1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,240 Charles Wesley was a a great hymn writer. 2 00:00:04,560 --> 00:00:07,880 Not just a preacher, but a but a hymn writer. 3 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:15,640 He wrote over 6500 different hymns and one of them in 4 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:21,440 particular deals with what it is we are discussing this morning. 5 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:29,360 That hymn titled is Joyful, Joyful, We adore thee. 6 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:35,840 In each stanza of that hymn, he talks about the joy, the 7 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:41,160 rejoicing, the gladness that comes from the Lord. 8 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:46,600 Listen to what he says, Joyful, joyful, we adore thee. 9 00:00:47,160 --> 00:00:50,800 God, a glory, Lord of love. Hearts unfold like flowers 10 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:55,160 before thee. Opening to the sun above, melt 11 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:59,200 the clouds of sin and sadness, Drive the dark of doubt away. 12 00:00:59,480 --> 00:01:05,400 Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day. 13 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:13,040 All thy works, with joy surrounding earth and heaven 14 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:16,920 reflect thy rays. Stars and angels sing around 15 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:21,080 thee. Center of unbroken praise, 16 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:25,440 Fields and forests, Vail and mountain, flowery Meadow, 17 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:29,040 flashing sea, chanting bird and flowing fountain. 18 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:37,280 Call us to rejoice in Thee. Thou art giving and forgiving. 19 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:43,600 Ever blessing, ever blessed wellspring of the joy of living 20 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:49,720 ocean depth of happy rest Thou our Father, Christ, our brother, 21 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:53,400 All who live and love are thine. Teach us how to love each other. 22 00:01:53,480 --> 00:02:00,920 Lift us to the joy. Divine mortals, Join the mighty 23 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,640 chorus which the morning stars began. 24 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:07,400 Love divine is reigning o'er us, Leading us with mercy's hand. 25 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:12,120 Ever singing March we onward victors in the midst of strife. 26 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:22,120 Joyful music leads us sunward in the triumph song of life. 27 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:31,400 He understood that rejoicing is the aspect of adoration. 28 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:37,280 The model life is all about learning to adore the king. 29 00:02:38,640 --> 00:02:42,800 And so the model life is lived in, in adoration, and 30 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:49,880 particularly in three ways, being joyful, rejoice always, 31 00:02:50,920 --> 00:02:58,920 being prayerful, pray without ceasing and being thankful for. 32 00:02:58,920 --> 00:03:02,400 And everything we are to give thanks for. 33 00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:07,440 This is God's will in Christ Jesus concerning you. 34 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:13,920 What does it mean to be joyful? What does it mean to rejoice 35 00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:17,360 always? Paul was the master of 36 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:20,480 rejoicing. No matter what the circumstance, 37 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:24,000 no matter what the situation, there was a joy about his life. 38 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:31,240 And I wonder how many of us today are able to rejoice 39 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:36,880 always. You know, when situations arise 40 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:44,600 and they are devastating, how is it you rejoice in times like 41 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,600 that? Let's say you you heard that a 42 00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:51,840 loved one close to you just just died. 43 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:55,480 How do you rejoice in that kind of time? 44 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:00,200 Or the doctor comes back and says you have a terminal 45 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:03,520 illness, you have not very long to live. 46 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:07,120 Do you rejoice always in that situation? 47 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,360 Or you, you have a child that rebels against your authority, 48 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:17,200 runs away from home, not interested in following the God 49 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:20,640 you serve. Do you rejoice always in that 50 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:25,280 situation? You see, Paul, Paul was 51 00:04:25,280 --> 00:04:29,200 concerned that those in Thessalonica who had already 52 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:34,600 rejoiced when they received the the gospel, First Thessalonians, 53 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,440 one verse #6 amidst much tribulation. 54 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:44,320 So he knew that rejoicing was a part of their lives. 55 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:49,400 So he gives his command at the end of chapter 5. 56 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:54,440 Rejoice always because he wants to never to forget that that the 57 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:59,000 hallmark of Christianity in our adoration to God is to live a 58 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:07,800 life rejoicing no matter what. And so last week we began to 59 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:11,440 explain that to you. How is it you truly rejoice 60 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,520 always? And so we gave you principle #1 61 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:22,480 and that was to rest in His Providence that that God is in 62 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:27,360 control of every situation, in every circumstance, and 63 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:33,520 everything that happens in me to me, because Romans 1133 to 33 64 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:38,440 six says that all things are from him and through him, and to 65 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:42,720 him to God be the glory forever and ever. 66 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:46,080 Amen. That's why Paul could say we 67 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:48,920 know that all things will work together for good to those who 68 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:51,080 love God and are called according to His purpose. 69 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:53,440 Why? Because God has a plan, He has a 70 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:55,880 purpose. And the Providence of God is 71 00:05:55,880 --> 00:06:01,160 working through every situation, every detail of my life, and 72 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:04,320 therefore I can trust Him and rest in His Providence. 73 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:13,080 Listen to what the psalmist said in Psalm 37, Psalm 37, verse #1 74 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:22,520 do not fret, do not worry, do not be anxious, don't be be 75 00:06:22,520 --> 00:06:28,400 filled with anxiety. How many of you are fretting 76 00:06:28,400 --> 00:06:34,720 today because you're anxious about tomorrow when the Bible 77 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:37,120 says take no thought of tomorrow? 78 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:39,880 For each day has enough trouble of its own? 79 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:45,080 But we're always thinking about tomorrow or next week or the 80 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:48,560 next thing down the Pike, and God wants us to rest in his 81 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:55,400 Providence and trust Him. So Psalmist says, do not fret 82 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:59,880 because of evil doers. Be not envious toward 83 00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:05,360 wrongdoers, for they will wither quickly, light the grass and 84 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:08,960 fade like the green herb. Instead, he says, trust in the 85 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:13,400 Lord, do good, dwell in the land, and feed on the 86 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:17,920 faithfulness of God. Your food is His faithfulness. 87 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:23,920 Your food is His guarantee. Your sustenance centers around 88 00:07:24,080 --> 00:07:28,800 what God does for you every day. So feed on His faithfulness. 89 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:33,080 Delight yourself in the Lord. He will give you the desires of 90 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:35,600 your heart. Commit your way to the Lord. 91 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:37,760 Trust also in Him, and He will do it. 92 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:40,600 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and 93 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:45,040 your judgement as the noonday. Rest in the Lord. 94 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:51,360 Wait patiently for Him. Then he repeats it. 95 00:07:52,400 --> 00:08:00,280 Do not fret, do not be anxious. Do not worry because of him who 96 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:04,440 prospers in the way, because of the man who carries out wicked 97 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:10,400 schemes. Cease from anger and forsake 98 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:18,640 wrath. Do not fret because why? 99 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:27,560 He says it leads only to evil doing whenever you worry, 100 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:34,120 whenever you're anxious, whenever you fret, it's going to 101 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:38,000 lead inevitably to something evil in your life. 102 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:41,760 It's not leading you closer to the Lord, it's leading you 103 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:46,160 further from the Lord. So the psalmist makes it very, 104 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:48,560 very clear, do not fret, don't do this. 105 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:51,800 Trust in the Lord, rest in his Providence. 106 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:56,800 Trust what God's going to do. Wait patiently for him and He 107 00:08:56,800 --> 00:08:58,640 will give you the desires of your heart. 108 00:08:59,120 --> 00:09:04,640 Commit your way unto the Lord, resting in his Providence. 109 00:09:05,560 --> 00:09:07,960 So important. I love. 110 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:14,280 And in Acts chapter 5, after the apostles had been flogged, you 111 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:17,800 know what that means, don't you? When you're flogged, your, your, 112 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:22,720 your, your whipped 39 different times. 113 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:28,400 And the whips they use were devastating. 114 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:37,800 And so it says the verse #40 of Acts 5 calling the apostles in. 115 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:41,520 They flogged them, order them not to speak in the name of 116 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:45,640 Jesus, and then release them. Just a very quick statement. 117 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:50,040 Bottom in, beat him silly, then let him go. 118 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:55,280 So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, 119 00:09:56,760 --> 00:10:01,560 rejoicing. Rejoicing that they had been 120 00:10:01,560 --> 00:10:07,040 considered worthy to suffer shame for his name. 121 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:13,280 It wasn't that he felt good, but I feel great. 122 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:17,080 Hit me again. Wasn't like that, but they had 123 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:23,720 been been flogged because of what they had said in the name 124 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:27,400 of Christ. And so it says. 125 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:33,480 And every day in the temple and from house to house, they kept 126 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:38,640 right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. 127 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:43,360 A little bit of flogging. Was it going to stop them from 128 00:10:43,560 --> 00:10:47,680 preaching the gospel? They just kept right on doing 129 00:10:47,680 --> 00:10:51,640 what God had called them to do, and they rejoiced in the midst 130 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:54,840 of it. They rejoiced always. 131 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:59,680 But so here's the point. Rest in His promises, and 132 00:10:59,680 --> 00:11:02,840 there's a Part B to that. Rest in His Providence. 133 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:06,080 Excuse me. And the promises that go with 134 00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:09,640 it. Rest in His Providence and the 135 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:15,880 promises that go with it. God's word is filled with 136 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:20,720 promises. Listen to this Isaiah chapter 137 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:23,400 43. God is speaking to Israel. 138 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:29,720 He says in verse #1 But now thus says the Lord your creator, O 139 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:33,680 Jacob, lets them know that, that, that that I created you. 140 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:37,000 I I formed you, I put you together. 141 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:41,160 I am the the master architect of the nation. 142 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:53,080 God is the designer of Jacob, so he says, your creator, Jacob, I 143 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:54,920 am the one who formed you of Israel. 144 00:11:56,680 --> 00:11:59,080 I formed you. I've done this. 145 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:07,960 Do not fear, because I'm your creator. 146 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:11,280 I am your designer. I am the master architect of the 147 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:16,040 nation. I have a a plan, and the 148 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:19,320 Providence of my plan will be fulfilled as I have designed it 149 00:12:19,320 --> 00:12:26,760 to be fulfilled. So therefore do not fear, for 150 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:34,160 whatever comes your way, I am in charge of so he says, Do not 151 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:38,640 fear, for I have redeemed you. I have purchased you. 152 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:45,280 I called you out of slavery, out of Egyptian bondage. 153 00:12:46,200 --> 00:12:49,920 This is what I've done. I have called you by name. 154 00:12:51,320 --> 00:12:55,440 You are mine. You're my possession. 155 00:12:56,200 --> 00:13:00,680 You're possessed by me, the God of the universe, the creator of 156 00:13:00,680 --> 00:13:03,400 the world. They says this. 157 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:11,560 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. 158 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:20,080 Not if you pass, but when you pass through the waters. 159 00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:24,240 Sometimes the waters begin to overflow. 160 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:27,960 Sometimes the waters are deeper than we imagine. 161 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:35,000 Sometimes the the, the, the waters have waves that rise way 162 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:39,880 above our heads. Because when you pass through 163 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:47,760 the waters, I will be with you and through the rivers, they 164 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:56,840 will not overflow you. Then he says when you walk 165 00:13:57,040 --> 00:14:04,480 through the fire, not if you walk through the fire, but when 166 00:14:05,560 --> 00:14:08,800 you walk through the fire, notice they're not running 167 00:14:09,680 --> 00:14:12,640 through the fire. You ever been in a fire? 168 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:16,680 Nobody walks out of the houses on fire. 169 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:19,520 You're running out of the houses on fire. 170 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:21,680 You're high tailing it out of there. 171 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:26,160 You're gone. But notice He says when you walk 172 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:39,240 through the fire, He says, you will not be scorched, nor will 173 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:45,120 the flame burn you, for I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of 174 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:52,520 Israel, your Savior. Then verse #5 He says, do not 175 00:14:53,000 --> 00:15:08,240 fear, for I am with you again, do not fear, do not fret, do not 176 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:14,520 be anxious, do not be scared. I am with you. 177 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:19,440 I'm your creator, O Jacob, I've chosen you. 178 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:26,760 I will comfort you later he says in chapter 49 of Isaiah. 179 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:36,040 These words, Isaiah 49 verse #14 but Zion said Zion is Israel. 180 00:15:36,280 --> 00:15:39,840 Zion is a place, of course, Mount Zion, but it's also a 181 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:44,440 people in the Scriptures. And so Israel or Zion has said 182 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:48,320 the Lord has forsaken me and the Lord has forgotten me. 183 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:52,720 You've been there. You've said those kinds of 184 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:56,800 things. You you have faced difficulties 185 00:15:56,800 --> 00:16:00,560 or hardships or, or painful experiences, and you're 186 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:03,680 thinking, wait, wait a minute. Maybe the Lord stepped off the 187 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:11,920 throne for a moment, or maybe the Lord blinked and didn't see 188 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:16,520 my situation, or maybe the Lord was preoccupied with someone 189 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:21,360 else, so much so that he could not see or understand my 190 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:23,640 situation. We always get to the place 191 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:25,200 where, Lord, have you forsaken me? 192 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:30,680 Have you forgotten me? Yoohoo I'm here but God knows 193 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:36,560 everything, you're his. So he says. 194 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:40,160 Can a woman forget her nursing child and had no compassion on 195 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:45,120 the son of her womb? Yes, yes, many women forget 196 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:49,320 their nursing children, have no compassion on the son of their 197 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:51,960 womb. Many children, many moms give 198 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:54,240 their children away and walk away from them. 199 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:58,720 It says even these may forget, but I will not forget you. 200 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:05,640 Even a mother's love for her child, which is the the greatest 201 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:14,119 bond in the world. A mother and her child is a by 202 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:19,240 nature the strongest bond in the world. 203 00:17:20,680 --> 00:17:26,359 And even though a woman can forget our nursing child, God 204 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:32,280 says I will never forget you, I won't do that he says behold, I 205 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:36,240 have inscribed you on the palms of my hands. 206 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:43,240 Your walls are continually before me. 207 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:48,880 I know you like I know my hand. I see my hand every day. 208 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:53,560 I know my I've inscribed you on the palms of my hands. 209 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:57,120 You are written right there. How can I ever forget you? 210 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:03,640 And therefore all your walls are continually before me. 211 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:09,600 You see, when you rest in the Providence of God, you rest in 212 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:17,160 His Providence and the promises that go with that Providence. 213 00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:21,800 So important. I could spend weeks here. 214 00:18:22,360 --> 00:18:25,880 I'm not going to do that, but I could because this is just so 215 00:18:26,120 --> 00:18:29,960 profound. The Providence of God in the 216 00:18:29,960 --> 00:18:34,640 working of God. The Bible is filled with how you 217 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:39,480 begin to understand the workings of Almighty God in the lives of 218 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:41,640 people. It's amazing. 219 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:47,280 He's never out of control. God's, God's never up in heaven 220 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:51,440 going wringing his hands thinking, man, I sure hope they 221 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:55,680 make it through this, but I sure hope they don't say that. 222 00:18:57,040 --> 00:18:59,920 I sure hope things turn out for the better for them. 223 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:04,280 God doesn't do that. God's in charge. 224 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:10,880 He's in control of everything, and we just learn to rest in His 225 00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:16,040 providential control and the promises that go with it. 226 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:21,800 And there are so many promises in the Scriptures, but we must 227 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:26,560 move on. Gosh, time goes by so fast, so 228 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:28,880 let's hurry. All right, Rest in His 229 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:33,720 Providence and the promises that go with it #2 embrace His peace. 230 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:41,120 Embrace His peace. Turn to 2nd Thessalonians 231 00:19:41,120 --> 00:19:45,800 chapter 3, Second Thessalonians chapter 3. 232 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:51,480 Listen to what Paul says in a second letter to the 233 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:54,600 Thessalonians. He says, now may the Lord of 234 00:19:54,600 --> 00:20:00,040 peace himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. 235 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:08,000 The Lord be with you all. Now may the Lord of peace. 236 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:18,240 Continually grant you peace. Peace is a gift that God gives 237 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:22,880 to his own. The wicked will never receive 238 00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:25,760 that gift. Isaiah says twice. 239 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:29,000 There is no peace for the wicked. 240 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:35,280 There isn't. The peace that God gives, He 241 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:38,680 gives to his own. John 1427 My peace I give unto 242 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:42,560 you, not as the world gives, but my peace I give unto you. 243 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:50,000 I, I give to you the, the, the non fragile, non superficial, 244 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:59,720 real, serene, calm life. I give you my life because I'm 245 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:03,960 the God of peace. The Father is the one who 246 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:10,200 provides peace, the Son purchased peace, the Spirit 247 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:16,080 produces peace, and the Scriptures promote peace. 248 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:21,880 That's why the Bible says in Psalm One 19165 Great peace have 249 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:27,800 those who love thy law, and nothing causes them to stumble. 250 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:34,800 Great peace have those who love thy law at the coming of the 251 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:41,720 Messiah, peace on earth toward those with whom he is pleased. 252 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,600 God grants peace to those with whom he is pleased. 253 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:49,760 Who is that? Psalm 147 tells us that those 254 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:52,840 who fear the Lord are those who please Him. 255 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:58,520 So the only ones who receive the peace of God are those who fear 256 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:05,040 God. He says May the God of peace 257 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:10,840 continually grant you peace. In other words, it's a non 258 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:15,560 interrupted kind of peace. May he continually do this on a 259 00:22:15,560 --> 00:22:18,680 regular basis. Grant you the peace that you 260 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:22,240 need. You need to embrace this so 261 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:27,640 important. You see, sin can can disrupt 262 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:31,360 your peace. Disobedience can disrupt your 263 00:22:31,360 --> 00:22:34,240 peace. Rebellion can disrupt your 264 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:39,920 peace, but that's you doing it, not God doing it, because He's 265 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:49,480 granted you his peace. And so Isaiah 26 three says that 266 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:58,560 I will keep him in peace. Peace whose mind is stayed or 267 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:05,880 fixed or focused or steadfast on me, I will keep him. 268 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:09,360 In perfect peace. You'll experience peace. 269 00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:12,640 Peace. There was no way for for the 270 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:16,640 writer to describe the the overwhelming peace that God 271 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:21,760 gives, so he just repeats it. The translator is called it 272 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:24,760 perfect peace in Hebrew. It's peace. 273 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:28,400 Peace because it's something that goes beyond anything you 274 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:32,600 can ever imagine for those whose mind is stayed on thee. 275 00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:38,920 In fact, the Bible says in Colossians 316, let the peace of 276 00:23:38,920 --> 00:23:47,920 Christ rule in your heart. The word for rule means to to 277 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:53,000 umpire, to call the shots. In other words, let the let the 278 00:23:53,000 --> 00:24:00,680 fact that you're at peace with God because of Christ, let the 279 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:05,040 fact that you're at peace with God be the governing factor in 280 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:08,960 every decision that you make. In other words, because we're on 281 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:12,880 God's side, we need to realize that he's calling all the shots. 282 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:18,480 So we subject ourselves to the one who calls all the shots. 283 00:24:20,360 --> 00:24:25,080 That's what letting the peace of Christ rule in your hearts mean. 284 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:32,040 So Paul comes along and says, I want the the Lord of peace, the 285 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:39,600 God of peace to continually grant you peace in every 286 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:43,160 circumstance. That that's just in every 287 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:46,280 circumstance, not in certain circumstances, but in every one 288 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:49,520 of them. Meaning that there can be peace 289 00:24:49,680 --> 00:24:55,360 in every every issue in life, whether it be turmoil or 290 00:24:55,360 --> 00:25:01,760 tragedy, whether it be happiness or joy, whether it be a 291 00:25:01,760 --> 00:25:08,800 difficulty or depression. Peace is continually granted. 292 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:15,440 But you need to embrace that peace, and you can only do that 293 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:20,120 because you rest in the Providence of God and the 294 00:25:20,120 --> 00:25:31,720 promises that go with it. So he says the last phrase, the 295 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:37,120 Lord be with you all. We'll see this. 296 00:25:37,120 --> 00:25:40,480 To our Third Point, not only do you rest in the Providence, 297 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:43,480 Providence of God and the promises that go with it, not 298 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:53,920 only do you embrace this peace, but #3 journey in His presence. 299 00:25:56,360 --> 00:26:01,840 You journey in his presence. They say, well, isn't God on the 300 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:05,520 present? Isn't God everywhere at all 301 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:10,320 times? Isn't God occupying the past, 302 00:26:10,320 --> 00:26:13,000 the present, and the future all at the same time? 303 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:17,480 Isn't God eternal? Isn't God immutable? 304 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:19,240 Isn't God everywhere? How? 305 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:22,920 How can I journey outside the presence of God? 306 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:28,080 Well, theologically you cannot, because God is on the presence. 307 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:34,920 But practically, you can walk out on your own, do your own 308 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:40,640 thing, make your own decisions as if God is not even present 309 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:42,360 among you. We, we kind of do this all the 310 00:26:42,360 --> 00:26:45,720 time, right? We, we make decisions without 311 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:52,360 ever consulting God. We make decisions about jobs, we 312 00:26:52,360 --> 00:26:55,080 make decisions about purchases. We make decisions about our 313 00:26:55,080 --> 00:26:57,320 family. We make decisions about all 314 00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:00,720 things in our life where we go to school without ever 315 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:04,440 consulting God because we think we're smart enough to do that, 316 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:07,480 that we can. We, we're autonomous and we're 317 00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:09,560 independent and we can make decisions. 318 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:12,960 We don't need God to guide us. I'm smart enough to make this 319 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:17,240 decision on my own. That's not journey, journeying 320 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:23,720 in the presence of God, that's that's walking away doing my own 321 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:26,760 thing. That's why the psalmist said in 322 00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:32,400 Psalm 42, these words, I love this, it's so precious. 323 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:37,640 He says, why are you in despair, O my soul? 324 00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:41,760 So let me ask you that question. Why is your soul in despair 325 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:44,800 today? Why? 326 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:51,440 Why is your soul downcast today? Why is your soul depressed 327 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:54,400 today? That's the question that 328 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:55,600 Psalmist asks. Why? 329 00:27:57,200 --> 00:27:59,800 And why have you become disturbed within me? 330 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:07,560 What is your soul disturbed? Hoping God for? 331 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:12,600 I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence. 332 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:18,400 Isn't that great? I will hope in God and I will I 333 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:21,160 will praise him because he is present with me. 334 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:24,920 It's it's the help of his presence. 335 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:30,520 Turn back with me if you would, to the book of Exodus, the book 336 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:36,160 of Exodus, the 33rd chapter. You'll remember these words, 337 00:28:37,360 --> 00:28:41,760 Exodus chapter 33, verse 12. Then Moses said to the Lord, 338 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:46,400 See, you say to me, Bring up this people, but you yourself 339 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:49,360 have not let me know whom you will send with me. 340 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:53,160 Moreover, you have said, I have known you by name, and you have 341 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:56,840 also found favor in my sight. Now, Now, therefore I pray you, 342 00:28:57,080 --> 00:29:00,400 if I have found favor in your sight, let me know your ways, 343 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:04,000 that I may know you, so that I may find favor in your sight. 344 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:08,160 Consider too that the nation is your people. 345 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:16,920 These are your people, God. He says this and he said, my 346 00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:23,560 presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest. 347 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:32,600 God says to Moses, My presence will go with you, and I will 348 00:29:32,600 --> 00:29:36,400 give you rest. Now this is the words of Moses. 349 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:42,400 They said to him, If your presence does not go with us, do 350 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:48,840 not lead us up from here. We're not going anywhere without 351 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:51,720 you, Lord. We're not making a step. 352 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:54,520 We're not. We're not branching out to do 353 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:59,080 anything unless you go with us because we can't do it on our 354 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:02,920 own. That's a man who has learned to 355 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:06,720 depend upon the the presence of Almighty God in his life. 356 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:11,160 And Moses was a great leader. He was educated in the finest 357 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:15,720 school system of his day. He was a powerful, strong man. 358 00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:18,440 When he slayed the Egyptian trying to convince the nation of 359 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:23,000 Israel to follow him, he was nixed in line to be the Pharaoh. 360 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:26,480 He was a great leader. He had all the external 361 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:31,440 capabilities and opportunities before him, but he turned it all 362 00:30:31,440 --> 00:30:35,800 the way to follow the Lord. He forsook the riches of Egypt, 363 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:42,720 he forsook fame in Egypt, that he might seek and follow the 364 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:49,280 name of his God. And now at the end of his life 365 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:52,960 he is saying, Lord, I'm not going anywhere unless you go 366 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:55,240 with us. Read on. 367 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:00,320 For how then can it be known that I have found favor in your 368 00:31:00,320 --> 00:31:01,920 sight? I and your people? 369 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:11,520 Is it not by your going with us, Said we, I and your people may 370 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:15,920 be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the 371 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:21,120 face of the earth. What distinguishes you from 372 00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:25,840 everybody at work? What distinguishes you from 373 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:30,240 everybody at school? What distinguishes you from 374 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:34,960 everybody in your neighborhood? It's the presence of God with 375 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:39,760 you. That's what it is, that there's 376 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:42,400 something about your life, there's something about who you 377 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:45,960 are that that just exudes the presence of God. 378 00:31:46,680 --> 00:31:51,760 You walk into the room and people, they smell the presence 379 00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:54,200 of God. It's everywhere. 380 00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:57,920 It overrides your Cologne and perfume. 381 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:01,200 It over overrides the clothes that you wear. 382 00:32:01,280 --> 00:32:03,280 It's the presence of God among you. 383 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:08,880 And Moses says, this is what's going to distinguish us from 384 00:32:08,880 --> 00:32:11,960 everybody else. We can't go anywhere, Lord, 385 00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:17,480 unless you are going with us. And that he says, the Lord said 386 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:21,720 to Moses, I will also do this thing of which you have spoken, 387 00:32:23,160 --> 00:32:27,320 for you have found favor in my sight, and I've known you by 388 00:32:27,320 --> 00:32:30,080 name. This is so precious. 389 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:34,120 I know you by name, Moses, you found favor. 390 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:39,800 You've been graced in my sights. I'm going with you all the way 391 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:49,280 journey in his presence. I just I can't emphasize this 392 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:51,040 enough. It's called walking in the 393 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:52,760 spirit. So you don't fulfill the lust of 394 00:32:52,760 --> 00:32:57,080 the flesh, right that that's Paul's way of saying it in 395 00:32:57,080 --> 00:33:02,760 Galatians and and Ephesians. Walk in the Spirit, walk in the 396 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:07,160 presence of Almighty God and you'll be distinguished from 397 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:11,520 everybody else because there's something unique and special 398 00:33:12,360 --> 00:33:15,160 about you. Note this. 399 00:33:16,480 --> 00:33:20,480 The Psalm was said in Psalm 16 verse #8 I have set the Lord 400 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:24,160 continually before me because he is at my right hand. 401 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:29,000 I should not be shaken. How do you know You journey in 402 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:33,120 the presence of God? Because you'll continually place 403 00:33:33,120 --> 00:33:38,280 the Lord before you. He's at your right hand and you 404 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:43,360 never fear. You're never shaken, you never 405 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:46,480 stumble. Because God's at your right 406 00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:49,680 hand. He is continually before you. 407 00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:56,720 You're focused and fixed on Him. If I had time, I I would tell 408 00:33:56,720 --> 00:34:01,120 you that the Prince of God supports and sustains you in 409 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:03,240 your service. Just read the book of Joshua. 410 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:06,040 Read the book of Deuteronomy. Read the book of Matthew. 411 00:34:07,440 --> 00:34:11,400 When you're journeying God's, God's presence, he, he comforts 412 00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:15,719 you amidst your crises. All you have to do is read 413 00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:19,840 Paul's account in Acts 18 and Psalm 23 verse #4 that when you 414 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:22,560 walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you'll fear no 415 00:34:22,560 --> 00:34:26,760 evil, for He is with you. He comforts you in your crisis. 416 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:30,679 He sustains and supports you in your service. 417 00:34:31,719 --> 00:34:33,400 He strengthens you in your suffering. 418 00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:38,760 Only the Lord can do that. That's Deuteronomy 3327 and 2nd 419 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:40,679 Corinthians 1 verses 3 and following. 420 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:44,600 And then you realize that He alleviates your anxiety. 421 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:50,239 He alleviates your anxiety. I'll have to read this one to 422 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:54,520 you. Isaiah chapter 41, he says, 423 00:34:55,840 --> 00:34:59,000 verse #9 you whom I have taken from the ends of the earth and 424 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:02,480 called from its remotest parts, and said to you, you are my 425 00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:04,760 servant. I have chosen you and not 426 00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:10,440 rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with 427 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:13,760 you. Do not anxiously look about you, 428 00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:15,920 for I am your God. I will strengthen you. 429 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:20,880 Surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with my 430 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:27,720 righteous right hand, the presence of God. 431 00:35:27,720 --> 00:35:30,560 When you journey in this presence, He alleviates your 432 00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:33,640 anxiety, He comforts you and your crisis. 433 00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:38,040 He is the one who sustains and supports you in your service, 434 00:35:38,840 --> 00:35:42,440 and He is the one who strengthens you amidst your 435 00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:45,760 suffering. I like this one. 436 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:50,080 Wish I had time for this. He eliminates your enemies. 437 00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:56,040 All you got to do is read first Samuel 17 story of David right. 438 00:35:57,040 --> 00:36:02,400 He went against Goliath with the Lord of hosts by his side, the 439 00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:07,960 Lord of armies. And Saul told David before he 440 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:13,120 went, the Lord be with you, David. 441 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:19,480 And that's kind of quite ironic because the same Lord would have 442 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:21,480 been was Saul had Saul gone after Goliath. 443 00:36:21,480 --> 00:36:27,000 But you see, he was afraid, but David wasn't. 444 00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:33,840 He knew that the Lord would eliminate his enemy because he 445 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:36,400 had already alleviated his anxiety. 446 00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:39,720 He'd already comforted amidst his crises. 447 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:45,200 He knew that He would strengthen him in his suffering and support 448 00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:47,840 and sustain him in His service For the King. 449 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:51,440 That's what it means to journey in His presence. 450 00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:57,200 Do you do that? You want to rejoice always Rest 451 00:36:58,160 --> 00:37:01,720 in His Providence and the promises that go with Him. 452 00:37:03,120 --> 00:37:06,720 Embrace His peace. Journey in His presence. 453 00:37:07,360 --> 00:37:11,040 Next number 4. Obey his precepts. 454 00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:18,200 Obey his precepts. Listen, there is no joy and 455 00:37:18,200 --> 00:37:21,680 disobedience. You can't rejoice when you 456 00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:25,480 disobey. You can only rejoice when you 457 00:37:25,520 --> 00:37:29,640 obey that. That's why the woman, some woman 458 00:37:29,640 --> 00:37:35,040 in the crowd, Jesus is walking by in Luke 11 says blessed is 459 00:37:35,040 --> 00:37:39,960 the womb that bore you and the breasts that nourished you. 460 00:37:40,760 --> 00:37:46,120 And Jesus stops and says, oh, On the contrary, blessed are all 461 00:37:46,120 --> 00:37:51,520 those who hear my word and obey my word. 462 00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:57,120 That's where the blessing comes, that that's why John 13 is so 463 00:37:57,120 --> 00:38:00,360 important. John 13 begins the, the evening 464 00:38:00,520 --> 00:38:04,040 of the last night of our Lord's life, John 13 through 17. 465 00:38:04,600 --> 00:38:07,760 And we get to our study of John. We'll spend we'll spend months 466 00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:12,080 in those chapters, John 13 to 17, because it's the last night 467 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:14,920 of our Lord's life on earth and he begins that night. 468 00:38:14,920 --> 00:38:17,360 Remember, there's an argument that arises among among the 469 00:38:17,360 --> 00:38:20,520 disciples about who's the greatest in the Kingdom and, and 470 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:23,440 and Jesus begins to get up and and tie his slaves apron around 471 00:38:23,440 --> 00:38:27,520 his his waist and and gets a wash basin and begins to wash 472 00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:29,280 the disciples feet. You know that story. 473 00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:32,960 And Peter said, what are you doing Lord? 474 00:38:33,320 --> 00:38:37,040 Well what I'm doing Peter is I'm I'm washing your feet. 475 00:38:37,160 --> 00:38:38,800 He says no, let me wash your feet. 476 00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:41,360 Christ says if I don't wash you, you have no part with me. 477 00:38:41,520 --> 00:38:43,560 Peter says throw the whole bucket of water on me then I 478 00:38:43,640 --> 00:38:47,320 want to be cleansed. Christ says you don't need a a 479 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:53,200 cleansing you just need a, a washing because the wash 480 00:38:53,200 --> 00:38:56,840 disciples feet and what's all said and done. 481 00:38:56,840 --> 00:38:59,960 He says you've seen what I have done for you. 482 00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:06,080 I've set you an example. John 1317 And blessed are you, 483 00:39:07,320 --> 00:39:13,200 joy is yours when you do what I have done unto you. 484 00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:17,160 And people think, well, the joy must be in washing somebody 485 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:19,240 else's feet. Are you kidding me? 486 00:39:19,560 --> 00:39:23,440 There's no joy in that. We don't want to wash your 487 00:39:23,440 --> 00:39:25,280 crusty toes and all that kind of stuff. 488 00:39:26,360 --> 00:39:28,560 There's no joy in that. That's, that's not what the, the 489 00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:31,640 Bible says. Well, where's the joy? 490 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:36,920 The joy is that when you are suffering isolation and 491 00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:40,640 loneliness and nobody cares about you because the disciples 492 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:42,720 didn't care about Jesus. They just argued about who was 493 00:39:42,720 --> 00:39:47,000 the greatest in the Kingdom. So Jesus says, you know, when 494 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:50,080 nobody cares about you, when you're completely isolated and 495 00:39:50,080 --> 00:39:55,040 nobody's praying for you in all your suffering and no one's 496 00:39:55,040 --> 00:39:59,360 paying attention to the fact that you're going to die for the 497 00:39:59,360 --> 00:40:07,440 sins of man, know what you do? You serve your fellow man, you 498 00:40:07,440 --> 00:40:10,560 serve him. That's where the joy is. 499 00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:14,600 That's how you rejoice, always obeying the precepts of God. 500 00:40:15,200 --> 00:40:20,040 When it's the hardest to do so, when you don't want to do so, 501 00:40:20,840 --> 00:40:25,080 that's where the joy is. So you say I'm going to serve my 502 00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:29,360 fellow man when my fellow man could care less about my my 503 00:40:29,360 --> 00:40:32,600 future tomorrow, could care less about my physical condition, 504 00:40:33,600 --> 00:40:35,840 could care less about anything going on in my life. 505 00:40:37,160 --> 00:40:40,240 But in our narcissistic society, we are so consumed with 506 00:40:40,240 --> 00:40:44,080 ourselves we can't even look outside of the wash basin 507 00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:47,960 because all we can think of is me, me, me, me, me, me, me. 508 00:40:49,640 --> 00:40:53,200 And that's why you have no joy. That's why you can't rejoice 509 00:40:53,200 --> 00:40:57,880 always. It's all about you and God's 510 00:40:57,880 --> 00:41:01,400 program. It's all about Him and everybody 511 00:41:01,400 --> 00:41:04,560 else. So you rest. 512 00:41:05,320 --> 00:41:07,840 I know I'm late, but I'm going to finish this today. 513 00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:13,240 You rest in His Providence and the promises that go with Him. 514 00:41:16,520 --> 00:41:21,320 You embrace His peace, you journey in his presence, you 515 00:41:21,320 --> 00:41:28,840 obey his precepts, and then you identify with his plans and his 516 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:33,440 purposes. Not your plans and purposes, his 517 00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:39,880 plans and purposes. You must identify with his 518 00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:43,120 plans. That That's why the Bible says 519 00:41:43,120 --> 00:41:47,040 in Romans 12, you present your body a living sacrifice wholly 520 00:41:47,040 --> 00:41:50,600 acceptable in the God, which is your only logical form of 521 00:41:50,600 --> 00:41:55,080 worship, that you may be able to prove what is that good and 522 00:41:55,080 --> 00:41:56,840 acceptable and perfect will of God. 523 00:41:57,360 --> 00:42:00,280 But but you, you must present your your life as a living 524 00:42:00,280 --> 00:42:03,360 sacrifice. That is see the problem with the 525 00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:05,880 living sacrifice is that you can jump off the altar whenever you 526 00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:09,560 want to, right. When things get a little hot, 527 00:42:09,560 --> 00:42:12,320 you jump off the altar. When the blade looks really 528 00:42:12,320 --> 00:42:16,760 sharp, you jump off the altar. But when you present yourself as 529 00:42:16,760 --> 00:42:19,720 a living sacrifice, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're 530 00:42:19,720 --> 00:42:25,080 seeking to please and, and honor the name of God because you want 531 00:42:25,080 --> 00:42:28,040 his will done in your life. So you have this scenario in 532 00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:33,080 Matthew chapter 16 where, where Jesus asks, who do men say that 533 00:42:33,080 --> 00:42:34,440 I am? And Peter makes that great 534 00:42:34,440 --> 00:42:37,200 confession now with the Christ, the Son of the living God, and, 535 00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:41,360 and, and Christ commence him for what he says. 536 00:42:41,440 --> 00:42:45,320 Flesh and bloods not reveal that to you my friend Simon, but my 537 00:42:45,320 --> 00:42:46,560 Father in heaven is revealed to you. 538 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:51,160 Then you had that scenario where Christ begins then to talk to 539 00:42:51,160 --> 00:42:56,400 them about his crucifixion, his death, his beatings and how it 540 00:42:56,400 --> 00:43:01,280 rise again. And Peter says, oh, far be it 541 00:43:01,280 --> 00:43:05,400 from you, Lord. Peter began to rebuke him, says 542 00:43:05,400 --> 00:43:09,320 Can you imagine rebuking Jesus, Peter? 543 00:43:09,320 --> 00:43:11,720 Peter was so comfortable with Jesus, he felt like he could 544 00:43:11,720 --> 00:43:14,720 rebuke him, said Lord that that's not going to happen to 545 00:43:14,720 --> 00:43:17,640 you. What did Christ say? 546 00:43:18,440 --> 00:43:26,320 Get thee behind me, Satan, for you do not have in mind the 547 00:43:26,320 --> 00:43:33,120 plans and purposes of God. You see, Peter only had his 548 00:43:33,120 --> 00:43:37,400 plans and purposes in mind. He had his idea about the way 549 00:43:37,400 --> 00:43:40,240 the Messiah should be. He had his idea about the way 550 00:43:40,440 --> 00:43:43,560 Christianity should be. He had his idea about the way 551 00:43:43,560 --> 00:43:47,000 church should be. He had his idea about how he 552 00:43:47,000 --> 00:43:50,520 should walk with the Lord. He didn't have the Lord's idea 553 00:43:50,520 --> 00:43:53,840 in mind. The Lord's mission was to was to 554 00:43:53,840 --> 00:43:58,240 suffer and die and rise again. That was his mission. 555 00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:03,680 Peter didn't want that. He wanted something different 556 00:44:04,920 --> 00:44:09,160 because he thought his way, his plans, his purposes were better 557 00:44:09,240 --> 00:44:12,320 than Jesus's plans and purposes. You ever been there? 558 00:44:13,120 --> 00:44:15,440 Sure you have. Yeah. 559 00:44:16,360 --> 00:44:18,040 You you want to marry somebody, right? 560 00:44:18,040 --> 00:44:21,360 And they're not a believer. That's your plan. 561 00:44:21,360 --> 00:44:24,040 That's your purpose. And God says don't do that. 562 00:44:24,200 --> 00:44:25,680 I got my own plan. I got my own purpose. 563 00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:29,920 And God says don't do that. It's OK. 564 00:44:30,400 --> 00:44:32,000 I got this, Lord, don't worry about it. 565 00:44:32,680 --> 00:44:38,480 They'll get saved later down the road and they don't see what we 566 00:44:38,520 --> 00:44:43,720 we have our own plans and we think that they're right, but 567 00:44:43,720 --> 00:44:47,680 for the most part they're, they're wrong because they're 568 00:44:47,680 --> 00:44:50,960 not in line with what the Lord has said His word. 569 00:44:52,320 --> 00:44:56,240 So you must identify with his plans and his purposes. 570 00:44:56,720 --> 00:44:58,960 But you can only, only do that when you obey his precepts. 571 00:45:00,200 --> 00:45:02,200 And the reason you obey his precepts is because you embrace 572 00:45:02,200 --> 00:45:04,600 his peace. And the only way you embrace 573 00:45:04,600 --> 00:45:07,280 this peace is because you're resting in the province of God. 574 00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:10,440 And the promises that go with them make sense. 575 00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:19,000 Of course it does. Two more Consider, say again, 576 00:45:21,200 --> 00:45:22,520 I'm just, I'm just getting started. 577 00:45:24,240 --> 00:45:34,080 Consider his person. Consider his person Hebrews 578 00:45:34,080 --> 00:45:36,920 chapter 12. Therefore, since we have so 579 00:45:36,920 --> 00:45:39,440 great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside 580 00:45:39,440 --> 00:45:42,280 every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, 581 00:45:42,440 --> 00:45:44,720 and let us run with endurance the race that I set before us, 582 00:45:44,880 --> 00:45:48,800 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of faith, 583 00:45:49,280 --> 00:45:53,600 who for the joy set before Him endure the cross, despising the 584 00:45:53,600 --> 00:45:56,280 shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 585 00:45:56,480 --> 00:46:01,280 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners 586 00:46:01,440 --> 00:46:05,480 against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose 587 00:46:05,480 --> 00:46:11,880 heart. You must consider Him His 588 00:46:11,880 --> 00:46:15,080 Person. He did what he did because of 589 00:46:15,080 --> 00:46:18,920 the joy that was set before him. You know, there's only one time 590 00:46:19,120 --> 00:46:24,200 in the New Testament that says that Jesus rejoiced only once, 591 00:46:26,560 --> 00:46:31,240 and that's in Luke's Gospel, the 10th chapter, when it says that 592 00:46:31,240 --> 00:46:33,920 Jesus rejoiced greatly. Why? 593 00:46:34,840 --> 00:46:38,480 Because He told his men that even though you got back from 594 00:46:38,480 --> 00:46:40,800 ministry and you saw great things happening, rejoice in 595 00:46:40,800 --> 00:46:42,440 this, that your names are written down in heaven. 596 00:46:42,560 --> 00:46:46,280 And then he says he rejoiced greatly, because His Father in 597 00:46:46,280 --> 00:46:50,240 heaven has hidden these things from the wise and the 598 00:46:50,240 --> 00:46:55,520 intelligent, but has offered them up to the infant, the 599 00:46:55,520 --> 00:46:58,720 lowly, that they might embrace the Messiah. 600 00:46:59,640 --> 00:47:03,280 The joy before Him was the salvation of lost souls. 601 00:47:05,520 --> 00:47:08,640 And so when you, when you have, when you consider the person of 602 00:47:08,640 --> 00:47:12,160 Christ, you're considering the joy that was before him, and the 603 00:47:12,160 --> 00:47:14,400 joy was the salvation of lost souls. 604 00:47:14,480 --> 00:47:19,720 You rejoice always when the salvation of lost souls is 605 00:47:19,720 --> 00:47:23,440 preeminent in your mind as it was in the mind of Christ. 606 00:47:25,360 --> 00:47:29,120 Rest in His Providence and the promises that go with them. 607 00:47:29,680 --> 00:47:34,240 Embraces peace. Journey in His presence. 608 00:47:36,400 --> 00:47:40,200 Obey His precepts. Identify with His plans and 609 00:47:40,200 --> 00:47:44,640 purposes, and then consider His person. 610 00:47:46,360 --> 00:47:52,560 Once you do that, you can finally enter His gates with 611 00:47:52,560 --> 00:47:59,880 praise. Psalm 100, which says these 612 00:47:59,880 --> 00:48:03,040 words. Shout joyfully to the Lord all 613 00:48:03,040 --> 00:48:05,240 the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness. 614 00:48:05,480 --> 00:48:07,760 Come before Him with joyful singing. 615 00:48:07,960 --> 00:48:10,440 Know that the Lord Himself is God. 616 00:48:10,560 --> 00:48:13,360 It is He who made us, and we, not ourselves. 617 00:48:13,600 --> 00:48:15,960 We are His people in the sheep of His pasture. 618 00:48:16,640 --> 00:48:20,400 Enter His gates with Thanksgiving, and His courts 619 00:48:20,400 --> 00:48:23,240 with praise. Give thanks to Him. 620 00:48:23,240 --> 00:48:26,440 Bless His name, for the Lord is good. 621 00:48:27,080 --> 00:48:30,120 His loving kindness is everlasting and it's 622 00:48:30,120 --> 00:48:38,320 faithfulness to all generations. You want to rejoice always, 623 00:48:40,520 --> 00:48:47,480 that's how you do it. R Rest in His presence and the 624 00:48:47,480 --> 00:48:52,280 promises with Him. E Embraces peace. 625 00:48:53,920 --> 00:49:02,560 J Journey in His presence. O obey his precepts, right. 626 00:49:03,960 --> 00:49:07,800 I identify with his plans and purposes. 627 00:49:09,400 --> 00:49:19,960 C Consider his person. E enter his gates with praise. 628 00:49:22,120 --> 00:49:26,440 You want to rejoice always. That's where it begins. 629 00:49:27,680 --> 00:49:33,160 And May God give us the grace to obey the command that says 630 00:49:34,040 --> 00:49:39,160 rejoice always, let's pray together. 631 00:49:40,040 --> 00:49:43,640 Father, we thank you for today, the opportunity you give us to 632 00:49:43,760 --> 00:49:47,840 look into the Word of God so much we did not even touch on 633 00:49:47,840 --> 00:49:51,240 today. And yet, Lord, we trust that the 634 00:49:51,240 --> 00:49:56,000 things that we have learned would be with us and grow us 635 00:49:56,000 --> 00:50:01,680 deep and our walk with the Lord. And so, Lord, I pray for every 636 00:50:01,680 --> 00:50:05,000 one of us in the room. And I don't know what's 637 00:50:05,000 --> 00:50:10,640 happening in families or workplaces or schools, in the 638 00:50:10,640 --> 00:50:14,280 individual lives of those who are here, but you do. 639 00:50:16,520 --> 00:50:21,480 And that's all that matters. You're with them. 640 00:50:22,240 --> 00:50:24,680 You've inscribed them on the palms of your hands. 641 00:50:25,880 --> 00:50:28,200 You know them intimately in every detail. 642 00:50:30,200 --> 00:50:34,600 May they embrace the peace that you give them because you give 643 00:50:34,600 --> 00:50:38,720 it to them continually. May they rest in the in the 644 00:50:38,720 --> 00:50:42,720 Providence of Almighty God, journey in your presence, obey 645 00:50:42,720 --> 00:50:48,320 your precepts, identify with your plans and purposes, and 646 00:50:48,320 --> 00:50:54,000 consider you the great God of the universe, that they might 647 00:50:54,000 --> 00:51:01,320 enter your gates with praise and Thanksgiving, shouting joyfully 648 00:51:02,200 --> 00:51:06,640 unto the name of our God. Pray this in the name of Jesus 649 00:51:06,640 --> 00:51:10,320 Christ, our coming King, Amen.