THE BLESSING OF STRESS

STRESSED IS DESSERTS SPELLED BACKWARDS!
A. LEARN TO REST BY THE WELL
John 4:6 - And Jacob's well was there. So Jesus, tired as He was from His journey, sat down [to rest] by the well. It was then about the sixth hour (about noon).

1. Jesus was tired of the Way and sat down close to the well of Jacob.
2. We need to sit close to the well whenever we are tired.
   
3. I've learned that the place to rest is not watching T.V. but by the well of Jacob (and we still have time there for a little bit of ministry)
   

B. LEARN TO SLEEP DURING THE STORM

Mathew 8:23-25
23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.
24 Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.
25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
1. Jesus was able to sleep in the middle of the storm. Can you do it?
2. Storms will come into your life. Jesus was sleeping so well that he didn't wake up with the storm. He trusted that his 12 where able to deal with the situation.
3. Only supernatural peace will allow us to sleep during the storm.

C. LEARN HOW JESUS HANDLED STRESS

1. He was moving constantly - Mathew 8:19,20
2. Herod wanted to kill him as a child - Mathew 2:13
3. The Pharisees wanted to kill Him - Mathew 12:14,15
4. Herod (the other Herod) wanted to kill Him - Luke 13:31,32
5. Priests, Scribes and Politicians wanted to kill Him - Luke 19:47
How could we handle the stress of having so many people wanting to kill ourselves? This was a great amount of stress upon Him! If we follow His steps we will have to know how to handle stress in our life.

D. LEARN TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF STRESS

1. Stress is the way to achieve the greatest things in our life and ministry if we recognize it and learn how to make it work for us instead of against us! "Stress is a burst of energy," says psychiatrist Dr. Lynne Tan of Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. "It's our body telling us what we need to do." Moderate amounts of stress - the kind of short-term buzz we get from a sudden burst of hormones - can help people perform tasks more efficiently and can improve memory.
2. Jesus Worked on Saturdays because he lived on the limit of His human strength. (Mathew 7:19-26). Indeed, stress is a doubled-edged sword that affects everyone differently. It's mostly a matter of perception. A speeding ride on a roller coaster is torture for some, while others race for the next ride. Multi-tasking or living in a hectic urban environment is a thrill for some, a confusing sensory overload for others.
3. Our goal isn't an absence of stress. It's an unavoidable reality. Besides, without it, life would be a pretty dull existence. The key is channeling stress energy into productive action instead of feeling overwhelmed.
FACT 1: PRODUCTION INCREASES WHEN WE ARE UNDER STRESS
FACT 2: IF WE FEEL TIRED WE NEED TO REST BEFORE WE GET BURNED OUT

E. WE NEED TO REST AFTER A CYLE OF INTENSE WORK

1. After 6 Days God had His rest - Genesis 2:1-3
2. We need to rest in Him - Mathew 11:28
3. I have learned that Stress can be good for us. We don't really like it, but without stress we wouldn't be as much productive. I am not a workaholic but I trust in God to provide for my Sabbaths.

CONCLUSION

Romans 5
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
1. We have peace with God
2. We gain access to God using our faith
3. We rejoice in the Hope of the Glory of God (We rejoice when things go well but we also rejoice in our sufferings)
Suffering > Perseverance > Character > Hope > No Disappointment
When we have faith we don't look at the sufferings but we see the victories ahead of us. The way to Overcome Stress is to have peace, faith, and a rejoicing attitude.