1 00:00:01,480 --> 00:00:02,920 It's so good to be with you guys. 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:06,360 I'm glad you're here today. You survived the time change. 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:08,880 You guys look good. You worship well. 4 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:13,920 Before I jump into the sermon, I I want to real quick on a 5 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:17,720 business note for the church. If you are on the church board, 6 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:22,000 I need to meet with you for like 2 minutes right after service. 7 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:24,680 There's no crisis, there's nothing bad happening. 8 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:27,760 We just need to do a quick approval of something for our 9 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:29,880 election process. And so if you're on the church 10 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:32,920 board, when we wrap up service, I'll just meet you right down 11 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:34,360 here. It'll be quick. 12 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:37,360 I appreciate that. But I want, I want to get, we're 13 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:39,720 going to move into this sermon, but I want to start with some 14 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:42,320 audience participation. Are you ready to participate? 15 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:45,000 Do you love it when I make you participate? 16 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:48,200 All right, so if someone's near you, I'm going to ask you to 17 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:50,840 share something with them. What is it? 18 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:54,080 What is it that takes away your peace? 19 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:56,200 What is it? Is it? 20 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:59,120 Is it social media? Is it things? 21 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:03,040 Is it finances? What is it that that takes away 22 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:04,680 your peace? Go ahead, share it with someone. 23 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:06,560 Come on, get involved. We're going to be talking to 24 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:07,880 each other today. It's good. 25 00:01:16,430 --> 00:01:19,150 I like it. There's life. 26 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:27,160 All right, all right, So thank you guys for participating. 27 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:28,760 I'm going to keep having you participate. 28 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:30,280 We're going to say some words together. 29 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:31,880 We're going to get focused on the text. 30 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:35,040 I'm just I'll share since I didn't talk to anyone up here. 31 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:37,880 I want to follow my own rules as well. 32 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:39,720 So I'll just, I'll just confess to you guys. 33 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,840 One of the things that takes away my piece more than anything 34 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:48,040 else is I don't like to have broken relationships or or 35 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,440 disagreements between me and anyone else. 36 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:53,520 And so if there is, if there's something that's wrong with 37 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:58,640 someone else, it bothers me. OK, my wife's it's gas prices 38 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,560 and a lot of other things. Don't tell her I said that, but 39 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:07,680 but for me, it's it's mainly relational stuff. 40 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:11,680 So, so my question for you is this, how many of you have at 41 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:16,280 some point had a sleepless night because you didn't have peace 42 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:20,120 about something? Maybe it was you lost an hour of 43 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:22,280 sleep last night and you just didn't have peace about it. 44 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,200 Congratulations, you're here. And if you're online, 45 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:27,560 congratulations, you're online. You made it. 46 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:31,960 Thanks for worshipping with us. But, but I'm guessing almost all 47 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:34,080 of us have had a night where we just couldn't sleep. 48 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:36,720 And maybe there was something going on our lives. 49 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:38,880 Maybe there was a situation and it kept us up. 50 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:41,520 And maybe at some point you even gave up and said, I'm not even 51 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:42,880 going to try anymore. I'm going to get up. 52 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:45,720 I'm going to go do something else because it's it's pointless 53 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:47,880 to try to sleep. I'm guessing we've all been 54 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:50,640 there today. We're continue our series, the 55 00:02:50,640 --> 00:02:54,640 King we need, and we're going to talk about the King of peace. 56 00:02:55,760 --> 00:03:00,320 Jesus Christ is our peace. So we're going to be looking at 57 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:02,080 a few different ways that Jesus is our peace. 58 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:05,640 But my prayer for you today is that as we read God's word and 59 00:03:05,640 --> 00:03:09,240 as we study God's word, that he will give you peace. 60 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,680 And my prayer is that nobody will walk out of this place 61 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:16,760 today without the peace of Christ ruling their hearts. 62 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:19,880 So stand with me. Ephesians chapter 2 is where 63 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:21,320 we're at. We stand because this is God's 64 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:24,320 word and we believe that this is the word of God that's written 65 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:27,640 for us and that God wants to speak to us today. 66 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:31,280 And so we're in Ephesians chapter 2, we're going verse 11 67 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:37,200 through 22 and this talks about our peace in Jesus Christ says 68 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:41,640 therefore remember, say, remember, we're we're going to 69 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:45,120 talk to each other today. Therefore remember that formerly 70 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:49,240 you who are Gentiles by birth and called uncircumcised by 71 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:52,520 those who call themselves the circumcision, which is done in 72 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:57,720 the body by hands, Remember that at that time you were separate 73 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:02,120 from Christ, excluded from citizenship and Israel and 74 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:07,320 foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and 75 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:12,360 without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who 76 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:15,960 were once, who once were far away, have been brought near by 77 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:20,640 the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who 78 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:24,000 made the two groups one, and has destroyed the barrier, the 79 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:28,160 dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in His flesh the 80 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:30,760 Law with its commands and regulations. 81 00:04:31,280 --> 00:04:35,560 His purpose was to create in Himself one new humanity out of 82 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:40,600 the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of 83 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:44,440 them to God through the cross by which He put to death their 84 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:47,480 hostility. He came and preached peace to 85 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:51,680 you who are far away, and peace to those who were near. 86 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:56,080 For through Him we both have access to the Father by 1 87 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:58,800 Spirit. Consequently, and we read part 88 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:01,840 of this last week, consequently, you are no longer foreigners and 89 00:05:01,840 --> 00:05:06,480 strangers, but your fellow citizens with God's people and 90 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:09,200 also members of His household. Build on the foundation of the 91 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:12,440 apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the 92 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:15,080 chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is 93 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:19,120 joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord 94 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:23,080 and in him. You too are being built together 95 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:27,520 to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit. 96 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:30,160 Praise the Lord, have a seat. This is good stuff. 97 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:33,440 There are three parts. I'm going to try to get this 98 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:35,600 through this quicker than I did in first service because I 99 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:37,840 really think we need to respond at the end, and I think it's 100 00:05:37,840 --> 00:05:40,200 important today. There's three types of peace 101 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:45,240 that this talks about, and Jesus is our peace. 102 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:47,440 Three types. I think the first one, we've got 103 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,000 to get this one right before we can move to the next two. 104 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:53,720 But the first one is this. It's peace with God. 105 00:05:54,280 --> 00:05:57,120 If we don't get this part right, if we don't get peace with God 106 00:05:57,120 --> 00:06:00,880 right, that we have no chance of having peace in this world or 107 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,040 having peace with others. So it starts with peace with 108 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,840 God. Yesterday we had the service for 109 00:06:06,840 --> 00:06:10,040 Corey Betcher, a member of our church who passed away. 110 00:06:10,040 --> 00:06:13,400 And Pastor Dale spoke on Ephesians 2 verses one through 111 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:14,800 10. I want you to hear this. 112 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:21,480 It says, As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and 113 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:24,000 sins. Let me say that again, As for 114 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:28,560 you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins in which 115 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:31,480 you used to live when you followed the ways of this world. 116 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:34,560 And the ruler of the Kingdom of the air, the Spirit who is now 117 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:36,080 at work, and those who are disobedient. 118 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:40,800 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the 119 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:43,120 cravings of our flesh and following its desires and 120 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:47,120 thoughts like the rest. We were by nature deserving of 121 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:52,640 wrath. But because of His great love 122 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:59,920 for us, if that doesn't get you crying, then you don't cry like 123 00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:04,560 I do. Because of His great love for 124 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:11,120 us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even 125 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:16,480 when we were dead. In transgressions it is by grace 126 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:19,080 you have been saved. Say grace with me. 127 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:23,200 Grace, grace, it is by grace you have been saved. 128 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:26,520 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the 129 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:29,760 heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages 130 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:34,000 He might show his incomparable rich the incomparable riches of 131 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:38,160 his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 132 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:39,840 In case you didn't get it earlier. 133 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:42,840 For it is by grace you have been saved. 134 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:46,280 Through faith, say grace. It is by grace you have been 135 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:50,160 saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves. 136 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:55,920 It is a gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast. 137 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:59,680 For we are God's handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do 138 00:07:59,680 --> 00:08:02,920 good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. 139 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:05,720 This is the beauty of the gospel, guys. 140 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:08,640 I mean, we could just stop there and we're good, right? 141 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:11,120 The beauty of the gospel right there. 142 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:14,560 The truth of the matter is this. Every single person in this 143 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:20,920 room, every single person watching online at one time was 144 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:23,480 dead. In our transgressions, every 145 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:26,160 single one of us has sinned and fallen short of the glory of 146 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:28,000 God. Every single one of us has lived 147 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:32,080 selfishly and sinfully, and every one of us, because of 148 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:35,960 that, was deserving of destruction and death. 149 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:44,640 But verse 4, because of his great love for us through Jesus 150 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:48,560 Christ and his grace, you've been saved. 151 00:08:49,160 --> 00:08:51,920 This is so important, guys. We, we can't miss this because 152 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:58,920 but we have a tendency in the church to forget, to forget how 153 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:02,040 we got here. We have a tendency in the church 154 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:04,000 as we continue to come to church. 155 00:09:04,000 --> 00:09:06,320 And by the way, hey, time change today. 156 00:09:06,440 --> 00:09:11,680 Congratulations, you're here and if you're online, you didn't 157 00:09:11,680 --> 00:09:14,720 make it here, but congratulations, you're watching 158 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:16,600 today and we're glad you're with us. 159 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:20,360 Listen, hey, I don't care how many times you've come to 160 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:22,320 church. I don't care how many times 161 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:26,040 you've read the Bible or prayed or or said the creeds or any of 162 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:29,600 those things. You can't earn your salvation. 163 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:34,080 There's nothing you could do to earn your salvation. 164 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:38,600 It is by the grace of God that you've been saved. 165 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:44,760 It's not once you hit 100 church services, boom, you're in. 166 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:48,720 How many of you you've seen those at, at businesses, 167 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:52,960 especially blue collar, you know, facilities and stuff like 168 00:09:52,960 --> 00:09:54,840 that, They'll have the, the thing on the wall. 169 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:57,600 It's been this many days since our last incident. 170 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:02,640 Yeah, it's not. Once you hit 50 days of not 171 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:07,200 cursing at anyone or 50 days of not shaking your fist in 172 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:08,880 traffic, hopefully that's all you do. 173 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:13,480 Or, or 50 days of just behaving a good way. 174 00:10:13,560 --> 00:10:17,200 That's not how you're saved. The truth of the matter is every 175 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:20,360 single one of us, sin and fall, has fallen short of the glory of 176 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:22,640 God. And there's nothing we could do 177 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:26,240 on our own to save ourselves. That's the bad news. 178 00:10:26,560 --> 00:10:30,920 But the gospel is good news. The God who created this world 179 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:35,080 loves you so much that He sent his one and only Son, Jesus 180 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:39,040 Christ to die on a cross and through His death and 181 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:41,840 resurrection, His grace saves you. 182 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:47,520 Praise the Lord. All you have to do, all you have 183 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:51,920 to do is respond in faith and the grace of God does the work 184 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:54,160 of salvation. Praise the Lord. 185 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:56,920 Don't get that wrong, because if you get that wrong, it leads us 186 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:00,280 to all sorts of problems. When you start to think it's 187 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:02,840 you, that's good. When you start to think you're 188 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:06,000 the reason you're saved, you start to look at others 189 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:09,720 differently and you start to look at trouble differently. 190 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:12,960 You start to say things like, God, why is this happening to 191 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:16,800 me? I don't deserve this or hey, I'm 192 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:23,640 not like them, so why me? It's by grace you've been saved. 193 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:26,680 So that gets us to verse 11. Definitely not getting done 194 00:11:26,680 --> 00:11:28,680 quicker than first service, but it's OK, we're here. 195 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:31,960 Hang with me. Verse 11. 196 00:11:31,960 --> 00:11:36,240 Therefore, remember, say, remember, this is an important 197 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:40,480 word. Remember that formerly, formerly 198 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:44,800 you were you who are Gentiles by birth and called uncircumcised 199 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:49,160 by those who call themselves the circumcision, which is done by 200 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:51,800 the body and in the body by human hands. 201 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:56,040 Remember that at that time you were separated from Christ. 202 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:58,840 You were separate from Christ. You were excluded from 203 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:01,880 citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenant 204 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:06,280 covenants of the promise without hope and without God in the 205 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:11,440 world, but now in Christ Jesus, you who were once far away have 206 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:13,400 been brought near by the blood of Christ. 207 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:17,640 This is huge. Here it says, Remember that you 208 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:22,560 once were lost. It says you were once if you're 209 00:12:22,560 --> 00:12:25,840 Gentiles, which by the way, I think just about all of us are. 210 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:30,000 If you know, if you're Jewish here and you're here, praise God 211 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:32,400 and you know what you have been brought in. 212 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:35,160 But the truth is there were the Jews who believed they were 213 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:39,080 God's chosen people, and then there were the Gentiles and, and 214 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:43,480 through Christ both are brought to God. 215 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:48,680 But it says remember that you were once lost. 216 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:53,920 You were once far away. You once had no hope that this 217 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:56,200 language might not mean a lot to us. 218 00:12:56,640 --> 00:12:59,720 Remember that you were, you were once one of the ones that was 219 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:02,840 called the uncircumcised. That doesn't mean a lot to us in 220 00:13:02,840 --> 00:13:05,320 our day, but in this day this was a huge deal. 221 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:10,400 It would be like if we think of the people that we would look at 222 00:13:10,400 --> 00:13:16,720 and say that they are the enemy, Those people, if you will, the, 223 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:21,840 the outcast, the people that wouldn't be accepted, That's 224 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:25,240 that word they remember. Guys, church, please look at me. 225 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:27,280 I don't care if you've been coming to church here for 50 226 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:29,120 years. I don't care what you've 227 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:31,640 accomplished. I mean, I do, those are good 228 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:33,440 things. I do care about those things. 229 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:39,800 But as far as salvation goes, let's remember that every single 230 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:44,800 one of us was once lost. And it's only by the grace of 231 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:49,520 Jesus Christ that we are saved, that we are found. 232 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:56,560 There's no other way. So remember, say, remember, you 233 00:13:56,560 --> 00:14:01,680 were once one of them. You were gone. 234 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:09,320 You had no hope but praise God. Jesus is our peace with God. 235 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:13,120 We were separated. We no longer have to be 236 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:16,440 separated. We can approach the throne of 237 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:20,720 grace boldly, and we can have salvation through Jesus. 238 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:23,640 Praise God. It's only through the grace of 239 00:14:23,640 --> 00:14:26,520 God in the blood of Jesus that any of us are here. 240 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:29,640 You may be thinking today, No, no, no, I'm pretty sure I drove 241 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:32,320 myself here. No, it was a decision that I 242 00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:33,560 made a lot. It was what I did. 243 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:36,760 No, listen, without the grace of God, there's not a single one of 244 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:42,240 us that would be here today. It's through Jesus and his grace 245 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:44,280 that we're here. So remember that. 246 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:45,600 Number one, we have peace with God. 247 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:49,240 I've got good news today. If you don't know that you had, 248 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:54,520 you can have peace with God. God loves you so much that he 249 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:57,720 sent his one and only Son, Jesus Christ to die on a cross for 250 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:01,480 forgiveness for your sins. You may be in here and you may 251 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:04,160 be thinking, hey, you don't know my sin. 252 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:08,960 You don't know how rotten I've been and I don't. 253 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:15,600 God does. And verse 4 of Ephesians 2, 254 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:19,360 because of his great love for you, the good news today, the 255 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,520 gospel is this. Today you can have peace with 256 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:23,000 God. No matter what you've done, 257 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:26,520 where you've been, there's peace for you today through Jesus 258 00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:31,040 Christ, which leads us to #2 peace with others. 259 00:15:31,440 --> 00:15:34,400 This is a tricky 1. How many of you know that it's 260 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:35,960 tough to be at peace with others? 261 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:38,760 All right, let's do some more audience participation. 262 00:15:40,240 --> 00:15:43,480 What really gets your blood boiling? 263 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:45,320 Come on, go ahead. Share it with someone around 264 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:46,560 you. Don't be angry. 265 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:49,200 Don't be carnal now. But what, what, what, what 266 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:57,470 really gets to you? It's tough to be at peace with 267 00:15:57,470 --> 00:16:00,430 others. I mean, we've got to drive on 268 00:16:00,430 --> 00:16:04,190 the roads, right? We've got to drive our cars. 269 00:16:04,190 --> 00:16:05,830 And other people are driving their cars. 270 00:16:05,830 --> 00:16:10,400 And that's problematic, right? All right, just all right. 271 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:12,120 I might have lost you guys. You guys are deep in 272 00:16:12,120 --> 00:16:13,480 conversation. This is great. 273 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:15,800 This is good. Come back, come back. 274 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:18,000 All right, good. You can finish that conversation 275 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:18,760 later. It's good. 276 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:24,200 Just this last week, I peace with others is difficult. 277 00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:29,480 Just this last week I, I was in Nashville with Eli, my oldest 278 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:33,160 son, and we were having a great time and I, I really felt like 279 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:39,200 it, it was really going well. And you know, I, I struggle with 280 00:16:39,200 --> 00:16:41,760 peace with others sometimes because people drive too slow. 281 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:46,160 Do you struggle with that? Or when a light turns, they 282 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:50,680 don't turn or go. You know, what I really struggle 283 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:55,320 with is when people struggle with me not going when the light 284 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:58,240 turns green. And I'm not kidding. 285 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:01,040 Like, we were having a great Monday and Tuesday we're down in 286 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:03,200 Nashville and we're driving on Tuesday. 287 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:05,200 We're actually getting ready to head back home. 288 00:17:05,319 --> 00:17:06,760 And it had been such a good time. 289 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:09,880 And I stop at a light and I look down for a minute. 290 00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:12,319 And as I'm looking down, the light turns green. 291 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:15,319 And when I look back up, Oh no, I haven't gone. 292 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:18,359 And the car behind me starts honking at me and the guys 293 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:24,560 gesturing at me. Oh, man, I struggle. 294 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:28,000 I struggle when that happens. Honest mistake. 295 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:33,800 I looked down for two seconds. You know, it's tough to be at 296 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:36,920 peace with others. And it was funny because Eli, 297 00:17:37,360 --> 00:17:40,880 this is confession, guys. Eli said, Dad, how did you get 298 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:45,520 road rage so fast? Now, listen, I, I didn't call 299 00:17:45,520 --> 00:17:49,160 any names. I didn't do anything, you know, 300 00:17:49,360 --> 00:17:51,640 too terrible. I might have gotten behind the 301 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:58,880 guy, and you know, I forgive me. Lord, peace with others is 302 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:02,080 tough, OK? Peace with, I don't know what it 303 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:04,360 is that gets to you. There's lots of things. 304 00:18:04,360 --> 00:18:08,400 But let's be honest, peace with others is difficult, especially 305 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:10,280 when someone's treating you poorly, right? 306 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:16,360 And that happens all the time. I've got good news. 307 00:18:16,360 --> 00:18:18,920 We not only have peace with God, but we can have peace with 308 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:23,360 others through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 214 says, For He 309 00:18:23,360 --> 00:18:26,360 himself is our peace who made two groups. 310 00:18:26,360 --> 00:18:30,200 One, He's destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility 311 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:32,960 between you slow drivers and us fast drivers. 312 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:36,120 That's not what this is talking about. 313 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:41,680 By setting aside in the flesh in His flesh the Law and its 314 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:44,680 commands and regulations for His, His purpose was to create 315 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:48,120 in Himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 316 00:18:48,800 --> 00:18:52,520 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the 317 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:55,960 cross by which He put to death their hostility. 318 00:18:56,640 --> 00:19:01,080 He came and preached peace to those to you who were far away, 319 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:06,800 and peace to those who are near. For through Him we both have 320 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,000 access to the Father by 1 Spirit. 321 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:11,520 Now this is really talking about Jews and Gentiles. 322 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:13,360 It's talking about two people groups. 323 00:19:13,360 --> 00:19:17,160 We had the Jews who were God's chosen people and they had their 324 00:19:17,160 --> 00:19:21,280 law and they followed the law and they believed everyone 325 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:25,000 should follow the law. And then we had the Gentiles who 326 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:27,720 were on the outside and they didn't have the law. 327 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:31,200 OK, let's, let's talk about something. 328 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:35,960 How How could God's chosen people, the Jewish people, be 329 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:43,240 saved through the law? No through good behavior through 330 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:48,920 X amount of days error free. No through the blood of Jesus 331 00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:52,440 Christ. What about the Gentiles that 332 00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:55,040 didn't have the law? How are they saved? 333 00:19:56,280 --> 00:20:01,480 Through the blood of Jesus Christ and his body. 334 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:07,040 He did what the law couldn't do. He fulfilled the law, and in his 335 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:09,800 flesh and his death and resurrection. 336 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:12,400 He brought two groups together as one. 337 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:22,080 I want you to know that if God loves verse 4, if God loves us 338 00:20:22,080 --> 00:20:27,440 so much that he gave his one and only son to die on a cross for 339 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:30,600 us so that we could be saved, What's the word that we have to, 340 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:32,880 we have to remember, say, Remember. 341 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:36,440 Remember that you were once over here. 342 00:20:37,080 --> 00:20:40,920 Remember that you were once outside, you were once lost. 343 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:47,840 You once didn't have hope, but because of Christ, the grace of 344 00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:51,240 Christ brings you salvation and peace with God. 345 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:57,960 Here's the thing guys, when we remember who we were and what 346 00:20:57,960 --> 00:21:02,120 Jesus has done for us, how can we ever look at someone else and 347 00:21:02,120 --> 00:21:04,640 think that they don't deserve the grace of God? 348 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:08,880 How can we ever look at someone with hate? 349 00:21:10,160 --> 00:21:13,040 How can we ever look at someone and think that they're not good 350 00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:16,440 enough? Remember, once you weren't good 351 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:19,640 enough, you were lost, you were dead, and there's nothing you 352 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:23,240 could do. But because of His great love 353 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:29,480 for us, can I tell you that that love is not just for those of us 354 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:32,600 that come to church on Spring Forward Sunday on time. 355 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:37,840 It's not just for us Nazarenes or Christians. 356 00:21:39,120 --> 00:21:40,840 It's because God so loved the world. 357 00:21:43,040 --> 00:21:45,400 So even the people that you think are the worst of the 358 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:54,040 worst, the gospel is good news. Because of His great love for 359 00:21:54,040 --> 00:22:01,080 all of us, He sent his one and only Son to die on a cross that 360 00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:05,240 whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting 361 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:09,080 life. There's no room for hatred. 362 00:22:11,120 --> 00:22:15,680 There's no room for division. First, John 2 says anyone who 363 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:18,440 claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is 364 00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:22,800 still in darkness. Anyone who loves their brother 365 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:25,960 or sister lives in the light and there is nothing in them that to 366 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:29,040 make them stumble. But anyone who hates a brother 367 00:22:29,040 --> 00:22:33,200 or sister is in darkness and is walking around, walks around in 368 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:34,680 darkness. They do not know where they're 369 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:37,640 going because the darkness has blinded them. 370 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:44,000 If, if we hate others, guys, God's not first in our life. 371 00:22:45,120 --> 00:22:49,880 Hear me church, if you have hatred in your heart for others, 372 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:54,000 then God's not first in your heart. 373 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:57,640 There's no room for hatred for God. 374 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:02,040 So love the world that he gave his one and only Son, not for 375 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:03,800 God. So love the gold standard, 376 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:08,000 standard Christians, the spring forward on time Christians. 377 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:12,680 Guys, there's no levels to this. Because I'm a pastor, that 378 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:17,360 doesn't mean I'm a gold level Christian and you're not Because 379 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:19,760 you've been at church 50 years doesn't mean you're on a 380 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:22,600 different field than everybody else. 381 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:28,640 There are people that are lost and there's the grace of God 382 00:23:29,000 --> 00:23:34,560 that brings us salvation. Because of God's grace, we not 383 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:37,200 only have peace with God, but we can have peace with each other. 384 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:40,760 Now, listen, a few things I want to talk about really quick. 385 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:45,720 Number one, I'm not saying that you should let other people 386 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:48,840 abuse you. I'm not saying that you have to 387 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:53,400 live with abuse and hurt. What I'm saying is you can't 388 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:57,200 live with hatred, and if you'll fully surrender your heart to 389 00:23:57,200 --> 00:24:00,360 Christ and you'll allow Him to be the King of peace in your 390 00:24:00,360 --> 00:24:04,320 life, He will give you peace even when people cut you off in 391 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:06,120 traffic. And I'm sorry to make light of 392 00:24:06,120 --> 00:24:08,520 it. He'll give you peace even when 393 00:24:08,520 --> 00:24:10,960 people hurt you in major ways. We're going to hear a story 394 00:24:10,960 --> 00:24:14,120 about that later. We can have peace with others 395 00:24:14,120 --> 00:24:15,960 now. Now I also understand that you 396 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:19,440 can do everything in your power to have to be at peace with 397 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:22,960 someone else and they can choose not to accept that. 398 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:27,240 And it causes I told you I'm I don't like broken relationships. 399 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:29,720 And there have been times that I've realized that no matter 400 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:34,840 what I do, it doesn't always end the way I want it to. 401 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:40,400 But if we'll learn to see others the way Jesus does, if we'll 402 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:45,080 learn to love others even when they don't deserve it, we'll 403 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:48,720 have peace. There's no place for hate. 404 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:51,480 So we have peace with God through Christ. 405 00:24:52,120 --> 00:24:54,240 We have peace with others through Christ. 406 00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:56,680 Maybe there's some of you today that are just walking through 407 00:24:57,080 --> 00:25:00,560 some difficulty and you you've got some tension and the 408 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:06,320 temptation is to be hateful or mad and your peace is being 409 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:09,840 stolen because of something that other people are doing. 410 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:11,840 I've got good news to you for you today. 411 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:17,440 Jesus is our peace. If we'll surrender it to him, He 412 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:21,920 will give you peace. The third is peace in this 413 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:24,360 world. On this one's a tough one, isn't 414 00:25:24,360 --> 00:25:28,800 it? This world severely lacks peace. 415 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:31,000 We're in the middle of war right now. 416 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:35,000 Across the world, there's war. People are displaced from their 417 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:38,480 homes and their countries and it's a difficult time when 418 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:41,400 there's war, isn't it not just that. 419 00:25:42,120 --> 00:25:45,160 If you turn on the TV and you watch the news, are they 420 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:50,560 reporting about all the peace? No, they're reporting about all 421 00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:53,640 the lack of peace, the shootings, all of that stuff. 422 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:56,040 You're on social media. I don't care if you comment 423 00:25:56,040 --> 00:26:00,240 about the church or sports or politics or any. 424 00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:04,480 You could make a comment about hot dogs and there's going to be 425 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:09,120 division and maybe even hatred. Hot dogs for sure. 426 00:26:09,120 --> 00:26:11,600 I mean, I should have picked something good like, you know, 427 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:15,880 like pizza or tacos. But we live in a world that 428 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:21,560 lacks peace severely, even at kids sporting events. 429 00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:24,560 And have you been to a kids sports game lately? 430 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:29,600 There's not peace there. I got good news for you. 431 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:36,680 Jesus is our peace and a world that severely lacks peace, verse 432 00:26:36,680 --> 00:26:38,520 19 says. Consequently, you're no longer 433 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:41,000 foreigners and strangers, but your fellow citizens with God's 434 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:44,160 people and also members of his household built on the 435 00:26:44,160 --> 00:26:46,640 foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus 436 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:50,440 himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole building is 437 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:54,600 joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord 438 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:59,400 and in Him you 2 are being built together to become a dwelling 439 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:01,600 place in which God lives by His Spirit. 440 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:04,160 I've got good news for you. We can have peace in this world 441 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:08,640 because you are invited into the Kingdom of God and you, if 442 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:11,440 you're a follower of Christ, are being built into His holy 443 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:13,280 temple. Have you ever walked into an old 444 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:15,880 cathedral or temple? We talked about this last week. 445 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:18,720 Isn't it one of the most peaceful places in the world? 446 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:22,200 Guys, if you need just a little bit of peace, come in here on a 447 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:25,560 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, come just sit in our 448 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:28,360 sanctuary and just, it's a peaceful place. 449 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:32,600 But can I tell you, as we talked about last week, it's not the 450 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:37,240 building that God is raising His holy temple in US. 451 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:42,040 And that because we're a part of one family, His family, we can 452 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:45,720 live at peace even when the world around us is broken and 453 00:27:45,720 --> 00:27:48,560 hurting. We can have peace in Christ. 454 00:27:48,960 --> 00:27:52,280 Everything else can be falling apart, but we have the hope of 455 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:55,960 salvation and eternity with Jesus Christ, and that gives us 456 00:27:56,240 --> 00:27:58,920 peace. John 14. 457 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:01,080 Jesus says all this. I have spoken while still with 458 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:04,880 you, but the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will 459 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:07,800 send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you 460 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:11,480 of everything I've said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace 461 00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:13,800 I give you. I do not give to you as the 462 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:16,200 world gives. Do not let your hearts be 463 00:28:16,200 --> 00:28:19,520 troubled. Do not be afraid if you've ever 464 00:28:19,520 --> 00:28:22,000 had one of those nights that you couldn't sleep. 465 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:26,600 I, I, I've told you this story before, but I remember about 5 466 00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:29,560 or 6 years after high school. See, I grew up thinking that I 467 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:33,240 was going to be at least a college basketball player. 468 00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:36,440 And I would love to be a pro basketball player, but I think I 469 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:40,840 knew better than that. But high school really didn't 470 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:45,360 end the way I wanted it to. Things were going really well. 471 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:51,720 It seemed like there was a plan. And all of a sudden my coach 472 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:55,160 decided that I wasn't worthy of playing anymore. 473 00:28:55,720 --> 00:28:58,200 And I don't know how to put that other than just to say I no 474 00:28:58,200 --> 00:29:00,840 longer got to play for the second-half of my senior year. 475 00:29:00,840 --> 00:29:03,160 And it it was one of the biggest hurts of my life. 476 00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:07,880 So much so that five or six years after high school, I'm 477 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:11,880 sitting in my house in South Carolina and I can't sleep at 478 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:14,080 night because of what this guy did. 479 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:16,960 And listen, you guys have been through worse than that, haven't 480 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:20,400 you? But but the hurt was so deep 481 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:24,000 because all my life I dreamed of something and it felt like it 482 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:26,560 was taken away. And one night I couldn't sleep. 483 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:29,240 5-6 years later, I couldn't sleep at night. 484 00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:31,680 All I could think about was the hurt. 485 00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:41,280 And then the Holy Spirit came. See, Jesus walked this earth and 486 00:29:41,280 --> 00:29:44,240 he was a source of peace. He says I give you my peace. 487 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:47,520 Think about the peace of Jesus, the peace that when the storm 488 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:51,240 was going and the disciples and him are in the boat, He says 489 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:55,600 calm down, peace, be still. The peace of Christ that when he 490 00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:58,680 hung on a cross, he said, Father, forgive them as they 491 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:02,040 beat him and tortured him. That's the peace of Christ that 492 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:04,600 we're given. And when Jesus left, he said, 493 00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:08,840 I'm giving you God is giving you the Spirit of God, the Spirit of 494 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,880 Jesus, the Holy Spirit to live within us. 495 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:14,080 So how do we have peace in a broken world? 496 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:18,720 We walk in step with the Spirit and you may have a night this 497 00:30:18,720 --> 00:30:23,200 week where you can't sleep. Can I encourage you? 498 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:27,640 Can I encourage you to walk with the Spirit and allow the Holy 499 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:30,520 Spirit to give you peace? He will. 500 00:30:32,320 --> 00:30:36,520 And that night I realized, hey, it's not about what this guy did 501 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:42,160 or what my plans were. God is good and He's with me. 502 00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:46,960 John 16. I've told you these things so 503 00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:49,480 that in me you may have peace in this world. 504 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:53,400 You will have trouble, but take heart, for I have overcome the 505 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:56,920 world. I told you Jesus came and died 506 00:30:56,920 --> 00:31:00,200 on the cross so you could have a forgiveness and salvation for 507 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:01,680 your sins. But that's not the end of the 508 00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:04,120 story. He resurrected from the dead. 509 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:07,480 He defeated sin and death. So not only do we have 510 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:10,880 salvation, but we have victory over sin and death. 511 00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:14,680 No matter how bad it gets out there, it can't touch our 512 00:31:14,680 --> 00:31:19,440 salvation and our eternity. We have victory in Christ. 513 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:26,920 Tim Keller, who is a pastor and theologian, has a lot of really 514 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:28,800 good books. He passed away a few years ago. 515 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:32,720 He says if the resurrect, if Jesus truly was resurrected from 516 00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:37,080 the dead, then everything is going to be OK. 517 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:41,720 Because if God has power over sin and death and God has power 518 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:45,360 over the people that have hurt you, God has power over the 519 00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:49,280 situation at work. God has power over all of it, 520 00:31:50,280 --> 00:31:53,280 and because we have resurrection power, everything's going to be 521 00:31:53,280 --> 00:31:56,040 OK. How do we walk in a world filled 522 00:31:56,040 --> 00:31:59,280 with war and division and hatred over hot dogs and all sorts of 523 00:31:59,280 --> 00:32:03,000 stuff? Take heart. 524 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:09,200 God has overcome the world. As I was actually listening to a 525 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:14,400 sermon earlier this week and preparing for this sermon and a 526 00:32:14,400 --> 00:32:17,160 story was Sharon. It was about a story and a movie 527 00:32:17,160 --> 00:32:19,240 that I had never seen before. And I thought, I've got to go 528 00:32:19,240 --> 00:32:20,720 see that. And I want to tell you a little 529 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:22,520 bit about that story. How many of you have seen the 530 00:32:22,520 --> 00:32:25,760 movie Unbroken? OK, How many of you have heard 531 00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:29,840 the story of Louie Zamperini? How many of you have heard the 532 00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:34,920 story beyond the movie? OK, I want to tell you guys the 533 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:39,240 story of Louie Zamperini. He was an Olympic athlete, he 534 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:42,840 was a runner, he competed at a young age, he broke some 535 00:32:42,840 --> 00:32:44,280 records. Things were good. 536 00:32:44,280 --> 00:32:46,760 He did pretty well in the Olympics, I believe it was in 537 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:49,880 Germany. And then his goal and his plan 538 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:53,040 was four years later in the Olympics in Japan. 539 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:57,360 He would run again and most likely win and dominate. 540 00:32:57,360 --> 00:33:00,880 So he had this plan in this trajectory, but then war came 541 00:33:01,800 --> 00:33:05,240 and the Olympics were cancelled. And instead of going and running 542 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:08,960 in the Olympics, he ended up fighting a war in Japan. 543 00:33:08,960 --> 00:33:12,920 And and one day they were on a rescue mission. 544 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:15,840 He and some of his fellow soldiers and they were on a 545 00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:19,040 plane looking for others that had wrecked at sea. 546 00:33:19,360 --> 00:33:25,560 And their plane went down and he and his fellow soldiers were 547 00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:28,160 stuck. He and a couple others were 548 00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:32,320 stuck at sea. He survived over 40 days just 549 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:36,160 floating in the ocean on a raft over 40 days. 550 00:33:37,000 --> 00:33:40,960 During that time, at one point he said, God, if you, if you get 551 00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:44,400 me through this, I'll do anything you want. 552 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:48,160 Well, God got him through that part. 553 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:52,600 But I hate to say it got worse. He was found, but he was found 554 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:56,480 by the Japanese soldiers. And so he was taken to a prison 555 00:33:56,480 --> 00:33:59,680 camp. And he spent years in a Japanese 556 00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:05,120 prison camp where he was beaten, he was tortured, he was abused 557 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:08,159 and was lucky to live through it. 558 00:34:08,639 --> 00:34:10,719 I mean, it's a it's, it's a tough movie. 559 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:13,960 It's a good movie, but it's a tough movie watching what he 560 00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:18,560 went through. Well, the war ended and he came 561 00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:20,159 home. He was a hero. 562 00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:24,280 And and this is where I say there's a story beyond the movie 563 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:26,800 because I think the movie, I was really hoping the movie would 564 00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:29,480 tell his story. And it it only told part of it. 565 00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:31,639 See, the movie's called Unbroken. 566 00:34:32,600 --> 00:34:35,639 But guys, the truth of the matter was Louie Zamperini came 567 00:34:35,639 --> 00:34:39,639 home a broken man. He came home a hero. 568 00:34:40,159 --> 00:34:43,920 He got married. But because of the struggle, 569 00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:47,120 because of the bitterness, because of his hatred for the 570 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:49,040 people that had hurt him and abused him. 571 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:52,400 And guys, it was, I mean, it is tough stuff because he held 572 00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:54,000 hatred and bitterness in his heart. 573 00:34:54,159 --> 00:34:58,280 His life just spiraled and, and he became an alcoholic and, and, 574 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:02,520 and was drinking and, and it got so bad that his wife, this war 575 00:35:02,600 --> 00:35:05,440 hero, his wife was getting ready to leave him. 576 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:09,160 He was a broken man and she just couldn't do it anymore. 577 00:35:10,200 --> 00:35:16,000 And one night in 1949, she went to a Billy Graham crusade and 578 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:18,880 turned her life over to Jesus. And she came home and said, I'm 579 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:22,280 not going to divorce you and told him about Jesus. 580 00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:23,920 And you know what? He still wasn't there. 581 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:27,800 But later he attended a Billy Graham crusade and on the second 582 00:35:27,800 --> 00:35:30,760 night he gave his heart to Christ. 583 00:35:32,880 --> 00:35:36,760 Here are a couple things that are are from articles and quotes 584 00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:40,160 of his it says Louis survival and survivor instincts. 585 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:43,600 Those same instincts that kept him alive at sea and in prison 586 00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:46,360 offered no help when he returned home. 587 00:35:47,240 --> 00:35:50,400 Unlike the war, when he had faced obstacles and overcome 588 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:53,280 them, this time he did not have. I did not have the same 589 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:56,320 confidence. He said, See, then I'd taken 590 00:35:56,320 --> 00:35:59,400 survival training courses, knew that I was in great physical 591 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:01,280 shape. But at this point, he realized 592 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:04,440 the greatest enemy was not something outside of himself, 593 00:36:04,960 --> 00:36:08,560 but within. He was no longer a prisoner of 594 00:36:08,560 --> 00:36:12,160 war, but he remained a slave to sin. 595 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:15,440 And he went to the Billy Graham crusade. 596 00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:19,000 And this is his testimony. I dropped to my knees and for 597 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:20,520 the first time worship team come on up. 598 00:36:21,960 --> 00:36:24,720 I dropped to my knees and for the first time in in my life I 599 00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:27,440 truly humbled myself before the Lord. 600 00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:31,200 I asked him to forgive me for not having kept the promises I 601 00:36:31,240 --> 00:36:34,080 made during the war for my sinful life. 602 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:36,960 I made no excuses. I didn't rationalize. 603 00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:41,640 I did not blame. He had said, God had said 604 00:36:41,640 --> 00:36:44,360 whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 605 00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:47,720 So I took him at his word, begged for his pardon, and asked 606 00:36:47,720 --> 00:36:52,600 Jesus to come into my life. Louis Zamperini, a guy who had a 607 00:36:52,600 --> 00:36:59,160 promising future. And it all changed over 40 days 608 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:04,880 suffering at sea, a couple years in a Japanese prison camp, 609 00:37:04,880 --> 00:37:07,440 tortured, beaten, abused, comes home. 610 00:37:07,440 --> 00:37:11,160 He's a broken man. He's so broken that that things 611 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:15,760 have fallen completely apart. He's not at peace with God. 612 00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:18,000 He's not at peace with others and he's certainly not at peace 613 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:21,280 with the world around him. But one night he went to a Billy 614 00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:24,840 Graham crusade and he turned his life to Jesus. 615 00:37:25,560 --> 00:37:27,800 And the part I really think they missed and they should have 616 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:32,080 shown is that he got peace with God. 617 00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:34,920 His peace with God changed his heart. 618 00:37:34,920 --> 00:37:38,320 And all of a sudden those people that abused him and hurt him, he 619 00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:42,560 went back to Japan and made peace with them. 620 00:37:43,880 --> 00:37:47,960 And he was a man that lived at peace because of Jesus Christ. 621 00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:50,800 Stand with me. We're going to sing a song and I 622 00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:52,880 want to ask you to respond. I know we're a few minutes over 623 00:37:52,880 --> 00:37:55,880 our time, but listen guys, today, this is too important. 624 00:37:55,880 --> 00:37:58,560 Maybe today you came in and you're struggling and you're 625 00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:01,440 just not at peace. Maybe you feel like what you've 626 00:38:01,440 --> 00:38:03,280 done has made you not good enough. 627 00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:09,800 Today I've got good news. Jesus Christ died on a cross so 628 00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:12,560 that you could have peace with God today. 629 00:38:12,560 --> 00:38:19,200 If you've never asked for forgiveness, all it takes is 630 00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:21,800 saying, Lord, forgive me for when I've done wrong. 631 00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:24,640 I want you to be my peace and my salvation. 632 00:38:25,040 --> 00:38:28,320 Today you can say that prayer. Maybe some of you today are 633 00:38:28,320 --> 00:38:31,240 really struggling because you're just not at peace with others. 634 00:38:31,640 --> 00:38:36,240 If that's the case today, you can have peace through Jesus 635 00:38:36,240 --> 00:38:39,040 Christ. Today. 636 00:38:39,040 --> 00:38:43,440 If you've got issues with other people, surrender them to Jesus 637 00:38:44,240 --> 00:38:46,960 and his Holy Spirit will lead you to peace. 638 00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:52,000 And maybe you're just struggling with the world and war and 639 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:56,600 hatred and division. Today, Jesus Christ can be your 640 00:38:56,600 --> 00:38:59,080 peace. So as we sing this last song, 641 00:38:59,080 --> 00:39:01,640 The Goodness of God, I just want to invite you to respond to 642 00:39:01,640 --> 00:39:03,720 God's Word. The altars are always open. 643 00:39:03,720 --> 00:39:07,480 You can come and pray and you can ask God to be your peace. 644 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:11,360 If you need someone to pray with you, Jerry and and others, 645 00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:14,520 myself will be over there. We'll pray with you, but I want 646 00:39:14,520 --> 00:39:17,000 you to respond to God's word. And my prayer is that, as I said 647 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:19,680 at the beginning, every single one of us today will walk out 648 00:39:19,680 --> 00:39:21,000 with the peace of Christ in our hearts. 649 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:23,960 Father, speak to us. I thank you for your great love 650 00:39:23,960 --> 00:39:25,960 for us and your grace that we don't deserve. 651 00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:29,240 But you're here. So whether we're struggling with 652 00:39:29,240 --> 00:39:32,840 you, whether we're struggling with others, whether we're 653 00:39:32,840 --> 00:39:34,960 struggling with the world around us, I pray today we would 654 00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:37,800 surrender it to you and that you would be our peace. 655 00:39:38,040 --> 00:39:40,520 We love you, Jesus. We respond to you now in Jesus 656 00:39:40,520 --> 00:40:05,080 name, Amen. I love you Lord, before your 657 00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:13,480 mercy never fails me. All my days I've been held in 658 00:40:13,640 --> 00:40:22,680 your hands from the moment that I wake up until I lay my head. 659 00:40:23,960 --> 00:40:35,080 Who I will sing how the goodness of God home alive. 660 00:40:35,240 --> 00:40:42,520 You have been faithful all my life. 661 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:51,640 You have been so slow, gone with every breath that I am able. 662 00:40:53,560 --> 00:40:58,560 Oh I will see of the goodness of God. 663 00:41:01,000 --> 00:41:08,320 I love your voice. You have led me through the fire 664 00:41:10,240 --> 00:41:15,600 in darkest nights. You are closed like no other. 665 00:41:17,720 --> 00:41:25,560 I've known you as a father, I've known you as a friend, and I 666 00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:34,320 have lived in the goodness of God, crossing all my life. 667 00:41:35,120 --> 00:41:43,440 And all my life you have been paid for home alive. 668 00:41:43,520 --> 00:41:55,160 You have been told someone with every bread that I am able who I 669 00:41:55,200 --> 00:42:06,360 will see of the goodness of God. Oh, this is running after it's. 670 00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:13,000 Running after me. Your girl, this is running 671 00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:16,120 after. It's running after me. 672 00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:20,600 With my life laid down, I'm surrender now. 673 00:42:21,320 --> 00:42:26,280 I give you everything for your girl. 674 00:42:26,880 --> 00:42:30,920 This is running after. It's running after me. 675 00:42:39,160 --> 00:42:43,040 In all my life you have been faithful. 676 00:42:46,520 --> 00:42:53,560 In all my life you have been so, so good. 677 00:42:53,800 --> 00:43:02,400 With every bread that I am able, whom I will see of the goodness 678 00:43:03,720 --> 00:43:19,970 of God. My life you have been days home. 679 00:43:20,010 --> 00:43:24,570 Oh, my life you have been so so God. 680 00:43:27,370 --> 00:43:32,290 With every breath that I am made by. 681 00:43:53,120 --> 00:43:57,200 Let's pray together. Father, I thank you that you're 682 00:43:57,200 --> 00:44:02,320 here, and I thank you that you love each person here, each 683 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:05,640 person online, maybe even someone who will watch this 684 00:44:05,640 --> 00:44:08,000 later this week. You love us so much that you 685 00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:10,680 gave your one and only Son that we could have life and we could 686 00:44:10,680 --> 00:44:13,760 have peace and salvation through Jesus. 687 00:44:14,520 --> 00:44:16,400 Lord, help us to be at peace with you today. 688 00:44:17,400 --> 00:44:19,040 Help us to be at peace with each other. 689 00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:23,200 Help us to love you so much that we're willing to see others and 690 00:44:23,200 --> 00:44:26,600 love others the way that you love them and give us peace in 691 00:44:26,600 --> 00:44:28,680 this world. Oh, we love you. 692 00:44:28,680 --> 00:44:31,280 I thank you for each one that's responded to you and each one 693 00:44:31,280 --> 00:44:34,440 that's maybe and just standing and worshiping. 694 00:44:34,440 --> 00:44:36,600 Lord, I pray that you would be our peace today. 695 00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:38,640 We love you. We thank you. 696 00:44:38,760 --> 00:44:42,920 You are good, you are awesome. In Jesus name, Amen. 697 00:44:42,920 --> 00:44:46,440 Hey, before you go, I need the board down here after service. 698 00:44:46,440 --> 00:44:51,520 But as you go, don't go into a chaotic world with a chaotic 699 00:44:51,520 --> 00:44:53,760 heart. Go with a heart filled with 700 00:44:53,760 --> 00:44:55,240 peace. God bless you. 701 00:44:55,280 --> 00:47:46,960 Have a great week. The. 702 00:48:41,760 --> 00:49:18,520 Music. Music. 703 00:49:56,240 --> 00:50:26,480 Music. Music. 704 00:50:57,360 --> 00:51:21,760 Music. Music.