1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:05,080 We are one church. We love God, love people, love 2 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:08,800 his mission and love his church. Welcome to the One Church 3 00:00:08,800 --> 00:00:16,760 Podcast. Hello everyone, it's Chris here. 4 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,440 It's Monday the 21st of August, and wherever you're joining us 5 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:23,840 from, we're glad that you've tuned in to this week's podcast 6 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:26,000 before. We have the final part of our 7 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:27,640 series, Looking at the Names of God. 8 00:00:28,180 --> 00:00:30,140 I wanted to encourage you with this thought. 9 00:00:30,980 --> 00:00:35,220 Not only can we know God by name, but He knows us by name as 10 00:00:35,220 --> 00:00:37,580 well. So whenever you may feel 11 00:00:38,060 --> 00:00:41,380 discouraged or overwhelmed, remember this. 12 00:00:41,860 --> 00:00:45,500 The creator of the universe knows you by name. 13 00:00:46,500 --> 00:00:49,540 And now open up your hearts as we prepare to hear the word of 14 00:00:49,540 --> 00:00:54,140 God with a message brought to us by Tom, recorded at the OB site 15 00:00:54,420 --> 00:01:01,800 yesterday. Names are important. 16 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:05,200 Without a name, it would be very hard to introduce yourself. 17 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:09,160 When my children were young, when Annabelle was a baby, we 18 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:12,400 said to her, this is your grandma and this is your 19 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:16,440 granddad, my dad's parents. We called grandma and granddad 20 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,240 and we were quite keen that my parents would then be grandma 21 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,600 and granddad to our daughters. And so grandma. 22 00:01:23,090 --> 00:01:27,170 Granddad, Grandma, Granddad. And one day Annabelle opened her 23 00:01:27,170 --> 00:01:32,290 mouth and said me Ma. And since then she has been me 24 00:01:32,290 --> 00:01:34,410 ma. And then one day Annabelle 25 00:01:34,410 --> 00:01:39,610 opened their mouth and said Da. And since then he has been Da. 26 00:01:39,610 --> 00:01:43,210 But there's power in the name. In the Bible it says this 27 00:01:43,210 --> 00:01:48,330 glorify the Lord with me, let us exalt his name together. 28 00:01:48,370 --> 00:01:52,150 That's Psalm 34 verse 3. We glorify the Lord together, 29 00:01:52,150 --> 00:01:56,230 and we exalt His name. And His name is far more than 30 00:01:56,230 --> 00:02:00,430 just God or Lord. There is richness, depth, 31 00:02:00,750 --> 00:02:04,870 variety. There is amazing nuance to His 32 00:02:04,870 --> 00:02:07,190 name. And throughout the Bible, God is 33 00:02:07,190 --> 00:02:11,150 given many names, and each name describes one of His 34 00:02:11,150 --> 00:02:15,110 characteristics, his attributes, and who he is. 35 00:02:15,390 --> 00:02:19,310 And when we declare these names, we remind ourselves of who he 36 00:02:19,310 --> 00:02:21,720 is. We declare and we glorify him 37 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:25,200 for who he is, and we remind one another of who he is. 38 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,120 So it's a triple whammy. We build our own faith. 39 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:31,000 We glorify him, and we build up those around us. 40 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:35,720 So the three names of God we've looked at so far this summer is 41 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:38,200 Jehovah Nisi, the Lord Our Banner. 42 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:40,080 He is Jehovah Nisi. Who is he? 43 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,280 He is Jehovah Nisi. OK, that was good. 44 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:45,360 That was good. I think that uplifted a couple 45 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:47,760 of people very close to you, but most of them didn't hear. 46 00:02:48,150 --> 00:02:51,750 Who is he? He is Jehovah Nisi, and we raise 47 00:02:51,750 --> 00:02:54,230 him up as our banner today. He's Jehovah Jira. 48 00:02:54,230 --> 00:02:55,910 He's the Lord our provider. Who is he? 49 00:02:55,990 --> 00:03:00,390 He is Jehovah Jira, and he provides for all of our needs 50 00:03:00,510 --> 00:03:03,190 and he is in control. He is Jehovah Raffa. 51 00:03:03,310 --> 00:03:05,230 He's the Lord our Healer. Who is he? 52 00:03:05,230 --> 00:03:09,750 He is Jehovah Raffa, who heals your body, your emotions, 53 00:03:09,750 --> 00:03:11,710 spiritually, physically, every part of you. 54 00:03:11,830 --> 00:03:14,470 He is your healer. And today? 55 00:03:14,890 --> 00:03:17,810 Jehovah Shalom. Say that with me, Jehovah 56 00:03:17,810 --> 00:03:23,010 Shalom, the Lord is peace. And Lord today. 57 00:03:23,370 --> 00:03:26,970 May your divine peace rest in this place. 58 00:03:27,650 --> 00:03:32,530 The word Shalom, the Hebrew word for peace, is far more than just 59 00:03:33,090 --> 00:03:36,330 peace and quiet. The kind of peace that kids hear 60 00:03:36,330 --> 00:03:39,290 about. I just want some peace in this 61 00:03:39,290 --> 00:03:41,430 House. This morning, as we were getting 62 00:03:41,430 --> 00:03:44,190 ready to come to church quite early, and we opened the front 63 00:03:44,190 --> 00:03:45,870 door. And at that moment one of our 64 00:03:45,870 --> 00:03:49,350 children, I won't say who, but one of them who is perhaps had a 65 00:03:49,350 --> 00:03:52,150 birthday this week. She decided then to shout about 66 00:03:52,150 --> 00:03:54,310 her sandals. They're not tight enough. 67 00:03:54,550 --> 00:03:58,030 Mommy, you did them wrong. Peace. 68 00:03:58,190 --> 00:04:00,030 Shh. We don't want to wake the 69 00:04:00,030 --> 00:04:03,470 neighbors, but the Shalom we read about in the Bible is far 70 00:04:03,470 --> 00:04:07,070 more than just peace and quiet. Shalom in the Old Testament is a 71 00:04:07,070 --> 00:04:10,410 greeting. Shalom is a goodbye. 72 00:04:11,210 --> 00:04:13,090 Shalom is peace. But not just that. 73 00:04:13,090 --> 00:04:14,850 Peace and harmony with one another. 74 00:04:15,290 --> 00:04:20,529 Together we have Shalom. It's prosperity and welfare. 75 00:04:21,130 --> 00:04:24,370 In my life I have known the Shalom of God. 76 00:04:24,530 --> 00:04:27,250 He's given me all I need. I am Shalom. 77 00:04:27,250 --> 00:04:30,850 I am well. It's tranquility, just like 78 00:04:30,850 --> 00:04:31,690 peace. And Choir. 79 00:04:31,890 --> 00:04:33,650 We can have a moment that is Shalom. 80 00:04:33,730 --> 00:04:37,090 They can be a place that is Shalom but also. 81 00:04:37,730 --> 00:04:42,050 It's wholeness and completeness. Shalom. 82 00:04:42,570 --> 00:04:45,490 So in the Bible we hear references to buildings, 83 00:04:45,490 --> 00:04:50,490 temples, walls that are Shalom. They're Shalom, they are whole, 84 00:04:50,490 --> 00:04:53,570 completed. The final brick goes in and 85 00:04:53,570 --> 00:04:56,450 suddenly that place is Shalom. It's whole. 86 00:04:56,570 --> 00:05:00,610 It's complete. And today, we're going to hear 87 00:05:00,610 --> 00:05:05,330 about how we too can be made whole and complete. 88 00:05:06,150 --> 00:05:09,950 So when we talk about peace, it's not just simply a gift that 89 00:05:09,950 --> 00:05:14,350 is standalone that is given to each of us, but peace instead is 90 00:05:14,350 --> 00:05:17,630 a person who is with us. And when we understand that our 91 00:05:17,630 --> 00:05:22,950 God is peace, Jehovah Shalom, then we understand that in Him 92 00:05:22,950 --> 00:05:27,870 and with Him we truly are whole, we are complete, and we have 93 00:05:27,910 --> 00:05:32,790 everlasting Shalom in our lives. So each of these Jehovah names 94 00:05:32,790 --> 00:05:34,270 that we've talked about over the summer. 95 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:36,080 They come from a part of the Bible. 96 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,240 They come from a story, and this one is no different. 97 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:43,360 In Judges 6 we hear the first reference to Jehovah Shalom in 98 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:45,960 and we hear about the story of Gideon. 99 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:49,320 You may know Gideon as that guy who was hiding. 100 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:51,760 God called him and then he went and did something with torches 101 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:55,320 and jars. However, the calling of Gideon 102 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:59,320 and the moment where God he intercepts him, where he is and 103 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:02,360 calls into something more, is an amazing moment. 104 00:06:02,840 --> 00:06:06,280 It's also a moment where we see the simplicity of the human 105 00:06:06,280 --> 00:06:10,040 mind, but also the grace and the love of God. 106 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:15,760 The Israelites have had 40 years of peace, 40 years of bliss. 107 00:06:15,840 --> 00:06:19,880 Following Deborah and her exploits and her godliness. 108 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:26,680 We see peace in the land, but then we read in Judges 6 that 109 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:29,480 the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 110 00:06:29,790 --> 00:06:32,110 And for seven years he gave them into the hands of the 111 00:06:32,110 --> 00:06:34,390 Medianites. Because the power of Median was 112 00:06:34,390 --> 00:06:38,070 so impressive, the Israelites prepared shelters for themselves 113 00:06:38,070 --> 00:06:41,590 in mountain clefts, caves and strongholds. 114 00:06:41,990 --> 00:06:44,350 In this moment the people do evil. 115 00:06:44,910 --> 00:06:47,670 And God, it says he gives the hands of the Medianites. 116 00:06:47,870 --> 00:06:51,110 Now whatever you think about the the heart of God in that and 117 00:06:51,110 --> 00:06:53,990 giving his people over to another, the thing that I want 118 00:06:53,990 --> 00:06:57,550 us to take is that our decisions have consequences. 119 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:01,240 When we choose to not follow what God says and we do evil in 120 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:06,280 his sights, we notice that we are robbed of the Shalom in our 121 00:07:06,280 --> 00:07:08,760 lives, that wholeness, completeness, and that peace. 122 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:11,080 And maybe today you're feeling unrest. 123 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:13,760 Well, the good news today is even if you, like the 124 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:17,600 Israelites, are oppressed, sheltering, you're hiding away. 125 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:22,320 Do not worry, because there is peace for the oppressed today. 126 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:25,480 We move on. In verse six it says that 127 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:29,600 medians so impoverished the Israelites that they cried out 128 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:34,000 to the Lord for help. Sometimes when we walk through 129 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,080 hard situations, we find ourselves crying out for help. 130 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:39,360 The Israelites, they can take no more. 131 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:43,000 The oppression is too much and they cry out to the God who they 132 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,520 have turned their backs on for seven years. 133 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:49,080 And in that moment they find themselves on their knees. 134 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:51,200 And that's exactly where they should be. 135 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:54,430 On their knees. Asking for his help. 136 00:07:54,790 --> 00:07:58,670 And that's where we should be daily on our knees crying out to 137 00:07:58,670 --> 00:08:01,750 him. God, our God, our perfect loving 138 00:08:01,750 --> 00:08:03,630 Father. Give us your Shalom. 139 00:08:03,870 --> 00:08:07,350 Give me peace, make me whole and continue to make me complete. 140 00:08:07,750 --> 00:08:11,150 So the good news today is there is peace for the desperate 141 00:08:11,270 --> 00:08:14,150 person. There's more good news because 142 00:08:14,150 --> 00:08:16,910 in verse 11 the Angel of the Lord comes. 143 00:08:17,290 --> 00:08:21,130 So the Angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak in 144 00:08:21,170 --> 00:08:25,610 Oprah that belongs to Joe Ash the Abby's right, where his son 145 00:08:25,610 --> 00:08:30,250 Gideon was threshing wheat in a wine press to keep it from the 146 00:08:30,250 --> 00:08:32,450 Midianites. And when the Angel of the Lord 147 00:08:32,450 --> 00:08:36,490 appeared to Gideon, he said, The Lord is with you, mighty 148 00:08:36,650 --> 00:08:39,690 warrior. Now wheat is not made to be 149 00:08:39,690 --> 00:08:43,520 threshed in a wine press. Wheat and threshing and grain 150 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:46,200 and all these things. It's not my area of expertise. 151 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:49,560 Maybe it is yours, but in reading about it, wheat should 152 00:08:49,560 --> 00:08:52,960 be threshed on the threshing floor, not in a wine press. 153 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:54,560 And it makes sense, because the names in it. 154 00:08:54,920 --> 00:08:58,040 And a threshing floor is where the wind can blow through, and 155 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:01,200 all the little husks around the grain and all the straw and 156 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:03,960 other things is blown away by the wind, leaving the grain 157 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:07,840 there on the threshing floor. But Gideon, this man finds 158 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:10,560 himself hiding away in a wine press. 159 00:09:10,930 --> 00:09:14,930 It was likely an enclosed area, maybe even underground in some 160 00:09:14,930 --> 00:09:17,530 kind of cave or some kind of room. 161 00:09:17,810 --> 00:09:20,730 And he finds himself hiding because he's worried that the 162 00:09:20,730 --> 00:09:24,890 Midianites will steal the grain that he is threshing and he is 163 00:09:24,890 --> 00:09:28,890 harvesting. And in this moment, Gideon is 164 00:09:28,890 --> 00:09:32,250 hidden. He's hidden himself away, he has 165 00:09:32,250 --> 00:09:35,650 experienced the turmoil in the land, and he has retreated. 166 00:09:36,050 --> 00:09:39,450 And sometimes, in our lives too, we find ourselves in retreat 167 00:09:39,450 --> 00:09:41,440 mode. We find ourselves in the wine 168 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:45,280 presses of life, hidden away, worried about what might come. 169 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:47,920 And in that moment, what does God say? 170 00:09:48,120 --> 00:09:52,920 The Angel of the Lord comes and calls Gideon a mighty warrior. 171 00:09:53,420 --> 00:09:56,500 It makes no sense. He's a man hiding in a wine 172 00:09:56,500 --> 00:09:59,940 press, trying to sort out his grain so no one can see him. 173 00:10:00,140 --> 00:10:02,900 He doesn't sound mighty, and he sure doesn't sound like a 174 00:10:02,900 --> 00:10:06,580 warrior, but I love that God sees even in our hiddenness. 175 00:10:06,740 --> 00:10:10,900 He sees what our potential is. He sees the person, the people 176 00:10:10,940 --> 00:10:13,980 that we can be. And God sees that in you today. 177 00:10:14,100 --> 00:10:16,540 He doesn't just see the person who has found themselves in a 178 00:10:16,540 --> 00:10:18,900 certain place in life. Maybe you find yourself in a 179 00:10:18,900 --> 00:10:20,860 wine press. You find yourself hiding away, 180 00:10:20,980 --> 00:10:23,260 retreating in denial. Today he. 181 00:10:23,420 --> 00:10:26,060 Looks at you, and he's ready to call out the greatness in you. 182 00:10:26,100 --> 00:10:29,740 Because he made you for more than you know, because there is 183 00:10:29,740 --> 00:10:34,380 peace for the hidden. And the great news continues, as 184 00:10:34,380 --> 00:10:36,860 Gideon replies. And the great news here is that 185 00:10:36,860 --> 00:10:39,500 Gideon is very much like us. He is very much human. 186 00:10:39,980 --> 00:10:42,340 Pardon me, my Lord, Gideon replied. 187 00:10:42,620 --> 00:10:46,420 But if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? 188 00:10:46,780 --> 00:10:48,980 Why? Why? 189 00:10:49,750 --> 00:10:52,510 Why did you let the Midianites take us over? 190 00:10:52,590 --> 00:10:54,830 Why have you delivered us into their hands? 191 00:10:54,950 --> 00:10:58,830 What were you thinking, Lord? Why have you not protected us? 192 00:10:59,310 --> 00:11:01,630 And of course, we see at the beginning of the chapter, it's 193 00:11:01,630 --> 00:11:03,790 because they did evil in the eyes of the Lord. 194 00:11:03,910 --> 00:11:06,630 But in that moment, Gideon's asking that question, that many 195 00:11:06,630 --> 00:11:10,230 ask why. And sometimes, even when we have 196 00:11:10,230 --> 00:11:14,750 questions, even when we don't know why, we can know peace in 197 00:11:14,750 --> 00:11:17,030 the middle of our questioning and today. 198 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:20,040 Because God is our Shalom. He's Jehovah Shalom. 199 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:22,680 We can know peace for the questioners. 200 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:27,400 And there's peace for you today. Questions are a good thing. 201 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,760 Never stop asking them. In verse 14, we go on. 202 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:35,000 The Lord turned to Gideon and said, go in the strength you 203 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:38,200 have and save Israel out of Midian's hand. 204 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:43,160 Am I not sending you? Pardon me, my Lord, Gideon 205 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:46,840 replied. But how could I save Israel? 206 00:11:47,580 --> 00:11:52,340 My clan is the weakest in Manassa and I am the least in my 207 00:11:52,340 --> 00:11:56,060 family. Gideon has no self belief in 208 00:11:56,060 --> 00:11:58,340 this moment. The idea of him being a mighty 209 00:11:58,340 --> 00:12:00,780 warrior is so far removed from his thinking. 210 00:12:00,900 --> 00:12:04,300 I guess that's what 7 years hiding away from people 211 00:12:04,300 --> 00:12:07,340 oppressing you does, and some of you might know that feeling of 212 00:12:07,340 --> 00:12:09,540 being hidden for seven years or even more. 213 00:12:09,980 --> 00:12:13,840 The Relentless. Relentless drilling down the 214 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:17,320 oppression from others, the constant knowing that there is 215 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:20,560 there is no hope for tomorrow, and being robbed at all of 216 00:12:20,560 --> 00:12:22,400 peace. In that moment, Gideon has 217 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:24,320 nothing left. Why me? 218 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:27,360 I can't do anything. My clan's the weakest and I'm 219 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:30,760 the least in my family. But God is choosing Gideon. 220 00:12:31,560 --> 00:12:34,640 I love the God chooses the foolish things to shame the wise 221 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:36,200 and the weak to shame the strong. 222 00:12:36,680 --> 00:12:40,760 God says Mighty Warrior, even though Gideon feels inadequate. 223 00:12:41,330 --> 00:12:44,730 And here's the good news for us. There is peace today for those 224 00:12:44,730 --> 00:12:46,970 who feel inadequate. If you don't think you're 225 00:12:46,970 --> 00:12:49,050 enough, God still has faith in you. 226 00:12:49,850 --> 00:12:53,130 Verse 16, the Lord answered. I will be with you and you will 227 00:12:53,130 --> 00:12:56,570 strike down all the media nights, leaving none alive. 228 00:12:57,330 --> 00:13:00,250 And Gideon replied. If now? 229 00:13:00,940 --> 00:13:04,260 Have found favor in your eyes. Then give me a sign that it's 230 00:13:04,260 --> 00:13:07,700 really you talking to me. That's what 7 years does. 7 231 00:13:07,700 --> 00:13:09,500 years of silence leads you, right? 232 00:13:09,500 --> 00:13:11,980 If it really is you and you're calling me to do this, I'm going 233 00:13:11,980 --> 00:13:15,220 to need a sign. And if you are a doubter, you 234 00:13:15,220 --> 00:13:17,540 need a sign. You need evidence, You need an 235 00:13:17,540 --> 00:13:19,140 answer. You need it to be concrete. 236 00:13:19,140 --> 00:13:22,860 The good news is you, like Gideon, can know peace in the 237 00:13:22,860 --> 00:13:26,500 middle of doubt. Doubt is something that many of 238 00:13:26,500 --> 00:13:29,300 us walk through at different stages in different ways in our 239 00:13:29,300 --> 00:13:31,780 lives. And today, because God is 240 00:13:31,780 --> 00:13:35,500 Jehovah Shalam, there is peace for the doubting mind, and there 241 00:13:35,500 --> 00:13:36,940 is peace for the doubting people. 242 00:13:37,540 --> 00:13:42,140 And in verse 19 to 21 and then 22 we have the moment where 243 00:13:42,340 --> 00:13:45,780 okay, if you want to test me, I'll show you that what I said 244 00:13:45,780 --> 00:13:48,660 is true. So the Angel of the Lord says, 245 00:13:48,660 --> 00:13:52,260 go and get some goat meat, some bread, bring it as an offering. 246 00:13:52,420 --> 00:13:55,540 And so he does. So the Angel of the Lord touches 247 00:13:55,540 --> 00:13:58,060 the meat and the unleavened bread with the tip of the staff 248 00:13:58,060 --> 00:14:01,580 that was in his hand. And fire flared from the rock 249 00:14:01,700 --> 00:14:04,540 consuming the meat and the bread char grilled. 250 00:14:04,540 --> 00:14:06,340 Don't you think it sounds delicious anyway? 251 00:14:06,740 --> 00:14:09,420 And the Angel of the Lord disappeared in that moment, the 252 00:14:09,500 --> 00:14:11,940 evidence that he's with him. And then suddenly the Angel is 253 00:14:11,940 --> 00:14:13,660 gone. And when Gideon realized it was 254 00:14:13,660 --> 00:14:15,260 the Angel of the Lord, he exclaimed. 255 00:14:15,540 --> 00:14:20,220 Alas, sovereign Lord, I have seen the Angel of the Lord face 256 00:14:20,540 --> 00:14:22,780 to face. And in that moment it's not a 257 00:14:22,780 --> 00:14:24,780 cry of wonder. It's a cry of fear. 258 00:14:24,820 --> 00:14:27,820 He's seen the Lord face to face. He cannot see the Lord face to 259 00:14:27,820 --> 00:14:30,830 face and live. And in that moment, it's like 260 00:14:30,830 --> 00:14:34,790 Gideon has a Peter moment in the New Testament where Jesus, he, 261 00:14:34,790 --> 00:14:36,430 he sends them out in the boat again. 262 00:14:36,590 --> 00:14:38,870 And he says, throw your necks over the other side of the boat. 263 00:14:38,870 --> 00:14:41,750 And they do, and they catch this miraculous catch of fish and 264 00:14:41,750 --> 00:14:42,950 they have to pull it into the boat. 265 00:14:42,950 --> 00:14:44,630 And it's so heavy they nearly sink. 266 00:14:44,990 --> 00:14:47,990 And at that moment, Peter's reaction to seeing Jesus and who 267 00:14:47,990 --> 00:14:50,430 he is, is this Go away from me, Lord. 268 00:14:50,710 --> 00:14:53,630 I am a sinful man. And Gideon has a moment like 269 00:14:53,630 --> 00:14:55,750 that here. The good news is, in the middle 270 00:14:55,750 --> 00:14:57,830 of fear, he's still Jehovah Shalam. 271 00:14:58,400 --> 00:15:02,160 And he is peace for the fearful, so don't be afraid. 272 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:04,600 So the Lord said to him. Peace. 273 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:06,720 Don't be afraid. You're not going to die. 274 00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,600 And Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The 275 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:15,360 Lord is peace. And to this day it stands in 276 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:20,480 Oprah of the Abby's rights. Now in this moment, Gideon does 277 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:22,640 his act of worship in the way he knows how. 278 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:26,960 He builds a physical altar. Saying that the Lord is peace, 279 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:30,080 and in the middle of me and my wine Press of life and in all 280 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:32,280 that I was walking through, He chose me. 281 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:35,360 He called me out of it, and I've come to know him as the one who 282 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:39,000 gives me peace. And He worships our response to 283 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:43,040 encountering the peace of God should always be to worship. 284 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:48,320 So today don't be afraid because Jehovah Shalom is with you and 285 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:50,160 He's for you and you love that phrase. 286 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:51,800 Like to this day, it still stands. 287 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:54,840 Obviously that's the person who is writing down this account in 288 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:57,880 Judges, but for us today, we're not sure if that altar still 289 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:00,320 stands. However, the peace of the Lord 290 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:02,760 still stands today. It's not been shaken. 291 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:05,840 It's never been knocked. He's still Jehovah Shalom 292 00:16:05,880 --> 00:16:09,600 because he never changes. He's the same yesterday, today 293 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:12,480 and forever. And today you can know the 294 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:17,040 perfect peace of God. And his peace is for the 295 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:19,920 oppressed, and his peace is for the desperate. 296 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:23,880 His peace is for the hidden, His peace is for the questioners, 297 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:27,000 His peace is for the inadequate, His peace is for the doubters, 298 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:29,080 and his peace is for the fearful. 299 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:34,000 And still to this day there is peace because our God is Jehovah 300 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:39,280 Shalom. The Lord is peace, wholeness, 301 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:45,200 completeness, and throughout the Bible, as I've said, the many 302 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:47,680 different things referred to as Shalom that are complete. 303 00:16:48,050 --> 00:16:52,130 In 1998, I finished a Premier League sticker book and it was 304 00:16:52,130 --> 00:16:54,250 one of my greatest achievements of my childhood. 305 00:16:54,490 --> 00:16:56,650 I went to a swap shop. Give me a wave, if you've ever 306 00:16:56,650 --> 00:16:59,330 been to a swap shop, to swap stickers and get the ones you 307 00:16:59,330 --> 00:17:01,050 needed for your collection. Thank you. 308 00:17:01,050 --> 00:17:03,730 That's one person you guys need to learn how to collect 309 00:17:03,730 --> 00:17:05,329 stickers. It's a fantastic hobby. 310 00:17:05,450 --> 00:17:08,650 I did it for one year and that was about it, but I completed my 311 00:17:08,650 --> 00:17:13,609 9798 football sticker album. I was so proud to say that my 312 00:17:13,609 --> 00:17:17,450 sticker book is Shalom. I didn't say that when I was. 8 313 00:17:17,450 --> 00:17:20,089 year old. But it was it was complete. 314 00:17:20,490 --> 00:17:24,369 There was nothing else needed. And today we can understand a 315 00:17:24,369 --> 00:17:27,530 little bit of what it means to be whole and what it means to be 316 00:17:27,530 --> 00:17:30,690 complete. And the reason we can know that 317 00:17:31,210 --> 00:17:34,090 is not because we read about it in this account of Gideon's 318 00:17:34,090 --> 00:17:37,050 life. It's because we don't just know 319 00:17:37,050 --> 00:17:41,570 Jehovah Shalom, who was an alt, that altar built to remember who 320 00:17:41,570 --> 00:17:43,990 he was. And we recount the stories of 321 00:17:43,990 --> 00:17:45,630 old today. We don't just know him as 322 00:17:45,630 --> 00:17:48,270 Jehovah Shalom. We know our God as the Prince of 323 00:17:48,270 --> 00:17:52,310 Peace because we know Jesus. Everything has changed. 324 00:17:52,710 --> 00:17:56,070 Can I just remind you that Jesus, when he is declared as 325 00:17:56,070 --> 00:18:00,410 the Prince of Peace in Isaiah 9? He is the one who came to earth, 326 00:18:00,410 --> 00:18:03,930 lived a perfect sinless life, who called every person into 327 00:18:03,930 --> 00:18:07,090 relationship with him, who made a way for all to be saved, who 328 00:18:07,090 --> 00:18:10,450 is the living way, truth and life, and through him is the 329 00:18:10,530 --> 00:18:13,690 only way to the Father. This is Jesus, and He is the 330 00:18:13,690 --> 00:18:16,370 Prince of Peace. He is Jehovah Shalom. 331 00:18:16,650 --> 00:18:21,650 And we can know perfect peace through and in the person of 332 00:18:21,770 --> 00:18:23,090 Jesus. Do you know there are many 333 00:18:23,090 --> 00:18:25,490 people who believe that the Angel of the Lord, in judge of 334 00:18:25,490 --> 00:18:29,690 six, was in fact Jesus himself? These are called Christophanies, 335 00:18:29,810 --> 00:18:32,530 like the idea of Jesus appearing in the Old Testament. 336 00:18:32,730 --> 00:18:35,530 And many people study these things for years and much of 337 00:18:35,530 --> 00:18:37,770 their lives. And for me, if it's Jesus, 338 00:18:37,770 --> 00:18:39,730 great. And if it isn't Jesus great. 339 00:18:39,730 --> 00:18:42,010 If it's an Angel, great. If it's one of the Seraphim, 340 00:18:42,010 --> 00:18:44,610 great. If it's a person that God sent, 341 00:18:44,610 --> 00:18:47,600 great. But what I know is this, that 342 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:51,200 the perfect representation of God there with Gideon we find in 343 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,920 Jesus himself he is our peace and he is with us. 344 00:18:55,360 --> 00:18:58,360 And when Jesus came to earth and walked on the the ground that we 345 00:18:58,360 --> 00:19:01,240 walk on and lived the kind of life that we lived, felt the 346 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:04,640 same temptation we feel and conquered, it lived a perfect 347 00:19:04,640 --> 00:19:07,080 life. Now we can run to him and we can 348 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:10,160 know him as a friend. Suddenly peace is not a far off 349 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:12,240 God who we declare and we worship. 350 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:15,320 Suddenly, peace is one who is right next to us and with us all 351 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:17,190 the time. He is our Shalon. 352 00:19:17,510 --> 00:19:19,870 He makes us whole. He makes us complete. 353 00:19:20,870 --> 00:19:25,070 As I said in Isaiah 9 we read the unto us A child is born unto 354 00:19:25,070 --> 00:19:29,590 us, a son is given, and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, 355 00:19:29,950 --> 00:19:35,190 Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 356 00:19:35,470 --> 00:19:39,630 There is a Prince of Peace in John chapter 14, verse 27. 357 00:19:40,110 --> 00:19:43,950 Jesus words listen to them and take them in peace. 358 00:19:44,030 --> 00:19:50,640 I leave with you. My peace I give you, I do not 359 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:53,560 give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be 360 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:58,640 troubled and do not be afraid. So not only is Jesus the Prince 361 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:03,440 of Peace, Jesus gives us his peace, but it goes even further 362 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:05,960 than that. Have a revelation today of 363 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:09,800 Ephesians Chapter 2. You were separate from Christ. 364 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:14,000 Excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the 365 00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,600 covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in 366 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:19,320 the world, but now in Christ Jesus. 367 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:24,120 You who once were far away have been brought near by the blood 368 00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:29,480 of Christ. For He himself is our peace. 369 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:33,320 Not only is Jesus the Prince of Peace, not only does he give us 370 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:38,200 his peace, Jesus himself, he is our peace. 371 00:20:38,280 --> 00:20:41,960 Jehovah Shalom doesn't mean God gives us peace or God has some 372 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:45,280 peace to give us a gift. It means our God is peace. 373 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:48,080 Him being a Prince of peace doesn't mean that Jesus is able 374 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:51,000 to just give you this gift of peace as a standalone gift. 375 00:20:51,120 --> 00:20:53,560 Have some peace and then go on your jolly way. 376 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:57,280 Jesus himself is peace. He doesn't say I'm going to give 377 00:20:57,280 --> 00:20:58,800 you peace. He says I'm going to be with you 378 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:01,840 and I am peace itself. I am the Prince of Peace. 379 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:05,540 I am Jehovah Shalom, and I'm with you, and I make you whole 380 00:21:06,020 --> 00:21:09,940 and I make you complete. And as I sat and dwell on this, 381 00:21:10,300 --> 00:21:12,700 even just this morning, just looking over these words that I 382 00:21:12,700 --> 00:21:16,140 was going to share, I did just get a little bit overwhelmed 383 00:21:16,460 --> 00:21:20,700 with the idea that Gideon's peace didn't come as a gift, a 384 00:21:20,700 --> 00:21:23,820 separate gift. Gideon's peace came from the 385 00:21:23,820 --> 00:21:25,780 presence of this Angel of the Lord. 386 00:21:26,060 --> 00:21:28,220 And our peace doesn't come as a separate gift. 387 00:21:28,260 --> 00:21:31,520 If you've ever prayed for peace without praying for an encounter 388 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:34,400 with Jesus, then we kind of miss the point. 389 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:39,760 Because our peace comes from a personal encounter with Jesus 390 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:44,720 himself, who is peace. Peace is found in a person. 391 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:48,760 It's not just given as a gift. He promises to be with us. 392 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:53,960 And in John 16, I have told you these things so that in me you 393 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:57,040 may have peace. In this world, you will have 394 00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:58,840 trouble. Gideon. 395 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:02,320 He had his troubles. All of us here today, we have 396 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:05,760 our troubles. Unique circumstances, individual 397 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:08,320 circumstances, different perspectives, different 398 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:11,240 struggles. But all of us, we will have 399 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:12,960 trouble. It's there in the Bible. 400 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:17,600 But take heart. I have overcome the world. 401 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:20,600 Do you know when we have a revelation of who Jesus is? 402 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:23,560 What happens is we don't just get overwhelmed with peace right 403 00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:26,720 now for today or the wholeness that I can know today. 404 00:22:27,090 --> 00:22:29,570 We're not just longing to be complete in this moment or for 405 00:22:29,570 --> 00:22:32,490 the next few hours. What we have a revelation of is 406 00:22:32,490 --> 00:22:35,770 that Jesus came to make us whole, to make us complete, to 407 00:22:35,770 --> 00:22:40,690 give us Shalom forever in Him. The reason we can take heart and 408 00:22:40,690 --> 00:22:44,050 know He's overcome the world is because He has made us whole and 409 00:22:44,050 --> 00:22:48,810 complete now and for eternity. When the when we're oppressed, 410 00:22:48,850 --> 00:22:52,970 we know that Jesus is our peace, and forever we will be with him 411 00:22:53,540 --> 00:22:55,460 and for the desperate, the hidden, and the questioner. 412 00:22:55,540 --> 00:22:58,620 He is the answer and he is the way for the inadequate and the 413 00:22:58,620 --> 00:23:02,300 doubter and the fearful. Jesus is our anchor and it 414 00:23:02,300 --> 00:23:04,740 endures. He never stops loving, He never 415 00:23:04,740 --> 00:23:08,180 stops revealing himself to us. Jesus has overcome the world, 416 00:23:08,180 --> 00:23:11,820 and when we know him for ourselves, everything really is 417 00:23:11,820 --> 00:23:16,780 all right. Today, we're not praying for 418 00:23:16,780 --> 00:23:21,220 peace, full stop. We're praying for an encounter 419 00:23:21,900 --> 00:23:26,300 with Jehovah Shalom. We're praying for a touch from 420 00:23:26,300 --> 00:23:29,540 our Prince of Peace today. We're not praying just for a a 421 00:23:29,540 --> 00:23:32,740 prepackaged gift of peace in each of our lives as we declare 422 00:23:32,740 --> 00:23:37,020 this name of God Today, we are calling out and saying, Jesus, 423 00:23:37,580 --> 00:23:41,020 show yourself to me again, Jehovah Shalom. 424 00:23:41,380 --> 00:23:44,100 Show me your ways, Prince of Peace. 425 00:23:44,620 --> 00:23:48,140 Draw near to me. Thank you, Jesus, that you make 426 00:23:48,140 --> 00:23:51,860 me whole. You make me complete by your 427 00:23:51,860 --> 00:23:55,570 stripes. I'm healed because of your 428 00:23:55,570 --> 00:23:59,090 wounds, because of your life. I'm healed. 429 00:23:59,410 --> 00:24:01,810 I'm whole. I'm complete. 430 00:24:02,050 --> 00:24:05,370 There's nothing missing. Like a perfect wall with not one 431 00:24:05,370 --> 00:24:08,210 brick out of place. Because of what Jesus has done. 432 00:24:08,210 --> 00:24:12,330 I have been rebuilt, restored. There is nothing missing. 433 00:24:12,450 --> 00:24:14,690 I am whole. I'm complete. 434 00:24:14,810 --> 00:24:17,690 And I know Shalom because Jesus has done this. 435 00:24:17,850 --> 00:24:21,370 The Prince of Peace has overcome the world and has made a way for 436 00:24:21,370 --> 00:24:25,090 me to be whole, and in him everything is alright. 437 00:24:26,090 --> 00:24:28,410 I'd love to pray for us in the room, and if you're listening 438 00:24:28,410 --> 00:24:30,330 online as well, I'd love to pray for you too. 439 00:24:31,210 --> 00:24:33,530 Because Jesus is the Prince of Peace. 440 00:24:33,730 --> 00:24:38,250 Our God is Jehovah Shalom, and he is big enough, loving enough, 441 00:24:38,610 --> 00:24:42,970 caring enough and able enough to meet with each of you 442 00:24:42,970 --> 00:24:46,450 individually. In this moment He placed all the 443 00:24:46,450 --> 00:24:49,410 stars in the sky. He knows how many pieces of sand 444 00:24:49,410 --> 00:24:52,870 there are on each seashore. He holds it all together and he 445 00:24:52,870 --> 00:24:54,950 cares about you. He is big enough to speak to you 446 00:24:54,950 --> 00:24:57,390 and reveal himself to you now, so let's pray. 447 00:24:57,910 --> 00:25:00,270 So right now, maybe you simply want to put your hands out in 448 00:25:00,270 --> 00:25:02,470 front of you to receive. Maybe you just want to close 449 00:25:02,470 --> 00:25:05,310 your eyes and have a moment of stillness. 450 00:25:05,790 --> 00:25:07,550 You could say peace. You want to have a moment of 451 00:25:07,550 --> 00:25:10,070 Shalom right now in the room or wherever you are. 452 00:25:10,710 --> 00:25:15,270 But I'm going to pray. And as I do, I believe that 453 00:25:15,350 --> 00:25:19,860 Jesus, who is our peace, God, who is Jehovah Shalom, He is 454 00:25:19,860 --> 00:25:23,860 able to encounter each of us and reveal himself Right now. 455 00:25:24,900 --> 00:25:26,140 Let's just be still for a moment. 456 00:25:40,590 --> 00:25:43,910 Lord, we thank you for Gideon and for this amazing story. 457 00:25:44,350 --> 00:25:47,310 Thank you for the victory that he saw in the next chapter of 458 00:25:47,310 --> 00:25:49,510 the Bible. And thank you for the way you 459 00:25:49,510 --> 00:25:53,690 called him Lord. We acknowledge that sometimes we 460 00:25:53,690 --> 00:25:57,410 find ourselves in the wine presses of life, hidden away 461 00:25:58,050 --> 00:26:01,210 without hope with questions, doubt in our hearts and with 462 00:26:01,210 --> 00:26:06,490 fear in our lives. And today we thank you that you 463 00:26:06,490 --> 00:26:09,890 are Jehovah Shalom. It is your name. 464 00:26:10,330 --> 00:26:14,170 It is who you are. We thank you that you are our 465 00:26:14,170 --> 00:26:17,170 Prince of Peace, Jesus. It is your name. 466 00:26:17,690 --> 00:26:21,050 It is who you are. You don't just give us the gift 467 00:26:21,050 --> 00:26:22,330 of peace. You give us the gift of 468 00:26:22,330 --> 00:26:24,090 yourself. And you are peace. 469 00:26:25,770 --> 00:26:28,930 So holy God, come and draw close to us today. 470 00:26:29,810 --> 00:26:33,210 Come and show us your heart. Come and whisper to us your 471 00:26:33,210 --> 00:26:36,570 love. Come and come for us in our 472 00:26:36,570 --> 00:26:39,970 troubles. Come and restore hope to even 473 00:26:39,970 --> 00:26:46,770 the most hopeless heart. And would you help us know that 474 00:26:46,770 --> 00:26:51,630 you've overcome the world? We thank you that no one can 475 00:26:51,630 --> 00:26:56,310 deny the words You said that in me You may have peace in the 476 00:26:56,310 --> 00:26:59,630 world you will have trouble. But take our I've overcome the 477 00:26:59,630 --> 00:27:03,990 world. And today we receive you the 478 00:27:03,990 --> 00:27:11,270 most precious gift of all. Jehovah Shalam the Lord my 479 00:27:11,270 --> 00:27:16,560 peace. Thank you, Tom, for that great 480 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:18,880 message. What an incredibly powerful 481 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:21,680 truth. And if you would value prayer or 482 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:25,200 would like to respond in any other way, do get in touch with 483 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:27,880 the team today. We would love to hear from you 484 00:27:28,120 --> 00:27:29,960 and we would love to stand with you. 485 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:33,680 There's lots of exciting things coming up in the life of 1 486 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:36,000 Church, so this is your family news. 487 00:27:39,650 --> 00:27:43,490 Firstly, it is now less than three weeks until we open the 488 00:27:43,490 --> 00:27:48,250 renovated One center at 10 Frog Island, so make sure you join us 489 00:27:48,250 --> 00:27:52,490 on either Saturday the 9th of September in the evening or for 490 00:27:52,490 --> 00:27:56,090 two gatherings in the morning of Sunday the 10th of September. 491 00:27:56,970 --> 00:28:01,050 These will be fantastic times of celebration and dedication, so 492 00:28:01,050 --> 00:28:05,370 make sure you're there and do also invite someone to come with 493 00:28:05,410 --> 00:28:08,300 you. Secondly, we want to make this 494 00:28:08,300 --> 00:28:10,860 weekend available to the whole of 1 Church. 495 00:28:11,300 --> 00:28:15,500 So if you are unable to join us physically then join us online. 496 00:28:15,980 --> 00:28:18,700 Head to our YouTube channel for a live stream of the second 497 00:28:18,700 --> 00:28:20,900 gathering of Sunday, the 10th of September. 498 00:28:21,380 --> 00:28:24,020 This will also be available to catch up anytime. 499 00:28:25,780 --> 00:28:29,260 Thirdly, alongside opening the One Center, we also launched our 500 00:28:29,260 --> 00:28:34,490 new coffee shop Way Coffee. This will serve to facilitate 501 00:28:34,530 --> 00:28:37,730 our midweek ministries as well as being open to the community 502 00:28:37,970 --> 00:28:42,290 as a welcoming space and a place where people can find Jesus. 503 00:28:43,010 --> 00:28:46,250 If you have a regular morning or afternoon in your week where you 504 00:28:46,250 --> 00:28:49,770 would love to volunteer and be part of the team at Wake Coffee, 505 00:28:50,130 --> 00:28:53,130 then do get in touch and we would love to hear from you. 506 00:28:54,250 --> 00:28:58,210 And finally, this Sunday, we have our next encounter night, 507 00:28:58,490 --> 00:29:02,800 7:00 PM at 12 Frog Island. Do you come and join us as we 508 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:06,680 make space for the presence of God and allow Him to do what he 509 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:11,840 wants to do? The Lord bless you and keep you. 510 00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:15,440 The Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to 511 00:29:15,440 --> 00:29:17,800 you. The Lord turn his face towards 512 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:19,520 you and give you peace.