I want you to find your place in Philippians chapter 4 and in Luke chapter 12. We're beginning a new series that will continue over this week in the following four weeks called Anxious for Nothing. Through this series we will slowly and honestly stepped through what the Bible teaches about worry, fear, and anxiety. We'll build on each message, helping us to move from identifying anxiety in our lives to experiencing God's peace. And at the heart of the series is this passage in Philippians chapter four that we'll return to again and again. I want you to look there with me, Philippians chapter four, beginning in verse four. And as you're looking at this passage, understand that Paul is not writing from a place of ignorance. Do you know where Paul was when he wrote these words? He was in a Roman prison cell. Not a swanky joint with all the entertaining and enjoyable things of the world. No, it was a dark, cold dungeon. with little to no sunlight, no fresh air, his needs barely being met. And from that place, he wrote, rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say, rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing. But in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. those words sound impossible. Be careful for nothing, which in modern terms, that old English word careful here does not mean cautious, it doesn't mean Hey, you're standing at the edge of a cliff and you could fall over, so just be cautious, be careful. That's not what it is. It's anxious. Paul says, don't be anxious for anything. But by God's grace, we're going to learn how we can take hold of the command and the promise that comes with it. Over the course of this series, next week we'll look at the life of Elijah as an example, when he finally said to God, I've had enough. And we'll learn how anxiety wears us down and how God meets us in that place. Then, in the third message, we'll talk about praying through pain. learning how to turn anxiety into a signal that it is time to pray. The following week, we'll talk about the perspective of praise, discovering how worship can reframe our circumstances and bring hope to our hearts. And then finally, We will learn how to trust God when you just can't decide. What's the next step? What's right in this? Learning that God's peace can steady us when we are afraid of making the wrong choice. And throughout this series, I invite you to do some very practical things. First, identify sources of anxiety in your own life. I believe if we're honest, we would all have to admit that we deal with anxiety at least at times, that it is something that occurs in our life. And perhaps, as we go to God's Word, you'll be able to put your finger on what it is that triggers anxiety in your life. Or maybe you come and you say, Pastor, I got you beat. I'm there. I already know. Maybe that's true for you. Maybe it'll be circumstances, relationships, regrets, or fear of what's coming in the future. We'll learn how to recognize God in the middle of our anxiety and to experience the peace he promises when we bring our cares to him in prayer. And we'll discover how to trust God day by day rather than controlling or trying to control what we were never meant to carry in the first place. My prayer is that by the time we complete this journey over the next five weeks, you will be able to say with confidence, I am anxious for nothing because I am trusting God with everything. Let's be honest. We're living in anxious times. How many of you know that to be true? Just read some headlines. Watch the news for just a brief period of time. And maybe you'll hear terms or read terms like inflation, disease, economic instability, war, conflicts, natural disasters. Some of you, your heart rate just increased a little bit just hearing the words. Because it affects us. But it's not only the headlines that can keep us awake at night, it's the headlines in our own lives. Research from this past year shows that almost one in five American adults, that's nearly 40 million people, experience an anxiety disorder every year. Since the pandemic, so in the last five years or so, global anxiety has increased by about 25%. It's especially on the rise in younger people. In the past year, More than 40 percent of Americans have said that they are more anxious than they were the previous year. By any metric you look at, just numerically speaking, statistically speaking, anxiety is on the rise in every place. And the anxieties that we read about in statistics or analytics, though they may not initially seem to apply directly to us, they are a mirror of the burden that so many people carry every day in silence. And it's not just the national statistics or the global events that create anxiety. For many of us, it's something deeply personal. Maybe it's uncertainty in your job. Maybe it's your health or the health of a loved one. Maybe it's the quiet questions about the future that create anxiety in your life. I told you a couple of weeks ago, about three weeks ago now actually, that I was praying about doing a series on anxiety after our vacation. And you know, the Lord has allowed me to see anxiety up close and personal over these last few weeks. A few weeks ago, we had a dental appointment with Brooklyn, and as they did their x-rays and just the typical looking, they found some pretty significant issues going on underneath, above the top layer of her gums. Her two canine teeth are growing in sideways. They're currently pressing on the roots of her permanent middle teeth, and that's not a good situation. And then, if that wasn't enough, her two laterals, which, if I'm remembering correctly, are the teeth next to the canines, don't have permanent teeth growing. there's no adult teeth coming in above her gums at all and There are a couple of other issues as well. So as we were finding out about this we were being told oral surgery and teeth being pulled and braces and chains and Possibly needing to do something if those baby Laterals fall out and there's nothing to replace them down the road either putting in putting in Fake teeth, whatever they're called. Not implants, thank you. See, you know what I needed to hear there, didn't you? Implants. Or they talked about even kind of actually filing down her canines, making those the laterals, and then just pulling everything forward and filling in that way. And for us as parents, of course, we're concerned about this. Brooklyn is a naturally anxious person. And so the next step was an orthodontist appointment that we had a couple of weeks ago. The orthodontist decided we needed to go back to the dentist and have a couple of teeth pulled to see if those canines growing in sideways would start to self-correct. And so that appointment was this past Wednesday. Even on Tuesday night, Brooklyn was already concerned about it. I had been working throughout the day and came and saw my family later in the day on Tuesday and Brooklyn walked up to me and the very first thing she said to me when she came and greeted me was, Dad, you didn't tell me I had a dentist appointment tomorrow. Okay, I'm sorry, we had some other things on the schedule and we were gonna have to see if we needed to reschedule and some things worked out differently. And so yes, we still have that appointment tomorrow. That night, she couldn't go to sleep. She came to me after she'd been in bed for some time and told me she couldn't sleep. She was thinking about tomorrow She was scared. We went to her appointment Wednesday I talked with her the whole way there prayed with her before we went in and from the time we walked in until we were in the chair starting over an hour had passed and And no, it wasn't because the dentist was busy and couldn't get us in. It was because when they came out to get us in the waiting room, Brooklyn went and stood in a corner and would not move. It took a lot of coaxing just to get her to go to the back to the room. And even once we were there, she came and sat on my lap. And when it was time for her to sit in the dental chair, she wrapped both her arms around my arm and would not move. From that time when we got in there to just getting her to sit in the chair was about 45 minutes of just gentle coaxing the dentist, the dental assistant talking with her, just trying to coax her to have a seat. We talked about the process. We talked about how they would help her to not feel intense pain, and yet she was scared that it would hurt. It was very anxiety-inducing. Just this past week, I sat in someone's home as they talked with me about how they had been seeing news all weekend about the Middle Eastern conflict and how they were concerned about all that was going on and the implications of our nation's attack on Iran and all of this. And that person, that individual told me that all of this that she was thinking about caused her, when she got on to place a grocery order, to add a lot of additional non-perishable items so she could start storing up in case we were attacked, and she wouldn't be able to get food. She would have non-perishable items stored up. And as she was explaining this to me, and she kind of finished going through all of that, I just simply made just a simple statement, a question. I said, it sounds to me like you're very anxious about all of this. And that led to further conversation. Perhaps you, over these last few weeks, for reasons like these or others even, have experienced anxiety. We all understand what that means. And friends, anxiety doesn't care how strong you are or how long you've known and walked with the Lord. It creeps in to your heart, it steals your peace. And Jesus knew that we would experience this. Look at what he says here in Luke chapter 12, beginning in verse 22. Luke chapter 12, starting in verse number 22. Jesus says these words, and he said unto his disciples, and don't miss that, by the way, who are disciples. They are committed followers of Jesus. He's speaking to those who knew him, who were committed followers, and to them he gave this exhortation. Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, What ye shall eat, neither for the body what ye shall put on. Life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which neither have storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth them. How much more are ye better than the fowls? And which of you by taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow, they toil not, they spin not, and yet I say unto you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothed the grass, which is today in the field and tomorrow is cast into the oven, How much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek ye not, seek not ye what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. But rather, seek ye the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell that ye have and give alms. Provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Now go back again and notice this phrase in verse 22. Jesus exhorts, he commands, take no thought. Now did this passage remind you of another more recognizable passage? Matthew chapter 6, right? Where we find that phrase again and again. Jesus says, take no thought, take no thought. You might want to mark down that in the Greek, this literally means, do not be anxious. It's the exact word or phrase that Paul used when it's translated, be careful for nothing. It's the same Greek phrase. Jesus used it another time too. Do you remember a couple of chapters previous to this in Luke chapter 10? He visited Mary and Martha at their house in Bethany. Mary was sitting down at Jesus' feet, hearing His words and listening to His teaching, while Martha was busy serving. She was preparing a meal. She was serving the meal. She was being a good hostess. But when she became upset and frustrated that Mary was at Jesus' feet, Jesus looked at Martha and He said this to her, Martha, Martha, you are careful and troubled about many things. Was Jesus upset that Martha was serving? No. But he identified because it's the same word there as here and in Philippians 4. He identified an issue. It's not that you're serving. It's that your heart is filled with anxiety. You're anxious. And Jesus was telling her something very pointed. Don't let anxiety rule your heart. You see, sometimes people have asked me the question, is anxiety a sin? And the answer is no. You say, pastor, how can you say that? because Jesus himself experienced anxiety. I've always found it fascinating. Do you remember he's with the disciples in the upper room just before they go out to the Garden of Gethsemane where he will pray, where he'll eventually be betrayed, arrested, and then taken on to the illegal trial. As they're in their upper room, Jesus is teaching them a great many things. And the disciples are becoming troubled. They're becoming anxious. And Jesus tells them in John 14, let not your hearts be troubled. But then do you know what happens? They go out to the Garden of Gethsemane and the disciples begin to notice even more of a change in Jesus, his demeanor, his expression. And he tells them, my soul, my heart, is sorrowful and heavy, even unto death. As he was there in the garden, Jesus prayed to the Father, remember? And as he prayed, the stress, the anxiety levels were so high that the Bible tells us that he sweat as it were great drops of blood. Jesus experienced a great deal of anxiety there in the Garden of Gethsemane and on that night. And yet, Jesus was without sin, right? What's the Bible tell us? He was tempted in many points like as we are, yet without sin. So the question then becomes, not just is anxiety a sin, but is there a point at which anxiety is sinful? And the answer is yes. So, when does anxiety cross over from, if you will, natural human experience to sin? And it is when anxiety begins to rule. When you find yourself making decisions that are based in anxiety, when you move or hesitate because you're anxious, when that anxiety has a stranglehold on your life, halting and stunting your growth, your commitment to the Lord, and moving at his impulse, Then anxiety is simple, and that's why Jesus said to Martha, you're careful and troubled about many things. Don't let anxiety rule your heart. And so as we look at Luke 12 this morning, I want us to kind of give an overview of anxiety as Jesus addresses it here in Luke chapter 12. Let's notice first of all the symptoms as Jesus speaks of them here in Luke chapter 12. First symptom of anxiety, anxiety devalues life and its meaning. Look at verse number 23 again. Here Jesus says, the life is more than meat and the body more than raiment. Why does he say this? Because so often when we are anxious or when anxiety takes over, it often is prompted by the fear of losing something or the fear of missing out on something. In other words, we fear that we don't have what we need. We fear that we're gonna miss out on something that we need. And Jesus is very clear here. The life is about much more than just what you have. It's about much more than possessions. In fact, what is the reality? The reality is that life is a gift from God. Life isn't a collection of things and yet our lives are so often wrapped up in our things and what we have, what we don't have, what we're working toward having. Life is more than that, it is a gift from God. Just earlier in this chapter, Jesus made this very clear when he warned the crowds, take heed and beware of covetousness, for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. As you allow anxiety to rule in your life, you'll find that it devalues your life. and it devalues the true meaning of life. Number two, anxiety reveals a lack of trust. This was very clear. After we coaxed Brooklyn to sit in the chair, And they began to treat her as they do when they're going to pull a tooth with some preparatory medication and so on just to make sure that she wouldn't feel a lot, there wouldn't be pain. And it was amazing just to see that process unfold. And if you've been through a tooth pulling, you know what it's like. And Brooklyn was getting all the different things to help. For a child, of course, the nitrous, the laughing gas. They gave her the shots in her gum line and all that. And then the dentist went about doing her work. She used a probe to kind of push on both teeth a little bit to start to loosen them up and then grabbed them with the pliers and pulled them out and set her stuff down and said, okay, all done. And Brooke said, with the thing in her mouth, And the dentist said, yeah, all done. You know, she's talking like this. And as we left and got in the car, Brooklyn made a very profound statement to me. She said, Daddy, everyone was telling me that it wouldn't hurt. Why then was I so scared that it would? And I said, Brooklyn, that's a great question. And here's the answer. You were so scared that it would hurt even though we told you it wouldn't because you didn't really believe it. Anxiety often reveals to us where we are failing to trust God. What's the area in your life you often find yourself anxious about? Maybe it's health. Maybe it's finances. Maybe it's your job situation. Maybe it's that relationship. What is it for you? That may be a revelation of where you are not trusting God. Anxiety, worry, fear always reveal where we lack trust. Jesus brings this out. Look at the last verse, verse 28. What is it? The very last phrase of verse 28. Oh, ye of little faith. It almost seems out of place. Jesus, you're talking about not being anxious. Why now do you bring this idea of faith into it? And here's why. Because when we are anxious and we allow anxiety to rule, it's a clear indicator that we lack trust. It's an area in which we are failing to trust God. This wasn't an insult, by the way. It was an invitation from Jesus. He was inviting, trust me more. Believe that I care for you and will care for you. He talks to them about how God clothed the grass and fed the ravens, and if God does that, how much more will he care for you? Thirdly, Anxiety disorders are priorities. Jesus addressed that in verses 29 through 31. He said, don't seek what you'll eat or drink, neither be of doubtful mind. There it is again, a lack of trust. Why does he say this? Because when you're anxious and you're being driven by anxiety, you begin to chase after security instead of trusting the one who promised to provide it. You look for that position of security in life. So many of us, so many people want security. We want financial security. We want relational security. We want medical security in the sense of good health. We want security. We want assurance. We want... And so often when we are filled with anxiety and that anxiety is moving and is in control in our lives, we do everything in our power, everything we can possibly control and even try the things we can't to get that security rather than trusting the one who promised to give it. We live like everyone else, running, grasping, fearing. But Jesus said, instead, seek first the kingdom of God. In Matthew 6, he told us the Gentiles seek after those things. Here, he said, all these things do the nations of the world seek after, those who don't know and trust and follow me. But you should be different. Seek first his kingdom. Fourthly, anxiety is rooted in fear. Look at verse 32. He exhorts again, fear not little flock. It is the father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. If you hear nothing else today, hear this. God is not angry with you for feeling anxious. He wants to meet you there. Look at the tender, compassionate language. Fear not, little flock. He wants to lift that burden off your shoulders. So these are symptoms, as Jesus presents in Luke 12. Number two, the senselessness, very brief. What good does anxiety bring? We all know this to be true, right? We've heard it again and again, we've experienced it again and again. What good does it do to worry, to be anxious about something? What's the answer? Doesn't do any good, does it? I don't know about you, but I cannot honestly look back in my life at a time where I was overly anxious about something and find, oh, you know, I experienced that benefit of anxiety during that event in my life, and I'm so glad I was anxious. Jesus asked the question, which of you by taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? I mean, if you're anxious about it, if you give it thought, man, I wish I was a foot taller. I wish I were a couple inches shorter. I wish I was a size whatever. Simple things, but Jesus said, by just thinking about it, worrying about it, fretting about it, does it change anything? No. Worry feels productive, because you're doing something, but it changes nothing. You can rehearse your fears all night long, but you will not grow taller or solve tomorrow's problems. All you will lose is peace. It's senseless. And then number three, I want you to see in Luke chapter 12, the solution to anxiety. Now, I want to be very clear. Anxiety and some of the effects that it produces, depending on your particular situation, there may be reason to talk to a doctor, to talk to a counselor, to talk to a therapist, a mentor. But I want you to know something very clearly. People and pills may help, but only Jesus can heal. Other people or medication might be a part of an answer for you, depending on your situation. But Jesus is the answer. With that in mind, what do we do when fear creeps into our hearts, when anxiety begins to rule? Jesus gives us three clear invitations. Number one, consider. This word appears twice in verse 24 and 27. He tells us to pay attention, consider the ravens, consider the lilies. And he makes something very clear. If God feeds the birds and clothes the flowers, he will certainly take care of you. Why? Because you are more valuable to him. than any flower, than any bird. There is nothing in this world, there is nothing in the universe that God values more than He values you. You say, Pastor, how do you know that? Romans chapter 5 verse 8 tells me this, but God commendeth his love toward us. He demonstrated it. In that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Now this may sound silly, but it's true and you need to recognize it. Jesus didn't die for flowers. He didn't die for birds. He gave his life for you and for me. Think about his love. If God loves and values you that much, then he will care for you. Jesus invites us to consider. Secondly, he invites us to seek. Verse 31 again, but seek ye first the kingdom of God. And he attaches a promise to it, doesn't he? There in verse number 31, and all these things shall be added unto you. God gives you and I a responsibility. What is that responsibility? To seek his kingdom. And he gives this promise, when you make God's kingdom your pursuit, He takes responsibility for everything else. When you concern yourself with His kingdom, following Him, with seeing His will done on earth in your life as it is in heaven, He takes responsibility for all the rest. You don't have to worry about it when you seek Him first. The third invitation that Jesus gives us relates to our treasure. He tells us about a treasure in the heavens that faileth not in verse 33. When your treasure is temporary, it's something you know can experience gain or loss at any given moment. It's something that can break down, that can rust, that can get destroyed by creation or some creature. Anxiety rules the day. You're always worried about it. Is it gonna break down again? Am I gonna have to deal with that again? Is it gonna work this time? You always have to think about it and worry about it. But when your treasure is eternal, when your heart is prompted and motivated by the things of eternity, your heart can be at rest. Because that treasure never fades, it never fails. Any investment you make in eternity guarantees a return. And so Jesus invites us to consider, to seek, and to treasure. As we close today, Let me just be very plain. We've heard Jesus' invitation, take no thought, don't be anxious. And maybe you're wondering, how can I possibly live that way? And on our own, we can't. You can try to silence the noise of the worry and the fears of your heart with distractions, but nothing in this world will bring the deep, lasting peace that your heart longs for. Because peace is not found in a plan, a purchase, or the perfect outcome. Peace is a person. And his name is Jesus. The one who stood on that hillside and said, fear not little flock, is the same one who stretched out his arms, willingly allowing himself to be nailed to the cross. He carried all of our sin, all of our shame, and all our fear at Calvary. He died and rose again so that we could be forgiven, set free, and made new. If you've never placed your trust in Jesus, this is your moment. He's calling to you today. asking you to turn from your sin and to trust Him in what He has already done for you. The Bible says, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If you sense that tug in your heart, today can be the day that peace finally takes root in place of fear. In just a moment, I'm going to pray, and if you're ready to trust Christ, if you've never done so, whether here in this auditorium or someone watching or listening online, you can pray right where you are, calling on Him to save you. And maybe you say, Pastor, I know Jesus. I've walked with Him for many years. But God has spoken to your heart about anxiety. Maybe he's put his finger on something specific, an anxiety you've carried for a long time, or maybe something that's just recently entered your life. Friend, that burden is something you were never meant to carry alone. Before you leave, maybe you need to write it down. Surrender it to him in prayer. Let me encourage you, don't carry that burden out the back door today. Lay it down at his feet.