1 John 4:17-19 (NKJV) Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.
When Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:27), and when the Apostle Paul said, “Be anxious for nothing” (Philippians 4:6), they were essentially conveying the same message. When we feel anxious or worried, our concern is that we may never be able to overcome the problems, circumstances, and situations in front of us. However, once we have the foundation of who we are in Christ—that God sees us as He sees Christ when He was on earth, and that God desires us to have perfect love and perfect peace —it drives out fear, and the peace of God belongs to us. It also reassures us to approach Him in faith and confidence to pray.
The Apostle Paul encouraged us to pray in every circumstance regarding anything that brings anxiety or worry into our lives. We should make our struggles known to God by calling out to Him because He is a God who hears. Nowadays, people spend time chatting with AI about their problems. Why not spend the same amount of time and energy sharing your struggles with God? God answers prayers, but AI doesn’t.
The moment we are saved, we need to know that we are no longer living without hope and without God in this world. It is terrible to live in fear and hopelessness. Fear does not belong to us, but peace belongs to us because God has given us His peace! Therefore, don’t open the door to fear in your heart and mind. There is a tendency for us to think of the worst scenario whenever something happens to us. Anxiety is built on fear—fear of the unknown or the possible scenarios. Fear is a spiritual force that can cripple us and prevent us from doing anything. It keeps us busy thinking about the likely outcomes, but it does not help us resolve the problem. Fear is an act of the evil one that causes us to focus on the issue rather than on God.
The key to keeping the peace of God in our hearts and minds is meditation. Our mind will have perfect peace when we stay focused on God by trusting Him rather than being affected by the circumstances. Worship helps us to keep our minds on God. It reminds us of the greatness of God.
When we stay focused on God and His character, we will experience perfect peace. He does not want us to fear but to take comfort in knowing that He is with us. He has promised to help, strengthen, and uphold us in all circumstances. Therefore, start praying, casting your cares, anxieties, and concerns to the Lord, and then begin to praise and thank Him!
Sermon Series：Relaxed and Composed
应当一无挂虑
约翰一书 4:17-19 这样，爱在我们里面得以完全，我们就可以在审判的日子坦然无惧；因为他如何，我们在这世上也如何。 爱里没有惧怕，爱既完全，就把惧怕除去，因为惧怕里含着刑罚；惧怕的人在爱里未得完全。我们爱，因为神先爱我们。
当耶稣说：“你们心里不要忧愁”（约翰福音 14:27），以及当使徒保罗说：“应当一无挂虑”（腓立比书 4:6）时，他们所传达的其实是同一个信息。当我们感到焦虑或担忧时，常常是因为我们害怕自己无法战胜眼前的问题、处境和环境。然而，当我们明白自己在基督里的身份——也就是，当 神看我们时，祂看见的是基督在世上的样式；当我们明白神渴望我们拥有完全的爱与完全的平安——惧怕就会被驱逐，神的平安就属于我们。这也使我们能带着信心与坦然来到祂面前祷告。
使徒保罗鼓励我们，在任何处境中都要祷告，把一切使我们焦虑或忧虑的事带到神面前。我们应当向神呼求，让祂知道我们的挣扎，因为祂是听祷告的神。如今，许多人会花时间向人工智能倾诉自己的问题，但为何不花同样的时间与精力，把心里的重担告诉神呢？因为神会回应祷告，而人工智能却不会。
当我们得救的那一刻起，就应当知道，我们不再是活在没有盼望、没有神的世界中。活在恐惧与绝望里是何等痛苦。惧怕不属于我们，平安才属于我们，因为神已经将祂的平安赐给我们！因此，不要让惧怕进入你的心思意念。我们常有一种倾向，一遇到事情就往最糟的结果去想。焦虑的根源正是惧怕——惧怕未知、惧怕可能发生的情形。惧怕是一种属灵的力量，它会使我们瘫痪，无法行动。它让我们忙于思想各种可能的结果，却无法解决问题。惧怕来自那恶者，使我们将注意力集中在问题上，而不是神身上。
让神的平安保守我们心思意念的关键在于“默想”。当我们专注于神、信靠祂，而不是被环境所左右，我们的心思就会有完全的平安。敬拜帮助我们定睛在神身上，并提醒我们祂的伟大与信实。
当我们持续专注于神和祂的品格，我们就能经历那完全的平安。神不希望我们惧怕，而是要我们因祂的同在而得安慰。祂应许要在一切环境中帮助我们、坚固我们、扶持我们。因此，让我们开始祷告，把一切忧虑、焦虑与挂虑都交托给主，然后开口赞美并感谢祂吧！
讲道系列：从容的心，坚定的信