Heaven's Cure For Earth's Care

Phil 4:1-9, "Therefore, my brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, dearly beloved. {2} I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord. {3} And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and other my fellowlabourers, whose names in the book of life. {4} Rejoice in the Lord alway: again I say, Rejoice. {5} Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord at hand. {6} Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. {7} And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. {8} Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things honest, whatsoever things just, whatsoever things pure, whatsoever things lovely, whatsoever things of good report; if any virtue, and if any praise, think on these things. {9} Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."

Introduction:

A. "Heaven's cure for earth's care" is, according to Phil. 4:7, "the peace of God, which passeth all understanding."

1. The "peace of God" (V. 7) is the remedy that the "God of peace" (V. 9) offers for doing what we have learned, received, heard, and seen.

2. Phil 4:9, "Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."

B. The difficulties and uncertainties of life have always afforded men and women abundant opportunities for worry.

1. However, never have the temptations to worry and be filled with anxiety been so great as today.

2. On every hand there is confusion, suffering and loss and the words of our Saviour are being fulfilled.

Luke 21:26, "Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken."

C. But the true child of God --- those who are "in the Lord" (V. 1) and --- whose name is in "the book of life" (V. 3) --- should not be overcome with fear and worry --- yet many of us are!

D. With some of us, our fears and anxieties arise from experiences which have to do with the past, maybe years ago.

E. Others are anxious, fretful and worried about the future, about old age, health or finances.

F. Still others are overburdened with care about the present.

G. Many of our fears are imaginary, and many of the things we worry about have never happened, probably will never happen, but we worry about what if they do happen.

I. For The Christian, Fear, Anxiety And Worry Are Useless, Unnecessary, Unseemly and even sinful.

A. It Is Useless For A Christian To Worry, To Be Fearful Or To Be Anxious.

1. Mat 6:25-27, "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? {26} Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? {27} Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?"

2. What do our worries and fears accomplish? --- absolutely nothing.

3. Nothing accumulates so quickly as worry, which is why it is so dangerous --- It harms us physically, mentally and spiritually.

4. Physically, it can:

a. Destroy our digestion,

b. Increase our blood pressure,

c. Cause insomnia,

d. Paralyse our body,

e. Seariously affect our heart.

B. It is Unnecessary For A Christian To Worry, To Be Fearful Or To Be Anxious. --- Why?

1. Because we have a heavenly Father who:

a. Is all-powerful and all-loving,

b. Knows what His children need,

c. Is able to supply that need.

2. Mat 6:28-32, "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: {29} And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. {30} Wherefore , if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, not much more you, O ye of little faith? {31} Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? {32} (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."

3. We also have His promise.

Heb 13:5-6, " conversation without covetousness; content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. {6} So that we may boldly say, The Lord my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."

C. It Is Unseemly For A Christian To Worry, To Be Fearful Or To Be Anxious.

1. A worrying Christian is a contradiction.

1 Pet 5:7, "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

2. It is Unworthy for a Christian to worry.

Col 1:10, "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;"

D. Now, what is the cure for anxiety and fear? --- What goes to the root of the problem?

II. Be Careful For Nothing.

A. Phil 4:6, "Be careful (anxious) for nothing; ..,"

B. This does not mean we are to be thoughtless --- It does mean that we are not to be over come with care and anxiety.

C. "But," you say, "it is no use to say to someone who is filled with care and anxiety, 'Don't be afraid! Don't worry!'.

1. You are right --- It does no good for a doctor, psychiatrist, or pastor to say to someone, "Don't worry!"

2. However, It is very different when God says it --- He has the remedy and the power to effect our deliverance.

III. Be Prayerful For Everything.

A. Phil 4:6, "... in every thing by prayer and supplication ..."

B. Have you ever brough your fear or your worry to God in a difinite way and asked Him to remove it?

C. "By Prayer" --- not just talking about it, but actually praying.

D. "And Supplication" --- earnest and intense prayer for others.

E. "Let Your Request Be Made Known Unto God" --- this implies definiteness --- specific prayers ...

IV. Be Thankful In Anything.

A. Phil 4:6, "... in every thing ... with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

1. We cannot be thankful for everything, but we can be thankful in everything because:

Rom 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to purpose."

2. Col 3:15, "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful."

3. Phil 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord alway: again I say, Rejoice."

B. Now, notice the results of mixing together these three ingredients in God's prescription:

Be Careful for nothing --- Be Prayerful for everything --- Be Thankful in anything.

Phil 4:7, "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

1. The Certainty of this peace --- "shall ..."

2. The Quality of this peace --- "... of God" --- Can you conceive of God being worried, hurried or fearful?

3. The Nature of this peace --- "... passeth all understanding."

a. It is beyond logical explanation,

b. But not beyond personal experience.

4. The Appropriateness of this peace --- "... shall keep your hearts and minds."

a. God's peace will mount guard like a setinel to keep away fear, worry and anxiety --- from our heart and mind --- the two places where they seek to enter.

b. Isa 26:3, "Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, mind stayed : because he trusteth in thee."

5. The Channel of this peace --- "... through Christ Jesus."

Rom 5:1, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:"

Col 1:20, "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself;"

John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

It Is In Christ Jesus Himself That We Find "Heaven's

Cure For Earth's Care.

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