The Gift of Peace
A brief word with you before we let you go.
want to share something with you this Christmas season as you prepare for Christmas day don't know if your Christian tonight and doesn't make a difference right now in terms of whether or not this can benefit your life, but it doesn't make a difference that as you think about this whole Holiday season there's something about I'm going to say that certainly involves all of us. So before I begin, I'm going to have a word of prayer and then we're going to read a brief scripture and then talk to you for a few moments that right. Father thank you for this moment. Thank you for this opportunity to share a word. Thank you for the gifts that have been displayed today father. Thank you for the gift things. Thank you for the just a piece that offers our hearts. We pray Lord that as we share these words father. We pray of your blessing. Thank you God for you being in this place. We pray Lord as we open our hearts. May we hear from you in Jesus name? Amen? Amen. God bless you seated.
the text I want to read this this morning is coming from a very interesting text that Jesus is speaking to his disciples about spinal John Chapter 14 verse 27
and Johnson John gospel. He said to his disciples says I'm leaving you with a gift.
peace of mind and heart and a peace I give is a gift that the world cannot give So don't be troubled. Harbor Freight
Christmas is very interesting time because often we talk about the baby Jesus when we talked about the fact that Mary was chosen to bring Christ into the world, but this is not the baby Jesus talking. This is a grown Jesus. This is a Jesus who is about to face. His own death is about to face a time when he's now going to be in a very difficult situation and Pat. In fact, he's going to leave his disciples and once he leaves his disciples, of course the disciples a very afraid because they left their homes. They left their business. They left everything to follow Jesus. And of course as he's about to go through the process of coming up to his crucifixion. They also believe and understand and know that they're going to be next. So course is going to bring trouble into their lives and they feel this alone is in Jesus said to them I am bringing to you a gift. I'll bring it to you gift a gift Called Peace. How do you really? Understand that we have in a very tumultuous time right now. Would you agree with that? I mean peace piece of something that we pay a lot for? We we we we see advertisements on television that will offer us peace that says all right Come Away with us coming to Jamaica. We have Airline commercial that say so you want to get away. There's something about peace that people are trying to achieve in many different ways men. Try to Chief Peace by happy man caves.
So we have man caves and then I'm an K. We have television. We have remote control. We have easy chair and we have a sign that says keep out in this means you we have all these things that we put in place so that we can somehow get some Tranquility some kind of peace. Turbo has entered home turn those into the two marriages turmoil has entered in between husband and wife and children and their parents at work is a lot of turmoil. Someone can't wait to get to the place we say, all right, we are done. And Monday when it comes you can say you know what there's hope cuz Friday's coming. So it is a interesting thing with people like you and me. We just run at the sign will we can somehow get some peace? It's interesting that when we looked at world today how much internal it is? And even now as we speak a quarter of our government is shut down. for the third time
we live in a country when we talk about peace, but we are the largest Nation or should I say the nation has the largest amount of those who are incarcerated 22% of the population America are incarcerated.
So when it comes to peace, we you find that there is a lot of trouble there's a lot of problems that people try to get away from the turmoil that they're facing in life is so Jesus said in the mist of all of that. I I give you a gift I give you a gift. It's it's a gift called piece this kind of piece that Jesus calls for it's not the kind of piece. That's the peaceably that stops the trouble or stops the turmoil. It's a much deeper than that. If you got to find it, if you're kind of like I am from the hood growing up in the hood. We call it drama. We don't call it. Peace. Is anybody have drama lately? Add a safe to cause drama because some of us can be drama Kings and drama queens. There is a part where we have played into this whole issue of trouble violence. Disturbance unrest in Jesus says I'm giving the gift of peace. This piece is mentioned in the Old Testament 250 times. You mentioned it and it's called Shalom you say that word shalom shalom is a Hebrew term that it doesn't mean peace from trouble. It doesn't mean a piece to stop arguing with your wife with with the kids with your boss. It's a piece that says this it's about wholeness. It's about blessing. It's about tranquility. It's a piece that goes beyond trouble. In fact it can exist in the trouble.
In the Greek word the word is Urena. Will we get the word Irene? The name of the woman whose name Irene their name is actually piece. For the life of me. I couldn't I couldn't fathom. Why in 2011? A storm that came up the coast and rabbits the Caribbean and came in off the coast that called the storm Irene. I'm looking at the television saying that's not what I mean means. Irene means peaceful Irene means my soul is at rest. Irene means I don't have to be troubled by what's happening. The thing that God has given to all of us and offers us. He's office us that kind of peace. He's office us the kind of piece that in the midst of storms difficulty all the things that seem to a nervous we can have quietness Tranquility blessing wholeness and I life. Jesus when he talks about this she answers basically for questions you tells us number one. What kind of gift it is is to get the peace. Then he tells us. Who gives this kind of gift he said it's the Holy Spirit. The spirit gives us a gift. Do you know that when you have the spirit of God you have the gift of God? The Bible tells us that Paul named it out. He kind of calls it out like this. He says in relationship to 5 is 22 and 23. He says that the fruit of the spirit or the virtue of the spirit is love joy, peace, longsuffering gentleness, goodness faithfulness and self-control not tell your neighbor self control. If you have the spirit, you can't control yourself. If somebody cuts you off in traffic you had the spirit.
I didn't say a spirit. I said the Holy Spirit can tell you do not put up your finger. Do not roll down the window do not do any kind of road rage activity because you have the spirit of peace within you. It's a virtue to virtue of strength pieces of strength. It's a it's it's strength that causes you to be able to weather all kinds of even bad information.
So when Jesus office pieces offices Spirit, he said that the Spurs going to come. He's the gift. Jesus gave this gift to us. And what is going to accomplish. Jesus says is that it's going to give you a piece of mind and it's going to get peace in your heart.
I was on the internet and kind of looking at ways and means that people can say you can have peace in the website. Came up and it said 40 ways to have peace of mind and, so spirit. So I went down this list and I begin to look at this list, and I said that if you want some peace of mind and cheese connoisseur of spirit, you take some deep breaths. Go for a walk. Enjoy nature play with your pet. Declutter your space. Love yourself. Be true to yourself. Take stock. I take inventory ask yourself. Do you love your job?
Do you have any bowls? If you have goals, are they smart goals? Live for the moment go get a physical and a health check-up now Brothers, you know that ain't going to make you happy, so mine.
Get enough sleep almost impossible.
And listen to this one instead get to your appointment 10 minutes early. Now some of us you will never have peace of mind if you have to do that cuz you ain't got no place on time. You never been on time anywhere in your life.
and the list goes on and the list goes on in the more I read at the Moines, Iowa I got I said fighting fish tanks and fish tanks getting peace of mind, some Spirit. I'm in trouble.
But Jesus says I give Yuba skiff you don't have to work for you know, just like I know that if you Worked all week and you got your check you certainly wouldn't count it as a gift. You say I work for this. This is a gift that you don't have to work for. It's a gift that Jesus offers you. It's a gift of peace. What are things about this gift that's very interesting is that? He says the gift that I'm offering you doesn't come from the world. It doesn't come from what we experience in this life. This Earthly realm that we live in he says this piece doesn't come from the world because the world didn't give it to you. And how we know if the world didn't give it to you the world. Can't take it away from you. But where does it come from it comes from heaven? It's a Heavenly peace. It's a piece that comes from a realm. Call the spirit. It's something spiritual. Why you might say it's intangible but yet it is tangible because we sense the spirit as the music is being played you sense the spirit. You sense a calmness coming over your soul music is so powerful because it calms our fears. So here it is. Jesus is talking and he says look this does not come. From the realm that you live in call Earth.
The great creature by the name of Spurgeon. He said a little faith would take your soul to heaven, but greyface will bring Heaven to your soul. If you have faith Heaven comes in your soul that when you have something going on in your life, you can still have heaven in your soul. Did the song that Dad this is his Heaven came down and Glory filled my soul. There is a soul that you have you our soul you are a soul inside of a body. And the question is do you have peace in your soul? Do you have peace in your life? when all hell is breaking loose when you don't understand, can you just say look it Is Well with My Soul the song writer said when peace like a river attendeth my way when Sorrows like sea Billows roll.
and this whole difficulty in life that we face in trouble is that we experience you can look at it and say it is well. It is well. With My Soul by the people can say that.
A Jesus wanted it to be well with their souls. He wanted them to experience this whole understanding of what it meant. to have peace interesting when it comes to gifts. How we exchange gifts can be very different in the morning with my wife and I and our children when they were home. They're adults now and then going off on their own and we exchange gifts in the morning. We pray first and then we do our exchanges and I've never experienced a gift exchange as when I was working for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. They had this thing called the Yankee swap.
I think the Yankee swap show me mister mister naive I said we're going to have an opportunity to exchange gifts that 40 people in the department. We had this party and we had this wonderful thing called the Yankee swap and I am so naive. I don't understand the rules of the Yankee swap. I don't understand anything. They said bring a gift the gift shouldn't be any more than $10 on it. Just make sure you bring the gift to the party. So we bring the gift 40 people brought gifts. I mean tables with Phil to guess. We coming they give us a number.
Who you think that number one? I did number one. And I mean I looked at all these gifts and I mean, this is pretty cool.
Placer alright, here's the rules because you're number one. You get to pick any gift on the table. Some look at the gate so I can shake them a little bit and I picked up a gift was about this tall. And he said, all right, you want to unwrap it and I got a little suspicious when they said I wrap it. Because I was ready to just put it in that bag and take it home. That's all you got to unwrap the gift. Let us be able to have to see what you got. So I wrap the gift. It was just beautiful crystal vase. Really nice crystal vase from believe that God for $10. I I just thought this was pretty good. I know what my gift was. I I didn't like it was nowhere near just discuss the ways, you know the back number to they opened up their gift and they looked at their gift and they got something like a stuffed animal. That's what I said too. I mean, I don't know why you got to stuff that we have is now I'm glad I didn't get that one. They said well, they asked the second person. Do you want to give the gift or do you want to swap the gift wrapping with? Flip flops what the gif? Glycerol, you don't understand this game. But this game is that if Somebody likes your gets better. You got to swap. I didn't like that. I didn't like Yankee Swap from then on I knew it was going to go downhill from there. It was just down here. Just going to go downhill. Downhill. I just say Merry Christmas to anybody after that that was done done done. I'm done. It just went down from there lost. It just went down from there. And here I am had to switch with this ugly. Looking teddy bear. And I watch my visible with it. And as they went down the line down the line down the line down the line.
That bill was passed the rest. That Bass was passed around But the good thing about it is since I was first.
I got the big laugh.
I know my joy came back. I just left this is fun now. I think this is good. Amboy when I got that I said, all right. On the last one. I thought they had some really nice stuff.
That's cuz you were first. I went back to that person.
I said that you know why I'm here.
And you can have your bed back. Cuz ain't nobody want this bad, but I think you should have it.
You see it's not like Yankee Swap. It's it Yankee Swap is fun if you come out on top, but it's but that lady right there. She didn't come out until she got her little bit and had to be happy. Jesus gives a gift out of the Yankee swap. He gives you a gift that is perfectly for you. Just what you need and he gives it to you so that you can have this piece no matter what situation you're in this Amen to that.
the thing about this piece this piece is not just exchanged. By just hoping it happens. It is exchanged through the principle of Prayer.
prayer Is the exchange for peace? Is there any interesting that sometimes we don't we just we underestimate the power of Prayer? The song I just said. What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and griefs to Bear what a privilege it is.
to take I sell to the Lord in prayer. Penny says what a peace we often forfeit what needless pain we Bear all because we do not carry Everything To God In Prayer. Prayer is the vehicle by which you exchange your trouble for. Peace. Is the scripture I want to read to you that's very powerful scripture that was written by the Apostle Paul in Philippians chapter 4 verse 7. He said rejoice in the lord always and again, I say rejoice. He said let your gentleness be evident to all the Lord is near. I mean, oh God is near you.
He said do not be anxious. Listen, very carefully. Do not be anxious about anything. But in every situation by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving present your requests to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and Minds in Christ Jesus. That is a scripture that will keep you in turmoil. And that meaning internal you keep you at peace in turmoil. He says it's a piece that will pass your own understanding people will say how in the world. Are you so calm with all the trouble that's happening around you. Well, it's not my own peace. It's called the peace of God. It's called the piece that will pass your own understanding and it will guard your heart. It'll got your mind through Christ Jesus, you need that kind of peace right now in your life. You know people around you that need that kind of peace in your life. You can't drink it away. You can't smoke it away. You can't do anything on this Earth to get the peace, but you can exchange your piece exchange what you have your anxiety for the trouble in the trouble that you're in for the peace of God.
We were in Walmart just before Saturday before we had the Christmas concert in my wife said to me I need to go to to Walmart because I want to get the the worship team some apple cider. And I want to get them some apple cider the small Martinelli's apple cider and I figured out that Walmart in Quincy has it. So I said, okay, let's go to Walmart on Quincy and it look very odd because all of those does the customer service folks it seemed like the Rapture happened. There was nobody to ask anything to that. I mean, I don't know where they were hiding. I don't know whether they ran in the back when they saw the customers and when looking around trying to find where to get the apple cider. And finally, we asked a couple of the folks that we were able to the grab one of the clerks. He's in the aisle. He said it's over there. So you points over there and I said what old was over there. He said it's over somewhere around aisle 27. Scythe we've all over now 27, we don't see it. We don't know where it is that okay. It's not there. So you run up to the front and this lady has a password tablet and she's looking around. She said well. It says you have 3 in the store. You mean it's not that old. Well, I guess we are out. We don't have any suspect arrested. Well, do you have any maybe in the the back or your place? Will you stop things? She said well, I don't know. I think that if it's not there, it's all out will get some tomorrow. And you know my wife my wife said there's three in the store and we're going to find it. There's three in the store and we're going to find it because if you understand retail every time that when they scan an item, it takes it off the inventory. So if it's gone, it should say that this is not and she said this. It's got to be his got to be here and I'm getting to the point where I just get water. Just getting water. Just getting water in a bottle and say hello. He has history in the bottle of water. She said no we going to get that apple cider. We got to get it. We're going to get it. So we go up and down the aisle. She said, let me go at this one more time. So she goes up the aisle at 2:27. And she looks at the shelving and she sees at the bottom. She sees the label with the apple cider would be and the Shelf is empty. she said old man, it's it's There's no apple cider here. I guess they are right. There's none here. And something told her get on your knees.
She got on her knees and we're in the back. We're in the back in the back. I mean you have to use a flashlight on your on your phone to see it. There was three sitting way in the back. So she text me cuz I'm at the front of the store. I'm like, well, I guess we ain't get no no side of the day no outside today.
But the thing about it is you couldn't see unless you got on your knees.
You all didn't get what I just said. She said I would have never seen this. Unless I got on my knees. How many people were looking for apple cider that passed by over and over again chords included and all they have to do is get on their knees see that determined. There was none. But when you get on your knees, no, you don't hear what I'm saying. Can I get a witness in the house when they get on you need? When you get on your knees, you can see something that you never seen before the Bible says your eyes have not seen ears haven't heard neither. Has it entered your heart what God has prepared for those that love him. But God has revealed those things by his Spirit, even the very deeper things of God. I challenge you that if you would get on your knees.
If you would just get on your knees and say God I need some. Peace. I need some stuff that's going on Don't Starve is going on in my life that I just don't have an answer for.
Carmel in my home turn my alarm my job turn on my finances. Jesus says I give you a gift call Peace shalom. Nothing missing nothing broken.
Something that's peace for your soul.
I would ask you to stand we're going to pray.
God is here to make an exchange with you. an exchange a troubled heart a troubled mind a broken spirit for his peace. And whatever you're going through.
Today you can unwrap the gift. shalom Is here?
As you hit the button eyes are closed.
Give me this morning and you came to worship with us. Maybe you came to hear the wonderful jazz music this morning.
But I want you to leave here with a gift. the gift of peace I want you to have a peace that passes even your own understanding.
Napoli's comes by asking
asking the Lord say Lord. I I need your peace.
I need you. the Prince of Peace I need a peace that passes my understanding. if you need prayer this morning, I want to Just pray, that's all I want to do cuz prizzi Exchange. And if you believe in your heart. Ready when Jesus was raised from the dead you shall be saved. If you believe that Jesus. has given the gift that you need to receive the small you say Lord. I believe and I receive. If you want to be included in prayer. Would you just raise your hand? I'll clue you in prayer not going to hurt you. God bless you. I see the hands. I see these hands. I see them. I see them. I see them all over the room all over the room all over the room. Peace that passes. all understanding
Would you buy a head to let spray father? Thank you for this opportunity father to come before you in this Divine Exchange.
Lord we have. Been turning over and over and out mines worried anxiety high blood pressure. situations Lord that we're really troubled and cannot figure out how to resolve them. But father we asked you for peace. Not a piece that the world says it can give but I ask you for a piece that comes from heaven.
that Comforts us that undergirds us.
That were able to say it's well without soul. Father I pray for those Lord who don't know you personally save it and never opened in life to Jesus but file a pray that this is the moment. This is the moment when they say Lord come into my life be my Lord be my savior guide me. I need this piece. I pray for those Lord who I just really troubled situations that had their encountering. I pray that they would spiritual peace as well. We thank you Father for all that you're doing in our lives. Thank you for this gift. We praise you for it in Jesus name I pray amen In a man what you get the Lord of Praise right now.
If you like to know more about about this experiencing peace and walking in peace Walking With Jesus. Certainly, we have some communication cards, please write in communication card. Do you like to know more and you can hand it to me before you go out of hand it to one of my ushers and we'd like to just share some more about about faith with you because that little bit of faith that you have is enough. To actually quiet your soul. God bless you Merry Christmas, and we're going to have an announcement by Sister Lynette Littles. She's coming.
Cynthia come on up Cynthia Cynthia Cynthia. Where are you? And then I want to let you know that right.
that the mic
oh, oh, she's she said she's going to sing block your ears. Just warning you.
Hi everyone. How are you? Merry Christmas to all of you. Thank you, Ron. And this whole team actually like jazz now, I didn't like it before I thought it was the old people I don't I don't mean to be rude anybody but but like now looks like I'm like, yeah, this is pretty cool. I like I like. Thank you. So we just want to bless the people who bless us week after week after week after week who are here 52 Sundays. every year and we just couldn't do it without the leadership team at ALC. They're just awesome. And so if you haven't gotten to know them make sure you come back so you can get to know them because I'm not only are they Visionaries but they also help you to find what your purpose that God has put forth for you. So so we'd like to just thank each of them for for just the Year. This has been a great year 2018. We've had some ups and some downs but I've It's Been a Good Year. So Bishop, we just want you to come and rev if you could come but I know I know you got to kind of get around.
I'm past the Lonnie.
impastor Meredith you can stay right there will come to you what comes
So Bishop, we just want to thank you because you're just awesome your you just your visions and you don't let us say no and we appreciate the push because some of us would stay in the back of the room if we if we could but we really appreciate what you do for us and we look forward to 2019. Yes, yes. Yes. We look forward to 3090. Hope you already see I got my tennis shoes on cuz I got to run with them. So put your tennis shoes on so you can run cuz next year's a year running my stretching and running right it is and I don't even know that we just want to thank you because you just I don't know when you sleep. I don't I don't know when you sleep because you're always going your brain goes faster than the rest of us, but but we appreciate the challenge. We appreciate the challenge. Thank you. Thank you so much. Have a Merry Christmas.
pasture, Virginia AKA Rev Just want to say thank you. Thank you for the push that you've given to all of us this year. Even as you pulled back on something you're pulling back made other people push forward and that's a quality of a leader. I'm to move back so that other people can move forward. And so I know it's not always easy cuz you see things that other people don't see but other people have been able to grow because of it. And so we appreciate who you are. We look forward to your writing in 2019. We look forward to these books that are coming out next year and what God is doing with you and your your ministry and your your professional profession and all of that. So we wish you well the rest of this year and I hope that you rest. And you didn't you didn't say that to me easy. I hope that you rest over the season cuz there's much to come next year. So we bless you.
Pastor emeritus
This is bad guy. bad guy pasta Loni bad guy pastelon Merry Christmas. Thank you. That's all you got to say, right so this guy right here. That's what I call him back. I you know, he will make you laugh. If you are ever said he is going to pick you up and lift you up. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, not you. Not you not you not you not you don't qualify this year. But but the the joy, you have bought to the people here the family life that you have bought in just because you're just your personality is just goofy and nice way goofy goofy and I swear we really appreciate all of your work and even the push pull that you give to some of us. We appreciate that. I appreciate that. We appreciate the bike club. That's probably coming soon because as you can see they are all becoming bikers around here. So any other husbands that like to join please and wives to go have the singing bike club Woman's Club bike club going, but we just want to thank you because you're just you're just a great guy. You haven't even kill personality. I'm done drugs.
We got to go down to pop. Impastor Meredith brother smell good. That's brother. Smell good right there, right everything about you is just awesome. It's so nice to see you continue to come week after week after week after week pops is here sickness can't hold him down people can't hold him down. This is where he knows. He wants and needs to be in so we thank you Pops for Pop's you listening You listening? Okay, Sharon don't mess with his bag, but we just want to thank you because you're an inspiration to us that we need to push to come to church because it's important to be here and nothing keeps you so there should be nothing that keeps us. And so we just thank you. We really thank you because you're just you're here. You you make it upstairs you're just here, and so we just thank you for the inspiration that you are to us and and the challenge that you give us. All of you can make it we can make it and so we appreciate it. We hope that you have a merry merry. Merry Christmas pops, and I happy blessed New Year. Hey, man.
Salvation Army Salvation Army 2 days from now we will be at we will be there my husband and I were there last night and then there was guys are so excited like so excited they came outside and shorts to put stuff in the car. So please read your emails everyone. You got your email with your assignment. Is there still time to sign up its other people want to come please see me afterwards. It's at 402 Massa Salvation Army Cambridge we go on Christmas Day. We actually go we cook we have a team that cooks we set up there a team that serves we have a prayer team that prays and plays games with people and and then of course the cleanup team that is just as awesome. And so we really need your help we cannot do it is not an individual thing. This is our 25th year with them and as much as they are excited. Do what we absolutely love doing it to so please if you're available, please come out. You don't have to stay the whole time a couple hours is all it takes to put a smile on someone's face and let them know that God loves them even in the midst of their storm. So, please see me at the at the back of the church if you're interested. Thank you. God bless. Thank you so much. Thank you.
Would you join the person's hand next to you as we dismiss and prayer wasn't the awesome day going concern and Greater Joy Christmas will be yours. Amen father. Thank you for this opportunity to come to join together in the season. We pray Lord as we leave this place Lord, but we don't leave the piece behind. Don't leave the joy behind. We don't leave the the music behind. We carried in our whole our souls and Spirits. Thank you for each and every person is represented here. We pray that God that you would help us to carry this joy and peace to others pray Lord as we travel. Thank you for your protection. Thank you for your guidance in your love in Jesus name. I pray. Amen. God bless you Merry Christmas, everyone.