FEAR LESS: LOSING CONTROL
Pastor Katie Weisbrod – September 27, 2020
KEY IDEA: Give your cares to God and make a decision to not take them back.
KEY PASSAGE: “For God has not given us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
2 Timothy 1:7; “Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” Proverbs 12:25
SUMMARY: How many people live with an anxious heart? To overcome the fear of losing control we first have to release our worry over the “what if’s.” We are secured by the promises of faith and the Word. When we give our cares over to God, we don’t take them back.
INTRODUCTION: God has given us a sound mind. Our anxiety is rooted in things we cannot control. Rather than control, God offers us something infinitely better—His perfect peace.
How do you know you are anxious?
1. You worry about things out of your control.
2. You feel rattled when things don’t go as planned.
3. You lose sleep over pressing issues.
4. You find it hard to turn off your mind.
5. You feel intimidated by the unknown.
6. You imagine the worst-case scenario.
We are all living with some form of anxiety. We live in an anxious world. If God has given us a sound mind, why do we struggle so much with anxiety?
Give God the ‘What Ifs’ of Fear
· “What if I . . .”
· Make up your mind beforehand not to worry. Luke 21:14
· We don’t have control over today or tomorrow, but we do have control over who we give control to.
· Golf example: Worrying about the (golf) hazard made it worse.
· Worry NEVER changes anything for good! Matthew 6:27 Sometimes worry changes things for the worse. Worry can affect your health and your relationships.
· Satan will use worry and anxiety as a tool to keep you from God’s best.
· When we break through the wall of worry, on the other side we find God’s perfect peace.
Put Your Mind on the Promises of Faith
· “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3
· We focus on God because we trust God.
· In the middle of our circumstances, in the middle of our struggle, we can have God’s perfect peace.
· We can be like Peter walking on the water. When Peter takes his eyes off Jesus, he’s back in the middle of the storm and begins to sink. Peter was struggling to trust Jesus. The outside factors were coming in through is senses.
· We have to choose to trust God in those moments. Proverbs 3:5-6
· God loves us and wants the best for us. Romans 8:28
· “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.” –George Mueller
· The end of worry and anxiety can only happen can only happen when we put our faith in the one who stands sovereign over all.
· Faith brings peace.
· Faith draws you closer to God.
· Faith changes things.
· Worry brings turmoil.
· Worry takes you away from Him.
· Worry can change nothing.
So what can you do today to start living in freedom from anxiety? How can you break the fear of losing control and live with the Sound Mind that God promises us?
Give your cares to God and make a decision to not take them back
· An anxious heart will weigh you down. Proverbs 12:25
· Peter tells us to give our cares to God because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7
· Paul tells us “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
· Guard is a defensive word. God says that My peace which is greater than all things, will guard your heart and your mind.
· None of the worries in this world are greater than God.
· Israel used to offer sacrifices on the altar and the fire would come and consume the sacrifices and it would be a pleasing aroma to the LORD. Write down your worries on a piece of paper and give them to God. Don’t take them back.
“The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.”
-George Mueller
GIVE YOUR CARES TO GOD AND MAKE A DECISION TO NOT TAKE THEM BACK
REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Use these reflection questions as a way to deepen your relationship with God. Allow the Holy Spirit to shine a light into your heart.
1) Share about a time when you worried about something and it never happened.
2) Pastor Katie listed 6 indicators for how we know if we are anxious.
1. You worry about things out of your control.
2. You feel rattled when things don’t go as planned.
3. You lose sleep over pressing issues.
4. You find it hard to turn off your mind.
5. You feel intimidated by the unknown.
6. You imagine the worst-case scenario.
Which of the 6 indicators do you struggle with the most right now? How is it affecting you physically and emotionally?
3) Share a “What if happens?” that you have thought about recently. (Examples: I lose my job. I can’t pay my bills. I get sick. Someone I love dies. Etc.) Now take that worry and change it to “What if
happens?” (Examples: I get a promotion or a better job. God provides in our financial situation. We all stay healthy. What if someone I love gets sick but then gets better. Etc.)
4) Which worry or care do you give to God and then take it back and continue to worry about it? Or which worry or care have you never given to God in the first place? Why?
5) What might it look like in our country right now if Christians were not anxious and instead lived in God’s perfect peace?
a. How might it affect those around us who don’t know Jesus?
b. How might it affect the way we interact with those that we don’t agree with?
c. How might it affect what we post on social media or the content and tone of our conversations with others as we navigate our country’s challenges?
6) Which Scripture passage below most resonates with you right now? Why?
a. “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”
Isaiah 26:3
b. “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7
c. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
d. “For God has not given us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
e. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Challenge: Commit yourself to memorize one of the verses above and speak the Truth out loud every time you feel anxious this week, as a way to reinforce the sound mind God has already given you.
Full Podcast Episode: http://banner.church/podcast/2020/11/12/fearless-fear-of-control-92720