Introduction
Jesus asked the question, “Nevertheless, when the Son of
Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8)
That’s a very good question. We see faith crumbling all
around us; things of faith are being attacked from every angle. When Jesus
Christ returns will He find faith on the earth?
If we are to make our calling and election sure, if we are to walk by faith and not by sight, if we want to answer Christ’s question with a resounding, “YES!”, we must combat and overcome the enemies of faith.
There
are four of them, four categories. They are –
1.
Anxious Care
2.
Fear
3.
Doubt
4.
Human Reason
Let’s take a moment to recap all 4 as they appear in the
Book of Matthew. I would highly recommend you cross-reference these in your own
Bible. One day you’ll want to revisit them.
The 4 Enemies of Faith
Jesus Christ, the one who asked the question, shows us what they are by
way of illustration.
·
1. Anxious Care
This first illustration is part of the Sermon on
the Mount with the multitudes gathered around and Christ is teaching them about
life and how they should conduct their lives. After the Beatitudes, and
teaching them to love your enemies, how they should give to the needy, and how
to pray, He tells them how God cares for the birds and the lilies of the field.
He says this –
Mat 6:30
KJV Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which
today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye
of little faith?
This exact
expression “O you of little faith”, only appears 5 times in the Bible, all of
them by Jesus, four of them in Matthew that I’ll show you and once in Luke’s
version of this same passage we just read. (Luke 12:28)
It is a
combination of two words, one meaning “uncertain” and the other is “faith”. O
you of uncertain faith.
·
2. Fear
This is the account of them crossing the Sea of
Galilee and Jesus is asleep in the boat when a storm arises. They wake Him up
and he calms the sea.
Mat 8:26 KJV And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
·
3. Doubt
This is the account when Peter walks on the water until he
notices the wind and the waves and begins to sink.
Mat 14:31
KJV And
immediately Jesus stretched forth his
hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou
of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
·
4. Human Reason
Our ability to reason is of God. It’s what sets us apart,
sets us above the animals. But reason apart from God can sometimes get twisted.
This is the account of Jesus teaching the disciples to
beware of the leaven, the doctrine, taught by the Pharisees and Sadducees and
they thought he was talking about actual bread.
Mat 16:6-8
KJV
(6) Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed
and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
(7) And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread.
(8) Which when Jesus
perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little
faith, why reason ye among
yourselves, because ye have brought no bread?
These are the 4 enemies of faith as illustrated by Jesus. Today
we only have time for one.
Anxious care or anxiety is the one we’ll be examining today.
We’ll look at 7 Reasons to Avoid Anxiety and we’ll look into the Word of
God at 5 Things to Remember in order to overcome Anxious Care.
For those of us who like things numbered – 4 Enemies of Faith;
7 Reasons to Avoid Anxiety; and 5 Things to Remember.
I dare say that the predominant emotion we all feel by far these
days is anxious care. We’re anxious about the economy, our jobs, our health, our
financial situation, our families, schooling, relationships, and national
direction and leadership, just to name a few.
We use words like –
Worry
Afraid
Uneasy
Nervous
Uncertain
to describe these feelings.
There’s no doubt we live in an anxious and uncertain time.
And “uncertainty” is the key word when it comes to anxiety.
We’re uncertain about what’s going on in the present moment.
We’re uncertain about how it will play out and we’re uncertain about our
ability to deal with it.
The apostle Paul tells us in his letter to the Philippians
that we are to be “anxious for nothing”.
Php 4:6-7
NKJV
(6) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer
and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made
known to God;
(7) and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Brilliant. Simple. Easily said. Harder to do.
Why? Because it’s not by mere happenstance that we find
ourselves in situations that cause us to be anxious.
Because there is a war on for our hearts and minds, a
deliberate attack to derail us from the path we’re on. The Prince of the Power
of the Air is continuously attacking and broadcasting his propaganda.
The whole point of human existence is centered on Whom we
will serve. The Evil One knows he has but a short time and he’ll do everything within
his power to capture our attention; to capture our hearts and minds and turn us
away from God and His way of life.
Anxiety comes down to the fear of not being in control.
When we’re uncertain, we fear not being able to control our
circumstances and therefore are anxious about the outcome. We have a sense of
apprehension concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt
about our capacity to cope with it.
Anxiety has a negative effect on every aspect of our lives.
There are many reasons we should avoid anxiety. We’ll look at
seven.
7 Reasons
to Avoid Anxiety
1. Anxiety Divides
and Separates Us
- Anxiety divides your mind. Anxiety is a distraction. It pulls you in many different directions so that you can’t concentrate or focus. And whatever divides your mind diverts your attention from important matters and clouds your focus.
Anxious Care (worry) – is to be divided of
heart
It begs the question, whom will you serve?
You cannot be materialistic, that is, overly concerned about the things
of this life and serve God with your whole heart. You cannot serve God
and mammon.
Mat 6:19-21, 24 KJV
(19) Lay not up for yourselves treasures
upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through
and steal:
[That’s where anxiety comes from. We’re afraid of
losing what we have.]
(20) But lay up for yourselves treasures
in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not
break through nor steal:
(21) For where your treasure is, there
will your heart be also.
(24) No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or
else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and
mammon.
2. Anxiety Goes
Against Scripture
We know this. There are many scriptures that tell us this. We
just read one in Philippians.
But, do you ever feel guilty for being a Christian who isn’t
“anxious for nothing”? Does being anxious make you more anxious because you
feel like you’re not supposed to be anxious? Like maybe you don’t have enough
faith?
Anxious for Being Anxious.
Too often we feel weighed down by guilt because we think
Christians aren’t supposed to feel this way.
If you’re struggling with anxiety, it doesn’t necessarily
mean that you don’t have enough faith. It doesn’t mean necessarily that you’re
not trusting God enough. In fact, what if anxiety could be the very thing that
helps you learn to rely on and trust in God? Could anxiety be the catalyst that
is drawing you closer to Him?
3. Anxiety
Leads to Adverse Health Issues
- Anxiety and stress can lead to all kinds of adverse
health issues. The body responds to whatever is
in the mind. It has been proven there is a mind-body connection,
psychosomatic. What happens in the mind affects the body. What happens in
the body affects the mind. If we’re constantly unsettled, anxious and
generally not in a calm state of mind, the stress can manifest itself in
all manner of ills - cardiovascular disease, hypertension, headaches,
colitis, ulcers, skin disease, psoriasis, eczema, acne, and a weakened
immune system can all have their origination in anxiety. When we’re full
of uncertainty, dread, fear, and frustration, it’s going to affect the
body.
4. Anxiety
Leads to Unwise Decisions
· Anxiety leads to unwise decisions. When a person is anxious, their imagination tends to jump ahead
and they do things they probably shouldn’t. “If I don’t do this now, I may not
get another chance” FOMO – Fear Of Missing Out. If I don’t do this, I’ll
miss out. If I don’t do what others are doing, I’ll miss out. If I don’t invest
my life savings in FTX cryptocurrency, I’ll miss out on a huge financial gain. If I
don’t marry this person, I may end up alone. People make unwise decisions
because they’re anxious about an uncertain future and missing out on
opportunities that may never come their way again. Always second-guessing –
maybe I should, or maybe I shouldn’t. Double-minded.
5. Anxiety
Affects Personal Relationships
- Anxiety affects your personal relationship with other
people. We all know people who are
anxiety-ridden. Every time you see these individuals, they can’t wait to
tell you the latest drama in their lives. You don’t want to be one of
these people. They don’t want your help or your advice. They just want to
draw you into the drama. They want you to be anxious with them. They don’t
want to deal with it. It gives them their sense of identity. It’s who they
are. It gives them the attention they crave. Their anxiety causes drama in
their lives that they insist on sharing with you. It affects their
relationship with everyone around them—including you.
6. Anxiety
Steals Our Peace and Joy
- Anxiety steals your peace and joy. You can’t have joy and be full of anxiety. You can’t have peace and be full of anxiety. To have peace is to be calm and to feel safe whereas anxiety means you feel unsettled, disconnected, and scattered. So, you can either have one or the other—but you can’t experience both.
7. Anxiety
is a Waste of Time and Energy
- Anxiety is a terrible waste of time and energy. When you’re frustrated, anxious, and uncertain
about things, you can’t do your best. You won’t feel your best. And you
won’t focus on doing the things you know you need to do in your life. Most
of the things we worry about don’t happen anyway.
The Bible tells us where a life filled with anxious care
leads.
Luk
21:34-36 KJV
(34) And take heed to yourselves, lest at
any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and
cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
(35) For as a snare shall it come on all
them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
(36) Watch ye therefore, and pray always,
that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to
pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
“surfeiting” – wasteful living, partying, dissipation
Running away from your own life. Many of our addictions, I
would say most, are an attempt to escape from the life we’re living.
Some may even use prescriptions to calm their nerves, others
may use illegal drugs, or alcohol. Do we need to be medicated in order to cope
or is there a biblical solution for the anxieties of the soul?
God doesn’t want us living our lives filled with anxiety.
Anxiety divides your mind, diverts your attention, slows your productivity,
affects your health and your personal relationships, leads to unwise decisions,
steals your joy and peace, and proves to be a waste of time and energy.
What if the answer to overcoming our anxious cares in
life is not less stress but more God?
Why not construct our lives around God’s plan for our life,
His way instead of one that we feel we need to escape from?
5 Things to Remember to Overcome Anxiety
1. Remember What God Has Done in the Past
Not doing this is exactly what made God angry with the
Israelites in the wilderness. After they listened to the evil report of the
spies that scouted out the Promised Land, Joshua and Caleb said this –
Num 14:7-12
KJV
(7) And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel,
saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.
(8) If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land,
and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey.
(9) Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people
of the land; for they are bread for us:
their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is
with us: fear them not.
(10) But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the
glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the
children of Israel.
(11) And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people
provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs
which I have shewed among them?
(12) I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and
will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.
God was ready to wipe them out and start over but
Moses was able to intercede on their
behalf.
Num
14:20-23 KJV
(20) And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:
(21) But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the
glory of the LORD. [with or without them]
(22) Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my
miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now
these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
(23) Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their
fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:
How many signs did God show them when they were in
Egypt? How many plagues were there? What about the water from the rock, the
manna, the quail? Yet, they forgot every one and were unthankful. They didn’t
remember God’s faithfulness toward them.
We need to remember all the times God has been
faithful towards us.
Remembering the times when God came through for us gives us
peace and builds trust that He will again. When we trust in God, our mind is at
peace.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect
peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:
because he trusteth in thee. (Isa 26:3)
2. Remember to Be Humble Before God
1Pe 5:5-7
KJV
(5) Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder.
Yea, all of you be subject one to
another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the
proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
(6) Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God,
that he may exalt you in due time:
(7) Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Why do we have anxious hearts? The painful answer is Pride.
So, how is anxious care a form of pride?
God, who knows the heart tells us
we overcome anxious care by humbling ourselves under His mighty hand and casting
our cares upon Him.
Do we believe that God is sovereign over all? Is God still
on His throne and able to do all He pleases? Does He have control over every
circumstance of your life?
Or do you?
Nebuchadnezzar found out the hard way that he didn’t have
control over his life and after 7 years of eating grass he finally admitted it.
Dan 4:35
KJV And all
the inhabitants of the earth are reputed
as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none
can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
Christ said even he could do nothing in and of
himself.
Joh 5:30
KJV I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek
not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
“Seek not mine own will”. When we’re willful, we’re prideful.
Christ can do nothing in and of himself, and neither can
we apart from Him.
Joh 15:4-5
KJV
(4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the
branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can
ye, except ye abide in me.
(5) I am the vine, ye are the branches: He
that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for
without me ye can do nothing.
We demonstrate obedience to God by humbling ourselves before
Him. The answer for the anxious heart is humility. Overcome anxiety with
humility.
Does the Father care about his children? Does He care about
us? Can we trust Him with every aspect of our lives? Do we trust Him with
every aspect of our lives?
When I worry, or am anxious, either I believe He doesn’t
know what’s troubling me, or I believe He has no control over what’s troubling
me, or I believe He doesn’t really care about me.
In fact, whether we realize it or not, our anxious hearts
say to our Father, “I trust me with me more than I trust You with
me. I trust me to take care of me more than I trust You to take
care of me.”
If someone in our congregation today were to say to you, “I
am better equipped to take care of myself than God,” what would you say? Would
that be prideful?
What you’re saying is that I trust myself to handle this problem
more than I trust God to handle it. That’s pride.
When we cast our cares onto God, we are humbling ourselves
before His mighty hand. Until we stop thinking that He really doesn’t know, or
really isn’t in control, or really doesn’t care – until we put away our pride
and change our hearts – we are shutting ourselves off from God’s help.
God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. The
problem with the anxious heart is pride, and the answer is humility. It is humility
that brings hope to the anxious heart.
We don’t deserve that God should take care of us in this
way.
But yet that is exactly what He does.
Not because we deserve it but by His grace. He is gracious
and good and loves us.
We humble ourselves when we acknowledge God’s sovereignty in
our lives and rejoice in it. We must be willing to praise Him even in the
storms of life acknowledging that He knows what’s best for us, to teach or to
chastise.
Storms reveal our level of trust.
Sometimes He gives us peace not from the storm, but
peace in the midst of the storm. Sometimes He calms the storm. And other
times He calms His child.
The promise that we can live anxious for nothing isn’t based
on what we can produce but on the presence of God.
Being anxious for nothing doesn’t mean there won’t ever be
anything to be anxious about. But because of Jesus Christ, we can live anxious
for nothing even when there is something to be anxious about – not by
our efforts but by His presence. Draw
nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
Jas 4:6-10
KJV
(6) But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth
the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
(7) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and
he will flee from you.
(8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye
sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
(9) Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned
to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
(10) Humble yourselves in the sight of
the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
3. Remember
You’re Not in This Alone
After telling us how to overcome anxious care through
humility, Peter then tells us to be vigilant. Be on the lookout. Be watchful.
Spiritually watchful. When we find ourselves becoming anxious or fearful, we
are most vulnerable to the Evil One who walks about as a roaring lion deliberately
seeking whom he may devour. Deliberately, not by happenstance.
1Pe 5:5-9
KJV
(5) Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all
of you be subject one to another, and be
clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the
humble.
(6) Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that
he may exalt you in due time:
(7) Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
(8) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a
roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
(9) Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same
afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
Notice what Peter is saying here. Right after telling us how
to overcome our anxieties by submitting to God and to be subject to one another,
he tells us we’re not alone. We are not singular in our fight. We are
not singular in our vulnerability to fear and anxious care. The rest of our
brethren the world over are also! The entire body of Christ is susceptible. As
sheep who wander from the Shepherd, we become more vulnerable the farther we go
from the rest of the flock and from the Shepherd.
We’re not in this alone. And it is prideful to think that we
are. We’re not so special that this has never happened to anyone before.
And you don’t have to go it alone.
Be subject to one another, confess your faults (weaknesses)
to one another, and let your brothers and sisters in Christ pray for you,
bolster you and lift you up. (James 5:16)
Satan is like a roaring lion who separates his prey from the
pack so they will be weak and alone. Separated from God and our brothers and
sisters in Christ is a dangerous place to be.
4. Remember
to Do Nothing – Be Still
Looking back on times when I was most anxious, one thing I came
to realize that I wasn’t trying was “not trying.” Not trying.
You have to pay attention to see it, but in the following
verses are implicit instructions from Christ to do nothing. Yes,
seriously – nothing. There are innumerable verses like this. We’ll just look at
a few.
Mat 11:28
KJV Come unto me, all
ye that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
He’s the one providing relief here, not us. We just have to
come to Him.
Joh 14:27
KJV Peace I leave with you,
my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto
you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
He gives us peace. He is gives us rest. He’s giving
it to us. We do nothing but be still and humbly and gratefully receive it.
Mat 6:33
NIV But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all
these things will be given to you as well.
You want to apply your own efforts to overcome anxiety?
Here’s where you apply it. Seek His Kingdom. Seek His righteousness. Seek His face.
And all these things will be…given!
Some things we just can’t do for ourselves but that’s
exactly how He designed it.
That doesn’t mean we don’t ever have to work for the things
He gives us, though sometimes that is indeed the case. Often these things are given
by way of opportunity to work for them. Even the manna in the wilderness didn’t
just drop on the tent doorstep in a nice container. Each person had to go out
and gather it.
It wasn’t until I took a breath, rested, truly came to God,
got quiet, let go of all the details, told God that I trusted Him completely –
and then learned to be still – that I finally found peace. Ultimately, my
prayers are becoming less about my situation and more about my trust in Him.
Psa
46:10-11 KJV
(10) Be still, and know that I am
God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
(11) The LORD of hosts is with
us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
“Be still” or “cease striving” as it says in the NASB.
Be still, and know that I am God...
Selah.
Think on that.
5. Remember Who You Are
Remembering who we are points us to Christ.
Hidden within a verse we typically turn to when
we’re looking for the solution to anxious care is Jesus Christ Himself! This one
verse points us to the One who can calm our anxious hearts. One verse.
Mat 6:25
NKJV
(25) "Therefore I say to you, do not
worry about your life,
“Your life”. You could say, take no thought for this
life.
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life
(John 14:6) Not this life.
what you will eat
Man does not live by bread alone but by
every Word of God. (Luke 4:4) Jesus is the Word. (John 1:1, 14) Jesus is the Bread
of Life (John 6:35) He is our sustenance.
or what you will drink;
Jesus is a fountain of living water (John
6:14)
nor about your body,
Care about YOUR body or about the body
of Christ? (1Cor 12:12-26)
Col 3:12-17
NKJV
(12) Therefore, as the
elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility,
meekness, longsuffering;
(13) bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if
anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also
must do.
(14) But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of
perfection.
(15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which
also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
(16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,
teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
(17) And whatever you do in
word or deed, do all in the name of the
Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Eyes off of self and on caring for the welfare of
others in the body of Christ is a great way to relieve anxiety.
what you will put on. Is not life more than
food and the body more than clothing?
“What you will put on”
Rom
13:10-14 NKJV
(10) Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
(11) And do this, knowing the
time, that now it is high time to awake
out of sleep; for now our salvation is
nearer than when we first believed.
(12) The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us
cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
(13) Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and
drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
(14) But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision
for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Put on Christ!
Look at Galatians chapter 3 where it will
tell us again what we are to put on.
Gal 3:26-27
KJV
(26) For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
(27) For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put
on Christ.
So, we see in just
one verse Who it is that provides our every need. This one verse
points us to Christ.
Worrying doesn’t
solve anything. Do you have control over it? No?
Then don’t worry
about it. Go to God. Give it to God.
Worry hinders our
faith. Don’t let anxious care separate you from God and your brothers and
sisters in Christ. When you most feel like being alone is when you are most
vulnerable and need to run toward them, not away.
Remember who you
are!
You are the elect
of God! (Col 3:12)
You are a child of
the Living God! (Psa 82:6; Rom 8:16-17; 9:26)
If God be for us,
who can be against us? (Rom 8:31)
Nothing can
separate us from the love of God! (Rom 8:37-39)
Be still, and know that I am God... (Psa 46:10)
Know that God loves you and has your best interests at heart.
It may appear that Satan is winning the battle over faith when
we look at what’s happening all around us.
But fret not. There’s a ragtag remnant that will hold the
line and keep the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus, even unto the
death.
We will not give up, we will not give in, and we
will prevail in the end!
Now the Lord of
peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all. (2Th 3:16)
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