December 6, 209 - "Peace"

The Message of the day was given from the following notes ... I hope these spare jottings give you some sense of the message - not everything here was developed, and much was said beyond these notes ... such is "extemporaneous preaching" ... blessings!


Zechariah’s Story … “Peace Is Our Work” – Dec. 6, 2009

Ever watch Joel Osteen?

This is my Bible … I am what it says I am, I have what it says I have, I can do what it says I can do … today I will be taught the world of God … I boldly confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive, I will never be the same, in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Full of the Holy Spirit …

Full of what, these days?

Self?

Non-sense?

Or some reference to excrement …

What are you and I full of this morning?

Billboard – Tag Hueur add – featuring Tiger Woods, and tagline, “What are you made of?”

I thought: same old junk that we’re all made of … and some mighty precious stuff, too … but it’s all mixed up together, isn’t it?

A combination …

Anxiety …

Fear …

Anger …

Longing …

Envy …

Hope,

Faith,

Love, too …

So we pray, fill us with the Holy Spirit …

Zechariah’s confession of faith … a Spirit-filled life … all the other stuff is there, too, but the Spirit prevails …

God-centered …

And there is not greater positive energy in this world than being God-centered.

It helps us pull all of the other junk into some proper alignment … fear and anxiety are not quite so powerful …

The notion of rescue … Presbyterian, Calvin, predestination … careful! But salvation is not within our reach … it’s a gift from God … and more than a gift, an intervention … “while we were dead in our trespasses and sins”

Rescue story …

Two things:

Light …

Peace …

Peace is our work …

Romans 5:1 - peace with God!

Matthew 5:9 – peace-makers … to bring peace to our world …

Luke 12:49 … not peace, but division … tempted to turn the gospel into a sedative … to follow Jesus seriously is to take up his purpose and sometimes experience the consequences … why does Jesus speak of a cross for us?

Jesus is our peace … Ephesians 2:14 … the intersection …

John 14:27 … peace I give to you, not as the world …

The heart and soul of the Christian life – a surrender to Jesus …

Personal, heartfelt … surrender …

To give our lives …

It’s more than doing good, it’s walking into the heart of God.

Jesus is our peace …