Ready...Aim...Fire!

Last week I posted an early edition of the youth lesson. Well...this week I'm doing it again.  You Lucky Dogs, you.  Most of this lesson is derived from the book Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman (Specifically chapter 5)  Hope you enjoy!

Hey guys! For those of you that missed last week, we are on the second lesson in our Not a Fan series. Last week, I helped Taylor navigate the turbulent waters of the DTR talk and challenged us to begin to reflect on the relationship we claim to have with Jesus. Is it healthy or dysfunctional? Basically, we were trying to be honest with ourselves for a moment.

Tonight, I want to share with you the story of Matt Emmons. Many would have considered him the best in the world at shooting a rifle. In fact, not only did he make it to the 2004 Olympics to compete against the world’s best marksmen, he was blowing away the competition. He was competing in the 3 position 50 meter rifle event and it came down to the last shot. He was in such a lead that he didn’t even need a bulls eye to win the gold metal it just needed to hit the target. His final shot he made would have qualified as an 8.1 which in more than enough to secure 1st place and the title, but in an extremely rare turn of events Matt, standing in lane 2, fired at the wrong target in lane 3 and scored a ‘0’ for missing the target completely. He would eventually finish in 8th place and no metal.

Often many are quick to assume that they are defiantly followers of Christ and not just mere fans. It’s not a question of their passion or work ethic, they have that. Sometimes we find ourselves aiming at the wrong target. We think that we are getting some pretty good scores, at least some acceptable ones, but my fear is that one day many of us are going to march confidently up to the medal ceremony and find that our score total is reading “0’s”

Talk about Olympians. When it came to the competition of religion, in the time of Jesus, guess who were the best in the world? The Pharisee’s and the Sadducees. They would put us to shame! They had the whole Old Testament memorized for goodness sake. If you were a Jewish boy growing up your parents would have you start to learn the Torah and by the age of 12 most kids had the thing memorized. It was like getting into college, it was prestigious, otherwise you would find a trade like fishing or something to make some money. So these guys were the cream of the crop. They did everything you would expect from a good elder of a church. They read and memorized scripture, held strictly to laws and even made up laws so the real laws wouldn’t even be close to broken. For example, God said that the Sabbath was to be a day of rest so they made a law that said if you spilled something on the Sabbath you couldn’t clean it up because you would be working, stuff like that. They were strict about making sure the religious laws were upheld to the “T.” According to the textbook, they were doing everything they were supposed to be doing…and more.

What is interesting is that Jesus came on the scene and started shaking things up. He started causing a raucous among these “experts” of religion. He began to criticize them. What!? Who criticizes them?? They are the ‘experts’ who would dare? Uh, …Jesus.

Jesus started calling it like it was and sometimes that gets messy. For example, I did a quick search and Jesus calls these guys hypocrites at least 15 times, and that’s only the amount the disciples wrote down. If you are trying to make friends and influence people, that’s not the best method to use. Somehow, I don’t think that was Jesus’s goal.

What Jesus was getting at was something more important. Jesus was telling everyone “Hey! You are doing a great job at your rules thing, you’re getting a bulls-eye every time, your just shooting at the wrong target. Your missing the point! And scoring zero’s.”

Hey! Wanna hear what Jesus said to these ‘experts’? I’m warning you, it’s like one of those sleazy talk shows like Jerry Springer. I kinda wish I was there as a bystander. I’m sure a whole lotta “oh, no he diiieeennt!” was being said and a lot of people looking at each other stunned. Jesus was on a Holy rant people! He was putting these people in their place! Read along…We are gonna call these the ‘seven woes’. They are found in Matthew 23.

14 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. 

15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it. (Basically your making up rules, event to get out of the promises you’ve made!)

23 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!

33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.”

Yeah, can you start to see why these guys were starting to not like this Jesus guy? He was calling them out. True, he was telling the truth, it needed to be done, but he is calling them out and making it public. These guys were too prideful to let that happen. Any chance this new Rabbi had at becoming a part of the Sanhedrin or “in group” or “the Harvard school” of religious experts, he defiantly has blown his shot.

The problem was, people started to recognize that Jesus was not like the others (duh!) He spoke as one with authority. He didn’t just talk the talk, he walked the walk. He didn’t just sign petitions that said “I’m against homelessness” Instead he spent time with those that were in need. People started following this guy and the ‘experts’ had egg on their face. They were losing cred and fast!

If you are like me, we’ve grown up despising the Pharisee’s. We are in Jesus’s corner. I mean c’mon, Jesus is our homeboy, right? Down with the Pharisee’s! Booo!

The problem is…if you look at our lives sometimes we ARE the Pharisee’s. I mean, how often do we look with judgment at the teenage girl that just got pregnant? How often do we compare ourselves to others to make us feel better about our Spirituality? “At least I’m not THAT bad, right?” How often do we work to do all the right ‘things’ to be a Christian and blow the relationship part? Are we really that different sometimes? It certainly doesn’t feel good to read the 7 woes that Jesus gives if we think that it might be us he is talking about.

The word Sanctification in the bible is used to mean the act of becoming Holy. It’s the process of building a life honorable to God and getting rid of the stuff that God hates. This process of looking more and more like Jesus through our heart, actions, and lives is kind-of like building a house. The most important part of the house are things like making sure the foundation is strong and stable, making sure the corners are square and sturdy, and framing the house with stability. We are working to create a great house out of our lives for God.

What Jesus describes the Pharisee’s doing and what is common with us is that our foundation is horrible and our walls look like a 5th grader was practicing his hammering and tacked some boards together, but we spend so much time making sure our wallpaper looks so nice and perfect. We are shopping at designer stores for house decorations to make the appearances look really good, but underneath it’s a mess.

If you think that may be you, if you think that your house is a wreck and you are trying to make your hoopty of a house look as good as possible. If you know that on the inside, you are a mess and Jesus is probably talking straight to you, listen very closely. You might be aiming at the wrong target. Jesus was very stern in his warning, “How will you escape being condemned to Hell?” Newsflash! It’s real.

While many of the Pharisee’s got red with anger and thought ‘How dare he!” One of them was struck to the heart. His name was Nicodemus. When none of the others were looking, he stuck away in the night to find Jesus. He sought him out. He then asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” In a moment of humility the ‘expert’ humbled himself. Jesus then told him that he must be born again. Just like Nicodemus, you might be confused by what Jesus is saying. Essentially, you need to die to yourself and be born a-new in Christ. We need to let God bring in the bull-dozers and demolish this shack of a building that we have tried to build ourselves and hire a new contractor. We need to let God come in and construct our life, listen to his plans, read his blueprint, and trust him to construct the place. He is a good contractor. He’s the only one that can do it right. With His help this construction will be right on target.

Football, DTR's, and the Pigs.

In a new twist, I am posting an advanced preview of the youth ministry lesson for Sunday night.  This week pastor Roy will be starting a sermon series on Kyle Idleman's book 'Not a Fan.'  I think that this subject is very necessary for us to hear, probably over and over again.  Ive decided to go this route as well for youth nights with unique twists from the book and the morning sermons. 

If you feel like the post sounds like I'm talking to a group of people, it's meant to.  Enjoy.

Tonight I want to discuss something that is very sensitive. It has been known to make even the most secure, confident people out there nervous. I have seen boyfriends and girlfriends break-up at the very thought of it. I have seen people break out in cold sweats and literally run in another direction at the very thought of it. It is the point of no return, it is putting all of the cards on the table, going all-in, no turning back, make it or break it time, taking the leap, stepping off the edge, diving in headfirst, well…you get the idea… It’s the dreaded D.T.R

Some of you know exactly what I mean when I reference those 3 letters. Some of you are scratching your heads. DTR stands for defining the relationship. Some of you may never have experienced this, and if not, just trust us.

The DTR is a point in any relationship where it comes to a point of clarification. Maybe you are friends with this guy, he’s a lot of fun, you laugh a lot in class, everything is perfect, or so you thought. Next thing you know he has a serious look on his face. He is trying to be sweet, but it’s getting a little awkward….What is it already?? He wants to know if the friendship you share is something more. This is a sticky situation for both. 1) if you are really just happy to be friends, the friendship is likely going to feel much different than it did before, sometimes just plain awkward. For him, it’s all-in, pride is at stake, his hopes and dreams are resting on every word or reaction (be gentle ladies!)

Maybe the situation involves a boyfriend and girlfriend. In our situation, the guy is living it up. He’s having fun, he has got all he needs, a girlfriend, freedom, his friends, the ability to find a better girlfriend if one comes available, you know the type, c’mon you know the type. The girlfriend, being a girl, is perceptive to these things. Although very aware and perceptive like most girls, she doesn’t know how to handle it. She becomes clingy, jealous, needy, and about that time says something like let’s have a “talk” about “us.” The last thing the guy wants to do. A. it’s either trying to get a commitment from the guy or B. talk about getting married or kids or their “future” and to think, they are only in 8th grade.

The DTR talk is a war-zone full of landmines. No matter what, things are going to be different on the other side, it’s just a matter of if you are going to die or not.

The funny thing is we are often like the boyfriend in our illustration. We have been known to claim Jesus as our “homeboy” our “bro” our maybe our boyfriend for what He can offer us. He can be our forgiveness card when we decide the girlfriend of lust is worth kissing behind the gym, you know the deal.

Hear me loud and clear here. God is not like the girl in our illustration. He does not beg, He is not needy, He will not nag you when you cheat on other girls. Does His heart break? Yes. Does He still love you? Yes.

My experience with God has been like this. When I choose other things as more important than God or when I start finding my identity in other things, other places, other people I start feeling further and further away from God. And sometimes we ask ourselves ‘I just don’t feel like God is near me’ or ‘where is God in all of this?’ Well…He’s still there, we have just run from Him.

In one of my favorite passages of scripture, Jesus is telling a story of what I would assume God is like and what I assume you and I are like. In this story a son gets upset with his dad, asks for his inheritance early (essentially saying, I want what I would get when you die, because as of now you’re dead to me) How hurtful right? The dad does something curious though. He gives his son the money and the son storms off. The dad could have very well said “fine!” “Take it!” “get out of here” and broke ties with his son in the same way, but I don’t think he did and this is why: Eventually the son wasted all his money partying it up, he was broke, homeless, and a sell-out to his culture by living a feeding pigs to survive. (Pigs to a Jewish man were about as low as you could ever get. You didn’t eat them, basically you didn’t have anything to do w/ em. They were bottom feeders, the scum of the earth) It would be like leaving a Christian home and end up scrubbing the floors of a strip club. Here we come to the rest of the story:

Luke 15:17-20

17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

The point here is that when we come to our senses, the God that seems so far away, so distant from us is still there. We begin to think of the right way to pray and ask God to forgive us. We try to make sure the prayer is pretty, we might plan on setting up counseling meeting with the pastor, all the things we must DO (which aren’t bad) but if God feels 10,000 steps away, when we take that first step back to him, God sees us and runs the other 9,999 steps to embrace us.

I saw this recently after the LSU ALA game on TV. I know some pretty enthusiastic fans here of GA…some that go to this youth group…I watched on Facebook as they cheered on “mostly ALA” to win the game and celebrated as if ALA was their team all along. I saw this from people that boldly proclaim that they are Georgia fans, or Auburn Fans (now that’s sad), even TN fans (guilty)

It doesn’t take much to switch allegiances when you are a fan, especially when your team is so bad it loses to KY and misses a bowl game. There are a lot of “fans” of Jesus, Christianity, the Bible, Inspirational stories, ect out there and Im afraid that we are having a hard time knowing what is real and what is fake. Maybe even we have been confused to think fandom is the same thing as followship. Jesus never called fans, He called followers.

Sometimes it is hard to be honest with ourselves. We like to think this is a good topic for other Christians, but its hard to take inventory to think ‘Is this true about me?’ Do I have a fan relationship with Jesus that benefits me when it’s convenient? Do I paint my chest, buy the t-shirts, put the poster on my wall, make every game? “Go Jesus!” There are a lot of those out there, and they look good. OR am I showing up to practice, studying the playbook careful to defend well against the enemy, encouraging my teammates, recruiting well, AM I ON THE FIELD?

I wonder where you are on the journey tonight. Do you feel like your relationship with God is like the boyfriend, the party son, or the fan? Is it a surface relationship?

I think something is necessary. Is scary, it makes grown men break out in a sweat, a lesser man would never do it, the chips are all in, time to take the dive…I think it’s time to have the DTR with Jesus.

It can be uncomfortable, it can be uneasy, but If Jesus was right (and I always give him the benefit of the doubt) unlike many DTR talks you may have down the road, I have a feeling that you don’t have to fear being rejected.

If you remember, I said that the DTR is a warzone. You will never be the same on the other side. It may hurt. You may lose some friends or habits to the landmines, but it’s the only way back from the pigs.

The New Nursery

The past few days have been a mixture of fun and frustration.  Frustration because our cars have some issues and who likes to deal with that, but fun because we have been working on our little boy's nursery.  I don't have any pictures for us yet because it is still a work in progress but we have finished painting and it looks AWESOME! A tiny part of me wants to hang-out in that room because it is so cool.  Here let me help you envision it in your minds eye.  We started off painting the room in a dark gray, a big contrast to the light tan walls we origionally had.  On the dark grey we painted a huge 1.5' wide horizontal stripe of 'Tennessee' orange. and underneath there is another 4" stripe of green.  Gray, Orange, and Green!! While I have spent the last couple days painting, Bridget has been working on our other project for the room.  She has been staining 1' wide wooden planks.  We have a total of 8 12x1x8's to affix to a portion of the wall.  We are essencially installing stained decking to the wall of the room! I am so eager to see how it is going to turn out. 
The Lord has blessed us so much! Bridget makes a little money here and there painting furniture and reselling it and we need this little supplement of income to cover hospital charges for the new baby.  As of the other day we are only a few hundered dollars away from attaining our goal! Praise God.  He always supplies just the amount we need.  I can't wait for our little guy.  Name Update!: Ok, so those of you who know us know that the name stays a secret until birth, but we have narrowed the name down to two candidates.  We are asking that the Lord confirms the name for us and is glorified with it's meaning.  Will you take a moment to pray for our little boy to come and the name God might have for him?  Can you tell I'm excited?

For a Limited Time...

A sermon podcast of one of my recent blog posts is available above my twitter feed on this page.  Its entitle Encountering the Extraordinary.  Check it out...

Where has the time gone?

Last night I realized while giving a youth lesson that few of the students I teach remember life without the existance of an ipod.  So much for relating to them with something cutting edge... Even facebook is almost 8 years old.  Whats the new "it" thing???

The Ordinary

This day, like most others, started off the same way; ordinary.  Of course, my agenda today has different items and the challenges and vary slightly from days past, but ultimatly I woke up with an expectation and an idea on how this day will generally look.  Of course, that is not uncommon.  But this morning I was struck with a thought...what if today is different, you know, not ordinary.  I need you to think past trite differences in the oridinary and think, paradigm shift.
I found myself relating to Zachariah in an unusual way.  Zachariah was a priest in Israel and they had all gathered to attend what we would consider today a church service.  Zachariah was chosen at random to pass out the communion trays..uh..I mean burn incense in the temple.  It is sortof like that moment when you get caught off guard when the Bible study finishes and the leader says "brother Chris, will you pray for us to close?" Of course you don't mind...but you just werent expecting it.
Well, Zachariah, I assume, was feeling the same way when he was selected for Church duty and as the congregation waited for his return, the ordinary ritual of worship somehow turn extra-ordinary.  An angel of the Lord was waiting on Zachariah to enter...can you imagine the surprise he had when Zachariah walked in expecting to complete a normal ritual and was confronted with the angel Gabriel?  (If you are keeping score, this is surprise #2 already)  Gabriel then goes on to tell Zachariah that he is going to have a son even though he and his wife are old (Surprise #3) This son, they would have, would be "great in the sight of the Lord".  Of course that is any dad's dream. Zachariah, dumbfounded, then questions Gabriel and was struck with the inability to speak (Surprise #4).  Zachariah day had gone from ordinary to paradigm shifting.
If you remember, I said that today I found myself relating in a way with Zachariah.  For instance Zachariah was a priest and his daily duty was to do preistly (church) rituals.  Like Zachariah, I can go about ministry without recognizing where God might be moving when in reality, we should never be caught off-guard when God shows up in our life.  Secondly, I began to remember my constant prayers for my daughter and baby to come.  My prayers that they would be a joy to us and that they would bless others with thier presence.  My prayers that they would crave the Lord and seek Him always, that they would be mighty warriors in the advancement of His kingdom on earth.  I began to image what it would be like for Gabriel to say to me "Your wife will give you a son/daughter, and you are to give him the name ______. He will be a delight to you and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.  and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.  Many of God's people will he bring back to the Lord their God.  And he will go before the Lord, in the spirit and the power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobediant to the wisdom of the righteous - to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." -Luke 1:13-17 (with additions) God I pray that you bless my children in this way!
This morning, I have set my heart and mind to expect the unexpected.  To realize that the Extra-ordinary is closer than we may ever realize.  To become a person that is ready to move when the Lord says "go".  To live with a stiff-arm to 'the ordinary'  

To Seek Glory

John 7:14-18

"Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews there were amazed and asked, 'How did this man get such learning without having been taught?'
Jesus answered, 'My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.'"

We have grown up this way. It has in reality shaped the nature of our culture and is pervasive throughout media, employment, and life planning. The storing up and accumulating of accomplishments to better one’s position is not a new business practice and has been an effective model since the days we got ‘gold star’s’ for completing our assignments on time or with excellence. We have the instilled desire to gain for ourselves, to better or position, or whatever name you might want to use for our pursuit after personal glory.

This motivation has become so entwined in our lives that it shapes the very things that we do, even to the smallest extent. We study hard to…get good grades…to get accepted into a good college…to achieve a degree…to land a prestigious job…to accumulate a greater amount of wealth…to purchase more opportunities to become bigger, greater, faster, stronger. All the while, we do things to bolster what? self.

This is not uncommon. Actually, this is very common. Consider the very first humans to exist, Adam and Eve. Talk about having it made, right!? An intimate, personal, walk with the creator of existence, the authority over all of the earth, power over the animals and every living thing, and even a wife without sin (cool) that was created as a helper for him (cooler). Who could ask for more? Well, Adam and Eve did. The serpent told them ‘you could have more’ ‘you can better yourself’ ‘you will be like God in what you know’ and so in Chapter 3:6 of Genesis we read “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate it.”

At the very basic level, both Adam and Eve chose personal glory over God’s goodness. Through their actions, they said “God, we don’t trust that you have our best interests at heart.” And so they ate.

Romans 5:12-21
"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-- for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the One to come.

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification."

Adam brought a curse of sin and death upon himself and his family because of his disobedience and rejection of God’s goodness. Sin entered the world and as promised “man surely died.” Just as one man brought death and condemnation, Another man, Jesus of Nazareth, would be given the Spirit of God to bring justification and restore man back to God.

Jesus existed differently than all others. Everything that Jesus did was for, and in response to, the Father. Jesus did not exist for personal gain or selfish motivations.

What is gut-wrechingly convicting is that I will ask God to make me more like his son, Jesus. I will even teach that we should be Christ-like, but I am and we are so far removed from living like Christ because we are so preoccupied with bettering our self and our position. Consider our desire for new, fashionable clothes, making the starting line-up on our sports team, even our dreams of “our” future.

I’m sure that I often speak to our youth from my own strength and my own words. I ‘minister’ from my own power with motivations to increase, look better, and be thought of favorably all in the name of Jesus and ministry; when ultimately the fuel that is driving my crusade is, well, wet kindling…just a lot of smoke.

We need a different fuel. How about an explosion? How about dynamite? O! O! Me! Yes, please! The Lord highlighted that image to me during a sermon Pastor Roy was giving last week. As we were reading Acts 1:8 where it explains that “we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." This power described here comes from the greek word duname from where we derive our word dynamite.

I think that if we were truly ready to live ‘like Jesus’ we had better hold on because an explosion would be imminent. God’s power is given in the measure that we submit our will’s to His will…and it’s not always about us!

Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.”

True Peace

The world our students are growing up in today is consistently changing. The access they now have to information is staggering and the speed at which their lives travel is so fast that one of my greatest challenges is to help them to slow down. They just don’t live at a slow speed. Everyone else they hear is preaching faster, quicker, more efficient, your time is valuable so get the most for it. Sound familiar?

But then I read Psalm 46:10 where it tells me to “Be Still, and know that I am God.” And it is then that I realize that God is not as much concerned about our ‘time-value of money’ than he is about the quietness of our soul.

Psalm 23
The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

When you hear this psalm I wonder how it makes you feel. Do you ever wonder what it must feel like to lack nothing, to rest in green pastures beside still waters? Have you ever experienced the surety of knowing that no matter where you go, the LORD will lead you down the right paths and that you will be protected from your enemies? There is nothing to worry about, nothing to fear, just supreme peace, joy, and rest.

Oh, how often I long for this still riverbank in my life, the place where I am free of worry, free of anxiety, and completely reliant on my LORD. Let’s daydream together for a moment…

I must tell you that the Lord has shown me that there is so much for me to learn and experience about the peace that he provides. There is a storehouse of immense peace that is available to us that I realize I am only eating the crumbs of. My prayer is that we might learn together how to partake with abundance the bountiful offering of peace that comes from our relationship with God.

When we think about peace, where does it originate? Is peace just an easy feeling of inner tranquility or is it more? Sometimes I think our understanding of what it means to have peace is off-kilter. Most assume that peace is an escape from difficulty or a numbness to the things that cause us grief or anxiety. Unfortunately, in our world there is such a longing for peace but few know how to receive. This search for an escape and numbing of reality has lead to the prominence of alcoholism, drug use, and the ever increasing rise in memberships to all-inclusive vacation resorts. They just want peace somehow, so running away seems to be the only answer.

When we read of David’s peace that we so long for in Psalm 23, is he escaping from his pressures? I don’t think so. David says “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil.” Even in the midst of his greatest distress, he has peace. No need for a beer, no need for a Mediterranean cruise vacation, he has true peace - - fascinating.

In all of history, believers that have experienced the greatest persecution and difficulty in life are the biggest proponents of God’s peace because they understand it the most and have needed it most often. Consider with me the apostle Paul. 5 times he received 40 lashes-1 from the Jews, 3 times beaten with rods, once stoned, 3 times shipwrecked, constantly on the move and in danger, imprisoned and chained, do I need to continue? Paul knew suffering, yet he had Supreme peace. In Philippians 4 he shows us:

He tells us that “…the peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

That is comforting coming from a guy like that, isn’t it?

Peace often comes in the form a safeguard. Life insurance can bring us peace of mind. A warranteed home inspection can give us peace about a purchase. Our troops that serve our country allow us to have peace from danger. Consider a city with high/strong walls. Inside there is a peace-of-mind that comes from knowing that they are safe from attackers.

This was true for the city of Constantinople. If you are a history buff, you will know exactly what I am referring to. You might also have more to teach me because a history buff, I am not. I do know that Roman Emperor Constantine was converted to Christianity and eventually moved the capital of the Roman Empire to a small town in modern day Turkey now known as Istanbul. He renamed the city Constantinople and the people there lived in peace for 1123 years because of the fact that it was surrounded on three sides by water and was guarded by the most renowned, feared wall the world had ever seen. Nobody could penetrate this wall. Few tried because of the horror stories they heard. Eventually high powered modern technology won out, but this fortress did provide a security for generations and generations.

Do you know, this morning, that the fortress at Constantinople may crack, but a mighty fortress we have in our God, a bulwart that is never failing. Christ himself is our safeguard. No matter how hard our enemy may tear at our walls, no matter how much pain we may be under on this side of heaven, there is nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

Hear the words of Jesus:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” –John 16:33

It is hard to imagine that anyone could say they do not need peace or they have enough of it. Most of us would go to great extents to find it. So how do we get it? It’s not something that we can buy, people are already making a lot of money promising peace but it remains a need. It’s not something we get from taking a substance or running away from difficulties. It’s not even something we can find through denial. The apostle Paul, the great recipient of peace, teaches us the secret.

Philippians 4:4-7
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Before Paul tells us to give everything to God through prayer, he tells us to do 3 things.

First, he tells us to Rejoice. To find JOY in the Lord ALWAYS. Joy is the attitude of our heart that allows peace to enter.

Secondly, he tells us to interact with everyone with gentleness. How often do quarrels and arguments rob us of peace. Gentleness maintains our heart attitude.

Lastly, Paul gives us a reason to do these things. He reminds us that The LORD is near. He gives us the hope that we cling to, the reason why we live, the eternal celebration is so close.

Romans 15:33 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, be encouraged. Peace is real. Peace is attainable through Jesus. Frankly, He is the only way to real peace. So live with that peace that Paul says transcends all human understanding. Cling to the hope that you have in Christ Jesus our LORD. The difficulties that we face are understood by our father in heaven and He deeply cares for you.

May you live a life of righteousness toward God because as Isaiah 32:17 states:
“The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.”