Good morning, and I just want to express my joy and my happiness to be here with you guys.
! Advent season really does minister a lot to my heart every year.
And as a special blessing to me getting a chance to come and share and preach God's Word to you this morning.
You know, as we've already defined, I hope most of you can walk away from the Advent season knowing what Advent actually is.
But just, if you're new in the scene, just know that Advent is just a Latin word for meaning either the coming or the arrival of an important person or an important event.
And in our context, there's no greater person than Christ the Messiah, no greater event than Him coming to the earth to come and dwell, walk among us, and to be our Savior.
So, as Nathan already pointed out, today's focus is focused on the Advent of peace.
So, peace that is coming to us.
But also, Advent also has another meaning.
It's not just we look back at Christ's first arrival when He came and came among us, baby in the manger.
But also, the coming or the arrival of Him coming back again to rescue us and to finally bring this dark world to an end and usher in the new heaven and the new earth coming to rescue us.
So, that's kind of a double meaning there.
We have a coming that we look back at and a coming that we are looking forward to in Advent.
But just by way of introduction, today we're talking about peace.
And in my own life, this has been a quest, a looking for what can I find peace in.
So, just know that this is a very personal message for me as well.
This ministered a lot to my heart.
Well, let's just go to the Lord one more time.
And I just want to just ask Him, Father, please, this morning, I pray that You would use me, a man with many flaws, many sins, imperfect.
I pray that You would be delighted to work through this broken vessel to minister to Your people this morning.
And God, I pray that Your Spirit would communicate the Word to our hearts, to our souls, to our minds, Lord.
That people here would be moved to greater love for You.
That they would know the peace of Christ that He has brought us.
In Christ's name, amen.
So, as you look around the world and you see the people in it, your friends, your co-workers, on the news, wherever it is,
and just stop and just look even at your own life, you'll see that there is a search for peace.
And no one can find it.
It's peace, you know, how we define things sometimes by looking at the opposite.
So, if we wanted to say the opposite of joy is sorrow or sadness, so the opposite of peace is anxiety.
And the word, at least, is used a lot in the Scripture for the word anxiety.
It means to be like inwardly torn apart, shredded apart by outward things that are happening or inward,
that are causing you just to be devastated in your soul, to be torn and ripped to shreds by circumstances that are around you.
It's a suffering of your soul and your heart that when you go through things in life and you can't cope with it,
you can't deal with it, you're feeling crushed and you're feeling ripped apart.
And I have been there even this week, and I know that you also have experienced that.
So, the people around us, and even you, you may have, people search for peace in all sorts of different things.
A big one, people search for peace in money and financial security.
They think, if I have enough money, I can deal with any kind of problem that comes my way.
But, as we know, that's not certain.
Things can happen where you can lose pretty much everything you have.
You never can have enough to feel safe and secure.
And another thing people look to is relationships, whether good or bad relationships,
thinking that this man or this woman or this friend can help me deal with anything going on in my life,
and I'm going to look to them to give me the peace that I need.
But, as we know, we're all broken, and we let each other down.
I can't give anybody peace.
We're not a reliable source of peace at all.
People will fail because people are broken and people have sinned.
And others look for peace, like just in vacations, escapes.
I used to have a habit of doing this many years ago.
So, just think, if I just go here, leave this physical location, and go somewhere I want,
my son and my stuff won't follow me there.
Not true at all.
You are you wherever you go.
And so, the stuff that you bring there continues to eat at you and gnaw at you,
even while you're in a different location.
And then you come back, and you're more stressed out than when you left
because you've been looking for it in the wrong place.
Other people look for it in health.
They want to take care of their bodies.
They want to look good.
They either just want to say, if I think that people can look at me and say,
I look good, we get approval from man, I'll have peace.
Or just, I want to take care of myself because I'm scared of getting sick.
I'm scared of dying.
But, you know what?
You can't maintain it forever.
And things happen.
You can do whatever you want to do.
But, eventually, we all are wearing out.
We all are fading.
And I think a big one that a lot of people look to is this idea of,
I can have peace if I can get in a routine, if I can plan well enough,
where I know everything is coming at me, nothing is going to catch me off guard,
and if something is just kind of thrown in the middle of that,
and your routine or your schedule is thrown off, you're thrown off.
And you don't even know how to cope with change.
And knowing that, like, nothing, plans aren't certain, life catches us off guard.
So true spiritual peace is just lost for many of us.
We can't grasp it no matter what we do.
It just eludes us.
So, why can't we be at peace with ourselves?
Why can't we be at peace with those around us?
Why is it always something going on in here that's, like, tearing us apart, ripping us to shreds?
And you may find that to be the case with you this morning.
So, what's burdening your soul?
What is it that you're anxious about that's tearing you apart?
So, Christmas time, the holiday season, is a time for a lot of people to try to regain that peace.
And it can be done in a good way, which is what we're trying to do,
but also, for most people who are without Christ and in the world,
they do it in a lot of false, superficial, shallow ways that never, ever actually bring peace.
It's the whole, you know, it's the Christmas spirit.
Cheer up.
It'll all be okay.
Be happy.
You know, this is the time when we just, usually we're mean and cool to each other,
but it's Christmas time, so let's be nice to each other and let's have peace together.
And it's sort of, you know, epitomized a lot of the stuff you see on TV,
in the movies you watch that are very, you know, warm, cuddly, cozy.
But, you know what?
Like, that stuff may be, you know, I'm not trying to hate on that,
but at the same time, what I'm saying is, that's not reality.
Like, we live in an awful, broken, sinful world.
And to kind of look to the world and say,
with this this shallow, warm, sentimental, you know, cheer up, it's Christmas, it's time to be happy,
it's about absurd as like sending a Hallmark card to a starving village in Asia
and saying, we hope you feel better because it's Christmas.
You know, it doesn't fix anything.
It's not real.
We have to have something that's not man-made and superficial
that can heal the broken world that we live in.
And so, we can't look to just what the world looks to at Christmastime.
More junk, more gifts, more party, more whatever.
It's not going to bring the peace that we need.
And so, but on the other hand, we can use this time,
the holiday time, the Christmastime,
to elevate our thoughts to a higher place
for the real meaning of what Christmas is.
But let's kind of create the problem.
So, we're starting to create the problem,
and then we're going to solve it, hopefully.
God's going to solve it through His Word.
But why do we have no peace?
Why don't any of those things work, right?
Why don't they work?
Well, the simple answer is that
we can't have any spiritual peace within ourselves or in the world
because we have a spiritual problem,
a spiritual condition.
And the reality is that we have sinned
and turned away against the God of peace.
And because of that, you will never have peace in yourself.
Because we are at odds with God Himself,
we'll never, ever have peace.
You can't have peace when God is your enemy,
when you have set yourself up against Him.
And the Scripture says
that all of us have sinned against God.
Every one of us.
We have chosen to love,
to give our lives to things that aren't worthy.
We have kind of either directly or indirectly
said to God,
You're not worthy of us loving.
You're not worthy of our obedience in our lives.
And we're going to do what we want to do
and try to find what only You can give us
through all these things that You have created
in the world.
And that's what it is.
All of us have fallen.
Our souls were meant to know God,
to worship Him,
to have a relationship with the God of peace.
Right?
The peace of God.
But sin has turned us against Him.
In James 4, verses 4-5,
I'll just read this to you.
James says,
You adulterous people,
do you not know that friendship
with the world is enmity with God?
Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of this world
makes himself an enemy of God.
Or do you not suppose that it is no purpose?
The Scripture says,
He yearns jealously over the Spirit
that He has made to dwell in us.
So this is just a picture of spiritual unfaithfulness to God,
having these strong affections
for the things in the creation
and not the Creator.
Paul says,
Because they, like being mankind,
exchanged the truth about God for a lie.
They exchanged it.
And we worshiped and served the creature
rather than the Creator
who is blessed forever.
And this word that he talks about,
don't love the world here,
like if you love the world,
you make yourself an enemy of God,
it means like a very strong
or immodest attachment to something.
And that's what we've done.
We've taken things in this world
and we've like loved them far more than they deserve.
And we haven't given that love to the Creator.
And so that's why,
and God deserves it.
He deserves it.
He is the Creator.
He made you.
He even sustains you at this very moment.
Every good thing you have
is from Him and Him alone.
your health,
your money,
your clothes,
everything you have
is a gift from God
to help you see that He is good.
But still,
we credit that to ourselves.
And we think that it's us sustaining us.
And we ignore
or either blatantly push Him away.
And so,
because sin has made us at war with God,
we will never have peace.
You cannot ever have
any inward spiritual peace
when God is set against you.
Isaiah,
57, 20-21,
you just might want to write this down,
but listen to this.
It says,
The wicked
are like the tossing of the sea,
for it cannot be quiet,
and its waters toss up mire and dirt.
There is no peace,
says my God,
for the wicked.
That's a picture of the world.
It's being tossed and tossed
and no quiet,
no peace.
And it says,
there's no peace.
God says,
there's no peace for the wicked,
no peace for those
who are set against Him.
You can't.
So,
that's creating the problem.
We don't have peace
because we are at war with God.
And mankind
who has set himself
against God.
But,
what we can do
at this Christmas time
is,
is use this
as a chance
just to elevate our souls
to a higher place.
If we use this
to focus on the true meaning
of Christmas
and, I guess,
rediscover it,
refresh it,
and allow it to play out
into the rest of our life,
not just Christmas,
but this is an opportunity
to hit reset.
But,
throughout the ages,
we celebrate that God
is a God of salvation,
that He has worked
through the ages
to bring salvation
to us.
Thousands of years
before it actually
came to us.
It was spoken
by the prophet Isaiah
700 years or so
before Christ came.
He told of the Prince
of Peace
that would come,
first bringing peace
to individuals
and then to the nations,
that His government
would be established
forever.
It says,
Isaiah 9,
6-7,
For to us a child
is born,
to us a son
is given,
and the government
shall be on His shoulders,
and His name
shall be called
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.
And that's what we celebrate,
is the first coming
of the Prince of Peace,
and how He would bring
peace to our souls
and then to the nations.
So,
what is it?
I mean,
just stop and pause.
What is it that's making
you anxious today?
It could be several things.
Guys,
don't lie.
You're anxious
about stuff too.
Being stoic
and acting like you're tough
doesn't change it.
You still are being
torn apart in here
whether you show it or not.
And there are some things
you can have no control over.
So,
I beg you this morning
just to really let God's Word
just minister to your soul
that we would find that peace.
So,
let's just start with
a good definition
of peace.
I guess when we're talking
about it just biblically,
it does mean like
just the word
an inner calm
or an inner tranquility
of the soul,
a quietness of the soul.
and
I'll give you
just a definition
of what that looks like.
But here's
our definition.
Peace is the inner confidence
and trust
in God's wise,
sovereign control
of our lives
resulting from being
restored to Him
through Jesus Christ.
Peace is the inner confidence
and trust
in God's wise,
sovereign control
of our lives
resulting from being
restored to Him
through Jesus Christ.
So,
we can have peace
through Jesus Christ.
And that's kind of
where we're going today.
The Old Testament word
for that is just
shalom,
meaning
a complete peace,
an inner contentment,
completeness,
wholeness,
harmony.
So,
three things
we're going to look at today.
Now I invite you
just to open your Bibles
to a well-known passage,
Luke chapter 2.
Very familiar
just in the,
what we would refer to
in some ways
as the Christmas story.
Luke 2.
Let's go to verse 8.
So,
the three things
that we're going to look at.
Number one,
because God brought
peace to us.
These are reasons
we can have peace.
Excuse me.
Like,
why can we have peace?
Okay.
Because God brought
peace to us.
That's number one.
Because God brought
peace to us.
Look at Luke 2,
verse 8.
And in the same region
there were shepherds
out in the field
keeping watch
over their flocks
by night.
And an angel
of the Lord
appeared to them
and the glory
of the Lord
shone around them.
And they were filled
with great fear.
And the angel
said to them,
Fear not,
for behold,
I bring you
good news,
gospel,
right,
of great joy
that will be
for all people.
For unto you
is born this day
in the city of David
a Savior
who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be
a sign for you.
You will find a baby
wrapped in swallowing clothes
and lying in a manger.
And suddenly
there was with the angel
a multitude
of the heavenly hosts
praising God
and saying,
Glory to God
and the highest
and on earth
peace among those
with whom
He is pleased.
So there are some,
you know,
this is kind of
one of those
cliche phrases
that you hear
at Christmas
and most people
don't even know
where it comes from
or what it means
but it's like,
hey man,
it's peace on earth,
good will toward men.
And it's,
that's true
but look what the verse says,
among those
with whom He is pleased.
So this idea
that like,
it's not just this,
this weird,
you know,
peace floating out there
that we lay hold of,
it's come to us
only by God.
And it is going to be
on those
with whom He is pleased.
Those who will come
to know the Messiah.
So this is like
the dawning of peace.
Okay?
So if I said a minute ago,
God was our,
if you're without Christ,
like God is our,
He is your enemy.
But He has brought
peace to us.
And so,
you should know
like a really,
you know,
the well-known
Christmas tradition
of kissing
under the mistletoe
comes from the old,
you know,
ancient Celtic,
Scottish,
Irish tradition
of when
they would come together
under the mistletoe
to make peace.
Like enemies
would come over
and be together
and make peace
under the mistletoe.
And they would lay down
their weapons
and they would come
to talk about peace.
So that's why
it's kind of a symbol of that.
But God
has brought peace to us
by meeting under
a different tree
and saying,
come and meet with me
here to have peace
with me.
It says
in Colossians
chapter 1,
verse 20,
through Him,
Christ,
He reconciled
all things to Himself,
whether on earth
or in heaven,
making peace
by the blood
of His cross.
Alright?
So His offer is,
though you have
rejected Me,
though you have
rebelled against Me,
though you have
loved things
that are not
even worthy
to be compared to Me,
I am offering you,
I am offering a chance
with this arriving Messiah,
this King,
to have peace.
So glory to God
on the highest
and on earth,
peace among those
who He has pleased.
Christ.
So,
it's not just
this random thing,
it is an offer,
like,
you want peace with Me?
You come
through My Son.
He is the Messiah,
I am sending
to save you
from your sin
and restore
peace
between us.
So,
there's like this offer
in Psalm 2,
is a messianic prophecy
about the Messiah.
It's about the coming
of Christ
and it's this idea
that Christ
is coming to the earth
and this is what it says
in verse 12.
It's saying to the kings
of the earth,
it says,
kiss the Son,
lest He be angry
and you perish
in the way,
for His wrath
is quickly kindled,
but blessed are those
who take refuge in Him.
So,
this is the offer.
God has brought peace
to us,
we celebrate that
at Christmas
that He came
and condescended
to be with us.
So,
that is good news.
That's good news
because God
has brought peace
to us.
And secondly,
the Bible talks about
peace with God.
Okay,
so,
we can have peace,
number two,
because we can have
peace with God.
Because we can have
peace with God.
Look at Romans chapter 5.
There's just a couple
more places
for you to look,
so,
it's more topical today.
Romans 5,
go to verse,
let's see,
go to verse 1.
So,
why can we have
peace?
Because we can have
peace with God.
Look at Romans 5,
verse 1,
it says,
therefore,
since we have been
justified by faith,
we have peace
with God
through
our Lord Jesus.
go down to verse 6.
I've let you do
the whole section,
but we don't have time.
Look at verse 6.
It says,
for while we were
still weak,
at the right time,
Christ died
for the ungodly.
For one will scarcely
die for a righteous
person,
though perhaps
for a good person
one might dare
even to die.
But God shows
His love for us
in that while we were
still sinners,
Christ died
for us.
since therefore
we have now
been justified
by His blood,
much more
shall we be saved
by Him
from the wrath
of God.
For if while
we were enemies,
we were reconciled
to God
by the death
of His Son,
much more
now that we are
reconciled
shall we be saved
by His life.
More than that,
we also rejoice
in God
through our Lord
Jesus Christ
through whom
we have now
received reconciliation.
Ah, man.
This is so good.
Don't let this passage
be familiar to you.
So the Bible
uses words
in this passage
that describe us
before we were
in Christ.
Okay?
So God does not
help those
who help themselves.
This says
you were weak
and you were helpless.
You couldn't do
anything
to improve
your condition.
It used these
words.
Weak,
helpless,
ungodly,
sinners,
enemies.
Those are
descriptions of us
before we are
in Christ.
And you see
how Christ
came
and brought a
remedy
to each one
of those things.
Each one of them.
so it's a chance
to celebrate
that God
has sent
His Son
in order
that we might
not have
strife with Him
but have
peace with Him.
So our souls
can have peace
if you look
in this passage
knowing that
His sacrifice
and His shedding
of His blood
on the cross
would save us
from the wrath
of God.
That should bring
peace to your soul
knowing that the
Savior
has come
to take away
the wrath of God
on your behalf
so we can have
peace
because of faith
and trust
and confidence
in His blood
we can be
justified,
made right
with God.
Because right now
in God's eyes
like in a legal sense
we are guilty,
we are unrighteous
but because of
Christ now
He can look at us
and see the perfect
life of His Son
on us
and He can say
righteous,
justified.
We can be made
right with God
in that sense
because of what
Christ has done.
We can have
that inner serenity
of the soul
that comes from
being justified
in God's sight
and that
because we were
separated,
we were enemies
of God,
now we can have
fellowship with God
instead of like
being at odds
with Him
we can be
sons and daughters
we can have
a restored
relationship
with Him
reconciled
completely
by the blood
of His Son
and we can have
that.
So real spiritual
peace comes
with the reality
of knowing
that we've experienced
a divine pardon
from God
that He has
paid for our sins
in Christ
and that because of that
we can now be
reconciled,
restored back
to God.
We can know
again the God
of peace.
Alright?
That quietness
of the soul.
So the first question
is if you're looking
for peace today
and you don't have
the Messiah
in your life,
you don't have Christ,
know that it's just
going to be a vain
pursuit until you
reach this point
to where you come
to Christ
to be your
Savior,
your Savior
and your Messiah.
Alright?
So that's
the third thing.
It has to start there.
But the Bible
talks about peace
with God
but the Bible
also talks about
the peace
of God.
So this is
the third thing.
Because we can
have the peace
of God.
Number three,
because we can
have the peace
of God.
So go to this
very familiar passage,
Philippians chapter 4.
This is going to
start working out
a little bit,
at least practically,
how this comes about.
Philippians chapter 4.
Go to verse 4.
So I just kind of
want to,
as a side note,
I kind of want
to say this.
I think it would
be helpful,
maybe,
to have a right
understanding of
God here.
Because when God
gives us something,
He doesn't just
dispense it to us.
Meaning that He
has a lot of peace
and then He just
says,
here's some peace.
He kind of
gives it to us.
Or here's some love
and He's going to
dish it out,
you know,
dispense it.
It's not that.
It's God gives us
Himself.
He gives us
not just things,
but He gives us
Himself.
And when He gives us
Himself,
like in Him
is all the grace
we need,
all the peace
we need.
It's His presence.
He doesn't give us
something outside
of Him.
So,
just know that.
It's not like He's
up there just
dishing out pie
from the sky.
So,
He gives us Himself
in the Gospel.
So,
look at Philippians 4
and we're talking
about because we
can have the peace
of God.
Verse 4,
Paul says,
rejoice in the Lord
always.
Again,
I will say rejoice.
Let your reasonableness
be known to everyone.
The Lord is at hand.
Do not be anxious
about anything,
but in everything
by prayer
and supplication
with thanksgiving.
Let your requests
be made known to God
and the peace of God
which surpasses
all understanding
will guard your hearts
and minds
in Christ Jesus.
So,
if you look at that,
we see this idea
of the peace of God,
this inner calm
quietness
of the soul
that Christ has promised
to believers.
Right?
If you'd all
looked on your bulletin,
there's a quote
by a Puritan.
One of my,
one of the ones I think
is one of my favorite
to read,
Thomas Watson.
They have a way
of saying things
that are so profound
in a very simple way,
in a very like deep way.
Thomas Watson said,
God sweetens outward pain
with inward peace.
It's true.
Very true.
And let's talk about
this peace of God now.
That inner confidence,
right?
This inner tranquility
we can have.
If you look at this,
we can talk about
the peace of God
and that comes again
through Christ.
Christ promised
that His presence
with us
would bring peace.
Many times
throughout the life
of Christ,
He would look
to His followers
and He would say
stuff like this,
like in John 14,
verse 25.
He's like,
these things I've said
to you
while I've still
been with you,
but the Helper,
the Holy Spirit,
whom the Father
will send in My name,
He will teach you
all these things
and bring to remembrance
all that I have said
to you.
And this is what He says.
He's like,
peace I leave you.
My peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives
do I give.
Let not your hearts
be troubled,
neither let them
be afraid.
He's like,
I'm going to give you
this peace that is
unlike anything
this world has
to offer you.
And I'm giving it
to you.
So,
I just,
this is one of my
favorites.
This is kind of
looking into this
passage in terms
of like,
what is the peace
of God?
What is it?
Jonathan Edwards,
another early
American Puritan.
I used to have
a shirt that said
Jonathan Edwards
is my homeboy
that someone
bought for me.
Jesus can't be
the homeboy,
but Jonathan Edwards
is like,
that's okay.
So,
this is what he said
about the peace
of Christ.
Listen to this.
Christ's peace
is a virtuous
peace,
and a holy
peace.
The peace
that the saints
enjoy in Christ
is not only
their comfort,
but it also
is a part of
their beauty
and their dignity.
They are virtues
of graces
that God has
given to us
by his spirit.
Christ's peace
is an unfailing
and eternal
peace.
It is everlasting,
everlasting,
is what no time
or change
can destroy.
The fountain
of his comfort
shall never
be diminished.
His comfort
and joy
is a living
spring to the soul.
And that's
what we're talking
about.
The peace
of God
that surpasses
all understanding.
So,
let's look at
this passage.
He's saying,
don't be anxious.
Why?
How do we deal
with it?
When you face
anxiety,
what do you do?
A lot of people
try to block it out
and they try to
focus on this idea
that if I can just
expel these negative
thoughts and just
think positively
about things,
it'll just be okay.
But the problem
there is,
like,
you're not facing
the reality.
Like,
there is hard
stuff going on
around you.
You can't ignore it.
You can't just say,
I'm just not going
to think about it now.
I'm going to put
my mind here
on these other things.
because those
overcoming facts
are going to be
there when you
come out of that.
And Paul is saying,
like,
I've learned,
I've learned this,
that when this
stuff happens,
I can look at it
and I can smile
because of what
he's going to teach
us here.
Here's some things
in this passage.
If you look,
it says,
rejoice in the Lord
always.
I will say again,
rejoice.
Let your reasonableness
be known to everyone.
All right,
so anxiety
causes you
to be unreasonable.
You ever notice that?
Like,
you can't even,
like,
think straight.
Your logic's gone.
And he's saying,
it shouldn't be
this way with you.
Let your reasonableness
be known to everyone
around you.
Why?
The Lord is at hand,
meaning that
he is near you.
His presence
is with you
and in you.
He's not far away.
Allow his presence
to come and bring you
this peace.
And he says,
don't be anxious
about anything,
but in everything,
by prayer
and supplication
with thanksgiving,
let your request
be made known
to God.
So,
going to God,
pouring out
your anxieties
and your burdens,
casting those on him
because he cares
for you.
And then,
this is a very
practical thing,
guys.
you have to put
your mind
on the truth.
You have to put
your mind on,
if we say we believe
these things
theologically,
you need to know
they actually affect
how you live,
if it's what you believe.
Like this idea
of the sovereignty
of God
and the goodness
of God,
like those aren't
just cool,
nerdy theological
topics.
They're supposed
to like penetrate
how you think
and how you live.
Years ago,
when I was going
through all my
physical stuff
with the transplant
and I wasn't
doing good,
I think,
I don't remember
this time,
I think I was
on life support,
wasn't doing good
in my recovery.
I had a very
dear friend of mine
who's a good
brother in the Lord,
but at the time,
I think,
at the time,
I think the sovereignty
of God was just
kind of a nerdy
topic for him.
So,
when this was
going on with me,
he was in panic.
He was like
freaking out,
like Clay's
going to die,
Clay's going to die,
you know.
But,
men like Nathan
and Wes,
who also were
grieved by what
was going on
with me,
they had a
greater confidence
that God was
in control.
Like they
allowed that truth
to work itself
into the reality
of what was
going on.
And so,
you have to put
your mind on the truth.
If you look,
you know,
look later in
Philippians,
he says,
whatever is good,
whatever is true,
whatever is praiseworthy,
they put your mind
on these things,
right?
And the God of peace
will be with you.
Right?
So,
we have to
stop looking at lies
and stop looking
at circumstances
and look to the truth
and allow God
to use that
to minister
to our hearts
to believe.
Right?
So,
what we believe
has practical implications
for how we live.
Even the greatest
doctrines in the Bible
affect how you live.
right?
So,
that's how we get it.
We,
if you look,
go on at this passage,
it says,
the peace of God
which surpasses
all understanding
will guard
your hearts
and your minds
in Christ Jesus.
So,
you don't just get
peace by
ignoring circumstances.
You get peace
by knowing
and having this
awesome feeling
of being protected.
right?
If,
if there's something
going on in your life
and you know
that like the sovereign God
of the universe
is with you
and for you
and you feel protected
even if there's
crazy things
going on around you.
That's just how it is.
That's how peace works.
Peace,
peace flourishes
!
Peace flourishes
in the midst of
suffering and chaos.
It's not in the absence
of suffering
and chaos.
It,
it comes up.
So,
this word
says right here,
it says,
guard your hearts
and minds.
It's a great,
military term
used in this context
for the Roman army
and other things,
but it means
to set a watch over,
to garrison over,
to guard.
And he's saying
the peace of God
will guard
your heart
and your mind
from anxiety,
from fear,
from worry.
It's setting a watch
over your mind
and your heart.
That's what the peace
of God does.
Isaiah chapter 26,
verse 3.
This is what he says
about God.
He says,
you keep him
in perfect peace
whose mind
is stayed on you
because he trusts in you.
Trust in the Lord
forever,
for the God
is an everlasting rock.
So,
trials and suffering
and loss,
they're the breeding ground
of peace.
That's where peace happens.
That inner peace
happens knowing
that Christ is with you
and that he is in you.
Right?
And he's going to guard
your heart
and your mind.
So,
the truth is,
though we,
our souls can be
healthy as ever
in the midst of
crazy circumstances.
Almost simultaneously,
right?
A friend of mine said,
if you're going
through a storm
in life,
if God doesn't
calm the storm,
he'll calm you
in the middle
of the storm.
You know?
And that's very true.
Not just nice
and poetic,
but true.
Like,
I've been there.
You know,
so many opportunities.
I don't want to just
kind of give you
an extreme example,
but,
I mean,
I can have
the peace of God
riding down the road
feeling stressed out
by life.
Just normal circumstances.
But,
but just so you know,
when fear
and death
and things like that
are knocking,
it can also be there.
Third night
into my transplant,
I remember going
to a different unit
that's on my mind
because we're in
touch with somebody
right now,
going through this
at a hospital,
a lung transplant
patient.
But I was there
and in a dark room
kind of glassed
around me
and I wasn't allowed
to have any visitors,
no one I knew
at the time.
And all the medicine
was kind of hitting me
and I was just
a little delirious
and very,
very anxious
about what was
going on around me
and just kind of
like moved around,
tossed around a lot
for those couple of days.
And in this room
just like around
maybe two in the morning,
I just kind of
was just watching
the clock,
couldn't go to sleep,
just had like
18 different
like attachments
on my body
and I just remember
quoting this scripture
to myself
and the peace of God
is real
not because I experienced it
but I experienced it
because it was real.
Alright?
And He met me there
and He guarded my heart
and my mind
in the midst of that.
And He gave me peace
in the midst of
when nothing good
was going on around me
at all, you know.
You can have that.
Christ being with us.
He's come to us
and He's coming again.
And 2 Timothy 3
Paul says,
Now may the Lord
of peace Himself
continually grant you
peace in every circumstance.
The Lord be with you.
So when His Spirit
is within us
like He promised,
the Helper,
the Holy Spirit
will come.
He will work in you
and He will remind you
of the truth
in those circumstances.
And He'll apply that
to your heart,
to your mind,
to your soul.
So look,
it's not going to be easy.
This life's going to
get harder and harder.
Harder and harder.
John 15,
verse 33.
I just want you to hear
the promise of God.
This is something Jesus said.
I just think it sums up
so much.
but I'm begging you
to lay hold of Christ.
He'll give you this
in the midst of everything
going on around you.
I've just seen
a very dear brother
and a very dear sister
walk through a hard time.
This is ministered
to their heart.
John 15,
verse 33.
He says,
this is what Jesus says,
I've said these things
to you
that in me
you may have peace.
In the world
you will have
tribulation.
But take heart,
I have overcome
the world.
So go to the Savior
and experience
the peace of God
that surpasses
all understanding.
And use this
Christmas season
as a chance
to refresh your mind
and refresh your heart.
Ask Him
to kick out
all these stupid things
that you're trying
to find peace in
that are not
going to let you down.
And ask that Christ
replace those things.
So,
let's pray together.