WeAreIBC

Keep Calm in Troubling Times

November 5, 2023

Philippians 4:1-9

• There are different levels of anxiety.

• Some temperaments are more prone to worry than others.

• There is a difference between anxiety & concern.

• We worry about different things but most of us struggle in one area or another.

The Command: “Do not be Anxious.”

• Worry is a Sin because it is Harmful to us.

• Worry is a sin because it’s a poor witness to others. • Worry is a sin because it insults God.

The Cure: “For anxiety requires we Transform our Thinking.”

To Transform your Thinking from Anxiety to Peace:

1) Memorize Scripture.

“I have hidden your Word in my Heart that I might not sin against God.”

—Psalm 119:11

2) Face the Worst... and Trust God will Sustain You.

“Even if He slay me, I will Trust Him.”

“The Lord is able to deliver us from the fire, but even if He doesn’t, we will Trust Him.”

—Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego

—Job

“Even if I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no evil.”

—David

“We will not fear even if the mountains fall and crash into the sea. God is our Refuge.”

—David

“In the World you’re going to have trouble, but be of Good Cheer, I have overcome the World.”

—Jesus

Faith is not Confidence God will do what I want. Faith is Confidence God will do what is best for us in the end.

• Embrace the Moment. • Focus on Eternity 

His Word > My Experience

Be aware when there is dissonance. 

Identify the truth in the bible.

3. Anchor your thoughts and actions to the truth found in the bible.

Why am I here? ------ purpose 

Why is there so much pain in the world? ------ problem

Am I loved? ------ plan

Psalm 68:5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. 6 God sets the lonely in families, 

The Need (Esther 4:1-7)

The Cost (Esther 4:8-11)

The Plan (Esther 4:12-14)

IV. The Response (Esther 4:15-17)

Spiritual Contributor > Spiritual Consumer

Ephesians 2:1-10

You have a purpose beyond yourself.

Genesis 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Genesis 2:15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

You are prepared for that purpose.

Ephesians 4 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Spiritual contributor > Spiritual consumer

A consumer is focused on self.

Ephesians 2

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 

“Choose this day who you will serve but as for me and my household we will serve the LORD.”

A contributor is motivated by gratitude.

4 BUT because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

A Church of LifeGroups

Acts 2:4242 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Why:

We come to know God and bring Him glory.

174 I long for your salvation, Lord,

    and your law gives me delight.

175 Let me live that I may praise you,

    and may your laws sustain me. Psalm 119

We come to know ourselves and grow in righteousness.

11 I have hidden your word in my heart

    that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119

We learn direction in life.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

We learn how to have healthy relationships with others.

Proverbs 12:16 Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult.

Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 17:9 Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

How?

Returning college student, I read a book of the bible this summer and it changed me, it made me a better man. 

Hear

 romans 10:17 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

Read 

rev 1:3 3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.

Study 

acts 17:11 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Memorize 

ps 119:9, 1111 I have hidden your word in my heart

    that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119

Apply 

james 1:22 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Authentic Community > Independent Living

Show me your friends and I will show you your future.

Proverbs 13:20 Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.

Acts 9:26-28

26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews,[a] but they tried to kill him. 30 When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

1. Life is better together.

Romans 15:7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

2am Friends

Acts 11 25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

 29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

2. Learns from one another. 

3. Gives generously.

“Therefore I urge you to imitate me. That is why I have sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which is exactly what I teach everywhere in every church.” 1 Corinthians 4:16-17

Refrigerator Rights

Acts 13 1 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

4. Lives on mission.

 “If you want to run fast, run alone. If you want to run far, run together.” -unknown

“If we’re going to make disciples and move out in mission, we need to go from managing boundaries to integrating family and mission into one life, a cohesive framework and fabric that empowers a culture of discipleship and mission, not just occasional events and periodic programs.” 

- Mike & Sally Breen, Family On Mission

Forging Friendships

2 Timothy 4:9-22

 “We are born looking for someone looking for us.” Curt Thompson

Main idea: Friendship is forged by grace and love as we do life together.

(Read through the passage commenting as we walk through it)

9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.

14 Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. 15 You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.

16 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

19 Greet Priscilla and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus. 21 Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers and sisters.

“One sometimes meets super-spiritual people who claim that they never felt lonely and have no need for friends, for the companionship of Chirst satisfies all their needs. But human friendship is the loving provision of God for mankind.” – John Stott

7 applications from Paul to forge those friendships with grace and love.

Have an inner circle.

Be transparent.

Reconcile quickly.

Don’t blame others.

Avoid dangerous people.

Stay connected. 

Be active in the church. 

“When our spirit is lonely, we need friends. When our body is cold, we need clothing. When our mind is bored, we need books. To admit this is not unspiritual; it is human.” –John Stott

Running Through the Tape

2 Timothy 4:6-8

1. Present situation

Phillippians 1:3 “I have the desire to depart and be with Christ.”

Romans 8:18 “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

Charles Spurgeon, “To come to thee is to come home from exile, to come to land out of the raging storm, to come to rest after long labor, to come to the goal of my desires and the summit of my wishes.”

2. Past victories

There is a battle to fight.

There is a purpose to live.

Hebrews 12:1b “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us”

There is a treasure to guard.

“Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” 2 Timothy 1:14

3. Future glory

2 Timothy 1:12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

How is your faith?

Are you focused on the Creator or his creation?

What does your faith cause you to do?

We should all look for ways to

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