Stress 2 - Experience The Scriptures

Isaiah 4:28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29: He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30: Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Tonight we are going to deal with the issue of STRESS

Prayer——

Modified from a 8 hour Biblical stress management class.

American Psychological Association (APA).

62% of Americans say work has a significant impact on stress levels. (APA Survey 2004)
45% of workers list job insecurity increases stress levels. (APA Survey 2004)
25% of workers have taken day off from work to cope with stress. (APA Survey 2004)
73% of Americans name money as the number one factor that affects their stress level. (APA Survey 2004)
Depression often co-occurs with anxiety and substance abuse. (National Institutes of Mental Health)
Approximately six million American men suffer from depression. (National Institutes of Mental Health)
Nearly twice as many American women as men are affected by depression. (National Institutes of Mental Health)
Approximately 18.8 million American adults are diagnosed with depression. (National Institutes of Mental Health)
3 out of 4 identify in a post suicide attempt interview or suicide death investigation that a sudden stressful event led to the decision to commit suicide.

According to the American Religious Identification Survey the rate of people who claim to be Christians is in a decline of 14.2 percent annually since 1990. This statistic strangely close to the increases of stress and stress related suicides reported by Emergency rooms and law enforcement each year…

Practical application. Recognizing your stress load.

Have someone volunteer, then take several balloons representing stress and have them try to carry them.

Note that the balloons keep falling out. It is important to recognize how many burdens you can carry…

How to deal with the stress…

Psalm 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

But what if you can’t cast your burdens

Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Have some one come up and help bear the Burden.

Recognizing that some one needs help is as important as recognizing that you need help.

Sometimes in order for a person to properly deal with the stress he needs to be SAVED!

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

A CLEAN SLATE… Pop the balloons!!

So now we know about the info on stress, Now what?

Remember, statistics on stress show a significant decrease in those who are practicing their faith, which is more than the average Christian does. We have heard verses like:

Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

BUT are we really trusting what the words are saying? Are we examining ourselves as to what burdens we have in our lives? Are we recognizing stress in the lives of others?

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

2 Corinthians 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Satan knows who is saved and he knows he cannot get you unsaved… But what he can do is bog your life down with so much stress that you are no longer productive as a Christian!

Finances
Work
Family

Before you know it you are too Stressed to read your Bible, fellowship with the saints, Go to Church: Your witness is diminished down to just a title- Christian. Nothing more…Nothing less.

5. How do I defeat Stress: ———-turn to:

Psalm 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
6 And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

MAKE YOUR MIND, MIND —————- turn to:

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

The Conclusion of the matter:

In society today we see an increase in behavioral manipulation drugs and programs excusing sin as a medical condition. These methods are being used to REPLACE what Jesus taught about dealing with burdens and stress in one’s life. As a church it is important to understand stress, how to deal with it scripturally and begin to actually practice what we preach. I am not here to say that there are not medical conditions that could be helped with proper diet and medication, but they should not replace the biblical application of prayer and self examination that every Christian should do.

If you are dealing with stress tonight and you feel that you just can’t handle it anymore, ask yourself this question first… Do you know the peace that passeth all understanding? Have you ever been Saved? If you are a Christian here and are dealing with so much stress that you are no longer productive for God remember that Jesus said that “I have come that you may have life, and that you may have it more abundantly.”

Psalm 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Matthew 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

1Thessalonians 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.