“By your patience possess your souls.” NKJV “Stand firm, and you will win life.” NIV

Pastor Mark Schwarzbauer PhDFamily Worship Center

Luke 21:19“By your patience possess your souls.” NKJV“Stand firm, and you will win life.” NIV

How to

Stop Worrying

and Start LivingPastor Mark Schwarzbauer PhDFamily Worship Center 9/27/15

1. Win in the Midst of Crisis and

2. Win by Preventing Crisis.

Part One: Win in the

Midst of Crisis

The Crisis Context of Luke

21:19

Luke 21:10-18 10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. 12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.

Luke 21:10-1813 And so you will bear testimony to me. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 Stand firm, and you will win life.

The First Century Crisis.• Note the call “make up your mind not to

worry beforehand”.• At first, verse 18 seems to indicate they

will never experience physical harm. But this must be interpreted in context. They have also been warned about persecution and suffering (verses 12, 16-17). This ancient expression indicates protection by God’s ultimate (but not necessarily immediate) intervention.

The First Century Crisis.• Jesus is encouraging them to

approach impending danger with absolute optimism. God will have the last word. They will be raised incorruptible

(I Corinthians 15:50-58).

The Twenty-First Century Crisis.•God still calls you not to

worry. If you faced those dire circumstances He would give you just what you need at the moment you need it.

“Stand firm and you will win life.”

• The Greek word here for “patience” (NIV- “standing firm”) is ὑπομονῇ (hypomonē) which means “patient endurance or enduring under affliction.”

“Stand firm and you will win life.”

• The Greek word here for “possess” (NIV- “gain” or “win”) is κτήσασθε (ktēsasthe) which means “to procure or purchase.” The use of the middle imperative means we are commanded to take action and be responsible for getting ourselves under control by mastering our emotions and actions.

Part Two: Win byPreventing Crisis

Win life by mastering

emotions and actions.

God wants you to win life by

preventing crisisin your life.

Gal. 5:22-23 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

To be a “disciple” includes a

disciplined life because God

wants you to be successful

and “win life.”

Marshmallows, Self-Control and Future Success

Long term consequences of impulse control and delayed gratification.

• 1. The children who waited for a second marshmallow or pretzel (showing self-control and delayed gratification, fared much better in life.

Long term consequences of impulse control and delayed gratification.

• 2. Higher SAT scores. • 3. Lower BMI (Body Mass Index).• 4. Lower rates of addiction.• 5. Lower divorce rates.• 6. More competent in life than those

who took instant gratification.• 7. Higher level of satisfaction.

“self-control can be learned at

any age.” http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/22/us/marshmallow-test/

The Bible has been teaching the same thing

for thousands of years.

“Stand firm and you will

win life!” Luke 21:19

Next Sunday