(Așa cum v-am promis, vă ofer textul predicii rostite de James Dan în limba engleză la Bethel. Alegeți în ce limbă vreți să o citiți, selectând din coloana din dreapta. Poate fi limba română, dar și spaniolă, franceză sau italiană.)

 Philippians 4:6-7 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

1. Why do we as humans feel anxious? a. To begin, what is anxiety, and what is fear? 

b. Whereas fear is an acute, immediate response to a current, present threat, anxiety is anticipatory and less concrete. 

c. Fear, and our generalized fear response, isn’t inherently a bad thing. If we see a car swerving into our lane, our body’s natural response is to be pumped full of adrenaline to help us coordinate our actions to steer our car out of the way; our heightened reaction time is purposeful and effective in protecting ourselves from danger 

d. Likewise, if we see a small child playing with a ball that rolls into the street, and the child chases after it right into traffic, our “flight or fight” response kicks in and we immediately lunge towards the child to protect them from bodily harm; again, fear here is specific and purposeful 

e. Anxiety, however, doesn’t necessarily have a tangible, immediate threat that it serves to prepare our bodies and minds for. There is no immediate action that we can take to protect ourselves or others when we feel anxious, because our feelings of anxiety often aren’t towards singular, concrete dangers. Rather, anxiety comes from a cascade of thoughts that aren’t definitive – we ruminate, we muse over things that could happen, over dangers that might take place, but not over things that we are definitively certain about in the present 

f. None of us are strangers to anxiety, either – no one can escape their mind or truly change the way that their mind jumps from thought to thought on their own, and as humans we oftentimes tend to think of the worst case scenario out of a situation that hasn’t necessarily crossed that boundary yet 

g. It may be a protective measure, as anticipating the worst can seemingly protect us mentally from the “shock” if it were to ever happen, but ultimately it wears us down and prevents us from being truly present in the moment and truly filled with the joy that God wants us to have in life 

h. So why do we experience anxiety over things that may not even happen? Why do we always assume that the worst is bound to happen? Why do we let our energy and mental fortitude be drained whenever we ruminate on all the potential dangers in our world? 

2. The issue of anxiety stems from the problem of control a. How many of us would still feel anxious about anything if we knew definitively how it would end up? If we knew specifically what that one test score would be 

while we wait in anticipation, or if we knew specifically what the prognosis would be of a loved one in the hospital without having to wait, would we still feel anxious? Or even more so, if we ourselves had power and control over things outside of our influence, would we feel anxious about anything? Of course not! But as humans, we are in the difficult position of knowing much about the state of our lives, and yet we feel helpless and powerless to do anything about it because we don’t know and can’t control all of it. If we knew how every potential trial would end, would we still feel anxious? If every single one of our worries and troubles was promised an ending that would favor us, would we have any reason to worry? 

b. The issue is that we think that everything is within our control and our responsibility. If that was the case, then I could say with utmost affirmation that we absolutely SHOULD worry and be anxious over everything. If we were the ones with sovereign power to make decisions over this life and all of matter, then our every waking moment should be spent frantically trying to organize the most minute details. If we think that we are the ones in control over every single detail in our lives, then we are hopelessly doomed. 

c. Let’s look at the fall of man in Genesis. Adam and Eve lived a life of complete and utter dependence on God for every single one of their needs, never even considering that they were somehow responsible for how their lives would end up. And it’s not to say that they were devoid of responsibility or work to some regard either – Adam was tasked with, as chapter 1 verse 28 says, (to) “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”. Adam was tasked with tending to the creation that God had created – he was not tasked with creating it himself or somehow taking on the role of God, but rather knowing his role as a created being in the face of the Uncreated One. This distinction is our starting point in knowing where we should stand in terms of our action and worry before God. 

d. Consequentially, the fall of man does tie into mankind reaching outside of the bounds of what we were originally tasked with – when Adam and Eve ate of the tree forbidden of them, they were promised by the serpent in chapter 3 verse 5 that, “the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” And likewise, according to Eve a few verses later, “it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise”. In Eve’s attempts to gain wisdom by evil means, she in turn became a greater fool than if she would have trusted in God. The “knowledge” that Eve gained wasn’t beneficial, but rather was a deviation in her mind from complete trust in God to trust in herself to take on the knowledge of things beyond her comprehension that God already was 

sovereign over. Eve replaced the roles of creation and creator in her mind, and suffered the consequence of her rebellion alongside all of humanity. 

e. And now we are plagued with seeing ourselves in our own weakness and nakedness, in the deadness of our sins, and in our feeble and pathetic nature. If God is removed from His place as creator and we enthrone ourselves in that spot, then we are both evil and powerless, helpless to do that which is good, or to ensure that good is brought about in the end. This is our reality, and why we often find ourselves ruminating about our “worst case scenarios”; this is why we let anxiety fill our minds to the point where we can’t think straight, or are paralyzed with worry. This is why we miss out on the abundance of joys that God has promised us if we are His children. And in order to address this, we must go back to the beginning and remember the order of creation, and recognize God’s sovereignty. 

3. How do we recognize God’s sovereignty? a. When we talk about the sovereignty of God, it’s not just another fun fact or just another attribute that we should check off like a list. If God is sovereign, it means absolutely everything for us in our lives, because we are not! The phrase “God’s sovereignty” is repeated so much but it’s never fully considered enough. It doesn’t just mean that God created everything in this universe and then stepped back and let chaos ensue like the deists believe. It doesn’t mean that God created humanity, let it fall into sin, and then as a backup plan decided to save it. Nonsense. God’s sovereignty means that He is truly all-powerful and in control over every single nanosecond and every single atom. R.C. Sproul once said, “There are no maverick molecules in the universe”. Nothing exists or takes place astray from God’s knowledge or permission. Even the absolute most horrendous evils and defilements of what’s good exists in restraint – Satan’s temptation of Job and destruction of his material life only took place because God allowed it to happen. Over everything in this life, God is in control. That is where we start. 

b. If we know that God is sovereign, we must then remember that God is good, and wants what is good for His children. If God was sovereign but evil, then we would have all the more reason to fear. If God was good but not sovereign, then we would have to take on more mental responsibility ourselves to try and “fix” this world. But we are incredibly blessed to serve both a sovereign and good God. God’s goodness is why he repaid Job in a surplus of possessions and blessings after Job endured temptation. God’s goodness is why Christ came to save us despite humanity’s sin of placing ourselves in God’s position as Lord of our lives. God wants what is ultimately good for us, and what is glorifying to Him. This doesn’t mean that this life will be devoid of trials or pains, but if we consistently remind ourselves that all suffering in this life is for the purpose of strengthening our faith and glorifying God, then they become bearable. Romans 8:28 reminds 

us, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose”. These aren’t easy concepts to stomach. But the issue with thinking that we are in control of everything in our lives is that we see the results of our failure, whether from our mistakes, our sins, or our powerlessness. God, being both sovereign and good, has none of those issues. God, being omniscient, knows exactly what we are going through, and cares deeply about us in the midst of our troubles and the weight of our responsibilities. God, in the person of Jesus Christ the Son, felt the weight of humanity and understands our every weakness. But we were never meant to bear the weight of this world alone! Therefore God’s sovereignty and His goodness are the answer to anxiety. 

4. We must reconcile God’s sovereignty and our responsibility a. But we know that we still have a responsibility to work and serve God in this limited time here on earth. How then do we reconcile God’s sovereign will and our personal efforts? Where is the line we can draw between what we are supposed to do, and what God is already doing? How do we know when to “let go and let God”, as the saying goes? We must remember our role as creation, and God as creator. We are tasked, biblically, with working and tending to God’s creation. God called Adam to subdue the earth, not to create it. God instructs us to tend to the poor and needy. Christ gave us the great commission, to “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you”, as Matthew chapter 28 says. But what does Jesus say right before this in verse 18? “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth”; and afterwards, in verse 20, “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age”. What a beautiful reminder! The One with all authority and power is with us always as we carry out His commands for the world. We are nothing more than His simple stewards who gladly get to partake in His sovereign plan of life. 

b. Therefore, our viewpoint on life should be simple. It is incredibly tempting to want to overthink and be anxious about everything in this life, from the success of our work, to the assurance of income and food for our families, to our physical safety. But nothing is guaranteed outside of God. Ecclesiastes 9:11 says, “I returned and saw under the sun that— The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.”. We have responsibilities as humans, but our work and preparation leaves no guarantee – only God ensures the outcome. Even our supposed skill at our jobs or our successes in this life are directly from God, and aren’t anything that we should put our trust in ourselves. We now know the work that is expected of us as God’s 

children and that we must do so with God’s sovereignty in mind and knowing that He is the one who brings about the end result. 

5. Let’s analyze the passage that was read at the beginning a. Be anxious for nothing, 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 minds through Christ Jesus. 

b. First: be anxious for nothing. God is sovereign, and you are not. God is good, and promises good to all those who are His children. No matter what happens, God is in control. Don’t be anxious about anything. 

c. Second: pray and let your requests and worries be made known before God. Don’t know how to put your anxieties into words? Don’t worry about that either. Matthew 6:8, “For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” Pray, notably, with thanksgiving – God has sustained you throughout your whole life, and He won’t let you go now; therefore thank Him for everything He has done for you. Gratefulness and anxiety, biologically speaking, also can’t exist in your mind at the same time – these are opposing neural pathways that force one to give way to the other. 

d. Third: the result of entrusting all things to God through prayer is peace which surpasses all understanding. Even when everything in life seems doomed to fail, even when we are completely helpless and powerless, if we are children of God, and we serve a good Father, then we have absolutely nothing to fear. Bring your requests before God and experience His peace. 

6. In closing, we must renew our minds daily to the word of God and remind ourselves that God is sovereign over all things. We must submit ourselves to reading His word and praying such that our needs and requests be brought before our loving Father’s throne. And we must work boldly and be filled with the peace which surpassess all understanding. 

I’ll close by reading a passage from Matthew 6:25-34 

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