WEBVTT 00:00:08.859 --> 00:00:12.080 Hey guys, this is Tracy. If at any time you'd 00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:16.019 like to connect with HTV, go to htv .church forward 00:00:16.019 --> 00:00:19.059 slash connect. If you feel called to give, go 00:00:19.059 --> 00:00:22.960 to htv .church forward slash give. And if at 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:24.899 any time you feel called to make a change in 00:00:24.899 --> 00:00:30.379 your life, text change me to 970 -00. Enjoy the 00:00:30.379 --> 00:00:32.579 message. All right. So we're jumping into a new 00:00:32.579 --> 00:00:36.600 series for the month of July called Promise Keeper. 00:00:36.619 --> 00:00:38.659 And we're going to be looking at several promises 00:00:38.659 --> 00:00:42.820 that Jesus gave us, spoke to us, handed to us 00:00:42.820 --> 00:00:45.939 to receive and to stand on. I want to start by 00:00:45.939 --> 00:00:49.740 asking you a very simple question. Why are you 00:00:49.740 --> 00:00:59.390 here? Why did you come to HDV today? What are 00:00:59.390 --> 00:01:04.549 you hoping for? What do you want God to do in 00:01:04.549 --> 00:01:07.469 your life this morning? What do you need God 00:01:07.469 --> 00:01:12.849 to do in your life today? See, there's several 00:01:12.849 --> 00:01:16.629 different groups of people that gather here today. 00:01:17.549 --> 00:01:19.849 Some of you, your life has been radically changed 00:01:19.849 --> 00:01:22.609 by the love and grace of God, and you're here 00:01:22.609 --> 00:01:25.390 to worship. You're here to connect with Jesus 00:01:25.390 --> 00:01:28.920 and to give back. Just being honest, some of 00:01:28.920 --> 00:01:30.680 you are here because you feel obligated to be 00:01:30.680 --> 00:01:36.159 here. Summer started. You've already missed several 00:01:36.159 --> 00:01:41.019 weeks. You have a lot of things to do. Now you're 00:01:41.019 --> 00:01:43.719 here out of obligation. You're checking a box. 00:01:44.299 --> 00:01:48.620 Hey God, I'm here. I was there. Some of you are 00:01:48.620 --> 00:01:49.980 obligated to be here because you were invited 00:01:49.980 --> 00:01:53.500 to be here. And you don't want to let someone 00:01:53.500 --> 00:01:57.939 down. Maybe you're a teenager. Maybe you're an 00:01:57.939 --> 00:02:01.319 adult son or daughter. Others of you, again, 00:02:01.420 --> 00:02:03.760 just being honest, you don't want to be here. 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:09.280 You were told that you had to be here. You were 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:12.080 told that your life would be better if you were 00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:13.900 a part of a church, a part of a community of 00:02:13.900 --> 00:02:17.919 faith. And now begrudgingly, you're sitting here. 00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:24.560 You want me to get it done fast. So you can get 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:29.979 out of here and get home wherever home is. Why 00:02:29.979 --> 00:02:33.840 did you come here today? What are you hoping 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:39.759 for? What do you want God to do in your life? 00:02:41.319 --> 00:02:44.180 See, we all have to realize the answer to that 00:02:44.180 --> 00:02:48.300 question is directly related to what God can 00:02:48.300 --> 00:02:52.879 and can't do in your life this morning. So I 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:57.039 want to challenge you. No matter why you're here, 00:02:58.090 --> 00:03:00.469 Be open to what the Holy Spirit wants to do in 00:03:00.469 --> 00:03:04.310 your life. That if you attune a ear, if you open 00:03:04.310 --> 00:03:07.469 your heart to receive all that God has for you, 00:03:07.610 --> 00:03:12.509 then you could leave here different. You could 00:03:12.509 --> 00:03:15.150 leave here free of the pain that you're carrying 00:03:15.150 --> 00:03:19.229 in your heart. And some of you are thinking, 00:03:19.270 --> 00:03:20.490 well, Chris, how do you know there's pain in 00:03:20.490 --> 00:03:23.830 my heart? Well, according to the WHO or the World 00:03:23.830 --> 00:03:26.409 Health Organization, there is now more than 1 00:03:26.409 --> 00:03:29.509 billion people living in our world today that 00:03:29.509 --> 00:03:33.590 have a mental health disorder. 32 % of American 00:03:33.590 --> 00:03:36.430 adults are experiencing anxiety or depression, 00:03:36.569 --> 00:03:40.650 and that number rises to 42 % amongst high school 00:03:40.650 --> 00:03:44.000 students. According to a recent study from the 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:47.319 University of Michigan, the use of antidepressants 00:03:47.319 --> 00:03:53.960 amongst those ages 12 to 14 are up 66 % since 00:03:53.960 --> 00:03:58.860 2016. See, all these statistics are alarming, 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:03.419 but they're statistics. And we have to realize 00:04:03.419 --> 00:04:06.960 those statistics are individual lives that are 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:11.139 filled with dashed hopes, lost dreams, grief, 00:04:12.239 --> 00:04:15.780 Infertility, unfair bosses, negative teachers, 00:04:16.040 --> 00:04:21.319 upcoming job interviews. And it's not just the 00:04:21.319 --> 00:04:24.720 catastrophic events in life that prompt anxieties 00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:29.139 and despair. It's those constant nagging struggles. 00:04:29.779 --> 00:04:33.819 A broken water heater, a broken down car, a nagging 00:04:33.819 --> 00:04:36.779 dishwasher that needs reset every two weeks. 00:04:39.100 --> 00:04:44.990 Hey God, where's peace? To be found. AI has invaded 00:04:44.990 --> 00:04:47.589 our world. There is economic uncertainty, wars 00:04:47.589 --> 00:04:50.269 and rumors of wars, division, hate. And this 00:04:50.269 --> 00:04:54.269 question in the back of our minds, it says over 00:04:54.269 --> 00:04:59.269 and over and over again, why? Why am I here? 00:05:00.069 --> 00:05:04.209 Why am I struggling? Why am I so full of negativity 00:05:04.209 --> 00:05:08.350 and doubt? Why am I stressed and overwhelmed? 00:05:10.509 --> 00:05:12.610 Believe it or not, people in our society are 00:05:12.610 --> 00:05:17.029 now attending calm retreats so they can now pay 00:05:17.029 --> 00:05:21.730 for a moment of peace. There are wellness resorts 00:05:21.730 --> 00:05:25.810 and digital detox camps where a person can spend 00:05:25.810 --> 00:05:29.310 $1 ,600 to guarantee they will not be in cell 00:05:29.310 --> 00:05:33.610 phone service. Listen, if that's you, give me 00:05:33.610 --> 00:05:38.180 your phone. I'll only charge you $1 ,200, and 00:05:38.180 --> 00:05:41.060 I'll make sure that you're out of service by 00:05:41.060 --> 00:05:48.060 turning it off. At the everyday level, divorce 00:05:48.060 --> 00:05:50.819 rates are skyrocketing. Now, believe it or not, 00:05:51.060 --> 00:05:54.220 one out of every four children, that's 25%, in 00:05:54.220 --> 00:05:56.540 the United States are growing up in single -family 00:05:56.540 --> 00:06:00.060 homes. At the national level, we have riots in 00:06:00.060 --> 00:06:02.759 the streets, raids against people, school shootings, 00:06:02.939 --> 00:06:09.459 finger pointing, and nothing ever changes. We 00:06:09.459 --> 00:06:12.060 live in a world with endless councils, accords, 00:06:12.060 --> 00:06:15.379 treaties, organizations, unions. We have the 00:06:15.379 --> 00:06:19.980 UN, the NATO, EU, AU, all of these established 00:06:19.980 --> 00:06:27.050 to maintain, foster, and establish peace. Yet 00:06:27.050 --> 00:06:31.589 peace isn't possible. John Lennon wrote these 00:06:31.589 --> 00:06:34.170 words in his song Imagine. You may say I'm a 00:06:34.170 --> 00:06:37.470 dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday 00:06:37.470 --> 00:06:40.889 you'll join us and the world will live as one. 00:06:42.629 --> 00:06:46.329 We may sing that song, believing it with a light 00:06:46.329 --> 00:06:51.129 held up above our head in a concert, declaring 00:06:51.129 --> 00:06:58.199 it. We want peace. The world needs it, is desperate 00:06:58.199 --> 00:07:02.800 for it. But here's the reality. For every peace 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:05.399 agreement that's signed, another one is broken. 00:07:06.939 --> 00:07:12.199 The change does not happen because humanity's 00:07:12.199 --> 00:07:16.480 in control. And see, God speaks to this truth 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:19.259 in the Bible when he says this peace that the 00:07:19.259 --> 00:07:22.720 world longs for is like fool's gold. It's fake. 00:07:24.300 --> 00:07:26.660 But Jesus has a promise that speaks directly 00:07:26.660 --> 00:07:30.000 to this issue. In fact, in John chapter 14, it 00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:33.740 was the Thursday night of Passion Week. Jesus 00:07:33.740 --> 00:07:35.819 is having a conversation with his disciples. 00:07:36.060 --> 00:07:38.839 He had already released Judas to do his thing 00:07:38.839 --> 00:07:41.920 and betray him. And he's eating dinner with the 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:45.660 11 remaining disciples. In a matter of hours, 00:07:45.720 --> 00:07:50.319 he's going to be betrayed, arrested, tried, beaten, 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:55.279 and crucified. He has told his disciples multiple 00:07:55.279 --> 00:07:58.019 times throughout the Bible, throughout the Gospels, 00:07:58.040 --> 00:08:01.439 I'm going to die. That's why I came. I'm going 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:04.759 to die. He says to them, I'm going to Jerusalem. 00:08:05.120 --> 00:08:07.500 They're begging him, don't go, don't go. But 00:08:07.500 --> 00:08:12.660 Jesus says, no, it must happen. It has to happen. 00:08:13.819 --> 00:08:16.959 Now in John 14, the disciples' spirits, they're 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:20.060 scraping the ground. They're depressed, broken. 00:08:20.680 --> 00:08:24.420 They're full of despair. The one they thought 00:08:24.420 --> 00:08:28.959 was the Messiah is now going to die. And Jesus, 00:08:29.019 --> 00:08:32.000 in this moment of great turmoil and trouble, 00:08:32.460 --> 00:08:37.240 he begins to loft out these promises to his disciples. 00:08:38.440 --> 00:08:41.159 See, he wanted to lift and encourage these men. 00:08:41.799 --> 00:08:44.159 He wanted to give them comfort and peace and 00:08:44.159 --> 00:08:48.240 strength, confidence, that they will be able 00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:51.659 to proclaim Jesus boldly after the resurrection. 00:08:53.799 --> 00:08:56.440 See, he knew he was going to die, and he knew 00:08:56.440 --> 00:08:59.000 the church needed to be established. He knew 00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:01.419 these men needed to stand on these promises. 00:09:04.360 --> 00:09:07.840 And the last one that he shares with the disciples 00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:11.639 is a gift. A gift that he's going to give them 00:09:11.639 --> 00:09:14.759 and is available to you and me, every single 00:09:14.759 --> 00:09:18.620 one of us gathered. But the question is, why 00:09:18.620 --> 00:09:23.649 are you here? Because see, if you're begrudgingly 00:09:23.649 --> 00:09:27.590 here, nothing's going to change. But if you open 00:09:27.590 --> 00:09:31.570 yourself up to God's spirit, everything can change. 00:09:32.169 --> 00:09:35.110 Because see, remember those disciples. They're 00:09:35.110 --> 00:09:38.429 full of doubt, despair, negativity, anxiety, 00:09:38.850 --> 00:09:43.769 fear. Like many of us that gather here every 00:09:43.769 --> 00:09:47.549 single Sunday simply trying to navigate daily 00:09:47.549 --> 00:09:51.320 life. And that introduction leads us to our first 00:09:51.320 --> 00:09:56.639 thought. See, Jesus promises us peace as a gift. 00:09:57.820 --> 00:10:02.600 Jesus' promise of peace is a gift. By show of 00:10:02.600 --> 00:10:05.740 hands, humor me. How many of you ever said, I 00:10:05.740 --> 00:10:09.500 just need a minute of peace? I know if you're 00:10:09.500 --> 00:10:12.299 a parent, your hand better be up. Because if 00:10:12.299 --> 00:10:15.720 not, you're lying. We need a moment of peace. 00:10:16.679 --> 00:10:19.360 And I can guarantee you, your life is a lot like 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:22.620 mine. You got a crazy schedule. You got bills 00:10:22.620 --> 00:10:25.000 to be paid. You got a house to clean, a house 00:10:25.000 --> 00:10:28.840 to fix, food to cook, dishes to do, kids to drive 00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:32.700 everywhere. Should have stopped at two, but I 00:10:32.700 --> 00:10:39.340 had six. Emails to return, texts to make, difficult 00:10:39.340 --> 00:10:44.440 people to deal with. All of us. Have so much 00:10:44.440 --> 00:10:49.139 going on and we need a little peace. And I want 00:10:49.139 --> 00:10:52.559 to remind you that before Jesus died, he named 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:56.559 you in his will. See, Romans 8 tells us that 00:10:56.559 --> 00:11:01.539 we're actually heirs of God. Heirs of God. And 00:11:01.539 --> 00:11:05.519 to be named in his will means that we, if you're 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:09.100 in a relationship with Jesus, have been legally 00:11:09.100 --> 00:11:17.669 designated. To receive an inheritance. So to 00:11:17.669 --> 00:11:20.350 those in a relationship with Jesus, Jesus literally 00:11:20.350 --> 00:11:25.450 willed us, gave us his peace. And he shows us 00:11:25.450 --> 00:11:28.129 this in John chapter 14 when he was telling his 00:11:28.129 --> 00:11:30.549 disciples, hey, hey, I'm going to have to go 00:11:30.549 --> 00:11:34.649 away, but I'm going to come back to you. And 00:11:34.649 --> 00:11:38.450 then he says this in verse 27. I'm leaving you 00:11:38.450 --> 00:11:42.299 with a gift. Peace of mind and heart. And the 00:11:42.299 --> 00:11:44.580 peace I give is a gift the world cannot give, 00:11:44.639 --> 00:11:49.440 so do not be troubled or afraid. The NIV translation 00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:52.559 reads this way. Peace I leave with you. Notice, 00:11:52.820 --> 00:11:59.840 my peace I give to you. Five words in that verse 00:11:59.840 --> 00:12:02.419 that has the potential to change your life today. 00:12:03.440 --> 00:12:09.590 Jesus said, my peace I give to you. And notice, 00:12:09.669 --> 00:12:12.970 peace isn't earned. You don't have to do anything 00:12:12.970 --> 00:12:17.409 for it. Peace isn't manufactured, meaning you 00:12:17.409 --> 00:12:21.029 don't have to put a mask on. Peace can't be bought. 00:12:22.830 --> 00:12:28.490 Peace is simply received. So Jesus, in the midst 00:12:28.490 --> 00:12:30.889 of his own personal storm, remember, he's going 00:12:30.889 --> 00:12:35.899 to go suffer and die for us, offers peace. That 00:12:35.899 --> 00:12:38.379 transcends any of the turmoil that we experience 00:12:38.379 --> 00:12:41.840 in this world today. And if we're honest, our 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:45.840 lives are constantly swinging between peace and 00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:51.340 anxiety. It's like we experience this peace for 00:12:51.340 --> 00:12:56.419 a minute. I just need a little peace. And then 00:12:56.419 --> 00:13:00.340 we're back to anxiety. It's like, oh, peace, 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:06.899 it feels so good. Hey, mom. I need my butt wiped. 00:13:08.539 --> 00:13:17.820 Back to anxiety. And we laugh, but it's true. 00:13:20.940 --> 00:13:25.159 So why are you here? Do you want peace today? 00:13:25.980 --> 00:13:30.580 Because Jesus is offering it to us. In fact, 00:13:30.580 --> 00:13:32.980 notice, after Jesus had risen from the grave, 00:13:33.960 --> 00:13:36.500 See what he says to his followers. John 20, 19 00:13:36.500 --> 00:13:40.379 to 21 and 26. That's Sunday. The disciples were 00:13:40.379 --> 00:13:42.200 meeting behind locked doors because they were 00:13:42.200 --> 00:13:44.340 afraid of the Jewish leaders. I would say that 00:13:44.340 --> 00:13:47.299 was stressed. Suddenly Jesus was standing there 00:13:47.299 --> 00:13:50.799 among them. Notice his words. Peace be with you, 00:13:50.860 --> 00:13:53.960 he said. As he spoke, he showed them the wounds 00:13:53.960 --> 00:13:55.759 in his hands and his side. They were filled with 00:13:55.759 --> 00:13:58.700 joy when they saw the Lord. And again, Jesus 00:13:58.700 --> 00:14:03.740 said, peace be with you. As the father has sent 00:14:03.740 --> 00:14:05.720 me, so I'm sending you. Of course, Thomas wasn't 00:14:05.720 --> 00:14:09.460 there. And Thomas says, I need to see that to 00:14:09.460 --> 00:14:14.039 believe it. I'm a doubter. So Jesus shows up 00:14:14.039 --> 00:14:16.759 eight days later and we read in verse 26, a week 00:14:16.759 --> 00:14:18.779 later, his disciples were in the house again 00:14:18.779 --> 00:14:22.519 and Thomas was with them. And through the doors, 00:14:22.620 --> 00:14:24.779 though the doors were locked, Jesus came and 00:14:24.779 --> 00:14:27.340 stood among them and said, peace be with you. 00:14:28.389 --> 00:14:30.870 Now some of you are thinking, that's no big deal, 00:14:30.929 --> 00:14:33.129 Chris. He's just greeting them with peace be 00:14:33.129 --> 00:14:36.250 with you. Dude was walking through the walls. 00:14:39.169 --> 00:14:44.190 There was no door opened. He just showed up. 00:14:44.990 --> 00:14:50.509 Peace. That's no big deal, Chris. Yeah, it is. 00:14:50.690 --> 00:14:53.529 Because if I walk through that wall, you all 00:14:53.529 --> 00:14:56.929 are running. You're like, I don't do no David 00:14:56.929 --> 00:15:02.480 Blaine. I'm out of here. So don't tell me it's 00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:07.200 no big deal. It's a real big deal. That is why 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:11.100 in Judges 6, verse 24, God is called Yahweh Shalom. 00:15:12.419 --> 00:15:17.500 Remember, God's name is not God. God is his title. 00:15:17.820 --> 00:15:21.139 That's what he is. God is given names throughout 00:15:21.139 --> 00:15:25.059 the Bible that represents his character. And 00:15:25.059 --> 00:15:28.779 see, in Judges, Yahweh Shalom speaks to God being 00:15:28.779 --> 00:15:33.059 peace. Meaning, he doesn't just provide peace 00:15:33.059 --> 00:15:38.840 or give peace. He is peace. That is why Paul 00:15:38.840 --> 00:15:43.799 refers to God as the God of peace in 12 out of 00:15:43.799 --> 00:15:47.240 his 13 letters that were written to us. Paul 00:15:47.240 --> 00:15:51.039 writes and says, the peace of God, or peace, 00:15:51.340 --> 00:15:55.179 be with you. So please understand that this peace 00:15:55.179 --> 00:15:58.019 that we're talking about today and desiring in 00:15:58.019 --> 00:16:00.659 our lives, it's a gift. And it's to be received. 00:16:02.779 --> 00:16:05.100 You say, well, Chris, how do I receive it? Open 00:16:05.100 --> 00:16:10.159 it up. Believe in it. Don't just let that gift 00:16:10.159 --> 00:16:12.320 that he's given you. Imagine being given a gift 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:14.299 on your birthday and you sit it down on your 00:16:14.299 --> 00:16:17.580 feet. You're like, I'm not opening that. I don't 00:16:17.580 --> 00:16:22.000 need it. Don't want it. You do. There's always 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:23.980 excitement in writing that paper off, opening 00:16:23.980 --> 00:16:26.679 that up, wondering what it's going to be, anticipation. 00:16:27.620 --> 00:16:30.100 Same goes with the peace that Jesus is offering 00:16:30.100 --> 00:16:33.600 you today. You've got to be willing to open it 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:37.019 up. You've got to be willing to receive it, which 00:16:37.019 --> 00:16:38.779 leads us to our second thought. You see, God's 00:16:38.779 --> 00:16:40.759 peace, though, is different than the world's 00:16:40.759 --> 00:16:43.860 peace. Notice what Jesus says. I'm leaving you 00:16:43.860 --> 00:16:46.419 with a gift. Peace of mind and heart and the 00:16:46.419 --> 00:16:49.500 peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:53.000 There's a big difference between worldly peace 00:16:53.000 --> 00:16:56.659 and godly peace. See, worldly peace is kind of 00:16:56.659 --> 00:16:59.559 like a pseudo peace. It's kind of fake, temporary, 00:16:59.820 --> 00:17:04.079 if you will. It helps you cope. That's why some 00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:07.559 of you used to smoke. You know, that peaceful 00:17:07.559 --> 00:17:10.920 feeling that you used to get makes everything 00:17:10.920 --> 00:17:15.500 groovy. Heck, some of you are still stuck on 00:17:15.500 --> 00:17:19.779 it. Let's just be honest. It's not illegal anymore. 00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:23.279 And ultimately, this drug promises to get you 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:27.880 high, to feel good for a little while until you 00:17:27.880 --> 00:17:31.660 screw up your life. The drink tells you you can 00:17:31.660 --> 00:17:34.779 drown yourself in sorrows. Vacations tell you 00:17:34.779 --> 00:17:37.200 if you just make it to the beach, if you just 00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:39.319 climb that mountain, you can have a little relief. 00:17:39.480 --> 00:17:42.619 And it's true. We experience peace, but then 00:17:42.619 --> 00:17:50.289 you come back to reality. It's hard. had a little 00:17:50.289 --> 00:17:55.309 more peace. I know. I just need more money. If 00:17:55.309 --> 00:17:57.150 I had a little more money, I could pay the bills. 00:17:57.210 --> 00:17:59.430 I could be nice. I could be generous. Listen, 00:17:59.490 --> 00:18:01.730 there's not enough money in the world that's 00:18:01.730 --> 00:18:03.430 going to fill the void of the peace that you're 00:18:03.430 --> 00:18:07.730 longing inside your heart. Worldly peace is different 00:18:07.730 --> 00:18:10.349 than godly peace. So some of you are like, okay, 00:18:10.509 --> 00:18:14.750 all right. What's godly peace? Let me describe 00:18:14.750 --> 00:18:16.650 it for you. You can find it in Isaiah chapter 00:18:16.650 --> 00:18:19.490 26. And before I do, let me give you a little 00:18:19.490 --> 00:18:22.289 context about the verses I'm about to read. Isaiah 00:18:22.289 --> 00:18:25.269 was prophesying into a culture just like ours. 00:18:25.890 --> 00:18:28.390 You could almost say it was the equivalent of 00:18:28.390 --> 00:18:31.549 a complicated economy, high interest rates, debt, 00:18:31.829 --> 00:18:35.250 and a political system in utter turmoil. There 00:18:35.250 --> 00:18:38.769 were wars and rumors of wars. And Isaiah prophesied 00:18:38.769 --> 00:18:43.190 into a culture with great uncertainty. Everyone 00:18:43.190 --> 00:18:47.150 was afraid. And in the middle of this, In the 00:18:47.150 --> 00:18:48.970 middle of this turmoil, he says, you're going 00:18:48.970 --> 00:18:53.329 to break out into real worship. Let's read what 00:18:53.329 --> 00:18:55.809 he said, Isaiah 26, 1 through 3. In that day, 00:18:55.829 --> 00:18:58.630 everyone in the land of Judah will sing this 00:18:58.630 --> 00:19:03.230 song. Our city is strong. God is good. We are 00:19:03.230 --> 00:19:06.230 surrounded by the walls of God's salvation. Open 00:19:06.230 --> 00:19:08.430 the gates to all who are righteous. Allow the 00:19:08.430 --> 00:19:12.289 faithful to enter. You will keep in perfect peace 00:19:12.289 --> 00:19:15.230 all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are 00:19:15.230 --> 00:19:18.789 fixed on you. How many of you want some perfect 00:19:18.789 --> 00:19:21.710 peace today? Right? That's what I want. I want 00:19:21.710 --> 00:19:24.309 some perfect peace. And see, that word peace 00:19:24.309 --> 00:19:27.170 actually comes from a Hebrew word. It was a Jewish 00:19:27.170 --> 00:19:29.890 greeting. Then you walk up to someone and you 00:19:29.890 --> 00:19:35.009 say, shalom. Shalom. And when they said that, 00:19:35.089 --> 00:19:37.390 it's kind of like saying, hey, what's up? Shalom. 00:19:38.170 --> 00:19:41.650 It's a way to say hello. Now, that word shalom, 00:19:41.769 --> 00:19:45.490 it means wholeness, completeness. It means fullness 00:19:45.490 --> 00:19:49.940 of peace. So if I was to come up to you and say, 00:19:50.019 --> 00:19:53.799 shalom, I'm saying, may you have the fullness 00:19:53.799 --> 00:19:56.880 of God's peace on your life. That's a pretty 00:19:56.880 --> 00:19:59.380 powerful statement, isn't it? Might change the 00:19:59.380 --> 00:20:03.240 way we greet one another. May you be at peace 00:20:03.240 --> 00:20:05.319 with yourself. May you be at peace with your 00:20:05.319 --> 00:20:10.220 circumstances. Shalom. But because God is good 00:20:10.220 --> 00:20:15.559 and because Jesus is the prince of peace, May 00:20:15.559 --> 00:20:18.059 you be at perfect peace. Now notice, though, 00:20:18.059 --> 00:20:20.940 in the original text, when Isaiah said, may you 00:20:20.940 --> 00:20:23.920 be kept in shalom, he just didn't say shalom. 00:20:24.680 --> 00:20:29.279 He actually said, shalom, shalom. The same word 00:20:29.279 --> 00:20:32.079 back to back. He's saying, may God give you a 00:20:32.079 --> 00:20:36.420 double portion. May God give you your peace and 00:20:36.420 --> 00:20:40.720 even more of that peace. And that's how the translators 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:43.940 then translated shalom to shalom to perfect peace. 00:20:45.239 --> 00:20:48.900 Jesus says, my peace, my peace, I give to you. 00:20:50.559 --> 00:20:52.859 And some of you might say, okay, thanks, Jesus. 00:20:53.019 --> 00:20:55.619 If you're giving me your peace, why am I still 00:20:55.619 --> 00:21:01.559 so anxious? Why am I still overwhelmed? After 00:21:01.559 --> 00:21:03.640 all, Jesus, my children are not making the best 00:21:03.640 --> 00:21:06.900 choices. My bank account doesn't have enough 00:21:06.900 --> 00:21:08.980 in it to pay the bills. There's not enough time 00:21:08.980 --> 00:21:11.339 in the day to accomplish everything that needs 00:21:11.339 --> 00:21:14.460 done. I've recently been betrayed to and lied 00:21:14.460 --> 00:21:18.140 to by a close friend. How, Jesus, can I be peaceful 00:21:18.140 --> 00:21:23.359 then? How can I have peace in my heart when it's 00:21:23.359 --> 00:21:26.039 overwhelmed with stress and it's beating so fast? 00:21:26.220 --> 00:21:29.359 How do I find this peace? Well, the prophet tells 00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:32.859 us. The scriptures tell us. You will keep in 00:21:32.859 --> 00:21:35.900 perfect peace. But notice what it doesn't say. 00:21:36.079 --> 00:21:38.640 It doesn't say you will keep in perfect peace, 00:21:38.759 --> 00:21:42.240 all of you who obsess about the news. Did it 00:21:42.240 --> 00:21:47.200 say that? No. All of you, right, you will keep 00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:49.799 in perfect peace if you look at everything on 00:21:49.799 --> 00:21:52.039 social media that you don't like and share it 00:21:52.039 --> 00:21:53.599 with all your friends, you get them mad too. 00:21:54.799 --> 00:21:58.359 It doesn't say that. Scripture says you will 00:21:58.359 --> 00:22:03.799 be kept in perfect peace all whose thoughts are 00:22:03.799 --> 00:22:10.230 fixed on God. In other words, you'll be kept 00:22:10.230 --> 00:22:13.230 in this heavenly kind of peace, the peace that 00:22:13.230 --> 00:22:16.750 the world does not understand when your thoughts, 00:22:16.950 --> 00:22:21.970 that's right, in that skull, are focused on who? 00:22:23.250 --> 00:22:28.049 God. So this verse shows us the battle begins 00:22:28.049 --> 00:22:30.710 in our mind. How many of you know you've got 00:22:30.710 --> 00:22:34.230 a battle going on in your mind? If you don't 00:22:34.230 --> 00:22:40.029 know that, newsflash, you do. I know you do. 00:22:40.569 --> 00:22:43.150 You say, how do you know, Chris? Because I do. 00:22:44.849 --> 00:22:48.430 I have just as many battles in my mind as you 00:22:48.430 --> 00:22:50.970 do. Just because I'm leading this church doesn't 00:22:50.970 --> 00:22:52.890 mean that I'm not tempted. It doesn't mean that 00:22:52.890 --> 00:22:54.589 I don't have struggles. It doesn't mean that 00:22:54.589 --> 00:22:56.970 my mind is not at war with itself. And Isaiah 00:22:56.970 --> 00:23:00.789 reminds us, you will be in perfect peace when 00:23:00.789 --> 00:23:04.549 your thoughts are fixed on God. And that word 00:23:04.549 --> 00:23:07.470 fixed is a cool word in Hebrew. I want to teach 00:23:07.470 --> 00:23:08.930 it to you. You want to learn a little Hebrew? 00:23:09.670 --> 00:23:13.250 All right. It's the word samach. Everybody say 00:23:13.250 --> 00:23:17.710 it. Samach. You got to get that N there. Samach. 00:23:17.730 --> 00:23:20.089 It's like you got something in your throat. Samach. 00:23:21.130 --> 00:23:23.930 There you go. There you go. And this is what 00:23:23.930 --> 00:23:28.190 it means. It means to completely and fully rest 00:23:28.190 --> 00:23:33.339 on God. Think of it this way. You'll have perfect 00:23:33.339 --> 00:23:40.960 peace when your mind is leaning on Jesus. You'll 00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:44.079 be kept in perfect peace when your mind is fixed 00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:46.900 on the truth that you read in the Bible, the 00:23:46.900 --> 00:23:50.559 power of God's goodness. So I want you to reflect. 00:23:50.640 --> 00:23:51.880 I want you to look in the mirror, and I want 00:23:51.880 --> 00:23:53.819 you to be honest with yourself. What's your mind 00:23:53.819 --> 00:23:58.339 fixed on? Might be that promotion, winning the 00:23:58.339 --> 00:24:04.190 big game. Having a child. And see, what happens 00:24:04.190 --> 00:24:08.269 is, oftentimes our mind gets fixed on the worst 00:24:08.269 --> 00:24:11.450 case scenarios. Right? You're not able to have 00:24:11.450 --> 00:24:13.529 a child yet. Oh, I'm infertile. I'm never going 00:24:13.529 --> 00:24:14.869 to have a child. I'm never going to have this. 00:24:15.049 --> 00:24:18.009 It's like the world's coming to an end. Our mind 00:24:18.009 --> 00:24:20.849 continues to get stuck on these repetitive lies 00:24:20.849 --> 00:24:22.890 and fears that create anxiety and depression. 00:24:23.230 --> 00:24:25.450 That's where anxiety and depression comes on. 00:24:25.769 --> 00:24:30.839 So what your mind is fixed on matters. Because 00:24:30.839 --> 00:24:33.900 what consumes your mind controls your life. How 00:24:33.900 --> 00:24:36.279 do I know that? Well, Paul tells us that in Philippians 00:24:36.279 --> 00:24:38.819 4 .8. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one 00:24:38.819 --> 00:24:41.119 final thing. One final thing. Meaning he's ending 00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:44.819 the letter. Fix your thoughts. Up here in your 00:24:44.819 --> 00:24:47.799 mind, what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, 00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:50.440 and admirable. Think about the things that are 00:24:50.440 --> 00:24:52.119 excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting 00:24:52.119 --> 00:24:54.359 into practice all you learned and received from 00:24:54.359 --> 00:24:56.819 me. Everything you heard from me and saw me doing. 00:24:57.000 --> 00:25:04.089 Then the God of peace. will be with you. Five 00:25:04.089 --> 00:25:08.269 words that can change your life today. My peace 00:25:08.269 --> 00:25:13.490 I give to you. My peace I give to you, which 00:25:13.490 --> 00:25:15.190 leads to our third and final thought. See, true 00:25:15.190 --> 00:25:19.150 peace is found in the presence of God. I am leaving 00:25:19.150 --> 00:25:21.029 you with a gift, peace of mind and heart, and 00:25:21.029 --> 00:25:23.309 the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. 00:25:23.509 --> 00:25:25.349 So notice what he says, don't be troubled or 00:25:25.349 --> 00:25:31.319 afraid. See, Jesus promises the disciples Right? 00:25:31.319 --> 00:25:33.660 He basically says to them, you're going to face 00:25:33.660 --> 00:25:39.400 storms. The troubles are going to come your way. 00:25:39.480 --> 00:25:41.119 He even said, in this world you're going to have 00:25:41.119 --> 00:25:43.839 trouble. He promises we're going to have trouble. 00:25:44.900 --> 00:25:47.599 But he also says you don't have to be ruled by 00:25:47.599 --> 00:25:51.440 them. See, peace isn't the absence of trouble. 00:25:52.720 --> 00:25:56.079 Peace is confidence in God's presence during 00:25:56.079 --> 00:26:00.430 the problems. It's kind of like a snow globe. 00:26:01.250 --> 00:26:03.930 Now, I know it's not in season. It's July, but 00:26:03.930 --> 00:26:06.309 there's Christmas in July, right? So I don't 00:26:06.309 --> 00:26:09.329 have a snow globe, but I have an infant toy, 00:26:09.490 --> 00:26:13.529 okay? Just like a snow globe. Everyone see that? 00:26:14.829 --> 00:26:17.430 And just like a snow globe, you shake it, and 00:26:17.430 --> 00:26:21.509 what happens to the globe? All the snow or the 00:26:21.509 --> 00:26:26.809 rain stirs up, and it gets nasty, and it's a 00:26:26.809 --> 00:26:30.160 storm. And you know what the world tells us? 00:26:30.180 --> 00:26:32.180 The world tells us, oh, when you're in a storm, 00:26:32.319 --> 00:26:37.140 just be patient. It will all pass and settle. 00:26:38.779 --> 00:26:41.380 Don't worry about it. You'll make it through. 00:26:42.420 --> 00:26:46.059 Here, take some medication. It'll make you feel 00:26:46.059 --> 00:26:50.799 better. But what Jesus says is, no, in the midst 00:26:50.799 --> 00:26:55.579 of the storm, I'm there with you. I'm in the 00:26:55.579 --> 00:26:58.809 midst of the storm. You don't have to avoid the 00:26:58.809 --> 00:27:05.809 storm. You take me into the storm. I don't know 00:27:05.809 --> 00:27:08.490 who this is for, but someone here is tired of 00:27:08.490 --> 00:27:11.829 this pseudo world peace. You're tired of this 00:27:11.829 --> 00:27:13.930 promise of peace that the world tries to give 00:27:13.930 --> 00:27:17.049 you when you realize that it's just not possible. 00:27:18.109 --> 00:27:20.849 That the only true peace is shalom, shalom, which 00:27:20.849 --> 00:27:25.799 is the perfect peace of God. And Paul, describes 00:27:25.799 --> 00:27:28.440 the perfect peace of God from a Roman prison 00:27:28.440 --> 00:27:30.859 awaiting possible execution. Now, I don't know 00:27:30.859 --> 00:27:35.680 about you, but if I was on death row, I may be 00:27:35.680 --> 00:27:38.539 a little worried. I may be a little stressed. 00:27:38.839 --> 00:27:42.099 I may have some fear. And I may be overwhelmed 00:27:42.099 --> 00:27:44.599 with the guilt and shame of what caused me to 00:27:44.599 --> 00:27:47.339 be on death row. Now, we all know that Paul didn't 00:27:47.339 --> 00:27:51.599 do anything egregious or a sin that caused him 00:27:51.599 --> 00:27:54.779 to be on death row, but he was. And notice what 00:27:54.779 --> 00:27:56.980 he writes in Philippians 4, 6 through 7, just 00:27:56.980 --> 00:27:59.319 two verses before verse 8. He says, don't worry 00:27:59.319 --> 00:28:04.740 about anything. Handcuffed to a soldier. Instead, 00:28:04.880 --> 00:28:06.619 pray about everything. Tell God what you need. 00:28:06.680 --> 00:28:11.539 Thank him for all he's done. Then, what are you 00:28:11.539 --> 00:28:16.319 going to experience? God's peace, which exceeds 00:28:16.319 --> 00:28:19.279 anything we can understand. His peace will guard 00:28:19.279 --> 00:28:20.900 your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 00:28:22.670 --> 00:28:25.029 See, when you take what's on your heart and you 00:28:25.029 --> 00:28:27.430 give it to God, that's where true peace comes 00:28:27.430 --> 00:28:32.490 from. A peace from God's kingdom that allows 00:28:32.490 --> 00:28:35.869 us to express gratitude towards God for this 00:28:35.869 --> 00:28:38.910 life that we've been given. When we give it back 00:28:38.910 --> 00:28:42.250 to him. Notice what David wrote in Psalm 139. 00:28:42.269 --> 00:28:44.930 Remember, David was a man after God's own heart. 00:28:45.690 --> 00:28:49.190 He wrote these words in verses 13 to 14, 15 through 00:28:49.190 --> 00:28:51.980 18. You made all the delicate inner parts of 00:28:51.980 --> 00:28:53.819 my body and knit me together in my mother's room. 00:28:54.119 --> 00:28:57.000 Thank you, God, for making me so wonderfully 00:28:57.000 --> 00:28:59.539 complex. Your workmanship is marvelous how well 00:28:59.539 --> 00:29:02.940 I know it. Notice how he declares to God his 00:29:02.940 --> 00:29:08.019 goodness. He's grateful for his life. You watched 00:29:08.019 --> 00:29:10.099 me as I was being formed and under seclusion, 00:29:10.099 --> 00:29:12.279 as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 00:29:12.519 --> 00:29:15.180 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my 00:29:15.180 --> 00:29:17.769 life was recorded in your book. Every moment 00:29:17.769 --> 00:29:20.190 was laid out before a single day had passed. 00:29:20.390 --> 00:29:23.990 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. 00:29:24.569 --> 00:29:28.410 They cannot be numbered. I can't even count them. 00:29:28.490 --> 00:29:30.450 They outnumber the grains of the sand, and when 00:29:30.450 --> 00:29:33.549 I wake up, you're still with me. I mean, David 00:29:33.549 --> 00:29:36.710 is declaring the wonders of God. He's praising 00:29:36.710 --> 00:29:38.970 his name. He's grateful and celebrating God. 00:29:41.730 --> 00:29:45.950 Now listen to how he ends Psalm 139. Search me, 00:29:45.970 --> 00:29:50.430 O God. Know my heart. Test me and know my anxious 00:29:50.430 --> 00:29:54.529 thoughts. See, this tells us that even though 00:29:54.529 --> 00:29:57.250 we may worship, even though we may be passionate 00:29:57.250 --> 00:29:59.809 about Jesus with our whole heart, it doesn't 00:29:59.809 --> 00:30:03.309 prevent us from having anxious thoughts. It tells 00:30:03.309 --> 00:30:05.589 us that even though we may know God is in control 00:30:05.589 --> 00:30:08.849 of this world, we may not be able to sleep at 00:30:08.849 --> 00:30:11.049 night because we're worrying about our kids, 00:30:11.150 --> 00:30:14.680 our finances, our jobs, or our health. The battle 00:30:14.680 --> 00:30:19.279 that we fight in our minds is an everyday struggle 00:30:19.279 --> 00:30:23.099 that we will go through just like the Jesus followers 00:30:23.099 --> 00:30:28.259 before us. All of us need a little more Jesus. 00:30:30.539 --> 00:30:32.880 And I want to challenge you. I want you to realize 00:30:32.880 --> 00:30:38.720 anxiety is not a sin. Anxiety is not a sin. It's 00:30:38.720 --> 00:30:43.140 simply a signal. from our bodies that we need 00:30:43.140 --> 00:30:47.279 to reconnect to God. That's all it is. Which 00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:50.180 leads to our action steps overcoming these anxious 00:30:50.180 --> 00:30:52.859 thoughts. And the amazing thing is, not only 00:30:52.859 --> 00:30:56.180 did Jesus give us the gift, which we have to 00:30:56.180 --> 00:30:59.960 receive and open, he actually modeled for us 00:30:59.960 --> 00:31:02.500 how to handle and deal with the anxiety that 00:31:02.500 --> 00:31:05.440 we struggle with every single day. Let's look 00:31:05.440 --> 00:31:09.920 at Mark 14. This is before Jesus is about to 00:31:09.920 --> 00:31:12.519 be arrested. They went to the olive garden called 00:31:12.519 --> 00:31:16.400 Gethsemane, and Jesus said, sit here while I 00:31:16.400 --> 00:31:19.400 go and pray. He took Peter, James, and John with 00:31:19.400 --> 00:31:22.160 him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. 00:31:22.359 --> 00:31:25.440 So notice Jesus was overwhelmed, full of anxiety 00:31:25.440 --> 00:31:30.519 and stress. He told them, his three closest friends, 00:31:30.880 --> 00:31:33.960 my soul is crushed with grief to the point of 00:31:33.960 --> 00:31:38.200 death. Stay here and keep watch with me. So think 00:31:38.200 --> 00:31:42.579 about it. Jesus, the son of God, shared with 00:31:42.579 --> 00:31:45.039 his three closest friends that he was overwhelmed 00:31:45.039 --> 00:31:50.619 and anxious. Notice, Jesus, he doesn't ignore 00:31:50.619 --> 00:31:53.460 it. He doesn't try harder to get rid of it. He 00:31:53.460 --> 00:31:55.720 doesn't avoid it and put on a mask. He doesn't 00:31:55.720 --> 00:31:58.779 even run from it. What does he do? He names it 00:31:58.779 --> 00:32:02.700 out loud to his friends. He speaks it, which 00:32:02.700 --> 00:32:05.500 leads us to our first step to overcoming anxiety. 00:32:05.619 --> 00:32:10.319 Church, You gotta name it. You name your anxiety. 00:32:10.460 --> 00:32:13.640 He took Peter, James, and John with him. He was 00:32:13.640 --> 00:32:16.440 troubled. And notice what he said to his three 00:32:16.440 --> 00:32:19.579 friends. My soul is crushed with grief to the 00:32:19.579 --> 00:32:24.380 point of death. See, this tool is so simple that 00:32:24.380 --> 00:32:27.900 we all can do it. When we are struggling with 00:32:27.900 --> 00:32:32.920 anxiety, we have to declare, I feel anxious about, 00:32:33.279 --> 00:32:40.569 and then you say it. You speak it out loud. Whatever 00:32:40.569 --> 00:32:46.930 it is, we name it. Even in our anxiousness, even 00:32:46.930 --> 00:32:49.609 in our stress, you name the anxiety, and when 00:32:49.609 --> 00:32:53.490 you name it, it loses its power. You say, Chris, 00:32:53.569 --> 00:32:55.089 what do you mean? Well, see, when we speak it 00:32:55.089 --> 00:32:58.269 out loud, that means we bring that anxiety into 00:32:58.269 --> 00:33:02.269 the light, and when we bring the anxiety, the 00:33:02.269 --> 00:33:04.910 fear, the doubt into the light, what can God 00:33:04.910 --> 00:33:11.650 then do? God can move. God can change us. So 00:33:11.650 --> 00:33:14.710 we're going to practice it. So what I want you 00:33:14.710 --> 00:33:18.029 to do, if you don't know the person sitting beside 00:33:18.029 --> 00:33:20.930 you, introduce yourself to them right now. Go 00:33:20.930 --> 00:33:24.089 ahead. If you know them, don't say a word. This 00:33:24.089 --> 00:33:30.910 isn't a halftime break. Okay, thank you. Stop. 00:33:31.049 --> 00:33:36.339 Bring it back. Bring it back. Thank you. Now, 00:33:36.519 --> 00:33:40.079 here's what I want you to do. To the person you 00:33:40.079 --> 00:33:42.500 just introduced yourself to, or the person you 00:33:42.500 --> 00:33:45.380 already know, I want you to take turns. I want 00:33:45.380 --> 00:33:47.180 you to look at each other, and I want you to 00:33:47.180 --> 00:33:51.039 say, I feel anxious about fill in the blank. 00:33:51.380 --> 00:33:54.160 Does everyone understand what we're doing? Nacho, 00:33:54.180 --> 00:33:56.500 do you get it? Do you have someone you know? 00:33:57.380 --> 00:34:22.179 All right, thank you for looking there. Go. This 00:34:22.179 --> 00:34:34.119 is not a therapy session. Just simply share it. 00:34:34.119 --> 00:34:37.860 Take turns. You're not giving advice. You're 00:34:37.860 --> 00:34:45.900 not praying for anybody. Okay, bring it back. 00:34:46.260 --> 00:34:50.789 Now, here's the crazy thing. When I told you 00:34:50.789 --> 00:34:53.969 all to do that, what did I see on many of your 00:34:53.969 --> 00:35:00.329 faces? Smiles. Smiles. You began to smile. And 00:35:00.329 --> 00:35:03.730 why do you think it is you began to smile? Because 00:35:03.730 --> 00:35:07.969 you spoke it out. You got rid of it. You brought 00:35:07.969 --> 00:35:12.309 it into the light, thus giving us the ability, 00:35:12.369 --> 00:35:15.329 as Paul wrote, don't worry about anything. Pray 00:35:15.329 --> 00:35:17.750 about everything. Tell God what you need and 00:35:17.750 --> 00:35:19.409 thank him for all he's done. Now, some of you 00:35:19.409 --> 00:35:21.530 are thinking, well, Chris, it says talk to God. 00:35:22.190 --> 00:35:26.269 Yes, I agree with that. It's true. But when we 00:35:26.269 --> 00:35:29.269 agree with others, when we bring others into 00:35:29.269 --> 00:35:32.989 the truth and agree together, there's power in 00:35:32.989 --> 00:35:36.469 agreement. We discussed last week where two or 00:35:36.469 --> 00:35:40.449 three are gathered together. Who's there? Jesus. 00:35:42.389 --> 00:35:45.389 Jesus is there. So therefore, we bring people 00:35:45.389 --> 00:35:49.210 into the midst of it. We speak it to God, we 00:35:49.210 --> 00:35:51.909 speak it to others, and there's power in the 00:35:51.909 --> 00:35:54.369 statement, and it makes change possible. We're 00:35:54.369 --> 00:35:57.130 actually putting into practice what Paul challenged 00:35:57.130 --> 00:36:00.789 us to do in 2 Corinthians 10 .5. We demolish 00:36:00.789 --> 00:36:03.090 arguments in every petition that sets us up against 00:36:03.090 --> 00:36:06.809 the knowledge of God, and we take captive every 00:36:06.809 --> 00:36:09.920 thought into making obedience to Christ. We're 00:36:09.920 --> 00:36:12.820 taking captive thoughts when we're speaking them 00:36:12.820 --> 00:36:15.239 out and telling God, telling others what we're 00:36:15.239 --> 00:36:18.340 struggling with. And when we speak it out, then 00:36:18.340 --> 00:36:21.460 God can move in our life. God can change us. 00:36:21.699 --> 00:36:26.480 The negativity goes. God's peace comes. Again, 00:36:26.679 --> 00:36:32.139 anxiety is not a sin. It's a signal. All right, 00:36:32.139 --> 00:36:33.619 you did better in the first gathering, but still 00:36:33.619 --> 00:36:39.590 terrible. It's a signal. That we need to go to 00:36:39.590 --> 00:36:42.010 God and get in his presence, which leads us to 00:36:42.010 --> 00:36:47.329 our second step. You transfer it. You transfer 00:36:47.329 --> 00:36:50.630 it. We take the anxiety out of our control. We 00:36:50.630 --> 00:36:53.750 give it to God. Remember, Jesus spoke out his 00:36:53.750 --> 00:36:56.550 stress to his friends. And then, continuing on, 00:36:56.630 --> 00:36:59.530 verse 35, 36, going a little further. He fell 00:36:59.530 --> 00:37:01.289 to the ground and prayed that if possible, the 00:37:01.289 --> 00:37:04.030 hour might pass from him. Abba, Father, he said. 00:37:04.779 --> 00:37:06.880 Everything is possible for you. Take this cup 00:37:06.880 --> 00:37:10.019 from me, yet not what I will, but what you will. 00:37:11.099 --> 00:37:14.300 See, Jesus didn't avoid his stress. Who did he 00:37:14.300 --> 00:37:17.980 give it to? Gave it to his friends, and then 00:37:17.980 --> 00:37:22.340 he gave it to God. He spoke it, and then he transferred 00:37:22.340 --> 00:37:25.719 it, which means we get into his presence, and 00:37:25.719 --> 00:37:29.989 we allow God to change us, John 14. Very truly, 00:37:30.050 --> 00:37:31.829 I tell you, whoever believes in me and will do 00:37:31.829 --> 00:37:33.570 the works that I've been doing, and they will 00:37:33.570 --> 00:37:35.889 do even greater things than these, because I 00:37:35.889 --> 00:37:40.030 am going to the Father. And I will do whatever 00:37:40.030 --> 00:37:42.010 you ask in my name so that the Father may be 00:37:42.010 --> 00:37:44.530 glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything 00:37:44.530 --> 00:37:47.570 in my name, and I will do it. So my question 00:37:47.570 --> 00:37:51.329 to you this morning is this. Do you think and 00:37:51.329 --> 00:37:53.710 believe that God wants you free of stress, doubt, 00:37:53.869 --> 00:37:57.130 fear, anxiety, and worry? You're darn right he 00:37:57.130 --> 00:38:01.969 does. Because our God is shalom, shalom. And 00:38:01.969 --> 00:38:04.650 he desires that we walk in perfect peace with 00:38:04.650 --> 00:38:06.829 him, though we're not going to have peace around 00:38:06.829 --> 00:38:10.070 us in this world. One day we will experience 00:38:10.070 --> 00:38:14.190 nothing but peace in his kingdom. Because after 00:38:14.190 --> 00:38:15.769 all, he told us that he's going to prepare a 00:38:15.769 --> 00:38:17.349 room for us. And not only will he prepare a room 00:38:17.349 --> 00:38:19.010 for us, but he will come back to take us to be 00:38:19.010 --> 00:38:25.550 with him. Right? So now we're going to put it 00:38:25.550 --> 00:38:28.960 into practice with God. And today is communion 00:38:28.960 --> 00:38:32.780 Sunday. So don't stand yet. If you need an element, 00:38:32.920 --> 00:38:37.000 put one hand up quickly. If you need gluten -free, 00:38:37.079 --> 00:38:41.559 put two hands up. All right, let's move quick. 00:38:42.079 --> 00:38:45.519 Got one hand here. A couple of hands here in 00:38:45.519 --> 00:38:50.360 the middle. A couple of hands over there. Just 00:38:50.360 --> 00:38:52.460 so you guys know, every first Sunday of the month 00:38:52.460 --> 00:38:56.260 at HCV, we practice communion together. So therefore, 00:38:56.340 --> 00:38:57.900 when it's the first Sunday of the month and you 00:38:57.900 --> 00:39:01.199 come through the vegetable, that's right, I can't 00:39:01.199 --> 00:39:03.099 pronounce it, but that's okay. You know what 00:39:03.099 --> 00:39:06.539 I mean. Make sure you get a communion element. 00:39:07.760 --> 00:39:13.420 I like to make fun of myself. Kelsey, Mike, can 00:39:13.420 --> 00:39:18.440 I have one? Thank you. All right, let's stand 00:39:18.440 --> 00:39:26.949 together. So here's what we're going to do to 00:39:26.949 --> 00:39:33.230 close. Just so if you're new here, we do communion 00:39:33.230 --> 00:39:35.369 one Sunday a month, first Sunday of the month. 00:39:36.650 --> 00:39:38.929 And at HTV, we believe this is a supernatural 00:39:38.929 --> 00:39:42.429 encounter with the living God. This is an ordinance 00:39:42.429 --> 00:39:45.090 that Jesus commanded us to do to remember his 00:39:45.090 --> 00:39:47.210 actions on the cross. Therefore, this is an opportunity 00:39:47.210 --> 00:39:52.849 for you to literally meet the living God. We 00:39:52.849 --> 00:39:57.559 take this seriously. And we believe that God 00:39:57.559 --> 00:40:01.199 can change your life through it. The bread, what 00:40:01.199 --> 00:40:03.300 I want you to do today, representing Jesus' broken 00:40:03.300 --> 00:40:10.679 body, I want this bread to be what it is that 00:40:10.679 --> 00:40:13.519 you're worried about, what you're anxious about, 00:40:13.619 --> 00:40:15.480 what you're overwhelmed about. So before we eat 00:40:15.480 --> 00:40:17.340 it, I want you to think about it, and I want 00:40:17.340 --> 00:40:19.340 you to give it to God and say, God, this is it. 00:40:19.519 --> 00:40:22.500 This is it. This is pulling me down. I'm worried. 00:40:22.559 --> 00:40:26.300 I'm stressed. Whatever it may be. And then with 00:40:26.300 --> 00:40:29.340 the juice, before we drink the juice, I want 00:40:29.340 --> 00:40:32.119 you to transfer it back to God. Give it back 00:40:32.119 --> 00:40:35.659 to him. And then say, God, forgive me for the 00:40:35.659 --> 00:40:39.659 mistakes I made in this past day, week, month, 00:40:39.800 --> 00:40:43.019 whatever it may be. Lay it down, give it back 00:40:43.019 --> 00:40:45.039 to God, and receive his grace and forgiveness. 00:40:45.159 --> 00:40:48.519 Amen? On the night he was betrayed, Jesus took 00:40:48.519 --> 00:40:52.059 bread. He broke it. He gave it to his disciples 00:40:52.059 --> 00:40:53.860 and said, take, eat. This is my body, which is 00:40:53.860 --> 00:40:57.380 broken for you, and do it. In remembrance of 00:40:57.380 --> 00:41:03.940 me. Let's eat and give it to God. Likewise, after 00:41:03.940 --> 00:41:07.699 supper, he took the cup of wine, said, this is 00:41:07.699 --> 00:41:09.500 my blood which is shed for you and for many for 00:41:09.500 --> 00:41:12.539 the forgiveness of sins. Drink it often. When 00:41:12.539 --> 00:41:16.340 you do, do it in remembrance of me. And this 00:41:16.340 --> 00:41:18.840 is where you transfer it back to God. Seek that 00:41:18.840 --> 00:41:21.920 forgiveness for holding on to control. Give it 00:41:21.920 --> 00:41:24.280 back to God. Transfer it back. and then receive 00:41:24.280 --> 00:41:30.579 his grace. Amen? Let's drink. Jesus, we're grateful 00:41:30.579 --> 00:41:32.440 for a Sunday where we can get real with you. 00:41:33.699 --> 00:41:35.940 We're grateful for a Sunday where we can gather 00:41:35.940 --> 00:41:40.860 together and learn about your promises. God, 00:41:40.920 --> 00:41:43.019 may we all be different than when we walked into 00:41:43.019 --> 00:41:46.059 this place. And if there's anyone here, God, 00:41:46.179 --> 00:41:49.960 that's not in a relationship with you, God, I 00:41:49.960 --> 00:41:51.719 just pray you give them the boldness to pray 00:41:51.719 --> 00:41:54.230 this prayer right now. And some of you are thinking, 00:41:54.250 --> 00:41:55.909 well, Chris, you pray this prayer every week. 00:41:55.929 --> 00:41:57.489 I sure do. You know why? Because when I stand 00:41:57.489 --> 00:42:00.429 before God, I don't want God to look back at 00:42:00.429 --> 00:42:02.710 me and say, but you didn't give him an opportunity. 00:42:04.289 --> 00:42:05.929 Every time we gather, you're going to be given 00:42:05.929 --> 00:42:08.170 an opportunity, and I'll do it over and over 00:42:08.170 --> 00:42:10.730 and over again because I want to win the many 00:42:10.730 --> 00:42:14.429 for God's kingdom. Amen? So if you're distant, 00:42:14.510 --> 00:42:16.989 far from God, not in a relationship with him 00:42:16.989 --> 00:42:19.170 or walked away from him, pray these words with 00:42:19.170 --> 00:42:22.880 us and welcome home. Let's pray. Jesus. I'm broken. 00:42:23.320 --> 00:42:29.300 I'm full of doubt, shame, regret, sin. Change 00:42:29.300 --> 00:42:34.780 me. Forgive me. I believe you're God's son. I 00:42:34.780 --> 00:42:39.539 believe you died for me. I believe you're alive 00:42:39.539 --> 00:42:44.900 today. Make me new. Set me free. Fill me with 00:42:44.900 --> 00:42:50.019 your spirit. Help me, God, to serve others. In 00:42:50.019 --> 00:42:54.269 Jesus' name. Amen. So if you prayed that prayer, 00:42:54.389 --> 00:42:57.489 see me, see Rudy. We want to give you some next 00:42:57.489 --> 00:43:00.690 steps. I'm going to that door. So that's going 00:43:00.690 --> 00:43:02.909 to remain closed. So anybody on this half, you 00:43:02.909 --> 00:43:05.889 might as well just chill. Because I'm going to 00:43:05.889 --> 00:43:07.690 say goodbye to you, whether you like it or not. 00:43:08.869 --> 00:43:10.829 This is going to be a great series. Invite your 00:43:10.829 --> 00:43:12.829 friends. The month of July is all about God's 00:43:12.829 --> 00:43:15.730 promises. Amen. Have a great rest of your week. 00:43:38.860 --> 00:43:39.300 Nice.