Isaiah 40:28-31 – Sidelining Stress – Bible study

Isaiah 40:28-31 Sidelining Stress https://www.lwf.org/sermon-outlines/posts/how-to-handle-stress Stress is the difference between the demands of life and our ability to meet them. There is the potential for stress in everyones life. 1. We all have limits. Time, ability, money, 2. We all have demands. Some placed on us by others and some by self. Yet God insists that His children NOT be stressed. 1. He insists that we not worry. Phil 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. a. Worry is a big word and it covers a lot of actions. b. It can be anything from being too preoccupied with a concern all the way to having that concern keep you awake, fill you fear and anxiety, and cause you physical pain. c. God says, "Dont do either one." d. Easier said than done though, right? e. To make it easier, God has given us prayer. \#Matt 7:7\ \#Matt 6:27\ (1) If you are to lay awake all night doing something, let it be praying. (2) If we would learn to pray instead of worry, we might would also learn of the peace that passeth all understanding. 2. He insists that we not attempt to carry the load. Mt 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. a. Someone asks, "Doesnt God want us to be self reliant?" b. We are dependent upon God. We cannot be self reliance. c. To think that we are is to be arrogant and rebellious. 3. He insists that we not spend our time second guessing the possibilities. Ro 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Isa 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. a. God does not want us to be reckless, but neither does God want us to go through life doubting every decision we have ever made. b. Seek Gods will, make the best decision you can, and forget it. c. Two things have helped me: (1) If God wants you to revisit a decision, He can get your attention. (2) It is no more trouble for God to fix what I do wrong than it is for God to fix what I did right. None of that means that God wants you to give up on the things that need to be done. 1. Some will do nothing and say, "Its up to God." That is laziness not spirituality. 2. God insists you put the load on Him but He also insists you do your part. a. Moses did not sit watch at the Red Sea but lifted up his staff. b. Gideons army did not win the battle against the Midianites but they showed up with a pitcher, trumpet, and flame. c. Elijah did not sit on the sidelines at the Jordan River but smote it with his mantle. d. The blind man did not sit and wait on his healing but went to wash in the Pool of Siloam. John 9:7 e. Peter did not win souls on the day of Pentecost but he came with a message. 3. Almost all of Gods works, both the physical and the spiritual, have been joint operations since the day God created Adam and put him in the Garden. (Jonah, Marys pregnancy, Jesus resurrection) 4. The point being, You will participate but God will do the work. Lessons and Helps: 1. Life is Gods classroom. God is the Teacher and problems are Gods assignments. a. ALL things DO work together for our good and His glory. God is using the problems of life to teach us character and godliness. b. However, as surely as a good teacher will not lose control of his classroom, so God will never lose control over His. c. Worry, stress, and, anxiety are all indicators that we need to learn more about Gods strength, ability, power, and might. d. Important lesson – The problems dont have to go away for the stress to do so. (1) Some think the point of the problems is to teach us that God can make them go away. Not necessarily. (2) The point of the problems is to teach us that even in problems the stress can go away! (3) This is what trust and faith are all about. Not living the carefree life but living knowing that no matter what the situation, God is control. 2. We may be causing some stress by not being where we are supposed to be and doing what we are suppose to be doing. a. If we are out of Gods will, then it is certain that we are going to feel the results of God being against us and not for us. b. Dont expect to run up a sin tab and God not to bill you for it. God will use the sins you are committing to turn you from it. c. Sin can be as obvious as committing adultery, stealing, and killing. d. However, sin can be as innocent as taking on responsibilities that God does not want you to have. (1) Human beings can only do so much in a finite body. (2) Moms, if you are feeling stressed about working a full-time job, rearing your children, taking care of the home and the hubby, there may be a reason. (3) Super Girl is a myth! You cannot obligate yourself to 26 hours in a day and get it all done. e. Lessons: (1) People have to make wise, godly CHOICES. (a) Humans have to make choices. It is part of being finite. (b) The key is to make wise decisions, and that includes making spiritual decisions. (c) Some people do not make the decisions of their life. They let time, demand, and necessity make it for them. (d) Even not making a decision is a decision. It is a decision to neglect the spiritual and the important for the sake of the loud and the immediate. (2) People have to be able to say NO. (a) Most people have no problem saying no. Their problem is that they say it to the wrong things. (b) Christians, we must say no to the world and allow Jesus to control our lives or we will be stressed! (3) People have to refuse to compare. (a) One of the things that seems to especially stress young moms is other moms. (b) Comparing yourself is never good. 2Co 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. (c) The only best God is concerned with is you being the best you that you can be! (d) Some do not need as much sleep, some have better husbands, some kids behave better, some have more multitask abilities. (e) You need to be the best you can be and you need to learn to say No to the things God wants you to say No to. (f) Moms and Dads, people can get by without cell phones, two cars, annual vacations, boats, cable TV, weekly beauty parlor visits, a closet full of clothes and shoes, lavish birthday presents, and more. 3. Once we get our lives and priorities right, the rest is up to us to trust God for. a. In these verses, God gives us three things: (1) Knowledge – Is 40:28 – God is on the job You can trust Him. He does not sleep His or slumber. (2) Aid – Is 40:29 (a) God gives power for the job. i. This is external. ii. Whatever obstacles and debris need to be removed to complete the task, God will give it. (b) God gives us strength for the job. i. Strength is for us. ii. It is internal power of all kinds to do what He has called us to do. iii. You can have Gods strength or you can have stress, but you cant have both. iv. Mental, physical, and spiritual. (aa) Stress is of the mind. It is the unrealized habit of us thinking we have to do it all. When we were lost, we did have to do it all; but now that they are saved, we must re-train the way we think. (bb) Physical – Stress can cause physical problems – fear, anxiety, sickness, insomnia, physical pain. Many of the problems we call panics are caused not because our bodies have a weakness but because we allow our minds to become absorbed with our worries. As God strengthens you mind, He will strengthen your body. (cc) Spiritual – Most of our minds and bodies are stronger than our spirits. We were lost and dead spiritually. Now, we must exercise and strengthen our spirit. God desires we make our spirit the strongest part of being so that our first inclination to problems is not to worry but to pray. v. The last is the most important! You have probably seen a Christian who is godly and you have marvelled. You may think they are a different kind of human being, but all they have done is to grow their spirit to be the strongest aspect of their being. (3) Instruction \#Is 40:31\ (a) "Wait" – We are to bind with Him. i. The word means both to look for, to linger for, but also to join with, bind with. ii. To wait on the Lord, we need to: (aa) Be saved. Ps 62:1 Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. (bb) Be watching for Him. Pr 8:34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. (cc) Be relying on Him. Ps 104:27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. (dd) Be living for Him. Pr 27:18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured. (b) "Renew" i. The word means to restore, to bring a thing back to its previous condition. ii. For the Christian, renewal is going back to our greatest spiritual love and fever for Him. iii. If you are worrying, you probably are not at the strongest period in your life. The fact that you are worrying and are stressed indicates there are spiritual problems. iv. You need to go back to a time when you were stronger spiritual and restore yourself to that place. Ga 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Eph 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. v. What would it take to get you back the place of complete surrender to Jesus? vi. Only you can answer that, but I imagine it would be putting your life back in order. setting Jesus back on the throne. (aa) Perhaps exchanging your wants for His. (bb) Perhaps exchanging your priorities for His. (cc) Perhaps exchanging your ways for His. b. Christian, these are the things we do to keep the stress off of us. (1) We keep God in charge. (2) Life never stresses God! He has no lack of abilities.