"I Ain't Studin' You"

Carl Wells, PhD

Sunday Morning Sermons • Sermon • Submitted 3 months ago • Presented 3 months ago

Philippians 4:6–9

Prayer

Anxiety

A Prayer for Thanksgiving

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How to Handle Anxiety

Philippians 4:6–9 (ESV)

do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

I. INTRODUCTION:

a. GREETING Good morning, New Enoree. Today, I wanna delve into something that is so serious, they call it the silent killer.

b. THE SILENT KILLER

This thing that I am talking about, it ain't no joke.

3. THE IMPACT OF STRESS

It's like a thief in the night, stealing your peace and your joy, one piece at a time.

It causes headaches and migraines.

It exacerbates skin conditions like eczema and acne.

It will cause you to age quicker.

It'll have you tossing and turning, staring at the ceiling all night long.

It messes with your memory, cause you to have negative thoughts, and even interfere with your relationships because it gives you short fuss causing you to snap at your loved ones.

So, what is this thing, you ask?

Well, it's stress, worry, and anxiety.

And today, our text provides a pattern, a formula for how to overcome stress, worry, and anxiety.

TRANSITION (Paul’s Formula to Handle Stress):

II. Introduce the text the main verse

Paul gives us the formula in his letter to the church at Philippi found in the book of Philippians 4:6-7, when he tells the Philippians to "be anxious for nothing," Prayer about every, make your request known to God, do with thanksgiving then a peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your heart and your mind.

a. Be anxious for nothing

Paul says be anxious for nothing.

Worry about nothing.

Get stressed out about nothing.

Let nothing steal your joy.

Let nothing upset your equilibrium.

Allow nothing rob you of your peace.

b. Be not axious not just no thing, but also No One, define "mēden,"

But watch this. When Paul says be anxious for nothing, he’s not just talking about having no worries or frets about things. Nah, because in the Greek, the word he uses for "nothing" is "mēden," which is sometimes translated as no one.

So when Paul says "be anxious for nothing," he's telling us not to be stressin' over no thing or no one. It's like he's saying, "Don't be worryin' 'bout nobody and nothin'."

Paul is straight-up saying, "Don't let nobody snatch your joy.

Don't let nobody mess with your peace.

Don't let none of them haters throw you off balance."

But it ain't just about that.

We gotta stop letting people dim our shine.

Stop letting folks bring us down with their negativity.

Stop letting others define our worth.

Stop letting their opinions control our actions.

In this world and in this life, people can mess you up.

Someone once told me that the hardest part of any job is doing the work, it is having to get along with people.

TRANSITION: The Old Saints’ Saying

It makes me think about the old saints and how they would handle it when people got in their business and tried to stress them out.

The old saints would look you dead in the eyes and tell you matter a factly, “I ain’t studin’ you.”

III. Define the Saying I AIN’T STUDIN’ YOU and introduct title of sermon

The phrase "I ain't studin' you" is a vernacular expression, commonly used in the African American community.

The word, “studin’” is a derivative of the word "studying,"and it means focusing attention on someone or something.

If someone tells you, “I Ain’t Studin’ You,” in essence they are dismissing and disregarding folk you and your foolishness.

So things. situations, and circumstances can cause you stress. But make no mistake about it, some of the worse forms of stress come from having to deal with other people.

So this morning I come to admonistto look the things and the people that stress you out and say in the words of the old saint, “I Ain’t Studin’ You.”

IV. BACKGROUND

a. Philippi

If Paul is telling the church at Philippi this, it must be for a reason. What was going on, prompting Paul to tell them “be anxious for nothing. Don’t let no thing or no one stress you out. ”

Let's break it down.

See, Paul is not just talking out the side of his neck when he tells the Philippians not to be anxious.

b. Paul’s situation

Nah, there's a whole backstory to this. Picture this if you will: Paul is locked up, in Roman jail, in chains. The jail was a hole in the ground, and he is facing the death penalty. niy rather than being worried, stresses out. or anxious, Paul is chilling, relaxing, and unbother. Ain't that something. He is going to die, he is locked up, but he is at peace.

In the midst of all the craziness in his life, Paul has got this vibe going, he’s got a peace in his spirit that's straight-up unshakeable.

Paul is saying to the Church at Philippi, if I can have an unshakeable peace while sitting here in this this jail waiting to die, I know you all can have peace in your situations.

The Philippians, they're dealing with some heavy stuff too. They're facing persecution because of their faith in God. They are dealing with all sorts of trials and tribulations. False preachers are trying to sway them, and others would even kill them for their faith.

c. Paul’s advice

So when Paul tells 'em not to be anxious, he's speaking from experience. He knows what it's like to go through some tough times, but he's also seen firsthand how God comes through in the clutch.

So he's passing on that wisdom to the Philippians, reminding them that they have to let fear and worry run the show. They can trust in a higher power, lean on your faith, and keep it moving with confidence and peace.

V. PRAY ABOUT IT a. Pray first

Examine the text closely, and you will see Paul offers them a formula a recipe for how to let no thing or no one stress them. The very first thing that Paul tells them to do is to pray. Notice that not only does he tell them to pray, but prayer is his first recommendation. Why?

b. Not our initial instinct

When stuff hits the fan, our first instinct ain't always to pray about it.

Nah, my first instinct is to handle it myself.

My first instinct is pick up the phone and call someone to ask them what to do.

My first instinct is to “buck up and be strong.”

c. Prayer of intimacy

Can I go deeper?

The word that Paul uses for prayer in the text is not talking about ordinary everyday prayer.

D. Define proseuchomai, word for prayer"

The Greek word Paul uses for prayer is "proseuchomai," which goes beyond just asking God to give me that, give me this, fix matter, and move it out of th eway.

Nay, "Proseuchomai" is all about intimacy with God. It's about connecting with God on a deep, personal level. It's about approaching the Almighty with reverence and devotion, pouring out your heart to Him, and seeking that intimate relationship.

e. Not looking for God’s gift, but God’s presence

Sometimes we are so busy asking God to give us the gifts of God, that we fail to appreciate the power of the presence of God.

God can give you the gift. God can answer your prayer.

God will give you the desires of your heart.

But when God blesses you with his presence, that is the best gift. Sometimes the gift is what I have asked him for, but what I really need is not the gift of God, but instead the presence of God. See if I can get in the presence of God, a lot of the times, that is enough alone to handle the situation.

God may give me the gift by changing the situation, however, when he gives me His presence, it does not just change the situation it changes me to be able to handle the situation no matter how it turns out.

It sounds simply, but heart felt, intimate prayer still changes things.

Just a little personal talk with Jesus still makes it right.

VI. SUPPLICATE ABOUT IT

a. Make Your Requent KNown

Now the next thing that Paul says is make your request known to God. That word for request is supplication. But it does not mean to just ask. Supplication means to come before God’s throne humble and to make your request known. We have become an entitled generation who believes that we have a right to grace and the peace and the mercy of God. No God does not give us these things because of us. He give despite us.

People say go get your blessings.

Go get your money.

Well, it is not your blessings.

It is not your money.

It all belongs to God.

b. God is not just encouraging like man, he is also able to do something about it

Here is the thing, not only does God care about your trouble, He can also do something about your trouble.

We go to man. Man can talk to us about it, but God is able to do something about it.

Do you know why your grown children still call you from time to time asking you for money. They know you care about them. They feel that you are able to help them cause you have helped them in times past.

We serve a God who not only cares about our problems, he is able to do something about our problems. So ask him for whatever you need. Our very asking God, proves that we have faith that he can do it.

VII. THANKSGIVING

Finally, Paul tells them to pray with thanksgiving.

a. Does Paul Know What I Am Going through?

Wait a minute Paul. I get the prayer thing. I get the supplication thing. But this thanksgiving, you obviously don’t know what I am going through. If you did, you would know that there is no way that I can be thankful with all that I have going on.

b. When you can’t look forward to see where God is talking you look back to see where God has brought you from

Here is the thing, Church. God not only gives us the gift of vision for our future. He also gives us the gift of memory of our past. So when you don’t see anything to thank him for what’s in front of you. Look back and be thankful for what he has already brought you through.

I want to know this morning, if anybody has a hindsight praise.

When I think of goodness of Jesus and all he’s done for me, my soul cries out, hallelujah, thank God for saving me. W

c. Thanks giving when you back is against the wall

And check this out – thanksgiving ain't just something we do when everything's going right.

Thanksgiving is something we do when the bottom is falling out.

Thanksgiving is something we do when our backs are against the wall.

Thanksgiving is something we do when the devil is busy and your haters are messing.

d. Thanksgiving is like hot sauce

I heard a preacher say that thanksgiving is like hot sauce. Everything is better when you put some hot sauce on it. Fried chicken, better with some hot sauce. Collard greens, better with some hot sauce. Grits, better with some hot sauce.

Whatever it is you are praying about, add some thanksgiving to it. When things are going wrong, all we can see is the wrong. But every now and then in the midst of the problems, you need to remember that God is a problem solver. In the middle of your troubles, you need to remember that trouble don’t last always. You need to remember that you have sometimes to cry about, but you also have some things to be glad about.

Finally, Paul says, if you do all that, God will give you a peace that will guard you heart and your mind.

CELEBRATION/WHOOP Now this thing is gett good.

In the Bible day, the job of a military soldier was not just keep things from coming into the city in the time of Battle. Sometimes people would get scare and want jump ship and leave the city.

The guard was not only keep things out, it was also keep thing in.

If I prayer, make my request known, and do it with thanksgiving, it will keep me while God is working on me.

It will keep me, while God is working on the situation.

It keeps the peace in my heart.

When I say peace, I am not talking about the peace that money gives you.

I am not talking about the peace you find in somebody else’s arms.

This is not the peace that you find in a bottle.

This is the peace that Jesus talks about when he said, “Peace be still.”

This is the peace that kept Job when he lost everything he had.

This is the peace that kept the three Hebrew boys in the midst of the fiery furnace and they walked out without being scorched.

This is the peace that allowed Daniel to sleep in the lions den.

This is the peace that allowed Paul to stand in the courtroom of Agrippa knowing that God was already there.

This is the peace that allowed Esther to go into the king and say, “If I perish, let me perish.”

This peace will guard your heart and mind.

It keeps bitterness from getting into your heart.

It keeps unforgiveness from getting into your spirit.

It keeps hate from creeping up into your soul.

But it is the peace of God that also keeps me from losing my mind when the trouble comes.

It was the peace of God that kept me holding onto my faith when it looked like all was lost.

Paul says the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will keep your heart and your mind.

Peace, it guards me.

Peace, it keeps me.

Peace, it keeps some stuff out.

But it also keeps some stuff in.

It keeps anxiety out, but it locks joy in.

It keeps frustration out, but it keeps faith in.

It stops me from worrying, but it causes me to worship.

It keeps hope in, but it keeps hopelessness out.

It keeps faith in and it keeps doubt out.

There is some stuff on the inside of me that allows me to get up every morning with joy in the spirit, hallelujah on my lips, clapping in my hands.

The joy that I have, I would have lost.

The faith that I have, I would have lost.

The peace that I have, I would have lost, but God is keeping me.

He’s keeping it on the inside, no matter what’s going on on the outside.

That’s why in the words of the old saints, I can look my haters in the eyes and tell them, “I Ain’t Studin’ You.”

That’s why I look at messy people and tell them, “I Ain’t Studin’ You.”

That why I look at backbiters, slanders, and gossipers, “I Aint Studin’ You.”

That why I can be anxious for nothing of no one, becuase the peace in my heart, which comes from God is keeping.

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