“2009…the toughest year of your life”
(Phil. 4:6)
Dr. Richard S. Koole
Chapel Pointe
January 11, 2009
I. Introduction
A. Personal Comments
1. Last Sunday
a. My passion to preach
b. First time in 27 years for illness
c. The importance of the message
1. Great apprehension about 2009
2. The power of the coming verses in Philippians
*God’s timing
2. My vision for Chapel Pointe
a. God is doing a great work here
1. My passion and commitment
b. Will not allow Satan to hold us back
c. Nobody ever promised it would be easy
d. Lots of anxiety in our country
B. Will 2009 be the toughest year of your life?
1. “Employment anxiety”
a. Everybody announcing reduction of staff
b. Michigan may go over 10% unemployment in 2009
c. Have led the nation for 10 straight years
d. Hear about new people weekly
2. “Financial anxiety”
a. Oil slick in the driveway
b. An engine or a transmission?
c. Credit card bills
3. “Family anxiety”
a. Rebellious teenager
b. An unfaithful husband
4. “Medical anxiety”
a. Doctor wants to run some tests
1. Cancer runs in your family
b. 2008 was a tough year for our people
C. “Anxiety” strikes everybody at times
1. If we only knew
2. Men on Wednesday night
a. Each with burdens
b. Praying for those looking for jobs
*the good results
D. Consequences of “anxiety”
1. Physical
a. Headaches
b. Fatigue
1. Lack of energy
c. Indigestion
d. Chest pains
e. Sleep disorders
2. Emotional
a. Insecurity
b. Indecision
c. Fear
d. Anti-social behavior
e. Withdrawal
3. Spiritual
a. Lack of faith
*lady in Muskegon
*new believer
b. Lack of service
c. Failure to grow
d. Loss of joy
e. Loss of testimony
E. God’s commandment regarding anxiety
1. Awesome statement!!!
2. Philippians 4:6 — “Don’t be anxious about anything”
a. Then he tells us why
3. But will it work in 2009?
a. May be the toughest year of our lives
b. Could also be the best year of your life
c. …but why?
4. Because I’m declaring 2009 to be “His Year!”
a. I’m committing 2009 to God’s care
b. And I will not worry about it
II. Text (Phil. 4:6)
A. The Commandment
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6
1. “Don’t be anxious”
a. “don’t worry!”
b. Worry strangles the believer
1. Physical consequences
2. Emotional strangulation
c. Spiritual strangulation
1.Worry is the enemy of faith
2. John Wesley— “I would rather cuss than worry”
2. Worry is the greatest thief of joy
a. Miserable Christians
b. Worry steals the blessing
c. Satan doesn’t want you to be happy
3. Caused by uncertainty regarding the future
a. Life is filled with uncertainties
b. Can’t have all the answers up front
4. However…can have certainty regarding things that really matter
a. George Mueller
1. 19th century founder of orphanages
2. Cared for thousands of children
3. Millions of dollars came in faith
“The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith. The beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.”
b. The question is how to overcome worry?
B. The Cure for Worry
1. Always ask God for help
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
a. “but in everything”
b. Not just “big” spiritual matters
1. Like salvation
c. Don’t forget the daily hassles of life
1. Those are the ones that pile up
2. A daily exercise in prayer
d. Faith must blanket every aspect of your life
1. One single omission can eat like a cancer
2. Must get it all
e. Will spread like a cloud of gloom
1. Your Christian service
2. Your health
3. Your family
2. Let God worry about the outcome
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
a. “present you requests to God”
b. It helps greatly to share your concerns
1. In counseling
2. Especially if the other person can do something to help
3. Peter walking on the water (Matt. 14)
· Background
· “Come”
· Sank
· Got worried!
· Let his request be known unto God
· (Verse 30) “Lord, save me!”
· How Jesus responded—
c. Allows God to demonstrate His greatness
d. It acknowledges our dependence upon Him
1. Peter thought he was doing well
2. Would have been hard to live with
3. Needed situations like this
4. Needed to be reminded where the power came from
5. When Peter took his eyes off the Master
· Saw all of life’s dangers
· Grew worried
6. Note the words of Jesus—
· (Matt. 14:31)— “And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ ”
3. Don’t give up on your prayers
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
a. “by prayer and petition”
· “petition”…..persistence
b. Satan’s goal—
1. Keep you from praying
2. Cause you to not think about God
3. Discourage you from persistent prayer
c. Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis (Ridenour p. 148)
Satan writes to his nephew, a demon named Wormwood, and reminds him that it’s always best to keep the Christian from praying at all. At least try to keep him in a state of offering superficial prayers that are vague and meaningless. The point is to get the believer to not really think about God. As Screwtape (the demon) says, “It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.”
d. Jesus wants you to persist
1. (Luke 11:9-10)—“And I say to you, ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
2. Most Christians pray, but few persist in their prayers
4. Be thankful for what God has already done for you
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
a. When children say “thank you”
b. We are eager to ask…but slow to appreciate
c. Things you can’t lose in 2009
1. Your reputation
2. Your family and church
3. Your eternal destiny
d. We need to thank God for the blessings of 2008
III. Summary
A. 2009…the toughest….and the best year
1. My call to action to care for our people
2. We’re going through this together
B. Elders come to lead in prayer
1. Giving thanks
2. Petitions
a. For jobs
b. For families
c. For souls
d. That our church might impact our world for Christ
e. That 2009 will truly be “His Year!”