And Lord, we now turn to the part of our worship service, which is the hearing of the Word, Lord, through the Scriptures. And Lord, I just ask that you would prepare our hearts. We recognize that the only infallible, reliable source of truth, Lord, is your Word, and you have promised to meet us there and to sanctify us through your word, because your word is truth, Lord, of both the Old and New Testament, Lord, all of the scriptures, Lord, and the entire counsel of God. So I ask that you would bless us as we continue to advance through the many proverbs of our series, Lord, and we ask that you would bless us, sanctify us, help us to see Christ in it, help us to die more and more unto sin and live more and more unto righteousness, Lord, and help us to just see the wonder and the beauty of the gospel, Lord. Help us to plunge the depths of it, Lord, and just us to recognize the magnitude of what this means for this life, Lord, when we ask all these things in Christ's name. Amen. Well, please remain standing for the reading of God's Word. I want to invite you all to turn to Proverbs chapter 12, and this morning we're going to be looking at one verse, which is verse 25. So, hear now the words of the true and living God. Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. This is the word of the Lord. You may be seated. Anxiety, worry, and fear. These are not only familiar words, but also sure experiences of the human life in a fallen world. No matter your age, gender, skin color, height, width, nationality, the question is not if you will worry or if you will experience anxiety, but rather when. And it is because of this inevitable experience with anxiety that Proverbs 12, verse 25 was written. This proverb is a powerful and practical proverb that teaches God's people how we can wisely face the anxieties of life. And this proverb is by no means a cure It could be, but more than anything, it is a remedy, an antidote against the dangers of anxieties, the pitfalls that we will fall into because of our worries. Moreover, Proverbs 12, verse 25 isn't so much as a rebuke. As a matter of fact, it's not a rebuke at all, but rather it's an invitation to learn. one of the many ways how we could combat anxiousness in this life. So that we might say, as David said in Psalm 94, when anxiety was great within me, your consultation brought joy to my soul. And so we will be walking through this one proverb, this single proverb under two headings. The danger of anxiety and a remedy for And so, beginning with our first heading, the danger of anxiety, read with me Proverbs 12, verse 25, again. And it reads, Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. And the first thing we ought to note is the first clause of verse 25, which states an observable and obvious psychological fact. Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down. The Hebrew word for anxiety in our English Bibles is an uncommon word used in the Old Testament. David uses it actually to describe the fear that he faced under persecution by the hand of Saul when he was fleeing and in the wilderness. We also find this word most often used in the major and minor prophets of the Old Testament. The prophets use this word to describe many, many times the distress that would fall upon the nation of Israel because of their unfaithfulness to God and His covenant. We see this, for example, in Ezekiel 4, where God foretells the coming fall of Jerusalem, when the Babylonians would come and siege this great city. And God says to Ezekiel, son of man, that's Ezekiel, They shall eat bread by weight with anxiety." And the word anxiety describes a distress because of a present or maybe possible future hardship or loss. And it's at this point where I want to make a very, very important clarification. Proverbs 12, verse 25 isn't speaking about clinical anxiety. which is a severe form of, it's a mental health condition. Clinical anxiety is typically treated with additional professional help, such as a psychiatrist and also with medication. And I have known people who have actually suffered from a form of clinical anxiety. And the cause isn't because there's a lack of faith in Christ or a trust in God's providence. In many cases, sometimes it's not even because there are trials in life. Instead, it's due to either a chemical imbalance or a genetic disposition that causes them just to be anxious. And so what Proverbs 12 verse 25 is addressing is more generally known as situational anxiety, which is anxiety that comes from new, unfamiliar, or stressful circumstances. And situational anxiety is something that Everyone, or it's something that everyone experiences. And sometimes some of us experience anxiety more intensely than others and more frequently than others. And once again, this sort of anxiety is experienced by everyone. Married and single, rich and poor, if you're white-collar or blue-collar, or if you're young or old, male or female. In fact, we even see in the New Testament that the Apostle Paul experienced a measure of situational anxiety which was warranted. He writes in 2 Corinthians 11, verse 28, that there was daily pressures on me and my anxiety for all the churches. Paul's pastoral heart had a great concern for every church that he had planted, and also for the spiritual well-being, both physically and also spiritually, for those Christians that were within them. And likewise, for you and me, there are warranted anxieties. Sometimes there are also unwarranted anxieties. But nevertheless, these situational anxieties will come in this life, and they could, the root cause of it could be from anything, from the threat of one's well-being, to the loss of something valuable in life. It could start from worrying about a final exam to worrying about what college one might get into. This sort of anxiety might come from future job layoffs or the news about a medical diagnosis. In addition, sometimes this form of anxiety is caused by the worries of the world. And by that what I mean is more of this keeping up with the Joneses. That is to say, people are anxious simply by the maintaining and obtaining of having enough stuff. of having enough security, of having enough fame, having enough fortune, having enough respect, having enough leisure. And there is a lot of anxiety in trying to maintain and obtain these sorts of worldly things. And they become worldly worries, that is. And lastly, the root cause sometimes with this form of anxiety can be because of secret or silent sin or exposed sin. We see this in the case of David. In Psalm 32, when he was not confessing his sin, that was his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, he descended into what he describes in Psalm 32 in verses four through five, that his bones were wasting away and that he was, you know, so exhausted as though by the heat of the summer. And this is what sin can do to us. It could really push us into a sense of despair. There might also be, from exposed sin, when we're found out about our sin, there might be a sense of anxiety and despair that we will fall into. And this might be rooted in maybe a fear or a worry that those might not forgive us within the church, of disappointment, of discouragement, and all those sorts of things, but anxiety has many, many, many roots and causes. And while some of our anxieties may be warranted and unwarranted, they may be due because of external and internal reasons, Proverbs 12, verse 25 gives us a warning about anxiety that really we all need to heed, which is this. The danger of anxiety is when it is in control of our hearts. In the Old Testament, the heart stands for the inner being of a person. The heart encapsulates everything from man's thoughts and desires to his words and actions. And as the text suggests, when anxiety enters a man's heart, it makes him depressed. This is what the author of Proverbs chapter 12 verse 25 means when he uses this phrase, weighs him down. The phrase weighs him down paints a picture of someone that cannot move forward because they are burdened with weary or burdened and weary. And the phrase really paints a picture also of someone that is sinking lower and lower into a dark pit, which is a place where they can neither lift themselves out nor see their way out of. But suffice us to say that the first clause of verse 25 teaches a remarkable truth. It's really a psychological truth, which is this. That when anxiety consumes a person, it will lead them to despair. That worry leads to woe. That distress leads to despair. And this is something that we ought to be careful of. The anxiety, when it penetrates our heart and consumes us. Dear Saints, I believe many of us know the truthfulness of this proverb, whether by personal experience or by witnessing others. And the reason anxiety often leads people by the hand into a pit of despair is threefold. First, anxiety in the heart easily takes control of the mind. Whatever we are anxious about often becomes our sole meditation, often becomes our sole focus. And when I say meditation, I'm not talking about Eastern meditation. Whenever, you know, I use the word meditation, it's often what is conjured up in our minds as someone like sitting out in nature. you know, sitting Indian style, sort of with their palms up and humming away. And this is not what I'm talking about. The goal of Eastern meditation is really to empty the mind and escape the realities of life. The meditation I am referring to is the act of really filling your mind with something, the sole focus and concentration of something. And anxiety often kidnaps our thoughts and has a powerful influence. on our emotions in actions. And even the smallest worries I've experienced, that could really be draining. It could consume all of our time, consume all of our energy. And like tea leaves in a hot cup of water, anxiety will begin to slowly color, cloud, and flavor your entire mind if it steeps too long. And it will make us unstable. And it will make us unbalanced. Second, anxiety in the heart will increase fear. Martin Lurie Jones has this wonderful quote, he says, and I believe it's true, he says, worry, or that is anxiety, has an active imagination. Anxiety has an active imagination. When we focus, when the sole focus of our meditation becomes the root cause of our anxieties, whatever that may be, it often leads us to believe that our situation is much bigger, darker, and complex than it is. And conversely, anxious meditation will reduce God in our minds. God will begin to seem distant, small, and powerless to help us in our time of need. And since anxiousness tends to really inflate our circumstances and deflate God, fear will increase. And wherever there is fear, there is no happiness. There is hopelessness. And finally, anxiety in the heart will cause a form of amnesia. And what I mean by that is anxiety has a way of helping us to forget that God is God. Or rather, more specifically, that God is our God. When anxiety consumes us, we forget the precious truth of Psalm 23, that the Lord is my shepherd, that the Lord is the one who leads me beside still waters and restores my soul. And even though I walk through the valley and the shadow of death, that the Lord is with me and comforts me, that the Lord's steadfast love will pursue me all the days of my life. Anxiety has this, when it enters into our heart, has this way of manipulating us, of taking control of our hearts, of our minds, of helping us to forget God. And dear saints, with that being said, the questions I have for us this morning is this. What are you anxious about this morning? Has this anxiety consumed your heart? Has this led you into a form of despair? Or are you entering into a season of despair because of this anxiousness? And if so, how has this affected your meditation in life? How has it made you become more fearful? How has it caused you to forget that God is God? Well, if this is you, praise be to God that this proverb doesn't just simply diagnose the danger of anxiety, but also prescribes the remedy for it. And so this is where I want us to look. Once again, read with me verse 25. We're now going to our second heading, a remedy for anxiety. Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad." That is the second clause. In this clause, this is really an antidote for an anxious spirit. And the antidote for an anxious spirit spiraling into despair is a good word. And a good word are words that pull someone from the pit of darkness. These are words of light and life and truth. These are words seasoned with salt, words of healing and restoration. In fact, according to Proverbs 12, verse 18, Proverbs 12 is very much a series of Proverbs about speech, but it does tell us that a characteristic of a wise person, a wise individual, is one who brings words of healing. Proverbs 12, verse 18 will tell us that the tongue of the wise brings healing. And the way we know that a good word is a good word is because they make the person in despair glad, even if it's just for a moment. And there are many examples in the Bible of a good word lifting up the downcast. If you recall, When Naomi was devastated by the loss of her husband and sons, Ruth spoke words of unwavering loyalty and support. Her words of comfort during Naomi's darkest hour brought a glimmer of hope. In the face of Saul's persecution, David fled into the wilderness and became downcast and it was Jonathan that went to him out into the wilderness to give him words of encouragement and to embolden him, to make him more resolved about the situation that was happening to him, to encourage him. We also see this in the New Testament. good word. The Apostle Paul encourages downcast believers in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, giving them assurance about the eternal security and state of those Christians who have gone now to be with the Lord, those Christians who have died. And he reminds them of an important truth, a good and true word that we all need to remember about ourselves and about other Christians who are no longer with us. And Paul wrote, for God has not destined us for wrath, but obtained salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we might live with Him." However, he doesn't end here, he actually continues in the last verse, he says, therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. And dear saints, the Apostle Paul is a reminder, this word of encouragement, is a reminder to you and me, to the Williams Reform Church, that we are never without a good word. And the first reason is because we don't simply have a good word, but rather the good word, which is the gospel, the good news, and the wonderful truths that are found within. And I want to be clear about what the gospel is. And also what it isn't. The gospel, which means good news, isn't that Jesus is Lord, although He is. Neither is it the message that God exists and He wants you to live a happy life. Nor is it a word, a good word, this sort of truth that is often sort of put out in evangelical circles that God helps those who help themselves, right? These are sort of just platitudes. But this, although they might sound nice, they might have some truth to it, that itself is not the gospel. Rather, What is the gospel? What is the message that God sent his only begotten son, who is fully God and fully man, to live the life that we could not and die the death that we deserved, so that sinners like us could be reconciled to God and be redeemed from the sinful, fallen, and broken world? The gospel reminds us that God, has already taken care of what should be one of the greatest anxieties of our life, which is the punishment due to us because of sin, the wrath of God, and also our separation from Him because of our sin for all of eternity. That through His Son and the blood of His Son, the death and life of His Son, not only are our sins are cast as far as the East is from the West, and that on the cross that Christ bore our sins, but also that his life by faith is imputed to us, and therefore we stand righteousness in him. This here is the message of the gospel. And when we begin to understand the gospel, when we begin to unpack the truths of this good word, of the gospel, whenever this great anxiety has already been taken care of by God, it really puts into perspective all other forms of anxiety. And therefore the good word for the Christian in despair over their sins is Christ's words when he said, my son, take heart, your sins are forgiven. The good word for the Christian that's maybe anxious about their health is, daughter, your faith has made you well, go in peace. The good word to the Christian that's anxious about wealth and status is this, the words of Paul, for you, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that through his poverty we might become rich. The good word for the Christian that maybe fears death is this, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. For the Christian who is weighed down, the good word is the assurance that no matter what trial or tribulation you're in, you and I can know for certain that our salvation is secure through our faith in Christ. And therefore we can say with confidence that in all these things we are more than conquerors through those who love him. For we are sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all the creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ through Jesus Christ our Lord. The gospel, dear saints, isn't the least we can do to remedy our anxiety. Rather, it is the best thing we can do to remedy our anxieties. It is the best thing not because it makes us feel glad, although it will, but more importantly because it is God's gospel and therefore it is true and it has been done. The second way we remedy our anxieties and despair through a good word is to remember ultimately that God is good. Often when anxiety arises and we despair, the struggle within our hearts, minds, and souls is to remember this precious truth. And we see the recalling and recounting of God's goodness many times in scripture. We see this modeled very often in the prophets of the Old Testament when they themselves experienced anxiety because of their call, because of the news of the coming judgment that would befall upon the nation of Israel. For example, the author of Lamentations, a book that's filled with sorrow, filled with anxiety, filled with despair, the author really calms himself with a remembrance of the recalling of God's steadfast love and faithfulness towards him. He says, but this I call to mine, and therefore I have hope. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercy never comes to an end. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him. The psalmist also, in Psalm 136, is also an example to us to remember God's goodness. The psalmist here repeats this repeating phrase of worship of God's faithfulness towards Him in the midst of darkness. And it's actually the entire song. I'll share just a bit with you here. But he says, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever. And in Jeremiah chapter 17, verse 7 through 8, the prophet says that the man who reminds himself of the faithfulness of God and of his steadfast love, the one who Does this act as an act of worship? He says this, that he is like a tree planted by streams of water that sends out its roots by the stream and does not fear when heat comes. for its leaves remain green, and it is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit." And dear saints, while it isn't easy, what we learn is that during anxiety and despair, sometimes we will have to sit down and recall and recount the ways in which the Lord has been faithful to us. And as many of us know this week, our brother in Christ, Paul Rodney, went to be with our Savior. And his wife, Arlene, called me when Paul was first admitted to the hospital. And before I could get to a word of encouragement and a reminder and begin to pray for her, she sort of beat me to the punchline, which she often does, and said some good words that I'll never forget, even in the midst of her anxiety. And she said, Julio, God has been good and faithful to Paul and me for 80 years, and he won't stop now. And that's a truth that all of us ought to remember in times where we ourselves are anxious. My prayer, dear saints, is that you and I would be comforted in this way by the faithfulness and steadfast love of God towards us in our anxiousness and in our despair to recall and recount all the goodness and faithfulness that he has bestowed upon us in this life and how he has redeemed us from the miry clay through Christ himself. And finally, another remedy for our anxiety and despair is through a good word from the Church. Listen to Paul's words again, to his words to the Church of Thessalonica, that are reminding them, after he reminds them of the Gospel, in 1 Thessalonians 5, verses 9-11, he makes this last statement, Therefore encourage one another, and build one another up, just as you are doing. In the New Testament, there is a litany of one another commandments directed for the church, for the church's peace, purity, and unity. In John chapter 13, Jesus commands his followers to love one another. In Romans chapter 15, Paul exhorts Christians to welcome one another. In James chapter 5, Jesus' half-brother exhorts Christians, confess your sins to one another. And we see here that while there are many more one another commandments, we see many of them all throughout the New Testament. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, Paul is reminding us to encourage one another. The New Testament church was one that was marked by encouragement, marked by a good word. A man marked by encouragement was a Levite from Cyprus named Joseph. In the New Testament, we know him by the name of Barnabas, which simply means son of encouragement. And Barnabas consistently lifted the discouraged with his words, exhorting them to remain faithful and steadfast to Christ during the difficult times of the early church. And in Romans 1, the Apostle Paul couldn't wait to fellowship with the saints in Rome. And what was the reason? Well, he writes in verse 12, that we may be mutually encouraged by one another's faith, both yours and mine. And suffice to say, the wonderful truth of the gospel, the good word, ought to produce and shape a culture of encouragement within the people that proclaim and explain it to the world, which is the church. Nowhere in Scripture are we commanded to quarrel with one another, to gossip about one another, to belittle one another. Rather, we are exhorted, as Hebrews chapter 10 tells us, to stir one another up in love and towards good works. Not to neglect meeting with one another, but to encourage one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. Encouragement was a mark of the early church. For Saints struggling with anxiety this morning, always know that your brothers and sisters in Christ, the Church is here for you. Don't suffer in isolation and worry and despair. No one is designed to suffer alone. In fact, I would argue that it's a recipe for disaster. We are made for community and fellowship, and the church is God's institution whereby our burdens and worry, where we could come to have rest from our burdens and worries. One of the greatest gifts my parents ever gave me was my little brother. My parents, even though they were happy with just having me, decided to have a second child. Well, one of the reasons why they had a second child was so that I wouldn't be alone. In a similar way, in the trials of life, your brothers and sisters are here for you so that you won't be alone. There's always a good word here. Now, that's not to say that it will always be perfect and they'll say the right things at the right time, but nevertheless, the church is here for your encouragement, to give you a good word, to pray for you, to impart counsel, but most importantly, to comfort you with the good words of our Lord when he said, consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, They neither toil nor spin. If God so clothed the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you? Therefore, do not be anxious." Dear saints, this is the wisdom of a good word. Let us pray. Dear Heavenly Father, we live in a very a time of much turmoil, there's much to be anxious about, Lord. But help us, Lord, to remember your faithfulness, Lord, in this life. Help us to remember the gospel. Help us to encourage one another, Lord. Help us to always have a good word. Lord, help us just to remind us, Lord, of the salvation and the eternal security that we have already right now with you in paradise, Lord. And Lord, that ultimately that we have really nothing to be anxious about in light of the salvation that is found in Christ. And we ask all these things in Christ's name. Amen.