The Path Of Peace

0:00:01.960 --> 0:00:04.519 Hey, this is Stephen Ferdik. I'm the pastor of Elevation 0:00:04.760 --> 0:00:06.760 Church and this is our podcast and I wanted to 0:00:06.800 --> 0:00:09.680 thank you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. 0:00:10.119 --> 0:00:12.320 Hope it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective 0:00:12.320 --> 0:00:17.239 to see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 0:00:17.320 --> 0:00:19.680 And I want to share a brief Christmas message with 0:00:19.720 --> 0:00:22.439 you today. And don't get me wrong, just because I 0:00:22.440 --> 0:00:26.000 said brief, for me, brief means something different than it 0:00:26.000 --> 0:00:29.200 may mean at other churches. But don't want to take 0:00:29.240 --> 0:00:32.159 too long understand the demands of this season. And so 0:00:32.280 --> 0:00:35.080 let me just share with you from Luke chapter one, 0:00:35.360 --> 0:00:38.960 verse sixty seven through seventy nine, his father Zechariah was 0:00:39.000 --> 0:00:41.920 filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, Praise be to 0:00:42.080 --> 0:00:44.520 the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come 0:00:44.560 --> 0:00:48.199 to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up 0:00:48.200 --> 0:00:51.000 a horn of salvation for us in the house of 0:00:51.080 --> 0:00:54.480 his servant David, as he said, through his holy prophets 0:00:55.080 --> 0:00:59.520 of long ago, salvation from our enemies and from the 0:00:59.560 --> 0:01:02.320 hand of all all who hate us, show mercy to 0:01:02.400 --> 0:01:07.000 our ancestors, and to remember his holy covenant, the oath 0:01:07.000 --> 0:01:09.720 he swore to our Father Abraham to rescue us from 0:01:09.720 --> 0:01:12.760 the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to 0:01:12.800 --> 0:01:16.920 serve him without fear, and holiness and righteousness before him 0:01:16.959 --> 0:01:20.360 all our days. And you, my child, would be called 0:01:20.360 --> 0:01:22.760 a prophet of the most High, for you will go 0:01:22.840 --> 0:01:26.520 on before the Lord to prepare the way for him 0:01:27.000 --> 0:01:30.120 to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the 0:01:30.120 --> 0:01:32.640 forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of 0:01:32.680 --> 0:01:38.039 our God, by which the rising sun will come to 0:01:38.120 --> 0:01:42.960 us from heaven. Somebody say, here comes Heaven. Tell your 0:01:42.959 --> 0:01:47.400 neighbor to watch out here it comes. Forty percent of 0:01:47.480 --> 0:01:49.520 you participated when I asked you to touch your neighbor. 0:01:49.560 --> 0:01:50.800 You don't like them, look at him and say, here 0:01:50.840 --> 0:01:56.600 it comes. The priest Zechariah is speaking of the prophet 0:01:56.680 --> 0:02:00.800 John the Baptist, and he's now talking about Jesus, whom 0:02:00.920 --> 0:02:03.600 John the Baptist was pointing to. He said that he 0:02:03.600 --> 0:02:06.880 will shine on those living in darkness and in the 0:02:06.920 --> 0:02:10.760 shadow of death, in the shadow of death, in that 0:02:10.919 --> 0:02:16.760 place of despair, to guide our feet into the path 0:02:16.800 --> 0:02:21.720 of peace. That's my title for today, the path of peace. 0:02:22.600 --> 0:02:24.200 And I won't make you talk to your neighbor one 0:02:24.240 --> 0:02:25.919 more time after this, but look at him and say, 0:02:25.960 --> 0:02:27.560 you look like you need some of that peace that 0:02:27.600 --> 0:02:36.800 he's preaching about. We have a challenge today to try 0:02:36.840 --> 0:02:42.520 to calm our minds and receive the message. My brother 0:02:42.600 --> 0:02:46.400 comes to church. He's here right now. He comes to 0:02:46.480 --> 0:02:51.240 church whenever he can, lives in New Jersey's He's like, 0:02:51.960 --> 0:02:54.720 I bet you love preaching at Christmas. Everybody's in the spirit, 0:02:55.320 --> 0:02:57.799 And I was like, no, it's not my favorite time 0:02:57.800 --> 0:03:01.400 to preach because people are so stressed out and you 0:03:01.480 --> 0:03:04.800 have to work three times as hard because it's stuffy. 0:03:05.400 --> 0:03:07.600 Sometimes people brought a relative and they don't want that 0:03:07.680 --> 0:03:09.680 relative to see how they normally act in church, and 0:03:09.720 --> 0:03:15.000 so they tense up and then they've got so much 0:03:15.080 --> 0:03:17.520 going on. It's actually you would think it would be, 0:03:18.120 --> 0:03:21.640 you know, Jesus's birthday would be an easy occasion to preach, 0:03:21.680 --> 0:03:25.040 but I actually find it more challenging, not less, because 0:03:25.080 --> 0:03:29.440 it's just stress levels are higher. Happy Birthday, Jesus, we 0:03:29.480 --> 0:03:32.800 created chaos and commercialism that drives us all to the 0:03:32.800 --> 0:03:36.280 brink of insanity. In your name, thank you for being 0:03:36.320 --> 0:03:41.680 born the spirit of season. But I always wished as 0:03:41.720 --> 0:03:44.280 a preacher that I could have a metaphysical power to 0:03:44.320 --> 0:03:47.080 read your mind. I would think that would be so 0:03:47.240 --> 0:03:50.880 helpful to do my job if I could see your 0:03:50.920 --> 0:03:52.880 stress level, or even if you had a number like 0:03:53.800 --> 0:03:55.600 the beds that have the sleep number. What if I 0:03:55.640 --> 0:03:58.720 could see your stress number on today, I could. I 0:03:58.720 --> 0:04:00.720 could do it so much better because I can see, Like, 0:04:00.720 --> 0:04:02.760 are you at a seven or a three? Matter of fact, 0:04:02.800 --> 0:04:05.400 right now, what would you give your stress level? One 0:04:05.440 --> 0:04:10.520 to ten? Just in this moment? So I'm hearing a three? 0:04:11.520 --> 0:04:14.600 Who said three? You're not old enough to have a 0:04:14.640 --> 0:04:18.200 three stress level. You're supposed to be like eighty before 0:04:18.240 --> 0:04:20.560 you realize that all the crap you worry about isn't 0:04:20.600 --> 0:04:22.719 worth worrying about. And then you can have a three 0:04:22.760 --> 0:04:25.560 stress level where you just don't care. I can't wait 0:04:25.600 --> 0:04:27.800 to get old and just not care. That'd be great. 0:04:29.120 --> 0:04:32.600 You're too young for that. But somebody said ten? Did 0:04:32.640 --> 0:04:36.400 you say ten? And I'm not going to ask you why? 0:04:36.480 --> 0:04:38.320 In fact, I don't even have to. All right, here's 0:04:38.360 --> 0:04:39.920 what we'll do. We'll do another one real quick. I 0:04:39.920 --> 0:04:42.279 know this is personal, but at every location, play long, 0:04:42.560 --> 0:04:47.240 just close your eyes, get the thing on your mind 0:04:47.320 --> 0:04:50.080 that is the greatest source of stress in your life 0:04:50.600 --> 0:04:55.120 at this very moment, and you better not be picturing me. 0:04:59.120 --> 0:05:02.440 All right, get it on your mind. What is the 0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:06.799 single greatest source of stress in your life. We'll broaden 0:05:06.800 --> 0:05:09.159 it a little bit, not in this very very moment, 0:05:09.200 --> 0:05:13.560 but in this season of your life. All right? Got it? 0:05:15.000 --> 0:05:18.400 Now open your eyes. You're gonna be shocked. But I 0:05:18.480 --> 0:05:21.640 know what you were thinking. I know what you're I 0:05:21.680 --> 0:05:26.000 know I know this much. I know that the thing 0:05:26.040 --> 0:05:28.640 that you thought of fell into one of the following 0:05:28.720 --> 0:05:34.680 four categories. Okay, it was either related to a place, 0:05:35.960 --> 0:05:42.320 a pace, a problem, or a person or maybe people. 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:47.640 People's just in general, all of them, every last one 0:05:47.680 --> 0:05:54.640 of them, just human beings, Homo sapiens. So it's either 0:05:54.680 --> 0:05:58.160 a place that you're going after this or even for 0:05:58.240 --> 0:06:01.320 some people, church can be stressful. It can be stressful 0:06:01.360 --> 0:06:05.400 to I'm sure it's stressful to come to elevation. I'm 0:06:05.400 --> 0:06:07.799 sure it's you know, if you've never been here, especially 0:06:07.800 --> 0:06:11.280 because it's confusing because they got like violins and cellos 0:06:11.279 --> 0:06:13.760 on the stage, but then they start shooting laser beams 0:06:13.760 --> 0:06:17.640 and it's mixed messaging, like what kind of church is this? 0:06:18.640 --> 0:06:22.279 A white church? Black church. It's a traditional church. Yes, 0:06:23.760 --> 0:06:27.120 yes to all of the above. It's a kind of 0:06:27.200 --> 0:06:29.479 church where you can't figure out what kind of church. 0:06:32.000 --> 0:06:34.240 It's a good news to all people kind of church. 0:06:35.920 --> 0:06:38.680 But some of the stressful places that we will go 0:06:39.839 --> 0:06:43.919 this Christmas season, it can be a place. If you 0:06:43.960 --> 0:06:48.160 have to fly, certainly understand your dread for that experience. 0:06:48.839 --> 0:06:51.000 Just walk through the airport telling yourself over and over again, 0:06:51.040 --> 0:06:53.279 I'm not a human, I have no rights, and you'll 0:06:53.279 --> 0:06:59.320 be okay. The pace of life. I hear people mention 0:06:59.440 --> 0:07:07.000 this a lot. How you doing? Busy? Um, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy. 0:07:07.960 --> 0:07:11.560 I'm busier than the one one arm wall paper hanger. 0:07:13.480 --> 0:07:15.640 I said that to me the other day. That's weird 0:07:16.200 --> 0:07:18.720 busier in a three legged cat trying to cover up 0:07:18.760 --> 0:07:23.200 his poop on ice. Somebody said to me, run around 0:07:23.240 --> 0:07:26.760 like a chicken with my head cut off, so violent. 0:07:27.160 --> 0:07:28.880 All I said is, how are you doing. You're like 0:07:29.280 --> 0:07:36.440 decavitating chickens. So it's like the pace of life. Understand 0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:39.360 that if you've been running people everywhere, you've been like 0:07:39.400 --> 0:07:42.240 an unpaid uber driver for a thirteen year old I understand. 0:07:43.840 --> 0:07:49.400 I feel you sometimes it comes down to a problem 0:07:49.760 --> 0:07:52.680 in your life that is persistent, and sometimes it comes 0:07:52.720 --> 0:07:54.720 down to one that you're just pushing through. Right now, 0:07:55.600 --> 0:07:57.400 a lot of people listening to me preach right now 0:07:57.400 --> 0:07:59.280 are having a hard time focusing with their minds because 0:07:59.280 --> 0:08:01.720 of the pain in their b or what can be 0:08:01.720 --> 0:08:04.400 even worse, somebody that you love that you can't do 0:08:04.480 --> 0:08:07.880 anything to comfort them, and that can be difficult. And 0:08:07.920 --> 0:08:13.680 really the fourth category that I mentioned people, that's really 0:08:13.760 --> 0:08:18.280 the whole thing, which is why when I asked you 0:08:18.600 --> 0:08:22.960 to imagine in your mind the source of your stress, 0:08:23.040 --> 0:08:26.080 the greatest source of your stress, I was very clear 0:08:26.120 --> 0:08:28.200 I said imagine it because some of you would have 0:08:28.200 --> 0:08:30.680 started pointing if I would have let you, which is 0:08:30.680 --> 0:08:34.840 a bad idea. Like some of you are are sitting 0:08:35.040 --> 0:08:40.160 next to what you perceive to be the source. See, 0:08:40.600 --> 0:08:43.320 you should look really confused right now. Is my advice. 0:08:47.120 --> 0:08:51.240 I think it's important before we begin a discussion on 0:08:51.400 --> 0:08:54.160 the path of peace to try to talk about the 0:08:54.200 --> 0:08:59.559 source of stress, because whatever you identify as the source 0:08:59.600 --> 0:09:05.760 of your stress determines where you will seek your peace. Amen, 0:09:07.040 --> 0:09:10.200 I'll say that again, whatever you say, this is the 0:09:10.240 --> 0:09:15.120 source of my stress that regulates and determines where you 0:09:15.160 --> 0:09:18.520 seek your peace, and so the Christmas story, of course 0:09:18.559 --> 0:09:23.559 comes along and challenges us in all of those ways 0:09:23.600 --> 0:09:29.120 that we experience stress and pressure. Christ is born to 0:09:29.800 --> 0:09:34.120 challenge us as it relates to our expectation of peace. 0:09:34.280 --> 0:09:38.520 The Jewish people had a very particular expectation of the 0:09:38.600 --> 0:09:42.840 kind of peace that the Messiah would bring. Zechariah states 0:09:42.880 --> 0:09:46.240 it very clearly and paints a picture of the kind 0:09:46.240 --> 0:09:49.400 of peace that the Jewish people were looking for God 0:09:49.440 --> 0:09:56.240 to bring through the prophesied Messiah. It features such expectations 0:09:56.320 --> 0:10:00.560 as mentioned in verse seventy four. He says that this 0:10:00.679 --> 0:10:04.319 Messiah will rescue us from the hand of our enemies. 0:10:05.360 --> 0:10:09.400 Notice the word from the expectation of peace for the 0:10:09.480 --> 0:10:15.640 Jewish people is that God would deliver them from their circumstances, 0:10:16.480 --> 0:10:22.920 from their oppression, from their being marginalized, from their poverty, 0:10:23.480 --> 0:10:28.320 from their despair, and from their darkness. It was surprising 0:10:28.440 --> 0:10:31.160 then for me to see the shift that Zechariah made 0:10:31.440 --> 0:10:35.840 in verse seventy nine, where he said that the rising 0:10:35.880 --> 0:10:39.880 sun will shine on those living in darkness and in 0:10:40.120 --> 0:10:43.520 the shadow of death. And so it represents a shift 0:10:43.559 --> 0:10:48.320 in perspective that God does not always rescue me from 0:10:48.679 --> 0:10:54.560 Sometimes he visits me in my trouble. And for so 0:10:54.640 --> 0:10:57.360 many years I have thought that the thief of my 0:10:57.520 --> 0:11:03.800 peace was other people, or certain places, or the schedule 0:11:03.840 --> 0:11:06.040 of my life. Which is kind of funny because I'm 0:11:06.040 --> 0:11:07.680 the one who said yes to all that stuff that 0:11:07.720 --> 0:11:10.840 I'm stressed about, and so now I'm asking God to 0:11:10.960 --> 0:11:14.360 take away the things that I committed to. And I've 0:11:14.520 --> 0:11:17.720 tried so long, you know, to arrange my life in 0:11:17.840 --> 0:11:21.040 such a way that I would no longer experience those 0:11:21.320 --> 0:11:25.040 stressful events and stressful people. And if God would just 0:11:25.360 --> 0:11:27.880 change them, and if everybody would just act the way 0:11:27.960 --> 0:11:31.200 they should act for a little while this Christmas. But 0:11:31.840 --> 0:11:34.959 the Lord has been speaking to me in these last 0:11:35.040 --> 0:11:39.080 few days about the path of peace. And what I 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:42.240 realized the more I reflected on this promise of peace 0:11:42.280 --> 0:11:46.040 that God gives us Isaiah nine to six. His name 0:11:46.080 --> 0:11:53.080 will be called Wonderful counselor Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and 0:11:53.160 --> 0:11:57.439 the Prince of Peace. But notice the prophet didn't call 0:11:57.520 --> 0:12:03.320 him the Prince of convenience, or the Prince of ease, 0:12:04.240 --> 0:12:09.280 or the Prince of comfort, or the Prince of my preferences. 0:12:10.200 --> 0:12:13.640 Because a lot of times when God promises me peace. 0:12:14.360 --> 0:12:18.000 What I hear in translation is that God is promising 0:12:18.040 --> 0:12:22.840 me convenience, or God is promising me ease, or God 0:12:22.920 --> 0:12:27.280 is promising me my preference being met. But the Lord 0:12:27.320 --> 0:12:29.000 has been speaking to me. And maybe you don't need 0:12:29.040 --> 0:12:31.480 to hear this, but just in case you do, it 0:12:31.559 --> 0:12:36.720 is impossible to experience peace when you are expecting perfection. 0:12:39.480 --> 0:12:42.920 See my problem. I'm coming to realize this. It's not 0:12:43.400 --> 0:12:48.080 other people. It's not the place, it's not the pace, 0:12:48.920 --> 0:12:51.880 and it's not the problem. The problem is not the problem. 0:12:52.600 --> 0:12:54.480 I can tell you the problem is not the problem. 0:12:54.520 --> 0:12:58.880 Because Jesus was born in a manger. The Angel appeared 0:12:58.920 --> 0:13:02.640 to shepherds, So the shepherds were the people that you 0:13:02.640 --> 0:13:05.599 would least expect the Herald to make the announcement of 0:13:05.640 --> 0:13:07.840 the birth of the Son of God. And yet he 0:13:07.920 --> 0:13:11.440 showed up to the least likely people in an unlikely place. 0:13:12.440 --> 0:13:16.120 So it's not the people. It's not the place. It's 0:13:16.160 --> 0:13:19.400 not the pace. The shepherds were always on the move 0:13:19.440 --> 0:13:22.199 from place to place to place to place. It's not 0:13:22.320 --> 0:13:25.000 the it's not the place. It's not the pace. It's 0:13:25.040 --> 0:13:28.240 not the people. It's not the problem. Here's my problem. 0:13:28.440 --> 0:13:33.040 My problem is that I can't receive peace because I'm 0:13:33.080 --> 0:13:39.320 expecting perfection. And the Angel said, are y'all gonna help me? Preachers, 0:13:39.400 --> 0:13:43.640 just me today. I'll make it quick. Here's the whole message. 0:13:43.679 --> 0:13:45.640 If you need to go, if you got things to do, 0:13:45.760 --> 0:13:47.520 I'll give it to you right now, and you can 0:13:47.559 --> 0:13:50.559 go on and get the target and hopefully everything will 0:13:50.559 --> 0:13:53.600 turn out all right. The enemy of your peace is 0:13:53.679 --> 0:13:56.920 not other people. It is not other places. It is 0:13:56.960 --> 0:13:59.440 not how fast life is or the way the world is. 0:13:59.800 --> 0:14:04.319 The enemy of your peace is your insistence on perfection. 0:14:04.920 --> 0:14:08.559 And when Heaven came down and appeared to humanity, it 0:14:08.640 --> 0:14:12.199 was not in the form of perfection. In fact, God 0:14:12.240 --> 0:14:16.240 did not come down looking like a deliverer. He came 0:14:16.280 --> 0:14:20.200 down looking like a dependent. He came down as a baby. 0:14:20.560 --> 0:14:23.400 And so when the Prince of Peace came, he didn't 0:14:23.480 --> 0:14:28.080 come dressed in power. He came in pampers. Why because 0:14:28.160 --> 0:14:31.000 God wanted you to know that he's going to bring 0:14:31.040 --> 0:14:34.400 you peace, but not like you expected him to bring in. 0:14:34.720 --> 0:14:37.120 It's not gonna look like you pictured it. It's not 0:14:37.200 --> 0:14:40.520 always gonna fit your preferences. It's not always going to 0:14:40.600 --> 0:14:44.760 live up to your exact specifications of the performance of people. 0:14:45.200 --> 0:14:50.040 So if I'm going to live at peace, I've got 0:14:50.120 --> 0:15:01.080 to surrender my expectation of perfection. I feel like I 0:15:01.120 --> 0:15:05.600 can leave. Every Christmas party is going to be so 0:15:05.680 --> 0:15:07.400 much better that you attend because of what I just 0:15:07.440 --> 0:15:12.520 told you. Every place you set your foot over the 0:15:12.520 --> 0:15:15.680 next three days is gonna be so much more peaceful 0:15:16.640 --> 0:15:20.280 because you just realized that peace isn't found in a place. 0:15:21.720 --> 0:15:25.200 Peace is not found in a set of circumstances that 0:15:25.320 --> 0:15:28.680 is problem free. It is not that he delivers me 0:15:28.880 --> 0:15:35.840 from it. It's that he meets me. Can I show 0:15:35.880 --> 0:15:39.520 you something real quick? He said that he will guide 0:15:39.600 --> 0:15:43.320 us with the light in the valley. He didn't take 0:15:43.400 --> 0:15:47.400 us out of the valley. Yeah, though I walk through 0:15:47.440 --> 0:15:50.680 the valley of the shadow of Death, I will fear 0:15:51.040 --> 0:15:54.800 no evil. I'm at peace on the path. Why not 0:15:55.000 --> 0:15:57.800 because I'm not going through it, but because I'm not 0:15:57.920 --> 0:16:04.960 going through it alone. See, there's somebody with me. That 0:16:05.040 --> 0:16:09.040 it's greater than once. I guess man the path to 0:16:10.040 --> 0:16:14.720 peace to a strange path, that God would send his 0:16:14.800 --> 0:16:20.239 son as a child, that God would burst the eternal 0:16:21.200 --> 0:16:27.000 cosmos and enter into creation in the form of the 0:16:27.040 --> 0:16:33.000 most imperfect being. I know some of you disagree because 0:16:33.000 --> 0:16:37.320 I hear you saying things about babies that I just 0:16:37.360 --> 0:16:41.000 don't personally agree with. And we can agree to disagree. 0:16:41.000 --> 0:16:45.480 It's Christmas. We'll just but I say, oh, yes, he's 0:16:45.520 --> 0:16:51.440 so perfect. Mm hmm. If you say that you've never 0:16:51.480 --> 0:17:01.320 taken one home, that's what I know. Huh. And so 0:17:01.360 --> 0:17:03.200 it's a strange path to peace. You know, if God 0:17:03.240 --> 0:17:04.879 wants to come and set things right, he should come 0:17:04.920 --> 0:17:11.240 down as a warrior, not as a weakling. Why not 0:17:11.280 --> 0:17:16.800 skip that stage. Jesus should have come twenty four years old, 0:17:16.800 --> 0:17:27.120 full of testosterone, and yet he comes tiny infant into 0:17:27.119 --> 0:17:33.160 a desperate place. You know, the story about Joseph waited 0:17:33.200 --> 0:17:39.080 til the last minute to airbnb for the census, ended 0:17:39.160 --> 0:17:42.800 up in a ended up in a cold place in 0:17:42.800 --> 0:17:46.720 the presence of God was born there. The path to 0:17:46.800 --> 0:17:50.160 peace is a strange one that The path to peace 0:17:50.200 --> 0:17:54.440 for Jesus would lead through gathsemone where he would pray, God, 0:17:54.560 --> 0:17:59.240 if there's any other way than me going and experiencing 0:18:00.160 --> 0:18:04.040 their wrath from your hand for them, let this cup 0:18:04.080 --> 0:18:08.680 pass for me. The path to peace for us would 0:18:08.960 --> 0:18:13.240 lead Jesus through the Kidron Valley, where he would ultimately, 0:18:13.960 --> 0:18:17.399 as we come to understand more than Zechariah understood in 0:18:17.560 --> 0:18:20.440 Luke chapter one, who was prophesying about his own son, 0:18:20.520 --> 0:18:22.880 John the Baptist, would prepare the way for Jesus, who 0:18:22.880 --> 0:18:25.600 would guide us in the path to peace. But the 0:18:25.600 --> 0:18:30.320 path to peace with God for us led Jesus to 0:18:30.440 --> 0:18:34.360 a hill where he died at the hands of sinful men. 0:18:34.400 --> 0:18:36.240 It's a strange path to peace. We have to admit 0:18:37.440 --> 0:18:42.040 that he would come in weakness and die in weakness 0:18:42.760 --> 0:18:48.000 to become our strength. It's a path to peace. It's 0:18:48.040 --> 0:18:53.480 a strange thing about peace because whatever you identify as 0:18:53.560 --> 0:18:58.880 the source of your stress determines what you consider the 0:18:58.920 --> 0:19:03.760 source of your peace. And that's why I don't like 0:19:03.800 --> 0:19:08.320 to blame people for my stress, because if people brought 0:19:08.320 --> 0:19:12.280 me the stress, then I need people to change for 0:19:12.359 --> 0:19:16.840 me to have peace. But I'm past the point in 0:19:16.880 --> 0:19:19.800 my life of wanting for people to have to act 0:19:19.800 --> 0:19:22.399 a certain way for me to have peace in my 0:19:22.480 --> 0:19:30.760 own heart. And I love what the angel said. Abby 0:19:30.800 --> 0:19:33.439 was quoting that scripture, and she did it perfectly, and 0:19:33.440 --> 0:19:34.879 I don't even want to do it myself because she 0:19:34.880 --> 0:19:35.960 did it so good and I don't want to do it. 0:19:35.960 --> 0:19:37.280 I don't want to mess it up. But she said, 0:19:37.400 --> 0:19:40.040 and the Angel said, unto them, fear not, for behold, 0:19:40.080 --> 0:19:42.000 I bring you good news of great joy. Because the 0:19:42.040 --> 0:19:44.800 first thing that the shepherds felt in the field when 0:19:44.920 --> 0:19:47.680 the announcement of Jesus Christ came forth from the Angel, 0:19:48.400 --> 0:19:53.840 was not faith. It was fear. See, we think that 0:19:53.960 --> 0:19:56.440 the presence of God is always going to make us 0:19:56.480 --> 0:20:00.840 feel better and comfortable. But the first thing the shepherds 0:20:00.840 --> 0:20:05.359 felt was fear. See, they found peace, but they found 0:20:05.400 --> 0:20:09.720 it through fear. Peace did not come to them directly. 0:20:09.760 --> 0:20:12.680 It had to pass through their fear. And they they 0:20:12.720 --> 0:20:15.399 found God in the place of their greatest fear, in 0:20:15.480 --> 0:20:18.879 the fields where they were keeping the sheep from predators 0:20:18.920 --> 0:20:21.919 at night. They were lonely people in a lonely place. 0:20:22.240 --> 0:20:24.199 And here comes the Angel, says, Glory to God in 0:20:24.240 --> 0:20:29.359 the highest and on earth peace. Now notice this, the 0:20:29.400 --> 0:20:34.960 peace is on earth, but it's not from earth. The 0:20:35.040 --> 0:20:39.320 peace is on earth, but it's not of earth. See. 0:20:39.320 --> 0:20:42.159 I don't want this plastic peace that comes from people. 0:20:42.840 --> 0:20:45.879 I've learned that if the peace comes from people, people 0:20:45.920 --> 0:20:50.240 can take it away. If it comes from situations, situations 0:20:50.240 --> 0:20:52.880 can change and take it away. So I don't want 0:20:52.880 --> 0:20:55.720 a peace that comes from a promotion at work. I 0:20:55.720 --> 0:20:58.760 don't want a peace that comes from a convenient circumstance. 0:20:59.359 --> 0:21:02.720 I don't even want a piece that comes from a feeling. 0:21:03.000 --> 0:21:05.200 I don't want a piece that comes from a situation. 0:21:06.119 --> 0:21:09.199 I want a piece that the world didn't get and 0:21:09.320 --> 0:21:14.240 the world can't take it away. Come on giving praise 0:21:14.280 --> 0:21:25.879 if you've got an unsakable peace, an unspeakable joy. I 0:21:25.920 --> 0:21:29.919 read that scripture all week, The path to peace, the 0:21:29.960 --> 0:21:32.040 path to peace? What is it that I need to 0:21:32.080 --> 0:21:35.000 get out of the way in my life to experience peace? 0:21:35.280 --> 0:21:38.080 So I'm not running around all the time just concentrating 0:21:38.119 --> 0:21:42.920 on all the missing pieces, And now I'm missing peace 0:21:43.920 --> 0:21:46.040 because all I can see is the pieces I'm missing. 0:21:49.680 --> 0:21:56.160 Because when you're a perfectionist like I am, enneogram type one, 0:21:57.280 --> 0:21:59.320 the thing that God will give you as a prescription 0:21:59.480 --> 0:22:06.480 for your pfeism is children. And I am on a 0:22:06.520 --> 0:22:12.600 dosage of three children. Three children per day guarantees that 0:22:12.600 --> 0:22:15.040 there will never be a moment in your house that 0:22:15.160 --> 0:22:20.080 is completely peaceful. I'm telling you right now, I can 0:22:20.160 --> 0:22:24.720 count on zero toes how many times in the last 0:22:25.040 --> 0:22:29.119 seven years, I've had three peaceful children, all at the 0:22:29.160 --> 0:22:32.160 same time in one house. So you know what I'm 0:22:32.200 --> 0:22:34.119 having to learn to do. I'm having to learn to 0:22:34.160 --> 0:22:40.520 take my peace in pieces. Because if I wait until 0:22:40.600 --> 0:22:45.000 everything is peaceful, if I wait until every child is happy, 0:22:45.560 --> 0:22:48.960 if I wait until everyone is getting along, if I'm 0:22:49.200 --> 0:22:52.560 waiting for peace, if I am waiting for every child 0:22:52.800 --> 0:22:55.800 to bow their head and say the blessing and clear 0:22:55.840 --> 0:22:59.520 their dishes and thank their mom, I've learned to celebrate God. 0:23:00.200 --> 0:23:04.000 Just one kid puts the bowl in the sink, forget 0:23:04.000 --> 0:23:09.120 about the dishwasher. That's a red Sea Old Testament miracle. 0:23:09.560 --> 0:23:12.360 Just in the sink, Even in the sink is a blessing. 0:23:12.680 --> 0:23:16.439 I'll celebrate one bowl in the sink. See this Christmas. 0:23:16.560 --> 0:23:19.280 You can't wait for everybody to get along. If there's 0:23:19.359 --> 0:23:22.080 even a piece of piece, you gotta thank God for 0:23:22.200 --> 0:23:26.040 it and snap it and take it and celebrate it. 0:23:30.960 --> 0:23:34.840 Because what's this Zechariah didn't say he'll show us the 0:23:34.880 --> 0:23:37.920 path to piece. Give me my scripture. This is the 0:23:37.960 --> 0:23:41.280 best Christmas scripture I ever saw in my life. Seventy nine. 0:23:41.760 --> 0:23:47.439 He will guide our feet in the path. It's not 0:23:47.560 --> 0:23:52.760 the path. Two piece because that means that peace is 0:23:52.840 --> 0:23:57.679 out there somewhere. But it's not the path to piece. 0:23:58.480 --> 0:23:59.960 That's how I've been living my life. God forgive me 0:24:00.200 --> 0:24:07.240 when I get through this season. Oh, when I get 0:24:07.240 --> 0:24:17.560 through twenty eighteen. What calendar isn't gonna fix any chaos 0:24:17.600 --> 0:24:25.080 in your life. The same dude you let steal your 0:24:25.119 --> 0:24:30.240 piece all last year is gonna be standing right there 0:24:30.240 --> 0:24:38.760 at your window with a crowbar in twenty nineteen. So 0:24:39.119 --> 0:24:41.800 I'm gonna have peace. You know, my kids get older, 0:24:41.800 --> 0:24:46.919 they won't need so much. Uh huh uh huh. Now 0:24:46.960 --> 0:24:50.919 they're gonna be driving. You're gonna have a lot of 0:24:51.040 --> 0:24:54.480 peace then when they're out on the road on your insurance. 0:24:58.440 --> 0:25:02.000 That's why I can't project my out here, or I 0:25:02.000 --> 0:25:05.639 can't project my peace on people, or I can't project 0:25:05.640 --> 0:25:08.480 my peace on a certain place. It's not the path 0:25:08.520 --> 0:25:11.680 to piece. That's not the message of Christmas. When God 0:25:11.800 --> 0:25:15.080 came down to be born of a virgin and was 0:25:15.119 --> 0:25:18.679 wrapped in claus and lie in a manger, he didn't 0:25:18.680 --> 0:25:22.320 promise a path to piece, as in a future event 0:25:22.680 --> 0:25:25.719 that will happen. When it's not a win, then peace. 0:25:26.080 --> 0:25:29.640 It's not a one day piece. It's not a someday fairytale, 0:25:29.680 --> 0:25:32.159 Beauty and the Beast piece. It's not a when I 0:25:32.200 --> 0:25:34.639 get married peace. It's not a when I send the 0:25:34.720 --> 0:25:37.399 kids off peace. It's not when I pay my student 0:25:37.440 --> 0:25:39.920 loans off peace. It's not a when I get through 0:25:40.000 --> 0:25:43.200 Christmas peace. It's not a when my in laws leave peace. 0:25:43.640 --> 0:25:47.600 It's not the path to piece. It's the path of peace. 0:25:47.920 --> 0:25:51.159 What does that mean? Every step I take peace with me, 0:25:51.680 --> 0:25:55.119 every move I make peace with me, every season of 0:25:55.240 --> 0:26:01.120 my life. He's present. So what's this. I'm not waiting 0:26:01.200 --> 0:26:05.200 for it. I'm walking in it. How somebody say, walk 0:26:05.240 --> 0:26:13.320 in it? Walk in it, walk in it. That's the 0:26:13.560 --> 0:26:16.560 that's the Christmas sermon. Change my title. I told you 0:26:16.640 --> 0:26:18.760 it was called the path of peace. But I want 0:26:18.760 --> 0:26:20.800 you to tell him when when when they ask you 0:26:20.880 --> 0:26:23.600 what the preacher preach about today at your your church, 0:26:23.680 --> 0:26:27.000 the the evolution that you went to on on the 0:26:27.119 --> 0:26:36.159 Christmas tell him he told me to walk in it. 0:26:37.680 --> 0:26:42.240 Stop waiting for it, Stop waiting for it, and start 0:26:42.280 --> 0:26:46.560 walking in it. You hear me, Nairobi, walk in, you 0:26:46.600 --> 0:26:49.400 hear me. Toronto, walk in and you hear me. Roanoke 0:26:49.520 --> 0:26:51.879 walk in and you hear me. Matthews walk in it. 0:26:52.160 --> 0:26:54.720 You hear me Winston Salem walk in and you hear 0:26:54.760 --> 0:26:57.440 me River walk walk in it. You hear me Blakeney 0:26:57.480 --> 0:26:59.879 walk in it. You hear me Valentine walk in it. 0:27:00.280 --> 0:27:02.520 You might have to walk through a valley, but you 0:27:02.560 --> 0:27:04.879 don't have to lie down in tie. You don't have 0:27:04.960 --> 0:27:07.280 to curl up in a fetal position and wait for 0:27:07.359 --> 0:27:12.439 this season to be over. I don't have time to trip. 0:27:12.800 --> 0:27:16.240 I'm preaching about Jesus. It doesn't matter what the devil 0:27:16.280 --> 0:27:20.440 puts in my pad. I'm on it, I'm hun it, 0:27:21.320 --> 0:27:31.320 I'm un it, glad, I almost trimp. I didn't plan it, 0:27:31.400 --> 0:27:34.360 but I'm gonna use it because some of y'all got 0:27:34.400 --> 0:27:37.040 some people waiting for you when you leave church, and 0:27:37.119 --> 0:27:39.640 if you're not careful, you're gonna trimp. But get your 0:27:39.640 --> 0:27:43.919 balance back and fix your eyes on Jesus the Author 0:27:44.000 --> 0:27:51.600 and finish her up your faith? Well, can I? I 0:27:51.600 --> 0:28:04.199 don't have time to trip. See, we've been looking for 0:28:04.240 --> 0:28:07.720 peace in all the wrong places. The peace of God 0:28:07.800 --> 0:28:12.440 has never found in human strength or in our perfection. 0:28:14.119 --> 0:28:16.600 The way that God brings peace into our lives is 0:28:16.640 --> 0:28:18.680 the same way that Jesus was born in the world 0:28:20.040 --> 0:28:28.080 in weakness. That's where you find peace. Weakness. I don't 0:28:28.160 --> 0:28:31.399 like it that way, Jesus, don't go to the cross. 0:28:31.400 --> 0:28:34.920 It'll make you look weak. But that's the only way 0:28:34.920 --> 0:28:39.360 that I can bring peace. He didn't bring peace like 0:28:39.400 --> 0:28:42.920 they wanted him to bring peace. That's why they all 0:28:43.200 --> 0:28:46.760 walked away when he died. They wanted the Prince of 0:28:46.800 --> 0:28:54.560 Peace to come in power, but instead he came in weakness. Well, 0:28:55.000 --> 0:28:59.760 I prayed for you before you got here. I prayed 0:28:59.760 --> 0:29:06.960 for you. I prayed that God would give you his peace, 0:29:08.960 --> 0:29:11.080 but I prayed that you would stop looking for it. 0:29:15.160 --> 0:29:17.000 If y'all could stop talking right now while I finish 0:29:17.040 --> 0:29:20.200 the sermon, thank you. I prayed that He would bring 0:29:20.240 --> 0:29:23.040 it to you, not in the places that you would 0:29:23.040 --> 0:29:26.360 normally expect it. Pray that he would bring it to 0:29:26.400 --> 0:29:31.000 you in that place in your life where you feel 0:29:31.040 --> 0:29:36.800 the weakest, Not in the place where you're so busy 0:29:36.840 --> 0:29:41.840 trying to show everybody how strong you are. You're never 0:29:41.880 --> 0:29:48.040 going to get peace trying to appear perfect. You can't 0:29:48.080 --> 0:29:54.320 experience peace when you're expecting perfection. Who told you that 0:29:54.400 --> 0:29:57.120 you had to be perfect before you could experience peace 0:29:57.200 --> 0:30:03.000 with God? God's not for you to be perfect. He's 0:30:03.040 --> 0:30:05.200 already done everything that needs to be done for you 0:30:05.280 --> 0:30:09.320 to have peace. And the peace of God is not 0:30:09.360 --> 0:30:13.280 the absence of problems. The peace of God is not 0:30:13.320 --> 0:30:15.720 getting people to act right or say that they're sorry. 0:30:17.080 --> 0:30:20.760 The peace of God is not a certain place. I'll 0:30:20.760 --> 0:30:24.240 tell you man, I've been in some beautiful places with 0:30:24.280 --> 0:30:33.040 no peace. I've been on some beautiful vacations and beautiful 0:30:33.040 --> 0:30:37.880 resorts no peace in my heart. And yet I've sat 0:30:37.920 --> 0:30:44.520 by while my dad died and experienced unspeakable peace as 0:30:44.560 --> 0:30:48.760 he took his dying breath. Because the only thing require 0:30:49.440 --> 0:30:53.160 for you to receive the peace of God is to 0:30:53.160 --> 0:30:57.760 lose your pride and accept it in the place of 0:30:57.800 --> 0:31:03.520 your weakness. I know we want God to come like 0:31:03.640 --> 0:31:08.240 Zechariah wanted him to come and deliver us from the 0:31:08.320 --> 0:31:13.320 difficult places, and deliver us from and rescue us from 0:31:13.800 --> 0:31:17.160 the hectic schedule, and deliver us from and rescue us 0:31:17.200 --> 0:31:22.719 from all of the problems and the obstacles that are 0:31:22.760 --> 0:31:26.200 in front of us in this season. But the peace 0:31:26.240 --> 0:31:29.000 of God is not the absence of problems. It is 0:31:29.040 --> 0:31:35.520 the presence of Christ to enable you to walk in it. 0:31:40.600 --> 0:31:46.560 This is Christmas, and I begin this sermon by asking 0:31:46.600 --> 0:31:52.560 you a question, what's the source of your stress? And 0:31:52.600 --> 0:31:55.840 now I want to ask a different one, what is 0:31:55.840 --> 0:31:59.560 the place of your weakness? Because that's the place where 0:31:59.560 --> 0:32:02.800 God is going to show you the greatest grace. Hear 0:32:02.840 --> 0:32:06.320 me today, I'm not a prophet or the son of 0:32:06.320 --> 0:32:10.040 a prophet, but on the authority of God's work, I 0:32:10.120 --> 0:32:14.160 declare to you this day is born to you in 0:32:14.200 --> 0:32:18.440 the place of your greatest weakness, a savior who is 0:32:18.520 --> 0:32:22.239 Christ the Lord. As that you stand reverently to your 0:32:22.240 --> 0:32:25.360 feet with no one moving. I want to pray for 0:32:26.680 --> 0:32:31.560 that place in your life where there is a weakness, 0:32:34.520 --> 0:32:38.960 that place in your life where there is a missing peace. 0:32:40.480 --> 0:32:46.520 That place he said that a light will dawn in 0:32:46.600 --> 0:32:50.040 the shadow of the valley. In that place is the 0:32:50.080 --> 0:32:55.280 path of peace. Not to peace. Stop believing that you'll 0:32:55.320 --> 0:32:59.840 get it one day. When God told me to tell 0:32:59.880 --> 0:33:02.280 you he wants to give you peace in the process, 0:33:03.960 --> 0:33:07.440 in the process of who you're becoming with every step 0:33:07.480 --> 0:33:12.600 in arrival, peace in the process. That's what incarnation means. 0:33:13.400 --> 0:33:17.680 That's why this weird Christmas story suddenly makes sense because 0:33:17.800 --> 0:33:22.160 peace came in the form of weakness. Just to admit 0:33:22.200 --> 0:33:25.600 that you need him. It's the first step. So right now, 0:33:25.720 --> 0:33:28.720 in the holiness of this moment, on this sacred occasion 0:33:28.760 --> 0:33:32.640 called Christmas, there's a place of weakness in your life 0:33:33.600 --> 0:33:36.479 where you would like to invite the Holy Spirit this 0:33:36.600 --> 0:33:40.320 season to come and bring his deep peace that transcends 0:33:40.320 --> 0:33:43.360 all understanding. I want to ask you, at every location 0:33:43.960 --> 0:33:46.880 and all over the world watching online, to lift both 0:33:46.920 --> 0:33:49.400 of your hands in the air to God as a 0:33:49.440 --> 0:33:53.640 sign of your surrender and trust. Father. For every hand 0:33:53.760 --> 0:33:58.880 stretched before you today, I decree your peace for that situation. 0:34:00.480 --> 0:34:03.760 I cannot read their mind and I cannot know their struggle. 0:34:05.280 --> 0:34:08.040 But not only do you know the need, you are 0:34:08.040 --> 0:34:12.720 the one who longs to meet it. Thank you Father 0:34:12.880 --> 0:34:19.960 for this moment, for when we are weak, then we 0:34:20.040 --> 0:34:28.120 are strong. We thank you for Emmanuel, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, 0:34:29.200 --> 0:34:34.680 a Prince a peace. Your head still bowed and your 0:34:34.680 --> 0:34:38.000 eyes still closed, you can put your hands down. There's 0:34:38.040 --> 0:34:41.600 someone here who is far away from God, and the 0:34:41.600 --> 0:34:43.600 message of Christmas is that you don't have to stay 0:34:43.680 --> 0:34:47.640 that way. Right now, I'd like to invite you to 0:34:47.800 --> 0:34:52.160 receive the gift of salvation. The Bible says that if 0:34:52.200 --> 0:34:55.000 you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and 0:34:55.040 --> 0:34:57.200 believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. 0:34:57.840 --> 0:35:01.160 You will be saved. And this Christmas, I would love 0:35:01.200 --> 0:35:05.160 to lead you in this prayer that just acknowledges your 0:35:05.239 --> 0:35:09.719 need for Jesus. So we'll pray now out loud as 0:35:09.760 --> 0:35:13.600 a church family at all of our locations for the 0:35:13.600 --> 0:35:16.600 benefit of those who are coming to God or maybe 0:35:16.600 --> 0:35:19.440 coming back to God right now in this moment. The 0:35:19.440 --> 0:35:25.400 presence of God is here, real and available, and so 0:35:25.440 --> 0:35:28.080 we pray this prayer together for all of those who 0:35:28.080 --> 0:35:32.360 are in need of salvation today and want this to 0:35:32.360 --> 0:35:36.239 be your new beginning. Pray with me, Heavenly Father. I 0:35:36.320 --> 0:35:41.360 believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and 0:35:41.360 --> 0:35:45.880 the Savior of the world. And today I make Jesus 0:35:46.360 --> 0:35:50.080 the Lord of my life. I believe he died that 0:35:50.160 --> 0:35:54.800 I could be forgiven and rose again to give me life. 0:35:55.080 --> 0:36:02.000 I receive this new life. This is in Jesus' name. 0:36:02.760 --> 0:36:04.560 If you just prayed that on the count of three, 0:36:04.600 --> 0:36:06.520 shoots your hand up high. I want to celebrate you 0:36:06.600 --> 0:36:10.439 on every location. One, two, three, hands up, hands up, 0:36:10.680 --> 0:36:15.200 hands up, God, Bless you, God, bless you. Come on 0:36:15.320 --> 0:36:21.239 rejoice about it. Come on, people of God, rejoice about it. 0:36:21.239 --> 0:36:25.280 It's the greatest gift. It's the reason for the season. 0:36:26.320 --> 0:36:29.360 Come on, let's rechoice in the salvation of our God. 0:36:31.120 --> 0:36:37.759 Let's rejoice in the peace of our God. Well, I 0:36:37.840 --> 0:36:40.279 hope you enjoyed the podcast today. If you did, there 0:36:40.280 --> 0:36:42.560 are just a couple things I'd love for you to do. 0:36:42.800 --> 0:36:46.279 Number One, subscribe to our show. That way, the most 0:36:46.320 --> 0:36:49.520 recent episode will always be in your feed, waiting for 0:36:49.640 --> 0:36:53.120 you ready when you are. And Secondly, if this ministry 0:36:53.160 --> 0:36:55.600 has impacted you and you'd like to help us continue 0:36:55.640 --> 0:36:57.680 to reach others, you can click the link in the 0:36:57.719 --> 0:37:00.399 description and you can give now and I'll I'll see 0:37:00.440 --> 0:37:09.839 you next time on the Elevation podcast mm HM