God’s Answer to Fear, Anxiety & Worry: Children of God

Today's episode of a new beginning is brought to you by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God. Learn more@harness.org and while you're there, browse our library and free e-books designed to help you grow in your faith. God is your problem God Rosalie small problem you realize your God surely we should call out problems overwhelmed. Lori reminds us how God will more problems so our majesty and greatness of God was problems in respect to bully is often bigger and meaner force to be reckoned well with your new best friend linebacker school football.

Amazing how the bully is so threatening problems or bullying you today on a new beginning after Greg Laurie shows us how God stands ready to meet us at our point of need. His problem-solving resources are limited, child is afraid of the dark meet someone to reassure them. The best thing to do is turn on the lights so they know there's actually not a monster under the bed that there is no bogeyman. There is no threat to them. They need the reassuring words of an adult that can help them get a proper perspective while in the same way like little children were frightened and were scared.

We need the reassuring words of our heavenly father to help us in times of anxiety. So let's read some words from Scripture John chapter 14, a very familiar passage, one that I really love Jesus says let's get the context of who he was saying it to you said this to his disciples in the upper room. This is after it had become known to them that he was going to be crucified that he was going to be leaving them.

So needless to say they were very stressed. They were filled with fear and deep anxiety. So with that backdrop.

Jesus says these words, let not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions ever were not so I would've told you.

I go to prepare a place for you if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself.

There were I am you know and you may be there also. Where where I go you know in the way you know.

There were the Jesus uses airports troubled is a picturesque word means.

Don't let your heart shutter. Ever had your heart shutter just really bad news, something that just was a shock to your nervous system. He says don't let your heart shutter. Jesus did not say worry and get super stressed the mole over your problems.

Rather, he said don't be troubled and pay.

Life is full of troubles, no matter how much money you make, or where you live or what you do for a living.

You'll never be able to create a trouble free life. Job says in chapter 5 or seven people are born for trouble as readily as sparks fly up from a fire. I hate to break it to you but it's always going to be something it's always going to be something just when you get to that one conflict of that one difficulty that one hardship without one trial to another one coming.

I don't say that to the press you I say that to prepare you so you understand the troubles may come, and what you need to do when those troubles do come there's big things that seem to overtake us in their small irritating things.

But know this, while there are reasons to be trouble. There is a greater reason not to be. Jesus says in verse 10 from the new living translation trust in God, trust also in me.

Another words, Jesus is a look I am abroad to this far to abandon you now I know what I'm doing. So I'm asking you to believe I'm asking you to trust her. Something to consider. What I don't understand what is happening fallback in what I do understand.

Let me say that again and directed toward you when you don't understand what is happening fallback in what you do understand so what don't you understand what whatever it is you're facing whatever hardship difficulty why why why we okay fallback in what you do understand what wino well if I'm a Christian. I know my sin is forgiven right if I'm a Christian. I know that one day I'll go to heaven if I'm a Christian. I know that God is in control of my life.

And if I'm a Christian. I know that God loves me and if I'm a believer. I know that all things work together for good to those who love God. Another called according to his purpose. So though I don't understand these circumstances, the fallback know what I do understand that I have found the Windows what if questions start rolling through your mind. I like to go back to what I do understand what I know is true, so here's something to consider. I love this little verse so much packed into one verse of Scripture.

Luke 1232 Jesus said, fear not, little flock, it is your father's good pleasure to give to you the kingdom. We learn a lot from outburst number one fear not, little flock, so my point is this God is our shepherd and we are a sheet in.

I don't know how much you know about sheet. I don't know a lot about him. But I've read some things in held them occasionally, but I'm not real familiar with them, but I know they're basically pretty defenseless creatures.

She don't bite sheep can't run very fast.

She don't even have claws. Honestly, I CAD has more going on and that she does, but we have the silk out the water on her neighbor that I actually like this cat. He's like the exception the cats for me because he just kind of his own little cat and he was standing in the middle of the street who does this is Succumbing to sit here care everyone go around.

He's just sitting there and a dogged Anatomy credit coming toward me just like, bring about, you know that I like that cat. Cats have more going on then she because Alisa CAD can claw like I can climb a tree and run by cheap there just like leg of lamb for the taking. Go to just carry mint sauce around with them like here I am, eat me now delicious yeah that's with the cheapest sheep is totally dependent on it. Shepherd wife. Let's be kind and just put it this way delicately.

The really stupid.

They run in flocks. They do with the other she do your easily frightened or skittish and there been more than one occasion were one sheep goes off a cliff and the other sheep follow him off the cliff so no one of the Bible says all we like sheep have gone astray big picture your defenseless big picture.

You can't really defend yourself ultimately you need the shepherd's care. That's why David was sitting around one day when he probably wrote some 23 and you know he was a musician as well as a warrior and ultimately attain and these may be just, you know, scrum and some chords G CD look around is a cannot us block anything to know what these cheaper dependent on me in the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul he prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies and my cup runs over and getting goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life and I'll dwell in the house of the Lord forever. And even though I go through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil because he is with me. That was a picture he was painting for us that just as those sheep need me.

I need God. Fear not, little flock, it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom of God is our shepherd. We are sheet number two God is our father who loves us and cares for us. Notice he says that your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. So why should I not be afraid because he is my shepherd watching over me. But he's also my father caring for me and I can approach amid any time with whatever is troubling me and he will listen, but not everybody can call God father people will say today will I believe in the brotherhood of man, a world, children of God sons and daughters of God. Actually that's not true at all. Were not all children of God were all created by God were all made in the image of God were all separated from God by our sin, but the only way to become a child of God is. You must be adopted into the family.

The Bible says, for as many as received him, he gave them the power to become sons of God. But once you believe in Jesus you can call God father after Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the dead. He appeared to Mary Magdalene and he says to her don't cling to me some translation supported don't touch me, but I think she was holding onto him so tightly and he says bribe not yet ascended to my God and be your God in the my father and your father. That was a revelatory statement that I was a radical thing to say to her first century Jewish person and especially a Jewish woman because women were looked down upon that culture you people like to say, Christianity oppresses women, nothing could be further from the truth. Christianity and the Bible elevated women to their proper place made in the image of God. So he says that this woman who was once possessed by many demons.

I'm going to my God and your God.

I'm going to my father your father Mary. Guess what, he's your father now you can call him father now not just me. We get the fact that Jesus calls God father. Now we can because of what he did to Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message in just a moment. We hear from listeners all over some who listen to a new beginning. Pastor Greg's podcasts and even to the recent SoCal harvest Greg Laurie and I made out. I walked out my cell phone and I cry and let him know that my guy like and you never get outbreak that I have a grandson and calendar that and they they have to go to pay yet not have the power to My current article in prayer will never forget what you helped clear and I want to let you know, Greg Laurie come back by his shirt. When you request prayer will make sure to pray for your need. If you have a story of how one of Pastor Greg's outreaches is touched your life would you call ensure it with us.

Call 866-871-1144. That's 866-871-1144 will today.

Pastor Greg is pointing out how God's children have a special relationship with God the father and how that should bring us comfort during our times of worry calling God father it's us in different ways because a lot of it depends on what kind of an earthly father you had right. I never had a father really growing up so when I thought of God as father, I just had a big blank like I don't even know what that is to have a father. Some of you I had fathers that were cold and distant. Others of you had fathers and maybe left you when you were young.

Some of you maybe even had fathers who were abusive and harsh with you or maybe uncommunicative but it was not a loving image of a father than others of you had a warm loving hands-on involvement.

Dad, how many of you had a really good dad growing up.

Will God bless you for that. How many of you did not have that experience is your get the okay so I understand what that's like my wife Kathy are her father, Richard Martin lived to be 95 years old. It was a very, very good father, and I think because of that when Kathy and her three sisters and her brother heard the gospel.

They were there very quickly embrace God as their father. They had such a great father figure and so you this is this family that they lived in the Far East. Richard Martin was very educated, very smart guy, very successful guy and does so there is a very cultured family great manners and then one day Kathy brings me home to meet the parents look like something the cat draw again right. I have long hair, past my shoulders, thick red beard you know and like. Here's my new boyfriend dad and he didn't take me very well but noted his wife of Pilar, but so finally we decided we wanted to get married and so I I took a walk with him as Sybil Mr. Martin, I want to marry your daughter. I wanted ask your blessing, and he looked at me and said well know this very very calm.

No, no, and can I ask why Mr. Martin he said well you don't have a stable income and they were concerned about that and concern for the welfare of her daughter and reassured him a deal can be said no again but so but ultimately when we got married. He gave his daughter away, but interesting experience happened when Kathy was younger she is the middle daughter is her older sister Mary and then there was Dodi and then there's Kathy and then her younger sister Jackie and then finally your brother Ricky. So what.

So she had an uncle.

This was the brother of Richard Martin's wife Pilar and he was not able to have children with his wife and so he came to up Laura's sister one day and said you know you already have two daughters now you have 1/3 one, can we just have your daughter and interesting request and so she said let me talk to my husband about it. This shot Kathy like you wouldn't talk to dad about this like this was on the table but fortunately Richard dad said no – but eventually gave her away to me on our wedding day and I'm thankful for that. But here's the good news. What when you are a child of God. No one is going to take you out of his protective care and were afraid of what if I lose my salvation.

A word of the devil gets me are you kidding me you're a child of God and Jesus said in John 1029 I will give them eternal life will never perish, and no one can snatch them away from me. God is your shepherd God is your father and finally he is your King because Jesus said you're not, little flock, it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Notice he says it's his good pleasure. I think sometimes we think of God is stingy. God doesn't want to give you that God doesn't want to bless you. God wants to hold all the good stuff back just to make your life are nothing could be further from the truth. It's his pleasure to give to you the kingdom, but also when we think of God's kingdom remind us of the sovereignty and the power of God.

So when you're filled with anxiety and fear and worry because of a problem you're facing.

Consider this, God is bigger than your problem and if you have a big God, you have a relatively small problem. If you have a big problem. Do you realize how big your God actually is.

That is why the Lord's prayer, Jesus taught us to pray our father who art in heaven how would be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And then ultimately we get to the request. Give us this day our daily bread but effectively Christ is saying when you pray just contemplate the awesomeness and the greatness of God before you start firing off your petitions. It's okay to ask God for things you should. It's okay to call out to the Lord for help but remind yourself of the power, majesty and greatness of God, and it puts your problems in perspective.

If you ever wondered why when you leave church a lot of times you feel better than when you came in. The reason is because of amazing preaching by other pastors here at harvest. No, I think the preaching plays into it, but I don't think it's any person. I think what is it all about I commit in a window. I spent a good part of my time doing magnifying God magnifying God and so's I'm thinking of God's glory in his power and I'm serve casting my problems aside night. I'm worshiping him. Then I hear a message. Hopefully, that reminds me of God's love, and this summer Tina's power and all the things I need to be reminded of an eye.

I believe and know that I have the same problems leaving that I had coming in, but all of a sudden I don't see them in the same way. It's all about perspective, isn't it. And so is your King is in control of your life. Greg Lord great perspective today on how we should view the challenges we sense in light of the God we serve.

There's more to come in this message here on a new beginning called God's answer to fear, anxiety and worry. Part one Pastor Greg back when I was a young Christian contemporary Christian music, or as we called it. Then Jesus music was sort of a soundtrack for my life and that I remember the very first Christian band I saw. I believe it was mustard seed faith.

Yes at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa right do you remember the first Christian band you so yeah I would say it was probably love song, but I became friends of all the guys a love song just saw them recently course load and Fong for mustard seed faith.

A Louis McVeigh Pedro Buford than the other individuals work in the bent of the years but the great little band. I did a lot of ministry with them.

Traveled a lot of places with them and I was amazed they've had and how music kid open a crowd up. You know you get a crowd of people just ending around the bend gets up starts playing.

What I would call anointed music music that God had his hand on you know you think of the story of Saul, the king of Israel who is being tormented by demons in the Bible tells us that David not yet the king still is shepherd boy would come in the play in the stringed instrument. Today we might call it an electric guitar and he would play his guitar and sing his songs of praise to God, and it would bring temporary comfort to King Saul and to me that is the power of music that God has his hand on it can open the heart of a person. This is one of the reasons why, in our events and of course in our church. We we put a focus on really well done Christian music because I believe it's a great way to reach people and to build a bridge to people so I saw it in its origins to the present day, and I would say this, Dave.

I think Christian music is come so far that in many ways it surpasses secular music. I don't mean lyrically, I mean in the melodies and the production it's at least as good if not better. A lot of the secular stuff you're hearing out there right now, so maybe you've wondered how did this all start I have a book for you. It's called the Jesus music.

It's brand-new and it's written by my friend Marshall Terrell Marshall and I have co-written three books together and were working on 1/4 marginal is a great researcher, an excellent writer. So he takes us back to the very origins of Jesus music to the present day of what we call contemporary Christian music to get to get a little history on this music we listen to and you're going to learn more about some of the artists you've come to love. These are not perfect people. These are flawed people but God is used.

People like you and me to be fascinated by this book called the Jesus music hardbound glossy pages. Lots of photographs interesting stories in history about this music that we have all come to love and will send you your own copy for your gift of any size and let me just say the reason we offer these quality resources is so we can just help you encourage you and bless you, but also it's a way for you to support our ministry because as you can imagine, it takes money to be on the radio and we want to continue to reach you in your area and going to new areas were not on yet. So when you order one of these resources like the Jesus music and you send a gift to us.

We put that gift to work, but as a way of saying thanks we send you something of value like this book were sending this time called the Jesus music. So for your gift of any size you get your own copy, and I know it will be a blessing to you, really well. So get in touch today with your donation and be sure to ask for the Jesus music is the kind of book you will be able to put down and you might want to give a copy to a friend. Maybe you're looking for a good Christmas gift for a family member again is called the Jesus music ask for it when you send your contribution today to a new beginning.

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