Unshakeable

Standing Firm in Face of Anxiety

  

Jonah: You don’t know better than God how your life should be going. Trust.

Ruth: Get out of Moab, come home to a God you can trust.

Now? Philippians. What does the fourth chapter teach us?

When you get into a highly unstable environment, if a vessel wants to navigate such an unstable environment, it must have strong stabilizers within.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

-Philippians 4:1

No matter what the issue-the Bible employs cosmic truth into even the smallest of things. 

Is there meaning in life? What is it?

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.

-Philippians 4:1-3

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

-Philippians 3:20-21

Like anybody, I would like to live a long life–longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the Promised Land. So, I’m happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. ‘Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.’

-Martin Luther King

  

One: We must re-see the external circumstances through the love and wisdom of God.

  

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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

You have to envision all the possible things that could happen and thank Him for all of them.

Everything that God lets through must be necessary. Everything he doesn’t let through could not be necessary.

-John Newton

Through prayer, you begin to see the world through the eyes of God’s love and wisdom.

The great stabilizer:

Stands before the crosses of our lives and says,

“God, I don’t know how you are working this, but I stand here, thanking you ahead of time for what you are doing.”

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

-James 1:5-6, 8

  

Two: We must decenter all of our circumstances through the discipline of holy moderation.

  

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all.

-Philippians 4:4-5

This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.

-1 Corinthians 7:29-31

If you understand the grace of God, it makes the worst times bearable and the best times leave-able.

-John Newton

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

-Philippians 4:4

Whose names are in the book of life.

-Philippians 4:3

'Rejoice not that the demons are subject to my name but that your names are written in Heaven.'

-Luke 10:20

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

-Philippians 4:7

Like anybody, I would like to live a long life–longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over, and I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the Promised Land. So, I’m happy tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. ‘Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.’

-Martin Luther King

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

-Philippians 4:9

  

When you engage in the disciplines of:

1) Re-seeing your circumstances through prayer and the love and wisdom of God.

2) Re-centering your circumstances through moderation, with your citizenship in heaven in mind.

Over time… you actually begin to feel the presence of God in such dramatic ways that God, His presence in your life, overwhelms your circumstances and takes you into the beyond.

    

    

    

    

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