God’s Answer to Fear, Anxiety & Worry: Giving Our Worries to God

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What were suddenly filled with things on what we do overcome with fear. Answer we need to raise Jesus from Windows crises. We don't have to give a pastor Greg Laurie says give our problems over board wants to take your fears take your worries. You want your anxieties off of you and all cargo think about it often. When worry lines. What is how come only why didn't I how can we get worried to pack it up and be on its way today on the new beginning. Greg Laurie helped put our worries that how many of you struggle with worry, fear and anxiety raise your hand while you're stressed a bunch of people are to what I told you this before but you know about one guy who was known as a worrywart.

Sometimes we think worry is a virtue when it really isn't this guy was a worrywart always worrying about everything always stressed out on this friend. Some of the sky was totally Shelley was calm you he didn't have a care in the world and his friends admit what happened to you today. I give up worrying really how did you do that. The guys that I took an ad out and hired someone to worry forming really how much you pay in the guys is $5000 a week.

It's a lot of money, you know, make that kind of money are you going to babysit, that's for him to worry about so many of us just worry all the time.

You know when things are going well. We worry about how long it will be until they start going badly again you just constantly worry you're worried about what other people think about you that's a big thing for a lot of people what to these other folks out there think about me. You know it's been said you wouldn't worry so much about what people think of you. If you realize how seldom they do, but others, a great theologian that had a very insightful thought about worry theologian known as Charlie Brown and he said quote I developed a new philosophy.

I only dread one day at a time pretty good. Jesus said sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. In other words, no problems to face today. Don't start worrying about tomorrow and the day after and a week after and a month after but I'll tell you what anxiety, fear and worry are big issues in our nation today.

Proverbs 1225 says anxiety in the heart of man causes depression while how insightful is that statement know all the medical experts are telling this effectively the same thing. Experts tell us the prevalence of anxiety across the country and around the world is reach a crisis level and it continues to grow, especially among young people. A recent pew research poll revealed that teensy depression and anxiety as our number one problem is that interesting. They seem depression and anxiety. Number one, it ranks above bullying, drugs, alcohol, poverty, teen pregnancy and gangs number one anxiety and fear and depression. Maybe that's one of the reasons that the suicide rates have increased in the last two decades and 49/50 states and 25% of those states have seen an increase of 30% in suicide rates and so were filled with anxiety and worry, and it's something that we need to learn how to handle.

There's a story told about Amanda came face-to-face with the dangers of worry. A one day death was Martin toward a city and the man said what are you doing and that said I'm going to take 100 people today. The man said that's horrible horrible. So he ran again of death and warned everybody about the fact that death was coming at the end of the day of the sun was setting.

Death was leaving the city and MOM man went back to death and he said when a second you told me you were going to take 100 people of thousand people died today that that I kept my word, I only took 100 worry took the rest. That's it.

Worry can do it is they can just send you into a tizzy and we live in the nation full of warriors. You could put on a lot of American tombstones today buried worried very were the only nation in the world with a mountain called Mount Rushmore were always on the go, always moving, always stressed out 43% of all adults suffer mental effects due to worry and stress. And here's an interesting step 75% to 90% of all visits to primary care physicians are stressed related complaints and disorders other words, it's not real. Here's one thing I guarantee we'll get to stressed out is to be having a gripping and you googled your ache or pain and then you get advice online.

Have you ever done that I can illustrate this personally. I was feeling pain in my chest.

I think someone I knew, I just had a heart attack so it was sort of in my mind and I thought this kind of pain in my chest for the pressure on it and I thought wow a witticism so I googled it and symptoms of a heart attack pressure on your chest. I had that and it said nausea. I was immediately nauseated and the guy who never goes to the doctor so I call my doctor I said I think I need to get an EKG I might be having symptoms of a heart attack. He said come down here immediately. They hooked me up and saw that all the tests on me and then he said, you are perfectly fine, your hearts in great working order and then I got the bill for about a week later and I did of a heart attack know something to feel what is all this pressure well. I started playing racquetball again and I was going to chase the ball and I slammed up against the wall just had a bruise my massive chest and that's what I was what I thought it was something else I got myself all worked up about something that wasn't even happening to me at all of Dr. Walter Calvert reported a Serbian worry that indicated only 8% of the things people worried about were legitimate matters of concern. The other 92% were imaginary or they never happened.

That's white has been said, worry is advanced interest you pay on troubles that rarely come. So what do we do when worry gets what we do. What were suddenly filled with anxiety.

What we do.

What were overcome with fear. Answer we need to give our worries to Jesus Christ or to put it another way, we need to take out the trash. I took the trash out last night. I don't know why put this off is not a big deal. I even have these trash cans with wheels and handle but still the trash. I need to take the trash out for some reason this is become the job of men universally.

It's like you and I don't know where the guys are supposed to do it so I dutifully take out the trash. It's really no big deal, but sometimes in life we start finding ourselves filled with anxiety and worry and stress. And we need to take the trash out, so to speak. We have a trash when that comes and picks up our trash once a week. I'm really glad he doesn't and even more, you have a Savior you about God who cares about you and the Bible says you can cast all of your care upon. I'm not saying Jesus is a trash man. Here's what I am saying he wants to take your cares he wants to take your worries. You want to take your anxieties off of you that Jesus said in Matthew 1128 come unto me all of you that are laboring and are carrying the weight of your burdens come to me.

I will give you rest your great glory will have the second half of this message just a moment whatever you send us an email, text or post a comment on social media. We read every word hello Pastor Greg, I don't know if you ever seen this or not but I just wanted to say thank you for all you do.

I was raised in the church and was saying in a very yummy like a lot of folks who grew up in church, I fell away and one day I heard you on the radio and your message made, I needed to get my life right, thank you were so great to hear changed lives through harvest ministries and if you story tell of how the studies have touched your life, that of a family member. I hope you'll contact us today. Email Pastor Craig at great harvest on again. That's great harvest.org will today. Pastor Greg is presenting a helpful message called God's answer to fear, anxiety and worry. Part two, let's dig into God's word. First Peter chapter 5 starting in verse six. By the way I'm reading from the new living translation so humble yourselves under the mighty power of God and at the right time to look you up in honor. Underlying this phrase casting all your cares upon him for he cares for you casting all your cares upon him for he cares for you. Stay alert. Watch out for your great enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against them, be strong in your faith and remember that your family of believers all over the world are going to the same kind of suffering. You are will stop there. How do we deal with our stress or anxiety and are worry. Point number one remember this, you are not alone in your suffering, you're not alone in your suffering birthday remember your family are believers all over the world are going to the same kind of suffering.

You are I know you're going through something right now you think I'm the only person that's ever gone through this.

Actually you arts. Others have gone through it. Others are going through it. Others will go through it. You're not alone in your suffering.

Others have experienced something very similar, if not the exact same thing of the Bible even tells us in first Corinthians 1013 there is no temptation or testing that will come your way. That is not common to others and God will without temptation or testing.

Make a way of escape, that you may be able to bear this paraphrase, there's others that are going to the same thing and somehow it's comforting to know I'm not the only person going through this right.

Severe suffering was something then you find somebody else of the suffered with the same thing. Or maybe something even worse.

It's really helpful to talk about. This is where community comes this is where the church family comes in. This is why you should not try to be a solo Christian unity, Jesus, and you need your Christian friends, your Christian brothers and sisters. You should never isolate yourself and disconnect yourself from other believers. You need to talk with them. You need to pray with them and escalation 62 says you need to share each other's bird so just say to someone, man. I'm going through something hard right now and I want to share it with you and then you talk about it sometimes just talking about alone helps a great deal and then you find yourself praying about it as well. So this is what were all called to do. Let's say you find out that you have cancer and that's a very frightening thing to hear from a doctor and then you say well I don't know what to do and then you find out that someone in the church that is a cancer survivor so they can it tell you their story how they been able to cope with that how the Lord is been strong for them during that time of difficulty.

That's very helpful to you. Then one day you become that survivor you become that person and you can now as the Bible says comfort with the comfort that you been comforted with so you meet somebody else that thinks her world is just ended and you can say come through this and here's what I've learned, and here's what the Lord has done for me. Let me share this now with you. So remember you're not alone in your suffering. Point number two you need to give your burdens to God. You need to give your burdens to God.

Verse seven cast all your care upon him for he cares for you as a new living translation puts it, give all your worries and cares to God because he cares about you.

By the way, the word used here for cast is not the normal word for throwing something rather it is a word that signifies a definite act of the will, by which we choose to stop worrying about something like God assumed the responsibility for our welfare something I am going to deliberately not worry about this. I'm going to intentionally throw this on God, to put it in his hands, leave it in his hands, and the word that is used here for care as and he cares for you means he is mindful of you. He's thinking about you not just let that sink in for a moment, God Almighty, the creator of the universe right now is thinking about you and he's so amazing. He's also thinking about me is thinking about all of us right now. Member in our last message on your anxiety and worry.

I quoted from Luke 1232 were Jesus said turn on, little flock, it is your father's good pleasure to give to you the kingdom. And we learned three things about God from that simple little versa.

God is our shepherd. God is our father. God is our King.

First of all, he's our shepherd or sheet. He watches over his flock and it's interesting Jesus is. Fear not, little flock, what is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom were a little flock, but we have a big God in our big God is watching over his little flock but is not just our shepherd is also our father who cares and noticed Jesus said it is your father's good pleasure to give to you the kingdom. God loves to bless his children. Let me put it another way, God likes to spoil his children dear I use that phrase he likes to indulge to give you things you don't deserve. The Bible says he's able to do exceedingly above and beyond that which we could ask or think. He loves to bless you. And thirdly, he's your king, which really speaks of the sovereignty of God, so he is looking over you he's caring for you. He is your father. You know the other day one of my grandkids as mean pop up. Are there more stars in the sky than sands on the shore how what I said to you. I really don't know. Scientists and astronomers tell us that there are billions of stars out there hundred billion galaxies in the universe so billions and billions of stars and Talbot. Here's what I do know God says, my thoughts toward you are greater than the sand of the sea while so good out of the beach a bit of a handful of sand 11 just poured through your hand for a moment to get all of that sin and think about this God's thoughts for you about you are greater than all those grains of sand that's an incredible thing he thinks about us.

He cares about us.

And finally, he is our King. It's his pleasure to give us the kingdom, but will we say he's our King at speaks of the sovereignty of God in the sovereignty of God simply means a godsend control. God is in control of your life and nothing catches him by surprise and make it you by surprise, but it doesn't catch him by surprise. He knew it was coming in of its concern to you. It's also a concern to him. And here's another thing you need to remember there are no accidents in the life of the Christian only Providence, let me say that again there are no accidents on the life of the Christian only Providence we as believers do not believe in fate. We believe in faith and we believe that God is in control right is very important stuff.

Remember, because when it seems that your world coming apart like God I hello are you aware of this gutsy not totally aware of it I knew was common and I got this.

I'm in control of this he gives us is wonderful promise that we all know well.

Romans 828 we know that all things are working together for good to those who love God and are the called according to his purpose.

Notice that does not say some things notice it does not even say we know that the good things are working together for good. It's is all thing David speaking of this in Psalm 119 wrote everything service your plant. So with this in mind, we need to cast our cares on God. This is something we need to do daily and quite honestly, it's something we need to sometimes do hourly because sometimes you give something to God with your red backed away all Lord I trust you and this I know you're in control. Alleluia comes back again and you brought it back to get you started worrying about it again. So maybe you want to do it over and over and over again. That's all right, you just empty your trash you know you don't empty your trash once a year at least I hope not.

You don't empty your trash once a month to do it weekly, sometimes even daily constantly cleaning constantly emptying it. And sometimes we have to keep coming back to the Lord again and again.

Sundays we have to bring it so more often than other days depending on what were facing in the given moment.

Greg Lord important insights today on how to reorient our thoughts to break free from the trap of fear, anxiety and worry. There's more to come from this presentation here on a new beginning and then were so excited to make available a new book called the Jesus music pastor Greg in the mid-70s I was a DJ had a Jesus music station not far from Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa were so much of the music was born right and our entire library was about 60 albums a success. So, even by the mid-70s. It was still a fledgling music format is nothing like it is today and we try to expand its reach. We tried to work through the churches to get the word out about this new music and yeah frankly most resisted it unite was different.

Yes, it had drums and guitars and they didn't want any of that stuff. Well, things have changed out of that mean it's not uncommon to see electric guitars and drums and all that in churches today. All of the things that you see in the church today actually came from the Jesus movement. One of them is contemporary Christian music. Another is I would say a more casual approach by the preacher may be dressed in a more relaxed way a lot of things that are commonplace in the church were born in this time of revival that started somewhere around maybe 69 went on through the 70s. In one of the big things was the music, the Jesus music was the soundtrack of that movement and I have the privilege of having a front row seat. I didn't know that I'd walked smack dab into the middle of a genuine spiritual awakening that Rebecca wrote a book about it called the Jesus revolution. By the way that's being made into a feature film that will be released in 2022, but this music was happening. Amazing fresh new music that was current for our generation and not only was it me back then but it continues to this present day, so a book has been written about this called the Jesus music. It's a beautiful hardbound book with the glossy pages filled with photographs and stories about these artists. The ones who pioneered at the Jesus music people like love song Andre Crouch of the disciples, and of course Larry Norman on through artists like Amy Grant, Michael W Smith through bands like Petra and striper to the present day, with bands that we listen to today and art is that we listen to today fascinating origins in this book is the story of well flawed individuals of God work through a lot of these artists work perfect people, but who was a perfect person is not the whole Bible, the story of flawed people that God work through.

So this is a book that will tell you things about this music that you've probably grown to love that you've never heard before or seen before. It's a brand-new book called the Jesus music. I had the privilege of writing the forward and I think you're gonna really enjoy this. This is a Kennebunk you probably sent out of your coffee table and keep out the look at again and again so were encouraging you to order your own copy of the Jesus music written by Marshall Terrell, who I wrote three books with and I working on 1/4 book with. By the way, and this is something you're gonna love and it will be yours for your gift of any size know some of you can give a lot.

We appreciate that some of you can only give a little. Whatever you give.

We will send you your own copy of the Jesus music is our way of saying thanks to you yet.

It's right, and we hope you will contact us today with your investment in this ministry and will send you this beautiful hardback edition of the Jesus music so many great pictures and such great stories of the birth of contemporary Christian music.

You can write us at a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call any time 24 seven, 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org everybody Greg Laurie here. You know my uncle Fred Jordan at one of the first Christian TV programs out there.

It was called church in the home.

I remember watching it as a little boy when I was living with my grandparents only have church in the home for you every weekend is called harvest that you get invited to harvest.org we have worship in a message of God's word. So join us this weekend for Harvest at Home harvest.will next time pastor Greg brings us more freeing perspective about fear, anxiety and worry good encouragement for the stresses you're facing right now. Join us here on the new beginning pastor and Bible teacher Greg Lord thanks beginning Greg Laurie podcast made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for daily devotions and learn how to become a harvest partner harvest.org