1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,800 So how can we have peace? 2 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:08,240 Maybe for you the lack of peace is related to a loss. 3 00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:12,040 I have a friend in the room, I won't point them out. 4 00:00:12,040 --> 00:00:20,880 But this will be the first Christmas that he has without his brother. 5 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:23,360 And we say, Jesus is the prince of peace. 6 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:24,360 Isn't that nice? 7 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:33,080 And this thing to say, yet inside our hearts has sorrow, pain. 8 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:37,480 So where do we get this idea of prince of peace? 9 00:00:37,480 --> 00:00:43,640 The answer to that question is in the Bible. 10 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:48,600 Specifically the Gospel of Luke that we've been studying since this time two years ago, 11 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:54,120 eighty-five sermons in as we finish out the Gospel of Luke next week. 12 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:58,560 And we've noticed that in the Gospel of Luke, one of the main themes of this entire book 13 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:06,560 of the Bible is that Jesus Christ is not only the Son of God, he's the Son of man. 14 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:09,800 His humanity is emphasized. 15 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,880 He is not just the deity that created us. 16 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:18,480 He is the deity who became a man who lived among us. 17 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:23,360 And if you go all the way back to the beginning of his story in Luke chapter two, there are 18 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:25,800 a bunch of shepherds that are in the field. 19 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:32,440 And these angels show up and they announce the coming of Jesus with these words, peace 20 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:35,840 on earth, goodwill toward men. 21 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:37,720 Don't be afraid. 22 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:40,880 The prince of peace has arrived. 23 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:46,640 And you think to yourself at the beginning, how has Jesus coming brought peace to mankind? 24 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:56,120 Then the story loops all the way to Luke chapter twenty-four when Jesus Christ has been buried 25 00:01:56,120 --> 00:02:01,680 and he rose from the grave and he enters into a room where all of his disciples are hiding 26 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:02,920 and cowering. 27 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:09,120 And the very first thing he says to them is, don't be afraid. 28 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:13,320 Peace to you. 29 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:15,600 The story loops. 30 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:17,600 It mirrors. 31 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:21,320 It begins with peace, the incarnation of Jesus Christ. 32 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:22,560 Peace. 33 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:27,040 It ends when Jesus comes back into the flesh and he says peace. 34 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:31,680 And then we have to look at the Word. 35 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:35,320 Look at what the Bible says in Luke chapter twenty-four verse thirty-three. 36 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:37,000 I'll tell the story. 37 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:41,000 We'll talk about Jesus as the prince of peace and we're going to see how it applies to your 38 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:42,080 life today. 39 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:46,920 If you're new to church today, one of the things our church likes to do is study the Bible 40 00:02:46,920 --> 00:02:50,720 deeply and then apply it to our lives personally. 41 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:56,920 Find out what it actually says and then see how it can help us today or this week. 42 00:02:56,920 --> 00:03:00,880 And if you're ready for the study of the Bible, give me an amen. 43 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:01,880 Amen. 44 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:03,600 Luke twenty-four verse thirty-three. 45 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:06,280 It picks up right in the story left off last week. 46 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:09,560 So they arose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. 47 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:10,920 Who is the they? 48 00:03:10,920 --> 00:03:13,040 I mean it's right in the middle of the story. 49 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:14,040 Who is the they? 50 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:18,200 Don't you wish sometimes sermons had recaps at the beginning of the episode, right? 51 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:20,240 Like what were we talking about last week? 52 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:26,760 And the answer to that is there were two disciples of Jesus who had left this group of disciples 53 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:32,680 in Jerusalem and they had walked on a road to Emmaus, the town that they were from. 54 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:37,520 And as they walked on this road, they did not know that Jesus had risen from the grave. 55 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:41,560 And so they're walking on this road and all of a sudden as they walk on this road, Jesus 56 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:46,600 appears to them and tells them all that had happened about the death and the burial and 57 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:47,720 the resurrection. 58 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:52,760 And they awaken to the reality that Jesus is alive, but they had walked all the way back 59 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:54,120 home. 60 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:56,920 It was Sunday. 61 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:58,720 Sunday is when Jesus rose from the grave. 62 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:02,160 Let me ask you, what day did Jesus rise from the grave? 63 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:03,720 You tell me what day? 64 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:04,720 Sunday. 65 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:08,000 Sunday afternoon, they got up and they left. 66 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,120 They did not know Jesus had risen from the grave. 67 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:14,720 They walked seven miles all the way to Emmaus. 68 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:21,680 How long did it take them to walk those seven miles? 69 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:22,680 I don't know. 70 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:25,760 Depends how old they were, I guess, right? 71 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:27,160 Maybe it took them a few hours. 72 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:28,440 Maybe it took them three or four. 73 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:29,920 Maybe they took a slow route. 74 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:33,480 Maybe they stopped at a gas station along the way and got some snacks. 75 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:35,920 I don't know. 76 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:38,080 But they probably arrive around dinner time. 77 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,920 We know this because the story last week tells us they sat down with Jesus, they broke bread, 78 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,680 they had dinner, the sun was going down, they said, do you want to stay with us? 79 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:46,800 And then Jesus vanishes. 80 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:51,160 And as soon as Jesus vanishes, the Bible says that they realized that was Jesus. 81 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:55,280 He rose from the grave and then it says, look what it says next, it says, and they rose 82 00:04:55,280 --> 00:04:56,920 up that very hour. 83 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:01,880 Now it's probably late at night, like eight o'clock, nine o'clock. 84 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:02,880 You say, well, how late was it? 85 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:03,880 I don't know. 86 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:10,120 Again, it depends on how old they were. 87 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:11,120 How many of you are like me? 88 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:13,800 I'm 43, 42. 89 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:14,960 I'm 43. 90 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:18,000 How many of you are so old you don't remember how old you are? 91 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:19,720 I'm 43 now. 92 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:24,200 And it used to be late at night, used to be midnight, one o'clock, you know what I mean? 93 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:26,920 You're up watching Netflix late and you're like, oh my word, it's one o'clock, let's go 94 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:27,920 to sleep. 95 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:29,280 And how many of you have gotten old enough now? 96 00:05:29,280 --> 00:05:30,520 You're like, it's eight thirty. 97 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:33,320 What am I doing outside of my bed? 98 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:35,040 I should be in bed right now. 99 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:36,040 Why am I not in bed? 100 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,920 So I don't know, it's eight o'clock, nine o'clock at night, and all of a sudden they're 101 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:43,040 like, that was Jesus, we got to go tell the disciples. 102 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:45,480 So look at what they do, look what they do. 103 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,200 They returned to Jerusalem. 104 00:05:48,200 --> 00:05:51,040 Another two hours, maybe two and a half hours all the way back. 105 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:53,960 Now it's midnight, one o'clock in the morning. 106 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:58,000 They show up in Jerusalem in the upper room that they had rented a week before for the 107 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:02,960 last Passover with Jesus and they knock on the door and inside the eleven apostles are 108 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:07,680 there but not just the eleven apostles, the group of seventy disciples we learn more about 109 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:09,440 in the book of Acts. 110 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:13,520 And they wake them up and they say, guess what, we have news for you. 111 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:17,960 And they come back with the exact same phrase, we have news for you. 112 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:21,480 Look at what the group of people inside the room said, verse thirty-four. 113 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:26,080 The Lord is risen indeed and appeared to Simon. 114 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:27,600 So both of them are standing there. 115 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,400 They're like, hey guess what, we just found out and they're like, no, no, no, we have 116 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:31,880 news, you tell us first. 117 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:33,040 No, you tell us first. 118 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:36,440 And they both almost say it at the same time, Jesus rose from the grave. 119 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:38,480 Now it goes on. 120 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:42,560 And they told about the things that had happened to them on the road and how Jesus was made 121 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,480 known unto them in the breaking of the bread. 122 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:49,120 And they're just celebrating that Jesus is alive. 123 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:58,560 It's almost as if things could get no better when suddenly Jesus himself appears in the 124 00:06:58,560 --> 00:06:59,560 room. 125 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:01,880 Look, verse number thirty-six. 126 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:09,360 And as they said these things, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them. 127 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:10,360 Notice what it doesn't say. 128 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:15,800 It doesn't say, and Jesus walked in the room. 129 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:20,920 It doesn't say, and Jesus knocked on the door and came in and said, hey fellas, it says 130 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:22,720 He appeared in the midst of them. 131 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:28,960 In fact, the book of John tells us the same story, but it says the door was shut. 132 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:33,080 So Jesus like materialized in the group of seventy people. 133 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:36,680 Have you ever been in a small room with seventy people? 134 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:38,080 Can you imagine how it went? 135 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:40,680 Maybe Peter's like, so you saw them, what happened? 136 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:45,400 And you saw them, and you saw them, and then he points to Jesus and Jesus is like, I am 137 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:48,080 him, you know? 138 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:50,560 And everybody's just shocked, in fact they're so afraid. 139 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:51,720 Look at what it says. 140 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:58,080 It says that Jesus said to them, notice what he says to them, do you see it? 141 00:07:58,080 --> 00:07:59,080 Peace. 142 00:07:59,080 --> 00:08:03,120 It's you. 143 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:09,160 The Hebrew word for peace is shalom. 144 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:12,840 Say it with me, shalom. 145 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:17,480 Shalom does mean peace, but it means more than lack of conflict. 146 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:20,480 It means completeness. 147 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:26,840 It means wholeness. 148 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:30,520 Jesus is not simply saying, I want you to have no conflict. 149 00:08:30,520 --> 00:08:36,440 He's saying, I want you to be okay. 150 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:44,920 He shows up in the midst of their terror and says, I want you to have peace. 151 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:50,160 In the same way that the angels showed up in the middle of the field and said to the 152 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:54,360 shepherds, no, no, no, don't be afraid. 153 00:08:54,360 --> 00:09:00,560 Peace on earth, shalom. 154 00:09:00,560 --> 00:09:04,640 The story continues. 155 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:07,720 But they were terrified and frightened and supposed that they had seen a spirit. 156 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:11,040 They thought he was a ghost. 157 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:13,240 And he said to them, why are you troubled? 158 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:16,840 And why are doubts arising in your hearts? 159 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:21,360 Can I just stop and say this to everybody in the room? 160 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:28,680 Jesus knows when doubts arise in your heart, and he's not angry. 161 00:09:28,680 --> 00:09:33,600 He gets it. 162 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:38,800 I love that it doesn't say, and doubts arose in their hearts, and Jesus said, you terrible 163 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:39,800 people. 164 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:40,800 He doesn't. 165 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:42,920 He says, why do you doubt? 166 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:44,720 Let me ask you this question in the room. 167 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:47,240 How many of you are disciples of Jesus? 168 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:49,280 You're not perfect, but you believe in Jesus. 169 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:50,840 You're trying to follow his way. 170 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:52,000 You've asked him to save you. 171 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:53,280 How many of you would say I'm a disciple of Jesus? 172 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:54,560 I know some of you are not yet. 173 00:09:54,560 --> 00:09:55,560 We're glad you're here. 174 00:09:55,560 --> 00:09:56,560 You're still seeking. 175 00:09:56,560 --> 00:09:57,560 That's awesome. 176 00:09:57,560 --> 00:09:58,880 But how many of you are a disciple of Jesus? 177 00:09:58,880 --> 00:09:59,880 You believe in Jesus? 178 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:00,880 Raise your hand. 179 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:01,880 How many of you like that? 180 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:02,880 Very good. 181 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:04,600 You believe in the disciples of Jesus. 182 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:08,360 Sometimes you have doubts. 183 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:12,280 Me too. 184 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:18,160 A lot of times as a pastor, I'll sit over a cup of coffee with new believers, and I'll 185 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:20,480 talk with them even after they get saved. 186 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:22,160 And they'll say, pastor, I've got to tell you something. 187 00:10:22,160 --> 00:10:23,160 And I'll say, go ahead. 188 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:32,240 They'll say, pastor, I believe in Jesus, and I'm a Christian, but sometimes they'll 189 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:34,640 lean in and I'll lean in. 190 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:39,200 Say, sometimes I have doubts. 191 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:43,440 And I look at them and I say, get out of this coffee shop and never come into our church 192 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:44,440 again. 193 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:48,720 Now, instead, I look at them and say, you know what? 194 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:50,720 I said, why? 195 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:54,720 I said, why? 196 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:59,440 Now, my doubts have changed over the years. 197 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:03,120 When I was a new Christian, I used to doubt things like, maybe there's not a God. 198 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:08,240 God has proven himself too much to me to believe there's not a God. 199 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:12,360 And then my doubts became, well, maybe there are other ways to God other than Jesus, but 200 00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:15,280 my faith in the Scripture has blossomed so much. 201 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:17,320 I know that Jesus is the way. 202 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:20,520 So my doubts have changed, but I still sometimes doubt. 203 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:24,240 I don't doubt God, and I don't doubt Jesus is the way. 204 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:31,360 Sometimes I just doubt that God kind of knows what he's doing. 205 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:32,360 Like not in general. 206 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:33,360 Don't be offended by that. 207 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:35,720 Like it's not that I don't believe God knows what he's doing with everybody else. 208 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:37,840 I know God knows what he's doing with everybody else. 209 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:42,960 I just think sometimes he doesn't know what he's doing with me. 210 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:44,560 Like I got to correct him. 211 00:11:44,560 --> 00:11:49,040 Occasionally, I got to go to God and be like, God, I know you got this whole thing, but 212 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:51,880 you're really busy with what's going on all over the world right now. 213 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:55,560 And I just want to check, can you make sure this happens? 214 00:11:55,560 --> 00:11:58,720 Because I know I think you like me. 215 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:02,360 I'm one of your favorites, right? 216 00:12:02,360 --> 00:12:03,560 And sometimes I doubt. 217 00:12:03,560 --> 00:12:05,200 Do you ever? 218 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:06,200 Am I alone? 219 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:08,280 Am I the only Christian in the room like this? 220 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:14,840 So Jesus knows when doubts arise in your heart, but he's not angry, but he does have a question. 221 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:16,360 Look what he says. 222 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:23,240 Behold, I love this, behold my hands and my feet, that it is I, even myself, handle me 223 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:28,960 and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as I have. 224 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:30,880 Instead of getting angry with them, he just lets them know. 225 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:32,080 I know you doubt. 226 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:35,760 Come and look. 227 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:41,000 Jesus did not die and spiritually rise from the grave. 228 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:47,840 Jesus died and physically came out of the grave with a body of flesh and bone. 229 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:53,000 He physically lives, and he lives today at the right hand of God the Father. 230 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:54,280 Not simply in our memories. 231 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:59,920 He's not like Mufasa up in the sky, and we kind of remember Jesus, and he's like, everything 232 00:12:59,920 --> 00:13:00,920 will be okay. 233 00:13:00,920 --> 00:13:05,600 No, Jesus physically rose from the grave. 234 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:07,880 That's what it says. 235 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:09,080 Jesus is not like Mufasa. 236 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:13,000 That should be the title of the sermon right there. 237 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:17,120 And when he had said this, he showed his hands and his feet, showing, look at my body. 238 00:13:17,120 --> 00:13:21,160 There are nail prints in my hands, in my feet. 239 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:25,160 This is the actual body that died that actually rose from the grave. 240 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:31,040 Verse 41, but while they still did not believe for joy and marveled at what he said, he said, 241 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:32,880 do you have any food here? 242 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:34,320 They couldn't believe their eyes. 243 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:35,760 This was too good to be true. 244 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:37,400 They marveled for joy. 245 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:40,360 He thought, there's no way, and Jesus is like, okay, let me prove it to you. 246 00:13:40,360 --> 00:13:42,920 Do you have any food here? 247 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:45,440 Because ghosts don't eat, right? 248 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:46,440 Mark it down. 249 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:48,880 If you have a ghost in your house and you're worried, be like, would you like some fish 250 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:49,960 and honey? 251 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:53,000 And if they eat it, they're not a ghost, so that's nice. 252 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:54,160 All right. 253 00:13:54,160 --> 00:14:00,880 Verse 42, and they gave him a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb. 254 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:03,280 I just love that Jesus ate some honey, don't you? 255 00:14:03,280 --> 00:14:04,400 That means he had a sweet tooth. 256 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:08,120 You're going to get an amen right there. 257 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:11,080 If you have a sweet tooth, you can be like, I am just like Jesus. 258 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:14,200 That's who I'm Christ like, amen. 259 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:18,040 And he took it and he ate it in their presence, proving with physical food that he has a physical 260 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:20,880 body. 261 00:14:20,880 --> 00:14:22,040 That's the story. 262 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:24,360 So what do we do with this story for ourselves? 263 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:28,520 Like what can we learn from this story other than Jesus physically was born and then physically 264 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:32,920 rose from the grave, proving the incarnation, which is a massive important doctrine for 265 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:36,000 the time of Christianity as well as the Christmas season. 266 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:40,360 But beyond that, what does this tell us for our souls today? 267 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:49,680 And the answer is the Prince of Peace that was announced for Bethlehem is also the Prince 268 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:55,800 of Peace that was come back from the grave and is the same Prince of Peace who wants 269 00:14:55,800 --> 00:15:07,800 to come in, appear in your life right now and offer you peace. 270 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:11,680 Peace. 271 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:14,240 What kind of peace can Jesus Christ offer you? 272 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:15,400 I'll share it with you. 273 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:16,560 Three ways. 274 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:26,640 Peace with God, peace with self, and peace with other men. 275 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:32,280 The Prince of Peace has come to offer peace with God, peace with self, and peace with 276 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:34,600 men. 277 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:40,240 Now some might say, but Pastor, I'm not at war with God. 278 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:43,360 If you were to ask the average Las Vegas, I am a Las Vegas. 279 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:45,040 I was born and raised in Las Vegas. 280 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:46,400 I love Las Vegas. 281 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:47,600 How many of you are thankful for the city? 282 00:15:47,600 --> 00:15:48,600 Can I get an amen? 283 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:49,600 All right. 284 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:50,600 I love Las Vegas. 285 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:52,520 Again, I said I'm a Las Vegas, not a Las Vegas. 286 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:53,520 Amen. 287 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:54,520 That's different, right? 288 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:56,320 I'm not a Las Vegas. 289 00:15:56,320 --> 00:15:57,640 I'm a Las Vegas. 290 00:15:57,640 --> 00:15:59,440 They're very different. 291 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:04,000 And as a Las Vegas, I am somebody who knows the city. 292 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:05,000 I was born and raised here. 293 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:06,000 I know people. 294 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:10,480 And I know people in the city do not believe they're at war with God. 295 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:11,480 They don't. 296 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:15,720 I think if you ask the average Las Vegas, are you at war with God? 297 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:17,800 Most Las Vegas, I find, do believe in God. 298 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:18,800 They actually do. 299 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:20,320 Most believe that there is a higher power. 300 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:21,520 There's a God who created them. 301 00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:23,000 There's a God out there somewhere. 302 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:26,160 And you ask, do you feel like you're at war with God? 303 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:27,160 And they'll say, no. 304 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:31,880 In fact, I think most would say, I think I'm pretty cool with God. 305 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:34,280 And I think God's pretty cool with me. 306 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:36,240 At worst, they would say, maybe it's neutral. 307 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:37,240 Maybe God is there. 308 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:38,240 He doesn't really know about me. 309 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:39,560 I don't really know about him much. 310 00:16:39,560 --> 00:16:42,560 But it's not like God's at war with me or I'm at war with God. 311 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:45,000 But they're greatly mistaken. 312 00:16:45,000 --> 00:16:51,240 They don't understand that they are at war with God because their very nature as a human 313 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:54,840 being is at war against the divine. 314 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:58,520 Now you might be here today and say, well, I'm not even a believer in God. 315 00:16:58,520 --> 00:16:59,520 That's okay. 316 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:02,960 Just because you're not a believer in God doesn't mean your very nature is not at war with a 317 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:08,320 God you don't believe in. 318 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:11,200 Humans are at war with God by our very nature. 319 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:16,160 The things you do, the things you say, the things you think, and how we treat each other 320 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:22,320 and how we treat ourselves declare war against the one who created us. 321 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:26,320 That's what the book of Romans teaches in Romans chapter eight and verse seven, for the sinful 322 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:30,600 nature is always hostile toward God. 323 00:17:30,600 --> 00:17:39,840 Your very nature, who you are, what you do and what I do, the things we think, the things 324 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:46,480 we say, the things we do, they are hostile against the one who created us, meaning we 325 00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:49,840 are at war with God. 326 00:17:49,840 --> 00:18:01,320 The human nature never did obey God's laws and it never will. 327 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:07,320 The Bible says your very lifestyle, your very nature is at war with God. 328 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:11,240 And this is why you feel the way you do. 329 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:14,120 You say, what do you mean? 330 00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:20,160 You feel oppressed and burdened. 331 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:26,320 I know it because I'm a human too and because the Bible teaches. 332 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:30,440 I can absolutely guarantee something about every single person in this room. 333 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:33,760 When you are at war with your Creator, even if you say you don't believe in the Creator, 334 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:37,960 you feel a burden and an oppression on your soul. 335 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:43,240 And you feel, and people try to deal with this in lots of different ways. 336 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:46,280 What is this burden and oppression you feel on your soul? 337 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:50,960 It's called guilt. 338 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:57,320 And your very nature that leads you to sin against God carries that burden heavier and 339 00:18:57,320 --> 00:18:59,480 heavier and heavier every day. 340 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:04,560 So then what you often do in our society today is we give you different prescriptions to deal 341 00:19:04,560 --> 00:19:06,560 with that guilt. 342 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:07,560 Here's how to deal with that guilt. 343 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:08,560 Here's how to deal with it. 344 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:13,720 All you have to do is medicate yourself so you don't think about it. 345 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:19,160 Or if you've got guilt inside of you, all you have to do is deny that it's a problem. 346 00:19:19,160 --> 00:19:22,800 And if you deny it's a problem, here's what you do with your guilt. 347 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:27,120 Celebrate your guilt and make yourself feel better about your guilt. 348 00:19:27,120 --> 00:19:31,480 Or if that's not going to work, entertain yourself so much so that you're distracted from the 349 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:36,160 feeling of oppression and burden. 350 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:44,040 But here's the secret that I know, and deep down inside you know, that you still feel 351 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:53,560 guilt over your sin and that you've got a problem with your Creator. 352 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:55,320 You know how I know this? 353 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:59,200 God teaches it, I'm a human, but there's a third way. 354 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:02,800 What I do for a living is not what you see here. 355 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:04,040 I'm preaching on Sundays. 356 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:06,240 Do you know what I do for a living? 357 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:11,520 I spend my days telling people about Jesus and how they can be saved. 358 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:15,320 So every day I sit with people and I share with them the good news of the gospel. 359 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:18,680 God loves you, you're a sinner, so am I. 360 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:21,080 But God loves you and you died upon the cross to pay for your sins. 361 00:20:21,080 --> 00:20:24,040 He was buried, rose from the grave, and He offers you salvation. 362 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,600 All you have to do is repent and receive Jesus and you'll be saved. 363 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:30,280 You'll be saved if you repent, admit you're a sinner, believe that Jesus died for your 364 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:33,360 sin, bury in a rose from the grave, call upon Jesus and you'll be saved. 365 00:20:33,360 --> 00:20:34,360 Would you like to be saved? 366 00:20:34,360 --> 00:20:40,440 I spend my days doing this, and this is what I've seen, hundreds and hundreds of times. 367 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:44,400 I'll share this story with people, share the gospel, and not all the time some people are 368 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:47,480 like, I'll think about it, it's not really for me, and that's fine, they go away with 369 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:50,560 the guilt of sin. 370 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:55,160 But many times I look across the table and somebody will bow their head and they'll pray. 371 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,720 God in heaven, I admit I'm a sinner. 372 00:20:57,720 --> 00:21:00,600 I believe you died for my sins. 373 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:04,280 I believe you were buried in a rose from the grave and I'm asking you to save me and forgive 374 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:06,240 me of my sins. 375 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:10,680 And they'll be what Jesus called born again. 376 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:17,800 Okay, hundreds of times, hundreds, I'll look across the table and their eyes will come 377 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:18,800 up often with tears. 378 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:21,600 And I'll say, okay, I almost always ask the same question. 379 00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:28,880 I'll say, how do you feel? 380 00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:35,760 And do you know what they say to me almost 95% of the time? 381 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:36,760 This is what they say. 382 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:42,520 They say, pastor, I feel lighter. 383 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:44,640 Why? 384 00:21:44,640 --> 00:21:51,680 And the answer is because the burden of guilt that was pressing them down has been taken 385 00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:55,520 and thrown on Jesus. 386 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:56,840 This is not something new with me. 387 00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:58,720 I'm just a 21st century pastor. 388 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:01,360 This is what Christians have been talking about for 2,000 years. 389 00:22:01,360 --> 00:22:03,720 There was a writer named John Bunyan. 390 00:22:03,720 --> 00:22:09,040 He wrote a book called Pilgrim's Progress where he described to what it was like for 391 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:14,040 a Christian to first recognize the death of Jesus and what it meant for them, to get 392 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:18,120 saved, to be born again, to be redeemed by God. 393 00:22:18,120 --> 00:22:21,920 He said it was like a program, walking up a mountain. 394 00:22:21,920 --> 00:22:28,720 When the moment he understands what the cross does, the burden falls off of the shoulders 395 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:31,640 and they are free. 396 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:33,280 Why? 397 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:40,680 Because they are now at peace with God through the death of Jesus Christ. 398 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:44,080 This is exactly what Romans chapter number five describes. 399 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:48,120 It says in Romans chapter five verses one and two, therefore, since we have been made 400 00:22:48,120 --> 00:22:58,160 right with God in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God. 401 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:01,640 Because of what Jesus Christ, our Lord, is Savior has done for us upon the cross, because 402 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:07,640 of our faith, Christ has brought us into a place of undeserved. 403 00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:09,360 What does it say? 404 00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:10,760 Privilege. 405 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:15,600 All right, here's the big next thought that I'm about to transition to. 406 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:19,400 Peace leads to privilege. 407 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:21,360 Say it with me. 408 00:23:21,360 --> 00:23:23,640 Peace leads to privilege. 409 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:25,360 Say it again, say it again, say it again. 410 00:23:25,360 --> 00:23:28,200 Peace leads to privilege, which means this. 411 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:34,880 If you are at peace with God through Jesus Christ, you have been given a privilege that 412 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:38,000 every other human does not have. 413 00:23:38,000 --> 00:23:39,040 You say, what is that privilege? 414 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:40,040 We're on that in a moment. 415 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:41,040 Let's look at the rest of the passage. 416 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:45,800 He has brought us into a place of undeserved privilege where we now stand and confidently 417 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:51,040 and joyfully look forward to sharing in God's glory. 418 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:55,760 You not only receive peace, you receive privilege. 419 00:23:55,760 --> 00:24:08,840 And when you are at peace with God, you can finally be at peace with yourself. 420 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:11,800 How does Jesus, the Prince of Peace, bring peace into our life? 421 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:13,800 Number one, peace with God. 422 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:19,240 Number two, peace with self. 423 00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:23,000 All right. 424 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:26,000 Very blunt question. 425 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,240 Are you at peace in your soul? 426 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:39,060 Are you experiencing anxiety, worry, stress, to a level of unsustainability? 427 00:24:39,060 --> 00:24:41,240 Are you at peace with yourself? 428 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:47,600 See, sometimes there are Christians who feel all of this anxiety inside themselves and 429 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:50,440 they think maybe God is at war with them. 430 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:53,400 Again, no, God is not at war with you. 431 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:55,600 You are at peace with God through Jesus Christ. 432 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:56,600 Can I get an amen? 433 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:57,600 Amen. 434 00:24:57,600 --> 00:24:58,600 So what's going on? 435 00:24:58,600 --> 00:24:59,600 You are not at war with God. 436 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:02,120 If you're a believer in Jesus, you are saved. 437 00:25:02,120 --> 00:25:03,120 You're not at war with God. 438 00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:06,120 You're at war with yourself. 439 00:25:06,120 --> 00:25:10,480 And the apostle Paul deals with this exact question in the book of Philippians chapter 440 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:14,320 number four, and it tells you how you can be at peace with yourself. 441 00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:18,160 Look at what it says in verses six and seven. 442 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:24,120 It says, Philippians chapter four, don't worry about anything. 443 00:25:24,120 --> 00:25:26,440 Instead pray about everything. 444 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:28,280 Isn't that a beautiful verse? 445 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:32,720 Would that look like something a 14-year-old would put on their Instagram right there? 446 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:33,720 Amen. 447 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:34,720 Right? 448 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:35,720 Doesn't it? 449 00:25:35,720 --> 00:25:37,280 But it's right there in the Bible. 450 00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:39,520 Don't worry about anything. 451 00:25:39,520 --> 00:25:41,080 Instead pray about everything. 452 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:47,400 I know it seems trite as a Christian, but my question is, how are you doing with this? 453 00:25:47,400 --> 00:25:51,480 Like really? 454 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:54,360 It's really difficult. 455 00:25:54,360 --> 00:25:57,800 I should say it's not difficult to see this verse and read this verse. 456 00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:00,560 It's really difficult to live this verse. 457 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:03,000 Don't worry about everything. 458 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:04,360 Instead pray about everything. 459 00:26:04,360 --> 00:26:06,960 Tell God what you need and thank Him for all that He has done. 460 00:26:06,960 --> 00:26:11,200 Hey, I said a moment ago that peace leads to, what did I say? 461 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:12,880 Peace leads to what? 462 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:13,880 Privilege. 463 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:16,080 You say, what is the privilege that peace brings? 464 00:26:16,080 --> 00:26:17,080 Here's the privilege. 465 00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:22,640 The answer is prayer. 466 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:25,720 Prayer is the privilege that you have because now you have peace with God. 467 00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:28,120 If you have peace with God, this is awesome. 468 00:26:28,120 --> 00:26:33,000 It means you have direct access to the guy who made everything. 469 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:41,640 Like how amazing would it be to have direct access to a very powerful and wealthy person? 470 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:43,040 Anybody friends here with Steve Wynn? 471 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:44,040 Let me know. 472 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:45,040 Anybody? 473 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:46,040 Anybody? 474 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:47,040 Adelson? 475 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:48,040 Anybody? 476 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:49,040 Anybody? 477 00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:50,040 All right. 478 00:26:50,040 --> 00:26:51,040 Let me know if you are because I'd like to know. 479 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:52,040 I got a building to build. 480 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:53,040 Can I get an amen? 481 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:55,040 I don't know these people. 482 00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:59,280 I know that there are religious leaders that are extremely well connected and wealthy. 483 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:00,960 I'm not one of them. 484 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:04,000 I'm just a guy. 485 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:09,560 But I realized years ago that I actually am extremely well connected. 486 00:27:09,560 --> 00:27:13,600 Because I have peace with God through Jesus Christ, I can actually go into the throne of 487 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:21,640 God anytime I want and be like, hey, I need to talk to you about something. 488 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:27,400 And because God is not simply the Creator, because I've been saved, He is now my Father, 489 00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:31,040 I can go to Him and be like, hey, Dad, here's what's going on. 490 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:40,920 I need you to take care of this problem. 491 00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:43,560 Peace. 492 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:48,680 And when you live a lifestyle of prayer, this privilege and action, then you will experience 493 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:55,080 God's peace, shalom, completeness, wholeness, not just a lack of conflict, but everything 494 00:27:55,080 --> 00:28:00,160 that you need provided, which exceeds anything that we can understand. 495 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:04,200 His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 496 00:28:04,200 --> 00:28:10,200 I like the old Christian phrase, a peace that passes all understanding will be given to 497 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:13,200 you. 498 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:19,920 Man, pastor, I've got to tell you, if there's one thing that I need under my Christmas tree, 499 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:20,920 I'd like to have peace. 500 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:23,160 And we think of peace like this separate thing. 501 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:27,080 We think of peace like if I accept Jesus, then I'll have peace and I'll open on Christmas 502 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:30,200 morning something called peace and then they'll put peace in my heart. 503 00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:31,920 That's not how it works. 504 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:33,760 Peace is not a thing. 505 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:38,600 Peace is a person. 506 00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:43,160 That person is the prince of peace. 507 00:28:43,160 --> 00:28:50,680 Meaning the moment you receive Jesus as your Savior, you've got peace and He will never 508 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:53,960 leave you nor forsake you. 509 00:28:53,960 --> 00:28:55,960 Okay. 510 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:57,760 How about a metaphor? 511 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:00,200 Here's an analogy. 512 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:02,600 How many of you have little kids in the house right now? 513 00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:04,920 Two, three, four, five, six years old. 514 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:05,920 Raise your hand. 515 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:06,920 How many of you? 516 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:07,920 Right now, raise your hand. 517 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:08,920 Two, three, six. 518 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:09,920 Okay. 519 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:10,920 Wow. 520 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:11,920 And you're sitting right up in here. 521 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:12,920 Probably, right? 522 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:15,800 They've been keeping you away. 523 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:18,600 How many of you, they're not that age, but you remember when they were that age? 524 00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:19,600 How many of you raised your hand? 525 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:20,600 You remember? 526 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:21,600 Okay. 527 00:29:21,600 --> 00:29:22,600 Yeah. 528 00:29:22,600 --> 00:29:23,600 And you remember the bad dreams? 529 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:24,600 Remember when they would have bad dreams? 530 00:29:24,600 --> 00:29:25,600 The bad dreams come. 531 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:29,600 They wake up in the middle of the night. 532 00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:30,600 Anybody have any sleepwalkers? 533 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:31,600 Those, that's fine. 534 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:32,600 Oh, you're pointing. 535 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:33,600 That's messed up. 536 00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:36,600 Like, hey, do you want to stand up and tell a story? 537 00:29:36,600 --> 00:29:37,600 No, I'm kidding. 538 00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:38,600 I'm sorry. 539 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:40,640 Poor guy. 540 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:42,360 The bad dreams scare the kids, right? 541 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:46,680 They're three, four, five, six years old, and then they come over to the room and they 542 00:29:46,680 --> 00:29:48,680 knock on the door, you know? 543 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:53,320 You're like, yeah, right, they knock on the door, right? 544 00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:57,240 They get rushed in, right? 545 00:29:57,240 --> 00:30:02,480 And they crawl in bed and you wake up with a foot in your face. 546 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:04,480 How many remember the foot in your face, right? 547 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:10,520 And you look at your son and you're like, Jonathan, you're 17 years old. 548 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:11,520 Yeah. 549 00:30:11,520 --> 00:30:17,600 You know, like, this is too much. 550 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:18,600 You're in the army. 551 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:23,240 Like, this is, what are you doing? 552 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:28,120 I hope he hears this later. 553 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:30,240 And you know, they're little and so you say, what's wrong? 554 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:32,960 I have a scary dream. 555 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:38,720 You're like, okay, well, you can't stay here. 556 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:44,040 This is where we live. 557 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:47,760 So by the way, some of you are like, I know you got different parathean philosophies now 558 00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:53,680 and like you're a soft parent and they've lived in your bed for years. 559 00:30:53,680 --> 00:31:00,040 But the right way to do it is, I'm just, come on, relax. 560 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:01,040 But it's true. 561 00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:02,040 And it's okay. 562 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:04,240 It's going to be fine. 563 00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:05,240 Come with me, baby. 564 00:31:05,240 --> 00:31:09,360 You know, and you pick them up and you carry them back to their bed and then you put them 565 00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:13,760 in the bed and you pull the covers up and you say, okay, I'm going to go and say, daddy, 566 00:31:13,760 --> 00:31:15,560 can you check in the closet? 567 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:19,120 Yeah, like there's nothing in the closet. 568 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:20,880 Why did I watch monster's inks? 569 00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:22,240 Stupid movie, you know? 570 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:24,320 Can you check? 571 00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:25,320 There's nothing in there. 572 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:27,760 Can you check under the bed? 573 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:33,200 Can anybody, I'm 43, but I can still remember the feeling that something was under my bed. 574 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:36,360 How many of you are adults and you still remember that feeling? 575 00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:37,640 So I actually empathize with this one. 576 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:38,760 They're like, can you check in the bed? 577 00:31:38,760 --> 00:31:41,880 And I'm like, do you want to check? 578 00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:43,680 Because now, like I'm imaginative. 579 00:31:43,680 --> 00:31:45,120 Now I'm in their paranoia. 580 00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:46,280 You know, I'm like, I don't know. 581 00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:47,280 Maybe there is. 582 00:31:47,280 --> 00:31:48,960 Let's just stay up here together, right? 583 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:51,840 There's nothing under there. 584 00:31:51,840 --> 00:31:55,520 I watched too many movies and I'm like, oh, I had a check. 585 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:56,760 Can you check? 586 00:31:56,760 --> 00:32:03,040 And then you start to creep out and they're like, daddy, can you, can you stay here? 587 00:32:03,040 --> 00:32:04,040 With me? 588 00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:09,640 And you're like, I don't know. 589 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:15,600 Mom wants to finish watching Blue Bloods and I want to, I am really old. 590 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:17,280 I think that's my show, right? 591 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:26,200 I sit down and he or she holds your hand and as you hold the hand, they fall asleep. 592 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:32,960 For them, peace is not knowing that you've said everything's going to be okay. 593 00:32:32,960 --> 00:32:36,720 For them, peace is knowing that you're still there. 594 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:41,760 And do you know what Jesus says to you? 595 00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:47,040 He says, I will never leave you or forsake you. 596 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:50,720 I'm not sending another thing to you called peace. 597 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:57,440 You have me, the Prince of Peace, and I'm not going anywhere. 598 00:32:57,440 --> 00:33:02,440 And so this power of prayer allows us to go to the Prince of Peace at any moment and say, 599 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:06,960 I'm feeling anxious and worried about this thing. 600 00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:12,200 Can you, can you help me? 601 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:17,720 And he will give you a peace that passes all understanding through prayer. 602 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:20,520 So what does the Prince of Peace bring us? 603 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:24,480 He brings us peace with God through the death of Jesus Christ. 604 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:27,960 He brings us peace with self through prayer. 605 00:33:27,960 --> 00:33:33,520 And then he allows us to have peace with men because only those who have peace with God 606 00:33:33,520 --> 00:33:39,520 and peace inside can bring peace to men. 607 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:44,720 I find it ironic, a little sad and a little scary, that there are men and women in places 608 00:33:44,720 --> 00:33:51,440 like Washington, D.C. who are trying desperately to bring peace to the world when they have 609 00:33:51,440 --> 00:33:54,520 no peace with God and they have no peace inside. 610 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:59,040 How in the world can they bring peace to men? 611 00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:03,960 I admire it, I believe blessed are the peacemakers, but I'm telling you if this world is ever 612 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:09,800 going to have peace, they need to first get peace with God and get peace internally, which 613 00:34:09,800 --> 00:34:15,800 will lead to peace on earth and goodwill to men. 614 00:34:15,800 --> 00:34:19,720 And so how do you have goodwill and peace toward men? 615 00:34:19,720 --> 00:34:21,960 I can't change the world, neither can you. 616 00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:24,160 We're not in Washington, we're not powerful people. 617 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:28,560 And I can allow you to have peace internally and with others. 618 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:30,600 You see, look, look, look, look. 619 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:36,640 The death of Jesus Christ allowed for a future where there will be complete peace on earth. 620 00:34:36,640 --> 00:34:39,120 That kingdom is still to come. 621 00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:45,320 But if you're a believer, if you're a believer, say amen, you are already a kingdom representative 622 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:49,000 here, right now, you are. 623 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:54,480 Which means the principles of the peace of the future kingdom will abide and rest in 624 00:34:54,480 --> 00:35:05,000 you so that wherever you go, you can bring peace to men. 625 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:09,960 Peace on earth, goodwill to men, Luke chapter 2. 626 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:11,760 That's what it means. 627 00:35:11,760 --> 00:35:15,160 Let me ask you a question. 628 00:35:15,160 --> 00:35:19,680 If you are peace with God and peace inside, how is it that you can practically bring peace 629 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:25,680 to others? 630 00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:31,360 Are there people that you have to interact with during this Christmas season? 631 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:36,160 And you're like, I don't think it's going to go well. 632 00:35:36,160 --> 00:35:39,320 Like that crazy cousin? 633 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:46,200 Like that woke liberal niece. 634 00:35:46,200 --> 00:35:51,560 Or maybe you're like, my Fox News dad. 635 00:35:51,560 --> 00:35:52,560 You know what I mean? 636 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:54,800 Like, it's Christmas, you're stressed out. 637 00:35:54,800 --> 00:35:58,560 Let's get real. 638 00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:02,040 You're about to go into a Christmas season right now and you're about to talk to people 639 00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:05,880 that you're not used to talking to. 640 00:36:05,880 --> 00:36:08,080 And you're a representative of Jesus Christ. 641 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:11,000 How do you bring peace? 642 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:12,600 How do you do that? 643 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:19,400 The drama that families create doesn't have to be your drama. 644 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:24,000 I know I have a friend who, I mean, it's just, it's so prevalent, isn't it? 645 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:30,080 I have a friend who has a bunch of siblings and they wanted to buy their parents something 646 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:33,200 and they're like, hey, he's like, okay, let's buy this thing. 647 00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:34,760 But it's like 500 bucks and then we'll split it. 648 00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:35,760 And they're like, that's awesome. 649 00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:40,400 And they're like, yeah, you buy it and we'll pay you. 650 00:36:40,400 --> 00:36:45,040 Anybody here ever fall for that one? 651 00:36:45,040 --> 00:36:49,920 And now suddenly this beautiful family experience turns into a collection of debt agency, right? 652 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:52,360 You're like, you owe me, you owe me, you owe me. 653 00:36:52,360 --> 00:36:57,440 There's always the one guy that never pays, you know, the stress that happens with these 654 00:36:57,440 --> 00:37:00,440 things. 655 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:01,440 How do you deal with it? 656 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:02,440 All right. 657 00:37:02,440 --> 00:37:05,440 I'm going to close with very practical thought. 658 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:09,680 Now I understand the majority of the sermons have already been given. 659 00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:10,760 Maybe that's all you came for. 660 00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:12,400 And that's good. 661 00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:16,760 But God gave me this final thought before I preach today because I think there's a few 662 00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:21,360 of you in this room that are going to go into a family or friend dynamic this Christmas 663 00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:25,320 and you really need to know I'm at peace with God, I'm at peace with myself, and I need 664 00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:27,160 to bring peace to this family dynamic. 665 00:37:27,160 --> 00:37:28,640 What do I do? 666 00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:30,280 And I've learned that there are three paths. 667 00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:31,600 I'm going to give them briefly. 668 00:37:31,600 --> 00:37:33,080 So be quick. 669 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:40,440 Three paths that can help you bring peace to men in this Christmas season. 670 00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:41,760 Do you want them before we go? 671 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:43,400 If you do say yes? 672 00:37:43,400 --> 00:37:44,400 If not, leave. 673 00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:45,400 No, I'm just kidding. 674 00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:46,400 I'll do that. 675 00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:50,240 That'll be weird for you. 676 00:37:50,240 --> 00:37:52,200 Here are the three paths. 677 00:37:52,200 --> 00:38:04,440 The love path, the leave path, and the learn path. 678 00:38:04,440 --> 00:38:08,640 If you're worried that you're going into a family dynamic and you're not sure how to 679 00:38:08,640 --> 00:38:12,440 bring peace to the scenario, maybe it's just a relationship situation. 680 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:15,360 Maybe it's a work scenario. 681 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:16,360 How do I bring peace? 682 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:17,360 I'm a kingdom rep. 683 00:38:17,360 --> 00:38:19,760 I'm supposed to bring the prince of peace to this place. 684 00:38:19,760 --> 00:38:20,760 How do I do it? 685 00:38:20,760 --> 00:38:24,560 The love path, the leave path, or the learn path? 686 00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:26,400 Maybe you just need to have the love path. 687 00:38:26,400 --> 00:38:27,680 You say, what is the love path? 688 00:38:27,680 --> 00:38:34,080 The love path goes into that scenario asking this question, what can I do to make their 689 00:38:34,080 --> 00:38:39,240 holiday better? 690 00:38:39,240 --> 00:38:44,960 You are not going into this to prove a point. 691 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:52,120 You're not going into this to deal with some unresolved issues. 692 00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:59,720 If that's your scenario, choose the opposite, the love path, and that is ask yourself, what 693 00:38:59,720 --> 00:39:03,640 can I do for them to make their holiday amazing this year? 694 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:05,080 The love path. 695 00:39:05,080 --> 00:39:06,080 Very simple. 696 00:39:06,080 --> 00:39:09,440 See, I don't think that's possible for me this year. 697 00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:10,440 Okay. 698 00:39:10,440 --> 00:39:13,080 Then number two, the leave path. 699 00:39:13,080 --> 00:39:14,080 The leave. 700 00:39:14,080 --> 00:39:17,520 Somebody think you said leaf. 701 00:39:17,520 --> 00:39:18,520 Give them a tree. 702 00:39:18,520 --> 00:39:24,000 It's not going to work. 703 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:27,120 The leave path. 704 00:39:27,120 --> 00:39:29,200 Say what is the leave path? 705 00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:36,520 This year, I'm setting boundaries to maintain peace. 706 00:39:36,520 --> 00:39:42,600 This year, not forever, but this year, I'm setting boundaries to maintain peace. 707 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:46,800 That means lack of conflict, which means practically for some of you, you're going to have to call 708 00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:49,120 them and say, I can't come this year. 709 00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:53,000 Oh, man, that's going to cause problems. 710 00:39:53,000 --> 00:39:54,000 No, it won't. 711 00:39:54,000 --> 00:39:57,320 It'll cause less problems because you've got other places to be and other people to be 712 00:39:57,320 --> 00:39:58,440 with. 713 00:39:58,440 --> 00:40:00,440 That's okay. 714 00:40:00,440 --> 00:40:02,520 That's okay. 715 00:40:02,520 --> 00:40:05,920 But Jesus wants me to save them all. 716 00:40:05,920 --> 00:40:12,440 How about you let Jesus save you this year and work on them next year? 717 00:40:12,440 --> 00:40:14,320 Yeah? 718 00:40:14,320 --> 00:40:20,280 The love path, the leave path, and then there's a third. 719 00:40:20,280 --> 00:40:21,920 That's the learn path. 720 00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:25,040 It's kind of in between. 721 00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:30,360 You're not ready to just give up right now this year and separate through boundaries, 722 00:40:30,360 --> 00:40:35,680 but you're also not prepared emotionally to go in there and just love everybody to death. 723 00:40:35,680 --> 00:40:42,320 So what you can do is take the learn path and that is quietly go into that scenario. 724 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:51,240 See, observe and learn and pray and ask God this question, how are we going to get them 725 00:40:51,240 --> 00:40:53,640 next year? 726 00:40:53,640 --> 00:40:56,800 How are we going to bring peace? 727 00:40:56,800 --> 00:41:04,200 How are we going to bring them love and chart a very strategic path over the next few years 728 00:41:04,200 --> 00:41:07,440 to bring them the Prince of Peace? 729 00:41:07,440 --> 00:41:08,440 Yeah? 730 00:41:08,440 --> 00:41:09,440 Okay. 731 00:41:09,440 --> 00:41:12,300 See, this is what the Prince of Peace does. 732 00:41:12,300 --> 00:41:17,040 It gives us anticipation for the future and for joy that is to come because the Prince 733 00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:21,960 of Peace not only gives us peace with God, it gives us peace with ourselves and it brings 734 00:41:21,960 --> 00:41:27,800 peace on earth, eventually in the future kingdom, but also right now through you, Kingdom Reps 735 00:41:27,800 --> 00:41:29,800 in this world. 736 00:41:29,800 --> 00:41:30,800 Let's have a Merry Christmas. 737 00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:31,800 Let's pray. 738 00:41:31,800 --> 00:41:49,800 Thank you.