Gateway Church's Podcast
The Nature and Character of Peace
A Gateway Sermon
Isaiah chapter 9 and I'm going to read verse 6. This is not a Christmas message. Don't worry verse verse 6 is this for a child will be born to us a Son will be given to us and the government will rest on his shoulders and his name will be called wonderful counselor Mighty God eternal father Prince of peace. Let's bow our hearts. I want to pray over this father. I ask Lord you to give us ears to hear Minds that can comprehend and hearts that understand Lord. I pray we would not just hear the voice of man tonight But we hear the voice of God Lord meet every need here every need father in Jesus name Amen, amen. I'm gonna speak to you tonight about peace But before I do I want to show you a verse in in second Peter chapter 1 You don't have a Bible. We're gonna bring those up on the overhead up there second Peter chapter 1 And I'm gonna read two verses here verse 12 and 13 the apostle Peter is speaking to the church Who already knows everything he's about to instruct them and this is still what he had to say to them get a load of this It says therefore I shall always be ready to remind you of these things Even though you already know them and have been established in the truth Which is present with you verse 13 and I consider it right as long as I am in this earthly dwelling to stir you up by way of reminder I want to give you a quick disclaimer tonight. You may not hear very much. That's new Some of the things that you're going to hear tonight You've heard maybe all of your life about peace people have preached this and taught this for years But tonight what we're asking God for is not necessarily new information. We're asking for fresh revelation and a fresh word from God Even if it's something you heard before can bring a new change in your heart tonight And that's what we're believing God for and so the title of this message is called the nature and character of peace and what nature and character Simply means it simply means what peace is and what peace does and so Isaiah chapter nine verse six calls Jesus the Prince of peace one of his names is the Prince of peace Peace is such a premium with God that he makes it part of his royal name. That's that's a very big deal It's a priority to God. It's very important and that's the good news. The bad news is about peace See it's good news bad news situation the bad news about peace is that it's very rare Peace is a rare thing in the earth most people that come to a church come for some reason that has to do with Achieving a sense of peace in their life. This is why most people gather at the house of God It's it's it's it has a lot of different aspects to it But at the at the core of what we're really after usually is peace what we're really seeking is a place where we can find rest Deep inside But the bad news is this peace is rare pieces rare in the earth and anything that's rare in the earth Guess what it becomes valuable the rarer or something is the more valuable it is And so I want to give you this statement peace is the highest hottest most valuable commodity on earth today It is the highest commodity above anything else in the stock market if you could somehow bottle peace You would sell it for more than Microsoft's stock You would just you would bank immediately if you could bottle the essence of peace and sell it to people That's the way it works, but there's bad news because it's rare. I want to give you these statistics now You might question where did these come? These are from researchers in Germany as well as India. I put the two together These are just Generalities I don't think we can nail it down to specifics, but since the year 3600 BC 3600 BC the world has known only 292 years of peace Think about it and during this period there have been 14,351 wars large and small in which 3.64 billion people have been killed Don't worry. It gets better. God. I'm not gonna God bless you and dismiss you so you can go to your car and think about war Good huh as a matter of fact in the past 300 years there have been 286 wars on the continent of Europe alone You thought the Middle East was a hotbed of that stuff and it's estimated that the value of Property destroyed over these wars would pay for a golden belt that would wrap all the way around the earth 33 feet thick and over 97 miles wide That's what the lack of peace has cost our world and there's there's no exception today There's no exception today in every country you can see and America is no exception America is no exception to the lack of peace either internally or externally as matter of fact since 9/11 The the destruction of the world trade center towers People have begun to flock to churches more than ever and the number one reason people say that they're beginning to go to church nowadays is because They're trying to find a place where they can find hope But I want to tell you that hope is not the root cause of why you go Hope is hope is hope is actually just evidence of what you're really after what you're hoping for is peace And people who are after peace will go to a great measure to find it, but in our country right now It is the central issue. I want to give you these statements. It's the central issue in our country domestic terror security central issue to our nation Stability of the stock market rests on these wars or lack of them violent crime in our cities falls close behind In our government with our president peacekeeping in Iraq It's his central priority the biggest priority has the middle east conflict Which is ongoing and some have given up. Hope that it will ever end. I believe it will end when the king comes back Lays his foot there. That's when it's gonna settle all the differences Also foreign threats against our allies abroad the bombings that have gone on in spain We see what's happening because what's important is that peace is kept for our own stability whether Whether at home or abroad peace is just a central issue in our society anti-depressants In the united states anti-depressant sales in the last two years have gone up 400 Now you could easily argue that this has nothing to do with lack of peace But simply just good madison avenue advertising. I don't know if you've ever seen any of these commercials for any depressants, but they are depressing You ever seen one of these what happens is that the the commercial comes on and you hear this really kind of a minor scale music It's like Maybe you don't watch as much tv as I do praise the lord Anyway, and and they go through this music and there's like some really sad scene and you're watching it You know music is a very powerful tool and all of a sudden this voice comes on says, are you sad? Yeah, um kind of sad Are you anxious? Sometimes are you afraid? Yes You need this product and It whether it's the result of that kind of advertising or the need for peace in america Sales are up 400 in two years. It's a multi-billion dollar industry That our nation is bought into There's a non-stop barrage of self-help quick diet facts relax fast relax Hyper entertainment options to relieve the looming sense that something just isn't right That's the nation we live in peace is the hottest commodity the greatest commodity on earth right now The lack of peace Has led to what is known in america now is america's addictive epidemic and I want to read you this quote From woody alan not because I honor or respect woody alan Maybe he didn't hear that Woody alan I don't honor or respect him, but what I do think is he is indicative Of the attitude of a post-modern culture that is up and coming right now in our nation This is what woody alan says. He says I think there is just no winning in this life. No real peace Reality is a very painful Tough thing that you just have to learn and cope with in some way What a depressing attitude from a famous man who has plenty of money plenty of success And all of the basically all of the accolades that earth can offer through hollywood He says you know what there's no real peace We just have to learn to cope and so what we've done is we've added addiction after addiction in our country But the more addictions we add the more we find the problem isn't getting better It's getting worse because we're after his peace And peace can only come from the prince now It's like the woman who called the doctor now. This is a bit of a joke Don't don't think i'm telling you a real story, but woman called the doctor. She said doctor come quick It's my husband But what seems to be the problem he replied calmly well He got up this morning and took his vitamin pill. Yes, the doctor replied Then he took his appetite suppressant drank six cups of coffee took his anti-depressant his tranquilizer his anti-histamine and some benzodream Then he lit up a cigarette. There was a huge explosion [laughter] See the problem with fixing something Through any other means by by other than which the the the the real answer is derived It leads to only having to pile on more and more. That's what addictions are If you're here tonight and you're bound by an addiction, I want to guarantee you this the addiction you're struggling with is simply Something that fills the place of true peace in your life Peace is the greatest commodity in the world No peace i that's why is a nine six says that jesus is the prince of peace Is a quote by adison leech i love the way he says this our trouble is that we wanted the peace without the prince You can't have the peace without the prince It's the hottest commodity And the bad news is it's rare But the good news is it can be given but it only comes from one place and that's through jesus Now like i said if this is new information to you i'm glad but most of you are probably going we we we know that that there's divan Don't they tell you that namarillo Yes, they do see the world offers us either changes of chemistry Or changes of circumstance, but true peace only belongs to the prince. I want to read you this. This is out of john chapter 14 Take a look at the word. Let the word like take a look at us john chapter 14 starting in verse 25 jesus says it this way He says these things i have spoken to you while abiding with you But the helper the holy spirit whom the father will send in my name He will teach you all things and bring to you remember it's all that i have said and then he makes a ground breaking statement In verse 27. He says peace i leave with you my peace i give to you Not as the world gives do i give to you let not your heart be trouble nor let it be fearful What jesus says in verse 27 of john 14 is this the rarest commodity on earth the greatest commodity on earth is given for free You only have to come to one source It's given it's peace is a freebie It's it's it's as free as asking for it. Jesus doesn't say my peace i leave with you and you can earn it if you do this He says i'll give it to you for free Just ask for me and i'll give you peace tonight if you want to ask from jesus to give you peace he'll give you peace But see that messes with our carnal mind the bible says the carnal mind The natural thinking is an imity against god and so we argue with god and we say no god Surely i have to earn it surely i have to live out this perfect christian walk or surely lord i'm going to need these these certain bits of entertainment along the way to kind of subsidize what you give but jesus says i give you peace And it's enough and i want to tell you something when god says something whether we believe it or not it still stands true It's like the law of gravity you may not believe the law of gravity, but it does not exempt you from its effects or it's truth Trust me go stand don't do this but try and stand on top of a tall building and jump off You can disbelieve gravity all you want to but eventually you're going to prove gravity And you know the bible says there's pleasure and sin for a season so you may be falling and just saying uh There's no gravity i'm right i'm floating but see eventually circumstances You come face to face with them and you know you don't disprove god's law you prove it It's like the little girl You're about the little eight-year-old girl. She wrote a she wrote a paper in her class or her assignment was to write a paper in her class on And some great historical figure and she chose to write on the book of jona jona in the well that story from the from the scripture Now the the story included jona obviously being swallowed by a whale and the teacher Pulled her aside afterwards just kind of straighten her out and told her she said listen i need you to understand that this story is just a metaphor It didn't really happen. The little girl said yes, it did happen. It's written right here in the bible. It happened She said no it didn't really happen. It's just a story to kind of communicate a deeper truth She said no jona was swallowed by the whale and the teacher said well i'm gonna have to just you know bash her hopes right here She said you need to understand honey that even though a whale is a tremendously large fish It has a very small throat and there's no way it's literally physically impossible For a human being to pass through the throat of a whale and the little girl says no It's in the bible therefore it's true and therefore it happened And and the teacher just being stubborn is i'll get out. She says well, i'll tell you what there's no way you can prove it But I can prove that the whale's throat is too small. She says well, I know what i'm going to do I'm going to ask jona one day when I get to heaven When I get to heaven, I'm gonna ask jona how that happened And the teacher looks at her thinking that she's witty she says well What if you get to heaven and you find out jona's in hell and the eight-year-old says well, then you can ask him (Laughter) Spare us all the arguments when you're being offered something for free The best thing to do is say thank you god. I'll take it and not try it, but i'll take it Arguments against god's word. They're all futile. Let me read you this in Matthew chapter 10 and verse 34 Matthew chapter 10 and verse 34 Jesus says something that seems like a contradiction, but there are no contradictions in scripture He says do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth Doesn't that seem like the opposite of what we just read? But what he says is don't think that I came to bring peace on the earth I did not come to bring peace, but a sword you see jesus is simply saying here I didn't come to bring the kind of peace the world brings I came to bring the kind of peace that I have that i'm giving Because the world the only peace the world can possibly give is the exemption of certain circumstance or problems or a change in your perception through chemistry That's the only way that the world can offer you any semblance of peace. Look at Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 14 Ephesians chapter 2 verse 14. I realize the overheads are probably beating me to these scriptures Because well they're faster It says this it says for he himself speaking about Jesus. He himself is our peace Who has made both groups into one and broken down the barrier of the dividing wall? I want to tell you this scripture says that what Jesus gave was actually himself And so he doesn't give peace like the world gives but he gives it like God gives it And I want to give you the statement true peace from God is not the absence of war It's the presence of God And the peace that God gives you can have in the midst of war And this is a beautiful thing to know because the presence of God is what we can all have Despite your circumstances and if for us christians, I want to tell you if you're a believer here tonight This earth right now no matter how unpeaceful it may seem when you're going to leave this church You may have problems and issues when you leave this church you may feel like the world's collapsing around you I want to give you this encouragement if you're a believer here tonight This world is as close to hell as you're ever get But if you're here tonight and you don't know Jesus christ your sins have not been forgiven You haven't surrendered your life yet. This earth is as close to heaven as you're ever going to get That That's up to us It's up to what we what we do with the truth that God's giving us he's saying listen I want to give a free gift. I want to give out peace here. It's yours for the taking We don't need to argue with it. We simply need to come and say lord It's the greatest commodity and it's given for free and i'll take it and you'll be given a chance to do that tonight If that's your choice God is offering it though. It's the greatest commodity Matter of fact, I want to let you know this in in john 427 when jesus is speaking what we looked at i'm rather 14 27 What we looked at earlier This verse where he says peace i leave with you my peace i give to you This was not the son of god standing around casually just going you know what everything is just great My life is going great. Hey, here's some peace. Here's some of what I have I want you to know that not just an hour or so before he made this statement The bible said he was troubled in his spirit when he realized that judas was going to betray him And did you know that not only an hour or so after this statement about peace Was when jesus would cross the brook kid drawing and go into the garden to get seminee and suffer for our sins That's where the first drops of blood began. I love that mill Gibson movie. Is that okay to say here? Oh my gosh We talk about it all the time. That was a life changer. I don't think i talked for three days and for a preacher that's huge Think about it before he went to that garden where the movie began an hour or so before when this scripture took place Jesus said to his disciples. I have plenty of peace. I'm going to give it to you And it had nothing to do with his outward circumstances It had everything to do with the presence of god abiding with him. Now. That is the nature of peace The nature of peace. It's the greatest commodity and it's given for free But there are two other things I want to say to you about peace because we're going to talk about two things that is the character of peace In other words, what peace does? Oftentimes we as christians just think peace is just this kind of static love blob of oh everything's warm and fuzzy All the bills are paid. Everything's great. I must be at peace But peace does two key things that we need to know in the life of a believer What it does for you is very very important turning your bibles over Two Colossians chapter three. We're going to read Colossians chapter three starting in verse 12 Boy, it's fun preaching at a word church You can tell people that read the bible. Thank god for you guys. We are so grateful for this church I'm just doing that in for free. It's not in my notes Verse 12 we're going to start in verse 12 or read through verse 15 It says and so as those who have been chosen of god holy and beloved put on a heart of compassion Kindness humility gentleness and patience bearing with one another and forgiving each other whoever has a complaint against anyone Just as the lord forgave you so also should you Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity and watch this verse 15 is the kick It says and let the peace of christ Rule in your hearts To which you were indeed called in one body and be thankful that first part of verse 15 We're going to leave up here for a moment. It says verse verse 15 says let the peace of christ rule I want to tell you a little bit of greek here not because I think we all need to know greek I love what pastor robert says most of our problem is that we don't understand english You know, but it's good to understand a little bit of the language that this was spoken in this word rule where it says Let the peace of christ rule this word now. I'm not a greek scholar. So if you are don't don't email me or heckle me This word is brab yo, see it may be ichakta. I don't know but I'm not a theologian, but I can read what they wrote Rule the word in the greek is brab yo And this word literally translates into guess what? To rule or oversee as an umpire brab yo a brabias was someone who was an umpire in the greek games Do you realize this so what paul is saying to the christians is he's saying God gives you peace. You need to let the peace of christ rule or brab yo or be the brabias In your heart in other words, let it umpire Now It's important to know what an umpire does Well simple an umpire in any game all they do is they either say it's left or right It's fair or foul Right, it's what it's it's inner. It's out. It's black or it's white as a matter of fact That's why umpires wear those, you know, ex convic looking get-ups And I used to wonder when I was a kid, why do they all look like jails? Well, see the reason for that is because what they're saying is there's no gray in our decision It's either in or it's out Wouldn't you hate now? We almost have this with instant replay, but I won't go there because I have a few more months of calm and peace but till the cowboys begin to win again And they will I can prove it in the word, but I don't have time um Listen Hey, we love it in Amarillo too When when when the when the word says let it umpire what the bible is saying is that peace has the ability to stand in your heart And decide left or right Fair or foul inner out black or white In other words peace is not only the the greatest commodity and given for free. It is the guide of our life Peace is the guide of our life now. I want to illustrate this with you so with two volunteers who we paid to come up here No, um, can I have natasha and and cam come on up here and would you guys just give these guys a big hand uh cam come on up buddy I'm not doing it this way to insult your intelligence But sometimes when we see something with our eyes it causes us to remember it a little better natasha Could you just stand like right there and and cam? Oh my gosh If you're in junior high, I pity you I mean because if you're a troublemaker Yeah, you can stand right there, buddy Basically what I want you to get is a picture of this because for the these two points i'm going to use these two great people Um natasha is going to represent the believer. She's all of us She's just basically all of us trying to do her best walking for jesus christ She has the peace of god offered to her cam is going to represent the peace of christ Which passes all understanding that you know and he could surpass a lot Um cam represents the peace of christ now. What happens is I want to read you this verse Uh, this is roman's chapter eight and verse 14. I don't need to turn there. I hope you don't either But it says those who are being led by the spirit of god These are the sons of god and so the goal in life for for the peace of christ is that we as christians be guided By the spirit of god now the conversation always enters around in christian circles. How do you hear god? How do you know what god's saying? How do you really know? I want to tell you this the most spiritual way to hear god in any issue is to follow the gentle peaceful leading of the holy spirit This is a very simple basic basic issue. This is not hard to understand. Just think of it this way The most intimate relationships you have in your life. You don't have to talk too very loud I don't know how many of you have a two-year-old, but they can't be real intimate Now I have a 10-year-old and eight-year-old and a four-year-old and a two-year-old I think I got that right. It seems like it changes every year Now the two-year-old the two-year-old I sometimes have to you know abby abby abby abby abby and see that's because she's less mature I have to be a little louder a little more force the 10-year-old however and even the eight-year-old and sometimes the four-year-old He's a he's a bit of a handful. I can I can actually guide without even a word I can use just a gesture if you're a parent in here. You know what I'm talking about You know the gestures like I love you and your your child sees that and they're like oh And then there's the Now the is directly related to the chin I found the chin's up That's like you better remember what you're trained in And the chin goes down And they know I'm thinking the scripture The rod of correction will drive it far from me. Oh my god and with a look I can direct my child Listen cal will you stand right back here behind Natasha? If this is the piece of christ Just put your hands at your side there If this is the piece of christ and it's acts as an umpire in our heart then somehow in our heart Peace is able if there is a decision and it's black or it's white and she has she's at a crossroads of which way to go The piece of christ can easily direct you don't have to move I I couldn't move you anyway but Easily by putting your hand up like this and going like this See that's how the holy spirit works in her heart. He says it's this way and there's a piece He doesn't have to lean in her you're going to tasha that says the lord, you know me just jesus see See the nails and the the piercing see Remember that guy didn't have a lot of faith the more mature believer Can hear god peacefully inside and let's say it's this way and the holy spirit gives a god and goes this way And that's a good way to be guided Piece that that comes into your heart you can put your arm down. Thank you Don't you hope that's how the angels look walking behind you just like this Isaiah chapter 30 and verse 21 bring this verse up. I want to show you this it says your ears will hear a word behind you This is the way walk in it whenever you turn to the right or to the left not to the upper of the down because our face is to be straight But when there's a decision to be made it's the peace of god that passes all understanding in our hearts guys That as we receive that free gift that gives us that guidance in that direction That's the first thing it does peace is a guide. It's tremendous. God if you're facing a tough decision here I'm telling you let us pray for you tonight We're going to have some altar counselors down here who just want to agree with you and say god I asked that you would just give peace and if you'll always follow follow peace you'll never ever regret it Peace is a guide. Okay. Next. I want you to turn. Could you guys just hang here if you'll move to the side? Not unitage. You can stand here. Are you comfortable? Would you like some water? Okay and cam come on over here. Thank you, sir I want you to see uh go to proverbs chapter three. I'm sorry chapter four. We're gonna look at proverbs chapter four Okay, only have two more hours. I'll talk fast if you Don't moan proverbs chapter four and this is uh verse 23 Oh, this is a great scripture. I mean you hear this all the time Watch over your heart with diligence for from it flow the springs of life that word literally translated means guard Guard your heart with all diligence for from it flow the springs of life I know we've all heard this guard your heart someone tell you now brother guard your heart guard your heart that is That is one of the most discouraging things in the world. If no one tells you how You ever tried to guard your heart and you just fail It's terrible. Do you think I tried to guard my heart but i'm not a good guard and so now my heart's unguarded and now i got all messed up Especially for us guys For men in the room. Let me speak to you just specifically There is nothing more frustrating for a man when he knows what he should do but doesn't know how to do it It's very discouraging. I remember my first job at jack-in-the-box. Yes, I worked at jack-in-the-box Working at the jack-in-the-box I worked at was a very low-level position. Okay, there's like there's Hades right here And then there's jack-in-the-box right Above that I went to work there because I wanted to pay for my car and I began doing this job And I had a manager that for some reason she didn't just hate me. She she hated life and people And in green things she was like something from lord of the ring. She's mean person Very mean very angry And so she was always mean to me and she would give me past and she would never tell me how to do them And so about maybe my fourth day on the job I was working in as one of the cooks and i'm you know sweating and laboring And what happens is she comes back and she screams over the top of that little tray thing, you know La Blanc french fries. That's all she says I'm like boss hamburgers what? Now It's lunchtime it's lunch rush and so what I do is I I go okay, you know because i'm smart I said she wants french fries. So I go to the the french fry thing and I realize there are no french fries There it is there's little baskets there, but there are no french fries and then I realize she wants me to get french fries made Okay, the problem is now i'm in this circumstance of knowing how what I am supposed to do But I don't know how to do it. So I begin just freaking out I'm looking for anything to cook as a french fry i'm about to fry straws, you know, maybe they won't know It's jack of the box after all and so it's taking many many minutes and you know drive through time is like an attorney a minute and drive Through times like an attorney. It's like microwave time everything speeds up or slows down depending on who's pitching or catching and I'm standing there trying to find the french fries. She is at the at the counter of the drive through screaming at me Two words la blanc french fries la blanc french fries la blanc Meanwhile the cars are backing up around the building coming this way there are hand gestures Going on and I don't know how to do it. So finally she comes over she pushes me out of the way She opens up this little sliding door and below the fryer pulls out the french fries Here's the bag open dumps him in there and walks away and I felt terrible I think sometimes people hear this scripture and they see guard your heart for out of it flow all the issues of life and they go I know i'm supposed to do it. I know I should do it. I even want to do it I want to do what's right, but I need to know the how to I want to give you a little hint here It's not just a hint. It's right out of god's word. Look at philippians chapter four and verse six and seven philippians chapter four and we're gonna start in verse six Paul Speaking to the church at philipi He says this here's another great you should be anxious for nothing. Oh boy. That's great, isn't it? Don't you love it when the brothers encourage you be anxious for nothing You go, okay It's not working here is gonna help Be anxious for nothing But in everything watch by prayer and supplication now that's the easy part watch this with thanksgiving Let your request be made known to god this key here is not the prayer in the in the in the The supplication rather. It's the thanksgiving. That's the hard part because you naturally pray. God help Oh my gosh, what am I gonna do? And you speak to god, but what god's looking for he's looking for these petitions with thanksgiving And I want to show you what happens when you become a person who's thankful And you say you know what god? I don't know how to guard my heart god I don't know how to get rid of anxiety. I just don't know how to do it But you can show me lord, and then I can do it because I need peace This is what verse seven says it says and the peace god Which surpasses all comprehension? Shall guard your hearts and your minds in christ jesus. Here's a little more greek lesson. This word guard is Froreo It's composed of two words. The first one is fro it means to stand in front of And haraho means to stare at you put the two together and the word this word guard for raho means to watch diligently to guard as with violent expectation I'm gonna read that definition again Think about this if you'll pray with thanksgiving the peace of god which surpasses all comprehension not your own strength It will guard it will it will sure up the the empty places it will watch diligently to guard with a violent expectation over your heart and over your mind in christ jesus Now I want to give you this little bit of history the the church at phillipi understood the illustration paul was speaking about Because phillipi probably some of you know this phillipi was located right in the heart of the roman empire On one side was asia Well on one side was asia and on the other side was italy and so there was a road that ran between right between the mountain ranges Called avia agnacia. This was the main roman road all the commerce between the east and the west Ran through the heart of the roman empire and the heart of the roman empire was phillipi So they understood guarding it. It was in a valley surrounded by two mountain ranges amazing word picture there And what what paul is saying is when you when you give thanks in prayer Peace comes and guards it through way hose your heart It sets up a staring contest against the enemy and watches with violent expectations That's what he was saying if you'll just do that now I want to show you this it looks back you off over here cam because the piece of god is available to her But she's just going to be a normal christian who never came to gateway and heard this message. Okay A lot of times can you just help me we get bummed out so it'd be kind of bummed out She's kind of bummed out All of these circumstances, you know, there's the war in iraq and i'm you know i'm going to play the enemy I there's the war in iraq, you know your car payments late, you know, we got this little issue with the kids, you know I don't know where that next job's coming from and the devil comes up and he does this he goes Natasha It's terrible, isn't it? It's terrible World's falling apart. They probably don't even like you at church That old keyboard gig. I don't know if that's going to work out or not It's pretty bad. We just need to kind of be depressed. Hey, you know Look, there's a commercial right there if you take that that will really help you find peace or look try this vacation Let's go over here in natasha. You see and no matter how much she prays no matter how hard she tries She cannot fight off the enemy in her own strength no matter how short she pushes and she says no Would you get away from me? I bind you in jesus name in the estra runaway, but then you know he comes back Oh, I just want peace and with the voice of the enemy just shut up I need to guard my heart But what the bible says is that with natasha will take what she has and present it before god in worship Let's put your hands up just like this and be thankful and in a place of worship and a place of saying god You are so good despite my circumstances despite the war in iraq and god if they take my car You'll give me a new one and god I'm trusting you with my kids and my family my job What happens is when that when she does that piece that passes understanding now comes in front and stands right in front of natasha And now it goes I am watching you with violent expectation So when the enemy comes it says well, I'm gonna come talk to natasha now Hey, you you better Gonna miss that Okay second side to it. She puts up. She put her hands down. No. No. No. What's she's not grateful now look what happens is Okay, she put her hands down moving back over here. So peace what happens somehow my peace left Oh, you ever had that happen? I felt such peace and now it's gone. Where could the peace have gone? Peace is contingent upon her thankfulness according to philippians 4/7 So when it goes to the enemy comes right back and go. Oh good. He's over there Just don't worship whatever you do don't get thankful You have the ugliest dog on the street You're think about this in a real sense of our teenagers in this country your parents wish you were never born They don't love you all these people at church are looking at you funky They don't even really like you is all this even real come on. Let's talk about this so long again now look now when this comes back You need to be in to place your order or you need to change your circumstance and go to Hawaii See the fight that she needs to fight is not with the devil It's with her own heart and when she raises her hands in worship here she goes Peace comes back in and i'm sitting here talking He just jams it out and now i'm displaced again and it goes back and forth But if we as christians will say you know what i want this in front of me my whole life I want my heart in my mind to be guarded i'm going to stay thankful i'm going to keep my hands up in peace Will guide me and guard me give these guys a big hand. Thank you guys. Appreciate it. Thank you Amen Would you stand with me tonight i'm just going to pray before pastor tom comes and we're going to give you a chance to Come forward and get prayed over Now don't let the enemy accuse you for that Would you bow your hearts right where you are between you and godfather Would i ask that you'd speak to us right now Right where you are just ask the holy spirit lord, what are you saying to me? What have you got for me and this lord Father i pray for those god Lord that i've never met you That need to be given a free gift They need peace lord. I pray they'd come and receive the free gift the greatest commodity on earth Or to ask for those god that are in need of guidance tonight lord, make decisions Life and death situations. They need the empire of their heart. Jesus come and be our peace and guide us Or do I pray for those god that struggle with anxiety and fears lord We ask you jesus come and be our peace and set up guard in front of us god. We're going to be thankful people Grateful for all you've done father What i ask god you're blessing on the house lord as you continue your work here I thank you for that in advance in jesus name Amen