Freedom
Ever feel stressed, overwhelmed, anxious?
What causes anxiety?
Instability, insecurity, being out of control
The world today
A Pandemic of Anxiety
Anxiety is the most common mental illness in the world.
Anxiety and depression is becoming increasingly prevalent among young adults in the US, with both disorders increasing by 63% from 2005 to 2017 and that was pre-pandemic.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of anxiety and depressive disorders grew. Depressive symptoms grew from a base of about 193 million people worldwide to 246 million, which is about 28%. Anxiety disorders grew from about 298 million people affected to 374 million, which is about a 25% increase.
Young adults ages 18 to 25 in the U.S have the highest rate of experiencing mental health conditions. Fifty percent of young adults (ages 18-24) reported anxiety and depression symptoms in 2023.
Nine out of 10 adults said they believed that there’s a mental health crisis in the US today. - 2022
Many are being taken captive by anxiety
Each generation more affected than the last
Why now?
Our pursuit of
The prodigal son
Luke 15:11-32 (NIV)
Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
Deconstruction
Coming to our
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’
Jesus’ prescription for freedom from anxiety
Matt 11:28-30 (NIV)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
The Yoke: A structure that helps you to bear a heavy burden in a
The weight of carrying everything ourselves is crushing us
Three ways that taking on the yoke of Jesus can help set us free from the prison of anxiety
1. In Our Thoughts
Not having a foundation on which to structure our lives
Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV)
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
A foundation of
John 8:31-32 (NIV)
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
It takes trust, taking it on yourself freely
It takes laying something down on our part
1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)
Cast all your anxiety (cares) on him because he cares for you.
It takes giving up our own authority as the locus of truth
I am the way the truth and the life
Taking off the
Speaking the truth over ourselves
Getting ready for the journey
2. In Our Actions
What do we do with this foundation?
How do we structure our lives?
Matthew 4:18-19 (ESV)
And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
The yoke enables us to do useful
Games require limits in order to be played with freedom
Giving up some measure of self-actualization, self-seeking, self-absorption
They had to leave their boats
As we follow, day by day it
2 Timothy 2:20-26 (NIV)
…anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. … Those who cleanse themselves … will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart… Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
The cycle of change
Daily discipline
The yoke travels with you, structured flexibility
3. In Our Relationships
Yokes aren’t meant to be carried
1 John 1:2-3 (NIV)
The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.
Yoked with others in relationship
Giving up some measure of autonomy
Commitment, structure in our relationships
Hebrews 10:19-25 (NIV)
Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
We draw near to God in
Relationship requires boundaries
2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV)
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
What brings us together and unites us
Yoked with Jesus
His yoke, not ours
We have a tendency to pick the burdens back up
But we can always give them back to Jesus
The prodigal coming home
Luke 4:31-36 (NIV)
So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.
For the first time or again
How we share with others
Set free so we can set others free
Action Step: Cast your anxiety on Him