Bulletins - Renew Baptist Church

What a Beautiful Name
Revelation Song
Blessed Be Your Name
Peace with Self, Peace with God - Bringing Calm to the inner Voices
Calm from what?
What is it that bothers most people?
How do we fix it?
In this series we started with the answer.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is our source of peace.
It is all about relationship with God and walking with him.
Then because it was Mothers day we looked at the example of Naomi and how faith was central.
Faith did not isolate her from the harsh realities of life.
Faith insulated her so that those harsh realities could be endured.
Now as we move into the main part of the series, let’s wrestle with some hard truths.
The late Michael Crichton, who wrote The Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park, warned us to “stop scaring ourselves.”
To emphasize his point, Crichton listed proclaimed dangers that never materialized.
He reminded us of a 1972 warning about climate change, which said.
“We simply cannot afford to gamble. We cannot risk inaction. Those scientists who [disagree] are acting irresponsibly. The indications that our climate can soon change for the worse are too strong to be reasonably ignored.”
The author of the statement was not speaking of global warming, but global cooling.
Since then they have been trying to terrify us about global warming and then when that didn’t work they renamed it climate change.
Billion’s spent building an alternative energy grid in addition to the one we already have and the outcome, other than sending the country broke, is no result.
We are still relient on goal and gas for most of our baseload power.
In the ‘60s we were worrying about a population explosion.
In 1973 a warning predicted that by 1993 the world would exhaust its supply of gold, mercury, tin, zinc, oil, copper, lead, and natural gas.
As Y2K approached, computers were expected to be the downfall of civilization.
And on and on it goes, meteors, the Myan calendar end of time scare, nuclear winter.
A lot of the news we see and read is geared toward making us fearful.
While some things are legitimate causes for concern, such as the boxing day tsunami, COVID pandemic, Chernobyl and Fukushima Nuclear disasters let’s not be paralyzed by fear.
Almost all of what people worry about never happens.
Always remember that Jesus is Lord, and “in him all things are held together.”
300 Illustrations for Preachers (“Let’s Stop Scaring Ourselves”)—Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell referencing Michael Crichton, “Let’s Stop Scaring Ourselves,” http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1301095/posts.
The Baker Encyclopedia of Psychology and Counseling tells us feelings of anxiety are among the most common emotions experienced by humans.
We can trace this back to Genesis 3:7-8 when Adam and Eve became aware of their nakendness and hid themselves from God
Genesis 3:7–8 NLT
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.
They knew something had changed and they knew it wasn’t pleasing to God.
So they tried to hide.
Can you imagine the nervous energy as they suddenly discovered that their innocence at being naked was now destroyed by this sense of needing to cover themselves.
Sewing fig leaves together whilst their thoughts are running wild with all these feelings that they had never experienced before.
Why did we do this thing God told us not to do.
What will happen when God comes to walk in the garden.
They now experienced vulnerability.
They now experienced apprehension and even a sense of dread.
Something bad will happen.
This folks is anxiety.
It is the result of the fall.
It is part of a fallen broken world.
It was never what God intended for his creation.
Isaiah 48:18 tells us “Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.”
But here we are.
Once again The Baker Encyclopedia of Psychology and Counseling tells us, Anxiety is psychologically experienced as a combination of looming dread or impending danger and a vague uneasiness. There are also associated symptoms of mild agitation, racing thoughts, impaired sleep, and difficulty in calming oneself. There are parallel physiological experiences of sustained muscle tension and/or trembling, increased heart rate, and disturbed breathing—either as hyperventilation (i.e., breathing too fast) or as a tendency to hold one’s breath. These characteristics produce a sense of heightened awareness or alertness that frequently disturbs concentration, memory, and a person’s ability to feel emotionally comfortable. These psychological and physiological responses combine to make anxiety a psychophysiological disturbance.
So what do we do about it?
Firstly we need to recognise anxiety, worry, a lack of peace for what it is.
Ralph. E. Enlow, JR in the Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology .
Tells us that anxiety is a subtle insinuation that God is either unable or disinclined to see to our welfare.
The core issue is one of faith.
We don’t have faith that society, the system, other people, ourselves and ultimately God will get it right.
We act as if we don’t live in a broken fallen world and believe the lie that things must always be OK.
Adam and Eve allowed sin to enter creation.
Sin brings pain, sorrow and death.
Things are not OK.
Sometimes it is appropriate to be concerned.
But ultimately in Christ our future is secure.
God is able and more than inclined to see to our ultimate welfare
So why don’t we believe him?
If anxiety is inconsistent with trust in God why don’t we just trust him?
We struggle to trust God, like all humans throughout history have.
King David prays in Psalm 139:23 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.”
In Matthew 6:25-33, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives the command to not worry six times.
He specifically tells us to trust in the heavenly Father.
Yet the disciples, failed to trust on many occassions.
The Apostle Paul urges in Philippians 4:6 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”
The Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology (Anxiety) RALPH E. ENLOW, JR tells us that,
Anxiety frequently manifests itself in ungodly concern about provision, performance, or reputation, and appears to be rooted in incomplete knowledge, lack of control over circumstances, or failure to take an “eternal” perspective on things (Matt. 6:25–34; 10:19; Mark 13:11; Luke 12:11–12, 22–34).
The other thing to be aware of is that, anxiety can also be a symptom of guilt.
We have all seen the security cameras showing someone slinking around a house.
Or madly running away because they are anxious about being caught.
Sometimes justice is served when in their anxious state they throw caution to the wind and end up in some very difficult situations.
Cornered by an angry dog.
Impaled on a fence.
Falling from a height.
Locked up.
Dealt with by the locals
Unresolved guilt produces anxiety.
Running from guilt produces more.
The remedy is to follow Psalm 38:18 “But I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done.”
So what do we do?
Freedom from anxiety begins with confession that it is not God’s will for us.
I am suggesting the ridiculous belief that if we just had enough faith then we would never have any issues.
That name it and claim it heresy has done enormous harm.
I am saying that we need to recognise that we are broken and in need of the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit and sometimes the medical community to overcome the brokenness that was never God’s will for us.
My own journey with lifelong anxiety has needed both.
Recognition that I am physically, as in chemically broken, and spiritually poor.
We need to recognizing the futility of worry.
Jesus asked the question in Matthew 6:27 “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”
The answer is obviously no.
Worrying will shorten your life.
We need to cultivate a growing understanding of God’s power and fatherly disposition.
Our heavenly Father knows our needs.
Jesus assured us of that in Luke 12:30
He taught in Matthew 6:26 that we are more valuable than the birds of the sky whom he feeds effortly so of course he will provide.
The Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 5:7 told us to entrusting to God the things that we cannot control.
Remember most of what we worry about will never happen.
And if they do we need to take an eternal perspective
Luke 12:30–34 NLT
These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
And finally instead of worrying about it, pray about it.
Philippians 4:6 NLT
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
- - Genesis 3:7–8NLT
- - Matthew 6:25–34NLT
  - Matthew 10:19NLT
  - Mark 13:11NLT
  - Luke 12:11–12NLT
  - Luke 12:22–34NLT
- - Luke 12:30–34NLT
What The Lord Has Done In Me

Genesis 3:7–8NLT

Matthew 6:25–34NLT

Matthew 10:19NLT

Mark 13:11NLT

Luke 12:11–12NLT

Luke 12:22–34NLT

Luke 12:30–34NLT