1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:29,980 Thank you. 2 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:35,000 Hear it. Hear it. Hear it. 3 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:49,000 How about now? 4 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:59,000 Alright, so on the back, there are bulletins. Inside our sermon, and next to them are some 5 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:13,000 Advent devotions that take you through the week in part with the messages of following, and then the other part is in preparation for the next Sunday. 6 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:23,000 Next, we'll also be serving the Lord's Supper a little later in the service, so if you did not pick up the email, we invite you to do so. 7 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:34,000 So this morning, in a few moments, we're going to light the second candle of Advent, the Bethlehem candle, the candle that points us to peace. 8 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:47,000 Bethlehem was an area that was small and quiet, kind of ordinary, sort of in the shadow of Jerusalem, but it became the place where God stepped into our world. 9 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:56,000 And so God, in the wilderness, as we'll see in a little bit, promises His people that, "I will go with you and I will give you rest." 10 00:01:56,000 --> 00:02:07,000 That promise takes on flesh at Bethlehem, where the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And Jesus, our Emmanuel, is God with us. 11 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:16,000 And so in a moment, as we sing and read and pray, we want to be reminded that the peace that God gives us is not something as fragile as Jesus. 12 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:26,000 It's not distant. It's not dependent upon how steady we feel or how steady the world sees. It's anchored in the God who draws you. 13 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:31,000 So, can you go ahead and pray, and then we'll read Scripture together, and then we'll begin our worshiping song. 14 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:40,000 Father in heaven, we thank you that you are God of peace, and we thank you that that peace ultimately is your presence. 15 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:52,000 So much of our life, we spend seeking peace by removing things, removing noise, seeking to remove struggle and avoid conflict. 16 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:58,000 And seeing in you that peace is not in the way you can't wait. 17 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:07,000 And so as we come to your word in this moment, as we sing and pray and come to Jesus, 18 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:13,000 that you remind us that you are with us, that you are keeping us in reality, 19 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:19,000 that our hearts would be filled with this promise that we will never leave you with us today. 20 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:23,000 And you would give us contentment and compassion for you. 21 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:29,000 And you would give us to be with us today and to be with us today and to be with us today. 22 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:31,000 Amen. 23 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:35,000 If you would, let's be standing. We're going to read from this 85th Psalm. 24 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:39,000 And we want to hear God speaking to you. 25 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:43,000 And we want to see that piece of it. 26 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,000 So if you would, read with me. 27 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:49,000 Let me hear what God the Lord will speak. 28 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:54,000 For He will speak to His people, to His saints. 29 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:57,000 But let them not turn back to fallen. 30 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:03,000 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him. 31 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,000 That glory may dwell in our land. 32 00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:13,000 Steadfast love and faithfulness meet righteousness and peace with each other. 33 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,000 This is the word of the Lord. 34 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:23,000 And so as the kids get ready to light the Advent candles, we're going to sing a song that we introduced last week. 35 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:29,000 And as we reflect on the peace that God gives, the peace that is ultimately found in His presence, 36 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:33,000 we're going to start by singing what's called "The Song of Emmanuel." 37 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:39,000 It's a new song to some of us, and so we'll go ahead and let's go ahead. 38 00:04:45,000 --> 00:05:01,000 Gloria, Gloria. 39 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:13,000 Sing me the song of Emmanuel, this the Christ who was long foretold, low in the shadows of Bethlehem. 40 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:41,000 Promise of dawn, now I behold. God most high in the manger lay. Lift your voices and now proclaim. Great and glorious, love has come to us. Join now with the host of heaven. 41 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:58,000 Come to welcome, Emmanuel. King who came with no crown or throne. Helpless he lay the invincible. Maker of Mary, now Mary's son. 42 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:10,000 Hold on wisdom to save us all. Shepherds, sages, before you fall. Grace and majesty, one humility. 43 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:39,000 Come on, let me adore you. Gloria. Gloria. Gloria. 44 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:52,000 Gloria. Gloria. Gloria. 45 00:06:52,000 --> 00:07:08,000 Those of the news of Emmanuel, joy and peace for the weary heart. Lift up your heads for your King has come. Sing for the light of the well. 46 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:37,000 The light overwhelms the dark. Glory's shining for all to see. Hold on, I let the gospel ring. God has made a way. He will have the grace to tell the Word of Jesus. Glory's shining for all to see. Hold on, I let the gospel ring. 47 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:40,640 God has made a way. 48 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:42,720 He will have the grace. 49 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:46,220 Tell the world's name is Jesus. 50 00:07:46,220 --> 00:07:48,220 Gloria. 51 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:33,000 Gloria. Gloria. Gloria. Gloria. Gloria. Gloria. 52 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:44,720 in worship. We sing with joy, but we also this morning are focusing on peace, especially 53 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:51,500 peace to a weary world. So we're going to sing a carol that echoes the angel's proclamation 54 00:08:51,500 --> 00:08:52,280 of peace. 55 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:36,000 It came upon the midnight clouds, that glorious song of old. The angels' plans in the 56 00:09:36,000 --> 00:10:05,000 place to hear the earth, to touch their harps of gold. Peace on the earth, good will to men, from heaven's all-gracious King. The world in silence still mislame, to hear the angels sing. 57 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:34,000 Yet with the woes of sin and strife, the world has suffered long. Beneath the angels' dream I roll two thousand years. 58 00:10:34,000 --> 00:11:03,000 And man at war with man is not the love song which they bring. Oh, hush the noise, ye air of strife, and hear the angels sing. 59 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:32,000 And deep beneath lies crushing low, whose scorns are bending low, who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and slow. 60 00:11:32,000 --> 00:12:01,000 But now, the glad and golden house comes swiftly on the way. Rest beside the weary road, and hear the angels sing. 61 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:02,000 Let's pray. 62 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:03,000 Let's pray. 63 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:04,000 Let's pray. 64 00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:39,000 I pray what's foretold when with the ever-surfing year comes round the age of gold. When peace over all the earth, its ancient splendors flee. 65 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:51,000 And the whole world gives up the song. All angels sing. 66 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,000 Amen. 67 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:41,000 Amen. 68 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:11,000 Amen. 69 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:54,000 A tendency to look in places for peace that ultimately peace will maybe only be temporary, or might just be sort of a very simple imitation of peace. 70 00:26:54,000 --> 00:27:02,000 And so many times we chase distraction instead of resting in God. We trust our own strength instead of leaning on His presence. 71 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:11,000 We try to control, we try to seek comfort or maybe success or approval, but ultimately none of these things bring peace to our hearts. 72 00:27:11,000 --> 00:27:24,000 And so what I want to do, I'd like to go ahead and pray just briefly, and then we'll read some Scripture together to focus our hearts in both sort of confession and assurance of the peace that God gives. 73 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:30,000 And then we're going to sing about the God who holds all things in His hands, the Ancient of Days. 74 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:42,000 Father in Heaven, we come repenting for those places where we have trusted in ourselves, where we have sought peace in something other than You. 75 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:52,000 We just ask that You would be the peace that passes understanding, the peace that guards our hearts and our minds. 76 00:27:52,000 --> 00:28:01,000 That in a world that feels so often like it's in upheaval and we're tempted to strike out on our own, that You would call us to depend on You. 77 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:08,000 We thank You for the assurance of forgiveness that we have. We thank You for the assurance of hope. 78 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:14,000 We just ask that You would be with us as we continue in our service. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 79 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:18,000 If you would, let's read from the book of Isaiah together. 80 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:27,000 You keep Him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because He trusts in you. 81 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:34,000 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. 82 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:39,000 This is the word of the Lord. We're going to sing Ancient of Days. 83 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:58,000 . 84 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:07,000 Though the nations rage, kingdoms rise and fall, 85 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:16,000 there is still one King reigning over all. 86 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:33,000 So I will not fear for the grace that my God is the Ancient of Days. 87 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:43,000 None above Him, not before Him, all of time in His hands. 88 00:29:43,000 --> 00:30:01,000 For His own it shall remain and ever stand. All the power, all the glory, I will trust in His name. 89 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:29,000 For my God is the ancient of days. Though the dread of night overwhelms my soul, He is in me. I am not alone. 90 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:48,000 Oh, His love is sure. And He knows my name. For my God is the ancient of days. 91 00:30:48,000 --> 00:31:07,000 Who loved Him, loved before Him, all the time in His hand. Through His knowledge shall we play and never stay. 92 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:23,000 For the power, all the glory, I will trust in Him today. Through my God, His creation, those days. 93 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:57,000 Though I may not see what the future brings, I will watch and wait for the Savior King. 94 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:17,000 Then my joy complete, sending face to face in the presence of the ancient of days. 95 00:32:17,000 --> 00:32:35,000 From love Him, now before Him, all time in His hands. For His glory shall we reign and ever stand. 96 00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:44,000 For the power of all my glory, I will trust in His name. 97 00:32:44,000 --> 00:33:00,000 For my God is the Ancient of Days. For my God is the Ancient of Days. 98 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:43,980 There's a place where mercy rains and never dies. There's a place where streams of grace flow deep into the sky. 99 00:33:44,000 --> 00:34:04,000 Where all the love I've ever found comes like a flood, comes flowing down. 100 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:32,000 At the cross, at the cross, I surrender my life. I'm in all of you. I'm in all of you. Where your love repressed, my sins washed white. I owe all to you. I owe all to you, Jesus. 101 00:34:34,000 --> 00:35:00,000 There's a place where sin and shame are powerless. Where my heart has peace with God, is fearless. 102 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:32,000 Where all the love, I've ever found. Comes like a cloud, comes flowing down. At the cross, at the cross, I surrender my life. I'm in awe of you. I'm in awe of you. 103 00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:44,000 Where your love ran, ran, and my soul washed white. I owe of you. I owe of you. 104 00:35:44,000 --> 00:36:01,000 Here, my hope is found. Here, on holy ground. Here, I'm out of hell. Here, I'm out of hell. Here, I'm out of hell. Here, I'm talking what is here. 105 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:30,000 Here, you saved my life. Here, I'm out of hell. Here, I'm out of hell. Here, I'm out of hell. Here, I'm out of hell. Here, I'm out of hell. Here, I'm out of hell. Here, I'm out of hell. Here, I'm out of hell. And my sin was one. I owe of you. 106 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:45,000 I owe of you. I owe of you. I owe of you. I owe of you. Jesus. 107 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:59,000 When we think of peace, I think often we imagine sort of calm circumstances, maybe a steadiness to life, 108 00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:08,000 quietness, life sort of going as we hoped. But what's interesting is in Scripture, it teaches something deeper. 109 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:18,000 Not that those things are not a part of peace, but that peace truly goes deeper. And peace, biblically, is not simply an absence 110 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:28,000 of storms, but rather peace is the presence of God within them. There's a moment in Mark chapter 4 where the disciples 111 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:35,000 and Jesus, He has been teaching. There have been a whole lot of crowds, and they've been following Him, 112 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:44,000 and they leave to go across the Sea of Galilee. And in the midst of that crossing, Jesus, tired by all the ministry 113 00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:52,000 that He has been partaking of and sharing and healing and teaching, falls sound asleep. And in the midst of that, 114 00:37:52,000 --> 00:37:57,000 the storms arise, and I imagine the disciples, most of whom are professional fishermen, 115 00:37:57,000 --> 00:38:04,000 do their best to survive the storm on their own. But the wind blows harder. The waves crash harder. 116 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:14,000 And finally, sort of overwhelmed with what is happening, they wake Jesus, and they say, "Don't you care that we are perishing?" 117 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:26,000 And Jesus just barely, simply stands up and goes, "Peace. Be still." And creation obeys. Not over time as the winds slacken and the waves get smaller, 118 00:38:26,000 --> 00:38:37,000 but the wind stops, the waves are still, and it says in Mark chapter 4, "There was great calm." 119 00:38:37,000 --> 00:38:46,000 You see, in that moment what the disciples needed was not a bigger boat, not more safety measures, not more skill in the storm. 120 00:38:46,000 --> 00:38:55,000 They needed the nearness of the One who commanded the waves. And as we come to this table, it is the same thing. 121 00:38:55,000 --> 00:39:06,000 We have this reminder, this nourishment, this strengthening that God comes close to us in the midst of our storm. 122 00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:13,000 He didn't shout at us from a long way away. He didn't tell us a bunch of advice that we can follow, but rather He came near. 123 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:24,000 He took on flesh and ultimately picked up a cross at Calvary. And through His body broken and His blood poured out, 124 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:30,000 He purchased for us a peace that there is no storm that can ever take it away. 125 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:34,000 And so as we take the bread and we take the cup, 126 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:41,000 we're reminded that peace doesn't come from what we can control, but the one who can control all things. 127 00:39:41,000 --> 00:39:48,000 And the one who speaks not just to the storm, but to our hearts. Peace be still. 128 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:53,000 Father in heaven, we thank you for the peace that you have given to us. 129 00:39:53,000 --> 00:40:00,000 May we not seek our peace in shallow things. 130 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:05,000 May we not seek peace through distraction or our own efforts. 131 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:08,000 May we find peace with you. 132 00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:16,000 Remind us with this meal, with this bread and this cup, this body and this blood, 133 00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:28,000 that you didn't stand distant, but through your Son came close and took on flesh and dwelt among us. 134 00:40:28,000 --> 00:40:35,000 Encourage our hearts. Forgive us where we have failed. Guide us to peace. 135 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:40,000 We ask that you bless this bread and this cup. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 136 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:47,000 If you would, take the bread with me and remember, as Jesus called us to, to remember his body given for us. 137 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:59,000 And if you would, take the cup, the new covenant in the blood of Christ, and let's remember Jesus. 138 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:10,000 Father in heaven, you nourish our souls, you strengthen our hands. 139 00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:14,000 Where we wobble, you set us straight. 140 00:41:15,000 --> 00:41:20,000 May we proclaim through your strength and for your glory, your son, until he comes again. 141 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:22,000 It's in his name we pray. Amen. 142 00:41:22,000 --> 00:41:28,000 We're going to go ahead and hear from God's Word at this point. 143 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:31,000 We'll move into our Scripture reading. 144 00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:47,000 We're going to go ahead and hear from God's Word. 145 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:48,000 We're going to go ahead and hear from God's Word. 146 00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:49,000 We're going to go ahead and hear from God's Word. 147 00:44:16,000 --> 00:44:31,000 Father in heaven, be with us this morning as we open your Word, as we see this beautiful picture of peace that comes not through the things that we can achieve, but through you and your presence. 148 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:36,000 Encourage us, be with us. It's in your Son's name we pray. Amen. 149 00:44:36,000 --> 00:44:46,000 So one of the things that I think we as a church are blessed with, and that I sometimes maybe don't think about, maybe as much as I should, or maybe more than I should, 150 00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:52,000 I guess it depends on your perspective, is how many people we have who are talented at baking. 151 00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:59,000 And so when we have, you know, a wonderful, on occasion, selection of homemade cookies from different bakers, 152 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:06,000 and they are all delicious, and what that has done, in some cases, has spoiled me for other cookies, right? 153 00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:11,000 So you get a cookie, and you're maybe getting your Subway sandwich. You say, "Oh, maybe I'll get a cookie." 154 00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:17,000 And then you take a bite, and you're like, "Oh, this is not a cookie, right? I've had cookies before, 155 00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:27,000 and this doesn't taste like the cookies that I prefer." And we find in life that it is filled, oftentimes, by terrible imitations. 156 00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:35,000 Maybe we seek out the terrible imitation because it's cheaper than buying the official or the original one. 157 00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:46,000 Maybe we seek out the terrible imitation because it's just there. It requires less work than truly finding the original. 158 00:45:46,000 --> 00:45:55,000 What you find is we live in a world that is filled with all kinds of terrible imitations and counterfeits, and spiritually, 159 00:45:55,000 --> 00:46:11,000 one of the things that happens is we are experts at exchanging the good gifts of God for something that is sort of a broken and a feeble imitation of what God ultimately gives to us. 160 00:46:11,000 --> 00:46:23,000 For many of us, I think peace ultimately is defined as an absence, right? If this particular thing was removed, I would have peace, right? 161 00:46:23,000 --> 00:46:34,000 If I didn't have to go to work, then life would be full of peace. If my neighbors would keep it down at night so I could have some quiet, I would have peace. 162 00:46:34,000 --> 00:46:44,000 If I could leave the rat race and sit in a cabin in the woods with a burbling brook and deer eating in a beautiful alpine meadow, right, I would have peace. 163 00:46:44,000 --> 00:46:57,000 For most of us, peace is defined as the absence of what we foresee or what we see as life's problems or life's difficulties or life's struggles. 164 00:46:57,000 --> 00:47:08,000 Peace for us has to do oftentimes with what is missing. Conflict is missing. Noise is missing. Busyness is missing. Struggle is missing. 165 00:47:08,000 --> 00:47:21,000 And we are not the only ones who see peace in this way. I want to walk with you just very briefly with God's people in the wilderness as they sort of seek a shallow peace. 166 00:47:21,000 --> 00:47:35,000 And what you find God's people in Exodus, chapter 2 and 3, they cry out for rescue. And what you find is that their hope for peace in that moment would be escape. 167 00:47:35,000 --> 00:47:49,000 If we could just leave behind our captors, their hope for peace was the absence of oppression and struggle. Now that's not a bad thing, but it's only part of the picture. 168 00:47:49,000 --> 00:48:02,000 And the problem when it comes to seeing peace as simply absence is we only get part of the picture and our peace is incomplete. And because it is incomplete and it is unfinished, it does not 169 00:48:02,000 --> 00:48:21,000 support the weight of our weary, tired, struggling souls. And so while it's not bad for them to desire the absence of oppression, and nor is it bad for us to desire the absence of oppression, that's a shallow view of peace. 170 00:48:21,000 --> 00:48:32,000 But what you find is because their view of peace was so shallow and they missed the bigger picture of what peace truly is, when struggle really comes as they leave Egypt, 171 00:48:32,000 --> 00:48:50,000 and God brings them into the wilderness and the Egyptians are pursuing. They cry out and they say, "Aren't there graves in Egypt? Why couldn't we just have gone back there where it was peaceful?" 172 00:48:50,000 --> 00:49:02,000 And they continue this theme in their hardship. In Exodus, the 16th chapter, they'll say, "Why can't we go back where we had meat pots?" 173 00:49:02,000 --> 00:49:14,000 And all of the bread and all the food, back to the comfort of Egypt. In Numbers 11:5 it says, "We had fish that cost nothing. We had cucumbers, melons, leeks, and garlic." 174 00:49:14,000 --> 00:49:23,000 And the problem with this peace, this comfort of peace as they're struggling in the wilderness, they look back to Egypt, the only place that peace really exists is in their mind. 175 00:49:23,000 --> 00:49:32,000 Because there's no big pots of meat, unlimited bread, free fish, with all the salad and spices and fruit that you could want. 176 00:49:32,000 --> 00:49:44,000 And Israel, in their discontent, said, "If we could only be comfortable, if the struggle could be taken away from us, we would have peace." 177 00:49:44,000 --> 00:49:50,000 And because their view of peace is shallow, you see how it's getting worse and worse. It starts with something good, 178 00:49:50,000 --> 00:49:58,000 and then it sort of goes downhill. Ultimately, you see where they find themselves is by sort of saying, 179 00:49:58,000 --> 00:50:03,000 maybe not with their words, but with their actions, that having peace would be making God manageable. 180 00:50:03,000 --> 00:50:11,000 If we could leave behind all the things that make God uncomfortable, His glory, His might, His power, justice, and holiness, 181 00:50:11,000 --> 00:50:18,000 we could have peace. And in fact, when God descends in His glory on the mountain in Exodus chapter 20, 182 00:50:18,000 --> 00:50:22,000 they say, "We would have peace if we didn't have to be in His presence." 183 00:50:22,000 --> 00:50:27,000 The way they say it is, "Moses, you go up and talk to God because we can't be around Him." 184 00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:35,000 His greatness makes us seem small. His holiness makes us aware of our sin. 185 00:50:35,000 --> 00:50:39,000 All they did was barely get through the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. 186 00:50:39,000 --> 00:50:42,000 And they're saying, "Moses, you go talk to God." 187 00:50:42,000 --> 00:50:46,000 And it's a symptom that leads to a different problem. 188 00:50:46,000 --> 00:50:51,000 We'll have peace if we can leave behind all those things about God that make us uncomfortable. 189 00:50:51,000 --> 00:51:00,000 And so in Exodus 32, in their impatience, not just their struggles with who God is, 190 00:51:00,000 --> 00:51:02,000 but the fact that He's not moving according to their schedule. 191 00:51:02,000 --> 00:51:05,000 If we can leave behind the waiting, we'll have peace. 192 00:51:05,000 --> 00:51:12,000 And so in Exodus 32, they make their own idol a golden calf. 193 00:51:12,000 --> 00:51:20,000 And in seeking peace, they want to leave behind a God who tells them what to do, but rather a God they can direct. 194 00:51:20,000 --> 00:51:25,000 They want a God that can operate on their schedule and do what they want. 195 00:51:25,000 --> 00:51:33,000 And they seek peace, not by running to God, but by manufacturing their own and leaving behind the reality of who God is. 196 00:51:33,000 --> 00:51:39,000 And you might think, looking back at Exodus, going, "Man, these guys, if they could only see the slope 197 00:51:39,000 --> 00:51:47,000 that they go down with an incomplete view of peace that compounds and compounds until ultimately they're manufacturing their own idols." 198 00:51:47,000 --> 00:51:53,000 This isn't just a reality of Exodus, it's a reality of the world that we live in today. 199 00:51:53,000 --> 00:52:04,000 We see it in places that lower the weight of sin, seeking to redefine and to push it aside, to make it more acceptable. 200 00:52:04,000 --> 00:52:22,000 We see it in those who maybe struggle and seek to walk away from their faith because they see, "Man, I would feel a lot better if I didn't have a God who was holy and righteous and looked at my sin." 201 00:52:22,000 --> 00:52:29,000 This isn't the only place we see subtraction as a picture of peace. 202 00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:36,000 If we take away all the things that make me uncomfortable, I'll have peace. If we take away all of my struggles, I'll have peace. 203 00:52:36,000 --> 00:52:45,000 If we take away the righteousness and holiness of God, I can have peace. And what you find is there is no peace there, and it's not unique to Exodus. 204 00:52:45,000 --> 00:52:55,000 If you fast forward between 1,400 and 1,500 years, Jesus has come, He's been born, He has lived, and He is going to Jerusalem. 205 00:52:55,000 --> 00:53:03,000 It's going to be His last week on earth. And everybody knows He's coming, and everybody's excited for Him to come. 206 00:53:03,000 --> 00:53:12,000 And as He comes, everybody gathers, and they begin to cheer for Jesus, and Jerusalem triumphantly. 207 00:53:12,000 --> 00:53:20,000 And notice what Jesus says and what Jesus does. "When He drew near and saw the city, He wept over it, saying, 208 00:53:20,000 --> 00:53:30,000 Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace, but now they are hidden from your eyes." 209 00:53:30,000 --> 00:53:40,000 This crowd in this city has deep desires. There is good news, because these people desire peace. The city desires peace. 210 00:53:40,000 --> 00:53:48,000 And the good news is, here comes the Prince of Peace, and He's coming down the road, but they don't see it. 211 00:53:48,000 --> 00:53:53,000 The crowd in the city seek peace by removing what they see as their problems. 212 00:53:53,000 --> 00:54:00,000 And you've seen it in the ministry of Jesus earlier. Those who say, "Jesus, if you just feed me, we'll have peace. 213 00:54:00,000 --> 00:54:06,000 If you just heal us, we'll have peace. Tell my brother to split the inheritance with me. 214 00:54:06,000 --> 00:54:16,000 If it takes away my conflicts, I have peace." This crowd, as they view Jesus coming triumphantly into Jerusalem, think that if Jesus can overthrow the Romans 215 00:54:16,000 --> 00:54:23,000 and remove them from the equation, we will have peace. And at the same time, the religious leaders are thinking the opposite. 216 00:54:23,000 --> 00:54:32,000 If we can remove Jesus from the equation, we will have peace. And Jesus says, "Peace isn't just merely the absence." 217 00:54:32,000 --> 00:54:40,000 What does he say? "Would that you had known the things that make for peace." 218 00:54:40,000 --> 00:54:46,000 Not just the taking away of your struggles, or your hurts, or the things that seem to threaten you. 219 00:54:46,000 --> 00:54:54,000 And what we begin to see is that peace is not simply absence, but it is presence. 220 00:54:54,000 --> 00:54:59,000 It's not found in the absence of all the things that trouble us, but in the presence of God. 221 00:54:59,000 --> 00:55:04,000 This is the mistake in the wilderness. Not seeing peace as the presence of God. 222 00:55:04,000 --> 00:55:09,000 This is the mistake in Jerusalem. Not seeing peace as in the presence of God. 223 00:55:09,000 --> 00:55:15,000 And this is our mistake, not seeing peace in the presence of God. 224 00:55:15,000 --> 00:55:21,000 I want to take a look at the promised peace. 225 00:55:21,000 --> 00:55:30,000 As Jerome read just a few minutes ago, God says, "Let them make me a sanctuary that I may dwell in their midst." 226 00:55:30,000 --> 00:55:35,000 And then he begins to lay out for them the pattern of the tabernacle. 227 00:55:35,000 --> 00:55:40,000 Now this promise of peace occurs when Moses is on the mountain for the very first time. 228 00:55:40,000 --> 00:55:46,000 Before you get the stone tablets, before they're broken, before God's presence descended on the tabernacle, 229 00:55:46,000 --> 00:55:53,000 before the tabernacle was even built, before the plans were even given, here is this promise: 230 00:55:53,000 --> 00:55:58,000 "I will let them make me a sanctuary that I will dwell in their midst." 231 00:55:58,000 --> 00:56:04,000 And what we find is that God's peace comes from God's presence. 232 00:56:04,000 --> 00:56:13,000 It's not that wanting to be free or fed or have an absence of struggle is wrong. It's just not enough. 233 00:56:13,000 --> 00:56:20,000 True peace only comes when God is with us, that I may dwell in their midst. 234 00:56:20,000 --> 00:56:27,000 And this is a remarkable promise. And this promise, God's peace in His presence, 235 00:56:27,000 --> 00:56:33,000 is an incredibly gracious and unbelievably gracious promise to us. 236 00:56:33,000 --> 00:56:38,000 You see, grace is giving us what we don't deserve, but in a good way. 237 00:56:38,000 --> 00:56:45,000 You see, God's presence is promised to these people in Exodus chapter 25. 238 00:56:45,000 --> 00:56:50,000 And who are these people? So far we've seen them as discontent, grumbling complainers. 239 00:56:50,000 --> 00:56:55,000 That God does something amazing, and then they complain about the next thing, from one thing to another, 240 00:56:55,000 --> 00:57:02,000 and yet here God, in His grace, says, "I'm going to go live with the complainers." 241 00:57:02,000 --> 00:57:07,000 Have you ever gotten into something that maybe you wish you had thought out a little more? 242 00:57:07,000 --> 00:57:12,000 I remember a couple of cars ago, we were looking for another minivan. 243 00:57:12,000 --> 00:57:18,000 Ours had been getting old and worn, hindsight being 2020. The van we sold, we still see on the road. 244 00:57:18,000 --> 00:57:26,000 I think it's down to like one shock or strut left because it kind of drives like this, but it's still going like 10 years later. 245 00:57:26,000 --> 00:57:31,000 And so in our hurry, a van showed up, and I said, "Oh, this is great. 246 00:57:31,000 --> 00:57:34,000 This is exactly what we need. The miles are low. It's exactly what we need." 247 00:57:34,000 --> 00:57:37,000 We go look at it, and it was like the perfect scenario, right? 248 00:57:37,000 --> 00:57:44,000 The older gentleman who really only drove it to the grocery store on Sunday afternoons is like, "This is going to be great." 249 00:57:44,000 --> 00:57:49,000 And in our excitement, right, we begin to sort of miss some red flags, right? 250 00:57:49,000 --> 00:57:53,000 Like the red flag when I was like, "Hey, do you have the back seats?" And he's like, "Yep." 251 00:57:53,000 --> 00:57:56,000 He's like, "I left them in the garage so I can have a little bit more cargo space." 252 00:57:56,000 --> 00:58:02,000 And the mouse chewed on him a little bit. What he really meant was the mouse ate all of the foam, 253 00:58:02,000 --> 00:58:09,000 and there's just like fabric on a metal frame. Ignored the fact that this van was a very specific model 254 00:58:09,000 --> 00:58:14,000 that Ikea had only made for like six months in the U.S. and really had no cargo space. 255 00:58:14,000 --> 00:58:19,000 That's why he had to take the seats out. When I asked him why he was selling it, because, you know, it's a good van. 256 00:58:19,000 --> 00:58:24,000 You've only driven it to the grocery store on Sundays. Well, he's like, "I'm at the age where I need more driver aids." 257 00:58:24,000 --> 00:58:29,000 And what he means is stuff that beeps when you're about to hit stuff, right? 258 00:58:29,000 --> 00:58:35,000 And so, but in our excitement, right, we just jumped right into it. "Perfect! Let's get in this van and go!" 259 00:58:35,000 --> 00:58:43,000 And while it was a good car, mechanically very good, and God took care of us with it, 260 00:58:43,000 --> 00:58:49,000 there are a bunch of things I wish I had thought through before we went ahead and pulled the trigger on that van. 261 00:58:49,000 --> 00:58:54,000 Here is God, going to dwell with His people, but He's not like us. 262 00:58:54,000 --> 00:58:59,000 He's not like, "Oh, I didn't think about this. These guys are grumbling complainers." 263 00:58:59,000 --> 00:59:07,000 He knows that they are grumbling complainers. He knows all of their brokenness. 264 00:59:07,000 --> 00:59:14,000 God sees, He knows, He even knows what will happen in the future, and He makes this promise anyway. 265 00:59:14,000 --> 00:59:20,000 God, knowing our brokenness, says, "I'm still going to come close." 266 00:59:20,000 --> 00:59:25,000 Not just for them, but with us. Right? 267 00:59:25,000 --> 00:59:34,000 In our lives, all of our sin, before the cross, how much of our sin was future sin when Jesus died for us? 268 00:59:34,000 --> 00:59:39,000 Every single part. For while we were still weak at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. 269 00:59:39,000 --> 00:59:43,000 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person, 270 00:59:43,000 --> 00:59:51,000 one would dare even to die, but God shows his love for us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 271 00:59:51,000 --> 01:00:00,000 And so there is this graceful promise of peace, and it's almost immediately broken. 272 01:00:00,000 --> 01:00:08,000 By the time we get to Exodus 33, everything has catastrophically failed. 273 01:00:08,000 --> 01:00:17,000 Moses on the mountain with God for 40 days. People get bored. They get tired. They're tired of waiting. 274 01:00:17,000 --> 01:00:25,000 They make for themselves a golden calf in the midst of catastrophic failure and judgment. 275 01:00:25,000 --> 01:00:33,000 God will say to them at the beginning of Exodus chapter 33, "I don't think I can dwell with you anymore." 276 01:00:33,000 --> 01:00:40,000 Because the peace has been so deeply broken. And he says, "You'll go out. I'm not going to send you alone. 277 01:00:40,000 --> 01:00:46,000 I will send my angel before you. I'll drive out the people. I'm going to keep all of my promises. 278 01:00:46,000 --> 01:00:57,000 But I will not go up among you." Here's the reason. "Unless I consume you on the way, for you are stiff-necked people." 279 01:00:57,000 --> 01:01:11,000 God in His promised gracious peace says, "I will dwell with you." The people in hard-hearted rebellion turn their backs on God, and God says, "I can't be near you. 280 01:01:11,000 --> 01:01:18,000 I'm holy and righteous, and you're sinful, and you're unrepentant." You might say, "Well, why would God say this? 281 01:01:18,000 --> 01:01:23,000 The God who just promised to dwell with them now says He won't. Why would God say this?" 282 01:01:23,000 --> 01:01:31,000 And God does so because He understands us better than we understand ourselves. You and I have to learn the hard way. 283 01:01:31,000 --> 01:01:40,000 In saying this, God is clearly showing His people that peace without His presence is impossible. And that's exactly what they learned from this. 284 01:01:40,000 --> 01:01:48,000 In this moment that follows this, the people don't go, "Oh, well, we're going to the promised land anyway." 285 01:01:48,000 --> 01:01:56,000 They began to mourn. And it says they took off their jewelry and their ornaments, and they just never put them back on. 286 01:01:56,000 --> 01:02:05,000 But they didn't just seek to repent in a moment, but they sought for repentance to be ongoing in their life. 287 01:02:05,000 --> 01:02:17,000 What we see in the beginning of Exodus 33 and what God's people began to understand is that peace and the land without the Lord is not the promised land. 288 01:02:17,000 --> 01:02:22,000 And this repentance echoes through the wilderness. Now, they're going to fall and they're going to struggle. 289 01:02:22,000 --> 01:02:30,000 But in this moment, light clicks on and peace is understood as God's presence. 290 01:02:30,000 --> 01:02:40,000 And so Moses, in response to this, goes into the wilderness, says the tent of meeting, which at this point is a tent Moses sets out outside the camp in the middle of the wilderness. 291 01:02:40,000 --> 01:02:45,000 And Moses just goes and he throws himself face down before God. 292 01:02:45,000 --> 01:02:52,000 And he says to them, "You said you bring up these people, and I don't know who's going to go with me now. 293 01:02:52,000 --> 01:02:56,000 You said you're not going to go with us." 294 01:02:56,000 --> 01:03:01,000 He's like, "Consider this nation as your people, not just me, but this nation." 295 01:03:01,000 --> 01:03:09,000 And in verse 14, God says, "My presence will go with you and give you rest." 296 01:03:09,000 --> 01:03:16,000 And Moses will say, "How shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, and I your people? 297 01:03:16,000 --> 01:03:22,000 Is it not your going with us so that we might be distinct in your people from every other people on the face of the earth?" 298 01:03:22,000 --> 01:03:29,000 And the Lord said to Moses, "This very thing you have spoken I will do for you, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name." 299 01:03:29,000 --> 01:03:38,000 Moses steps out into the wilderness as a representative of the Israelites. 300 01:03:38,000 --> 01:03:45,000 And he comes to this place where he says, "God, without you, I ultimately have nothing." 301 01:03:45,000 --> 01:03:55,000 Once again, he's saying, "Peace comes from the presence of God. My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." 302 01:03:55,000 --> 01:04:03,000 You see, finding God's peace in His presence is what makes His people distinct. 303 01:04:03,000 --> 01:04:06,000 And it's a test of our hearts. 304 01:04:06,000 --> 01:04:10,000 How shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight and on your people? 305 01:04:10,000 --> 01:04:14,000 Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct? 306 01:04:14,000 --> 01:04:19,000 What sets us apart is God's peace with us. 307 01:04:19,000 --> 01:04:23,000 And this peace is restored. 308 01:04:23,000 --> 01:04:27,000 The promises, the brokenness, the judgment, the broken hearts. 309 01:04:27,000 --> 01:04:32,000 This peace is restored when one man, Moses, walks into the wilderness 310 01:04:32,000 --> 01:04:36,000 and comes before God on behalf of his people. 311 01:04:36,000 --> 01:04:43,000 Peace comes in this tent of meeting, where Moses meets with God as he says, "Like a friend." 312 01:04:43,000 --> 01:04:46,000 And it's here that this section of Exodus restarts. 313 01:04:46,000 --> 01:04:51,000 We go back to the instructions for the tabernacle and the rules and the laws. 314 01:04:51,000 --> 01:04:56,000 And God's presence ultimately dwells in the midst of his people. 315 01:04:56,000 --> 01:04:59,000 What I want you to see more than anything this morning 316 01:04:59,000 --> 01:05:08,000 is to understand that the peace God promises is a greater peace, that it's bigger than anything else. 317 01:05:08,000 --> 01:05:20,000 When external circumstances fall apart, the peace that God brings to us is what we have when everything else fails. 318 01:05:20,000 --> 01:05:28,000 You see, true peace is not found in the absence of trouble but in the presence of God. 319 01:05:28,000 --> 01:05:38,000 You see, the peace we often seek is temporary. Think about how easy it is to ruin our peace, right? 320 01:05:38,000 --> 01:05:44,000 Noise at the wrong time, busyness at the wrong time, struggle at the wrong time. 321 01:05:44,000 --> 01:05:51,000 In the book of Hebrews, we find this promise: "I will never leave you nor forsake you." 322 01:05:51,000 --> 01:05:57,000 Psalm 4 says, "You put more joy in my heart than they have when grain and wine abound in peace. 323 01:05:57,000 --> 01:06:07,000 I will both lie down and sleep, for you alone, O God, make me dwell in safety." 324 01:06:07,000 --> 01:06:18,000 You see, the peace that God brings to us is eternal. It's not ruined. It's not simply external. It's internal. 325 01:06:18,000 --> 01:06:26,000 And it's found in the presence of who God is. And I want us to think about that peace 326 01:06:26,000 --> 01:06:35,000 and consider that peace. You see, the peace we often seek, what we find is that we have to protect it. 327 01:06:35,000 --> 01:06:44,000 We have to hold on to it. But God's true peace protects us and guards us. 328 01:06:44,000 --> 01:06:50,000 The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 329 01:06:50,000 --> 01:06:56,000 And I want you to see this with our minds, that the peace of God that comes lasts. 330 01:06:56,000 --> 01:07:00,000 It's not simply based on external circumstances, but on the presence of God. 331 01:07:00,000 --> 01:07:04,000 It's not something we have to guard, but something that guards us. 332 01:07:04,000 --> 01:07:12,000 And when we begin to understand that this peace is greater intellectually, it also stirs our hearts. 333 01:07:12,000 --> 01:07:18,000 So the call is not just to say, "God's peace is greater," but to say, "What peace is my heart fixed upon?" 334 01:07:18,000 --> 01:07:27,000 Listen to these verses, Exodus 33:15. And he said to him, this is Moses, "If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 335 01:07:27,000 --> 01:07:30,000 If you're not going to go with me, God, then don't take me anywhere." 336 01:07:30,000 --> 01:07:38,000 David, in Psalm 51:11, he's praying in repentance, "Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me." 337 01:07:38,000 --> 01:07:44,000 Peter, in John chapter 6, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." 338 01:07:44,000 --> 01:07:51,000 When we look at how those who know God, and who are in God's presence, not just see the greatness of that peace, 339 01:07:51,000 --> 01:08:00,000 but see how their hearts hold on to that peace as if there is nothing else, because the reality is there is nothing else. 340 01:08:00,000 --> 01:08:08,000 It calls us to repentance. Where am I fixing my heart? What am I fixing my heart on? If I had this, I would have peace. 341 01:08:08,000 --> 01:08:15,000 God says, "If you have me, you have peace." So where is our heart? 342 01:08:15,000 --> 01:08:20,000 In the Gospel of John, there is light and darkness in the very beginning. 343 01:08:20,000 --> 01:08:26,000 The Son, the Word made flesh who dwells among us, who is eternal, the Creator of all things. 344 01:08:26,000 --> 01:08:32,000 There is this wonderful and beautiful picture in verse 14. 345 01:08:32,000 --> 01:08:37,000 And the Word of God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. 346 01:08:37,000 --> 01:08:42,000 And we have seen His glory. Glory is the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 347 01:08:42,000 --> 01:08:49,000 This Word dwells among us. It's literally going back to Exodus. 348 01:08:49,000 --> 01:08:55,000 Exodus 25 and 33, the Word is tabernacles. To set up a tent. 349 01:08:55,000 --> 01:09:01,000 And God's promise for the tabernacle was not just for the Exodus and for the wilderness. 350 01:09:02,000 --> 01:09:09,000 The Word became flesh and dwelt, tabernacled among us. 351 01:09:09,000 --> 01:09:14,000 That's what we find in Matthew, Emmanuel, God with us. 352 01:09:14,000 --> 01:09:21,000 And as the Word made flesh comes and dwells among us, what is the first thing we see Jesus doing in His ministry? 353 01:09:21,000 --> 01:09:26,000 He comes to John, He's baptized. And then what does He do? 354 01:09:26,000 --> 01:09:34,000 He steps out into the wilderness, where just like the Israelites are hungry, He's hungry. 355 01:09:34,000 --> 01:09:42,000 Just like the Israelites seek comfort, Jesus would desire these things. 356 01:09:42,000 --> 01:09:50,000 He faces the temptation of bread and of comfort and of power, of ending and removing all of this strife and struggling. 357 01:09:50,000 --> 01:10:01,000 But Jesus does something different. He doesn't succumb to this temptation, but He triumphs over it. 358 01:10:01,000 --> 01:10:13,000 And three years later, He goes into the wilderness of our sin, and He takes that brokenness, and He pays the price for it. 359 01:10:13,000 --> 01:10:17,000 You see, there is a peace that is greater, and it is only ultimately found in Jesus. 360 01:10:17,000 --> 01:10:24,000 The one who first of all lived righteously by going into the wilderness and triumphing over our sin, 361 01:10:24,000 --> 01:10:29,000 and then who also stepped into the wilderness of our sin, brokenness, and separation from God, 362 01:10:29,000 --> 01:10:35,000 and restored that, allowing the presence to be with us. 363 01:10:35,000 --> 01:10:43,000 This is both a present reality and a future hope. In Revelation 7, there is this song that is recorded. 364 01:10:43,000 --> 01:10:50,000 The song of the saints who have come out of the tribulation. Listen to what it says. 365 01:10:50,000 --> 01:10:54,000 Therefore, they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple. 366 01:10:54,000 --> 01:10:59,000 And He who sits on the throne will shelter them with His presence. 367 01:10:59,000 --> 01:11:05,000 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more. The sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 368 01:11:05,000 --> 01:11:10,000 For the Lamb is in the midst of the throne. He will be their shepherd. 369 01:11:10,000 --> 01:11:16,000 He will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. 370 01:11:16,000 --> 01:11:26,000 Our call this morning is to take our troubled, worried, struggling hearts to Jesus, the One who is our peace. 371 01:11:26,000 --> 01:11:33,000 Father in Heaven, we so easily substitute things for peace. 372 01:11:33,000 --> 01:11:37,000 We try to distract ourselves into peace, ignoring our struggles. 373 01:11:37,000 --> 01:11:41,000 Maybe we try to remove, maybe we try to control. 374 01:11:41,000 --> 01:11:48,000 Help us this morning to see the only adequate peace, the only true peace is found in Your presence with us. 375 01:11:48,000 --> 01:11:51,000 It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 376 01:11:51,000 --> 01:11:58,000 We're going to stand, and we are going to sing, "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." 377 01:12:07,000 --> 01:12:36,000 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God is born. 378 01:12:37,000 --> 01:12:50,000 Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. 379 01:12:50,000 --> 01:13:03,000 O Come, Thou rod of death, stay free, Thine own from Satan's tyranny. 380 01:13:03,000 --> 01:13:15,000 From depths of hell Thy people save, And give them victory, O other grave. 381 01:13:15,000 --> 01:13:29,000 Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. 382 01:13:29,000 --> 01:13:55,000 O come, Thou desperate, come, and share Our spirits by thine avity Disperse the gloomy clouds of night And death's dark shadows put to flight Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. 383 01:13:55,000 --> 01:14:07,000 Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel. 384 01:14:25,000 --> 01:14:27,000 Amen. 385 01:14:55,000 --> 01:14:57,000 Amen. 386 01:15:25,000 --> 01:15:27,000 Amen. 387 01:15:55,000 --> 01:16:24,980 "Follow me." Let's pray. 388 01:16:25,000 --> 01:16:54,980 Let's pray. 389 01:16:55,000 --> 01:16:57,000 Let's pray. 390 01:16:57,000 --> 01:16:59,000 Let's pray.