Freedom Follows Following: Peace & Power
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Sermon Notes
Peace in Presence
Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Psalm 46:1-3
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
Luke 2:8-11
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
God’s peace is best described by the weight of the Hebrew word Shalom.
Shalom is a comprehensive peace. It is a peace in the middle of not the absence of trouble. The magnitude of this peace is not measured in what it changes but in what it swallows… worry, anxiousness and fear.
Emotion
“It is difficult to think that God is a loving God in a time like this.”
Response
“The issue of the love of God was settled with Jesus on the cross. There is no more love defining moment than that.”
Emotion
“I messed up – it’s over”
Response
“The end you are facing doesn’t have to be an end, it could be a beginning. Our Hope is in Christ not a current condition.”
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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.
Anxious - Greek = distracted care
Anxious - Old English = to strangle or choke out
“Anxiety is unbelief in deep disguise. We have dared to take the place of God in our lives. We are thinking that we are supposed to (and are capable of) controlling our future.”
Worries only join you with your limitless imagination of what can go wrong and your limited resources available to change your circumstance.
Philippians 4:6 (AMP)
6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.
Philippians 4:7 (AMP)
7 And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:13
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. NKJV.
I = This is personal – not just for someone else.
Can Do = power, ability, resources to complete what’s challenging me. This is an action statement not just an intellectual acknowledgment.
All Things = no exclusions. Have you ever tried to use a coupon at a store but what you were buying was excluded?
Through Christ = Our inner power is limited and inconsistent. Taping into our inner self is so appealing because “self” is our god. Satan is consistent throughout time of offering man other things to worship.
Who Gives = God is a giver and everything He gives is purposeful and powerful. We can’t earn a gift and we don’t deserve this gift but we can receive this gift.
Me = It’s still personal
Strength = power, ability, determination, grit, wisdom, creativity… for what? To overcome.