There’s no reason for us to be stressed out

A Sermon
Delivered on Wednesday Evening, April 16^th 2025, by
Evangelist PAUL ACQUAH,
Live on MZ Radio London, London UK.

There’s zero reason for us to be stressed out. It’s a bold statement, isn’t it? In a world seemingly built on deadlines, demands, and daily anxieties, the idea that we could live completely free from stress feels almost radical.In fact, stress has become so normalised that many wear their perpetual busyness and anxiety as badges of honour in our achievement-oriented culture. But what if it’s not just wishful thinking to think that there’s no reason for us to be stressed out? What if there’s a deeper truth to this idea, a perspective that could fundamentally change how we experience life? Join me as we discover how faith in God can replace our anxiety with peace and how we can live free from the burden of stress in today’s message by Evangelist Paul Acquah titled “No reason to stress.” Let’s dive in and be blessed as you listen!

I’m sure there’re  many Christians who will say, you’re condemning other people by saying ‘There is zero reason for us to be stressed out’. I’m not condemning you. I’m telling youthat Jesus has provided more for us than what most of us have appropriated. Open your Bible with me to John, chapter 14, and in verse 1. This was Jesus speaking to his disciples the night before his crucifixion. He had just had the last supperand washed the disciples’ feet. Satan had entered Judas and he had left to go and betray Jesus to the chief priest.  In John, chapter 14, and in verse 1, Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me”.

So, the night before Jesus was crucified, he gave a command. This isn’t a request or a suggestion and saying, ‘you lot, now try this, and I know that you’re only human and it may not work, but do the best you can’. No, he just said, “Let not your heart be troubled”. My friend, there is no reason for us to be stressed out. The disciples were entering into probably one of the worst times of their lives. They did not understand the full plan of salvation and they were going to see their master, who all of their hopes and dreams were hinged upon, arrested, crucified, dead and buried. 

I tell you, most people today would say, well, it would be totally unjust to tell a person to let not your heart be troubled when you go through something like that. If you aren’t bothered, if this doesn’t just distress you, if your heart isn’t broken, then something is wrong with you, and you’re in denial.  That’s the way that our world has approached things today. If you tell people that we are victorious, and that God always wants us to triumph in our Lord Jesus Christ: when you come out and say things like that, which is what the scripture says, people will not agree with you. They will even be annoyed. 

There are large sectors of the body of Christ who will say, well, you’re putting down people that have problems. You aren’t sympathising. You’re supposed to get down and say, ‘we know that you’re suffering and we feel your pain’. Yes, there is a place for showing love and compassion, but sympathy actually empowers failure. To show true compassion: sometimes you have to use tough love and tell a person to get up and go at it again, you can do it. But somehow or another the church has got into where they really feel like empathising, and sympathising with people, but they don’t empower people. 

Jesus was telling his disciples the night before his crucifixion, “Don’t let your heart be troubled”. Today, most Christians would say, that’s not compassion, that’s not feeling empathy for people. They were going to see Jesus crucified. They were going to see all of their dreams dashed and here he is telling them not to let their heart be troubled?   You may think that’s unreasonable. In today’s culture, there are a lot of Christians, and Christian ministers who are telling people to act differently from what Jesus did the night before the worst time in their lives, and in human history. 

Jesus is saying, don’t let your heart be troubled. In a way,Jesus is saying there’s zero reason for you to be stressed out. We are now in a situation that when you listen to the news, they are talking about tariffs and global economic uncertainty and there’re a lot of Christians that just think, oh, well, you should be bothered, and be worried, people are being laid off, people are dying in earthquakes and wars and they just, in a sense, empower these things. 

They say, yes, God told us to let not our hearts be troubled, but that only goes so far. If you are facing death, if you’re being laid off, if something is happening, you are justified in being stressed out. That’s the way a lot of people, including most Christians are presenting things. 

How did Jesus respond? The night before his crucifixion, he told his disciples, don’t let your heart be troubled. and why shouldn’t they do it? Because they believe in God, believe also in him. Faith is the answer to all of these things. If you have faith in God, you don’t have to be afraid. 

In the book of psalms, David said, “Though the mountains be removed and be cast into the sea, yet will I trust in the Lord; I will joy in the God of my salvation”. This is a powerful expression of unwavering faith, found in Psalm 46:2,emphasising God’s power and constant presence, even in the face of overwhelming change or destruction. It underscores the idea that no matter how difficult the situation may be, including natural disasters or personal crises, one can find comfort and joy in trusting in God. Therefore, there’s zero reason for us to be stressed out.

No matter the situation, with David, we ought to be praising God. We ought to be saying, praise God, I know I’m going to win.  I’m going to win in this life and if for some reason my faith wasn’t able to appropriate the healing, the prosperity, or whatever it is that is your problem, if the worst thing happens you die and go to be with Jesus. You live forever in a mansion on streets that are paved with gold. You’ll never sorrow; you’ll never have any more cares.  the former things won’t even come to mind. 

In John chapter 14, verse 1, Jesus had just said, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me”. Then in Verses 2 and 3 He said, “² In My Father’s house are many ^[a]mansions; if it were not so, ^[b]I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” The reason he brought up heaven is because if worse comes to worst you are going to be with the Lord in heaven. I believe that we can rejoice in the Lord always, regardless of what’s going on.  

Jesus said at the very end of this teaching in John, chapter 16, verse 33, ^“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  That was an understatement.  In a very short time, he was going to be arrested and be taken before Pilate and then to Herod.  All his disciples will forsake him and flee. Peter will deny three times that he even knew him, but he said, be of good cheer, for Ihave overcome the world. So, he started by saying don’t let your heart be troubled. he ended by saying, be of good cheer. Regardless of what goes on. I’m telling you; we can be encouraged. We can be victorious; we can have joy and peace. There’s zero reason for you to be stressed out. 

I don’t care what’s going on in your life, and I know that’s not popular and a lot of people think that I’m putting a standard out there that condemns people. I’m not condemning anybody. I’m telling you that Jesus has provided so much for you andthat his supply is so extremely greater than your need and that in comparison, there is no reason to be stressed out about anything. Yes, believe that God has provided healing for us, prosperity, joy, and peace.  If we win in this life, get healed, delivered, prospered, then wonderful. If we don’t, we go to eternity and that’s the reason he said in my father’s house there are many mansions. When he was saying, don’t be stressed out, don’t let your heart be troubled, believe in God, then he talked about heaven. If the worst thing happens, you go to be with the Lord.  Hallelujah!