The Nature and Character of Peace

Isaiah chapter 9, and I'm going to read verse 6.

Isaiah 9 · chapter mention

This is not a Christmas message, don't worry.

Verse 6 says this for a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us, and the government will rest on his shoulders.

And his name will be called wonderful, counselor, mighty God, eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Let's bow our hearts.

I want to pray over this.

Father, I ask, Lord, you to give us ears to hear, minds that can comprehend and hearts that understand.

Lord, I pray we would not just hear the voice of man tonight, but we hear the voice of God.

Lord, meet every need here.

Every need, Father, in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

I'm going to speak to you tonight about peace, but before I do, I want to show you a verse in 2 Peter chapter 1.

2 Peter 1 · chapter mention

If you don't have a Bible, we're going to bring those up on the overhead up there.

2 Peter chapter 1.

2 Peter 1 · chapter mention

And I'm going to read two verses here, verse 12 and 13.

The Apostle Peter is speaking to the church who already knows everything he's about to instruct them, and this is still what he had to say to them.

Get a load of this.

It says, Therefore, I shall always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you.

Verse 13, and I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling to stir you up by way of reminder.

I want to give you a quick disclaimer tonight.

You may not hear very much that's new.

Some of the things that you're going to hear tonight, you've heard maybe all of your life about peace.

People have preached this and taught this for years, but tonight what we're asking God for is not necessarily new information.

We're asking for fresh revelation.

And a fresh word from God, even if it's something you heard before, can bring a new change in your heart tonight.

And that's what we're believing God for.

And so the title of this message is called The Nature and Character of Peace.

And what nature and character simply means?

It simply means what peace is and what peace does.

And so, Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6 calls Jesus the Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

One of his names is the Prince of Peace.

Peace is such a premium with God that he makes it part of his royal name.

That's a very big deal.

It's a priority to God.

It's very important, and that's the good news.

The bad news is about peace.

See, it's good news, bad news situation.

The bad news about peace is that it's very rare.

Peace is a rare thing in the earth.

Most people that come to a church come for some reason that has to do with achieving a sense of peace in their life.

This is why most people gather at the house of God.

It has a lot of different aspects to it, but at the core of what we're really after usually is peace.

What we're really seeking is a place where we can find rest deep inside.

But the bad news is this peace is rare.

Peace is rare in the earth.

And anything that's rare in the earth, guess what?

It becomes valuable.

The rarer something is, the more valuable it is.

And so I want to give you this statement.

Peace is the highest, hottest, most valuable commodity on earth today.

It is the highest commodity above anything else in the stock market.

If you could somehow bottle peace, you would sell it for more than Microsoft's stock.

You would just you would bank immediately if you could bottle the essence of peace and sell it to people.

That's the way it works.

But there's bad news because it's rare.

I want to give you these statistics.

Now you might question, where do these come?

These are from researchers in Germany as well as India.

I put the two together.

These are just generalities.

I don't think we can nail it down to specifics, but since the year 3600 BC, 3600 BC, the world has known only 292 years of peace.

Think about it.

And during this period, there have been 14,351 wars, large and small, in which 3.64 billion people have been killed.

Don't worry, it gets better.

I'm not going to God bless you and dismiss you so you can go to your car and think about war.

It's good, huh?

As a matter of fact, in the past 300 years, there have been 286 wars on the continent of Europe alone.

You thought the Middle East was a hotbed of that stuff.

And it's estimated that the value of property destroyed over these wars would pay for a golden belt that would wrap all the way around the earth, 33 feet thick and over 97 miles wide.

That's what the lack of peace has cost our world.

And there's no exception today.

There's no exception today in every country you can see, and America is no exception.

America is no exception to the lack of peace, either internally or externally.

As a matter of fact, since 9-11, the destruction of the World Trade Center towers, people have begun to flock to churches more than ever.

And the number one reason people say that they're beginning to go to church nowadays is because they're trying to find a place where they can find hope.

But I want to tell you that hope is not the root cause of why you go.

Hope is actually just evidence of what you're really after.

What you're hoping for is peace.

And people who are after peace will go to a great measure to find it.

But in our country right now, it is the central issue.

I want to give you these statements.

It's the central issue in our country.

Domestic terror, security, central issue to our nation.

Stability of the stock market rests on these wars or lack of them.

Violent crime in our cities falls close behind.

In our government, with our president, peacekeeping in Iraq, it's his central priority, the biggest priority he has.

The Middle East conflict, which is ongoing and some have given up, hope that it will ever end.

I believe it will end when the king comes back, lays his foot there, that's when it's going to settle all the differences.

Also, foreign threats against our allies abroad, the bombings that have gone on in Spain.

We see what's happening because what's important is that peace is kept for our own stability, whether at home or abroad.

Peace is just a central issue in our society.

Antidepressants in the United States, antidepressant sales in the last two years have gone up 400%.

Now, you could easily argue that this has nothing to do with lack of peace, but simply just good Madison Avenue advertising.

I don't know if you've ever seen any of these commercials for antidepressants, but they are depressing.

You ever seen one of these?

What happens is that the commercial comes on and you hear this really kind of a minor scale music.

It's like maybe you don't watch as much TV as I do.

Praise the Lord.

Anyway, and and they go through this music and there's like some really sad scene, and you're watching it, and you know music is a very powerful tool, and all of a sudden this voice comes on and says, Are you sad?

Yeah, I'm kind of sad.

Are you anxious?

Sometimes.

Are you afraid?

Yes.

You need this product.

And whether it's the result of that kind of advertising or the need for peace in America, sales are up 400% in two years.

It's a multi-billion dollar industry that our nation has bought into.

There's a nonstop barrage of self-help, quick diet, fast relax, hyper-entertainment options to relieve the looming sense that something just isn't right.

That's the nation we live in.

Peace is the hottest commodity, the greatest commodity on earth right now.

The lack of peace has led to what is known in America now as America's addictive epidemic.

And I want to read you this quote from Woody Allen, not because I honor or respect Woody Allen.

Maybe he didn't hear that.

Woody Allen, I don't honor or respect him, but what I do think is he is indicative of the attitude of a postmodern culture that is up and coming right now in our nation.

This is what Woody Allen says.

He says, I think there is just no winning in this life.

No real peace.

Reality is a very painful, tough thing that you just have to learn and cope with in some way.

What a depressing attitude from a famous man who has plenty of money, plenty of success, and all of the basically all of the accolades that Earth can offer through Hollywood.

He says, you know what, there's no real peace.

We just have to learn to cope.

And so what we've done is we've added addiction after addiction in our country.

But the more addictions we add, the more we find the problem isn't getting better, it's getting worse.

Because what we're after is peace.

And peace can only come from the prince.

Now, it's like the woman who called the doctor.

Now, this is a bit of a joke.

Don't think I'm telling you a real story, but a woman called the doctor, she said, Doctor, come quick, it's my husband.

Well, what seems to be the problem?

He replied calmly.

Well, he got up this morning and took his vitamin pill.

Yes, the doctor replied.

Then he took his appetite suppressant, drank six cups of coffee, took his antidepressant, his tranquilizer, his antihistamine, and some benzidrine.

Then he lit up a cigarette and there was a huge explosion.

See, the problem with fixing something through any other means by the by other than which the real answer is derived, it leads to only having to pile on more and more.

That's what addictions are.

If you're here tonight and you're bound by an addiction, I want to guarantee you this the addiction you're struggling with is simply something that fills the place of true peace in your life.

Peace is the greatest commodity in the world.

No peace.

That's why Isaiah 9 6 says that Jesus is the Prince of Peace.

This is a quote by Addison Leach.

I love the way he says this.

Our trouble is that we wanted the peace without the prince.

You can't have the peace without the prince.

It's the hottest commodity, and the bad news is it's rare.

But the good news is it can be given, but it only comes from one place, and that's through Jesus.

Now, like I said, if this is new information to you, I'm glad.

But most of you are probably going, We we we know that, Pastor Stephen.

Don't they tell you that in Amarillo?

Yes, they do.

See, the world offers us either changes of chemistry or changes of circumstance, but true peace only belongs to the prince.

I want to read you this.

This is out of John chapter 14.

John 14 · chapter mention

Take a look at the word, let the word take a look at us.

John chapter 14, starting in verse 25.

John 14 · chapter mention

Jesus says it this way.

He says, These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you.

But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said.

And then he makes a groundbreaking statement in verse 27.

He says, Peace I leave with you.

My peace I give to you.

Not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

What Jesus says in verse 27 of John 14 is this the rarest commodity on earth, the greatest commodity on earth, is given for free.

You only have to come to one source.

It's given.

It's as free as asking for it.

Jesus doesn't say, My peace I leave with you, and you can earn it if you do this.

He says, I'll give it to you for free.

Just ask for me, and I'll give you peace.

Tonight, if you want to ask from Jesus to give you peace, he'll give you peace.

But see, that messes with our carnal mind.

The Bible says the carnal mind, the natural thinking, is in enmity against God.

And so we argue with God and we say, No, God, surely I have to earn it.

Surely I have to live out this perfect Christian walk, or surely, Lord, I'm going to need these certain bits of entertainment along the way to kind of subsidize what you give.

But Jesus says, I give you peace.

And it's enough.

And I want to tell you something.

When God says something, whether we believe it or not, it still stands true.

It's like the law of gravity.

You may not believe the law of gravity, but it does not exempt you from its effects or its truth.

Trust me, go stand, don't do this, but try and stand on top of a tall building and jump off.

You can disbelieve gravity all you want to, but eventually you're going to prove gravity.

And you know the Bible says there's pleasure in sin for a season, so you may be falling and just saying, ah, there's no gravity.

I'm right, I'm floating.

But see, eventually circumstances, you come face to face with them, and you know you don't disprove God's law, you prove it.

It's like the little girl.

You hear about the little eight-year-old girl, she wrote a paper in her class.

Her assignment was to write a paper in her class on some great historical figure, and she chose to write on the book of Jonah, Jonah and the whale, that story from the scripture.

Now the the story included Jonah obviously being swallowed by a whale, and the teacher pulled her aside afterwards, just kind of straightened her out and told her.

She said, Listen, I need you to understand that this story is just a metaphor.

It didn't really happen.

The little girl said, Yes, it did happen.

It's written right here in the Bible, it happened.

The teacher said, No, it didn't really happen.

It's just a story to kind of communicate a deeper truth.

She said, No, Jonah was swallowed by the whale.

And the teacher said, Well, I'm going to have to just, you know, bash her hopes right here.

She said, You need to understand, honey, that even though a whale is a tremendously large fish, it has a very small throat.

And there's no way, it's literally physically impossible for a human being to pass through the throat of a whale.

And the little girl says, No, it's in the Bible, therefore it's true, and therefore it happened.

And the teacher just being stubborn is, I'll get out.

She says, Well, I'll tell you what, there's no way you can prove it.

But I can prove that the whale's throat's too small.

And she says, Well, I know what I'm going to do.

I'm going to ask Jonah one day when I get to heaven.

When I get to heaven, I'm going to ask Jonah how that happened.

And the teacher looks at her thinking that she's witty.

She says, Well, what if you get to heaven and you find out Jonah's in hell?

And the eight-year-old says, Well, then you can ask him.

Spare us all the arguments when you're being offered something for free.

The best thing to do is say, Thank you, God.

I'll take it.

And not try it, but I'll take it.

Arguments against God's word, they're all futile.

Let me read you this in Matthew chapter 10 and verse 34.

Matthew 10 · chapter mention

Matthew chapter 10 and verse 34.

Matthew 10 · chapter mention

Jesus says something that seems like a contradiction, but there are no contradictions in Scripture.

He says, Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth.

Doesn't that seem like the opposite of what we just read?

But what he says is, Don't think that I came to bring peace on the earth.

I did not come to bring peace but a sword.

You see, Jesus is simply saying here, I didn't come to bring the kind of peace the world brings.

I came to bring the kind of peace that I have that I'm giving.

Because the world, the only peace the world can possibly give, is the exemption of certain circumstances or problems or a change in your perception through chemistry.

That's the only way that the world can offer you any semblance of peace.

Look at Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 14.

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

Ephesians chapter 2, verse 14.

Ephesians 2:14

I realize the overheads are probably beating me to these scriptures because, well, they're faster.

It says this, it says, For he himself, speaking about Jesus, he himself is our peace, who has made both groups into one and broken down the barrier of the dividing wall.

I want to tell you, this scripture says that what Jesus gave was actually himself.

And so he doesn't give peace like the world gives, but he gives it like God gives it.

And I want to give you this statement.

True peace from God is not the absence of war, it's the presence of God.

And the peace that God gives, you can have in the midst of war.

And this is a beautiful thing to know because the presence of God is what we can all have, despite your circumstances.

And if for us Christians, I want to tell you, if you're a believer here tonight, this earth right now, no matter how unpeaceful it may seem, when you're going to leave this church, you may have problems and issues.

When you leave this church, you may feel like the world's collapsing around you.

I want to give you this encouragement.

If you're a believer here tonight, this world is as close to hell as you're ever get.

But if you're here tonight and you don't know Jesus Christ, your sins have not been forgiven, you haven't surrendered your life yet, this earth is as close to heaven as you're ever going to get.

That's up to us.

It's up to what we do with the truth that God's giving us.

He's saying, listen, I want to give a free gift.

I want to give out peace.

Here, it's yours for the taking.

We don't need to argue with it.

We simply need to come and say, Lord, it's the greatest commodity and it's given for free, and I'll take it.

And you'll be given a chance to do that tonight if that's your choice.

God is offering it, though.

It's the greatest commodity.

Matter of fact, I want to let you know this in John 4.27, when Jesus is speaking, what we looked at, I'm rather 14.27, what we looked at earlier, this verse, where he says, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.

This was not the Son of God standing around casually just going, you know what, everything is just great.

My life is going great.

Hey, here's some peace.

Here's some of what I have.

I want you to know that not just an hour or so before he made this statement, the Bible said he was troubled in his spirit when he realized that Judas was going to betray him.

And did you know that not only an hour or so after this statement about peace was when Jesus would cross the brook Kidron and go into the Garden of Gethsemane and suffer for our sins.

That's where the first drops of blood began.

I love that Mel Gibson movie.

Is that okay to say here?

Oh my gosh.

We talk about it all the time.

That was a life changer.

I don't think I talked for three days, and for a preacher, that's huge.

Think about it.

Before he went to that garden where the movie began, an hour or so before, when this scripture took place, Jesus said to his disciples, I have plenty of peace.

I'm going to give it to you.

And it had nothing to do with his outward circumstances.

It had everything to do with the presence of God abiding with him.

Now, that is the nature of peace.

The nature of peace.

It's the greatest commodity and it's given for free.

But there are two other things I want to say to you about peace, because we're going to talk about two things that is the character of peace.

In other words, what peace does.

Oftentimes we as Christians just think peace is just this kind of static love blob of, oh, everything's warm and fuzzy, all the bills are paid, everything's great.

I must be at peace.

But peace does two key things that we need to know in the life of a believer.

What it does for you is very, very important.

Turning your Bibles over to Colossians chapter 3.

Colossians 3 · chapter mention

We're going to read Colossians chapter 3 starting in verse 12.

Colossians 3 · chapter mention

Boy, it's fun preaching at a word church.

You can tell people that read the Bible.

Thank God for you guys.

We are so grateful for this church.

I'm just throwing that in for free, it's not in my notes.

Verse 12.

We're going to start in verse 12 and read through verse 15.

It says, And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another, and forgiving each other.

Whoever has a complaint against anyone, just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

And beyond all these things, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

And watch this.

Verse 15 is the kick.

It says, And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which you were indeed called in one body, and be thankful.

That first part of verse 15, we're going to leave up here for a moment.

It says, verse 15 says, Let the peace of Christ rule.

I want to tell you a little bit of Greek here, not because I think we all need to know Greek.

I love what Pastor Robert says.

Most of our problem is that we don't understand English, you know.

But it's good to understand a little bit of the language that this was spoken in.

This word, rule, where it says, let the peace of Christ rule.

This word, now I'm not a Greek scholar, so if you are, don't email me or heckle me.

This word is brabyo.

See?

It may be ichakta, I don't know.

But I'm not a theologian, but I can read what they wrote.

Rule.

The word in the Greek is brabio.

And this word literally translates into guess what?

To rule or oversee as an umpire.

Brabio.

A brabias was someone who was an umpire in the Greek games.

Do you realize this?

So what Paul is saying to the Christians is he's saying, God gives you peace.

You need to let the peace of Christ rule, or brabyo, or be the brabias in your heart.

In other words, let it umpire.

Now, it's important to know what an umpire does.

Well, simple.

An umpire in any game, all they do is they either say, it's left or right, it's fair or foul, right?

It's what?

It's it's in or it's out, it's black or it's white.

As a matter of fact, that's why umpires wear those ex-convict-looking getups.

I used to wonder when I was a kid, why do they all look like jails?

Well, see, the reason for that is because what they're saying is there's no gray in our decision.

It's either in or it's out.

Wouldn't you hate it?

Now we almost have this with instant replay, but I won't go there because I have a few more months of calm and peace.

But till the cowboys begin to win again, and they will, I can prove it in the word, but I don't have time.

Um Amarillo, too.

When when when the when the word says let it umpire, what the Bible is saying is that peace has the ability to stand in your heart and decide left or right, fair or foul, in or out, black or white.

In other words, peace is not only the greatest commodity and given for free, it is the guide of our life.

Peace is the guide of our life.

Now, I want to illustrate this with you, to with two volunteers who we paid to come up here.

No.

Um, can I have Natasha and Cam come on up here?

And would you guys just give these guys a big hand?

Uh, Cam, come on up, buddy.

I'm not doing it this way to insult your intelligence, but sometimes when we see something with our eyes, it causes us to remember it a little better.

Natasha, could you just stand like right there?

And and Cam.

Oh my gosh.

If you're in junior high, I pity you.

I mean, because if you're a troublemaker, yeah, you stand right there, buddy.

Basically, what I want you to get is a picture of.

Because for the these two points, I'm going to use these two great people.

Natasha is going to represent the believer.

She's all of us.

She's just basically all of us trying to do her best, walking for Jesus Christ.

She has the peace of God offered to her.

Cam is going to represent the peace of Christ, which passes all understanding.

That, you know, and he could surpass a lot.

Cam represents the peace of Christ.

Now, what happens is, I want to read you this verse.

This is Romans chapter 8 and verse 14.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

I won't need to turn there.

I hope you don't either.

But it says, Those who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.

And so the goal in life for the peace of Christ is that we as Christians be guided by the Spirit of God.

Now, the conversation always centers around in Christian circles.

How do you hear God?

How do you know what God's saying?

How do you really know?

I want to tell you this.

The most spiritual way to hear God in any issue is to follow the gentle, peaceful leading of the Holy Spirit.

This is a very simple, basic, basic issue.

This is not hard to understand.

Just think of it this way.

The most intimate relationships you have in your life, you don't have to talk to very loud.

I don't know how many of you have a two-year-old, but they can't be real intimate.

Now, I have a 10-year-old, an eight-year-old, a four-year-old, and a two-year-old.

I think I got that right.

Seems like it changes every year.

Now, the two-year-old, the two-year-old, I sometimes have to, you know, Abby, Abby, Abby, Abby, Abby.

And see, that's because she's less mature.

I have to be a little louder, a little more forceful.

The 10-year-old, however, and even the eight-year-old, and sometimes the four-year-old, he's a bit of a handful.

I can I can actually guide without even a word.

I can use just a gesture.

If you're a parent in here, you know what I'm talking about.

You know the gestures like I love you.

And your child sees that and they're like, oh.

And then there's the.

Now the is directly related to the chin I found.

The chin's up.

That's like, you better remember what you're trained in.

And the chin goes down, and they know I'm thinking of the scripture.

The rod of correction will drive it far from me.

Oh my God.

And with a look, I can direct my child.

Listen, Cal, will you stand right back here behind Natasha?

If this is the peace of Christ, just put your hands at your side there.

If this is the peace of Christ and it acts as an umpire in our heart, then somehow, in our heart, peace is able.

If there is a decision and it's black or it's white, and she has she's at a crossroads of which way to go, the peace of Christ can easily direct.

You don't have to move.

I can move you anyway, but easily by putting your hand up like this and going like this.

See?

That's how the Holy Spirit works in her heart.

He says it's this way, and there's a peace.

He doesn't have to lean in her ear and go, Natasha, thus says the Lord.

You know, me, just Jesus.

See?

See the nails and the piercing, see?

Remember, that guy didn't have a lot of faith.

The more mature believer can hear God peacefully inside, and let's say it's this way, and the Holy Spirit gives a guide and goes this way.

And that's a good way to be guided.

Peace that comes into your heart.

You can put your arm down, thank you.

Don't you hope that's how the angels look walking behind you just like this?

Isaiah chapter 30 in verse uh 21, bring this verse up.

Isaiah 30 · chapter mention

I want to show you this.

It says, Your ears will hear a word behind you.

This is the way.

Walk in it.

Whenever you turn to the right or to the left, not to the up or the down, because our face is to be straight.

But when there's a decision to be made, it's the peace of God that passes all understanding in our hearts, guys, that as we receive that free gift, that gives us that guidance in that direction.

That's the first thing it does.

Peace is a guide.

It's a tremendous guide.

If you're facing a tough decision here, I'm telling you, let us pray for you tonight.

We're going to have some altar counselors down here who just want to agree with you and say, God, I ask that you would just give peace.

And if you'll always fall follow peace, you'll never, ever regret it.

Peace is a guide.

Okay.

Next, I want you to turn.

Could you guys just hang here if you'll move to the side?

Not you, Natasha.

You can stand here.

Are you comfortable?

Would you like some water?

Okay.

And Cam, come on over here.

Thank you, sir.

I want you to see.

Uh go to Proverbs chapter 3.

Proverbs 3 · chapter mention

I'm sorry, chapter 4.

We're going to look at Proverbs chapter 4.

Proverbs 4 · chapter mention

Check my time here.

Okay.

Only have two more hours.

I'll talk fast if you don't moan.

Proverbs chapter 4, and this is verse 23.

Proverbs 4 · chapter mention

Oh, this is a great scripture.

I mean, you hear this all the time.

Watch over your heart with diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.

That word literally translated means guard.

Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.

I know we've all heard this.

Guard your heart.

Someone tell you now, brother, guard your heart.

Guard your heart.

That is one of the most discouraging things in the world if no one tells you how.

You ever tried to guard your heart and you just fail?

It's terrible.

You think, well, I tried to guard my heart, but I'm not a good guard, and so now my heart's unguarded, and now I got all messed up.

Especially for us guys.

For men in the room.

Let me speak to you just specifically.

There is nothing more frustrating for a man when he knows what he should do, but doesn't know how to do it.

It's very discouraging.

I remember my first job at Jack in the Box.

Yes, I worked at Jack in the Box.

Working at the Jack in the Box I worked at was a very low-level position.

Okay?

There's like, there's Hades right here.

And then there's Jack in the Box right above that.

I went to work there because I wanted to pay for my car, and I began doing this job.

And I had a manager that for some reason, she didn't just hate me, she she hated life and people and green things.

She was like something from Lord of the Rings.

She's a mean person.

Very mean.

Very angry.

And so she was always mean to me, and she would give me tasks and she would never tell me how to do them.

And so about maybe my fourth day on the job, I was working in as one of the cooks, and I'm, you know, sweating and laboring.

And what happens is she comes back and she screams over the top of that little tray thing, you know, LeBlanc, french fries.

That's all she says.

I'm like, boss, hamburgers, what?

Now it's lunchtime, it's lunch rush, and so what I do is I go, okay, you know, because I'm smart.

I said she wants french fries, so I go to the french fry thing, and I realize there are no french fries.

There it is, there's little baskets there, but there are no french fries.

And then I realize she wants me to get french fries made.

Okay?

The problem is now I'm in this circumstance of knowing how what I am supposed to do, but I don't know how to do it.

And so I begin just freaking out.

I'm looking for anything to cook as a french fry.

I'm about to fry straws.

You know, maybe they won't know.

It's jack-in-the-box after all.

And so it's taking many, many minutes.

And you know, drive-thru time is like an attorney.

A minute in drive-thru time is like an attorney.

It's like microwave time.

Everything speeds up or slows down, depending on who's pitching or catching.

And I'm standing there trying to find the french fries.

She is at the at the counter of the drive-thru screaming at me.

Two words.

LeBlanc, French fries.

LeBlanc, French fries.

Meanwhile, the cars are backing up around the building coming this way.

There are hand gestures going on, and I don't know how to do it.

So finally she comes over, she pushes me out of the way, she opens up this little sliding door below the fryer, pulls out the french fries, tears the bag open, dumps them in there, and walks away.

And I felt terrible.

I think sometimes people hear this scripture and they see, guard your heart, for out of it flow all the issues of life, and they go, I know I'm supposed to do it.

I know I should do it.

I even want to do it.

I want to do what's right, but I need to know the how to.

I want to give you a little hint here.

It's not just a hint, it's right out of God's Word.

Look at Philippians chapter 4.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

And verse 6 and 7.

Philippians chapter 4, and we're going to start in verse 6.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

Paul, speaking to the church at Philippi, he says this.

Here's another great you should.

Be anxious for nothing.

Oh boy, that's great, isn't it?

Don't you love it when the brothers encourage you?

Be anxious for nothing.

And you go, okay.

It's not working.

Here is going to help.

Be anxious for nothing.

But in everything, watch.

By prayer and supplication.

Now that's the easy part.

Watch this.

With thanksgiving.

Let your request be made known to God.

This key here is not the prayer and the supplication.

Rather, it's the thanksgiving.

That's the hard part.

Because you naturally pray, God help.

Oh my gosh, what am I going to do?

And you speak to God.

But what God's looking for, He's looking for these petitions with thanksgiving.

And I want to show you what happens when you become a person who's thankful.

And you say, you know what, God, I don't know how to guard my heart.

God, I don't know how to get rid of anxiety.

I just don't know how to do it.

But you can show me, Lord, and then I can do it because I need peace.

This is what verse 7 says.

It says, And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Here's a little more Greek lesson.

This word guard is phroo.

It's composed of two words.

The first one is fro.

It means to stand in front of.

And haraho means to stare at.

You put the two together, and this word guard faraho means to watch diligently, to guard as with violent expectation.

I'm going to read that definition again.

Think about this.

If you'll pray with thanksgiving, the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension, not your own strength, it will guard, it will sure up the empty places, it'll watch diligently to guard with a violent expectation over your heart and over your mind in Christ Jesus.

Now I want to give you this little bit of history.

The church at Philippi understood the illustration Paul was speaking about.

Because Philippi, probably some of you know this, Philippi was located right in the heart of the Roman Empire.

On one side was Asia.

Well, on one side was Asia, and on the other side was Italy.

And so there was a road that ran between, right between the mountain ranges called the Via Ignatia.

This was the main Roman road.

All the commerce between the East and the West ran through the heart of the Roman Empire, and the heart of the Roman Empire was Philippi.

So they understood guarding it.

It was in a valley surrounded by two mountain ranges.

Amazing word picture there.

And what Paul is saying is when you give thanks in prayer, peace comes and guards it through wayos, your heart.

It sets up a staring contest against the enemy and watches with violent expectations.

That's what he was saying.

If you'll just do that.

Now, I want to show you this.

Let's back you off over here, Cam, because the peace of God is available to her, but she's just going to be a normal Christian who never came to Gateway and heard this message.

Okay.

A lot of times, can you just help me?

We get bummed out, so be kind of bummed out.

She's kind of bummed out.

All these circumstances.

You know, there's the war in Iraq, and I'm, you know, I'm going to play the enemy.

There's the war in Iraq.

You know, your car payment's late.

You know, we got this little issue with the kids.

You know, I don't know where that next job's coming from.

And the devil comes up and he does this.

He goes, Natasha, it's terrible, isn't it?

It's terrible.

World's falling apart.

They probably don't even like you at church.

That old keyboard gig, I don't know if that's going to work out or not.

It's pretty bad.

We just need to kind of be depressed.

Hey, you know, look, there's a commercial right there.

If you take that, that will really help you find peace.

Or look, try this vacation.

Let's go over here, Natasha.

You see, and no matter how much she prays, no matter how hard she tries, she cannot fight off the enemy in her own strength.

No matter how sharp she pushes and she says, No, would you get away from me?

I bind you in Jesus' name and the asked to run away, but then you know he comes back.

And oh, I just want peace.

And with the voice of the enemy, just shut up.

I need to guard my heart.

Well, what the Bible says is that if Natasha will take what she has and present it before God in worship, let's put your hands up just like this, and be thankful and in a place of worship, and a place of saying, God, you are so good.

Despite my circumstances, despite the war in Iraq, and God, if they take my car, you'll give me a new one.

And God, I'm trusting you with my kids and my family, my job.

What happens is when that when she does that, peace that passes understanding now comes in front and stands right in front of Natasha.

And now it goes, I am watching you with violent expectation.

So when the enemy comes and says, Well, I'm gonna come talk to Natasha now.

Hey, you you better miss that.

Okay, second side to it.

She puts up, she put her hands down.

No, no, no, no.

Let's she's ungrateful.

Now look what happens is okay, she put her hands down.

We're moving back over here.

So peace, what happens?

Somehow my peace left.

Oh, you ever had that happen?

I felt such peace and now it's gone.

Where could the peace have gone?

Peace is contingent upon her thankfulness, according to Philippians 4 7.

So when it goes, the enemy comes right back and goes, Oh, good, he's over there.

Just don't worship.

Whatever you do, don't get thankful.

You have the ugliest dog on the street.

Think about this in a real sense of our teenagers in this country.

Your parents wish you were never born.

They don't love you.

All these people at church are looking at you funky.

They don't even really like you.

Is all this even real?

Come on, let's talk about this so loft again.

Now look, now when this comes back on, you need to place your order, or you need to change your circumstances and go to Hawaii.

See, the fight that she needs to fight is not with the devil, it's with her own heart.

And when she raises her hands in worship, here she goes, peace comes back in, and I'm sitting here talking, he just jams it out, and now I'm displaced again, and it goes back and forth.

But if we as Christians will say, you know what?

I want this in front of me my whole life.

I want my heart and my mind to be guarded.

I'm gonna stay thankful, I'm gonna keep my hands up, and peace will guide me and guard me.

Give these guys a big hand.

Thank you, guys.

Appreciate it.

Thank you, Afasha.

Amen.

Would you stand with me tonight?

I'm just gonna pray before Pastor Tom comes and we're gonna give you a chance to come forward and get prayed over.

Now don't let the enemy accuse you for that.

Would you bow your hearts right where you are between you and God, Father?

Lord, I ask that you'd speak to us right now.

Right where you are.

Just ask the Holy Spirit, Lord, what are you saying to me?

What have you got for me in this, Lord?

Father, I pray for those, God, Lord, that have never met you, that need to be given a free gift.

They need peace, Lord.

I pray they'd come and receive the free gift, the greatest commodity on earth.

Lord, I ask for those, God, that are in need of guidance tonight, Lord, made decisions, life and death situations.

They need the umpire of their heart.

Jesus, come and be our peace and guide us.

Lord, I pray for those, God, that struggle with anxiety and fears, Lord.

We ask you, Jesus, come and be our peace and set up guard in front of us.

God, we're going to be thankful people, grateful for all you've done, Father.

Lord, I ask, God, your blessing on the house, Lord, as you continue your work here.

I thank you for that in advance, in Jesus' name.

Amen.