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[0:00] Would you stand together with me for this reading from God's Word? Philippians chapter 4, I'll read the first eight verses.! I sighed in the cause of the Gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

[0:38] Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again. Rejoice. Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

[1:04] Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.

[1:21] Our text for this morning is just two verses. Philippians 4, 6, and 7. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

[1:48] How good are you at handling anxiety and stress that comes in your life? Stress is being identified more and more by the medical community as a contributing factor to all sorts of physical problems and diseases, not just ulcers and high blood pressure and heart disease, but all sorts of cancers as well, broken down immune systems, emotional problems, phobias.

[2:21] Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made. God has made us with an amazing capacity to respond to stresses in our lives. But an overload of stress and continual stress, the body was not made for, the soul was not made for, and it actually works to the breaking down of our health.

[2:44] Now, just how much the Apostle Paul knew about the physical and emotional results of anxiety is not known, but he certainly knew a lot about the spiritual effects of anxiety upon a person and his relationship to God and others.

[3:02] An anxious Christian is of little use to the Master because he's taken up with himself and his problems and not free then to minister to others and to his God.

[3:17] And on top of this, worry is a sin, isn't it? And it's not pleasing to God. Well, there are many reasons then why we should thank God that we have these two verses in the Bible that address for us this whole matter of stress and anxiety in our lives.

[3:38] There's just two main points this morning. There's a command and there is a promise. First comes the command. And the command itself has two parts, a negative part and then a positive part.

[3:52] There's something not to do and there's something to do in this command. The negative part comes first. Don't worry about anything. Don't worry about anything. As our text says, do not be anxious about anything.

[4:07] So this forbids a certain behavior, just as the command, do not covet. Do not murder. Do not worry. Now this doesn't mean that all concern and care in our lives is sinful and displeasing to God or forbidden.

[4:27] It's right to be concerned about your family. It's right to care about your health, your job, your church, your neighbor, your responsibilities, your future.

[4:39] In fact, to not be concerned about those things would be sinful. So we're not being forbidden to have any care or concern in that way.

[4:51] What is being forbidden here is worry, that nervous anxiety, that anxious care, that harassing care, the kind of concern that disturbs our peace, that gets us worked up and stressed out and distracted.

[5:08] Notice right away how wide and all embracing the command is. Don't worry about anything. Anything. No exemptions.

[5:19] Don't let anything get you to worrying. Now what kind of things do we worry about? Jesus said, the world worries about what we shall eat, what we shall drink, what we shall wear.

[5:32] And those were primarily financial concerns. How are we going to get enough money to buy the food and the clothing? You ever worry about finances? That's what Jesus says people worry about.

[5:45] People worry about their health, he says. About our life. How long it will be. About death. About our future. About decisions that we have to make. That will affect our future and our families.

[5:58] We worry about our kids. We worry about our grandkids. We worry about our aging parents. Persecution. Did anybody worry this week about stormy weather?

[6:11] You might even worry about a command telling you not to worry about anything. And I might even worry about preaching a sermon about not worrying about anything.

[6:25] The truth is we worry about all sorts of things, don't we? Indeed, Jesus said to Martha, Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many, many things.

[6:35] You might even be worried about your hospitality to guests after the service today, as Martha was. Oh, we worry about many things.

[6:48] Some kids are picky eaters. Anxiety will feed on anything. It's not picky. There's almost nothing in this world that anxiety will not cause us, will not feed upon.

[7:04] And so, let none of these things, the command says, cause you to worry. So, it's a wide command, an all-embracing command.

[7:17] It's a searching command. I'm found out by it. I have much to confess before this command of my God. And to confess a sin. But it's a kind command.

[7:30] Oh, what a king we have that makes such laws as rejoice in the Lord always. And don't worry about anything.

[7:42] What a king is this? Who would complain about such commands? It's a hope-giving command. I take great hope that I can conquer worry in my life.

[7:56] Because if God commands me not to worry about anything, then there is grace in God to enable me to keep that command. For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

[8:12] Isn't that what we memorized this week? Yes, it's a hope-giving command. And I find great hope when I remember who was writing this. It's not a wealthy man in a mansion sitting there isolated from problems in his ivory tower.

[8:32] No, this isn't the author of these words. It's Paul, the apostle of Jesus. And where is he? He's in prison. And why is he there? Because he's awaiting trial.

[8:44] And he may be executed if Nero says guilty. And on top of that, he has the care of all the churches. I've got the care of one church. Paul had the care of all the churches on his heart.

[8:56] There is enough to make worry warts of all of us. Just with Paul's pressures alone. And yet he's the one who says to us, Don't worry about anything.

[9:10] And I take hope. This man has something to teach me about handling worry in my life. And I remember who Paul is saying this to.

[9:21] It's the Philippian church. And they're in the midst of persecution. They're being oppressed as Paul was. And they've got internal problems, don't they? They've got unity fractures going on in the church.

[9:36] And they've got men who are tempting them to fall into legalism on the one hand. And they've got other men who are tempting them by their example to fall into loose living. And antinomianism on the other hand.

[9:48] They've got all kinds of pressures and temptations and problems and persecution. And yet Paul, who knows all of this is going on in their lives, still says to them, Don't worry about anything.

[10:01] And it tells me you don't have to have a problem-free life in order to obey this command. And your life can be full of problems and stresses and still not worry about anything.

[10:21] It's hope-giving, isn't it? These things that, if I allow them to cause worry, will bring worry. Those things can't make me worry.

[10:32] No. I'm not at their mercy. I don't have to let them walk off with my peace. Now, it takes more than just a command to get us to quit worrying about something. It's not enough for somebody just to come up to us and say, Quit worrying.

[10:46] Snap out of it. Just do it. Because the things that cause us to worry and give us anxiety hang on to us. Like a pit bull hangs on to our pant leg.

[10:58] His teeth have punctured our jeans. And you can't easily shake them off. So it is with worrisome thoughts. They go round and round in our minds. And you can't just tell a man, Quit worrying.

[11:11] And the Apostle and the Holy Spirit do not just tell us, Quit worrying. There have got to be powerful reasons for us to quit worrying.

[11:21] If we're to live worry-free lives. Well, the remedy, this powerful remedy for worry is found in the second part of the command. We've seen the negative part.

[11:33] Don't worry about anything. Now the positive part. Here's something to do. Pray about everything. Pray about everything. Do not be anxious about anything. But in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving to God, present your request to God.

[11:50] So do you see the offsetting commands? Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. Prayer, then, is God's answer to worry. The world has its own ways of dealing with worry.

[12:04] Some people try to drink their worries away. What a sad life. Some people try to party them away.

[12:15] To pop a pill and tranquilize them away. Anything to ignore worrisome issues. It's amazing to me how people who this moment, if they died, would be in hell for eternity, are able to deal with that worry in their life just by ignoring it.

[12:34] Just by ignoring it. People cop out. They just walk out of responsibilities that are causing them worry. That's one of the world's ways of dealing. Others grit their teeth.

[12:45] They just grin and bear it. Then there's all sorts of stress management techniques. Meditation and exercise. Not all of which are to be despised.

[12:56] But at best, these are band-aids that don't get to the root of what causes us to worry. And at worst, they're replacements for God. Forsaking God the spring of living water and digging their own cisterns.

[13:10] Broken cisterns that cannot hold water. They put their trust in other things to deal with their worries. Sadly, they have no personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

[13:23] So they lack the one thing needful when worries come. And that's prayer. They have no communion with God. But blessed be God, we who know Christ do.

[13:33] Why is it that prayer is so effective in dealing with worry? Well, because prayer brings God into the picture, doesn't it?

[13:45] Prayer is a Godward act. In prayer, I think about my God. I think about how great He is. I look up and see my Father in Heaven, seated upon the throne that rules the universe.

[13:56] That rules all my life and all my concerns. In prayer, I make my address to this great God. Nothing exists apart from His will.

[14:08] No one breathes apart from Him giving breath. No one lives. No one moves. No one lifts a finger. No one says a word. No one makes a decision that He is not ordained and promised to work for good in my life.

[14:23] In prayer, I address this God with my concerns. So prayer brings God into the picture. And have you found that nothing looks the same with God in view?

[14:35] We come to the Valley of Elah. There are the armies of Israel and the armies of the Philistines. And the armies of the Israelites, the Israelite army is paralyzed with worry because of that giant Goliath.

[14:55] Kids, he was over nine foot tall. That means that his shoulders would be rubbing against the ceiling of your Sunday school rooms. Wouldn't be room for his head. He's that big.

[15:06] The end of his spear weighed 15 pounds. That's like two gallons of milk. You ever brought the milk in for mom? Seven and a half pounds each.

[15:18] Ever try to hold them out? Ever try to hold two in one hand? Hold it out on the end of a stick? That's Goliath. He's one mean dude. And he's standing there.

[15:28] And all the armies of Israel are terrified. They're worry sick. Because they're measuring Goliath, the giant, against themselves.

[15:40] He's bigger. He's taller. He's meaner. And I'm scared of him. But a teenage boy walks into camp. He's there to visit his brothers.

[15:51] And when the giant comes out, as he did every day, to make his challenge, his boastful challenge, David's not full of fretting and worry.

[16:03] In fact, he's ready to go fight him. Why? Because he's not measuring the giant against himself. Or he'd come to the same worries that everybody else in the camp had. He's measuring Goliath against God.

[16:17] And he's just a grasshopper in the sight of his great big God. We sang of the greatness of God. We worship this great God today.

[16:29] And David learned to see the giant and measure him against God. The God whom he had defied. And he says, let me at him.

[16:39] He saw God on the battlefield. And nothing looks the same with God in view. Even Philistine giants.

[16:50] Now that's what prayer does. It brings God into our battlefield. It brings God into our worries. Not that he was ever missing or absent. It's just that we had forgotten about him.

[17:01] And we spend so much of our lives forgetful about this great God that is ours in Jesus Christ. Well, in prayer, we turn our minds back to him.

[17:12] And we see him again for who he is. And though our circumstances don't change one bit, perhaps, we have been changed. Goliath is still over nine feet tall.

[17:25] He didn't shrink. But David's worries did. Paul is still in prison. But his worries have been changed to peace.

[17:37] His troubled heart stilled to peace. So, prayer is so powerful in dealing with worry because it brings God into the picture. But secondly, it's so powerful and effective because in prayer I cast all my burdens upon this great God.

[17:54] J. Adams talks about the world's worst worrier, Fred. And his friend met him one day and said, What's happened to you, Fred? You look as if you haven't got a care in the world.

[18:06] I don't. He answered. That's great. How did you get rid of all your worries? I hired a man to worry for me. You did what?

[18:16] I hired a man to do all my worrying for me. Well, that's different. How much does he charge? $500 a day.

[18:29] $500 a day. Where are you going to get that kind of money? Well, that's his worry, not mine. Isn't it an enviable thing to think about having somebody to do all your worrying for you?

[18:48] And is that not what we have, dear brothers and sisters? Amen. And it doesn't cost us a cent. Cast all your cares upon me because I care for you.

[18:58] We have such a God, such a burden bearer, who will do all our caring for us, all of our worrying, all of our anxiety.

[19:09] He'll take it. And I do that. I cast my burdens on him by prayer, by petition. I present my requests to God. I come with a sense of my need, of my inadequacy.

[19:23] That's why I'm worrying because I'm not up for this thing. I'm not up for this giant in my life. It's bigger than me. I don't have the strength. I don't have the wisdom. I don't have the patience for this. I can't handle that.

[19:34] And I come and I cast my burden on the Lord. But Lord, you do. And you have grace. And out of your fullness of grace, give to me. I, here, give you my burden.

[19:47] When John the Baptist's disciples heard that John had been beheaded, they went to the prison and took his body and buried him. And then they went and told Jesus. Jesus. They went and told Jesus.

[19:58] Tell it to Jesus. Tell it to Jesus. He is a friend that's well known. You've no other such a friend or brother. Tell it to Jesus alone. And in prayer, I tell it to Jesus.

[20:12] I tell him what's bothering me. I tell him what's worrying me. And I put it into his hands. I give him my list of things to worry about.

[20:23] You know, we all have those lists. Some of you write them down. Others just have them spinning in your minds. And we just unburden ourselves. And we go through the list. And we give them to Jesus.

[20:35] Here they are, Lord. I can't handle them. But you can. Help me. In prayer, I take my burden to the Lord and leave it there. So you see that this part of the commandment is just as broad as the negative part.

[20:52] Negative part said, don't worry about anything. And now this part says, pray about everything. That too is all-encompassing, isn't it? Pray about everything.

[21:04] Present all your worries to God. Do you do that? Do you pray about everything? If you would not worry about anything, then you must pray about everything.

[21:19] And especially in context, the everything focuses upon everything that threatens to make me worry. Everything that is a potential stressor in my life that would cause me to worry.

[21:32] That must be brought to God in prayer. Brothers and sisters, we're too prone, as someone prayed in our worship this morning, to just pray about the big things, aren't we? We're very prone to bring before God those big things.

[21:46] We've got surgery, and I'm not belittling. That's a big thing, and so we do. We run to God in prayer. That's a 50-pound weight, and we can't live as well carrying that thing around.

[21:57] So we come and we cast our weight upon the Lord. But we're content for some reason to carry around all the little worries ourselves. Do you know that 10 5-pound little worries adds up to that big 50 pounds?

[22:16] And how often are we running around with 50 pounds of worry and anxiety, and we're burdened down? Because they just come in 5-pound packages. We don't think they're big enough to bother our God with.

[22:28] Our God is a great big God, and the whole universe is under His scope and His care. Oh, He doesn't care about me and my little worry, so I just keep piling them on.

[22:39] No, pray about everything the Bible says. Everything. The piddly thing that's causing you stress.

[22:51] Have you thought about it that most things, most of the trials and troubles and stresses in your life are little ones? You're not going into surgery every day, are you?

[23:03] They're little ones. I would say 90% of the things that cause us to worry are little worries, little problems. Now, if I don't take my little worries to Jesus, think of how much of my life is lived out of touch with Jesus, unconnected to Him, not bothering to bring this part of me into the blazing light of who this great God and Savior Jesus is.

[23:31] Oh, so much of our lives, unconnected. We don't see God in the picture. It's such a piddly little problem. In everything, by prayer and petition, make your request to God.

[23:47] If we fail to bring the little worries to God in prayer, oh, we miss His help on each occasion. So we need to renounce the lie of the devil, that God is so great that He doesn't have time for your piddly little worries.

[24:01] If the worry is big enough, or if the thing is big enough to cause you worry, it's big enough to pray about. It's of concern to Him. If it's of concern to you, it's of concern to Him.

[24:12] No matter how small it may seem. Casting all your anxiety upon Him because He cares for you. Yes, He cares about all that you're anxious about.

[24:25] So in everything, by prayer and petition, make your request to God. Now this is good news. It's good news for me. Because I would be too embarrassed to tell you about some of the things that I worry about.

[24:40] Lord, what if this happens? And what if that happens? And then that happens? And I'd be embarrassed to tell you some of the scenarios that I sit and worry about.

[24:52] I'm nervous about talking to this person. I'm nervous about... But you know, Jesus understands me. He knows all about me. And I can go to Him and tell Him.

[25:03] He was once here. Tempted and tried just like me. He sympathizes with me in all my weaknesses. What a blessing to be able to come to Him with all my worries.

[25:15] And unburden my soul. Trust in Him at all times, O people. Pour out your hearts before Him. For God is our refuge. There's the picture. The picture of my heart with all of its worries.

[25:28] And the Bible, God is inviting me to just pour it all out. Pour out your heart before Him. Don't leave a drop in it. Why should you carry around a drop?

[25:40] Why shouldn't you just pour it all out? Cast all your cares upon Him. Pray about everything. And when we fail to cast all of our problems and all of our worries upon Him, we're left to bear them ourselves, aren't we?

[25:56] And so anxiety becomes its own punishment. That turmoil, that worry, that upset. It's the punishment I receive for not casting my anxieties upon the Lord.

[26:11] Oh, what peace we often forfeit. Oh, what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

[26:22] What needless pain we bear. You know, there's needful pain for us in this life. Peter talks about these things are needful for us. We need them. But there's needless pain.

[26:33] Oh, what needless pain we bear. What are we? Gluttons for punishment or something? That we don't bring our requests to God? And we heap on ourselves this needless pain of carrying our burdens.

[26:48] No, pray about anything, everything, big or small. Now, here's a way to make your worries serve your good. To make your worries work for you rather than against you.

[26:59] To work for your advantage. Consider them as calls to prayer. Consider your worries as calls to prayer.

[27:10] Five times a day in the Muslim world, there's that screeching loud speaker. First time it's heard is at sunrise. It's mounted there on the minaret of the local mosque.

[27:24] And it's calling all the faithful to prayer. So all the faithful men rise up early and go and drone out there.

[27:36] Wrote prayers to Allah who cannot hear. Call to prayer five times a day. Christian method has far more superior method than that.

[27:46] Every time you feel a bit of worry. Just a twinge. A tightening of the gut. The tension on the back of the neck. The first worrisome thought you have.

[27:59] It's a call to prayer. Come on. Come and tell me about it. That's how you're to view these things. Don't worry about anything. Pray about everything. This worry. God is calling you to himself.

[28:11] He's calling you to lift up your eyes to the hills. Where does your help come from? He's calling you to lift your eyes to the great God that he is. Regard your worries as such.

[28:23] Talk to him right where you are. Driving down the road and that thing's nagging you. Right then. Oh Lord. You see what I'm worried about. You cast it on him.

[28:34] Maybe you're laying in bed at night. Nobody even realizes you're worried. But God does. And you tell it to Jesus. Maybe you're at the kitchen sink doing dishes and troublesome thoughts.

[28:46] Arrest you. Isn't it a wonderful privilege, brethren? To go to God anytime, any place. And to find his sympathetic heart waiting to take upon himself all of our troubles.

[29:00] What a privilege. We use it so little, don't we? This privilege was bought at the price of the Son of God's blood shed on Calvary.

[29:11] That opened up this new and living way. So that here at home on the highway in the bedroom we can call upon God. And he hears us for Jesus' sake. Make use of this privilege of prayer.

[29:23] Make use of the God who hears and answers prayer. Yes, prayer is powerful in dealing with worry because it brings God into the picture. And it's in prayer that we cast our burdens upon the Lord.

[29:37] There's one other aspect. An important point that we must not miss about the remedy for worry. And it has to do with two little words. Well, one little one and one big one. With thanksgiving.

[29:49] In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. That says that all of our prayers, the different kinds of prayers, prayer, petition, request, none of them are to be offered to God without thanksgiving.

[30:05] Be sure you include thanksgiving in all your prayers. No prayers offered without thanksgiving. Now this is important not just because God deserves it. That's true enough.

[30:17] That'd be enough. But it's important because it's part of the remedy to worry. Thanksgiving is part of the remedy to worry. One author regards it as thank you therapy.

[30:30] Thank you therapy. For many, thanksgiving comes but once a year in November. But for the Christian, it's to come daily. It's to come with every worry.

[30:41] It's to come with every petition, every prayer. And when we shortchange God of thanksgiving, we shortchange ourselves of the remedy, the powerful remedy that thanksgiving is in conquering worry and stress.

[30:56] Thank you therapy. Here's how it works. Thanksgiving forces me to think upon things that build my faith in this great God. Things that kill my worry.

[31:08] So when I thank God, I'm thinking about past mercies, aren't I? Thinking about all those mercies. Blessings already received. And as I start to thank God for all those mercies in the past, I see just how faithful God is to me.

[31:26] And I see just how committed He is to me. And I'm enabled to entrust my present worries to this God who's already taken care of me all these days of my life.

[31:40] I can cast my worries on Him. I pray with a brother each Wednesday morning. And very often my requests are the same.

[31:53] Pray for help in preparing to preach and teach the Word of God. And this brother does something very helpful for me. He often is found thanking God for helping me to preach last week.

[32:08] And helping me to preach every time I've been called upon to preach the Word of God. Preaching can be a source of anxiety to me.

[32:19] But as I'm brought into the presence of this God, and I'm reminded, yes, the Lord helped me last week. The Lord helped me a year ago in this wedding that I had. The Lord helped me in this funeral.

[32:30] The Lord helped me here and there. And I find that my heart that was pressed with anxiety is lifted up. I can trust God to meet me again. He has not changed.

[32:40] He's the same. And He will come and help me. So we'll want to give thanks for past mercies that are related to the things that are now causing us worry. Maybe it's financial strain.

[32:51] And you're wondering how you're going to make ends meet. Have you ever in your past, ever had a place in your life when you were pinched financially? You're here, aren't you?

[33:05] God must have heard. God must have answered, didn't He? And so you start to thank Him for those times when He heard maybe in awesome ways, amazing things He did to meet your needs. And you start to thank Him.

[33:16] And you find your worries are lightened in thanksgiving. Maybe you're under a time crunch and you're wondering, how am I going to get everything done? Has God ever helped you in the past in this way?

[33:29] Think and thank. Think and thank. What are past mercies that God has done for me related to this present problem? Worries over an unconverted child.

[33:41] And then I start to think, but I also had an older child. And she too was unconverted. And Lord, you came in mercy and saved her. Oh, please do the same for this child, you see.

[33:53] Past mercies. Thank God for them. And see how they affect your present worries. I thank you for enabling me to kill the lion and the bear.

[34:07] And so I thank you that this giant is nothing to you. This giant in front of me will fall too. Anxiety can only exist if I'm forgetful of God's past mercies to me.

[34:20] So be thankful. Pray with thanksgiving. I thank God for His promises. I start to rehearse His promises. And again, I'm thanking Him for promises that have something to do with my present trial.

[34:30] Well, is it wisdom that I need for a decision? I not only think of His past help, but I think, are there promises in the Bible where wisdom is promised to me?

[34:44] And I thank God. Oh, God, you said in James 1.5, If any man lacks wisdom, that he may ask of you, and you will give generously without finding for. I thank you that that's true of you.

[34:55] And you'll give me wisdom. Maybe it's a naughty trial that has you confused. And you thank God for His commitment to work everything out for your good. You thank Him that He'll never leave you or forsake you.

[35:09] You're looking to the promises and you're thanking God for them. Or perhaps it's the very person of God that you thank Him for. I thank you that you are too wise to ever make a mistake.

[35:20] I thank you that you're too loving to ever be unkind. I thank you that you're too powerful to ever be frustrated in your purposes. I thank you that you're too faithful to ever forget about me and my good.

[35:34] I'm thanking Him for who He is. I'm thankful that you're a God who is near and not far off. That you're an ever-present help in trouble. And as I bring my icy worries into the warm sunshine of who God is, what He said, and what He has done for me, I find my worrisome thoughts begin to melt.

[35:54] I find this peace of God that passes understanding overtaking my heart. Thanksgiving takes you into the worry-killing world where God reigns over all.

[36:05] Where nothing is impossible. Where giants have been slain by teenagers. Where mountains have been moved by faith. So pray, but don't pray without thanksgiving.

[36:16] Pray about everything and give thanks in everything. Don't forget your thank you therapy as you fight against worry. So we've seen the command.

[36:28] Negative and positive. Don't worry about anything. Pray about everything. Now there's a promise for all who will pray about everything. If you do this, then this is what will happen.

[36:42] The promise, verse 7, And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. In a word, the promise is peace.

[36:53] That quietness of soul. That tranquility of spirit. That settled assurance that all is well. Everything is well between my soul and my God. Everything is well in the universe.

[37:05] Because my God reigns over the universe. And I am safe in his hands. Safe in his care. His banner over me is love. Nothing can touch me but what must come through him.

[37:18] And I have that settled peace. Peace. Hendrickson calls peace the smile of God reflected in the soul of the believer. The sense that God is pleased.

[37:29] God is in control. And peace is the awareness of it in our soul. That's what's promised peace. But notice it's called the peace of God. It's the very peace that God himself possesses.

[37:42] Do you know that God is not stressed out this morning? He is not worried. You have that picture in Psalm 2 of the nations raging, wanting to cast off his cords, his commands. Let's get rid of all these laws.

[37:54] We don't need these things. They're bondage to us. Let's set ourselves free. They're trying to dethrone God's King, Jesus. And he who sits in the heavens bites his nails.

[38:05] No, he who sits in the heavens laughs. Like piddly ants trying to overtake elephants. What are they thinking they can do?

[38:18] He reigns in that throne room of the universe with quiet, unruffled, sovereign peace. All is well in heaven this morning.

[38:30] And that's peace. That's the peace that's promised to me. God's own peace will be given to you. He gives you what he possesses.

[38:41] We saw it in our Lord Jesus when he was on the earth. Never flustered, never worried, never hurried. He's like the center of the hurricane. Perfect peace when everything's swirling around him.

[38:53] And oh, how much was swirling around him wherever he went. And there in the center of the hurricane, the center of the storm is perfect peace. It's the peace of Jesus.

[39:05] That's the peace promised to those who pray about everything with thanksgiving. My peace I leave you. My peace I give unto you. Not as the world gives it, give I unto you.

[39:18] Do not let your hearts be troubled. Do not let them be afraid. It's the peace of our God that's given. And it's the peace that transcends all understanding. It's beyond understanding. Like God's love.

[39:29] Like God's faithfulness. Like God's greatness. All of his attributes. Beyond comprehending. Not that it's irrational. It's not irrational. It just goes beyond what our mind can reach.

[39:40] There are solid reasons for our peace. But it goes way beyond what we can even find out. There's nothing like it. It's unique in all the world. The lost man is puzzled before it.

[39:53] How can that woman have such peace in the troubles and turmoils that she's going through? Passes their understanding. There's no answer for it other than God's peace has been given to her.

[40:09] And even believers. It transcends our comprehension. It surpasses all of our dreams. So wonderful is this peace.

[40:19] You've known it. A mess you were in worry. And you came to the throne of grace. And you unburdened your soul. And he spoke peace.

[40:32] Peace be still. And that troubled heart was put at rest. Just as the sea of Galilee became a sea of glass. So your heart knew the peace of God that went beyond all understanding.

[40:48] And it's that peace of God that will guard your hearts and your minds. Will guard your hearts. Philippi was a garrison town. It was guarded by a Roman battalion of soldiers.

[41:00] And a very familiar scene around Philippi was the Roman sentry keeping watch. Keeping guard. And that's the military term. And that's the picture that Paul is painting for us here.

[41:13] God's own peace is the sentry on guard. And he stands there before your heart and mind. That's where all those worrisome thoughts come.

[41:25] That's where all those stirred up emotions are found. In the heart and mind. The very center of our citadel. And that's where this sentry of God's peace stands poised.

[41:39] And any worrisome thought that would come and think to enter through this gate will not be allowed in. The peace of God will garrison.

[41:49] Guard your hearts and minds. For all who pray about everything with thanksgiving. Casting their burdens upon the Lord.

[42:00] Notice the last three words of our text. In Christ Jesus. Folks if we see anything in the book of Philippians.

[42:12] I trust that we're seeing that anything good that we have as believers is in Christ Jesus. It's because we're in Christ that all that is Christ is ours. And this peace that was His it's ours.

[42:25] In Christ Jesus. We sang it. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth. Pardon. And peace. Where do you get pardon?

[42:36] Only in Christ Jesus. You got a burden my friend. If you're outside of Christ. It's called the burden of sin. God is angry with the wicked every day.

[42:46] He's going to judge you for your sins with eternal torments. If you don't feel the burden. You need to start feeling the burden. How do you come to enjoy the peace of God?

[42:57] Well you must find peace with God. In order to enjoy the peace of God. And how do you find peace with God? Well you come to the peacemaker.

[43:08] The prince of peace. Jesus Christ. And you cast all the burden of your sin upon Him. And you say Lord Jesus. I've sinned. I cannot pay for my own sins.

[43:19] But I trust in what you've done on Calvary to take away my sins. To make me right with God. You disburden your sins on this Savior. And you enjoy peace with God.

[43:32] And now you have the foundation for the peace of God. That reflection in your heart. That all is well now between me and my Savior. What will you do with your sin outside of Christ?

[43:46] Why are you carrying that burden of sin outside of Christ? Come to Jesus who welcomes all who are weary and heavy laden with sin. Come to Him.

[43:57] And He will give you rest. Rest. Soul rest. Rest. And so this peace of God in our hearts. Is knowing God is for me. No longer against me.

[44:08] For me in His love. For me in His power. For me in His wisdom. And so I invite any who are still at war with God. To come to Christ now. To pour out your heart. Your burdens to Him.

[44:19] Your sin to Him. And come to know the peace with God. And the peace of God. Believers. Why are we so slow to make use of this great burden bearer?

[44:31] We came to Him with our burden of sin. You know how heavy that was. Don't you? And you cast it on Him. And did He just take a couple pounds off? Or did He not take it all?

[44:43] My sin. Oh, the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin. Not in part. But the whole. Was nailed to His cross. And I bear it no more. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. Oh, my soul.

[44:53] Oh, now you're weighed down with these heavy weights of worry. Maybe one big thing. Maybe it's ten little things. But why are you carrying any of them? John, what a fool you are.

[45:04] Why? When you've got such a burden bearer. Why not empty them on to Him? When you've got someone to do your worrying for you. Why not run to Him and cast all your cares upon Him this morning? Because He cares for you.

[45:18] George Mueller. I shared this on Wednesday night a week ago. George Mueller lived a contemporary with Charles Spurgeon. Had some 2,000 orphans to care for.

[45:29] You think you have some things to worry about? Think of that poor man. Didn't know from day to day where the milk and bread was coming from. He says, I like to go to God early in the day.

[45:40] I like to cast my cares upon Him as the first thing in the day. So I can be before Him all day long in a spirit of joy. That's therapy for worry.

[45:55] To cast your cares upon Him first. So you wake up in the morning and the first thought is this thing that I've got to do today. Or that thing that I've got to do tomorrow. Or what I did yesterday. And worry starts to churn in the mind.

[46:07] Right then, right there. Before you put a foot down. You cast your cares upon the Lord. Why should you carry it till noon? Why should you carry it till supper? Why should you carry it for a day, a week?

[46:20] When He stands ready to take it. Whenever you come and disburden your heart. As soon as we feel the first distressing care. Tell it to Jesus. Tell it to Jesus.

[46:32] Make use of your burden bearer. And so rejoice in the Lord always. And so worry about nothing. Pray about everything.

[46:45] And the peace of God. Passes all understanding. Will stand guard over your heart. And your mind in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[46:57] I want to give you that opportunity right now. To take to the Lord in prayer. Whatever worries are on your heart. Let's do it. And then I'll close in prayer. Father in heaven.

[47:11] Thank you for pouring out your wrath upon your son. That he might become our friend. A friend that sticks closer. And a brother. A friend who's always waiting to come. And hear us pour out our hearts to him.

[47:24] Thank you that you've never turned me away. Hey Jesus. You've never told me. That's too little John. Don't bother me with that. Thank you for knowing my weakness.

[47:38] Thank you for meeting me in my place of need. I thank you that there is the same sweet sympathy for all of your children. Each one here today.

[47:51] Bring us then Lord. To cast all of our cares upon you. To live this way. Not just on Sunday. To live before you. To make use of you.

[48:03] As our great burden bearer. And so endear yourself to our hearts. Make us to love you more. Make us to tell others more about you. Those who this day are trying to get on.

[48:16] Carrying the burden of sin. Worries that they have. Without a savior. Without a friend. Draw them to yourself. Even some here. And get glory to the son of God today.

[48:28]  We ask in his name. Amen. Amen.