Pastor's Corner 10/6/11

God’s Remedy for Worry

Worry…it seems to plague even the most devout among us.

Who can say with a clear conscience that they’ve never worried about their…children, parents, marriage, finances, job, health, country, future, etc., etc., etc.? By human standards, the apostle Paul had every reason to worry.

Confined in a Roman prison for the Gospel of Christ, Paul knew his days were numbered.

You would think that worry would have been the sure result in the heart of Paul.

But Paul’s heart was not filled with worry.

The reaction in the heart of Paul was quite unnatural.

In fact…it was supernatural.

How? Was he some kind of “super saint” who somehow flew above the troubles of life? Far from it.

In fact, Paul referred to himself as “less than the least of all the saints” (Eph.

3:8).

His words of exhortation to the Philippian believers provides the answer…“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, withthanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God,which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds throughChrist Jesus.” (Phil.

4:6-7)

It is important to remember, by way of introduction, that Paul is here addressing Philippian BELIEVERS. They, having received Chris as their Lord and Savior, had put their faith in the Christ of eternity…the Christ who was foretold in the Old Testament and proclaimed by the apostles…the Christ who is God, the Word made flesh…the Christ who had died as their Substitute and rose again bodily.

Why is this significant? Simply this: if you don’t have THAT Christ as your Savior…you have every reason to worry.

Jesus said, “If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24).

John the Baptist declared, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36).

Paul warned the Corinthian believers about those coming along bringing “another Jesus” by way of “a different spirit” and “a different gospel” (II Cor.

11:4).

Paul warned that there would be those who preach a “Jesus” who cannot save…a “Jesus” who needs our help to secure our salvation.

However, the Christ of Scripture, once received into the heart of a person, will always transform that person (II Cor.

5:17), and give them eternal life (John 3:16; 6:47), apart from any works on our part (Eph.

2:8-9).

The works that are mentioned in Scripture that accompany believers are works that flow from a transformed heart as a RESULT of salvation in Christ (Eph.

2:10).

Do you know THAT Christ? You can…you must!

The person who receives Christ is not automatically exempt from worry, however, and Paul knew this.

Notice how Paul spells out God’s remedy for worry.

He says, first of all, to “be anxious (worried) for nothing” (v. 6a).

He says there is nothing that should bog us down with worry…nothing.

Easier said than done, right? He doesn’t stop there.

As a contrast to “worry” he says, “But in everything…let your requests be made known to God”(v. 6b-c).

Just how do we do that? First of all…“By prayer”.

This is a word that describes a believer’s approach to God.

You may have heard a pastor or evangelist talk about being in “an attitude of prayer”.

This is the idea here.

It is the heart that is “broken and contrite” that God “will not despise” (Ps.

51:17).

The attitude reflected here is…humility.

The next word that Paul uses to describe how we make our requests known to God is “supplication” (rendered “petition” in the NIV).

This emphasizes requesting an answer to a specific need.

Commenting on Psalm 5:1-3, Chuck Swindoll writes,“David refused to stumble about stoop-shouldered, carrying his burdens throughout the day.

On the contrary, he took his needs to the Lord each morning.

When we think of ‘placing an order’, one thing is essential: we have to be specific…after David placed a specific order (request…not a demand) each morning, he anticipated answers.

He expected God to ‘fill his order’ and looked forward to that throughout the day” (Chuck Swindoll, Living Beyond the Daily Grind, Word Publishing, p.

21).

This is precisely what the Lord wants from His children…He wants us to be specific with our requests!

Jesus said, “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matt. 21:22). So…when we come into the presence of God, not only are we to have an attitude of humility, we are also to be specific with our requests in prayer believing!

The third thing Paul mentions here is “with thanksgiving”. For the true believer, this should not be a difficult task. This is because the believer has been forgiven of all of his/her sin and given eternal life…as well as having all of their needs met in Christ Jesus! Paul told the Ephesians they were to give “thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 5:20). When we come into the presence of God with an attitude of thanksgiving and praise, it impacts the WAY we pray…often times even changing the DIRECTION of our prayers.

Paul says that when we come to God in this way, he promises that there will be one sure result: “THE PEACE OF GOD”! (v. 7) Notice, it is a peace that God ALONE provides. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Also, it is a peace that “surpasses all understanding”. Think of it…to have a peace that goes beyond comprehension! This is a peace the world cannot provide or even know…a peace that mere “religion” cannot produce. Finally, it is a peace that, through Christ Jesus, “will guard our hearts and minds” from worry!

Do you need to be free from worry and experience the peace of God today? It is available to all who will simply receive Christ, come to Him with an attitude of brokenness, thanksgiving and praise, and pour out your heart to Him with prayer believing. And His promise is peace…a peace that He alone provides, a peace that goes beyond comprehension, a peace that guards our hearts from worry.

Dean Ellis

Pastor of Evangelism

First Baptist Church,

Colfax