Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
May 13, 2001 p.m.
Myths That Destroy Our Faith --The Truth About Stress
Reading - Matthew 11.28-30
Our Sunday evening series is on Myths That Rob Us Of Our Faith... and Make Us Miserable.
Perhaps you are thinking, how can stress rob me of my faith?
Allow me to show you how by asking a series of questions...
How many preachers have you known, who have just burned themselves out and
walked away from their calling?
How many Elders can you name, that have resigned or moved because they were
stressed out?
How many deacons have resigned their ministry because of overwork?
How many great Bible teachers have quit because of burnout?
How many parents have given up on their children because of the stress involved?
How many teenagers have committed suicide because of stress they felt they couldn't handle?
How man good husbands or wives have bailed out of a marriage due to stress?
How many churches have split or completely disbanded because of problems they thought
could not be solved?
It’s true isn't it?... In a very real way... Stress can rob us of our faith and make us miserable?
When we look at the life of Jesus, we are amazed at how calm, cool and collected He was in spite of...
Pressure...
Criticism...
Very little private time...
People constantly bombarding Him with their problems...
He was misunderstood,
Misjudged...
Enormous stress!!
Yet... Jesus’ life reflects a calm sense of balance.
How can that be?... What is it about His life that made Him so stress-resistant?
If we examine the Gospel narrative carefully... We'll find six statements of Jesus... which I believe... reflect a possible strategy for reducing stress in our life.
So... The lesson tonight... Six Jesus principles for handling stress.
Principle Number One... We must know who we are.
Unless we settle this issue... We're going to be an easy target for stress.
In Jesus’ case... He had no doubt about His identity... He knew exactly who He was.
I counted eighteen times in Scripture Jesus defined Himself. ..
I and the Father are one.
I am the Bread of Life
I am the way... the truth... and the life.
I am the Light of the world
I am the Son of God.
I am the Messiah.
I am the good shepherd... The door... The vine.
In John 8.18 Jesus says... I testify on my own behalf... And my other witness is the Father.
That simply means, He didn't depend on other people’s opinions to validate who He was.
Folk... If you and I don’t settle this issue of identity, other people will determine it for us.
They will make pressure us into conforming to an image they want us to be.
When this happens we'll find ourselves stressed out.
Plus... We find ourselves not being really who we are meant to be at all...
But what we think...
Our spouse...
Our parents...
Our friends...
Our boss...
Our working companions...
Or even our enemies want us to be.
Church... When we are constantly trying to be somebody... Or something we’re not... This causes enormous stress. What a stressful way to live life... And what a waste.
We must come to the realization that we are not the ideal. We are not perfect.. and never will be.
Accept this truth...
Value it...
Appreciate it...
Learn to work with it...
And don’t worry about what we’re not.
When we settle this issue... We dramatically reduce the stress because we’re not worried about what other people think. You see... God doesn't want copies and clones... He wants US as He gifted us. Copying others and comparing yourself to others causes us real problems.
Paul... In 2 Corinthians 10.12 says... This is unwise. God is saying... Be what I made you to be... Become the unique individual I've called you to be.
The Second Principle is... We must Know Who I Am Trying To Please.
A lot of our stress occurs when we try to please everybody... Of course, we can’t do that.
I learned this early in my preaching. Just preach the Truth the best you can determine it... and let the chips fall as God intended.
One of the myths that causes a lot of stress today is I must be liked by everybody in order to be happy. That’s not true... We don’t have to be liked by everybody. We need to decide tonight who we’re going to please... And settle that issue once and for all.
With Jesus this was a settled issue.
In John 5.30 He says... I only try to please the One who sent me.
Folk... Jesus came to live for an audience of one.
Jesus' life focus was on pleasing God... I came to do the will of the Father who sent me.
Two thing happen when we focus on pleasing God...
First place... If we do what God wants... It’s always right regardless what others might think or want.
In the second place... It simplifies life... Because we only have to focus on pleasing one individual.
One of the reasons why Jesus never was stressed was because He never let the fear of rejection... or the need for approval manipulate Him. He knew who He was... and He knew who He was trying to please.
Question!... Whose approval are we depending on for our faith and happiness?
Some of us are still trying to please an unpleasable parent.
Truth is... We could never please them as a child... and we can't please them now.
Some have died... And we're still trying to live up to an image they thought we ought to be... And that has us stressed out.
Folk... There is only one we must please to be happy and to go to heaven... That's God!!
Nobody’s holding a gun to our head... We’re not a victim.
Who we please is a choice.
Nobody can pressure us to please them...
Nobody can rob our faith... and stress us out without our permission.
Principle Number Three... Know What We Want To Accomplish.
The reason for this is simple... Because we don’t have time to do everything.
Some of us in the church... This church needs to learn this lesson... RIGHT?
You see, we will be guided in life either by priorities... or by pressures.
Those are our only two options.
If we don’t set some priorities, we will be guided by pressures.
Look at it this way...
Priorities are what we believe God wants us to do.
Pressure is what everybody else wants us to do.
I believe the Bible to teach that God has some things He wants us to accomplish in life... Some works that He has predestined us to do... RIGHT?
And if we are not careful... We will allow people to fill up our agenda with things they want us to accomplish.
Which will it be?... GOD'S PRIORITIES... or PEOPLE'S PRESSURE?
President Eisenhower, used to have two baskets on his desk:
One said urgent.
One said important.
His habit was to always ignore the urgent for about two days... and he said... Half of them he could just toss... Because they were urgent... But they weren’t always important.
I have people who call almost daily with those things that are urgent... But tomorrow they don't even remember what they were... WHY?... Because what we thought was urgent was not important... RIGHT? We can't remember the URGENT ISSUES that divided our brotherhood a few years ago... WHY?... Because they were not important.
Listen to Jesus... as He gives us some priorities... Some things to accomplish in life...
I came to do the will of the Father who sent me.
I came to seek and save the lost.
I came to call the sinner to repentance.
I came to serve and not to be served.
Does this sound like Jesus knew what He was to accomplish?
I believe Jesus lived a purpose-driven life... Do you live such a life?... Does your preacher?
Let me ask you... What purpose is driving your life?
Approval of others,
The need to make a lot of money,
The massing of political power in the family... at work... here at church?
Trying to keep up with the Jones?
Those are weak drives that lead to stress.
Principle Number Four... Enlist the help of others.
Many of us are stressed out because we think we have to do it all ourselves.
Here is an American MYTH... If you want a job well done, do it yourself... WRONG!!
You know what that is?... That is the motto of a perfectionist headed for burnout.
Think of the egotism behind that statement... The only one who does anything right in the world is me.
Now... If anybody had a right to say this... It was Jesus.
But, even Jesus didn’t try to do it all by Himself... He involved others.
-He appointed twelve... He even left them in charge of the Kingdom when He went back home.
-He got other people involved in His ministry... And still does... And still does.
You see... Some of us here tonight are under a lot of unnecessary stress because we think... This is my problem... I’ve got to handle this by myself.
When... Sitting right here in this building are people who can...
Assist us... Encourage us... Walk with us.
Remember... There are over one hundred one-another passages in the Bible:
Care for one another,
Encourage one another,
Help one another,
Share with one another.
Bear one another's burdens,
Pray for one another,
Confess you faults one to another,
The church, this church, has enough potential to care for every need we have... IF... IF... We let others help
And when we do that... our stress level goes down.
Principle Number Five... Make A Habit Of Prayer.
Prayer is a great stress reliever.
Prayer is a decompression chamber.
Pray is a way to unload our burdens.
Have you ever noticed that no matter how busy Jesus was, He always took time for prayer.
This should tell us something... The busier our schedule gets... The more we need to pray.
Luke 5.15 -16 says... News about Jesus spread even more. Crowds came to hear him and to be healed... But Jesus often slipped away to be alone so he could pray.
If Jesus felt the need to get alone to pray, when He was busy; certainly we should too.
We need time alone with God...
Time to read the Word...
Time to pray...
Time to reflect...
Time to recharge...
Time to renew.
Someone once said... Most of man’s problems come from his inability to sit still. That may be right... Because the psalmist says... Be still and know that I am God. When is the last time we sat still for five minutes and thought about God?... And thought about God?
We wake up to an ALARM clock.
And so... That's how we start our day... In the state of ALARM.
We turn on the television...
Listen to the radio...
Read the newspaper....
Sign on the internet...
And we live in that state all day long... Living from one ALARMING event to another.
No wonder we're stressed out!!!
Let me give you a little alternative... Get up in the morning...
Leave the TV off...
Let the radio talk shows alone...
Don't read the newspaper.
Folk... This world will go on... Whether we know what's going on in it or not.
Listen to me now... Most of the things going on around us are just not worth knowing about.
And almost all of them we can't change... So don't be stressed by them.
Open the Word of God...
Sit down on the deck...
Be quiet...
Listen...
Pray...
Meditate.
Then come tell me... If that doesn’t make a difference in your stress level.
Principle Number Six... Take Time To Enjoy Life... Stop and smell the roses.
Georgia is saying... I can't believe you put this point in your sermon.
Workaholics... Listen to this... Rest and recreation are not wasted time.
Jesus habitually took time off.
Even though there were more people to be healed...
Even though more people needed to be saved...
Even though there were problems to be solved...
He still took time off.... Now... Is your job more important than Jesus'?
Mark 6.31 says... Because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Rest is so important that God put it in the Ten Commandments... Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. Folk... God gave this commandment as a day of REST... Not worship!!
Read your Bibles... Familiar scripture needs to be read again.
Read Exodus 20.9-11 and tell me what the Sabbath was for.
Verse 9 contains the command,
Verses 10-11 tell us what God intended in this command.
It was for rest... No other purpose was given in the Ten Commandments.
Go home and read it again.
Jesus said... Man wasn’t made for the Sabbath... The Sabbath was made for man
God made The Sabbath as a day of rest.
Folk... We have made the Sabbath to be something God never intended.
So... If you’re not taking a day off every week... then don't be surprised if you’re stressed out.
Because God made us in such a manner as to need a day of rest.
Well, it’s true isn't it... Stress can rob us of our faith and make us miserable?
Now... I believe the single greatest source of stress in life is this... To come to church each Sunday and listen to God speak to us from His word... And then refuse to obey Him.
Don't do that!... Don't do that!!... You can become a child of God tonight by:
Faith... Believing in God and in His Son Jesus Christ.
Repentance... Deciding to forsake sin and become the person God wants you to be.
And New Testament baptism... Immersion in water for the forgiveness of all your past sins.
For those of us who are already baptized believers, we must know that any area of our life that we do not submit to Jesus... and ask Him to help us with... can become a source of stress.
We were not meant to live apart from Christ.
Jesus says... Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you REST. If you need rest from your sin stress... Come to Jesus.... as we stand and sing this invitation song.
Will you come!! 
