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Our Peace: Surpassed All Understanding · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

• 0:00
  Good morning, and I just want to express my joy and my happiness to be here with you guys.
• 0:08
  ! Advent season really does minister a lot to my heart every year.
• 0:12
  And as a special blessing to me getting a chance to come and share and preach God's Word to you this morning.
• 0:22
  You know, as we've already defined, I hope most of you can walk away from the Advent season knowing what Advent actually is.
• 0:30
  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.
• 0:40
  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.
• 0:54
  So, as Nathan already pointed out, today's focus is focused on the Advent of peace.
• 1:01
  So, peace that is coming to us.
• 1:04
  But also, Advent also has another meaning.
• 1:07
  It's not just we look back at Christ's first arrival when He came and came among us, baby in the manger.
• 1:14
  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.
• 1:28
  So, that's kind of a double meaning there.
• 1:30
  We have a coming that we look back at and a coming that we are looking forward to in Advent.
• 1:35
  But just by way of introduction, today we're talking about peace.
• 1:42
  And in my own life, this has been a quest, a looking for what can I find peace in.
• 1:49
  So, just know that this is a very personal message for me as well.
• 1:54
  This ministered a lot to my heart.
• 1:56
  Well, let's just go to the Lord one more time.
• 1:58
  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.
• 2:13
  I pray that You would be delighted to work through this broken vessel to minister to Your people this morning.
• 2:22
  And God, I pray that Your Spirit would communicate the Word to our hearts, to our souls, to our minds, Lord.
• 2:32
  That people here would be moved to greater love for You.
• 2:37
  That they would know the peace of Christ that He has brought us.
• 2:42
  In Christ's name, amen.
• 2:43
  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,
• 2:54
  and just stop and just look even at your own life, you'll see that there is a search for peace.
• 3:01
  And no one can find it.
• 3:04
  It's peace, you know, how we define things sometimes by looking at the opposite.
• 3:09
  So, if we wanted to say the opposite of joy is sorrow or sadness, so the opposite of peace is anxiety.
• 3:18
  And the word, at least, is used a lot in the Scripture for the word anxiety.
• 3:22
  It means to be like inwardly torn apart, shredded apart by outward things that are happening or inward,
• 3:31
  that are causing you just to be devastated in your soul, to be torn and ripped to shreds by circumstances that are around you.
• 3:40
  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,
• 3:45
  you can't deal with it, you're feeling crushed and you're feeling ripped apart.
• 3:50
  And I have been there even this week, and I know that you also have experienced that.
• 3:57
  So, the people around us, and even you, you may have, people search for peace in all sorts of different things.
• 4:06
  A big one, people search for peace in money and financial security.
• 4:12
  They think, if I have enough money, I can deal with any kind of problem that comes my way.
• 4:17
  But, as we know, that's not certain.
• 4:20
  Things can happen where you can lose pretty much everything you have.
• 4:24
  You never can have enough to feel safe and secure.
• 4:28
  And another thing people look to is relationships, whether good or bad relationships,
• 4:35
  thinking that this man or this woman or this friend can help me deal with anything going on in my life,
• 4:43
  and I'm going to look to them to give me the peace that I need.
• 4:47
  But, as we know, we're all broken, and we let each other down.
• 4:52
  I can't give anybody peace.
• 4:55
  We're not a reliable source of peace at all.
• 4:58
  People will fail because people are broken and people have sinned.
• 5:03
  And others look for peace, like just in vacations, escapes.
• 5:08
  I used to have a habit of doing this many years ago.
• 5:11
  So, just think, if I just go here, leave this physical location, and go somewhere I want,
• 5:16
  my son and my stuff won't follow me there.
• 5:19
  Not true at all.
• 5:21
  You are you wherever you go.
• 5:23
  And so, the stuff that you bring there continues to eat at you and gnaw at you,
• 5:28
  even while you're in a different location.
• 5:31
  And then you come back, and you're more stressed out than when you left
• 5:33
  because you've been looking for it in the wrong place.
• 5:37
  Other people look for it in health.
• 5:38
  They want to take care of their bodies.
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  They want to look good.
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  They either just want to say, if I think that people can look at me and say,
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  I look good, we get approval from man, I'll have peace.
• 5:50
  Or just, I want to take care of myself because I'm scared of getting sick.
• 5:54
  I'm scared of dying.
• 5:55
  But, you know what?
• 5:57
  You can't maintain it forever.
• 5:59
  And things happen.
• 6:01
  You can do whatever you want to do.
• 6:02
  But, eventually, we all are wearing out.
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  We all are fading.
• 6:06
  And I think a big one that a lot of people look to is this idea of,
• 6:12
  I can have peace if I can get in a routine, if I can plan well enough,
• 6:19
  where I know everything is coming at me, nothing is going to catch me off guard,
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  and if something is just kind of thrown in the middle of that,
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  and your routine or your schedule is thrown off, you're thrown off.
• 6:30
  And you don't even know how to cope with change.
• 6:33
  And knowing that, like, nothing, plans aren't certain, life catches us off guard.
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  So true spiritual peace is just lost for many of us.
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  We can't grasp it no matter what we do.
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  It just eludes us.
• 6:48
  So, why can't we be at peace with ourselves?
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  Why can't we be at peace with those around us?
• 6:56
  Why is it always something going on in here that's, like, tearing us apart, ripping us to shreds?
• 7:02
  And you may find that to be the case with you this morning.
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  So, what's burdening your soul?
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  What is it that you're anxious about that's tearing you apart?
• 7:13
  So, Christmas time, the holiday season, is a time for a lot of people to try to regain that peace.
• 7:24
  And it can be done in a good way, which is what we're trying to do,
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  but also, for most people who are without Christ and in the world,
• 7:31
  they do it in a lot of false, superficial, shallow ways that never, ever actually bring peace.
• 7:39
  It's the whole, you know, it's the Christmas spirit.
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  Cheer up.
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  It'll all be okay.
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  Be happy.
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  You know, this is the time when we just, usually we're mean and cool to each other,
• 7:51
  but it's Christmas time, so let's be nice to each other and let's have peace together.
• 7:56
  And it's sort of, you know, epitomized a lot of the stuff you see on TV,
• 8:01
  in the movies you watch that are very, you know, warm, cuddly, cozy.
• 8:05
  But, you know what?
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  Like, that stuff may be, you know, I'm not trying to hate on that,
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  but at the same time, what I'm saying is, that's not reality.
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  Like, we live in an awful, broken, sinful world.
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  And to kind of look to the world and say,
• 8:23
  with this this shallow, warm, sentimental, you know, cheer up, it's Christmas, it's time to be happy,
• 8:30
  it's about absurd as like sending a Hallmark card to a starving village in Asia
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  and saying, we hope you feel better because it's Christmas.
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  You know, it doesn't fix anything.
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  It's not real.
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  We have to have something that's not man-made and superficial
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  that can heal the broken world that we live in.
• 8:49
  And so, we can't look to just what the world looks to at Christmastime.
• 8:54
  More junk, more gifts, more party, more whatever.
• 8:57
  It's not going to bring the peace that we need.
• 9:03
  And so, but on the other hand, we can use this time,
• 9:07
  the holiday time, the Christmastime,
• 9:09
  to elevate our thoughts to a higher place
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  for the real meaning of what Christmas is.
• 9:16
  But let's kind of create the problem.
• 9:18
  So, we're starting to create the problem,
• 9:19
  and then we're going to solve it, hopefully.
• 9:21
  God's going to solve it through His Word.
• 9:23
  But why do we have no peace?
• 9:25
  Why don't any of those things work, right?
• 9:28
  Why don't they work?
• 9:31
  Well, the simple answer is that
• 9:34
  we can't have any spiritual peace within ourselves or in the world
• 9:39
  because we have a spiritual problem,
• 9:43
  a spiritual condition.
• 9:45
  And the reality is that we have sinned
• 9:47
  and turned away against the God of peace.
• 9:50
  And because of that, you will never have peace in yourself.
• 9:53
  Because we are at odds with God Himself,
• 9:56
  we'll never, ever have peace.
• 9:59
  You can't have peace when God is your enemy,
• 10:02
  when you have set yourself up against Him.
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  And the Scripture says
• 10:06
  that all of us have sinned against God.
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  Every one of us.
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  We have chosen to love,
• 10:13
  to give our lives to things that aren't worthy.
• 10:15
  We have kind of either directly or indirectly
• 10:17
  said to God,
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  You're not worthy of us loving.
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  You're not worthy of our obedience in our lives.
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  And we're going to do what we want to do
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  and try to find what only You can give us
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  through all these things that You have created
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  in the world.
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  And that's what it is.
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  All of us have fallen.
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  Our souls were meant to know God,
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  to worship Him,
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  to have a relationship with the God of peace.
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  Right?
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  The peace of God.
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  But sin has turned us against Him.
• 10:51
  In James 4, verses 4-5,
• 10:54
  I'll just read this to you.
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  James says,
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  You adulterous people,
• 10:57
  do you not know that friendship
• 10:59
  with the world is enmity with God?
• 11:03
  Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of this world
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  makes himself an enemy of God.
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  Or do you not suppose that it is no purpose?
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  The Scripture says,
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  He yearns jealously over the Spirit
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  that He has made to dwell in us.
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  So this is just a picture of spiritual unfaithfulness to God,
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  having these strong affections
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  for the things in the creation
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  and not the Creator.
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  Paul says,
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  Because they, like being mankind,
• 11:30
  exchanged the truth about God for a lie.
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  They exchanged it.
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  And we worshiped and served the creature
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  rather than the Creator
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  who is blessed forever.
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  And this word that he talks about,
• 11:42
  don't love the world here,
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  like if you love the world,
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  you make yourself an enemy of God,
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  it means like a very strong
• 11:49
  or immodest attachment to something.
• 11:51
  And that's what we've done.
• 11:52
  We've taken things in this world
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  and we've like loved them far more than they deserve.
• 11:57
  And we haven't given that love to the Creator.
• 12:00
  And so that's why,
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  and God deserves it.
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  He deserves it.
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  He is the Creator.
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  He made you.
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  He even sustains you at this very moment.
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  Every good thing you have
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  is from Him and Him alone.
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  your health,
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  your money,
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  your clothes,
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  everything you have
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  is a gift from God
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  to help you see that He is good.
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  But still,
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  we credit that to ourselves.
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  And we think that it's us sustaining us.
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  And we ignore
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  or either blatantly push Him away.
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  And so,
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  because sin has made us at war with God,
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  we will never have peace.
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  You cannot ever have
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  any inward spiritual peace
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  when God is set against you.
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  Isaiah,
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  57, 20-21,
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  you just might want to write this down,
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  but listen to this.
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  It says,
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  The wicked
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  are like the tossing of the sea,
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  for it cannot be quiet,
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  and its waters toss up mire and dirt.
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  There is no peace,
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  says my God,
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  for the wicked.
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  That's a picture of the world.
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  It's being tossed and tossed
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  and no quiet,
• 13:10
  no peace.
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  And it says,
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  there's no peace.
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  God says,
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  there's no peace for the wicked,
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  no peace for those
• 13:16
  who are set against Him.
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  You can't.
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  So,
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  that's creating the problem.
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  We don't have peace
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  because we are at war with God.
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  And mankind
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  who has set himself
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  against God.
• 13:30
  But,
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  what we can do
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  at this Christmas time
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  is,
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  is use this
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  as a chance
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  just to elevate our souls
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  to a higher place.
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  If we use this
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  to focus on the true meaning
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  of Christmas
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  and, I guess,
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  rediscover it,
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  refresh it,
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  and allow it to play out
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  into the rest of our life,
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  not just Christmas,
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  but this is an opportunity
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  to hit reset.
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  But,
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  throughout the ages,
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  we celebrate that God
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  is a God of salvation,
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  that He has worked
• 13:58
  through the ages
• 14:00
  to bring salvation
• 14:03
  to us.
• 14:04
  Thousands of years
• 14:05
  before it actually
• 14:07
  came to us.
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  It was spoken
• 14:09
  by the prophet Isaiah
• 14:11
  700 years or so
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  before Christ came.
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  He told of the Prince
• 14:16
  of Peace
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  that would come,
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  first bringing peace
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  to individuals
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  and then to the nations,
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  that His government
• 14:23
  would be established
• 14:24
  forever.
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  It says,
• 14:27
  Isaiah 9,
• 14:28
  6-7,
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  For to us a child
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  is born,
• 14:31
  to us a son
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  is given,
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  and the government
• 14:34
  shall be on His shoulders,
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  and His name
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  shall be called
• 14:37
  Wonderful Counselor,
• 14:39
  Mighty God,
• 14:40
  Everlasting Father,
• 14:42
  Prince of Peace.
• 14:43
  And that's what we celebrate,
• 14:45
  is the first coming
• 14:46
  of the Prince of Peace,
• 14:48
  and how He would bring
• 14:49
  peace to our souls
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  and then to the nations.
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  So,
• 14:54
  what is it?
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  I mean,
• 14:55
  just stop and pause.
• 14:56
  What is it that's making
• 14:57
  you anxious today?
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  It could be several things.
• 15:01
  Guys,
• 15:02
  don't lie.
• 15:03
  You're anxious
• 15:03
  about stuff too.
• 15:05
  Being stoic
• 15:06
  and acting like you're tough
• 15:07
  doesn't change it.
• 15:08
  You still are being
• 15:09
  torn apart in here
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  whether you show it or not.
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  And there are some things
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  you can have no control over.
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  So,
• 15:16
  I beg you this morning
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  just to really let God's Word
• 15:19
  just minister to your soul
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  that we would find that peace.
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  So,
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  let's just start with
• 15:25
  a good definition
• 15:26
  of peace.
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  I guess when we're talking
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  about it just biblically,
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  it does mean like
• 15:33
  just the word
• 15:34
  an inner calm
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  or an inner tranquility
• 15:36
  of the soul,
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  a quietness of the soul.
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  and
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  I'll give you
• 15:43
  just a definition
• 15:44
  of what that looks like.
• 15:46
  But here's
• 15:46
  our definition.
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  Peace is the inner confidence
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  and trust
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  in God's wise,
• 15:55
  sovereign control
• 15:55
  of our lives
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  resulting from being
• 15:59
  restored to Him
• 15:59
  through Jesus Christ.
• 16:01
  Peace is the inner confidence
• 16:03
  and trust
• 16:04
  in God's wise,
• 16:06
  sovereign control
• 16:07
  of our lives
• 16:07
  resulting from being
• 16:09
  restored to Him
• 16:10
  through Jesus Christ.
• 16:12
  So,
• 16:13
  we can have peace
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  through Jesus Christ.
• 16:16
  And that's kind of
• 16:17
  where we're going today.
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  The Old Testament word
• 16:20
  for that is just
• 16:21
  shalom,
• 16:22
  meaning
• 16:22
  a complete peace,
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  an inner contentment,
• 16:25
  completeness,
• 16:26
  wholeness,
• 16:28
  harmony.
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  So,
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  three things
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  we're going to look at today.
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  Now I invite you
• 16:33
  just to open your Bibles
• 16:34
  to a well-known passage,
• 16:36
  Luke chapter 2.
• 16:42
  Very familiar
• 16:42
  just in the,
• 16:44
  what we would refer to
• 16:45
  in some ways
• 16:46
  as the Christmas story.
• 16:48
  Luke 2.
• 16:50
  Let's go to verse 8.
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  So,
• 16:54
  the three things
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  that we're going to look at.
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  Number one,
• 16:58
  because God brought
• 16:59
  peace to us.
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  These are reasons
• 17:02
  we can have peace.
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  Excuse me.
• 17:04
  Like,
• 17:04
  why can we have peace?
• 17:05
  Okay.
• 17:06
  Because God brought
• 17:07
  peace to us.
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  That's number one.
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  Because God brought
• 17:10
  peace to us.
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  Look at Luke 2,
• 17:14
  verse 8.
• 17:15
  And in the same region
• 17:16
  there were shepherds
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  out in the field
• 17:18
  keeping watch
• 17:19
  over their flocks
• 17:19
  by night.
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  And an angel
• 17:21
  of the Lord
• 17:21
  appeared to them
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  and the glory
• 17:23
  of the Lord
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  shone around them.
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  And they were filled
• 17:26
  with great fear.
• 17:28
  And the angel
• 17:28
  said to them,
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  Fear not,
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  for behold,
• 17:30
  I bring you
• 17:32
  good news,
• 17:33
  gospel,
• 17:34
  right,
• 17:35
  of great joy
• 17:36
  that will be
• 17:37
  for all people.
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  For unto you
• 17:39
  is born this day
• 17:40
  in the city of David
• 17:41
  a Savior
• 17:42
  who is Christ the Lord.
• 17:45
  And this will be
• 17:45
  a sign for you.
• 17:47
  You will find a baby
• 17:48
  wrapped in swallowing clothes
• 17:49
  and lying in a manger.
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  And suddenly
• 17:52
  there was with the angel
• 17:54
  a multitude
• 17:54
  of the heavenly hosts
• 17:56
  praising God
• 17:57
  and saying,
• 17:59
  Glory to God
• 17:59
  and the highest
• 18:00
  and on earth
• 18:02
  peace among those
• 18:04
  with whom
• 18:04
  He is pleased.
• 18:07
  So there are some,
• 18:09
  you know,
• 18:09
  this is kind of
• 18:11
  one of those
• 18:11
  cliche phrases
• 18:12
  that you hear
• 18:13
  at Christmas
• 18:13
  and most people
• 18:14
  don't even know
• 18:14
  where it comes from
• 18:16
  or what it means
• 18:17
  but it's like,
• 18:17
  hey man,
• 18:18
  it's peace on earth,
• 18:19
  good will toward men.
• 18:21
  And it's,
• 18:23
  that's true
• 18:24
  but look what the verse says,
• 18:25
  among those
• 18:26
  with whom He is pleased.
• 18:28
  So this idea
• 18:30
  that like,
• 18:30
  it's not just this,
• 18:32
  this weird,
• 18:33
  you know,
• 18:34
  peace floating out there
• 18:35
  that we lay hold of,
• 18:36
  it's come to us
• 18:37
  only by God.
• 18:38
  And it is going to be
• 18:39
  on those
• 18:40
  with whom He is pleased.
• 18:41
  Those who will come
• 18:42
  to know the Messiah.
• 18:45
  So this is like
• 18:45
  the dawning of peace.
• 18:47
  Okay?
• 18:48
  So if I said a minute ago,
• 18:49
  God was our,
• 18:50
  if you're without Christ,
• 18:52
  like God is our,
• 18:53
  He is your enemy.
• 18:53
  But He has brought
• 18:56
  peace to us.
• 18:58
  And so,
• 18:58
  you should know
• 18:59
  like a really,
• 19:00
  you know,
• 19:01
  the well-known
• 19:01
  Christmas tradition
• 19:02
  of kissing
• 19:03
  under the mistletoe
• 19:04
  comes from the old,
• 19:07
  you know,
• 19:07
  ancient Celtic,
• 19:08
  Scottish,
• 19:09
  Irish tradition
• 19:10
  of when
• 19:11
  they would come together
• 19:12
  under the mistletoe
• 19:13
  to make peace.
• 19:14
  Like enemies
• 19:15
  would come over
• 19:16
  and be together
• 19:17
  and make peace
• 19:18
  under the mistletoe.
• 19:19
  And they would lay down
• 19:21
  their weapons
• 19:21
  and they would come
• 19:22
  to talk about peace.
• 19:24
  So that's why
• 19:24
  it's kind of a symbol of that.
• 19:26
  But God
• 19:27
  has brought peace to us
• 19:29
  by meeting under
• 19:30
  a different tree
• 19:31
  and saying,
• 19:32
  come and meet with me
• 19:34
  here to have peace
• 19:35
  with me.
• 19:37
  It says
• 19:38
  in Colossians
• 19:40
  chapter 1,
• 19:41
  verse 20,
• 19:43
  through Him,
• 19:44
  Christ,
• 19:45
  He reconciled
• 19:46
  all things to Himself,
• 19:47
  whether on earth
• 19:48
  or in heaven,
• 19:49
  making peace
• 19:50
  by the blood
• 19:51
  of His cross.
• 19:53
  Alright?
• 19:53
  So His offer is,
• 19:55
  though you have
• 19:56
  rejected Me,
• 19:57
  though you have
• 19:58
  rebelled against Me,
• 19:59
  though you have
• 20:00
  loved things
• 20:01
  that are not
• 20:01
  even worthy
• 20:02
  to be compared to Me,
• 20:04
  I am offering you,
• 20:06
  I am offering a chance
• 20:07
  with this arriving Messiah,
• 20:10
  this King,
• 20:11
  to have peace.
• 20:13
  So glory to God
• 20:14
  on the highest
• 20:15
  and on earth,
• 20:16
  peace among those
• 20:16
  who He has pleased.
• 20:17
  Christ.
• 20:18
  So,
• 20:19
  it's not just
• 20:19
  this random thing,
• 20:20
  it is an offer,
• 20:22
  like,
• 20:22
  you want peace with Me?
• 20:23
  You come
• 20:24
  through My Son.
• 20:26
  He is the Messiah,
• 20:27
  I am sending
• 20:28
  to save you
• 20:28
  from your sin
• 20:29
  and restore
• 20:31
  peace
• 20:32
  between us.
• 20:34
  So,
• 20:35
  there's like this offer
• 20:36
  in Psalm 2,
• 20:38
  is a messianic prophecy
• 20:40
  about the Messiah.
• 20:41
  It's about the coming
• 20:42
  of Christ
• 20:43
  and it's this idea
• 20:44
  that Christ
• 20:45
  is coming to the earth
• 20:46
  and this is what it says
• 20:47
  in verse 12.
• 20:49
  It's saying to the kings
• 20:50
  of the earth,
• 20:50
  it says,
• 20:51
  kiss the Son,
• 20:52
  lest He be angry
• 20:53
  and you perish
• 20:54
  in the way,
• 20:55
  for His wrath
• 20:56
  is quickly kindled,
• 20:58
  but blessed are those
• 20:59
  who take refuge in Him.
• 21:00
  So,
• 21:01
  this is the offer.
• 21:02
  God has brought peace
• 21:03
  to us,
• 21:04
  we celebrate that
• 21:05
  at Christmas
• 21:06
  that He came
• 21:07
  and condescended
• 21:08
  to be with us.
• 21:10
  So,
• 21:10
  that is good news.
• 21:11
  That's good news
• 21:12
  because God
• 21:13
  has brought peace
• 21:14
  to us.
• 21:15
  And secondly,
• 21:16
  the Bible talks about
• 21:17
  peace with God.
• 21:20
  Okay,
• 21:20
  so,
• 21:21
  we can have peace,
• 21:22
  number two,
• 21:22
  because we can have
• 21:23
  peace with God.
• 21:25
  Because we can have
• 21:26
  peace with God.
• 21:27
  Look at Romans chapter 5.
• 21:30
  There's just a couple
• 21:31
  more places
• 21:32
  for you to look,
• 21:32
  so,
• 21:34
  it's more topical today.
• 21:36
  Romans 5,
• 21:37
  go to verse,
• 21:39
  let's see,
• 21:40
  go to verse 1.
• 21:42
  So,
• 21:49
  why can we have
• 21:50
  peace?
• 21:55
  Because we can have
• 21:56
  peace with God.
• 21:58
  Look at Romans 5,
• 22:00
  verse 1,
• 22:01
  it says,
• 22:01
  therefore,
• 22:02
  since we have been
• 22:04
  justified by faith,
• 22:06
  we have peace
• 22:07
  with God
• 22:08
  through
• 22:09
  our Lord Jesus.
• 22:10
  go down to verse 6.
• 22:13
  I've let you do
• 22:14
  the whole section,
• 22:15
  but we don't have time.
• 22:15
  Look at verse 6.
• 22:17
  It says,
• 22:17
  for while we were
• 22:18
  still weak,
• 22:19
  at the right time,
• 22:20
  Christ died
• 22:21
  for the ungodly.
• 22:23
  For one will scarcely
• 22:24
  die for a righteous
• 22:25
  person,
• 22:26
  though perhaps
• 22:27
  for a good person
• 22:28
  one might dare
• 22:29
  even to die.
• 22:30
  But God shows
• 22:31
  His love for us
• 22:32
  in that while we were
• 22:33
  still sinners,
• 22:35
  Christ died
• 22:35
  for us.
• 22:36
  since therefore
• 22:38
  we have now
• 22:39
  been justified
• 22:39
  by His blood,
• 22:41
  much more
• 22:42
  shall we be saved
• 22:43
  by Him
• 22:45
  from the wrath
• 22:45
  of God.
• 22:47
  For if while
• 22:48
  we were enemies,
• 22:49
  we were reconciled
• 22:50
  to God
• 22:50
  by the death
• 22:51
  of His Son,
• 22:53
  much more
• 22:53
  now that we are
• 22:55
  reconciled
• 22:55
  shall we be saved
• 22:56
  by His life.
• 22:58
  More than that,
• 23:00
  we also rejoice
• 23:01
  in God
• 23:01
  through our Lord
• 23:02
  Jesus Christ
• 23:03
  through whom
• 23:03
  we have now
• 23:04
  received reconciliation.
• 23:06
  Ah, man.
• 23:11
  This is so good.
• 23:12
  Don't let this passage
• 23:13
  be familiar to you.
• 23:17
  So the Bible
• 23:18
  uses words
• 23:18
  in this passage
• 23:19
  that describe us
• 23:20
  before we were
• 23:22
  in Christ.
• 23:24
  Okay?
• 23:25
  So God does not
• 23:26
  help those
• 23:26
  who help themselves.
• 23:28
  This says
• 23:29
  you were weak
• 23:30
  and you were helpless.
• 23:31
  You couldn't do
• 23:32
  anything
• 23:33
  to improve
• 23:33
  your condition.
• 23:35
  It used these
• 23:36
  words.
• 23:37
  Weak,
• 23:38
  helpless,
• 23:39
  ungodly,
• 23:41
  sinners,
• 23:42
  enemies.
• 23:43
  Those are
• 23:44
  descriptions of us
• 23:45
  before we are
• 23:46
  in Christ.
• 23:48
  And you see
• 23:48
  how Christ
• 23:49
  came
• 23:50
  and brought a
• 23:51
  remedy
• 23:51
  to each one
• 23:52
  of those things.
• 23:54
  Each one of them.
• 23:55
  so it's a chance
• 23:56
  to celebrate
• 23:57
  that God
• 23:58
  has sent
• 23:59
  His Son
• 23:59
  in order
• 24:01
  that we might
• 24:01
  not have
• 24:02
  strife with Him
• 24:03
  but have
• 24:03
  peace with Him.
• 24:05
  So our souls
• 24:06
  can have peace
• 24:07
  if you look
• 24:07
  in this passage
• 24:08
  knowing that
• 24:09
  His sacrifice
• 24:11
  and His shedding
• 24:12
  of His blood
• 24:13
  on the cross
• 24:13
  would save us
• 24:15
  from the wrath
• 24:15
  of God.
• 24:16
  That should bring
• 24:17
  peace to your soul
• 24:18
  knowing that the
• 24:19
  Savior
• 24:19
  has come
• 24:20
  to take away
• 24:22
  the wrath of God
• 24:23
  on your behalf
• 24:24
  so we can have
• 24:25
  peace
• 24:26
  because of faith
• 24:28
  and trust
• 24:29
  and confidence
• 24:29
  in His blood
• 24:30
  we can be
• 24:32
  justified,
• 24:33
  made right
• 24:34
  with God.
• 24:35
  Because right now
• 24:35
  in God's eyes
• 24:36
  like in a legal sense
• 24:37
  we are guilty,
• 24:39
  we are unrighteous
• 24:40
  but because of
• 24:42
  Christ now
• 24:42
  He can look at us
• 24:44
  and see the perfect
• 24:45
  life of His Son
• 24:46
  on us
• 24:46
  and He can say
• 24:47
  righteous,
• 24:49
  justified.
• 24:50
  We can be made
• 24:51
  right with God
• 24:52
  in that sense
• 24:53
  because of what
• 24:54
  Christ has done.
• 24:56
  We can have
• 24:57
  that inner serenity
• 24:58
  of the soul
• 24:58
  that comes from
• 25:00
  being justified
• 25:01
  in God's sight
• 25:02
  and that
• 25:03
  because we were
• 25:04
  separated,
• 25:05
  we were enemies
• 25:05
  of God,
• 25:06
  now we can have
• 25:06
  fellowship with God
• 25:07
  instead of like
• 25:09
  being at odds
• 25:09
  with Him
• 25:10
  we can be
• 25:11
  sons and daughters
• 25:13
  we can have
• 25:14
  a restored
• 25:15
  relationship
• 25:16
  with Him
• 25:17
  reconciled
• 25:18
  completely
• 25:19
  by the blood
• 25:20
  of His Son
• 25:21
  and we can have
• 25:22
  that.
• 25:23
  So real spiritual
• 25:24
  peace comes
• 25:25
  with the reality
• 25:27
  of knowing
• 25:28
  that we've experienced
• 25:29
  a divine pardon
• 25:30
  from God
• 25:31
  that He has
• 25:31
  paid for our sins
• 25:33
  in Christ
• 25:34
  and that because of that
• 25:35
  we can now be
• 25:36
  reconciled,
• 25:36
  restored back
• 25:37
  to God.
• 25:39
  We can know
• 25:40
  again the God
• 25:40
  of peace.
• 25:42
  Alright?
• 25:43
  That quietness
• 25:44
  of the soul.
• 25:45
  So the first question
• 25:46
  is if you're looking
• 25:46
  for peace today
• 25:47
  and you don't have
• 25:49
  the Messiah
• 25:49
  in your life,
• 25:50
  you don't have Christ,
• 25:52
  know that it's just
• 25:52
  going to be a vain
• 25:53
  pursuit until you
• 25:54
  reach this point
• 25:55
  to where you come
• 25:56
  to Christ
• 25:57
  to be your
• 25:58
  Savior,
• 25:59
  your Savior
• 25:59
  and your Messiah.
• 26:01
  Alright?
• 26:02
  So that's
• 26:03
  the third thing.
• 26:04
  It has to start there.
• 26:06
  But the Bible
• 26:07
  talks about peace
• 26:08
  with God
• 26:08
  but the Bible
• 26:09
  also talks about
• 26:10
  the peace
• 26:10
  of God.
• 26:12
  So this is
• 26:13
  the third thing.
• 26:17
  Because we can
• 26:18
  have the peace
• 26:19
  of God.
• 26:20
  Number three,
• 26:21
  because we can
• 26:21
  have the peace
• 26:22
  of God.
• 26:23
  So go to this
• 26:23
  very familiar passage,
• 26:25
  Philippians chapter 4.
• 26:28
  This is going to
• 26:29
  start working out
• 26:29
  a little bit,
• 26:30
  at least practically,
• 26:32
  how this comes about.
• 26:33
  Philippians chapter 4.
• 26:35
  Go to verse 4.
• 26:43
  So I just kind of
• 26:44
  want to,
• 26:44
  as a side note,
• 26:45
  I kind of want
• 26:46
  to say this.
• 26:46
  I think it would
• 26:47
  be helpful,
• 26:48
  maybe,
• 26:49
  to have a right
• 26:50
  understanding of
• 26:51
  God here.
• 26:52
  Because when God
• 26:54
  gives us something,
• 26:56
  He doesn't just
• 26:57
  dispense it to us.
• 26:59
  Meaning that He
• 27:00
  has a lot of peace
• 27:01
  and then He just
• 27:02
  says,
• 27:02
  here's some peace.
• 27:03
  He kind of
• 27:04
  gives it to us.
• 27:05
  Or here's some love
• 27:06
  and He's going to
• 27:07
  dish it out,
• 27:08
  you know,
• 27:09
  dispense it.
• 27:10
  It's not that.
• 27:12
  It's God gives us
• 27:13
  Himself.
• 27:15
  He gives us
• 27:16
  not just things,
• 27:17
  but He gives us
• 27:18
  Himself.
• 27:19
  And when He gives us
• 27:19
  Himself,
• 27:20
  like in Him
• 27:21
  is all the grace
• 27:22
  we need,
• 27:23
  all the peace
• 27:23
  we need.
• 27:24
  It's His presence.
• 27:25
  He doesn't give us
• 27:26
  something outside
• 27:27
  of Him.
• 27:29
  So,
• 27:30
  just know that.
• 27:31
  It's not like He's
• 27:31
  up there just
• 27:32
  dishing out pie
• 27:33
  from the sky.
• 27:34
  So,
• 27:34
  He gives us Himself
• 27:35
  in the Gospel.
• 27:38
  So,
• 27:39
  look at Philippians 4
• 27:40
  and we're talking
• 27:40
  about because we
• 27:42
  can have the peace
• 27:42
  of God.
• 27:44
  Verse 4,
• 27:45
  Paul says,
• 27:46
  rejoice in the Lord
• 27:47
  always.
• 27:48
  Again,
• 27:49
  I will say rejoice.
• 27:51
  Let your reasonableness
• 27:53
  be known to everyone.
• 27:55
  The Lord is at hand.
• 27:57
  Do not be anxious
• 27:59
  about anything,
• 28:01
  but in everything
• 28:02
  by prayer
• 28:03
  and supplication
• 28:04
  with thanksgiving.
• 28:06
  Let your requests
• 28:07
  be made known to God
• 28:08
  and the peace of God
• 28:10
  which surpasses
• 28:12
  all understanding
• 28:13
  will guard your hearts
• 28:15
  and minds
• 28:16
  in Christ Jesus.
• 28:18
  So,
• 28:19
  if you look at that,
• 28:19
  we see this idea
• 28:20
  of the peace of God,
• 28:22
  this inner calm
• 28:23
  quietness
• 28:24
  of the soul
• 28:25
  that Christ has promised
• 28:27
  to believers.
• 28:29
  Right?
• 28:30
  If you'd all
• 28:31
  looked on your bulletin,
• 28:33
  there's a quote
• 28:35
  by a Puritan.
• 28:37
  One of my,
• 28:37
  one of the ones I think
• 28:38
  is one of my favorite
• 28:40
  to read,
• 28:40
  Thomas Watson.
• 28:41
  They have a way
• 28:44
  of saying things
• 28:45
  that are so profound
• 28:47
  in a very simple way,
• 28:48
  in a very like deep way.
• 28:51
  Thomas Watson said,
• 28:52
  God sweetens outward pain
• 28:54
  with inward peace.
• 28:57
  It's true.
• 28:59
  Very true.
• 29:01
  And let's talk about
• 29:02
  this peace of God now.
• 29:04
  That inner confidence,
• 29:05
  right?
• 29:05
  This inner tranquility
• 29:07
  we can have.
• 29:08
  If you look at this,
• 29:11
  we can talk about
• 29:12
  the peace of God
• 29:13
  and that comes again
• 29:14
  through Christ.
• 29:15
  Christ promised
• 29:16
  that His presence
• 29:17
  with us
• 29:17
  would bring peace.
• 29:19
  Many times
• 29:20
  throughout the life
• 29:21
  of Christ,
• 29:22
  He would look
• 29:22
  to His followers
• 29:23
  and He would say
• 29:24
  stuff like this,
• 29:25
  like in John 14,
• 29:27
  verse 25.
• 29:28
  He's like,
• 29:28
  these things I've said
• 29:29
  to you
• 29:30
  while I've still
• 29:30
  been with you,
• 29:32
  but the Helper,
• 29:33
  the Holy Spirit,
• 29:34
  whom the Father
• 29:35
  will send in My name,
• 29:36
  He will teach you
• 29:37
  all these things
• 29:37
  and bring to remembrance
• 29:38
  all that I have said
• 29:39
  to you.
• 29:40
  And this is what He says.
• 29:41
  He's like,
• 29:42
  peace I leave you.
• 29:44
  My peace I give to you.
• 29:46
  Not as the world gives
• 29:48
  do I give.
• 29:50
  Let not your hearts
• 29:51
  be troubled,
• 29:52
  neither let them
• 29:52
  be afraid.
• 29:53
  He's like,
• 29:54
  I'm going to give you
• 29:54
  this peace that is
• 29:55
  unlike anything
• 29:56
  this world has
• 29:57
  to offer you.
• 29:58
  And I'm giving it
• 29:59
  to you.
• 30:01
  So,
• 30:02
  I just,
• 30:05
  this is one of my
• 30:05
  favorites.
• 30:06
  This is kind of
• 30:06
  looking into this
• 30:07
  passage in terms
• 30:08
  of like,
• 30:08
  what is the peace
• 30:09
  of God?
• 30:10
  What is it?
• 30:13
  Jonathan Edwards,
• 30:14
  another early
• 30:16
  American Puritan.
• 30:18
  I used to have
• 30:18
  a shirt that said
• 30:19
  Jonathan Edwards
• 30:19
  is my homeboy
• 30:20
  that someone
• 30:22
  bought for me.
• 30:24
  Jesus can't be
• 30:25
  the homeboy,
• 30:25
  but Jonathan Edwards
• 30:26
  is like,
• 30:27
  that's okay.
• 30:29
  So,
• 30:30
  this is what he said
• 30:31
  about the peace
• 30:32
  of Christ.
• 30:33
  Listen to this.
• 30:34
  Christ's peace
• 30:34
  is a virtuous
• 30:35
  peace,
• 30:37
  and a holy
• 30:37
  peace.
• 30:39
  The peace
• 30:40
  that the saints
• 30:40
  enjoy in Christ
• 30:41
  is not only
• 30:43
  their comfort,
• 30:44
  but it also
• 30:45
  is a part of
• 30:46
  their beauty
• 30:46
  and their dignity.
• 30:49
  They are virtues
• 30:49
  of graces
• 30:50
  that God has
• 30:52
  given to us
• 30:53
  by his spirit.
• 30:54
  Christ's peace
• 30:55
  is an unfailing
• 30:56
  and eternal
• 30:57
  peace.
• 30:58
  It is everlasting,
• 30:59
  everlasting,
• 31:00
  is what no time
• 31:01
  or change
• 31:01
  can destroy.
• 31:03
  The fountain
• 31:03
  of his comfort
• 31:04
  shall never
• 31:05
  be diminished.
• 31:07
  His comfort
• 31:07
  and joy
• 31:08
  is a living
• 31:09
  spring to the soul.
• 31:11
  And that's
• 31:12
  what we're talking
• 31:13
  about.
• 31:13
  The peace
• 31:14
  of God
• 31:14
  that surpasses
• 31:15
  all understanding.
• 31:17
  So,
• 31:17
  let's look at
• 31:17
  this passage.
• 31:19
  He's saying,
• 31:19
  don't be anxious.
• 31:22
  Why?
• 31:24
  How do we deal
• 31:25
  with it?
• 31:25
  When you face
• 31:26
  anxiety,
• 31:26
  what do you do?
• 31:29
  A lot of people
• 31:30
  try to block it out
• 31:32
  and they try to
• 31:33
  focus on this idea
• 31:34
  that if I can just
• 31:35
  expel these negative
• 31:36
  thoughts and just
• 31:38
  think positively
• 31:39
  about things,
• 31:40
  it'll just be okay.
• 31:42
  But the problem
• 31:43
  there is,
• 31:43
  like,
• 31:44
  you're not facing
• 31:44
  the reality.
• 31:45
  Like,
• 31:45
  there is hard
• 31:46
  stuff going on
• 31:47
  around you.
• 31:48
  You can't ignore it.
• 31:49
  You can't just say,
• 31:50
  I'm just not going
• 31:51
  to think about it now.
• 31:52
  I'm going to put
• 31:52
  my mind here
• 31:53
  on these other things.
• 31:55
  because those
• 31:56
  overcoming facts
• 31:58
  are going to be
• 31:58
  there when you
• 31:59
  come out of that.
• 32:01
  And Paul is saying,
• 32:02
  like,
• 32:02
  I've learned,
• 32:02
  I've learned this,
• 32:04
  that when this
• 32:05
  stuff happens,
• 32:06
  I can look at it
• 32:07
  and I can smile
• 32:07
  because of what
• 32:09
  he's going to teach
• 32:10
  us here.
• 32:11
  Here's some things
• 32:12
  in this passage.
• 32:13
  If you look,
• 32:13
  it says,
• 32:15
  rejoice in the Lord
• 32:16
  always.
• 32:16
  I will say again,
• 32:17
  rejoice.
• 32:18
  Let your reasonableness
• 32:20
  be known to everyone.
• 32:22
  All right,
• 32:23
  so anxiety
• 32:24
  causes you
• 32:25
  to be unreasonable.
• 32:26
  You ever notice that?
• 32:27
  Like,
• 32:27
  you can't even,
• 32:28
  like,
• 32:28
  think straight.
• 32:29
  Your logic's gone.
• 32:30
  And he's saying,
• 32:31
  it shouldn't be
• 32:31
  this way with you.
• 32:33
  Let your reasonableness
• 32:34
  be known to everyone
• 32:36
  around you.
• 32:37
  Why?
• 32:39
  The Lord is at hand,
• 32:41
  meaning that
• 32:42
  he is near you.
• 32:43
  His presence
• 32:43
  is with you
• 32:45
  and in you.
• 32:47
  He's not far away.
• 32:49
  Allow his presence
• 32:50
  to come and bring you
• 32:51
  this peace.
• 32:52
  And he says,
• 32:52
  don't be anxious
• 32:53
  about anything,
• 32:56
  but in everything,
• 32:58
  by prayer
• 32:58
  and supplication
• 32:59
  with thanksgiving,
• 33:01
  let your request
• 33:02
  be made known
• 33:02
  to God.
• 33:04
  So,
• 33:04
  going to God,
• 33:06
  pouring out
• 33:06
  your anxieties
• 33:08
  and your burdens,
• 33:09
  casting those on him
• 33:10
  because he cares
• 33:11
  for you.
• 33:14
  And then,
• 33:16
  this is a very
• 33:16
  practical thing,
• 33:17
  guys.
• 33:18
  you have to put
• 33:19
  your mind
• 33:20
  on the truth.
• 33:22
  You have to put
• 33:23
  your mind on,
• 33:24
  if we say we believe
• 33:25
  these things
• 33:25
  theologically,
• 33:26
  you need to know
• 33:27
  they actually affect
• 33:28
  how you live,
• 33:28
  if it's what you believe.
• 33:30
  Like this idea
• 33:31
  of the sovereignty
• 33:32
  of God
• 33:32
  and the goodness
• 33:33
  of God,
• 33:34
  like those aren't
• 33:35
  just cool,
• 33:35
  nerdy theological
• 33:36
  topics.
• 33:37
  They're supposed
• 33:37
  to like penetrate
• 33:38
  how you think
• 33:39
  and how you live.
• 33:40
  Years ago,
• 33:42
  when I was going
• 33:43
  through all my
• 33:45
  physical stuff
• 33:46
  with the transplant
• 33:47
  and I wasn't
• 33:48
  doing good,
• 33:49
  I think,
• 33:49
  I don't remember
• 33:50
  this time,
• 33:50
  I think I was
• 33:51
  on life support,
• 33:52
  wasn't doing good
• 33:53
  in my recovery.
• 33:56
  I had a very
• 33:57
  dear friend of mine
• 33:58
  who's a good
• 33:59
  brother in the Lord,
• 34:00
  but at the time,
• 34:01
  I think,
• 34:02
  at the time,
• 34:02
  I think the sovereignty
• 34:03
  of God was just
• 34:04
  kind of a nerdy
• 34:04
  topic for him.
• 34:07
  So,
• 34:08
  when this was
• 34:08
  going on with me,
• 34:09
  he was in panic.
• 34:10
  He was like
• 34:11
  freaking out,
• 34:12
  like Clay's
• 34:13
  going to die,
• 34:13
  Clay's going to die,
• 34:14
  you know.
• 34:16
  But,
• 34:17
  men like Nathan
• 34:20
  and Wes,
• 34:22
  who also were
• 34:23
  grieved by what
• 34:24
  was going on
• 34:24
  with me,
• 34:26
  they had a
• 34:27
  greater confidence
• 34:27
  that God was
• 34:28
  in control.
• 34:29
  Like they
• 34:29
  allowed that truth
• 34:31
  to work itself
• 34:32
  into the reality
• 34:33
  of what was
• 34:34
  going on.
• 34:36
  And so,
• 34:37
  you have to put
• 34:38
  your mind on the truth.
• 34:39
  If you look,
• 34:39
  you know,
• 34:40
  look later in
• 34:41
  Philippians,
• 34:41
  he says,
• 34:41
  whatever is good,
• 34:42
  whatever is true,
• 34:43
  whatever is praiseworthy,
• 34:45
  they put your mind
• 34:46
  on these things,
• 34:47
  right?
• 34:47
  And the God of peace
• 34:49
  will be with you.
• 34:50
  Right?
• 34:51
  So,
• 34:51
  we have to
• 34:51
  stop looking at lies
• 34:53
  and stop looking
• 34:54
  at circumstances
• 34:55
  and look to the truth
• 34:56
  and allow God
• 34:58
  to use that
• 34:59
  to minister
• 34:59
  to our hearts
• 35:01
  to believe.
• 35:03
  Right?
• 35:04
  So,
• 35:04
  what we believe
• 35:05
  has practical implications
• 35:06
  for how we live.
• 35:08
  Even the greatest
• 35:08
  doctrines in the Bible
• 35:09
  affect how you live.
• 35:11
  right?
• 35:13
  So,
• 35:14
  that's how we get it.
• 35:15
  We,
• 35:15
  if you look,
• 35:16
  go on at this passage,
• 35:17
  it says,
• 35:17
  the peace of God
• 35:18
  which surpasses
• 35:20
  all understanding
• 35:21
  will guard
• 35:23
  your hearts
• 35:24
  and your minds
• 35:25
  in Christ Jesus.
• 35:27
  So,
• 35:28
  you don't just get
• 35:28
  peace by
• 35:30
  ignoring circumstances.
• 35:33
  You get peace
• 35:34
  by knowing
• 35:35
  and having this
• 35:36
  awesome feeling
• 35:38
  of being protected.
• 35:41
  right?
• 35:42
  If,
• 35:42
  if there's something
• 35:43
  going on in your life
• 35:44
  and you know
• 35:45
  that like the sovereign God
• 35:46
  of the universe
• 35:47
  is with you
• 35:48
  and for you
• 35:49
  and you feel protected
• 35:50
  even if there's
• 35:52
  crazy things
• 35:52
  going on around you.
• 35:54
  That's just how it is.
• 35:55
  That's how peace works.
• 35:56
  Peace,
• 35:57
  peace flourishes
• 35:58
  !
• 35:57
  Peace flourishes
• 35:58
  in the midst of
• 35:59
  suffering and chaos.
• 36:01
  It's not in the absence
• 36:02
  of suffering
• 36:03
  and chaos.
• 36:04
  It,
• 36:05
  it comes up.
• 36:05
  So,
• 36:05
  this word
• 36:06
  says right here,
• 36:07
  it says,
• 36:07
  guard your hearts
• 36:08
  and minds.
• 36:09
  It's a great,
• 36:11
  military term
• 36:12
  used in this context
• 36:14
  for the Roman army
• 36:14
  and other things,
• 36:15
  but it means
• 36:16
  to set a watch over,
• 36:18
  to garrison over,
• 36:18
  to guard.
• 36:20
  And he's saying
• 36:21
  the peace of God
• 36:22
  will guard
• 36:23
  your heart
• 36:24
  and your mind
• 36:25
  from anxiety,
• 36:27
  from fear,
• 36:28
  from worry.
• 36:30
  It's setting a watch
• 36:31
  over your mind
• 36:31
  and your heart.
• 36:33
  That's what the peace
• 36:33
  of God does.
• 36:34
  Isaiah chapter 26,
• 36:37
  verse 3.
• 36:39
  This is what he says
• 36:40
  about God.
• 36:40
  He says,
• 36:41
  you keep him
• 36:41
  in perfect peace
• 36:43
  whose mind
• 36:44
  is stayed on you
• 36:45
  because he trusts in you.
• 36:48
  Trust in the Lord
• 36:49
  forever,
• 36:49
  for the God
• 36:50
  is an everlasting rock.
• 36:53
  So,
• 36:54
  trials and suffering
• 36:55
  and loss,
• 36:56
  they're the breeding ground
• 36:56
  of peace.
• 36:58
  That's where peace happens.
• 37:00
  That inner peace
• 37:00
  happens knowing
• 37:01
  that Christ is with you
• 37:02
  and that he is in you.
• 37:04
  Right?
• 37:04
  And he's going to guard
• 37:05
  your heart
• 37:06
  and your mind.
• 37:07
  So,
• 37:08
  the truth is,
• 37:09
  though we,
• 37:10
  our souls can be
• 37:11
  healthy as ever
• 37:12
  in the midst of
• 37:13
  crazy circumstances.
• 37:16
  Almost simultaneously,
• 37:17
  right?
• 37:18
  A friend of mine said,
• 37:19
  if you're going
• 37:20
  through a storm
• 37:21
  in life,
• 37:22
  if God doesn't
• 37:24
  calm the storm,
• 37:25
  he'll calm you
• 37:26
  in the middle
• 37:26
  of the storm.
• 37:28
  You know?
• 37:28
  And that's very true.
• 37:30
  Not just nice
• 37:31
  and poetic,
• 37:31
  but true.
• 37:32
  Like,
• 37:32
  I've been there.
• 37:34
  You know,
• 37:35
  so many opportunities.
• 37:37
  I don't want to just
• 37:37
  kind of give you
• 37:38
  an extreme example,
• 37:39
  but,
• 37:40
  I mean,
• 37:40
  I can have
• 37:40
  the peace of God
• 37:41
  riding down the road
• 37:42
  feeling stressed out
• 37:43
  by life.
• 37:45
  Just normal circumstances.
• 37:47
  But,
• 37:48
  but just so you know,
• 37:50
  when fear
• 37:51
  and death
• 37:51
  and things like that
• 37:52
  are knocking,
• 37:53
  it can also be there.
• 37:56
  Third night
• 37:57
  into my transplant,
• 37:59
  I remember going
• 38:00
  to a different unit
• 38:01
  that's on my mind
• 38:03
  because we're in
• 38:04
  touch with somebody
• 38:04
  right now,
• 38:05
  going through this
• 38:05
  at a hospital,
• 38:06
  a lung transplant
• 38:07
  patient.
• 38:09
  But I was there
• 38:10
  and in a dark room
• 38:12
  kind of glassed
• 38:13
  around me
• 38:14
  and I wasn't allowed
• 38:15
  to have any visitors,
• 38:16
  no one I knew
• 38:17
  at the time.
• 38:18
  And all the medicine
• 38:19
  was kind of hitting me
• 38:20
  and I was just
• 38:21
  a little delirious
• 38:22
  and very,
• 38:24
  very anxious
• 38:25
  about what was
• 38:26
  going on around me
• 38:26
  and just kind of
• 38:28
  like moved around,
• 38:29
  tossed around a lot
• 38:30
  for those couple of days.
• 38:32
  And in this room
• 38:33
  just like around
• 38:34
  maybe two in the morning,
• 38:35
  I just kind of
• 38:35
  was just watching
• 38:36
  the clock,
• 38:36
  couldn't go to sleep,
• 38:38
  just had like
• 38:38
  18 different
• 38:39
  like attachments
• 38:40
  on my body
• 38:41
  and I just remember
• 38:42
  quoting this scripture
• 38:44
  to myself
• 38:44
  and the peace of God
• 38:50
  is real
• 38:51
  not because I experienced it
• 38:53
  but I experienced it
• 38:54
  because it was real.
• 38:56
  Alright?
• 38:57
  And He met me there
• 38:59
  and He guarded my heart
• 39:00
  and my mind
• 39:00
  in the midst of that.
• 39:03
  And He gave me peace
• 39:04
  in the midst of
• 39:05
  when nothing good
• 39:06
  was going on around me
• 39:07
  at all, you know.
• 39:09
  You can have that.
• 39:11
  Christ being with us.
• 39:14
  He's come to us
• 39:15
  and He's coming again.
• 39:17
  And 2 Timothy 3
• 39:19
  Paul says,
• 39:20
  Now may the Lord
• 39:20
  of peace Himself
• 39:21
  continually grant you
• 39:23
  peace in every circumstance.
• 39:26
  The Lord be with you.
• 39:28
  So when His Spirit
• 39:29
  is within us
• 39:30
  like He promised,
• 39:31
  the Helper,
• 39:32
  the Holy Spirit
• 39:33
  will come.
• 39:34
  He will work in you
• 39:35
  and He will remind you
• 39:36
  of the truth
• 39:37
  in those circumstances.
• 39:38
  And He'll apply that
• 39:39
  to your heart,
• 39:40
  to your mind,
• 39:41
  to your soul.
• 39:42
  So look,
• 39:43
  it's not going to be easy.
• 39:44
  This life's going to
• 39:45
  get harder and harder.
• 39:49
  Harder and harder.
• 39:55
  John 15,
• 39:57
  verse 33.
• 39:58
  I just want you to hear
• 39:59
  the promise of God.
• 40:02
  This is something Jesus said.
• 40:05
  I just think it sums up
• 40:05
  so much.
• 40:06
  but I'm begging you
• 40:10
  to lay hold of Christ.
• 40:11
  He'll give you this
• 40:12
  in the midst of everything
• 40:13
  going on around you.
• 40:15
  I've just seen
• 40:16
  a very dear brother
• 40:17
  and a very dear sister
• 40:18
  walk through a hard time.
• 40:19
  This is ministered
• 40:20
  to their heart.
• 40:23
  John 15,
• 40:24
  verse 33.
• 40:26
  He says,
• 40:27
  this is what Jesus says,
• 40:28
  I've said these things
• 40:29
  to you
• 40:29
  that in me
• 40:31
  you may have peace.
• 40:34
  In the world
• 40:35
  you will have
• 40:36
  tribulation.
• 40:38
  But take heart,
• 40:39
  I have overcome
• 40:41
  the world.
• 40:43
  So go to the Savior
• 40:44
  and experience
• 40:46
  the peace of God
• 40:48
  that surpasses
• 40:49
  all understanding.
• 40:50
  And use this
• 40:51
  Christmas season
• 40:52
  as a chance
• 40:53
  to refresh your mind
• 40:55
  and refresh your heart.
• 40:57
  Ask Him
• 40:57
  to kick out
• 40:59
  all these stupid things
• 41:00
  that you're trying
• 41:00
  to find peace in
• 41:01
  that are not
• 41:02
  going to let you down.
• 41:04
  And ask that Christ
• 41:06
  replace those things.
• 41:08
  So,
• 41:09
  let's pray together.