04] Ahab stole that farm like a hungry person might steal a loaf of bread off a cart. Why? He was so prideful. He felt justified in doing everything that he did.

[23:17] He was consumed with worry. What are you worried about? What do you fear? What do you feel like you should have that you don't have?

[23:31] Or that you have that you deserve and you feel a great deal of angst that it won't be that way anymore? If you have something you want to keep, do you know who gave that to you?

[23:43] God gave that to you. And you will have that as long as God wants you to have that. It's all his anyway. Do you want something you don't have?

[23:56] Well, it's okay to set goals and work towards those goals. But you know who gives that to you? God does. Are you okay if God says no because he loves you and it's in your best interest?

[24:12] But you see, oftentimes that pride takes root and we feel entitled and we get upset when we don't have it. And we get anxious and in knots and desperate.

[24:24] And desperate people destroy relationships. Desperate people destroy businesses. Desperate people hurt churches. Desperate people hurt family members.

[24:36] Desperate people sometimes just crawl up in a ball and hurt themselves. Worry consumes. Worry is also a manifestation of a lack of faith.

[24:52] Worry is a lack of faith. Again, we're dealing with the mindset and the thoughts of worry. It is a lack of faith.

[25:05] Matthew 628. Jesus says this. So why do you worry about clothing? He says, consider the lilies of the field. How they grow.

[25:18] They neither toil nor spin. And yet I say to you that even Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven.

[25:35] Will he not much more clothe you? You of little faith. People worried about clothing. That's something everybody worries about, right?

[25:51] Sometimes it's fitting into the clothes that we have. We all have worries and anxieties. But, you know, Jesus Day was different. I was talking with my father.

[26:05] Not that the Civil War was in Jesus Day. It came well after. But he's a little bit of a Civil War buff. And he's been doing some studying about Brethet County and the area.

[26:18] And he discovered that during the Civil War, because of everything that was happening, there was a clothing shortage. And it got so bad that most people struggled to even clothe themselves decently.

[26:35] That's a little bit of a different world, isn't it? You can't go out and get shoes. You can't go out and get clothes. They had the mills in some places.

[26:46] They just couldn't get them out. You know, the ancient world, do you know what they didn't have? Textile mills. They didn't have Walmarts or Dollar Generals or Goodwills.

[27:01] It was hard to clothe yourself in the ancient world. The clothes, for the most part, were handmade. Usually by family. It took a lot of time to make clothing.

[27:12] It was difficult. You took care of what you had and you didn't have much. And Jesus looks at a group of people who struggle to have enough clothing.

[27:23] We can't relate to this. When the flood hit this county, there was so much clothing they were turning it away. There was so much clothing it began to be a problem.

[27:36] Right? That was not Jesus' day. The thought was, are my kids going to have to run around naked? I mean, these were things people had to think about.

[27:50] And none of us would imagine going to some third world country and seeing these naked street urchins and daddy who works 16 hours a day saying, don't worry about clothes.

[28:04] Do you know what Jesus did? Then he looked at this crowd of people in the ancient world that was doing good just to subsist.

[28:16] If they finished every year with zero in the bank account and died, they would have been doing well for the ancient world. He looks at these people and what's he say?

[28:28] Don't worry about clothing. And then he points to the grass of the field. Are you worried you're going to have to go around in shame, unclothed?

[28:43] Jesus says, says to them, he says, look out at that field. Look at the grass in that field. How God has clothed it with flowers.

[28:54] Do you think he's going to let you robe around naked and in shame? One of his own creatures made in his own image, one of his own children.

[29:05] Do you think God will allow that? That's bold. And what's he say? Oh, you of little faith.

[29:19] Jesus is God incarnate. This is God looking at people who had almost nothing saying, oh, you of little faith. Worry is a manifestation of a lack of faith.

[29:35] Third, worry demonstrates wrong priorities. Again, worship helps us prioritize. Worry lets you know when you're not worshiping. Are you afraid?

[29:48] Are you scared? Are you worrying? That means you're not worshiping because if you're worshiping, your priorities are right. If you're worrying, your priorities are wrong. Jesus goes on and says this.

[29:58] He says, therefore, do not worry, saying, what shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear? For after all these things, the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly father knows that you need all these things.

[30:11] But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow.

[30:22] For tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Don't worry about tomorrow.

[30:33] Tomorrow. What's he give us to focus on? The kingdom. Seek first the kingdom. That's what we're told to do.

[30:45] We have all types of things we can worry about tomorrow. And whatever you're afraid of is a wrong priority.

[30:57] We need to seek first the kingdom. God will take care of the rest. That means you put first Christ's interest in this world.

[31:10] Well, that's a different way of thinking, isn't it? You know, in our world, we taught you always look out for yourself. Look out for number one, they'll say. You always got to look after the bottom line, they'll say.

[31:24] What does Paul say? What does Jesus say? You look out for Christ's interest first. You look out for what Jesus cares about every single day.

[31:37] You look for that family member. You look for that neighbor. You look for that opportunity. And you do the right thing that honors God. That's what you're supposed to do. That's what you're supposed to think about.

[31:51] And let God take care of the rest. He's not worried. Let Him take care of it. You see, when we worry, that's a dead giveaway.

[32:02] We have wrong priorities. We have wrong priorities when we worry. But when our heart is set on Christ, when He is first, when His interests are first, that's walking by faith.

[32:20] That is what we are called to do. So worry comes from pride. Worry lacks faith. Worry evidences wrong priorities in our own lives.

[32:36] Now some might say, well, in what circumstances can we worry then? Surely there is some circumstance where we can worry. What does Paul say?

[32:48] Be careful for nothing. No. You say, well, what if it's life and death? Well, what was Paul's attitude in life and death?

[33:01] If I'm here, I'm going to keep serving. And looking after Christ's interest. And if I'm not, I'm going to heaven. Be careful for nothing.

[33:19] Seek first the kingdom of heaven. All right. So what do we do then? We've all gotten worked up about something and had someone just essentially say, well, quit your worrying.

[33:31] Right. We've all been told that probably. At least I have. That's not what God does here, is it? He doesn't say just quit it.

[33:42] You know who I am. You know, I'm going to take care of everything. Tired of hearing it. No, God doesn't reproach us like that. God tells us to do something.

[33:53] He says, all right, I know that you worry sometimes. Here's what you need to do. And he invites us. He says, come. Come talk with me.

[34:05] God says, if you begin to worry, if you begin to be afraid or fearful, come talk with him. He's going to help you out. You know, it is overwhelming being a limited mortal creature in this world, isn't it?

[34:21] I mean, we get sick. We die. The weather doesn't cooperate. We have control over so little stuff. We do have control over. We work real hard on it. It doesn't always turn out, does it? You'll be so overwhelmed.

[34:34] God says, come talk with me. Be careful for nothing. What should we do? He says, but in everything by prayer and supplication. So the nothing is contrasted with the everything.

[34:47] So you're not supposed to worry about anything. What are you supposed to do then? With everything, where to pray? Paul says it this way in 1 Thessalonians 5, 16.

[34:58] Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. And in everything, give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. If you want a life verse, 1 Thessalonians 5, 16 through 18 would be a great verse for you to memorize.

[35:17] Rejoice always. What's God's will for Christians? To rejoice always. To pray without ceasing. And to give thanks in everything. That is His will for us.

[35:30] And notice he says, pray without ceasing. You see, we think of prayer merely as words directed towards God.

[35:44] But prayer is much more than that. Prayer is a conversation. You know how you get to talking with someone and they have those mannerisms?

[35:55] Right? That's part of the conversation. You know, maybe you had a grandfather that would have this look he would give you. The look said everything.

[36:08] Right? Grandma comes in the room, says something. You look at Grandpa. He gives you a look. He just told you everything. Right? You know from their mannerism. Walking with God.

[36:19] Prayer is a whole conversation. Prayer is a lifestyle. Prayer is a mindset. Prayer is the recognition that God is always with you.

[36:31] You see, when two people are in a room, they're always communicating something to each other, whether or not they know it. If you put two people in a room and one of them is working and the other is standing around, the one that's standing around can look at them and they're communicating something.

[36:48] What's that? I'm busy and I'm working. We're always doing it. See, prayer is a lifestyle. Prayerfulness is a mindset where we are always walking in the presence of God.

[37:02] That companion you can just look over to and know. And yes, speak to. We're called to pray without ceasing.

[37:15] And here Paul encourages us in those times of anxiety, to have specific kinds of prayers. He gets focused. He says, first, we're to be anxious for nothing.

[37:29] But in everything, we are to pray. That's the first type that we're going to look at. Now, the Greek word here for prayer is is the just the normal word for praying. It is an approach to God.

[37:40] We're called to approach God and we approach him in a worshipful way. Paul says we ought to be rejoicing. So it's appropriate for prayers. So it's appropriate for prayers. Even in dark and difficult circumstances, you can start a prayer off in a difficult circumstance for thanking God.

[37:59] Not for the hardship necessarily. But for the fact that he's there. That he hears you. That he loves you. That his word is sure.

[38:11] We approach God in prayer. The idea with it carries the relationship that we have with God. We'll talk with all kinds of people. But I certainly hope you don't pray with all or pray to all kinds of people.

[38:25] We can pray with people, but not to them. Right. If you're praying to God, that says something about your relationship with God, doesn't it? That says that he is your maker and your redeemer.

[38:38] It carries with it the idea of adoration, devotion and worship. That we approach him and we approach him the right way with the highest reverence.

[38:49] Showing respect to him as our God. But not only that, it entails the admiration, amazement, awe.

[38:59] All those things we experience in worship when we give honor to God. We're called to pray. We're called to approach God. One day Jesus was approached by his disciples.

[39:12] And they said, Lord, teach us to pray. And Jesus proceeded with teaching them how to pray. And he started off his prayer this way.

[39:25] It's the Lord's Prayer. I'm sure we're all familiar with it. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

[39:38] That's how he starts the prayer. You say, what does prayer look like? Jesus showed it to us right here. It's a prayer to the Father. It's not a prayer to some distant, omnipotent being who reigns, is it?

[39:56] It's to our heavenly Father. There was a time where we did not have a heavenly Father. And there was a time when God became our heavenly Father. There was a time when we were alienated and a stranger.

[40:09] But through the gospel, Jesus has brought us into God's presence. Not just his presence into a relationship with him. God is our Father who takes care of us.

[40:23] There's something special about that. If you grew up and you knew you had a dad you could depend on. There was great comfort in that as a child.

[40:36] And we have a God who we can depend on. We have a God who takes care of us. We have a God who calls us to do great things. Knows we can do great things.

[40:49] Because he's there supporting and encouraging us. And who we can do great things through. He is our Father. And if you are a child of God, you have the spirit of adoption in you.

[41:01] As scripture says. Which cries, Abba, Father. The cry of a child for their dad. Jesus goes on and says that his name is hallowed in this prayer.

[41:15] You see, when we pray, we recognize that God is something we are not yet. You see, we've been pronounced holy according to the righteousness of Christ.

[41:27] We're growing every day in holiness. But God is completely holy, isn't he? And we recognize we're not there yet. We haven't arrived. We haven't attained perfection.

[41:38] But not only that. We recognize that God is something that we never will be. And that is infinitely holy. He has no beginning. He has no end.

[41:50] We are limited creatures. We recognize that God is near as our Father. But he is great. And he is powerful in prayer. And then what do we pray?

[42:02] Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. I tell you what. If you're worried about my kingdom.

[42:14] You're going to have so much fear and anxiety. But if you go before God. You recognize he's your father. And that he loves you. You recognize that he is holy.

[42:25] And that he is good. And you recognize that he has a kingdom. And you begin to pray that his kingdom work is accomplished. In yourself. In your family.

[42:37] Extended family. Community. In your workplace. In your church. And you begin to seek that which is on God's heart. You'll begin to feel those worries melt away.

[42:53] God will take care of you. Be about his work. About his kingdom. And then Jesus brings us to the second half of the prayer.

[43:03] This is where we make requests to God. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses. As we forgive those who trespass against us.

[43:15] And lead us not into temptation. You see when we pray. We start with worship. We start recognizing who God is. Again aligning our heart with his.

[43:28] And then we share with him. From those things we need. I can't tell you how many times I went to God. With one concern. And by the time I get to this point. It's been resolved.

[43:40] Because he's in control. He's the one I need. The whole time. My priorities were just wrong. But you get to this point. Of prayer. Where you bring your request to God.

[43:53] This type of prayer is called supplication. Now I have it on good authority. So don't try and deny it. If you're confronted. I have it on good authority.

[44:05] That some of you eat dinner. Once a day. You have dinner every day. Now in. And now there's. There's differences in every family.

[44:17] In the Clemens family. We don't have dinner every day. We have breakfast. Lunch. And supper. And a dinner is something like a special occasion.

[44:28] And it can be lunch or supper. That's just what we do. But you know. That idea of supper. I tell you what. With kids. If we're ever out doing something.

[44:40] And a little late with supper. They begin to supplicate. What's for dinner? I'm hungry. I need something. And I tell you what.

[44:53] As a parent. What's worse is when you haven't planned dinner. Supper. I'm calling it the wrong thing now. We haven't planned supper. Right. They're hungry. They want some food. Then the requests come in.

[45:03] Well how about a snack? No. A snack constitutes a meal. It's a small meal. But it's a meal. And it will ruin your supper. Right. But they come with their needs. When we supplicate.

[45:18] We come before God with our needs. We come before God with what we need. To satisfy our hearts. What does Jesus say are some things that we need.

[45:31] Well. Food. Right. That's pretty basic. Forgiveness. It's right up there with food. Think about that. Food is right up there with forgiveness.

[45:46] Forgiveness is up there with food. We need both to survive. We need God's grace. And his forgiveness. We come.

[45:57] We bring those supplications to him. We bring those needs to him. Those things that once we've sorted out our priorities. And we realize these are actually the important things we need to be after.

[46:10] We bring those to him. And we can rest assured that he hears our prayers. And he will care for us. Jesus teaches in Matthew 7.

[46:22] 7. He says. Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. Who seeks finds.

[46:32] As and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you? If his son asks for bread. We'll give him a stone. Or if he asks for a fish. We'll give him a serpent.

[46:42] If you then being evil. Know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your father who is in heaven. Give good things to those who ask him. And I know some people that will start asking for that sports car right now.

[46:57] No. We bring our hearts into alignment with his. And then we bring our actual needs to him. For bread or fish or things of that nature.

[47:09] And he will care for us. And he will provide for us. We bring our supplications to him. Paul when he would pray.

[47:20] As he was facing a death sentence for his faith. Would bring whatever anxieties he's had. In subjection to Christ. He would rejoice in the good that Christ has done. He would worship Jesus for the good that he did for him.

[47:31] And then he would bring his request to him. Lord I'm locked in a house and I can't work. I don't know what I'm going to do. Papaditus shows up with a bag of money.

[47:43] And says I'm here to be your butler. Right. That's how God takes care of his people. Bring the concerns and requests to him. And he will provide.

[47:54] Friends. Friends. Not one of you in here is as good as Jesus. Here's what scripture says about Jesus in Hebrews 5 7. Who in the days of his flesh.

[48:05] When he had offered up prayers and supplications. With vehement cries and tears. To him who was able to save him from death. Was heard because of his godly fear. Jesus prayed.

[48:18] Up until the very end. He offered prayers. He offered supplications. Not just for himself. But for us. He would go off in the desert to pray. He would.

[48:29] He would avoid people. To pray. Do you have to avoid people. To go and pray. Are you ever just getting away. To go be alone with God.

[48:42] Jesus. Had radical. Priorities. Where he would prioritize his time in prayer. With God. And none of us come close to being Jesus.

[48:53] Do we? We need prayer all the more. We need time in God's presence. All the more. If anyone was ever to cut. Qualified to cut a corner in prayer.

[49:05] It would have been Jesus. And he never did it. We need to be in prayer. Of course. We're given a promise. We're told not to worry. It's where we become prideful.

[49:17] Feel entitled. Lack faith. Have wrong priorities. Get upset when we don't get what we want. Or think we need. We make ourselves feel absolutely desperate.

[49:28] With worry. Over the things that we want. When we should be wanting Jesus. It's just awful. We're instead told to pray.

[49:40] Know your father. Focus on your father. Look at his greatness. His. His hallowed nature. Look at his kingdom. And what he's doing in this world.

[49:52] And then ask for your needs. And rest assured. He will take care of you. And then we're given the promise. We're given an antidote. We're given a solution.

[50:03] When we begin to worry. God says come to me. I invite you to come to me. And he makes us a promise. If we come to him. In prayer and supplication.

[50:14] Also with thanksgiving. Being thankful for what he's done. This is the promise. And the God of peace. Which passes all understanding.

[50:25] Shall keep your hearts. And your minds. Through Christ. Jesus. God almighty. Himself.

[50:37] Will. Keep. Your hearts. You ever. Remember being young. You have something real special. You need to keep safe. You give it to mom or dad.

[50:49] You know it's going to get put up. It's going to get taken care of. God says bring it to me. I'll guard your heart.

[51:00] I'll protect your mind. He will defend us. This is supernatural protection. This is as scripture said.

[51:12] A peace that passes understanding. You see people. Seek after peace. Inner peace. They chase after peace. They have rigorous stress management.

[51:23] Regiments. They'll go on retreats. And vacations. And wander out in the woods. To try and find peace. They'll go to great efforts. To find peace.

[51:36] And they might find a little peace. But it's not really what they're seeking. They're seeking. They're seeking something supernatural. They're seeking.

[51:47] Something. Heavenly. They're just looking in all the wrong places. You see. Friend. You can have. Supernatural.

[51:58] Peace. You can have peace. That is not humanly possible. To possess or attain. You say. How is it? It comes from God.

[52:08] A peace. That is so profound. We can talk about it. But we can't really understand it. You know what that peace is?

[52:21] That's heavenly peace. A peace that passes understanding. A peace that a saint could carry. To their brutal martyrdom. A peace a saint can have.

[52:32] That gets them through cancer. You say. Where does that peace come from? It comes when their heart. And in their mind. Is in the fortress of God's hand. When their heart.

[52:44] And their mind. Is in heaven already. That's right. When you go to God. In prayer. Your heart.

[52:55] And your mind. Are in heaven. Already. You can have peace. God promises it. It's guaranteed. It's given to us.

[53:06] What must we do? Go to him. You might have to go to him. A lot. If you're in a real bad situation.

[53:17] You might just need to go. And stay. But he promises it. He'll guard our hearts. He'll guard our minds.

[53:29] He'll protect us. He'll give us right perspective. He'll show us. Heaven's priorities. He will meet our needs. And he will care for us.

[53:40] We serve. A good God. And we make terrible stand-ins. And when you begin to worry. You begin to encroach on what God.

[53:53] Himself intends to take care of. God will take care of you. Go to him. Rest in him. Trust in him.

[54:04] Recognize that he is exalted on high. And you're a creature made from the earth. That he has set his love and affection upon. Take your worries.

[54:15] Your fears. Your concerns. Your anxieties. Your terrors. To him. Give them to him. Through prayers. And supplications. And offerings.

[54:27] Of thanksgiving. And he will give us peace. We'll close with the words of Jesus. In John 14. 27.

[54:38] Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives. Do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled.

[54:50] Neither let it be afraid.