The God Of Pieces

0:00:01.520 --> 0:00:02.800 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. 0:00:02.840 --> 0:00:05.840 I'm the pastor of Elevation Church and this is our podcast. 0:00:05.880 --> 0:00:07.760 I wanted to thank you for joining us today. 0:00:08.080 --> 0:00:10.680 Hope this inspires you. Hope it builds your faith. 0:00:10.760 --> 0:00:12.840 Hope it gives your perspective to see God is moving 0:00:12.920 --> 0:00:13.560 in your life. 0:00:13.840 --> 0:00:19.000 Enjoy the message. I'm gonna do something I never did. 0:00:19.640 --> 0:00:25.360 Holly preached so good last week. I hate if you missed. 0:00:25.160 --> 0:00:31.480 It, and she preached so good that for the first 0:00:31.480 --> 0:00:33.720 time I ever, I want to take the verse that 0:00:33.800 --> 0:00:38.239 she ended on and do a tag team off of 0:00:38.280 --> 0:00:42.400 the verse that she ended on. Okay, so come tag 0:00:42.440 --> 0:00:42.960 me bed. 0:00:45.400 --> 0:00:46.479 I used to watch wrestling. 0:00:47.640 --> 0:00:51.640 I'm gonna come flying off the turnbuckle, maw the fabulous Ferdick. 0:00:51.680 --> 0:00:54.680 So I'm gonna drop an elbow on the devil's head today. 0:00:55.440 --> 0:00:59.080 Praise the Lord, and I'll give you one verse to 0:00:59.120 --> 0:01:00.800 start with. Would you go? Ah, didn't bring out my 0:01:01.000 --> 0:01:05.160 screen please so I can really put the verse in context. 0:01:06.120 --> 0:01:08.200 This screen is my way of pretending like you and 0:01:08.240 --> 0:01:10.360 I are having a conversation together and we're just looking 0:01:10.400 --> 0:01:13.000 at the Bible and studying it together. So I pray 0:01:13.040 --> 0:01:14.880 that it'll feel that way to you. Let's welcome our 0:01:14.880 --> 0:01:15.919 Epham all over. 0:01:15.800 --> 0:01:20.320 The world joining us online. 0:01:21.160 --> 0:01:24.800 Here we come, and I'm going to share with you 0:01:24.880 --> 0:01:29.560 from Philippians chapter four, the last verse she read. 0:01:29.680 --> 0:01:31.560 She read several verses, but the. 0:01:31.480 --> 0:01:34.160 One that she ended on is the one I want 0:01:34.160 --> 0:01:38.120 to pick up on. In Philippians four, chapter nineteen. Excuse me, 0:01:38.200 --> 0:01:40.120 chapter nine, verse nine. 0:01:41.319 --> 0:01:42.240 Let's try that again. 0:01:44.240 --> 0:01:47.160 Philippians chapter four, verse nine. 0:01:48.080 --> 0:01:54.919 The Word of the Lord Philippians, chapter four, verse nine. 0:01:56.800 --> 0:01:58.600 A little message that I know is going to help 0:01:58.640 --> 0:02:03.760 you today. 0:02:05.800 --> 0:02:11.800 Right there, Paul says, whatever you have learned or received 0:02:12.680 --> 0:02:16.320 or heard from me or seen in me, put it 0:02:16.360 --> 0:02:22.000 into practice, and the God of Peace will be with you. 0:02:24.000 --> 0:02:25.040 And the God of peace. 0:02:26.720 --> 0:02:31.120 Last week Holly spoke about the peace of God, and 0:02:31.160 --> 0:02:34.080 she was speaking about the peace of God. But today 0:02:34.080 --> 0:02:35.600 I want to take a little bit of a different 0:02:36.560 --> 0:02:39.880 approach to what she shared, and I want to talk 0:02:39.919 --> 0:02:42.880 about this verse and the God of Peace will be 0:02:42.960 --> 0:02:44.920 with you and remind you that he is the God 0:02:44.960 --> 0:02:49.120 of peace. He can speak peace to every situation in 0:02:49.160 --> 0:02:53.000 this room, no matter how scattered or chaotic your life 0:02:53.040 --> 0:02:53.680 is right now. 0:02:54.520 --> 0:02:56.079 But I want to talk about the God. 0:02:55.880 --> 0:02:58.239 Of Peace will be with you, and I want to 0:02:58.240 --> 0:03:01.120 speak about how the God of peace is also. 0:03:03.360 --> 0:03:08.760 The God of pieces. 0:03:12.280 --> 0:03:13.760 I want to talk to you today for just a 0:03:13.760 --> 0:03:17.800 few moments about the God of peaces. 0:03:19.000 --> 0:03:19.480 Pieces. 0:03:21.240 --> 0:03:26.040 Father, when you speak, wind and waves, obey speak Now, 0:03:27.600 --> 0:03:31.680 still our hearts before you make every storm in this 0:03:31.800 --> 0:03:35.120 room a sanctuary where your presence can be felt. 0:03:35.680 --> 0:03:37.480 I think of each person that you brought here today. 0:03:37.480 --> 0:03:40.680 I thank you that you know their situations, and I 0:03:40.720 --> 0:03:44.880 thank you that you have solutions. Moreover, I thank you 0:03:44.920 --> 0:03:49.200 that you are the solution, the God of peace, the 0:03:49.200 --> 0:03:50.080 God of peaces. 0:03:50.240 --> 0:03:54.240 In Jesus' name, Amen, you may be seated, You may 0:03:55.400 --> 0:03:55.920 be seated. 0:04:02.280 --> 0:04:07.320 Me and Holly got in a fight Friday of my fault. 0:04:09.000 --> 0:04:12.360 We don't fight that much, but we fought Friday, only 0:04:12.360 --> 0:04:13.480 about a five minute fight. 0:04:15.320 --> 0:04:19.360 But it was you know, I'll scale a one to ten. 0:04:19.400 --> 0:04:21.240 It might have been a three. But I didn't like it. 0:04:22.360 --> 0:04:24.400 And I didn't like it because I knew I caused it. 0:04:25.520 --> 0:04:29.039 And the reason I caused it is because I did 0:04:29.080 --> 0:04:35.200 not practice what she preached last week. Last week, Holli 0:04:35.320 --> 0:04:38.520 was preaching about peace and she asked a very important question. 0:04:38.640 --> 0:04:44.320 She said, do your practices promote peace? And she shared 0:04:44.320 --> 0:04:49.240 a little extra biblical illustration about the instrument of torture 0:04:49.279 --> 0:04:54.280 known as Instagram. 0:04:51.960 --> 0:04:53.279 The one that the devil invented. 0:04:53.960 --> 0:04:55.920 You know, I know that God created the heavens and 0:04:55.960 --> 0:04:58.440 the earth, but the Devil's created a lot of stuff 0:04:58.480 --> 0:05:02.479 since then, Instagram being one of the platforms that he created. Amen, 0:05:03.640 --> 0:05:05.440 And I post sermons on it, but I know. 0:05:07.240 --> 0:05:08.680 Not to go look at the. 0:05:08.600 --> 0:05:15.800 Comments, and I never do except Friday. I went on 0:05:15.839 --> 0:05:18.400 those comments Friday, and I thought I can handle it. 0:05:19.720 --> 0:05:22.919 I just looked for a minute, and of course I 0:05:22.960 --> 0:05:29.000 couldn't handle it. And I was very worked up about 0:05:29.360 --> 0:05:31.680 some of the things that I saw. And I'm just 0:05:31.720 --> 0:05:35.960 starting my sermon in a very candid place because it's 0:05:36.000 --> 0:05:40.200 interesting to me how I live with a preacher who 0:05:40.240 --> 0:05:43.200 just preached about peace, and even in her message, she said, 0:05:43.760 --> 0:05:46.840 you've got to be careful that your practices don't pollute 0:05:47.000 --> 0:05:47.520 your peace. 0:05:48.680 --> 0:05:49.720 Do you remember when she said that. 0:05:50.279 --> 0:05:52.240 She didn't say that exactly, but I added it on 0:05:52.320 --> 0:05:55.159 for my message today. She said, she said, make sure 0:05:55.160 --> 0:05:57.919 that your practices don't pollute your piece. And the reason 0:05:58.320 --> 0:06:00.880 that we were getting into an argument, to me closely, 0:06:01.560 --> 0:06:05.200 was because it's very hard to have peace when you 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:10.680 drink poison. And I'm not telling you whether or not 0:06:10.839 --> 0:06:13.680 you should ever look at Instagram or any of the 0:06:13.760 --> 0:06:15.719 social media platforms. In fact, I'm going to try not 0:06:15.760 --> 0:06:18.440 to mention social media for the rest of this message. 0:06:18.680 --> 0:06:21.719 I just wanted to set up for you that what 0:06:21.839 --> 0:06:25.040 Paul is saying here, he says it is the things 0:06:25.080 --> 0:06:29.919 that you put into practice, that you learn, receive, and 0:06:30.080 --> 0:06:37.160 hear or see that produces the peace of God. And 0:06:37.360 --> 0:06:38.640 since we're going to go over here and take a 0:06:38.720 --> 0:06:41.960 Nibbel on verse six real quick, where it says, do 0:06:42.040 --> 0:06:44.440 not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by 0:06:44.480 --> 0:06:47.000 prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to. 0:06:46.960 --> 0:06:48.880 God, and the peace. 0:06:50.160 --> 0:06:53.480 Of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts 0:06:53.480 --> 0:06:57.200 and minds in Christ Jesus. And something that's really convicting 0:06:57.279 --> 0:07:02.240 to me lately is that I think we all want this, 0:07:03.600 --> 0:07:10.920 the peace of God, but sometimes we resist the God 0:07:10.960 --> 0:07:11.440 of Peace. 0:07:13.920 --> 0:07:15.960 And so the question becomes, how can I. 0:07:15.960 --> 0:07:20.360 Expect the peace of God in my life if I 0:07:20.440 --> 0:07:23.080 reject the God of Peace when he comes to show 0:07:23.120 --> 0:07:26.840 me how to live. In other words, that he's showing 0:07:26.880 --> 0:07:29.520 me something that I need to let go of. If 0:07:29.520 --> 0:07:32.720 he's showing me something that I need to keep limited, 0:07:32.760 --> 0:07:35.840 if he's showing me something that I need to walk 0:07:35.880 --> 0:07:39.360 around and not engage. If he's showing me something that. 0:07:39.400 --> 0:07:41.320 I need to add or subtract from. 0:07:41.120 --> 0:07:45.680 My life, and I insist on being stubborn, How can 0:07:45.720 --> 0:07:49.000 I expect the peace to come to my heart if 0:07:49.040 --> 0:07:54.000 I ignore the source who gives it, the peace of God. 0:07:54.440 --> 0:07:57.360 We all want it. Everybody in here wants to feel 0:07:57.400 --> 0:08:01.440 better about your future. Everybody wants to feel confident that 0:08:01.520 --> 0:08:04.400 things are coming together. Everybody in here wants to feel 0:08:04.400 --> 0:08:07.080 like I'm on the right path. Things are going to 0:08:07.120 --> 0:08:10.640 work out. Everybody in here wants to peace of God. 0:08:11.600 --> 0:08:15.560 Paul makes it very clear that in order to experience 0:08:15.680 --> 0:08:17.400 the peace of God, and I just want to lay 0:08:17.400 --> 0:08:21.520 this foundation one more time, you must embrace the God 0:08:22.040 --> 0:08:24.480 of Peace. And I want to remind you that he 0:08:24.600 --> 0:08:28.680 is Jehovah Shalom. Shalom means peace or wholeness, and he 0:08:28.800 --> 0:08:32.360 is the God of peace. He is the God of 0:08:32.440 --> 0:08:36.880 peace in the midst of panic attacks. He is the 0:08:36.920 --> 0:08:41.040 god of peace in the midst of downsizing in your industry. 0:08:41.080 --> 0:08:42.400 He is the God of peace. 0:08:43.000 --> 0:08:46.080 When your best client just didn't sign up for another year, 0:08:46.280 --> 0:08:47.720 and you don't know how you're going to make up 0:08:47.760 --> 0:08:48.439 the contract. 0:08:48.720 --> 0:08:50.200 He is the God of peace. 0:08:50.720 --> 0:08:53.480 When thoughts assail you, telling you that your life has 0:08:53.520 --> 0:08:56.480 reached its zenith and everything from here is just going 0:08:56.520 --> 0:08:58.720 to be nothing but less than what it was. 0:08:59.120 --> 0:08:59.400 He is. 0:08:59.559 --> 0:09:02.400 I feel like reaching to somebody today that the God 0:09:02.440 --> 0:09:04.160 of Peace is in this place. 0:09:04.760 --> 0:09:08.120 Say it. The God of Peace is in this place. 0:09:09.080 --> 0:09:11.320 And you can say that about any place you ever 0:09:11.360 --> 0:09:14.199 find yourself. You can say that in the third row 0:09:14.240 --> 0:09:16.840 of church on a Sunday morning. You can say that 0:09:16.920 --> 0:09:19.440 when you're pulling out of your driveway on Monday going 0:09:19.480 --> 0:09:21.280 to the job, to look at the people that try 0:09:21.320 --> 0:09:24.760 to steal your peace. I'm not walking into this office 0:09:24.800 --> 0:09:27.960 by myself. I'm walking in with the God of Peace. 0:09:28.480 --> 0:09:30.559 He said he would be with me. He said he 0:09:30.600 --> 0:09:31.400 would walk with me. 0:09:31.840 --> 0:09:32.280 He said he. 0:09:32.280 --> 0:09:35.319 Would never leave me nor forsake me. He is more 0:09:35.400 --> 0:09:38.400 than enough for me. He is the all sufficient one. 0:09:38.679 --> 0:09:41.680 There's nothing I will ever encounter that will surprise him. 0:09:42.040 --> 0:09:44.520 He doesn't scratch his head or shake his head or 0:09:44.559 --> 0:09:47.480 hang his head. He doesn't turntail and run when the 0:09:47.559 --> 0:09:51.240 enemy surrounds me. For when the enemy surrounds me. God 0:09:51.280 --> 0:09:55.040 surrounds the enemy. I'm fenced in by fire, even in 0:09:55.120 --> 0:09:58.400 my darkest night, even when I wake up and didn't 0:09:58.400 --> 0:10:02.880 expect the attack. Have God who anticipated the attack and 0:10:02.960 --> 0:10:05.680 put the provision in place, because he is the God 0:10:06.640 --> 0:10:10.480 of peace and he's in this place. We saw a 0:10:10.520 --> 0:10:13.160 testimony how the God of Peace reached in a prison 0:10:13.280 --> 0:10:16.520 cell and rescued a brother in a prison cell. The 0:10:16.559 --> 0:10:19.360 God of Peace will make a prison visit. The God 0:10:19.400 --> 0:10:22.480 of Peace will pull up alongside a hospital bed. The 0:10:22.520 --> 0:10:24.800 God of Peace will show up in a divorce court. 0:10:25.200 --> 0:10:26.359 The God of Peace. 0:10:26.120 --> 0:10:28.760 Will reach your child that isn't living under your roof 0:10:28.840 --> 0:10:31.199 right now, the God of Peace. 0:10:31.120 --> 0:10:37.680 Is in this place now. 0:10:37.720 --> 0:10:42.800 The process by which we experience this peace is what 0:10:42.880 --> 0:10:45.360 Paul is talking about in Philippians for nine and now. 0:10:45.360 --> 0:10:47.680 I want to give you this principle and then give 0:10:47.720 --> 0:10:51.640 you two or three pictures. Whatever you have learned or 0:10:51.679 --> 0:10:56.840 received or heard from me or seen in me, think 0:10:56.880 --> 0:10:57.319 about this. 0:10:57.760 --> 0:10:58.400 Paul says. 0:10:58.760 --> 0:11:03.400 If you do what you saw me do, you will 0:11:03.440 --> 0:11:07.640 have the peace that only God can give. And I'm 0:11:07.679 --> 0:11:09.920 afraid I couldn't say that about my life A lot 0:11:09.960 --> 0:11:13.680 of the times, even as a leader you know. Graham 0:11:13.679 --> 0:11:16.640 said something really interesting a few days ago. He said, 0:11:16.640 --> 0:11:18.560 when I look back on when I was a little 0:11:18.600 --> 0:11:20.400 boy and I first started wrestling, For those of you 0:11:20.440 --> 0:11:22.079 who haven't heard yet, we like to brag about it 0:11:22.120 --> 0:11:24.199 every chance we get. He is a two time state 0:11:24.280 --> 0:11:27.079 champion in the state of North Carolina for the sport 0:11:27.080 --> 0:11:32.440 of wrestling, not tag team wrestling, like wrestling, like real wrestling. 0:11:32.480 --> 0:11:33.120 You know what I'm saying. 0:11:33.840 --> 0:11:36.280 And when he first started wrestling, I've been a wrestler 0:11:36.280 --> 0:11:38.320 for a few years when I was in middle school, 0:11:39.000 --> 0:11:41.120 and so he thought I was the man because I 0:11:41.120 --> 0:11:42.080 didn't tell him any different. 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:45.880 And that's really fun. 0:11:45.920 --> 0:11:49.920 When they're little, their understanding of you is limited, so 0:11:49.920 --> 0:11:50.520 you can kind. 0:11:50.360 --> 0:11:52.079 Of build it all up to be whatever you want 0:11:52.120 --> 0:11:52.280 to be. 0:11:53.080 --> 0:11:55.080 And he said something he goes, now that I'm really 0:11:55.840 --> 0:11:59.800 more advanced as a wrestler, and I look back on 0:12:00.160 --> 0:12:04.400 when I was little, it's crazy how much you coached 0:12:04.440 --> 0:12:05.760 me with. 0:12:05.760 --> 0:12:06.640 How little you knew. 0:12:11.559 --> 0:12:13.200 And I don't think he meant that as a compliment, 0:12:13.360 --> 0:12:15.600 Like man, Dad, you really went all in, and I 0:12:15.640 --> 0:12:19.040 appreciate it. I think what you're saying is, now that 0:12:19.080 --> 0:12:23.160 I know something about what I'm doing, I can't believe 0:12:23.160 --> 0:12:24.960 that I thought the stuff you were screaming from the 0:12:24.960 --> 0:12:28.760 stands had any merit or value whatsoever. You really just 0:12:28.760 --> 0:12:30.840 screamed the same things over and over again. 0:12:32.040 --> 0:12:35.439 But it worked for that stage, isn't it crazy? 0:12:35.520 --> 0:12:38.959 He said, how much you coached me with how little 0:12:39.000 --> 0:12:43.560 you knew. And if you look at your life, there 0:12:43.600 --> 0:12:47.400 are some things about your life that are amazing how 0:12:47.440 --> 0:12:48.720 far God has brought you. 0:12:50.920 --> 0:12:53.400 If you really think about how little you started with. 0:12:55.400 --> 0:12:57.280 I'm going to say that again, and the devil can 0:12:57.280 --> 0:12:59.240 pop my mic and I'll say it a third time. 0:13:00.120 --> 0:13:03.880 It is amazing how far God has brought you in 0:13:03.960 --> 0:13:05.920 some of the things that he has done in your life. 0:13:05.960 --> 0:13:09.400 When you consider where you came from, how little you 0:13:09.440 --> 0:13:14.560 started with, it is amazing. Look at somebody and say 0:13:14.559 --> 0:13:19.680 it's amazing. Come on, tell them, say it's amazing that 0:13:19.800 --> 0:13:23.880 you're in church today. Now, just clap your hands for him, 0:13:23.880 --> 0:13:25.120 give them a little round of applause. 0:13:29.440 --> 0:13:34.000 Come on, look at him. Say after the week you've had, after. 0:13:33.760 --> 0:13:38.160 The news you got, after the mounting to do lists 0:13:38.160 --> 0:13:42.080 that you have to go home to, it's amazing. It's 0:13:42.160 --> 0:13:45.880 amazing the progress that you've made when you consider the 0:13:46.000 --> 0:13:50.800 pattern that you were exposed to. It is amazing that 0:13:50.840 --> 0:13:54.000 you even stayed as a dad when your dad didn't. 0:13:56.120 --> 0:13:59.760 It is amazing that you are apologizing as a husband, 0:14:00.040 --> 0:14:02.040 even though you get mad when you never saw the 0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:04.400 pattern of apology in your own home. 0:14:04.840 --> 0:14:05.880 And the truth of it. 0:14:05.800 --> 0:14:07.720 Is, if some of us were honest, and if we 0:14:07.760 --> 0:14:10.280 could do way with the shame that the devil throws 0:14:10.320 --> 0:14:13.440 on us. For just about five minutes, Yes, there is 0:14:13.480 --> 0:14:16.320 a long way we still have to go, but it's 0:14:16.440 --> 0:14:20.720 pretty amazing the advancements that we've made to be here today. 0:14:22.280 --> 0:14:24.160 Stand up if you never would have thought you'd be 0:14:24.240 --> 0:14:26.720 in church on a Sunday morning three years ago. 0:14:27.680 --> 0:14:29.400 Stand up if there was a season in. 0:14:29.360 --> 0:14:31.440 Your life where you thought God was done with you, 0:14:31.960 --> 0:14:33.720 but you feel something starting to beat in. 0:14:33.680 --> 0:14:36.560 Your heart again. Stand up. 0:14:36.600 --> 0:14:39.800 If you're praising God today was a miracle because you 0:14:39.880 --> 0:14:42.760 went through a season of depression where you couldn't lift 0:14:42.800 --> 0:14:44.200 your head off the pillow. 0:14:44.320 --> 0:14:45.560 Let alone lift your hands. 0:14:45.600 --> 0:14:51.320 In church, somebody shout, it's amazing. And the enemy wants 0:14:51.360 --> 0:14:55.200 to keep us from being amazed at the ways that 0:14:55.280 --> 0:14:58.080 God has made in our life. He wants to keep 0:14:58.160 --> 0:15:01.640 us from being amazed from the place that we stand. 0:15:01.720 --> 0:15:03.240 And so Paul says. 0:15:03.040 --> 0:15:05.960 Look, when you don't know what to do, and you 0:15:06.000 --> 0:15:09.880 don't know what's next, and you're standing in a place 0:15:09.880 --> 0:15:12.160 where you don't really have the full picture of how 0:15:12.200 --> 0:15:12.840 your life. 0:15:12.680 --> 0:15:14.080 Is going to turn out, listen to me. 0:15:14.920 --> 0:15:20.600 Remember what you heard, learned and saw in me, and 0:15:20.720 --> 0:15:24.200 practice that, and the God of Peace will be with you. 0:15:25.680 --> 0:15:27.640 And I thought that was even better than him saying 0:15:27.680 --> 0:15:30.520 the Peace of God will be with me, because it 0:15:30.560 --> 0:15:32.960 means that even if I don't feel the Peace of God, 0:15:33.800 --> 0:15:36.560 I can believe that the God of Peace is with me. 0:15:38.560 --> 0:15:42.880 That's the principle. Now let's break it down for just 0:15:42.920 --> 0:15:45.680 a moment or two. If he says this, whatever you've 0:15:45.760 --> 0:15:48.840 learned or received, or heard or seen in me, put 0:15:48.880 --> 0:15:52.040 it into practice, and the God of Peace will be 0:15:52.360 --> 0:15:54.960 with you, it stands the reason that we are not 0:15:55.080 --> 0:15:59.480 going to learn, receive, hear, or see everything about God 0:15:59.520 --> 0:16:03.200 all at once. He's telling us that this is going 0:16:03.240 --> 0:16:07.800 to take practice. And so sometimes we need more patience 0:16:07.840 --> 0:16:12.120 with ourselves to realize that even God reveals himself to 0:16:12.200 --> 0:16:13.160 us progressively. 0:16:14.320 --> 0:16:16.880 God never grows, but he does. 0:16:16.760 --> 0:16:19.120 Not give you every glimpse of Him all at once, 0:16:20.000 --> 0:16:23.000 and that's a mercy because we could never see His 0:16:23.080 --> 0:16:26.080 glory and live. And so what God is doing in 0:16:26.080 --> 0:16:31.240 your life right now is he's showing you things in stages, 0:16:32.200 --> 0:16:36.160 and he is teaching you things. Watch this in pieces, 0:16:37.840 --> 0:16:41.120 in pieces, He's teaching you in pieces. I'm so glad 0:16:41.160 --> 0:16:42.880 you came today because when you first start showing me 0:16:42.920 --> 0:16:45.560 to play tennis, you did not show me all the 0:16:45.600 --> 0:16:48.600 cool stuff. I remember the first thing you said to 0:16:48.640 --> 0:16:51.840 me was show me how you hold the racket. I'm like, dude, 0:16:51.960 --> 0:16:54.000 I am not out here with seventy five dollars for 0:16:54.040 --> 0:16:55.920 you to say, show me how you hold a racket. 0:16:56.120 --> 0:16:57.320 I know the price has gone. 0:16:57.160 --> 0:16:59.360 Up since then, but I get in on that bottom rate, 0:17:01.760 --> 0:17:04.600 and I'm thinking, like, if we're going to spend twenty 0:17:04.640 --> 0:17:06.080 minutes holding the racket. 0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:07.040 I was trying to learn to play tennis. 0:17:07.680 --> 0:17:09.920 I thought, we're gonna, we're gonna, we're gonna never get 0:17:09.960 --> 0:17:13.720 anywhere with this. But it was a kindness of him 0:17:14.280 --> 0:17:17.520 that he didn't show me Roger Federer highlight clips on 0:17:17.600 --> 0:17:21.520 my first lesson. And it is a kindness of God 0:17:22.119 --> 0:17:25.560 that he teaches you in pieces so that you can 0:17:25.600 --> 0:17:31.080 get a piece and practice and get a piece and practice, 0:17:31.680 --> 0:17:34.200 and get a piece and practice. 0:17:34.800 --> 0:17:37.120 So this time we learned how to hold the racket. 0:17:37.400 --> 0:17:39.600 In about three weeks, I'll show you how to swing it. 0:17:40.119 --> 0:17:42.920 And I'm doing this for your own good, because if 0:17:42.960 --> 0:17:45.280 you swing it but don't know how to grip it, 0:17:45.800 --> 0:17:48.480 that ball is gonna fly every direction every time. 0:17:49.119 --> 0:17:52.159 So Paul is teaching in pieces. 0:17:52.640 --> 0:17:55.360 Not only is he teaching them in pieces, but he's 0:17:55.400 --> 0:17:56.160 teaching them. 0:17:55.960 --> 0:17:57.480 Without his physical presence. 0:17:57.960 --> 0:18:01.280 He's writing this letter from a prison, so he's teaching 0:18:01.440 --> 0:18:05.840 in pieces from prison. Now this church that he founded 0:18:05.920 --> 0:18:09.159 is having to put into practice things that they've heard, 0:18:09.600 --> 0:18:12.720 learn or seen from his life, but he is not 0:18:13.000 --> 0:18:16.119 present to show them the practice. They are having to 0:18:16.280 --> 0:18:19.960 draw from what they saw, even though right now they 0:18:19.960 --> 0:18:22.639 can't see it. And I wonder, is there anybody in 0:18:22.680 --> 0:18:25.880 here today who is having to draw from something right 0:18:25.960 --> 0:18:29.879 now even though you can't exactly see what God is 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:32.280 doing in your life, even though you don't have an 0:18:32.320 --> 0:18:34.720 exact model for it in your life, even though you 0:18:34.760 --> 0:18:36.199 don't have somebody to look at it and say, I'm 0:18:36.240 --> 0:18:40.440 going to imitate or emulate that. Paul says, I'm teaching 0:18:40.480 --> 0:18:45.800 you in pieces, And think about all the pieces that 0:18:45.840 --> 0:18:49.679 Paul had to teach from, not only the fact that 0:18:49.720 --> 0:18:53.399 he was writing the Bible. So when Paul said, like, 0:18:54.160 --> 0:18:56.080 you can do all things through Christ to strengthens you 0:18:56.680 --> 0:18:59.239 Philippin's four thirteen, they were like, how do you know that? 0:18:59.240 --> 0:19:02.560 He's like, because it's in the Bible, what's gonna be. 0:19:03.400 --> 0:19:05.439 It's going to be in the Bible in just a 0:19:05.440 --> 0:19:10.760 few verses. But to teach like Paul, that's very different 0:19:10.800 --> 0:19:13.440 than teaching like you, because for those of us who 0:19:13.440 --> 0:19:16.200 are parents in the room, we are trying to coach 0:19:16.280 --> 0:19:23.880 them knowing so little and still wrestling ourselves. And so 0:19:23.920 --> 0:19:26.159 Paul is teaching us the great apostle, Paul who was 0:19:26.200 --> 0:19:31.080 writing the illuminated inspired word of God, the great missionary statesman, 0:19:31.119 --> 0:19:33.920 and he's telling this church at Philippi, whatever you saw 0:19:33.960 --> 0:19:36.280 and heard and learned from me, do that and the. 0:19:36.200 --> 0:19:38.600 God of Peace will be with you. Well, that's different 0:19:38.600 --> 0:19:41.600 for us, because we're not writing the Bible. As far 0:19:41.640 --> 0:19:44.000 as I can tell, we're not. 0:19:44.000 --> 0:19:47.520 The example of grace that God has raised up for 0:19:47.600 --> 0:19:51.400 this century. I think I think that for the majority 0:19:51.440 --> 0:19:54.480 of us in here, it's amazing how much we're coaching 0:19:54.520 --> 0:19:58.440 with how little we know. But if Paul was coaching you, 0:19:59.080 --> 0:20:03.000 he could teach you about pieces that I couldn't teach you. 0:20:03.720 --> 0:20:06.440 So when Paul says, hold on to what you've heard 0:20:06.480 --> 0:20:08.879 from me, hold on to what you've learned from me, 0:20:09.280 --> 0:20:11.879 hold on to what you've seen in me. 0:20:12.720 --> 0:20:15.960 There were scenes in Paul's life. 0:20:15.840 --> 0:20:18.840 That we are privy to that would have served as 0:20:18.920 --> 0:20:21.240 examples for them to follow. 0:20:22.080 --> 0:20:24.760 And so when he's telling them, hold on and. 0:20:24.880 --> 0:20:28.680 The God of Peace will be with you, you got 0:20:28.720 --> 0:20:30.840 to understand that Paul is speaking this from. 0:20:30.640 --> 0:20:32.080 A place of deep experience. 0:20:33.680 --> 0:20:36.560 Paul is like a Division one NCAA champion showing you 0:20:36.600 --> 0:20:42.280 how to wrestle. Paul survived stonings and still stayed stable 0:20:42.320 --> 0:20:48.760 in his faith. Paul survived a shipwreck even just before 0:20:48.800 --> 0:20:50.640 he wrote this letter. Let me tell you a story 0:20:50.640 --> 0:20:54.120 real quick. In Acts, chapter twenty seven, Paul tells about 0:20:54.119 --> 0:20:57.080 a trip that he was making as he was awaiting 0:20:57.080 --> 0:20:59.960 his sentencing for preaching the gospel. And while he was 0:21:00.200 --> 0:21:02.000 on the ship, he had a meeting with an angel 0:21:02.760 --> 0:21:04.720 and the angel said, Paul, don't be afraid. 0:21:05.400 --> 0:21:06.080 I'm going to. 0:21:06.119 --> 0:21:10.360 Preserve your life. The boat that you're on is going 0:21:10.400 --> 0:21:14.159 to go through a storm, but you are going to 0:21:14.240 --> 0:21:17.000 make it. I don't know who that was for, but 0:21:17.080 --> 0:21:19.960 that was just the whole word right now, just that 0:21:20.880 --> 0:21:23.359 the boat that you are on is going to go 0:21:23.440 --> 0:21:30.200 through a storm, but you're going to make it. It's 0:21:30.240 --> 0:21:32.680 going to be rocky for a little while. You might 0:21:32.760 --> 0:21:35.800 have to take some dramamine, but you're going to make it. 0:21:36.400 --> 0:21:39.200 There might be some jonahs that have to go overboard, 0:21:39.600 --> 0:21:42.600 relationships that aren't good for you, but you're going to 0:21:42.680 --> 0:21:45.919 make it. It might not look like exactly what it 0:21:45.960 --> 0:21:47.320 looked like when you set out. 0:21:47.359 --> 0:21:49.040 You might not be able to do it like you 0:21:49.080 --> 0:21:50.560 did it when you did it like you did it. 0:21:50.600 --> 0:21:52.600 But if you'll do it like God is telling you 0:21:52.680 --> 0:21:55.680 to do it right now, you are going to make it. 0:21:56.960 --> 0:21:58.800 And you might have to vomit over the side of 0:21:58.840 --> 0:22:01.560 the boat, and you might have to hold your stomach 0:22:01.600 --> 0:22:03.919 for a little while while it rocks and reels, and 0:22:03.960 --> 0:22:06.800 you might have to spend some time praying a little extra. 0:22:07.119 --> 0:22:09.400 The boat is going to go through something, but you're 0:22:09.480 --> 0:22:10.760 going to make it. 0:22:10.800 --> 0:22:13.639 Tell your neighbor you're going to make it. Tell them, 0:22:13.640 --> 0:22:17.560 I prophesy, I prophesy. 0:22:17.680 --> 0:22:19.720 Look them in their eyes, right in the pupils, and 0:22:19.760 --> 0:22:20.960 say you're going to make it. 0:22:22.240 --> 0:22:25.520 Tell them you've got to make it. Yeah, you got 0:22:25.560 --> 0:22:26.280 to make it. 0:22:26.400 --> 0:22:29.359 Because God has something for you to do on the 0:22:29.440 --> 0:22:35.119 other side of this, and the God of Peace is 0:22:35.160 --> 0:22:38.680 with you. So if the God of Peace is with you, 0:22:39.160 --> 0:22:44.760 watch this. In Acts, chapter twenty seven, verse forty one, 0:22:44.840 --> 0:22:46.960 the Bible says that after they had gone through the 0:22:47.040 --> 0:22:51.119 storm for a period of three weeks, the ship struck 0:22:51.160 --> 0:22:55.840 a sandbar and ran aground. The boughs struck fast and 0:22:55.880 --> 0:22:56.680 would not move. 0:22:56.880 --> 0:22:57.440 That's bad. 0:22:58.040 --> 0:23:03.120 And the stern was broke to pieces by the pounding 0:23:03.280 --> 0:23:05.000 of the serf. Now, if you're out in the ocean 0:23:05.280 --> 0:23:07.639 and the ship is carrying you and the ship breaks 0:23:07.640 --> 0:23:11.480 to pieces, that means you're not going to survive unless 0:23:11.920 --> 0:23:15.440 you have a god who is the God of. 0:23:17.080 --> 0:23:18.000 Pieces. 0:23:19.280 --> 0:23:21.400 Put my verse back up there and let me get 0:23:21.440 --> 0:23:22.320 somebody happy. 0:23:23.160 --> 0:23:25.040 I know your ship broke apart. 0:23:25.600 --> 0:23:28.720 I know it was pounded by something you didn't see coming. 0:23:29.240 --> 0:23:31.800 I know your kid's not speaking to you right now. 0:23:32.280 --> 0:23:35.280 I know it's been three days since you had an appetite. 0:23:35.520 --> 0:23:38.639 I know some things look really really sketchy right now. 0:23:39.040 --> 0:23:40.120 But in the name of. 0:23:40.119 --> 0:23:45.119 Jesus, the God of pieces, can get you there. The 0:23:45.160 --> 0:23:48.480 God of Peace is with me. The God of Peace 0:23:48.600 --> 0:23:55.120 is with me, Verse forty two. So the soldiers plan 0:23:55.200 --> 0:23:57.200 to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from 0:23:57.200 --> 0:24:01.200 swimming away and escaping, but the Furian wanted to spare 0:24:01.280 --> 0:24:04.119 Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan. 0:24:04.400 --> 0:24:07.280 He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first 0:24:07.320 --> 0:24:10.879 and to get to land, and the rest were to 0:24:10.960 --> 0:24:15.880 get there on planks or on other. 0:24:19.640 --> 0:24:25.040 Pieces. I'm preaching to somebody who's holding on to a 0:24:25.080 --> 0:24:29.480 peace to the shore today. I'm preaching somebody who's holding 0:24:29.480 --> 0:24:31.959 on to a board to the shore today. 0:24:32.440 --> 0:24:34.719 I'm preaching to somebody who's wondering, how am I going 0:24:34.800 --> 0:24:36.600 to make it with who I have left, what I 0:24:36.640 --> 0:24:38.760 have left? How am I going to make it now 0:24:38.800 --> 0:24:40.399 that they went away? How am I going to make it? 0:24:40.440 --> 0:24:44.840 If they don't support me. You forgot about the God 0:24:45.640 --> 0:24:51.439 of pieces, that if he is with me, one piece 0:24:52.520 --> 0:24:55.600 can get me to the place. If He is with me. 0:24:55.760 --> 0:24:56.760 How many believe. 0:24:56.560 --> 0:24:57.359 God is with me? 0:24:58.359 --> 0:25:02.400 Get an attitude about it, Get Christian cocky about it. 0:25:03.200 --> 0:25:04.639 If you know God is with. 0:25:04.560 --> 0:25:09.360 You, this peace, that I have, this peace, that I'm 0:25:09.400 --> 0:25:13.280 holding on to, this peace that's in my soul. 0:25:13.560 --> 0:25:15.360 The world didn't give it. 0:25:15.560 --> 0:25:16.760 And the world. 0:25:16.560 --> 0:25:22.280 Can't take it away. I thought your neighbors say, I 0:25:22.359 --> 0:25:27.320 got a peace. I got a peace. Don't got a boat, 0:25:27.400 --> 0:25:30.480 but I've got a peace. Don't have a degree, but 0:25:30.600 --> 0:25:33.760 I've got a peace. Don't have a full answer, but 0:25:33.840 --> 0:25:36.880 I've got a peace. Don't have a ten year plan, 0:25:37.240 --> 0:25:38.399 but I got a peace. 0:25:39.160 --> 0:25:48.439 Got a peace. Preach for that. I got a peace. 0:25:49.160 --> 0:25:50.000 I got a peace. 0:25:50.600 --> 0:25:53.200 I lost some stuff, but I got a peace. 0:25:53.640 --> 0:25:56.280 I feel the wind, but I got a peace. 0:25:57.800 --> 0:26:01.000 I'm dealing with some insecurities. 0:26:00.160 --> 0:26:02.479 Right now, but I've got a peace. 0:26:07.000 --> 0:26:10.359 Got a peace about this? I got a peace about this. 0:26:10.720 --> 0:26:13.360 What you feel all right now? I don't feel alright. 0:26:13.640 --> 0:26:14.680 I faith alright. 0:26:15.040 --> 0:26:19.119 I float alright because the God of Peace is with me. 0:26:20.920 --> 0:26:22.919 Now. Maybe to you this is just a word play, 0:26:23.880 --> 0:26:25.080 but I'm trying to work. 0:26:24.880 --> 0:26:28.280 This word into your spirit. One person told me you 0:26:28.320 --> 0:26:30.320 do too much word play when you preach. I said, no, 0:26:30.400 --> 0:26:36.080 I do word work. You understand what I'm saying. The 0:26:36.119 --> 0:26:39.040 worlds were framed by the word of God. So I 0:26:39.119 --> 0:26:41.440 figure if the word of God could frame the worlds, 0:26:41.440 --> 0:26:43.560 that can frame your life. Right now, this season of 0:26:43.600 --> 0:26:51.520 your life right now, Peace in the storm takes on 0:26:51.600 --> 0:26:55.119 a little different meaning when we think about pieces. 0:26:56.200 --> 0:27:00.679 In the storm. I give you one one more picture 0:27:00.720 --> 0:27:03.520 and we'll go home. One more peace. 0:27:06.440 --> 0:27:12.480 You want me to give you another piece of this message. Okay, 0:27:13.880 --> 0:27:16.520 Paul wasn't the first one to go through a storm 0:27:16.560 --> 0:27:17.320 in the scriptures. 0:27:17.400 --> 0:27:17.960 We know this. 0:27:19.520 --> 0:27:22.119 He was different than Jonah, who I mentioned a moment 0:27:22.160 --> 0:27:27.600 ago in that God sent the storm because Jonah was disobedient, 0:27:28.840 --> 0:27:32.480 and Paul was sent into the storm because he was obedient. 0:27:35.320 --> 0:27:39.080 So in either storm, we need a picture of peace. 0:27:41.000 --> 0:27:45.000 So now, the Disciples of Jesus, if anybody had a 0:27:45.000 --> 0:27:46.879 good example to follow, if anybody had a good coach 0:27:46.920 --> 0:27:49.840 to show them how to wrestle against demons and devils 0:27:49.840 --> 0:27:52.960 and fear and anxiety. 0:27:51.840 --> 0:27:52.840 It was the Disciples. 0:27:53.840 --> 0:27:56.679 In Mark chapter six, there's a story about a storm, 0:27:57.800 --> 0:27:59.800 and I'm going to read it to you because you 0:28:00.080 --> 0:28:03.439 tell a story about your storm today, wave at me. 0:28:03.480 --> 0:28:06.280 If you could tell a story about your storm today, 0:28:07.080 --> 0:28:10.080 and in this storm that they were in, which was physical, 0:28:11.160 --> 0:28:15.080 we get some principles that will help us not only psychologically, 0:28:15.240 --> 0:28:17.240 but spiritually and theologically. 0:28:17.280 --> 0:28:20.840 That's the most important part, because I'm not teaching. 0:28:20.480 --> 0:28:23.320 You peace today only from a pragmatic perspective. 0:28:24.359 --> 0:28:27.679 That's wonderful. And do all your breathing exercises. Do a 0:28:27.720 --> 0:28:28.960 red light therapy. 0:28:28.640 --> 0:28:31.119 Do a red light do a red light sauna, do 0:28:31.200 --> 0:28:33.600 a red light sauna, and I do an ice bath 0:28:33.680 --> 0:28:34.280 in the sauna. 0:28:34.359 --> 0:28:37.560 Do everything that helps you and breathe and sip and 0:28:37.600 --> 0:28:40.840 water and do it all. But I'm just saying, the 0:28:40.840 --> 0:28:44.240 theological is my department today. So I want to show 0:28:44.240 --> 0:28:45.120 you something. 0:28:45.600 --> 0:28:51.560 About the God of peace, the God of pieces. Now 0:28:52.880 --> 0:28:57.240 in this particular scripture, it's different because the boat that 0:28:57.280 --> 0:29:00.960 they were on did not break. Jesus was not on 0:29:01.080 --> 0:29:05.200 it with them. It didn't break, but Jesus was not 0:29:05.360 --> 0:29:08.400 on the boat with them. And look at Mark chapter six, 0:29:08.560 --> 0:29:12.320 verse forty five. Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into 0:29:12.360 --> 0:29:16.320 the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethseda 0:29:16.480 --> 0:29:19.800 while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went 0:29:19.880 --> 0:29:23.520 up on a mountain side to pray. Later that night, 0:29:24.280 --> 0:29:26.200 the boat was in the middle of the lake and 0:29:26.280 --> 0:29:27.480 he was alone on land. 0:29:28.520 --> 0:29:31.080 He saw the disciples straining. 0:29:30.560 --> 0:29:34.640 At the oars because the wind was against them. Shortly 0:29:34.680 --> 0:29:39.160 before dawn, he went out to them. Catch this walking 0:29:39.200 --> 0:29:43.520 on the lake, he was about to pass by them. 0:29:43.920 --> 0:29:48.880 This shows me that Jesus even physically revealed himself in 0:29:48.920 --> 0:29:54.240 pieces to the disciples. He did not identify himself immediately. 0:29:54.600 --> 0:29:59.240 He revealed himself in pieces. I point that out because 0:29:59.280 --> 0:30:02.640 you don't all always know that it's God at first. 0:30:04.520 --> 0:30:09.480 In fact, sometimes the presence of God in our lives 0:30:09.600 --> 0:30:12.960 is met with the feeling of fear, like the disciples 0:30:13.520 --> 0:30:16.640 in this passage, because the Bible says that he was 0:30:16.680 --> 0:30:21.040 about to pass them by, but when they saw him 0:30:21.120 --> 0:30:24.600 walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. 0:30:25.680 --> 0:30:29.520 They cried out, not for him to save them, but 0:30:29.600 --> 0:30:33.600 because they all saw him and were terrified because they 0:30:33.640 --> 0:30:38.560 had never seen him in this exact situation before. Now 0:30:38.560 --> 0:30:41.000 I need to stop and tell you something. They had 0:30:41.040 --> 0:30:44.800 seen him calm a storm before in Mark chapter four, 0:30:45.800 --> 0:30:47.560 but that time he was on the boat the whole 0:30:47.560 --> 0:30:52.040 time with them. So now they're in a different situation. 0:30:53.800 --> 0:30:57.800 They're dealing with a different predicament. And every time God 0:30:57.800 --> 0:30:59.640 allows you to face a new problem, he's trying to 0:30:59.640 --> 0:31:05.720 show you a new peace, a part of Him. 0:31:05.560 --> 0:31:10.280 That always existed that you never saw. So if Lazarus died. 0:31:10.360 --> 0:31:14.680 He wants to show you that there's a resurrection piece 0:31:16.080 --> 0:31:19.560 if a blind if a blind eye needs to be open, 0:31:19.640 --> 0:31:20.640 he wants to show you that. 0:31:20.600 --> 0:31:21.360 He is the light. 0:31:22.720 --> 0:31:24.920 There is a peace that God is trying to show 0:31:24.960 --> 0:31:28.720 you of himself through every problem that he allows in 0:31:28.760 --> 0:31:33.200 your life. I believe that he is the God of pieces. 0:31:33.560 --> 0:31:36.719 And as they are screaming because they think he's a ghost, 0:31:36.760 --> 0:31:40.240 they're terrified of the one who has the power to save. 0:31:40.920 --> 0:31:44.720 Immediately he spoke to them and said, take courage, it 0:31:44.840 --> 0:31:50.400 is I. Don't be afraid. And then he climbed into 0:31:50.440 --> 0:31:55.320 the boat with them, and the wind died down. 0:31:57.320 --> 0:32:02.120 They were completely a maze beast four. 0:32:03.960 --> 0:32:06.840 This part's going to seem out of nowhere. They had 0:32:06.880 --> 0:32:12.680 not understood about the loaves. Their hearts were hardened. So 0:32:12.720 --> 0:32:15.640 I want to ask you a question, What in the 0:32:15.680 --> 0:32:22.400 world does bread have to do with a boat? What 0:32:22.920 --> 0:32:26.400 does what does they had not understood about the loaves 0:32:27.320 --> 0:32:29.040 have to do with the fact that they were. 0:32:28.920 --> 0:32:31.360 Afraid in the storm. 0:32:31.760 --> 0:32:34.280 In order to put this in context, I want to 0:32:34.320 --> 0:32:37.600 show you one more picture and give you one more peace. 0:32:38.520 --> 0:32:42.400 When the Bible says immediately Jesus made his disciples get 0:32:42.400 --> 0:32:45.240 into the boat and go on ahead of him to Betseeda. 0:32:45.800 --> 0:32:46.160 It does. 0:32:46.320 --> 0:32:49.080 It does not say in that verse what has just 0:32:49.120 --> 0:32:51.480 occurred before Jesus sent them on this trip. 0:32:52.120 --> 0:32:54.560 But if you back up just a few verses. 0:32:54.720 --> 0:32:59.840 Jesus has just finished feeding five thousand men and women 0:33:00.240 --> 0:33:04.520 and children who were starving. Instead of allowing them to 0:33:04.600 --> 0:33:08.280 starve or sending them away, he told the disciples, bring 0:33:08.320 --> 0:33:11.160 me the bread that you have, bring me the fish 0:33:11.200 --> 0:33:16.360 that you have. But Jesus, we only have pieces. But 0:33:16.440 --> 0:33:21.000 when they brought him five loaves and two fish, which 0:33:21.040 --> 0:33:25.120 is nothing but a piece when there's five thousand people 0:33:25.160 --> 0:33:28.840 that need to eat, and they brought him the peace, 0:33:29.600 --> 0:33:33.400 the peace that they brought him became provision that fed 0:33:33.920 --> 0:33:38.160 not only five thousand men, not only fifteen thousand women 0:33:38.200 --> 0:33:39.040 and children. 0:33:38.800 --> 0:33:46.560 With them, But it resulted in leftovers. So the Bible 0:33:46.640 --> 0:33:49.480 says verse forty one, and now I'm ready to preach. 0:33:50.080 --> 0:33:53.760 Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking 0:33:53.840 --> 0:33:58.640 up to Heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. 0:33:59.400 --> 0:34:00.400 Then he gave. 0:34:00.280 --> 0:34:03.560 Them to the disciples to distribute to the people. He 0:34:03.640 --> 0:34:06.920 also divided to fish among them, and they all ate 0:34:07.520 --> 0:34:14.800 and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls 0:34:15.480 --> 0:34:23.520 of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of 0:34:23.560 --> 0:34:27.719 the men who had eaten was five thousand. Five thousand 0:34:27.800 --> 0:34:32.359 men fed and broken pieces to carry away. So now 0:34:32.400 --> 0:34:34.279 we go to the storm and we see it with 0:34:34.320 --> 0:34:38.120 different eyes, because we realized that even though Jesus is 0:34:38.160 --> 0:34:40.840 not physically in the boat with them in this storm, 0:34:41.400 --> 0:34:45.040 they carried a basket into the boat that was full 0:34:45.080 --> 0:34:48.640 of the pieces of leftovers that came from the touch 0:34:48.719 --> 0:34:52.720 of the Master just a few minutes ago. In other words, 0:34:52.800 --> 0:34:55.879 Jesus sent them into the sea knowing that there would 0:34:55.880 --> 0:34:58.720 be a storm. But he did not send you into 0:34:58.760 --> 0:35:00.319 this storm empty hand. 0:35:00.760 --> 0:35:03.880 If you check your boat, I want to let you know. 0:35:04.040 --> 0:35:09.080 You got some baskets, you got some bread. You got 0:35:09.080 --> 0:35:13.719 some baskets, and you've got some bread. I came to 0:35:13.840 --> 0:35:18.719 remind somebody there's bread in your boat. There's bread in 0:35:18.760 --> 0:35:23.560 your boat. It's bread in my boat. What do you 0:35:23.600 --> 0:35:26.759 mean by that? I don't need food when I'm in 0:35:26.800 --> 0:35:27.440 a storm. 0:35:27.800 --> 0:35:29.959 Yeah, you do to sustain you. 0:35:30.400 --> 0:35:38.839 Until God shows up and stops it. There have been 0:35:38.960 --> 0:35:42.320 moments in your life that God could have stopped the storm, 0:35:42.320 --> 0:35:44.960 but he didn't. There's a storm some of you are 0:35:44.960 --> 0:35:47.640 in right now, and God's not stopping it, and you're wondering, 0:35:47.680 --> 0:35:49.759 what do I do about this? I didn't see this 0:35:49.880 --> 0:35:52.640 storm coming. Jesus isn't even in this boat with me. Yeah, 0:35:52.640 --> 0:35:53.239 but bread is. 0:35:57.360 --> 0:36:02.960 These were big baskets, y'all, twelve big baskets, so that 0:36:03.080 --> 0:36:06.759 every time the wind would blow, they would see the 0:36:06.800 --> 0:36:12.120 bread and remember that they ended up with more than 0:36:12.160 --> 0:36:13.440 they started with when. 0:36:13.360 --> 0:36:20.799 Jesus touched it. Check the bread. 0:36:22.239 --> 0:36:24.279 Next time the devil starts telling you it's not going 0:36:24.360 --> 0:36:25.680 to happen, You're not going to make it. 0:36:26.040 --> 0:36:26.800 Check the bread. 0:36:27.840 --> 0:36:30.840 And by the way, God sends you into a storm 0:36:30.880 --> 0:36:34.600 so the bread doesn't get stale. He doesn't just let 0:36:34.640 --> 0:36:37.920 you depend on him in one circumstance. He allows you 0:36:38.000 --> 0:36:41.720 to experience another storm so that storm can become your. 0:36:41.600 --> 0:36:43.839 School to teach you to be a student, to put 0:36:43.880 --> 0:36:45.520 into practice what He showed you. 0:36:45.640 --> 0:36:53.160 Through his last act of provision. And so the storm comes. 0:36:53.200 --> 0:36:57.160 But the pieces are right there, because even in the storm, 0:36:57.200 --> 0:37:02.800 I have pieces. And I need to give you thirty 0:37:02.840 --> 0:37:05.080 seconds to praise God for the pieces that you have, 0:37:07.560 --> 0:37:19.319 for the pieces, for the pieces. I'm not praising him 0:37:19.320 --> 0:37:20.560 because my life is perfect. 0:37:20.560 --> 0:37:22.680 Don't get me wrong. I'm praising him for. 0:37:22.719 --> 0:37:30.120 Pieces, sometimes broken pieces. And is there something for us 0:37:30.120 --> 0:37:33.920 to learn from the example of Jesus that he blessed 0:37:34.000 --> 0:37:38.399 broken bread and gave thanks for what wasn't enough so 0:37:38.440 --> 0:37:42.080 that it could become enough. Is he showing you and 0:37:42.120 --> 0:37:44.080 showing me that if we can't praise Him for the 0:37:44.080 --> 0:37:47.239 peace that we do have, we're never going to have 0:37:47.280 --> 0:37:48.600 the peace that we're praying for. 0:37:51.800 --> 0:37:54.640 This is the God of pieces. 0:37:56.640 --> 0:37:59.920 And so if all you're holding today is the remnant 0:38:00.719 --> 0:38:04.799 of the regrets of your sins and decisions, bring them 0:38:04.880 --> 0:38:10.040 to the God of pieces. If all you're holding today 0:38:10.120 --> 0:38:14.360 in your life is broken plans, bring them to the 0:38:14.400 --> 0:38:18.600 God of peaces, the God of peace. The God of 0:38:18.719 --> 0:38:23.799 Peace is the God who pieces all things together. And 0:38:23.880 --> 0:38:27.319 sometimes you are in between what God just did and 0:38:27.360 --> 0:38:31.759 what God is going to do, and you got to 0:38:31.800 --> 0:38:37.440 trust God in between those pieces, in between those pieces. 0:38:37.800 --> 0:38:39.799 So something happens and. 0:38:39.760 --> 0:38:42.560 Then nothing happens and something else is going to happen. 0:38:42.640 --> 0:38:44.640 This is for some of you in your career. Something 0:38:44.680 --> 0:38:47.520 happens and then nothing happens, and something else is going 0:38:47.600 --> 0:38:48.000 to happen. 0:38:48.280 --> 0:38:50.319 You see, God do a miracle in your life. 0:38:50.320 --> 0:38:52.600 You walk away with twelve basketballs of pieces and the 0:38:52.680 --> 0:38:54.719 testimony of what God has done, and you put it 0:38:54.760 --> 0:38:56.560 on the boat. And then the boat that is filled 0:38:56.560 --> 0:38:58.719 with the baskets of the bread that God multiplied in 0:38:58.760 --> 0:38:59.720 your life hits a storm. 0:39:00.120 --> 0:39:02.280 Have to praise him for the pieces. 0:39:07.400 --> 0:39:11.200 I want the God of peace in my life, and 0:39:11.239 --> 0:39:12.719 I trust him with the pieces. 0:39:13.800 --> 0:39:16.960 And I praise him for the pieces, the ones I 0:39:17.000 --> 0:39:18.960 can see, the ones I can't see. 0:39:19.239 --> 0:39:21.680 I thank him for the pieces that he's putting together 0:39:21.760 --> 0:39:24.200 back in order right now in the life of somebody. 0:39:23.880 --> 0:39:27.959 In this room. 0:39:28.000 --> 0:39:31.640 And I praise him that he knows the picture of 0:39:31.680 --> 0:39:33.759 your life. He knows the picture of your family, he 0:39:33.800 --> 0:39:35.960 knows the picture of your future. He knows the picture 0:39:36.000 --> 0:39:39.799 of his purpose for your life, and you don't. And 0:39:39.840 --> 0:39:40.840 it comes in pieces. 0:39:42.320 --> 0:39:42.640 And so. 0:39:44.719 --> 0:39:47.040 The Bible gives us a very specific prayer to pray, 0:39:47.960 --> 0:39:55.080 give us this day our daily bread. The devil wants 0:39:55.080 --> 0:40:00.040 you to get overwhelmed by the pile, but God says, no, 0:40:00.440 --> 0:40:01.839 you just take it piece. 0:40:03.320 --> 0:40:08.160 By piece. I thought I would minister. 0:40:08.040 --> 0:40:12.759 To you today on the power of pieces, because even 0:40:12.800 --> 0:40:15.680 some of the songs we sing in this church, the 0:40:15.800 --> 0:40:18.760 songs of praise that we sing that end up touching 0:40:18.800 --> 0:40:24.520 people all over the world. They start as pieces. I mean, 0:40:24.880 --> 0:40:33.000 Chandler and Leland come on back, boys, I mean these boys, Yeah, 0:40:33.560 --> 0:40:39.480 they are amazing songwriters. But I had to tell you something, Church, 0:40:39.520 --> 0:40:41.080 I gotta tell you some of the songs that we 0:40:41.400 --> 0:40:45.160 put out they start as pieces. And let me tell 0:40:45.160 --> 0:40:49.040 you this, the pieces usually aren't pretty. I mean, how 0:40:49.080 --> 0:40:51.480 many times has Holly heard me sending a voice memo 0:40:51.600 --> 0:40:52.960 in the bathroom to Chandler? 0:40:53.400 --> 0:40:54.600 Sound bad when I said it like that? 0:40:54.680 --> 0:41:00.000 But I mean, I was just going through today because 0:41:00.440 --> 0:41:03.000 we talked about ending my sermon in a way that 0:41:03.000 --> 0:41:05.160 would give you a picture of the pieces. 0:41:05.560 --> 0:41:06.279 And I found this. 0:41:06.320 --> 0:41:09.960 There's two thy six and thirty three voice memos on 0:41:10.000 --> 0:41:10.520 this phone. 0:41:11.880 --> 0:41:12.600 Pieces. 0:41:13.600 --> 0:41:16.640 Most of them do not need to be heard by 0:41:16.719 --> 0:41:21.400 human ears. Ever, most of them are an offense that 0:41:21.480 --> 0:41:22.360 they ever recorded. 0:41:22.440 --> 0:41:25.279 Like this one is your Micael. Listen to this. I 0:41:25.400 --> 0:41:25.879 just heard this. 0:41:25.880 --> 0:41:28.400 This is so random, but this is a song idea 0:41:28.400 --> 0:41:35.880 that I sent him a few days ago. Boom boom 0:41:35.920 --> 0:41:38.080 boom boom boom boom foo. 0:41:39.600 --> 0:41:53.319 You mm. And then it ends that's the whole thing. 0:41:54.560 --> 0:41:56.320 And somehow I thought he needed to hear that, and 0:41:56.360 --> 0:41:56.719 I sent. 0:41:56.680 --> 0:41:58.080 It to him. 0:41:58.239 --> 0:42:02.120 I'm saying a little piece over here today because you 0:42:02.160 --> 0:42:09.680 never know what starts as a piece might become a praise. 0:42:15.360 --> 0:42:19.880 So let me demonstrate. I was sitting in a songwriting 0:42:19.920 --> 0:42:24.160 session with Leland and we were finishing up a song. 0:42:24.960 --> 0:42:28.400 And as we're finishing up that one song, he plays something. 0:42:29.000 --> 0:42:33.400 And I'm always paying attention in a songwriting round, trying 0:42:33.400 --> 0:42:36.279 to scabage something that somebody else is throwing away like 0:42:36.320 --> 0:42:40.080 a little scrap, and I grab that sucker and break 0:42:40.120 --> 0:42:43.440 it and give thanks and feed twenty thousand people at Elevation. 0:42:43.239 --> 0:42:49.640 Church with it. Uh huh. So this guy, we're just literally. 0:42:49.400 --> 0:42:52.359 Setting up a microphone and he does something with his 0:42:52.480 --> 0:42:59.279 right hand. Listen to this he goes, and I got 0:42:59.480 --> 0:43:02.400 chills doing it, and I got chos, give me chokes 0:43:03.200 --> 0:43:04.600 he did. He does it and I go. 0:43:05.320 --> 0:43:07.080 What's that? He goes, Oh, it's not that. 0:43:07.560 --> 0:43:09.480 I'm just I'm just recorded real quick and save it 0:43:09.480 --> 0:43:12.640 for something later. And I says, save it for nothing later. 0:43:13.120 --> 0:43:13.719 You are going to. 0:43:13.719 --> 0:43:15.680 Give that to me right now and we're gonna write 0:43:15.680 --> 0:43:17.920 something to it. Do it again. Listen to these chords 0:43:17.920 --> 0:43:23.160 he played. I feel the Holy Ghost. 0:43:23.239 --> 0:43:27.480 When he plays those chords, he could sing Mary had 0:43:27.520 --> 0:43:29.160 a little lamb over those chords. 0:43:28.960 --> 0:43:30.080 And I would feel the Holy Ghost. 0:43:30.120 --> 0:43:31.680 I think it's ting about the Virgin Mary and the 0:43:31.680 --> 0:43:37.640 baby Jesus. But when he played it, we said, man, 0:43:37.680 --> 0:43:43.040 what does that sound like? And eventually we said. 0:43:43.719 --> 0:43:48.319 Gave me mama, Yeah, one more day. 0:43:48.360 --> 0:43:50.520 And then it's like what if It's like, no, you 0:43:50.880 --> 0:43:55.240 gave me more say? 0:43:56.760 --> 0:43:58.919 And then so you know, there's other guys in the room, 0:43:59.040 --> 0:44:02.000 Davs and Jonathan, all of them, and so we write 0:44:02.000 --> 0:44:04.359 this whole chorus the song that we sang earlier in church, 0:44:04.400 --> 0:44:05.480 this song called one more Day? 0:44:05.800 --> 0:44:06.200 All right? 0:44:06.239 --> 0:44:11.200 So we finished that and I'm like, cool, Wait, I 0:44:11.239 --> 0:44:12.359 got this piece. 0:44:13.200 --> 0:44:14.399 That Chandler sent me. 0:44:15.320 --> 0:44:19.640 And Chandler and Leland had never even met, but on 0:44:19.680 --> 0:44:27.560 my phone I got pieces pieces, you see what I'm saying, 0:44:27.680 --> 0:44:30.560 Lja and he had sent me a piece a few 0:44:30.560 --> 0:44:32.120 months ago that we had talked about. 0:44:32.360 --> 0:44:41.200 And his piece goes, I just really want to pray. 0:44:41.400 --> 0:44:42.400 We didn't have those words. 0:44:42.680 --> 0:44:48.680 You mean everything, everything everything to me. 0:44:49.480 --> 0:44:51.640 And so then do the other part again, the chorus. 0:44:51.960 --> 0:44:57.279 Maybe, And I was like, what if this piece, say, 0:44:58.760 --> 0:45:01.719 what if this piece that we just God goes with 0:45:01.840 --> 0:45:04.719 this piece that we've had for three months that we 0:45:04.719 --> 0:45:07.920 don't know what to do with. And what if a 0:45:08.200 --> 0:45:14.320 song is waiting to be sung from pieces. 0:45:15.480 --> 0:45:22.359 From pieces? And what is God? What if the Lord? 0:45:23.840 --> 0:45:24.600 What if the. 0:45:24.480 --> 0:45:30.920 God of pieces is standing over your life today waiting 0:45:31.000 --> 0:45:36.040 for you to praise him for the pieces? 0:45:36.800 --> 0:45:38.000 You can do better than that? 0:45:38.640 --> 0:45:42.160 What if you put your hands together and begin to 0:45:42.320 --> 0:45:45.080 believe that the God of. 0:45:45.200 --> 0:45:46.279 Pieces with me? 0:45:48.280 --> 0:46:03.560 Just send the list and ways obay his voice given, pray. 0:45:59.400 --> 0:46:04.640 Listen, that's said singer sing over those basis. 0:46:06.960 --> 0:46:16.120 I just really want to prize should be anything, everything, everything. 0:46:20.640 --> 0:46:27.320 How does really want to pray? 0:46:28.640 --> 0:46:30.120 She brings all together? 0:46:30.680 --> 0:46:37.440 Do me everything, every everything. 0:46:37.880 --> 0:46:45.279 When we're talking to church, we say, now is. 0:46:45.280 --> 0:47:05.600 Your name on the bride? Shall be be everything everything. 0:47:00.760 --> 0:47:01.640 My daily bread. 0:47:01.760 --> 0:47:09.640 Lord, see you have probab me all this? 0:47:09.680 --> 0:47:18.480 Wee mm hmmm tested fire Oh one mom can I 0:47:19.000 --> 0:47:20.720 see hallelujah? 0:47:21.400 --> 0:47:25.120 What a bank? 0:47:26.320 --> 0:47:40.840 Geez, sir geez bring it all again like cue, bid 0:47:41.080 --> 0:47:56.720 me one word, oh one mold one lord, one Lord. 0:47:58.200 --> 0:47:59.520 It's about ice closed. 0:48:00.680 --> 0:48:02.440 I want you to take a moment and offer your 0:48:02.440 --> 0:48:07.480 broken pieces to the Lord today. And even if you 0:48:07.480 --> 0:48:09.600 want to just lift your hands like this and close 0:48:09.640 --> 0:48:12.600 your eyes and his presence and say, here are my 0:48:12.719 --> 0:48:13.560 peace is God. 0:48:13.600 --> 0:48:17.359 I heard you were the God of peaces. I heard 0:48:17.400 --> 0:48:18.280 that you could take. 0:48:18.160 --> 0:48:22.080 What has been shattered and turn it into something amazing. 0:48:23.840 --> 0:48:27.360 I heard that you can steal storms. I heard that 0:48:27.480 --> 0:48:29.320 you could give peace in a storm. 0:48:30.440 --> 0:48:30.600 God. 0:48:30.640 --> 0:48:33.800 I'm in a storm right now. I'm in a storm 0:48:33.840 --> 0:48:36.640 on the inside. I've got winds raging on the outside. 0:48:36.640 --> 0:48:39.759 But I heard about the God of peace, the God 0:48:39.800 --> 0:48:43.360 of peaces, the God who, even if the boat breaks, 0:48:43.400 --> 0:48:46.240 will see me safely to my assigned place. 0:48:46.280 --> 0:48:48.600 So I offer you all of these plans. 0:48:49.560 --> 0:48:51.960 I offer you all of these problems, and I remember 0:48:51.960 --> 0:48:54.879 that I'm coming into the presence of a sovereign God 0:48:55.800 --> 0:48:59.680 who can speak to a storm. But until you stop 0:48:59.719 --> 0:49:06.239 the God, I believe you have stocked me for this storm. 0:49:07.800 --> 0:49:11.200 You have given me your peace. 0:49:12.600 --> 0:49:15.719 So I'm not anxious about anything, because with prayer and supplication, 0:49:15.840 --> 0:49:19.640 I'm making my request known to you, and the peace 0:49:19.680 --> 0:49:22.600 of God that passes all understanding will guard. 0:49:22.400 --> 0:49:24.560 Your heart and your mind. 0:49:25.200 --> 0:49:28.960 In Christ Jesus, I want to give an invitation for 0:49:29.040 --> 0:49:33.800 someone today to make peace with God in your personal life. 0:49:34.680 --> 0:49:36.319 The Bible says that Jesus. 0:49:36.120 --> 0:49:39.160 Christ became our peace so that we would no longer 0:49:39.200 --> 0:49:41.680 be enemies of God. But through his blood shed on 0:49:41.719 --> 0:49:44.520 the cross, you and I can have peace with God. 0:49:45.120 --> 0:49:47.719 We can be brought into His family. We can be 0:49:47.800 --> 0:49:50.400 forgiven and called sons and daughters. We can have a 0:49:50.440 --> 0:49:53.799 brand new beginning. So, if God has led you to 0:49:53.840 --> 0:49:57.440 this place today and he's speaking to your heart and 0:49:57.480 --> 0:49:59.719 you want to give him the pieces of your broken life, 0:50:00.040 --> 0:50:01.040 say here it is God. 0:50:01.280 --> 0:50:04.160 I've tried doing it without you. Now I need you 0:50:04.239 --> 0:50:06.560 to take over. If you are ready to give your 0:50:06.600 --> 0:50:07.680 life to the Lord. 0:50:07.400 --> 0:50:10.759 Today, I'm going to lead you in a prayer, not 0:50:10.840 --> 0:50:12.960 a prayer that you're going to do better or be perfect, 0:50:12.960 --> 0:50:15.600 but a prayer that says, here are my broken peaces. God, 0:50:17.239 --> 0:50:19.960 give my life to you. And if you're ready to 0:50:20.000 --> 0:50:22.040 do that today, then you repeat after me. If you 0:50:22.040 --> 0:50:23.759 pray this prayer, mean it from your heart. God will 0:50:23.800 --> 0:50:26.319 hear you from heaven. He will heal your sentence and 0:50:26.320 --> 0:50:29.200 give you a new beginning. We're praying out loud as 0:50:29.239 --> 0:50:31.080 a church family for the benefit of those who are 0:50:31.120 --> 0:50:34.239 coming to God or coming back to God. Repeat after me, 0:50:34.320 --> 0:50:38.320 Heavenly Father, today. 0:50:37.800 --> 0:50:39.279 Is my day. 0:50:39.520 --> 0:50:43.560 I am a sinner in need of a savior. And 0:50:43.600 --> 0:50:48.120 I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God 0:50:49.000 --> 0:50:53.399 and the savior of the world. And today I make 0:50:53.520 --> 0:50:57.720 Jesus the Lord of my life. I believe he died 0:50:58.800 --> 0:51:03.080 that I would be forgiven and rose again to give 0:51:03.120 --> 0:51:09.279 me life. I receive this new life. This is my 0:51:09.440 --> 0:51:12.480 new beginning. Shoot your hand up on the count of three. 0:51:12.520 --> 0:51:15.040 If you prayed that one, two, three. 0:51:14.800 --> 0:51:15.680 In Jesus' name. 0:51:15.719 --> 0:51:19.759 Welcome to the family of God's beautiful. 0:51:20.600 --> 0:51:24.960 I see God bless you. Come on anybody else. If 0:51:24.960 --> 0:51:26.959 you put your name in the chat right now, We'll 0:51:27.000 --> 0:51:29.920 break for you. Our team will break for you. We 0:51:30.120 --> 0:51:35.880 celebrate you. The God of Peace is with you. Thank you, Jesus, 0:51:37.040 --> 0:51:37.960 Thank you Jesus. 0:51:38.320 --> 0:51:40.440 Hug three people and tell them God is with you 0:51:40.520 --> 0:51:44.360 in this storm. The God of Peace is with you. 0:51:45.080 --> 0:51:47.160 Put it in the chat right now, say the God 0:51:47.239 --> 0:51:51.759 of Peace is with me. After you've given out all 0:51:51.800 --> 0:51:55.919 your prescribed hugs, campus pastors, you can take it here 0:51:55.920 --> 0:51:59.240 in Valentine. I want to close, grab hands and block 0:51:59.320 --> 0:52:01.960 the exit so nobody gets out till I say this 0:52:02.080 --> 0:52:09.960 close in prayer. Come on up with me. Holly tag 0:52:10.040 --> 0:52:15.360 team partners. You preached on the peace of God. I 0:52:15.480 --> 0:52:19.200 preached on the God of pieces, and together we make 0:52:19.239 --> 0:52:22.840 a good team. Squeeze your neighbor's hand and say we 0:52:22.920 --> 0:52:24.360 make a good team too. 0:52:25.840 --> 0:52:28.040 Tell him I got a peace. I got a peace, 0:52:28.200 --> 0:52:28.640 You got a. 0:52:28.680 --> 0:52:34.839 Peace, peace, and we got a peace making God. I'm 0:52:34.880 --> 0:52:36.920 telling you, when you get back to your boat in 0:52:36.960 --> 0:52:38.480 this storm, you look for. 0:52:38.480 --> 0:52:39.880 Leftovers at your feet. 0:52:40.200 --> 0:52:43.360 You begin to rehearse the goodness of God in your life. 0:52:43.600 --> 0:52:48.160 And now, unto Him who is able to do immeserably 0:52:48.280 --> 0:52:51.440 more than you ask for, imagine to him. 0:52:51.320 --> 0:52:52.800 Be glory through Christ. 0:52:52.880 --> 0:52:54.399 Jesus is the. 0:52:54.480 --> 0:52:57.200 Church pass forever. 0:52:58.200 --> 0:53:02.000 Hey man, how will you beas this week? 0:53:03.760 --> 0:53:06.319 Thank you for joining us special thanks to those of 0:53:06.360 --> 0:53:09.319 you who give generously to this ministry. Is because of 0:53:09.360 --> 0:53:12.279 you that this ministry is possible. You can click the 0:53:12.320 --> 0:53:16.080 link in the description to give now or visit Elevationchurch 0:53:16.239 --> 0:53:19.480 dot org slash podcast for more information and if you 0:53:19.560 --> 0:53:22.799 enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You can share it 0:53:22.840 --> 0:53:25.120 with your friends. You can click the share button, take 0:53:25.160 --> 0:53:27.520 a screenshot and share it on your social stories and 0:53:27.560 --> 0:53:30.439 tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening, God 0:53:30.440 --> 0:53:35.840 bless you.