New Season Church
LionHeart Part 1: Anxious For Nothing
The world around is constantly screaming things at us that want to cause anxiety and fear within us. We are not called to shrink back, to sit down and quiver in fear of what might be. God is calling us to be brave, to be courageous, to be valiant, to be lionhearted. In this message we explore how we can be Anxious For Nothing.
Locations & Times
Platform 98, Blanco Center (7de Laan), Eersterust, Pretoria
Spitfire Ave, Eersterust, Pretoria, 0022, South Africa
Saturday 5:00 AM
LionHeart Part 1
This morning I’m starting a new series called Lion Heart.
The meaning of LionHeart is a person who is brave and
determined.
In this time that we are living God is calling us to be brave,
to be courageous, to be valiant, to be lionhearted.
We are not to shrink back, we are not to sit down, we are
not to quiver in fear of what might be. But we are to stand
up in the fullness of who we are, whose we are and
bravely go forward.
So the question is how can we be brave. How can we be
brave during this time that all we seem to see is fear. All
we seem to see around are things that want to make us
fearful?
God has called us brave He has called us to face the
world and this time with courage
First thing we need to do is be Anxious For Nothing
I have seen recently there more and more people are
dealing with anxiety. Everyone deals with this thing in a
certain way or another what I have seen recently.
However, what I am experiencing and what a lot of people
I have been in contact with a this level of anxiety that is
not normal that is not the usual kind of concern.
It is the type of anxiety that is in a lot ways irrational. It is
anxiety of what could possibly happen without any cause
for concern.
This type of anxiety if not recognised and brought into its
rightful place will quickly turn into fear - not faith in God’s
promises but faith in the what-ifs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phil 4:6-7
6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in
every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and
petition ( [ a ] definite requests), with thanksgiving,
continue to make your wants known to God.
7 And God’s peace [shall be yours, that [ b ] tranquil state
of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and
so fearing nothing from God and being content with
its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace]
which transcends all understanding shall [ c ] garrison
and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ
Jesus .
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul commands us to be
anxious for nothing. It was not a suggestion. It was a
command. That means it is something that is not beyond
our control.
We have a choice whether we are going to be anxious or
not. He wrote this letter from the dingy confines of a prison
cell but he dismissed his reasons for anxiety and was able
to find the peace of God.
He said that in order for us to be in a place where we are
not anxious, the first response is not to call a friend.
The first response is not to tell everyone what your
problem is, the first response is not to try to figure it out on
your own. The first response is to pray. I can tell you this is
a challenging area for me.
My initiative response to challenges is to do something to
find a solution. Samantha says I have this face, where she
can see the gears moving and calculator out trying to
figure out a way forward. But the first response should be
to go to God in prayer about the situation.
Make your concern known to God, with specific requests.
V7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
a. And the peace of God : The Bible describes three great
aspects of peace that relate to God.
· Peace from God: Paul continually used this as an
introduction to his letters; it reminds us that our peace
comes to us as a gift from God.
· Peace with God : This describes a relationship that we
enter into with God through the finished work of Jesus
Christ.
· The peace of God : This is the peace spoken of in
Philippians 4:7 . It is beyond “all mind”; that is, beyond our
power of thinking.
What Does this peace do?
Which surpasses all understanding
Guard your hearts and minds
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
b. Which surpasses all understanding : It isn’t that it is
senseless and therefore impossible to understand, but that
it is beyond our ability to understand and to explain –
therefore it must be experienced .
i. This peace doesn’t just surpass the understanding of the
worldly man; it surpasses all understanding . Even the
godly man can not comprehend this peace.
c. Guard your hearts and minds : The word guard
speaks of a military action. This is something that the
peace of God does for us; it is a peace that is on guard
over our heart and mind.
i. “Shall keep them as in a strong place or a castle.”
(Clarke)
ii. When people seem to “lose” their heart or mind, it often
is connected to an absence of the peace of God in their
life. The peace of God then does not act as a guard for
their hearts and minds .
Why is this important, well the word says out of our hearts
flow the issues of our lives. We must protect our minds
and our hearts in or for our lives to produce good fruit.
The Greek word Paul used in Philippians 4 was
merimnate, which can be translated as either needless
anxiety or genuine concern. It is possible to have genuine
concern, but not to be anxious and to trust God with all
things.
A heavenly perspective eliminates needless anxiety.
It’s not always what we go through; it’s how we go
through it.
Anxiety often comes as waves. How do we ride the way
and not be drowned by it?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
James 1:6-8
6 But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without
doubting [God’s willingness to help], for the one who
doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is
blown about and tossed by the wind. 7 For such a
person ought not to think or expect that he will
receive anything [at all] from the Lord, 8 being a
double-minded man, unstable and restless in all his
ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides].
Five ways we create waves of anxiety in our hearts
1.Words
The words we speak and think can create anxiety. God
created the world with words, and our words also create
atmospheres of anxiety or peace. When we speak
negatively , we drown in the wake of our own words.
2. Approach
We don’t always become anxious because of everything
we have to do, but from how we handle everything we
have to do. Sometimes, practical adjustments in our
preparation can eliminate our anxiety.
3.Voices
The voices we allow to speak into our souls create
anxiety. Jesus’ voice has the power to calm the waves, but
wrong voices stir up the waves. Whose voice are we
letting speak
“If we eat a steady diet of what the media offers, we
shouldn’t be surprised if we get a stomach ache.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.Expectations
- We get anxious when we expect life to be easy, rather
than preparing for opposition and attacks of the enemy.
We need to prepare for the day by putting on the armor of
God and spending time in the Word.
5.Shame
-When we walk in shame, we walk in dread that our past
will catch up with us and in paranoia that everyone is
judging us. But Jesus paid the full price for our sin and
took away our shame once and for all
When the disciples were in the boat with Jesus and the
winds came. He said Peace, be still.
When Jesus commanded the wind and the waves to be
still, He modeled the authority we have to still the wind and
the waves in our own hearts. We have His Holy Spirit
inside us, so we can leverage Jesus’ authority and speak
peace to the fears and anxieties in our hearts
-Often we’re trying to shake God awake to handle our
fears when He wants to awaken our faith and our inner
brave to change the atmosphere of our hearts. Here are
five ways we can challenged us to be brave :
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.Breathe
- Sometimes, we just need to breathe in and out. God is
with us everywhere we go. When we stop to
acknowledge Him, we can breathe in God’s presence and
breathe out His grace.
2.Remember
- We’re here today because God brought us through the
storms of our past. Remembering His faithfulness in our
past will inspire us to believe He will fight for us today and
every day. He has brought you through once and He will
do it again.
3.Ask
- Sometimes, God is just waiting for us to ask Him for
courage and help. If we ask, He will answer faithfully.
4.See
- Even when we can’t see Jesus in our storms, we can
visualize Him with the eyes of our hearts.
5.Go Higher
- Atmospheric pressure decreases when elevation
increases. We elevate our perspective by praising God
This morning I’m starting a new series called Lion Heart.
The meaning of LionHeart is a person who is brave and
determined.
In this time that we are living God is calling us to be brave,
to be courageous, to be valiant, to be lionhearted.
We are not to shrink back, we are not to sit down, we are
not to quiver in fear of what might be. But we are to stand
up in the fullness of who we are, whose we are and
bravely go forward.
So the question is how can we be brave. How can we be
brave during this time that all we seem to see is fear. All
we seem to see around are things that want to make us
fearful?
God has called us brave He has called us to face the
world and this time with courage
First thing we need to do is be Anxious For Nothing
I have seen recently there more and more people are
dealing with anxiety. Everyone deals with this thing in a
certain way or another what I have seen recently.
However, what I am experiencing and what a lot of people
I have been in contact with a this level of anxiety that is
not normal that is not the usual kind of concern.
It is the type of anxiety that is in a lot ways irrational. It is
anxiety of what could possibly happen without any cause
for concern.
This type of anxiety if not recognised and brought into its
rightful place will quickly turn into fear - not faith in God’s
promises but faith in the what-ifs.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phil 4:6-7
6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in
every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and
petition ( [ a ] definite requests), with thanksgiving,
continue to make your wants known to God.
7 And God’s peace [shall be yours, that [ b ] tranquil state
of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and
so fearing nothing from God and being content with
its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace]
which transcends all understanding shall [ c ] garrison
and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ
Jesus .
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul commands us to be
anxious for nothing. It was not a suggestion. It was a
command. That means it is something that is not beyond
our control.
We have a choice whether we are going to be anxious or
not. He wrote this letter from the dingy confines of a prison
cell but he dismissed his reasons for anxiety and was able
to find the peace of God.
He said that in order for us to be in a place where we are
not anxious, the first response is not to call a friend.
The first response is not to tell everyone what your
problem is, the first response is not to try to figure it out on
your own. The first response is to pray. I can tell you this is
a challenging area for me.
My initiative response to challenges is to do something to
find a solution. Samantha says I have this face, where she
can see the gears moving and calculator out trying to
figure out a way forward. But the first response should be
to go to God in prayer about the situation.
Make your concern known to God, with specific requests.
V7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
a. And the peace of God : The Bible describes three great
aspects of peace that relate to God.
· Peace from God: Paul continually used this as an
introduction to his letters; it reminds us that our peace
comes to us as a gift from God.
· Peace with God : This describes a relationship that we
enter into with God through the finished work of Jesus
Christ.
· The peace of God : This is the peace spoken of in
Philippians 4:7 . It is beyond “all mind”; that is, beyond our
power of thinking.
What Does this peace do?
Which surpasses all understanding
Guard your hearts and minds
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
b. Which surpasses all understanding : It isn’t that it is
senseless and therefore impossible to understand, but that
it is beyond our ability to understand and to explain –
therefore it must be experienced .
i. This peace doesn’t just surpass the understanding of the
worldly man; it surpasses all understanding . Even the
godly man can not comprehend this peace.
c. Guard your hearts and minds : The word guard
speaks of a military action. This is something that the
peace of God does for us; it is a peace that is on guard
over our heart and mind.
i. “Shall keep them as in a strong place or a castle.”
(Clarke)
ii. When people seem to “lose” their heart or mind, it often
is connected to an absence of the peace of God in their
life. The peace of God then does not act as a guard for
their hearts and minds .
Why is this important, well the word says out of our hearts
flow the issues of our lives. We must protect our minds
and our hearts in or for our lives to produce good fruit.
The Greek word Paul used in Philippians 4 was
merimnate, which can be translated as either needless
anxiety or genuine concern. It is possible to have genuine
concern, but not to be anxious and to trust God with all
things.
A heavenly perspective eliminates needless anxiety.
It’s not always what we go through; it’s how we go
through it.
Anxiety often comes as waves. How do we ride the way
and not be drowned by it?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
James 1:6-8
6 But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without
doubting [God’s willingness to help], for the one who
doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is
blown about and tossed by the wind. 7 For such a
person ought not to think or expect that he will
receive anything [at all] from the Lord, 8 being a
double-minded man, unstable and restless in all his
ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides].
Five ways we create waves of anxiety in our hearts
1.Words
The words we speak and think can create anxiety. God
created the world with words, and our words also create
atmospheres of anxiety or peace. When we speak
negatively , we drown in the wake of our own words.
2. Approach
We don’t always become anxious because of everything
we have to do, but from how we handle everything we
have to do. Sometimes, practical adjustments in our
preparation can eliminate our anxiety.
3.Voices
The voices we allow to speak into our souls create
anxiety. Jesus’ voice has the power to calm the waves, but
wrong voices stir up the waves. Whose voice are we
letting speak
“If we eat a steady diet of what the media offers, we
shouldn’t be surprised if we get a stomach ache.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.Expectations
- We get anxious when we expect life to be easy, rather
than preparing for opposition and attacks of the enemy.
We need to prepare for the day by putting on the armor of
God and spending time in the Word.
5.Shame
-When we walk in shame, we walk in dread that our past
will catch up with us and in paranoia that everyone is
judging us. But Jesus paid the full price for our sin and
took away our shame once and for all
When the disciples were in the boat with Jesus and the
winds came. He said Peace, be still.
When Jesus commanded the wind and the waves to be
still, He modeled the authority we have to still the wind and
the waves in our own hearts. We have His Holy Spirit
inside us, so we can leverage Jesus’ authority and speak
peace to the fears and anxieties in our hearts
-Often we’re trying to shake God awake to handle our
fears when He wants to awaken our faith and our inner
brave to change the atmosphere of our hearts. Here are
five ways we can challenged us to be brave :
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.Breathe
- Sometimes, we just need to breathe in and out. God is
with us everywhere we go. When we stop to
acknowledge Him, we can breathe in God’s presence and
breathe out His grace.
2.Remember
- We’re here today because God brought us through the
storms of our past. Remembering His faithfulness in our
past will inspire us to believe He will fight for us today and
every day. He has brought you through once and He will
do it again.
3.Ask
- Sometimes, God is just waiting for us to ask Him for
courage and help. If we ask, He will answer faithfully.
4.See
- Even when we can’t see Jesus in our storms, we can
visualize Him with the eyes of our hearts.
5.Go Higher
- Atmospheric pressure decreases when elevation
increases. We elevate our perspective by praising God