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Celebrate the True Meaning of Christmas with Us
This special Christmas service at Middletown Baptist Church centers on the profound theme of peace, as articulated by Pastor Josh Massaro. He emphasizes that true peace can only be found through a relationship with Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. The sermon underscores the importance of having peace with God, which is essential for spiritual fulfillment and joy. Pastor Josh encourages listeners to reflect on their personal relationship with Christ and to embrace the peace that follows this connection. As the congregation celebrates the Christmas season, the message serves as a reminder that amidst life's challenges, the gift of peace remains accessible to all who seek it in faith.
The Christmas service at Middletown Baptist Church on December 15, 2024, led by Pastor Josh Massaro, revolves around the central theme of peace as embodied in the story of Christ's birth. Pastor Josh draws upon the familiar narrative found in Luke 2, where the angels declare, "Peace on earth, goodwill toward men," to emphasize the significance of this message during the Christmas season. He invites congregants to reflect on the nature of peace that Jesus brings, contrasting it with the fleeting peace often sought in worldly pursuits. Through his message, Pastor Josh illustrates that true peace is a gift from God, accessible to those who have faith in Jesus Christ. He passionately communicates that this peace is foundational for a fulfilling and joyful life, especially in a world marked by chaos and uncertainty.
Throughout the service, the congregation engages in worship through song, featuring performances that celebrate the joy of the season. Pastor Josh's sermon is interspersed with moments of prayer and reflection, fostering an atmosphere of community and shared faith. He emphasizes the importance of a personal relationship with God as the means to experience the peace He offers. By sharing personal anecdotes and scriptural insights, Pastor Josh connects with the audience on a deeper level, encouraging them to embrace the peace of God in their lives.
As the service draws to a close, Pastor Josh challenges attendees to consider how they can be vessels of God's peace in their families, workplaces, and communities. He highlights the transformative power of joy that comes from knowing Christ and encourages everyone to carry this message of peace beyond the church walls. The service is not just a celebration of Christmas; it serves as a powerful reminder of the hope and peace that Jesus brings into our lives, inspiring the congregation to live out their faith with renewed vigor and purpose.
Takeaways:
- The true meaning of Christmas goes beyond gifts and decorations, focusing instead on Jesus Christ.
- Pastor Josh emphasizes the importance of having peace with God through faith in Jesus.
- Real peace isn't found in circumstances but through a deep relationship with Christ.
- The peace of God can transform our lives, even amidst difficult circumstances we face.
- Christmas is celebrated not just as a holiday, but as a time of salvation and hope.
- Believers are called to live in joy and peace, sharing that message with others.
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Transcript
Hello and welcome to the Middletown Baptist Church Podcast, where we are proclaiming the truth to the world.
Pastor Josh:My name is Pastor Josh, and I want to thank you for listening to this podcast.
Pastor Josh:I hope that this podcast can be a blessing to you and strengthen you in the word of God.
Pastor Josh:Now come along, let's look into the Bible and see what God has for us here today.
Pastor Josh:Welcome to Middletown Baptist Church.
Pastor Josh:We're so glad that you're here to worship the Lord together with us on this special Sunday that we are going to be celebrating Christmas here.
Pastor Josh:And this is our special service where we're going to have music from all different ages.
Pastor Josh:We're going to have our young people singing to you and our adult choir, and we're so excited to hear from them.
Pastor Josh:We're also excited to hear from the Word of God at Christmastime.
Pastor Josh:One of the most popular passages, the most popular passage is Luke chapter two.
Pastor Josh:And I want to go ahead and read a portion of Luke Chapter two here this morning as we get started.
Pastor Josh:All of you know that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in a manger.
Pastor Josh:And that's what we celebrated last night at our live Nativity scene.
Pastor Josh:And verse number seven says in Luke 2, and she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Pastor Josh:And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
Pastor Josh:And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.
Pastor Josh:And the angel said unto them, fear not.
Pastor Josh:For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Pastor Josh:For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior which is Christ the Lord.
Pastor Josh:And this shall be a sign unto you.
Pastor Josh:You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
Pastor Josh:And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth.
Pastor Josh:Peace, goodwill toward men.
Pastor Josh:I want you to think about that last phrase there.
Pastor Josh:Peace, goodwill toward men.
Pastor Josh:Today we're going to be talking about the gift of peace.
Pastor Josh:We're going to go ahead and open up with a word of prayer.
Pastor Josh:And then after that, we're going to sing some congregational songs praising our Savior.
Pastor Josh:Then we'll go ahead and start our program here today.
Pastor Josh:Let's pray.
Pastor Josh:Lord, we do thank you for this opportunity today to worship you to celebrate this season of Christmas.
Pastor Josh:Lord, we know that it's more than just receiving presents from our loved ones and getting around the dinner table and just having a great time.
Pastor Josh:Lord, it's about celebrating the love that you showed us through your son, Jesus Christ.
Pastor Josh:Or the fact that we know that we have an issue and that issue is the issue of sin, Lord.
Pastor Josh:And you, out of love for us, sent your only begotten son so that we might have life through him.
Pastor Josh:So, Lord, I pray that we can understand what that means to have that gift of peace here.
Pastor Josh:Lord, I pray that you be with all the folks that are going to be singing, conducting, playing instruments.
Pastor Josh:Lord, I pray that you calm their nerves, allow them to be able to glorify you through these ways.
Pastor Josh:And I pray that everyone here today can leave with the understanding of who Jesus is and what he has done for us.
Pastor Josh:Lord, I pray that you bless us in this time.
Pastor Josh:We thank you and we love you in Jesus name, Amen.
Worship Leader:Well, good morning.
Worship Leader:This morning, if you're all able, will you please stand and worship the Lord together with us as we sing.
Worship Leader:Hark.
Worship Leader:The herald angels sing Hark.
Worship Leader:The herald angels sing Glory to the newborn King Peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled Joyful all ye nations rise Join the triumph of the skies with angelic hosts proclaim Christ is born in Bethlehem Hark.
Worship Leader:The herald angels sing Glory to the newborn King Christ by highest heaven adored Christ the everlasting Lord in time behold him come Offspring of a virgin's womb Veiled in flesh the godhead see Hail the incarnate deity Pleased as man with men to dwell Jesus our Emmanuel Hark, the herald angels sing Glory to the newborn king Hail the heaven born Prince of Peace Hail the Son of righteousness Light and life to all he brings Risen with healing in his wings Mild he lays his glory by Born that man no more may die Born to raise the Son of earth Born to give them second birth Hark, the herald angels sing Glory to the newborn King let's continue worshiping as we sing.
Worship Leader:O come all ye faithful O come O all ye faithful Joyful and triumphant O come ye O come ye to Bethlehem Come and behold him Born the King of angels O come let us adore him O come let us adore him Adore him O come let us adore him Praise the Lord Sing choirs of angels Sing in exaltation O sing all ye bride in the highest O come let us adore him O come let us adore him O come let us adore him Christ the Lord Yea, Lord, we Greet thee for this happy morning Jesus to thee be all glory again.
Worship Leader:Word of of the Father now in flesh appearing.
Worship Leader:O come let us adore him.
Worship Leader:O come let us adore him.
Worship Leader:O come let us adore him.
Worship Leader:Christ the Lord.
Narrator:And bring the good news so that all can I hear the bell song?
Narrator:The time has come, the people are gathered.
Narrator:We welcome everyone.
Choir Member:The Christmas bells are shining.
Narrator:The chases are shining.
Narrator:As the excitement is growing as the killers are going.
Choir Member:Christ the Lord is here.
Choir Member:He's done.
Choir Member:Can you hear the bell?
Choir Member:He's done.
Choir Member:Earth, can you hear the mouth?
Choir Member:You are king.
Choir Member:Hail the Heaven Prince of Peace.
Choir Member:Hail the son of righteousness.
Choir Member:Light and light to all degrees.
Choir Member:Prison healing in his wings how he raises glory high.
Choir Member:For that man no more may die for to raise the sons of earth born to give a second birth for their old angels sing glory to the new Lord day.
Choir Member:Sing choirs of angels sing in exultation.
Choir Member:O sing all ye bright of heaven above.
Choir Member:Glory to God.
Choir Member:O glory in the highest.
Choir Member:O come let us adore you.
Choir Member:Oh come let us adore him.
Choir Member:O come let us adore him.
Choir Member:Christ alone.
Choir Member:Rejoice, rejoice.
Soloist:Reach through the darkness.
Soloist:Shine across the earth.
Soloist:Send the shadows to flood.
Soloist:Light of the world from the beginning the tragedies of time were no match for your love.
Soloist:From great heights of glory you saw my story, God you entered in and became one of us.
Soloist:Sing hallelujah.
Soloist:Sing hallelujah.
Soloist:Sing hallelujah for the things he has done.
Soloist:Come and adore him.
Soloist:Bow down before him.
Soloist:Sing hallelujah to the light of the world.
Narrator:Crowning an angel torn for the clock.
Soloist:To suffer to say our king of heaven that is the forever we are the river for the price that he paid.
Soloist:Oh, sing hallelujah.
Soloist:Sing hallelujah.
Soloist:Sing hallelujah for the things he has done.
Soloist:Come and adore him.
Soloist:Bow down before him.
Soloist:Sing hallelujah to the light of the world.
Soloist:You are the light of the world.
Soloist:Light of the world.
Soloist:Soon we come again.
Soloist:With fire in his eyes he will ransom his own through clouds he will lead us straight into glory and day we shall reign forevermore Forever more.
Soloist:Sing Hallelujah.
Soloist:Sing hallelujah.
Soloist:Sing hallelujah for the things he has done.
Soloist:Come and adore him.
Soloist:Bow down before him.
Soloist:Sing hallelujah for the things of the world.
Soloist:Hear the light of the world.
Choir Member:World.
Soloist:Light of the world.
Narrator:Traded a crown for a cross.
Narrator:Laid down your life for a stranger and forever you are broken and lost.
Narrator:You came down from the heavens so we would know how deep, how high how long and how wide and how far love goes.
Narrator:You went through the darkest of places, Walked down the loneliest throes.
Narrator:You looked into lost empty faces and told us we're never alone.
Narrator:You who came down from the heavens so we would know how deep, how high, how long and how wide and how far love goes.
Narrator:To the end of the earth you have been, you have searched for the ones so far from home.
Soloist:Jesus, you paid the price.
Narrator:What a great satisfice you have made to call us your own.
Narrator:You came down from the heavens so we would know how deep, how high, how long and how wide and how, how far love goes.
Narrator:You came down from the heavens so we would know how deep, how high, how long and how wide and how far love grows.
Narrator:How deep, how high, how long and.
Choir Member:How won.
Narrator:And how far love.
Choir Member:Go.
Guest Performer:Glided, breaking in a stable for a throne.
Guest Performer:And he shall reign forevermore, forevermore.
Guest Performer:And he shall reign forevermore, forevermore.
Guest Performer:Unto us a child is born, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Guest Performer:And he shall reign forevermore, forevermore.
Guest Performer:If I were a wise man, I would travel far.
Guest Performer:If I were a shepherd I would do my part.
Guest Performer:But poor as I am, I will give to him my heart.
Guest Performer:And he shall reign forevermore, forevermore.
Guest Performer:And he shall reign forevermore, forevermore.
Guest Performer:Unto us a child is born, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Guest Performer:And he shall reign forever more, forever more.
Guest Performer:Here within a manger lies the one who made the starry skies.
Guest Performer:The baby born for sacrifice Christ the Messiah.
Guest Performer:Into our hopes, into our fears the Savior of the world appears the promise of eternal years Christ the Messiah.
Guest Performer:He shall reign forever more, Forever more.
Guest Performer:And he shall reign forever more, forever more.
Guest Performer:He shall reign forevermore, forevermore.
Guest Performer:And he shall reign forevermore, Forevermore.
Guest Performer:Unto us a child is born, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Guest Performer:And he shall reign forevermore, forevermore.
Guest Performer:He shall reign, he shall reign and he shall reign forevermore forevermore.
Choir Member:Lord is home.
Choir Member:Let us receive our and heaven and nature sing.
Choir Member:And heaven and nature sing.
Choir Member:And heaven and nature sing.
Choir Member:He rules the world with truth and praise and makes the nation's growth the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love and wonders of his love and wonders, wonders of Worthy of all our praises.
Choir Member:Amen.
Choir Member:You will Amen.
Choir Member:You will.
Choir Member:Come, have your way among us.
Choir Member:We welcome you here, Lord Jesus.
Choir Member:Come, have your way among us.
Choir Member:We welcome you here, Lord Jesus.
Choir Member:God is with us even now.
Choir Member:His love is here.
Choir Member:Come and worship.
Choir Member:Worship Christ the newborn King.
Choir Member:God is with us even now.
Choir Member:His love is here.
Choir Member:His love is here.
Choir Member:Emmanuel.
Choir Member:Emanuel.
Choir Member:And you will.
Choir Member:You are the God who saves us, worthy of all our praises.
Choir Member:Amen.
Choir Member:You will.
Choir Member:Amen.
Choir Member:You will.
Choir Member:Come have your way among us.
Choir Member:We welcome you here, Lord Jesus.
Choir Member:Come have your way among us.
Choir Member:We welcome you here, Lord Jesus.
Choir Member:Amen.
Choir Member:You well.
Choir Member:Amen.
Choir Member:You out.
Choir Member:Amen.
Choir Member:You well?
Choir Member:Joy to the world.
Pastor Josh:As you've been hearing these songs about our Savior who came to this earth to live that perfect life for us and to give his life for us so that we might have life, we've been given a lot of gifts as believers in Jesus Christ.
Pastor Josh:And the Bible tells us that one of those amazing gifts is the gift of peace.
Pastor Josh:The Bible said there in Luke chapter two, when the angels are giving their praise to the Lord as we read this morning, that God is a God of love, but he's also a God of peace.
Pastor Josh:And I think that's important for us to understand when we live in this world that is seeking after peace.
Pastor Josh:Certainly there are people that want peace in their life.
Pastor Josh:But you know what?
Pastor Josh:The truth is that many people are looking for peace in all of the wrong places.
Pastor Josh:They're looking for some peace and quiet in the midst of circumstances in our world that, you know, certainly we can't get rid of.
Pastor Josh:There are a lot of things in our world that we wish we could get rid of.
Pastor Josh:But the truth is that it's out of our control.
Pastor Josh:And Luke chapter two tells us that Jesus comes to be that tiding or that news of peace, says in verse 13.
Pastor Josh:And suddenly there was with an angel, a multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men.
Pastor Josh:The Bible tells us that Jesus brings peace.
Pastor Josh:But if we look out into this world today, we might say, well, what's Jesus doing?
Pastor Josh:Why isn't there peace?
Pastor Josh:And I want to challenge you today with the understanding that there is peace to be found in Jesus Christ.
Pastor Josh:Maybe not the peace that we're expecting here and now, but what we can know is that the Bible tells us that he is the Prince of Peace.
Pastor Josh:Centuries before Jesus came to this earth and was born in a manger.
Pastor Josh:Isaiah chapter 9, verse 6 describes who the Messiah would be.
Pastor Josh:It describes his character, it describes his work.
Pastor Josh:And it says, for unto us a child is born, and unto us a son is given.
Pastor Josh:And the government shall be upon his shoulder.
Pastor Josh:And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
Pastor Josh:We know that when we refer to Jesus, we can refer to him in many names because of his character.
Pastor Josh:We know that Jesus is wonderful.
Pastor Josh:We know that he is the counselor.
Pastor Josh:But what we see here is that he is the Prince of peace.
Pastor Josh:Now, you that are sitting out there today, me as I'm up here, anyone in this world can understand this peace.
Pastor Josh:The Bible actually says that.
Pastor Josh:Can we as human beings can be at peace with now, with that being said, the Bible actually says that when we are born into this world, we are born into sin and we are enemies with God.
Worship Leader:So.
Pastor Josh:So we're not at peace with God until we come to him in faith.
Pastor Josh:A wonderful passage of scripture that describes that is Romans, chapter five.
Pastor Josh:We're going to spend our time, the rest of our time in the New Testament.
Pastor Josh:We're going to look at Romans chapter five, and we're going to look at Philippians, chapter four.
Pastor Josh:We're going to look at two different elements of the peace of God that's extended to all mankind.
Pastor Josh:Number one, we're gonna talk about the peace with God, which is the most important peace that we could ever have.
Pastor Josh:Because before that, we are not at peace.
Pastor Josh:We are not at one with God.
Pastor Josh:We are enemies of God.
Pastor Josh:But there is a result that comes after the peace with God, and that is the peace of God.
Pastor Josh:I want you to think about those two things here this morning.
Pastor Josh:The peace with God and the peace of God.
Pastor Josh:In Romans chapter 5, verse 1, it says, Therefore, being justified by faith, that word justify means to be declared righteous.
Pastor Josh:We as Christians are saved by faith.
Pastor Josh:When we put our faith and trust in, as it's going to say here, Jesus Christ, we are justified, we are declared righteous.
Pastor Josh:And the result of that is this, we have peace with God.
Pastor Josh:Now, I don't know about you, but if there's one person in this world that we want to have peace with, that is the creator of this universe, the Bible says that that is the most important decision that we could ever make to have peace with God.
Pastor Josh:And so I want you to see the necessity of this gift of peace that is this.
Pastor Josh:We need God for salvation.
Pastor Josh:We need God for everlasting life.
Pastor Josh:It's not just something that we add on to our lives.
Pastor Josh:It's not just something that we sing about at Christmastime.
Pastor Josh:It's not just something that we do on Sunday mornings.
Pastor Josh:We need peace with God.
Pastor Josh:We are in desperate need of that.
Pastor Josh:The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Pastor Josh:The Bible says that we cannot have access to God outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Pastor Josh:So it says, therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Pastor Josh:That's why we celebrate Christmas.
Pastor Josh:That's why we celebrate that baby in the manger.
Pastor Josh:Because we know that baby didn't stay in the manger.
Pastor Josh:We know that baby grew up.
Pastor Josh:We know that baby grew in the knowledge and in physical nature.
Pastor Josh:But we know that Jesus didn't just stop there in Bethlehem.
Pastor Josh:We know that he continued on to live that perfect life.
Pastor Josh:As the Bible says, the one who knew no sin became sin for us.
Pastor Josh:He did not sin.
Pastor Josh:And that is why he was able to offer that peace of God to a lost and dying world.
Pastor Josh:So I hope that that's something that you first and foremost can understand as a person here today, that you have peace.
Pastor Josh:And the only way that you can find peace with God is by what John 14:6 says.
Pastor Josh:Jesus says, I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life.
Pastor Josh:No man cometh unto the Father but by me.
Pastor Josh:Folks, the greatest decision that we can make in our lives is to come to the understanding of who Jesus is and what he has done for us so that we might have peace with God.
Pastor Josh:Now the peace with God stems out into other elements of peace in our life.
Pastor Josh:And so we have the peace with God.
Pastor Josh:And it says in verse number two, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace.
Pastor Josh:So the Bible says that when we have peace with God, we now have access to him as our Heavenly Father.
Pastor Josh:What an amazing truth that is.
Pastor Josh:Hebrews chapter four tells us that we can come to him boldly or confidently.
Pastor Josh:We can come before the throne of grace.
Pastor Josh:You know what?
Pastor Josh:Before we were saved, before we came to know Christ and have a relationship with him, we did not have that access.
Pastor Josh:We did not have that way to find peace and to find comfort and to find hope.
Pastor Josh:And the Bible says that through this relationship with Christ, through this reconciliation of God and man, we can now have access to him by faith into this grace wherein we stand.
Pastor Josh:Folks, if you are a believer this morning, we can stand in the truth that you have access to the Father because of the peace with God.
Pastor Josh:And then what can we do from that?
Pastor Josh:Well, we can rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Pastor Josh:The Bible says that that peace with God brings joy.
Pastor Josh:So it brings us access to God, but it brings us joy.
Pastor Josh:Folks, there's many reasons for us to complain in this world.
Pastor Josh:There's a lot of reasons for us to be upset.
Pastor Josh:But there's one reason for us to have joy, and that is the fact that we can have access to the Father we can know what it means to have everlasting life through faith in Jesus Christ and so we can have peace with God.
Pastor Josh:That brings access, grace and joy.
Pastor Josh:And it says that that joy brings hope, that that hope is an important thing to have in our lives.
Pastor Josh:Folks, if we lose hope, we lose everything.
Pastor Josh:What is hope?
Pastor Josh:Biblical hope is this confidence in knowing that God is going to keep his word.
Pastor Josh:Confidence in knowing that when God says something, he is truthful.
Pastor Josh:He says he loves us.
Pastor Josh:He proves his love.
Pastor Josh:Romans chapter 5 tells us just in a few verses in verse 8.
Pastor Josh:But God commendeth or demonstrated his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Pastor Josh:God says, I love you.
Pastor Josh:He proves his love.
Pastor Josh:God says he's going to hold us fast.
Pastor Josh:He's going to be with us.
Pastor Josh:He's never going to leave us nor forsake us.
Pastor Josh:He means that his presence is with us, even if we don't feel that.
Pastor Josh:I know that sometimes in the Christmas season, it can be a time of joy.
Pastor Josh:But for others, it could be a time of pain because of a lost loved one or maybe because of difficulty in your life that you're facing.
Pastor Josh:You know what?
Pastor Josh:The truth is that we are going to face difficult circumstances.
Pastor Josh:There are going to be some things in our life that are going to tempt us not to have joy, not to have peace, not to have that comfort and hope in Jesus Christ.
Pastor Josh:But what we have to do is we have to go back to what we know about him, that he is a God who loves us.
Pastor Josh:And it says that we have access and we can have joy and we can have hope in knowing that he is good, knowing that he is with us, knowing that we have Emmanuel.
Pastor Josh:The word Emmanuel means God with us.
Pastor Josh:We have a God who wants a personal relationship with us.
Pastor Josh:There's gonna be a lot of people that teach you that God, he might be real, but he is personal.
Pastor Josh:He's not gonna want to be in your life.
Pastor Josh:Folks, God wants to have that personal relationship with you.
Pastor Josh:And that's where it starts.
Pastor Josh:But where does it go?
Pastor Josh:I want you to turn over to Philippians chapter four.
Pastor Josh:Because we have the peace with God, which is exciting.
Pastor Josh:That's.
Pastor Josh:That's our salvation.
Pastor Josh:Salvation brings us peace with God.
Pastor Josh:We are no longer partners with the enemy.
Pastor Josh:We are now on the side of victory.
Pastor Josh:And so the Bible says that that is an amazing thing.
Pastor Josh:From darkness to light, from hopelessness to hope, from death to life.
Pastor Josh:And so we are saved.
Pastor Josh:And we are equipped with good works so that we can serve our Savior.
Pastor Josh:But then Philippians chapter four tells us the product of this peace with God.
Pastor Josh:And folks, I want to challenge you this morning if you have experienced the peace with God in salvation, the challenge sometimes is to live with the peace of God in your life.
Pastor Josh:Philippians chapter four.
Pastor Josh:We're going to start.
Pastor Josh:In verse number four, Paul reminds us the importance of rejoicing.
Pastor Josh:We just sing joy to the world and sometimes we sing joy to the world and mean it.
Pastor Josh:When things are going well, yes, we've got joy in this world.
Pastor Josh:Yes, we're excited for what God's doing for us.
Pastor Josh:But the challenge is, are we going to rejoice when things are not the way that we expect them to be?
Pastor Josh:By the way, most of you know in context what's going on with Paul.
Pastor Josh:Paul is in prison for doing right.
Pastor Josh:And he says, rejoice in the Lord alway.
Pastor Josh:And again, I say rejoice.
Pastor Josh:Folks, I don't know about you, but in this Christmas season we have a reason to be joyful.
Pastor Josh:We have a reason to praise him.
Pastor Josh:I'm going to say, even after Christmas, when it gets to the doldrums of February and January and it's cold outside and you might have, you know, a lot of difficulties going on in your life, you have a reason to rejoice.
Pastor Josh:When you're in the summertime, you have a reason to rejoice.
Pastor Josh:It's not just Christmas that we need to celebrate the joy of the Lord.
Pastor Josh:It's year round, 24, 7, 365.
Pastor Josh:The Bible says that we have a reason to rejoice.
Pastor Josh:And Paul says, you have a reason to rejoice.
Pastor Josh:Verse 5, Let your moderation be known unto all men.
Pastor Josh:The Lord is at hand.
Pastor Josh:Allow yourself to live in such a way that people can see what the Lord has done in your life.
Pastor Josh:Folks, Christmas time is a wonderful time to point people to Christ.
Pastor Josh:You hear Christmas carols, Most of the Christmas carols, at least the traditional Christmas carols, have the message of the gospel right in them.
Pastor Josh:It's an opportunity to point people to Jesus Christ.
Pastor Josh:It was an amazing thing to see last night.
Pastor Josh:As we were having the live nativity scene, the cars would come and Blair was out there in her angel costume and she says, follow the star to see baby Jesus.
Pastor Josh:And then, you know, some of the other kids were calling out and it just warmed my heart to see the young people, not, they were unashamed.
Pastor Josh:Some of us adults are probably like, oh, we don't want to offend these people.
Pastor Josh:You know, the truth is these children were so Excited to let people know about baby Jesus.
Pastor Josh:And the truth is, as Christians, we should be excited to tell people about what Jesus does for our life.
Pastor Josh:He doesn't just make our life better, he saves our life.
Pastor Josh:He gives us hope.
Pastor Josh:He gives us peace with God.
Pastor Josh:And so the Bible says here, let your moderation be known unto all men.
Pastor Josh:The Lord is at hand.
Pastor Josh:And then it says, be careful or anxious for nothing.
Pastor Josh:Some of us, including myself, if we're not careful, can be plagued by anxiety in our life.
Pastor Josh:We can be plagued with the concerns of this world.
Pastor Josh:And the Bible says, don't allow that anxiety, don't allow that anxiousness.
Pastor Josh:Don't allow the cares of this world to weigh you down.
Pastor Josh:Says, this is what you do when you feel that coming on, when you can recognize that pressure.
Pastor Josh:But in everything, everything in prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God.
Pastor Josh:What is it saying here?
Pastor Josh:Says this, turn your cares over to God first.
Pastor Josh:Peter, chapter five tells us, cast your care upon him, for he cares for you, he loves you.
Pastor Josh:He wants to hear your burdens.
Pastor Josh:He wants to take those burdens from you.
Pastor Josh:And what happens is, there's so much, at least in my life, it's the selfishness and the ego that says, you know what?
Pastor Josh:I'm going to handle this myself.
Pastor Josh:I'm going to try to deal with this on my own.
Pastor Josh:I want to have control.
Pastor Josh:And the Bible says the more we do that, the more we fall into that first category there in verse six, being anxious for everything, being burdened with everything.
Pastor Josh:And the Bible says, yes, we can have burdens as Christians, but we take those burdens.
Pastor Josh:We take those anxieties, we take those care, and we lay them at the foot of the cross and say, lord, you've got this.
Pastor Josh:We believe in thanksgiving.
Pastor Josh:We know that you're going to handle this for us.
Pastor Josh:And then the product of that, the product of the prayer, the product of the casting of our cares to him, is this in verse number seven.
Pastor Josh:And the peace of God.
Pastor Josh:So we've had the peace with God, but the peace with God brings the peace of God.
Pastor Josh:Folks, as Christians, we should be living with the peace of God all over our lives, by the way that we deal with other people, by the way that we deal with our family, by the way that we deal with all of the things at work and all the things at home and all the things in between.
Pastor Josh:Folks, we should be living a life characterized by the peace of God.
Pastor Josh:But yet, so many times in our life, we live in conflict, we live in anger, we live in bitterness, we live in anxiety.
Pastor Josh:And the Bible says, if you have peace with God, the natural outpouring of that should be the peace of God in your life.
Pastor Josh:And it says this and the peace of God which passeth all understanding, meaning the world does not understand this type of peace.
Pastor Josh:The world who is not at peace with God cannot understand this type of peace that isn't predicated upon my circumstances, my income, my health.
Pastor Josh:Folks, the Bible says that all those things can fail us and will fail us.
Pastor Josh:But the one thing that will not fail you is that relationship with Jesus Christ.
Pastor Josh:That is the one thing that cannot be taken away from you.
Pastor Josh:And I would encourage you to think about that from the concept of, hey, you know what?
Pastor Josh:I might have some issues in my life, I might have some struggles in my life, but what do I do?
Pastor Josh:I turn that over to the Lord and allow the peace of God that passeth all understanding to rule in my life.
Pastor Josh:And so I want you to see that progression from the peace with God when you come to him in faith, and then that peace of God that lives out in your life, life.
Pastor Josh:What does it say there?
Pastor Josh:Says it shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ, Jesus.
Pastor Josh:The idea there is this.
Pastor Josh:As a believer, we don't allow.
Pastor Josh:We don't allow the circumstances, our emotions, our pain, our suffering to dictate to us what we think or what we feel about God.
Pastor Josh:It's so very easy to allow what's going on on the external side of things to dictate what we believe about God, what we think about God.
Pastor Josh:And the Bible says, no, no, no.
Pastor Josh:Allow yourself to believe and to think and to live in the truth of the peace of God in your life.
Pastor Josh:So what does that look like?
Pastor Josh:That looks like this.
Pastor Josh:When I wake up in the morning and I don't feel like a million bucks, and I get out and I get into my vehicle and it's cold, and my vehicle's not the vehicle that I think I should have.
Pastor Josh:I think I should have a nicer vehicle.
Pastor Josh:Then I drive to work and there's traffic, and then I get to work and someone says something negatively about me.
Pastor Josh:And then by the end of the day, I'm worn out and I say, you know what?
Pastor Josh:Does God even love me?
Pastor Josh:Because it doesn't seem like that.
Pastor Josh:What I have to do is I have to go back and say, it's not about what the outside is telling me, it's about what the inside is telling me in the truth of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Josh:The peace of God which passes all Understanding.
Pastor Josh:What does it say there?
Pastor Josh:It says, rules your hearts and your minds.
Pastor Josh:And so I want you to think about that in your idea of hope, your idea of peace.
Pastor Josh:For me, a lot of times I'm just seeking some peace and quiet.
Pastor Josh:I've got a house with a nine year old, a six year old and a ten month old.
Pastor Josh:Okay.
Pastor Josh:I'm sometimes just looking for some peace and quiet.
Pastor Josh:I'm not gonna lie.
Pastor Josh:And Alicia's like, well, I would like that too.
Pastor Josh:Okay, you need to get here and get these kids.
Pastor Josh:I said, I understand that there's a lot of times in our life that we're looking for circumstantial peace, and that's good.
Pastor Josh:We should have those times.
Pastor Josh:Get to a place in your life where you can get away.
Pastor Josh:I'm all for that.
Pastor Josh:But there are going to be times when we can't get away from the struggle.
Pastor Josh:For me, sometimes I want to just wiggle out of the struggle.
Pastor Josh:I want to get out of there.
Pastor Josh:I want to say, you know what?
Pastor Josh:I don't know any of you men have ever done this.
Pastor Josh:Ladies, I know you don't do this, but sometimes us men, we get through struggles and we're like, I'm just going to get away.
Pastor Josh:I'm going to go do this.
Pastor Josh:I'm going to.
Pastor Josh:I got to go do my hobby because that's my me time, folks.
Pastor Josh:There's a time and a place for that.
Pastor Josh:But when sometimes that pressure comes, we've got to embrace that and say, lord, Lord, get me through this.
Pastor Josh:Allow me to be able to lead and to guide and to think biblically about this issue that's at hand.
Pastor Josh:And the Bible says that is the peace of God that he promises us.
Pastor Josh:Here in this passage, it goes on to talk about thinking about those things which are true.
Pastor Josh:Whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report.
Pastor Josh:If there be any virtue, which there is, that's a rhetorical thing.
Pastor Josh:And if there be any praise, think on these things.
Pastor Josh:And so the Bible says that this is the way to live a life.
Pastor Josh:With the knowledge of the peace with God that God has given us in salvation.
Pastor Josh:But then living with the peace of God in our lives, then he says, those things which ye both have learned and received and heard and seen in me do.
Pastor Josh:And the peace of God shall be with you.
Pastor Josh:He says, live this way and the peace of God will be with you.
Pastor Josh:It will guide you.
Pastor Josh:You.
Pastor Josh:It's the Holy Spirit.
Pastor Josh:The Holy Spirit convicts us.
Pastor Josh:The Holy Spirit comforts us.
Pastor Josh:The Holy Spirit teaches us.
Pastor Josh:The Holy Spirit leads us to a place in our life where we can have perfect peace in God without having all the things aligned what we want to happen in our lives.
Pastor Josh:I know that there's a lot of people in this world that are speaking of, hey, if we just do xyz, we'll have world peace.
Pastor Josh:Now, I need to explain a little bit more about this, because the Bible does say that there will be peace, one ultimate peace.
Pastor Josh:Right now.
Pastor Josh:Jesus extends peace through salvation.
Pastor Josh:But we do know that one day we are longing for that day where Jesus is going to come and rule and reign on this earth, and he's going to be the prince of peace.
Pastor Josh:Not just in what we believe here now, in faith, that it's going to happen one day, but we're going to see it, it's going to be real.
Pastor Josh:And the Bible says that he's going to make all things right.
Pastor Josh:And that's the day that we're longing for.
Pastor Josh:But until that day, what we have to understand is that the only way for peace in this world is that people come to Jesus Christ for people to see the truth of God and to live the truth of God out in their own life.
Pastor Josh:And so the peace of God is a gift.
Pastor Josh:It's a gift that we all need.
Pastor Josh:You know, growing up, I used to think I needed gifts.
Pastor Josh:I tell my parents, guys, I need this this year.
Pastor Josh:I need this basketball hoop.
Pastor Josh:You don't understand.
Pastor Josh:All of my friends have this basketball hoop.
Pastor Josh:I have to have this basketball hoop.
Pastor Josh:My parents would say, okay, we're gonna go to get this for you.
Pastor Josh:You need it.
Pastor Josh:Okay?
Pastor Josh:Okay.
Pastor Josh:And I would get it and it would be like, great.
Pastor Josh:Now, next year, guys, all of my friends have PlayStation.
Pastor Josh:I need a PlayStation.
Pastor Josh:I need this gift, right?
Pastor Josh:It's a video game console.
Pastor Josh:I need this.
Pastor Josh:And I thought I needed a lot.
Pastor Josh:But the truth is, we sometimes want.
Pastor Josh:We want and we still receive.
Pastor Josh:But I'm gonna tell you that the one gift, the one gift this Christmas season that you need, that I need, that all of us need, that the world needs, is the peace of God.
Pastor Josh:And the peace of God comes through the peace with God.
Pastor Josh:And so what do we do as a church?
Pastor Josh:Well, we say, you know what?
Pastor Josh:This world is terrible.
Pastor Josh:We're going to shut the doors.
Pastor Josh:We're going to, you know, lock in.
Pastor Josh:No, the Bible says for us to go.
Pastor Josh:The Bible says for us, as it said in Philippians chapter four, to live with that peace at hand so that people can see that hope, so that People can see that we're different.
Pastor Josh:Folks, you know what?
Pastor Josh:One of the things that challenges me the most is that if I was to ask people that I came across on a daily basis, do they see anything different in me, you know, there might be someone that says, I didn't see anything different.
Pastor Josh:He was just like everybody else that came through the drive through.
Pastor Josh:He was just like everybody else that came through Wawa.
Pastor Josh:He was just like everybody else.
Pastor Josh:Folks, we should strive and ask the Lord to give us the strength and the wisdom.
Pastor Josh:And really what I would say is the motivation to live differently in this world, live so much that.
Pastor Josh:That peace of God is so clear.
Pastor Josh:You know what?
Pastor Josh:I've been able to sit with families that have lost loved ones, and, you know, certainly that is a difficult, difficult place to be.
Pastor Josh:But to hear someone's testimony, to say, you know what?
Pastor Josh:I don't understand this.
Pastor Josh:I don't like this.
Pastor Josh:It hurts.
Pastor Josh:But I still love the Lord.
Pastor Josh:I still know that he is good.
Pastor Josh:I still know that he is my Savior.
Pastor Josh:Folks, that is what the Bible is talking about there.
Pastor Josh:The peace of God, which passeth all understanding.
Pastor Josh:Because the world doesn't understand that.
Pastor Josh:Because for the world, that is it.
Pastor Josh:You've lost everything.
Pastor Josh:God's taken it away.
Pastor Josh:So why do you still love Him?
Pastor Josh:That's a good question.
Pastor Josh:I still love him because he's good.
Pastor Josh:And because he gave me peace with God.
Pastor Josh:He gave me the opportunity to know him and be a part of his family.
Pastor Josh:I don't know about you, but there's been times in my life where someone's invited me.
Pastor Josh:Right there was the cool crowd in high school or college, wherever you were at.
Pastor Josh:And when they said, hey, do you want to come with us?
Pastor Josh:I was like, wow, I'm privileged.
Pastor Josh:I get to sit at the table.
Pastor Josh:I get to be a part of this.
Pastor Josh:And that's silly.
Pastor Josh:We go through that.
Pastor Josh:But really what's happened is that we have the Creator of the universe, the One who has control over everything, the One who is all powerful, the One who is all knowing, the One who is all present.
Pastor Josh:And now he extends a gift to us.
Pastor Josh:The gift of grace, the gift of mercy, the gift of peace, so that we can, when we believe in him, come sit at his table to be part of his family.
Pastor Josh:That is the greatest privilege that we could ever ask for.
Pastor Josh:And it is a privilege and an honor to be part of that family.
Pastor Josh:But as a Christian, so many times we live with excitement, with the peace with God.
Pastor Josh:But we don't always live in excitement for the peace of God in our lives.
Pastor Josh:And I would challenge you to think about that.
Pastor Josh:Is this something that I'm longing for?
Pastor Josh:Is this something that I'm striving for, as Paul says there in Philippians chapter four, if you follow these things, this is the idea of the peace will be with you.
Pastor Josh:It will continue on with you.
Pastor Josh:It will live within you.
Pastor Josh:And so that is the understanding of the peace of God.
Pastor Josh:And so here this morning, there's really, really basic message.
Pastor Josh:The basic message is this.
Pastor Josh:Number one, are you in the understanding that you have trusted in God as your savior so that you can have peace with God?
Pastor Josh:God.
Pastor Josh:The worst place to be is as an enemy of God.
Pastor Josh:Now, now, that might sound like strong language to you.
Pastor Josh:You might say, what does that mean?
Pastor Josh:If I'm not a Christian, I'm an enemy of God.
Pastor Josh:The Bible actually says that is the case whether you know it or not.
Pastor Josh:And that's a hard thing for me to say because there are some really, really good people, people that I love that, you know, they say I don't need Jesus.
Pastor Josh:Right.
Pastor Josh:The truth is, is that in their minds, they don't.
Pastor Josh:But what we have to understand is that everybody who is not in Jesus Christ, meaning they have not trusted in him as sav.
Pastor Josh:The Bible says, are not at peace with God.
Pastor Josh:And the Bible says that there will be judgment.
Pastor Josh:There will be judgment.
Pastor Josh:And so the case for us this morning is, have we come to the place in our life where we have trusted in him and him alone, as the Bible says.
Pastor Josh:Romans, chapter 5.
Pastor Josh:By Jesus Christ through faith.
Pastor Josh:Ephesians, chapter 2.
Pastor Josh:By grace through faith.
Pastor Josh:The Bible says in John 14, verse 6, in him he is the way, the truth, and the life.
Pastor Josh:If you have not come to Jesus Christ in salvation, the Bible says.
Pastor Josh:Says you need to find peace with God through Jesus by trusting in him, by calling upon the name of the Lord.
Pastor Josh:For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Pastor Josh:How many of you don't raise your hand?
Pastor Josh:How many of you told your kids, if you're not good this year, you're not gonna get any presents?
Pastor Josh:Okay?
Pastor Josh:How many of you have never.
Pastor Josh:Don't raise your hand, please.
Pastor Josh:How many of you said, okay, you guys weren't good this year, so you're not getting any presents?
Pastor Josh:Most of us would say, even though they've messed up, we're gonna extend grace to them and give them presents this year.
Pastor Josh:That's what happens with us.
Pastor Josh:It doesn't mean that when we get saved, all of our sin goes away.
Pastor Josh:I wish that was the case, I wish I no longer had that sin nature.
Pastor Josh:But the Bible says that even as we're wrestling with that sin, it's not though now our strength that's saving us.
Pastor Josh:It's now the strength of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Josh:It is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Josh:It is the grace of Jesus Christ upon our account.
Pastor Josh:And so when we're sin and we're broken, God extends that grace to you.
Pastor Josh:He extends that forgiveness to.
Pastor Josh:He extends that peace to you.
Pastor Josh:So this isn't about living a life of perfection.
Pastor Josh:This is about living a life of humility and receiving the grace of God in faith and saying, lord, I trust in you for my salvation and not in what I'm doing.
Pastor Josh:That is salvation.
Pastor Josh:Trusting in God and not yourself, believing that he is the only way and that there is no other way, no religion, no path, no any other route can save you other than Jesus Christ.
Pastor Josh:And so I hope that that is something that all of you, you can think about here this morning.
Pastor Josh:But I would say, number two, most of you have a profession of faith.
Pastor Josh:The second question would be this.
Pastor Josh:Am I allowing the peace of God to rule my life?
Pastor Josh:Am I allowing the peace of God to characterize the way that I deal with my family, the way that I deal with my workplace, the way that I deal with my enemies, the way that I deal with my own struggles, my own issues, my own physical ailments, my emotional struggles, my spiritual struggles?
Pastor Josh:Am I allowing the peace of God to rule that in my life?
Pastor Josh:Am I thinking the right things about God?
Pastor Josh:Or am I allowing these issues in my life to dictate my truth?
Pastor Josh:That's a phrase that you'll hear a lot in this world, right?
Pastor Josh:My truth.
Pastor Josh:My truth about this is this, and my truth is about this.
Pastor Josh:You can say whatever your truth is if your truth is not what's seen in the word of God.
Pastor Josh:It's not truth.
Pastor Josh:It's contrary to truth.
Pastor Josh:And so the Bible says, it's not about how I feel today.
Pastor Josh:It's not about what I believe.
Pastor Josh:It's about what the Bible says about God, what the Bible says about his love, about his peace and about his grace and his truth.
Pastor Josh:And folks, I would encourage you to base everything that you do, your joy, your peace, your hope, your comfort, your passion, your love, everything must be wrapped around what's told to us in this Word about the Lord.
Pastor Josh:Because if we start allowing anything, the media, people that we know, our own agendas, if we allow those things to take over, what's the truth, then we've allowed ourselves to open Up a gateway to lies.
Pastor Josh:And those lies will lead us away from the peace of God.
Pastor Josh:Satan is the accuser of the brethren.
Pastor Josh:He is the father of lies.
Pastor Josh:And what the whole purpose of his mission is, is to make us think bad things about the Lord, to think untrue thoughts, to allow ourselves to think things that are not aligned with Scripture.
Pastor Josh:And what I would challenge you to do this Christmas season is to think about the scriptures.
Pastor Josh:Think about what the Bible says about this.
Pastor Josh:And the Bible says that you can have peace with God and the peace of God ruling and reigning in your life.
Pastor Josh:And that is why I believe Jesus initially is the prince of peace.
Pastor Josh:He's extending peace here today.
Pastor Josh:But just know that when all things come to pass, and we know that Jesus came to this earth as a baby, but he's not going to come back the second time as a baby.
Pastor Josh:You guys realize that he's coming back as a conqueror.
Pastor Josh:He's coming back as the one who is going to rule and to reign.
Pastor Josh:And so let us be those ones that are on the side of victory so that when Jesus comes back as the conqueror, we can celebrate with him in victory.
Pastor Josh:That's what we're longing for.
Pastor Josh:That's what we're excited for.
Pastor Josh:That's what we are looking toward.
Pastor Josh:The Bible says to keep our eyes fixed on those things which are above.
Pastor Josh:The Bible says that we should look upon those things of his kingdom, of his purpose, of his eternal plan.
Pastor Josh:And so I would encourage you to think not about the struggles that we're facing now.
Pastor Josh:Okay?
Pastor Josh:These are the struggles that are happening today.
Pastor Josh:But guess what?
Pastor Josh:If you live long enough, your struggles are going to be different next year.
Pastor Josh:I had struggles two or three years ago that I thought I was never going to get through.
Pastor Josh:You know what?
Pastor Josh:God got me through those.
Pastor Josh:But you know what's happening now?
Pastor Josh:I'm on the new struggles.
Pastor Josh:And those new struggles just keep coming.
Pastor Josh:And that's.
Pastor Josh:That's life.
Pastor Josh:But the good news is that God is walking with us through that.
Pastor Josh:He's giving us that peace of God in our lives.
Pastor Josh:And we.
Pastor Josh:And we look, what do we do?
Pastor Josh:We don't look to the struggle today.
Pastor Josh:We look to the hope that we have in Jesus Christ that he is going to come back and we are going to be with him.
Pastor Josh:And that's that eternal life.
Pastor Josh:That's that eternal purpose.
Pastor Josh:So that's why the angels were saying, this is good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.
Pastor Josh:This child is going to be a child of peace, the Prince of Peace.
Pastor Josh:That's the message of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Josh:That's the message of the gospel.
Pastor Josh:That's the message of Christmas.
Pastor Josh:Christmas is more than just, you know, wise men, shepherds, donkeys.
Pastor Josh:We had a real donkey here last night.
Pastor Josh:I'm not against real donkeys.
Pastor Josh:They're pretty neat.
Pastor Josh:Okay?
Pastor Josh:But that's not what Christmas is all about.
Pastor Josh:Christmas is not about your favorite cartoon or your favorite Christmas movie.
Pastor Josh:That's fun.
Pastor Josh:Okay?
Pastor Josh:We're not against watching Christmas movies in my house.
Pastor Josh:It's not about the Christmas tree.
Pastor Josh:It's not about the meal that you're gonna eat.
Pastor Josh:It's not about, you know, even the gifts that you will receive.
Pastor Josh:That's not the main purpose.
Pastor Josh:Right?
Pastor Josh:We have all of those things because of what Jesus Christ did for us.
Pastor Josh:And so I would challenge you as a family, as an individual, to think about Christmas differently this year, to think about the why behind it.
Pastor Josh:You've seen that, the reason for the season, right?
Pastor Josh:But to really think about that, to really allow yourself to be the gospel message through the Christmas season.
Pastor Josh:And for me, that's always a challenge.
Pastor Josh:It's always a challenge because there's fear there.
Pastor Josh:But the Bible says that that perfect love casts out fear.
Pastor Josh:So the more you rest in the love of Christ, the more you're willing to share that love with other people around you.
Pastor Josh:And so this Christmas season, may we all be like those little kids out there at the live nativity scene.
Pastor Josh:Point people to Jesus Christ.
Pastor Josh:Point people to the one who came in the manger but didn't stay in that manger.
Pastor Josh:He went to the cross.
Pastor Josh:That's why the live nativity scene.
Pastor Josh:We didn't stop at the manger.
Pastor Josh:We put up a cross and we put up an empty tomb.
Pastor Josh:Because he didn't stay there.
Pastor Josh:He went for that, for his love for us.
Pastor Josh:He went to that cross, but that cross didn't defeat him.
Pastor Josh:That cross was just a conduit to our salvation.
Pastor Josh:And then he goes in the tomb.
Pastor Josh:That tomb did not hold him.
Pastor Josh:That tomb is empty.
Pastor Josh:And we have victory because of his victory.
Pastor Josh:So Christmas is a story of victory.
Pastor Josh:And that victory is the victory that we can all be a part of here this morning.
Pastor Josh:Well, I'm going to ask if you're able to stand with me, every head bowed, every head closed.
Pastor Josh:As the music plays, you have an opportunity to respond this morning.
Pastor Josh:The peace of God, does it rule and reign in your life?
Pastor Josh:Peace, comfort, joy.
Pastor Josh:That's all.
Pastor Josh:What should describe a Christian?
Pastor Josh:The true question here this morning is this.
Pastor Josh:Are you, number one, a believer in Jesus Christ, are you at peace with God?
Pastor Josh:That's the first thing we have to handle here this morning.
Pastor Josh:Is that something that you said?
Pastor Josh:You know what?
Pastor Josh:I have trusted in Jesus Christ as my Savior.
Pastor Josh:I know without a shadow of a doubt that I'm not trusting in anything else other than him for my salvation.
Pastor Josh:If that is the case, fantastic.
Pastor Josh:If that is not the case, I encourage you this morning to take care of that.
Pastor Josh:But if that is the case, if you have trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior, I would say this.
Pastor Josh:Are you living a life characterized by the peace of God?
Pastor Josh:Are you living a life characterized by thinking and believing and resting in his truth?
Pastor Josh:Are you thinking about other things?
Pastor Josh:Could your life as a Christian.
Pastor Josh:Could my life as a Christian be characterized by joy, by strength, by comfort, by peace, by prayer?
Pastor Josh:Or would it be characterized by other things?
Pastor Josh:Anxiety, chaos, pain, suffering, hopelessness?
Pastor Josh:Folks, if you are a believer today, that should not be the case.
Pastor Josh:Take all of those burdens, take all of that pain and lay those at the foot of the cross.
Pastor Josh:The Bible says in Philippians, chapter four, cast your cares, take away those anxieties from your account and give them over to the Lord, because the Lord is willing and ready and desiring to take those cares from you.
Pastor Josh:Ask him with prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.
Pastor Josh:Maybe it's been a while since you've had a real conversation with Jesus Christ, this Christian.
Pastor Josh:This Christmas season is a wonderful time for Christians to come back and have that renewed relationship restored in the truth of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Josh:Are you at peace with God?
Pastor Josh:Are you at peace with his truth?
Pastor Josh:Are you at peace with His Word?
Pastor Josh:Or do you feel that inner conflict?
Pastor Josh:If you feel that inner conflict this morning, go to him.
Pastor Josh:Allow him to take that conflict away.
Pastor Josh:Allow yourself to be fully surrendered to him today so that you can rest in that peace that passeth all understanding.
Pastor Josh:How different will we be as a church?
Pastor Josh:How more effective would we be as a church if we were willing to say, lord, let your peace rule and reign in my life life.
Pastor Josh:Don't allow those inner conflicts and those and those outward conflicts dictate my life, but allow the peace of God to rule and reign so that I can be a joyful Christian, a prayerful Christian, a Christian characterized by comfort and strength in the truth of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Josh:That's what you want here this morning.
Pastor Josh:I encourage you to come forward or you can kneel in your pew and you can turn it over to him and have that peace with God here today.
Pastor Josh:Lord, we thank you for this time.
Pastor Josh:We thank you for this opportunity to respond to your Word.
Pastor Josh:We thank you for the peace with God, and we thank you for the peace of God in our lives.
Pastor Josh:I ask that you work in hearts and lives here this morning.
Pastor Josh:In Jesus name, Amen.
Pastor Josh:As the music plays, follow as the Lord leads today.
Pastor Josh:Thank you again for listening to the Middletown Baptist Church Podcast.
Pastor Josh:I hope that this sermon has been a blessing for you.
Pastor Josh:If you would like to find out more information about our church or this sermon, you can find us at middletown baptist church.org or find us on Facebook or YouTube.
Pastor Josh:You can also email me directly@joshmisaroiddletownbaptistchurch.com if you've enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and follow along for future podcast and updates.
Pastor Josh:Thank you so much.
Pastor Josh:God Bless.
Pastor Josh:Have a wonderful day.
